David's 5th birthday was celebrated in Amarillo. We had such a fun day! The whole family met at Amarillo Go-Kart Raceway - Miniature Golf Course for some super duper fun. Gerianne and John Paul came from Lubbock! We played arcade games and then everyone got golf balls and clubs and headed to the miniature golf course. We had a great game! Of course, it is June in Texas. It was SOOOO HOT outside! We didn't want to stay out in the heat a second longer, so we went to Furrs Cafeteria Buffet and we all had a great meal, had cake and ice cream, opened up presents, and headed back to the go kart/ golf place for some fun! Gerianne and John Paul had to drive back to Lubbock. Joey was finally off of work, so he came to join in the fun. Batting cages, arcade games and the whole family taking turns on the go karts. What a great birthday! We stayed until 9:00 at night! Thanks to O'Jeff and his family, O'Matt and his family, Grammie, Gerianne and John Paul, and Aunt Terri, for making David's 5th birthday a great one! Happy Birthday, precious David. We love you !
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Friday, June 05, 2009
Happy 2nd Birthday, Zachary John
Zachary John Olson. Birthday number 2. Happy Birthday, big boy!
We travelled back to Amarillo so we could celebrate both of the boys birthdays.
Zachy's birthday was celebrated at Grammie's house with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. We had a big cookout on the grill and then we ate yummy cupcakes and had a grand time!!! O'Jeff and O'Denise, Joey and Jacki, O'Matt, Aunt Sally, Francis, George and Sam, Aunt Terri, Grammie, David and Mommy and Daddy helped celebrate this wonderful occassion! There were balloons, toys, cards and lots of giggles, kisses and fun. Happy Birthday, precious Zachary. We all love you so very much!
We travelled back to Amarillo so we could celebrate both of the boys birthdays.
Zachy's birthday was celebrated at Grammie's house with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. We had a big cookout on the grill and then we ate yummy cupcakes and had a grand time!!! O'Jeff and O'Denise, Joey and Jacki, O'Matt, Aunt Sally, Francis, George and Sam, Aunt Terri, Grammie, David and Mommy and Daddy helped celebrate this wonderful occassion! There were balloons, toys, cards and lots of giggles, kisses and fun. Happy Birthday, precious Zachary. We all love you so very much!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Royal Gorge
Canon City, Colorado. Grandpa Joe's birthplace. I (Jennie) have many fond memories of this place. And I've heard many stories about Canon City.....
The Royal Gorge. HUGE suspension bridge that is built over the Arkansas River. That alone makes me nervous. Though I used to not give a second thought about heights, now, I truely can't stand them. And thinking of taking my precious children over that bridge makes my stomach flop! But we CANNOT live in Colorado without seeing the Royal Gorge.
As you can see in the pictures, a storm was slowly headed in. It was a beautiful site. Though I literally wanted to scream and protest, we DROVE OUR CAR across AND back over the bridge. I don't know that I will EVER do that again. And yes, my sweet David even made fun of me for crying a little! HA! After I calmed my nerves and dried my tears, we rode the enclosed tram down to the bottom next to the river. We saw a train, rapid flowing waters and beautiful little hummingbirds. We WILL be purchasing a feeder for our home for those little birds......We rode a little train and we ate ice cream out on the deck until we were pushed inside by the storm. And of course, we blew some bucks in the gift shop. At least now when I say, "no, we will get it next time we come," I won't be lying! HA! Again, many memories for me. Now, Iwe can make new ones that I hope the kids will remember fondly someday....
The Royal Gorge. HUGE suspension bridge that is built over the Arkansas River. That alone makes me nervous. Though I used to not give a second thought about heights, now, I truely can't stand them. And thinking of taking my precious children over that bridge makes my stomach flop! But we CANNOT live in Colorado without seeing the Royal Gorge.
