Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: Not Just the Book I Read

It seems as though life is passing me by at warp speed lately. I have taken lots of photos of whats been going on with high hopes of having (finding) time to write about it. But as I looked at the 70 pictures on my camera I have decided that I really can't write a post about each and every one so a photo montage with captions is what you'll get.

We took another trip with my mom and Dan to Ridgeway. Maddox got even more brave on the tube and tried standing up and jumping on it. Of course we weren't going too fast. His bravery ended when the tube began to dive under water with him still on it. Madison is a pro at riding this thing, and we just can't seem to throw her anymore.



Allison and I got rained out on our last trip to the lake so we opted to run all over the valley with 4 kids collecting veggies to prep for the winter. It was a great day complete with picking our own green beans in bare feet the mud squishing through our toes.




Madison started her first day of middle school. Her and her BFF went shopping for their first day of school outfits. She is loving it and doing so well.


We had the first soccer games of the season in Colorado Springs and Greeley. The girls played well winning 2-0 and tieing 3-3 which was a great comeback since they were down 2 nothing at the half. The girls had a great time at their team dinner, and Maddox got to spend time with his favorite teen too! The great trip was cut short when one of our team mates was run off the road and flipped their car. Thanks be to GOD they are ok, just banged up, but their car wasn't so lucky.



I managed to read a few books too.
A Million Miles was one of those books that you need/want to read multiple times to get all the meat out of it. It is one that has the power to change you, to inspire you to make a better life, to live a better story. I have never marked up a book (except my Bible) so much, I have many thoughts that I need to just get written down but will have to do that later.
The Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games. I have LOVED this series, it is one that engulfs me. It touches so well on the paradoxes of the human life. When I read a book, especially the finally in a series, I want to be surprised and held captive till the very end, and then when it is over I want the story to still consume me, and I was not disappointed!


The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas was not what I was expecting it to be, but it was an emotional roller coaster. The rise of Hitler and his devastating reign of power has always been an interesting period of history for me. I have been and continue to be baffled that one person can be so instrumental in the desecration of a group of people. The most thought provoking piece of this book is the author never uses the name Hitler, or the name Auschwitz, but you know the setting, but it could just as easily be any other country where genocide has rippled through, or if we are not careful the seeds of hate could bring here.


Learned? Preserving food is easier than I thought, I am still completely captivated by a good book, and I am blessed with great kids who love life and everything it has to offer.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Happy 1st Birthday Tessa



Yesterday we celebrated my youngest niece, Tessa's, first birthday! Last year at this time I was wishing I would have the honor of sharing a birthday with her, but alas it did not happen. At least with them being so close we can still be birthday buddies!



Happy birthday to one special little girl, we love you!



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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Eventful Bike Ride



Maddox rode his bike during soccer practice and found a snake, exclaimed with excitement at the mud cracks being puzzles, and got attacked by a horse fly!

The snake was by far the best part!

Learned? Nothing is ever just a ____ (bike ride, trip to the store...) with Maddox, he always finds a way to make it more interesting!


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Sunday, August 1, 2010

31 And Better Than Ever!



Today I turn 31 and I can honestly say that I feel amazing...

Let me elaborate: I feel more confident and secure with myself and my place in this world than I ever have before. I feel stronger and healthier physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I feel loved and my life is enriched with many positive relationships. I truly feel amazing.

This has been the BEST birthday I have ever had. Brian did an amazing job planning a great birthday surprise party for me on Friday night. The most amazing thing is he was able to keep a secret from me...for over two weeks he kept the party a surprise. It wasn't until the day of that both he and Madison started acting weird about stuff... Like dressing nice for what was supposed to be a bbq hang out night at the Mueller's, (see how nice and "matchie" they were)
or snapping at me for looking at a blank card on the counter, or asking "is that how you are going to wear your hair", or having a strange phone conversation with someone while on our way... you know hind sight is truly 20/20!

Brian invited all of the most important people to me, and he even got Vycci to make the trip from Denver! (Taken at breakfast the next morning, another surprise was they stayed with us and we got to stay up late and talk then continue through out the morning till they had to leave.)

He enlisted the help of Anne and Ari in this huge undertaking and they both did an amazing job in keeping the secret, making a delicious spread of food, and great decorations(blue and white- GO COLTS - thx Ari!). It was a great evening of friends and family that I will cherish for a long time to come. The only bummer is that because it was a surprise for me I didn't have my camera along, so no pictures were taken. Maybe someone else got a few... if they surface I will post them too.

Here is a list of everyone who was able to make it... just so I don't forget! Anne and her family, Ari and her family, Kelly Marachien and her family, Heather (my team teacher) and her family, Vycci and her family, Carrie and Rob and Myla, Dillon, Amy and Cecil, Mom and Dan, and Jerry and Maria and their kids.

Call me crazy, but on my actual birthday I wanted to run Serpents Trail. It was all about proving to myself that age is just a number and at 31 I can still kick some butt running a super difficult trail run. So I got up early and headed out for our weekly run. I truly have the best friends around, (Ari, Me, Anne, and Jan) they got up early on a Sunday to run with me, then had a birthday doughnut complete with a candle and the birthday song (see picture at top), and a Bolthouse Farms Mocha protein drink. Maybe we should have run it 3 times to counter act all the extra calories I consumed!

Another thing that made this birthday completely out of this world... (and I admit this is totally superficial) Brian gave me tickets to go see PEYTON MANNING when they play the Broncos on September 26. Ari and I got tickets on the SECOND ROW right behind the visitors bench!!! And if it couldn't get any better Ari got me a WHITE Peyton Manning jersey... Now I can coordinate "outfits" with him! (See I told you it was totally superficial).

Learned? If every birthday from here on out brings me this much joy, I am ready for them all! Heck I'd have one every day!