Gardening & Goodbyes.

Mimi & Papa jetted south for an overnight visit with us last night. Their early afternoon arrival allowed us to get in a little yardwork time. We trimmed some bushes, pulled weeds, and spaded up the garden. Luke on the other hand completed a self-taught lesson in earthworm dissection. Boys will be boys! 

In the evening, Mimi and Papa watched the boys while Jami & Scott attended a farewell dinner for friends Brian & Sharon who are moving to Houston. It was sad to bid them farewell because their family (with kids Jack, Sam & Ty) were some good first friends when we moved here!

Actions speak louder than words.

I love you, Dad...

Groundhog Day.

A few weeks ago, we noticed some small mounds of dirt in our backyard between our swingset and our fence. At first, they seemed minor but then they began to spread along the fence. Daily a new mound of dirt was popping up. We weren't sure what to think ... was a dog doing this? A fox? Kind of looked like an ant hill ... but way too big for that? That's when an over-the-fence conversation with the neighbor one night revealed the truth. We have a neighborhood groundhog / gopher / burrowing animal. They had spotted it in their backyard. We have still never seen it, but his presence is undeniable with the now 8 mounds of dirt adorning our fenceline. So after much research, we spread some Gopher Repellant on and in the mounds. What's in this rodent repellant, you ask? Dried blood, bone fragments, and chili powder. What critter wouldn't be repelled by that?! Sounds like some concoction just in time for Halloween! Let's hope our little buddy vacates the premises by then...

Masquerade at the Museum.

Who's behind that mask? Why it's members of Junior League! Shannon, Jami & Aimee show off their magnificient masks at last night's Fall Fling fundraiser.

There are fundraisers ... and then there are FUN fundraisers. Last night was one of those! The Junior League sponsored its annual Fall Fling event at the Fine Arts Center with the theme of "Masquerade at the Musuem." We mingled amongst our masked friends, dined on hors d'oeuvres, danced to the tunes of crooner Randy Sinatra, and bid on some fantastic silent auction items. What a great night for a good cause! The money raised from the event goes to support our signature service event CARE Fair, a health fair for uninsured children.

The Fall Fling Committee: Aimee, Shannon, Jami, Amber, Kerstin, Meredith, Tyler & Jill.

Jami & Scott enjoyed a night out after Scott was out of town for a week!

Provisional pals Julia, Shannon, Jami & Cathy

Wrong Feet Reid.

Reid's independence as an almost-2-year-old is starting to shine through more and more each day. He likes to do many things on his own, including putting on his own shoes. Inevitably, they always end up on the wrong feet or the shoes are mismatched. Below are a few pics in a collection known as Wrong Feet Reid.

Don't ask why he's wearing the trash can lid and Mom's shoes?!

The best of both worlds ... a croc and a flip flop.

A long ... but good week.

Our little family of 4 was a bit divided this week with Scott in Savannah, GA, for a work conference and Jami and the boys in CO. Overall, it was a good week for all. Scott now knows the latest and greatest about the field of GPS. The Colorado crew worked in some fun activities with just mama and the boys. Just when we were ready for Scott to be home, he called last night to say that they didn't make their connecting flight in Atlanta, so his trip would be unintentionally extended. So, now we're all REALLY ready for Dad to be home since he's been gone since Monday morning!

A highlight to the end of our week sans Scott was seeing Jami's old college roommate & Theta pal Jenny and her husband Chuck. They were in the Springs for a work meeting and joined us for dinner at the Leahy abode last night. It is amazing how good friends just pick up right where you left off. Jenny is one of those friends where our friendship never skips a beat! 

A fun reunion with a good friend ... Jami & Jenny.

Zoo crew.

Today we joined our friends the Wilsons for a morning out to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. And boy, were the animals ever playful this morning! We fed the giraffes many crackers and watched them eat leaves off 'snack branches.' The mama lion pounced at the glass right where Luke was standing (guess Luke was a little threatening ... good thing that glass is ultra thick!) The grizzly bear was enjoying his morning swim in his pond by the viewing area. And of course, we took the traditional pic in the Big Chair. (Yes, Reid is looking very concerned because there were some rather large chickens below that were kind of cramping his style.)

Luke, Reid, Jack, Sam & Ty.

This monkey must have escaped!

More neighborhood intruders.

Several of our faithful blog readers have asked if they caught the kidnapper on the loose last week. We haven't heard any more exact details, but the police said they've exhausted the search ... and we're pretty certain he's moved on. 

However, there are some new neighborhood intruders now. They are a little more docile though. Today our neighbor called and said, "Look out your back window and see what's in your yard." DEER! First, there was only one, but then a second one appeared walking around on our back patio. They meandered over to the garden area, nibbled on some fruit tree leaves, and then hopped the fence to search for a meal elsewhere. Thanks for visiting. Come again soon!