As you can see in the pictures, a storm was slowly headed in. It was a beautiful site. Though I literally wanted to scream and protest, we DROVE OUR CAR across AND back over the bridge. I don't know that I will EVER do that again. And yes, my sweet David even made fun of me for crying a little! HA! After I calmed my nerves and dried my tears, we rode the enclosed tram down to the bottom next to the river. We saw a train, rapid flowing waters and beautiful little hummingbirds. We WILL be purchasing a feeder for our home for those little birds......We rode a little train and we ate ice cream out on the deck until we were pushed inside by the storm. And of course, we blew some bucks in the gift shop. At least now when I say, "no, we will get it next time we come," I won't be lying! HA! Again, many memories for me. Now, Iwe can make new ones that I hope the kids will remember fondly someday....
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sportsmans Authority
Of course, we couldn't come to Colorado without finding a new sporting goods store. Sportsmans Authority. They list all the fishing areas! The boys are hooked. And they love the small little kiddie sized shopping carts.....The giant stuffed bear is cool too! What about the mama? The apparel is good for girls! Hey, I'm in!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
It is wonderful to live 10 minutes from the zoo!! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is amazingly placed on the side of the mountain! We saw sign after sign about the zoo and the boys couldn't stand it any longer. We put on sunscreen, packed the backpack and headed for the hills to the zoo. We even purchased a year long membership at a military rate. So come see us and we will take you to the zoo! You can even feed the giraffes!
Here are ALOT of cool animal pics. To name a few animals we saw : meerkats, elephants, bears,giraffes, alligators, lions, tigers, bald eagles, kangaroos. peacocks, hundreds of birds and even giant dung beatles !!! Oh, and the view from the zoo is incredible!
We are loving Colorado Springs!
Here are ALOT of cool animal pics. To name a few animals we saw : meerkats, elephants, bears,giraffes, alligators, lions, tigers, bald eagles, kangaroos. peacocks, hundreds of birds and even giant dung beatles !!! Oh, and the view from the zoo is incredible!
We are loving Colorado Springs!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Our First Days in Colorado, May, 2009
So we left Amarillo May 21, 2009, and headed for the mountains of Colorado. We drove away from Amarillo with a boat in tow and 4 very excited people! Raton Pass was "interesting" towing a boat. And the closer we got, the COLDER it got! It's May, and we are looking at snow on the ground!
We arrived at our new and very empty home, took a tour and let the boys pick their bedrooms. We turned on the heat, parked the boat and headed to Ft. Carson to stay in the lodging area. It was VERY nice. Kiki Kane, our dearest friend, now living in Colorado, picked up the boys the next morning and took them home with her for 2 days so we could unpack. BLESS HER! Fast forward to unpacking alot of boxes, falling exhausted into bed, scoring BIG TIME on CRAIGS LISTon a $200.00 set of barely used washer and dryer set (including delivery to our house!!) , and bringing the boys back home to their comfy beds!
Not many pictures to go with this big story. Just a few of our first beautiful views from our neighborhood. We wake up to Cheyenne Mountain everyday! Hello, Colorado Springs!
We arrived at our new and very empty home, took a tour and let the boys pick their bedrooms. We turned on the heat, parked the boat and headed to Ft. Carson to stay in the lodging area. It was VERY nice. Kiki Kane, our dearest friend, now living in Colorado, picked up the boys the next morning and took them home with her for 2 days so we could unpack. BLESS HER! Fast forward to unpacking alot of boxes, falling exhausted into bed, scoring BIG TIME on CRAIGS LISTon a $200.00 set of barely used washer and dryer set (including delivery to our house!!) , and bringing the boys back home to their comfy beds!
