Snow!

Let it snow!

This morning we woke up to a nice blanket of powdery snow! The boys bundled up and headed outside bright and early to check it out. Mom, Luke & Reid cleaned the snow off the cars with our new handy dandy window scrapers. Then Dad and Luke surveyed the scene in the backyard and created a snowball factory. Hurray for the snow!

For a kid who's grown up in the desert, Luke was skilled at making snow angels!

Reid takes a warm seat indoors while watching the snowball fight outside. Guess who was the target then ... watch out, Reid!

Take a hike.

Today the Leahy family ventured out to one of the landmarks of Colorado Springs -- Garden of the Gods. It's known for the unique red rock formations, nice hiking paths, and gorgeous scenery. Luke enjoyed climbing on the rocks, and Reid enjoyed scouting out all the dogs on the path. This is sure to be the first of many visits there!

High-flying adventure.

As we get to know our neighbors, we paid a visit to a rather unique and highly respected neighbor: the Air Force Academy. It's less than 5 minutes away! Jami's parents came down for a visit Friday afternoon, and we journeyed over to the Academy to see the cadets march. We also toured the chapel and visitor center. Very interesting!

The cadets marching.

Luke & Scott in front of the Cadet Chapel.

(Sometimes Luke wears these fake glasses. Perhaps he's playing up his intellectual side so one day he can enter the Academy.)

Getting settled.

We are feeling pretty settled in our new digs. The garage still houses a fair share of boxes, but we'll eventually work our way through those or just leave them packed until we move into our more permanent abode.

We live on the north side of Colorado Springs, which is a quickly growing community. There are many new home subdivisions and a lot of open space still that's yet to fill in. (Our neighbors were very excited that the road just opened making it a straight shot to the grocery store!) The views are amazing, too, with the mountains visible from our bedroom window.

Our neighborhood has a small park which we've hit almost every day. Scott took the boys today, and Luke made a new friend named Nicholas which resulted in a funny conversation...

Scott: "Luke, his name is Nicholas. Can you say hi to Nicholas?"

Luke: "Oh, I have a Nicholas at home."

Scott: "What do you mean?"

Luke: "A Nicholas ... like you put around your neck."

Oh, that Nicholas.

Home sweet home.

We've been in Colorado for just a few days, but our house is shaping up nicely. Our first day here it was 70 degrees. Yesterday it was in the 30s and we woke up to snow flurries! Here's a pic of the new Leahy residence for the next 6 months. We found a great rental house in a very family friendly community. The boys are adjusting well, and we are all having a ball exploring our new surroundings.

Quick trip.

Reid at the Four Corners, walking in two states at once!

Our movers really got a move on and called to say they were set to deliver earlier than later, so we had to speed up our road trip to make sure our belongings didn't beat us to Colorado Springs. On the second day of our driving adventure, we left the Grand Canyon, made stops at the Four Corners and then Durango for dinner (and some other random towns along the way), and then kept on trucking into Colorado Springs. We started driving at 9 a.m. and reached our destination at 11:30 that night. We were weary travelers to say the least.

Grand finale.

The movers arrived on Saturday and loaded the truck, while we cleaned the house and prepped the car for our roadtrip ahead. We stayed with Jami's friend Terese during our final night in Phoenix and then started our trek northward this morning.

First stop: Grand Canyon. We are embarrassed to admit that in our 8 years in Arizona our first time to visit this amazing spectacle was on our way out! We enjoyed hiking around near the top of the canyon and seeing the historic hotels/buildings near the rim. Luke kept saying he didn't want to stop at the Grand Canyon ... that he just wanted to go to Colorado Springs. (Guess he's in a hurry to get there!) But he thought it was A-OK after we checked out the train. Reid enjoyed scoping out the scene from his perch in the backpack. We also spotted a bald eagle, endangered species of condor, some deer, and big horn sheep on a cliff.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the Leahy Roadtrip '07!

Trick or treat.

The boys ventured out and about to trick or treat in our neighborhood. Then the goblins paid a special visit to Uncle Eric and Charity. What a treat!

Have a dino-mite Halloween!

A special message brought to you by the Leahy dinosaurs...

David, Posh & a couple of dinos.

Our friends Shawn and Amy hosted their annual Halloween party last night, and it was a spooktacular good time! The Leahy family dressed in their Halloween finest. Scott and Jami posed as celebrity couple soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife Posh Spice. The boys sported their dinosaur costumes (and were tolerant considering yesterday was pretty warm!)

David Beckham, Posh Spice & some super cute dinos.

Ahoy, mate.

Our buddy Robby celebrated his 4th birthday and invited all his pirate pals over for a plank-walking good time! The pint-sized pirates searched for buried treasure, munched on pizza, and played outside.

