the petes

reveal :: Jenn and Stephen

2012-02-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have the best friends! They are all so great letting me practice on them and it doesn't hurt that they are gorgeous to boot!

Jenn and Stephen had their "big" ultrasound and then met up with me for a quick shoot in the park before heading back to work. We thought it would be fun to visually announce the gender of their sweet baby. Congratulations Jenn and Stephen, I can't wait to meet your baby girl!

love you three!

newborn :: Savannah

2012-02-19T16:31:00.001-07:00

At eight days old, I held an official newborn shoot for the little peanut featured in my "Firsts" post. She is such a sweetheart!

thank you! thank you! for letting me capture your precious baby girl!

our newest niece!

2012-02-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

we can't wait to meet you next month! I wish we could have been there today to photograph all of your "firsts"!

"Firsts" Photoshoot

2012-02-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

I was extremely lucky to be able to photograph my good friends Dan and Kimberly the night their baby girl Savannah was born. She came into this world five weeks early and no one knew quite what to expect but this precious little peanut came out strong, healthy and beautiful.

first Daddy time

first close up

first hello

first check up

first feeding

first family photo

first bath

first outfit

first time holding Mommy's hand

What an amazing thing to witness! Thank you for letting me document this!

365 days

2012-01-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

...until 30.

That means today is my twenty-ninth birthday and I have one year/twelve months/fifty-two weeks/365 days to make the best of the end of my twenties and prepare for amazing thirties!

Here's where I'm at...

DONE (16):
3. Pay it forward. in a big way. [awesome!]
5. 14er. conquer it. maybe more than one by 30. [Greys and Torreys were great!]
6. Thankful. write down five things I'm thankful for everyday for a month. [so much to be thankful for]
7. Clean Eating. learn to cook clean, anti-cancer meals. [loving it!]
8. Ski or Snowboard. get decent enough to go with Mike and friends. [I can now ski with Mike and friends although they have to stop a lot and wait for me to catch up, I don't like to go fast...]
9. Short Hair. donate it. [chopped!]
10. Plant. create a garden to feed us and provide fresh flowers for the house. [:)]
11. Cleanse. do it. [weird but good]
15. Travel. somewhere I never thought I wanted to go. [Boston was awesome!]
16. Shape Up. get into the best shape of my life. [achieved and then slacked, need to get back]
19. Volunteer. contribute at least once a month for six months. [I love MHC!]
21. Hot Air Balloon Ride. go up up up. [awesome!]
22. Treat. pay for the car behind me in a drive through. [wondering how she reacted]
25. Camp. during a meteor shower. [cool. maybe an annual thing!]
26. Spring Fling. Spring Creek Ranch/Tetons/Yellowstone w/ Mike. [awesome!]
28. Red Rocks. attend a concert in this legendary venue. [Norah Jones was great!]

STILL TO GO/IN PROGRESS (10):
2. Paint. every room in the house. [our two story living room is my hangup - I need to at least start with the other rooms...]
4. Baby. have one (or at least be baking). [18 months of trying, it's completely in God's hands... this one may have to move to the "life list" too.]
12. Bible. read it all the way through. [I'm 20% through, I'm loving it and learning so much!]
13. Website. update/create a new portfolio site. [the wheels are churning on this one in conjunction with no.14 and no.23]
14. Business. create and market my freelance design services. [see no.13]
17. Kayak. learn. [this Spring!]
23. Photography. become more then decent. [practicing with every free moment! wishing for more funds to buy a few lenses but doing the best with what I have and learning, learning, learning!]
24. Dinner Party. complete with cloth napkins and five courses. [not really sure why I put this on the list in the first place but I'll get it done...]
27. Save. $30,000+ plus in my retirement account. [could really use help from the economy]
30. Pilates. learn and practice regularly. [have a DVD but don't have the guts to go to a live class]

MAY NEED TO MOVE TO THE "LIFE LIST" (4):
1. Italian. learn it, well enough to hold my own on our next trip. [another Italy trip is likely at least five years away and I really stink at foreign languages...]
18. Mission Trip. go on a mission trip. [still praying for an opportunity, my heart longs to go to an orphanage in Africa]
20. Zion. fall in love with it again. [we might make it this year but with Mike starting school this too may have to wait]
29. Northern Lights. experience it. [sadly I don't think we can swing a trip to Alaska before Mike starts school]

MORE PRACTICAL REPLACEMENTS (4):
1x. Seek Joy. make a conscious effort to seek joy, focusing on the blessings and keep a blessings journal.
18x. Shape Up Again. get back into the best shape of my life and sustain.
20x. Take a Class. it can be anything, one day or a whole semester - just register and commit to learn something new.
29x. Send birthday cards. on time.

my goals for this year:

live in joy

focus on my blessings

give (time, money and energy) to what really matters

Jeremiah 29:11

2012-01-10T22:10:00.002-07:00

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

A Little Help

2012-01-09T22:26:00.003-07:00

I'm working on updating my 30 before 30 list and need your help! I have four things that will likely need to move from this list to my Life List due to the limitations of the coming year with Mike starting PA school. I want to replace them with more practical/less expensive things (that are still worth doing).

Please comment with your suggestions, I would love to update the list by Saturday.

Thanks!
leigh

A New Year

2012-01-05T21:51:00.002-07:00

New Years was pretty anticlimactic in the Pete house this year. The friends that we normally spend the holiday with were out of town and both Mike and I had exhausting work weeks in between Christmas and New Years so we ended up staying home and falling asleep around 9:30p. We have never been big party animals but I think now we are officially lame. It seems to be a general consensus around these parts, perhaps because Christmas and New Years both fell on the weekend but it just didn't feel like the holidays this year. Instead of having time off and spending it with loved ones both Mike and I worked about double our normal hours and were too pooped by the weekend to do much of anything.

Although starting out a new year exhausted is not ideal, we are both thankful for our jobs and looking forward to the new adventures 2012 will bring. Mike starts PA school this summer and I'm trying to learn photography as another freelance avenue - both should be exciting and keep us busy.

I've also started to think a lot about my 30 before 30 list. I'll prepare an update for you over the next week in preparation for my 29th birthday next Saturday. It's not looking good for actual completion of all items on the list but I think I'm ok with that. The journey has been great and definitely pushed me to do somethings I likely would have put off indefinitely because they're not practical (i.e. no. 21 for sure).

Hope you had a much more magical holiday. I'm off to get some elusive sleep and looking forward to a little rest a week from now...

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:52:00.004-07:00

We had a very excited Summit this morning. She had to wait to get the ok, but once she did she was so excited to dig into her stocking.

She opened presents from Ama and Papa via Skype and then couldn't wait to tear into the gifts from the Florida Petes. Like any little kid, she also helped Mommy and Daddy open their presents as well :)

After opening gifts, Mike decided we needed a Christmas morning trip to the dog park. Summit was pretty excited to get to run around in the snow with the dozen or so other dogs out for a treat.

Now we're going to cuddle by the tree and watch some movies, completing our laid back holiday.

Merry Christmas everyone!

keeping it simple

2011-12-15T10:14:00.002-07:00

This Christmas we are keeping it simple in the Pete house.

A simple table top tree celebrating the birth of our Savior.

It's easy to let the busyness of the holidays distract, this year I'm extremely thankful for the simplicity of our season.

· · ·

There are a number of causes on my heart this Christmas. We have been so blessed my desire this Christmas is to bless others.

On October 25th, our very favorite spot in Italy was ravaged by floods and mud slides. There has been very little coverage of the tragedy in the US but the villagers of Vernazza are in need of some serious help. Their tiny town is still under feet of mud and debris almost two months later. Residents are still evacuated. Infrastructure is having to be completely rebuilt, family businesses are completely demolished. When we traveled through Italy we had many adventures but Cinque Terre, specifically Vernazza provided a uniquely special experience. It was here that we felt the most "Italian", we felt part of something that had a great history of family, dedication and hard work. The quiet town woke early to tend to their family business. Mostly cut off from the rest of the world, this town provides an escape from the stresses of the world we now live in. It saddens me deeply to think there's a chance it won't be able to be restored. That the homes and businesses that have been in families for generations will be vacant. That others won't be able to find the peace and solitude Mike and I experienced in Vernazza two years ago.

Reading stories of the account like this break my heart. We purchased gelato from Pino everyday we were there, he made my very favorite kiwi gelato:
An Incredible Story of Courage in the Face Of Death

· · ·

One of my best friends introduced me to Sak Saum this year.

Started in 2007, Sak Saum is a ministry that offers rescue, rehabilitation and restoration to vulnerable and exploited women who have experienced firsthand the devastation of trafficking.

