A September to Remember

Hola from Mexico! Just kidding, still in Colorado.  Hope this post finds you happy and with chocolate.  As I type I am watching a kamikaze squirrel climb my tree.  It is the same squirrel that watches me sometimes.  The guy is totally crazy, certifiably nuts I think.  We have a tree full of red berries, but this guy always chooses the berries on the end of the tree limbs.  The whole branch bends as if it might snap, but just in the nick of time the little squirrel runs up the branch to safety.  It is like a metaphor for my life, out on a limb and almost dying and then...yep, that has nothing to do with my life.  The squirrel might be schizophrenic though.

Colorado is beautiful in September.  The weather is reminiscent of Salt Lake in the fact that it rains one moment, and twenty minutes later the sun comes out and I am ready to set up the slip n' slide.  The kids seem to be adjusting to school.  We spend hours doing homework, but that is just the way it goes.  I am an expert at identifying quadrilaterals.  Feel free to call me if you questions about 4th grade geometry.  I also happen to be pretty good at 1st grade sight words.  It is just a gift, try not to make a bid deal about it.  A-hizzle is a renaissance man through and through.  One moment he is shooting things with his sling shot and the next second he is doing card tricks for the kids in the cafeteria.  Izzy is a trooper.  She keeps us on our toes with her quick wit and silly personality.  Every day seems to get a little easier for her.   Miss A-cakes is a doll.  She has been the most flexible with the move.  She also has two boys in her school class that are as small as she is which is an added bonus.

Troy and I went downtown with some friends.  This is the 16th Street Mall.

A-cakes posed for this while explaining that a boy at school said his playground ball was bigger than his bum.  Maybe not my bum A, but certainly yours.

A night with the girls.

Our very own fishing spot.

Izzy fell asleep in a praying position.  That tells you what kind of a transition this move has been for her.

I could eat this one for lunch.

This was taken about three houses down from where we live.  Please don't poke my eyes out when I go running Mr. Three Point.

He looks old huh?  Ladies, please give me a few years before you start texting him.  I am going to finish this post and make his watch Sesame Street with me.

My friends may I tell you how proud I am of Izzy? I would guess that this move has been the hardest thing she has done in her young life, and she has handled it with as much dignity and grace as she has in her cute little body  Prayers are heard and answered. Call me if you ever want a story about a miracle, because I witnessed one. We are not alone in this universe.  We have a loving Creator that not only commands the ocean, but takes the time to listen to a desperate mother's cries and brings immediate comfort and peace.  Do you know what that means for us?  We are never alone.  When I send those kiddos to a new school, in a brand new city, they are never alone.  He is with them.  He is there when I can't be, and that means everything to me right now.  Everything.  

Have a great week my sweet ones.  Only 99 more days until Christmas!  I cannot wait.  I think I will bake something to celebrate.  Everyone can have a treat, except for the beaver of course.  There will be no celebrating with that guy.

Summer Lovin' and School Dreadin'

Hi cuties!  Sending love from Colorado.  It is cold and rainy in the "Mile High" state today.  The running trail was practically deserted.  I stopped for a few minutes to stare at the river and the park ranger stopped to check if I was okay?  Um...do they have acid rain in Colorado? I will let you know if any of my extremities have melted. Weird.

Early August brought our annual trip to Bear Lake with the Ludlow posse. We were ready to see our sweet family again.  It was an eight hour drive for us, but it was worth every second.  The week was filled with swimming, lake trampolines, wave runners, Bandito (Picklevile Playhouse), and delicious food.

My cute sister Annette had planned some fun service and family activities.  Our family was in charge of the "Iron Chef" night.  The boys and girls competed against each other in a baking competition.  It was a hoot.  The girls made Nutella cookies and the boys made popcorn with M&M treats.  My parents were the judges.  You entered one condo and you would see little girls talking quietly, and taking turns stirring.  You entered the other condo and it sounded like all the boys were trying to get the last chopper out of Vietnam.  Here are some fun pictures of the action.

Here is one condo...

Here is condo two.  Sorry about the picture of your bums.

Addie looks exhausted from the competition!

Shan was the adult helper for the girlies, and Uncle "B" was the adult helper for the boys.  Aren't they cute (especially Shan and Weezie's bum)? You know what was crazy?  The bats could smell the baking from the open sliding glass window, so when I would leave one condo to enter another they would swoop around my head!  I could seriously be on the Discovery Channel with a little adventure show called, "Jill the Wilderness Woman". We had to leave a day early to get home to school.  You think that was the longest drive home ever?  Yes, yes it was.  A trip to Arby's didn't even take the edge off of our grouchiness.  I love those curly fries though.

We started school the next day.  The kids were such brave little Chihuahuas.  The schools are amazing, and they have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.  We even went to help with a service project on the playground.  We have met some wonderful people, which has helped immensely with the transition.

