This Ain't "NebraSKI"

My first ski experience was when I was around thirteen years old. I went to a 4H Ski Camp and skied for the first time in my life at "NebraSKI" (between Omaha and Lincoln). We stayed at the 4H lodge where they gave us lessons (yes, the lessons were indoors with no snow around) and then took us to the slopes for a little night skiing. I remember quite a few things about this night.

1. My pink gloves were not water proof and did not work very well. 
2. Night skiing is cold. 
3. I had no clue how to get down the hill or up the tow rope (apparently, the lessons in the lodge didn't do much).
4. I was not having any fun, but I made myself try to get down the hill. 
5. Time in the lodge never felt so good.

Fortunately, my next ski memory from my junior year of high school was much better. Dad, Jaima, and I went with a large group of friends to Breckenridge and took real lessons (where yes, I did run my Dad into a big hole by a tree).  Jaima and I actually enjoyed the skiing enough that we went back the next year (Dad decided to skip this trip and sent us with friends). There were lots of good memories from this trip.

The last two weekends, we have had the privilege to have stayed in the Vail Valley with two different sets of friends. D-man took lessons both weekends and has really made some great strides. Needless to say, his experience at Beaver Creek was quite different than my initial ski experience at "NebraSKI". 

  

on the gondola 

T-man was also able to get on skis this weekend and although it is very basic, he was excited to get "blue skis" and do the things his brother gets to do. 

 

T-man showing off his gear

And Marshall and I enjoyed a beautiful day on the slopes as well this weekend with our friends. What a great way to enjoy all that Colorado has to offer. 

Taking out time for lunch (yes, we got lots of comments about our hats). 

  

The gang (minus me) on the slopes 

The Love/Hate Relationship with the Neighborhood

Our neighborhood is nothing special. And yet, there are several things I can find about it to like. We have nice neighbors - even though very few neighbors are "like us".  They are friendly and will help out if needed. However, most folks aren't people we hang out with on a regular basis. I actually just got done "chopping ice" with two of my neighbors which was actually quite fun (and we were all pretty happy with the fruits of our labor - see picture).

Our street today

I love the fact that we are centrally located and can get to the lightrail, downtown, the park, and bike paths very easily (and Marshall's commute is not very long).  Being centrally located also means that we have several good restaurants near by.   And the school Drake is attending is located very close to our house which is a huge plus.

Our house is definitely nothing fancy, but it has more than enough room for us and has a private backyard which we enjoy. This modest house has afforded me the luxury of enjoying my unemployment - no worrying about having to pay the mortgage thankfully.

However, I am really longing for a "neighborhood". One where there are "folks like us" so we can swap babysitting, have impromptu happy hours, and all the kids go to the neighborhood school. Another downside to our neighborhood - our school is an under-performing school so all the people that actually have kids send them to the private Catholic school near us, other Denver Public Schools, or Charter Schools like us. (If people in the neighborhood actually sent their kids to our school, I think it might be a decent school.) But, we are past that point -  parents don't want to be "pioneers" when it comes to their child's education.

Overall, we have been happy with our school, but going to a Charter School means it is very hard to develop a sense of community because the population comes from across the metro area.

I think the icing on the cake with this love/hate relationship was news that my neighbor 2 houses down, across the street passed away a month ago. This man lives on my street and I didn't even know he had passed away - he was 62 years old (also emphasizes the fact that our neighbors are not similar to us). Talk about not being part of a neighborhood.

Having grown up in a small town, and as the boys get older, this desire for a community only gets stronger. We know this is not the house we will be in forever, now we only need to get serious about where we can find what we need in a neighborhood and our home. I don't want to be a nosy neighbor, but if something monumental happens to one of my neighbors, I hope to be able to celebrate, mourn, or help out when needed.

Vegas Baby!

Pictures are worth more than words. What a GREAT time!

What a Week

One would think that not working would mean I have tons of free time. However, this really hasn't been the case. Between sick kids, unemployment and health insurance paperwork, and just managing the house, my first few weeks of unemployment have been pretty crazy.

