Life with Mr. T

From our Family to Yours...

2011-12-18T15:39:00.003-07:00

We hope your Christmas is merry and bright...

...and you have a Happy New Year!

Arrr Halloween Adventures...

2011-12-09T20:17:00.004-07:00

So it's only December and I'm a little overdue on a blog post. Things are more busy than ever right now and I just happened to have a little time to update. I will pick up our crazy life with our Halloween fun this year. Arrr Matey...Blake was a cute little pirate and Tyler was a scuba diver. The whole family actually got in the spirit and dressed up. We were quite the crew around our new neighborhood. I'm sure people think we're crazy, but that's alright. We had so much fun!

All geared up and ready to go! Tyler was so funny when he was trick-or-treating. He would tell the people, "I'm not really a scuba diver. This is just a costume." It was so funny!

Our little pirate enjoyed Halloween. He got a nasty scratch on his face right before going out (you will see below), so he looked like an authentic pirate for sure.

The family...good looking, huh? Now Andy knows what I will look like in 50 years. Yikes!

Mema, the tattooed devil lady and Bepa, the safari guide.

Here is a happy boy after a fun night on the block. You can see his cut on his face in this picture. However, that didn't stop him from having fun and eating candy!

Another happy boy and his pumpkin. We had a terrific time!

Mr. and Mrs. Brett Foreman...

2011-09-10T10:45:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to my girl Casey and her hubby Brett! Over Labor day weekend we traveled to South Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada line to celebrate the marriage of two wonderful people. Casey and I met in college at CSU, Chico and have remained amazing friends since then. Casey is the godmother of Tyler and she means the world to me. I loved seeing her so happy with Brett at their wedding. I was honored to be the Matron of Honor (that sounds so old) and I survived my speech in front of nearly 100 people. We had a blast and were also able to have some quality family time with Barb and Steve as well. (Thank you Barb and Steve for making the trip out to be with us and watch the boys. We had a blast and they did, too! xoxo)

Woo Hoo...mini vacation!

The ceremony was beautiful. Overlooking Lake Tahoe at sunset.

First kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Foreman!

Andy and I looking spiffy...

The view from the beautiful venue...

Ahhh...First dance...

My girl and I...

The Chico crew! It was a blast to get together with everyone after so many years.

The sign says it all. Thanks for a wonderful weekend and we love you both. We wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Finally, Blake is Holy...OMG!

2011-08-12T14:46:00.005-06:00

On August 6, Blake was baptized at our Catholic Church. It was so great because we finally had the Lafflam family together once again. It had been since February 2010 and it was much needed. We also were in desperate need of a new family photo (that will be another post) because we have a new family member, Blake, and also because in February 2010 I was very pregnant and looked like a cow in the last family photo. Uncle Matt and Aunt Ally were the godparents for the big day and they did a fantastic job. We also had Andy's cousin, Lisa, come up for the big day. We truly felt blessed!

Before the baptism we snapped some family pics.

The Godparents!

So during the baptism, we had to stand the whole time. This isn't really a big deal, but just hard when you have to hold a 26 pound baby who wiggles in your arms the whole 45 minutes. We tried distracting him with all kinds of things. Binkies, camera lens caps...

Bepa taking the pictures...

...and don't forget the cell phone distraction. Blake was texting to God throughout the baptism as well..."OMG, this is so fun."

Whoa, where did this water come from? I was doing just fine up until that point!

Maybe a candle can take his attention away from the cell phone. Maybe not.

Deacon Don did a great job with the baptism.

Our little family with our holy kiddos! Holy moly, that was a lot of work!

Our Escape to Yellowstone...

2011-08-01T10:09:00.003-06:00

This year's trip was fun filled with family, fly fishing, and a bunch of "firsts" for the kids. We headed up to the family house in West Yellowstone for a week of relaxation in July. I must say that Barb and Steve were fantastic hosts again and we got our well needed rest and family time we had been looking forward to. Blake learned how to walk and Tyler learned how to fish. Which is more important? Well, it depends on who you ask. My luck at fly fishing increased this year as well. Last year it took me 3 days to catch just one little fish. This year, on day one, I caught 2 fish and day two I caught 6 fish (more than Andy even though he said, "I didn't know we were competing."). We also saw some animals...3 moose, Andy saw a bear, lots of elk, and of course buffalo. Here are some pics from this year's trip.

T Man learning how to fish.

Relaxing with Daddy on the dock.

Fishing on the Firehole River. I am told this is a world famous fishing spot. Here is my first fish of the trip. It was very exciting. In the background (you probably cannot see it) there are 2 elk and an elk calf just by the river.

Day 2 I brought in 6 trout! Woo hoo!

The anglers! We sure are dressed the part...

Tyler and Bepa waiting for a big fish.

We rode bikes through the neighborhood, too. Tyler is doing really well on his bike.

We visited Old Faithful. Blake was fascinated by the water shooting in the air.

The family...

Mema and Bepa with the kids.

The kiddos...too stinking cute!

We picnicked in the park and Tyler played in the dirt with some of his new friends.

He was very busy digging.

Heading down to enjoy the scenery.

Checking out the beautiful river in Yellowstone. We just love it here!

It Must be the Mountain Air...

2011-07-29T16:48:00.003-06:00

Well while in Montana visiting Andy's parents, Barb and Steve, Blake started walking at just over 13 1/2 months old. He really hasn't had much interest in it until just recently. We were kind of hoping that it would happen there because that is also where Tyler learned how to walk when he was 14 1/2 months old. He is still a little wobbly but so darn cute moving along at his own pace then falling down every so often. Here are videos of both boys learning to walk in West Yellowstone, Montana.

First up is Tyler in June 2009...

Next is Blake in July 2011...

Maybe it is that great mountain air!

Just Bust a Move...

2011-07-14T09:39:00.004-06:00

When we are not out gallivanting at McDonald's Playplaces, swimming in the pool, or swinging, sliding, or running around at parks around town, you may find us at home having a dance party. It's Tyler's new favorite thing to do at home. Watch as he busts his moves...whatever they are. Maybe I am corrupting my child with a little too much "So You Think You Can Dance."

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

Aquabats "Playdoh" (This one's for you Auntie Casey)

"Stone Cold Crazy"

Buzz Blakeyear...

2011-07-13T09:35:00.003-06:00

Well, the time had come to get rid of those cute baby curls and have his first summer buzz cut from Daddy. So out came the clippers and away went Daddy. Blake really didn't mind the noise from the clippers and now he looks just like Tyler and Daddy with their summer cuts.

All done and looking mighty cute!

There's a Sticker in "Hear"...

2011-07-12T16:38:00.001-06:00

More ear drama in the Lafflam house. At Tyler's 3 year check up, the doc found a sticker lodged in Tyler's ear. He must have just stuck it in there who knows when! Well that was in April and just recently I had looked in his ear to see if it was making its way out and there it was! With some tweezers and some praying that T would stay still I got the sticker out. All along we thought that this was a little sticker with a yellow flower. Come to find out, the sticker was folded, had five flowers on it, and was a little bigger than a DIME!!! Yikes! How did he get that so far in there? Boys...I will never know, but I am sure we will have more adventures like this in the future.

T with his sticker! Oh boy!

Blake Gets Tubes...

2011-07-11T16:29:00.002-06:00

Since Blake's fall in February, we have been getting his hearing tested. He has always failed his hearing tests in his left ear and more recently failed on both sides. So, the doctor said it was time to get tubes. The loss of hearing is due to fluid in his ears and the accident just brought it to our attention sooner rather than later on when he wasn't talking and having speech delays. I guess everything happens for a reason. So here are some pictures of him before going into surgery. He got to wear this cute tiger hospital gown. He did an awesome job with the procedure and the anesthesia. He is starting to make more sounds so we hope the tubes are working.

Happy as usual!

Monster "Bash"...

2011-06-05T14:16:00.004-06:00

Our little man, Blake, turned ONE on Saturday and we celebrated his birthday with family that evening. Mema and Bepa came into town for the festivities. We had a picnic dinner in the front yard with neighbors followed by presents and cake on the big day. Today, we had a great monster themed party with a monster sub, monster mash (ambrosia), and a great group of our friends. We had a fun time celebrating that our baby is now a real number, "1", and growing up so fast! We love you Blake...Happy Birthday!

Time for presents with Mema and Bepa on Blake's birthday...

Loving the cupcake!

He loved the sugary cupcake since it was the first one he had ever eaten. I'm sure he was thinking, "This is so much better than that pureed stuff Mom gives me!"

Peeking at Daddy while opening presents at his party. So cute!

Happy 1st Birthday Blake...Monster cake

Make a wish!

Yea! I am ONE!

So, where's my cake?

Happy boy making a big mess...

This is Blake after being wiped down once. He had so much fun with the frosting! So, when do I get to turn 2?

Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News...

2011-05-09T09:04:00.000-06:00

So right before Tyler's third birthday, he fell off the couch in the living room and he hit his head on a trunk that we use as a coffee table. He had a gash in his head which surprisingly didn't bleed too much. We took him to urgent care because having a hole that size in your head is probably not a good thing. They closed it up with Derma Bond (a fancy and more expensive version of Super Glue). It is all better now.

Here is Tyler as he breaks out in song one night just randomly. I had to get him to repeat it so I could record it. Too cute!

Tyler Turns Three...

2011-05-07T08:42:00.003-06:00

On April 13, Tyler turned three years old! We had a little family "party" at our house on his actual birthday and then that weekend we had a baseball themed birthday party with friends (more pics to come). We are so blessed to have Tyler in our lives. It has been a great 3 years!

Tyler's Stats:

Weight: 34 pounds (75th percentile)

Height: 38 1/2 inches ( 70th percentile)

Likes: playing outside, coloring, playing with cars, his brother, riding his scooter, baseball, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Dislikes: vegetables, most meat (hot dogs and burgers), and monsters

We celebrated with an ice cream cake...yummy!

Tyler loved opening the cards with music. He constantly plays with them and listens to the music even after his birthday. I think we still have cards from several years ago. He loves them!

An ambulance and a tractor from Mema and Bepa.

Happy birthday to you!

"I'm 3!"

Hanging Out With the Big Cheese...

2011-03-20T16:04:00.011-06:00

Last week we traveled to Southern California to take a trip to Disneyland. It would be the boys' first trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. I grew up in Orange County and have been to Disneyland about a hundred times, but this would be the first to see it through the eyes of my children. It was fantastic to see their smiles, watch them become so excited to finally arrive in this magical place, and love Disneyland as much as I do. We were able to go on three different days in order to take it all in. We needed every moment and more as we didn't even get to do everything we had planned while we were there. The first morning we arrived at the park an hour early to attend a "Magic Morning" where you are able to enter Disneyland one hour before the general public arrives. This was great because there were no lines or rushes of crazy people trying to get from one end the other. Tyler and Blake took their first ride on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters with Mema and Bepa as Andy and I went to Space Mountain and took in our favorite. We were surprised at all of the rides that both boys could go on and we learned a lot about Tyler and his thrill seeking adventurous side. He didn't really like the rides about the storybook characters like Snow White or Pinocchio, but rather liked the roller coasters and fun rides like Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, The Matterhorn, and Autopia. We had so much fun on this trip to Disneyland. I have managed to narrow down the 586 pictures to the 30 some below. I hope you can see the fun we all had!

The Big Cheese himself, Mickey Mouse

Our early morning treat...to get into the park one hour early.

So excited to get started!

Tyler and I in front of Cinderella's castle...

Blake tuckered out on his first visit.

Andy and I on Main Street.

Blake and I on the carrosel.

Tyler and Bepa...

This was one of the favorites, Dumbo. Tyler wanted to go on it again and again.

Blake had a good time, too.

Taking a spin on the teacups...

We all had fun meeting the characters. Here is Tyler with Pluto...

Blake and T with Mickey at breakfast with the characters...

Being Goofy...

Some more "Goofy" guys at breakfast...

Flirting with Minnie...

Blake hanging with Minnie after eating her nose when she was face to face. All he wanted to do with the characters is eat their nose or beak or ears.

Daisy Duck and the boys. I think they thought she was Daisy Duke...different girl boys.

Handing out some hugs to Miss Daisy...

Blake was seriously thinking about pulling the eyelashes off this duck's face.

Eating breakfast with Stitch.

Back to Disneyland and a ride on Autopia with mom. I think we went on this ride 4 or 5 times.

T and Dad made it back safely.

One big surprise was meeting Mater and Lightning in Radiator Springs.

Aww shucks...

Giving the Fonzie to Lightning McQueen.

Hanging out at Mickey's house in Toon Town.

In Goofy's backyard chillin' on the bench watching the garden grow.

We were at Disneyland on St. Patrick's Day. Tyler's shirt says Lucky Me and has a picture of Mickey on the front. What a lucky day indeed!

Happy brothers in front of the castle.

St. Patty's Day family photo.

Bye-bye Disneyland. Until next time...we will miss you!

Blake Update...

2011-03-05T16:22:00.005-07:00

Blake is 9 months old already. I cannot even believe how fast time flies when you have kids! It seems like you blink and all of a sudden they are so big. Well, Blake is at a very fun age right now where he is so curious, babbling, and just plain fun to be around. He also started "army crawling" recently and is able to get anywhere he wants.

Last Sunday, he was exploring at my in-laws house and fell down 13 stairs into their basement. Needless to say, we spend 5 1/2 hours in the ER and after a CT scan, the doctors determined that there was no bleeding in the brain, however there was a questionable spot behind his left ear possibly leading to some hearing loss. So we are dealing with figuring out whether this hearing loss is due to an infection that he may have had already or if it is related to the fall he took on Sunday. We will re-evaluate the situation and I will keep you all updated.

Here are the most recent stats...

Height: 28 inches

Weight: 22 lbs. 2 oz.

First word: Ma Ma (love it!)

Favorite Foods: Well at 22 lbs. 2 oz. I am sure you can tell that he likes about anything that comes his way. His favorite foods are applesauce and Cheerios. He will eat any and all varieties of Gerber veggies. We will be introducing yogurt, cheese, and other foods that we eat in mushed up form.

Activities: Crawling, sleeping, eating, playing with Tyler, watching Tyler play, getting his toys taken away by Tyler (he loves his brother anyway), trying to play/crawl on/grab/or pinch Lily who is a good sport and just looks at Blake with that "get away from me" kind of look.

Blake in the ER...

Best Buddies...

Blake and I at the Stock Show in Denver.

Amazing Similarities...

2011-02-06T12:51:00.003-07:00

Although our two boys don't look that much alike right now, they certainly looked alike at the same age so far. In both pictures we were at Rustic Oven and I remembered we took the picture of Tyler in the same shirt with a napkin around his neck (I'm not sure how I remembered that), so I decided to take one of Blake while we were there to compare. Check out the pictures below...

Blake at 8 months.

Tyler at 7 1/2 months.

We're In...

2011-01-30T07:30:00.006-07:00

One month ago today, we moved into our house. We have spent a lot of time getting unpacked and settled. We just love it! We have plenty of space now and are really enjoying all of the personal touches that we picked out for our perfect home. Sorry the pictures took so long. Hopefully you enjoy looking at our new house...

Our view of the Rockies from the back of the house is amazing.

We do have a guest room now, so please come and visit.

Guest bathroom...

Family room (with a fireplace!)...

Our beautiful kitchen...

with gas range...

Dining and Living Room...

Foyer...

Heading upstairs, this is the view out back. It is wonderful.

Boys bathroom...

Loft/playroom...

Tyler's Room...we are going baseball themed this time.

Blake's room...robot theme in progress.

Master bedroom...

Master bath....

Master bath cont...

Walk in closet...finally. Now we can finally unpack our wardrobe boxes that we stored in the basement of the old house.

Santa Babies...

2010-12-28T13:27:00.007-07:00

Santa was very good to these babies this year (I think Tyler had to bribe Santa since he is well into his terrible two's)! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, despite the fact that Andy had to work both days. We started our celebration with our outing to church and then coming home to find that "Santa's elves" had stopped by and left some presents for us to open before Santa arrived. This was the only way Andy could see Tyler's reaction to a stack of presents under the tree since he would be at work on Christmas morning. Tyler was thrilled! After opening presents from Grammie, Grandpa Larry, Opa, Uncle Matt, Aunt Ally, and Auntie Casey, we got ready for Santa's visit. Tyler put out the cookies, milk, and of course carrots for the reindeer and off to bed he went. After waking up, he saw that indeed Santa did come and unload his sleigh in Mema and Bepa's house. Tyler's reaction was priceless when he walked into the room and saw the huge mound of presents and the TOOL BENCH! He was so excited at the sight of the tool bench and the tools that all he wanted to do was play with them the whole morning. This worked out perfect because we were trying to wait to open presents until Andy was home at about noon. Tyler occupied himself the whole time with the tools and the gifts from the night before, so Andy was able to see both boys open their gifts just as if it were Christmas morning.

We hope that everyone else had a fantastic Christmas this year and enjoyed some time with family and friends. We feel so fortunate to have so many wonderful blessings in our life.

My Santa Babies...

Blake (6 1/2 months old) ready for Santa's visit.

Mommy and the boys after church on Christmas Eve...

Tyler's shopping cart...

Dr. Tyler to the rescue...

Blake and his little workbench...

