Busy Bees

We are tired, so this is going to be a lame post. We will only be partially offended if you don't read the whole thing. Our first month here has been good. It took a week to just get organized, and get the house in order. We spent much time at the park and pool- Elena's two favorite activities. We did our first hike into the Denver side of the Rockies, and we loved it. The contrast of trees and fields was beautiful. They definitely compete with the Utah Rockies. Mike is situated for school and is starting his third week of classes. He will probably be the face of the DU public policy website. Mike can't hardly walk on campus without people crowding him and asking for his autograph. No, but seriously, he may be in some of the pictures for the DU program. Campus is very green; it reminds us of eastern schools with its architecture and landscape. The last splurge of summer was the Denver Zoo. Elena just had a ball there, and talks about Bibbi and Dolly, the elephants who we watched get a bath. All elephants are now called Bibbi and Dolly. We have a pretty cool video of tiger cubs playing. Elena did turn two, but is going on 18. All she does is play with Natalie's jewelry, makeup, and high heels. She got some sun glasses and a little purse for her birthday, and she won't go outside without her shades and purse. It was a much simpler birthday, but we had a lot of fun. We made her a boo cake from Monster's Inc, and we had some friends come over and celebrate with us. Thanks belongs to everyone who sent gifts from afar. We really appreciate it. She loved opening all of her gifts, and it made her birthday very special. The end.

Denver Woot Woot

Our time here has finally come to an end, and not a moment too soon. Tomorrow we leave for Denver. After a Uhaul mix up, we won't leave until about 5, but at least we will be leaving. I just hope Denver is bigger than Rigby. Here are some pictures of our time here in Rigby and Las Vegas. Elena is basically potty trained, and by that, I mean she pees so it puddles up in her sandals. Literally she makes lakes in her sandals. But seriously, she is doing fantastic with her potty training. Rarely does she make lakes. She even taught herself how to poop in the toilet. That comes from the Stephens side. When we moved to Rigby she arrived as a baby, and she is leaving as a toddler. It is hard to believe that she is growing up so fast. On top of it all, we are expecting our second little girl in mid-January. Elena is excited to have a little sister. She puts diapers on her dolls, but she won't wear her own undies. She also likes to hold and look at the ultrasound pictures. Natalie finished her internship and is now studying for her RD exam. We have enjoyed the past month together. We have basically relaxed and gotten things in order for Denver. Now we are preparing for a fast pace life, and we are excited for the change of pace. I start school in mid-September. They are telling me that I should leave as the valedvictorian. I also have an internship with the Independence Institute. I guess that is all, so go Cougars.

Elena is a true Idaho girl

Later she actually gave her shoes to the tigers. (Man my daughter is generous.)

Healthy shopping- nurtition labeling made easy!

Between that "factoids" you hear about what is "healthy" and what is "not" and all the labels you see at the store, deciding what to actually buy requires detetive-like skills. Most of us waste money on special products that look really great but aren't any more special than cheaper options. Then there are foods that may not even show any of the plentuiful nutrients it does contain, just because they are not the nutrients required to be labeled (and there are ALOT that don't have to be). Price Chopper has started using a scoring system developed in some Yale hospital, that scores a food from 1-100. If you have a Price Chopper near by, check it out! If you do or don't, check out their website to find out how shopping for healthy foods may be easier in the near future!http://www.nuval.com/