The End of the Tunnel!

We have made it, ladies and gentlemen, to the end of the long tunnel that is marked by school this semester!
I have not written in FAR too long and the number 1 reason for that is UTTER BUSYNESS!

This semester, Daniel took 3 classes at Red Rocks on top of working full time and being a supervisor at work. I joined him for 1 of the classes (an Intro to Business class) so that we could spend one night a week together. On top of that one class, I played in the Lakewood Symphony and put together 2 events at work (each requiring a significant amount of extra hours). It has been a lot for us!

I am so ecstatic to report that TONIGHT Daniel takes his LAST final of the semester and we will have officially reached the light that we have been chasing for many months now!

This event marks the beginning of Christmas for Daniel and I. It marks 4 weeks without school or orchestra, with family, and birthday celebrations, and Christmas joy!

Daniel and I enjoying the Broncos Game with sister Hannah!

It also marks more blog posts :)

Until next time, I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season so far!

Falling for fall

Most of you know that winter is my favorite season and have read about my love affair with snow. (If not, read here) This year, however, I am falling in love with fall.
Things I love about fall so far:
-Cooler weather. Sheldon and I are loving our walks, enjoying the changing leaves, the cool breeze, and the sweaters. Dare I say fall has a wonderful smell?

-Pumpkin. Another change....I don't usually like the taste of pumpkin. Shocking, I know! I don't even like the Pumpkin spice lattes. This year, however, I stumbled upon this recipe and have been filling my tummy with yummy pumpkin. I found this today too....

-Sweaters and boots. Need I say more?
-Soup (and green chile)!
-And redecorating! I even brought wheat stalks into my home.....

-Daniel would vote for football too....which I can't disagree with. I enjoy watching the games and the socializing that comes with it. 

 

What is your favorite part of fall?

 

Whatever it is.....go out and enjoy!

The light at the end of the tunnel

Almost 3 months since my last post it won't come as a surprise that my summer has been CRAZY! Being my first summer season without an accompanying break from school, I was anxious and nervous to see what this season would hold. Now, as the end of summer approaches, I have to say that this year has been crazier and busier that I ever dreamed.

Work has been continuously busy this whole summer for both Daniel and I. Daniel has been taking on more leadership roles, which require more time and energy. He has also had several major projects come to conclusion, also demanding extra tlc. He is loving his job and flourishing despite the extra stress. The company that I work for, Colorado Honor Band, also ramps up during the summer months. We have 5 summer concerts, a summer camp, and an international trip on top of the usual rehearsals and office work. It has been stretching me, making me work harder and making me aware of the areas I need to grow. Apparently I have a creative brain after all, which enjoys making fliers and posters and find itself avoiding lists and stats. I am, however, growing in the areas I need and am loving the job I have been blessed with. I am looking forward to the future and hoping to go full time in January.

Colorado Honor Band playing at Washington Park

A downer for me this summer was hitting my 50 lb weight loss goal. That should be a great exciting encouragement right? It was in a lot of ways, but over time I developed too drastic expectations for my body and felt the pull to be finished with this weight loss process faster than was possible for my body. This ultimately led to a loss of motivation and depression. I fell off the wagon and it has taken me almost all summer to get back on track. 50 lbs is a great accomplishment, but having 50 lbs still to go can be a downer. I need to look 1 pound at a time in front of me. 1 foot in front of the other. I am happy to report that this week was the best I have done and felt in a long time and I am feeling encouraged for this next week.

Daniel and I celebrating our 1 year anniversary

Don't feel too sorry for me and my busy, stressful summer, though. Daniel and I have taken a couple great trips and have spent due time relaxing by the pool, climbing mountains, spending time together and enjoying being married!

At the top of the Manitou Incline. The hardest thing I've ever done, but I finished it!

In My House

In my house we do:
Kindness.
Respect.
and Friendliness.

In my house we do not make guests feel unwelcome or uncomfortable.

In my house kids are part of the family.
In my house there is an appropriate time for talking and an appropriate time for listening.
There is a time for being crazy and a time to be calm.
In my house we have an equal amount of snuggles and play time.

