Pros & Cons

I love nights to de-stress and examine life. A quiet house, quiet dogs, a good show on the tube and a good book in the works (The Time Traveler's Wife) make for a great evening. Well, almost a great evening. The weather people are calling for the first big snow of the season starting at midnight tonight and continuing through Thursday night. Up to 10 inches of snow will accumulate between these times. I have never in my life experienced a snow storm in October. Oh well, just chalk it up to living in Colorado. Mike and I are actually planning on going skiing next weekend if the snow continues up on the mountains (p.s. it's supposed to snow up to 2ft up there, yipes!). Staying positive, remember? Attempting to, anyway....there are always negatives that seem to engulf every attempt at a positive.

Like driving to the other facility everday from now until Christmas, arg. I heard that news recently and about flipped my lid. I thought I was hired in Morrison permanently, which is why we chose to find a house about 10 min away. Now, I'm driving a good 45 min to a building which should have a full-time SLP; however the SLP that was there previously only kept about 5 people on caseload and basically half-assed her way through. Now that she is gone, the company doesn't think the building can handle a f/t SLP, which is bull malarky. I am splitting the building with another SLP-CF and we have already identified and picked up 11 residents that need cognitive/dysphagia tx. That's within 3 weeks. So, what I'm hoping for is that they will see the need and hire someone earlier. But of course, there are always speed bumps, like the fact that SunBridge is being bought by SunDance Rehab. Not a big deal considering they are both under the SunHealthcare umbrella but basically all new hires are on hold. So, I'm stuck. Ok. Positive:

*The other 2 buildings in the Denver area owned by Sunbridge have had cut hours, Bear Creek has not. I'm still able to get 40hrs/wk...and I will get those hours as long as I travel to Sable. We are slow at Bear right now and I would be going home early. Positive.
*The experience at another building will be good for me. I have to learn how to deal with other therapists, CNAs, staff, and residents that are completely different than the ones at Bear Creek. Sable in Aurora is much more diverse and multi-cultural which is a good thing. Positive.
*Who am I kidding? It's just until Christmas. Ah! Christmas when I get to go home. Positive.

Whew, I often wonder if I am being a little dramatic about this whole situation. I just spent a good 3 paragraphs sifting through this situation so I think it's time I just let it go. *big sigh* Anyway. Mike and I went to church on Sunday which was a total blessing, but we just didn't get a good vibe from the church. It was only our second experience there, but, I can't really explain it, we just didn't like it (for a lack of better explanation). I've come to the conclusion that I miss my friends terribly and if I don't get involved in a small group I might go crazy. It really does make you appreicate the true friends that you've mad in your life. So, we'll try another church on Sunday and continue to pray about where we should be. My relationship with the Lord has been rocky lately anyway, doubt has crept it's way in and really clouded my view of Christianity. Anyone have any suggestions? Anyone been in the same place? I'm stagnant....and I hate that feeling.

Holy crap. Why am I being so negative?? Boo. Cheer up, Charlie. Life is ultimately good! The Lord is, get this, GOOD. Okay, so Mike found my dog the other day laying in his laundry basket. Ah, Chaco. Way to make my life smile. Love always wins. Let's leave it there for tonight.

Random Thoughts......

Happy Wednesday!

It snowed ALL day today. Not much accumulation since it was 74 on Sunday, but the snow covered our dish and Mike had to clean it off. What the crap! That's so not right. I saw on TV where Halloween costumes in Colorado need to work a parka into their wardrobe. I thought that was very fitting! We actually get to sit outside (or, not so much) and pass out candy this year. This is the first time EVER that I've done this considering S & G Farm is not a popular spot for Trick or Treaters. Last year I attempted to sit outside the Blackhawk Grille & pass out candy, but it was too cold and I wussied out. I think we'll have to sit inside this year, for sure. I wanted to dress up the dogs, Mike nixed this idea quickly. Don't you think Chaco would be a cute witch? I thought so too. Help me convince him!

Here is life recently:

We went to the NLDS game where the Rockies lost to the Phillies. Boo. But, it was one of the most exciting baseball games I've ever been to. We love Coors Field...might have to purchase some season tickets next year.















Holy Cow there were a lot of people!