Getting the cookies, milk, and carrots ready for Santa's visit. Tyler was very concerned about Santa's visit. He asked us about where he would go to the bathroom when he got here. " Little potty or big potty?" he asked us several days before Christmas. He also kept asking about the chimney..."Where is the chimney?"

Before Santa's visit...

After Santa came!

Tyler's favorite gift was his tools and workbench.

Playing doctor with his favorite patient, Blake, while waiting for Daddy to come home.

Such a happy boy with his teddy bear.

Yea! A car carrier for Matchbox cars.

A Dodger baseball...

and a Dodger baseball hat! Go Dodgers!

Blake loved watching everybody and playing with his new toys.

A new guitar was just one of many new instruments for our little musician.

This was a gift from Officer Claus. Tyler walks around and will say, "Can I help you?" Too stinkin' cute.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Lafflam's!

Blake at 6 months...

2010-12-20T08:01:00.004-07:00

I cannot even believe that Blake is 6 months old now. We went in for his check up and he is doing great. He is a strong boy who is constantly moving around. He can almost sit up on his own. He will just roll himself along the floor and he can get anywhere he wants to by rolling. He is infactuated with his older brother, Tyler and watches him dance and play. Tyler can make him laugh anytime. They are interacting more and more, which is so nice to see. They will be best friends for sure. Blake has outgrown the 6 month clothes and has moved onto 6-12 month clothes. He is already in a size 3 diaper. He may be bigger than his brother someday, so we are teaching Tyler to be really nice to him, which he is anyway.

Blake's stats...

Weight: 18 pounds, 12 ounces (75th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (85th percentile)

Favorite Foods: Squash, Carrots, and Sweet Potatoes

Favorite Toy: Exersaucer

Halloween 2010...

2010-12-04T08:17:00.005-07:00

Better late than never! So, we have been a little bit busy. We sold our house and moved in with Barb and Steve on October 15, so we have all of our things in storage and are living out of boxes for now. That being said, we were able to spend Halloween at Barb and Steve's house, dress up, carve pumpkins, and go trick-or-treating, too! Here are a few pictures from October and Halloween.

The boys dressed in their matching skeleton PJ's.
Tyler got to carve his first pumpkin and "make" pumpkin soup while he was stirring the pulp.

Here it is...

See! He told me what shapes to carve all the parts of the jack-o-lantern.

Blake's first Halloween as a skeleton.

Happy Blake with Barb, the tattooed devil!

Here are Tyler, Grayson, Sam, Payton, and Rylan on their way to Trick or Treat Street at Fossil Ridge High School a few days before Halloween. A dress rehearsal for the big day!

Tyler and Blake took pictures with the pumpkins that we grew this year.

Sweet boy...

Tyler loved the pumpkins and everything about Halloween this year. It was so fun.

This is Tyler with Ben. Ben will be our neighbor in our new house once we move in. They came over to trick-or-treat with us since there are no neighbors in our neighborhood yet. I am so happy that they get along so well!

A Very, Very, Very Fine House...

2010-10-23T10:43:00.005-06:00

We are moving right along with the building of the new house. We have sold our other house and moved out into Barb and Steve's house to spend the next 2 months. Since September 11, the first day of digging on the new house, there has been a ton of progress. We drive by daily to see new changes. It is truly amazing how fast they put up this house without compromising quality. The team of workers are wonderful and pay so much attention to details. We look forward to the finished product and can't wait to be living there by the end of December (if everything stays on schedule). We are so excited!

The family on the front porch.

Empty lot at the end of August.

September 11, 2010...

Excavation started.

Foundation was poured on September 21 and driveway was poured on October 1, 2010.

I took pictures from the same spot throughout the process to see the ever changing progress.

October 4, 2010...framing began.

October 5, 2010...more framing and starting the second floor.

October 6...second floor complete.

October 9, 2010...framing completed.

Back of the house.
October 13, 2010...windows installed.

The roof was completed on October 22, 2010.The outside decorative touches are being added. Our front door was installed also. They have started with the inside now. All bathtubs, showers, and rough plumbing is installed. Along with the electrical switch boxes and canned lighting installation. I am sure they will finish by the end of the week. More updates to come!

Happy Campers...

2010-10-02T15:38:00.002-06:00

We had a blast setting up camp...in our family room! It's a little hard packing up everything you need for 2 children, dogs, and us, so we decided that we wanted to camp at home. We have always wanted to take Tyler camping and over Labor Day weekend we decided to go. Tyler packed up his cars, books, snacks, drinks, and so much more and headed into the tent to learn from Daddy how to make shadow puppets with a flashlight. Needless to say, we had a ton of fun and hope to go camping again really soon!

My Happy Campers!

Dodgers vs. Rockies...

2010-09-11T09:00:00.004-06:00

We had a chance to go to a Dodgers/Rockies game a couple weeks ago. This was Blake's second baseball game, but his first Dodgers game. In other words, it was the first time that we could start to brainwash him into loving the Dodgers and becoming a huge fan like his Mommy and Daddy. The brainwashing didn't really work with Tyler. He really does love the Rockies and the Dodgers both, but I think he is more of a Rockies fan. We still dress him in Dodger gear mainly because we don't yet have Rockies gear for him. Either way, we had a great time with the family at the game!

"Warming Up" to each other before the game...

Brotherly Love...in Dodger Gear!

Our Dodger Family...

Watching our favorite team play ball. We were rooting for Casey Blake, one of our favorite Dodgers!

Coors Field is on Blake Street...he is destined to be a ball player!

Sowing the Seeds...

2010-08-25T17:42:00.003-06:00

Of lots of goodies! Andy and I started planting seeds in the basement in April and our hard work is finally paying off. We have a ton of veggies growing in our backyard right now. We have tomatoes, beans, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, sunflowers, pumpkins, cucumbers, mint, and many more veggies and goodies. I wanted to share these pictures while the garden was so beautiful. It is Andy's passion and we are having a ton of fun growing everything...and then eating it!

It looks like a jungle in there.

These sunflowers must be at least 12 feet tall. Andy planted them right outside the kitchen window. They are beautiful to look at from inside.

These are our pumpkins. They are still in the yellow stage not yet turning to orange. They have a lot of growing to do still. Home grown Halloween pumpkins...the best kind!

Here are some sweet peas. We have so many on this plant. Fresh beans tonight!

This is the coolest! The broccoli plant has turned out awesome. We have a couple growing and some cauliflower, too. We didn't know what to expect with this one, but it a pleasant surprise!

Lafflam Family Update

2010-08-22T14:05:00.004-06:00

Well, here I am, back to blogging! Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I feel like I have been so busy this August. We have had so much going on and there really has been no time to blog lately. I just wanted to send out an update on a few things.

First of all, Blake turned 2 months old on August 4. He weighed in at 12 lbs 12 oz (75th percentile) and was 23 inches long (50th percentile) at his 2 month appointment. At the appointment we found out he has a hemangioma. This is on the right side of his face and the doctor says it will go away or at least be less visible by the time he is 2 years old. He continues to be such a good baby. He sleeps through the night and has been since about 3 weeks old. His smiles and coos just melt our heart. Compared to Tyler at this age, he is a hoss. He eats 4 1/2 oz of formula every 3 hours during the day. We couldn't have asked for a better baby.

Tyler continues to love Blake. He kisses him, reads to him, wants to hold him, and holds the bottle during feedings. Just today he asked if he could burp Blake and then he continued, "Good burp, Blake." They are just too cute together. There have been those few times when he has asked me to put Blake back in his car seat so he can have my full attention. That was pretty funny!

Just 2 weeks ago, we decided that we were going to move. We found a lot in Timnath Ranch just by a new CORE Knowledge School, Bethke. We decided that it would be a great time for us to move since we were running out of space in our current house. We are going to have a 4 bedroom house with a loft, on a cul-de-sac, with a huge yard, and a 3 car garage! We are thrilled! This is our lot (see the fence way back there?). It also comes with a great view of the Rocky Mountains. It's beautiful.

Here is the model of our house. It will look a little different because we have a different elevation with a porch out front and shutters on the windows. We love it!

Something else to add to our exciting month was my hit and run car accident. I was at Edora Park with my friend Amy and my car was hit. The good news is the lady was caught and a witness saw the whole thing. It all happened on the last day of my summer break, so now I have to find the time to get it fixed since I am back to work.

Here is my cutie pie, Tyler. He is getting so big and so darn cute! He has been getting really good at practicing making funny faces lately. He still loves reading his books and playing with cars of all types (especially those from the movie Cars). Monsters are on his mind and scaring him daily. (Does anyone have ideas on how to make him feel better about monsters?) The funniest thing about him and monsters is that he imitates what he thinks the monsters look like by making funny monster faces and growls. He continues to bring a smile to our faces when he is not acting out and showing us what the terrible 2's really mean. We just love him!

