trail

fall in full swing

2011-10-13T12:03:00.002-06:00

Source: flickr.com via Alston on Pinterest

fall is in full swing on the front range of colorado -- the cottonwood trees have started changing, evenings have begun to cool down, and that familiar rhythm that life seems to wear during this season: everyone hustling about to/from work, school is back in session and things just seem right with the world.

i would say there is an air of calm about, which normally there is for me during this season, but we have a house full of unfinished projects spanning from the kitchen to the den downstairs to the nursery, and so home feels more like war zone than a haven right now. nw is SO working hard painting, putting in bead board, painting, laying new hardwood floors (done!), putting in tile, hanging doors, painting, and all the other things that have to happen before baby "w" makes an appearance.

i am usually an active player (happily) in all house projects, but have bowed out of painting and lifting heavy things as it really does seem to have an adverse effect on me. i have started going to see a chiropractor for my back pains and it has helped a lot, or it did until last weekend when i lifted some heavy furniture. ugh.

it is hard for me to just stand back and watch nw take on so much all alone, but i am trying to view this as good practice for me asking for help once baby is here. asking for help is not something i am particularly good at as i don't like burdening others with tasks or emotional baggage that seems mine to carry, but with a small person coming into the world, and family very far away, it is going to become a necessity.

tomorrow... week 26 begins!!!

week 25

2011-10-08T08:37:00.000-06:00

.... we reached week 25 yesterday and celebrated with a doctors appointment. i arrived at the doctors office at 4:10 for a 4:15 appointment, or so i thought. by the time the clock said 4:30 i was annoyed and went to check back in at the desk. well, turns out my appointment wasn't until 4:50. and it must have been the hormones, because i had to take myself on a little walkabout to calm down. holy water works. i mean you would have thought the world was ending. granted it was friday afternoon, it had been a long work week, i was tired.... but seriously. i was able to pull it together in time for the nurse to come get me.
the appointment itself went great. baby w is doing really.... he/she is constantly moving and responds to music to the belly and nw's voice. s/he likes when aunt claire and aunt em are around... he moves a lot for them... s/he just moves all the time!
this weekend is all about painting. we have to paint the guest room, nursery, downstairs hall, and the den. once that is done then we'll grab the baby furniture from the store and set it up. sneak peak? ok?!

copa collection from westwood furniture

week 24

2011-10-05T19:55:00.000-06:00

Source: pregnantchicken.com via Tina on Pinterest

so i am creeping up on week 25 of this pregnancy and it all seems to be flying past now. at first it felt like this whole pregnancy thing would never end. january felt like light years away in the beginning but now the weeks are falling away quickly with our to-do list still stacked tall.

this has been one of the most special times of my life and i would not trade it for anything. each day this child, my child kicks harder, moves more, and grows more mine, and yet, his (or her) own. the moments watching nw watch my belly move or his eyes widen with a kick to his hands are precious and something that i was not expecting.

according to fit pregnancy baby w is 24 weeks (25 on friday) and...

"Your baby weighs a little over a pound and is about 8 1/2 inches long—the size of a banana. Your baby's skin becomes less translucent as pigment is deposited, and it looks wrinkly because her body is making her skin more quickly than it makes the fat to pad underneath it. Your baby's unique hand- and footprints are forming. You may feel jumps as she has bouts of hiccups. In fact, it may seem like the baby is in perpetual motion. Some babies now kick in response to sounds and touch from outside the womb."

who doesn't?

2011-09-24T13:32:00.002-06:00

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via Alston on Pinterest

crested butte

2011-09-24T13:31:00.000-06:00

a few photos from our very, very quick trip to crested butte last weekend. it was meant to be a late summer trip for a few of us to go mountain biking, yes, including me as we planned this before i knew i was preggo... sigh.

i had a superb time in light of the fact i could not bike roaming around cb and enjoying a chilly, snowy, rainy weekend.... crested butte is steadily becoming one of my favorite places in colorado... it is up there neck and neck with telluride (can you believe it?!)!

muddy buddy

apres ride

will

off of kebler pass

kebler pass

visit east

2011-09-24T09:05:00.000-06:00

the tour of the southeast came and went in a flash and without incident or drama, thankfully. it was beautiful in south carolina despite warnings of hurricane irene flying all about and virginia was fun even without power... virginia actually was hit pretty hard by irene before we arrived.

the night before we drove to virginia from south carolina was very difficult for me. i have become accustom to coming and going from cedar bluff (with months stretching out b/w each visit) without much anxiety and few tears. but sadly, this visit was not the same and our impending departure weighed heavily on me.... i felt my childhood, my early adulthood all falling away knowing that the next visit to sc in april i would be carrying a little person with me (on the outside). it upset me that the hour of baby shopping i did with mom the day before would be all the baby shopping/preparation we might get to do together. mom and dad would not get to see me again until i was practically done with this pregnancy. this departure just felt different, bigger, more sad.

it was a wonderful visit with boat rides, a trip to the beach at botany bay, a day in savannah, and more. and of course, we were able to spend some quality time with anna and carrie....
see for yourself!

anna - 2 - botany bay

anna sophia

carrie - 4 - botany bay

carrie boo

ok, i have to take a break.... my heart just melted....again!

southeastern tour... let the games begin

2011-08-25T14:28:00.000-06:00

heading to my other home...
leave tomorrow for a tour de east -- hurricane irene, please play nice.

Source: sciway.net via Nadia on Pinterest

LEAF - The Nature Conservancy

2011-08-23T09:53:00.002-06:00

this summer TNC CO was fortunate to have three LEAF interns here - a majority of their time was spent at beautiful carpenter ranch outside of steamboat. it was their first time in out west.
pretty cool.

2011-08-19T14:42:00.000-06:00

today baby "w" is 18 weeks.... growing bigger everyday, either that or i am just growing thicker in the mid section because of too much frozen yogurt (quite possible)!

happy friday!

Source: None via Kimberly on Pinterest

isn't that little guy cute?
what is it?

work. work is good.

2011-08-18T18:45:00.000-06:00

the past couple of days at work have been awesome. i mean, work is usually pretty great as it is. i feel enormously fortunate to work where i do with the team that i do. i love it. i had a stellar annual review last wednesday, told my "boss" (i hate that word) that i was preggo' only to find out that she knew AND had bought a present for me SIX weeks ago!? she was thrilled for me, for us, for baby w.

then yesterday, she approached me about a leadership training that tnc has through our human resources department. you are nominated by your supervisor for it and it takes place over the span of 18 months all over the world.... well, she told me is ready to nominate me but wanted to have a frank conversation about my desire and ability to start a 18 month program in october when i'll be leaving work for four and half months this winter. it was the strangest collision of polar opposite emotions when she told me. i was immediately thrilled - flattered - and ready sign up / dive right in! and then i was totally crushed. i could not jump right in... i am going to be mom. i am leaving work in january for four + months and can't commit to travel and projects. boo!!!! hiss!!!

now, please don't roll your eyes at me. i know i am blessed with a child... i am so happy and excited for he or she to enter our world... but i have also worked really hard to get my big toe into the door of this organization and i feel that i have a lot of forward momentum right now and i hate to see it slow down... or even stop.

when baby w comes into our lives i don't know how i'll feel about going back to work... at least not at first. i am going back to work, that much is clear. long term picture: i want to work... i love it... my dreams and ambitions are not going totally by wayside because i am going to become a mother. i think i will be a better, happier mother to my child if i have one foot in the working (outside) world.

there will be other opportunities like this one -- i know that for a fact. i was just bummed to say no, with the complete agreement and support of bowen (a mom of two herself).

i really do love my job. i really do love the organization i work for...

this quarter is OVER!! thank goodness!

2011-08-11T15:47:00.000-06:00

we are at the end of an era, i mean quarter, here in the williamson household and all i can say is hallelujah! nw has finished the quarter consisting of two very writing-intensive classes and i think i could be almost as happy as he is right now. poor thing went straight from work to writing papers to sleep to writing papers to work. i have not seen him this skinny since 2003 (don't worry mother-in-law melanie... he is fine).

now, to be fair we have had a lot of fun during this "quarter" as well... a wsp show, rocky grass, a backpacking trip near aspen, but the day-to-day grind has been stressful for him, and in turn, stressful for me. he was planning to take his final two classes this next quarter so those would be complete before baby arrives, but if he does that then we won't be ready in the slightest to have said child enter our home. and besides, selfishly, i want my husband around more for this part of the pregnancy. the little person growing in my belly has, at times, felt like the least important aspect of life and i think we need to shake up our priorities a bit here. this is not meant as a criticism (in the slightest) for nw, but rather a call to reasses our original game plan.

yay for the close of this quarter.

oh, and for the record, i have sent nw to get have 50 minute therapeutic massage this afternoon to relieve all the stress he's gone through in the past weeks. he will hopefully be a happy (and relaxed) camper come 6 pm tonight!

this was never my problem... but i thought i was funny.

Source: collegeproblems.tumblr.com via Erin on Pinterest

parking ticket.

2011-08-11T12:53:00.000-06:00

you know when you do something just so idiotic, and it costs an absurd amount of money to get out of.... it is what one would call a huge waste. yeah, well. yesterday on my way home from work, which was a great day at work btw, i stopped at the whole foods to grab something for supper. i parked in the laudromat parking lot, or parking spaces, which are littered with plenty of signs clearly stating that this parking is for laundromat customers only... but hell, i'd parked there many times before without a problem. so i jumped out of my car and ran into WF.

i was back in a flash. but a flash is all it takes for a parking services person to put two boots on my car... not one, but two! you know...you really have to watch those pregnant women and their outbacks.... they can MacGyver their way out of just one car boot. geez.

well, long story short... i had to pay $70 in cash to have those freakin' things taken off my car. i was angry...mostly just at myself, but i let the parking services guy have it.... and it ruined my day. i was hyperventilating on my home from crying so hard.... pregnancy hormones, i tell ya!

needless to say i won't be parking there again and i know that i was in the wrong. but that doesn't stop me from wanting to through a few bricks through the window of that place. ugh!

lesson learned.

Source: binscorner.com via Joy on Pinterest

quick laugh....

2011-08-09T09:38:00.001-06:00

enjoy your weekend!

