Weekends

So what have we been doing the last couple weeks beside the usual preschool, housework, and work for Dwayne? Last weekend our church was hosting a gigantic garage sale. So, immediately after breakfast we loaded the kids and went with the hopes of finding great treasure. I can't say if we found great treasure but we came away with several great deals. The biggest one for me was we were able to get a large easel that has a whiteboard on one side and chalkboard on the other that the kids can't seem to get enough of. They have been busy doing "art" since we brought it home. The whiteboard side we were able to clean up really well and they draw all over it. The chalkboard side seemed to have a grease pencil used on it. So we cleaned it up the best we could and Dwayne told me that they sell chalkboard paint now. So after a trip to Lowe's we picked up some paint that cost 3 times as much as the easel itself but now the kids have a chalkboard they can write on. LOL. After that we went to a used curriculum sale that our local homeschooling group was hosting. I didn't really come out with anything exciting and I kind of felt like it was a waste of the entrance fee. But now I know what to expect next time and when the kids are a few years older, I will have a resource for a ton of materials for their age range.

This weekend we went to the zoo again. Because we have a yearly pass, it is our place of choice when we can't think of anything better and still need to get out of the house on a budget. It was nice and sunny but not too hot. That was really nice considering we had been in the 80's the last couple of days. We also went and played in the pool at our apartment complex. We are really lucky because we are only a few feet away from the entrance. I don't have to travel all the way to the other side of the complex to visit the pool with the kids. Dwayne had taken the garbage out a few days before and found a couple of pool noodles in the garbage. So after rescuing them from a home in the landfill we went and tried them out. They worked great and the kids are excited about their new toys for swimming. Today, we have been just hanging out around the house avoiding the heat. The kids seem to be enjoying just hanging out with us and I know Dwayne and I love just doing nothing around the house for a change.

Overall, we are doing really well. We are finding lots of things to love about Colorado and making ourselves right at home. I'm extremely excited about the next couple of months. June is going to be busy with Sam having a few days for his first ever sports camp and then his first experience with VBS. It's exciting to finally have him old enough to participate in these kinds of things. I'll be volunteering at VBS again and Evie loves loves loves "playing with her friends" at church so she will be excited about the babysitting available to volunteers' kids. July will be busy with first Dianne, then Dave and his family coming to visit and the first part of August will bring Melody and hopefully Mom. This summer is going to be extremely busy but so fun too.

Herbed Dinner Rolls

These rolls turned out so good I had to share the recipe.

1 Cup water (70-80 degrees)
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each dried basil, oregano, thyme, and dried rosemary, crushed
3 1/4 Cups bread flour ( I used all-purpose and it was fine)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Additional melted butter and course salt (optional)

In bread machine pan, place the water, softened butter, egg, sugar, salt, seasonings, flour, and yeast in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed.)

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 16 portions; shape each into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, brush with butter and sprinkle with course salt. Remove from pans to wire racks. Yield: 16 rolls


I'm hoping to experiement a little and try using wheat flour instead of white. I think it will turn out really good either way. Highly recommended! These were yummy.

Farmer's Market

We went and visited the Farmer's Market this weekend. I was pleasently surprised at how large it was for a small town. It will be open every Sunday through October. We wanted to walk through and check out their prices. They were pretty comparable to what I can find in the supermarket so I think I will start going there first for my fruits and vegetables and then finishing out at the grocery store on shopping days. Produce is available much earlier here than in the NW. I'm already reveling in corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake. Tomatoes are already in abundance as well. Corn and strawberries were a sign that summer was in full swing and possibly nearing the end in the NW. Here it's not even June yet and I can get them in abundance. Of course, those are three crops that require lots of sunshine and we get plenty of that here even if it isn't always necessarily warm. The locals have said it has been a very wet and hard winter. I just laugh because I have crocodile skin from the lack of moisture that I am used to. If this was a hard winter than normal winters are going to leave me parched. We have had a week of overcast skies, occasional rain, and highs in the 50's. It definately feels chilly after having normal temps in the 70s. This week though, we are back to normal. 70's and sunshine all week. Perfect weather for me. Warm enough to open all the windows and take a walk outside without getting all sweaty and gross. The trees and grass are finally green and I feel like it is finally officially spring.

Mother's Day

My Mother's Day was very nice. Most of it occurred on Saturday. Dwayne let me sleep in a little, made me breakfast, and then gave me my gift. He got me a very nice mother's pendant that had the kids' birthstones in it. It has the ability to easily be expanded if we should ever expand our family or if we want to add a couple of diamonds to represent Dwayne and I. It is the first piece of expensive jewelry Dwayne has ever gotten me besides our wedding ring. I was pleasently surprised and find it just beautiful. We then packed up the wagon and the kids and decided to stroll around the zoo. It was warm and sunny and just a perfect day. It was also not very busy and the animals were up and moving around. We then came home and went to church. Sunday, Dwayne helped me with many of the chores and we just spent the day around the house. It was nice to just chill around the house a bit since it feels like we are constantly going going going lately.

