The Leahy Family: February 2013

Monday, February 25, 2013

Snow Mountain Ranch

This winter we are loving every moment and memory of our winter trips to the mountains!

Our latest excursion ... Scott's annual company trip to Snow Mountain Ranch. The employees and their families journeyed up to this YMCA property just outside of Winter Park for a weekend of snowy fun. This year our Saturday plans involved going to a smaller, family-friendly ski resort called Granby Ranch. Scott and I have figured out the best plan for our crew is for one parent to ski with the older boys while the other chills with Grant in the lodge. Then in the afternoon, we switch, and the fun continues!

This particular Saturday at Granby Ranch brought a major milestone for the Leahy Ski Team. Reid mastered skiing and was zipping down the mountain like a pro! Three years ago on this same company trip and at the age of 6, Luke got the hang of learning to ski, also at Granby Ranch. Talk about history repeating itself!

After Reid's first official run.

No help from Dad. All on his own!

In the afternoon as I followed Reid skiing and Luke snowboarding down the mountain, I got a little misty eyed at this milestone. Both boys gliding down the mountain. So confident. So joyful. Both boys learning the love of skiing from their dad -- the best ski instructor ever. Reflecting on how much the joys of this winter mean to our family. Congrats to the newest little skier in our family ... way to go, Reid! We are so incredibly proud of you!

Here's a little video montage of the boys skiing and snowboarding. Granby Ranch has these fun little cutouts along the side trails for the kiddos. The boys had a blast cruising through them. This video was earlier in the afternoon. By the last run of the day, Reid had picked up speed and was keeping up with me! I would ski ahead to try and get some video. Then I'd turn around, and Reid was right behind me! It is amazing to watch our boys learn these winter sports ... when it clicks, they really get it! Enjoy the video. The music is from Tron, one of their favorite movies.

You don't see this every day on the mountain!

The bride and groom rode the lift in front of us. So sweet!

No better way to spend a Saturday afternoon

than cruising down the mountain with these two!

Snowboarding Luke

Grant loved playing on a snow hill

at the base of the mountain!

Fun for everyone!

Our Home Sweet Home at Snow Mountain Ranch

Usually, we stay through Sunday to play in the snow some more, but on this trip, we had to leave early to try and beat the storm rolling into Denver and the Springs. The usual 2.5 hour drive took us almost 4 hours to get home, but thanks to Scott's excellent driving and our all-wheel drive Ford Flex, we made it home safe and sound!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

SNOW ... Finally!

We've yet to have a BIG SNOW this winter. Until today! We awoke to about 6 inches of fresh, glorious powder ... and a snow day from school! After a lazy morning in pajamas at home, the afternoon was action-packed with sledding fun at Toboggan Hill. When we arrived, we couldn't believe how many people were there. Everyone was so excited for the BIG SNOW!

Panorama of Toboggan Hill

This is located about 15 minutes away from our house.

Leahy Sledding Team

These boys LOVE the outdoors!

It was a mere 20 degrees, but they were

bundled up and having fun!

Running Reid

(Trying to dodge a snowball)

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...

Coasting down the hill...

All Smiles for the Snow!

Luke launches a snowball at Reid.

Our sledding tradition is to hit Starbucks afterward.

Hot cocoa mustache and a nap. Nothing better.

And a little video ... Grant enjoying the snow!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Small, Medium & Large

Whenever our crew is out and about, we often hear the comment, "Oh, 3 boys. And they all look so much alike!" In response, we often laugh and share this little quip: "Yes ...size small, medium, and large."

Today we enjoyed the day off school with a little trip to the Castle Rock Community Rec Center Pool. This pool features something for every age of Leahy boy. Luke spent a majority of his time on the water slides, Reid splashed around in the lazy river, and Grant (and I) waded around in the kiddie area.

At the pool break as they stood all wrapped in their towels with teeth chattering, I couldn't help but smile and chuckle at this perfectly tiered crew of "small, medium & large." Love these boys.

