Ringing in the new year...

Photo by my husband, Matt!

So, here we are, Matt and I, alone in the house.  A rare occasion.  And what did we do?  We cleaned our closet and are contemplating baking something!  On New Year's Eve.  Did I mention we are ALONE in the house???

I'll be back soon...

Whew!  I feel better now.  :-)

2010~ A year full of love, compromise, heartache, joy, laughter, tears, and more love! Here are some of my favorite memories:

My first protest in Washington, DC
Watching our daughter get married
My first year as a Reading Recovery Teacher
Overhearing one 2nd grader to another, "You have a smokin' hot bod!"
Catching a GIGANTIC sturgeon!
Snowshoeing for the first time
Hiking Bryce Canyon with my awesome husband (and falling in love all over again)!!
Cavalia
My candy apple red KitchenAid
The joy of walking with our dogs (Jake, our black lab lost about 15 lbs.)!
Beginning to look at life through my (new) camera lens!
Attending the Blue Man Group show (AWESOME)!
Walking on the beach in Oregon
Receiving 2 (yes, TWO) cases of wine for Christmas


I am thankful for the meaningful relationships I am lucky enough to share. I cherish the time I spend with my family, my friends, and my students. 

Here's to 2011~ Korbel Riesling Champagne, 2008

New Beginnings

I work at a school that is on a 'modified' calendar, so I am fortunate enough to have several two-week breaks throughout the year.  It's a perfect amount of time...just enough to wind down and have fun before gearing back up again.  As my Christmas break draws to a close, I am relaxing with a cup of coffee (it's too early for a glass of wine) and reflecting on the last two weeks.  Christmas break this year has not disappointed. 

I am beginning 2011 with two new hobbies:  baking and snow-shoeing.  My husband and I were lucky enough to have the entire break off together, and were able to enjoy these new hobbies with one another!  We traveled to Grand Lake to visit my folks, and brought with us several dozen cookies.  My mom, an incredible baker, admitted that she expected my baked treats to be 'okay'.  They were better than okay.  In fact, she said, they surpass hers!  I was thrilled.  Her compliment boosted my confidence tenfold.  Silly?  Maybe. But nonetheless thrilling!  My baking plans for the few remaining days of break include Hot Pockets, pastys, apple turnovers (Matt's project), and Pecan Sandies. The weather is perfect for baking.  Baking and, cross your fingers, snow-shoeing.

As I type, the approaching storm is beginning to spit white flakes and the wind is picking up.  The forecast is calling for 5-10 inches.  I am hopeful, but not convinced!  Hopeful so that we might go snowshoeing in our own backyard.  This new hobby has me feeling energized and, well, healthier!  We had an incredible time of it yesterday.  It was a chilly 20 degrees in Grand Lake and light snow accompanied us on our four mile journey.  It was perfect; peaceful and pristine.  We trekked to a closed campground and had our Powerbar on a picnic table topped with 2 feet of snow.  As we made our way back, I found my pace slowing.  Not because I was tired or sore, but because I didn't want the day to end. The woods were quiet.  The trees were powdered with snowflakes.  We breathed in the crisp mountain air and were fulfilled.   When we reached the end of the trail, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  Much like with the baking. 

Normally, I mourn the end of a break.  But this break, perhaps more than any other, has been a Godsend.  I have found new things I love and am excited to share and grow in these things in the year ahead.  Two hobbies that make me feel good, inside and out.  And while I would be lying if I said I can't wait to get back to work, I certainly am not dreading it.

Here's to new beginnings!

It's almost noon now, so I will indulge in a glass of wine soon (Maybe I'll try something other than Cab...but probably not)!

~Cab Lover

Winter Wonderland

I really wanted a white Christmas.  Having lived in Colorado all of my life, not having a white Christmas is rare...and just not right.  There is something about having snow on the ground, even if it is just a dusting, that makes Christmas feel, well, more Christmassy. 

We live on 40 acres in Strasburg, Colorado.  Strasburg is about 50 miles east of Denver...and we live another 12 miles south.  Right now, it is dry as a bone out here!  On Christmas morning, after opening presents, Matt and I decided to go on a walk.  It was 52 degrees.  On Christmas morning!  Weird.  I have to admit however, that it was an absolutely gorgeous day!  And, it was nice being able to walk our 5 mile course without the wind howling at our backs and the chill creeping into our bones.  Still, it was hard to believe that it was Christmas day.

Snow may have eluded our country home on the eastern plains...but that did not deter us.  We went in search of our winter magic elsewhere...and what a treat we had today!  We traveled to Grand Lake to visit my parents and were ecstatic when we summited Berthoud Pass and entered a Winter Wonderland!  Snow!  And lots of it!  We were giddy, and the snow only deepened the further north we drove.  Hallelujah...Christmas!

We had our new snow shoes, still in the packaging, stowed away in the trunk.  This would be our first outing on snow shoes and we were very excited.  We had waited long enough.  With high hopes and multiple layers, we strapped on the shoes and set out across the pristine snow.  It was glorious!  There was not another soul in sight.  The crisp mountain air was invigorating and we were in heaven!  Navigating a path through the virgin snow was much easier than I expected. Yes, I could feel my heart working, but I was not gasping for air!  I could exercise like this everyday (given the right temperature, no wind, and perfect snow)!  One day, actually just over an hour, and we are hooked. 

So, we got our white Christmas...and so much more!  Matt and I spent the day traipsing atop the untouched white powder.  We would talk, but were also content with silence.  It was a peaceful day.  A day we had longed for.  And tomorrow...we get to go back.

No wine today...but the hot coffee was just as good (especially with my Samoa cookies, a gift from the KitchenAid goddess)!!

~Cab Lover