"Wonder if this yard has any good food to eat?"

Look, it's a deer ... and another deer!

Family fotos.

This evening we journeyed out to Garden of the Gods to take some family photos with a local photographer whom we know through Junior League. This area is one of the most picturesque parts of Colorado Springs, and we are excited to capture the beautiful scenery in family pictures. We won't have the proofs for a while, but here are some outtakes with the amateur Leahy camera taken after the shoot.

Me & my brother.

Mom & her boys.

Some good-lookin' guys.

Reid on the run.

Luke Skywalker.

Jack gives Luke his medal & certificate for completing his Jedi training!

Luke is at that age where he's now interested in Star Wars. Light sabers. The boxed movie set. Even building spaceships out of Legos. Yes, Luke is becoming Luke Skywalker. He even wants to dress up as Luke Skywalker for Halloween (and thinks Reid should be R2D2!) Oh, and let's not even discuss the current McDonald's Happy Meal toys. They have a very strange design, but both boys love them!

And today, Luke attended a Star Wars themed birthday party for his friend Jack. It was a great collection of games and activities. The kids even got a light saber, made from a pool noodle cut in half and a little duct tape. He loved all the intergalactic action. Here are some pics.

Getting ready to do a version of the 3-legged race ... but this group had 3 people!

The Vocabulator.

Reid loves to look at books. He has a few "first word" books that he's really getting the hang of "reading." Here's a storytime session with Reid. There's still a lot that's in his own special language, but some words are coming through loud and clear. Enjoy this video clip. He attacks the papparazi at the end! Ha!

On the loose.

The last 12 hours have certainly been interesting here. There's a kidnapper who is armed and dangerous and on the loose ... and the SWAT team was searching for him less than 2 miles from our house!

Short story ... the man kidnapped a woman leaving work in New Mexico and made her drive at gunpoint. They got to our exit off I-25, and the car broke down. She was able to flee on foot and get away from him. But he's still lurking around the neighborhood. A reverse 911 call went out to warn the neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning, and all the local schools were on lockdown today. Pretty scary. Here's a local news story.

So we've been locked up in our cozy little home all day except for the trips to Luke's school. The boys don't understand why they can't go outside to play. Hmmmm ... can't really tell them "...because a crazy man might be hiding in our treehouse out back!" It's raining off and on so we've defaulted to that reason ... much better. Let's hope the police find him soon!

Reid has a plan...

It is funny to watch Reid in action because he comes up with some pretty creative schemes. Many times he's plotting a plan which often involves dragging a stool over to somewhere (kitchen counter) so he can get something (cookies).

Or then there was the time this week while riding in the grocery store car cart when he "secretly selected" a KitKat from the checkout aisle (unbeknownst to Mom) and proceeded to bite into the entire thing -- through the wrapper leaving a perfect set of teeth prints in the candy bar. Guess that means we had to buy it then, eh?

Today's scheme involved a small ride-on toy and a VCR tape (yes, we still have some ... and this one was the movie Osmosis Jones ... random). Anyway, Reid decides he wants to come up two flights of stairs while trying to carry both items at the same time. He fumbles around on the steps. Drops the VCR tape. Screams at the ride-on toy because it's not cooperating until Mom rescues both items of choice and moves them to the stop of that set of stairs. Mom is not understanding the scheme so she thinks he's done with the quest and just wants to ride around on the hard wood floors. Reid starts to maneuver up the 2nd set of stairs and meets the same frustration. Toy is too big for him to handle. Tape isn't minding well. So it's another lift for all 3 (Reid, VCR tape, ride-on toy) to the top of the stairs. Reid then hops on the toy, drives it over to the TV in the master bedroom with the VCR tape on his lap, hops off, stands on the toy like a step stool so he can insert the movie and watch it. What a determined (and creative) fellow to bring not only the movie selection, but also a height booster so he can do it "myself" as he likes to say. Visuals below.


I can almost reach it!

With the mission accomplished and the tape in the VCR, Reid kicks back for some movie time.

Under the weather.

Luke woke up feeling a little under the weather, so we made today a lazy day (not common in the Leahy household since we are usually on-the-go somewhere.) After lounging around in pajamas for well over half the day...... we then moved on for something more suitable to play "Dinos in the Cave" (These are last year's Halloween costumes.)
Who says lazy days are boring days?!

Small world.

As we get more settled here, we really value the sense of community around us. Since we are located out of the city of Colorado Springs and closer to the small town of Monument, we have the best of both worlds -- city access and a close-knit community. Here are a few recent small world moments.

