good times, good times.

I have had a rather exciting week! I actually worked an 8hr day on Monday and to my surprise, worked 8 hrs Tuesday, too. Wednesday I worked 4hrs at Sable and then 4hrs at Bear Creek. Holy Cow! I was on my way to working my first 40hr week since July, probably. Wed night our community group met and ate a lovely dinner together. Thursday, Mike and I went to the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, CO to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds do an acoustic performance. It was a small, random venue but pretty intimate and the entire show was amazing. 

Friday was rough, as we got home late, but after a short nap I was ready to enjoy some awesome Mexican food at a small restaurant. A coupon for buy one get one free entree made our bill super cheap and the strawberry margarita was delicious. We slept in this morning and after some cleaning, we went to Kohl's to do some Christmas shopping (who doesn't love the deals you get at Kohl's?). We bought a few gifts, then came home to do the rest of our shopping online. We shipped all of our gifts to either Louisville or Winchester that way our car won't be extremely packed in 2 WEEKS when we drive home for Christmas. I heard this new Amos Lee song on the radio this week and immediately fell in love with it. Any anxiety I have had recently about life, this song seems to melt away. I've found a version of it that Amos played at Farm Aid this year:




I am now waiting for our Zuchinni Lasagna to finish baking in the oven, ah! there's the timer now! Yummy. Then we'll probably watch a movie or take it easy for the night. Tomorrow, more doing of nothing, then church. I've been trying to run on a more regualr basis and one of my new year's resolutions is going to be running in a Mini-Marathon. Sounds like fun, right? 


The Lord is faithful - I know this - but sometimes when you are in the midst of a valley it's hard to see beyond what's right in front of you. This is how I feel about Mike's job situation. Resume after resume I wonder if this is the one.....then.....nothing. I am so ready for this season of our life to be over and move on. I'm ready to look back on this time and see the Lord's hand throughout the "no's" and closed doors. I'm ready to not drive 45 min to work and be placed in a facility that is more challenging to my clinical skills. I'm ready to move on. But, until then ... I will continue to be patient and live each day as it comes. Love you, love wins!

Where's the snow?

So, by this time last year, Mike and I had to shovel the driveway at least 5 times, this year? Not even 1 inch of snow. How ironic that my Old Kentucky Home has had snow when 5,280 feet in elevation hasn't had a dusting...? I'm confused, but not complaining. I'm sure that by the time the week before Christmas rolls around (right when we are getting ready to leave for KY) there will be a blizzard, it's just our luck.

Last night, Mike and I went to the Parade of Lights with our friends Lee and Tanya in Downtown Denver. The beginning of the night was surprisingly warm - then the cold set in and I was thankful I decided to put on the long johns. Between 2 nights, the parade hosts 400,000 people! It was well worth it...being involved in the community you live in is so important. Knowing your neighbors, loving your neighbors, that sort of thing. Our church views community as vital to the growth and development of the people within the church. Thus, meeting in community groups in homes of people in the community seems only natural.

Rudolph! That means Santa's a'comin!! And somehow, I missed Santa. Oh well, I think y'all know what he looks like.















And this is what Chaco and I do after a long, busy day....nap!

So, nothing too exciting. Mike and I are planning on skiing next weekend, if the snow decides to grace us. Work is the same...I am becoming increasingly restless in my job. Hopefully there will be an end in sight, soon. Keep praying for a job for Mike....it would be a nice Christmas present.

Love you, Love wins!


I leave you with a vaulting performance of a USA vaulter....take the time to watch it, pretty amazing.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas? 



Okay, let me be honest here. I'm no Scrooge, but I'm no Santa either. Maybe my inner Christmas Child has never bloomed secondary to limited time in my own home during the holiday season. Let's be honest, apartments aren't really condusive to excessive amounts of decorations. Why fuss with a tree when you're not even in your own home on Christmas Day? Or even the entire week before Christmas. You're right, they're all just excuses. So, ta da! a small, cheap Christmas tree appeared in our humble abode this week. Mike wouldn't let me put it up until the day after Thanksgiving (talk about someone who needs some Christmas cheer) which is fine. She's a little bare - our ornaments are in a box, somewhere, but she's cute! And it's a start! I've also pulled out all of my Willow Tree Nativity scenes and put those up on my hope chest. Ah? Do I feel a little bit of excitement in the air in this Colorado Curry household? Si!

 How was your Thanksgiving? We spent our with our friends that we met at Buffalo Wild Wings (crazy world). It was nice to be a part of a family, but I did miss my Sandy Hook family, a lot. I was joking to Mike before we started to eat that I missed the Skaggs clan gathering together in a circle and saying what they were thankful for - then John Paul praying and crying as soon as he started the prayer. It's so classic and I love every moment of it. Anyway, I went to pray for the O'Keefe Family Thanksgiving, and wouldn't ya know it, I started crying. It was all a little emotional, I'm sure they thought I was crazy. Mike said something about it later, and I almost felt more connected to home during that moment of tears. 


Our dogs got a little turkey for dinner that night. They liked it. 

Christmas is only 4 short weeks away and I am anxiously awaiting what adventures we'll be in for during our trip home. Last year we drove through a blizzard. This year looks like it includes a Christmas Eve with the Currys/Buckles in Henderson, Christmas Morning on S & G Farm, Christmas evening with the Louisville Currys. The day after christmas at the Yankee Swap in Sandy Hook, and the day after that with the BernheiselsSwindlers/Lyles. Makes me tired just THINKING about it. Oh well, we always have a good time and it's possible a bon fire might be in the making as well for New Year's Eve. 