One more thing to make the month a little more busy is I have returned back to work. I am now teaching first grade again and I moved classrooms. All of this has left us really busy, but really thankful for what we have. Life is good in the Lafflam house!

Mommy's Classroom...

2010-08-08T15:16:00.003-06:00

I have really enjoyed my summer off with the boys, but realize I have a ton of work to do in my new classroom. I am moving to the first floor and changing grade levels. So, I have brought the boys with me while I work (I don't suggest this). Blake was great and slept through the day(s) for the most part. Tyler, on the other hand, was well...a handful. Everything I organized he managed to undo, color on, or put in another place. However, I really enjoyed having him there and seeing his enthusiasm for "school" and "mommy's classroom." His favorite parts, if I were to guess, were coloring on the white board with Sharpie, coloring on the computer tower and monitor with pen, taking out all of the playground balls, and learning how to climb on tables when Mommy wasn't looking. It was AWESOME (do you hear the sarcasm?)...

Coloring on the white board (with dry erase pen this time)...

Helping to organize my book boxes.

Yellowstone Fun...

2010-07-30T15:19:00.005-06:00

We headed up to West Yellowstone to see Andy's parents and for a relaxing vacation. Andy managed to go fishing every day in some of the most beautiful parts of our country, not to mention the best fly fishing rivers there are. While we were there we both celebrated our 32nd birthdays with some great company. Andy took me horseback riding through the mountains for my birthday. It was a blast. We took Tyler and Blake to the Grizzly Bear and Wolf Center as well as toured through Yellowstone National Park. We saw a bunch of wildlife in the park, but nothing beats the four grizzly bears and a moose on our drive home. I love our annual trips to Yellowstone.

Tyler and his first fish...Nemo! He was so thrilled.

I know what you are thinking (crazy mom dressing up her kid) but look how cute he is.

A s'mores first timer...lovin' every minute.

These campfire marshmallows were the size of a softball...no joke!

They make for GREAT s'mores.

This is Sam from the Grizzly Center. He weighs about 800 pounds.

Celebrating by birthday with my boys and my wonderful family.

Horseback riding with my honey.

Tyler and Bepa time...too stinkin' cute.

Buffalo in the park.

Picnic followed by playtime with daddy in Yellowstone.

Old Faithful geyser...

Family photo at Old Faithful...

Elk crossing the river...

Mama bear and her two cubs. Amazing to watch. We must have sat there for 15 minutes just watching them explore.

We also saw a moose. So beautiful.

Bepa was fitting in Tyler's first fly fishing lesson.

Having a little fun!

Tyler in Grand Teton National Park. What a poser!

On the Fritz...

2010-07-07T12:47:00.004-06:00

Grammie, aka my mom, came into town to visit us. While she was here we went to Lee Martinez Farm to walk around and see the animals. After we toured the farm, we took Tyler on a pony ride. He was allowed to choose his very own pony to ride, and he choose "Fritz" the pony. As soon as we put him on the pony, I knew it would be hard to get him off. What fun he had while we walked around. He held on to tight to the saddle and was not afraid one bit! I think we have a cowboy on our hands. When we got home, he told Daddy that he wanted a pony.

That is Fritz' name tag on his saddle.

Getting ready to ride...helmet and all.

Giddy up!

Tyler and Mommy walking Fritz.

I had Grammie take over after Fritz tried to bite me. Ouch!

Tyler and I looking at the cows.

Checking out the horses.

Hi horse...

T and Grammie...

Mooo...

Blake was not as excited about the trip as the rest of us. This is what he did the whole time!

"Fire Tuck"...

2010-07-03T14:06:00.003-06:00

We were running errands last weekend when we saw that all 3 fire trucks were pulled out in front of the local fire station. We decided to drive by and take a peek at them. When we got there, the firemen were working in the garage and told us that Tyler could sit in the driver's seat! Tyler was ecstatic to say the least (and his Daddy was pretty excited too). By the end of our visit to the Fire Station, Daddy and Tyler had made friends with Derek the fireman. He fell in love with Tyler and told us we could come back whenever we wanted to! They even gave Tyler a fireman's hat and bag of goodies...Wow!

Hanging out in the driver's seat...

See...he was ecstatic!

Hanging out the window of the truck...

Tyler's new best friends (Derek is on the left).

Big Boy Blake...

2010-06-29T13:18:00.000-06:00

Blake is getting bigger and is now just about three and a half weeks old. He is sleeping like a champ and wakes about every 3 hours for milk. He does give us a little bit longer of a window at night and for that Mommy and Daddy are very appreciative. During the day he is starting to be a little bit more awake. Tyler just absolutely loves him and is "gentle" for the most part. I cannot get over how fast he is growing. We are slowly moving from newborn to 0-3 month clothes as he is filling out his own skin. He is really a chow hound, eating about 4 to 4 1/2 ounces at each feeding. Blake's head and legs are very strong. He can lift his head for a few seconds and looks around. When we burp him, he tries to crawl up our bodies. He currently weighs 9 pounds! I forgot how many changes take place in this stage of life for little ones, and we are enjoying every moment of it!

Three Weeks of Firsts...

2010-06-28T09:41:00.003-06:00

Blake has had a great first 3 weeks of life and has already enjoyed so much. Here are a few of his "Firsts"...

First Smile...

First Rockies Game...

First Bath by Daddy and Tyler...

First Playdate...

We look forward to many more firsts with our little man!

Brotherly Love...

2010-06-24T18:53:00.002-06:00

Since Blake arrived, Tyler and him have been getting along pretty well. Tyler is learning to adjust to sharing the attention with his new little brother. He even shared a few toys of his this morning with Blake by putting them on top of him in his vibrating chair. I am thankful that the change from being our one and only little boy to "Big Brother" is gradual. Since Blake doesn't do more than eat, sleep, poop, and pee for the most part, he is not a threat yet. We will see how this change starts to effect Tyler in the near future! Here are some videos that I have taken over the past few weeks of Tyler and Blake. (Be sure to turn off the volume on the bottom of this page before viewing.) Enjoy!

This video was taken when Tyler first met Blake in the hospital. It was the first time he held him and finally understood that Blake was finally here.

This was taken when Tyler had no idea I was watching. He often goes up to Blake while he is in the chair and loves him, talks to him, and kisses him. So sweet!

Tyler has learned to say Blake's name as you can hear in this video..."Blake Andrew"

I love my boys and look forward to this journey ahead with both of them growing up so fast!

Father's Day Times Two!

2010-06-21T16:18:00.004-06:00

Happy Father's Day to Andy! We (Tyler, Blake, and I) are so blessed to have Andy as the Daddy of the house. We enjoyed a nice afternoon with Andy's parents, Barb and Steve (aka. Mema and Bepa) at their house. Our air conditioner broke two days ago and we needed the AC since this week is up in the 90's. Yikes! Anyhow, we had a BBQ and ate ribs and many other goodies to celebrate the dads. Here are a couple of pictures from the day...

Andy and his BOYS!!!

Andy's reaction to his gift...an ipod touch. I think he likes it!

Happy Father's Day!

Our New Addition...

2010-06-07T18:00:00.002-06:00

On Friday, June 4 we welcomed Blake Andrew to the family. I was 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant, just like Tyler. He arrived at 10:16 PM after a day full of mild contractions. He weighed in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. The delivery was perfect and painless! I only had to push one time (a big change from Tyler's delivery).

Blake Andrew...

... and his proud brother, Tyler.

The first family picture!

Tyler and Blake are adjusting nicely. Tyler just loves cuddling with his brother!

Time to Garden...

2010-05-23T08:51:00.002-06:00

Andy and Tyler had fun getting things ready for the garden this year. Tyler was determined to get dirt anywhere he possibly could. He also used his new gardening tools to "beautify" his space. The boys had so much fun together.

Tyler and his fake smile getting ready to get dirty.

Watching Daddy and following his lead while taking all the dirt out of the pot.

Dirt in the shoes is no fun...

Diggin' it...

Our beautiful backyard and Crabapple tree. Good work boys!

Bubbles...

2010-04-20T02:59:00.000-06:00

What is better than playing with bubbles and Mema at the same time? Tyler had an enjoyable afternoon with Mema in the backyard chasing after bubbles with his puppies. The weather has been beautiful and we have been able to spend some time outside playing. Thank goodness spring is finally here.

Go Mema! Look at all those bubbles!

This is so much fun!

Ah...I thought I caught one. Where did it go?

Good times...

Chasing after bubbles uphill...

Sneaking up on them...Maybe this time I will get one!

After a hard day of chasing bubbles, Tyler takes a rest with Lily.

Happy Birthday "2" You...

2010-04-18T14:31:00.004-06:00

My little man, Tyler, turned 2 last Tuesday! I cannot believe it! The past two years have been so wonderful and full of happiness for our family. For Tyler's birthday, we went to Mema and Bepa's house for a birthday celebration. They made a wonderful dinner and we all enjoyed cupcakes. Tyler was singing Happy Birthday to himself all day, starting in the morning when he woke up. He is such a happy boy and he is just getting so big.