Their desire is to help the abused, the underprivileged, the desperate - those unseen by the majority of humanity but worthy of being deeply loved. Sak Saum addresses the issues of human trafficking and exploitation in holistic, practical and compassionate ways.

Their goal is to create a ministry that is sustained solely through the sale of their products. The "business" provides an occupation for these women and a opportunity for them to help other women facing their former plight.

Their products are gorgeously unique. I am proud to carry a Sak Saum bag and share the impact this ministry is having.

recent shoots

2011-12-14T21:01:00.001-07:00

The last month has completely flown by... Since I last wrote, my family came to visit for Thanksgiving, I got my camera, I designed and produced an 80 page local guide for work, planned our work Christmas party, was asked to be on the Women's Board at our church and held a couple photoshoots. It's been nutty but fun!

Here are a few images from each of the shoots. I'm so thankful for friends and family willing to let me practice on them.

· · ·

thanks Dayna, Sarah and Rachel for letting me photograph your little ones!

Newborn Photoshoot

2011-11-10T08:43:00.006-07:00

Our good friends Ryan and Kelly asked me to take a few newborn photos of their little guy (little is an understatement, he's teeny tiny - just 4lbs 8oz full term!).

I was so excited to do this for them! I learned a lot and now really want my camera+lens. I have a long way to go to achieve no. 23. Photography. become more then decent. But I'm excited to be starting the process and thankful for willing subjects!

their cat Calvin was feeling a little left out...

thanks McSparrans!

my sweet girl

2011-11-01T22:19:00.003-06:00

I'm taking some photos of a friend's newborn on Thursday. I don't yet have the dslr that I'm hoping to acquire, so I'm borrowing their camera. I brought it home for a few days to get familiar with it before the shoot. The light was poor but Summit was a wonderful model as I played with the settings.

four years

2011-10-28T06:17:00.003-06:00

four years years and counting...
so much has happened and so much is yet to come...

Pre-PA Trip and 30-30 Update

2011-10-25T07:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all who participated in our little poll. There are still a few days to weigh in but so far the overwhelming majority says Go!

So now the question is where? My sister suggested an Alaskan cruise which seemed to be the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation for this trip but the timing doesn't work out. Cruising season in Alaska doesn't seem to begin until mid-May and Mike's school orientation is scheduled to begin May 20th. We could also go see our friends that live up there (not taking a cruise) but they said it's much better to see Alaska mid to late June. When you're planning a trip like that, we want to see it at it's best!

So back to the drawing board. We are looking to go early May for a week to ten days. We would love to go abroad again but I'm not sure I can save up enough to go back to Italy (a week in Cinque Terre would be heavenly!) or to the Greek Islands. Africa is also on our life list but I think we'll wait and try to go on a mission trip there once Mike is medically trained.

For reference, here's where we have already explored together: New York, Boston, the California coast from LA to San Francisco, Minnesota, Wyoming/Yellowstone, Seattle, the Carolinas, Alabama, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Florida (writing all this out makes me feel extremely blessed).

Currently our list of possibilities for the Pre-PA trip are:
the Oregon Coast
Vermont/Maine (I've been but Mike hasn't)
Costa Rica

· · ·

On another note, I haven't forgotten about my 30 before 30 list.

Taking a trip to Zion would cross one off no.20 but I'd rather go somewhere I haven't been and somewhere that's a little further from our home base (we might be able to squeeze in a long weekend trip there between semesters while Mike's in school).

If we could combine a mission trip in with this getaway that would be awesome and cross off no.18 - I would love to do a mixed serve/explore/relax vacation but I'm not really sure where to find that.

On a non-travel note, I'm slowly working on no.13, no.14 and no.23. I'm studying photography, saving up for equipment and forming an idea of what my freelance business and new website will be. I'm also really enjoying reading through the bible.

I've come to terms with the fact that I won't likely complete this list before turning 30 in fourteen months and I'm ok with that. I'm really glad I made the list and have enjoyed all that the list has pushed me to accomplish but also recognize that due to choices, life changes, finances and things beyond my control a few items will likely have to move over to my "life list".

I've updated notes on my progress over on the official list.

Thanks for all your support! Please keep the travel suggestions coming!

A Reader Poll :: Pre-PA School Trip?

2011-10-20T12:34:00.000-06:00

I tend to be someone who will save and save and save and forget to live. Sometimes responsible to a fault.

I've set up our finances to try to avoid this pitfall, creating a special savings account for travel that is funded only from my freelance design work (extra work = extra play). All of our travels have been paid for from this account and we only travel when we have enough to go. These trips are the highlight of our lives. We love to travel together and find we most connect when we're exploring a new place together.

Here comes the basis for this post and poll. We are currently saving as much as we can to pay for Mike's PA school. We will still likely have to take out some loans to get him all the way through but we're trying to keep that number as low as possible so we can pay them off once he graduates as quickly as we can.

Once he starts school in May, he will go for three years straight through with little more then a few days off in between terms. This means we likely won't be able to do any real traveling until May 2015.

When Mike found out he'd been accepted, I realized this time frame and felt like we should take a really great trip with however much I could earn freelancing between now and next May. One last big adventure before three years of hard work and meager living. Then the responsible me kicked in saying "Are you crazy? You need to save up all that money and use it to pay for school! What were you thinking?"
I'm torn and could use some help, please vote in the poll to the right · · · · · · · · >

If you voted for either of the first two options, feel free to leave suggestions of where to go in the comments below. Thank you for your insight!

Official Acceptance!

2011-10-20T08:27:00.000-06:00

our roller coaster

2011-10-13T16:50:00.001-06:00

Six days ago we were so excited as Mike's CU PA school interview went well.

Three days ago we were sad Summit wasn't feeling well.

Two days ago we were worried sick as Summit went in for intesional surgery.

Yesterday we were relieved that she was in recovery and released for home care.

Today we are ECSTATIC! Mike received a call from CU that he has been accepted into PA school! It was supposed to take a minimum of two weeks to hear anything and he heard six days after his interview, praise God! What a blessing!

He will start in May and be full-time for 3 years, graduating May 2015. We are so excited to start on this leg of our journey together! I couldn't be more proud of Mike and excited to see him live out God's will for his life.

Infinite Wisdom

2011-10-12T01:07:00.000-06:00

God's infinite wisdom astounds me. Right now I'm supposed to be in Florida with Mike, preparing to celebrate the marriage of one of his childhood friends. Instead I'm sleeping on the couch, next to a very sick post-op Summit.

A week ago I started feeling really unsettled about going on the trip. Things at work are crazy, we couldn't find anyone to watch Summit and more then anything something just didn't seem right. For a few days I had this nagging feeling that I needed to cancel my flight and stay home. Stuff hit the fan one day and I just went ahead and pulled the trigger, cancelling my flight, making the nagging feeling a final decision. I told my work I would work Saturday the 15th (the critically over-booked, understaffed day they needed me for) but otherwise left myself off the in-office schedule Wednesday-Friday but making myself available for consultations via phone and in the area for emergencies. As much as I was bummed to be missing the trip home, I felt relieved, like it was definitely the right decision.

Yesterday morning Summit woke up at 5:45a vomiting. That's not crazy rare so we cleaned it up, fed her a little breakfast and I went to work. Mike stayed home with her and she continued getting sick. Late afternoon he offered her a treat and she didn't want it. In over three years Summit has never denied food, ever. He knew instantly something serious was wrong and took her to the vet. They did an exam, an x-ray, gave her fluids for dehydration and kept her for observation. They didn't find anything and at the end of the night, they sent her home and said to come back in the morning if she wasn't feeling better.

Last night was rough, she was depressed, not eating or drinking and wanted to be alone - all things I've never seen her do before. This morning she was even worse. We took her in as soon as they opened. They ran a blood panel which didn't show anything conclusive and decided an ultrasound was the next step. The ultrasound showed an unknown obstruction in her intestine. She needed surgery. She needed her mom. Because of a uneasy feeling God placed on my heart a week ago, I'm here, caring for my girl as she recovers.

Good things come to those who wait.

2011-10-07T17:27:00.001-06:00

I waited 18 years to get a puppy. For the first 7 years of my life dogs scared me to death. We moved when I was seven. Our neighbors had two dachshunds that changed my mind and softened my heart. The next year, we moved again and our neighbors across the street had the most wonderful dog. She was my adoptive pet and my love for dogs and desire to have one grew. For years I begged for a puppy of my own. I bargained and pleaded to no avail. I promised myself that I would definitely marry someone who would let me have a dog. When I met Mike, he had two dogs, two cats and a snake. I knew this guy would let me have a puppy one day! I waited some more, through school while Dad said no, through college when the dorms said no, in Birmingham when the landlord said no, my first year in Denver when my roommate said no. So I waited some more... Six months after Mike and I married, we found out about a litter of puppies set to be born in June. We prayed for the litter and for the puppy that was to be ours. We knew it was finally time.