No huge plans this week that I know of. This morning we woke up to snow again. The temperature extremes around here are crazy. I have been told that it isn't entirely unheard of to get snow in June. It is strange to have things bloom so late in the year. At least things are starting to finally leaf out and the grass is finally green.

Tornados and Bunkbeds

This past week we lived through our very first tornado warning here in the Parker area. The kids and I got to see and experience the storm clouds that could have turned into a tornado but fortunately did not this time. I have been told that the warnings will become much more frequent and the afternoons in June is the most common time for them. I have never lived in tornado country before so this is all a brand new experience for me. I posted a picture of the clouds that rolled through. It is a little dark but you have to realize how ominous these clouds were because this was at like 2pm in the afternoon. They came rolling through very quickly and shortly after I took this picture we got extreme winds and hail the size of dimes. The kids and I stood at the window just amazed at the quantity and size of the hail having never experienced that in Oregon. And then all of a sudden the lightning and thunder started. The storm moved right over our house because we got to experience a FLASHBOOM! with no interruption between the two. It was very loud and rattled the window. We only had one like that though and the rest of the thunder and lightning moved off pretty quickly. Shortly after a brief rain spell, the clouds broke up and the sun came out again. It was pretty extreme and so amazing. What is really funny though is yesterday in the mail we got a town newsletter that included instructions on what to do during a tornado warning. I thought that was pretty good timing and read the instructions faithfully so I would know what I am supposed to do if the tornado warning should become serious. You know what the instructions said? Stay away from the windows (not stare out at the storm with my mouth hanging open) and move to a small room in the house. LOLOL My neighbor started laughing at me when I told her what I had done. Next time I'll try and be good and stay away from the window but I must admit I probably won't be able to control myself from peaking as it is so amazing to see the extreme weather when you haven't been raised around it.




This weekend I decided it was time to get bunkbeds for the kids and get Evie out of her toddler bed. We have an excellent furniture store nearby that had wonderful prices. So we took the plunge and got them. It has opened up so much more room in their bedroom and Sam and Evie are pretty excited about their new beds. Tonight will be the first night they get to sleep in them. What is great is that they can be separated into two twins in the future so these beds should last us several years. They are constructed from pine so if they get bored with the natural look, it will be easy enough to paint them blue, black, pink, purple, or whatever color they might desire. We also invested in a good mattress for Evie so now both kids have really nice brand new mattresses. I'm hoping the investment will last a good 10 years and we won't need to think about beds again until they are teenagers. They have spent a good half of the day climbing up and down the ladder. Even Evie can manage it without too much trouble as evidenced by the picture.

First Dentist Visit

Today's excitement was the kids first dental visit. I have been having sensitivity in one of my teeth lately that it prompted me to finally find a dentist for us here. I found a lady who is really nice and she does dentistry for the whole family. I went to have my teeth cleaned and get the initial exams out of the way yesterday and after talking to her she said we could bring the kids in anytime to get them started on their oral health. This is so important to me because I never went to the dentist as a child unless it was an emergency and I can sure tell now. I am constantly having teeth trouble. So I made an appointment and had them both go in today. Sam had been to a dentist once before but it was mostly just to ride the chair and have the dentist put his fingers in his mouth etc. to get used to the dentist office. That is what I was expecting this visit but she actually took the time to polish their teeth and give them some flouride. I wasn't sure how they were going to do but Sam went first and he did great! He didn't fuss at all and was pretty excited that they had a TV he could watch while she was poking around in his mouth. Evie watched the whole thing and realized it was no big deal. She sat back and let the dentist polish and scrub her teeth too. I couldn't believe it. They listened so well and we didn't have a single tear the whole time. I think Sam was just happy to be visiting a doctor that wasn't going to give him a shot. I am so proud of them and how well they listened and followed directions. And now they will also have nice pearly white teeth.

New Adventures

The last couple of weekends have been pretty busy with us traveling to new sights in and around Denver. Last weekend we decided to drive down to Colorado Springs to visit another zoo we discovered was down there. It is called the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was a lot of fun to visit a new place but of the two zoos we decided we prefer the Denver zoo. Cheyenne Mountain is famous for its giraffe herd, which I admit was very large, and the exhibit is very cool because you can pay $1 for 3 crackers and you can hand feed the giraffes. Evie and I were all for doing that and got right in. Sam wasn't too sure about it and decided to hang back and just watch us do it. I decided not to force him too if he didn't want to. There will be plenty of more opportunities I'm sure.


