Part 2

Our first full day with our friends we headed up to Sante Fe. What a treat. It really felt like you were visiting a little Mexican city complete with dealers selling jewelry, rugs, clothes and food (No drugs in site so that was a plus, LOL). We stopped at a little Mexican restaurant for lunch and then headed over to the Loretta chapel to see the "Miracle Staircase."

Lunch Time

Miracle Staircase

The story goes that this chapel was built with the choir loft but without a way to get up to it. Back in that time there was still issues with Indians and the Nuns prayed that someone would come to build a staircase. They didn't want one on the outside for fear of Indians and they didn't want to do a straight one because it would consume too much room inside the small chapel. One day a man named Joseph showed up on a donkey with nothing more than a square, hammer and saw. It is said that the the wood was shaped with nothing but hot water and his hands. The wood used can't be found for more than 100 miles away and the staircase contains no nails; only wooden pegs hold this staircase together. After the man completed the staircase he disappeared and was never seen there again.

There is no center pole for support and the stairs do not attach to any walls. Engineers from all over come to view this and it is still considered to be impossible to accomplish. There is a picture that shows a Nun standing on every single stair but because of safety concern the railing was added much later. This was such a treat to personally visit!

Albuquerque Zoo

The zoo was a huge highlight for the kids on our trip. Personal favorites for the boys would include the monkeys, seals, and all the different large kitty cats. The monkeys of all different kinds and sizes showed off for us by jumping from limb to limb and even interacting with Sam at the window. Mr. Orangutan was very personable and enjoyed showing off for the people at the window. Sam knocked at the window to him and was startled with he knocked back looking directly at him. He turned to me unsure of if that was okay or not and when I started to laugh he then thought it was funny too. When Mr. Orangutan was tired of all the attention he showed his teeth as if he was smiling and then walked away. A neat experience Sam talked about the rest of the trip and will enjoy telling to those that ask him about it.






This will conclude Part 2. Parts 3 and 4 later. :o)

New Mexico Fun

This was the first family vacation that we have taken since our honeymoon so everyone was very excited to get on the way. I had some reservations about how well Isaac would do with a 13 hour trip ahead of us but all worries were put aside in the first 10 minutes of our trip.

Here is how the boys started out the trip.

Joel and I decided that it would be best for all of us if we broke up the 13 hour drive into two separate days; 6 hours to Weatherford, OK and then the following day all the way to Albuquerque, NM. Well, everyone knows that the best part about staying in a hotel is jumping on the beds without any care at all. That was always my favorite part as a kid and it stands true for my kids as well. I'm not sure if Daddy had fun, what do you think by his face? LOL.






The next exciting thing that we stopped and did with the boys was go to a little dinosaur museum put on by the community college in Tucumcari, NM "The Gateway to New Mexico." Here we saw a T-Rex and they even had a child friendly zone where you could dig for fossils and make dino tracks in sand. This was a perfect break from the car for them to run around, dig, and be merry!

Digging for Dino fossils.

T-Rex and Triceratops 

The whole Kellen clan got through the first two traveling days without any hysterical temper tantrums in the car. There were plenty of snacks to munch on and drinks to drink which I'm positive helped the whole process, or I think that I am just very fortunate to have pretty good kids that can stand a good car ride.....with the snacks!

This will conclude part 1 of our trip. More to come in parts 2 and 3. :o)

Easter '09

Emerging from Mommy and Daddy's room

Goodie Baskets





The Hunt

Isaac sneaking his hand in his brother's candy, minimal candy that is, no more than a handful of M&M's.

Whew! Easter snuck up on the Kellen family for sure. I didn't start to boil our eggs until 10 after 8 on Easter Eve but we took great care in decorating them all. Isaac had to miss out due to his mommy's lateness. :o) Easter baskets were kept quite simple with a coloring book, Percy train, ball and magna doodle. The boys were perfectly happy with there goodies and I believe enjoyed the egg hunt more than the goodies. Good for them! Although, I guess at that age they would.

We also found out the Friday before that we have an 80% chance of having a baby girl this third time around the bend! I've turned that 80% into 100% due to my heart telling me so this whole time. I have bought 4 little outfits, a super soft blanket and a decorative pillow. I won't go any further than that until "the day" but for now that was great fun. Who would of thought how out of place I felt in the girl section?! I'm excited for baby #3 either way of course, and will be ready for a pregnancy break for at least 2-3 years down the road! :o) Happy Spring everyone, if you have a garden I hope it is fruitful! My onions just started to come up! (That was a random side note)!

Long Time Coming

I can't believe that it has been so long since my last posting however my time has been full of other projects, children, and letting go on my mind.

Two weeks ago we gave our dear Melvyn away to a woman that my Dad works with. She is a wonderful pet lover and I know he will get plenty of attention and love from her not to mention he has a new 110 lbs doggie friend. Melvyn will no longer be the biggest animal of the house. She continues to give us updates and Melvyn really sounds like he has adjusted well. Who would of thought that me, the non cat lover, would love this cat so dang much! I cried for two days and I'm not ashamed to say so. We had Melvyn before Samuel was here and was our beginning of our marriage, five years of ownership is bound to get you attached to what ever may be living in your home. Although he runs across my mind on a daily basis still, I don't miss the hair and I don't miss the cat box (don't worry Joel was cleaning it so I didn't have to). Since then I have washed pillow shams, duvet covers/quilts, throw blankets and have swept and mopped thoroughly which amazingly enough has stopped Isaac's chronic eye watering. All and all it is the best for all of us. A cat box is not hidden easily and can be exhausting keeping little children from it and there will be less time for Melvyn love once new baby #3 comes in September. That is my ode to Melvyn, a wonderful, affectionate and all around great cat! We'll miss you.




