Astrid's 3rd Birthday

Before: an old DI cabinet

After: a play kitchen for Astrid that I've been wanting to make for at least a year.

Despite the bitter cold, it's not a Mexican birthday party without a pinata.

Beautiful cake, I know. But at least it tasted good.

I was raised with the following birthday party theory for kids:
small house, lots of kids and parents running amok, lots of games, lots of food, lots of noise, lots of mess, lots of chaos.

Now that we have our own home, we were able to accomplish just that, and while it may have seemed overwhelming to our guests, it felt just as it should to me. It was so nice to see so many of our good friends and family all in one place, celebrating our baby girl's third birthday. It was quite wonderful.

I can't believe just how quickly she has reached the ripe age of three. My post-partum depression is just now setting in...

Christmas in Colorado

A very late wedding gift.

This year we spent Christmas in Colorado Springs. Also visiting were family and friends from California and Guadalajara. It was very nice and I learned how to make some delicious Mexican dishes, including a hot and tasty salsa.

Christmas in Colorado: Colorado Springs Climbing Gym

My brother, Lex, just became a part-owner of the oldest climbing gym in the West. So, after opening gifts on Christmas morning, we hit it up. It was so much fun, mostly because it was free and there were plenty of people to belay me (I don't prefer bouldering).

New Years: Bear Lake and Beaver Mountain

Astrid finished her skiing experience with a little swinging fun...

"The Magic Carpet" was awesome. It took Astrid and Dad to the top of the bunny slope.

Chilling after a run

Astrid had a wonderful first experience skiing. All we were shooting for was a positive first experience, and it was. The guys at the rental gear shop were calling Astrid by name and showing her all of their pink and purple options in boots and skis. Needless to say, that was a great way to get her excited to hit the slopes: "I'm going to ski and I'm not going to fall, ever!", she declared to everyone in the shop.

Once on the hill, a seasoned dad taught us to "recharge" her before every run with gummies, and the Magic Carpet conveyor belt was a nice, and non-scary (unlike the lifts) respite between runs.

Now Astrid pretends to be skiing at home. Obviously Arthur is stoked and can't wait to continue to take her up the mountains for some more skiing fun.