Colorado Willards

the last days of summer

2008-08-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Brad's awesome coach, 'coach Alan' from Ireland. They really did an amazing job. The pictures where they have the wacky outfits were on 'dress your coach day'. Brad was a trooper and really worked hard all week. It was a really great introduction to the sport.

These images are taken up in Evergreen, where Laurie and Jared live. The first group are up in a creek in town and the others are at Laurie's house. that one with the mountains in the background is Laurie's deck! :)

For us, the summer is almost over. Brad goes back to school on August 18th. We have two trips to squeeze in before then. We leave for Illinois in the morning. We had soccer and swimming all week and it was a lot of fun.

Marcy gets new summer hair-do. It is just too hot for long hair, I say.

The kids have done a LOT of swimming in the last couple weeks. Brian isn't exactly taking to it but he participates as required. Brad still loves the water. We recently found an awesome swim coach, pictured here, who has helped to get Brad to the next level.

Also pictured, is Brian 'enjoying' soccer camp. Brian and I prefered to lounge in the shade and eat snacks while Brad ran around in the hot sun. We all have our style of 'sporting', right?

Okay, and the grand finale

2008-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Introducing the world's cutest almost ring bearer... Uh...Brian didn't exactly carry any ring pillow or even walk down the aisle but at least he thought it over as you can see he is doing here.

The Royal Bridal Slipper, if you will.
No, I didn't know Hillary's hair could do that, either.
Okay, here is the some of Hillary's posse. Pretty good looking posse, if I do say so myself.

I burst into tears the first time I saw Hillary all ready for the big moment. She was truly a vision.

Wow! Breathtaking! It was literally more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The ceremony blew me away.

Oh, did I mention it was a kick-ass good time? After all the mushy stuff was over and we toasted the happy couple, it kind of went right off the deep end. It's okay. I don't see anyone complaining.

Now, just because the party went on until 12:00 and we bribed the DJ to play extra songs so we could stay a little longer, doesn't mean the party was over. Oh no! Then we went to the Observation Bar. Although, I don't think there was much to be observed except a bunch of 'happy' people and a girl in her jeans wearing a tiara. Now, I haven't told Hillary yet, that she doesn't get to wear that get up every day. I want to break her in slowly. She might stand out just a tad at the hospital. Although, she did wear it well, I have to admit.

Back to the Wedding...Rehearsal

2008-07-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, uh...this was not our best moment. But those are soon to come. The wedding went off without a hitch. Hillary did a great job of planning it. That party sentiment was just not in effect yet at this particular moment.

Yeah, the look on Hillary's face there is pretty much how that whole day went. But, that night, when we pulled into the ship to stay for the night, all was well.

Christian...is now Uncle Christian!

The boys dressed up to commerate this special occasion. They were hamming it up.

So, as you guessed, these pages are all a big tease. I can't show you the wedding pictures quite yet. here are some shots from the rehearsal. As it often is, the rehearsal day was a little rough. However, it was quite lovely and here are some shots.

If you don't like Bugs, may I suggest another venue?

2008-07-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

This moth scared the heck out of a certain uncle...hint...his last name is Willard and he doesn't love spiders.
Rick wearing live jewelry

Butterfly is hitchking on my shoulder here.

Okay so not everyone LOVES spiders!

Yeah! What could be better for Brian than bug cake.

You have to play like an ant to enter the Butterfly pavillion.

The butterflies loved Brad and the feeling seems mutual.

Brian went buggy and turned 3!

2008-07-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Like spiders? I sure hope so! This is Rosey. She is a Chilean Rose Haired Taranhula. It is not poisonous but if you bug her, she can release those little hairs on her body and make you itch. Brian says, 'she is a little itchy...be careful' but that didn't stop him.

The theme of this party was, basically, if you don't like bugs, don't come! It was at the Butterfly Pavillion per Brian's fervent requests. I don't know what the rest of the party guests will say about it but Brian LOVED it. He was 'dialed in the whole 2.5 hours! His token line through the whole thing was, "oh...can I hold him?" Well, there is no accounting for taste...but hey at least the kid knows what he likes.

I can do it myself!

2008-07-22T12:23:00.001-07:00

When I say "I do it myself" I am referring to me, Marcy. Just about since I moved in here a year ago, I have been looking for cool pictures of Big Red Trucks for Brian's room (as that is the theme). Well, I can't find them anywhere. Fortunately, one day, this truck pulled up in our neighborhood. I was on that like a dog. I changed Brian into his overalls, took these shots, and had them blown up on canvas. So there!

Wait! The Ghost Whisperer? Excuse me?

2008-07-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

So, pictured here is the director (we think is his title) from the mini-series, the Ghost Whisperer and one of Hillary's bridesmaids, Stephanie. Mmm...we thought we were gettting ready for a wedding in here. Allow me to explain.

Well, see the red head with the contagious smile? She is Lizzy. Lizzy's laugh is even more contagious than that smile, if you can believe that. She was the perfect person to deliver the news that we were being evicted from our room because the hotel failed to mention this little pre-filming event that would be conducted in our room just hours before Hillary was to walk down the aisle. Hillary was in with the freakish make-up lady at that time so she was clueless so far.

So, Lizzy informs me that the front desk just called to report that 'the bellman is on his way to move you'. Lizzy and I looked at each other and said, "nope. This is not going to work." So, we (the producers, Lizzy and myself) decided that we would stay in the room quietly to watch over Hillary's stuff. They were welcome to have their little meeting for 20 minutes and then they would have to leave. It worked out. The other condition, I just had to get some pictures of them. The film crew was really nice and agreeable. And an update, Hillary never knew about this until she had a couple of beers knocked down at the reception. Ahhh...what are bridesmaids for?