Not many pictures to go with this big story. Just a few of our first beautiful views from our neighborhood. We wake up to Cheyenne Mountain everyday! Hello, Colorado Springs!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Amarillo, Family, Friends and Fun
We are sooo happy to be in Amarillo! Finally, some rest. We had a great trip and are so happy to be here with family and friends. We are at Grammie's house and we are so happy to be with cousins, uncles and aunts and friends. And we have met our new nephew/ cousin, baby Sam! And we LOVE him. Chuck Cheese and Jump N Jive are just 2 of the activities we have done. We love Amarillo!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wonderland Amusement Park
Can't go to Amarillo without some serious fun at Wonderland . David is so excited that he has hit the 42 inch mark. That means more rides! We had an absolute blast at Wonderland. Jacki, Uncle Matt and Aunt Sally, Francis and George all went with us! What a great time! David had serious fun on the bumper cars and Zach tore it up on the boats! We even got on a few scary rides! Yippie!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Headed to Texas!
After visiting Jennie's Uncle Larry and Aunt Libby in Memphis and then eating Memphis BBQ, we headed towards Oklahoma! We spent the night in a hotel and got up ready to see that Texas state line. Along the way we saw Alan Jackson's tour buses and trucks, some cool wind energy generators and of course, the BIG TEXAN! We were so happy to see the Texas State line and then the familiar sites of Amarillo! YAY! We are tired but happy!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Nashville Tennessee
We have been driving and driving. We needed a break. Something fun. Nashville sounded fun! We called Uncle Jeff and asked him if he new anything fun to do in Nashville. Of course he did! He directed us to an awesome restaurant called The Aquarium. FISH FISH FISH! Now that is right up our alley! We saw everything from sharks and stingrays to schools of fish and even Dory from Finding Nemo! After a great meal, we went to the indoor stingray petting place and rode a carousel, looked at poison dart frogs and pirranahs, and watched David scream with delight when he fed a stingray! We took a quick walk around the front of the Grand Ole' Opry then headed out for a couple more hours of driving. Thanks Uncle Jeff! Nashville is fun!
Mothers Day 2009
We are in Virginia at the state line. Today is Mothers Day. I woke up to the sweetest 2 boys. Happy faces though they have been completely uprooted. Precious. What a great Mom's Day this is.......
Saturday, May 09, 2009
On the road again!
Here we go! We are on the road to Colorado! It took us a while to get all packed up from the hotel, so we have made it to the Virginia state line for tonight. Here are just a few fun pics of Zachy on a motorcycle and the boys at a rest area. We're actually doing this!!!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Last Day at Gymnastics
David started gymnastics about a year ago. He loved the gym he was at, but need more of a challenge. So we moved to a new gym. Little did we know it was the national training center for Northern Virginia! Capital Gymnastics. It was a scary place at first. LOTS of people! But in the end, it has become a place we will treasure. David has excelled in gymnastics with his 2 coaches, Ms. Carolyn and Mr. Carlos. And we all have made life long friends. Here are a few pics of the last day with our buddies. Thank you to you all. We love you.
The Moving Truck is Here
Well, here we go. The moving truck showed up this morning. We are now staying in a hotel and we are having mixed emotions. We are saying goodbye to our second house here in Fairfax. The "Swann House", as we call it. (The owners last name is Swann). And we are excited about the move to Colorado. We are dreading the long drive, but anticipating fun activities along the way. We are saying goodbye to friends, and looking forward to making new ones. Here are a few pictures of the boys in the hotel, and of our friends from the neighborhood . And here is Zach and David on our last bike ride around the block......mixed emotions indeed....
Friday, May 01, 2009
All Clear at the Dentist
Thanks to our dentist in Fairfax! We made our last visit, and David got an "all clear"! No cavities! YIPPEE. Zachy decided to have a go in the chair . It was fun going up and down, but he sure didn't want to have his teeth checked ! HA ! Way to go guys!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Old Hat New Hat
After an afternoon of goodbyes to our friends, we needed some cheering up. So we went to the local costume store and found lots of laughs! OLD HAT NEW HAT, the Dr. Seuss book, is one of our favorites! So we coudn't resist trying them on! Thanks, hats, for all the fun and for cheering us up. It's just what we needed!
