Catching up!

It’s been over a month since my last post–mostly because the last month has been…. crazy.  I’m not 100% ready to share the source of all the ridiculousness, but it’ll be coming soon 🙂  For now, I figured I could just share what we’ve been up to!

We finally got a KING SIZE BED: And it’s glorious.  I truly love everything about it, including the fact that our entire family of four can snug at the SAME TIME without feeling squished 🙂

#boss

Getting it up the stairs was a…challenge…

LOVE!

Grace came to visit!  My colleague (and really, the one responsible for me making my way to the Design team) came out to visit Boulder for a grad school tour/weekend.  Afterwards, she stayed with us for an evening.  Sadly it was blizzard-ing, but we still had a wonderful 24 hours filled with brunch, voodoo donuts, champagne bar, the blue bear, and an evening of wine on the couch & catching up!

Leila bein’ a ham.

Because friends take friends to the champagne bar.

Game Night Shenanigans: We FINALLY got to host game night.  It’s probably better that I don’t go into more detail than that 🙂

This is truly all we can show. (and no, Lauren’s not sleeping– she’s cringing.)

Jillian and Travis came to visit!: A former colleague and TFA-er (and current friend) also came out to Boulder for a conference, so she brought her hubby and came out early for some Denver exploration!  We had a blast eating and drinking our way through the city, stopping by Red Rocks to take in the view, and catching up on all things married life 🙂

The Farlands!

San Fran trip to see friends!  I had a work trip in the Bay so Scott and I headed out a few days early to spend some time with our far-away friends.  We had an amazing time reconnecting (and drinking and eating and walking up really steep hills) with Dennis and Melissa, and we got to eat & spend an afternoon with DJ and Julie–and FINALLY got to meet baby Willow!  It was just the kind of trip that left you feeling so happy and so grateful for the people in your life, even if they are a thousand miles away.

Because when it’s hot, you cool down with beer.

Why yes, we do drink champagne out of mason jars.

Our selfies are kind of a big deal.

Late night Thai food with the Benfords!

This adorable little family 🙂

Work Trip in the Bay:  After the weekend fun, I BART-ed it over to Berkeley for a week-long “journey” learning about the support and services for diverse learners (or, people with disabilities).  It was very challenging but so rewarding, and I met a group of passionate, hard-working, and brilliant individuals that I now get to call friends 🙂 

Brian and Jess get married! We were so excited to celebrate the nuptials of these two crazy kids, and the wedding did NOT disappoint!  The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was a blast, and the bride and groom looked so happy 🙂  We felt so honored to be there–congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs.!!

Oh heeeyyyyy Mr. and Mrs.!

Seriously.  Who invites us to these things?!

Of course, this is just the fun stuff. There’s also been a lot of stress in my professional life over the past month–probably more than I’ve ever experienced in such a short window–but that story has a happy ending at least.  More to come later!

San Francisco is Booked!

One of my 2015 goals was to prioritize seeing friends–especially those that live in faraway places.  I’m pretty much continually scheming up ways for Phoenix bestie Jen and I to be in the same city (rest assured that these plans are WELL underway), and we really wanted a way to see two other great friends–Dennis and Melissa–as well.  We recently found out that those two are moving to the Bay Area, like… right now–the whole thing happened very quickly and we couldn’t be happier!  Not only is San Fran much closer/more convenient to fly to than Baltimore, we have a special spot in our hearts for that city.  Knowing all of this, we figured it was only a matter of time before we hop a flight out West to see them.

Well, that time came significantly sooner than we planned.  Turns out I have a work trip scheduled there in the near future, and once Scott found out, he was on Expedia.com with no time to spare! 🙂  I cannot WAIT to catch up with these two (it’s been like, a year and a half since we’ve seen them!) and to hang out together in a new city.

Aren’t they cute?! Don’t YOU want to see them immediately?!

Clearly we know how to have a good time… And take a good picture 😉

In addition to Dennis & Melissa, we’ve got two other friends–Julie & DJ and their baby girl Willow to see as well!  Scott grew up with DJ and they’ve kept in touch–we always take time to catch up with these two and even stayed at their place while they were out of town last trip.  We haven’t had a chance to meet their baby girl quite yet, and though they’ve since moved just outside the city, we’re DEFINITELY going to prioritize a meal/morning/afternoon with them!