I didn't mean to go so long without blogging. Ah, life. Love you, Love Wins!

Old Man Winter? You're not welcome.

Do you ever dread winter? I mean, truly, within the bottom of your heart, despise winter and all that it brings? This girl does. 


But my life right now, this very second, is delicious - let me try to describe to you exactly what I see at this moment in a small side-room of a coffee joint in downtown Leadville, CO called Provin' Grounds:

a blue mug of coffee holding a Bolivian Fair Trade Coffee 

several plants ranging in sizes are directly in front of me - from really tall stalks and pointy leaves, to ferns that look almost inviting to lay on (at least run across my face for comfort). some plants are in tiny pots and since my repertoire of plant naming is slim, I am at a loss for their names. one looks like a cactus. 

a window that overlooks "Main Street" although here, it's called Harrison St (and not for the president, although he has visited here). 


below the window is a really old heater - one made of steel with vertical rectangles that stick up from the ground. very old school, but it looks antique. i'm too lazy to get up from my comfy rolling chair to check out if it is indeed, putting off heat. 


beside me is a man, in his 50s enjoying a cup of coffee (in a mug that has Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on it, how serendipitous!). he has a book, reads a little then puts it down. he'll draw his pin out from his shirt and underline something in this mysterious book, ponder, then take a sip. he's up for another refill, wonder what kind of coffee drinker he is? any guesses? 


i can barely see outside secondary to the plants that take up the majority of the left side of the window, but i can see a small sign that says "CINEMA" and a small wooden building that, from the sign, says it shows movies. it looks similar to the cinema in Sanibel Island - small, quaint, and blends in delightfully with the town. 


but, here's what blows me away about my view right now. beyond the cinema sign, are mountains - and i'm not talking about the Appalachians (although that is home to me). i'm talking about stark, white, jagged edges that pierce the horizon. small flakes of snow float through the sky, although it has to be at least 45 degrees outside, blogging at 10,150ft in elevation will create that kind of atmosphere. i'm sure every peak has a name, the only one i can remember right now is Mt. Massive, no joke. maybe that'll get your mind chewing on how big these babies are. delicious, right? 

another couple has sat down where the 50s guy left - and life moves on. that quick. 

bikes, dogs, people dressed in layers with boots, big trucks and lots of firewood. i think i've summed up Leadville. 


one more thing, and then i'll stop being so random - i just witnessed a bumper sticker that might have summed up Leadville better than my lowly observations : We're here, because we're not all there. I love it! Perfect!  My weekend here is complete. 


Alas, my friends, Old Man Winter is coming and sooner than later I'm going to have to test out a ridiculous number of hand lotions until I find one that doesn't burn when I put it on my cracked, bleeding hands. Skis will top our trusty Jeep and we'll be Keystone bound; snow shoveling will ensue. The silver lining? Colorado has more than 300 days of sunshine per year - hence my red face after our 6 mile walk yesterday - and that makes me happy. Worth it. 


My Bolivian coffee is now cold, and down to the last sip. I feel rejuvinated and thankful for some time alone to reflect on my thoughts, regardless of how random they may seem. Blogging has provided me a creative outlet to do something that has always provided me satisfaction - writing. True satisfaction though, only comes from our Heavenly Father and that is something that I strive for daily. Living my life for Him not them. 


Thanks for listening - Love you, love wins!

And then I served Communion....

In all my Christian years, I had never served communion until earlier this year. Park Church serves communion weekly,  which is a different theology than the Methodist Church who serves once a month. I'm not one to focus on small theological debates, like how often to take communion, but it has been mind changing to observe this passage weekly. The timeliness of communion is irrelevant, it it not my intention to blog about when it's "right" to take communion. Moving forward, the leaders in our community group asked Mike and I, along with another couple, to serve communion one Sunday evening.

We are still considered a new couple at our church (although everyone there is new as the church is only 2yrs old - an Acts 29 church plant from TX) and when asked to serve I thought, "No one is even going to know who we are".  Clearly, we are just going to look dumb at the front of the church while everyone wonders why these clowns are serving the body and blood of Christ. We hadn't even attended the church for a year! I obviously had my doubts. However, I can guess you probably know the ending to this story, as the Lord uses every opportunity to create humility within our hearts.

Humility lesson #1 - Serving communion to a body of believers with your Husband is incredibly intimate. To be in sync with your soul mate while completing a task that is so overwhelmingly vital seemed almost heavenly.  As people would take a piece of the bread from Mike, then dip it in my chalice I thought  'You can't have one without the other'. How true of a marriage to your husband and of our relationship with Christ. It is the underlying idea behing marriage, right? To serve Christ together. And the body without the blood is, nothing. Christ gave us both (His whole life) so that we could be free of sin. Talk about humbling.

Humility lesson #2 - There is something extremely holy about holding that chalice as people dipped their bread into my wine. As I watched our congregation file in line in front of ME to receive one of the holiest moments in the Christian church, I cried. Can you imagine? Me, crying, while trying to hold the chalice and say "the blood of Christ, shared for you".  I'm not much of a multi-tasker, but I hope people felt the presence of the Lord as I did in that moment. It is so humbling, to be the one that holds these precious gifts and then serve it to your fellow brothers and sisters. I think I probably experienced one of the most intimate moments of my Christian life. 

