Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

We woke up Saturday morning and the weather was beautiful. The storms we are expecting shouldn't be here until noon. After some debate, we decided to head to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Had we known how gorgeous and fun this place would be...there would not have been any debate! This zoo is located on the side of a mountain. Your first exhibit is at the bottom and then you have to keep walking up and up and up the mountain to see the other exhibits. Awesome! And it was perfect weather!

The first exhibit was the giraffes and I was blown away by how close they came to us. We were able to feed them and I pet a giraffe for the first time in my life. Incredible! Here are a few shots of the family feeding the giraffes...

This was one of the levels of the mountain and we couldn't resist the photo op...they had a bench set up and everything. I'm not sure which is more beautiful...my kids or the view?!!

This is my attempt at being a photographer...

In an area called the Big Backyard they had these huge chairs. Look how tiny my kiddos look.

I found me a MOOSE!

Like Gloria and Moto Moto from Madagascar 2.

This was one angry Papa! He kept hitting all the other gorillas away from the window. He was apparently having a bad day and felt the need to make everyone else suffer. Look at the size of him though! Yikes!

This is definitely a must see if you are in the Colorado Springs area. The most incredible zoo I've ever been to (and I'm not normally a zoo person!) Amazing!

New Year's Resolutions

A new year! Time to start over fresh. Make new goals and resolutions and then tell them on this blog so you can all hold me accountable. Yikes!

I'm going to break mine up into categories this year.

Spiritually: I want to continue on my journey of a relationship with Christ. I want to know all I can know. This year I will do Daily Devotionals to help me understand what I read last year a bit better!

Physically: I'll be happy if I can maintain my weight this year...go into 2010 at the same weight that I entered 2009. Or 15 pounds lighter...that would work too! I'm not stressing about this one...it's not high on my priority list. Of course, I'd be happy to have a surprise pregnancy and go into 2010 slightly heavier from that!! (That one is all for you Jimmy Wayne!)

Emotionally: Choose happiness! I want to laugh with my husband and kids everyday this year. I will choose kindness. I will choose honesty. I will choose patience....yikes!! I will choose to love others and myself.

And the big one....Financially: This is my big project of the year. I will use cash only. No more VISA for me. Ugh! It's not that we're in debt or even bad at paying things off...its' that we always buy now and pay later. I want to learn to save up and then spend. It's going to be hard because we have a list of stuff to do this year and we are going to have to say no to some things in order to be able to do it all with cash. Some examples:

1. Put in a backyard fence. We've already had the estimates and we have chosen Colorado Fence Company. And we know we will pay $4000 for what we want. That will be a big chunk to save up ahead of time...hopefully we can do it by summertime! We absolutely need it for the dog.

2. New counter tops. Not a huge deal but what we have sucks! I mean ugly sucks. We would definitely see a return in the investment, we just have to decide how high on the priority list this is going to be to get it done this year.

And the places we want to go this year:

1. Camping at Yellowstone.

2. See Mount Rushmore.

3. Drive to Canada and spend the month of June with my family.

4. Fly to Texas, rent a car and spend 10 days there for Thanksgiving with Jim's family.

It's going to be tough to do this...but I am committed! I will post about the journey throughout the year and even ask for your suggestions. I'll probably boo hoo every time I have to say no to something but really enjoy what I get to say yes to. Pray for me!

One thing I really want to do is get a part-time job. It's tough with everyone's schedules around here but there has to be someone out there who needs help for just a few hours a week. Or needs things typed up from home. And, of course, I did write that I want to try waitressing this year so I will have to do that at some point too. It's going to be hard to find something but I'm really going to try....then I won't have to say no too often!! hahaha Once school starts back up in August then all the kids will be in full-time and I'll actually get to have a full-time job....oh, the adult conversations I'll have!!

I've enjoyed reading other's resolutions on their blogs and I'd love to hear yours too....you can leave them in the comment box. Remember, if you don't have a blogger ID you can write anonymously (its' more fun for me when you sign your name at the bottom, please!).