Commercial Ventures

Luke's class has been busy studying geographic regions of the United States. They had an assignment to create a project about a region, and Luke decided to make a commercial to persuade people to move to his assigned region of the Southwest (Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona & Texas.) He spent several hours on this little video project with selecting the music & images, writing the text, adding the video transitions and special effects, filming the segments, and learning how to use Windows Movie Maker. Since we lived in Arizona, we worked in some fun photos of "little Luke" living there. So here it is ... lights, camera, action!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Home Sweet Home :: Living Room

Our home is an ever-evolving work in progress. We often switch-change-rearrange the furniture and decor with new layouts every few months. After Christmas, we worked a little magic on our living room, and we settled upon this arrangement. It's perfect for lounging around and listening to music or curling up on the couch with a good book and watching it snow.

5Faves

2013 Leahy Valentines

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Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

Things that we love?

Well, here are a few!

On this Valentine's Day, we thought it would be fun to share our latest "loves" and favorites. Enjoy!

:: SCOTT ::

Soccer. Every week, Scott joins a group of buddies to play a little soccer. After a hiatus with his recent surgeries & recoveries, he was thrilled to get back on the field. And last night, he scored two goals!
Engineering. Some people are lucky enough to go to work each day doing something they love. Scott is one of those lucky ones.
Coaching. Sharing the love of sports with the next generation ... what could be better!
Pizza. This is always a top contender on his favorite foods list. His favorite local pizza establishments ... woodfired pizza from Duca's or NY-style pizza from Borriello Brothers.
Royals. The Royals could not find a more loyal, lifelong fan than Scott.

:: JAMI ::

Kettlebell/TRX Class at the Y. For over a year, this class has been a major part of my workout routine, and I look forward to hitting the gym on these days. Three friends and I now have a semi-private group session with our awesome trainer Jenny. We laugh. We do kettlebell swings & crazy TRX exercises. We do mountain climbers. We run wind sprints in the gym. We cheer each other on and laugh some more. It's the camaraderie of high school volleyball practice ... plus 20 years.
Fashion Blogs. We all have our guilty pleasures. Chocolate. Wine. Reality dramas on TV. For me, it's fashion blogs. I love keeping up on the latest trends. Here are a few of my favorite sites: Kendi Everyday, La Vie Petite, Seersucker + Saddles, & The Small Things Blog.
Green Tea & Green Smoothies.
Running in the Snow. Perhaps it was all those years living sans snow in Phoenix, but I absolutely love getting out and about when the flakes are falling.
Cooking. I inherited this love from my mother and grandmothers, but time spent in the kitchen brings me great peace and joy and a happy heart.

:: LUKE ::

Basketball. Playing. Watching. Eating. Sleeping. Breathing. He loves hoops. All day. Every day.
Tween Night at the YMCA. When the Y first advertised Tween Night and its age range of 8-12, it took some time to adjust to the idea that Luke was indeed a "tween!" Once a month on a Saturday night, the Y clears out, and the tweens take over for non-stop swimming, basketball, dodgeball, and pizza-eating. Luke plays dodgeball for 3 hours straight. And LOVES it!
AFV (America's Funniest Videos) - This show has been on forever, but the boys recently discovered it and love the comical video clips. We tivo it so the boys can watch it and belly laugh over and over and over again. Best laugh track around.
Pork Riblet Sandwich at school lunch. Yes, this sandwich is still around. Classic.
NBA 2K13 (favorite game on our WiiU). This might be the coolest video game ever. You can create your own player that realistically looks like you. It features music by Jay-Z. And it has press conferences after the game.

:: REID ::

Power Rangers. Reid has recently discovered the Power Rangers (another one on the list of "been-around-forever") and he loves watching episodes on Netflix. We have big discussions about which Power Ranger is the best and why.
Cereal. Reid believes that cereal can best be enjoyed any time of day. It can suffice as both a snack and meal.
Brunswick Zone XL. Bowling. Arcade games. Laser tag. Pizza. Music. What's not to love there?!
Roblox. It's like a video game version of Legos. You can build anything and create everything in a virtual world.
Red. Reid's favorite color. Just because.

