23 Reasons to Love Labor Day

With a long holiday weekend, what better way to spend the days than with a family gathering of the Nelson crew! We gathered in Georgetown, a quaint little mountain town just off I-70. Here are 23 reasons why we loved this Labor Day weekend...

#1. Boys playing bubbles in the front yard.

#2. Cool fall evenings enjoyed on the front porch.

Craig & 9-month-old Gracyn (in her purple tutu .. go K-State!)

#3. Spying on the neighbors.

This family of deer lived on the slope

behind our rental house. They mostly

ventured out in the evenings.

#4. Spending the weekend in our Georgetown rental house.

This mountain town was booming back in the mining days,

and it still maintains much of the character of that era ...

like the Victorian home where we stayed which

was built in 1876 by the town pharmacist.

#5. Lounging around in PJs right before bedtime.

Such cute cousins!

#6. Monkeys in the bunks.

The boys were super excited that our room

had 2 sets of bunk beds!

#7. Driving through the beautiful

Rocky Mountain National Park.

#8. Spending a quarter to get million dollar views.

#9. Crossing the Continental Divide.

#10. Sitting & swinging on a peaceful afternoon

at the historic Grand Lake Lodge.

#11. Seeing the cousins enjoy their time together!

Reid (3), Luke (6), Gracyn (9 mos.), Dalton (3)

#12. Sharing some "girl" time!

#13. Dining on the deck at Grand Lake Lodge

with this as our scenery. Incredible!

#14. Riding the rails of the Georgetown Loop Train.

Long ago, this was a mining train. Today, it just

hauls tourists and train fans (like us.)

#15. Taking shelter inside the covered car...

That train whistle can be LOUD!

#16. Chugging over a very TALL bridge.

Don't look down!

#17. Twirling round and round on the tire swing

at the Georgetown Park.

#18. Wowing your parents

with your pull-up skills!

#19. Practicing for the firefighters' academy.

#20. Spending the afternoon watching

2 very happy boys play at the park.

#21. Stopping downtown for

an afternoon sweet treat.

#22. Sharing an old-fashioned

root beer float with a cute boy.

#23. Hanging out in the fort behind our house.

What a fun amenity!

Nouns & Numbers

Things are off and running with Luke and first grade. Today he came home from school and the following conversation was overheard between Mr. 1st Grade and Mr. Preschool.

Luke: Reid, do you know what a NOUN is?

Reid: A noun? No...

Luke: Well, it's a person, place, or thing. Did you know that?

Reid: No. Not really.

Luke: Well, you should. Nouns are important.

Reid: Okay.

Then in the car last night, Luke announced that he'd like to play the Noun Game. So Mom, Dad, and Reid tossed out random words, and Luke would tell us if they were a noun or not. Smart cookie! Wonder if the next chapter is verbs or adjectives?

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Lately, Reid has been surprising us with some whopper words. It's hard not to chuckle when you hear his little voice say "archaeologist" or "dalmatian." When he gets dressed in the morning, we practice counting to see how long it takes him to put on his clothes. Reid is doing a fabulous job with counting and hit 30 the other day. It's only on occasion that he forgets 15 ... not sure why, but it just gets skipped. Guess that's just one less number for him to count!

Boy ... oh, boy ... oh, BOY!

Today we had a sneak peek via ultrasound of Baby Leahy #3. We are proud to announce...

All along, we had a hunch that the baby might be a boy, as this pregnancy has been so similar to with Luke and Reid. We love our life with boys and are so thrilled to have another one on the way! Oh, the things that the littlest Leahy will learn from his 2 big brothers ... can't wait! Scott is one of 3 boys, and it's so special that our little guys will share a similar bond as Dad has with his brothers.

Baby Boy is looking great at the 20 week mark and now weighs 10 oz. He was moving around during the ultrasound and keeping his fists up by his face (maybe he'll be a boxer!)

Here are some ultrasound photos (complete with captions). For a better view, you can double click the image and it will enlarge.

As we hit the halfway mark of Week 20 and Month 5, here are some pregnancy highlights:

• The biggest craving that Jami has been having lately is soup. Thank goodness for our farmshare veggies and a nearby Panera!
• The baby's movements are more frequent and strong now. Perhaps he's practicing his soccer skills like his dad.
• The boys continue to brainstorm names for us. Reid's latest favorite name is Anakin. Luke likes the name Jack.
• We are gearing up to find a newer, BIGGER vehicle that will comfortably fit our 3 sons. We hope to test drive some soon. The Ford Flex is the frontrunner as of now.

Boy ... oh, boy ... oh, boy! What an exciting time for the Leahy crew!

Date Night

With Dad away this weekend, Mama and the boys enjoyed a special date night ... out to dinner at Piazza Italian Kitchen! Evenings like this are a great chance to catch up about school and activities (and work on manners for dining out!) It's cute to listen to the boys place their own order with the waiter. The boys were such gentlemen ... only climbing under the table one time. Ha!