Right: Pirates Luke, Robby, and Logan scare up some fun!

Model student.

Luke recently had "picture day" at school. Spiffed up in his finest school attire, here are his preschool pics. Say cheese!

This is one fancy background for school photos with the 'shrooms and a turtle!

We call this his ventriloquist smile.

Looking so distinguished!

Step it up.

Reid's walking skills have been growing by leaps and bounds and strides. As you can see in the video, the technique is enhanced by walking with his hands over his head. Better balance that way...

Let it snow.

This weekend we took a quick trip to Colorado for our house-hunting trip. On Sunday morning when Scott and Jami were getting ready to head south to Colorado Springs to tour a few potential houses, it started snowing ... and snowing ... and snowing. Nothing says "Welcome to Colorado" like a big snow of nearly 7 inches! We safely made our way to Colorado Springs (and avoided sliding off the road or getting into an accident). Searching for a new home in a winter white-out puts a new perspective on "looking" for a house since we couldn't see further than about 100 feet. After we toured the prospects and had a little lunch, the snow cleared up and melted off the road by the time we were ready to head back to Denver a few hours later. What a great "first" memory!

Here's what the boys thought of the snow. Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Keary for the boys' winter coats!

Luke LOVED the snow and kept trying to find reasons to go outside! The cold didn't seem to phase him.

Reid's first encounter with snow was less than favorable. He was a sad little snowman on this quick stroller ride.

On the move.

Big news from the Leahy Family ... the Leahys will be relocating from Arizona to Colorado in the next month! As we close this 8-year chapter of our lives, we will miss so many things about Arizona: all our amazing friends here, living near Scott's younger brother Eric and his girlfriend Charity, our wonderful home and family-friendly neighborhood, the cooler 6 months of the year, and our many memories and milestones over the years. We are so thankful for the AZ experiences that helped to shape our lives!

Now as we look ahead to our new Colorado adventure, we greatly anticipate Scott's new job opportunity with a high-tech company called RT Logic just north of Colorado Springs. He'll be working on satellite ground stations at this smaller company of about 125 employees. We are also excited to be within driving distance of more of our family. Jami's parents will be about 1 hour away, and we will be able to drive back to Kansas now to visit the crew there including our family and friends from high school and college.

The moving van is loading up on Nov. 10, and we should be settled in Colorado Springs by Thanksgiving. Stay tuned...

Just one of the guys.

Reid enjoyed another small birthday bash at the train park on Monday with his playgroup buddies. We gobbled up some yummy fall sugar cookies and enjoyed a nice autumn afternoon. Here he is hangin' with the big boys: Owen, Skye, Reid, Thomas, and big bro Luke.

The doctor will see you now.

This has been a big week of doctor check-ups for the boys. On Monday, Reid visited Dr. Mike for his 1-year wellness check and received a clean bill of health. Here are his 1st birthday stats: height at 85th percentile, weight at 50th percentile, and head circumference at 75th percentile.

Luke also had his first official dentist appointment yesterday. On the way to the dentist's office, Luke said, "I'm so excited for them to look at my teeth." Pretty sure he's the only person to ever get excited about visiting the dentist! Guess mom and dad did a good job of talking up the experience. He was a model patient and loved riding in the dentist chair and getting his "teeth tickled." No cavities for this little guy!

31 reasons to celebrate.

Birthdays, birthdays, and more birthdays ... today Scott celebrated the Big 31 with an omelet breakfast (candle included). Rise and shine!

He and brother Eric were then treated to a special birthday surprise -- a guided Segway tour! Sporting red helmets (safety first!) and these 2-wheeled personal transport systems, Scott and Eric buzzed around the Marriott Desert Ridge this afternoon. The Segway was ultra easy to use and super fun. Here are a few Segway facts for you. It can recharge on 20 cents of electricity. It tops out at 12.5 mph. It is super smart and quickly reads your movements.

Eric & Scott are all smiles about their Segway tour!

Even Charity & Jami got to go for a quick spin at the end of the tour.

The Big One.

Happy 1st Birthday, Reid!

One year ago today, we welcomed Reid Nelson Leahy into the world. Today, we celebrated " the Big One" with a pizza party in the park and cupcakes. Below is a video and some pictures from the party.

The birthday boys - Scott is 31, Reid is 1, Eric is 28!

Cupcakes with candy corn and pumpkins ... festive for fall!

I don't want the fun to end!

Time for tea.

Jami's parents are in town to celebrate the October birthdays. Today Jami and her mom enjoyed lunch at a chic new tea house called Tea Dreams. Ooh la la! What a lovely ladies' lunch out!