Baby Sullivan | Week Forty Three

We have been back from vacation for more than a week now and most of our days are spent fairly similar from the one before and the one before that. I wake each morning in the routine of nursing Sullivan, walking downstairs to the coffee pot, and sitting in my chair in the living room, waiting and searching through the quite moments before the rest of the house awakens. 

Marin usually stirs anywhere between 6am and 630am. I try to keep her in her room as long as possible, constantly urging her to play with her ponies or turn on her little light and read a few more books before I have to leave my wonderful chair and start the day. I usually don't hold out for long. After she wakes, she helps me wake up Daddy and go get Sullivan out of his crib. Most of the time after I nurse him early in the morning, he falls back asleep, if only for a little while. 

Then we all have breakfast at the table in the kitchen. This is usually one of the only meals during our chaotic weeks where we are all sitting down at the table and eating at the same time, even if it's only for fifteen minutes  Dinner usually consists of me feeding the kiddos before Ryan gets home from work and then Ryan and I eat dinner after the kids are in bed. Someday, in a perfect world, I long to have family dinners on a weekly basis. I want to gather together and hear how everyones day was and actually all eat the same exact thing. Right now I feel like a short order chef that makes two to three different meal options on any given night. I also want more times spent with friends over meals. We had some friends over for pizza last weekend and it was so refreshing. The kiddos also enjoyed playing together. 

Depending on the day and if I am working, I either hop up stairs to finish getting ready or hop in the shower. Then we get the kiddos dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed. The next thing that occurs on the non-working days is that I do a quick clean of the house and then we begin our day. Cleaning is followed by Sullivan's morning nap....then lunch....then quiet time/naptime...then getting ready for dinner....eating dinner...tubby time....bedtime routine...

Lather...Rinse...And Repeat. 

Don't get me wrong, I rather enjoy the predictability of our days for the most part. In between meal times and nap times, we are working on trying to help Sullivan crawl. We spend a lot of time on the floor with toys scattered all over the place. Marin loves to color, do puzzles, watch some TV. Both kids would be outside all day if it was an option. I know I need to get them out much more than I do and I want to make that my goal on the days when I am home with them. Marin loves to ride her scooter and is learning how to pedal her bike a lot better now that she can confidently reach and push the pedals. Sullivan is perfectly content on a blanket out in the lawn surrounded by things he can throw around and chew on. They both enjoy stroller rides in the double stroller. 

Another consistent thing I usually enjoy for the most part is bath time. We only bathe the kiddos every few days unless they've really made a mess of themselves. Sometimes that happens and I am all for the need to wash dirty kiddos. That just means that they were living life to the fullest. Last week we had a first time parenting moment...Sullivan pooped in the tub. Luckily he was still in his little bath tub inside of the bathtub where Marin was. Had he pooped in her water...that would have been an entirely other situation. But, there's a first time for everything! I don't believe Marin ever did that. It was comical to say the least. 

Here's Marin at Week Forty Three. 

Portrait Eight

This photo was taken in March as part of my 32 Things Before 32 List, I am attempting to take one self-portrait per month...

This photograph singlehandedly marks the end of an era for me. It portrays a bend and sway in my work-life balance. I took this photograph on my last day of working for Vintage City Church. Around the beginning of the year, I kept feeling these rumblings deep in my soul, like little whispers of change. I ignored them for a number of months and kept continuing down my path of working from home and the office, constantly being on my computer or taking a phone call. I kept having a short fuse with my children (which honestly is still something I struggle with.) I was pouring myself out whole heartedly into a place where I was challenged and grew. The three and a half years I had spent there have been wonderful and I don't take them for granted. 

But deep down inside I knew change was coming. I started to prayerfully consider some other options. I was honestly sick and tired of being pulled away from my family so much when I was home or staring at a computer screen while my kids were scattering toys around me. Change was needed. 

I made strides to bring about change and ended up going back to work where I was before, a pediactric dental office. Working in a church is great and I know I was pretty dang good at what I did but after a while it wears on you. When you work for a church, you are in ministry for what feels like 24/7. All of the time. Never getting a break and time to breathe. I would look at my children sitting at the dinner table and it would hit me like a ton of bricks...

They are only little like this once. 

That's 940 Saturdays with them before they are 18 and are ready to leave the house. 

I have no desire for my children to always see me glued to my phone or my computer. Still there but never present. 

I now only work 3 days a week. Going to the office is like a little mom vacation and I LOVE what I'm doing. It feels good to be back in the business world, in the marketplace. Granted, we aren't nearly as financially stable as before but the trade off has been totally worth it. 

I get 4 days in a row now where I don't have to check my email or answer numerous phone calls. 4 days of freedom. I also have the opportunity now to be way more involved in the worship side of things at church and it is so refreshing to not have a million things and responsibilities on my plate now when I am there. 

The girl in this photograph seems almost like a distant memory to me now. 

I am so thankful for that. 

Hollen Adventures | The Denver Zoo

One of the other things we did over Ryan's vacation week was go to the Denver Zoo with Grammy and Ga Ga. Almost 3 years ago to the day, we made this trip with Marin and my nephew Gunnar. Looking back at those photos, Marin was so little! She was just beginning to walk around and was still in her infant car seat. It's amazing to me how much she has grown into such a little girl now, no longer a baby. (Excuse me while I shed a silent tear....) 

I didn't listen to my mother very well with this trip because she told me it was going to be pretty busy and I didn't think it would be...We went on the day when teachers all over Colorado were doing a walkout and protest. I fully support the cause but oh boy, the zoo was crazy busy! Since the schools were closed that day, every other family seemed to have the same idea we had. Even though it was super crazy and very hard to find a parking spot, we still enjoyed the time so much. 