I have been trying to start our first veggie garden but the weather just refuses to give me the time to till and plant my potatoes, my second row of onions and lettuce. IMPOSSIBLE thus far, but am hoping for more steady weather within the coming weeks.

Our most recent excursion was a trip to the Moon Marble Factory where we saw first hand how beautiful marbles are made. Samuel enjoyed watching the torch as it heated up the glass, but Isaac could only keep interested for so long. They also said that they would prefer pictures without flash which is why I don't have any. It gets more difficult to take pictures when you have to hold a baby in one hand while pushing the stroller for another. :o) Here is a picture of the marbles that we purchased.
They had walls of marbles to choose from and Sam thought it was especially cool that he could pick any marble he wanted and put it in a tube. Mommy had to give him a little instruction because he wanted to pick only one kind of marble and fill his tube up with all the same ones. I explained that he could pick marbles off of this whole wall and then his eyes lit up even more. Maybe when we go back with Daddy I can have a free hand to take more pictures of the place.

This past weekend project was tiling the back part of our house that makes up the laundry room and mud room. Finally! A new, clean, pleasing to look at floor. Joel and I just finished putting up new baseboard, so painting that and the ceiling will wrap up this weekends worth of projects.



Easter pictures later this week!

Happy St. Patty's Day

Here are my two little Irish boys. Can you tell we've been playing outside by the rosy cheeks?




I can't tell you just how much we have been enjoying this 70 plus degree weather. Outside nonstop in our back yard just enjoying the warmth of the sun. I can't wait until we have a swing set and our stone patio! Happy days!

Okay. I'm Horrible.

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post. I'm trying to gather up some more pictures to put on especially since we plan on getting down and dirty in the yard every single day that it is nice! Have some more patience and more pictures are sure to come!

More Snow

Although I wasn't terribly happy about seeing snow this 28th of February, Sam was very excited as he looked out the sliding glass door. "Mommy! Look! Snow outside...." he said. Yes, there sure is snow outside, and not just a dusting but more like 3 inches of snow. We just aren't quite over the hump of transitioning into Spring, but I know that we all long for it. Winter is all fine and dandy through the holiday season but once all festivities have stopped I'm ready to not be cooped up in the house. Oh well, I guess it was a semi-fun event considering Sam had yet to use his winter gear that we bought him back in November. This snow was a pretty powdery snow that packed great snow balls but lacked the moisture to make a good snow man. I tried to show Sam how to make a snow angel but he got mad at me as I nudged him into the snow so he could make one. Instead he was perfectly happy just walking around kicking the snow. I was surprised at just how long he wanted to stay out and I was the one that coaxed him back inside with the idea of hot chocolate. So thank you Mother Nature for the pretty snow and please let this be the last until the next holiday season.

Buzzzzed!

I have to say, the second time around for a hair cut went much better than the first. There was no uncontrollable sobbing, reaching out in desperation or me having to paw both sides of his face so that he couldn't move an inch. No, this time Isaac didn't cry one bit. He sat much better this time around, although still far from not moving at all. This time I suggested bringing down a couple cookies that may distract him in the process and that is exactly where he fed all his anxiety and fear. If the cookie was not in his mouth or some part of it then there was going to be a break down.

Grandpa always does such a nice job with the boys' hair. Not only has he always cut his own sons' hair he has cut all of his grandsons' hair and now his great grandsons' hair. I would say the man has some experience, but when the littlest of ones decide to make a quick move things could potentially get ugly. :o) I requested that Isaac had short hair on the sides and back and then slightly longer on the top, but because of forces Grandpa could not control as he went in for the trim up top Isaac chose to see where exactly Grandpa was going with the clippers. "Oops," Grandpa said, "I don't think I'm going to be able to do what I was trying to do anymore." We all chuckled and I told Grandpa to just go ahead and buzz him. How horrible could he look? Turns out not horrible at all. Isaac has such the cutest little head it doesn't matter if he has hair or not, cute as a button. This buzz cut on Isaac has a striking resemblance to my Dad when he was a little boy; memories that I don't recall but my Grandma does.




I think we'll keep the timeless classic of the buzz through the summer for easy clean up and will try the high and tight when the cold rolls back in. So here is to summer and the traditional buzz to celebrate it!

Walking my Snoopy

Proud!

Can you tell how proud he is? He has been so good about going potty that today I took him out to buy his favorite undies. The ones that you see in the picture were not the ones that he picked out, but yes I did buy the ones he chose, but I also bought these for my amusement. Boxer briefs for little boys are hilarious, I love 'em! Sam ran around the house a couple times once he had them on and told his Daddy that they make him run faster. :o) Such the story of a little boy usually goes. 6 days and going strong. Great Job Sam!