Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

So this is the one sledding experience we've had so far in Colorado. We probably would have done a bunch of sledding in Montana by now! We have only had 2 substantial snows and the snow was gone the next day. We are definitely not used to that! So I got a few shots of Ben sledding and enjoying the snow. He loves it! I, on the other hand, could not wait to get back inside for hot chocolate!!

Apple Picking

We decided to go apple picking in the

fall, so we made a trip down to 3rd Street Apples in Penrose, CO. Ben had a great time with it all! Later, we made apple crumble (using a new recipe I found). It was so yummy! Ben loves to cook with me so he really enjoyed that part!

Ben had so much fun picking those apples! (And I had fun taking the pix!)

Maybe a bird's eye view?

The orchard and beyond.

Ben and Emma - she's really trying to hang on to that pumpkin!

Ben planting a sweet kiss on Emma.

Oh! Boys and their tractors!! Need I say more?!

This one's for me!

Places in Our Heart

We had these photos taken about a week before we drove out of Great Falls, Montana. It was our home for 4 years and holds a special place in our heart. And this is why. Both of our children were born there. We had so many great memories in Great Falls. No doubt, it was a tough place to live sometimes. Winters were the hardest. Cold snaps of -30 left you longing to be somewhere warm! I remember daydreaming of Hawaii on those really cold days! But we made snowmen and snowangels and made hot chocolate and kept our fire going inside. We took Ben sledding on the hill across the street. We just made it work. It's funny because we complained a lot, but this place made us stronger people. And it helped make us who we are right now. We really know that we can survive almost anything! We learned so much about ourselves while living there. We made wonderful friends. We ventured out as much as possible to see what Montana was all about. We went to Holter Lake and went boating almost every weekend during the summer, which only lasts about 8 weeks!!! We went camping, fishing, jet skiing, snow boarding, snow skiing, and snowshoeing twice (on one of those trips, I was 7 months pregnant with Ben). This was, by far, one of the hardest moves we've ever made. Ben was wondering where his bed was and where all his things were. We had a newborn. We were tired. No. We were exhausted. We lost our cat. We were leaving a house that we loved and had made a home for 4 years. It was an extremely emotional time for us. Needless to say, we were a hot mess leaving Great Falls and although I thought seeing it in my rearview mirror would be the best sight ever, I cried all the way out....and then some. I think I cried for a few weeks, actually. I still cry when I think about all our memories there. I think it's fair to say we love Montana and it will hold a special place in our hearts....forever.

Yep, both those kiddos were "made in Montana"!

My little Emma Grace, 1 month old here and Ben 3 1/2 years old.

He is so gentle and sweet with her. It's amazing to be the mother of these two children!

Daddy and Emma. This was about the only time she opened her eyes during the shoot!

Mama and Emma - rocking her back to sleep.

In the fields of Montana

Ben was such a ham! He loves having his picture taken!

Just the two of us. This is one of my favorites.

This is one picture we really wanted! It is by the Missouri River....the heart of the city. I don't know how many times we drove across that bridge in the distance!

Giant Springs...one last time

My mom's sister came up from Wyoming with my cousins for a visit and to help me out about two weeks after I had Emma. They were such a wonderful help with cooking, cleaning, playing with Ben, and making me laugh until I cried! We visited Giant Springs and the Hutterite Colony while they were with me.

Cousin Nick, Ricko, and BenOk, NOT the best picture of me! But this is me and my favorite puppy of all time, little Ricko Aunt Jae and Ben doing something silly, I'm sure!Playing "Poo Stick" at Giant Springs Nick and Ricko Cousins Russell, Ben, Aunt Jae and cousin Nick

Ben, me and little Emma, who was only 2 weeks old!!

The boys

One of my favorites

I wonder what Ben was saying?!

No, this one is my FAVORITE!!! Beautiful picture of Aunt

Jae and her boys!!

Sweet one....I'm glad my family LOVED this park!!

Hutterite Colony

Let me just preface this by saying that we had always wanted to tour one of the Hutterite Colonies in Montana and it was one of the last things we did before we left....which was kind of nice, actually. We went to the Fairhaven Colony in Ulm. The tour opened our eyes to how different our lives are from the Hutterites. It was pretty apparent that they are extremely hard working and very meticulous. On the tour, we got to see their church, the dairy cows (where we learned all about how they feed the calves), the garden where they grow all the vegetables, the kitchen and food storage areas, the area where they process their eggs from the henhouse, and the pigpen. We were even allowed to see one of their private homes, which showed how simple they live.

My aunt and my cousin in front of their garden
In the dairy area
I thought this was sweet....the girls would hold Ben's hand
on our walks to different areas

The hen house -- Ben petting a little chick

A Hutterite boy and Ben.....they all played so well together

The community laundromat

He totally looks like he belongs!!!!

Mario got this one of me running to the sign for

a picture

My cousin Nick, my Aunt Jae, me, and my cousin Russell

The GORGEOUS wheat field outside the colony

us getting INTO the wheat field!

It was so cool to be in there! It felt like you were in

a field of feathers!!

Ryan's Dam & Emma's birth

Ryan's Dam and Emma's birth was like one really long day!! I was originally supposed to be induced on Friday, June 25th. But I changed my mind and decided that we would enjoy one last weekend together and would go be induced on June 29th instead. Well, Emma had other plans I guess! But we did enjoy that last weekend.....up until the very last minute! We did our usual and went to Quizno's to pick up our sandwhiches with Mario's mom and then headed out there in the afternoon. When we realized it was already 7 p.m., we decided to head back home. We got home around 7:30 or so and got Ben into bed around 8. I thought giving myself a face mask was a great idea, so I proceeded with that. With the mask still on my face and not 15 minutes after getting Ben into bed, my water broke! So we headed off to the hospital about 9 o'clock that night and Emma Grace was born on June 28th at 3:52 a.m. weighing in at 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Wow! What a day! She's beautiful and we're so blessed to have her in our lives.

Playing airplane
Mama and Ben taking a little rest

Ben took this picture as I was goofing around

The three of us in this little tree nook that I love

I finally got the picture of Ben walking across the bridge

I had been trying to get this but there were always lots of people around.

A room with a view! This is Benefis' new birthing center

She's here!

First bath

Ben taking his first look at his little sister

He wanted to touch her....so sweet

Now it's the 4 of us!

Lyla taking her security bands off before we left the hospital

Lyla and Ben - she was the labor and delivery nurse

when I had Ben! So it was nice to see her again.

She almost was there for the delivery of Emma too

and only missed it by a few hours!

Ready to leave the hospital

Ben and I flying a kite a couple days after we got home