We went for a visit with our doctor this week and here are his stats...

Weight: 30 pounds (75th percentile)

Height: 36 inches (90th percentile)

Interests: Playing with anything musical, being outside, reading books, coloring, trains, trucks, Bepa, singing his ABC's, counting to 10, talking, and getting dirty

The doctor said that Tyler's speech was great (stringing together 2-3 word phrases) and he is right on track with what he expects from a two year old. He is constantly in motion, in the "mine" stage (which will be interesting when we have #2 here), and very opinionated (I think this is the terrible 2's you hear about). He really is a great kid. We love you so much Mr. T!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to Tyler...

An accordion to add to the rest of the instruments...

His happy face when he first heard the sound of the accordion...

Happy Birthday T...We love you little birthday boy!

Little Blues Traveler...

2010-04-10T19:05:00.002-06:00

Today, Tyler learned how to play a new instrument, the harmonica. Last week he could just play one note and today he was playing several notes. Our little music man enjoyed playing for the family and his Sesame Street characters. He is a Bob Dylan in the making!

Happy Easter...

2010-04-08T19:48:00.004-06:00

This year we had a week long Easter celebration starting on the Sunday before Easter. Andy missed Easter with the family, so we celebrated with an egg hunt before he left for his trip the day before Easter to the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in New York for a week. Barb and Steve had an egg hunt for Tyler so Andy could be there to enjoy his first time searching for Easter eggs. Tyler loved searching for eggs and squealed when he found "beans" inside the eggs. He is now officially obsessed with jelly beans inside the colorful plastic eggs. They are the first thing he asks for when he gets out of bed in the morning and whenever he sees his basket, he is asking for his eggs.

The day Andy left for his trip, Tyler found a basket from the Easter bunny. It was so strange because he was a day early (Daddy couldn't miss this either).

I was very thankful to spend Easter Sunday with Barb and Steve. Tyler snoozed with Steve (Bepa) while Barb and I had all the fun of coloring the eggs.

My little bunny...

Barb and I had way too much fun coloring eggs...

Where did that bunny come from?

On a mission to find the eggs...

The Egg Hunt

The day Daddy left, Tyler found his basket with lots of "beans" in it. I love this video. You have to pause the music at the bottom when you view it. We hope you had a Happy Easter!

Mr. T and the Beeps...

2010-03-31T20:13:00.004-06:00

Tyler and Bepa (Grandpa) had a great time playing in their band (Mr. T and the Beeps) tonight. Tyler LOVES music and playing musical instruments whenever he can. He plays the drums (two at a time), strums at his guitar, and sometimes he even pretends that the guitar is a violin and uses a drumstick to play his violin. He know the names of instruments and can recognize the sound of drums and guitar while listening to music in the car. He certainly got our love of music. Maybe someday he will be able to teach his mommy and daddy how to really play the guitar instead of what we do now...play the air guitar!

Tyler taking this "guitar" stuff seriously...

28 weeks...

2010-03-25T20:52:00.003-06:00

We hit the 28 week mark yesterday for baby boy #2! I cannot believe how soon it will be before we meet our new addition. June will be here before we know it and I couldn't be more excited. I have the normal aches and pains, constant movement rolling around in my belly, and of course the nights of little amounts of sleep which is all expected in pregnancy. I had an ultrasound this afternoon and all looks well. He started moving his mouth opened and then closed and we could even see his eye lens looking around. Here is the newest picture of our little man's profile...

Spring Break Fun...

2010-03-20T09:40:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun this past week during Spring Break. We were able to explore Colorado and some of the wonderful places it has to offer instead of going on a vacation to another state. The weather cooperated for most of the week being in the high 60's and 70's. Just when we thought we were headed into spring and out of the snowy season, we had a big snowstorm on Friday leaving us with about 3 inches of snow. It was a good thing we got all of the fun stuff in by that time.

We visited the animals at the zoo...

Went to a St. Patty's Day parade with Mema and Bepa in town...

We also visited the Denver Children's Museum. Tyler loved playing on the fire truck, being a vet at the animal hospital, shopping in the Whole Foods store for kids, and finally playing with the trains.

We just had a taste of how fun our summer will be...only about 10 more weeks to go!

California Trip...

2010-02-21T08:46:00.004-07:00

Last week we headed to California to put Carmen Millsfield to rest. She was Andy's grandma and Tyler's great-grandma. She passed away on February 11, 2010 after suffering from Alzheimer's for several years. She will be missed so much, but we are glad that she is in heaven with her husband and people she loved. Her funeral service was amazing. So many people showed up from all over the state and country and since she was in the navy as a young girl, there were some men there from the military to play Taps for her.

While we were in California, we had a chance to have fun as well. All the relatives were there so we had fun watching Tyler and his cousins play and enjoy each other. We went to Travel Land, a train museum. Tyler had a blast! Here are just a few of the pictures...

Carmen Millsfield...We will miss you!

The family together again. Tyler was only 3 months old the last time we were all together.
Travel Town...

Cousins...Jack, Tyler, and Maddie

All dressed up...

Playing with Bepa...

20 week ultrasound...

2010-02-07T09:10:00.003-07:00

We had another chance to see baby boy #2 about a week and a half ago (sorry updates weren't sooner) at 20 weeks. Everything looks great with our new little guy. He was weighing in at about 12 ounces and all organs were developing very well. He was measuring one day earlier than his due date so hopefully he will come early. The doctor measured my belly and I am measuring about 2 cm larger than normal, just like with Tyler. I was surprised to learn that I had lost 2 pounds since our appointment 3 weeks earlier and have only gained a total of 2 pounds this whole pregnancy (even though I look huge)!

Handsome little guy...
Still a boy (thank goodness)...

Cute little piggies...

So this was me at 11 weeks...

and this is me at 21 weeks!

Fun with Chef...

2010-02-04T20:18:00.005-07:00

Chef "Al Fredo" is one of Tyler's favorite toys. It is something that he and his Daddy play with together. Tyler really thinks that this guy is his friend as he has full conversations with him. Tonight he was showing off in front of him. At one point he took out the guitar and sang for him. Then he decided to read to him before going to bed. I love this stage that Tyler is going through. He is so imaginative and so much fun...but he is really good at getting us to laugh!

Best Buddies...

A kiss goodnight...

Pause the music at the bottom for this one...Tyler is reading to his Chef friend and telling him all about the big moose, big bear, and more. He then goes on to sing one of his favorite tunes from the Wizard of Oz... Oh E Oh E Oh Oh. The video ends with him saying I love you in sign language.

Giving the Chef some milk before bed and saying goodnight.

Aquarium Fun...

2010-01-31T08:42:00.005-07:00

Earlier this month we visited the aquarium in Denver. We had fun walking around as a little family and looking at all the fish and other animals. It was great timing because we had just gotten our aquarium at home and Tyler was really into all the fish swimming about. We also had a chance to use our new camera, which is amazing!

WILD Side...

2010-01-28T19:20:00.004-07:00

Tyler was so funny (and hyper) the other night. After his shirt came off, another child was surfacing. He had a great time dancing, singing, and babbling. We had a good time hanging out together. Here is just a snapshot of his WILD side!

Baby Number 2...

2010-01-07T07:20:00.004-07:00

Will be dressed in blue! We are so excited to have another boy. Tyler and him will be the best of friends...I hope. Here are some pictures of our little man at our recent ultrasound at 17 weeks...

Profile...
Almost full body...

Looking at you!

Yes! That is a boy for sure! Spread eagle for the camera...

Mouth open...

Four fingers and a thumb!

A Very Merry Christmas...

2010-01-02T09:05:00.005-07:00

Christmas was wonderful this year! Tyler really had a great time on Christmas and Christmas Eve. The only bummer was that Andy was sick on Christmas Eve and I was sick on Christmas day. So that put a damper on things, however the enjoyment of Christmas was still so great! On Christmas Eve, we spent the evening at Mema and Bepa's house (Barb and Steve). We had fun eating tamales and opening some presents. Andy and I got a new camera, a very nice camera, that we are having so much fun with. This was a year of musical instruments, trains, trucks, and an aquarium for the family. We are so thankful for our many blessings!

Christmas morning! This is going to take a while :) I guess Tyler was a good boy this year...Santa brought so many toys!

Bepa and Tyler with some new bells!

A drum to add to the musical instruments...

Tyler just taking it all in...Such a cutie!

His new activity book from Opa...

Our family aquarium...we set this up at the top of the staircase and we have 11 beautiful fish in there. Tyler absolutely LOVES looking at this every day.

A new train...This is what Tyler asked Santa for this year! Thanks Santa!!!