Last Monday, both boys were home from school for President's Day so we headed to the Museum of Nature and Science. I think a jungle gym would have been a better venue, but we survived and even went out to lunch before we head home for a nice afternoon of naps, workbooks, and watching Ratatouille. All followed by our typical Monday trek to swimming lessons.

D-man also was off from school on Tuesday so I decided to take him up to Eldora outside of Boulder for a lesson. We got up bright an early and took T-man to school and headed off. It was a beautiful sunny day and I enjoyed reading my book, taking a nap in the car, and taking in the sun.

Eldora Mountain

I met D-man over on the small hill and he was able to go down a few times without the instructor and I was impressed by his speed and ability to turn and stop on his own. And most importantly, he had a good time and asked when he would be able to go skiing again.

me chilling on the deck 

 

Headed up the hill 

We wrapped up Tuesday with basketball practice and then picking up Boston Market to support Highline Academy. It was actually a great night for Boston Market because Mom and Dad made the decision to drive to Denver on Tuesday and arrived about the same time we got home. What a special treat to have some extra time with them. 

Wednesday brought a wonderful lunch outing with Mom and Dad at Benihana's. Our planned afternoon of relaxing was halted when we got a call from Drake's school and I spent the afternoon at the doctor's and getting a prescription (don't get me started about paying $107 for a generic prescription as I wait for COBRA to kick in and get reimbursed). Unfortunately, that meant that D-man wouldn't be going to swimming lessons, but Tanner was able to show off for Mom and Dad.

And after the start to this week, it meant that I was more than ready for our Vegas trip!

My Frugal Valentine

One might think that me losing my job is the reason for our frugal Valentine celebration. However, I actually can't remember the last time that Marshall and I went out for dinner on Valentine's Day. And we've never been big on the gift giving. Maybe it is because we don't like to deal with the crowds or because we don't want to hassle trying to find a babysitter. Maybe it is because our anniversary is the 24th of February or maybe it is just because we're frugal. Always have been, probably always will be. I remember celebrating our first Christmas together and Marshall asked if we had been dating long enough for him to use a coupon. I knew he was the man for me.

The boys and I spent a couple hours Saturday making homemade Valentine's which was a great way to spend time together and save money as well. Marshall and the boys gave me a couple small little gifts. I think it is always good for us to take every opportunity we can to teach the boys about giving - even if it is just a small candle, a plant, etc.

Our homemade Valentine's

As has become our Valentine tradition, Marshall and I made dinner after the kids went to bed - lobster tails, steak, asparagus, and potatoes. And of course, wine.  We actually cooked our Valentine's dinner Saturday night so we could enjoy it a bit more and not have to worry about getting ready for the week on Sunday.

That meant that we had a candlelit Valentine's Day dinner as a family. We talked about what we love: Marshall loves pizza, I love sleeping in, T-man loves me, and D-man, well, D-man wasn't really into the conversation. According to him, he loves nothing right now (Yes, he was being a bit difficult).  The biggest discussion during the meal was when the boys got to blow out the candles they gave me for Valentine's Day. Ah, the riveting dinnertime discussions with a three and six year old.

And yes, my Valentine and I may be frugal. But we are rich indeed.

Change

Granted, there are a lot of things changing in the Peavy household right now. Marshall started a new job. I'm no longer working. We'll have to change the way we'll think about our budgeting for a while. But, I'm talking about change around the really important stuff. 

The place where Marshall and I got engaged is being demolished.  I actually drove by the other day to see if there was any way to "get in" by chance, but the entire structure is surrounded by a fence and a nice banner hangs from the hotel window promoting its future demise.

The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel on I-25 and Hampden that is scheduled to be demolished.

The hotel bar where we got engaged. We were sitting over by the window.

There is nothing particularly romantic about this bar. Actually, there isn't anything about this bar that is romantic. However, it was the place where Marshall and I met for "happy hour" one night after work (not our first official date). We had invited others, but we were the only ones that showed up.  It was definitely here that we had our first "connection" and although it wasn't officially a date, we both knew we had met someone special. And, it was here about nine months later that Marshall asked me to be his wife. 

The hotel is still standing and part of me would love to sneak in for just one more look before our special spot is gone. It's funny - this hotel is not far from where we live now and other than taking our parents there for their first meeting (soon after we got engaged), I don't think we have been back. I guess we won't get the chance now. For now, the restaurant we went to after the bar is still standing.

