Mount Bierstadt - 1 Nate and Michelle - 0

Climbing a fourteener was something on my bucket list. For those of you not from Colorado that's a 14,000 foot tall mountain. Some of these mountains take skill, like Longs Peak. Others like Mount Bierstadt take an early start, some stamina, and the will to finish. Nate and I decided it was best to attempt without the kids so we arranged for all 4 kids to spend the night with my mom. It was Orion's first overnight away from home without mom but he did great.

We found this cute little European hotel in Georgetown which operated like a bed and breakfast. The view was nice, the rooms were lovely, the service was excellent, and the homemade croissants and fruit for breakfast delivered to your room were amazing. We had a nice dinner down the road and sat on the balcony drinking wine, listening to the stream. So nice to be kid-free for an entire 24 hours. 

We arrived at the trail head at 8am and it was packed. I never thought I'd be hiking with so many people but the weather was lovely and it was probably one of the last weekends of the year for hiking fourteeners.

Nate all ready to hike

 Even the bottom of the trail was beautiful

I was thankful for the boardwalk through the thickets. It was very muddy and wet at the bottom.

There were a lot of hanging lakes

Getting rocky and steep

Taking a break

Despite our best efforts and 6 hours of hiking we didn't make it to the top. The 2nd half of the trail was very steep and rocky. Imagine stair stepping for hours at high elevation. Needless to say we didn't hike very fast. About 3/4 of the way up we heard thunder. The clouds were gray and looking ominous but we were hoping to beat the storm. After the 2nd clap of thunder we decided to call it a day and turn back. It took us a couple hours to hike down. We didn't want to get stuck in a lightning storm up above tree line. We were both pretty disappointed but don't worry we'll be back next summer. Instead of 8am start we'll be at the trail head at 6am. Hopefully with an earlier start we can beat any afternoon storms. Still a lovely day in nature with my husband so I can't complain.

Birthday Jeeping

Hubby celebrated his 34th birthday Saturday so we went Jeeping. Now that we're a family of 6 we no longer all fit in his Jeep. My mom watched the kids and we headed out early to conquer a trail about an hour from our house. Kelly Flats is a somewhat popular Jeep trail but we got there early enough we didn't see anyone else on the trail. Nate had done the trail before so he knew what to expect, some exciting spots like heart attack hill and the chutes but mostly moderate obstacles and some rough road. It was a lot of fun. I had to work at 4pm that day and was so worried we wouldn't make it back in time but we were home by noon. We're lucky to live so close to the mountains and we able to spend the morning playing outside.

 Hard to believe we live somewhere so beautiful!

 The view was better from the outside for me

 Up and over

 Hazy but beautiful day

Over some rocks

 And some more

 And some more

Fun morning birthday date!

Happy 4th Wedding Anniversary, My Love!

4 years ago today, on May 24, 2008, I married my best friend. I can't imagine life without you Nate and I feel so blessed to share my life with you. We are perfect compliments to each other. Where I am weak you are strong and vice versa. Thank you for being a wonderful husband, father, provider, best friend, and partner in life. I love you!

A One Day Can Change the Course of the Rest of Your Life

6 years ago today, despite hubby going to the wrong Starbucks (there is one on every corner in Colorado) hubby and I had our first date. It is amazing how something so simple can truly change the course of the rest of your life. We had met on Match.com and had a few long phone conversations but had never met in person. If I hadn't realized he was at a different Starbucks we both would've probably thought we were stood up and moved on in our dating adventure. Lucky for both of us that isn't how things turned out. Our first date was wonderful and we spent hours sitting in Starbucks talking and laughing. The rest is pretty much history but 13 months later we were engaged and 2 1/2 years after our first date we were married. Now 6 years later we've been married 3 1/2 years and are expecting our first "together" baby.

I love you so much Nate and thank God each day for bringing you into my life. You are a wonderful husband, father, provider, companion, and my best friend. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us with the arrival of our new baby and all the excitement that brings. Here's to 6 more and 60 more years of happiness together! I love you!

