Spring Break -March/April 2010

We are all excited for Spring break and some time to rest and get things in order. Spring has brought many new beginnings for our family. With the new addition to our family - Simon, who we got from the Humane society and after the first week in our home he seems to have fit right in, he seems to especially love Jennifer. But has also become Chad's running partner, and has become quite fond of Ashlee.

Chad is continuing to run and prepare for the Bolder Boulder which is the end of May. Basketball ended up on a down note losing to the University ward and Chad ended up fouling out of the game. I guess there's next year - huh?

Jennifer -if you haven't heard already -made the GCD Design Team for their altered projects. She continues to make some amazing layouts of the kids. She is getting ready for teacher appreciation week and the kids school carnival. Being the head of all volunteers at the kids school keeps her really busy. Mama's little baby (Simon) also has taken a lot of time- getting him into our routine.

Jackson has started Spring soccer and of course the first couple of games always seem to be cancelled due to Spring snowstorms. But Jackson did well last week with 3 shots on goal but just a bit outside. Jackson continues to do choir and is preparing for the end of year program.

Ashlee loves to be outside and ride her bike and play with friends. She of course has found a new best friend in Simon, and is very good at taking him out to go potty and playing with him. We still haven't decided if she will do swimming, dance, or cheer leading this summer, she changes everyday???

Gavin continues to enjoy his DS and the WII - he got a new game for his DS that he calls Marion and Jones instead of Indiana Jones. Gavin enjoys playing with Brody next door and playing with Simon as well. He just had his leader day at school this week and Jennifer was there with him- and had to place all the cups out and fill with Apple juice and apparently couldn't wait and took a sip out of all the cups- you gotta love the little guy!

February 2010

We are getting ready for Valentines Day, and Jennifer is glad to be done with all the kids Valentine's Day parties at school. She had another card picked up by a magazine called "Cards"-I am so proud of how creative Jennifer is and continues to create incredible cards, layouts, and projects of all kinds, she is truly amazing.



Chad is still in training for the Boulder Bolder with Jennifer and a few minor setbacks with sickness and injury but will continue running hard. Chad is enjoying Church basketball and actually is back to where he can play the whole game.



Jackson is done with basketball and has won his last basketball game. He continues with choir a couple of times a week and scouts where he is working to get his webelos and just finished getting third place in the pinewood derby - very close to getting first but not quite - after getting 2 thirds and a second place- our last chance to get a first place will be with Gavin.



Ashlee had a great time at her Valentine's party and is little miss photogenic as you can see on Jen's blog. She continues to be into fashion and clothes and loves to look fabulous, we are looking at geting her into cheerleading or ice-skating -we'll see what ends up happening.



Gavin continues to be our little video game junkee, we have to watch him closely to keep him to an hour a day. He was excited yesterday to hang his little bird feeder that he made in school in the little tree (about the size of a bush)in the backyard and asked Jennifer when she tried to throw it out - "how will the birds get their food if I don't hang it outside?" Who can argue with that.

We hope you are having a super week! and enjoy this update and pictures.

February 2010

I have committed to myself and to Jennifer that I will be updating our blog more regularly. I will go back and update our trip to Atlanta for Mom and Dad Mann's 50th wedding anniversary and Disney Cruise, which we had a blast.

The kids are growing up too fast, Jackson just finished up basketball this week and they finished on a high note with Jackson's team winning. Jackson ended up 4-4 and is starting to do much better on the offensive end scoring an average of about 2 pts a game -which is about an average of 20pts a game in the NBA, he is now on to soccer in a few weeks and continuing to do choir at Monfort school, which he really enjoys.

Ashlee is excited to start ice-skating and cheerleading -one of the 2 we will find out this week, Ashlee is doing well in school and is of course our social butterfly with a little attitude at times. Ashlee can't go without a story everynight and wants to have a sleepover in her brothers room every night. Her new favorite stuffed animal is Jazz the dog -one of her Christmas presents, but bunny usually tags along as well.

Gavin loves Wee Love Preschool and was the leader this week, he will be playing in the father/mother and me soccer through the city. He loves to play Lego Star Wars and Lego Batman on the WII and bounces the entire time playing and stays in good shape this way. Gavin is Mommy's angel and loves every Monday where Jackson and Ashlee are in school all day and he gets to spend the day with just his Mom.

Jennifer is doing some fantastic layouts and was just in the CRICUT newsletter with an awesome valentines project-and has been published in several magazines with cards, layouts and other various projects. Her creativity continues to amaze me, she is truly talented and is expanding her talents with photography by taking another class in June of this year. She continues to be the volunteer of the year at Monfort school- being over all the room mom's for the entire school, the school would fall apart without her.

Chad and Jennifer are running 5 days a week and preparing to run the Bolder Boulder which is a 10k race on Memorial Day. Chad has found a new passion for running and after this 10k race he will be training for a marathon sometime next year.