Mom & Sons Date Night

Top Chef

Reid has really taken an interest to helping Mom in the kitchen. This week, we made bierocks (AKA runzas ... a German recipe of beef and cabbage wrapped in dough). He sat up on the counter and patiently patted out the dough. This weekend he stepped back into the kitchen to assist with the making of Caramelitas (family recipe for some great bar cookies) and Swedish pancakes (made into the shapes of Star Wars characters, thanks to the great pancake molds at Williams Sonoma.) Wonder what Chef Reid will have on the menu for next week?

A Little Perspective

Tonight while driving home, we had our eyes on the sky, admiring the big puffy clouds reflecting one of our colorful Colorado sunsets. Luke's little voice from the back seat piped up and said...

"Mom, I think Mimi sent those pretty clouds for us ... and for the baby."

Wow. Such perspective for a little guy. We have told the boys before that when we see rays of sun streaming through the clouds or a rainbow or other beautiful sights in the sky that these are gifts sent from our loved ones up in heaven. It is amazing though to hear reminders of their perspective on this and how they are keeping these family members close in their memories.

Thanks, Mimi, for sharing those pretty clouds with us ... such a treasured gift for us all.

Laugh Track

Bright lights, big city ... big laughs! Friday night we took off to Denver for a fun date night out. Thanks to a tip from Scott's brother Eric, Jami surprised Scott with tickets to Comedy Works to see Adam Carolla, one of his favorite comedians. Scott is a fan of Adam's daily podcast and enjoyed seeing his live show. What a great evening out on the town!

Back 2 School.

After a summer of fun adventures, the Leahy boys have been switching gears to go back to school. First up ... Reid! He switched to a different preschool that is a little closer to our house and has a start time that coordinates better with our schedule. The faith-based preschool is also highly regarded in our community. On his first day, we saw so many familiar faces and families! Reid is looking forward to attending Monday, Wednesday & Friday.

Oh-so-preppy for preschool!

Next up ... Luke. He started his first day of 1st Grade today! With his Star Wars lunch box packed and wearing his lucky green shoes, he was excited to tackle this new adventure.

1st Day of 1st Grade!

Good luck, boys. We are so proud of you!

Cherry Creek ... Revisited

One of our favorite finds of this summer has been Cherry Creek State Park in Denver. We returned this week to visit Papa who was camping there in his Airstream. He had a great set-up at the campground and even had free wifi! We enjoyed a few hours at the beach, and then the boys stayed for an overnight camping trip with Papa, complete with grilled pizza for dinner and s'mores for dessert. Hopefully, we can squeeze in one more trip back to Cherry Creek this summer.

Splash and dash!

All smiles about playing in the sand!

Lifeguard in training

Fun in the Sun

Sweet 16.

Today marks Week 16 for Jami & Little Leahy #3. At our monthly doctor's appointment, Baby Leahy's heartbeat was ticking along nice and strong. Jami has been feeling the baby move already, particularly in the evening right before bedtime. According to BabyCenter, our little one is now the size of an avocado and will have a big growth spurt over the next few weeks. Here we grow!

Cooling Off

Colorado doesn't have that many hot summer days, but today was a bit toasty. So we found a great solution: hook up the sprinkler under the trampoline and turn it on full blast!

Season Wrap-Up

Luke's summer baseball season came to a close today after 6 games. Coach Scott & Coach Todd did a fantastic job coaching the team, and it was wonderful to watch the team's hitting and fielding skills evolve. This first summer baseball season has really sparked an interest in Luke for playing baseball, so this is sure to be the first of many summers spent at the ballfield!

Dad pitching. Luke hitting.

Super fans (and little brothers) Reid & Braeden.

Luke scores a run!

Coach & Hollywood post-game.

No autographs please...

Family Ties

The month of July wrapped up with some special family visitors ... Jami's Aunt Marcia and Matt. What a treat to spend time with them and show them around Colorado Springs! We had some great weather while they were here, so we maximized the outdoor time.

Matt & Reid at lunch at Shani's

in Downtown Monument

Check out this pint-sized putter!

Luke joined Marcia, Matt & Papa for a round of golf.

Yes, a full 18 holes! Luke reported his favorite part

was driving the golf cart, and he discovered

that he really likes to play golf.

Matt, Luke & Papa

on the Gleneagle Golf Course

One evening we attended a concert in the park

to hear the melodies of these bagpipe players.

What a fun evening with the family!

All in the family: Matt, Reid, Luke,

Papa Jim & his sister Marcia

News!

How we told the boys.

How we told our families.

Yes, that's right. Big news for the Leahy family! We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting Baby #3!