In all my years in the church, at camp, and throughout the many "church" things I've done, no one had ever asked me to serve communion. I think the Lord was waiting for the right moment so that my heart would be ready to receive and understand the meaning behind such a sacared moment. And I am so grateful. 

And speaking of the right moment, I am currently in quite a doubting phase. How quickly life can change. For example, I really thought Mike had this particular job sealed this past week after his in-person interview. I just knew that we were going to get to stay around the Foothills area, I could get a new job closer to where we live now, we could buy a home, settle down, heck! We could actually know what our purpose was here. We could stay in our church, now that is comfortable.  I totally thought this job was the "right" moment. The "right" thing for us. Psyche! How frustrating after so many "no's" - doesn't my husband deserve just one "yes"? We've been in this job battle for over a year now, battling money, place, happiness, etc. Can you see my doubts? And now we start from ground zero. Hoping that the Lord will open the right door for us. Ack! Life. 

The visit from Mike's cousin and his fiance was great! Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies make Autumn fun! Especially noting that Winter is next. Ken and Becki have planned a short trip up here for the week before Thanksgiving! Have I mentioned we like visitors? Amazing! 

Love you! Love wins!

Our trip to the Bluegrass (although, it wasn't very blue)..

It is the perfect Autumn day in Colorado. Cool, breezy, not a cloud in the sky. The leaves are mostly brown, but some bright yellow and red make my eyes happy. Mike and I  have finally returned to normal following a week at home in KY - probably the best trips home yet! I would suggest a return to your home beyond a holiday, I think you'll love it. I've tried not to think about the amount of Bourbon Balls and Ale8 I have consumed. Eek! I'm craving another Ale8 right now! Good thing mom stocked us up!


Since our return, I've thought about how many friends and family we were able to see in such a short time, I think the number is around 30. I don't think we even KNOW 30 people in Colorado.....I guess it places perspective on exactly how comfortable home really is. Mike and I are still developing relationships/friendships here - and that requires time. Not that we don't have time, but I would rather just be around my friends who already know my stupid quarks (i.e. not give me evil eyes when my elbow hits your beer and it spills on you; I'm sorry, I'm a clutz) and accept my shortcomings. Ah, the beauty of stepping out of your comfort zone in order to enrich your character. I don't like it. 




Mike and I did all the classic Bluegrass things: bet and won at Keeneland, tasted Bourbon at distillaries, went to the World Equestrian Games, attend a UK vs. Auburn football game and played on the farm with our dogs.

My dad recently had a total knee replacement and it was a blessing to be home and be a part of his recovery. It is always a blessing to visit with the in-law in Louisville! We just missed David and Amanda! 

A trip to my old Kentucky Home won't come again now until Christmas - which I feel is forever away, but by golly I think it'll be here before we know it. My absence from the blogging world is inexcusable. I will attempt to blog several more times before Mike's cousin Alex and his fiance come to visit this weekend! How exciting! 

We are also planning a trip to Moab, UT for a weekend! It's pretty close and I want Mike to see all of the incredible natural arches. Life is good! Love Wins!

Dreaming Trees....

It's already the end of September? Wait? Is that right? I could have sworn it was still the beginning. I mean, I feel like I just blogged about Labor Day. Crap. 

In all fairness to the month of September, I'm kind of glad it's going by quickly! The 29th (next Wednesday) is Mike's birthday, then we leave on the 1st to head to the Bluegrass State! It'll be our first trip home together, driving, since Christmastime. October is a random time to go to KY, but we are hitting up the most important KY traditions: Louisville, Keeneland, World Equestrian Games at the Horse Park, UK vs. Auburn football game, etc. etc. I'm contemplating taking Mike to the Ale-8 factory, since he's never toured it before. 

However, because Sept isn't over yet, here are a few pictures of what has consume the past 3 weeks of my life: 

 A quick trip to Chicago included: 2 nights at Wrigley Field to see Dave Matthews Band, pizza at Giordano's, much walking, and a trip on the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier.

Life has alo included some changing of the seasons and we drove up to Kenosha Pass (it was SO busy, apparently yesterday was the day to see the Aspens) to view the changing leave colors. It was worth it, check this out

We're attempting to change the reverse light on my car today - wish us luck. I watched part of the World Equestrian Games on NBC today - yay! NBC! The Broncos play the Colts - eh, not interested. And the Rockies, well, we're not sure they are going to make the post season. Oh well.


My dad at a total knee replacement this past week and I have been catching up on life on S & G Farm as dad slows down to let his knee heal. We're praying for a speedy recovery!


That was brief summary. I plan on blogging before we leave about more in-depth topics, esp. since I made a promise to myself that I would blog at least 4 times a month. Gotta get on that!


love you, love wins!

Yay! Life!

You've got to check out this local company Mike and I stumbled upon last night at the "Taste of Colorado" Festival. The festival itself was quite LARGE in comparison to the little Pioneer festival that's held in Winchester, KY every Labor Day weekend. YAY! Labor Day Weekend! They have a number of Yay!'s that aren't online that we saw in their little booth.....so cute and they have a great attitude about the vision of this company. PLUS one of the owners is from West Virginia (I still like her even though she went to WVU)! YAY! It just makes you want to say, "Yay!" after everything. You should try it.  Here is a picture of the Yay!s that we bought:

You might think that Mike bought the "Yay! Boobies!" but, that was totally me. Remember? I just finished walking 60 miles in three days to save the boobies, so - Yay! Boobies!