2011-08-05T13:59:00.001-06:00

Source: weheartit.com via meghan on Pinterest

who cries at yoga....

2011-08-05T10:41:00.000-06:00

me apparently.

i went to my first prenatal yoga class on tuesday (what, is it really friday already) at yo mama yoga here in boulder. i was on the smaller side of the spectrum that is for sure with most of the moms in their 30th-36th week of pregnancy. it was really fun and invigorating to be in a room with that much crazy "mom" energy. what i came to quickly realize is that yo mama prenatal yoga classes are not really about yoga poses, but rather yoga poses and community. we all did lots of talking, telling stories, and sharing of our feelings on pregnancy, the good, the bad, and the ugly. the class is an hour and a half and things did quiet down about halfway through. at that point we really starting to work on our breath, poses, and focus. near to the end of class we were sitting on our mats stretching in deep concentration and the instructor told us to bring our hands to our bellies and to hug our child - to say a prayer for our baby. well, let me just tell you... i completely lost it. it was the first time i had truly imagined holding my baby and the enormity, the absolute amazingness (that's not really a word) of it all crashed over me like a tsunami wave. then she asked us to move our hands from our bellies to our hearts and to say a prayer for ourselves. it was a moment that was very profound for me. i was able to maintain some semblance of a normal person, but it did not really matter. i realized pretty quickly that in this class anything goes and it's a safe zone for pregnant women and their frequent bathroom breaks and emotional breakdowns.

Source: etsy.com via skuchi on Pinterest

on another note, i went for a run yesterday, and granted it had been awhile since I ran, it was miserable. i hated it. i felt big, uncoordinated, slow, and tired. i ran for only a mile and a half and then walked the rest of the time. my middle section is definitely thickening and it freaks me out. this unsuccessful run attempt did not help matters. i guess, bottom line, when i have bad moments like that i need to fall back onto my tsunami wave of gratefulness and excitement for the peanut and trust that this process is absolutely and totally worth it...and that one day... i'll have my body back with beautiful child to show for my efforts!

tomorrow.... it's pilates... then off to the airport to pick up my sister!!!

a thought

2011-08-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

how can i already love you more than i even understand... and i haven't even met you yet?

Source: etsy.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

the art of the steal -

2011-08-02T13:17:00.000-06:00

a documentary about the biggest art conspiracy in the last 100 years... absolutely fascinating, devastating, and well, bewildering. you can watch it instantly on netflix and i highly suggest you do.

rocky grass....

2011-07-31T10:11:00.000-06:00

... was awesome!!

rocky grass!

2011-07-30T08:34:00.001-06:00

it's time for rocky grass ya'll!!!

Here's the line up:

Saturday, July 30, 2011
9:00am — Gates Open
9:45 - 11:30am — Instrument Contests
11:45 - 12:45pm — Della Mae
1:00 - 1:45pm — Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg
2:00 - 3:15pm — Kruger Brothers
3:30 - 4:45pm — Sarah Jarosz
5:15 - 6:30pm — Psychograss
7:00 - 8:30pm — Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers
9:00 - 10:30pm — Hot Rize

post pics later this weekend... now i need to go get ready!

colorado native

2011-07-30T08:27:00.002-06:00

Source: determinedcheap.co.cc via Karen on Pinterest

i have reached a time of my life that is totally new, and as a 30 year old that seems to become more and more rare and precious. that's not to say i don't have new experiences often and learn new things, but i am currently living in a fleeting moment where change is the name of the game.

in january nw and i will welcome our first child into this crazy, beautiful, mixed-up world. I have had 3 months to process this reality and there are days when it hits me lightly like a feather and others where it knocks me over like a ton of bricks. now, i don't mean that negatively, but rather the gravity of this life change can be overwhelming with its enormity, its newness.

you see, like i said, i am 30. i kind of feel like i have this living/working thing down. i have a schedule, a realm, a comfort zone. i have created a nice existence for myself with the love of my life... and it works. now we are going to completely change the dynamic and there a days where i am thrilled, days where i am scared, and days where i think, "maybe i can't do this." fortunately, as i move through my pregnancy the days of questioning and worry have become much less frequent and i have been able to embrace more and more the new changes happening to me and to our little family.

will all this said you'd have thought we did not plan this, but this child is very much planned and anticipated with great joy and an acknowledgement of God's blessings. but i am only human, and sometimes, especially now, a very emotional one, and this new chapter of my (our) life is just so huge--so different that i am going to need the whole 9 months to process.

the peanut is 15 weeks (i think of geraldine b.c she nicknamed her baby "the bean") and about the size of an apple: 2 1/2 ounces and 4 inches long. tiny, yes but still taking up a lot of room and i am on the edge of starting to show. i have been feeling really good lately, and in fact, this whole time. there was no sickness just a few momentary break downs, several mind-shattering headaches, and one very, very tired me. but i have maintained a relatively active lifestyle - backpacking, hiking, running, and working.

next month we head east with the peanut for, in a sense, my "farewell for a year" tour. this was supposed to be our year to spend christmas at my parents house and ALL of the reeves clan were going to be home. i am crushed that i won't be able to be there, but there is no way you are putting me on a plane at the end of december this year. so we are going to travel now to see family before peanut arrives in january.

more than anything this child is God's love -- hope -- and a promise that life is truly good and right even while it seems as if there is so much pain and hardship all around us. i am so thankful - so thankful.

whole foods parking :-0

2011-07-29T15:50:00.003-06:00

for a wednesday

2011-07-27T13:03:00.001-06:00

Source: imgfave.com via Samantha on Pinterest

hunter frying-pan backpack trip

2011-07-26T19:22:00.000-06:00

as mentioned earlier, i am now prepared to share some photos and details from this weekends backpacking lite trip. cory chose an easy/mellow 10 mile trail just west of the independence pass summit (near aspen). the trail was in the wilson mountains and the hunter frying-pan wilderness, which for its close proximity to aspen gets surprisingly very little traffic compared to its neighbor the maroon bells. the weekend weather forecast was perfect -- sunny skies, 10% chance of thunderstorms. so after a car camping conducive breakfast of burritos we packed it up and hit the trail. we climbed to 12,500 feet on saturday passing through a lovely high alpine meadow. our destination was lostman lake and along the way we encountered beautiful wildflowers at their peak. truly amazing.

old man of the mountain - ain't they grand?

we hit camp around 4 in the afternoon and took a dip in the lake along with several mini-iceburgs. the lake was absolutely freezing, and thrilling. nap time quickly followed and while we lazed around a mountain goat meandered through our camp (how cool)! dinner was an event and then after the "kitchen" was cleaned we all enjoyed the sunset before playing cards by headlamp. it was so much fun to be out in the woods without distractions and just peace.

le kitchen

sam just loves sunsets

nw, susan, and cory

sam was so tired while playing cards

the next day's hike out was easy and downhill.... then it was back to boulder and the heat of the front range.

what a trail!

8 years later.... we still love hiking together... some things never change

nw and sam

at camp - cory and nw

not a bad spot to spend the night

FREEZING!!!

lostman lake

the W's

monday

2011-07-25T10:48:00.001-06:00

it was a great weekend... wonderful to get away, to sleep in the woods...
i will post more on that later with pics....
til then... conquer your monday!

Source: etsy.com via Tami on Pinterest

happy weekend

2011-07-22T14:05:00.000-06:00

we are leaving the house projects, paper writing, heat of the front range, and crowds (hopefully) behind us this weekend. off to the mountains we go! nw and i are going camping/backpacking with our friend cory and his latest flame near aspen. we will car camp outside of leadville tonight since i can't get away from work until 5 or so and haven't packed even a sock yet!! then tomorrow we will hike into the hunter fryingpan wilderness for a quick backcountry trip. this is going to be a super mellow trip and am i looking forward to some quiet time.

Source: google.ca via Bri on Pinterest

i hope you have something fun planned...

cheers!

toms -

2011-07-22T13:44:00.000-06:00

so i just bought a pair of Toms - my mom has a pair of red flats, which i thought were too cute. then i saw a gal at the grocery store a few weeks back wearing a pair of toms wedges in grey and thought they were just great.

so i bought a pair. so jolly!

pop

2011-07-16T08:29:00.001-06:00

my grandfather, my father's father is called pop. it is a nickname that my younger cousins came up for him. pop is the patriarch of our large clan called the reeves. he and my grandmother, hon, have been married for more than sixty years and in that time of love, challenge, hardship, blessing, and beauty they built an amazing life together on the bluff of the may river in bluffton, south carolina. there marriage has produced a lifetime of wonderful adventures and memories, five handsome sons, five beautiful daughter-in-loves, fourteen grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters. they built a business together, a business that all their sons still run, and it makes our lives (or did) possible.

pop * a * hon

pop is 80 and recently had hip replacement surgery. the surgery went well, however afterwards there were complications with fluid in his lungs, and then on tuesday his heart stopped and his kidneys began to fail due to a lack of oxygen. i received a phone call from mom at the office that they were leaving north carolina to be with him and for me to think about coming home. mom never exaggerates illnesses or situations always maintaining a level head and so when she said that i knew it was serious. needless to say, the rest of the day was a nervous combination of extreme productivity and idle distraction and worry. in the end, pop was in the icu for several days... the increased oxygen helped so much and his vitals went back to normal at a surprisingly quick pace.

it was that night though that i felt so lonely. i knew that most all of my family was together at the hospital praying for pop, supporting hon, and finding strength and company with each other. i fell into a dark mood struggling with feelings of guilt, sadness, and emotions i can't even really name. for almost a decade i have always been the child or grandchild that is passed around on the phone at family events and experiencing my family's lives through stories and photos as i am rarely there. this is not uncommon this day in age, i know, but you would think that my family was not the MOST important "thing" in my life. it is. i have such a deep love and respect for all those who help build me up as a child and shaped the person i am today. i am so thankful that pop is making a great recovery. God works in mysterious ways. but i am left with a dilemma i am already familiar with, just experienced through a new lens. it was so lonely to be in colorado, thousands of miles away from my family, as we all went through this scary time. it will happen again and i will still be here. i guess i just need to learn to deal.

i love you pop.

projects and what not.

