vacation

We attempted to get away for a mini vacation just the three of us. However, it quickly turned into the vacation from..... 

Dan and I will not soon forget about this "vacation". 

I had a gotten a great deal for quick getaway. Colton loves water so we thought this would be perfect. We arrived Friday night and the place was great. Colton was in good spirits and we were all looking forward to the next day where we would play at the water park. My girlfriend from college was coming to visit and we were going to get to meet her little guy. However, we were awakened in the wee hours with a very sick little Colton. He had gotten a horrible GI bug and it was very clear we were not going to be swimming. 

I contacted my girlfriend, told her not to come. We are all about sharing normally, but not this time!! We spent the day in the hotel. Around lunch time we ventured down with Colton sleeping in the stroller to grab something quick to eat. To our surprise the electricity went out in the entire resort!! It was off for more than an hour and half. We later found out that it affected the entire town, a wrong wire had been cut (bad day at work for some construction worker). 

We made the best of our time there, fussy- sick kid and parents! Walked around the entire place and saw what we would like to do next time we visit.  Sunday afternoon we were all feeling better and we were able to swim for just a bit before we headed home. 

Memories- that's what vacations are all about right? 

Happy Halloween

Colton sure did enjoy Halloween this year! We carved pumpkins and he sat there and was taking it all in. Not sure what he thought about the "pumpkin guts", but it was fun to see his reaction

 Our scary monster!!!

He LOVED being dressed up!!

Colton trying to be scary

This little guy is such a blessing!!
Makes us smile all the time!

Trick or Treating at our neighbors house,
 not sure what to think of this.

Colton running down the street towards other kids

Grandma and Grandpa came over to help pass out candy 

Enjoying his one and only piece of candy

Our front porch

Fall 2012

We have been loving the fall weather and the extra time we have as a family now with Kate working part time. We have been using our zoo membership and Colton LOVES going!!

Only in MN would a mosquito be part of a playground!! 

Climbing in the bee hives

 Uncle Jake came to visit one weekend. Colton LOVES to play with his uncle!!!

This is the first year we have had to rake leaves!! Colton loved playing in them.

Happy Fall!!! 

Chuck E. Cheese

My mom and I went to Fargo, ND to visit my Aunt and Uncle this past weekend. We had lots of fun!!! We went to chuck E. Cheese. I had lots of fun on rides and eating pizza!! My uncle Jake was a lot fun, he went in the play area with me. Aunt Jessie let me play LOTS of games and go on fun rides!! I even got to meet Chuck E. Cheese.

Watching the show, not sure what to think of it

The next day, Aunt Jessie took me swimming at her club. I loved going down the water slide and putting my face in the water!!  Thanks Uncle Jake and Aunt Jessie for spending time with me. Love you guys!!

Pumpkin Patch

We always love when Grandpa and Grandma Mach come!! 

This visit we went to a pumpkin patch. They had lots of thing to do there. I loved the slides!! We went on a hayride, picked pumpkins, tractor train ride, saw animals, went in a hay maze, played on tractors and even watched the pumpkin launcher. It was a great time!!! Thanks for coming to visit. 

We love you and look forward to seeing you soon!!

Happy 30th Birthday Daddy

Mommy surprised my Daddy with a special birthday trip to Las Vegas. HE had no idea what we had been plotting. They have lots of pictures to show, but for now... take a look at how Daddy spent the eve before his 30th birthday. HE JUMPED 855ft. He is one CRAZY dad!!!

Mommy says she will post more pictures of their trip later this week. I am just happy they are back. I squealed when they picked me up!!!

"The Royal Machs"

So, if any of you have ever seen this movie, the pictures below will make you smile. I can remember before having Colton, Dan would say he would like to do this someday if had boys as a joke... fast forward to the present.... Except I am not sure it really was a joke! 

I love my husband for many reasons, however, the pictures below are one of the top reasons. His ability to just let go of what people may think and have fun!!! 

When Colton was only a few months old, we stumbled across this puma "jump suit". Dan was so excited and made "jokes" that he would love to have the same one to wear on their Thursdays (Colton and Dan spend every Thursday together while I am working). It has been really awesome to see what a special relationship they have due to this quality time together. So, for Christmas, I gave Dan his "jump Suit". Last night, they (aka: Dan) decided it would be fun to wear to the park together.  Many of our sweet neighbors, just smiled as we walked by :).

Same face!!!

Colton loves going to the park and is quite a little dare devil. He LOVES going down the slide face first... he squeals with delight as he approaches the slide. Thankfully, that is our heads up to get ready to catch him!!! 

Colton at the top of slide ready to go down head first

Just a name

This verse has been taped on our computer for over 2 years. 

I read it everyday as we waited for our son.

A year ago today, Dan and I sat at a table with our social worker, a pregnancy counselor and a brave women who had decided that she loved her little boy so much that she wanted to give him the world. It was a meeting that no one is ever truly prepared for, seriously, how do you prepare? I remember just sitting there in awe of her and the things she asked us. She had truly thought of this little boy in every way. She loved him more than life and it was apparent in everything she said. My heart broke inside as I thought of what it would be like to be in her shoes. As the meeting went on we found things in common, we learned about her and her passions, we asked about her wishes and desires for this little boy. At the end of the meeting, we heard the most beautiful words I have ever heard. She wanted us to parent. She picked us!!!

This little boy didn't have a name. She wanted us to name him. We discussed names and landed on Colton Ray Mach. She had ties to the middle name and so did we. Ray short for (Raymond) was the name of two different men that had impacted our lives for the better and what a fitting way to tie us all together. So, he was named.

We never did see a picture of Colton Ray Mach that day. We left the meeting in shock. We would bring Colton Ray Mach home the next morning. Seriously!! We sat in the car and cried. Our prayers had been answered. WE were going to get the chance to be parents.

We had the crib, stroller and rocking chair, but that was it!! Dan and I stopped by Babies R Us and loaded the carts. The staff there was fantastic, offering advice on products, telling us what we would absolutely need right away and what to wait for. I think one employee was just as excited as us!

We loaded the car and head back to a Target parking lot where my car was. Before parting, we decide to call our parents and tell them. To sum it up in one word. JOY. Then, in the craziness we both went to work. I still to this day don't know how we did that. I was so excited, scared and amazed.

That night, Dan was working and I put together last minute things and had fun calling friends to let them know. When Dan got home we finished things up- not sure we slept much that night. We were too excited.

Our lives changed this day forever. It will always be a special day to me. As I sat today and rocked Colton to sleep, it was hard not to be emotional.


Our prayers were answered by a little baby boy that we had not even seen or met yet.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!!

Our little man turned one. It's hard to believe it's been a year already!! He had a great 1st birthday. Thanks for everyone that came to celebrate it with him. I am still editing my pics and will post more later, but had to put this up. Colton has one of the coolest uncles ever!! My brother Jake took the theme of the party and Colton's love for Elmo to the max. I think the pictures says it all. Colton sure loves his uncle Jake!!