If you want to read more about our love story I wrote about it here.

Then

Now

Much To Be Thankful For and Delicious Green Bean Casserole Recipe

This year I have so much to be thankful for. I am truly thankful for all God has blessed us with this past year and I try to not take it for granted. We had three wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations with the various sides of our families and ate way too much food.

I am thankful for my husband. Not only is he a loving husband, a great provider, wonderful dad, he also is my best friend and I truly enjoy spending time with him. I can hardly believe we've been together 6 years at the end of the year.

I am thankful for my kids. They truly are wonderful. They are polite, they are smart, they are responsible, and overall they are just great kids. I am so thankful God chose me to be their mom.

I am thankful for the new baby growing inside me that we will meet this spring. I have longed for another baby for many years and am beyond overjoyed that our new baby will finally join our family in a few months. This baby will be part hubby, part me, and something as a stepfamily we all have in common.

I am thankful to be living in Colorado again. I am thankful we now have so much family so close and to have lots of long time friends close as well. I love seeing the mountains everyday and going and playing in the mountains as often as possible. I love all the sunshine we get here in Colorado. I love the slower pace of life and the fact that strangers are friendly and take the time to smile and talk to you.

I am thankful for my hubby's job. Not only does he get to make beer for a living, his job allows me to stay home and raise our children, something I don't take for granted.

I am thankful we were able to purchase our first home this year. Not only is the home bigger and nicer than anything we ever though we'd be able to afford, it is close to hubby's job, in a neighborhood full of kids and really great neighbors.

I am thankful we have finally found a church here in town and I look forward to becoming more involved. This morning church refreshed my soul and changed my bad attitude and I really appreciate it.

I am thankful for so much. I know as college educated Americans hubby and I have more than most others worldwide. Thanksgiving is a great time to pause and reflect on everything we truly do have here in America.

And as an added bonus here is the most delicious green bean casserole recipe you'll ever have. I made it for our first Thanksgiving celebration and it was amazing!

Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole

From: foodnetwork.com with my modifications.

Ingredients:


1/3 stick butter

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups canned green beans (drained)

1 - 10 3/4 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup

1 - 2.8 ounce can of French's fried onions

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Melt butter in skillet and saute onions and mushrooms.

3) Add green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions to onion and mushroom mixture.

4) Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, at a ratio of 2 times more salt than pepper or garlic powder. I didn't measure but maybe 2-3 good shakes of pepper and garlic powder, and 5-6 shakes of salt.

5) Stir well and pour into baking dish.

6) Bake for 20 minutes, then add shredded cheddar on top (don't stir) and bake for 10 more minutes.

7) Serve hot out of oven and enjoy!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Last Sunday in celebration of my hubby's birthday we went to a Denver Broncos game. Hubby hadn't been to a game since he was a kid and I had never been to an NFL game. Hubby's grandpa has been a long time season ticket holder and has been selling his season tickets to Nate's cousins for several years so getting my hands on some tickets was easy. The Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals and it was a nail bitter. The Broncos came out strong and then struggled in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The did pull off a 24-22 win.

The experience was so much fun! The seats were amazing! We were 17 rows back from the end zone and could see great. The whole atmosphere was pumped full of energy. Hubby had some much fun he can't wait to go back. He started talking about trying to buy the season tickets next year. I had to remind him that would be $1200 and that maybe we could go to a game or two a year. I guess he just got wrapped up in the fun and excitement. 

The weather was beautiful, low 80's and sunshine. I just had my cheap point and shoot camera but I was able to capture some great shots of our fun.

The newly named Sports Authority Field at Mile High aka Mile High Stadium

View from our seats, AMAZING!

National Anthem

Time for some action

Here we go Broncos, here we go!

Half time was a ceremony honoring Shannon Sharpe's induction into the Football Hall of Fame.

Shannon Sharpe in his glory days with the Broncos

A win for the Broncos!