2011-07-16T08:06:00.000-06:00

saturday morning and the house is quiet. nw is at work, which is a bummer, but it gives me time to use the computer uninterrupted.

our project queue is coming right along. the jars are done. the wall is done and just needs to be scribbled on with our favorite quotes and other silly, i mean, serious stuff. the tile samples came, finally -- i ordered them from The Tile Shop in Shawnee, KS. strange, i know, but those are the ones i like and so...

also nw tore out the ugly ceramic tile in our entryway, this was not on our "to do list", but being the laid-back (giggle) wife that i am (ha) i just sat back with a cup of coffee and a smile one morning when asked if he could just "see what was under the tile." well, by the end of that sunday we had a beautiful slate floor! i love that my husband is so freakin' handy. it really, really brings the cost down on doing projects AND we have a wonderful place called resource that has a tool library. the tool library has everything you could possibly want or need and you just rent it for a day or two for dollars a day... a tile saw, yeah, i did not want us to buy one of those... and thankfully, we did not have to. so anyway, today nw is working until one, and i am going to pilates... yes! and then afterwards we need to seal the slate as it stains easily.

i am also going to have home depot put together a couple of color samples for me so i can paint them on the kitchen wall. the little cards with color strips (what are those called) just don't cut it right now. i think we can start on the kitchen soon, because the wood floors we ordered for the downstairs are back ordered through the end of august (boo) making it so we can't start on that downstairs til then.

i did want to show you the closet doors we are trying to secure for the kitchen pantry and closet. they are from the sliding door company:

Source: slidingdoorco.com via Alston on Pinterest

aren't they gorg?!

phew. just writing this entry about home improvement is making me tired. my usual impatient self is trying so hard to behave and keep my nagging in check as my handyman is also working full time and in the middle of two paper-heavy grad school classes. poor buddy, he spends all his free time from work, writing papers... the good news is that he will be through with classes after this next fall quarter and then have a capstone project due winter quarter... then he graduates with a masters in environmental policy and renewable energy.... yay. there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

more later. enjoy your saturday.

project queue

2011-07-02T08:50:00.001-06:00

do you want to see what we're going to do to a wall in our kitchen?

Source: sweethomestyle.tumblr.com via Alston on Pinterest

eek! i just get so excited....

then yesterday, i ordered a sample of this tile for our new backsplash... hopefully it will turn out to be the right one:

Source: tileshop.com via Alston on Pinterest

and lastly, we are going to start putting all our pantry items (the ones that make sense to) in jars and paint the top with chalk board paint so we can ID `em:

Source: witandwhistle.com via Alston on Pinterest

this all may be just too much martha stewart for me....
let's have some fun!

happy (long) weekend

2011-07-01T20:38:00.002-06:00

have a great weekend!
we'll be starting a few house projects that are sure to take us well into the fall.
here we go!

Source: thesimplyluxuriouslife.com via AIAM on Pinterest

marriage.

2011-07-01T20:25:00.001-06:00

Source: blog.coulsonmacleod.com via roselle on Pinterest

undeniably a tough subject, marriage... the definition of it... who can/should enter into it. this debate has remained a constant thread of the intricate fabric of our nation since it's inception (well before), only the players keep changing. within the 20th century, and well before it, inter-racial marriage was illegal. for many states, whites marrying any non-whites was illegal up until as recent as 1967. mind boggling, isn't it?

in many cultures, it is frowned upon to marry someone outside of your bubble, pedigree, socio-economic status, or religion. for the most part, at least in many parts of our country these restrictions are no longer supported except by small(er) pockets of ignorance and prejudice.

however, there still remains the highly controversial issue of same-sex marriage. for conservatives, religious or not, marriage between two people of the same sex is blasphemy. it goes against the sacred institution of love, trust, home, and the picture-perfect american dream with a mom, dad, 2.5 kids, and dog. many will most assuredly argue further that it is stated in the bible that marriage is a holy sacrament between a man and woman.

Source: ilovecharts.tumblr.com via Micki on Pinterest

marriage is a holy sacrament. i do not argue that, what i do and will argue, is that two people (created by Gods love) who truly love one another, see the best in each other, support one another, challenge the other, build them up, and want to create a home with them have EVERY GOD given right to marry as i do. every right.

so i was happy to see ny state pass a law allowing same sex marriage. not the first state to do so, i know. but the largest and hopefully this will create momentum for other states to follow suit soon.

here's to equality. it is time.

Source: weknowawesome.com via Maggie on Pinterest

what she said....

2011-06-30T18:10:00.001-06:00

Source: outblush.com via Therese on Pinterest

family and nm

2011-06-30T18:02:00.002-06:00

the last two + weeks have been wonderful, and very busy. my parents came to boulder on the 18th for a visit and to check out our new digs. we had a great time playing around boulder, grilling out, and shopping. what was super special was that their visit overlapped with father's day; i can't remember the last time i was actually with dad on the big day!? we went to church sunday morning, brunch at beautiful chautauqua, & spent the rest of the day shopping for furniture -- mom and dad gave us a pair of lovely bedside tables made of tangle wood (i think?). they will be ready sometime in August or September.

on tuesday the 21st we headed to taos, nm for a quick desert adventure. we stayed at this place mom found called casa gallina -- a sweet adobe house with chickens (the ladies) and one rooster (big daddy) -- there were horses all around the property with a cute stream (pretty ditch) running through. we checked out town, the ski mountain, museums, galleries, and ate at three amazing places: the love apple, el mezzo, and hunter tom's -- if you find yourself in taos, you must check these places out.

thursday we drove to santa fe for lunch and dropped mom and dad off at their bed and breakfast - they took a shuttle from there to albequere for a flight to dallas to visit my sister for her birthday!

it was a fabulous visit with mom and dad -- i love them so much and it makes me happy to share our life in colorado with them.

nw has the big computer right now, so i'll post pics a little bit!

just a quick run. that's it.

2011-06-15T16:26:00.000-06:00

between emails, meetings, and phone calls i went for a run. the weather in boulder today is beautiful: sunny, warm, and slightly breezy. perfect!

i have been running pretty consistently since the bolder boulder on memorial day and even though that isn't too long ago, i feel as if i've fallen back into a good rhythm. the rhythm i fell out of when we went to mexico and returned to a month of rain (may).

i may not run fast, but at least i am running... breathing in/out, stretching, working my legs, my heart, my head... it feels good when i am done, sometimes it feels good when i'm in the thick of the run, usually not. but sometimes.

Source: peace-love-run.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

now my afternoon is free to take the dogs, just ours, to the dog park. won't they be pleased.

have a lovely (almost) summer afternoon.

introducing my sister...

2011-06-14T10:47:00.002-06:00

i love, love, love my younger sister, roo. well, this summer she is going by her first name, isabella. anyway, roo is interning at the Dallas Museum of Art working with their Arts and Letters LIVE program (right, roo?) and having a ball. she is keeping a blog detailing the adventures of her summer in the big D... and you should definitely check it out.

Source: designspongeonline.com via Abbey on Pinterest

she is such a fabulous teller of tales; her blog is a real treat.

check it out:
http://isabella-rhett.blogspot.com/

monday....snore.

2011-06-13T11:17:00.002-06:00

i did not sleep well last night at all. busy brain.
here's to monday!

Source: 26.media.tumblr.com via Edna on Pinterest

lazy girl. lazy day.

2011-06-11T11:52:00.001-06:00

Source: chezlisen.blogspot.com via Lisen on Pinterest

in general i think i'm a fairly industrious person. laziness is not really a part of my genetic make up. dunno, i get it from my parents i suppose.
but when i "do" laziness you better believe i "do it up"-- this morning nw hopped out of bed early to catch the ski train to a-basin (by train i mean pattons truck) for some spring turns. i got up too. we are watching em and jeff's dogs this weekend.... with our dogs that makes four, and four dogs does not equal sleeping in.

however, i sat around drinking coffee, lazily weeded the front yard, made banana bread, and surfed the internet all morning. at least it was overcast out, right? i do cherish these rare mornings w/out anyone else around; me left to my own devices... moving unapologetically at my own pace.

now the sun is peaking out from behind clouds, i think i'll head down to the farmers market and then to the pool with a friend. ah, colorado... nw skiing, me laying out. something for everyone.

i hope you are having a lovely morning too.

now it's time for me to finish my coffee. ciao.

it's friday; have a donut

2011-06-10T11:05:00.001-06:00

it IS friday. not to sound totally cliche, but i absolutely adore fridays.
i don't mind at all going into the office... being productive for 7 hours and then jumping in the car at the end of the day, rolling down my window, turning up the tunes, and heading home. heading home to bbq, rest, go for a walk, go for a hike, go for a run, go for a ride, throw the ball with sam, grab a drink, hug my husband, or just hang out.

it's the start of two days of un-hampered play time! what fun!

to kick off the day in a celebratory way, i stopped by a little bakery on the way to the office called tee and cakes. they are known for their cupcakes, but on fridays and saturdays they make delicious donuts too. so, i stopped in this morning for a cup of coffee and 6 donuts to share with officemates.

Source: raesin.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

happy friday. i hope your day is full of wonderful surprises and sweetness!

pit bulls - a rant.

2011-06-09T13:20:00.002-06:00

Source: pitbulls.org via Tammy on Pinterest

we adopted sam (a pit bull mix) in april `07... just weeks before our wedding. it was a moment of weakness for me... for nw's moment of weakness for her.

growing up with sweet, cuddly pure-bred golden retrievers, i never, ever thought i'd be an owner of a pit bull or pit bull mix. goldens are loving, predictable, trust-worthy, kid-friendly, and don't evoke reactions of terror when you walk them down the street or let them lose at the dog park.

we've had sam now for almost 4 1/2 years. she is one of the great loves of my life; i would never, ever have guessed that i would love her so fiercely. she is smart, sweet, loyal, and attentive. she loves people, all people. she doesn't care about other dogs as much, just her adoptive brother porter.

as the overly-sensitive person i am, it hurts me so much when parents pull their young children close on the sidewalk as we pass or dog owners skeptically eye her at the dog park. though i would never (EVER) leave her alone with a child (i'd never leave any dog alone w/ a child), i am confident enough in her temperament and reactions to know that she would not hurt a fly unless absolutely provoked by another dog -- or person who might want to hurt me.

i guess, in a way, sam and i are doing our part to educate others that pit bulls / pit bull mixes are just as sweet and loving as any other breed... maybe more so.

again, i am not naive to think that many pits have been the cause of fights, injury, and unfortunately death in the past... it will happen again. but two points... first, can you really blame the animal? blame the stupid person who put the dog in that situation. and second, don't blame the breed. collie's, goldens, german shephards, labs... they are all guilty of bad behavior.

we will continue to take sam to the dog park, on walks, and have her play with our friends children (totally supervised)... and for those folks who smile at me and hug on sam and say how beautiful she is.... how sweet she is... and recognize that she is a good, good dog... i will be thankful. for those who pull their kids away in disgust, i guess i can't blame them for being ignorant.

interested in learning more:
http://www.pitbulls.org/article/6-reasons-pit-bulls-make-great-pets
http://www.pitbulls.org/article/are-pit-bulls-dangerous

Source: pitbulls.org via Alston on Pinterest

d*mn straight.