Ha Ha! How does she get herself into situations like this? I swear the dog is made out of pudding.









YAY Evergreen. YAY for pretty days in October. YAY for hikes w/ the husband and dogs.



Work has been kind of frustrating again this week as I'm driving 40 min (50 min in traffic) to another building. Hopefully it's not a forever but just for now thing. I'll keep you posted. I HATE Denver traffic....there is NO way I will ever, ever, ever, live in a city; I don't see how people deal with it. Gross. Makes me want to build a house on S & G farm much, much sooner...or move into the mountains. Hummmmm.....Decisions Decisons. Love Wins! Love you!

I surrender all.

First, I'd like to state that I NEVER thought I would be one of these people, but somehow, someway, unconditional love snuck up on me.

My dog (that's all I have to say and I bet you know where I'm going with this). My psychotic, spastic, underwear eating, wallet demolishing, shoe chewing, and glove eating dog has done it again. This time, she hasn't ruined anything (not even the frozen chicken on the counter, although she's done that in the past). No, this time my dog has taught me something completely different - agape love. Growing up I was surrounded with animals, none of which were my own but belonged to the farm. I dealt with death often, heck, the cattle we raised were to be slaughtered. Anyway, I never attached my emotions to an animal, in fact, I often laughed at those clients my dad had that wanted to spend the extra $200 bucks for the surgery that MIGHT keep them alive. I gawked at those that dropped the extra cash to have my dad see them after hours when he clearly stated they would be okay till the morning. But now, now my friends, things have changed. I never thought I would allow myself to attach emotions to animals, why would I; I mean, they're just animals....right? They don't reason, they have no insight, mine has POOR problem solving, they're a pest, they take up a lot of time, they have too much energy, they are expensive, and they stink. Especially after a day of swimming. They're just animals, right? Welllllllll, within these past 2 1/2 years my dog has seen me cry, laugh, get married (get a brother!), finish graduate school, and move to Colorado. All of this while never leaving my side. Dogs completely rely on their owners to be responsible and trust willingly on a human being to provide every need. And if that doesn't relate to a relationship with Christ, I don't know what does. In addition, it made me think about how much I truly love my dog, despite those hideous cons mentioned above. You can't get mad at a dog when they do wrong, it does no good. Its best just to let life roll on. It's that agape love that a dog has for their owner and visa versa that has me baffled and concluded I've become one of those people that would go the extra mile for their, gasp, pet. How did I get here? Is this healthy? I've tried to cut the apron strings, but how do you get rid of that gut reaction when your husband calls you to say that your dog has run off, again. So, I guess my conclusion remains, my dog has successfully taught me how to love without condition. Neat.

ALSO! I have finally settled into my job and feel comfortable with the forms, evals, co-workers, doctors and building. Only to have to be transfered to another building in Aurora for half days this week. Boo. Anyway....I'll leave you with a picture of my adorable Chaco. Love Wins!

Is this Love that I'm feeling?

Taos, NM

I'm listening to some Bob Marley at the moment, trying to figure out how to recap my weekend. Picture Storytime :::

1. Chaco ate a bee & it stung her in the mouth. She had a fat lip for a couple hours...Mike said it looked like she had eaten something until he pulled out the stinger. HA! You have to admit that's funny.


2. We had to pull off the side of the road to take a picture of THIS! A full moon coming up in New Mexico, breathtaking.

3. We went for a hike; here's the Wrigglenator blazing the trail for us.

Happy Campers! The weather was perfect, warm in the daytime and pretty darn chilly at night. Everyone there dressed like a picture out of Patagonia magazine. I want to look like a dirty hippie all day and be okay with that. I've said for many years I'd like to have dreads. I won't, I won't...it's just one of those things I wish I could.

4. Sometimes I wonder if taking care of kids will be like taking care of dogs. Nevertheless, these are our kiddos for now, and they were looking pretty darn cute here. There is some color in the background, but that's about as red as it got. All the trees around here just turn yellow, and look dead (I guess essentially they are). Not exciting at all. But do you know what IS exciting?


5. A TARANTULA! I never thought I'd see one of them in the wild, but here he was just taking a stroll right in our path. Holy guacamole! Creepy, too? Right?