Scott & DJ at a wedding last spring (not their own) 😉

Beyond that, I’m just excited to go back!  It’s funny–with few exceptions, I generally don’t re-visit cities I’ve already traveled to–there’s such a big world/country out there, and if I can only take so many trips, I’d rather see as much of it as possible!   But San Francisco is different–we’ve gone several times and each trip we see or experience something new.  And now we’re at the stage where we’ve gotten past (most of) the touristy things and just spend our time being in the city.  We now take buses instead of taxis, visit neighborhood spots instead of tour book/trendy restaurants, and in general move at a slower pace.  Last trip: we spent a morning riding bikes through/hanging out in Golden Gate Park, then enjoyed the beach nearby.  The next day we walked around the Embarcadero with friends, drank wine all afternoon, ordered take out for dinner, and watched fireworks from their place.

I mean… this happened in San Francisco! So yeah, it’s kind of a special spot 🙂

I’m so excited to go back and experience San Francisco all over again, this time with new people–which will inevitably bring out a whole different side of the city we’ve never quite experienced before.  CAN’T WAIT!!!

2015 Goals

I really love making new years goals!  I’m not entirely sure what the difference is between “goals” and “resolutions” but goals seem more attainable 🙂  Even if I don’t reach them, give up on them in two weeks, etc., it’s still fun to take some time to reflect on the areas I want to focus on and grow in the upcoming year.

Yesterday was full of friends and quality time with my hubby (the electricity went out for a few hours so we passed the time with mimosas, board games, and a fire to keep us warm), and since Scott’s away at work today, it seems like as good a time as any to think about what I want to be true in 2015.

I want to go back to Italy.  it’s crazy to think that it has been 9 YEARS since I left Italy.  Studying abroad there was a life changing experience for so many reasons, and after some prodding from Scott, it’s time to go back!  We’ve decided this will be our next big international trip, and we’re shooting for late spring/early summer.  I want to go back to (almost) all of my favorite places, and even explore a few new ones.  But beyond that, I want to brush up on my Italian again (I was never fluent but could certainly hold my own).  It would break my heart to feel like a tourist in Bologna, and speaking Italian would go a long way towards making me feel like I was “back”!

What this tangibly means: take an “Italian for Travelers” class at the Italian institute, then plan, purchase, and enjoy our trip in the spring!

The Bologna crew. Gosh I miss those porticos!!

I want to continue renovating our house.  It hasn’t even been a year of living here and already we’ve made some incredible progress!  We’ve got no plans to slow down in 2015–in fact, we hope to be as ambitious as ever!  Most of this projects focus on functionality and comfort, but of course there are a few “decor” updates in the mix 🙂  Nothing feels as urgent as the big projects we tackled last year, but we’re excited to kick off some “phase 2” projects while finishing up the smaller updates we’ve already got in the works.

What this tangibly means: Complete the big projects (laundry room and guest bathroom renovations, installing heat in the man cave/sun room); tackle a few wood-working projects (built-ins and console tables); finish all paint-based projects (upstairs doors and trim-I’m coming for ya!)

So… remember when my kitchen used to look like this?

Progress!

I want to get healthy.  Now I know I make some kind of goal like this every year.  And while I always seem to fall short, I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons about what works for me each year.  This year I want to focus on healthy habits rather than simply diet and exercise.  It’s important to me to be HEALTHY-not skinny–and in order for that to be true, it’s got to be a balance.  I will never give up beer or champagne or french fries, but i can figure out how to enjoy them in moderation.  I will never consistently count calories, but I can learn how to make my calories count.  I will never be a marathoner or body builder, but i can focus on making my body as strong as possible.  I’m eager to see what lessons 2015 brings in this area.

What this tangibly means: Lose some lbs (there is a specific number but that’s my little secret); train to run a half marathon (finally!); develop healthier eating habits (like consistent meal planning, potion control, and learning how to indulge/treat myself in moderation).