No, THESE security guards were not for us. We aren't making any promises about our behavior at the reception, though. :)

Hillary is Married?! What is this world coming to?

2008-07-22T06:51:00.001-07:00

Hillary and I tend to truly enjoy warning labels like this one here. With warning labels like this, it seems that even the world's least blessed in the IQ department could never get hurt. I mean, how is this to be read? Something like, "no. No, cork in the eye?"

Here is Hillary's clinically wacko (yes that term comes from all my schooling) make up artist. The good news is: she does awesome work. the bad news: she was out of this world crazy. The other good news: you are so distracted by her exteremly large 'man hands' that you tend to miss half the crazy crap that flies out of her mouth while she works. Did I mention that she told Hillary that, "your mother birthed you and brought you to us so she should be the one who should select your make up colors?" First of all, that is bizarre. Second of all, she had a real 'misread' on the listener here. Of all people, do you think Hillary is into that kind of cosmic makeup design commentary?

She is a brat. A cute brat, but a brat, just the same.

The Confusion

2008-06-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Okay...for those of you who are not following this whole sister progression...I have received several questions in that regard. So, do you see that goof over there with the rose in his mouth? That's Marcy's Dad. He is responsible for much of this confusion, but admittedly not all of it. He has 4 girls - 2 of them from previous marriage. The first one of those two girls is Jenny, pictured on the swing with her kids - my nephew (Gavin) and niece (Avery) - I dare you to find two cuter kids in 1,000 mile radius. Marcy is the other girl from a previous marriage, but everyone still hangs with her just the same.
The other two girls are Emily and Tracy. Emily got married. Tracy is the bridesmaid in the aqua, which is clearly quite smashing on her.

The other lady here, Louise, we will call my sister because she will love it but rumor has it she is from a previous generation. Now, not pictured here for somewhat obvious reasons are Hillary and Matt. Yes, Hillary is also getting married this summer. Hillary and Matt are from Marcy's MOM's second marriage. For the sake of simplicity for me and utter confusion to everyone else - I just call them all 'sister' (except Matt as you might guess). If you are still confused, join the club. As the old legend goes, you have to actually marry into the family before you understand. I think Rick and Russ (my brother-in-law) get it but that was a pretty big commitment just to solve a mystery, don't you think?

More Wedding shots

2008-06-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Emily's wedding

2008-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Brad got married

2008-06-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe Brad getting married is not exactly true...uh...it is wrong on so many levels. I mean, that girl is his cousin for Heaven's sake! Actually, my sister got married on Friday night. It was a lovely event and Emily was radiant. Brad and Brian were ring bearers. Their cousins, Gavin and Avery (pictured here) were a ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. Talk about gorgeous, huh?

More Bridal 'shower'/party pics

2008-06-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hillary's Bridal Shower

2008-06-23T10:19:00.001-07:00

For all of you who know us well, oh...I guess that is everyone who would be reading this...Anyway, this was not your 'run of the mill' shower. Nope, not the same old boring tea party shower we all are used to attending. we partied until 2:00 AM and hangovers were had by all - thanks a lot, Hillary! We all had to fly out in the morning so it was double trouble. However, completely worth it, of course.

Colorado Summer Nights

2008-06-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

So, there are some things I truly miss about California. I miss our friends and family there the most, of course. I also miss the palm trees and being able to see the water as you drive over Crown Valley towards the ocean. I loved to sit in my porch swing and watch the Palm trees sway in the breeze. However, there are some things that I LOVE about Colorado, too. My favorite thing of all is the Summer nights. They are so comfortable and relaxing...75 degrees...light out until almost 9:00...soft breeze...ahhh. Here are some pictures of the sky on one of those gorgeous Colorado evenings.

Brad is 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

Brad had a long list of attendees for his Speed Racer 5th Birthday party. We put a track in every room and the kids played for 2 SOLID hours without a peep! It was a great party.

Big Wheels Parade

2008-05-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

This was the cutest idea ever! For the last day of school, the teachers arranged a 'Big Wheel Parade' where kids can decorate a riding vehicle of thier choice and race around the parking lot. They played parade music, carried flags, and raced around a fully decorated parking lot for all to see. I balled my eyes out because Brad looked so old...like a school kid - he did it without any warning...little stinker. :(

Ella John's 2nd Birthday!

2008-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the benefits of living in Colorado - so close to family. These pictures are from Ella's 2nd Birthday party in Denver at Rick's Uncle John's house. Ella is Brad and Brian's cousin. One of their other cousins, Hudson, and Brad are big buddies. Here they are 4 - wheelin' in the back yard.

Can you get any cuter?

2008-05-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this in an old pic but can you beat it? I forgot to post from this from the final day of ski lessons. They are wearing their racing bibs and getting their participation trophies here. Ohhh.

Messy Marvin Returns!

2008-05-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, Brian, I agreed to not call you Messy Marvin anymore...BUT I may have to reconsider. I mean, I know Spagetti is your favorite but c'mon. You have only been eating for 5 minutes. Next time, we will dress him in even fewer clothes - maybe even put him outside.

Ahh...Some days!

2008-05-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

This was one of those rare moments in life when you sneak up on your kids...actually doing what you want them to do! Here they are. Brad is reading one of Brian's many bug books to him. As you can see, they seem to narrow in on the poisonous spider page...although after our little incident, I encourage them to know about dangerous spiders!