6. You know how I said that the trees were yellow, well, here is a picture that will make you appreciate yellow:7. Taos Annual Wool Festival was happening! Probably one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. These people were crazy about their wool & yarn. They even brought their animals. Ever seen a rabbit like this?

Looks fake, right? Nope, it's real. Just like this alpaca, which I'm grateful for because it allowed me to purchase this kick ass beanie.


I think Chaco needs a beanie. Okay, maybe not, but the festival motivated me to investigate my creative side. Like, knitting. So, I bought some yarn and wooden needles and began to make a scarf.

8. Here's what I got so far, no laughing from the peanut gallery that consists of pro knitters. Definitely got a long row to hoe (don't think I've ever used that idiom in written form, is that right?).

9. Okay, one more handmade project that was birthed during this weekend: A collar made out of hemp! Won't be long before Wrigley has one, just have to convince Mike it's cool. Are we at #10 already? 10. Go to www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=2149384&id=48200753&ref=mf to check out the rest of the pictures. There were a bunch that I wasn't able to post on here. Overall, I love family road trips!! We've got to do them more often....I think our next trip is to Wyoming! Have I mentioned that Nancy and clan are coming to CO for Thanksgiving? Josie & Caleb are so excited and I think James and Nancy are as well....YAY family! Okay, thanks to Bob Marley I've made it past 11:00pm; past my old, knitting woman bedtime :) Love Wins! Love you!

Adventures with more Currys!

Ken and Becki came to stay with us! Again, I know I've said it before, it's so nice to have visitors. It was a beautiful day to be on a train ride and the Royal Gorge Bridge itself was way up above canyon. It was about a 3 hr drive to get to Canon City, but I'm convinced that no part of CO is ugly. We went to a Rockies Game as well, which happened to be on the same day that it snowed at work. Big wet flakes, but snow nonetheless.

SNOW! I don't think I've ever been this excited to welcome winter to Colorado, but I have good reason; Mike and I bought our ski passes this week! Which means - we can ski at Keystone, Breckenridge, and A-Basin unlimited throughout the season and we get 10 passes to either Vail or Beaver Creek. Yeah Yeah! We have our own skis now too....so basically we just make the 1 1/2 hr trek to the resorts, get out of our car, and hit the slopes. No rentals. No passes. No stress. I just hope we don't injure ourselves trying to be professional skiers. It has been a while since I've been on the slopes and they say skiing in Colorado is unlike anything on the East Coast. See, what I'm doing here is trying to stay positive and psyche myself up for a winter that people around here say is going to be brutal. Because last winter was so mild, this one is supposed to be really bad. It's at times like these that I wonder if I made the wrong choice of jobs. South Carolina weather sounds really good right about now! But, who am I kidding? We are so happy here...and that makes it all worth it. In fact, Mike got his CO drivers license and plates so he is a true CO resident.

Also, while Ken and Becki were here we drove up to the 14er Pike's Peak. I didn't know this, but apparently, Pike's Peak is where the inspiration for "America the

Beautiful". It was, in fact, beautiful (and cold, about 32 degrees up there).

Aren't we cute? The drive up to Pike's Peak was real sketch, but definitely worth it. We are such adventurers!

I am just amazed how life seems to move along rather quickly. It's almost October which means we have been here almost 4 months. Mike's birthday is Tuesday so we are heading to Taos, NM with the dogs next weekend. It'll be good to see other places while we're out here. Las Vegas is on the list next. The job continues to teach me humility....but....I'm learning more and more about myself daily. And it's good for me.

I am so blessed. I'll update after our weekend in Taos...hopefully we'll have some really cool pictures. Love Wins!

They think that happiness is a mat that sits on her doorway.....

So much for updating more than once a week. Somehow, I just find myself completely exhausted and thinking that writing my thoughts down would be way to taxing. But that's a lie. I've got to vomit up all of these thoughts rolling around in my head. You ask, what's gone on this week? Let me share:

1. We took a hike to Shelf Lake in bfe colorado....ended up hiking in sunshine, snow, sleet, and rain. All within a 5hr period. See, here sunshine:


















and here...winter:

2. I have reasons to be incredible thankful for my life....more importantly...reasons to be thankful for the family in my life.