2011-06-07T14:33:00.002-06:00

Source: propertopper.com via Vicky on Pinterest

a mailman

2011-06-07T09:10:00.000-06:00

so, yesterday i was walking sobie... our friend katie's dog (kaite is on the green river for a week so sobie is staying with us) and i saw a mailman walking two dogs down the street. nothing too exciting. it just struck me as funny. it made me giggle. out loud.

now i feel silly.

have a great day!

Source: pophangover.com via Becky on Pinterest

quote to share.

2011-06-07T09:07:00.000-06:00

i saw this quote today and i kind of dig it....agree with it...
it made me think...

"Love your other how they need to be loved, not how you need to be."

sometimes we (the collective "we") just get so wrapped in what is going on in our life... our minds....our challenges... our fears... that we forget to think about our partner, friends, family members and what they need. this is a good reminder.

just wanted to share.

2011-06-06T11:17:00.000-06:00

greetings from boulder, co.

Source: google.com via Wendy on Pinterest

it was nice to have a weekend at home. our friends claire and patton have returned from several months working boston. it was great catching up with them over dinners friday and saturday night. there were bike rides, weed pulling sessions, naps, ball throwing sessions with sam, grilling, grocery store runs...

my parents will be here in about two weeks -- i am so excited! we have lots of fun things planned from dinners, to hikes, to pearl street cruising, and a side trip to taos, nm! nw and i have a few small projects to do around the house before they arrive....

then, once mom and dad leave the real renovations begin. we have our sights on the downstairs den, the kitchen, and the office....nw and i will do most of it ourselves... and i will definitely update you on the progress, small victories, and the occasional hiccup!

have a great day!

memorial day weekend

2011-05-31T17:52:00.000-06:00

i spent most of my memorial day weekend working in telluride. i know, shucks!

memorial day weekend is also mountainfilm weekend in telluride and the kick off of the summer festival season. tnc's lead scientist m. sanjayan was a guest speaker and two of our favorite donors/emeritus trustees were guest artists for the weekend so we decided to seize the opportunity and have a event on saturday evening as well as man tables throughout the busy weekend at various spots.

everything turned out well, at least in my opinion and i was still able to sneak in three hikes... one on the jud webe trail -- my fav -- and a couple of dinners out with old friends.

when i returned on sunday afternoon it was time to hydrate for the 33rd annual bold boulder 10K - my first running race. i am happy to say that i ran the race with a smile on my face the whole time.... i felt great and vow to run it again next year... just a bit faster!

tnc at the ice cream social - telluride

mountainfilm 2011

bolder boulder

my ladies!

kk and em

me and the w

more ladies

the end of the course

bar ni

2011-05-31T17:41:00.000-06:00

may has been one krazy month for me at work. not bad. just krazy busy. we've had a plethora of events, guest visits, and trips to plan / coordinate along with all the other day-to-day tasks to accomplish. i have had the good fortune of getting out of the office and into the field for two weekend trips which have been quite memorable. the first was to bar ni.

bar ni is a ranch in southeast colorado about 10 miles shy of the new mexico border. tnc holds the conservation easement on the property, but the land is owned by the cabot family of massachusetts. the entire ranch is about 69,000 acres and is home to the headwaters of the purgatorie river. it is an outstanding "piece" of colorado that will be preserved for perpetuity.

nw and i went with my colleague christina, several tnc donors, and spent two nights enjoying the ranch. we went horse back riding... nw's first time on a horse!! we took the jeep out on a four wheel drive road around the property and hiked.

here are a few pics...

taking the jeep out for a spin

pond on the way to dueling park

dueling park

horses, horses, horses

w and wildlife :-)

ranch from "the wall"

me and cobbler

nw and hondo

second time on a horse!!

the wall

soggy weekend

2011-05-16T21:44:00.001-06:00

it was a very soggy weekend here in boulder, which is unusual and welcome weather here. the timing was superb for my friend suzy's garden party.

it was a garden party in the truest sense. we did not sip on mint juleps or eat lady fingers or gossip or coo over this, that and other. rather, this was party to plant suzy's well-loved seedling into the ground and she needs help because she is about 7+ months pregnant with twin boys!!! as she put it, "i've not been able to bend over properly since february" therefore she needed all the help she can get...

suzy and her husband nate live in an awesomely (is that a word?) cute house a few miles from us... it is about to get very crazy over there!

if you want to share in their craziness check out her blog here....
http://912squarefeet.blogspot.com/

suzy burger & "the sliders" ;-)

suz and me!

nothing to report, really

2011-05-04T22:46:00.000-06:00

nothing much to post today... this week has been complete madness at work....

so, instead of freaking out i'm (trying) to channel the relaxation, perspective, and calm i gained from last week's time off...

free.... even if i do have to go to work tomorrow!

Source: tshirt-and-ties.tumblr.com via Carolyn on Pinterest

MONDAY!!!

2011-05-02T14:07:00.000-06:00

happy monday folks... i am still waiting for the sh*t to it hit the fan at work... since i've been gone for a week. it hasn't happened yet... don't tell anyone... sssshhhhhh. maybe i can sneak outta here this afternoon with my sanity. maybe.

hope your day is going splendidly!

Source: tumblr.com via Alston on Pinterest

amen marley

2011-05-01T12:03:00.000-06:00

not usually a bob marley fan. like this quote though... i think it is SO true.

Source: ilovecharola.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

mexico

2011-05-01T11:53:00.000-06:00

i'm not entirely sure how to share our trip to mexico here. it would take hours to detail all of our exploits, wanderings, encounters, and the like, so instead, i am going to do my best to give a brief, yet thorough synopsis.

first off, let me just say that i was slightly anxious about traveling to mexico for a few reasons, but mostly because neither of us speaks a `lick of spanish. i had been told countless times, by numerous folks that we would be fine and that most everyone speaks english in the areas we were going. this did turn out to be true. thank god.

we spent the first four days just outside of the small surfing town of sayulita. sayulita is known for being a trendy, laid back surf destination for americans and canadians. in fact, one local told me that of the 1,500 permanent residents there, 40% of them are either ex-pats or canadians. interesting.

well, we just happened to travel to mexico over the easter (Semana Santa) holiday (totally by accident, i assure you), which happens to be THE mexican holiday of the year. the schools are closed the week proceeding easter as well as the week after and every mexican, and their grandmother, goes to the beach -- landlocked mexico is empty. so, sayulita's population while we were in town swelled to around 30,000 mexicans, and few coloradan gringos.

thankfully, nw and i had chosen to stay at a place called playa escondida (pe) about a 20 minute walk (2 min taxi ride) outside of town. it was perfect because we could cruise into town and enjoy all the loud mexican music, tacos, chaos, celebrations, etc, but then easily retreat back to our palapa at pe for some peace and quiet.

playa escondida from the beach

playa

view from our palapa

front door

playa escondida is owned by an ex-pat from california and his family. it is a lovely eco-resort that sits on the cliffs looking over the pacific with a great sandy beach. the food is some of the best i've ever had and the folks that work there are some of the nicest. all in all this was a highlight for me and very relaxing.

typical williamson shenanigans

sayulita

next to town square, sayulita

sayulita

street vendor

best fish taco -- ever -- from street vendor

me enjoying the best fish taco -- ever ;-)

we did manage to squeeze in an evening of surfing (which was SO hard) and a morning exploring the marietta islands with blue and yellow footed boobies all over. very cool. other than those two excursions and two trips to sayulita, the first half of our trip was very chill.

saline pool (so much better than chlorine)

view from pool

pool area - playa escondida

puento do mito - catching a boat to the marietta islands

boat ride!

marietta islands

typical afternoon activites

playa

wednesday we left pe for puerto vallarta to catch a boat taxi to yelapa. a small, fairly rural town south of pv that can only be accessed by boat or 4x4 trucks. i was not sure what to expect and just the exercise of getting on the boat taxi was leaving much to be desired for me. everywhere around us were men trying to sell us tickets for the boat, pushy men that were driving me crazy. thank goodness there was an older woman, who looked american and obviously knew what she was doing, who i asked about the taxi tickets. she told me not to purchase my taxi fare from those men because they were over-charging and worked for the bar on the beach in yelapa. long story short, we ended up getting to yelapa, still got ripped off by $3 dollars.

view from our palapa

inside our palapa

main street - yo

lunch - day 1 of yelapa

me getting sunburned - sweet

housekeeping... i'm serious

pretty flowers next to housekeeping

we were staying at a place called casas de los suenos leased by a canadian couple. leased because unless you are a native in this area, you cannot own land. the communal fathers own parcels of the land. that it is it. hector, the head of maintenance, met us at the town pier and showed us the way to the property.

there are no cars in yelapa. only the occasional ATV and loads of burros. so, our route to the palapa wound along a narrow cobblestone "street" with dogs of every breed running free, manure, small children darting from open doors, and clotheslines laden with sheets, spiderman undies, and the like. it was colorful scene for sure, and i knew at once that this would be an interesting 48 hours ahead.

the off (low) season for tourist in mexico un-officially starts may 1st... and of the six palapas on the property ours was the only one inhabited (by us). our palapa was the highest on the property and afforded amazing views of the bay and beach. it was much larger than the one at playa escondida. the bed had a beautiful wrought iron frame with a functional and whimsical mosquito net. there was a kitchen and large bathroom -- all open to the world around us. it was quite nice.