Most of our day was spent walking around the zoo looking for the animals. Going during the day is always slightly disappointing though because a lot of the animals are not out. But, I love just walking around in the sunshine with my family. My ultimate goal was to not get anyone sunburnt though so I was on sunscreen patrol pretty much all day. 

We had packed our lunches and ate out on the lawn under the trees. By the end of the day, both kids has a bunch of stains on their clothes from oranges and ice cream. I feel that is a sign that fun was had and the day was well worth it. We had sandwiches, oranges, chips, nutter butters. 

After lunch we kept walking all throughout the zoo. We wanted to see the elephant show they put on but it was too packed. So instead we decided to get some ice cold beer for the adults and some ice cream for the kiddos. It was a great way to cool down and sit for just a bit. Marin said that her favorite part was the giraffes. I always like the penguins. Sullivan enjoyed most to  the day in the stroller and ended up falling asleep at the tail end of the day. 

Before the drive home, we stopped at Voodoo Donuts on Colfax. It's tradition. It took a long time for us to get our Voodoo Dozen because a lot of teachers had the same idea. But, they are always well worth the wait. 

I enjoy taking little day trips like this. We would love to go to the aquarium and visit the museum again. I just wish our work schedules allowed us to do more things like this more often. Someday our schedules will change and we will have a day during the week that we can spend as a family.  I am praying for that. Someday. 

Hollen Family Getaway | Estes Park

Be prepared for lots of pictures.....

We’ve been back for over a week now but I’m still holding on to our time in Estes Park. I can’t believe how much I needed just a few days away to breathe, spend time with family, and relax. The past few months have felt like a whirlwind of events: job changes, growing kiddos, trying to take better care of myself. If there was ever a time that we needed a vacation, this was one of those times.

We took this trip last year around this time. Last year, I was pretty pregnant and Marin spent her first night in a hotel with us. This time, things looked pretty different. Now we have Sullivan with us, no longer in my belly but on the outside living life to the very fullest. Grandmadoo and Grandpadoo also went with us this time.

We ended up staying somewhere different this year because last year’s location was already booked. But, I loved the place we stayed. It’s called the Appenzell Inn. We booked the suite with 2 bedrooms, a living space, and small kitchen. It fit all of us perfectly. The main reason we booked there was because of the indoor swimming pool. Last year, all that Marin could talk about was the swimming pool so I knew I needed to find a good alternative for her this year. The Inn met our expectations and so much more. We will definitely be staying there again sometime in the future.

Before we drove up to Estes, we went to church at a different church than usual. Now that I am no longer on staff at church, I felt that we could switch things up a bit and visit our old stomping grounds. We spent a few years at Timberline Old Town and I even met Ryan within those walls. It was a nice change of pace and it was nice to see people we haven’t seen in far too long.

After church we stopped for coffee and then headed up into the mountians. We truly couldn’t have asked for better weather while we were up there. It was in the high 50’s most of the time we were there and only started to snow on the drive home. We made it to Estes and had lunch before checking in. We ate at “You Need Pie,” which is a little diner style place that serves diner favorites and amazing pie. We discovered it last year when we went and knew we needed to go back. We ate our pie out in the sunshine surrounded by mountains. 

We drove into Rocky Mountain National Park to a spot that the Hollen’s frequent. Marin was so daring and wanted to climb every single rock. She was fearless on this trip and I am so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone. Sully loves to be outside any chance he can get. That night we went back to the hotel and Marin, Ryan, and Grandpadoo went and took a little swim in the pool. After that, we brought in New York style pizza that consisted of pizza slices the size of our heads. Thin crust, just enough cheese and pepperoni, goodness. Even Sullivan enjoyed little pizza bites.

Once the kids were in bed we ended up staying up much later than I usual do and talked and talked. It was nice to just have a conversation with adults, drink some wine, and  then wind down reading a book, all by the fire place. Both bedrooms had big king size beds with tons of amazing pillows. I slept so well there. Sullivan was in his pack n' play in our room and Marin slept in Grandmadoo and Grandpadoo's room. 

The next morning we woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast in the hotel. The rest of the morning was spent walking around town with the double stroller. The weather truly couldn't have been more perfect. Gorgeous sunshine, about 60 degrees. We walked through the little shops, played on the playground, climbed some more rocks, bought some delicious candy, and ended up on Poppy's for lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the inn, had some quite time and naps, and just took it easy. 

After nap time, we all got in our swimsuits and headed down to the pool. This was Sullivan's first time in a pool and he was having so much fun. I bought him a little floaty for the pool and he just kicked his chubby little legs to his heart's content. I bought Marin a little life vest as well and she would stay in the water forever if we let her. After the pool, we all hopped in the outdoor hot tub and relaxed. 

That evening, the grandparents offered to watch the kiddos so Ryan and I could have a little date night. It was so welcomed and so wonderful. We began the evening with eating bbq-- pulled pork, ribs, hush puppies, baked beans, corn bread, a beer. Hello, full. After that we went and saw a movie at the little theatre in Estes Park. We saw "A Quiet Place" and I was on the edge of my seat the entire film. I highly recommend it. 

The next morning, we went to breakfast back at the pie place. After our meal was finished, we picked out some more pie for the road. By this point, it was starting to snow. We packed our bags, checked out, and took the nice drive back down to home and back to reality. 

My heart is still full from this trip. We needed this trip so much for our little family and I am very thankful that we live close enough to a place like Estes Park. It was exactly what we needed and I look forward to another trip much like this one in the future.