Another place near our house, America's Bar and Grill, is no longer as well. 

It was here I hung with friends from DU, where Jaima first met Marshall at one of the CIC happy hours, and where Marshall and I went to eat the night before I went into labor with Drake. Guess the spicy wings did the trick and kicked me into labor.  

It obviously makes me sad that places are gone. The good news is that I am not terribly picky about where I drink my beer so I'm sure we'll find new places with new memories. And most importantly, Marshall's still around and no matter what building is demolished, he is my true pillar of strength.

Random Thursday Thoughts

Not surprisingly this week, I have had some more random thoughts. Maybe it is because I don't have to worry about which campaign I am working on, what project is next at work, or what report I need to complete.

• Wonders if the folks from Lowe's here to stack my washer and dryer saw the beer bottle on the family room table and thought I was drinking it today?
• Thinks it is funny that when D-man was reading "A Fish Out Of Water" to me, he referred to the owner of the pet shop as "Mr. Crap" (instead of Mr. Carp). I never did correct him - it was too darn funny. 
• Considering my son thinks someone would be named "Mr. Crap",  I believe him when he says he doesn't know the "F word" (even though some kid said he said it and Drake received a detention because of this tattling). And yes, D-man has been asking me all week what the "F word" is....
• Couldn't believe I was busted by my 3 year old when he found his art work in the trash. "I want the Christmas tree on the refrigerator Mommy". 
• Thinks it is sad that one of the big concerns of losing my job is making sure we have health insurance at all times and follow all the right "rules" to ensure this..... 

Skates, Drake, and Cake

This past weekend we celebrated D-man's birthday with an ice skating party. I am so happy that D-man and I went the weekend before to practice. At the party, he put on his skates and took off (it probably helped to have a friend that is a good skater and someone he had to keep up with!). We even got T-man out on the ice with the help of a cone and Marshall and I enjoyed taking a few laps on the ice as well.

D-man also enjoyed his school and home "parties" as well. When he woke up on his birthday, I heard him say, "ah-yi-yi". Needless to say, he was a bit excited. Many wishes for more happy, happy birthdays to come D-man.

Busy Week, Bad Timing?

I wanted a February baby. I don't know why, I just did (maybe because I thought 02/03/04 would be a cool birthday). Of course, my eldest son had other plans. Six years ago in January, I went into labor. It didn't go anything like I planned, and the D-man was born as January baby. Ten days early and definitely an exciting end to our January.

 

D-MAN

During this week last year, Dad's stroke occurred, and this year, I was let go from Sun. As my co-worker pointed out, my Dad's stroke had an amazing outcome. And of course, my son is such a positive addition to our lives. Although being laid off doesn't feel great right now, I can only think that the layoff that happened at the end of January 2010 will also have a great outcome. Not that you can ever plan the timing on these things, but man, both my maternity leaves were during the winter months and now, my time off will be during the winter as well.... Maybe I'll need to fly south for the winter........

But, for now, I'll celebrate my son's birthday and hope for good weather in Denver.

Random Thursday Thoughts

Yesterday, I started jotting down some completely random thoughts. 

• D-man telling T-man, "I have to do my homework, that's how I roll."
• D-man reading books in his room and listening to his static-y radio he got from Santa
• T-man pooping on the potty (I'm so over changing poopy underwear)
• D-man choosing "5 Guys" for take out and Tanner choosing "Sonic "for cherries for dessert
• T-man  dunking his own head underwater at swimming lessons and then crying
• Wondering how a busy mom lives without a crock pot and rice cooker? 
• Thinking chocolate from Belgium that my brother-in-law brings us is a small slice of heaven
• Being young enough to be excited about setting an alarm clock
• Wonders if anyone else that worked from home, cooked their lunch in the microwave and tried to empty the dishwasher before the microwave is done?  

This list may be completely random, but given the news about my termination today, it made me stop and think. Nothing on my random list was about work. Don't get me wrong. I really, really liked my job. I really loved the people I worked with and what we were doing. But when it comes down to it, I will find another job. Another company will be lucky to have me and I look forward to finding the right match and starting a new adventure.

