Fifteener

I love that the boys still get excited on their birthdays. After a great big hug from D-man, I enjoyed breakfast (chocolate croissant) with him playing our word game together. We did not go to the DMV today which was a good thing because their computers were not working today. 

It sounded like D-man had a good day at school. He chose Melting Pot for his birthday activity. We had a nice time and a nice conversation. After opening gifts, we watched right wing political videos. Who knew that I would be tucking in a little Republican on his 15th birthday and singing a horrible rendition of happy birthday thanks for to having lost my voice. Happy birthday to my fifteener. I love you and am so proud of the young man you are becoming. 

Melting Pot 

Happy birthday son 

Flames! 

Opening gifts 

Happy birthday 🎈🎁🎉🎂 we love you!! 

Eldora Breeze

We got in a few good runs before heading into lunch even though the wind was CRAZY! We were brave enough to try a couple more runs, but the lift closed a few chairs before us. So, we headed home - how fortunate to have skiing so close and a ski pass so not a wasted day.

T-man and I also celebrated Australia Day with friends the night before while Marshall and D-man were skiing in Copper. 

Skiing double date 

Australia Day 


Da boys 

Day Date

With T-man.....

We were up early for two Futsol games (1-1). During the first game, T-man had a great game big defensively and offensively (2 goals).  We then headed to brunch at  Huckleberry and sat in “the nook” which T-man thought was pretty cool. 

Then we hit the local book shop and library while we were downtown. The cool Maker’s Space at thelibrary  entertained us for a good hour or so. Just a fun time hanging out and chatting and T-man working his spatial magic. After a couple more errands, we headed home and T-man had one of his “Rubix cubes” friends over (with a trip to Sweet Cow). 

A good day while Marshall and D-man hit the slopes with friends for their guy’s weekend. 

Huckleberry lemonade in the book 

Hard at work 

Harder than it looks (believe me, I tried my own creation) 

Hairdo

My hairdresser curled my hair and I had nowhere to show it off as we did takeout and a movie. So, just a fun pic to show off my stylish hair. Now if I could only figure out how to do this.......

2019 Ski Season Kick-off

(Mostly written in the lodge on Monday afternoon before sitting in a freezing (dead) car waiting for D-man.......) Fortunately, the drive back wasn’t bad and we were home a little after 6:00. 

It’s really snowing outside right now (20+ inches forecast over the next several days), but we had great snow and sunny, bluebird days up until around noon today. Besides Paul twisting his knee on Saturday afternoon, it has been a great trip. Skiing, hot tubbing, game playing, movies and relaxing were all on tap. And per usual on MLK Weekend, the crowds and lines were non-existent today (and the new gondola rocks).

Some quotes from the weekend: 

“I am not dead Mom.” - D-man in response to my text checking in 

“I’m not a great skier, but I’m not horrible” - Julia in reference to skiing the afternoon with D-man. I’m just very thankful For an activity a Mom and her almost 15 year old son can do together 

“Winner’s tea” - what Paul and I were NOT drinking this weekend 

And several quotes related to wolves and freezing on the chairlift thanks to the movie Frozen (NOT the Disney one). 

View from the condo (D-man down at the bus stop) 

Day one! 

Afternoon skiing with my boy - happy to be able to ski with him 

Such good friends 

The new gondola! 

Planning their route to go off on their own 

Thanks Alana for all the pictures!! 

Such an amazing view off of the panoramic lift 

Checking out the vista

Hard Work Pays Off

This week T-man came home with a letter announcing he made it on the honor roll for the fall semester. He’s a bit embarrassed by it, but we want him to know what a big deal it is. I love that the message in the letter is about working hard and advocating for yourself - not just about the grades. 

Way to go T-man!! We are so proud of you. 

Loyalty

For Christmas, D-man got tickets to the Coug/Buff basketball game. He took two friends and we went to Mod Pizza before the game. After the Cougs jumped to a 5-0 lead, it was all downhill from there. D-man did his best to cheer his team on, but it didn’t work. He and his friends had a good time- the friendly banter is fun to watch.