So, here is their website - please check them out and support local businesses in CO! 

YAY! LIFE!


This afternoon consists of cheering on the University of Kentucky as they take on the University of Louisville in the Gov's Cup with our favorite UK fans in Colorado. Then, to a friend's house to celebrate a 3-day weekend! Going to try to squeeze in a run inbetween - maybe check out the Sniagrab (bargains spelled backwards) Sale going on at Sports Authority - we got some sweet deals on our skis last year! Tomorrow we'll go to church and maybe do some hiking around. Monday we are heading to Coors Field for a Rockies Game (I know that might be surprising, not). I remember when I blogged last year about Labor Day weekend - time does fly. 


Are YOU living the YAY! Life!? 


Yay! Naps! 


Love you, Love wins!

I'm walking on Sunshine....whooooahhhh...

Remember that hike Mike and I took up Mt. Audubon? This is me at the summit pondering how to save the world. No, I'm probably thinking about how to keep our dogs from eating large rat-like rodents called Pica. They like to sqeak then dart into their holes - little sissies - regardless it taunts our dogs instincts. Here is a video of what the summit looked like - please put it on mute because it was REALLY windy up there.








Moving on -


If you want to know the truth, I cannot believe that I walked 60 miles in 3 days. Honestly, I didn't know when I woke up on Day 2 if I could even move my feet. My blisters were throbbing and my body was so tired. But, Team Undercover needed me, so alas, you keep on walking. This was on my New Years Resolution list and I am so glad to have it checked off!


Things you learn when you walk 60 miles in 3 days:

1. Taking a team picture at the beginning of the walk will look much different than the end. Hair down, hats clean, blister-free, etc. etc. etc.

2. Husbands are essential to this journey. Mine was the driving force behind me signing up for this journey. He encouraged me and supported me throughout the process....plus he gets husband of the year for dropping me off so early at Opening Ceremony (5:30am!).

3. Blisters are inevitable and you have to take care of your feet. As disgusting as mine were, I saw so many other blisters that were worse, I really just stopped complaining. Plus, you have to keep in mind the reason you are walking and the pain is just part of it. Actually, when you are almost ready to give up because you are so tired, your feet hurt, and you have to pee so bad you might just go in your pants, something miraculous always happens. I'll explain later.

4. You must be comfortable with calling your breasts many different names. You must also be comfortable with men wearing bras and velvet boobs. In addition, a van that drives by that says, "Save Second Base" and shirts that read, "Big or Small - save 'em all" make you laugh. No matter how many times you see it. That sign reads "BreastSwana Safari", for example, will get you every time. Men should be very thankful I walked to save boobs. Maybe that's why Mike was so gung-ho about the whole situation :)

5. Pink is a movement, not a color. And, having a tent to yourself is clutch.

6. The Lord's plan will always prevail, this was confirmed to me through this sunset. I just couldn't believe how beautiful it was, I took like a million pictures. But, truly, God places us in the right place, at the right time, with the right people for the right reasons. Right? I mean, there is no doubt in my mind that this weekend had been ordained for a long time.

7. When you are walking with a girl that you've never met before and you have discussed every topic under the sun while melting on a hot concrete pavement with loud cars racing beside you, a team sign in the middle of the blue was ESSENTIAL. This was one of those miraculous things I mentioned above. We almost walked right by it - but there it was - beautiful, pink, and just the thing we needed in order to keep going. At this point during the walk, our other team member were tending to their wounds and resting. Kristal and I kept Team Undercover going, and going, and going.

8. Lunch indoors = heaven.

9. When we first started walking, someone mentioned, "You won't remember how to flush a toilet." I thought, that's pretty bogus and far-fetched. I mean, we're only using them for 3 days, it can't be that bad. HOLY CRAP. These beautiful blue (they should've been pink) portable potties were life savers. In fact, Kristal and I could always tell we were coming up to a pit stop because we would have to pee. At one point in the walk, I RAN to these beautiful creations because my bladder was about to fall out. I just really refused to become dehydrated (story about that later, too).  Regardless, my point was when Mike and I went to Arby's after the walk to grab something to eat, I forgot to flush the toilet. Oh boy.

10. Just wanted to give a quick thanks to the girl who allowed me to take this sign and walk with it for a while. This was my whole reason for walking in this crazy thing. My Aunt Donya was 25 when she lost the battle to breast cancer. I want to be a part of a movement that never allows that to happen again. Too young.  Another miraculous story - as Kirstal and I were finishing up day 2 (the most horrid day of all) a young woman was standing outside her house. This was not odd, as we had random people cheering all over the place, but as she saw my sign she said "Thank you so much for walking - I had a double mastectomy in December of '09. My son had a football game otherwise I'd be out there with you. But thank you so much!" She was crying, I was crying, Kristal was crying and good golly we were just a huge hot mess. The Lord knew that was just what we needed to make it through that last mile. Miraculous.

11. Dogs in pink energizer bunny ears will make you smile. Husband that show up at cheering stations will also make you smile.

12. Women are much stronger than you realize. Here we are showing our muscles on mile 59.5. Hottttttttt.

13. You always remember when you meet someone that you know will change your life. This is Debbie a 10 yr survivor that drug most of the women in her family (her sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, herself, and me) to raise money and participate in this crazy event. To see her taken out on a stretcher into an ambulance was quite the humbling experience. She ended up okay (this is her the night after being in the ER), but it was what kept Kristal and I to keep walking, for Deb and for women that were not able to participate. I love her.