You can't see it well, but Evie is feeding a giraffe through the bars. I also finally decided to invest in a hat. With all this sunshine around here I got tired of squinting all the time. LOL

It was amazing to be within touching distance of the giraffes. I caught a picture of one tasting other things. LOL

Part of the zoo's attraction is that it is located on the side of a mountain. They offer a ski lift which takes you up to a viewpoint to take pictures, etc. I have to admit the views were amazing but I don't know if we will pay the money for the lift next time we visit. Especially since you can get better views by driving up to a shrine on the top of the mountain.

This is one of the views from the top of the memorial for Will Rogers called Shrine of the Sun. It was kind of strange to see such a monument built for an actor but the building was really neat and you got to see out over Colorado Springs and surrounding valleys.

Entrance to the shrine of the sun. They have a small cathedral inside and several rooms with various photographs of the life and history of Will Rogers. We mostly went to take a peak at the views which were pretty incredible. You can climb all the way to the top of the tower.

This weekend we decided to drive around some more checking out areas around the Denver area. We especially wanted to make a trip to the mountains since we are so close. Melody is interested in going camping when she comes to visit and so it was a good opportunity to scout the area and see what kind of campgrounds we could find. I made a list of all the state parks in the area, packed a picnic lunch, made sure I had my maps in order and off we went. Of course, I forgot the camera. We found a park that was nearby, had camping, but was still close enough to Denver to not really have any trees. It was pretty open and not our ideal setting. We then managed to find the right highway to head up into the mountains and found a beautiful drive, rocky cliffs, bubbling creeks, and Finally.... loads of trees. I'm pretty excited because I think we have found a campground that will suit us. Now to do some research because we are high enough into the wild areas that we have to be cautious of bears, cougars, and the occasional moose. One of the park rangers said that if we go back in a month or so, all the spruce trees will finally be in leaf and the wildflowers will be blooming. The campground was closed when we drove by but they expect to be open next month. I think we are planning on going back then to double check that yes we like the campground and to go ahead and make reservations for camping this summer. Being a state park, we need to plan ahead if we hope to get a decent place. I'm so excited. It was so beautiful and only took about an hour to hour and a half to get there.

Easter

Saturday we woke up with plans to visit the local city park to attend an Easter egg hunt that our church in partnership with other churches was hosting. The day was sunny but a little chilly in the morning. It was also extremely windy. Evie was so excited and wanted to go pick up all the pretty eggs that she started to get extremely upset when she couldn't just go out and get them. They were about 20 minutes late getting started and I think all the eggs were found and claimed within 5 minutes. It was pretty well organized despite all the people though. I think the volunteers did a good job. We sat down to open all the eggs and see if we got some golden tickets for extra special prizes. We then waited in another long line to take our turn to claim a couple of cheap toys. The kids had so much fun though and all the eggs are now their newest bathtub toys. I didn't get very good pictures because I was so busy just trying to keep an eye on where the kids were at with all the people.

Saturday evening we went to church and had the kids dress up in their new Easter clothes. Pretty handsome if I say so myself. Sunday, Dwayne and I volunteered to help again because the church was expecting so many extra people and just didn't have enough hands. Sunday afternoon we just lazed around the house a bit and then I set to work making an Easter dinner. Since I wasn't hosting anybody this year I decided to keep it simple. I made cornish game hens, mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls. Even though I decided to take it easy, it was still way too much food and we have had plenty of leftovers. The only downside? Our microwave has broken and we are waiting for the landlords to replace it. I never realized how much I use the microwave until it has become unavailable to me. I also decided to surprise Dwayne and try my hand at making a lava cake for dessert. Every time we are in a restaurant and he sees one he drools and wants to have it for dessert. I found a recipe that just uses muffin tins to make small individual servings and it didn't look too difficult. Let me say, they turned out great! And they were so easy. I think I have found Dwayne's new favorite dessert.

My birthday was fine. I didn't do anything exciting. It was just a normal day. I also wasn't feeling too great so I moped around the house a bit. I refused to do chores and I cheered up by the end of the day from all the phone calls and well wishes I received from family and friends. I think this weekend we are going to drive down to Colorado Springs (about an hour away) and check out the zoo they have there. It is supposed to be nice weather and that is an area of Colorado we haven't visited yet. I'm looking forward to it since I've been such a grump this week.

The Difference A Day Makes

I thought I would drop a few pictures of the same field that was covered in snow last week that I had previously posted. Even though I didn't get around to taking pictures until today, the snow had completely melted and we had nice warm weather by last Friday. 98% of the time this is the weather that we see around here. But I've been told to expect more snow. The spring has huge fluctuations of snow and then 70 degree weather. I'm definately not used to such extremes but at least the snow doesn't stick to the ground much and driving hasn't been a problem yet.

This is the field I've been walking around more regularly with the kids. It is nice to be out in the sun and the blue skies are just amazing.

