We're Moving!

I'm having a hard time being motivated to update the blog.  Our computer 'update' has turned out to be less than user friendly in the movie making department and blogger has decided to make annoying changes to postings as well.  It's losing the fun factor. . .

Anyway, it's been a busy month.  It's offical, we're moving to Salt Lake City so Brad can start a new job April 1st.  We didn't look for this opportunity, it just came knocking.  But, it's a promotion and it will give Brad a chance to learn more in the management arena.  So, he's going from being an auto claims supervisor to being the state manager for auto claims for Utah.  Wow!  Now that all the formalities are over, we know we have about a month and a half to get there.

So, we decided to celebrate Brad's promotion las weekend by eating at The Fort in Morrison.  It is a famous restaurant that serves wild game.  It's very Colorado.  We had rattlesnake cakes (like a crab cake but with rattlesnake meat!), quail, buffalo and elk.  It was really good and the atmosphere was fun as well.   

It was also our first time to go out without Addy. She spent the time with our neighbors, Pat, Kesa and Olivia.  She did really well and enjoyed seeing all of Olivia's toys!  Pat and Kesa are expecting Baby #2 at the end of April so they were excited to practice an evening with two kids.  Luckily it went well!

Here was the inside of the courtyard at The Fort.  It is an adobe style complex patterned after an old fort.  It was really neat and beautiful tucked up against the red rocks of Morrison.

Here's us inside the restaurant before we got our food. 

In addition to all that's been going on with us moving to SLC, Addy turned 5 months old.  She is getting so big and she is so much fun.  She isn't crying as much when she goes down for naps because she's discovered she rather likes sucking her thumb and playing with her hair in her crib.  She doesn't do it at any other time but it is sooo cute in her crib. 

We'd appreciate your prayers as we prepare for this big change.  We'll have a lot to do and it will be a HUGE change in a lot of ways.  Please pray for wisdom, peace and God's provision of a place to live there.

Thank you!

Adventures. . .

We've been having a bit of computer trouble so here's a post from 2 weeks ago. . . This last week was a busy one for us! Addy just turned 4 months old and is growing like crazy! We had her check-up yesterday and she weighs 14lb 11oz and is in the 70th% (11lb 14oz at 2 mo = 75%). She is 25.5 in long and is in the 90th% for height (23.5 in at 2 mo = 90th%). Her head circumference is 16 in and is in the 40th% (15.25 in at 2 mo = 50th%). She continues to take after me with a bit of a pin head! :) I think she remembered the Dr's office (is that even possible?!) because when I laid her down on the table to get her shot, she started crying! She didn't even wait for the poke! I guess she takes after me for that too!

We also ventured to the Museum of Nature and Science on Saturday to see the Genghis Khan exhibit. We weren't sure how this would go with Addy in the stroller but she really enjoyed it. And, when she'd had enough of swords, armor and artifacts, she fell asleep. Yay! We had a great time learning about the Mongolian culture. There was even a contortionist (a senior at our neighborhood high school) who performed. She was amazing!

Sunday, after visiting Denver's first church (150 years old!) with our neighbors, we headed to an indor rec pool to take Addy swimming for the first time. The night before, I started getting pretty nervous. . . what if she drowns, what if something happens? So Brad and I did what we do best, we did a little research on teaching infants to swim. Google 'baby swimming survival video' and watch it sometime! It's crazy! There were also some cruel looking ones where parents push their kids under water and watch them kick themselves back to the surface! Needless to say, this research only made me more freaked out. We decided that Brad should introduce Addy to the swimming pool so she wouldn't sense my nervousness. :) Actually, Addy didn't mind the pool at all! She wasn't super happy, but she was very content in the water and didn't mind being in the pool for quite some time! That was just another reminder for me of not to be fearful about new things! It was really fun and I can't wait to take Addy back to the pool!



Well. . . I don't know if it was swimming or what but Addy just spent the last week with a cold. Poor little one! She's actually been in pretty good spirits but I did take her to the Dr. after she coughed so hard she threw up all over me! Yuck! I think she's on the mend.

Christmas #2. . . finally

On Christmas Eve, Addy wore her first dress! :) She had hot pink tights to go with it (an essential, says Raguel!) but she cried and cried with the tights on. As soon as we took those off, she was as happy as can be. I suppose she takes after her mom because I don't know the last time I wore nylons! Anyway, so Addy was unlady-like all evening but she did have a great Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day, Addy slept through opening presents. We weren't about to skip nap time on such a busy day! Later, she took part in her first Davis Family White Elephant Gift Exchange. When Papo opened a blow up Pooh bear, Addy was in heaven! She laughed and giggled at that thing until mean ol' Grandpa turned it off. She was passed around from relative to relative and she really enjoyed the attention!

Later we went for a walk down by the Rio Grande. Here is Addy at her first glipse of the Rio. It was an interesting walk given it was a single track trail with cactus on either side! Luckily, Brad drove the stroller!

Here's Addy with Cousins Tiffany, Joy and James and Auntie Jenny the day after Christmas at yet another family/food get together!