Looking back, there were so many times over 18 years when my deep desire was to have a dog but that desire wasn't fulfilled. God knows how to best fulfill the desire of our hearts. I can't imagine a more perfect puppy and am so thankful that I waited for her. I always wanted a sweet dog to be my pal but never knew it was possible to have a dog like Summit. She's the sweetest, most perceptive, friendly cuddle bug. I never knew a dog could bring such joy and comfort.

I want a life filled with Summits. Peaks that are more than worth the wait. Blessings that are more then I ever knew to ask for. And for that, I'm content to wait.

bike to Breck

2011-09-25T19:57:00.000-06:00

Saturday we woke early and saw the sunrise over the mountains,

this place is really peaceful.

Then we rode our bikes to Main Street to explore.

and decided to keep riding around the lake, surrounded by golden Aspens...

...all the way to Breckenridge!

After a 12 mile ride, we decided to reward ourselves with lunch at our favorite mountain place - Giampietro's.

Awesome New York style pizza - yum!

and this view

after falling in love with great pizza and cannoli in Boston, I had to try theirs (very tasty, unique with a hint of lemon)

then another 12 miles back to the condo for a relaxing evening cheering on our Gators!

Maroon Bells

2011-09-24T17:36:00.005-06:00

Having four days in Summit County, we decided to use our mountain home base as an opportunity to go up to Aspen to hike the Maroon Bells. I've been wanting to get up there for a few years but at almost four hours from home, it would make for a very long a day trip. Friday morning we drove over Independence Pass, then on to Aspen and the Bells. The entire day was absolutely breath-taking, I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

Peaceful Evening

2011-09-22T17:49:00.001-06:00

Since Mike worked the 7p-7a shift last night then we headed straight up to the mountains, we decided to take it pretty easy today. We settled in, relaxed, Mike and Summit took a nap here...

Summit was SO excited to be on vacation. She ran around like a little kid checking out the place.

The amazing view...

Late afternoon we decided to take a little walk on the path around the lake.

We came across this teepee off the beaten path...

The views around the lake were gorgeous.

Love these two.
More adventures tomorrow after a good night's rest.

the life...

2011-09-22T13:02:00.001-06:00

the view from our lakeside mountain condo for the weekend

much more to come...

my girls

2011-09-22T12:52:00.001-06:00

A few more shots I just found from the last day with Maggie and Nora.

Nora helping me pack.

getting in my last squeezes (she does love me, even if she looks less then interested)

the girls playing with the puppies and woof-woofs at the airport.

miss them so much!

the best laid plans...

2011-09-15T17:30:00.001-06:00

I was so, so excited to be spending a few days with my family and sweet nieces!

I arrived Thursday evening to smiles and hugs! Friday was gray and cloudy - not the ideal beach weather so we stayed in and played.

I love how these two love each other.

My friend Courtney came to visit Friday night. I was SO excited to get to spend a couple hours with her and little life God's creating in her. Isn't she the cutest little momma!

I woke up very, very sick the wee hours of Saturday morning. The rest of Saturday was spent in bed, missing out on a visit with Aunt Nan and Uncle Bill and the day with my family :(

Sunday I felt better but weak and sore from being sick the day before. I wasn't up for eating yet and unfortunately spent another day taking it easy, just taking in these sweet faces.

I did make it down to the pool to watch the girls swim and play. I'm very proud of Maggie's kickboard kicking and astonished by Nora's fearlessness.

Late afternoon, Maggie and I went down to the beach. She's such a cutie.

Ama and PapaT joined us for the sunset.

Maggie and PapaT took a beautiful sunset walk.

I'm a mountain girl at heart but a beach sunset can be pretty heavenly.

Early, early Monday morning, Dayna and I woke up to a very, very sick Nora. I had really hoped my sickness was due to something I ate and therefore not contagious but once Nora started getting sick we knew that wasn't the case. We spent the wee hours of the morning on tag team puke/laundry patrol.

After the rough morning, Maggie and I went down to the pool.

We worked on her swimming.

After lunch, Ama and I took Maggie down to the beach to build a sandcastle.

our creation! a shell decorated sandcastle complete with blue crab guard.

My last morning, Dayna and I got to spend a little sister time.

This trip definitely didn't go as planned (Maggie, then Dad, then Dayna and Mom all got the stomach bug after I left Tuesday afternoon). But I guess that's how it goes sometimes... it was still nice to all be together.

congrats!

2011-09-05T06:07:00.002-06:00

I've been trying to think of things to write about but feel like Mike and I are still in this season of waiting, which isn't terribly interesting for a blog... We do have a few fun trips and visits coming up over the next few months that I'm excited to share with you but in the mean time, we've really just been sharing in everyone else's joy! There's BIG news on the friends/family front!

One of my very best friends is pregnant and due early February!
Congratulations Courtney and Adam - little donut has already stolen my heart!

Mike's brother Brian and our Sister-in-Law Hayley are also expecting.
Their baby is due mid-Febrauary! We can't wait for another niece or nephew!

And just this past weekend, my oldest friend (we've been friends since I was born just a few months after her) got engaged!! Congrats Kristen and Jon!

I'm so excited for all the joy we have to look forward to in the coming year - babies and weddings, it doesn't get much better then that!

21. Hot Air Balloon Ride

2011-08-06T12:51:00.010-06:00

We went up! up! up! So much fun! I found a livingsocial deal a few months ago for a half price hot air balloon ride and couldn't turn it down. $250 for both Mike and I sounded like a much more reasonable price to check this one off the list (it was going to be more the $650 in Jackson Hole last Spring).

We woke at 3:30 this morning to drive 2 hours into the mountains for our sunrise flight. It was an early start but totally worth it!

our balloon filling up (notice how tiny our captain looks inside the giant balloon)

almost there!

upright and ready!

our basket (the couple behind us are Gators also! Gator Nation is an awesome small world)

lifting off (we didn't even notice at first, it's so smooth and effortless)

we're actually doing this!

hot air ballooning in the Colorado Rockies

so peaceful

blasting the burner to get a little higher

our view (which included an ultralight flying well beneath us)

our pilot Ken softly landed our balloon then it was time to help pack it up which started with tipping over the basket

as the balloon deflates (it's really huge - 120 feet long, 560 pounds)

the girls squished the balloon into it's container

then back to the base for a champagne toast

and a mountainside breakfast.

What a great experience! We highly recommend Colorado Hot Air Balloon Rides if you're looking for a hot air balloon adventure!

Halfway through my 30 before 30 list! Better get truckin, only 17 months to go!

Pete's Pineapples!

2011-08-05T19:45:00.004-06:00

A very special delivery arrived last night! Yum! Yum! Yum!
The absolute sweetest, most delicious pineapples in the world!
Thanks Phil and Barb!
(they're already gone, we couldn't stop ourselves!)

Boston Getaway for Ashley's Wedding

2011-08-04T15:56:00.011-06:00

Last December one of my best friends (and college roommate) announced she was getting married in Massachusetts this summer. I was so excited, I booked our flights seven months prior to our trip and have been counting down since. I haven't seen Ashley since she was in our wedding almost four years ago. I love that our relationship is one where we can pick up right where we left off no matter how much time has past - that's exactly what happened the night we arrived in Boston.

The wedding events were in New Bedford, near where they live. Since neither Mike nor I had been to the area, we decided to build in a few days exploring Boston before heading down to the wedding. We arrived late Wednesday night and were thrilled when Ashley called. She and Chris were up in Boston to pick up her sister at the airport and had a few minutes to stop by our hotel for a quick and exuberant hello. It was fantastic to see them and really set the trip off to a fantastic start!

Our first day we explored - starting in Copley Square

wandered around the Public Gardens

the Boston Commons

Beacon Hill - love the historic neighborhoods

Fenway

up to the North End

dinner at Pizzeria Regina

SO good!

then to Mike's Pastry

the place was packed, lines out the door but the best cannoli ever! I didn't even like cannoli and now I can't stop thinking about them!

Friday afternoon we drove down to Providence. It poured rain so we didn't get to explore much.

the rehearsal was great, then on to the fun

we had a fantastic time at the clam bake Friday night

lobsta!

finally... the wedding!

so happy!

generations of Gators

love her!

Ned's Point Lighthouse near their house

Back in Boston, we were on a mission to try a lobster roll

and explored a bunch more, stumbling on Robert Frost's residence

and a regatta in Cambridge.

We had a really great getaway. Boston is perfect for our favorite type of travel - wander, explore and eat. Just what we needed after a year of balancing school and work, getting very little time together. So happy for Chris and Ashley and still dreaming of Regina's pizza and Mike's cannoli.