A magna doodle from Grammie and Grandpa Larry...A big hit!

We couldn't forget a guitar for the Lafflam family band! Tyler is starting to make up his own songs that go something like this...la la la Elmo, la la Cookie, la la Mommy, la la Daddy.

A fire truck with real sirens from Opa.

An airplane from Uncle Matt and Aunt Ally...

Thank you to everyone who made this Christmas so special! We love you!

2009-12-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Fun with Santa...

2009-12-19T08:35:00.004-07:00

Tyler just loves Santa! He is fascinated with looking for ornaments of him on the Christmas tree and when we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house there are Santas all over. He especially loves Santa's hat. Tyler has a hat just like Santa and he just stares at himself in the mirror when he has the hat on. Needless to say, Tyler is ready for Christmas!

Tyler had a great visit with Santa! He was so fascinated and there were no tears...Yay!

This is just one of the many Santas at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The best part is that he is Tyler sized. Tyler loves to go up to him and talk to him like he is a real person.

Tyler and Santa just hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Elmo Grows Up...

2009-12-06T11:18:00.005-07:00

This weekend we had a great time at Elmo Grows Up...Sesame Street Live! Tyler loved all the characters from Sesame Street and he watched for a whole hour and a half without fussing at all. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for such a great time!

Tyler's new favorite book...The program from the performance!

All decked out in Elmo clothes!

Tyler loves Abby! I had no idea. He saw her and started saying her name. I didn't even know he knew who she was. He was thrilled when she came over and blew a kiss at him!

C is for Cookie...

Elmo's World...

The characters did a "Stomp" type routine. Too cute...

Tyler sat there with his hands clenched together like this for most of the performance. He was so good.

All the favorites...

What a fun day!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! We love you!

Thankful...

2009-11-28T10:15:00.004-07:00

The Lafflams have so much to be thankful for this year! We have been blessed with a wonderful son, great jobs, and fantastic family and friends to share all the goodness with. We also have one more thing to be thankful for...

There's a bun in the oven
On this very day,
A baby boy or a girl
Will soon be making their way.

June 16, 2010
Is the due date,
The Lafflams are the family
That can hardly wait!

Halloween Fun...

2009-11-01T08:37:00.007-07:00

Halloween this year was a blast. The day started with Grandma and Grandpa coming over to carve pumpkins. They turned out great! Tyler was able to enjoy the Halloween festivities so much more than last year. He really enjoyed getting candy from our neighbors. He got the hang of picking out the one he wanted and then he put it in his bucket. We all dressed up and had so much fun.

Pirate Rachel, Dragon Tyler, Elvis Steve, Doctor Andy, and Witch Barb...

Steve and Barb as Elvis and a Witch...

Carving the pumpkins earlier in the day...

The ghost pumpkin was Andy and mine and the witch was Barb and Steve's pumpkin. They look great!

The pirate and the doctor...

Our little dragon ready to go!

Riding his bike through the house...

Our first stop was to see Liz and Alli Brown...

Alli and Liz were so excited to see Tyler the Dragon!

And off we go around the neighborhood to trick or treat...

When we got home, Tyler took out each piece of candy...

Told us about each piece and then threw them on the ground...

He was so tired in the end, but we had a fantastic evening!

Snow Days...

2009-10-30T08:24:00.001-06:00

Last week we had nearly 20 inches of snow. Due to the snow, my school district let us have 2 days off! Tyler and I got to be together on Wednesday and we hung out with Grandma and Grandpa who arrived into town just in time. Thursday was Andy's day off so we all got to play in the snow together. We even went out to breakfast. I love the snow and especially love the days off work to enjoy then!

Tyler loved watching and waving at Andy while he was shoveling...

Lily loved playing and running in the snow...

This is our garden area and back yard. Thank goodness we saved all the veggies!

Out to breakfast and Tyler got to pick out his very own pumpkin...

Tyler and Daddy enjoying the SNOW DAY!

"Punky" Patch...

2009-10-25T08:38:00.003-06:00

This weekend we went to the Bartel's Farm Pumpkin Patch. I love Colorado Pumpkin Patches. You actually go to where the pumpkins were grown and pick them right off the vines. When I grew up, the pumpkin patches were in parking lots with hay on the ground and pumpkins lined up in neat rows. I am so glad that Tyler can experience a real pumpkin farm here in Colorado! We had so much fun exploring and looking for just the right "punky" as Tyler was calling them.

On the farm...

Hanging out in the pull cart...

So many choices!

We ended up with a lot of great pumpkins...

and a really good helper!

Tyler visited the ducks, pigs, sheep, goats, and ostriches...

We had a great day at the pumpkin farm!

Chatter Box...

2009-10-18T11:56:00.002-06:00

Well, it looks as though we have "modeled" this behavior. Tyler is a perfect mimic of us on the phone. He has managed to use his imagination to create a make believe cell phone from a part off of one of his toys. In these videos, he is having a conversation with his Daddy. He is so silly! (Please excuse the messy room...it goes from clean to messy in a matter of seconds these days. At least it is contained to this room only.)

Be sure to turn off the volume of the music at the bottom of the page before viewing the videos.

He's Finally 18...

2009-10-13T19:34:00.002-06:00

18 months old that is! One and a half...I never really talked about age in months let alone half years, but now as a parent I find myself doing this constantly (at least I am not counting in weeks anymore). I cannot believe how fast time has flown by and I find myself loving this age more that any other so far! Tyler is developing his personality, speech, and ability to cause trouble. He is talking up a storm and is so interested in communication. He knows his animal sounds and loves to have mom or dad read books to him. As always, he is as happy as can be (except when he gets new teeth in-he has 10 now). His fascinations include anything with wheels...trucks, cars, bikes, tractors, motorcycles, and firetrucks. He has even perfected the siren! Tyler is eating with a spoon and a fork and is still a vegetarian for the most part, except he doesn't like veggies. We look forward to what the next 18 months have in store for us!

Getting ready for winter!

New Slippers...

2009-09-27T10:24:00.002-06:00

Tyler loves Elmo. I don't know what it is about him that kids just love, but they do. While shopping one day at Target, Tyler saw these slippers and just started cracking up. So, I had to get them for him. He love to wear them and play with them around the house. It is too cute!

Opa's Life Celebration...

2009-09-20T10:16:00.001-06:00

Andy, Tyler, and I had a great time at the Life Celebration of my grandfather, Opa. The family got together after not seeing each other in years! Why is it that funerals and weddings bring people together? Anyhow, we had a blast and remembered my Opa by watching slide shows of old pictures and listening to his music from the band, The Silver Strings. We love you Opa!

The boys and their mom...(left to right: Uncle Herb, Uncle Richard, Oma, and Fred, my Dad)

The cousins and Uncle Herb and Aunt Suzanne...

Uncle Herb with Tyler...Thanks for hosting Uncle Herb!

Tyler bonding with Cali, the dog...

Oma, me, and Tyler...

Opa, Benny, Papa...You will be remembered and loved forever!

Time at Grandma and Opa's House...

2009-09-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

Tyler had so much fun hanging out in Dana Point visiting Grandma MaryAnn and Opa, my dad Fred, when we were back there for my Opa's life celebration. We went down to the harbor and found ourselves almost held captive by all the pirates that were gathered there for the pirate festival. He even had a chance to sit in a real fire truck! Romping around in the back yard was a blast as well. We took a drive up the coast and back and enjoyed the beautiful coastline that we miss seeing. We sure kept ourselves busy in Orange County.

Reading the safety procedures on the airplane...agian.

Dana Point Fire Department fire truck...

What a big guy!

Aye Matey...Pirates!

Some time with Mommy...

Such a happy kid sitting in the big chair...

Posing for a picture...

Cruising in Laguna Beach...my old stomping grounds...

Dana Point harbor on a cloudy day...

Bye Bye Opa...

2009-09-09T17:09:00.003-06:00

We will miss you Opa and we are so glad you are not suffering anymore. Thank you for all of the memories you have given to us. You were such a great grandpa. We love you and will miss you so much!

MVP...

2009-09-07T12:10:00.004-06:00

We took our little MVP to a baseball game over Labor Day weekend. The Rockies were playing the Diamondbacks (we were rooting for the Diamondbacks because the Rockies are starting to catch up to the Dodgers). There were home runs being hit left and right. After every home run, the music would come on and Tyler would dance. It is so funny how he just feels the music. Anyway, we had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere at the ballpark. Is there really anything better?

Tyler enjoying some snacks...

This is his new face. He does this all the time now. It is like he is trying to say "Oh."

Home Run Dance...

Mow-er...

