Colyer World

Max celebrated his 5th Birthday at SilverCreek Sportsplex in San Jose today

Peeking out from his balloons as he impatiently waits for his guests to arrive

His buddy, Brennan, was the first guest to arrive!

Sweet Christian has been a friend since Max was 4 months old.  They met in “Music Together” class at Los Gatos Rec.

Will, Brennan & Max take a quick rest before bouncing again on the inflatables

Wallace laying in the middle of the bounce house getting pummeled with balls by wild children

I think he is calling for a truce, but nobody is listening!   

An attempt to get a group BD shot of all the kids

Lining up ready to enter the party room for pizza & cupcakes

Max blowing out his candles

Family Photo in the party room:  Emily, Mommy, Max & Daddy

Will & Max after devouring a yummy cupcake

Happy 5th Birthday, Max!

Wallace wheeling out the presents, Max & Emily to the car

Max opening “Slinky Dog” from Alex & Josh

Slinky Dog was a real hit!

Happy Birthday Max!

I remember my mom every day, but on this day in particular.  This was the day, two years ago, that she was freed from the pain of ovarian cancer that inevitably took her life.  Although I feel immobolized at times with sadness, it also brings back incredibly strong wonderful memories of a person that lives on through me, my dad, my sister, her sister and many many others.

Mom & Dad

Mom & Suzanne

Mom, Brynn & me

Grandma Jane & Brynn

Grandma Jane, Kedryn & Suzanne

Nana & Max (she asked for my kids to call her “Nana”)

Meeting Emily Luisa for the first time (July 2007)

Mom, her sister (Margie), niece (Kim), & nephew (Jeff)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Lake City, Colorado

Emily Jane celebrating Emily Luisa’s 1st Birthday (July 22, 2008) in Los Gatos, California

She traveled from Pennsylvania to California even though she wasn’t feeling well and put up a good front

In memory of a wonderful mom to me & Suzanne, a loyal & loving wife to my dad, a generous & giving Grandma/Nana to Brynn, Kedryn, Max & Emily, a kind & caring sister to Margie, a special Aunt, an honest, true friend to many and a best friend to those lucky few.  Today and every day you remain a strong presence in my life and will always remain in my heart. 

We went to Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills today for a Farm Tour

Sarah, Alex & Sarah’s mama, Gwyneth joined us.  Gwyneth is visiting from Wales.

The first part of the tour was the garden which didn’t hold a lot of interest for Max!  He just wanted to see the ANIMALS!  He’s not much into trying out the fruits and vegetables.

Emily enjoyed petting the sheep

She even said to me, “Take my picture, mama!”

Max really enjoyed the sheep too

He obviously got very comfortable with this particular sheep.  Max was tickling the sheep’s hind legs.  I told him that he could get kicked.  The tour guide explained that he was in the right spot to get peed on and that would be much worse than getting kicked so he went towards the front of the sheep and just leaned on her. 

Emily gets a little kiss from this sweet sheep

Couldn’t seem to capture Alex petting a sheep, but she sure did look pretty in her hot pink ruffled shirt, matching hat & necklace

I did however capture her taking lots of pictures of the chickens.  She enjoyed using Sarah’s camera!

Cock-A-Doodle-Do!  One gorgeous rooster!

SOME PIG

All and all, it was a great time for the kids & adults too.  Hidden Villa is, in my opinion, a hidden gem!

Emily getting ready for the Ariel Tea Party

Princess Alex (Cinderella) being carried into the Tea Party by her Grandpa Bee

Princess Alex & Princess Emily

Cinderella & Ariel

All the pretty princesses watching Ariel sing songs & entertain them

Princess Abby puckering up!

Princess Emily

She just got a pink butterfly painted on her cheek by Ariel herself

Princess Alex all made up

Coloring a princess

Alex & her beautiful mama, Sarah

Emily showing off her pretty pink butterfly

All the girls had a great time at the Ariel Tea Party this afternoon

We went to Winter Lodge in Palo Alto to try a little first time ice skating with Sarah, Erik, Alex & Sean on Sunday night

Max REFUSED to try ice skating so Wallace took him out on the rink in the stroller.  As a former hockey player, he was tearing around the rink … sometimes so fast that the wheels of the stroller were catching air!  Max was laughing hysterically the whole time!

Emily was keen on trying ice skating so we rented a pair of ice skates for her

Sarah & Sean having fun!

Wallace & Emily

Emily holding onto the railing

After seeing Alex, Sean, Emily, Sarah, Erik, Mommy & Daddy on skates … Max decides to give it a go! 

Max pushing Alex in the stroller to get comfortable on the ice

Max was running on the ice instead of sliding. 

Max holding onto the side of the rink.  He feel down several times, became frustrated and wanted the ice skates off ASAP.

So, back to the stroller he went … Erik & Alex pushing Max around the rink!

Wallace & Emily taking a break.

All and all it was a great first experience!  Emily, Sean & Alex seemed to really enjoy themselves.  Max … so-so, but at least he gave it a try!  We’ll try again next season! 

We believe this is our 9th or 10th consecutive year of attending San Gregorio’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch with Steve, Laura, Candy Sandy & sometimes Chas …

It ain’t much to look at, but it sure is fun getting lost in the maze every year. Steve & Wallace would beg to differ with me on the “getting lost” statement. And, not only that, Steve & Wallace actual differ on pretty much everything when it comes to the maze and who is the most capable leader, etc. Wallace beat Steve out of the maze this year and, of course, had to document it with a picture of me and the kids at the “Exit” sign!

Max borrows Sandy’s pumpkin hat and poses for a picture in the patch

Max & Matthew having fun in the straw bales

Wallace tossing Max up in the air like a sack of potatoes

Laura & Max

We had a great morning at the crazy, hazy, corny mazey!

See ya’ll again October 2010

We went to Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Sunday with Norma, The Itos and The Iversens for a picnic and some short hikes around the redwoods.

Sweet Emily eating a chocolate chip cookie

Emily & Max eating a cookie

Wallace & Norma

The Iversens (left), the Colyers (middle) and the Itos (right)

Hanging out … sitting on a log!

They have finally released him to leave. Sarah and I went to our last lunch alone together for a long time at the California Pizza Kitchen and Baby’sRUs while we had some last moments of those expensive babysitters at the NICU.

Here we are at the NICU in the final moments. They have given us all kinds of loot to take home, he is in his car seat and moments from this picture we walk out.

As we are rolling Sarah and Max out of the hospital with our volunteer helpers for all the loot, Tom, Sharon and Arianne pull up on their way in to meet us. Two minutes later and they would have missed us. We would have been in the car and on the way home…..

They started him off int he Level 4 NICUwhich is the highest care room.

Sarah was in the hospital for a couple days and we went to visit him regularly.

The NICU was actually a great learning experience the Nurses gave us training in caring for Max which we would find invaluable as time went on.