I wasn't sure if this picture would turn out but you can kind of glimpse the mountains that we get to see every day and are a normal part of our backdrop.

Can't wait for this view to be green.

Any trees we have around here pretty much look like this. We have them, its just hard to tell sometimes because they are all leafless for the winter.

We finally got close enough to the prairie dogs to snap a picture of one.

Just a picture to prove and remind myself that yes they can get along. LOL

Spring Snow

We woke up this morning to over 6 inches of snow. Sam really really wanted to build a snowman. So I spent the time to get them dressed really warm and after half an hour or so we finally made it outside. The snow was so deep even on the sidewalk that two steps in the kids were complaining that it was too hard to walk. I forced them out to the field across the way and showed them how to make snow angels. They just sat there and grinned at me encouraging me to make more but not wanting to participate themselves. So I set to the task of trying to make a snowman. Unfortunately, the snow didn't stick together at all. It was very dry and powdery so that idea was a bust. By this time the kids were complaining the whole time about it being too deep and Sam emphatically told me he was ready to go back inside. I think it took longer to get dressed and ready to go outside than the actual time we spent outside. Oh well, I did get a chance to snap some pictures.

Prairie Dogs and Magpies

Two of the creatures that are in abundance here in the Denver area. Magpies are the local scavenger type bird beside the typical crows and ravens. Not a jay anywhere in sight. People around here take them for granted because they are everywhere but magpies really are a beautiful bird. Their black and white markings are very striking, especially when they take off for flight. I have to admit though, I kind of miss the blue jays but I am happy that we have another pretty bird to take its place. I'm sure when we eventually get to visit the mountains and more forested areas, I'll get to see the jays again.

When I think of prairie dogs I think of small chinchilla size creatures out in the Great Plains living in their colonies in the middle of nowhere. That is definately not the case. Every plot of empty land around here has a prairie dog colony in it. They are everywhere. In fact, if people decide to build on that piece of land they have to pay these specialists to come and remove the colony humanely before building. According to Dwayne's buddies at work, they plug up every hole they can find except one and then use a vaccuum type thing to suck up the prairie dogs out of the ground. I thought this was extremely funny. Dwayne then pondered how many "experiments" it took before they figured out just the right suction for the vacuum as to not cause damage to the poor prairie dogs. They are also much bigger than I expected. They are about the size of a chihuahua. Just lower to the ground and round. We live right next to a walking trail and creek which, of course, is surrounded by a couple of large open fields. Perfect prairie dog territory. The walk I routinely take with the kids always passes by this fairly large colony. We pop to the top of a hill and you can see a good 50 of the creatures scampering to the nearest holes as they are surprised by us. It is a fun thing to see and always gets the kids giggling. I'm sure there are more out there than I expect. They blend into the environment extremely well and are suited to the brown winter here in Colorado.

Exercise

I had read while researching about Denver, that it is one of the healthiest cities in the US. It is very outdoor oriented with walking trails everywhere and so family friendly. Like most things I read, I take it with a grain of salt, figuring that they will write a lot of things to make the area look good. Well, it is proving to be true. We are lucky to live in an apartment complex that butts right up to a major trail. I ventured out on a sunny day and took a walk with the kids to see where it might lead us. I found a portion of the trail that took us on a large loop and back around to our apartments. I'm estimating that round trip it is about 2 miles. Just perfect for someone needing to walk but not so overwhelming that I would quit within the first day or two. By the end of the walk, I was begging and literally dragging the kids back to the house. 2 miles is just a little far for their little bodies. My kids had outgrown the strollers I had for them so when we moved I got rid of them. I had been eyeballing a wagon for a while now that I thought would work great for pulling the kids but still allow them easy access to get in and out as they wanted. This past weekend I made it a priority to get one before the money was spent elsewhere. Monday, I went and bought some new walking shoes and yesterday I ventured out with all these tools. It worked out great! I feel so motivated to walk more often. We have more days of sunshine than not, the whole culture here is centered around outdoor life and getting out, and I now have the tools to walk as I want to. I didn't realize how much overcast skies kept me in the habit of staying inside. We have also not lived in an area that was convenient or condusive to walking. I was always afraid that someone would run me or the kids over.

I've also decided that next week I'm going to start this family on a diet and eat healthier. I'm feeling motivated and so far have been following through so I'm going to run with the motivation. Please pray that I stay committed and continue on the right path. I found a website (SparkPeople) that has weekly menus all ready to go. What is great is that if there is a food that you don't like or a meal you know you won't eat, you can easily click on it to substitue something else before printing it out. It is a healthy diet plan in that it is heavy on fruits and vegetables and good for you, lean meat options. It isn't a crash diet where you barely eat anything. It helps you stay at a healthy goal which for me is 1700-1800 calories a day. So you aren't starving yourself. Most of the foods are things that I think the kids will eat so I am going to have them join me for the most part so they get used to eating more fruits and vegetables and get them in the habit of healthy eating early in life. Being the age they are, I am definately not going to put them on a "diet", just try to change their eating habits to something more healthy. They love things like yogurt, wheat bread, and cheese anyway so I don't think it will be hard.