2009-09-06T11:53:00.001-06:00

So Tyler has a fascination with the lawn mower. We were at Home Depot a month or so ago and he spotted the mowers. He kept showing us the sign for "more" and pointing to the lawn "mowers." He made the connection that "mower" and "more" sound pretty much the same so he thinks he can just use the sign for both...and he does. He has always loved watching Andy through the window as he is tidying up our lawn and yard so we thought it was about time for Tyler to get out there and start helping Daddy.

Like Father...Like Son...

Pudding Pops...

2009-08-30T18:44:00.004-06:00

I made pudding pops for Tyler today (yes, I made them...those of you who know me well, know that I do not make food very often) and he had a blast eating them. Here are a few shots of his experience with the pudding pops and him sporting his new goatee.

That was fun!

Backyard Fun...

2009-08-16T12:05:00.003-06:00

There's nothing better than cooling off on a hot summer day with a kiddie pool. Tyler loved playing and splashing around in his pool the other day. His favorite part was just getting in and then getting out. He must have done just that about 30 times. Too funny. After he was done with the pool, we played with his sprinkler duck in the grass. He loved trying to "catch" the water as it sprayed from the top. Summer days are the best!

Taking a dip in the pool...

Splashing around...

"Catching" the water...

And finally, smelling Mom's flowers...

Reunion...

2009-07-27T16:18:00.005-06:00

I had such a great time getting together with everyone while visiting in So Cal. I was able to meet up with some very important people...

These are some of the first graders from my first class that I ever taught. They are going into high school in the fall. I cannot even believe it! From left: Kyle, Chelsea, me, Hannah, and Avery. Wow, I feel old now.

These are some of the wonderful teachers that I taught with at Valencia. I miss them so much and had a blast catching up with them all.

Amy and her son Cannon were around too. We met in high school and hadn't seen each other in years.

A New Friend...

2009-07-25T16:02:00.000-06:00

Tyler made a good friend while visiting Grammie and Grandpa Larry in Orange County. Lily is their foster child and she and Tyler were about the same size. They played so well together and had so much fun! They had fun playing house, reading with Grandpa Larry, and eating together. Good times...

In the playhouse...

Eating breakfast...

Reading with Grandpa Larry...

Fun times in Dana Point...

2009-07-24T14:26:00.006-06:00

My dad and step-mom, Mary Ann, live in Dana Point so of course we had to go and make a visit to their house and head to the beach. We went on down to "Baby Beach" and had a fun time walking through the water and splashing around.

Mary Ann and Tyler...

walking into the water.

Tyler loved this so much he didn't want to leave the water. We will have to come back again next year and enjoy the beaches in sunny So. Cal again!

Great Grandmas...

2009-07-19T16:24:00.000-06:00

We headed out as a family to California where Andy and I used to live to visit some friends and family. One main reason for our visit was so Tyler could visit with his Great Grandparents. We had so much fun capturing video and pictures of them enjoying time with Tyler and loving him.

Tyler with his Great Grandma (Andy's Grandma).

(To hear the sound, pause the music at the bottom of the page before watching.)

Tyler with his other Great Grandma (Oma), Uncle Richard (middle), and Grandpa (my dad), Fred (right).

Malibu...

2009-07-17T16:59:00.000-06:00

While in California, we took Tyler to his Daddy's old stomping grounds...Malibu. This is where Andy grew up going to the beach. We enjoyed the scenic views from the cliffs and the gorgeous beach below. The day was beautiful and Tyler enjoyed his first day at the beach.

Bye Bye Malibu...

The Farm...

2009-07-16T16:08:00.000-06:00

For one of our summer play dates, we went to Lee Martinez Farm. Tyler had a great time looking at all of the animals and had no problems walking up to see them. He even got to feed the goats! As we were walking, Tyler was able to learn about all of the animals we have been showing him in books and he was so excited. For the first half of the tour around the farm, Tyler held hands with my friend Jenny's daughter, Kaylee. It was just too cute.

Tyler's First Date at the Farm...

Petting the goats...Tyler kept calling them dogs because they have dog like faces and long ears like our beagles.

Checking out the horses was Tyler's favorite part.

He was even saying "duck" when he saw the ducks!

Watching the messy pigs...

and some fat sheep...

He even petted the cow...

That sure was fun!

Maybe some day he will have a farm of his own!

On the Move...

2009-07-12T11:41:00.003-06:00

At 14 1/2 months, Tyler started walking. He was taking a few steps (5-6) when the family was out for the baptism but when we went to West Yellowstone to visit with Andy's parents he really took off. Now all he wants to do is walk. Enough of this crawling stuff...

Rafting...

2009-07-09T15:34:00.000-06:00

While visiting Barb and Steve in Yellowstone, we took a detour into Idaho and rented a raft for the day so we could float down Henry's Fork of the Snake River (I hope I got that right). It took us about 3 hours to travel about 4-5 miles down the river. We even stopped to picnic in the middle of the trip. Tyler loved looking at the birds and plants along the way. He even tried to help out with the rowing.

Waiting to go on our "3 hour tour"...

The captains of the ship...

All afloat...

Checking out the scenery...

Helping to row with Grandma and Grandpa...

A Week of Wonders...

2009-07-07T14:46:00.002-06:00

Last week we took off to West Yellowstone to visit Andy's parents, Barb and Steve. Tyler flew on his fourth plane ride and visited his seventh state so far (not too shabby for a 1 year old). We visited Yellowstone National Park and explored the natural wonders there, learned how to fly fish, played games, napped, relaxed, and just plain had a great time. While we were there, Tyler really took to walking and became very good at it, too. We had one of the best vacations ever!

Out fly fishing... A big thank you to our fishing guide!

The geysers at sunset...

Close up with a MOOSE!

Elk in the river...

Beautiful hot springs...

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Such beauty...

A river in Idaho that had the biggest trout we have ever seen...

Old Faithful Geyser...

The fam watching old faithful...

Tyler was so interested, too!

Like father, like son...

Tyler is a little tuckered out (I love this shot)...

Grandpa taking Tyler out for his first casting lesson...

Thank you Barb and Steve! See you in another month for Yellowstone Round 2...

Holy Boy...

2009-07-02T14:39:00.000-06:00

Our little man was baptised on June 20, 2009. It was a beautiful event and we were so blessed to have our family and friends there to share in this event with us. Tyler's Uncle Matt was the Godfather and my best friend, Casey, was the Godmother. Thank you all for making this so special!

Getting holy...

The proud Godparents, Casey and Matt...

All of the "parents" together (and the priest)...

The whole family...

We are Family...

2009-07-01T15:37:00.000-06:00

When you get a bunch of family and friends together to celebrate a great event you are destined to have a good time. We had that opportunity when the family came to visit us and celebrate Tyler's baptism. We had more than just the baptism to celebrate as well. Tyler started taking his first steps as soon as everyone arrived. Thank you all for making Tyler's baptism weekend so special!

Tyler playing with Cousin Maddie...

Grammie was so excited to see Tyler...

Giddy up...

Grammie and Grandpa Larry enjoying a beautiful day...

Reading books...

Taking steps...

Four Lafflam boys...

and of course, fitting in a game of cards!

Casey's Trip

2009-06-30T07:37:00.000-06:00

Casey, my best friend from college came out to visit us at the end of June. Her main purpose for visiting was to be here for Tyler's baptism and be his Godmother, but we stretched the time so we could fit in a little fun also. We had a blast touring Colorado and shopping in about every possible place north of Denver. I already miss her so much.

Welcome to Colorado, Casey!

The Budweiser Brewery tour...

Visiting the Clydesdale's...

"The Godmother"...

She even went to a puppet show with us...

Tyler strolling around the zoo...

This was Tyler's look all week as we toted him from place to place. Are we there yet?

Low Rider...

2009-06-15T17:43:00.000-06:00

Here is my "Gangsta" son rollin' in the living room. His pants are so big on him as he walks around the room running over puppets and car tracks.

Shopping...

2009-06-15T16:01:00.003-06:00

At Home Depot the other day Andy and Tyler went looking for tools. Tyler got to ride in the car cart and he had so much fun looking forward. In the regular carts, when he has to look at me, he always wants to turn around and look the other way so this worked out great. From now on we will be looking for the forward facing carts!

Zoom, zoom, zoom...

And away we go!

Play Date at the Park...

2009-06-14T12:04:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures of Tyler at his play date at Edora Park the other day. We are trying to get together weekly with other mommies and kiddos around Tyler's age. It is so fun to see them play together and it is great for me to have some adult conversation!

Tyler swinging with Mommy...

Having a good ole time...

Tyler and his buddy Sam.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...

2009-06-08T14:28:00.003-06:00

We had a very productive weekend getting ready for summer and one of the things we did was get our bikes ready to go. We had to make them "kid friendly" by adding the seat to the back of Andy's mountain bike. I guess he won't be going off-roading anytime soon. This is a sign that we are not that young anymore...when you have to add a baby seat to your spiffy mountain bike. I find it very cute though!