This trip accomplishes no.15 on my list. I never really thought about visiting Boston and ended up loving it!

Like Mother, Like Son

2011-07-11T22:28:00.004-06:00

Mike came home from work Tuesday and noticed a baby bird dangling from the nest above our garage. The poor baby was flailing about, unsuccessfully trying to get free. One tiny leg was tangled up in strings from the nest.

Mike climbed the ladder and cut her free.

he gently worked to untangle her tiny leg

the string was really wound around

he finally removed all the string and assessed the damage. the poor bird's leg was pretty messed up :(

Mike gave the baby bird a little more love and then grudgingly put her back up in the nest. he really wanted to keep her for a few days to check in on her healing but since we were leaving for Boston the next day, decided her momma would have to take care of her instead.

I love the huge heart for animals Mike inherited from his mom.

Summit is Three!

2011-06-25T22:35:00.004-06:00

... And growing up way too fast! I can't bear to think of her as her dog years age. We decided to throw her a little birthday party to celebrate. Unfortunately none of her doggy friends could make it but some of her very favorite people friends did!

puppy cake for Summy

and strawberry cupcakes for the people

the boys sampled Mike's homebrew

Summit didn't like her birthday hat very much. She's very agreeable and will do almost anything we ask of her, except tolerate hats.

but she loves opening gifts! thanks Ama and Aunt Susan!

After gifts we sang to her

and she got the ok to gobble up her birthday cake!

On Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:16:00.007-06:00

Thank you Dad for loving me, for teaching me, for challenging me and most of all, for hugging me for 28 years...

I love you so much and am so thankful God blessed me with a Dad who through it all exemplified His pure and unending love.

Growth

2011-06-17T21:55:00.000-06:00

My black thumb may just be taking a turn... The last month our house has been blooming with new life!

as the tulips hit their prime, the alliums I forgot I planted came to life! I'm bummed I didn't grab a photo before the tulips lost their petals in a wind storm - the two levels of flowers with various shades of purple was really pretty.

Mike planted some windowsill herbs and they're taking off!

and the biggest shock... the peony bushes I planted last spring (and subsequently died an awful death last summer) reemerged blooming beautifully! I'm SO excited!

There has been a great bit of personal growth as well. Last spring and summer I shared my journey giving up refined sugar for Lent and then transitioning into eating clean at the end of Lent. That was a life changing adventure for me - one that started out remarkably easy. While breaking the sugar addiction during Lent, my resolve and dedication was surprisingly strong. When I struggled with sacrificing my desires, it was easy to remember Jesus' sacrifice for me (the whole point of Lent) and the brownies that were tempting me instantly seemed so trivial. Others remarked at how easily I passed on treats and I was being completely honest when I responded that it wasn't hard. God gave me strength, resolve and purpose.

The first five months of my new lifestyle were really amazing. I was finally becoming the person I'd always hoped to be and basking in the benefits - more energy, balanced emotions, a positive outlook and fat loss (which wasn't at all on my mind when I began this journey). I was really, really happy and felt fantastic. I should have known to be on the lookout for Satan but I wasn't.

Over the summer, a few events away from home started to tempt me and crumble my once rock-steady resolve. Those little lies began to creep in my head and obsessive thoughts of cherry pie seemed to come out of nowhere. The further I got from Lent, the more this journey became about increasing my nutrition knowledge, sculpting better body and denying myself what everyone else was having and the less it became about strengthening my relationship with God and fueling my body to best be of His service.

My journey became increasingly difficult over the next six months as I attempted to keep up the "perfect" exterior, while experiencing spiritual warfare internally. Satan tempted me and when I succumbed (always in secret as to not make anyone else stumble), he used that guilt to make me feel even worse about myself. As I started to gain weight, he tore apart my self image and made me feel weak. I was dealing with food issues I'd never faced before and was angry that what started out so positive was now causing such struggle.

It wasn't until I found Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst that I realized my struggles were more about my relationship with God and less about food. "Some actions are not sinful in themselves, but they are not appropriate because they can control our lives and lead us away from God. Food is not the enemy here. Satan is the enemy. And his strategic plan is to render us ineffective or at least sluggish for the cause of Christ. When we're defeated and stuck in the issues of the flesh, it's really hard to fully and passionately follow hard after God." This book has been amazingly insightful. It has helped me identify that my real issue was with Satan and how he couldn't stand the strong, empowered, God-reliant person I had become. He was using my successes against me, making me feel defeated, taking my focus away from God and turning it to all I had given up.

My battle is now against lies. Lies that I need food as a reward, a comfort blanket, a means to feel emotionally full. Lies that my healthy ways were the cause of my struggle to get pregnant. Lies that I'm not strong enough to be so different. My truth is that God is the only one who can fulfill and needs to be my greatest desire, my source of strength and my ultimate comfort.

I experienced a time "where discipline makes disciples who truly understand what it means to delight themselves in the Lord" and long to be back there. I strive to be back to a place where Satan sees me as a threat - but this time I will be prepared.

"Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial." 1 Corinthians 6:12

I have grown so much over the last year and have realized that both my food struggles and my fertility struggles are a gift from God, that they have shaped me, matured my faith and strengthened my utter reliance on my Almighty God.

Dad's Visit

2011-06-11T20:44:00.005-06:00

I'm sooo late in posting Dad's visit and have been a bad blogger lately. I'm sorry and hope someone out there is still checking in.

We always do as much hiking as possible when Dad is here but his first day the weather was less then ideal. We went anyway...

and had fun in the rain

we saw a bunch of deer

and a view that reminded me of Kauai.

One of the highlights of his visit was a Boulder hike and Mountain Sun visit - always a recipe for a good day :)

yes, our puppy drinks from a Camelback

and loves to play in the water

we were a little early but there were some wildflowers along the way

the view of Boulder from the hike and then down in town...

Pearl Street was full of street performers - this shaggy dog was our favorite

burgers and beer at Mountain Sun!

I love this time of year!

2011-05-08T13:01:00.010-06:00

The Farmer's Markets are open... and my tulips are coming up...and this year it's extra exciting because Mike is also done with classes (and his hardest semester to date)! Good by and good riddance Advanced Anatomy, Advanced Physiology and Organic Chemistry (and your accompanying labs)...

and welcome back to the world Mike!

happy Mother's day!

2011-05-08T12:45:00.010-06:00

I am so privileged to have such an amazing mom and know so many loving moms, both new and experienced. I really hadn't thought about all the great moms I know before today! We definitely think ours take the cake (but I know I'm a little biased - that's how it should be right?).

my always loving and supportive mom

Mike's fun-loving and crazy mom. We miss you Sandy.

I also think this mom is pretty fantastic and she has two amazing girls to prove it...

my sister Dayna with her girls, Maggie and Nora.

While we wait for God's timing to add a human baby of our own, my Summit is providing lots of extra love today.

The day I met my sweet Summit.

Happy Mother's Day!

happy easter!

2011-04-24T12:18:00.006-06:00

Easter has been tough for me the last couple of years. Our longest standing holiday tradition revolves around Easter and the last three years I haven't made it back to Florida for Easter brunch. I miss my family and our special times but try to make it special for my family here. This year we went to the early service at Mission Hills and then we gave Summit her third annual Easter Egg Hunt! This year she shared her hunt with her friend Scout who is staying with us this week. Summit definitely took the lead as the old pro, Scout a little unsure what she was supposed to be doing but she picked up the idea quick and they both went nuts finding treat-filled eggs throughout the house.

many of the eggs didn't survive...

but the girls made sure they got all the treats

happy easter!

A Meal Definitely Worth Cheating For

2011-04-23T18:44:00.004-06:00

Long before giving up sugar and learning to eat clean, I expressed a huge desire to try d Bar desserts in Denver. This hugely hyped dessert bar opened downtown 3 years ago and after numerous failed attempts to try it out, I put it out of my mind (especially once I gave up sugar).

Thursday, I asked Mike to plan a date. I wanted to surprise him with my new haircut. He surprised me by taking me to d bar! We had a fantastic meal, definitely worthy of breaking clean eating for a night!

Mike got the southern fried belgian (fried chicken between two white cheddar parmesan waffles with honey mustard and sweet potato fries)

I got the baked mac & cheese (4 cheeses topped with cheese nips & panko crumbs and a small spring salad)

for dessert Mike chose the cake and shake (3-layer chocolate cake with manjari frosting and a vanilla milk shake)

I had an amazing ice cream sandwich (two rock sugar waffles with vanilla bean ice cream, three cherry compote and amaretto cream)

d·licious!

Yurt Trip!

