April showers bring...

big snowstorms & Oklahoma visitors! We love hosting friends and family who come to visit! Our beautiful state has so much to offer in terms of scenery, activities, and tourist destinations. So when Jami's dear college friend (and sorority pledge daughter) Kellie and her little boy Blake from Oklahoma planned a visit, we had a full itinerary planned with fun spring outings of hiking, seeing the sights, and enjoying our beautiful spring weather. Only problem was the weather had another plan and decided to remind us that snow can still fall in April, as we watched nearly 16 inches accumulate over 2+ days. Visual below.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ... in April!

So we switched from Plan A (outside spring activities galore) to Plan B (winter weather wonderland). Despite being inside more than originally planned, we all still had a marvelous time catching up and laughing. These are the kinds of friends with whom you never skip a beat ... and the good times just get better every time we see them! Despite the snow on Friday morning, we managed a trek to the YMCA for a swim with our little fishies.

Reid & Blake survey the action of the YMCA pool. 

Time to conquer the slide!

Blake and Kellie after a dip in the pool.

We traded in our swimsuits for snowsuits in the afternoon. After hours of snow, it stopped for just an hour or so ... long enough for the sun to peek through and for our crew to head outside for some snowy adventures. 

Luke uncovered this bat in an archaeological snow dig in the backyard!

Blake & Kellie enjoyed the snow!

Anyone for some snow baseball?

Blake is quite the lil' slugger already, and he's not even 2 yet! 

He's got amazing eye-hand coordination and a level swing.

He was smashing the snowballs! It's no surprise though ... 

his dad Chris is a baseball coach!

After spending most of Friday at home, our cabin fever pushed us to brave the outdoors and venture into the city. Downtown Colorado Springs hardly had any snow compared to our neighborhood to the north. First stop, we watched Luke play (and Scott coach) in an indoor soccer game at the Downtown YMCA.

Coach Leahy with Luke and his teammates

A post-game lunch at Salsa Brava

Even though there was snow, rain, and wind blowing, 

we still worked in some sightseeing for our Oklahoma visitors. 

Kellie works at Vance Air Force Base, so we toured the 

Air Force Academy (where many of their pilots got their start.) 

The weather was blustery, but we managed to snap this pic 

of Kellie in front of the Cadet Chapel.

Mothers inspiring young artists...

Girls Night Out! We left the boys behind with Scott (and the roads were clear enough) to visit one of our local favorites -- the 2nd Street Art Market & Wine Bar in Monument. What fun to sip & share more stories! We even tried a Chocolate Zinfandel.

When we arrived home, the lil' guys were all to happy to see us!

Since Scott and I both knew Kellie in college, she's one of those friends that's like family to us. Now that she has a family of her own, we were excited to spend time with Blake and watch our boys play together. This weekend was full of so many wonderful moments & memories. We can't wait to see them again!

Good friends...

Here comes the sun...

Although it snowed most of yesterday, the sun was out in full force today and melted away a majority of it. This afternoon, the boys headed outside for some fresh air in our warmer temps ... complete with some scooter riding in the snow/slush. Funny boys.

 

Buddies & brothers. 

"C'mon, Reid ... keep up!"

Easter Festivities.

This Easter weekend has been hoppin' with fun activities! Yesterday, Mimi & Papa journeyed down for an early Easter luncheon of brown sugar salmon, wild rice, spring salad with strawberries & goat cheese, and a dessert tray with mini cherry chip cupcakes and chocolate chip bars. What a lovely family lunch!

Family luncheon to celebrate Easter!

On Easter morning, we awoke to snow falling. [Cue music... "I'm dreaming of a white Easter!"] About 5 inches had accumulated by the time we left for church. The roads were pretty slushy, but we could still make it out and about. After Mass, we visited our neighbors to join some friends for Easter brunch and an egg hunt. An egg-cellent day overall!

Two boys on the hunt for some eggs early in the morning. 

Check out that snow out the window!

Children + chocolate = happy campers.

The Leahy lads.

The fam on our snowy Easter Sunday!

A hop down memory lane...

Once upon a time (circa 1997), Jami had a funny side gig in college working as the Easter Bunny. A photography studio was in search of people who would be willing to sport a bunny suit and take pictures with kiddos at the Manhattan Town Center Mall. Quite a memorable experience ... especially for this young lad in the photo! Scott and I were dating at the time, and one day he would end up marrying this Easter Bunny!

Every spring, we hang up this photo and get a good chuckle. Now that the boys are getting older, they always laugh, too, about this photo of Dad with the Easter Bunny. Someday we'll explain to them that it's actually a photo of Dad AND Mom ... but for right now, it will just be our springtime secret!

