Summer salads

Mike and I have been loving salads this summer. I always do but it is rare for Mike to eat "rabbit food" so I have been thrilled to find some good salads that are hearty enough for a meal. This one is from the Everyday Food magazine and we loved it. I would take it easy on the dressing and I just used mixed baby greens instead of arugula. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/arugula-salad-with-grilled-chicken-corn-tomatoes-and-blue-cheese?autonomy_kw=arugula%20salad%20with%20grilled%20chicken,%20corn,%20tomatoes,%20adn%20blue%20cheese&rsc=image_1

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

I made these for dinner tonight and they turned out really good and were easy- try 'em out.

http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/chicken-enchiladas-verdes?autonomy_kw=salsa%20verde%20chicken%20enchiladas&rsc=image_2

Frontier Days

Wednesday night, after meeting up with Mike's family at the airport for dinner while they had a layover on their way to their Alaskan cruise..the jerks (not that we are bitter or anything , or counting down the days until he is done with school so that we can travel again) I took the girls to Fort Collins to sleepover at my friend Erin's house. We didn't arrive until after ten because there was some road construction and we were going about 10 mph, so annoying! So the girls didn't sleep well...or the moms, but we got up and headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming to Frontier Days. The real low point was when Sophie got sunscreen in her eyes and screamed and flailed around for a good hour while my nerves quickly fried. It didn't help that the lady next to me kept saying "oh, poor little guy" and I wanted to yell- "it's a girl!" I usually don't care because EVERYONE thinks she is a boy but I was so DONE.
Ken and Isabel on the Dumbo ride, after which Ken told me "that wasn't that much fun" just so she could ride something else since I told her that she could only ride one thing.

Above we have the Native American dancers that the kids watched while I dealt with Soph and below we are watching the parade which was interesting and scandalous. There was even a float with an old west tavern and women in interesting outfits drinking beer at ten in the morning- good times.

I had a few people yell from floats- "love that red hair." Ken gets comments all the time about her hair and her legs..she has abnormally muscular legs for a little girl. So on the way home she asked me, "mom did you have legs like me when you were little?" It cracked me up, and she continued to ask, "or where your legs fat, skinny or what?" No comment Ken.

Any suggestions?

I am looking for a double jogging stroller and want one with a front swivel wheel that can also lock in place. If anyone has one that they absolutely love and want to make a suggestion on a brand that would be great. I have looked on Craigs list and found some I like, I just wanted some input from real moms out there.

A ride and a trip

This morning I went on a beautiful bike ride up Waterton Canyon with my friend Angie and her friend. It was fun to have a little girls bike ride, since Saturday mornings are usually reserved for Mike and his buddies to ride, and the ride flew by because as women tend to do..we talked the whole time. The ride was 12 miles round trip and now as I sit here and write this I am wishing that I wore my padded biker shorts because I am feelin' it- TMI? After the ride Jim and Angie mentioned that they were going to the Renaissance Festival and so we joined in. We spent a good four hours there, eating and being absolutely horrified by the festival goers in full Renaissance attire...my father in law would have been in heaven!!!

As we entered the festival we had no idea what we were in for.

Mira and Annabelle petting one of the two dragons that we saw roaming the fairgrounds.

The man and women in this picture were getting their picture taken with the other two men but it was so hard to tell who was part of the festival and who was just, well... "eccentric" shall we say, that Mike hopped in the picture with them thinking they were all part of the show. The man and woman thanked him afterward for being in their picture..oops.

Angie and the kids riding an elephant. They also had camel and llama rides.

Kennedy LOVING the man powered swing ride in the kids area.

Among the yummy food that we partook of, we didn't think the day was complete without biting into a big old turkey leg.

Kennedy, Mira and Annabelle on a salty old pirates lap. All of the vendors wore elaborate costumes, spoke in the authentic lingo and had accents. I think the kids had a great time and it will definitely not be forgotten anytime soon.

Pseudo camping

This weekend we made plans with our friends Erin and Spencer and their kids to go camping. After packing up the car so full that it looked like we were moving, we headed to Poudre Canyon to meet up with them ( they had gone ahead early to get a campsite for us). Well they searched up and down that darn canyon with no luck so...we decided that since we made all the preparations and were in Fort Collins anyway that we would camp out in their backyard. The kids had hot dogs, Mike and Spencer went and bought about half a cow and ate it and we cooked smores over their stove. The dads got to sleep out with the kids and Erin and I stayed up and talked into the wee hours of the morn. Erin and I debated going toilet papering or something just to bring back memories from middle school (I have known her since the 7th grade) but we decided to get some shut eye instead. Erin and Keeler hanging out at Picnic Rock.
Kennedy had a great time playing in the water and mud and watching the rafters and kayaks go by. It was a beautiful river bordered by gorgeous mountains. Sophie loved the water but since she is still working on her walking, falling onto the rocks wasn't especially fun.