Starting Goodbyes
As our time approaches to move from Fairfax, Virginia, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, we have to start our goodbyes. We actually opt for, see ya later. It seems a little less "forever". We had one last playdate with our gymnastics buddies and did a little tree climbing and swinging. It was a hot day but lots of fun. David also said "see ya later" to his very good friend, Gabe. They have been friends since David had just turned 2. We love Gabe and think he is an awesome friend.
We don't like goodbyes. Think we will stick to see ya later!
We don't like goodbyes. Think we will stick to see ya later!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Just Chillin' in our new Croc Shoes!
We decided to go to the mall and hang out for the day. We ended up at the Croc shoe store. The boys love these shoes in the summer. Daddy does too. It ended up with all the boys getting new shoes! Zachy's have Dora, Diego, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Nemo and Dory and the letter "Z"on them. David has the letter "D", Transformers and of course, a trout and a fly for fishing! Dad opted out of the decorations. HA! Lookin' good, guys!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Army Guy
Couldn't resist these 3 pictures of Zach. He is VERY into the army gear these days. He runs around saying, "army guy, army guy"! Too cute!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Brothers and Bikes
Off to Lake Royal tennis courts for a little fun. David was such a good big brother to Zachary, trying to show him a few tips on riding the bike. We had a great time, until the storm blew in! We raced home in the rain and made it just in time for the hail! ( See the last picture!) David and Zach are good brothers! Can't imagine all the things in the future they will learn from each other.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Ahhh.... by David
The sun was shining, the weather was perfect and all was well. We went to gymnastics as per our usual Friday schedule. After class, David decided to walk to the car with no shoes. I helped him up into his booster seat and he smiled and said, "ahhh, smell that clean country air." The boy is ready for Texas!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter 2009
Ok, so there are pictures here that are almost exactly like one another. But I thought the boys looked so handsome, I couldn't choose which ones to not show. So you get to see them all. Thank you, Grammie, for the awesome shirts! And thank you, Easter Bunny, for too much candy! Zachy's new favorite word is "chocolate".
The Easter Bunny got to our house very early. He hid numerous eggs all over the house and the baskets were full of goodies. I think he even watched some of Daddy's fishing shows on the DVR ! After the egg hunt, we talked about the true meaning of Easter, read David's new books, DAVID AND GOLIATH and JOSEPH AND HIS COAT..., and we discussed what we are truely celebrating. David was very happy to hear the Jesus had risen again. He does not like the stories about Jesus dying on the cross. He is so sweet and innocent.....
Then after a busy morning, we loaded up and went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus! It was only 3 minutes from our house! What a great time. We went for the preshow and got to meet some of the cast. Though blurry, some of the elephant pics were taken by David! Great job! Zach loved the elephants and our favorite thing by far was the family of motorcross bike riders that rode in the big metal ball at crazy speeds! All 7 of them at one time!
We had a great Easter this year. Hope you did too!
The Easter Bunny got to our house very early. He hid numerous eggs all over the house and the baskets were full of goodies. I think he even watched some of Daddy's fishing shows on the DVR ! After the egg hunt, we talked about the true meaning of Easter, read David's new books, DAVID AND GOLIATH and JOSEPH AND HIS COAT..., and we discussed what we are truely celebrating. David was very happy to hear the Jesus had risen again. He does not like the stories about Jesus dying on the cross. He is so sweet and innocent.....
Then after a busy morning, we loaded up and went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus! It was only 3 minutes from our house! What a great time. We went for the preshow and got to meet some of the cast. Though blurry, some of the elephant pics were taken by David! Great job! Zach loved the elephants and our favorite thing by far was the family of motorcross bike riders that rode in the big metal ball at crazy speeds! All 7 of them at one time!