I see MANY more hikes with this fella in my future

I want to focus on my friends.  Yesterday morning we had a full house of friends, kicking off the new year with good food and good company.  It was one of the happiest days in recent history and made me realize how hard I worked in 2014 to build that circle of friends.  I don’t mean the friendships were hard-the best ones come easy and feel like you’ve been friends for decades-I mean the focus and attention we placed on them.  I was intentional in making plans, checking in, following up/through and being thoughtful in how I spent my time with others this year.  The result was an amazing year with strengthened bonds–I’m in such a different place than I was in January 2014!  Even though I’m pretty satisfied here, I know this was no accident–it was the result of my intentional focus on friendship.  And so my goal is to continue this into the new year!

What this tangibly means: Make a goal to see Jen at least twice this year; have at least one lunch date with Abby and a night on the town with Ryan each month; plan out our winter cabin weekend with the crew (yeah Steamboat!) and start up game nights again; watch my favorite Bachelor in YEARS with the girls night group; plan one weekend trip to visit friends who live elsewhere (Phoenix? Baltimore? Anchorage? Tri-Cities? Atlanta? Madison? Virginia? NYC? We’ve got a lot of options…!)

Travelling to see friends is THE BEST! (Esp. when you match outfits)

But it’s just as fun when they travel to see you!

2015.  Let’s do this thing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What We’ve Been Up To

It’s been about a month since I’ve done a “what we’re doing!” post, so it’s probably time!  Here’s what we’ve been up to lately:

Oktoberfest: I don’t know why we got so excited for Oktoberfest this year.  Sure it’s fun, but it’s not like GABF or anything…. Still, this year we decided to get pumped up, and the day didn’t disappoint!  Ryan and John joined us for an afternoon/early evening full of beer, stein holding competitions, and German food!  While this probably won’t be an annual tradition, we’ll definitely plan on going every other year or so.

Don’t ask questions, it was the end of the night…

GABF: The main event.  We’ve been waiting for this day since, well, GABF 2013!  This year was quite a bit more low key for me since I stuck with the boys the whole time (instead of going off on my own and drinking ever IPA in sight!).  We had a blast, got to meet the founder of Sam Adams, drank some tasty and rare beer, etc. etc.  Scott even got to go TWICE!  On a whim he decided to buy a ticket to the member’s only session on Saturday afternoon and he and John went for round 2.  I think in future years we may actually shoot for this session since it’s when they announce the medal winners and people are in an exceptionally good mood 🙂

Front of the line and pretzel-ready!

The GABF crew

Cabin Weekend: Back in March, Scott found a groupon for a cabin getaway in the mountains.  We invited the Game-Night crew (well, 3/4 of them), picked a date, then headed up to Silverthorne for a couple of days/nights of escape with the Gilbertsons & Edwards!  Our cabin had a beautiful view of Lake Dillon (with a hot tub on the balcony!) and Scott and I even got up one morning to watch the sun rise over the lake.  We all brought snacks and took turns making meals–and of course, played a few heated games (who knew banangrams could get so intense??).

Girls cook, boys clean. We were sitting around drinking mimosas while this happened 🙂

On Saturday we hiked, then split up as the girls went outlet shopping and the boys watched football/drank beer.  Sunday was almost a disaster as they closed the road to get back to Denver–but luckily Loveland pass was mostly dry, so we were instead treated to a gorgeous view of the Rockies.  A perfect weekend–sure to be an annual tradition!

Yeah Gopro!

Of course I brought the chicken suit. And of course Abby put it on.

Loveland Pass

Final preparations for Thailand: We received our last Amazon shipment (a mini-tripod and bag for gopro accessories) this weekend.  We got our vaccinations and Vietnam visas on Thursday (2 more typhoid pills to go!).  All tours, lodging, and flights are booked. The only left to do now is…go!  We are T-9 days but honestly time is flying by.  So excited!

Cooking More Meals:  Since mid-September, Scott and I have made a huge effort to cut back on our biggest area of wasteful spending: eating out.  Our new rule is that we can only pay for a meal if it’s spent with others (or if we’re travelling).  This hard stance has led to a lot more home-cooked meals, and neither one of us feel the least bit deprived.  Will it be like this forever? of course not.  But we need to break the habit of “I’m tired/we didn’t go grocery shopping/I’m stressed and want____” that results in us spending money on unhealthy food  The best part is we actually have no desire to change yet so we’ve challenged ourselves to go until Christmas.