We helped paint that!  Look out Bob Ross.

A little school project.

Allow me to show you what our weekends look like.  There are not a ton of kids on our street, so we spend all of our free time together.   T has taught the kiddos how to fish.  There is nothing like attaching a smelly play dough like substance (power bait I'm told) to the bottom of a pole and tossing it in a river!  Those crazy fish fall for it every time.  I cannot figure out why those fish don't tell each other that the humans are out with their sparkly, garlic smelling goop.  They are such suckers for glitter, but I can't say I blame them.  Skateboarding is a big deal around this house as well.  Ash loves his "Penny" board.  He is pretty adorable on it.  Izzy is an outdoor girl through and through.  She gets it from her mom.  What? Don't laugh.

I am making that face because the fish was bleeding from taking the hook out of it.  I just felt sorry for it.   I'm sure it went to the fish urgent care and the fish doctor stitched it up.  This is the reason I don't go to rodeos, just too sad.

Mr. T has been my rock through this move.  He lets me cry and complain and never holds it against me.  He continues to make me laugh everyday, and brings me chocolate when I need it.  I find it amazing that after all these years of being together, I am still learning about him.  His resilience is unbelievable, his courage is inspiring, but his loyalty is absolutely remarkable.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said, "The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty".  That my friends makes T the most loving man in the world.  Love to each of you, except of course, the beaver.

coloRADo...more memories

Time marches on my friends, and as a wise man once said, "Don't fear the beaver".  Actually I said that, because one year while I was at the Hammer's cabin in Bear Lake a beaver literally swam up to my friend Ben and bit him on the hand.  I couldn't make this stuff up.  Anyhow, every year I go to Bear Lake with my family, and each year I must yell that to each family member as they enter the lake.  It has really helped everyone stay calm and collected as they go forth into the treacherous waters.

My girl Nettie and her boys came to see us!  Yes!  I love family time.  I truly have the best sisters in the world.  They are full of positivity and they know how to play hard and work hard.  I had been missing my handsome nephews as well, so it was just what the doctor ordered.  I started the week with big plans, but the rain came down and floods came up.  Okay, there was no flooding, and no one washed away, but it did limit our activities a little.  We made it over to Chatfield Resevoir which is just a hop, skip and jump away from our house.  We went to the public swimming area of the reservoir, but it almost seemed like it was a swimming pond for geese, and they may or may not make room for humans.  The reservoir was absolutely beautiful, but the geese poop was um how do I say this.....everywhere.  Yep that is a good word.  I love a good goose, but this was ridiculous.  I may send a letter to the parks committee and let them know that the geese are over fertilizing the ground, and in turn are ruining our flip flops.  Not to mention the fact that they were ready to take a granola bar right out of James P Farthing's (my nephew's nickname) hand.  Poop is one thing, theft is another. Back off geese.  I would like to find a place to paddle board over there though.

Nettie took the kiddos swimming while I registered my kids for school, and then I spent a few thousand hours with the cable man trying to get our house set up.  Remember when you had a net zero dial up account?  I don't know how we did it.  Not having internet for three weeks was quite difficult.  Phone books, paper bank statements, stationary for letters all became valuable again. What a trip! We survived three weeks without you Mark Zuckerberg.  FACE!

Friday afternoon we headed over to Casa Bonita.  Whoa, Whoa, Whoa.  So picture that Mayan restaurant that the Larry H Miller group tore down in Sandy, but with 1/4 the budget.  It was the same brave 17 year old kid that would climb the rocks and make the dives, after which he would star in a little skit.    I hope he gets all the free sopapillas he wants to eat.

Nettie watched the kiddos while T and I headed to Breckenridge for an anniversary get away.  Fourteen years baby.  Breckenridge is a little ski town about an hour and a half away.  It is gorgeous.  It reminds me of Park City but on a much smaller scale.  I was completely overdressed by the way, but that has been the norm for my Colorado adventure.  Why wouldn't I accessorize for a ski town?  I looked like Jackie Kennedy stuck at a lodge.  Is that a movie?  Anyway, we ate a delicious meal and then watched "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" on cable.  How is that for romance?

It feels a little like we are on an extended camping trip... the fancy camping though that involves flushing toilets and showers.  There is so much to discover here.  The ability to go from recreation to city life is unbelievable.  We are being well taken care of by neighbors, ward members and friends.  I am truly grateful for a Heavenly Father that has given me an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone, but has also surrounded me with little angels that bring love, comfort, and generosity.  There are many angels I can actually see, but some I cannot see and simply know they are there.  I teach Relief Society in my new ward.  I gave the women a bookmark that said "You are a Daughter of Light. Be Shiny."  I am working on that.  I hope to be shiny enough that I can make each of you proud of what I am doing here in Denver.  Love to all, except the beavers.