Mama has been feeling great, aside from being quite tired in the afternoon during the first trimester. Thankfully, that energy is bouncing back in the second trimester! The big brothers would like to name the baby Bernie if it's a boy or Rosie if it's a girl. We let them know we could perhaps consider those names. The due date is Jan. 20, which happens to be Jami's birthday and 4 days before Luke's birthday. Hooray for January birthdays! We should find out in September whether we're having a boy or girl. Stay tuned...

Good friends.

The most beautiful discovery true friends

make is that they can grow separately

without growing apart. ~ Elisabeth Foley

Such is the story of these friends: Jami, Heidi & Terese.

We were first linked together by Theta ties and living in Phoenix. Heidi and Jami were Thetas together at K-State, and then we both moved to Phoenix after college. There Heidi met Terese (also a Theta) when they lived in the same apartment complex, and we all became friends soon after. The road since then has been filled with great memories.

It was such a blessing to have Heidi and Terese visit us in Colorado this past weekend. We enjoyed some wonderful girl time together, and we toured the sights of Colorado Springs & Denver. On Friday, Jami, Heidi & the boys spent time in Downtown Denver ... brunching at Snooze, walking around 16th Street Mall, and cooling off with ice cream at Sweet Action. Terese arrived on Friday night, and we were off and running on Saturday with Luke's baseball game, lunch at Shuga's, and a drive up Pikes Peak (complete with a sleet storm & rainbow view for the drive down). On Sunday, we enjoyed a nice cool morning hike up the Palmer Reservoir, outlet mall shopping, and lunch in Cherry Creek with another friend of Terese's.

What an amazing weekend with great friends! Regardless of how long it's been since we've last spoken or emailed, our friendship always picks right up where we left off. We now are separated by 3 different cities, but get-togethers like this are always full of such meaningful conversations and lasting memories. Looking forward to our next time together!

Happy Campers

One of the joys of summertime includes camping trips, especially when Papa's Airstream RV is the outdoor residence of choice! Yesterday we ventured up to Bear Creek Lake in Denver to visit Papa and enjoy the warm (well, let's be honest HOT) temps that we've been having lately. We spent some time at the beach, had lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant Morrison Inn, and then returned to the Airstream for the afternoon. The boys ended up staying for their first overnight camping trip with Papa ... and they were on Cloud 9! They loved playing around in the Airstream and exploring the campsite. Evening brought a trip back over to the lake to paddle around on the board of Papa's windsurfer, roasting s'mores and eventually bedtime. Such happy campers!

Beach boys ... Reid, Luke, & Papa in their innertubes.

Back at the ranch ... or rather RV.

Papa added a new awning to the Airstream

to provide some shade while camping.

Snack time! Reid invades the marshmallow bag a little early,

while Luke has one of Papa's chocolate chip cookies.

Looks like they just made themselves right at home!

Colorado Getaway #2 :: Day 1 :: Beaver Creek

Colorado ski resorts are quite the popular destinations in the winter, but these resorts shine just as brightly in the summer months with all the outdoor activities! This weekend we took off on a little road trip to the Vail area on Friday & Saturday and Aspen on Sunday.

Day 1: Beaver Creek

Riding a ski lift to the top of the mountain. Seeing a deer from our bird's eye view on the lift. Playing in a sky-high sandbox. Touring the Western town at the mountaintop. Splashing away the afternoon in a fountain. Dining at Blue Moose Pizza. Roasting s'mores and listening to live music at the base of the mountain. Riding in the gondola (or the "box" as Reid calls it). Visiting the horse stables. Bravely trying trampoline bungee jumping. Exploring Beaver Creek to the fullest!

Up, up & away on the ski lift

Cruising up the mountain

This sandbox is more than 2 miles high

at the top of Grouse Mountain at Beaver Creek!

Outlaws at the Saloon

Yeehaw!

Going down the mountain.

Splash fountain at the base of Beaver Creek.

Water + boys = good thing we had some beach towels in the car!

Roasting s'mores in the evening

Reid's favorite part of the day...

riding the gondola and eating his s'more.

A stop at the stables

The sun sets on a wonderful day at Beaver Creek!

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Two high-flying video adventures

First up: Reid

Listen closely and you can hear his shrieks of delight

(over the jazzy music in the background!)

Luke's Turn

Check out his flips!

Day 2 :: Vail

The next day of adventures took us to Vail where we toured the area on bicycle. Fresh mountain air, beautiful sunshine, a trail that followed the stream, pedaling around the European style village ... what a way to see the sights!

Pedaling around Vail Village ...

Luke, Scott, and Reid (in the bike trailer)

Ahoy, matey! We cruised over to Pirateship Park.

The boys LOVED it!

Walking the plank...

After playing in the park and a picnic lunch,

we hopped back on the bikes to explore a bit more.

Family photo by the stream.

Great scenery with the ski slope in the background.

Park 2 for the day ... in the town of Eagle where

our hotel was located. Oh, the joys of the tire swing!