beautiful girl

Mornings are hard.  We all know this.  

Mostly I hate that our time in the morning is tied up in chaos and stress and we miss the beautiful moments, like this moment.  Kris was busy chasing Tucker around, trying to get the backpack organized and teeth brushed and shoes on.  I was between checking work e-mail, trying to get dressed and cleaning up from breakfast.  Luckily, I remembered to stop and take this photo of Kenedy before *poof* she was gone. 

Andrew Farriss of INXS wrote the song "beautiful girl" about being a parent.  Maybe the lyrics don't reflect our day-to-day but the song sure does connect with me in my journey as a parent.  Kenedy is growing up so fast: independent, able to take care of herself, ready and waiting for the morning dust to settle, to head out the door and conquer the day.  She is my beautiful girl.  She changes and grows every day.  It makes me so proud and inspired but, still, I don't want her to!  Beautiful girl...stay with me.

Love THIS!

So many things to love.  These are just a few:

the vast middle of Montana

big, big trips and the stories that go with them

deep, empty valleys

being as waste free as we can be

daydreaming

solitude

Grandpa and fishing

this hair

beer

primordial ooze

innovation

Going + Together

getting there with our own two feet

RiNo and Five Points

Kids at sleepover = night out for adults. 

We took advantage and stayed up late for dessert and jazz at Nocturne.  The next morning we wandered through RiNo (River North) and Five Points with a latte and a snack from Crema Coffee. 

Photovoltaics and wall art with church on the side.

Larimer Street: not the touristy part. 

From this side it looks like this.

From this side, it looks like this!

Doesn't really get better than friends and beer! 

303 used to be Colorado's only area code.

Serpents and monsters also used to reside with lovely young ladies near Red Rocks.  Or...maybe I just read that in a book. 

These are stacked shipping crates with windows and doors. 

Color and geometry, depth and shape.   

We decided to spend more time in this unique, energetic, grassroots 'hood.  Maybe next time we'll bring the kids.

Tucker took a walk

with a BIG walking stick...

...and he was only 3 so the walking stick looks significantly bigger.

They were awfully cute back in 2011.  Not all that much has changed but they are so much more deliberate in their silliness these days. 

And they were much less stingy with their smiles back in 2011.

And my love just multiplies along with the memories...

  

yoga

Instructor Sara Clark from YogaToday talks about "being." I keep her words close:

"My daily practice is more like housekeeping. It cleans up what isn't serving me and sheds light on what I need more of. I use a mental check-list: Am I being compassionate towards myself and others; are my thoughts supporting my growth; have I meditated today; does my body need movement or rest; have I fueled my body with the best foods available; what have I learned today that will shed light on what I need for tomorrow; and lastly, what time should I go to bed for optimal renewal? For me, this strengthens my internal wisdom which is invaluable.

I can do this home practice anywhere. It inspires me to live a little louder, to love a little harder, and to create a deeper relationship with myself. The knowledge I gain from this practice allows me to trust my body and soul to move me through life."

YogaToday is filmed in Jackson, WY which makes practice both humbling and inspirational just by way of seeing those great Tetons. 

getting ready for the weekend

This weekend is full of fun. No wonder we love weekends!  Kenedy has been practicing cats cradle variations with her friends at school all week in preparation for a sleepover with her cousin Pierce.  She practices on the bus, at recess, in lieu of homework, at the dinner table.  I'm pretty sure she practices in her sleep!

Tucker, like many other Coloradoans, is amped for the weekend football game. If the Broncos win they will go to the Superbowl. I will be in the Bay Area during the Superbowl party. By accident.

Yesterday, Tucker asked where he should put his jersey so that he could continue to wear it all weekend.  We had to ask him to hold off for Saturday so that we could launder the breakfast, lunch and dinner that had been spilled across the front.

Family

Boots, cowboy boots, tennis shoes, slip ins, coats, chucks...the shoe pile from our big family Thanksmas.  ❤️

snow dust

Like fairy dust, snow dust magically quiets the world with a blanket.  Previous movement--tire tracks and footsteps--is given new stillness.  And we are left with a monolithic unicolor world of white.

contentment

Our trip to Steamboat was blissfully full of puffs, globs and banks of snow.

I mean, combine a family that loves skiing with this much snow and a great town!

Steamboat: shops, delicious restaurants, a hot springs walking tour, the hot springs pool, the Yampa River, Medicine Bow National Forest and...did I mention snow?!

We can't visit Steamboat without spending at least an hour at Off the Beaten Path bookstore. Kenedy had a Butter Beer (vanilla steamer with a twist of butterscotch) straight out of Harry Potter from the bookstore coffee shop and we found at least three new books to devour while we anticipate our the next trip.

And, finally, we made it home. Content from three blissful days on the slopes in a great town!

it snowed all night

It snowed starting at 7ish last night and snowed straight through until 2:30 this afternoon.

A grey cloud parked itself at the top of the mountain but when we came out of the cloud the valley was glowing with sunbeams.

Turns out it snowed quite a bit!

What?!!

expanding your perspective

It's snowy.  The drive to Steamboat was slow because of traffic through Georgetown.  At that point the trucks chained up and the drive became slow due to snow.

We listened to Star Talk podcasts for the long, slow trek.

First, we contemplated science and creativity with David Byrne of Talking Heads: should we consider ideas that are derived from others as creative (more like science) or must creative thought be novel (more like art)?  

Then, Neil hosted Susan Sarandon on expanding our perspective including how we judge others and what expectations we impose based on gender.  And, whether technology expands our perspective or just removes us from being present.  

Finally, Kris and I rounded out the discussion with thoughts about leadership.  Takeaway:  the best leaders step up to make tough decisions based on many diverse inputs and perspectives; but know that they are human (and make mistakes) and allow others to treat them as human. 

Rabbit Ears pass was appropriately snowy with gloppy, powdery trees.

We were ready to hit the slopes by the time we arrived in Steamboat.  The powder was still untouched in some of the trees and we were warm enough, though he temp was colder than last weekend.  By the time the lifts closed we were ready for relaxation and football playoffs.

headed to the Boat

It's snowing and we are headed to Steamboat Springs!  This requires some amount of forethought so as not to break the bank.

During the week prior, we continuously check hotel and condo rates should a last minute deal  surprisingly arise.  This actually happens a lot.  So...preparation isn't everything in this case and if you can handle the last minute spontaneity, this is an appropriate budget approach.  For this weekend, the deal showed up on Thursday and we jumped! 

Place to stay: check.

We know we're going to be on the road and eating at a ski resort is expensive. I prepped snacks and lunch because it tastes better and costs less.  We need food that can fit and survive in a backpack that is worn all day, in the cold, on and off the lift, and through any yard sales (great big, tumbling falls).  We will be hungry and I've packed beef jerky, string cheese, berries, granola, peanut butter with apples and celery, emergency candy, salty snap peas and instant oatmeal for breakfast.  We'll make sandwiches, too, and probably splurge on something hot.

Snacks and lunch: check.

Next up: gear.  I have the list memorized at this point and, luckily, most of our stuff was already ready from last weekend.  Boots, helmet, goggles, snow pants, gloves.   Meanwhile, the long johns, socks and other warm, comfy clothes are strewn across the floor soon to be packed into duffle bags. 

Gear and clothes: check.

Tomorrow we will enjoy a cup of coffee, pack up the car and head out.  Now it's time to enjoy the rest of the evening over a lovely, dark, smooth milk stout.  Good night!