Pseudo Camping

A few weeks pre-H1N1, we went on a pseudo-camping trip. This meant we pulled the camper up to some friends land near Wellington. They had a pig roast (what is up with all the pig references? interesting) and a big birthday party. We have been very disappointed this year that we only got one trip out in the Starman Hilton this summer so we were looking forward to it. And it was fun...

The Girls with The Peddicord's newest family member

(She started chewing on Tressy's hair right after this pic was taken!)

Adam and Melissa, the hosts, built a straw-bale house themselves. I've heard about them but had never actually seen one. It was absolutely beautiful. I was impressed! I wish I had pics of it but it's the slant roof in the sunset picture of Tressin.

Anyway... we just love our camper. Happy hibernating, ole Starman Hilton. Rest up. Next summer will be a different story!

Icky Piggy Shuffle

This has by far been one of the longest weeks of my life. Monday morning, at Kelly's to drop the girls off, I thought... hmmm, Tressin feels a little warm. We took her temp and yes, she had a fever. Not really sure why mom's take temps. Dude, we know. We just know. I had a bad feeling. Now I am not a negative person. You can ask those that know me best. It is actually one of my pet peeves. Nothing drives me more crazy... "We will never make it to the front of this line. Our food is going to be horrible. The weather will be too hot, too cold, too windy..." I mean really, life is too short, buck up! So it wasn't necessarily negativity as much as realism. I knew it was coming. And it did. By Tuesday night she had a 104 degree fever and the most horrible cough and congestion I have ever heard. I didn't sleep a wink, even while she did between motrin doses and back rubs and soothing words from mommy. Wednesday afternoon we took her in and got confirmation of what we had suspected (mom had spent all of those sleepless hours on the internet you know)... H1N1 had hit the littlest Starman. We got her some Tamiflu in the nick of time. Got sissy some too. So it's Thursday night. Both girls are back to fighting and being sassy aka normal. Yay! What really sucks is that we can't go to Nebraska tomorrow, a trip that has been planned for like four months. No Grandma Carol, Papa Ermin, Auntie Terri, Auntie Julie, Uncle Larry, "the cousins", a fun ass wedding, Grandma Lordemann et al, Brooky Bottom, Grandma and Grandpa Starman, the Winns and taco pizza from Godfathers. Rowan cried when we told her we weren't going... poor thing. It was a tough call. But as parents, you have to do what is best for your family.

Now go wash your hands!

The Facts of Life (sans pics)

Once again it has been too long since I updated "the blog". Oh well. Deal with it. Sorry Auntie Hat, I have good intentions but life just gets in the way.

Short version...

Rowan turned five. Crazy, crazy shit that I have a five year old. Even crazier is how much I love her. And that she drives me insane at the same time, especially in the mornings while getting ready for school. "Hey, can you run and put your shoes on please? Please go put your shoes on. I would appreciate if you would listen and put your shoes on. Put your shoes on or I am going to get upset with you... PUUUUT YOUR SHOOOOOES ON!!!!!!!"

The Winn's came. I love them. Especially the girl one. She gave me a keychain that put the forever in BFF.

The papa and the nana took a road trip to Northern CO. My dad hooked up with some of his old fraternity brothers and they went to a CSU game. (The "other" university in Colorado) He didn't understand what happened to them... they had gotten so damn old. Vee was psyched there was another wife younger than her. Probably not as psyched as that lady's husband. ;)

Our basement is coming along. HVAC, electrical and framing are nearly complete. Actually thinking about ordering drywall. Will it be done by Christmas?? Doubt it. Spring? Maybe. Next football season. Hell ya!

Gearing up for 9 nights in the Arbor State the second week in October. A Lordemann wedding (put your dancing shoes on), Aunt Terri's birthday, some time at Brooky Bottom, a Friday night in Fremont... it's all good.

Now that, my friends, is an update. The facts, if you will. But they aren't the facts of life. Remember that show? "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them all and there you have the facts of life..." It's not all good for us. Pretty sure it isn't for you either. We take the bad too. Trust me. But we hold strong to the fact that we can face challenges with the strength of a warrior, work through them with the heart of a savior, and wake up to better day.

That's just how we roll...

New Digs

So the girls have a new room, well it's the same room but it looks a lot different so Rowan calls it her new room. We said goodbye to the baby furniture via Craigslist, covered the yellow walls with pink and put together some bunk beds.

I know change is inevitable but I had a tough time with this one. I cried when we took the crib down and got really nostalgic when we went to paint the room. I thought back to being about 5 months pregnant and since we decided the first time to not find out the sex of the baby, we had to do something neutral. Of course the most important things in our lives at that time were the dogs. Hence the yellow room and dog theme.

Two little girls later... Ta-da- Pink room! Gotta give props to our neighbor Jay who painted it for us. He did an awesome job, was really fast and is available. He told us that while he was painting Rowan peeked her head in and told him it was really cool that he was a painter. He said that's the first time a female has ever said that to him. Funny!

Bunk beds- before.

Bunk beds- After. They were surprisingly easy to put together.

The girls love them and mommy really hopes her favorite interior decorator will be making a Labor Day trip to Colorado so she can help with the finishing touches.

