Catching up

I figure I should fill in the large blank that was left when I almost suddenly stopped blogging completely. Sorry, once again, about that :o) I`ll just give a very brief description, and put lots of pictures, sound good? After selling our home in south Provo (right before the market tanked.miracle) We stayed in my Grandma and Grandpa Crowley`s basement apartment for a little over a year. During that time I had no internet, and sometimes went upstairs to my grandma's to blog (rarely due to being on bed rest).

Matt, Jacks and I had a fun summer traveling to some of Matt's marketing areas for conventions. During this time I was newly pregnant, and didn't know it!

We found out that we were pregnant while Matt was away at a convention in Idaho. We were very excited, because we were told that it might take us much longer for various reasons. We took our wonderful Newport Beach CA trip with my family while I was in full blown sick mode, and it was really yuckie for me, yet still fun.

About a week after arriving home from the beach (when my pregnancy was at 9 weeks) I experienced very miscarriage like symptoms. It was so frightening, but after only about 30 min. of fear, my grandpa Stacey gave me a priesthood blessing that spoke of my child living, and bringing us incredible amounts of joy. Although I remained on bed rest for about 4 months, then couldn't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for the remainder of the pregnancy, I had no worries about my baby making it.

Little Lucy Nicole arrived on March 12th, healthy and perfect.

Jackson quickly fell in love with her, and Matt and I have been amazed at how

we really could love two children with all of our hearts (how can

all of that love still fit?) It has been really fun to watch matt's relationship with Lu, he is

truly smitten. Jackson is about the same, he has cared for and protected her so carefully, and

remains the best one at getting her to belly laugh.

About 2 months after Lucy was born, we packed up and moved out to Boulder Colorado for the summer. As luck would have it, my adorable cousin Maria Lindsey and her husband Nick were in New Mexico at an internship for the summer (Maria is an opera singer!) This left their charming condo vacant, and they were kind enough to let us live there. Wow, it was very good of them indeed, We literally had to lock almost every decoration in a bathroom. Although the house was somewhat barren after "jackson proofing" it, it was still a wonderful and fun place to spend our summer.

Some of our favorite memories from our Colorado stay are...

Our next door neighbors, Dan, Kate, Max and Beth. Jacks and Max almost instantly became best friends, as did Kate and I. Kate and Dan are originally from England, and were absolutely charming people to spend time with. Kate was so kind as to take the kids and I to her favorite organic farm a few times. Jacks and Max loved feeding the chickens and Pigs, as well as sitting on the tractors.

Since moving home to Utah, we miss our friends and are excited to go back and see them (or have them visit us... hint hint Kate :o)

The lovely town of Boulder grew rapidly on my heart. It is just full of bike paths, and charming places. We loved a particular park, which had this HUGE space ship that Jackson would climb in. We ESPECIALLY loved PEARL STREET. If you have never been to Pearl St., you have to do it! It is a fun tree lined street with wonderful shops and restaurants- very close to the flat iron mountains. The best part is the MUSIC!!! For some reason artists of all types gather to the area to play their instruments, sing their songs, or show their talents in hopes of spare change, or recognition. As you walk down the street the air is just filled with all kinds of music, and little clusters of people sourrounding a particularly good show. Some artists that deserve "honorable mention" are;

2 teenage upper class looking boys playing the xylophone so fast and error free- It sounded like Jamaica or something!

The "one man band" who had drum sticks duct taped to his flip flops to strike his drums on the ground, while using every other part of his body to play other instruments like cymbals on his head, a harmonica in his mouth, bells hung all over him, and an accordion to top it all off.

THE GYPSIES!! Ok, there was this group of Gypsies that seemed to live on a particular stair case, and they made the most incredible music. They looked to truly be a group of homeless middle aged people, and were all dirty, wearing rags. Most had dredlocks and a very European smell hung around them. These were not "costumed" people, they seemed to truly be gypsies. Anyway, they all had unusual instruments, I remember one played a saw with a violin bow, while making the saw quiver (creating a very spooky sound) another played a triangle, still others having guitars, drums made from different dumpster looking objects, a tambourine, one girl sincerely had bells around her ankles and she danced to the rythum! In the center sat the singer, the thing that truly won my heart. Although he looked to be in his mid 20s, his voice was indescribably raspy and low. I could almost compare it to that of Louis Armstrong (who sings what a wonderful world). The combination of the look of the group, the interesting instruments used, and that voice... I spent a lot of time in front of those stairs, and Jacks put a lot of money in their empty guitar case.

We also fell in love with a singer/ guitar player who sounded much like Billy Joel. His voice was so beautiful and clear, it could almost break your heart.

One Saturday there was a HUGE group of drum players (probably 100 people). All different types of drums, all marching down the street wildly beating different rhythms. It was truly one of the loudest noises I have ever heard (Lucy`s eyes were huge) Jackson loved it!

There was this adorable little man who was almost always there making free balloons for all of the kids. He was very talented with those balloons! He told Matt and I that he was a script writer/ actor and that his script had just been chosen for "The Hobbit" and he might possibly be casted as the " Hobbit King ". Ya, that was hard to believe, but he looked the part!

Ooo! There was this group that played long slender horn looking instruments that sounded like they were from India- really low rumbling sounds with rhythms throughout.

And I have to mention the little mid-evil singer- he dressed like someone from "Monty Python" and played this tiny harp while singing min-evil sounding songs in a lovely tenor voice.

All of those were mixed in with numberless other string quartets, pianists (who brought their pianos with them!) and vocalists.

We loved that place, it made Boulder endlessly exciting!

The last think I will mention was Estes Park Colorado. It reminded me a little of Park City- a beautiful high end mountain city full of shops and restaurants, as well as endless mountain activities. My wonderful aunt and uncle Rulon and Linda Stacey recently bought the most AMAZING cabin there, where we spent a good deal of time. Jackson caught his first fish there! No amount of words could explain the beauty and fun of the cabin, so I won't even try. We enjoyed having my family and Matts family come up for their summer vacations.

Whew! I`ll write more soon...