I'm not sure what it is, but I feel this time will be different for me. I don't think this new motivation is going to be a fad. I think God is really changing my heart to help me get off my butt and get moving. I think location has a lot to do with it too. Sunshine is really a great thing and a wonderful motivator. I love that we get all the sunshine but not the heat. (At least not yet, we'll have to see how the summer turns out.) I don't spend half as much time on the computer as I used to and my housekeeping has improved tremendously. I'll keep you all posted on my health and *crosses fingers* weight loss. Keep us in your prayers!

Denver Zoo

This past weekend was so fun. It was one of those weekends I hope to remember forever. Saturday I just had to get out of the dirty house and escape with my husband and children. We went out to breakfast, drove around a couple of new roads and ran a few errands. I've also been having pet fever really bad. Dwayne managed to curb all my instincts for wanting to bring home everything remotely cute and fuzzy and brought home some fish instead. We kept a small tank when we moved and decided it was time to set it up again. So I have a couple of guppies and neon tetras. Not quite what I had in mind but I think it will do for now.

Dwayne and I committed to serving at church that evening so we went to church and as we were swinging back home, we decided to check the mail. I saw a letter from our previous landlord and got a little excited thinking it was our $100 deposit we are expecting back from her. Instead, it was something much much better. From an email we received from her, she indicated that some renters would be moving in starting May 1st. Not ideal but we could make it work. We still had one months rent from Dwayne's company to help us get out of our lease and she still hadn't returned our deposit yet to us so we could have the next two months covered until the new renters moved in. I sent off the rent check diligently and figured we were done. When I opened the letter, my check fell out in my lap and as I read it, I started crying. Apparently, the renters moved in March 1st and the lease is signed. So we get our rent money back which we don't have to payback to Dwayne's work either. On top of that we will get our $1000 in total deposits back as well. It is such a huge relief to have that last connection severed and we can really move forward now.

So instead of putting it in savings or doing nice responsible things with it, I decided that since the weather was nice, I wanted to go to the zoo Sunday. We got up, grabbed a fast food breakfast and off to the zoo we went. It was beautiful and sunny in Parker but as soon as we drove into Denver, the fog descended and it was cold. I packed for sunshine, not cold so the first couple of hours we were pretty cold. Luckily, they had several animal houses that we could go in to so we could warm our hands and bodies. We decided to go ahead and purchase a membership so I can go as many times as I want. It will be nice to have a place to escape to if I feel housebound but don't have any extra money. Once the fog lifted though, it was warm and just perfect. The zoo also had an old-fashioned carousel and a small train ride which the kids thought was the most fun. After spending way too much money in the gift shop we went to the mall and grabbed Dwayne a few books and bought a wagon for the kids. Since we got rid of all our strollers that they had outgrown, I haven't been able to go on long walks or we have to spend the money to rent something. Now I feel like I can go on more walks and do more things while keeping the kids semi-contained. Overall, it was a fabulous weekend. Run over to Facebook if you want to see all the pictures of our zoo trip. I've posted the best ones over there.

Preschool and Snow

Not much happening right now. I'm not even sure what to write about. I've started working with Sam on preschool stuff. I'm happy to say that so far I have been consistent in doing it with him every day. He gets pretty excited when it is time to do "school" so it helps keep me motivated to work with him on it. To my surprise he asks to do math first every day. I've purchased the Primer from Math-U-See and he seems to be picking up the concepts really well. Most of what we do is reading lots of books and he likes to color or play with his cars while I read to him. I think both of the kids are figuring out that they can play while I read but it has to be done quietly. So far, just me threatening to stop reading and doing school seems to help calm them down. I know they won't always have this passion for learning so I'm trying to take adantage of it while I can.

We haven't really been doing much else. We've driven around and explored town a little bit. We have been trying to go to church consistently and we have been marveling at the change in weather here in Colorado. When the forecasters predict snow, we actually get snow. Unlike Oregon where they say it looks like we will be getting snow, oh wait, maybe a little later, maybe tomorrow, oh we won't get snow. So I buckle down, buy the groceries I need to wait out the snow storm, plan activities to keep the kids and I from going stir-crazy, expecting the world to shut down because we got snow. But that isn't what happens. Everyone gets up like usual to go to work, bring out their long-handled scrapers and snow brushes that every car seems to carry and go to work like normal. I look out my patio door and marvel at the normalcy of everyone's actions even though there is 3 inches of snow on the ground. I actually ventured out into the snow and drove around and the snow is so completely different out here it is hard to describe. It is dry and powdery, easy to drive in, and such a part of normal Coloradian life that most people don't even think about it. It doesn't leave you completely soaked either like NW snow does. I was so completely shocked when Dwayne came home with this little fact the other day. The last time people remember getting rain out here was back in August and it was only for an hour or so. Pretty much all our precipitation is in the form of snow. I've been told that March and April will be when we see the most snow. When everyone else is expecting rain for all their flowers, we get lots of snow. But get this, it melts within a day or two. For example, yesterday we got 3 inches of snow. Today, it is 50 degrees and completely melted. So people were right. We get lots of snow but there is such fluctuation in temperature from day to day that it doesn't stick around long. So life goes on normal here despite the snow and I'm trying to get out of the habit of hunkering down and hybernating any time I see white flakes fall from the sky.