The South Stands had some impressive pyrotechnics and fireworks

Nate

Me

Today We Celebrate You!

On the anniversary of your birth we celebrate, you, Nate, my awesome hubby. Not a day goes by that I am not so thankful I met you, that I get to keep you forever, I am one lucky girl!

I've told you before that when we first met that I would pray that I would be a blessing to you and the girls, but truly you have been such a blessing to me and Brennan. You are not only a great husband, you are my best friend, and there is no one else on this planet I would rather spend time with. You get me, you understand me, you're patient when I'm grumpy (well most of the time but no one is perfect), you know when to push me to do things I would never try, you always have a funny, albeit sometimes ridiculous thing to say, but there truly are few dull moments. Thanks for having "adventures" with the kids and I, whatever that turns out to be.

Thank you for loving and providing for me and the kids. We are so lucky to have you in our lives. Happy 32nd birthday. This year is going to be the best one yet, I can just tell. We love you and hope you love all your birthday surprises.

Sneak peak of some of our new family photos

Photo credit to: www.marenmillerphotography.com

Yellowstone July 2011

Yellowstone, July 2011

Adventure + Alone Time = Great Date

Last weekend hubby and I got to have an awesome full-day date. We spent the day in the mountains whitewater rafting and finished the day out with yummy lunch at a local brewpub. We didn't capture any pictures of the actual rafting since we had to lock our stuff in our car once we checked in but it will suffice to say rafting was EPIC and we had a great time.

We rafted the Brown's Canyon section of the Arkansas river in Buena Vista. This is a popular stretch of river for whitewater rafting. It has class III and IV rapids and we were lucky to raft on a high water day to make the adventure even more fun.

This wasn't my first time rafting this section of river, this is near where I went to church camp as a teenager and we rafted it with camp each summer. Nate and I even rafted here before when we were first dating. It was neat to see all the familiar landmarks on the drive there.

Since Nate and I are seasoned rafting pros we did decide despite all the fun we had, we are ready for a bigger challenge and need some class IV and V rapids next summer. I think we may take this trip next time if I can figure out a way to get a discount. This rafting trip only cost us $29 per person thanks to Living Social.

We asked our river guides for the best local place to eat in Buena Vista and they sent us to Eddyline and we weren't disappointed. We sat in the sun on the patio and enjoyed a sampler paddle of 6 of their beers, delicious hummus and pita bread, and a very unique but yummy whole wheat pizza made with fresh lavender.

The day included about 6 hours of driving between driving to rafting, driving back to my father-in-laws to pick up the kids, and driving home but it was great scenery and nice weather so it was hard to complain about all the car time.

Highway 285 near Fairplay, South Park, and Como in what I call, "the big field in the middle of the mountains"

South Park, Colorado, you know, where the show South Park is set.

Cows, fields, and mountain backdrops, breathtaking!

Lunchtime!

Our seat on the patio

We're happy to be back in Colorado and happy to be able to go on fun dates like whitewater rafting and lunch at a local brewpub. Yay for summer! Yay for rafting! Yay for local beer! Yay for dates with my hubby!

Happy Anniversary To Me!

Despite being SO sick and not getting to spend the day with my hubby on my anniversary, he still managed to surprise me with a cute gift. Luckily this weekend we get to celebrate our anniversary by going to see Chicago the musical and go to dinner on Sunday.

A giant fortune cookie!

Covered in frosting and sprinkles

And what is a giant fortune cookie without a personal message: "You're so cool, you're so hot, you're the girl I love a lot!!! I would marry you all over again Michelle. Thanks for being the best wife ever."

Yes, he's definitely a keeper! The message made me smile. The rhyme at the beginning, that came from our daughter Wynter's 3rd grade secret admirer (said "like" not "love"). Nate joked that a 3rd grade boy had more game than him. No matter how sick I was and despite not being able to be together, any anniversary I have with Nate is a great one. 3 years down, a lifetime to go!