14. Here is team Undercover after 60 miles (well, only for 2 of us) -  we look tired. This was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Will I do it again, IIIIIIIIIIIIII don't know right now. Ask me in a month.

15. You must really be crazy to go to a Broncos game after you walk 60 miles (16 miles that day). I'm crazy, insane, coo-coo, and just downright stupid. Mike and I wandered to Invesco to watch the Broncos beat the Steelers in a pre-season game. It was LOUD, but fun and I survived. I'm so gald we went.

16. And to top it all off, my dreams really came true. Ray LaMontange and David Gray performed together at Red Rocks. I'm all typed out, because seriously, this might have changed my life, too. Here is my love, David Gray playing my favorite song. I love him. I love this song. I love my crazy life that never ends.



Okay, so one more thing before I conclude this crazy, long, post..... I WAS ON TV!! It's another miracle.
Here:

 



I love you, love wins.

Just pray about it

Have you ever been in a valley - just an overall rough time in your life - and a dear friend says to you, "just pray about it"? Or, have you been the wise friend who spouts this advice when you can't seem to come up with something more, personal? I have been prisoner to both of these situations and it seems this phrase gets tossed around without really analyzing the implications. Recently,


A co-worker suggested a book called, The Power of a Praying Wife. I was hesitant at first, don't you think I already lift up my husband in prayer? But a marriage is never perfect, right? And I had been interested in digger a little deeper into the power of prayer, as my prayer life had been slacking. So I picked up the paperback and started diving in. Lo! What's that I read? The entire first chapter entitled, "His Wife" is about expecting to see a change in yourself, not in your husband. Oh dear. It's not a fix-it-all book? Shucks. I have a feeling I'm in for quite a journey into understand the role of a wife as a prayer warrior. Here's a sneak peek of the first paragraph - it'll hit home to those in marital relationships: 


The hard part about being a praying wife, other than the sacrifice of time, is maintaining a pure heart. It must be clean before God in order for you to see good results. That's why praying for a husband must begin with praying for his wife. If you have resentment, anger, unforgiveness, or an ungodly attitude, even if there's good reason for it, you'll have a difficult time seeing answers to your prayers. But if you can release those feelings to God in total honesty and hten move into prayer, there is nothing that can change a marriage more dramatically. Sometimes wives sabotage their own prayers because they don't pray them from a right heart. It took me a while to figure that out.

Omartian, Stormie.  (1997). The power of a praying wife. p. 25 

The phrase, "just pray about it" has now transformed into something much more personal and intimate.  How has prayer changed your life? Or maybe it has changed the life of someone in your life? 

Recent life in the Colorado Curry's has been a little of this:























The Mile High Music Festival - a 2 day madhouse of people wearing strange clothing, listening to bands, and drinking $8 beer. Ok, not so much of the $8 beer but did buy a cute horse skirt, love it! Here we are enjoying the band Train - I belive this is right after they played the song, "When I look to the Sky" which is what we danced to at our wedding. It was surprisingly romanitc, even with thousands of other people around. 

We also hiked to the top of Mt. Audubon yesterday, I'll have pics of that in the next post. 13,300 ft up - not quite a 14er, but my legs were just as sore.  The dogs were pooooooooped! 
 


My 60-mile journey begins THIS WEEKEND! I have been talking about this since the New Year as it was one of my resolutions. I cannot believe time has gone by this fast! I plan on writing a blog about my experience, so look for that sometime next week. And to beat it all - Mike got free tickets to a Broncos pre-season game on the night after the last 20 miles. Yikes! He'll probably have to carry me into Invesco Field. 


We are seeing Ray LaMontagne and David Gray at Red Rocks next week, too! 








We are just busy little bees! I like it that way. Labor Day weekend is coming up - unbelievable! 


Love Ya'll, Love Wins!

Tim Tebow.

So, I snagged the newest edition of 5280 Magazine from work because it had the "Mile High Messiah" a.k.a Tim Tebow on the front. This #15 has caused quite a stir in the Mile High City, and I have yet to figure out why. Yes, the kid is a college football genius and had an amazing college football career - but what makes him so popular? Especially when he is 3rd string quarter back (behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn)! Regardless, Mike and I were talking about his very public faith (so did the article in the magazine) and concluded that his relationship with the Lord and positive, yet humble, attitude will be a good thing for the Broncos - and even more for the city of Denver. The downtown part of Denver has 0 churches; I belive our pastor called it a "black hole". We're not in the  Bible Belt any more.


Here, take this quote: (oh good gosh, I have forgotten all of my formatting for inserting a quote into the middle of a paper, Mrs. McComas, please forgive me)

" Football is just a platform for me," he says, alluding to his very public faith. "The games are a bonus. But I also recognize that to keep that platform, I have to perform. I think Denver fans will see how willing I am to work hard to make sure I keep it." He pauses. "I think I can make it work."
   And there it is, plainly stated, appropriately humble and yet supremely confident. What, or where, does this come from? Does it come from the fact that he has always been told he was a golden boy - the Golden Boy - and he can't understand a universe in which he isn't the best? Or does it come from within, from his God, from an inner confidence that only he understands? 