In my house we do not disturb the neighbors.

In my house we do not go potty on the carpet or eat out of the trash.

Now, how do I tell that to the new dog?

Honeymoon.....OVER!

 No no, I'm not talking about my new marriage. I'm talking about my love for snow. You may remember me gushing over our first snow of the year.

I love snow, I eagerly await snow, I get so excited to see that it has snowed.

Except in May!

April 30. Beautiful!

May 1!

This year we had snow on May 1. MAY 1!! 

Really??

Yes, yes, I am appreciative of the moisture it brings and it is still as beautiful as ever.

But.....May?

I have so many cute skirts and sandals and new outfits that are waiting to be worn!

No more snow until winter time.......please?!


Thankfully it looks to be the last of the snow for us this year (**crossing fingers**).

Lost and Found

Sheldon

Adopted: Saturday, April 27, 2013 

Teller County Regional Animal Shelter

Comment from Petco worker on Saturday: "What a great dog! Someone left a pot of gold and you picked it up!"

A true pot of gold he is! We have fallen in love with Sheldon so fast. He is such an amazing dog and adds so much joy to our family! 

A treasure found is not quickly left behind.  It makes me think of how little kids will find a rock or a leaf and quickly it becomes their most precious possession. 

Being so precious to us now, I can't imagine losing our new special buddy and I can't seem to get Sheldon's previous owners out of my mind. A dog with such love and loyalty, who is so well behaved, can only come from owners who took the time and energy to pour into him, to work with him, and to love him. Are they feeling loss and heartbreak now, as we are feeling such love and joy? Do they feel a hole in their lives, as we are experiencing fulfillment in ours? It breaks my heart to think about it.

Found as a stray, Sheldon spent over 30 days in the shelter. His ad was on petfinders.com, a well populated website. He has distinct markings and a unique look. I am holding onto these facts, choosing peace that his previous family was given due time and resources to have been able to find him and that there must have been something more to the story than a runaway dog in a small town in Teller County. I am holding onto my belief that God brought Sheldon to us and that we are meant to be apart of his life. I hope that where ever they are, the previous owners would know that their dog has found a great home where he is loved and cherished. We promise to take care of him to the best of our ability and to love him always!

Welcome to our family, Sheldon! 

RTD

This week we are dealing with the coinciding of a busy work week and the breaking down of my car. Also thrown into the mix is the purchase of the most stupid car ever --Daniels new MANUEL Toyota Matrix. Long story short I can't drive stick. 

That leaves me one option. Take the bus. 

I was really excited to take the bus. I don't have much bus experience. After taking the bus to elementary school, I walked to middle and high school and was blessed with a car for college. I haven't ever had to rely on the public transportation system for a daily commute, though I have used it in other cities, on vacation, and the denver light rail to get downtown. My work is located on the same street that I live, except about 10 miles or so down the road. I usually take that single road to work and back in my car. Why would taking the bus be any harder? 

Things I learned about RTD:

*Just because there are 4 (particularly spread out) bus stops on the map doesn't mean those are the ONLY stops available. 

*It is okay to use any of the other 5 bus stops that are significantly closer to home. 

*It is best to have exact change.

*The use of a book or magazine would make the trip more enjoyable. 

*Bringing a large bag that carries everything is better than many bags that are hard to manage.

*When walking several blocks to the "nearest" bus stop in 20 degree weather, dry hair, a hat, and gloves are preferred.

*There is a whole world of people who get where they need to go on the bus. 

*Taking the bus means being patient, taking life a little slower, and thinking ahead. 

Memories

6 years ago I won the Sister Cities Concert Competition and performed the Barber Violin Concerto with the Lakewood Symphony. Also on the program was Mark Simpson, clarinet, from Liverpool, England (seen below).

Part of winning the competition is a two week summer tour of Chester England. This trip proved to be much more influential than I could have imagined. Falling between my Junior and Senior years of high school, this trip reignited my passion for performing and reinforced my desire to pursue music in college. The tour included several performances in the area surrounding Chester, inside churches, schools, and even the city's cathedral. I performed a prepared recital set for several different audiences in such varied, unique venues. I was able to perform with several incredible pianists and shared performances with several other gifted performers. These recitals allowed me to experience a side of being a musician that is rarely experienced. I fell in love with soloing and touring!