Happy New Years. May the year be full of happiness, love and lots of surprise blessings in your life!

Brighton Blade 12-31-08

(I will enter a post with resolutions later today, for now here is the article.)

Three things have made a big impression on my life this year. One, is that I made a New Year's Resolution to read through the Bible in a year and completed the task. Second, I read a book called "The Next Thing on My List" by Jill Smolinski which is about a girl making and completing a list before her 25th birthday. Last, I watched the Bucket List which is about two men who have been given approximately six months to live and they create a list of things to do before they "kick the bucket."

I have asked many friends and family what they would put on their list. I have heard answers from climbing Mount Everest to eating a big greasy meal without feeling any guilt. There are those that think that the list should only be made with your financial means taken into consideration. Then, there are those like myself, who think that you should dream the impossible and have a couple things on the list that might or might not ever be accomplished but always give you something to strive for.

You can do a New Year's list and it would have to be completed before the end of next year. My sister likes the idea of picking a milestone birthday, the next big one on your horizon. Or, you could dream big and make a list that needs to be done before you die which allows the list to be much longer.

I am a goal oriented person and have chosen to do a New Year's List. I also like being able to cross things off my list as quickly as possible so only allowing myself a short period of time is more fun for me. So, here are a few things on my list.

1. Use cash only!
2. See Old Faithful at Yellowstone.
3. See Mount Rushmore.
4. Find a hobby for ME...knitting, sewing or quilting.
5. Try waitressing; I've always wanted to try it...call me if you're interested!
6. Do a daily devotional.
7. Meet my new niece and great niece that is on the way (both in Canada).
8. Laugh with my husband and kids everyday!
9. Find a part time job that I love and works with my family's schedule.
10. Make a best friend in Colorado.

I think the thing that hit me the strongest while watching The Bucket List was that I don't want to get to the end of my life and feel like I didn't live life to the fullest. So, while I want a list of things to look forward to and to bring added bonuses to my life, I am still choosing to live in the life that I have here and now. As the old saying goes "Live well. Laugh often. Love much." So, my biggest piece of advice is that if there is something on your list about making amends, giving forgiveness or loving someone better...start with those. As you get to the end of your list you'll realize that the true joys in life are found closest to you.

Happy New Year!
And check out the blog to see a list of 100 Things I Did This Year! (And I only had one thing on my list!).

100 Things I Did This Year

While this post is titled 100 Things I Did This Year...I couldn't actually come up with 100. So, I will do the best I can to get as high as I can and you guys can add more if you have anything that I've missed...which I'm sure I do!

This has been a big year. We have been to the bottom of caverns (hundreds of feet underground) to the tops of mountains. It's been a wild ride and I've enjoyed every moment of it.

These are in no particular order.

Here goes...