Serious silliness is still the name of the game

2008-04-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

So, just when you thought we were getting all uppity and losing perspective...we thought we should include some pics of us playing miniature golf and going to Chuck-E-Cheese. Two activities that are arguably less elegant than some of the exciting things mentioned in the following posts. Marcy is very excited to report that she was finally accepted to the PhD program of her dreams. Also, she is going to a photo shoot for a certain diet program (we all know which one) at the end of the month. Yes, Rick got a new sportscar. Yes, I went to London and Puerto Rico. No we aren't complaining about any of this! But, of course, the best moments in life are the ones pictured here where we are just being the dorks we are.

No, Brian can't really play miniature golf. But, you know...wandering around the course in the sun never hurt anybody...I mean except for the other people who take it slightly more seriously on the course.

Yes, Jill...we still use the clown hat from Andrew's second birthday. Who would have thought that was such a long lasting gift of choice?!

The car comes home from Little Rock

2008-04-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

This smile is worth the price! I am a little partial, but can you beat that? I have 3 of the cutest boys! The oldest one just requires a little more pricey toys.

Rick's new Girlfriend

2008-04-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

Well, we knew it would happen eventually. After the Jensen's fiery death...after Marcy's constant traveling...after watching his second son go through the terrible twos, again...after months of staring at that backyard that used to be a car...he had to fly to Little Rock, Arkansas and get a new girlfriend. And...drumroll please...here she is! A Honda S2000. It is a really fun car and Rick is, you could say, pretty psyched. Couple that with the Jayhawks winning the national Championship in overtime...you got a happy guy. Oh, well - better than a mistress. :)

Final Shots of the Wearwolf - Willard sistas in London

2008-04-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

The food was SO GOOD. Far be it from me, to take pictures of food. It was just too awesome. We ate our way through that city.

High Tea at the Grosvener House.

A Day at Notting Hill Market

2008-04-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so as depicted below, maybe our tour guides were not all that mature, either. I mean, this was of course, and important shot to get and everything.

No, this doesn't mean anything. Just a picture. That's all.

2 Dorks and 2 tour guides in London

2008-04-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this shot is my fault. I just thought this was an interesting choice. Do you want ravens or toilets? Uh, toilets, I guess.

My dad and Beck hoofed us all around town and took us to all the best spots...and in good time. Roberta and I lagged behind and took dorky pictures everywhere. My Dad and Beck didn't seem to mind all that much. We could pretty much talk them into assisting us with any of them.

Cute. She had to have this one. No, I am not sure where their legs went.

As for the Hung, Drawn, and Quartered...yeah, I know.

Roberta made me!

2008-04-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we would really be confused about these, if they weren't so darn funny. Why? Why is the armour that way? Well, Roberta just totally lost it when she saw these. As she retells the story, others were laughing too. I don't remember it that way. She totally made me take these. Although, I guess I can't argue that she made me post them.

These two are my fault. I was very interested about why 'the loo' at the Tower of London was so famous. It was fine but not spectacular in any way. There were awards EVERYWHERE in that loo. Also, the 'engaged' sign is for Hillary. This was taken in the loo, too. It is on the door of the stall - gives a whole new meaning to the word, engaged, doesn't it?

You can dress us up but you can't take us out!

2008-04-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

The top two pictures are an icon of a little picture 'problem' Roberta has. You see, I thought I would never meet anyone who likes pictures more than me. I had to draw the line at these lion pictures in China town! I said, "Roberta, you just went to CHINA!" Is this really necessary? Okay, we like the 'fook' shops and I found those admissable. As for the rest of the pics, I have no excuse. We are just dorks.

I thought I was SO funny at the time! This is truly an ancient castle toilet. I thought it was a good time to make a joke...doesn't it just totally look like I am reading Sports Illustrated? Oh well, at least I am entertained...

Some Leffingwells and Some Willards in London

2008-04-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Some more stupid tourist shots featured here. I know, it is TOTALLY believeable that I am actually hanging out with James Bond. The pictures in the restaurant are in the basement of the 'Old Vic' theater where we went to see Speed the Plow, with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldbloom. I think we actually approached coolness for a while there. Don't get me wrong, I have more dork shots coming up.

London Times!

2008-04-16T14:10:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this is hard for most people to fully grasp, but I went for a trip with my SISTER-IN-LAW...yes you read it right. All over the place, people asked us to explain or relationship and why we would choose to travel together. The answer: because it was a 'wicked' good time!

Yes, we took a bunch of these rediculously immature pictures - that is really the majority of the shots. If you like serious scenery shots, stop reading here.

Puerto Rico Girls Weekend

2008-04-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just in case everyone was starting to feel bad for me becuase of all of my many challenges in life, all the suffering, etc...HA HA HA...I went for an impromptu girl's weekend in Puerto Rico recently. Katrina, Zora, and Tessa and I have been friends since Junior High School - really! It was an awesome time. Lots of chatter and laughter. Sorry, guys...there were no pillow fights or nail painting, as one might guess. Actually, I guess Tessa did paint her nails...but anyway, it was just some good girl time.

In case you haven't seen enough

2008-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

A few more ski pics from when Bob and Roberta were here. It was such a fun day!

Ryan and Marcy do Breck bowls

2008-03-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Speaking of Willards in the winter, here are some pics of Ryan and sista Marcy skiing Breck. Ryan and Marcy had a chance to ride/ski some bowls one day when Brad had lessons and Rick was out. We cought some awesome runs. As you can see, it feels like the top of the world up there.

I think Ryan is saying, 'uh, this doesn't suck too bad'. I had to agree. Three runs up there and a Killians makes a day complete.