:: GRANT ::

Little Monkey Business. This is a kids' play gym with a bouncehouse, art room & climbing structure. Grant can check off 2 hours playing here, no problem. Loves it.
Water. He loves to dabble in water and pour liquids back and forth between two cups. We joke that Grant will either grow up to be a chemist ... or bartender.
Time with Papa. Grant loves his adventures with Papa! My dad was recently gone for 3 weeks on a cruise, and Grant would randomly inquire as to Papa's whereabouts when we would go to a place that Papa & Grant frequent. The best example ... we walked into Costco one day, and Grant asked, "Papa?" Guess someone enjoys cruising the aisles and checking out the food samples with Grandpa.
Swimming. G is turning into quite the little fish. The Y has a great kids' area in the pool, which Grant can now maneuver pretty well. His favorite ... the slide. Giggles and glee every time!
Postman Pat. We found this British cartoon on Netflix. We often hear requests for "Pat, Pat!"

15 Minutes of Frenzy :: Valentine's Edition

It happened again. Another 15 Minutes of Frenzy episode. Much like the Bathroom Door incident but instead this was the Valentine's Day edition. So here goes...

This morning we all got up and around and wished each other a Happy Valentine's Day. Scott zipped off to work, and I snapped this quick pic with my Funny Little Valentines before they jetted off to school.

As we made our usual school dropoff, Luke and Reid bounced out of the car with their backpacks full of valentines and party goodies for today. My gas tank was edging toward empty, so Grant and I made a quick stop to refuel the Flex. As the pump was chugging along, I tidied up the car and threw out some trash. Then I heard it.

Grant gagging. Then vomiting. Uh-oh.

He was pretty much covered in the contents of his breakfast. Poor guy. No one wants to kick off Valentine's Day -- or really any other day -- like THAT.

With considerate timing, the gas pump clicked off, and I went to retrieve my receipt ... as well as the code for my car wash which I had purchased (prior to Grant getting sick.)

As I was waiting and waiting, the pump never spit out a receipt.

"Please see cashier for receipt."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I just paid $6 for a car wash. I have a child covered in vomit in the back seat. And I need to go retrieve a small piece of paper from the clerk in the "convenience store." Why, yes. That couldn't be more convenient. Thank you.

Weighing my options, I moved the car over by the entrance and unbuckled Grant. I tried to clean him up a little. To myself I thought, "I will just dash in and out with Grant and hurry as fast as I can so I don't have to waste $6 and a car wash." Fast being the key word but certainly not the case.

Several people were in front of us in line. Oh, joy. I stood there with Grant, hoping he wouldn't get sick again. The person in front of me was taking forever buying a few packs of cigarettes. Come on, already! When what felt like 30 minutes passed (but was actually more like 3) and it was our turn, I explained about needing to get the receipt and how the machine didn't dispense it.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."

Perhaps she saw Grant and our "situation" ... or maybe she could detect that unmistakeable stench ... but we quickly grabbed the receipt and headed out the door.

As we rounded the corner for home, I noticed our garage door open. Then I noticed Scott's car was home, and a delivery truck was parked out front.

What in the world?!

At that point, the last few minutes of frenzy quickly turned around. I tried to piece together what was unfolding. I saw the delivery guy unloading a large box off the truck. And then ... there it was. The sweetest word ever to be read on Valentine's Day: DISHWASHER.

Mr. Wonderful surprised me with a new dishwasher for Valentine's Day! Some may place this in the gifting category of a vacuum or a frying pan, but not me. Our dishwasher has been rapidly declining these last few months. The top rack is broken, so occasionally and unannounced it will come loose and surprise the lucky loader with a large CRASH! More than one glass has met its demise there. We're also working toward a kitchen remodel in the next few years, so this is one step toward new appliances for that. Not to mention that I cook a lot and a family of 5 burns through the dirty dishes.

So ... most definitely ... this happens to be the perfect Valentine's gift.

While I didn't anticipate the crazy 15 minutes of this Valentine's morning, I am so grateful for the good and the bad. The crazy and the calm. And every moment of this blessed life.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 04, 2013

Breckenridge Bound

Back when I became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta almost 18 years ago, I knew I was on a special journey to make friends for a lifetime, and my dear friends Heidi and Terese are perfect examples of that. Heidi and I were Thetas together at Kansas State. When we both lived in Phoenix in our 20s, we met our friend Terese, a Mizzou Theta. Now we are all separated by many miles, as Terese lives in South Carolina and Heidi lives in Kansas City. So we decided a mini reunion tour was in order on the ski slopes of Breckenridge. There's nothing better than a girls' weekend in the mountains with good friends and lots of laughs!