Hoppy Birthday.

A while back, we posted about our trials and tribulations with the gigantic shopping cart the size of a bus. 2 boys + THAT cart = crazy combination. Well, we had another cart episode, and this one has a birthday tie-in ... quite suiting for the current week. Here's the scoop.

We met Scott for our regular weekly lunch outing to the cafeteria in the office building next door. The boys enjoyed their usual treat here of chocolate milk at lunch. This is fine and dandy, but the sugar set in about 15 minutes later right about the time we reached the toy aisle in Target. This -- coupled with the fact that the boys always insist on getting the huge extra-long cart -- did not make for a good combo. Reid decided to use the seating area as his personal jungle gym, where he was hanging, flipping, hopping, you name it. Sign him up for the Olympics someday and he can credit his start on the big ol' shoppingcartmobile. Now imagine the audio of this adventure ... Luke and Reid humming the Star Wars theme song at the top of their lungs. For 20 minutes straight. The musical track FINALLY changed when they found a stuffed frog toy dressed as a rapper (x 2 ... they each had one). The picture illustrates the fabulous nature of this toy (as words can't do it justice.) The frog is quite talented and sings 50 Cents' rap lyrics "It's Your Birthday." So then the 2 rappermaster frogs + Luke + Reid were belting this out. Could we be any louder and distracting!? Jami did the only thing you can in such a situation ... stand in the middle of the aisle and laugh out loud. The whole combination was just comical, and one of those memories that will forever be etched in memory (complete with audio, too).

And no, the frogs did not come home with us...

Celebrating 32.

Turning 32 was certainly a memorable birthday this year for Jami. It definitely will be remembered for the historical significance of this Jan. 20 ... sharing the day with the inauguration of President Barack Obama. On a personal note, the several-day-celebration of 32 was a wonderful way to reflect on the blessings of the past year and think about what lies ahead in 2009. The birthday girl feels so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family in her life, who add so much meaning to each and every day. Hey, 32 ... you are off to a grand start!

What better way to celebrate than belting out some tunes with girlfriends at the Golden Bee, a piano bar saloon at the Broadmoor! Jami & Julia (also a January birthday girl) take a break from singing for a smile.

Good times & great friends at the Golden Bee.

Jami's parents came down for the day, bringing with them a special sweet treat --  a yummy angel food cake for Jami courtesy of Mimi's kitchen! Jami and her mom also enjoyed the afternoon out to tea. The gift of quality time together ... priceless!

Birthday buddies Luke and Jami pay tribute to their respective ages.

Going out on the town! A dinner date was the grand finale for this birthday extravaganza. We went to eat at B&E Filling Station in Palmer Lake. (Think "fill up your tummy" vs. "fill up your fuel tank" ... ha!) They have amazing food in a quaint venue of a small house renovated into a restaurant. 

A big thanks to all for your birthday wishes! 

Hit the slopes!

Another wonderful part of our weekend involved getting to see good friends visiting our snowy state for ski trips. This post will be divided up into two parts:

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Part 1 - Saturday - Scott skis with Ross & friends

Scott enjoyed a day hitting the slopes at Winter Park with our friend Ross (they met working at Hallbrook one summer) and his friends Dan and Nikki. Scott's been putting in lots of hours at work lately, so it was nice for him to escape to the mountains for a day for some fresh air and great skiing. He met back up with Jami & the boys in Denver.

Scott & Ross

Nikki, Dan, Scott & Ross at Winter Park

Every ski trip has a lift photo. Here's one from their trip!

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Part 2 - Sunday - Jami skis with Heidi & Mike

The second chapter of our Ski Weekend Adventures took the Leahy family to Breckenridge. Jami enjoyed a full day on the slopes with friends Heidi (she is also a KSU Theta & lived in AZ for a while, too) and her husband Mike. It was wonderful to see Heidi & Mike and catch up with them. Riding a ski lift is the perfect opportunity for good conversations! It had been a while since Jami had been to Breckenridge (think high school), and the quality of skiing there was superb! The fact that we got to see good friends ... even better! Scott and the boys enjoyed touring around neighboring town Frisco, where they found a sledding hill ... much to their delight! (Sorry, no pics from the sledding crew!)

Jami & Heidi at Breckenridge.

Yes, this is our version of the photo opp on the ski lift! Jami, Heidi & Mike (and the coat of the random 4th person seated with us on the lift.)