You see, I don't think the author of this article understands the Christian faith. This "what works for you" attitude is clearly what people in Denver like to assume upon everyone when it comes to "religion". If you are a Christian and that's what "works for you" then great. If you believe in meditation and karma and that "works for you" then fabulous. Whatever makes you happy...basically. Mr. Tebow - if you could, please, stand up for Jesus. Be very public about your faith in the Lord and continue to love Our God on the bench, to your teammates, and to this city desperate to hear the truth. And, it's okay if you're a virgin (just wanted to put that in there), it's actually a pretty cool thing.


I FINALLY have my husband home from 9 weeks of summer camp. Praise the Lord! It was a tough summer, but I think my little hubby touched the lives of many, many campers and counselors. Although it wasn't a faith-based camp - I know that Jesus was glorified in his life and hopefully those around him were able to see a difference.  It was a blast traveling to and fro - through the little town of Nederland (where I got a speeding ticket) - through the woods that hold crazy guys with guns - through little local bars - and through very large moose that graze in the local ponds. The Lord's plan will always prevail. 


And right now, I feel like our lives are open for the next step - whatever that may be. There is an old Audio A song that says, " I wanna be your hands, I wanna be your feet. I'll go where you send me, go where you send me." My Lord, I will go where you send me, er, us. I love you. Love Wins!

Discipline.

I need to preface this post by saying - I do NOT think I am overweight nor am I dieting to LOSE a significant amount of weight. I truly just need, discipline. Yes, discipline.


Have you ever sat a box of oreos beside you and snacked on them while watching a tv show? Or, like me, eaten a substantial amount of sweets at work because people bring free food in all the time? Before you know it, an entire sleeve is gone and your stomach starts to hurt. TOO MUCH SUGAR!!!!! Then, the guilt. Oh, the guilt...which the majority of the time ends with, I've already screwed up, guess I'll eat another sleeve (or two). I just might be talking about my own eating habits, maybe yours too? After gaining a few pounds and feeling really guilty about by recent eating habits I decided I needed a little accountability.


My husband? No, he has lost several lbs over the summer from being at camp. My husband has the metabolism of a small child.
My friends? Friends that I would trust to keep me accountable are a thousand miles away.
Sigh.


After much research, I've made a decision to exercise discipline, exercise my body, and exercise my mind. It's time to make myself accountable for what I eat. Helllloooooooo Weight Watchers. I have heard so many positive responses from people who have jumped on this bandwagon; I've decided to let Weight Watchers online exercise discipline for me. Plus, the 3-month membership fee is also a fire under my buns to put my full effort into project, "1 good decision leads to another". Isn't that on a commercial? Anyway, it's how I picture this project. Tracking my points and having to decide where I want to "spend" (although WW doesn't encourage this view of the points system) them:


1. On 5 oreos
or
2. Teriyaki Turkey Burgers with a side salad.


What would YOU do?


Ack! Tomorrow will be the first weight, we'll see what happens. Regardless, discipline in my eating habits will hopefully generalize to my exercise habits and spiritual habits. I've already experienced the satisfaction of what self-control can bring and I look forward to pushing myself to establishing more healthy, earth healthy habits in the near future (i.e. joining a co-op for food).  Your body is a temple, right? So let's treat it like one....I mean, we only get one - so be good to it!

On my visit home, I......

Learned these 2 very important things: 

1. I found my lifelong friend - and I watched her marry the man of her dreams - and I cried. Hard. I've always heard that a girl has one friend that lasts a lifetime, I'm pretty sure I've found mine. 


2. I'm not ready to move "home"....to my Kentucky home, that is. The peace I felt coming off the plane into DEN was indescribable. Our time here is not yet up. 


So, in a nutshell that was my trip. Now, I'm back in CO enjoying the humidity of 10%, planning backpacking trips, buying climbing gear (rope, quickdraws, slings, etc), raising money for my walk, going to the Mile High Music Festival, and drinking a Fat Tire. Life is good.


Well, life will be better when Mike is home from camp and my evenings can get back to "normal". 
Life is never perfect, right? 


Love wins!

There a few things pure in this world anymore, and home is one of the few.

I had the most fabulous day today (actually the entire month of July has been fabulous). First, here is how it ended - with a 6.5 trail walk/run through Flatirons Vista Park.

Today was record heat in the Denver area, but you wouldn't guess it. The dry air makes it feel like 90 instead of 95 and once that sun goes beyond those lovely Rocky Mountains, things cool down quickly. I am not exactly sure if the summer months make up for the 9 1/2 months of winter, but it's close enough for me. Before taking this marvelous trail, I met Michael in Boulder to give him some key items he left at the house before heading up to camp (i.e. underwear, pants, and a sleeping big...all of which are pretty necessary at camp, agreed?) we grabbed a bite to eat, talked about camp, then he headed up into the mountains, and I headed down. I then spent almost 2 hours hiking myself back into these "flatirons". By the time I was finished, and the dogs were finally tired, I turned around to see the sun setting beyond those mountains.