Time Flies

Time seems to be passing so quickly right now. I don't realize how long it has been since I've posted until I look at the date. Most of our time has been getting settled into our new apartment, unpacking, and shopping. I am happy to say I only have 3 boxes left to unpack and it is mostly just filled with pictures. Hopefully, this weekend Dwayne and I will buckle down and take the time to get all our pictures up. I still have a counter full of misc stuff and papers I need to go through and either get rid of it or find a home for it. Because this place is so much smaller, I'm going to have to work really hard to keep the clutter down. I can't just set it aside to deal with later because I'm going to need that space for something.

I'm very grateful to say that we have already found a church that we are comfortable with and are attending regularly. We visited one just down the road from us the first weekend we were here. As I was glancing through the bulliten I noticed that they were having a newcomers dinner that very night. After talking to Dwayne we decided to go ahead and attend because what better way to find out about the church? After meeting some of the pastors and listening to the reasons why they do some of the things they do we decided we were comfortable enough to just sign our names as members. I really feel like it was God's hand at work because I really wanted to make connections quickly since I'm so far away from my friends and family. It is a HUGE church. Every weekend regularly has 3000-4000 attendees between 4 services. Dwayne has a huge heart and loves working with children so he is planning on volunteering for the children's ministry. I just don't feel the calling to do that. I never have. Luckily, they have a fairly large bookstore and coffee shop and I will be attending some training this weekend to start volunteering my time there. It will be so great to continue utilizing the skills and knowledge I picked up while working at the Christian bookstore in Washington.

We've already toured the town pretty good and checked out the local library. We received our tax refund last Friday so this past weekend Dwayne took Friday off and we finished getting things done with the cars like registration and new license plates. We also took the time to upgrade and transfer our cell phone service. So it's official now we have Colorado driver's licenses, registrations, phone numbers and Colorado license plates. Does that mean we are Coloradans (sp?) now? Friday evening we went shopping for a new TV. We finally have a tv that doesn't have lots of lines running down it. The picture quality is so much better. Saturday we went and got the brakes done on the van and went to look at mattresses. Dwayne has been complaining about our mattress for quite a while. We went to only "look" but I knew we would be financing and buying a new bed. That was my Valentine's gift to him. With his new raise, I was able to justify doing that for him. The mattress was delivered on Monday and we are so enjoying having a good night's sleep with actual back support. In just the few night's we've slept on it his snoring has reduced tremendously as well.

Sunday morning, Dwayne gave me the morning alone. I took the time to go do some serious shopping. I decided to get some new bedding to go with our new bed. Our quilt was looking pretty raggedy and literally just falling apart. Because I was alone I was able to take over an hour just going through all the different bedding options and really take my time. It was wonderful! I also was supposed to go shoe shopping. I didn't find any I really liked but was very excited to find a really nice pair of waterproof winter boots for only $12. They are nice enough that I can get away with wearing them with my every day clothes too if the weather requires it.

I also went ahead and purchased Sam's preschool program this past weekend. I'm pretty excited to start working with him a little and I'm sure Evie will be tagging right along. In fact, the FedEx guy just delivered it so I'm going to dive into all our new books as soon as I'm done with this post. As you can see, we are keeping ourselves busy and trying really hard to lay down roots quickly. So far, we are really loving it here. I didn't think I would feel so comfortable so quickly. People have been so nice and welcoming. It is weird having so much sunshine. I see the sun and think it is going to be warm but one step outside and its a little chilly. I also miss the trees. I feel very exposed here but I'm sure I'll get used to that. I miss my family, of course, but it isn't as bad as I imagined it would be. The hardest part is having Sam and Evie ask to go to Grandma's house and having to explain that we can't because it is too far away. I don't think they really understand. Overall, we are good though and I'm glad the move is done. I hope Dwayne's job stays stable for a while now. I really don't want to do this again anytime soon. Besides, I'm liking it here. :)

Arriving in Denver

Wednesday we woke up and got on the road around 8. This stretch of Wyoming is even worse than the day before. The towns were few and far between with lots of desolate defunct gas stations or convenience stores. Things started to get interesting as we crossed over a small mountain range approaching Cheyenne. All of a sudden we were in grasslands and we could tell we were approaching the beginning of the great plains. I've never been on the plains before so I found it fascinating. Now that we live closer I look forward to discovering this new ecosystem. At Cheyenne we turned south towards Denver. We were making excellent time and would be in Denver by 2:00. We wouldn't be able to claim our apartment until Thursday but we thought that since we were arriving in town so early and our moving truck is waiting for us, we went to the apartments and got all of our lease signing over with. That way we could claim the keys first thing in the morning and get the movers there ASAP. However, as we were approaching downtown, traffic got really really congested. It was a little strange considering it wasn't time for any work traffic.


