Skating at Flat Irons Mall

Kaylee's birthday was yesterday and I had promised to take her shopping for a bunch of new clothes. Since my in-laws were in and Jim was working we decided to go to one of the nice malls...Flat Irons. We had tons of fun. We were so surprised and excited to see an outdoor skating rink when we arrived. We did some shopping and had lunch. Then Mom and Dad surprised us by buying us tickets and skate rentals for a little afternoon fun!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!

This was only the second time to skate for my Kaylee (she was only 3 the first time and hated it!). It was the first time for James and Jagger.

Here is Mom and Dad enjoying watching us fall on our bottoms while they kept their bottoms high and dry on the benches.


Jagger loves all things sports. He was smiling and laughing the whole time. He really enjoyed the whole experience.

Kaylee caught on very quickly..and enjoyed it much more this time around! She fell quite a bit but enjoyed skating. It was a nice birthday surprise for her.

James was frustrated a lot. We all did a lot of cheering him on to help him get his confidence up. I even told him that he had an advantage because he is Russian and Russians are great skaters! I was so proud of him for staying so determined and really working it out.

What a great wipe out picture!

James did great with the shovel because he focused more on the shovelling than the skating. He was really getting it at this point.

I'm thinking of going professional.....

And maybe Melissa would like to be my partner??


What fun. And what wonderful memories!! Thanks Mom and Dad. It was a perfect day!

A Brunette's Blonde Moment

We thought it would be fun to get tickets for Dad and Jimmy to go to the Broncos vs. Raiders game on Sunday as Dad's Christmas present. We searched some sites and finally found a great deal on ebay. We put in our bid and seventeen hours later we were the proud highest bidders of two tickets. I immediately logged onto my paypal account and paid.

Today I receive a message on ebay saying that the seller will overnight the tickets to 8327 Silver Fir Lane in Baytown, Texas. Are you kidding me?!!

The guy's number was listed and so I called him a bazillion times and even texted twice to really get my point across. I also responded to the message on ebay telling him that NO! that is not the right address!

After an hour of biting my nails and wearing my phone batteries down I get a call while walking around in Target (shocking, I know. When stressed, to Target I go!). He is calling from a totally different number (because he has an I-phone that sucks and never got my messages anyways!) to say that they cannot confirm overnight delivery to Baytown and is there another address he could send the tickets to? I was like DUDE! I LOVE YOU! and I only live 5 minutes from you, how's about I just pick them up?

Could you imagine? $200 down the drain because I didn't change my address on ebay. I so would have sucked rotten eggs on Sunday!

Jimmy's Break in 3D

So, my wonderful husband is watching our Jagger while I spend hours cleaning the house today to get ready for family to arrive tomorrow. I also asked him to run to Lowes to pick up some blinds for our bedroom. He got on his shoes, put on a movie for Jagger and was supposed to leave. Instead, he is being captivated by Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D. See for yourself...

Boys...you gotta love 'em!

Standard Blade Article 11-19-2008

By Krista Clinton

One of the most important things I needed to do when I moved to Brighton was find an orthodontist. I have had braces since February and needed to continue with the treatment. I was smart enough to have an appointment in Texas two days before I left which bought me four weeks to find Mr. or Mrs. Right.

I went into three orthodontic offices in Brighton. I had a couple criteria that needed to be met. They needed to be schooled in cleft palates; both my daughter and I were born with one. I wanted someone who would see both adults and children so my daughter and I could go to the same person since we have the same history and it would be easier than explaining it to two people. Lastly, I wanted someone who was up to date with some of the newest technology and would be willing to try some modern approaches.

Dr. David G. Sabbot, 503 S. Fourth Ave., fit the bill perfectly. I was immediately impressed with DeAnne who took my initial phone call. When I first arrived I was even more impressed with how nice the office looked and how friendly everyone was to me.

The first thing I did was get pictures and X-rays taken with DeAnne. We talked about what I have had done and where I wanted to end up. Then Dr. Sabbott met with us and DeAnne summed up everything I said for him. Dr. Sabbott gave me his ideas and I shared mine. He was so great on understanding that I was not aiming for perfection. I just wanted a few things fixed. We were able to come to a great compromise.

I had a total of four appointments, all of them with Jada working on me. I was so pleased with Jada’s gentleness and understanding. She even sent me a note after the first tightening telling me she hoped I was able to eat dinner that night. It’s those little touches that make a huge difference. In those four appointments we were able to correct all of my issues and I had my braces removed this month!

I am thrilled that I will also be able to bring my daughter to Dr. Sabbott. He makes things fun for kids. He has a wonderful wooden nickel program as incentives to keep your teeth clean and braces from breaking. You are able to trade those wooden nickels in for gift cards (which the adults love) or little toys (which I did for my son when he had to come with me one time and was so good).

Check out my before and after pictures at my blog.

Happy Brushing!

First Snow!!

I woke up at 4am because Kaylee was coughing every 15 seconds. When I went downstairs to get the medicine I looked outside and the snow was falling....it was such a beautiful sight against the street lights!! I bounded up the stairs, with medicine in hand, and made my poor Kaylee jump out of bed so she could see the snow herself. It was very exciting. Falling back to sleep was VERY hard!!

We did fall asleep. When Jimmy came home from working nights he woke the kids up and before we knew it we were all out playing in the snow at 7am! What fun!

Brighton Blade Column 11-12-08

By Krista Clinton

I love everything fall. I was spoiled growing up in Canada. I thought that fall was fall no matter where you went. Then I moved to Texas and never really paid attention to the loss because I was too smitten with the man who is my husband. Now that I am back in a truly fall state I realize everything I have missed and am enjoying every moment of having it back.

How about the sights of fall? Is there a more beautiful sight anywhere in this world than the changing of the leaves? The colors of yellow, orange, green and red all mixed in with a blue sky behind. Then mix in my beautiful children all bundled up in warm jackets, hats and mittens. I’ve never seen them look more cute. It’s not just simple nature folks, fall is a masterpiece like none other.

We go walking around and while we get to see this beautiful masterpiece we also get to hear the sounds. You know, the wind rustling the leaves, the leaves crinkling under our feet and the sounds of children laughing hysterically as they jump into the big piles they have made. It’s like an orchestra being maestroed by the best of the best.

The smells are absolutely delicious. And I’m not just talking about all of that holiday cooking that’s around the corner. We went to Estes Park to enjoy all of the colors and the first thing we noticed was the smell. Fall has a distinct smell. You can smell the cold, the wind and the leaves. Oh, and the smell of the fireplaces that have started back up again. If they could bottle that up it would be a best selling candle.

Thanksgiving is yummy but so are all the other tastes. It’s back to hot chocolate with marshmallows after we come in from the cold. It’s hot soups, stews and chili for lunches and dinner. Gone are the popsicles and in their place are the hot apple pies and warm banana breads. It’s a banquet of flavors fit for a king.

I think the one thing I have missed the most is the feel of fall. There is that literal feel of the cold stinging my nose and cheeks. But also figuratively, the sense of community that seems to touch me. It’s family over for dinner on Thanksgiving. It’s friends that come for snacks and football on Sunday afternoons. It’s helping the needy by donating food or working at the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. This season touches my heart more than any other.

My prayer for all of us this season is that we stop and enjoy the feast for our senses. That we forget about the busyness of life and sit back and enjoy the season with our family and friends. I am wishing you a fall season that you could experience with reckless childhood abandon. Happy fall!

Before and After

This is what I looked like when I left the house this morning.


And this is what I looked like when I came back thanks to Dr. Sabbott's office and to Salon Silverado. Yippeeee!!