And for now, I'm pretty sure my boys (all 3 of them) will keep me entertained.

Cuz that's how I roll.

A Year Ago Today

Today is a day of reflection for me. A year ago today, my Dad suffered a major stroke. It's really hard to believe it has been a year and how things are so "normal" now. It was hardly normal a year ago when I got the call from my sister at 4 am, booked a flight for that morning to Omaha, and left my family here in Denver to be with my family in Sioux City.



In the hospital last year.



Hanging out in the ICU waiting room.

Fortunately, the entire ordeal had a happy ending and it really reinforced how wonderful my family truly is - both Karlen and Peavy. My mom and my sisters banding together with incredible strength to make sure my Dad was getting the best care. My Dad for fighting the incredible fight to get to where he is today. My husband and brother-in-laws for taking care of the home front during the entire ordeal - kids, dogs, jobs, school. My mother-in-law for coming to help with the kids during my absence. And aunts, cousins, and family friends supporting us along the way.



Christmas 2009

I always knew I was extremely lucky to have such a strong, loving, and amazing family and this experience made me even more thankful.

I called my mom this morning to "check in" on the two of them and she had been thinking about the significance of this day as well. Of course, when I talked to Dad, he hadn't a clue why I was calling. It's good to know things are back to normal. Normal never felt so good.

I Love a Marade

D-man and I participated in the 25th annual MLK Marade on Monday with around 30,000 people thanks to an invite from his teacher. We marched with some other folks from Highline Academy on a beautiful winter day. The March/Parade was from City Park to the Capitol Building. Some of the highlights of the march for Drake: the ability to walk in the middle of the street, all the cop cars blocking traffic, seeing people sitting on their balconies watching the marade. You know - really important stuff....:)

After the marade, we took the free shuttle bus from the capitol to LoDo for lunch with Marshall. That was a perfect way to wrap up our time downtown.

Basketball Season is Here

For several weeks now, D-man has been going to basketball practice at the local rec center. After the first of the year, we now have games on Saturday mornings. He is very excited about "real games" and after the first game, I was required to keep score (D-man's team won 32 to 14). D-man informed us that he had the best player on his team, and if my son is one thing, he is observant. And fortunately, D-man has made a basket in each of the first two games.

The Power of a Whisper

Yesterday, I officially lost my voice. I have to say this is a first. Of course, the timing is never great - Marshall left last night for a long weekend skiing with his family and I'm headed to Miami next week (I'm hopeful it will be back before then).

Given that I have no voice, I have resorted to whispering (which incidently, I just discovered on WebMD can actually irritate it more). Apparently, I am supposed to "talk softly". We'll see how that goes.

Due to my affliction, I discovered last night that the boys have to be much more alert when I am talking so softly. There's no yelling from me upstairs to the boys downstairs that it is time to get ready for bed. I can't answer to kids yelling at me "to come see" from throughout the house. When I talk with my 3 year old, he immediately answers back in a whisper. When I felt myself getting frustrated last night, I couldn't even try to raise my voice which resulted in me actually calming down.

The boys' Montessori teacher has always said that they speak much more softly to the children in the classroom (and that when parents come barging into drop off their children talking in their "normal" voices, it completely disrupts the classroom). I'm now truly seeing the power of whispering both in my children and myself. Maybe this losing my voice isn't so bad.........

The Lost Art of the Handwritten Letter

I just spent the last hour and a half looking through a box of old cards and letters. None of the cards or letters had anything to terribly exciting in them, but it was a great reminder of the power of a written letter. There were birthday cards, Halloween cards, graduation cards, birth announcement, thank you cards, but mostly letters. I have always loved getting "real" mail and at one point, was very good at writing letters to people.

It was funny that several of the letters started with "thanks so much for your letter." So, I'm not sure these people really wanted to write me or if they just felt compelled to write back. In any case, I'm thankful for the many pen pals I had during grad school, and thankful that my sorting project (and my "packrattedness") has brought a smile to my face.

I've kept several of the cards, letters, etc. that the boys have received from their grandparents for this very reason. I hope they can someday find joy in reading the letters they received and bring up good memories from the past.