Tyler seems to really like his new seat and his helmet. We went out for a ride and he did really well!

Hangin' with Grandpa...

2009-06-03T12:02:00.002-06:00

My Dad came out to visit us over Memorial weekend and we had so much fun. Tyler was on his best behavior (not hard for such a happy kid) and we were able to visit downtown and just hang out at the house. Grandpa and Tyler became good friends and we can't wait for him to come back and visit us!

Twisting on the swing...

Reading stories before bed...

The Greatest Show on Earth...

2009-05-17T11:57:00.007-06:00

Yesterday we went to the circus with Barb and Steve, Andy's parents. We had such a blast and Tyler was such a good boy. We sat in the front row, which kept Tyler's attention on the circus. Tyler had a chance to meet some circus people up close and walk around the ring, too. I forgot how awesome the circus was! We are going to have to do this more often!

On the floor in the middle of the action...

Tyler with some of the performers...

His circus hat!

Up close with the elephants...

Funny clowns...riding bikes of all sizes!

The white tigers

Truly...

Play Date...

2009-05-16T11:48:00.000-06:00

Tyler and I had a chance to visit with Jessica, who now lives in the Bay area, and the girls from work who all had babies around the time Tyler was born. The play date was a blast as the mommies ate doughnuts and watched the boys play together.

This is so fun!
Tyler (in green), Camden (in navy), and Rylan (in overalls)...all boys are just 2 weeks apart.

The boys again with the newest addition, Grayson, who was born in September.

The boys are all getting so big. Where has this past year gone? Thanks for hosting, Amy.

Happy Birthday to Grandpa...

2009-05-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Steve's 60th birthday at the Buckhorn Exchange, the oldest restaurant in Denver. Tyler had so much fun looking at all of the animals, even though they were dead. We all had a great time eating lots of wild game (elk and buffalo). Happy birthday Grandpa...We love you!

Tyler and Grandpa...

The fam...

In this picture, Tyler was more interested in the fan...

Meeting a Legend...

2009-04-28T07:27:00.003-06:00

The Dodgers came to town and you know what that means...we were bleeding blue all weekend! We got to watch the Dodgers vs. Rockies on Friday and on Sunday. Tyler was such a trooper and he is really starting to love the ballpark. He is a really good people watcher. While we were there we met a legend...Vin Scully. What an honor to meet the voice of the Dodgers for the past 60 years! We also met Fernando Valenzuela, the voice of the Dodgers in Espanol and a very famous pitcher. What an exciting weekend!!!

The Dodger crew...dressed in blue...

Tyler enjoying nachos at the game...

His very first Dodger jersey...

Meeting the legend...Vin Scully

Face to face with the legend...

Another legend...Fernando Valenzuela and Pepe, the Spanish announcers

All Star...

2009-04-25T19:24:00.004-06:00

Well, we are out of the cutest socks in the world, the Trumpette Johnnys and into our real Converse All Stars. This was the first pair of shoes that I bought for Tyler before he was even born. We had to start him out with the old school cons. Get him ready for some punk rock! Go Vandals!

Spring has Sprung...

2009-04-22T19:17:00.001-06:00

With all of the rain we had last weekend, Fort Collins decided that spring was finally here. The trees are perking up with the buds just about to pop open and the grass is so green everywhere. We are seeing our daffodils and tulips in the front yard and there is no more sign of snow. We are loving our backyard and the time that we have spent out there so far. Andy is getting a vegetable garden ready and I have planted all of our pots in the backyard. Tyler had his first experience with grass out in the front yard. I love the springtime in Colorado!

A Big Week...

2009-04-19T20:57:00.006-06:00

This week was full of excitement from the big BIRTHDAY, our one year check up (shots included) and finishing off the week with the birthday party. Tyler's stats are:

DOB: 4-13-08

Height: 32 inches (90th percentile)

Weight: 22 lbs, 12 oz (50th percentile)

Hobbies include: Swinging in his swing outside in the backyard, dancing to music, clapping hands, saying "all done" in his own special way which includes throwing food all over the floor and waving his hand in front of himself while saying "all done" (very mumbled but we can understand), riding his bike, playing ball with Dad, playing, playing, and playing...

New accomplishments: Tyler now has 4 teeth, can tell you how old he is, and he can climb up a whole flight of stairs...

Tyler had his big birthday party on Saturday and we had so much fun having everyone over. Andy cooked for 12 hours or more and we had such great food and company. Thank you all for coming and being around for Tyler's big day. Here are some of the pictures at the party...

The Birthday Boy

Mr. T turns ONE...

2009-04-13T21:24:00.004-06:00

Well, we made it to the first birthday. Tyler had so much fun with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa here at the house for a great dinner, cake, and presents. It was sure exciting to see his reaction to his new toys! Tyler even got his very first bike. I cannot even believe how fast time flies. This past year has been great for us and it is so much fun to see Tyler grow up!

Tyler's first bike...

With the puppet Chef Al Fredo...

Fridge Phonics...

Time for the cake...

Waving hello to the paparazzi surrounding him...

Pause the music and turn up your speakers for Tyler's latest trick...How old are you?

Happy Easter...

2009-04-12T21:21:00.002-06:00

To all my "Peeps"...

Tyler eating his first Peep...Yum, yum!

His New Trick...

2009-04-07T21:24:00.002-06:00

Tyler is full of tricks these days. His newest trick is to lay down and pretend like he is sleeping on the floor when you say, "Are you tired? Go to sleep." Then you continue to pretend snoring. He and Grandma were doing this today after dinner. What a ham!

The Butcher Block...

2009-04-06T21:19:00.000-06:00

Tyler is definitely at the age where he is getting into everything including...our butcher block. I turned around for 2 seconds and there he was sitting inside the butcher block in the kitchen having the time of his life. That little stinker!

Swingin'...

2009-04-01T21:12:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa got Tyler a swing for Valentine's Day and we have just recently put it up hoping that the snow is almost gone. The minute we put Tyler in the swing, he had the biggest smile you could imagine. It cracks him up to be in that swing and he just can't get enough! He is hilarious.

His first time in the swing...loving every minute.

He loves to watch his dogs run around the yard and play catch with Dad.

Trying to look behind the swing as we push him.

Spring Break...

2009-03-27T08:12:00.013-06:00

This year Andy, Tyler, and I traveled to Portland and Seattle for Spring Break. This was Tyler's third trip on a plane in his 11 months of life and we all had so much fun. We definitely did some great tourist things and also hit up a couple of nice "local" restaurants which is our favorite thing to do on our vacations. We realize that this might be coming to an end very soon due to Tyler discovering that he has the ability to be very loud in restaurants and the other customers don't really appreciate it. Oh well, what can you do, right? Here are some pictures to explain what we did on vacation.

In an airplane shirt...

Off to Portland...

Beautiful scenery...

Andy and his friend Shaun in Portland.

Women "cutting the cheese"

Tillamook had a great ice creamery but I gave that up for Lent, so I couldn't enjoy any.

Tyler getting a ride from Daddy...

The Oregon coast.

Oregon's beautiful countryside.

Going to Seattle...

The Space Needle...

Happy boy in the hotel enjoying the view from the 22nd floor.

In the press box at the Seattle Mariners field.

Press conference after the big game.

In the dugout...

The locker room...

Visiting cousins Alyssa and Chris.

Taking a break...

Pike's Place Market

Tyler's first run in with a celebrity...Drew Carey!

Andy getting good luck from Rachel the pig. No really the pig's name is Rachel.

The fishmongers at Pikes Place.

The first Starbucks.

A view of the city from the pier.

Enjoying the sunset in Seattle...

Visiting the starfish at the Seattle Aquarium.

Goofing off...

Tyler on a Killer Whale...

Headed back home in his very own seat.

It's Toothday...

2009-03-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

Finally, the day has come where Tyler got his first tooth. He was 11 months and 1 day old when we noticed he had settled the feud with the Tooth Fairy. Tyler put Grandma's hand in his mouth last night and she noticed something hard. By golly, it's a tooth! Thank goodness, Mommy and Daddy were starting to get worried!

11 Months...

2009-03-13T13:26:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe that Tyler is now 11 months old. How time flies! He is growing up so much and learning new things/tricks daily. He continues to amaze us at all he is learning and how he is growing into a little boy. Since he hasn't had a doctor appointment in a while, I would guess he is close to 22 or 23 pounds. He absolutely loves dogs (his own bad dogs or in books), lights, and himself. He knows who he is and points to himself all the time when you ask where Tyler is. He started to clap the other day and waves to people. When you ask for a kiss, he leans his head in so you can kiss him. If we are lucky, he will come in with his lips in the right direction. He walks around the house using his "walker" and gets into everything. He is such a cutie pie! Here are some pictures of him growing up this past month...