As it turns out the North side of the freeway ended up being shutdown completely. As we drove by we got a good view of the investigation team setting up cones, snapping pictures, etc. When Dwayne saw just a shoe sitting in the middle of the freeway with a cone next to it we knew something serious had happened. We found out later that a pedestrian decided to cross the freeway and of course, didn't make it. He was struck and killed by a semi. I was thinking to myself, "What a welcome to Denver." We finally made it to the apartment a little late but still able to sign the lease. Grabbed a local hotel, went to Red Robin for dinner and went to sleep. The next morning we were at the door when they opened the office, grabbed our keys, and claimed our apartment. We also called the movers to let them know we were in. Sam was so excited to finally get his toys back.

We, of course, didn't have the beds set up yet and I figured Evie would just skip her nap for the day but we discovered her little body had other plans.

So we finally made it. We were lucky the weather held for us and God was with us on this trip. The kids handled it extremely well and we were able to put in full days of driving without too much fuss. All of our stuff arrived like it was supposed to and on time. Nothing really came out broken or damaged so we had no horror stories about the moving company. The kids just seemed happy that we weren't traveling anymore and had all their things again. The hardest part for us has been trying to juggle our things into a smaller space. Even after all the purging we have already done we have taken another van full to the local Goodwill. Dwayne seems to have settled into his job just fine and he comes home so much happier than before. I didn't realize how stressed he really was until I have seen him unstressed. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support during this transition. I hope to send out Easter cards this year to everybody with all our new information. We are always on Facebook too so I'm sure you'll catch us there from time to time.

Tuesday's Drive

Tuesday was probably the most boring day of our trip. I tried to find interesting things to see outside but unfortunately, there isn't a lot of change in that part of the country. Most of it looks pretty much the same. Especially in the middle of winter. We left Boise before the sun came up so we got to see the sunrise. It was very pretty peaking over the horizon and very sudden too since there weren't any mountains to block it. One moment it is dark and the next it is not. There was no gradual sunrise like in the NW.

Driving through Eastern Idaho was probably the most dangerous part of the trip. We were very blessed to have good weather pretty much the whole time and we were lucky not to have gotten caught in any storms or snow. The roads were a bit icy and the big trucks were kicking up so much slush and dirt it was hard to see through the windshield. After slipping a couple times I realized I needed to slow down. You don't really realize how fast you are going in on a straight boring stretch of road.

After stopping at another McDonald's Playplace in Northern Utah for an hour's lunch break we turned east once again rather than continuing south to Mormon territory. The Rockies were starting to make themselves known even though we were still only in the foothills. Also, further south they become much more rugged and dangerous to cross. Still looking ahead at the mountains it was hard to believe a major freeway was finding its way through this small pass. It was a tight squeeze and had several sharp curves but we popped throught the other side and very quickly found ourselves in Wyoming.

Now Wyoming is a state I can't imagine myself living in. Especially the southern part. If you aren't a rancher or a trucker there is absolutely nothing there for you to do. My mom reminded me that the whole state is probably not that way but the part we drove through was boring beyond boring. It was flat. Very flat. I was looking forward to seeing an old school friend who lived near Rock Springs but she called to say that her kids had strep. As we were approaching the town though we did see start to see a few interesting natural formations. If you ever wondered "What exactly is a butte?" Well, the following is a picture of one.

We stopped in Rock Springs around 4 pm again and found ourselves another hotel. Even though we weren't meeting my friend anymore, after checking the map we realized there was a whole lot of nothing coming up and Rock Springs is the only town with any significant size for several more hours. The kids were starting to fight again pretty bad anyway so I knew it was time to stop. We went to a local Chinese buffet (not that great) for dinner and then came back and threw the kids in the pool again to get out their wiggles. We then went to bed early again.

Monday's Drive

This is a picture of our room at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. It really doesn't do the place justice. It is a gorgeous hotel and the rooms were definately old and classic. Not a place I would recommend for little ones though. But perfect for a romantic getaway.

All I can say is thank goodness for electronic toys and that we were able to set up our laptop as a DVD player. Otherwise this would have been an even longer trip than it was.