There were several dozen sun rays shooting out as the sun sank low below the mountain. I often think of those "rays" as a gift from the Lord, kind of like a rainbow (I have a story about that in a minute). I picture his face then the rays of sunshine beaming so bright from something even brighter. I couldn't capture a picture of this particular one, but hopefully you know what I'm talking about. A particular song popped into my head with these lyrics:


All who are thirsty
And all who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life

Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep, we sing

Come, Lord Jesus, come
Come, Lord Jesus, come


At that very moment, all I could think about is just asking my God to come into my life. To wash all of my pain and sorrrow away and truly dip my heart into his streams of life. The breeze began to start blowing past my body - yes, come Holy Spirit, please, I need You. So, for a few moments I truly let myself enjoy the Lord invading my body and then, with what words I could muster I said, "thanks." Words completely escaped me and as I watched the sun set beyond the mountains, and the sun rays fading, I thought to myself, "this is exactly where I need to be right now. Why would I ever leave the peace and presence of the Lord?" You know me, always looking for something more - but truly - our lives are so at peace with our surroundings it is kind of scary.


I always pictured myself moving home, made plans to move home, wanted our children to be raised at "home". But, where is "home" anyway? Granted I have a pretty amazing farm and immediate family in Winchester, but does that make it "home"? Or is home now where Mike and I have made it? I made my sister a pillow one time that said, "Home is where the Horse is." Is that true? Oh boy. I'm going to have to chew on this thought for a while...what do you think? Do I have a misconception as to what exactly "home" is? What do YOU consider home?


I am going to Winchester next Tuesday for my best friend's wedding. I cannot belive the summer is going by this fast! We recently had Nashville friends in town for a few days and in a couple days my brother in law is coming up to spend 2 wks in Colorful Colorado! Life never ends, does it?

Here is a picture of a rainbow - one that appeard to my fellow 3-day walker Debbie and I right after we finished walking 11 miles in 3 hours. What a promise, right? So if this is what we saw on our way HOME from the walk, here is what we saw as we were leaving her driveway:

AHH! This is NOT a lawn ornament! This is a live, wild, elk sitting munching on someone's front lawn! WTC! Can you belive this? Look at the rack on this thing (ha! That's what she said). Unbelieveable, truly, it is.




So, tell me what home is for you. Do you have an elk in your front yard? Even as a lawn ornament? My dogs are snoring they are sleeping so hard, I think I might follow in their footsteps.


Love you all, Love wins.

blessed.

i am so blessed. look at my beautiful family!

I said............

 Okay, because I'm feeling so generous with my words/blogging today (or maybe I feel guilty) I'm bringing back a video that I'm sure we've all seen, but can still laugh at, none the less. Enjoy!

Lessons Learned, this week at least.....

So, I bought this awesome game on my iPhone called Angry Birds - and this one liiiiitle game has consumed my time and blogging has seemed to take the back burner. Okay, not really. Although, I did buy that game on my phone, and it is pretty awesome to play while laying in a hammock in the Rocky Mountains, but it doesn't excuse my hiatus from blogging. So much has gone on - you know what that means! A TOP TEN! yeah yeah. Don't get too excited now, there is more to come this week. Here is a list of the 10 lessons I've learned within the past week:






10. Don't charge over the old runners while weaving your way through thousands of other people while trying to get to the water station. Oh, and try to catch the marshmallows neighbors are throwing at mile marker 2.22. Say hi to Dr. Oz as you pass him being interviewed on TV and enjoy that cold Mich Ultra beer after completing 6.2 miles in less than an hour.

 *The Bolder Boulder was Ah-mazing! I will do it again next year, hopefully dragging along my reluctant husband. So entertaining - tons of amazing costumes, bands, food, and interesting people that are passing you while you say "how are they running faster than me????". Oh, and I placed 15,818 in probably a 54,000 field. Gender field: 5570 out of 26494 - I suppose that's decent.


9. Working Sundays are the pits, but it's totally worth it on Friday when you realize that it truly is Friday and not Saturday and bam! you automatically have one extra day added on to your weekend. Sa-weet! Worked a Sunday, again, today. Sucked, but I know come Friday - totally worth it.


8. Dancing hippies involved in dancing at shows at Red Rocks don't mind sharing their space. Josh, Beth, Mike and myself shimmied (well, I shimmied, I don't know about the rest of the crew) down closer and closer to the front and poof! Soon our view was like this: 



Look at that John Butler cutie! Take a look at the video at the bottom - rockin'! I think Red Rocks might be, no, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite venue EVER to watch a show. You know you want to see a show here, just do it. We got tix to see David Gray & Ray LaMontagne at the end of August, you still have time to buy some plane tickets and high tail it out here!


7. Dreams really can come true! I was driving home from work one day early last week and dreaming in my head, "I could really dig an Ale8 right now. How awesome it would be to have some Ale8s sitting on my front porch when I get home." Of course, Ale8s only appear when you BUY them.  Then, like a weird deja vu, I see a UPS truck pull out of our subdivision. My heart skipped a beat; Could it be? I slowly pull up to the driveway, and I'm not kidding folks, there, on my front porch were two beautiful, brown, cardboard boxes. Beauty only a case of A Late One could bring. And so, I just want to thank my mother for making my dreams come true, thanks mom!


6. Marriages are happy when husbands are happy. And my husband is happy, so there!

5.  Friends that let friends home share music off their computer must be true friends. True friends put together composters for friends. They also leave a case of local beer in the fridge and some other yummy treats when they leave. Oh! And they introduce you to a TV show on FOX called Glee - AND give you the entire run down of the first season so you can watch the finale and know exactly what's going on. Thanks Josh and Beth Graham for being such good friends. Please come and visit again, soon.