Willards' Winter

2008-03-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Bob and Roberta came skiing with us for New Year's - well the day after new year's day. We weren't exactly chipper on New Year's day...more pics to follow on that.

Rumor has it that it only took Roberta 20 minutes to get her ski gear on. This is a record, we hear.

Brian has a 'snow dragon' outfit. He had to try it out the day of Brad's first 'lesson' at the park.

From the Mouths of Babes Part II

2008-03-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Brad, thankfully, has not indulged in the same 'spirit' as Brian. He has been so full of silliness, smiles, and love...we can't complain. One of Brad's new classic lines...

Rick goes in to greet him as he is getting out of bed. He says, "Dad, did you know that pop-tarts with a nail in them are still the same".

Rick agreed quickly, of course, because we don't know what he is talking about.

This is a pic of Brad on the Breckenridge gondola. He just completed his 8 week ski lesson program. He finished it with a 'race' where he won his first 'metal', for participation, of course. Poor kid wants to go so fast but he has this very solid snowplow...little does he know that he could just cut loose and he would be much faster. And no, we aren't going to tell him that! This is working just fine.

From the Mouths of Babes

2008-03-02T08:17:00.001-08:00

So, Brian is embracing this 'terrible two' phenomenon with both arms. He heard about the role and decided to really 'go for it' in his portrayal of the ultimate two year old. Recently, when Deb said that she liked Brian's sweater, he responded with:

"Stupid..I don't care!"

He got in trouble, of course, but I still can't stop lauging about it. Also, the next morning at breakfast, Brian was throwing a fit about something and we were generally ignorning him. Bri followed our lack of interest with:

"This is not working for my life"

I particularly enjoyed when I was trying to get Brian to go back to sleep in the middle of the night. I was in the bed in his room and he was in his crib. I said, "Brian you are really making me frustrated that you won't fall asleep".

Brian's response:

"Mom, c'mon. Just be happy!"

And Brian's classic from yesterday. He fell of the chair and landed on his noggin. It was certainly an owie as it was followed with that scary pause of silence right before the real screaming cry is released...all moms know that one. So, I go over and pick him up. He cries for a minute. Then he says,

"Maybe that was funny!" Of course, we embraced the idea that this was funny. He proceeded to laugh and laugh...perhaps he's got something there. Maybe we can all look at our life's mishaps with this new philosophy.

He also has a few cute words with added syllables such as: rodobot = robot and 'peppy'roni = peppironi

Brad the skier

2008-01-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

This is Brad going up the moving carpet in his ski lessons. It was the coolest thing. A little conveyor belt pulls them up the hill and then they line up for their turn.

Mom had to take Brad out for the 'prep' session at a local park. No, there isn't much snow but he didn't know that. :) First thing the next morning, Brad started lessons at Breck. The place was about 100x nicer than the terrain I used to teach on. He loved it.

More Breck Extreme

2008-01-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

This pic on the left was taken just after they opened the run. It was the most amazing skiing either of us have ever seen. Woo hoo! :)

The story gets even better. As we skied off the t-bar at the top of this bowl, we saw a line of people gathered behind the orange ropes. Rick said, you know they are waiting there because they are about to open that run. We heard hoops and hollars as the skiers were released onto this 'playground' for the first time.

Here is the line for the t-bar once word started getting around about the incredible snow up here and the newly opened run. Luckilly, it was worth the wait. Any skiing you get in after this morning is 'gravy'.

Extreme Breck

2008-01-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Rick standing at the top of what I have to say was some of the most extreme skiing we have ever experienced. We dropped off Brad for his lesson and headed up to the top of Breck. The weather was every skier's dream. It was snowing like crazy all morning and it stopped snowing as we rode up the chairlift. The sun was even out. We could see fluffy powder below.

As we reached the top of the hill, we saw a t-bar going up to the bowls at the very top of the mountain. We asked one of the skiers who came down what it was like up there. She said, 'it was amazing'. So, we skied over to this t-bar. The rules on the t-bar were like ordering a Cheesesteak in Philli. You get it right or forget it. It was hard to load and many of the snowboarders fell off. They didn't stop the bar and those poor guys were sent to the end of the line. You can see the sign right below where it says 't-bar' there is a caution sign warning everyone that the lift is for experts only...there is no grooming...there will be trees, rocks, and natural elements...ski at your own risk.

Rick looked at me and said, 'we gotta try it, right?'. He knew I was salavating over this. I had to find out what it was like up there. As we looked up the face of the mountain it was covered in fresh, deep, powdery snow. The only tracks that were up there had been made this morning by the small croud of people in this line.

We got to the top and skied down the first time. It was incredible. Many people stopped to just take a deep breath and soak it all in. Knee deep powder, fresh virgin snow, only a hand full of people for miles around. It was like being at the top of the world. You can see me pointing over the crest of the hill where we are about to ski. Behind me is a snowboarder. He is just stopping to enjoy how amazing this place

is.

Rick would never admit it, but he carved up this face like it was no problem at all. Every time I would look over, he was right there shredding it up with a big smile. We were like kids in a candy store up there.

A white Christmas

2008-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

It actually was snowing when we woke up Christmas morning. It was truly magical. The kids were bunking with us because we had a bunch of family staying over (which made the whole day what it was, of course). The jumped in bed with us and then we told them Santa had come. They ran over to the window and big, fluffy snowflakes were falling. It was so special.

A houseful of family! A fire going in the fireplace. Christmas music playing the background. A big breakfast in the oven. Ahhh....

Fun with Grandma

2008-01-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Your final tour through the freakshow AKA Winterworld

2008-01-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Again, please scroll to 'The Nightmare before Christmas' and read the ad before you read this post. You gotta get the full affect.