it was around 2 pm that first day by the time we were settled into our place and we were starving. hector had given us a few suggestions of places to eat in the pueblo.... up river... and beach side.....
we explored the pueblo and up river for food to no avail. all the restaurants (if you want to call them that) were closed mid-day so we hoofed it to the beach. the beach is where most of the more commercial, americanized food is and we ended up enjoying tacos, calamari, and a few pacifico's there. we stayed for hours.

unfortunately, i ended up with a burned body after that afternoon which meant our last full day in mexico would be one without a beach component to it. so, the following day (our anniversary) we hiked up river (at the suggestion of many gringos) to a waterfall. the hike took us past the houses of those who call yelapa home. past the school -- the trail started out as the street we came in on the first day, but quickly gave way to dirt. there were houses, concrete block structures with saddles hanging from the porches, flowers planted in coffee pots, and clotheslines galore. there were horses roaming free.... burros patiently tied to trees loaded with goods for town, or from town. there were children crying, laughing, playing. dogs everywhere!

we crossed the river twice and then ducked under a fence with "the" green arrow on it. the path twisted up the side of cathedral canyon until it finally came out to the waterfall. the waterfall was lovely -- we went swimming. there was a local family obviously enjoying the day too.

breakfast - day 2 - yelapa

waterfall

burros

shy burro

typical front porch in yelapa

restaurant el manguita

welcome - please do come in

yelapa's school

a view looking down river towards beach

yelapa dog

chicks love bikes

sweet pea who came to visit

after our hike, we headed back to town. we headed through the pueblo, past the church, and to the town waterfall where we heard you could grab some food at a local eatery. sure enough, we found this spot; it was awesome. we enjoyed cold coca colas and guacamole with chips. it was so good. by this time, it was around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and i was beat. we retreated to our palapa and read for the remainder of the afternoon (we had a little friend visit us) before heading out to the beach for dinner... we watched the sunset.... chatted... and just enjoyed the remainder of our time.

that evening, despite my exhaustion, i was unable to sleep. i stayed up the entire night listening to roosters crowing, dogs howling, birds chattering, and the occasional animals pattering feet cruise by our palapa. i did manage to fall into a restless sleep around 5:30 am and was soon woken up by the alarm on my phone. time to go.

the travel home was easy. we grabbed a quick breakfast in pv after our water taxi ride. our flight was a smooth 2 1/2 hours. we touched down in denver and i saw the white-capped mountains. i was so glad to be home.

thankful for safe travels, wonderful experience, and now it is time to get back to work.

april 28th, 2007

2011-04-30T08:00:00.002-06:00

st. helena's ~ april 28, 2007

happy 4 year anniversary to us. ;-)

we spent the day hiking around yelapa mexico... exploring... one of our favorite things to do together. these four years have meant so much to me, been so much to me, given so much to me, and shown me so much of life, and myself. i love you, nw!

i am nothing but thankful! to many, many more!

Source: love.designxmag.com via Jessica on Pinterest

and we are back....

2011-04-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

this morning we woke up early, actually, i never slept... more on that later... to catch the water taxi from yelapa, mexico to puerto vallarta to catch a taxi (car) to the airport....

it was a great trip.... fun, interesting, cultural, gritty, beautiful, hot, relaxing, sometimes stressful... but mostly just a great experience. we are home safe and sound. and about to go to sleep -- 8:30 pm on friday night. yes!

just a few pics for now... much more before monday. snow in the forecast this weekend in colorado and i couldn't be happier to be home!

me & coral the black lab at playa escondida

happy hour - day 2

best fish taco - EVER! sayulita

saline pool - playa escondida

yelapa's common mode of transportation - no cars in this town!

flowers at casas de le seunos - yelapa

yelapa

yelapa - typical front porch up valley

playa escondida

if sam were in yelapa!!

nw obviously enjoying happy hour

villa amor - sayulita

puento de mito

typical afternoon activities

playa escondida

off to bed... sweet dreams... happy weekend!

good friday - earth day

2011-04-22T18:56:00.000-06:00

Source: nothingbutcountry.com via Sugar Bee on Pinterest

i am going to get some slack for this one...the image below. but i have to say, i truly agree. we don't have to dig deep or search for too long to find examples of how mankind is absolutely destroying this beautiful planet that God created. gulf oil spill, exxon spill, japan's nuclear power point spilling water into the sea, trash/litter everywhere, mountain top removal for coal, deforestation, and the list goes on....

if we could could just see that our actions impact this earth, our home, our children's home, in ways that we can not yet measure.

this earth day... this good friday... i remember and am thankful that Jesus Christ died for my sins... the sins of the whole world... and i honor him by honoring this earth. it is God's most magical and awesome creation.

Source: someecards.com via Leslie on Pinterest

time to fly!

2011-04-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

so, this will be my last post for a week, which is nothing compared to the length of my last hiatus -- what, 3 months?

nw and i leave for mexico on saturday morning, early. this will be our first real vacation (as in not traveling across country to our parents houses) since february 2008. it is time. we are flying in and out of puerto vallarta and staying just outside of sayulita and in yelapa. i hope for a tame level of adventure, hours of reading on the beach in the sun, good food, great drinks, and time to be still.... time to relax.

Source: etsy.com via Tara on Pinterest

sayulita:

Source: google.com via Jackie on Pinterest

dear carrie

2011-04-21T18:51:00.002-06:00

dear carrie:

happy birthday! i am two days late... but at least the lady bug apron and card arrived on time.

it is hard for your aunt a to believe that you just celebrated your fourth birthday -- you are getting to be such a big girl! and super smart to boot -- i love our phone conversations, and hearing about school and your sister anna, and all the ideas you have tucked away in your beautiful head.

i want you to know how much i love you, how much i miss you. carrie, when you were born i realized a new level of love. you aren't even my child, but you are my blood, you're my brothers child, and the day i met you in 2007 my life changed forever. you bring such a joy to all of us, to me and your uncle nw, you're a miracle from God, you're a powerful force of happiness and good, and the definition of beauty and a future not yet realized.

when we moved so far away in 2008, it broke my heart to leave you. there is so much that i miss living so far away. i miss your daily smiles, your hugs, your growth spurts, your tantrums, your musings, your revelations, and your everyday love... but this is where i need to be right now... and even if i am 2,000 miles from you... my heart is right there with you. i will always be near you in spirit, watching out for you, praying for you, loving you from colorado... and when we are together that will just make life sweeter.

carrie, happy 4th birthday... you are a blessing from God. you have amazing parents.... and grandparents: Lady & Knowman and Whizzy & Pop Pop. and you have an aunt and uncle "way out west" who love you to pieces....

xo,

aunt alston

monday: livin' up to its' rep

2011-04-18T18:58:00.000-06:00

you might scoff at me and my rant re: this past day, this monday. it was freaking "krazy" at work today. i arrived at the office with 64 unread "action" emails and two mailings to get out the door ( w/ hand addressed envelopes totaling 300). action emails are emails that i code as having a direct action item for me to perform; and yes, they are color-coded in my email outlook box.

yes, you can (and should) roll your eyes... i would. i took a 3 day weekend away from work. i even left work at 3 o'clock on thursday, although i was totally caught up when i left and had already worked all my hours for friday. i don't have grad classes to prepare for and attend... i don't have children to care for, feed, and play with... i don't have an ill person to attend to... i don't have another job to run to to pay the bills...

why do i feel so guilty when i get stressed like this then... it is not acceptable!

the universe has a funny way (not funny ha ha)of re-adjusting my attitude and restoring my perspective... at work today while i was in the midst of my mini-meltdown i found out that someone we work with (not at tnc) died last week of a heartache. he was middle age, seemed fit and healthy, and a wonderful man. he is gone now. tell me that doesn't shed new light/perspective on my monday, and my state of mind.

today might have been difficult and long...but at least i had a monday... at least my heart is beating in my chest. i, we all have so many blessings.... stressful days are inevitable, we just can't let them rob of us of perspective, compassion, sense of humor, and priorities.

now, i am going to share dinner with friends... and maybe a couple of beers... cheers to monday y'all.... may we all have many, many more!!!

Source: flickr.com via ComatoseBunny on Pinterest

le weekend!

2011-04-17T20:54:00.000-06:00

now that i have successfully washed all the sand out of my hair and from between my toes it's time to digest the weekend. it was one of our beautifully unplanned weekends full of adventure, fun, and relaxation (and many miles). the camping gods and goddesses were smiling on us this weekend that is for sure.

we were able to leave boulder around 4 pm on thursday afternoon, car packed to the gills, bikes on the roof, and two winter-white boulder-rites inside. it took us about ~4 hours to push past the colorado line and once in utah it was an additional 20 minute drive down highway 128 towards moab to our first camp site. two years ago, we had learned the hard way that first-come, first-serve camping close to moab is a "no-go" on thursday - sunday nights. knowing this, we pulled into the dewey bridge national forest campground, which was the first one we came to on the road. it was small (about 8 sites) and very full, except for one spot! it was 10:30 in the evening and we were both pretty beat, but the mighty colorado was right next to our site and we had to go say hi, or night, night rather.

dewey bridge camp site - 20 miles from moab

friday was beautiful! we had a grabbed breakfast in moab before heading to dead horse state park to bike an easy 8 mile trail. it was my first ride with clipless pedals so the ride needed to be easy. it was a great spot about 1,500 feet above moab with wonderful views of the snow-capped la sal mountains in the distance. the ride itself was very fun with a little bit of everything: rocks, roots, slickrock, sand, rollers, and a couple of fun drops. i fell a few times... i knew that i would. and i will be totally honest, it did not feel good at all. i am usually such a cautious person, almost to a fault. i mean, when it comes to skiing, road biking, backpacking, and the other sports i ever participate in, i never, ever put myself out there like this. in a way it felt good to know i was just letting caution go for once and aggressively biking up steeper sections, pushing over rocks. my biking was fine, i was just having a difficult time pulling my feet off the pedals fast enough if i did stop. so time after time i was ending up with legs, or should i say my right leg, slammed into the ground, knee scrapping the orange desert sandstone. despite the falls i had a smile on my face the whole time. it was amazing fun!!

yard sale in the parking lot!