3. Marriage, at times, is rough. Who labeled "happily ever after" anyway? Mike and I are reading a book called Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. It's really opening up some doors for us to discuss areas that walls grew around, without notice. No one tells you what to do when the mundane everyday sets in. Advice? Have I mentioned that I do love my husband? He just brought me some of our homemade ice cream. <3>day?? The entire situation is a humbling experience for me, and I'm okay with that. I'm actually very lucky to be studying underneath her. I'm going to (and have already) learn so much about my field. Staying positive here.

6. I love our dogs:

7. The in-law are coming!!!! Ken and Becki come in on Friday and stay until Wednesday! Our trip includes: Royal Gorge train tour, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Rockies Game, Red Rocks, etc. etc. etc. Which reminds me, I've really got to do some cleaning.

8. I don't know if I mentioned this in the last post, but, we bought SKIS! And boots. And gloves. And goggles. The local sports store has a huge annual sale of last years ski stuff, and for that we are so thankful. Now we are offically ready for the CO winter. And from what I've heard, it's going to be quite the winter; apparently last winter was really mild. Bring it ON!

9. I miss S&G Farm. I miss Ale8s. I miss *gasp* Winchester.

10. Wow, I thought I would stop at 5. Look at me! Another reason to blog more than once a week. See, what did I tell you...thought vomit.

Until next time blog readers. I bid you farewell. Remember, Love always wins!

"It was Labor Day weekend, I was 17......

I bought a coke and some gasoline....and I drove out to the county fair.
When I saw her for the first time she was, standing there in the ticket line.
And it all started right then and there. Oh a sailor sky made a perfect sunset,
And that's a day I'll never forget."

Every Labor Day that rolls around makes me think about this Tim McGraw song...and the time in which it came out and I WAS 17. Where gasoline (and a car for that matter) was a huge deal. Not to mention the Clark County Fair was a pretty big event ;) Ah, the joys of growing up in a small town. Little did I know that 8 years later I would be WORKING on the only day that it's legal to miss work, just because. What's that about anyway? Another perk of working in healthcare, right? That's what I keep telling myself. Well, not going to lie, the paid 8hrs + the 6hrs I worked on top of that will definitely HELP the money situation at home. So, let's segway into the fact that money will be coming in from my other half...that's right! Mike got a job!!! It's a part time job as a climbing wall instructor (which he is waaaaaaaayyyyy over-qualified for) but hopefully it will lead into something full time. It's at the local Parks and Recreation Center down the road in Littleton. The facility has closed the climbing wall for 2 years and just re-opened it this summer; looking for some good programming...hey! I know someone who has TONS of experience in programming - my husband! It's the Lord. All that stress- all that worry- it's all relative now. He's still looking for another part time job, hopefully in the same facility in order to work there all day. We're taking it one step at a time. But at least we've got our first steps :)







So, a new job. Work on a workless day. AND our first show at Red Rocks! The Allman Brothers Band was amazing! We had a blast dancing like hippies in a crowd of...well...mostly hippies. It's quite entertaining.









The red rocks begin to come alive as people work their way inside the amphitheater...and the energy that the crowd brings is fabulous! It makes me so thankful for music & concerts. One of the many things that Mike and I truly enjoy together. I hope we continue to enjoy these precious moments that will shape our past.




So, rewinding to about a week before the show, Mike and I went to a Colorado Sky Sox game; the Triple A team for the Rockies. And lo and behold, my most favorite baseball player was on the team! MATT MURTON! He used to play with the Cubbies & is now with the Rockies....it was meant to be.....i mean, for me to follow his baseball career :)















Fast-forwarding until Labor Day weekend again, Sunday was a lazy day....and I loved it. And no, we didn't go to church. It makes me feel guilty. Finding a church has been incredibly difficult for us.....and I know I'm finding excuses. I am really understanding why people who haven't been to church, ever, don't want to go. Especially if they have had a memorable church experience (and i don't mean a good one). It makes me want to be on a welcome commitee when new people visit so they feel, oh, i don't know, welcome? But, I'm not going to complain, going to let the Lord & the Holy Spirit work through that passion to make a difference in someone else.

Anyway. A long note to say, that life, as always, is good. Interesting. Beautiful. And content. Love Wins, ya'll. Love always wins.