We woke up pretty early Saturday morning because I was anxious to get on the road. It had snowed overnight in Hood River but it was just a dusting and not too bad. Most of this day was pretty uneventful. We had all our toys ready to go and since it was the first day the kids were pretty good. We still had a few moments of them fighting over a toy or hitting each other but this is normal everyday stuff whether we were in a car or not. My goal was to make it to Boise the first day and I'm happy to say we made it. This was even with an hour stop at a McDonalds PlayPlace for lunch so the kids could burn off some of their pent up energy. We also made sure the hotel we stayed at had a pool so we could take them swimming in the evening to help with that too.

Now lest you think this is a picture of nothing, let me assure you it is something. In a portion of Eastern Oregon before we hit the last mountain range before hitting Idaho we hit a patch of fog that was incredibly thick. I've never driven in fog that thick before and Dwayne and I were debating on if we were actually driving through low lying clouds since we were in high enough elevation for that. Needless to say, I'm glad it was daytime and it only lasted about 10 minutes but it was a bit scary to go through and not see anything around you.

If you look right in the middle of this picture you can see the clouds/fog we had driven through.

This is a small video of Evie rockin out to some music we were playing. She was boppin and dancing but, of course every time she noticed Daddy taking a picture she would stop. She was also chomping on a mouthful of jerky which is why her mouth is so full.

We made it to Boise at about 4pm in the afternoon after a full day of driving. I decided I wanted to get to the far side of Boise to avoid any kind of work traffic congestion in the morning. It was about perfect timing since the kids' fighting was escalating from being in the van all day. We found a decent Best Western, went to dinner, threw the kids in the hotel pool for 45 min or so, took our baths/showers, and all of us went to bed. Unfortunately, the kids wouldn't go to sleep unless we did too since the lights and TV were on. Even though I wasn't ready I went to bed early so they could go to sleep. I must say it was probably a good thing for me to get a good night's sleep but I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at about 5 am just waiting for some signs of life in my family so we could get up and get on the road.

Weekend before we leave

We left Washington Friday night after Dwayne got home from work. After the decision was made to head down to my mom's before we had to leave on Monday I was anxious and ready to go. I did my best to have the house clean and things ready to be packed but the kids were a little demanding of my time and attention because they were so bored. I kept popping in various movies into the laptop but they were anxious because the house was empty and they didn't have their things. Despite the distractions I managed to get the place cleaned up. Our things weren't exactly packed well though. Somehow, Dwayne and I squeezed everything into every little nook and cranny in the van. If we had gotten in an accident it would have been really bad with stuff everywhere. Luckily, God was with us and the trip down to Oregon was uneventful.

Saturday was pretty decent weather for an Oregon winter so we decided to visit the Portland Children's museum. In all the years we had lived there we never visited. We all thought the kids were at the perfect age to enjoy it finally and so we loaded up and went. Because of the boys' enjoyment of trains we decided to take the Max up to the zoo and avoid all the parking hassels. They thought that was great fun and fascinated the whole time. Especially going through the "big tunnel." Of course, walking by the train at the Forestry center required a stop so the kids and Aiden especially could get on it.

Inside the Children's museum was a stage where children could put on performances and pretend they are in a play. Sam found a couple of drums, parked himself front and center and played and sang away for a good 10 minutes. He would have kept on too if I hadn't forced him to move on to something else.

We then checked out a large train set that had the boys fascinated. Luckily, nearby was a pretend bus that kept Evie busy while she drove Daddy to school. The kids spent the most time though in a large dig pit. It consisted of chopped up sponge plastic pieces. Kind of like the bottoms of shoes. They dug and dug and dug while all the parents just sat around relaxing, just relieved the kids were busy and we didn't have to eyeball them so hard or chase after them. Every parent in the area had the "phew" look on their faces.

Sunday we went to visit Dwayne's grandma and saw Dianne again one last time. We then completely emptied the van and repacked everything the way it should have been done in the first place. We were still extremely full but at least not bursting at the seams as much as before. By the time this was all done I was getting anxious to get on the road. Especially knowing that Mom and Melody get up so early for work. I didn't want to prolong the goodbyes and make them late and deal with cranky kids who got woken up to early. So we decided to leave about 5pm Sunday night. My idea was to get a hotel in Troutdale so we could avoid the Portland Monday morning work traffic. We made such good time though that we went all the way to Hood River and stayed at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. I had heard a lot of good things about it and I'm very happy to say I was able to stay a night there. To be continued........

We are here

I know it has been 10 days since I've posted anything. As most of you know we have arrived in Denver safely. I have been busy trying to get our accounts switched over and unpacking. By the time evening comes, I'm not usually in the mood to type up something in the blog. I have pictures from our drive over and from the last few days. I'll try to post them for you soon. This is just a quick note to let you know we have arrived in Denver and are safe.