le bikes

the view from dead horse state park

please park your bike a safe distance from the rim!

the gloves make me look tough; i'm not! ;-)

yay!

after the ride we drove south leaving moab behind and hooked a right off the highway a hour later towards canyonlands national park. two years prior we had come here to celebrate our two year wedding anniversary and enjoyed it so much we thought we re-create it. so we found the same dirt-bag climbers campround on blm land outside of the park and set up shop. we had had an early supper in moab, so we enjoyed the lingering evening light chatting, drinking pbr, and planning our hike the next day.

camp - time to relax

pbr

looking west

gotta get a good car shot

it was very chilly once the sun set

the next day we chose a ~ 10 mile loop starting at the elephant hill trailhead. the trail would take us through the striking needles district and it did not disappoint. with an early 7 am start we beat the rush and enjoyed the trail, the sights, and the amazing park pretty much without company. on the hike out i began to get a bit nostalgic. hiking, visiting our countries diverse, and dynamic, national (and state) parks was something that was a big part of my growing up -- thank god! and thanks to my wonderful parents who instilled a love of travel, playing outside, and truly appreciating these magical landscapes. as the morning gave away to afternoon and we neared the trailhead more and more folks began to pass us on their way in. young folks, older folks, folks our age. some had backpacks and backcountry permits, some just had daypacks or water bottles in hand. there were young parents with a baby on the dad's back and young children with little sunglasses and fluorescent packs. it filled my heart with happiness to these folks, these americans (mostly, i think) who are leaving their boxy cars, the air conditioning to venture out and see this wonderful place with it's lizards, flowers, dirt, sagebrush, and history. i want to hold that moment of happiness with me forever.

the needles district- canyonlands national park

sweet

morning stretch!

desert indian paintbrush (?)

chrysler park

awesome cave we found

skinny section

our hike over, it was time for another adventure. we decided to set our sights, and tires, east back to colorado and drove the highway from just south of moab to ridgeway, colorado; this small road affords amazing views, and crosses the dolores river, winds through paradox valley, and small towns that seem forgotten and stuck in time. we arrived in ridgeway around 4 pm and went straight to one of our most favorite spots: orvis hot springs. orvis is naturally-kept spring with several pools that has views of the san juans mountains just to its east. i love that place; i love that valley. we soaked our tired muscles in the mineral springs before heading to town for a quick supper. the true grit cafe downtown, which is where the original western was filmed (partially) has great food and the sweetest folks working there. the locals come there with their boots, hats, and trucks and sit next to the young, hippie-looking mountain bikers to share a beer. old west meets new in this great little spot. the evening ended with another soak under the stars and (almost) full moon; the san juans were glowing.

apps and beers out of our cooler in the ridgeway town square = perfect happy hour

another early morning, we grabbed a quick coffee before hitting the road northwest to fruita, colorado. a new favorite for me. most people know fruita is a great place to mountain bike; and you know what, they're right. we went on a mellow ride today up road 18. it is a system of trails created just for biking, therefore they have perfect curves, hills, drops, and rocks. it was good ride. i am not going to lie, i had a two brutal falls that shook my confidence. re-bruised spots on my legs that had already turned a lovely shade of purple, pink. and i added new bruises to my totally clean left leg. in all my years of backpacking, hiking, skiing, etc. i have never had bruises like this. they don't really hurt now, i did ice them all the way home (all 4 hours), but i can tell you i won't be wearing a skirt to work for awhile! after it is all said and done, i love mountain biking. everything from the burn of the uphills, to the satisfying cruisers, to the adrenaline rush of the downhill, it is a sport i am determined to stick with and master my pedals. that is the key to nice legs! ;-)

well, tomorrow is monday. again, it will be a rough day, but at least my legs get a break!

thanks for reading!

hittin' the road, y'all

2011-04-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

heading to the desert this afternoon for a long weekend of camping, hiking, and biking.

Source: ffffound.com via Mònica on Pinterest

but before i go. last night a storm rolled through boulder and it brought rain, a hard rain, and thunder! thunderstorms are something i miss dearly living out here (way out west). i mean we get them from time to time, but not with the regularity that the southeast does. i will say, i appreciate them a lot more now that i live in colorado. it was a great way to fall asleep.

and of course, we woke up to three inches of snow. buh!

ok. road trip here way come!

Source: img.earthshots.org via Rushi on Pinterest

pretty cool

2011-04-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

check out the eagle cam brought to you by the Raptor Resource Project -- this eagle is in Decorah, Iowa. There are three eaglets (seriously) living in the nest right now. they hatched in the beginning of april. pretty cool!

Free video streaming by Ustream

so long weekend....

2011-04-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

the house is clean. and very quiet. nw went skiing this morning at winter park and i happily slept until 10:30 - wow! i never sleep that late. ever. i think my body just needed it. today was my cleaning day... my walk the dogs day.... my veg-out day... my watch the masters day. it was chilly and cloudy here. it was perfect.

and tomorrow is monday. it is going to be a rugged day. i already know. i'll go in around 7:30 to stay ahead... it is a 4 day week though... moab is calling.

well, enjoy these final hours of the weekend.

my quote for monday: no, seriously!

Source: boozebagbettygoestorehab.blogspot.com via Alston on Pinterest

arcade fire

2011-04-10T11:21:00.001-06:00

i will be the very first to admit that my music collection, and overall taste in music, has been swayed largely by two people in my life. first: emily (dear friend). second: husband. i love music, music festivals, running to music, singing loudly (and badly) in the car (in shower)... my first real music "love" was the indigo girls... i still love them. soon thereafter came widespread, allman brothers, ccr, phish, and more jam bands/southern rock.

it wasn't until i met nw that i really learned to appreciate jerry garcia and the different stages of his musical career, including the dead. and emily has introduced me to the likes of wilco, radiohead, and now arcade fire. we went to see them last night and they were a.m.a.z.i.n.g -- i didn't know what to expect, but they were fun, beautiful, unique, intelligent, and just overall put on a great show. actually, nw made the comment that they seem a lot like the talking heads... what do you think?

check them out.

good saturday

2011-04-09T19:09:00.000-06:00

today was an amazingly productive day for me. after deciding not ride to jamestown, if you must know, i needed to give my bottom a break... literally... nw and i headed over to the farmers market to check out the goodies, indulge in yuppie people watching and of course, enjoy some sisters dumplings. they are so good and the ladies who make them are the sweetest. it was 30 minutes of heaven... a full tummy, sunny skies, grass beneath bare feet, and nw & i laying on our backs listening to children giggle and play, parents run after them, women gossiping, runners running; boulder is waking up after a long winter.

this afternoon nw had to go to work (sigh) and i planted about 15 clumps of native strawberries out front in these wagon wheel-esque planters that came with the house. my co-worker dug them up out of her yard and gave them to me. i don't think we should expect berries this year, but maybe next year.

Source: lh4.ggpht.com via Alston on Pinterest

i then proceeded to go for a run. geraldine, how do you do it? i have this love / hate relationship (honestly, don't lots of people) with running. today i pounded 4 miles of pavement and it felt awful. i was so sloooooowwwww..... ugh. however, i am determined to reach that point that all runners talk about... somewhere around week 4 of steady running... the high, the addiction, and the fun part to running. right now i am just disciplining myself to "enjoy" the pain, the shortness of breath, the tightness in my chest. it sucks.

Source: am-klutz.livejournal.com via Andrea on Pinterest

now i am home... very dirty from gardening and running and playing ball with sam. time to shower; tonight we're going to see Arcade Fire.

cheers... happy saturday night, ya'll!

it's saturday... let's all have fun!

2011-04-09T08:39:00.002-06:00

Source: stumbleupon.com via Bobbi on Pinterest

love.

2011-04-08T10:27:00.000-06:00

i love my husband.
for all the little things... the everyday things.
for being my cheerleader. for being my sounding board. for challenging me like no one else.
for making me laugh. smile. cry. feel alive.
for being real.
i love my husband.
he packed my backpack for my ride yesterday. he knew i'd be in a hurry after work.
i love my husband for the little things.... the everyday things.

Source: designspongeonline.com via Anne on Pinterest

just love this quote...

2011-04-08T10:20:00.001-06:00

Source: morganmoore.typepad.com via Bonnie on Pinterest

bike. awesome.

2011-04-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

Source: grainedit.com via Monique on Pinterest

first gurlz ride. check.

it was a lot of fun actually. there were about 20 women riders that met at the south foothills trail head in north boulder last night. i could tell right away the skill levels varied from really, really good to really, really green, which calmed my fears tremendously. i, of course, felt totally geeky wearing my tennis shoes and not clip less pedal shoes, but whatever.

the ride was probably 10-15 miles (i am really bad estimating distances on bikes), and was mostly easy "double-track" terrain with a few steep, rocky downhills that turned into steep, rocky uphills on the return. i busted once and in my defense it wasn't entirely my fault. the `gurl in front of me stopped abruptly on a downhill and i came up on her rear tire fast and just plum fell over. ok, so it was my fault. my right leg is dotted with pretty blue, purple, and pink bruises all up and down my shin and on my knees; just lovely.
i walked my bike 3 times. 1st on the very steep, rocky downhill. there were logs for crying out loud. 2nd, i walked my bike up a wicked steep and long uphill... i made it 3/4's of the way up it and it will be my goal to power up that sucker w/out stopping by the end of the summer. and the 3rd time i walked my bike was back up the steep, rocky part where i busted at first. i was just plain tired.

all in all i had an absolute blast. the gurlz in my group were jolly; it was just nice to hang out with a new group of people. nw and i will tackle marshall mesa again today and if the weather holds tomorrow we will (road) bike to jamestown. i guess my skis are packed away for the summer, eh?

running

2011-04-07T14:38:00.001-06:00

i have about two months until the bolder boulder 10K; em and i are signing up on monday. thanks to my co-worker and super-athlete liz, we now have a running group. we will meet each thursday around noon and run, sprint, stretch, and basically get ready for the race. i was definitely intimated at first about running with this group b/c i am about as fast as a turtle crawling backwards, but it was fun. and i ran a 5k in about 30 minutes, which is much better pace than my normal (pathetic) 12 minute mile.
on the to do list this weekend: new running shoes.