That’s about it!  We don’t have any big or exciting plans between now and Thailand (perhaps a visit to the pumpkin patch and/or some carving action?) so until then I’ll just enjoy the quiet and eagerly await our trip to a land far far away.

Life & Such

It’s been a busy few weeks!  (But really, when is it ever not??)  We’ve been filling our time with friends/colleagues, some painting, and a few purchases.  Just a quick round up:

Trips and Travel(ers)

Tom’s Visit from Madison: Scott’s friend Tom (from college) came out to visit and it was yet another opportunity to introduce a newcomer to Denver!  The main reason for his visit was to go to 2 (2!!) Tour de Fat festivals, but we manged to squeeze in lots more fun during the week between.  Fun restaurants, breweries, a cliff diving show, BBQ and pool time, and a Simpsons marathon made for a super fun week!

Tour de Fat #1: Fort Collins!

Friday night Padres game at Coors field

Tour de Fat #2: Denver! Also, both Abby AND the Dogs’ first TdF!!!

Work trip to New Orleans: My team had our annual retreat in New Orleans this last week.  I didn’t get a chance to explore too much (both because the days were long and because I want to return one day with Scott!) but I was able to go to Bourbon Street a couple of times and drink two of their famous drinks: the Hurricane (not my fave) and a Hand Grenade (my super fave!).  While it was a long (and humid/sticky) week, it was lovely to see my colleagues, spend time in a new environment, AND taste my first beignet!

Work peeps and Bourbon Street by day

And by night

Recent Purchases:

Thailand Planning: We booked our final hotel for our time in Phuket–I can’t wait to spend 5 days in literal paradise!  We splurged and booked a lightly pricier hotel in Patong (“splurged” means ~$70 per night).  We’re right near the beach and only about 10 minutes away from the markets, restaurants, and bar action.   Now all we’ve got left are flights (inside the country) and pre-paid tours and this baby is fully and officially booked!

YES PLEASE.

Go Pro Camera: Our realtor sent Scott and I a very generous gift card for a recent referral, so we cashed in and got a Go Pro!  When we were in Vail, we saw how versatile and fun these little guys are, and figured it would be perfect to document all of the crazy trekking, sailing, snorkeling, surfing, biking and such we’ll be doing in Thailand.  It gets here Wednesday and I’m so excited to start playing with it!!

Other Randomness:

Door Painting: Scott and I got tired of looking at brown doors, so we started a door painting adventure.  I figured the doors in the kitchen would be toughest (due to 70 glass panes between the three of them!!!) so we wanted to get those out of the way.  We used Clark + Kensington paint from Ace, and color matched to Benjamin Moore’s “Bedford Blue”. and I’m really happy with how they turned out!  While I do love the color, I think we’ve hit our blue limit–we need pops of red, yellow, and white for balance.  Now we just need to scrape the paint off the glass (Scott’s job!) and frost the windows in the pantry and these bad boys are done.  Next up: paint the last three brown doors (on the first floor) and refinish all of the gold door knobs to silver and we are DONE with the ugly brown!!!

Pre-scraping. I love the color!

Financial Planning: This week we got an appraisal on my car to see what our options were for getting a new one  (I love my car but we really need AWD in CO!).  The price was not what we’d hoped, and this was a gentle push that it’s time to go back in to savings mode.  While we’ve never lived outside our means or bought anything we couldn’t truly afford, we also haven’t been as focused on savings lately, and with quite a few big expenses down the line (a new AC unit next spring, eventually needing that new car, plus the inevitable home-owner expenses that are sure to pop up), it’s time to hunker down.  We spent a lot of time this weekend looking at budgets and past spending, and are eager to shift gears a bit.  Practically, this just means meal planning, deferring some big purchases (You guys–I’m not even excited about the iphone 6 anyway), and being frugal in our plans with friends.  I foresee a lot of home happy hours in our future! 🙂