After church on Sunday, Addy couldn't even keep her eyes open at lunch! She never falls asleep in anyone's arms so we knew she was REALLY tired!

Auntie Jenny got Addy some great Bible story books. Addy really likes books (and pens for some reason!) so Jenny had a captive audience for the stories! Thanks Auntie Jenny!

On our way home from Albuquerque we stopped at my Aunt Zana's house to see more family. While opening presents, my cousin Megan decided to decorate Addy's huge bald spot with a bow. Too bad she can't go around like that all the time, her bald spot is HUGE!

We really did have a great Christmas in NM. I have so much wonderful family there and we enjoyed catching up with everyone and showing off our little bundle! :)

Christmas. . . sort of

It's amazing, we're having a heck of a time getting any pictures posted from Christmas because our memory card erased (of Addy's first Christmas!!!) and the disk of photos from my parents was defective. So, I'll post this video of Addy on Christmas day at Grandpa Hulsbos' house because it's really cute of Addy laughing. I'll post some more later. . .

I started this Tick Tock game with Addy in Salt Lake City because I was trying to find some way to keep her awake and playing with very few toys around. She really loves it!

We drove to Albuquerque the day after we put Brody to sleep and stayed at Aunt Bev and Uncle Tom's about a week. We had a great time seeing TONS of family and Addy did great! She is turning into a travel pro! She stayed on her flexible schedule and slept great on whatever floor/bed she was put down on! She really enjoyed being held by whoever snatched her up and she loved all the new faces.

On our way home, we stopped in Santa Fe to see my Aunt Zana and cousins. In this photo is Jenny, me and Addy, Grandpa Hulsbos, Stella and Aunt Zana.

Dad is still totally GaGa over Addy! :)

When we got home from NM, Addy was showing a preference to be straight up in a chair, not reclining anymore so we bought her a high chair. She loves it!! She gets to sit up like a big girl and play with her toys!

When I was sitting here typing, Addy was on the floor, having just eaten (note the spit up spot on the blanket!) and I looked down and she had flipped herself over on her side. She hates tummy time so I'm not surprised that she's turning over from her back to her side before tummy to back.

Salt Lake City

Addy had her first airplane trip this last week. We took a 1 hour flight to Salt Lake City and Addy did great! It was interesting to stay in a hotel for the week but luckily we got to stay with my Aunt Deb and Uncle Scott during the weekends. Addy enjoyed meeting their dog, Duncan, and waking up at 4am each morning. :)


She is getting so big and has started to be really entertaining. She started making rasberries with her lips today and enjoys to be tossed, fake dropped and bounced around on the bed. Is she too young for those things? I don't know but she giggles and squeals when I do them. She also started to 'get' peek-a-boo. Below is a video of her laughing at this game in our hotel in SLC.

One last walk. . .

Brody went for her last walk today. She was just one week shy of her 12th birthday. We hoped she would make it to Christmas but when we returned from 8 days in Salt Lake City, it was clear that she was in a lot of pain and her medicine wasn't helping. She was really struggling to walk but we knew she would want to go for one last walk before she died. She was really excited to go but had to be carried back to the house. Her legs just couldn't carry her anymore. We took her to the vet and sat with her while she died. Addy even seemed to know something was wrong because she sat very quietly watching Brody while she died. What a horrible way to head into Christmas. We're going to miss Brody's snooring, barking after C-A-T's, running to the kitchen when she hears the cheese bag open or a yogurt container or spoons scraping the bowl of ice cream. I'm going to miss her following me around the house and sitting in Addy's room while I feed her. Brad's going to miss wrestling with her, teasing her and hiking with her. Once Brody led Brad to the summit of Mt. Harvard and back to the base in the middle of the night. She kept to the trail and kept Brad out of trouble (even if he shouldn't have been hiking a 14er in the middle of the night by himself anyway!!!). What a great dog. We'll miss her.

It's been 7 months since Brody started really struggling to walk. We're grateful we got to enjoy her those few extra months. The video below is of her last walk.

Thanksgiving Road Trip

For Thanksgiving we drove to Gunnison to my parents' house. It was Addy's first road trip and she really did well. We stopped halfway to and from to feed her and she cried a little but she slept most of the time. Here is Addy as we took off from our house on Wednesday night.

We enjoyed being on vacation, eating good food, and seeing lots of family. Even though Gunnison is generally the coldest spot in the country, we were able to get out for walks because the sunshine made 13 degrees feel like a heat wave! Addy was so cozy n her snow suit that she fell asleep on our walk.

Here is some of the family who joined us for Thanksgiving: (L to R and F then B) Dad, Grandpa Hulsbos, Me, Addy, Jenny, Papo Bursch, Brad, Auntie Zana, and Mom. My cousins Stella, Danny and Kaitlyn and my uncle David were also there. It was a good time and it was neat that Addy got to meet both her great Grandpas. Addy sure was the center of attention though. . . good grief! We need to have another kid quick or she'll think the world revolves around her! Wait, actually right now it does! :)

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!