This is the spinning candy cane room the ad talked about. Brad held onto the rails for dear life and didn't want to go in there. Can you see why?

Matt and the gangsta low-ridin' Santa doing gang signs for us as we doubled over in laugter.

Here are the 'carolers' singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...just to BRIAN in this Black snowflake room. Nobody knows why the room is black, where the other kids are, and why the two carolers were just lurking around the place. Do you see that exit sign in the background? We were considering it!

Here you can see how much Brian and DeDe were enjoying the train room. We called it the 'train wreck' as some of the areas seemed to have

been destroyed by a tornado. See pic of the train wreck room at left.

The gingerbread men on a rafting vacation...What?

Gothic Elves? What, I ask you, is this place?

2008-01-04T16:14:00.001-08:00

Please scroll down and read the first post about Winterworld before reviewing this post so you get the whole affect. So do you see the lady in the background looking down to hide her laughter and confusion? That is Matt's girlfriend, Candice. Do you see the curtains in the back that look like a no-tell motel? And, of course, if you are wondering why the elf has black gothic clothing and chains under his costume, so were we. We think that the Elves were in on the sham as was the 'bartender shown here.

Are you getting the feel that this was more of a haunted house than a Winter wonderland? You're right! At least, we think. This bartender was actually changing the sign for 'Free Cookies' (handwritten, of course) to say "Cookies 50cents." We think the employees were ex-cons or something.
This is Mrs. Claus, our tour guide. She was the only one who was not in on the scam we had fallen victim to. She lead us along just like this place was normal. She did tell the kids to look in a room and see the Elves. But there were no Elves in there. She said they were hiding because they are 'sneaky right before Christmas.' My kids were totally pissed about that. Can you blame them? Here is Brad peering into the room (as he did several times) and then proceeding to ask me what happened to the Elves.

More Buffalo Bill's silence of the Lambs room / Nutcracker room here.

Can you feel the kid's excitment? Or is it more utter confusion and dismay? You know when you can't even impress kids this little with your antics, your game is pretty beat. Look, even Brian is like, 'what in the heck is this?'

Winterworld - Or a serial killer's basement?

2008-01-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

In case you are wondering why this tree is upside down, so were we! Is this some Satanic ritual? Is this just a massive oversight in the design? Did someone from the afterprom committee have this leftover?

Please scroll down to read the ad about winterworld on my previous post before reviewing these pictures...So, Winterworld was the strangest creepiest place that any of us have seen in a while. The nutcracker room we renamed, "Buffalo Bill's Silence of the Lambs room" as you can see from the pictures. They actually had clothing from the Ballerinas but the dancers were mysteriously headless and well, all of their bodies were missing.

You can see this lady trying desperately to understand what this place is supposed to be. She is thinking, 'maybe I am the only one who thinks this is so creepy'. Oh, no, my friend...everyone does.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2008-01-04T15:52:00.001-08:00

My only fear in telling this story is that it will be impossible to impart the true nature of this experience to another human being who wasn't there to experience it. I, like an idot, read an ad and BELIEVED it, about this awesome place called 'Winterworld'. By the way, that marketing company is pure genius and I plan to use them should I ever launch my own venture. This is how the ad looked:

"WinterWorld is Now Open. The Crowds Have Found Us. New HoursThrough January"

WinterWorld, a one-of-a-kind attraction opened for the first time in Denver on November 29, 2007...in the former Country Dinner Playhouse building; 13,000 square feet on 5-acres behind Target at Arapahoe Road & I-25...WinterWorld is an elf-led tour through a series of attractions which include:
Indoor Snowfall
Twinkle Room
Gingerbread Kitchen
Ice Forest
Giant Snowglobe
Dickens Village
Giant Gifts
Spinning Candycane Tunnel
Hawaiian Christmas
Nutcracker Ballet
Glowing Candy Forest
Blacklight Snowflakes
Model Train Room
Candy Shoppe
Santa's Limousine
Snow Cave

Well, let's just say that one look around the parking lot gave us a clue that we had been misled. Please check out the looks on the kids' faces when we 'experienced' this place for ourselves.

Holidays are over?

2008-01-04T15:29:00.001-08:00

Brad man is SO ready to ski. We are glad lessons finally start this Sunday.

Christmas Eve at the Willards. Wow! Santa was busy!

Marcy with Ya Ya in downtown Breckenridge

A White Christmas!!!!!!!!!! Brian, Brad and Christian catch a flick in the kid's loft.

Brad man is ready to learn to ski.

So, we can't believe we are saying this...but our last 'company', Rick's brother, went home this morning and the holidays are officially over. It is hard getting back to life after such a treat. We just had the most awesome season any of us can remember. A cute little Brianism this holiday is, we always say who likes eyeball kisses (thanks to Marcy's step-mom, YaYa) and the answer is 'nobody'. I said who likes huggs, Brian's answer: yesbody! That is, 'everybody' but you can catch his drift. Another favorite from Brian is "I need some cookies on this action (or fill in anything sweet he can get his hands on). Brad was very curious about the elves this season and when you see pictures from Winterworld you'll see why. He doesn't know why their feet are pointy and we can't seem to shed any light on that. Also, why are they so short but then some of them are normal sized? Did the elves make this or did you get it at Target? Ouch! I may have to tell that kid to just stop asking so many questions before I blow this Santa thing with a stupid comment, said in a moment of mommy delerium. Anyway, thanks to Christian, DeDe (Hillary), Bob, Roberta, Ryan, Grandma Pat, Grandpa Ray, Matt, Candice, Pops and YaYa, Emily and Tracy, for making this the holiday season that it was. I still can't believe it is over!