Hop to it!

With Easter fast approaching, we've been enjoying some egg-cellent activities this week. Take a peek...

A-tisket, a-tasket ... Reid's ready with his basket!

Fellow egg hunters.

A-hunting he will go ... Reid is on the run in search of eggs.

"What color egg would YOU like?"

The Wedding!

Words cannot describe how truly amazing the wedding itself was (so this post includes many pictures!) Every detail was perfectly set into place to create an event that was as memorable for the bride and groom, as it was for every guest attending. The wedding was breathtakingly beautiful, set on the coast overlooking the ocean at sunset on the lawn of the Montage Resort. As the rabbi led the wedding ceremony, he explained many of the Jewish traditions and their significance so that all attending could truly appreciate the meaning of each element of the service. So much joy was in the air that lovely evening!

Gorgeous weather. Gorgeous wedding site.

Luke & Skye walking up the aisle.

Someone took his role in the wedding quite seriously.

He could pass for a Secret Service agent!

The happy couple Mark & Lindsay!

After the wedding ceremony, we proceeded over to an adjacent lawn to begin the celebration with cocktails & hors d'oeuvres. 

Jami's dad Jim, the groom Mark, and Marcia (mother of the groom and Jim's sister)

The boys' favorite activity after the ceremony was playing in the rose petals. Priceless.

The parents look happy. The boys look dismayed. 

One can only be on your best behavior AND wear a tux for so long. 

That's a pretty tall order, but the boys did so well!

Jami loved this tuna tartare that resembled a mini ice cream cone! Too cute to eat!

The sun tucked itself away on the horizon, and we moved inside to continue the reception in the main ballroom, which had been transformed with a classy yet striking interior design style courtesy of the vision of the mother of the bride. 

Large lamps, white couches, silver drapes ... so chic!

Centerpiece.

Right off the bat was a bit of dancing to the tunes of the BEST band (we heard they also played at the singer Fergie's recent wedding!) As we took our seats to eat, we enjoyed the first course of sushi, missed the main course because we made a quick trip back to our hotel to take the boys to their babysitter, and then returned to find individual fondant wedding cakes with spun sugar flowers just waiting at our places. Wow! 

Individual wedding cakes for each guest! Isn't it a work of art!

The waiters went the extra mile to make our little guys feel special!

They brought them glasses of sparkling apple juice for the toasts.

A bride & a blonde! 

Lindsay and Jami took a break from dancing for a pic!

The End.

We are family.

It isn't every day when so many members of our family are dressed in black-tie attire. So all the more reason for family pictures. Here are a few...

Mr. & Mrs. Leahy on the Montage balcony overlooking the ocean.

This lucky lady is surrounded by some very handsome young men!

A fantastic photo of Jami's parents!

What a pair ... Great Aunt Marcia with Luke.

Jami's cousins Matt and Mark.

The Leahy Family in their finest attire!

The Colorado crew

Dapper dressers.

Turn on the charm!

Every guy looks good in a tux, but there's something about a little guy wearing a tuxedo that is so charming! The following pictures are some fun photos of the boys all dressed up at the wedding.

Note about Luke's shoes: Mark & Lindsay suggested we find these checkered Vans for Luke to wear with his tux. He got so many compliments on them at the wedding. The other groomsmen were jealous ... they all wanted to have the comfort and style of his footwear!

Steppin' out in style.

Seriously handsome.

"I wanna hold your hand..."

With the rest of the wedding party. 

Whale watchers.

Getting ready to set sail on the whale-watching tour!

With our last full day in California upon us, we wanted to take full advantage of the day before the wedding festivities geared up in the evening. We made a donut run for breakfast and then wandered down to the Dana Point Harbor. After checking into a few excursion options, we settled on the idea to go on a whale-watching cruise. They tend to migrate in the winter, so we were on the tail end of the season when most of the mamas and babies are swimming back home. Our 2 hour cruise was such a fun adventure ... with glimpses of sea lions, seagulls & pelicans, dolphins, and even a few whale sightings. You really had to keep a close watch because the whale spouts into the ocean are fast, few, and far between. Guess all that watching and waiting was a bit too much for Reid. The rocking of the boat lulled him to sleep, and he ended up taking a long nap on the cruise. Thanks, Papa, for joining us and treating us to this whale watching adventure.

Can you spot the whale's whereabouts? 

Look for the spout of water on the bottom left.

Jami and her little Gilligans.

The sea lions loved to sunbathe here. Such a life! In the background is a fishing boat with about a zillion rods casting off the back.

These sailors are all smiles!