Source: acottageinthewoods.tumblr.com via Sharon on Pinterest

my thoughts exactly:

Source: peace-love-run.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

totally...

Source: keep-calm-and.tumblr.com via Sabrina on Pinterest

pre-ride nerves...

2011-04-07T10:16:00.002-06:00

i have signed up for an all girls mountain bike ride this afternoon. it will be my second time out on the bike. being totally honest here: i am really nervous. i don't even have clipless pedals yet. i won't know anyone. oh, well. it'll be an adventure.

Source: quote-book.tumblr.com via Alston on Pinterest

so simple. i love it.

2011-04-07T10:08:00.000-06:00

Source: lovemademedoitx.blogspot.com via Alston on Pinterest

you will do wonderful things...

2011-04-03T16:36:00.001-06:00

Source: flipflopsandpearlsdesign.blogspot.com via Annie on Pinterest

too cute

2011-04-03T08:01:00.000-06:00

i can't help it. i love her and the way she is constantly under foot, watchfully gazing, waiting... sam is the only dog i've ever had that wanted to consistently, constantly be with me. don't get me wrong, porter is special to me for many (other) reasons, but sam. sam is my sweet, consistent sam.

see what i mean....

one day i will go....

2011-04-02T16:09:00.000-06:00

Live the language - Paris from EF Intl. Language Centers on Vimeo.

happy saturday...

2011-04-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

it's a lovely morning here in colorado. 70. sunny.
i have a bike ride, a trip to the farmers market (opening day), and cooking something lovely for dinner on my horizon. you?

well, whatever you do... enjoy!

Source: dreameveryday.tumblr.com via Alston on Pinterest

WSP

2011-04-02T10:47:00.000-06:00

i grew up listening to these guys.... widespread started in athens, ga in 1986 (i think) and since then have taken their place in the universe of jam bands right along side phish and the grateful dead... and greats like gregg allman, black crows, and the band. the first time i saw wsp was in the 8th grade. they were playing at the savannah civic center; i just remember thinking how cool it all was to be there soaking up the sights, the people, the smell of smoke, beer, and that electrifying sound.

i have seen wsp many times since from savannah, ga to jackson, wy... they always put on a great show. last summer we went to see them at red rocks in morrison, co and it was one of the most fun concerts ever. tickets went on sale yesterday for their shows at red rocks this summer and we'll be there. looking forward to it!

strength

2011-03-31T17:27:00.000-06:00

i am what you might call a quote junkie. i get high off of them. when i find a new one, i write it down, stick it somewhere, and smile. quotes are these powerful mechanisms for inspiration, change, renewal, personal "ah-ha's" and awakenings (at least for me). i saw this quote today while messing around on pinterest.

to me this quotes screams, "just go after it" and don't be afraid. i consider myself a relatively strong woman, however, i have my doubts re: work, my ability to succeed in a career and sometimes those fears cloud my vision, make me weak, push me to question my competency, and it shakes my confidence. i do this to myself, this destructive, unhealthy behavior. and because i do this to myself i have the power to render those thoughts of weakness and ineptitude helpless through my own choosing. but i tell ya'.... sometimes overdosing on positive quotes really helps!

Source: sweetonveg.com via M.e. on Pinterest

2011 Specialized Safire

2011-03-29T14:48:00.000-06:00

now that i have road biking down, i feel compelled to start another summer sport. and since rock climbing is not my thing, and i miss the quiet of the woods when road biking, i decided on mountain biking. nw and i just got bikes (his old one is way old) and we have a date to moab planned for mid-april! jolly! i'll let you know how it goes.

The tragedy of first position

2011-03-29T10:41:00.000-06:00

Don't we all have days like this!!! Too cute!

can't stay long....

2011-03-24T14:42:00.002-06:00

i am at work, and it is a bit slow today, which is almost unheard of here.... but i can't write for long. it is slow b/c folks are off for springs break (@#$!$#@)... i work w/ lots of wonderful women who have kiddos....
anywho, i came across this blog today... i really like it. maybe you will too?

http://youaremyfave.com/blog/

happy thursday.

chill-axin!

2011-03-13T14:31:00.000-06:00

i just love a good sunday. when is it ever a "bad" sunday, really? the weather in boulder is absolutely perfect today with baby blue skies, white, fluffy clouds stuck on the flatirons, and warm sunshine. nw and i are out working the yard pulling up dead growth from last year, deciding on the location of our garden, and setting up our outdoor area. of course, it's still going to snow several more times before spring can also take hold, but heck, i'll take what i can get today.

a sign of spring!

here is a glimpse into our sunday. i hope your sunday is jolly too!

porter had a bath.... boy does he look annoyed!

nw went for a quick ride

a view from our house

i cut down lots of willows yesterday

any thoughts on the ivy near the front door.... should it stay or should it go?

sam and her ball

on the docket....

2011-03-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

i have a couple of things on the docket for this summer.... i really want to stick to accomplishing them....

Item 1 - run the Bolder Boulder (it's easy, child's play, sissy stuff... but would be my first running race) the Bolder Boulder is a 10K that happens over memorial day weekend, which is usually when we are in SC. we can't make it to the southeast that soon, so i'll be lacing up my running shoes and hitting the pavement with my two best buds, claire and em!

Item 2 - bike the 5th Annual Boulder Sunrise Century on June 18th -- i rode in one bike race last summer and loved it! so here goes.... this time i am forcing nw to join me.

Item 3 -- bike the Venus De Miles race on August 28th -- this time i'll hopefully trade in my 51 mile route for the century....

summer, i am so ready for you and all the challenges and fun you are going to bring. 30, it's the new $%, just kidding, 30 is freakin' awesome!

a friday for me

2011-03-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

i played hookie today. well, not really. i took the day off and went through the proper channels to do so.... it was meant to be a ski day with claire and collins who are both leaving colorado (both temporarily--i hope). but, alas, the conditions were not favorable w/ wind gusts topping out at 50 mph in the mountains i opted to stay snug in my bed until around 9 am.

i then dragged nw to one of my favorite breakfast eateries in boulder, luciles. we never, ever go because on the weekends the line extends down the street with an unbearable wait time of (sometimes) 2 hours...

Lucile's

that is just silly. so we went this morning and enjoyed a big `ole plate of creole-infused good times. nw went off to work after that and i headed out for a run w/ claire. it felt good to run off some of my breakfast and be outside at a time of day that i'm normally behind my desk. from our run in east boulder we had a good view of the fire burning up lefthand canyon that started early this morning; the wind factor isn't helping much.

boulder - flatirons

and now, i am back home after a great hike with nw and the `dawgs up in the foothills past our house. the sun is shining and it is crazy warm out.... the beer i am drinking right now tastes so good. our hike today, together, was long overdue and reminded of a time in our lives when things like that were more prevalent -- playing outside on work days.

i hope everyone has a great weekend.....

cheers!

itching for spring

2011-03-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

if the change in blog template did not give it away, i am itching for spring. i am perfectly fine with putting the skis away for another season to hit the trails and jump back on my bike. sigh, not so fast: we have another two months of unpredictable weather to go. today was a lovely 65 degrees and sunny in boulder, but next week we could easily see 7 inches of snow here. it's just the way colorado can be sometimes.

nw and i do have an exciting trip planned this spring to celebrate four years of wedded "good times." we are heading to mexico (wish it could be tomorrow) at the end of april to a small town called sayulita. we haven't taken a trip , just us... as in a true vacay since we went to Germany in the winter of `08. I'd say we are due. i keep the vision of mexico in my head when things get crazy at work or i have a crummy day. i believe it is important to always have something to look forward to... even if it's just a new recipe to try, a big glass of red wine, an evening on the couch w/ a special friend....

speaking of a new recipe to try.... you MUST try this....http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rigatoni-with-Eggplant-and-Pine-Nut-Crunch-364033

It is a Rigatoni w/ Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch dish and it is fabulous!

ok, i have to run... my dear college friend collins is headed over to say farewell before she heads to PA school this summer... either in maine or idaho! cheers!

progress

2010-12-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

so we have made a little bit of progress here. it is difficult when we both leave for the day around 8 am and don't return until after 5 (sometimes well after in NW's case). last weekend, thanks to ALL the help from our wonderful friends, we were able to finish painting the living and dining rooms, hall, and bedroom. we have begun to unpack and settle in....

the dining room (and porter)

the living room (and sam)

bedroom

one of two Robert Daughter's serigraphs -- thank you mom and dad

serigraph 2 - nw's favorite

festive and unfurnished...

2010-12-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

yes, that is what we are here at chez W, festive and unfurnished. i have lovingly put a wreath on the door and tied a pretty red ribbon to the lamp pole near the street. besides decorating the front door putting the kitchen together is about all i can do for now at the new place. we are planning to paint this weekend. we will hopefully knock out our bedroom (at least) so i can stop hunting all over the house for my undies and such before work. he he.

for the bedroom, i am voting for a light, light blue with an off-white accent wall and nw is vying for a darker blue/green. who will win is tough to say at this point. and then the living/dining room is going to be a green color with a light cream accents walls. i would normally say that this will be a relatively painless process except for the fact that all the trim has to be painted too. i will definitely keep u updated with photos.

home.

2010-12-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

i am home. finally.

when nw and i got married in the spring of 2007 we were smack dab in the middle of building our first house. it was a very stressful process and there were nights that i didn't sleep well because of all the decisions, deadlines, and the (financial/emotional) investment we were putting into the house, and the area.

the end result was fabulous -- our little cabin in the woods exceeding our expectations. there was just one (major) "uh-oh." this little cabin in the woods was built in the wrong state (for us). well, a year and some change later we sold it... moved back to colorado... and since then we've lived in three different rental houses -- all of our belongings, wedding gifts, photos, etc have been stored in boxes. it hasn't been bad at all living this way, i guess i am just so used to it. but this past tuesday we closed on a house -- a home -- here in boulder. it is perfect. i saw it on the mls on a saturday morning and we went to see it right away. later that afternoon we put an offer on the place and the rest is history.

i have spent the weekend schlepping stuff from our rental to this house as well as setting up the kitchen. the rest of the house has to be painted so i can't set anything up, which if course drives me crazy. i will share the kitchen with you today though.

facing south

so here we are.... and we are both so happy -- now we just need to paint and throw up some solar panels on the roof... photos to follow!

happy birthday momS!!