Giraffe doesn't do snow

2007-12-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

It turns out that giraffes don't like the snow that much so Brad snuggled him in front of a cozy fire.

Our weekend with Giraffe

2007-12-10T11:46:00.001-08:00

We were delighted to bring the class mascot, 'Giraffe' (the kids named him) home for the weekend. Brad read books to him, watched movies with him, colored with him, and snuggled with him for naps and bedtime. The really neat thing was that Brad got to sit on Santa's lap with giraffe at my mom's holiday kids party at Celestial Seasonings. The pictures are now in Giraffe's journal and Brad will share them with his buddies at school this week.

The Basement Rocks.

2007-12-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

A few of our pals have asked us for some updated pictures of the basement from Heaven. We LOVE this place. The pic to the left is my 'wrapping station' - something I have been dreaming about for years. The picture below is the carpeted little play area. The other side is the 'parking lot' and 'big wheel track' where the kids can ride around. It has been a life saver on cold or super hot days. Rumor has it that Santa is bringing Brian a little bike and a scooter for Christmas - his little legs can't reach the petals on our trikes. Anyway, not fancy but lots of fun.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2007-12-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Willards are filled with Holiday cheer this Christmas season in our new home. We are SO happy to report that it is snowing here! We are like kids again trompsing around in the snow with our new boots and coats on. We are dreaming of a white Christmas...

The World's creapiest snowman!

2007-12-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Mimi, Ryan, Rick and I, and the boys. The lights were gorgeous. The air was pretty darn cold. And I have to say, I didn't LOVE coming across this snowman at night in the dark. If you see him a a dark alley, run!

Thanksgiving in Breckenridge

2007-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Fun was had by all this Thanksgiving in Breckenridge. Pops and YaYa had us up to their cabin for a couple overnights of cozy movie watching and games indoors. Wood chopping, snowball making, and sledding outdoors. As you can see, Ryan was so excited that he just had to 'sculpt' this anatomically correct little work of 'art'. The kids got to go sledding. As you can see, Brad totally loved it and Brian, well, not as much. Then, they all took off to the big sled hill and Brad had a blast - the faster the better - of course. It was a really great way to spend the holiday.

Happy (Belated) Halloween Party Pics

2007-11-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Halloween came and went! Boo Hoo! :) Here are some pics (even though they are not exactly recent) of our Halloween party this year. We had a good crowd and one very young party guest in her little chicken suit. I obviously had fun decorating and making treats. Brad and Brian had fun with the friends and the treats but weren't as keen on sharing their toys. I guess, they are kids, afterall. :)

Boo at the Zoo

2007-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, it turns out Zoo and Halloween are two concepts that don't SEEM to go together...like peanut butter and chocolate...which we ALL know turned out to be a winning combination. The Zoo is actually a PERFECT place to go trick or treating! Who knew! We had an absolute blast there. It was actually one of the coolest Halloween activities I have ever seen. Thank you AGAIN, gymbomoms and Carrie Gouger (especially) for the Zoo passes which made this whole day possible. :)

Fall Festival in Boulder

2007-10-08T21:32:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Marcy's genius friend, Carrie from her California Mom's club, we heard about a site called gocitykids.com where you can find out what is happening in any town any day of the week. Rick typed in our area on Sunday and found this great Fall Festival in Boulder. We went down there and had a blast. In case you think that slide looks a little big for Brian, rest assured so did everyone else. Everyone but Brian, that is. He climbed all the way up - just a little help from Brad on his first try and slid down REALLY fast with a gleeful giggle! What do we know, huh?

I got it, Mom!

Brother Brad gets him started...

HE thinks he owns the place.

Is he cute or what?

Among the Aspens

2007-10-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh....the sweet smell of Fall leaves in the air...on my birthday this year, Brian and I went up to Estes Park (the place Rick and I got married) to see the Aspens. It was a gorgeous drive and a fun day but we actually didn't see many Aspens at all. So, toward the end of the week, my mom and the boys went up to see the leaves (past Nederland up towards Central City). It was awesome and we saw lots.

Bring on the Fall!

2007-09-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Fall leaves! We are so excited to actually experience Fall for the first time as a family. Rick and I forgot how much we missed it. You rake the leaves and throw them at people, right? Oh, you are supposed to jump in them. Well, it looks like we forgot that part, too. But it was fun. This weekend we are going up to the mountains to see the Aspens in full color. Ahhh..

A walk to McKay Lake

2007-09-23T09:21:00.001-07:00

On a walk one day, we discovered all the fun we could have at this lake near our house. It is so pretty and peaceful. We just walked along and looked for wildlife. Brad saw a snake (not that any non-boy-moms would find the beauty in that...We saw a turtle, a fish jumping, some birds, and of course a nice variety of bugs for Brian to study. We then went to skip rocks on the water. Brad won the contest - I used to think I was pretty good at it - but that kid can skip! Brian got too hot and decided to tromp around in his diaper. Life is good! :)

Brotherly Love

2007-09-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, we were all hanging out the other morning watching the landscaper guys do their thing outside. The kids found a new use for the fireplace mantle and I decided 'that couldn't hurt anything' and let them try out some new moves. Here is the result:

Our new yard is in!

2007-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

After a long deliberation, we chose a landscaper for our new yard. They finished in less than a week and we love it already. It was a gorgeous day yesterday...high 70s to low 80s all day with a nice breeze. Our patio gets great afternoon shade and we had our tunes going so Rick and I 'just sat there' yesterday afternoon (the boys were napping) and soaked up our new diggs. We are having so much fun with it.