We had a great Easter this year. Hope you did too!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Pre Easter Fun
Easter 2009. We love Easter! We have reviewed the story of Jesus several times. David is certain he was there when it all happened, "6 years ago", he says. LOTS of eggs were colored the night before Easter. Zachy enjoyed a blue frosted egg cookie from Grammie (see frosting on face ), and then was so tired, he just went on to bed, dreaming of bunnies and chocolate. David worked really hard on the eggs in anticipation of a big hunt on Easter Day.....
Friday, April 10, 2009
Guy Stuff...Well, girls too!
David's buddy, Christopher, spent a few hours with us the other day. He brought his new fishing rod! Matt got off of work early and we all headed down to the lake for some fishing! David caught a nice bass on the fly rod in less than 10 minutes after we started fishing. Zachy loved the bass as well as the bluegill that was caught by Daddy! Chris used his new rod and had quite the casting arm! Zachy sat on the bank and seriously concentrated like a good fisherman would. Christopher's mom and sister came and tried out the fly rod. Fun was had by all. See! Fishing is not just for guys!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Happy Birthday Grammie!
I went to Colorado to tie up loose ends prior to our move. I had great time with our dear friends, the Kane family. And I'm indebted to Kiki FOREVER, for all the hospitality and transportation to and fro! Thanks! Mom's 74th bday was also on this same weekend. I love Southwest Airlines for the fact that it is $49.00 to fly from Denver to Amarillo. So I bought a ticket to surprise mom for her bday. Gerianne picked me up at the airport and we stopped by Matt and Sally's to see if little Gulde was soon to arrive. Nope. Little turkey! Then off to mom's. She was DEFINITELY surprised! We spent the next 2 days celebrating. Lunch at the Plaza where Joey, my handsome nephew (and the host at the Plaza), was just getting off of work. A great lunch we had along with the sombraro happy birthday to mom. Jacki, Gerianne and I went shopping and we ate dinner with Matt and Sally the next day. We had such a great time! So, Happy Birthday Grammie!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Luck 'O the Irish!
Happy St. Patricks Day! Here are just a few cute pics of my precious boys celebrating "lucky day" (as David calls it). David wore his Lucky shirt and Zachy was sporting an awesome green shirt as well. I do believe that the green hair is the item that pulled it all together. Don't you? Happy Lucky Day to you!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Grime, slime, tadpoles and a tree frog!
We are lucky to have a really cool nature center about 10 minutes from our house. David's preschool teacher takes the group at least once a month to a program that the center has. Today's program was primarily tromping around in ankle deep mud, netting anything that crawls, swims or jumps around the different "water holes", catching frogs and adopting tadpoles. Zachy and Mommy decided to accompany Buddy and his class on this wild adventure. With Zach in the backpack and with the a total of three 4 year olds, off we went on a muddy adventure. You will see here that David caught a tree frog. He was very excited. So were the other 15 or 20 kids that saw him net it. It was awesome! Zach said "look, look at the frog!" We got VERY muddy but fortunately we dressed for the fun. David and Zach loved the tadpoles and David got to be one of the "assistants" by carrying a big bucket of the tadpoles out for all to see. We DID NOT adopt any of those little guys. ( I reminded David we would be moving soon an wouldn't want to abandon our little friends.) Mud, dirt, grime and slime were the items of the day. Fun was had by all! We are looking forward to finding a nature center somewhere close to us in Colorado!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Skiing Fun
Before the blizzard of March 2009 decended upon Fairfax, VA, we raced up the road to get in a full day of skiing fun at Ski Libery in Pennsylvania. Zachy said, "I want to go play!" as we approached the day care center. Not a tear was shed. David took an hour long ski lesson from Mr. Nick and it seemed like he had just skied the day before! No fear. Up the lift and down the hill! Lots of giggles and smiles. After the lesson, David proclaimed that he wanted to "go to the top to go faster". OK....so to the top we went! He did great! He is a pro. Look out Colorado, here comes David and his skis! Love this kid.
Don't forget to click on each title for more fun pics!
Don't forget to click on each title for more fun pics!