2011-04-23T17:22:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in the woods with a great group of friends! We left south Denver after work Friday, drove up through Fort Collins and out Cameron Pass. We made it to the trail head close to midnight and started snowshoeing and cross-country skiing under a million stars to our home for the weekend.

We made it to our cabin close to 2am.

Girls Cabin

Boys Cabin

I woke up early Saturday morning and decided to explore the area. The mountains were so beautiful with the sun rising over them.

Soon enough everyone woke up and saw our cabin in the daylight.

While we were making breakfast, Mike made a bird friend! My little Dr. Doolittle.

and went for a few runs down the sledding luge.

we enjoyed breakfast together outside our cabin

and then started on our hike up to the lake.

It was a pretty steep trek up but totally worth it. The bowl surrounding the lake was absolutely gorgeous!

most of us on top of the island in the middle of the lake.

more sledding (this run went a little wonky and Stephen ended up crashing into Mike and Ryan)

so much fun!

more sledding on a super super steep hill across the valley

climbing back up

Mike sledding (falling) down

the snow was really falling at this point! I love these guys!

the boys cooked dinner for us Saturday night

Sunday morning we trekked back out through the winter wonderland.

what an amazing Colorado weekend!

9. Short Hair. donate it.

2011-04-21T18:51:00.005-06:00

So this one was not "hard" per se since I've done it a number of times over the last ten years but it is something I wanted to do at least once more before turning 30 and having it on my list has pushed me to do so. I let my hair grow and grow and then chop!

before...

after...please excuse the not so great pictures and the curly hair in the before - it's longer straight but you get the idea.

Locks of Love now has another ponytail to make a hairpiece for a child suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

30 before 30 update

2011-04-15T20:54:00.004-06:00

Haven't been making a lot of big progress on my list lately but trying to chip away...

4. Baby. have one (or at least be baking). [trying...]
8. Ski or Snowboard. get decent enough to go with Mike and friends. [took a lesson and skied a couple days with Mike and friends! Determined that my favorite way to ski is alone, so I can go at my own super slow, leisurely pace but I'm able to go up with everyone and have fun!]

9. Short Hair. donate it. [coming soon]
12. Bible. read it all the way through. [decided to start in the new testament, loving my way through Matthew]
18. Mission Trip. go on a mission trip. [feel led to serve in an orphanage in Africa, looking for a trip...]
27. Save. $30,000+ plus in my retirement account. [half way there!]

Rachel's Baby!

2011-04-15T20:38:00.003-06:00

An obvious follow-up from my last post about Rachel's baby shower - Rachel's baby! Jonathan Robert was born last Sunday is SO super cute! We went to visit him the day he was born (as soon as we got back from our yurt trip, more on that in a later post) and he is so tiny and precious!

Catching Up

2011-04-15T20:29:00.004-06:00

Wow. It's been two and a half months since my last post. I'm really sorry for the silence. I think it was caused by a number of factors - a personal issue, Mike's extremely intense semester of Advance Anatomy, Organic Chem. and Advanced Physiology (I'm SO proud of him! he's working his butt off and doing awesome!), crazy busyness at work and just really trying to keep all the balls in the air at once.

I'm not sure anyone really reads this but if you do and have been wondering where we were, I'm sorry and I'm back. I'll be posting about some really fun adventures here soon...

Rachel's Baby Shower

2011-02-28T20:31:00.010-07:00

I had the privilege of throwing my good friend Rachel a baby shower yesterday! Rachel and Rob are waiting until the baby is born to find out if it's a boy or girl, so I tried to create a neutral feel around the idea of showering Rachel and the baby with love!

each of the guests made a page for Baby Wedin's wish book :)

then time for gifts!

each guest brought 2 copies of their favorite children's book - one for Rachel and her baby and one for a child in need.

love her and her little one! can't wait to meet you baby Wedin and really shower you with love!

Steamboat Weekend

2011-02-26T19:03:00.004-07:00

Valentine's weekend we went up to Steamboat Springs with our friends Jenn and Stephen. We got up there late Friday night, wandered around a bit and headed to bed. We woke up early Saturday morning so I could go rent skis - then we all headed to the resort. Mike, Jenn and Stephen all had free days at Steamboat included on their ski passes!

Stephen and Jenn to ski, Mike to snowboard and I had signed up for a ski lesson (working on number 8 on the list).

well... turns out they did not have free days on their pass and lift tickets at Steamboat are pretty expensive so we ended up returning my rental and heading back to the hotel. Mike and Stephen stayed at the hotel and studied all afternoon (good boys!) while Jenn and I went to walk around in town instead.

we found these little Life is Good onesies and couldn't help picturing our future babies hanging out with each other in them.
Little Slugger for baby Pete :: Big Guy for baby Verwers

we went down to the beautiful Yampa River

and then found this little cafe.
we got a few treats and hung out talking about God for the next few hours - what a great afternoon! Sometimes God changes the plans for a very good reason.

Saturday night we went out for dinner and then to Strawberry Park Hot Springs.

these naturally fed springs are even cooler lit by only the moonlight. We went late enough it was already completely dark so we never saw them like this and it was too dark to take photos but I wanted to give you an idea of what it's like. It was very relaxing sitting in the hot springs with steam rising and being surrounded by snow - a great Colorado experience!

Sunday morning we got up early to drive to Winter Park (where Mike, Jenn and Stephen's passes definitely work).
I spent most of the day taking a lesson while the pros skied the mountain.

We had enough time after my lesson to take one run together. It was slow and not very pretty but I made it down the mountain!

The drive back home was more eventful then I would of liked - ending up in a $545 mechanic bill to replace the fan after overheating the engine but it was still a great weekend with two great friends :)

Schoon Girls Visit · Part 3

2011-02-14T20:32:00.006-07:00

I knew I was missing photos from Dayna, Maggie and Nora's visit and I was! So here they are, a little out of order but great none-the-less :)

We got a bunch of snow while they were here. Maggie and Summit loved playing together in the snow, sometimes the rest of us joined in the fun too!

getting bundled. I love Dayna's expression, she's such a great mom!

Nora braved the cold and did really well!

some of my favorite girls!

snow baby

so cute.

best buds.

sweet girl.

later that day we worked on Maggie's Valentine treats for her friends back at school. Dayna got a candy mold to make chocolate covered oreos.
she's so delicate. I love it!

Maggie did a great job!

she had to try one out to make sure they were good enough to share!

I loved having these girls around. I miss them so much!

Schoon Girls Visit · Part 2

2011-02-10T20:04:00.008-07:00

I have had so much fun getting to hang out with Maggie and Nora this week. They are such neat kids. I'm so blessed they are my nieces, and so thankful to have gotten to spend this time with them.

Wednesday I had to work most of the day but I got off work a little early, scooped the girls up and we headed to Yogurtland. My friend Jenn loves this place and once I found out I could get their plain tart yogurt with fresh fruit toppings without too much guilt, I decided I would have to take Maggie here.

she enjoyed sampling all the different flavors

and trying her strawberry and cookies and cream creation.

Nora enjoyed their spoons but wondered why the really yummy stuff wasn't on her spoon...

back home she got some oatmeal (a more fitting snack for a 6 month old)

and we play and practice being a big girl. (I'm afraid of how big she'll be before I get to see her again).

Uncle Mike sadly had to study for a bunch of big tests this week but he snuck in some time with the girls.

today we went over to Belmar for a little eco-baby shopping (I decided I'd take advantage of the real baby I was carrying and try out one of the slings)

Nora picked out a new eco-friendly sippy cup

and then Maggie finally got to go ice skating!!!

Dayna was an awesome teacher and despite a little crash, Maggie says skating was a lot of fun.

so sad they have to skate home tomorrow :(

Schoon Girls Visit · Part 1

2011-02-08T07:57:00.010-07:00

Maggie, Dayna and Nora came to visit Aunt Leigh, Uncle Mike and Summit in Colorado this week! It didn't take long for it to look like a house full of little ones :)

Maggie and Summit are best buds...

they love playing together in the snow!

making snow angels...
and silly faces...
and throwing snow balls...
and paling around...and eating snow cones!
Sunday night we went to our small group Super Bowl Party. With over 25 adults, 5 babies and a kitty cat - I think Maggie was the life of the party! She had a lot of fun cheering for the green team.
Monday I took the day off and we went shopping.
Maggie had tons of fun trying on all the pretty shoes.
while Nora and I watched (so Dayna could do some uninterrupted shoe shopping of her own).
Maggie loves shoes!
That afternoon we relaxed with a little story time.
and then worked on making some Valentine's Day cards.
Maggie worked so hard to make them extra special.
Dayna and Nora cuddled and watched.
Monday night Maggie and I made homemade pizza for dinner.
and Maggie made a little dough squirrel friend.
The squirrel friend rolled off Maggie's hand right after this photo. He fell on the floor and Summit ate him :/ A few moments later, the pizza also fell on the floor... to which Maggie said "My mommy doesn't let the pizza drop on the floor" ... we are sure having fun!

happy birthday Mike!