One of the FEW Coug fans 

The Town Team

We had to wake up early for our 8:00 Futsol game and the Colorado Crushers (T-man’s rec league team) went down in the first 3 minutes 4-0 to a top club team. But, the town team did not give up. The boys hung in there and came back to tie the game 5-5 with a chance to win in the last 20 seconds. It was definitely an exciting game! 

It’s so great that that the boys get to play together again - it’s really what youth sports should still be in my humble opinion - playing on a team with your friends. The boys have said multiple times that they just want to play on a team with friends. They never said I want to play on a team that never loses. 

The teams I played on when I was a kid were never good, but I have fond memories of bus trips, bonding in the locker room, learning how to play as part of a team, and having it ok to be assertive (which isn’t always easy in other settings as a high school girl). 

In the action 

T-man in goal. He also scored a goal on a really good goalie. 

Brothers

Matthew was here for one night en route to Sevilla. Marshall and Matthew split a Hamm’s beer in honor of Bob before dinner. We then had dinner together, made ice cream and the older boys headed to trivia. 

When they got home, I was upstairs and heard Marshall say to Matthew, “share a flush” which made me smile. A nod to Bob shared with his brother. I hope that D-man and T-man can one day have the relationship that Marshall and Matthew have. 

Making ice cream 

Holiday Break

The boys are home this week and Marshall and I are still trying to hold on to the holiday zen (asi have been calling it). Marshall worked from home on Wednesday and I worked from home on Friday (highlight for me was eating Jimmy John sandwiches with the boys for lunch on the back patio). 

The boys are keeping busy with friends and ping pong in the basement (and electronics, of course). T-man has been living at his friend’s house and D-man has mostly been here, but did have an evening with friends, time at the rec center with a friend and skiing today. 

Marshall and I tackled an escape room and had dinner with friends one night. I enjoyed happy hour with a former co-worker while Marshall and T-man had happy hour at Tilt one night, and D-man, Marshall and I tackled an escape room game over Chinese food last night. 

Now I’m sitting here knowing I should start to take down Christmas and don’t want to......I’ll try to keep the zen going during all the work.......

We escaped! 

Hockey!

Cute pic! 

Escape Room game 

Solving a puzzle in the game. Nope, he didn’t get out of his PJs all day. 

Joy and Cheer

What a year. Here’s to another great one. 

Something Special

There really is something special about the week between Christmas and New Year’s. You don’t know what day it is. Real life is on hold. And even when you have to work a couple days, it is not busy and it is less stressful. During this time, you are ok being lazy, you are ok going to bed early, getting up late and everything in between. You can go to Henry’s on a Wednesday night. You can head out for activities at 3:00 in the afternoon. You don’t have to be anywhere at any specific time. You can drop by a friend’s house in the middle of the day. You can enjoy all the new and fun gifts you have received. You can go for a walk with your hubby in the freezing cold before the sunsets. This suspension of reality is really one of the great gifts of Christmas. And this year, we got to be home during this special time which makes it even sweeter. And now, as we wrap up watching movies on January 1st, reality is right around the corner. Let us all remember this feeling when real life comes at us. 

A New Year has Begun

The last couple of days of 2018 were mostly good to us (Marshall wasn’t feeling well so that was a bummer). We wrapped up the year surrounded by good friends. On Sunday, we said goodbye to family, D-man had Driver’s Ed and T-man and I starting organizing the basement. Then, we went over to the Wright’a for chili and Euchre. On a snowy (finally!) Monday, Marshall and I both worked from home while T-man was at his friend’s house and D-man finished driver’s ed. 

We rang in the New Year at the Sager’s while D-man went to a friend’s house and spent the night (it sounded like it was a good time). We even made it to 1:15! Today was spent around the house cooking, playing games, and doing some more organizing. It was fun to play Tenzi after dinner (after hearing T-man with the uncontrollable giggles). May 2019 be as good to us as 2018, and as much joy and laughter as was at our dinner table tonight. 

Euchre night! 

Happy 2019!! 

Bringing in the New Year! 

The Next Generation

Gramma and the grandkids on the last night. 

A game of Chutes and Ladders