Isabel and Sophie playing in the water.

The night of the "camp out" the kids, Erina and I went on a walk around the block with lanterns and flashlights. The kids couldn't have cared less that we weren't actually camping, they cuddled up together in the tent and listened to me tell them the story of Alice in Wonderland while Erin and I laughed hysterically because Kennedy kept correcting EVERY detail of my version of the story. The guys woke up early that morning to rock climb and we met up with them at Picnic Rock which was so beautiful and relaxing. We topped the day off with some delicious gelatto in Old Town Fort Collins. Thanks for a great weekend guys!

Bees game on the 4th

Bennett, Shane, Mike and Kennedy. We went with family and friends to the Bees game on the 4th of July...12 innings later the fireworks started. We had a great time, the kids ate so much cotton candy and slushies that they were sticky messes and we were all falling asleep on the way home, all in all a great night!
Mikey caught a foul ball, well sort of caught it and then it slipped from his fingers and slammed David in the hand leaving him injured- a moment that provided many laughs. Kennedy mostly played on the stairs and turned her bat into a baby that she played pretend with for a good hour...whatever keeps her entertained.

Daybreak Lake

The kids had a great time splashing and building sand castles at the lake in Daybreak.

Above we have Bennett and Shelton and below is Mckay, Kennedy and Sydney.

Mike and Sophie are looking at each other wondering why they were out in the hot sun with those pasty white bodies of theirs.

Family Pics

Mike has been in Kentucky for his pediatric rotation for two months, we were thrilled to have him back! It was so hard to have the girls by myself for two months, I even got sick towards the end and I think it was mostly from exhaustion. I had a lot of help from family and friends in Utah though and that is the ONLY way I could have done it. I have new respect for the single moms of the world. So he got back a week ago and came out to Utah to be with family and friends for a bit before we had to head back to Denver. The girls and I were in Utah at my moms for the two months. We kept really busy and had a lot of fun. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted though and so we will have to catch those of you I missed on our next visit. My brother Peter took pictures of our family a few days ago and although both our girls were AWFUL, we still managed to get some cute pictures. I am not posting many of the whole family pics because I look like a total fatty but the others are super cute! Sorry for posting so many.

www.looslitaken.com

Our sweet little Sophie finally started to walk this past week, at 14 moths. She only has two teeth still. The whole time we were in Utah my mom was trying to get her to walk and then the day after they left for their cruise to Norway Sophie started to walk, guess she just couldn't take the pressure. My mom will be ticked.

Ken was getting a little overstimulated in Utah. By the end, although she had a wonderful time, she could not wait to get back to Colorado and her best bud Audra.

Sophie kept ripping off her bow and trying to bite off her bracelet, she is so NOT girly. I think she may be our little tomboy.

What a babe, man I missed him. We had our seven year anniversary while I visited Mike in Kentucky. He took me to a great place to eat to celebrate and the manager sent us some champagne to congratulate us...we couldn't drink it but we appreciated it nonetheless.

What a little cutie.

Fun with cousins and friends

Ken has been in heaven in Utah, she has so many cousins and friends to play with here and about a million things to do at any given moment. Needless to say that when we get back to Colorado we will all be exhausted. Mike came back from Kentucky this week and we have had so much fun having him here. Ken has been attached to his hip and Sophie will not let him put her down, it is so sweet.

We went to Wheeler Farm and had a fun picnic, saw the animals and rode the horses. The kids had the best time playing in the water and getting sopping wet. Above we have Shelton riding his horse Marshmallow and Sophie is on Nibbles below. Sophie loves all animals and Kennedy is scared of all living things including but not limited to ants, dogs and cats.

Kennedy lasted on the horse for most of the ride but toward the end Mike had to hold her.

Bennett, Kennedy and Shelton have all been taking swimming lessons together and so after lessons Niki, Jenna and I have been getting together and doing things with the kids. We took them bowling and they had a great time.

Here is Kennedy at Daybreak during a walk around the lake with my mom and dad. This was the day of her haircut, she kept commenting on how much she loved her short hair and she said "Mom, I really do look like quite a lady." Yes Ken, you sure do!