Hillary is 30...and ENGAGED!

2007-09-18T08:17:00.001-07:00

An amazing feat...Christian, Hillary's boyfriend...at the time...pulled off a suprise birthday party for her 30th AND an engagement on the same day at the Montage in Laguna Beach. Here is the house before she arrived. We all hung out and set up the party while she was off enjoying her new, rather incredible, ring. HOLD ON! I have pictures of that too. Congratulations Hillary and Christian. I know you two will be very happy.

Dirt be gone!

2007-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our new yard is finally going in after months of deliberations. We are very happy with it so far.

The Rooster that got the Boot!

2007-09-18T08:02:00.001-07:00

I wanted a sculpture for my island - I have always loved those and this is my first 'island'. It is also the only island we will be seeing for a while after all these move-in costs. I call it our 'Hawaii' island. :) Anyway, I had the highest hope this rooster was going to make the cut. Unfortunately, it was like a game of 'which of these things is doing his own thing' from Sessame Street. He went back the next day. The kids and I decided he cocka-doodle-doos just a little too loudly. Rick didn't say much. He just kind of shook his head...A polite way of saying I am not sure I get this. The good news: one of our other home improvements is a great success...We LOVE this thing. Jay, a freind of Becky and and Marcy's Dads' built this entertainment unit. He did a great job.

Summer company

2007-09-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

So, we feel absolutely blessed...yes I said it...blessed to have had so much company over the summer. We were able to enjoy our new home with our friends and family. We so appreciate ALL of you for coming and making our house a home. Among our visitors: Dwight and Rosalie, Bob Willard, Ryan Willard, Tom & Deb Willard, (all the John Willard crew for Rick's party), Hillary (Aunt De De) Zora & Zarina, Val & Olivia, Scott, Laurie, Jared, and Jordan, Katrina, (Tessa is here this week), Jill & Jerry and the boys, Grandma Louise and Grandpa Elmer, Grandpa Herschel and Grandma Gene, and of course all of the Leffingwells and Umbaughs...Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of everybody. But, I have some good kid shots to share.

Nothing Like a good nap

2007-09-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I told you that the Willard boys have mellowed a bit over the last 6 months or so. Well, this might be a little overly mellow, here, but I didn't mind a bit. Brian just lay down and fell asleep in the middle of the floor. Then Brad curled up with me on the couch and zonked. Here is the result. Ahhh....sweet tranquility...

The Willard Boys' Behavior Program

2007-08-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken for the boys' new behavior charts. They earn tickets for the behaviors on the chart and the tickets earn them toys from the Target dollar bins or certain toys/treats they have their eyes on. I thought I would share the pictures because they came out pretty hillarious. You know, I don't really need the program now...they see themselves doing all these great behaviors on the chart and they just shape right up...NOT! :) But, we are having fun with it so far.

The first one is for Brian: throw your trash in the trash can - not on the floor (mom says, hopefully). The next one is Brad 'sharing' with his brother. Then, we have 'accepting' - that is, coping with the notion that things don't always go your way. Of course, we have 'putting my toys away'...and lastly, for Brian, we have 'coming when you are called' - 'yeah, right!' :) Here is to hoping!

The Village at Flatirons Crossing

2007-08-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool outdoor area of a mall/ entertainment complex. There are nice restaurants there, movie theatres, etc. The kids love it because ou can climb on the rocks...and of course jump off and do awesome tricks.

Willards drive a float in the parade

2007-08-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is a local Boulder County Fairgrounds parade. Rick drove the float and we rode in the back of the pick-up. Are we 'acclimated' or what?

The Swimming Spiderman Kid

2007-07-20T12:18:00.001-07:00

Of course Brad had to get one gift for Brian's birthday. He was very excited to get the Spiderman set he saw displayed by another child at the pool. The hand squirts water and the goggles actually work. We went to the kiddie pool to try it out the day these shots were taken. It provided hours of entertainment.

Brian opens gifts

2007-07-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Brian partied so hard that he was too tired to open all of his gifts! He actually layed on the floor and took a little rest during the present opening. He was then able to rally for a couple more gifts. We 'had to' open the rest in the morning. The bubble blower didn't work right away so Brian took it upon himself to 'fix it self' with the screw driver. Fortunately for him, it did start working after that. He proudly announced, 'I fix it' and chased the bubbles around the yard.

2007-07-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

2007-07-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Brian is 2!

2007-07-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Brian's Chuck-E-Cheese Birthday was a hit! He mostly likes to put tokens in the machine...not as interested in playing the game afterwards. With the exception of one 'exchange' right during the happy birthday song, we all had a blast. The exchange: Brian randomly punches Brad right as people start to sing...Then, Brad turns and smacks Brian in the head. Brian cried through the birthay song for the second year in a row! But, really, he had a great day. :)

The amazing rec center

2007-07-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

All of our California and East Coast friends will appreciate this...out here, we have the most amazing rec centers! My California eyeballs were popping out of my head when I saw all that you could do here...indoors...and for not that much cash. This rec center has a full indoor park and an indoor water park, with a bucket park, baby slide, family hot tub, lazy river, and two giant water slides. We have been there A LOT. I suppose we should hold off until we really need it - in the dead of winter - watch out! :)

Brian, the farm boy

2007-07-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

This was taken at a local family owned farm near my mom's house. Brian is holding a fresh ear of sweet corn. He decided that he liked to play in this enormous crate. It turned out to be a super deal because he couldn't get out of it. At first I thought I may set up one in the back yard. But, then we all know he would never go in there if it were that easy.

