First Lobos Game

 

Last night we took the boys to their first Lobos basketball game at the Pit!  It was such a fun night, and Basketball games are my favorite to go to.  Corey and I go to a couple a year but have never taken the kiddos before. The boys' first glimpse of all the hoopla was the starting lineup, which they both watched in awe (see pic!).   Once we arrived at the game Asher was totally in the zone and loving everything about it...the roaring crowd, the music, the contests, the hype.  He loved the plays, the calls, the time outs, the paper coupons that fall from the mini blimp, the band...all of it!  He jumped out of his seat when there was a bad call, and cheered as loud as he could the whole time.  He was in basketball heaven, truly.

 

Beckett, on the other hand had a very different perspective on it all.  He had a good time too, but was very distracted by the popcorn (he wanted some), cotton candy and icees (he also wanted some). He was especially miffed when a young boy went out and swept off the court...he wanted to know why he couldn't do it too.  Then there was the rack of team basketballs sitting to the side of the court at halftime...he thought it'd be nice to take one of those home too.  Why wasn't that okay?  The little coupons that get dropped from the mini blimp were a great distress...when was one going to fall into his lap? He did actually watch some of the game too!

Ah, well.  In the end, they won the game against Colorado State 66-61, Go Lobos!  They are having such a fantastic season, it was a real treat to go and cheer them on.  We were glad Asher loved it, and we might have come to terms with the fact that an almost 4 year old might need some time to fully appreciate it all.   Fun night though!

Asher turns 7!

Woo-hoo!  My Asher is such a great kid, and I can't believe he just turned 7!  We really could not be prouder of him.  He is an excellent reader, tries to do the right thing, loves school and church, is kind to others, says the best prayers, loves to play sports of all kinds and has an amazing imagination.  He is already talking about getting baptized next year, which really throws me for a loop!  How can he be almost old enough for that?

For his birthday this year, it was all about LEGO's.  We'll be having a 'friend' party in a couple of weeks, which will also be a LEGO party.  He also brought in some doughnuts (his treat of choice for the occasion) into school for a class b-day treat at school.  He had fun opening presents, blowing out candles, eating Dion's pizza (his dinner choice), and playing with family. 

His favorite presents were LEGO sets (of course), an alarm clock, his LEGO watch (he never wants to take it off), NBA Jams Wii game and a sand art kit that I still haven't let him break into because it's going to be a huge mess:)  The alarm clock has been a fun surprise.  He listens to it when he goes to bed at night, and especially loves to listen to sports channels and games.  It's even kept Beckett (who comes out of his room several times before finally calling it quits) at bay.  Corey and I have both reminisced about when we received our first walkman's or alarm clocks and how empowering and cool it was to have a radio.  I would venture to say the alarm clock is probably his favorite thing this Christmas/Birthday season.

Anyway, the birthday celebration continues for a little while more until his next party, so, let the extravaganza begin!  Happy Birthday, Ash-man.  We love you so much, buddy!

Durango Escape

We headed off to Durango on New Year's Day!  We had hoped for a little bit of the white stuff in Albuquerque over the break so the boys could play, but it was beyond dry, so we went to the snow instead.  Most people in NM will scoff at us for wishing for snow, but I figure if it's going to be cold and dry, at least a little snow would liven things up a bit, and dress things up a bit too.

Durango had just gotten a nice snow storm the day before we drove up, so it was beautifully covered with a fresh coat.  Yay!  We rented a great little cabin.  I fell in love with it's rustic stone wall, cozy fireplace and gorgeous surroundings. We settled in instantly and Corey quickly became the  'Master of the Fire', keeping us all warm and using his pocketed scouting skills. Fire, snow and all it was such a nice reprieve from suburbia.

 

Games!

After weighing our options, we (don't laugh...it was well below zero while we were there!) went swimming at their amazing-for-kids rec center pool and also hit the sledding hills.  I loved that we didn't hurry to get anywhere, took little naps in the afternoons, hiked around behind the cabin, watched movies, played games, were pummeled by the crazy jacuzzi tub in the bathroom (it was stuck on HIGH, yikes!), read books(Asher!), drank cocoa and just plain RELAXED.  It was great, really.  Corey and I even met season 2 of Downton Abbey head on and watched several episodes per night! 

Giganto pizza slice at J. Bo's. We are new fans.

 

Giganto cookie from Bread, a favorite stop. They're oatmeal cookies are really just amazing.

We have come here enough times now that we are starting to know where we want to eat, play and spend our time, which is nice.  And the 3 1/2 hour drive is a breeze, although, only five minutes out of town and Beck wanted to know if we were there yet (!). It's been over a year since we last drove to Utah, so I guess they are out of practice for the long road trips. All in all, a great, much needed escape for our family, and Durango totally fit the bill.  I am just sad now that Ash goes back to school this week, and the Christmas holiday is over.