4. Dogs that get locked in the Gaga Pit can't get out.


3. When it rains on a tin roof of a cabin you are sleeping in, instant joy warms your heart and sleep ensues for hours. Then, when you wake up and it's still raining you say, "Guess I'll just sleep more, not much to do outside today." This is especially memorable when you have a dog that is scared of thunderstorms and a dog that is spoiled up on the bed taking in the same noises. Although for some reason they don't find them near as relaxing. Has someone marketed that sound in a sound machine?


2. Raising money makes me feel sleezy - but good non-profit companies like Boys and Girls Club and Susan G. Komen for the Cure make me happy. Only 75 more days until my walk - I have to continue to raise money, but I just hate being pesty!


1.


That list is in no particular order, only by which I could remember what exactly has transpired in the past week. Mom and Dad Skaggs are arriving in the Mile High City on Thursday....a weekend of The Buckhorn Exchange, fly fishing, Rockies Game, shopping and showing my parents our life here in CO will bring another top ten list to the surface in a week, I'm sure. May the Lord continue to bless your life, send amazing friends and family your way, and may you give thanks daily for the many blessings. I know I don't do that enough. Love Wins!

Finally, summer has arrived in Co!

Seriously, ya'll, Colorado has so many dogs. The metro Denver area has 177,000 alone. I noticed a lot on my run today through our neighborhood.


Just thought you might find that interesting. It was 96 degrees here today....and I loved every moment of it. I mowed, washed my car, went to Home Depot, ran, and enjoyed sweating. For once.


Know what else is interesting? My brown thumb is turning green! I bought an orchid at least 5wks ago and its still going stong - so I bought another one today. I love them. I bought a couple annuals for our front porch and......a composter! It needs to be put together but Mike and I are excited about decreasing our trash/waste even more. We now have maybe one bag of trash/wk, but I'm looking to cut that down with the use of our composter.


I'm also VERY disturbed by this oil leak. I don't get politicky, in fact, I tell Mike on a regular basis I don't want to talk politics. This is mostly because I truly feel as if there is no one in politics whom I can trust. But, this oil leak has really made me wonder about our dependence on oil and the push to start developing other sources. I actually felt guilty filling up my car today...thinking all this oil that I'm paying for is gushing into the ocean killing habitat, animals, and destroying the ecosystem for many years to come. It just seems weird. Maybe Mike and I can start developing our own biofuel. Maybe the Colorado "way" has rubbed off on me; what I mean is that I have become so much more aware of the little things like: where your food comes from (and the importance of buying local), what a food co-op is and how it works, the importance of eating healthy and exercising, and keeping the beauty of CO intact by recycling/composting. Good things, of course, things that I would encourage you to investigate! Farmers Markets should be in full force by now!

And speaking of very Colorado, this is Gates Camp. I'm packing my Eagle's Nest hammock with me this weekend as I head up there so that I can read my book and enjoy the scenery and quiet. Dogs are coming too, hopefully they won't find any unfriendly wild creatures. God's Holy Spirit truly speaks to me through nature and I can't wait to spend my weekends enjoying the presence of Christ.


Bolder Boulder time on Monday. I'll post pictures.....wish me luck!




Enjoy life and enjoy summer! Love Wins! 

weekend getaway

Mikey and I celebrated 2 years of wedded bliss this weekend by driving to Grand Junction, CO (through much snow and rain across the mountains). Grand Junction is on the other side of the rockies and it's quite the desert. It's about 1,000 feet lower in elevation than what we are living at now, so it's much warmer and drier; the perfect place for vineyards! We tasted about 4 of the 24 wineries and came home with 5 bottles of wine! It was so much fun! Granted, it wasn't fun looking for a hotel room that would take 2 dogs when the local college, Mesa State, was hosting their graduation. But, we finally found one (thanks to an older couple that left because there was a
 "Mexican Dance" held in the Lounge part of the hotel that had the music up too loud) that was cheap enough even with 2 dogs. Here we are at Calson Wineries (our favorite!). I would definitely recommend the wine country of CO if you come to visit. It's about a 4hr drive.....scenic, of course, but totally worth it. I think we're gonna go back in September for their Wine Festival and they also have a peach festival, too! We're already planning another trip! Cheers!


I'm heading up to camp this weekend to see what life is like up about 3,000 feet. Plenty of room to roam for the dogs and apparently plenty of wildlife to view (Mike has spotted moose!). Just hope the wildlife and the dogs don't mix. Love my life right now, don't really have much else to say. I'm excited about the summer and what it brings - i.e. good friends, familly, concerts, and warm weather.

Well, if I can make it I am going to try to run in the Bolder Boulder with 50,000 other runners. Mike can't run with me b/c he has to work (booooo!) but he called me out that it was on my list of things to do this summer. So, I guess I'll do it alone...unless anyone out there wants to run it with me? It's only a 10K, but I'm so out of long distance running shape, I think I might struggle a bit. Are the weeks flying by for anyone else? I feel like the months are rolling by so quick! Before I know it, I'll be in Winchester for my best friend Sarah's wedding! AH! I could really handle a nice cold/slushie Ale8 out of a returnable bottle right about now, but I guess I'll have to stick with the Calson Winery Sweet Baby Red (a blush that tastes like White Zen). Seriously not as good, but I'll take it. I had to get a picture with the rustic horse....it reminded me of home.


How have your new year's resolutions been going? Forgot about them? Changed your life? Like I said, I have to keep myself accountable for them because this year I actually wrote them all down. Love you guys! Love Wins!