2011-01-31T21:32:00.005-07:00

Mike's 28th birthday was sandwiched between two 12-hour night shifts at the hospital, but we made the most of a relaxed day at home. He got home from his Friday night shift and opened a few gifts (with a little help from Summit)...

maybe a little more then a little help...then he had a pancake breakfast

we spent the rest of the day hanging out, relaxing, watching movies together on the couch before he headed back to he hospital for another night shift.

Sunday we celebrated with friends at a new Japanese Steakhouse.

we had a great dinner with a very fun hibachi chef and then they made sure to make a big deal out of his birthday (and our friend Rob's whose big day was a few days before Mike's).

happy happy birthday guys!

Brenda, Rachel, Stephen, Lucas, Jenn, me, Mike and Rob

19. Volunteer.

2011-01-26T19:43:00.003-07:00

Volunteer. contribute at least once a month for six months. This took a different look then I originally intended but has been great none the less. Mike and I were asked to help with Guest Services at Mission Hills last summer. We started in August, serving one Sunday a month welcoming guests to the church, answering questions and helping them find the ministries they would most benefit from. This grew into other service opportunities through the church including hosting the monthly Block Party (a great lunch for those new to the church to meet the staff and learn about next steps) and special events.

August - guest services
September - guest services, Serve it Forward
October - guest services
November - guest services, Thanksgiving Eve Service, Block Party
December - guest services, Block Party
January - guest services, Adored Youth Conference, Block Party

It's been a huge honor to be able to be part of all that is happening at Mission Hills Church. Number 19 on the list will be continuing for a long time!

Sushi!

2011-01-25T14:31:00.008-07:00

Our friends Rob and Rachel invited us over for homemade sushi, it was so much fun! We had tuna, salmon, shrimp, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese as filling options.

success! there will be many more sushi at home nights :) SO good!

twenty-eight

2011-01-16T19:31:00.009-07:00

My birthday started with a Thompson family tradition - opening birthday presents in bed right when I woke up. I had a little helper...

Mike gave me a Summit Hike with a picnic at the top.

it was the perfect day for a hike!

with a tiny surprise pie at the top...

After our hike we went to dinner at Osteria Marco.

We had a great authentic Italian meal, reminiscent of our meals in Italy last year.

I got a call during the hike that our church was in desperate need of a last minute small group leader for the Adored Conference. So right after dinner, Mike dropped me off at Mission Hills, where I spent the rest of my birthday with 375 teenage girls - complete with a pajama dance party!

and some really great friends :)

what a great birthday!

Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T12:16:00.012-07:00

Merry Christmas! We had a very nice low-key Christmas in Colorado this year. My parents joined us in time for Christmas Eve services at Mission Hills.

Not having any human kids to celebrate with, our Summit was definitely the centerpiece of our Christmas morning celebration. She woke up excited (which is normal, she's always excited for breakfast in the morning). We went down stairs and gave her breakfast. She normally calms down after that but not Christmas morning! She ran back and forth between me and the Christmas tree.

"mom is it time yet? Is it time to open my presents yet???"

first you have to take a picture in our matching pjs (that match Aunt Dayna, Cousin Maggie and Cousin Nora's pjs in North Carolina)

finally she gets to start opening! This puppy LOVES unwrapping gifts.

Mike and PapaT enjoy watching her.

we had fun opening our gifts too.

then we got to share Christmas with Dayna's family via Skype.

and I got to watch Maggie open and try out the new rollerskates I got her for Christmas :)

we had a great Christmas morning.

all the unwrapping and playing with ALL her new toys wore Summit out! Thank you everyone for her new toys and treats!

We made a healthy Christmas dinner together.

After dinner we played some games.

Then Mom and I went driving around looking at Christmas lights. We found this gingerbread house which was our undeniable favorite.

We especially love hearing from so many friends and family this time of year!

6. Thankful. part three.

2010-12-31T23:56:00.001-07:00

This is the last installment of my month long thankfulness challenge. This has been great list item, reminding me just how much I have to be thankful for both big and small.

I am thankful for...
December 21
· family coming tomorrow!
· getting back to the gym.
· a late start to the work day.
· freelance design work.
· being able to help people.
December 22
· newborn babies.
· being able to be busy without being stressed.
· checking everything off my list.
· family arriving!
· Christmas cards from far and wide.
December 23
· fresh local bread.
· hugs.
· A Miracle on 34th Street.
· time spent with my parents.
· a cozy home.
December 24
· a healthy cookie recipe my family loved.
· a beautiful view.
· hot tea.
· Christmas pajama traditions.
· midnight candlelight Christmas service.
December 25
· a tiny baby born 2010 years ago.
· Summit's excitement Christmas morning - she's just like a little kid!
· being able to watch Maggie open her skates and try them out for the very first time!
· everyone in the kitchen together making a big holiday dinner.
· time off work to spend with family.
December 26
· our wonderful church.
· another lazy day with family.
· a super cuddly Summit bear.
· my husband doesn't mind my Tebow crush.
· a God who loves me.
December 27
· a good, busy day at work
· smoothies.
· being welcomed home by Mike, Summit, Mom and Dad.
· a husband who is a great cook.
· being able to work from home.
December 28
· working in my pajamas.
· having my parents around.
· the backcountry openspace.
· Vine Street and good times there.
· rest.
December 29
· family.
· a good book.
· discussions about God.
· starting to feel better.
· love.
December 30
· productivity.
· being able to meet a huge 9 month long work goal.
· snow!
· coming home to a yummy clean dinner made by my mom and husband (so proud!)
· snuggling on the couch as the snow falls outside.
December 31
· help taking down the Christmas decorations.
· a mom who understands me completely.
· blessings that overflow need.
· good friends.
· a chance to start a new again.

Thankful. part two.
Thankful. part one.

Small Group Christmas Party

2010-12-24T20:04:00.004-07:00

Our wonderful small group had our Christmas party last Sunday. It was a good time with great friends (and lots of very festive holiday sweaters!)

our group!

me, Emerald and Julie

Kimberly, Kelly and Allie

Michelle, Brielle, Byron and Danielle

Lucas, Tyler, Ryan, Austen and Ryan

Rob, Rachel, Eli and Gracie

Mike, Zach and Dan

the babies!

Merry Christmas!

6. Thankful. part two.

2010-12-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for...
December 11
· a wealth of clean eating resources.
· friends who will try my healthy creations.
· Christmas pajamas.
· a sister I can feel close to even when we're 1,500 miles apart.
· snuggle time.
December 12
· a church where my service is needed and appreciated.
· friends that trust me.
· a husband that cares for me.
· always enough.
· good friends and fellowship.
December 13
· a solution-finding nature.
· an unexpected extra hour with Mike.
· a loving, encouraging family.
· a warm car to drive home in.
· freelance work that excites me.
December 14
· to be able to work from home.
· our Daniel bible study.
· that I may live in this world but I don't have to be of it.
· that Mike is thoroughly enjoying his PA shadowing.
· beautiful wedding photos on my bedroom wall.
December 15
· sweet bosses.
· a day off in the middle of the week.
· God's abundant grace.
· a night out with my husband.
· great friends and great burgers.
December 16
· my girls bible study.
· realizing God has freed me from the overwhelming sense of worry that used to consume me.
· my sweet, sweet husband.
· wisdom and compassion.
· this challenge of thankfulness.
December 17
· local roasted red pepper hummus.
· my health.
· being able to help people feel beautiful.
· Mike's homemade popcorn.
· movie night at home.
December 18
· kind gestures.
· lazy Saturdays.
· exciting plans to see my wonderful sister and sweet nieces.
· Mike noticing my extra effort to look nice tonight.
· my sweet, sweet Summit.
December 19
· my amazing nieces.
· modern technology.
· Tim Tebow.
· the joyfulness of a room full of great friends.
· my amazing family.
December 20
· my caring and generous boss.
· trust.
· work days that seem to fly by but still get a lot accomplished.
· Christmas cards.
· being able to work from home tomorrow.

Nora's Dedication

2010-12-19T10:20:00.003-07:00

We were able to watch our niece Nora be dedicated today from 1,500 miles away! Sometimes technology is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Congratulations Nora! May you grow to be a beautiful woman of God! (Maggie was awfully cute as today's Bible Bearer as well). We love our beautiful nieces so much!