January 2009 Events

Gavin is finally potty trained -YIPPEEE! We had promised to take him to Chuck E Cheeses if he got rid of his diapers, and he has been telling us I want to to lunch with Jesus, we finally figured out he was saying I want to go to lunch at Cheeses. So we took the kids to Cheeses and had a good time, I whooped up on Jennifer in the basketball game which she usually always wins.

Ashlee is loving gymnastics, and since Chad is in Windsor for a couple of months until he takes over a new Chase branch in Ft Collns, he is able to see her do her stuff, and then Chad, Jennifer, Ashlee and Gavin have been able to do lunch every monday.

Jackson is finishing his basketball season, they have won 5 games and lost his first game last week. Jackson will go down as the defensive player of the year after clothes lining and tackling a player last week. Jackson has played hard and learned alot this year. Chad has promsed to take him to a Nuggets game in the next few weeks. Also Chad and Jackson just finished making his pinewood derby car and looking to get 1st place this year after a close 2nd last year. Jennifer will of course make sure it looks good.

Jennifer just finished another big month of scrapbooking and several layouts, and cards were purchased for a big trade show and also had another layout published. She is so creative and of course you can see all of her work on jenthecrazyscrapbooker,com.

Chad is getting all of his staff hired and getting ready to open a new Chase branch in Ft Collins on Harmony & Corbett, in April. We also just booked a Disney cruise for August before we go to Georgia for Cassidy's wedding and Mom and Dad Mann's 50th wedding anniversary. We are all excited and working out daily to prepare to get in our swimsuits.

Christmas morning

I guess Chad can finally start adding to our Blog. Jen got a laptop for Christmas and should give Chad no more excuses to not update the family memories. Chad can no longer get lost or run out of gas with his new Tom Tom Navigation System. Jackson is on the fence of believing in Santa anymore, but this morning I think he believes. He got 3 WII games (Sonic Unleashed, Ben10, and Disney Sing IT) and Kirby and Transformers for his DS, and numerous new clothes. Ashlee was ecstatic with her Bratz guitar, makeup and array of clothes. Gavin could have received a bunch of rocks and would have been excited, he was so happy to get new trucks and Handy Manny toolbox, he was so excited, even down to the cereal he received in his stocking.

At this time of year we can't help but be thankful for all of our wonderful blessings and beautiful, healthy family. We also reflect on the birth of the Savior as we had our annual Christmas Eve reading from Luke 2, and this year we were honored to hear a beautiful solo of Silent Night by Jackson. It is amazing how fast they grow-up. Jackson has a beautiful voice and a talent for music that he definitely didn't receive from his Dad ???? Following our annual program the kids made their annual reindeer sandwiches and appetizers and we all sang Christmas carols and the kids watched christmas programs before heading off to bed. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Merry Christmas to all!

Wow...it's getting bad...

We haven't updated in a long time...I think most of you know to check my scrapbooking blog as I do update that more regular. We appreciate all of the emails and calls to let us know that you all miss seeing pictures of the kids! We promise to get this updated more often ;)

Let's play catch up shall we ;)

School has started for Jackson and Ashlee...they are both off to a great year! Jackson is in third grade this year and Ashlee has started Kindergarten. They both love their teachers and are progressing well.

Here's some photos of them heading back to school ;)





If you notice from Ashlee's back to school photo...she is missing a tooth. Right before school started Ashlee lost her first tooth. She was so excited! And the tooth fairy was very good to her ;)



Over Labor Day weekend Jackson decided to test his super hero skills and jumped from the 4th stair (to the bottom) into a dark basement and managed to break his arm. We had to wait out the weekend in a splint before going in to get casted, so we thought....but this actually was so bad that he had to go into the hospital for surgery where we fully expected Jackson to have to have pins put into his arm. We are so happy to report that the doctor was able to get his bone to stay into place without the use of pins. He then was casted in the office 2 days later and wore a cast until the first of October. According to Jackson the "moral" of the story is don't jump blindly into a dark basement...I have to remind him the "moral" of the story is just don't jump off the stairs! Yes, he is all boy!

Here he is in his red cast:



If you missed it over on my scrapbooking blog I talked about how Ashlee started gymnastics! She loves it! and is really looking forward to the cheer team next year. (I told her she has to have a full year of gymnastics first). Here she is:



Jackson was bummed that he had to sit the season out from soccer due to his broken arm...but rules are rules ;)

So if you have made it through all of this rambling...I bet you are wonder where our 3rd child went to ;)...Gavin is growing up way to fast! He now is in a "big boy bed" and we are working on him giving up his diapers...but so far he assures us he has no problems keeping them a bit longer...

Gavin is hilarious! He is the entertainer in the family! Here he is posing for me with a writing pen behind his ear...



Alright...wow if you made it through all of that...thank you! Now that we are pretty much caught up again...we hope to update more often!

If we haven't heard from you in a while...shoot us an email or give us a call.