All smiles after a great day on the slopes!

B is for Birthday & Boat Show!

Another fun part of our birthday-filled weekend involved Luke having an overnight trip to Mimi and Papa's. They went to the train store, ate pizza, rode bikes, hit the park, and enjoyed a pancake breakfast at McDonald's (Luke dressed in his pajamas, which Papa let him get away with ... funny!) And the highlight of the visit included going to the convention center downtown for the Boat Show. Luke loved it! He now knows a lot about speedboats and deckboats.

Luke got a kick out of seeing this big bear statue that peers inside of the Convention Center windows.

You say it's your birthday ... it's my birthday, too, yeah!

In our family, a majority of birthdays are housed in two months: January & October. The first round of celebration is upon us, and we are kicking off our big days with much hoopla! The January birthday wish-makers include Papa (66), Jami (32), and Luke (5 ... how is he 5 already?!) One great thing about sharing a birthday month is having one big family celebration for all of us. And such was the plan for Saturday night. Mimi made a delish Mexican Manicotti for supper, Luke opened his gift from Mimi & Papa early, and the dessert du jour included cupcakes with candles from Mulberries Cake Shop. Mmmmm...

Make a wish!

Move over, Blue Suede Shoes. Luke is showing off his new Blue SNOW Shoes. Thanks, Mimi & Papa, for the fun gift for our little snow explorer.

Luke couldn't wait to test out the new snowshoes, so Papa took him across the street to trek around in the snow (and in the dark.)

Mac-n-Cheese, PLEASE!

One of Reid's favorite foods has become mac-n-cheese, like many other kids his age. He loves it so much that he often requests it for breakfast. (This request is usually acknowledged but postponed until the next appropriate mealtime.) During one particular mac-n-cheese feast, he ended up with this lovely 'cheese goatee.' Oh, well. Perhaps he's on a mission to prove that messy can be cute.

Fit City.

After we moved to Colorado, we noticed how active everyone is here. Hiking. Biking. Running. You name it. People here are on the go. We love it! Now Colorado Springs has just been named the 2nd Fittest City in America by Men's Health Magazine! Read more here. Some interesting facts provided by the article...

• Take a deep breath. Air quality here is among the best of any city in the survey, according to EPA air quality standards. 
  
• Hoopsters. Basketball courts are practically everywhere here, among the highest number per capita in the survey. Scott and his buddies have a weekly pick-up game at the YMCA, thanks to those plentiful courts abounding.
• Just say no to donuts. This is a funny statistic. Donuts are 65 percent less popular here than average, according to a comparison of places where they are sold. (Obviously, they haven't been to our house to see how much L&R like their donuts.)
• On the go in the snow. Colorado Springs gained points in the "Motivation" category for high participation rates in running, biking and walking despite climate extremes. A must for running in the snow: YakTrax. Funny name, great product! Jami swears by hers for those snowy running adventures.

Congratulations, Colorado Springs. Keep up the good work(outs)!

Young at heart.

Today we enjoyed a Family Day Out (including Mimi & Papa) to the Denver Children's Museum. Whether you are young (or young at heart), this is such a wonderful venue for all ages to have a great time! The boys especially enjoyed the garden, firetruck, and train exhibits ... and the rest of us enjoyed watching the imagination at work! Thank you, Mimi & Papa, for giving us such a great Christmas gift!

All aboard! Conductor Reid plays trains. Why is it that boys never tire of playing trains?!

Farmer Luke plants a beet in the garden.

The boys take time out after a day of play!

Holy Cow! What a fun day with the fam! 

Brothers.

A few photos from the week in review...

Hold onto your hat ... or your brother!

Brothers in the bunks. Reid continues to sleep on the bottom bunk, Luke on the top bunk. It is official! Big boy bed transition accomplished for Reid. (Side note: It looks like Reid is sucking his thumb here, but that's not the norm for him. Just those molars giving him trouble...)

Sleepover.

Last night, Reid decided that he wanted to try sleeping in Luke's room in the bottom bunk. We're not sure what sparked this interest, but we followed his lead. After the usual bedtime routine of reading books and sharing our favorite memory of the day, the boys settled into their bunk assignments. Reid managed to sneak out of the room a few times, but eventually, he fell fast asleep in the big boy bed of the bottom bunk (whew... quite the alliteration there, eh?!) Mom snuck in to take a few pics of the sleeping brothers. 

Curious George watches over a sleeping Reid in the bottom bunk.

