Halloween Parade & Party

Avery and Ryan were so excited Halloween was finally here that they woke up extra early, but then fell back asleep by their door.  I signed up to make cookies and made some sugar cookies and some witch hat cookies.  I found the witch hat cookies on Pintrest and just took fudge stripe cookies, orange frosting, and hershey kisses.  I swung by to pick up Andy from home and we got to see the Halloween parade.  Avery and Ryan were so excited this year as Avery was Cinderella and Ryan was a fire fighter. They had fun at their class party and the cookies were a hit!

Nashville

Andy had his annual guys trip with his school friends. It's eleven guys and they've been doing it since just after college. This year they went to Nashville to head to Lycnhburg, TN to check out the Jack Daniel's World BBQ Championship. Since my brother Greg's big client is Jack Daniels he was able to set Andy and his friends up with a comfort food luncheon at the famous Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House and tasting tour at the Jack Daniels distillery. Andy was having a good time until Sunday morning when he suffered a severe high ankle sprain playing basketball at the house they were staying at. He came home on crutches and a big ER bill. At least he had fun up until that point!

 

Pumpkins

I wasn't up for carving pumpkins, so I decided to get crafty and used chalkboard paint to paint the pumpkins.  The kids then got to color them with chalk.  I then repainted them and the finished product said 'Happy Halloween' with lots of stickers!

Lunch Date

We did a little shopping after basketball and then had some lunch at Chipotle.  They were very well behaved and had quite the appetite.  So fun, to have a special lunch date with my two favorite munchkins!

Bobcats

With Andy out of town and ballet and basketball at the same time on opposite ends of town, we settled on basketball.  It was his first meeting, so Ryan got his new Bobcats shirt, met his coaches and got some practice in. He wasn't a fan of the buzzer, but hope he gets used to it!

Out with the Rockwoods

Andy headed to Nashville this morning for his annual guy's trip. We were able to meet the Rockwoods out for dinner.  We had dinner at Pasquini's and then some yogurt at Peachwave.  Jordan and Ashleigh adore Avery and Ryan and so cute to see them together!

Little Bakers

Andy's parents conference ended on Friday afternoon and they were able to spend the night with us before heading back home. Avery and Ryan had fun whipping up some Cranberry Orange bread for breakfast.
We were able to get a babysitter and celebrate Sandy's birthday with a night out at Indulge.  All the tapas and wine were great!

Avery

Avery loves coloring and is getting better and better every day. She is also starting to write her name.  So cute! 

Fall Pictures

Avery and Ryan got their fall pictures at school. They turned out pretty good and we bought the digital image of them together!

End of Vacation

On Tuesday morning, we had to pack up to head back to Denver. We are so glad we got to do a little getaway with Andy's parents.  Avery and Ryan sported fall outfits thanks to Aunt Shyloe's mastery of the sewing machine!  We had lunch at the Smiling Moose in Edwards and got to stop by to see the Addis's and their new home in Edwards. It is a great house with amazing views. 
While Andy took his parents downtown to their hotel for the conference and to pick up Raleigh, I took Avery and Ryan to the park to enjoy the rest of the day off!

Snowmass

After lunch, we drove over to Snowmass to check out the playground.  The playground was a hit.  The last time we were here with Avery and Ryan, they were only 1 1/2 years old!  I think it was close to 70 degreees.  We went right to the pool as soon as we got back to the Hyatt.  They had a blast.  For dinner, we ate in and then went to CP Burgers for self serve yogurt for Andy's parents, Avery and Ryan and a spiked shake for me and Andy.  We then watched an exciting Monday night football game where the Broncos pulled off a big comeback.

Weller Lake Hike

Monday morning we headed over to do a hike to Weller Lake, while Andy's parents decided to rent bikes and ride around Aspen on a nice fall day.  We haven't done that trail for 5 years or so.  The trail had some snow, but not too much.  Avery and Ryan enjoyed the hike and it was great to make it to the lake.  The views were amazing and so peaceful.  Of course, when we came across a bear paw print, we were a little nervous.

Aspen Fun

After Maroon Bells, we enjoyed lunch at the Main Street Bakery & Cafe.  The waitress even found a booster for Avery's ballerina baby.  And, then we had some fun at the pool and the playground.  For dinner, we all ate at La Cantina.

Maroon Bells

After breakfast, we drove over to the Maroon Bells.  It was a bit cold, but otherwise a great morning to see the snow covered bells.  We did a short hike in and then turned around to head back.  We probably missed the peak colors by a few weeks, but still great to see the mountains and breathe the fresh air.

Aspen in the Fall

Andy's parents had a conference in Denver and were able to come out a few days early so we could all enjoy a long weekned in Aspen. We headed up after Ryan's chilly soccer game. We had some rain and snow along the way, but made it up before the sunset.  We stayed at the Grand Hyatt, which is right in downtown Aspen.  We had a 3 bedroom unit and Avery and Ryan had quite the set up for 3 1/2 year olds! 

Andy and I were able to enjoy a date night at Matsuhisa for some great sushi.  Andy's parents were great babysitters and took Avery and Ryan out for pizza and got them to bed.  We even made it over to the 39 degree lounge at the Sky Hotel.
 

Pumpkin Muffins

We got in the fall mood by whipping out the aprons and making pumpkin muffins.  Avery loves getting a taste of the batter!  We added in some chocolate chips and they turned out great!

Family of the Month

This month, Avery and Ryan's school chose us to be family of the month.  This basically  means writing a story and sharing some photos on the bullentin board.  It was nice to be chosen and Andy did a great job writing our story.