Copper

2010-12-18T22:33:00.003-07:00

Our friend Danielle (she is going to PT school in San Diego) came back for Christmas. Our other friends Jenn and Stephen planned a ski day for her and I tagged along. It was an awesome day, snowing the entire time we were there.

Jenn and Danielle on the lift

the Copper Annihilation crew

Santa and Donner in Center Village (Santa said it was Donner's turn to come to Colorado this time).

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

2nd Annual Cookie Exchange Party

2010-12-15T16:46:00.005-07:00

I love this party and am so excited that it's now officially become a tradition for our group of friends! This year we changed it up a bit by wearing Christmas PJs instead of tacky Christmas sweaters. I was very excited for this adjustment - thanks to the Thompson family PJ tradition I have tons of Christmas pajama pants! This year our group has expanded as we welcomed the next generation! Eli and Brielle were in attendance for their first Cookie Exchange and looked adorable in their Christmas PJs!

Allie, Gracie, Eli, Kelly, Emerald and Liz decorating sugar cookies

my contribution to the decorating fun :)

hanging out with tasty snacks

Gracie and Jenn playing with the babies

the 2010 cookie spread

my contribution :: Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free, protein and antioxidant packed goodness

my contribution no. 2 (just in case those didn't come out decent) :: peppermint white chocolate cake balls (there's nothing even remotely healthy about these)

the babies bonding

the group!

the silly stay lates...

6. Thankful. part one.

2010-12-10T23:59:00.004-07:00

Thankful. write down five things I'm thankful for everyday for a month. After seeing a number of people who did a version of this in November (for Thanksgiving), I decided December would be my month - a month when it's easy to get caught up in activities and to-do lists and lose sight of the real heart of the holiday season. First and foremost, I am so incredibly thankful that God gave the world his Son, that he would live and die for my sins and give me eternal life with Him.

I am thankful for...
December 1
· Summit, who is always there to cuddle.
· always "enough".
· the freedom to pursue whatever my heart desires.
· a warm, cozy home.
· a husband who supports my crazy ideas and acts like they're not crazy.
December 2
· enough money to be able to put gas in my car whenever I need it.
· a family I know I can always count on, no matter what.
· my girls bible study and the ability to be real with a great group of girls.
· a job that (for the most part) is very low stress and pays my bills.
· a sweet husband who is never mean.
December 3
· Fridays.
· a safe place to come home to.
· great friends.
· being able to go to sleep early when I want to.
· my sweet, sweet Summit.
December 4
· to live in a state where we can go into the wilderness and chop down our Christmas tree.
· my sweet, go with the flow husband.
· the Christmas season and all that it entails.
· being free to study the word of God whenever and wherever I want to.
· oatmeal.
December 5
· our amazing small group.
· people it's ok to cry with.
· snow in the mountains and clear down here.
· bunches of holiday plans with great people.
· a church that feels like home.
December 6
· a husband who likes to cuddle.
· friends who make me laugh.
· to have access to so many healthy food stores.
· a Women's Ministry that cares about my heart.
· a God who puts heartache in my life to make sure I don't forget to rely on Him.
December 7
· a good friend who keeps my heart striving to be better.
· noodles & co. pad thai.
· brand new babies.
· Tuesday evenings.
· a healthy family.
December 8
· pajama mornings that last past noon.
· homemade pizza.
· so many loved ones to send Christmas cards to, near and far.
· days where I don't have to leave the house.
· a Mike and a Summit who love me tons.
December 9
· my smarty pants husband.
· options.
· seeing the start of something new and exciting.
· my health.
· free food.
December 10
· warm chai green tea
· Fridays!
· the sovereignty of God
· free Christmas music downloads on Amazon
· a wonderful home.

Christmas Tree Hunt!

2010-12-04T20:35:00.005-07:00

Today we went up to Winter Park to find our perfect Christmas Tree in the National Forest! We had such a great time hiking through inches and inches of fluffy Colorado snow (waist high in some spots!), each searching for our perfect tree!

Mike, Jenn and Tyler making their way up

searching through the forest for the perfect one

Mike found ours! She's perfect!

timber!

our tree was so wide we had a tough time getting it out of the forest - Mike needed a rest when we finally made it down to the trail.

the boys dragged our trees out of the forest

we had so much fun! love these girls!

great memories! I think I see the beginning of a tradition!

22. Treat.

2010-12-01T18:08:00.005-07:00

Today is Pay It Forward Day so I thought it would be a great day to tackle no. 22 on the list - Treat. pay for the car behind me in a drive through. Mike got a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich out of the deal to take into work tonight and the lady in the car behind me got dinner for her family for free! I became really excited and for some reason a little nervous as I drove around the building, placing my order and making my way to the window to pay. The guy at the window didn't seem at all phased by my request to pay for the car behind me (I guess this happens there a lot?). As I pulled away, I felt really happy to have hopefully made someone's evening. This is another one on the list that I will likely do more then once - the rare times I end up in a drive through.

Summit's Siblings!

2010-12-01T16:19:00.004-07:00

December is off to a great start! I had today off and made the best of it, starting my day off with some gym time with Jenn, then cleaning and getting the house organized. It's always tough to get going on chores but I'm always so happy to hang out in a clean house.

When Mike got home from school today (which he is ROCKING by the way), we were talking (as we often do) about how much we love Summit and we wish we could have her forever. This conversation got me thinking about her brothers and sister so I did a little looking and found photos of her whole litter! They are all so cute, I had to share. Meet Summit's brothers and sister:

Wally

Toby

Rio

Oliver

Jake

Chloe

and Zipper

happy thanksgiving.

2010-11-26T22:00:00.013-07:00

Our second Thanksgiving in Colorado without family visiting didn't go quite as planned but ended up very nice despite "the plan". Mike woke up early to play flag football with a bunch of guys from church (he's in the gator blue pants and black top).

He had a great time running around for hours but unfortunately ended up with a nasty blister on the bottom of his big toe and super sore ankles - swiftly ending our Thanksgiving hike plans. We ended up taking our great friends up on the offer to spend Thanksgiving afternoon with them. We had a great afternoon playing games and then made our way home for my first take at "Clean Eating Thanksgiving" which I think was a fantastic success (if I do say so myself). I had a great helper in the kitchen...

I made a small turkey breast in the slow cooker, herb roasted sweet potatoes...

sauteed green beans and onions

mashed cauliflower (more nutritious take on potatoes)

apple cranberry stuffing (made with spelt bread)

and cranberry sauce with dried apricots

all homemade, completely from scratch, nutrient rich and tasty!

I'm excited to know I can cook a traditional holiday meal that tastes great and follows our way of eating. I can't wait to cook with my Mom and Dad for Christmas and with Dayna and Maggie next Thanksgiving!

Don't worry, Summit got a little something extra for her Thanksgiving dinner too - she loves sweet potatoes!

On a somewhat related side note, I finally got to wear my Italy souvenir (yes, from our trip last October) to our church's Thanksgiving Eve service! I guess better late then never right? I think now that I've broken out my leather boots from Rome, I will wear then more often :)

And Mike put up our lights this week! We're excited to celebrate our second Christmas in our house! This year we made sure to get the lights up before the snow came.

Life Lesson no. 431

2010-11-12T13:01:00.003-07:00

Baking Soda is a key ingredient.

especially when making whole wheat pumpkin scones :)
happy fall!

Mt. Falcon Hike

2010-11-07T14:25:00.004-07:00

A little afternoon hike outside of Morrison with views of downtown, Red Rocks and a couple snow covered peaks.

Summit found her first antler.

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T20:18:00.004-06:00

happy halloween from Summit!

After a crazy couple of weeks, we opted for a low-key halloween at home passing out treats to the neighborhood kiddos.

Pete Family Cruise

2010-10-30T19:33:00.003-06:00

This post is long overdue! We got back a couple weeks ago but they've been busy, crazy weeks!

We cruised with Phil, Barb, Brian and Hayley in celebration of Phil and Barb's birthdays. It was SO much fun to spend a week away with them all. It was great to all be on vacation at once!

Our home for the week - the Oasis of the Seas
(the largest cruise ship in the world)

all of us in port in Nassau - our first stop

Mike jet-skiing in the Bahamas

our first formal night - our great hosts Barb and Phil!

Hayley and Brian

Mike wasn't afraid to partake in a few escargot (or 36 to be specific)

Mike, Phil and Brian dominated in the Dodge Ball Tournament

our first glimpse of St. Thomas (from our balcony)

Mike found some of Oscar's kin on St. Thomas
(Oscar was his pet iguana growing up)

heading to this beach for some snorkeling

we snorkeled around this little island off of St. John

St. Thomas at sunset

St. Maarten from our balcony the next morning

Rhino Riders around St. Maarten

Brian baptized Mike in the water off Happy Beach, St. Maarten!

what a great afternoon at Happy Beach

Barb treated the girls to cupcake lessons at the first and only Cupcake Shoppe at sea.