Willards do the Denver Zoo

2007-07-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, the gymbomoms group was kind enough and thoughtful enough to get us a membership to the Denver Zoo. We recieved our packet in the mail a couple days ago and we went to the Zoo yesterday. It was awesome. Here are the kids doing one of the interactive exhibits where you get to see if you can jump as far as the animals. My kids cheated, and I was totally in favor of it, of course. I mean, it isn't that fun to jump as far as a flea, right? Why not skip ahead a little bit on the mat and then jump like a polar bear? I wonder where they get it...

All in all, it was a really great time. Thank you, Gymbomoms. You guys rock!

Rick is 40!

2007-07-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are enjoying Rick's 40th birthday party. There were about 40 people there, which we think is perfect. :) Everyone had a great time. One of the highlights was everyone watching Rick's birthday video - pictures of that are here. There were a lot of tears shed, but also foot-tappin fun and laughter during the 'Willard show'. Our parents (ALL of them) made this party possible - THANK YOU!

Today

2007-06-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

PS- this is a picture of Brad and Jared after their awesome trip to a local amuzement park for Jared's birthday. HE LOVED it.

I think I am FINALLY caught up to today! So, today was really great. I took the kids to the rec center which is less than a mile from here. It was AWESOME! They have a bucket pool, kiddie beach entry pool with slide, a lazy river, and two HUGE, amuzement style water slides - just in the pool area! Of course, we spent most of our time in there. But, they also had an indoor play park, a huge gymnastics room, a climbing wall...and oh, yeah...you could work out there too - if you want, I guess.

We also got the house settled a lot today and put together our little play loft for the kids. We hung pictures. We also got this killer attachment to our surround sound which allows us to have ipod jacks all over the house. So, I can just plug in my iPod and pump the sound into the speakers in the room. Rick and I REALLY dorky about that kind of thing so we are TOTALLY psyched about this. And...you know...they put in some lights in the garage - Rick is in heaven. :)

Moved in...sort of

2007-06-27T21:24:00.001-07:00

Here is Brian, showing his utter excitement about our move-in day. The kids, fortunately slept through much of the closing and the move in. They weren't super thrilled about their rooms, to tell ya the truth. They did LOVE the water park that is close by and they love their new basement play room.

The Willards Move In

2007-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am kind of working backwards here so some of this is old news...BUT in case you want to see the pictures of our progress...here are some shots of our first day in our new pad.

Here is the real official day we closed on the house. That day, we brought over some essentials...some toilet paper, towels, and wine (what else do you need) and we cruised over to the house for the first time as the real owners.

Willards make it out to the Wild West

2007-06-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon of the 3rd day, we are home! The kids liked the path behind the house, the basement, and the appliances. They couldn't possibly have been less interested in their rooms! Oh, well. They also rolled around on the carpet and pushed all the buttons everywhere. Tomorrow morning, we close on the house.

Day 3 in Idaho Springs

2007-06-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

We are in Idaho Springs, Colorado here. They have a killer pizza joint where you dip your crust in honey. We 'dominated' that pizza - there wasn't even a crumb left for the local rodents to enjoy.

Day Two

2007-06-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Brian at 'Park Discovery' in Cedar City, Utah. This park is absolutely the coolest park we have ever seen. Thanks, Laurie for the hot tip! We let the kids play until they were too tired to walk and then took off for another day on the road. The park even had a Wells Fargo Stagecoach (we assume some money exchanged hands to make this happen). It had forts, tunnels, slides, dinasaur sand pit for bone excavating, and a ton of cool nature lessons all over the equipment.

First Stop

2007-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Close to Vegas (at the Nevada/ California) state line is a super fun casino called Buffalo Bills. I guess this was a fitting stop as we head out to the great plains. We had a great time here and there were awesome rides for the kids. Here is Brad on the Frog Bouncer ride with some new friends. Too bad he was so bored, huh? We also rode a log ride (Brad loved it - Brian not so much) and a monorail which was totally lame but the kids were into...and finally we hung out in the arcade which the kids loved for whatever reason. Brian walked around like 'big man on campus' checking out all the arcade games. We hung out here for a couple hours and let the kids run their wiggles out. After that, we drove until about 10:00 at night into Cedar City Utah. We stayed at a pretty weak hotel but it was a very short stay so we were cool with it.

2007-06-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here we are loading up our caravan and kissing Tom and Deb goodbye (for now). :( Luckilly, they get out to Colorado a lot so we plan on seeing them bunches. We also will invite ourselves to stay there when we come out to California because it was just too great! They shouldn't have spoiled us so much.

2007-06-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Dana Point after loading our car for the big trip. The DVD player is cued up and our bin of movies is loaded. This picture was taken at Tom and Deb's place. They took great care of us - gave us a super place to stay and filled our bellies for the big trip.

We are here

2007-06-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today is our 4th official day in our new home. We are having fun - especially in the basement! Yes, I said basement. That is a very new thing for us. Rick had so much fun telling the movers to put all the boxes in the basement. We set up these play huts in there and the kids ran around with the huts wrapped around their waists - saying 'we are doggies'. Go figure! They sort of looked like Cirque de Soile characters and also just a little bit nuts. The boys are adapting well to the move. Brad loves his new room and is looking forward to meeting some neighbors today. We made them cookies - isn't that what you are supposed to do? By 'we' I mean 'I' made them cookies. They were interested in the process for 30 seconds or so. We are scouting out the houses with swing sets in order to enhance our odds of finding playdate opportunities. Here goes!