Beef and Bean Days

I don't know what the second weekend in August represents to you... but to us and our fellow Milliken-ites... It's Beef and Bean Days, Baby! To be perfectly honest, besides the first year we moved here (the second weekend of August, 2003), we haven't really participated in the festivities. We always have something going on and invariably we always have something going on the second weekend of August. Until this year...

We rode bikes downtown for the parade. I was so impressed with my little farm town! It was pretty good!

Mini-Milliken-ites

We sat by a super nice family from West Greeley who were headed up to the Park to check out all the booths and activities they had going on. Of course, we also saw some of our neighbors and have I ever mentioned that I really like my neighbors? I do, and for the most part, always have. But in the last year or so, with some additions, Settlers Drive has become really fun. Lots of kids that are all about the same age. And with kids, usually comes parents. So we hang out between all the front yards; staring down speeders, breaking up fights (between the kids that is) and chit chatting. Out of the chit-chat came the idea for a little Block Party. And the First Annual Settlers Drive Beef and Bean Day BBQ was born! Everyone brought food and friends and we watched the fireworks, not to mention the crazy lightning show that accompanied the fireworks. Needless to say lightning that crazy is usually followed by torrential rain, at least this year in Weld County! So the party ended except for a few stragglers and the fire pit. It was exactly six years TO THE DAY that we moved here and I remembered again how lucky we are.

Here's some of the crew getting ready for fireworks.

Settlers Spawn

Now we are gearing up for Rowan to start "Pre-K" a week from Monday. I am changing up my work schedule so that I can pick her up everyday. But no more Monday's off... It's been four years, that I have had Monday's off. I'm gonna miss it but am excited to be done earlier everyday, pick Rowy up and maybe have some time to work-out. Enough about me, she's super pumped up for school!

We are taking one last little trip and going to Alamosa this weekend. Scott hasn't been able to go the last couple times and my brother Mark will have his kids so the girls can hang with their "cussins".

We might as well enjoy a little fun time because next weekend we will be putting a new room together for the girls, pink paint and all.

Now entering the "bunk bed years... look out!

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My Promise

While I may not be the best blogger, I am a pretty good blog stalker. The Zeman 4 is a good example. Remember, the woman I don't even know? (look down and to the right)

Then there is her sister, Bree. I have been stalking her blog for just about as long. I started right after she got married (about a year ago). Again, I don't know her, per se, but as I have read her adventures, including her and her husband's ordeals with infertility and in-vitro, I feel like I do.

She is really good at updating her blog so after four and a half weeks of nothing, I knew something was up... and believe me I checked every day hoping for the good news...

"I'm pregnant!", "It's twins!".

Then last night the news came... I was pregnant, it was twins, no heartbeats, d&c Friday.

I cried. And cried. And even prayed a little. Now I am not really the praying type, but for some reason it was the only way I felt I could send this broken-hearted woman and her loving husband some message of peace and hope and faith... I hope God listened.

In her blog she asked that those of us that have children not take for granted the gift we have been given. I won't, Bree. I promise.

I will give my girls an extra kiss tomorrow, in honor of Bree and Brian and their peace and hope and faith... and future family.

I'm Baaaaack!

In high school it was bad... in college it got even worse. I'm talking about procrastination and I am real good at it. And the thing about procrastination is that it builds up and builds up until its like this mountain that you can't climb. Just thinking about it makes you break out in a cold sweat. And so much cool, fun shit has happened to us (some pretty sad stuff too). The blog had become that mountain. It's not that I haven't wanted to. I totally have, but the cold sweats kept coming. Feeling like I couldn't write, be creative, do this family blog the justice it deserved. But just like starting that 15 page paper about feudalism the night before its due, you just have to bite the bullet and do it.



So here is the Reader's Digest version of the past two months. I can't even begin to upload pics to go with it all so if you want to keep up visually... get on facebook.



We went to Fort Robinson with my mom and the Bobcat to celebrate my mom's 60th. What a neat place and a good time! We will definitely be back. We went camping at Jack's Gulch over Memorial Day weekend. A little rain and lots of fun. I turned 36. Thanks to my two little girls, I feel 26. Our Tressy Lulu Bean turned 2. Having a two year old makes me feel like 46. We had to say a very sad goodbye to our 4 year old Dobie, Marley, after he lost the ability to live the life he deserved. RIP buddy, you are missed. Scott and I golfed in a tourney in FC with the Peddicord's. As far as I can remember, I carried them. But that was just practice for Scott since he got to go to Omaha for the Farkle Fund tourney at the end of June. The girls and I went down to the 'mosa to see Nana and Papa and Mark and Marcus. Jake even showed up after getting back from Iraq and we went to Weekends... twice. The 3rd of July and Renner Sports Surfaces treated us to a Rockies game (they won) and some awesome fireworks! Then it was my turn to go to NE. A little BFF time, golf with Ermin and John C Fremont Days... the flight home was rough. And finally, a weekend trip to Glenwood Hot Springs with Grandma and Grandpa Starman. Beautiful weather and, man, that water feels good.



Wow, I can exhale. I did it.



And I will keep doing it. How could you look at this and not?




And it's way better than a paper on feudalism.