While performing was a significant highlight of the trip that I often remember, it was the friendships I made and the places I saw that hold tight to my heart strings. I lived with two families during my two week stay. The first was the family of Simon Bates, a high school trumpet player whose family owned a milk farm. The farm was full of rich character and gave me the unique experiences of star gazing through a hand made telescope, drinking fresh milk and losing my "wellie" in the mud. The second family, of winner Mark Simpson, lived in Liverpool. Here I saw city life--flagging taxis and eating french fries and Indian food at midnight while out on the town. Both families and experiences were amazing----ones I often think of and will never forget!

Here I am with the Bates family (left) and the Simpson family(right)

Tomorrow is the annual Sister Cities concert with the Lakewood Symphony. It is my favorite concert because I am always flooded with memories of the great experiences, the great people, and the great music that I met back in 2007. I cannot express my gratitude enough to those people who made my trip possible...but if you're out there and listening...Thank you!

What happens when the Mr. is away?

Daniel went on his first business trip since we have been married on Monday. It was a short, there and back, kind of trip, but none the less his presence was desperately missed in our little apartment. Thankfully, I am playing in mom's musical and was incredibly busy during his 24 hour, over night trip.

However, his absence did include:

• wearing sweats too many hours
• never closing the bathroom door
• sleeping on the couch
• watching late night tv
• eating soup for lunch and dinner
• morning starbucks 
• and a little spur of the moment spring decorating!

A New Focus

The company that I work for is looking to expand, while also hoping to retire it's executive director/program director/leader/supporter/etc (all in one person). This weekend we had an all day strategic planning meeting where we discussed how we're going to accomplish both of these challenging goals over the next 7-10 years. During this meeting, I volunteered to head up the much need fundraising growth for the organization. We are a non-profit that has been around for 60 years, but we are way behind in knowing about fundraising, nor do we have someone whose job it is to head up the fundraising process. In order to expand to where we want to go someone needs to learn about fundraising and become better at it. I am very excited about this new project I have taken on. I see it as an investment in myself and the talents I have to give to my job. Even though I know virtually NOTHING about getting donors and raising money, I am dedicated to taking classes, reading articles and books, and doing anything and everything I can to get my feet wet. 

Wish me luck!

A week of celebration and reflection

This last week marked 6 months of marriage (on the 7th) and 3 years since Daniel and I started dating (on the 10th). We celebrated by going to eat at Hacienda Colorado and ice skating in Belmar. 

Hacienda was fantastic. My only complaint was that they no longer sold fried ice cream (which I really wanted). Ice skating was a leap of faith for me because I have never really skated before. My previous time on the ice consisted of tip-toeing/walking around the edge on ice skates. This time, however, I really put myself out there and let go, actually gliding across the ice and skating.


Looking back on our journey, ice skating was the perfect event to celebrate! The biggest thing I have learned from my relationship with Daniel is trust. I have more faith in myself and my body. I have more faith in the things that Daniel tells me, but most importantly, I have learned what it means to really trust. I have a lot of fear in my life and I have coped in the past by making sure I am always in control. I don't take risks, I don't leave things up to chance, and I certainly don't put myself in situation where I could get hurt or embarrassed. I am learning, however, that sometimes things are okay (or even fun) when I step out of my very small box and take chances. I am learning that sometimes Daniel is right when he says "it will be okay", even if I don't see that it will be alright. Daniel hasn't been wrong yet. I am learning to test my body, push through my fears, and am enjoying new adventures much more than I ever thought I would. This is such a freeing experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn through this journey. 

This is certainly not the only area that I have been tested and grown in through our relationship and marriage but it was clear to me this past week and I wanted to write about it. Marriage is such a blessing!!

Also....I got really cute new shoes for dinner. Too bad I had to take them off for skating- good thing Valentines Day is coming up!