1.Read the Bible in it's entirety!!
2.Went down the zip line.
3. Spoke at MOPS.
4. Took my sister to MOPS to learn about birth order.
5. Spoke at the women's retreat.
6. Went to the women's retreat with my MIL and SIL...so fun!
7. Was a single mom for a month.
8. Spent 16 hours in the car with three kids, my MIL and a cat...waaaayyy fun!! NOT!!
9. Moved to Colorado.
10. Went on the sky ride at the North Pole.
11. Year 3 at family camp.
12. Visited the Rocky Mountains.
13. Got braces.
14. Got my braces off.
15. Met my new nephew Camden.
16. Got the glasses that I've needed for 10 years!
17. Lost a friend to suicide.
18. Laughed so hard I cried.
19. Saw Hannah Montana live in the front row at the rodeo with our friends Steph, KK and Steph's sister.
20. Visited the Battleship at San Jacinto.
21. Visited the San Jacinto Monument.
22. Bought my first brand new car in 10 years.
23. Celebrated my 10 year anniversary!! Yay us!
24. Sold a house on our own in less than a week.
25. Went to San Antonio for James' 5th birthday.
26. Visited the Natural Caverns.
27. Went to Sea World.
28. Had my butt beat in an obstacle course at Pump It Up by my 8 year old!
29. Ate an amazing dinner at the Melting Pot with the Hornes and the Knowles...yummy!!
30. Watched my 5 year old graduate from preschool.
31. Let Jagger go on a 4 day trip with James to the grandparent's country home.
32. Enjoyed my boys being gone.
33. Brought James to his 1st day of Kindergarten.
34. Helped put together VBS with SBC.
35. Taught art at VBS and loved it!!
36. Left our three kids with a babysitter while Jim and I flew to Denver.
37. Bought a new house.
38. Got a new dog.
39. Went to an Astros vs Rockies game at Coors Field.
40. Became a Broncos fan!!
41. Visited Tiny Town in Morrison, CO.
42. Went sliding in Winter Park.
43. Skated in Flat Irons.
44. Skated in Boulder.
45. Started writing a column...who would have predicted this one??!!
46. Went through a corn maze in Anderson Farms.
47. Played in the snow.
48. Made a snow angel.
49. Ate HUGE cookies in Estes Park.
50. Ate a chocolate covered banana in Estes Park.
51. Started a new Bunco group.
52. Made new friends.
53. Cried for my old friends.
54. Had an awesome girls and kids Mother's Day weekend at Crier Creek.
55. Spent a whole day at the spa in Denver with both SILs and my MIL.
56. Celebrated many milestones of my sister's pregnancy with her.
57. Wept with joy for the birth of my niece Michayla.
58. Celebrated with the unexpected and very happy news of my niece becoming pregnant.
59. Laughed at my sister because she will be a GRANDMA soon!
60. Used a hotel Bible in San Antonio because I forgot mine and didn't want to fall behind in my readings.
61. Woke up and read a week's worth of Bible readings on the bathroom floor in a hotel in Aurora on our move to Colorado.
62, Really started to love blogging.
63. Read at least 50 books.
64. Played speed scrabble for the first time and became addicted.
65. Had the best Christmas EVER!
66. Painted my house.
67. Painted Jen's house.
68. Painted Hilde's house.
69. Got paid for painting a cat mural on a child's wall.
70. Worked at Krisher McKay (a real estate office).
71. Cleaned houses with my two best friends for money.
72. Made smores in the microwave...that could be addictive!
73. Fell in love with our neighbors and their families.
74. Met two blogging friends.
75. Started my own small group and made wonderful friends.
76. ......

I'm out of ideas! And I know there is more.

The point of this is...life. I had one thing that I wanted to achieve this year. I wanted to read the Bible. And I did. I did not plan the majority of the things on my list and if someone had told me that I'd be living in Colorado by the end of the year..I would have laughed at them. Life has a way of happening though, whether we plan for it or not...we just have to choose to embrace it.

Here is a quote that I have carried around in my wallet since college written by Hafiz of Persia:
"One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have while I am lying on my deathbed is that I did not kiss you enough."

Being the organized planner that I am, it can be hard to deviate from the plan. I have though. And I will. And I am learning to love those moments just as much as the planned ones...sometimes much more!

Happy New Year's Eve!

I Finished the Bible

I just finished the entire Bible. Right now. 9:30pm on December 30th. Which means I can say I read the Bible in LESS than a year since I finished a day early!!

I was surprised at the lack of celebration. No angel trumpets. No standing ovations. Nobody did the wave. Very anti-climatic!

On a serious note...what an awesome journey!

Master Bathroom

Of course, my room is the last to be done (well, not counting the playroom which has just been turned into Kaylee's room...). We did the master bath today. My walls are huge in my room though so that might take a while to get done...

Like mother, like daughter...


Kaylee took this very unflattering shot but thought it should be included in here. Yay!

Here is the finished product.

A Country Christmas

Enjoy the video.