I found a Christmas card from my Nana, typed letters (ok, not all were hand written) from my Dad encouraging me through grad school, my birth announcement my aunt sent from a local paper, a note from my adviser with comments on my final senior paper, and several letters from friends with basic updates on their lives at the time. There's hardly a need for someone to write me a letter these days - I can find out what's going on instantly by reading their blog or Facebook page or sending off a quick email. And while I obviously love Facebook, nothing compares to having someone take the time to write you a note or send a card.

The one other thing that pleased me was that I'm still in touch with almost every person who sent me a letter. I've obviously grown apart from some of them and maybe this is the year I reestablish a better connection with these folks. I can hardly believe that I will be sitting here 13 to 14 years from now having such nostalgic feelings by reading my old emails. I guess I will cherish the annual deluge of holiday cards as that is about as close as I get to "real" letters these days (besides the letters we get from my mother-in-law - she is a truly gifted letter writer).

Pender Christmas 2009 aka Snow, Vomit, and Dr. Mario

After a 2 day delay, we made it to Nebraska for the Karlen Christmas. It was a bit longer drive due to the road conditions, but we made it in time to open gifts and spend time with the entire family. It was a great "4 hour Christmas". The kids all got along and I am so thankful for Marshall driving us all the way to Nebraska on Sunday (there were quite the drifts around Pender) only to turn around and fly out on Monday. It was so special to all be together this Christmas.



Unfortunately, after our wonderful Karlen family Christmas, the flu bug ripped through the entire family. Even though the flu put a damper on our trip, the boys and I enjoyed hanging out at Nana and Pop's for a few days. Lots of football and movie watching, napping, playing with cousins, and just enjoying our down time. We didn't venture out too much - the snow and cold were not terribly appealing. At night, Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed playing "Dr. Mario" on the old school Nintendo game. We brought the Wii and our new games, but didn't even get it out - Dr. Mario was too addictive (and Drake enjoyed Super Mario).



Our trip home was delayed a day due to me feeling under the weather and I spent New Year's with Mom and Dad for the 2nd year in a row - could this become a tradition? The drive home on the 1st was made especially long by Tanner's belly woes, but we made it.

Santa is So Nice

It is hard to believe that Christmas 2009 is over. There are so many things that you want to bottle up and remember forever. We had such a wonderful Christmas - even though it didn't go as planned. We were so lucky to be "stuck" here together in Denver and not in an airport, random hotel, or rest stop.

The boys and I enjoyed a day at home after some snow on the 24th. We wrapped present, made treats, played Christmas music, ran to the grocer store (crazy there!) and I made fish chowder for Christmas Eve dinner. Marshall got home around 4:00 and we had a great family night. Of course, it was a late night for Mr. and Mrs. Claus wrapping gifts, running to Walgreens for more wrapping paper, etc. But, always a special night preparing for Christmas morning.


Christmas Eve



Santa came!

Christmas morning was filled with all the magic one would hope for. The opening of the stockings (which Marshall made sure were filled with all sorts of goodies), special breakfast rolls (thanks Pillsbury), and a leisurely time opening our gifts from Santa and each other. One of my favorite gifts was a Christmas card that Drake got me. He wrote "I love you very much and Merry Christmas" on it. And Drake really enjoyed handing out all the gifts he got for us.

One thing that stood out in my mind is that Drake kept saying "Santa is so nice". I thought it was so sweet that he was thinking about how nice Santa is to be giving all these gifts. He wasn't thinking what a good boy he had been to deserve these or that any of these gifts were expected, but that Santa was so nice to think of gifts that were meant just for him.

Tanner enjoyed opening his gifts and playing with them right then. He wasn't concerned about more gifts under the tree - he was content with the present he had just opened. A joy to watch.

Thanks to snow on the plains, the boys got to enjoy their new gifts all day Saturday and Sunday. If only every day were Christmas day and new presents were around all the time......

Marshall is still putting together their "big gift" - but the boys are enjoying the pieces that have been put together. The game surface is small, but will be perfect for the two of them for a few years.