• At Luke's soccer clinic last week, we saw several familiar faces out on the field watching other games, going to practice, etc. The YMCA on Saturday morning was THE place to be, and it was fun seeing acquaintances we've made as we've settled in here.
• Jami has found a hairstylist here that she loves (ladies, you understand the importance of this). During her cut with hairstylist Courtney tonight, we made a small-world connection that our husbands play on the same soccer team ... and Courtney even has met and talked to Scott before. Crazy coincidence!
• Reid (and Mom) started a music class at a local kids' gym on Monday. Jami knew two other moms in the class -- one from Junior League and another from Theta connections! It was so much fun meeting their little ones, too. Reid had a ball and has good prospects of being a drummer when he grows up!

Celebrate good times ... c'mon!

Last night, we joined together with some friends for a super secret surprise birthday party for Junior League friend Lauren. Her husband Ryan hosted an all-out cocktail party at their home. It was fun to get dressed up for the evening and surprise the birthday girl!

Surprise! Lauren (in white) walks in on a houseful of friends!

Friends from Junior League.

The happy couple!

Jenny & Jami

Soccer.

Team Leahy warms up.

Following in the footsteps (or soccer shoes) of Dad, Luke started his soccer clinic at the YMCA today. Suited up in a miniature set of soccer cleats, socks, and shin guards, Luke took to the field to learn some new skills. Things were a bit slow starting because 1) sudden, loud noises scare him ... since whistles are kind of a key part of sports, he had to get over that quickly and 2) he just wanted to run and kick the ball ... the warm-up drills were too slow-paced. But after things got moving, he had a grand ol' time. He even won a redlight/greenlight drill! Go, Luke, go!

"Who put this cone on the ground? Don't they know it's a hat?!"

The guys.

Luke runs the ladders.

View from the YMCA. Isn't it great!? It was a perfect morning for kickin' around outdoors!

Back 2 School.

It's back-to-school time for young Luke! Today he started Year 2 of Preschool, where he'll go 3 days a week in the morning. He started the day off right with a "back-to-school breakfast" of Swedish pancakes with raspberry syrup ... made by the Swedish chef in the family (think Mom, not Muppets!) He then got dressed all by himself and in his favorite new guitar shirt. He was all too excited to get started with his new class ... and with a kiss and a hug, he was off to start the day in his classroom buzzing with 4-year-olds. When we picked him up, we then headed to lunch with Dad. Luke reported that they'd read a few books and even worked on a first art project. The year is off to a good start!


Luke enjoys his back-to-school breakfast!

SuperStudent Luke makes Superman arms with his SuperSidekick Reid.

Visit with Phoenix friends.

In addition to seeing our family this weekend, we also were fortunate to see some friends from Phoenix -- Shauna & Tim -- who were in Denver visiting family. Tim & Scott have K-State engineering connections, and then they worked together at Motorola. Jami & Shauna enjoyed Girls Nights Out together in Phoenix. It was so much fun to see them and catch up!

Family Ties.

One of the other best parts of the weekend (yes, we had several 'best' parts!) was spending time all together with the Nelson side of the family. Whether we were in the mountains or just relaxing at home, it was good to catch up and just be together. Below are some pics of the fam...

Luke kicks back with Aunt B & Uncle C.

Sisters!

Papa & Luke took off for a bike ride. Yes, you can only ride with them if you have a blue helmet!

The Nelson girls by the stream ... Dixie, Jami & Briana.

Papa oversees the stream-waders.

The Leahy boys waiting for lunch.

Table for 9, please. We found this great restaurant in Pine Grove called Zoka's.

Grandparents & grandsons.

Cousins in Colorado.

One of the best parts of the weekend was watching the cousins play together and interact. Luke & Reid loved finding toys for Dalton and playing down on the floor with him. They always wanted to know "Where's Dalton??" Dalton kept close tabs on Luke and always was crawling around to find out what he was up to. Reid also learned to say "Dalton" (he could also say Craig but Briana was a bit hard and sounded like "banana" ... ha!)

The boys loved swinging outside. We had to just make sure Luke didn't swing too high with this little rider on board!

Luke, Dalton & Reid ... all smiles at lunch!

Is this a double jogger? It is now with these 2 cousins squeezed in. Papa gave Reid & Dalton a ride home from the park ... what fun!

Luke teaches Dalton all about dinos. Roar!

No Work, All Play ... Labor Day

This Labor Day weekend has been a nice break from all the hustle and bustle lately ... even though we've been busy bees with all our holiday weekend fun!! Briana, Craig, and Dalton came for a visit over the long weekend (yay for our first overnight guests!) It's been a great weekend spending time with the Nelson side of the family. Here are the highlights of our adventures over the past few days...

• Grillin' and chillin' in the backyard at our house
• Shopping and more shopping (Farmer's Market, Kohl's, Denver Goodwill stores, Castle Rock Outlet Mall)
• Trekking to the mountains near Pine Grove for a stream-wadin', mountain-air-breathin' good time!
• Dining out with the fam
• Taking in the Colorado Balloon Classic in the Downtown Springs
• Enjoying good memories with the family all together!

Check out the other posts with the pics...