We had a great time making little puppies.

Our trip ended with a farewell party in the promenade followed by a game of Pass the Pigs on our balcony.

These are only a fraction of the great photos from this trip.
Click here for a bunch more including photos of this fantastic ship.

16. Shape Up.

2010-09-30T20:36:00.007-06:00

I've said for awhile now that summiting a 14er (and subsequently checking off number 5 on the list) would also be the determination that I have achieved number 16 :: Shape Up. A few days prior to our 14er attempt, I decided that this item on the list needed it's own benchmark. Even though standing on top of Torreys earlier this month I knew that never in my life would I have been able to do this before and that my training and many, many hours spent climbing stairs really did get me in the best shape of my life, I decided to wait to officially check this one off until I also proved my fitness by a demonstration of consistency. I decided that I would have to workout/lift/do some sort of physical activity every day for the entire month to check this one off. This list is really more for my accountability then of interest to my readers but here it is anyway:

1. walked/hiked up to the Highlands Ranch lookout point :: 45 mins
2. hiked to the top of Grays and Torreys :: 7 hours
3. pilates :: 30 mins
4. walked with Dad :: 60 mins
5. arc trainer level 7 :: 55 mins
6. walked up to the bluff with Dad :: 90 mins
7. upright stationary bike :: 45 mins
8. biked through the neighborhood :: 20 mins + ab work :: 10 mins
9. yoga :: 30 mins
10. arc trainer level 6 :: 45 mins
11. swam laps :: 30 mins
12. stairs level 10 133 flights ::30 mins + lifting and abs :: 15 mins
13. arc trainer level 7 :: 30 mins
14. arc trainer level 7 :: 50 mins
15. stairs level 11 153 flights :: 30 mins + lifting :: 10 mins
16. pilates :: 30 mins
17. arc trainer level 10 :: 45 mins
18. upright stationary bike :: 35 mins + lifting :: 10 mins
19. stairs level 10 143 flights :: 30 mins
20. weight lifting :: 30 mins
21. arc trainer level 7 :: 45 mins
22. yoga :: 30 mins
23. elliptical :: 45 mins + lifting 15 mins
24. ran a mile + lifting :: 10 mins + arc trainer level 9 :: 30 mins
25. yard work :: 3 hrs + upright stationary bike :: 40 mins
26. spinning 8.5 miles :: 30 mins
27. pilates :: 30 mins
28. arc trainer level 8 :: 30 mins + lifting 15 mins
29. stairs level 11 153 flights :: 30 mins
30. jogging :: 25 mins + lifting 15 mins

I did it! Some workouts were definitely easier then others but I'm quite proud of myself for finding time (and energy) to do something every single day. no excuses. no exceptions. check!

Hot Air Balloon Festival

2010-09-18T09:08:00.005-06:00

We also went to the Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon Festival while my parents were visiting. It was an early start to a Saturday but a great festival with a ton of hot air balloons!

a few of them even "dipped down" in the lake nearby

maybe half of the balloons launched that morning.

After the festival, we found a creperie in Downtown Colorado Springs for breakfast. My brie, pear, sliced almond and rosemary whole wheat crepe was pretty fantastic! Then we drove over to Garden of the Gods for a little more Colorado awesomeness.

5. 14er. conquer it.

2010-09-02T20:47:00.005-06:00

double check! Today I conquered both Grays (14,270) and Torreys (14,267) Peaks - both 14ers (mountains with summits over 14,000 feet above sea level) and two of the highest peaks in the continental United States. What a challenge! I am so happy to check this one off and to have shared the experience with Mike, Summit and my Dad! 9 miles and 3,600 feet up - I can check number five off!

getting started with views of Grays

our goals - Grays, the smooth peak on the left and Torreys, the right jagged peak.

on the trail with views of our first goal, Torreys

almost to the saddle with views of our tiny trail winding through the valley

we made it to the saddle. our first peak, Torreys, looming behind us

We made it! Bagged our first 14er!

Mike and Summit chilling at the Torreys Peak

having snacks at the top

next up, Grays Peak (behind us)

Mike and Summit in the saddle, taking a break for some lunch

on top of Grays, bagged number 2!

making our way back down

fantastic!

St. Mary's Glacier with Courtney

2010-08-26T21:15:00.002-06:00

One of my very best friends, Courtney, stopped by for a very quick trip on her way back to Tampa from San Fransisco. It was a short 36 hour trip but it was so great to spend a day with her! We decided a semi-challenging hike was the activity of the day and headed up to St. Mary's Glacier.

on the way up to the lake

made it to the lake (the glacier is across the lake)

Court decided we should challenge ourselves a little more and climb up the side of the mountain (our route went basically up the middle of this photo - notice how tiny the pine trees are at the top - this mountain face is steep).

on our way up the mountain

over the top, the view of the other side

our lunch spot

we came back down the other side so Courtney could see the glacier

a really fun day with an awesome friend!

Back to School...Back to School...

2010-08-23T07:32:00.005-06:00

Mike starts pre-req classes today! He has three classes this Fall, three more in the Spring and then he plans to apply to PA school. He's pumped and ready for the start of something new! Good luck buddy, you'll do great!

(if you didn't catch it, the title of this post is supposed to be sung in a goofy Adam Sandler voice)

28. Red Rocks.

2010-08-20T07:30:00.005-06:00

check! Another item accomplished - August is a good month for the list! Last night I went to see Norah Jones in concert at Red Rocks with my friend Christina. It was a great chill atmosphere to see an extremely talented artist. I definitely want to repeat this item over and over throughout my lifetime.

such a beautiful venue. I love Colorado.

opening act - Corinne Bailey Rae

rain delay between acts - yup it poured! that's part of the Red Rocks experience though right??

Norah Jones rockin' it

classic soulful Norah

25. Camp. during a meteor shower.

2010-08-16T19:36:00.005-06:00

check! Mike, Summit and I headed up outside of Silverthorne to a spot far from the city lights with our tent and sleeping bags for the Perseid Meteor Shower. The night didn't go exactly as I had planned - we didn't scout out a spot ahead of time and ended up in a great little camping spot but the beautiful tall trees around us blocked more of the sky then I would have liked (we realized this after fully setting up camp). We set alarms and woke up at 12:45a, 1:15a and 2:30a to watch. We saw about half a dozen meteors, which were still really cool but I was hoping to catch the shower at it's peak (50-60 meteors per hour). It was still really awesome to be able to lay in the tent and just open our eyes and see the amazing star filled sky above us.

the sky view from inside the tent

my attempt at a photo of the night sky - obviously didn't work, there were millions of stars.

camping Summy

our little spot

the Aspens on the way down the mountain

10. Plant.

2010-08-14T08:02:00.002-06:00

check! Plant. create a garden to feed us and provide fresh flowers for the house. A few of my peonies made their way into the house before the plants stopped producing for the season. I'm not sure they are in the best spot to come back next year (I may have to start over somewhere else) but I really enjoyed the blooms this year.

from the garden to the kitchen window

In contrast, the roma tomato plants went NUTS! My two $1 plants have more then tripled in size and have dozens of tomatoes on them! I planted tomatoes because Mike and I like to eat them and the plants were on sale but I'm so happy I did. My Grandma Eme grew tomatoes outside her New Jersey apartment. She passed away three years ago and the smell of the tomato plants bring back memories of weekends with her. I certainly didn't expect this task to be so much more then it seemed it would be when I first put it on the list but I'm so thankful it is. I'm really enjoying the little surprises and positive life direction some of the items on my list are creating.

so many tomatoes in progress...

a few ready to be enjoyed

one of our delicious Romas on Mike's mozzarella pesto tuna melt.

meet Nora Kate!

2010-07-28T14:54:00.006-06:00

I am so thankful we were able to go to North Carolina last week to meet our newest niece, Nora Kate Schoonmaker. She is such a sweet, cuddly girl - Mike and I both fell instantly in love. It was also great to be able to spend time with Maggie, she has so much personality and is a hoot! She is such a great big sister already. I love our nieces so much and love seeing Dayna's family complete :)

Ama and her girls

snuggling with her Aunt Leigh

Nora and PapaT

Uncle Mikey is a natural

such a good big sister!

i love this picture of Maggie!

the Schoonmaker family whole

Small Group BBQ

2010-07-11T23:09:00.003-06:00

This summer, the couples in our small group are taking turns hosting a weekend BBQ. This weekend it was our turn. We loved having everyone over today!

almost ready and the door bell rings.

some of the girls and baby Elijah

the boys and Summit