Snoooow! (says Zachy)
Zachy was "broken free" from the daycare for some fun play in the snow. He was so excited when he saw his "choo choo" boots as he calls them. Thomas the Tank Engine boots... pretty cool. He kept saying," I play in snow! I play in snow! I go outside!" as I put his snow suit on him. He loved the snow and called it "ice" several times. He was so cute, playing and rolling around. He would throw himself down in the snow and say, "I fell down! Oh no!" Then laugh aloud. Too cute. Wanted to spotlight the little guy for all to see. Love that boy!
Olson Snowmen
While the skiing was awesome and the daycare for Zachy was fun, nothing could beat my 2 favorite little guys going to the top of a big pile of snow and sliding and rolling down. They played together, rolled around with each other and even threw a few snowballs. The smiles and laughs were abundant. Funny how something so simple can bring such joy....Boys....love them so.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Zachy's First Haircut
Valentines Day, Feb.14th 2009.
We finally did it. We cut those precious blonde curls. Brought a little tear to our eyes, but it was a necessary thing. It was time. Zachy is so pretty! He's recently been mistaken for........well, a pretty little girl! NO ! Not our well built, masculine boy! It was time. We went to the mall and saw a cool Chinese New Year Dragon and celebration, had some Italian ice cream and went to the Cartoon Cuts haircuttery. .... He was perfect. Of course, having big brother, David, standing right next to him was most helpful. And having Dora the Explorer on the TV was kinda cool too. Not one little wiggle. Not one tear. He sat still as could be whilst the beautiful blonde lockets were cut. Sniff, sniff...... But, cutting the curls doesn't take away anything from his fun personality! He is still Zach -a-rama, Zach -a-rooskie! Go Zachy Go Zachy Go Go Go ! And he got a certificate to boot! And of course, mommy took home every precious little blonde curl to keep in a safe place. After all the Zachy trimming, David bravely sat up in the chair and got his pretty hair cut too! What a guy! Then off to Chucky Cheese's to celebrate Valentines Day! Fun was had by all! My sweet Valentine Boys.
We finally did it. We cut those precious blonde curls. Brought a little tear to our eyes, but it was a necessary thing. It was time. Zachy is so pretty! He's recently been mistaken for........well, a pretty little girl! NO ! Not our well built, masculine boy! It was time. We went to the mall and saw a cool Chinese New Year Dragon and celebration, had some Italian ice cream and went to the Cartoon Cuts haircuttery. .... He was perfect. Of course, having big brother, David, standing right next to him was most helpful. And having Dora the Explorer on the TV was kinda cool too. Not one little wiggle. Not one tear. He sat still as could be whilst the beautiful blonde lockets were cut. Sniff, sniff...... But, cutting the curls doesn't take away anything from his fun personality! He is still Zach -a-rama, Zach -a-rooskie! Go Zachy Go Zachy Go Go Go ! And he got a certificate to boot! And of course, mommy took home every precious little blonde curl to keep in a safe place. After all the Zachy trimming, David bravely sat up in the chair and got his pretty hair cut too! What a guy! Then off to Chucky Cheese's to celebrate Valentines Day! Fun was had by all! My sweet Valentine Boys.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
What? It's 65 degrees in February?
Must be a fluke. 65 degree weather in February. We took advantage of that! Zach and Dad took an early morning backpack outing with Zachy sporting his cool shades. Then the whole gang packed up and went to the park for some swinging, climbing, sliding, rock collecting and goose chasing fun. It only got a little nippy after the sun started to go down. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the bright and sunny day!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Winter Fun
.....and the snow kept coming down! Giant snowflakes were falling. The boys just couldn't hardly stand it! David layered himself with warm clothes and grabbed his new sled for some fun in the front yard. Even though it was too cold for Zach, he enjoyed playing with little snowballs that David would bring to him. Happy kids, smiling faces and even some night sledding in the front yard, made for a great winter day.
Monday, January 19, 2009
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