The Holiday Hustle

This time of year is always a bit crazier than other parts of the year. I actually enjoy trying to figure out what I still need to get, what last minute things need to be done, and just getting out and about during the holiday season. I'm guessing I inherit this from my mother as she always saved her Christmas shopping for December 23rd after her finals were graded. I, of course, don't have that excuse, but it just seems more "Christmas-y" to me when you are running around the week of December 20th getting things done instead of October.

This week has been busy, but not stressful which is nice. Drake is enjoying 3 days at DU's School Days Off program. He has been doing the rock climbing wall, the Inflatable Obstacle Course in their pool, ice skating, basketball, parachute, soccer, and much more. So far, his favorite activity has been the ice skating. I'm so proud of him for getting out and trying new things with a group of kids he doesn't know.

Last night after I picked up Drake from DU, we ran some holiday errands. We dropped off some holiday treats that Drake and I made this weekend, had dinner out, and went to Target so Drake could do some shopping. He really wanted to buy gifts for me, Tanner, and Marshall. I gave him a budget of $10 a person and we brought a bag so he could hide the gifts. It took much longer than I would have liked, but I was so proud of him for wanting to be giving gifts this holiday season. He also asked for a pen and paper and he calculated how much he had already spent on each person and then asked "Mom can you spend (aka afford) $30?", after figuring out how much each person was getting. It was very cute and ended up being a great math lesson for him - i.e., if you have $3 left to spend, you can't buy something that is $3.99.

And to top it all off, when we left the store, it had started to snow and we sang "let it snow, let it snow" as we went to the car. This type of experience with my boys is truly the magic of Christmas for me.

Holiday Birthday

This month, our youngest turned 3 (sniff, sniff). Although I know a December birthday is not ideal, I really do remember what a magical Christmas it was with a new baby in 2006. It was 60 degrees when we brought him home, but soon after, we got over 2 feet of snow. Thanks to the trajectory of the storm, Marshall's parents did make it in for Christmas and we all enjoyed a very wonderful Christmas that year.

We were lucky enough to have Marshall's parents here to celebrate Tanner's 3rd birthday this year. Their visit was short, but we were able to enjoy Zoo Lights, breakfast with Santa, swimming, a family birthday party with hats and balloons, and opening Christmas presents. It was a great weekend and always special to have time with family.

The Tree! The Tree!

The Christmas tree is finally up thanks to some help from the boys. The bottom of the tree has all the "special" ornaments that boys really enjoyed putting up.

As I have been gone the past two weekends, we had to put the tree up in stages over the past week, but we got it up in time for Gramma and Granddad's visit - whew!

Christmas is in full swing at the Peavy house and I love it!

Minneapolis Weekend

Drake and I took a quick trip to Minneapolis to spend some time with my family. The adults enjoyed catching up, watching football, and tiny bit of shopping. The kids enjoying swimming, running around the hotel with their cousins, a slumber party at Aunt Jacki's, and of course the Nickelodeon amusement park at the MOA. The mall was crazy, but the lines for the rides were not (thankfully!).

Drake was a super traveler and we enjoyed spending time with the Karlens.

Free TV and a Wine Rack

The nice weather on Saturday aided in our efforts to clean out the garage. Drake helped with the cleaning and Tanner played in the yard, played with the garden hose, and helped "mop" up the leaves.

We set out a couple items on the curb and Drake decided that we should make some signs for them and put them up around the neighborhood. You can check out one of the signs. They must have worked - both the TV and the wine rack are gone! Although our organizational projects are taking awhile to complete, we are definitely making progress. Two cars in the garage and no scraping ice in the mornings - that is progress.

Speaking of progress, the Huskers beat Kansas State on Saturday night to wrap up the Big 12 North Championship. I'm already looking forward to watching the game in Minneapolis with my family.

The Wizard of Oz

It was quite ironic that after we got home from Wicked on Sunday afternoon, Marshall found The Wizard of Oz on TV. We were able to tape the show and Drake has been addicted to it all week (a huge incentive for getting homework done this week).

I've enjoyed watching it as well and "catching" some of the things I missed in Wicked. I'm also enjoying singing the songs with Drake. I hope the show generates as many good memories for Drake as it has for me.

You know it has been a big hit when he is choosing it over watching football. Then again, it was CU football - can't say those games are really worth watching these days..........