Luke fast asleep on the top bunk!

Fast forward to Night 2 of sleeping in the bunks ... tonight! After lights out, little voices could be heard chattering back and forth in the bunk beds. Who knows if they were talking about Legos or trains or their new favorite movie Wall-E, but one thing is certain that the brothers enjoy the company of having a roommate. Sweet dreams, sweet boys!

Buckaroo.

With gorgeous weather today reaching nearly 60 degrees, Scott was able to work outside and add the boys' new tire horse swing to our swingset. Someone was so excited to try it out that he raced out of the house and forgot to put on shoes! Oh, well. It takes a while for the lil' cowboy to put those boots and spurs on anyway...

A grand finale to 2008!

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays ... 

After celebrating our 1st Christmas in our Colorado home, we journeyed over the river and through the woods (and across a majority of New Mexico) on a road trip to our previous home -- Arizona. The trek was 13.5 hours. We stopped 4 times. The boys watched 7 movies. Every town between here and there has a restaurant called El Rancho. The trip was all so very worth it to see our family in AZ (Scott's younger brother Eric and his girlfriend Charity), as well as some of our friends and neighbors from our days in the desert. We spent 5 very busy days in Phoenix visiting old hotspots & favorite restaurants and enjoying the warm weather. No coats for us! Here are a few highlights...

• When living in AZ, we hit a lot of kid hotspots, but Eric and Charity found one we had yet to encounter. Our trip to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium was fantastic! Exotic birds. Stingrays. Funny monkeys (real ones ... not to be confused with our children). Some unique white species of animals, including a white tiger, white alligator, and white peacock. A great outing for our family -- thanks, Eric & Charity!
  
• The boys used to love going to the train park in Scottsdale. Luke remembered it all too well, and Reid had fun rediscovering it now that he's older.
• Funny story while dining at Pita Jungle -- Scott mentioned they had falafel there. Reid misunderstood and piped up, "I want waffles..." Slightly different, but both good to eat!
  
• The city has changed some in the time since we moved, but our friends there are still the same -- wonderful! We picked up right where we'd left off in our conversations with them. To those of you we didn't get to see, we hope to see you on a future trip. 
• In all, our journey was jam-packed with the equivalent of a month's worth of get-togethers, laughs, memories, and outings in a mere 5 days. We are grateful for the 8 years we spent in Arizona, a chapter of life that helped to define who we are. It was nice to revisit such a good time & place in our lives.

The posts below feature some fun photos from our trip. Enjoy!

Family Fotos :: Phoenix '08 Trip

The fam at the Farm at South Mountain. What a gorgeous day!

In the fields by Joe's Farm Grille. 

Charity & Luke at Tumbleweed Park at sunset.

Reid & Luke talked Uncle E into joining them in the boxcar on the mini train at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale. 

That snowman, penguin & elf certainly do look familiar!

Luke, Reid, and a giraffe friend at the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium.

Riding another train ... this time at the zoo!

Only the ladies were brave enough for this water ride at the zoo! Charity & Jami took the plunge down the log ride.

Charity had the wonderful idea for the boys to make cupcakes and decorate them. On New Year's Eve, the boys delivered the cupcakes to the firefighters at the fire station just a few blocks away. 

The Wii provided great entertainment for Leahy men young and old.

One final family photo before the CO Leahys departed.

Friend Fotos :: Phoenix '08 Trip

Lunching at Pita Jungle (best restaurant ever!!) with Jenny & Trent.

Cute kiddos on the couch ... Luke, Reid, Alexa & Colby.

Jami and April.

So many expressions here ... the boys with our friends Lilly, Belle the dog, Robby & Ethan.

Friends Lori, Jami & Liz.

We visited the Wellings one evening and made pizzas. Luke (in the train cap) had fun working his way into the mix.

Wellings & Leahys (and little Reid hands!)

Fun times at the Farm at South Mountain with friends Terese and Meghan, Peyton & Presley.

We had a lively conversation over dinner with the Ramos family. Ben is holding sweet baby Tzuriel; their other son Geovanee was sleeping.

We hit our favorite park by our old house with the Rowley neighbors (center are Danielle & Jason).

Scott & Eric went to the Insight.com bowl game, so we met up with Terese for New Year's Eve dinner at the Bass Pro Shop restaurant. The boys loved the big aquariums there, and we sampled an alligator appetizer!