2010-11-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

today is a very special day: it is not only my mother's birthday BUT it's also nw's mom's birthday as well. now how `bout that?! i've always thought it was so cool that our mother's were born on the same day just one year apart.

nw and melanie getting ready to hike into the never-summer yurts, co

to our mothers... we wish we could be with you both to celebrate... we are celebrating in spirit -- cheers to the two fabulous women, mothers, who raised us... WE LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!

mom and me - rmnp, co

warren miller's wintervention

2010-11-11T18:42:00.002-07:00

for every ski bum/addict, or at least the ones that i know (uh-hum, married to) the ski season (unofficially) starts with a showing of warren miller's latest ski flick. this year's film did not disappoint. we were able to go for free b/c of a friend who works for WM and it was awesome. As always the film gets everyone pumped to go "rip the pow." please laugh -- i was being silly.

seriously though... we woke to snow in boulder this morning and another storm is on its way.
it's time to ski.

new skis

2010-11-11T18:32:00.001-07:00

ski season `10 (arapahoe basin, co)

last season i reached a new level in skiing. by the end of the season it was actually fun to follow nw, claire, and patton as they ripped it down double blacks and hike-to terrain runs (side-country skiing). so, this season, nw bought the silverton mountain pass in addition to our superpass (winter park, copper, and steamboat) and in turn, i got a new pair of skis -- not a bad deal at all. after some deliberating i went with line skis. next season, maybe i'll be skiing silverton -- although, there may be other priorities in my life -- he he.

and damn. they are hot, not too mention good skis!

veterans day....

2010-11-11T18:16:00.002-07:00

In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935

we all know one, or several, or maybe you came from a family of `em. veterans. military women and men who say, "my life -- you can have it if it means this country will be stronger, better, safer, and maybe even none of things yet, right away." but the commitment, the promise is there.
i woke up this morning, made coffee, had a bowl of cheerios, went to work, worked hard, and come home to my dogs... a glass of wine, dinner to be made.... and no one to me i couldn't...
and i hope and pray that my children will only have to read about wars in their history books, but for all the wars this country has been involved in, politics aside, the individuals (moms, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, daughters, and sons) were special -- were unique -- and deserve our unwavering thanks.

be a hero. thank a vet!

knock... knock

2010-11-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

i'm at a loss for a way to play catch up with the blog at this point and must admit that blogging (writing) feels so strange to me right now. life, per my usual excuse, has been very hectic/busy. i wish i could recount in great detail all the wonderful moments from the past three months, but that would bore most everyone to tears.

quick recap:

my parents came for a fabulous week long visit
we explored redstone, crested butte, carbondale, co and all points in between with them
nw & i started looking for a house in boulder (it must be getting serious)
went to telluride for blues and brews
nw's mom came for a quick trip to boulder
i turned 30.... and it (gasp) was an amazing day, night, weekend... to a new decade!
we are under contract for a house -- a house that will be a home!
i was sent to dc for TNC's world headquarters for training....
colorado remained a blue state in the latest elections... the environment won, sort of.
and tomorrow night it is supposed to snow here... old man winter, bring it!

we are about to enter one of my favorite seasons: winter. thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away and though (sadly) nw and i won't be able to make it to north carolina (yes, north carolina) this year, we will be celebrating with the usual cast of colorado characters. the front range has enjoyed a very warm, dry fall but the mountains have received a good bit of snow and we skied for the first time sunday. it felt so good. well, not really, actually it hurt like hell.

so, here's a promise to be better about blogging.... a new computer is on the horizon as the old is dead....

dad & mom at the top of independence pass

mom & me at rocky mountain np

rocky mountain np

car camping - cory, collins, & nw - somewhere in co

indian peaks with nw's momma

venus de miles

2010-08-30T16:39:00.000-06:00

sunday. first race ever. well, since green and gold day at country day back in high school. i wasn't sure what to expect.... aired on the side of caution - 51 miles.

it was amazing..... sign me up for more... lots more.

the race goes to benefit a local non-profit (that I volunteer for) to help low-income, high potential students go to college.... greenhouse scholars.

2010-08-28T13:31:00.000-06:00

whew.... not a lot of time to post. sorry....

nw and i have been trying to soak up these last days of summer.... hiking, biking, and enjoying the heat.

i was gone the first part of the week on a tnc work retreat to the san luis valley. we stayed/camped/played at the 100,000 acre zapata ranch owned/preserved by tnc.

the old ranch house... now inn

view from the ranch to the sand dunes

looking east towards the sangre de cristos

looking north over the san luis valley (the size of ct)

bats at sunset

interesting...

2010-08-27T15:15:00.002-06:00

good-bye sammy, good-bye ob

2010-08-01T09:10:00.001-06:00

last saturday we spent the evening up in gold hill just west of boulder saying farewell to a friend of mine from ob. sammy is heading on to wisconsin for more schooling... and to "see about a girl".... it was his farewell party, but for me, it was also mine... my time with Outward Bound has been happy, productive, educational, and many friendships were made. i did not work there for long, but it definitely let a mark on me.

"to serve, to strive, and not to yield" - kurt hahn, ob founder

sammy --

the scene

gettin' chatty w/ rosie

da' beer

sanchez....

renee & crespin

chicken wings

holy view!

corey contemplating

more views...

corey monkeying around

aw.... christmas card.

corey and his avie-rescue dog, neva

night, night

playing catch-up

2010-08-01T08:57:00.001-06:00

july is gone, august has come and with it we have one more month of hot summer days here in colorado. thank goodness. in order to escape the heat, we retreated up to to the mountains and enjoyed beautiful views, amazing wildflowers, peace and quiet, and a cool breeze.... two great hikes... pitkin lake in the vail area and st. vrain in the indian peaks....

rocky mountain np

columbine

summit of mount meadow

indian paintbrush

alston, corey, & nw

corey & neva

my solar slayer

changing it up

2010-07-19T19:06:00.000-06:00

there's that saying... the only thing in this life that is guaranteed is change. for better, or worse.... our lives (all of us) are constantly in flux, even if we can't immediately feel/see/accept/understand the change. in my life, though a relatively short one so far, i have come a long way from that stubborn, sometimes argumentative, always impatient young woman who found change difficult.

since moving to colorado the first time in 2003, i welcome (most) change, and even find myself becoming quite antsy to experience new places, jobs.... this is not meant to be interpreted as boredom, but rather an insatiable interest and expectation. so, it is with bittersweet emotions that i leave my job at Outward Bound behind. i started in february 2009 as a seasonal employee... and with chip perched squarely on my shoulder. i saw OB as an "enemy" or direct competition to wv (which they are nothing alike really) -- i have quite a lot of loyalty to wv for many reasons that i won't bore you with now. i leave ob for a job with The Nature Conservancy -- Colorado Field Office. I am ecstatic -- it is going to be a challenging a job, but promises to be a wonderful opportunity. i start august 2nd.

....to new beginnings....

birthday girl

2010-06-26T12:10:00.000-06:00

.... and even more importantly....

happy birthday to my-not-so-little-all-grown-up-very-smart-mature-beautiful 21 year old, today, sister!!!!

roo -- i love you.... from the moment you were born until today and forever!!!!

*more posting on this to come....must watch soccer game now. ;-)

madness

2010-06-26T12:05:00.000-06:00

.... a quick post to say....

GO USA!!!

love. wendell berry.

2010-06-25T08:49:00.001-06:00

during my lunch break on wednesday i wandered down to the golden book store to check out the latest and greatest.... i never, ever meant to buy anything, what with a perfectly good library in boulder, why would i? but alas (sigh), i saw a novel by one of my favorite authors, wendell berry and just had to have it. it was a being sold as a sequel of sorts to jayber crow -- the endearing story of a small town called port william and it's bachelor barber, jayber. the novel is called hannah coulter and after only a day i am pushing past the 1/2 way mark, much to my chagrin might i add.

it is a story of love, loss, community, progress, and recognizing/appreciating the simple joys of life that many of us no longer see due to our busy, over-worked, cluttered lives... guilty as charged. today as i was reading in the golden city park across from my office, i read a paragraph that spoke to me.... made me stop and re-read. contemplate. and i fell in love with wendell berry all over again. it is about love...

as i grow older, as my marriage grows and changes, and my relationships with parents, siblings, and friends shift with the effortlessness of time, i realize that love is like light, always present, yet changing -- like the rays of light that shine through an oak canopy, it is the same light, just a different perspective, just a slight change in the breeze. my love for nw is different than when i first realized i loved him back in colorado (the first time), different from that sunday afternoon on top of saddle butte when i promised him forever, different even still from that gorgeous spring day in south carolina when our lives were bound and blessed by god... we are different, our love is different, better, stronger, and more "us" than ever before.

"love is what carries you, for it is always there, even in the dark, or most in the dark, but shining out at times like gold stitches in a piece of embroidery.
sometimes too i see that love is a great room with a lot of doors, where we are invited to knock and come in. though it contains all the world, the sun, moon, and stars, it is also so small as to be also in our hearts. it is in the hearts of those who choose to come in. some do not come in. some may stay out forever. some come in together and leave separately. some come in and stay, until they die, and after." - hannah coulter, wendell berry

i respect that this type of literature is not for everyone, but wendell berry's message of love, family, faith, community, and the bravery and relentlessness of the american spirit is never out of style or dull (to me). so without further ado, this young lady is going back to her book.

good night.

a loop attempt

2010-06-21T21:31:00.002-06:00

this sunday we took a stab at a 15 mile loop in the indian peaks wilderness that would have taken us up and over the divide. i'd say we were about three weeks too early. after hearing several reports from our friend cory about just how clear all the trails were in the mountains, and how all the 14'er's he'd summited so far were free and clear of snow, well we thought we were good to go.

we were wrong... it was slow going once we reached about 10,500 feet and without boots and gators our feet were wet and cold. yet, despite the slow slog, it was a beautiful, sunny sunday and we made the best of it... we ended up just shy of kings lake & the divide -- it was just nice to be back in colorado for a weekend.

trail junction

looking towards the divide

looking east

nw & pups

ah, yes....?

hiking turned climbing

sam

W - most pleased

wet feet

surveying our hike