Trip to Denver

Sorry that we haven't posted an update in a while.  We were very busy last week and then this week our computer died.  Luckily, our neighbor is a computer doctor and revived our computer for us.
We made a trip out to Denver, CO a few weeks ago to visit Emily's sister and brother-in-law.  Our last trip out there was over 3 years ago when Eliana was just 8 weeks old and we wanted to come out again before our #3 arrives.

We also wanted to come out so that the girls could play in the snow.  Denver weather cooperated and when we got there, they still had a couple of inches on the ground.  The girls suited up and went outside to build a snowman.  Karina was very uncertain about walking in the snow.  She is very stable on her feet now, but didn't like something about the snow. 

Eliana, on the other hand, loved it.  We built a snowman in the shade so he would last longer.  Uncle Darin helped out with the body and head.  He also found Eliana some sticks for the arms.

Eliana used rocks for the eyes and mouth and a carrot for the nose.  Darin found pine needles for hair.  Karina is helping rearranging the charcoal brickets stuff on snowman's belly.

After the girls were done, Libby the lab come over to inspect their handiwork.

Jen and Darin have a rambuctious chocolate lab and semi-shy ocicat.  The dog was a little too much for the girls, but they were obsessed with Lida the cat.  Karina was constantly searching for the cat saying "kitty!  kitty!?"

We were there for four days and thought that the novelty might wear off.  It didn't.

Eliana wanted to hang out and pet the cat.  The feeling was not mutual.

The girls were willing to pet the dog as long as they were sure that Libby wouldn't lick them. 

Darin is an avid hunter and hiker.  During a hike, he found some shed antlers on the ground.  Eliana pretended she was a buck.

Uncle Darin was fletching a few arrows in the basement.  Eliana took a liking to him and would hang out with him downstairs.

Eliana slept in the same room as we did, and slept better than we expected.  She had a mini-mattress laid out next to our bed and picked out blankets that she liked.  And being the nester that she is, made up a little nest for herself.

On Sunday, we drove out to some hills to go sledding.  Elvin pulled Karina along flat ground on a sled, then asked her, "Do you want to go again?"  "No" was her answer.  Apparently, Karina is not a fan of the cold and does not have a need for speed.

So she spent most of the time in her mommy's arms.

Eliana, on the other hand, LOOOOOVES sledding and inner tubing on the snow.  She went down about two dozen times and had a huge grin on her face every time. 

Later in the afternoon while Karina was napping, Elvin and Eliana went with Uncle Darin to run some errands.  We passed by a Cabela's-like store and Eliana got to see a bunch of wild game stuffed and mounted on the walls.  But her favorite was a statue of a bear holding a fish.  She was holding her stuffed animal cat and thought the bear was holding it's stuffed animal fish.

And here's a video of the girls playing with/tormenting the cat.  Emily says it's time for us to get a cat but Elvin continues to veto the idea.