What A Weekend

Friday night, our friend Cristina came over to babysit while Geoff and I headed downtown to take in Night At The Museums. This is the 2nd year (I think) they've done this. Museums stay open late, for free, and you can museum hop. Shuttles were added this year, to make it easier. It was a chilly night, and we only made it to one museum, the Denver Art Museum. We ran into some friends there, and I discovered that I'm not all that crazy about modern art. Most of the pieces left me feeling disturbed, or depressed. There were a few standouts, like Fox Games



And the Houdon exhibit from the Louvre. Next year, I think we'll try to start earlier, and hit the Molly Brown House and the Natural History Museum.

Saturday night, I got the opportunity to attend the Starz Film Festival and see Slumdog Millionaire.



I heard good buzz about it, and it lived up to it. I think it will fare okay around Oscar time. I was the guest of a co-worker of Kelly's, who moved here to Denver with his wife. Back to the movie, it was moving, and at times hard to watch, other times I was laughing out loud. I obviously don't get out to the movies much (this was my 4th this year!), but I would encourage everyone to see it when it opens near you.

I think the one thing I walked away with was how blessed I am, to not have to beg for a living. I had parents, a house, clothes and toys. Seeing children begging and stealing to get by, it's hard to imagine. For me, anyways. I've lead a sheltered life, the "bad side" of Edmonton pales in comparison to the slums of Bombay/Mumbai.

In tv news, Top Chef is back, and there are two cheftestants from Colorado. Whoo! Represent! And are you watching Fringe? Because you should be. I'll close with a quote from it.

Walter: (on the phone) Uh, hello, Peter. This is me, your father. Walter Bishop.
Peter: Thank you, Walter, I know who you are.
Walter: Excellent.

November?

Yeah, it's almost mid-November, and I'm behind on my Christmas schedule. Don't start judging me, I have to mail stuff to Canada, and the mail always takes forever to get the job done. So I like to start early. And I'm behind.

What's been going on? Uh, the usual. Mom stuff, bible study (which I am so not focussed on), and it seems I flucuate every other day on having a pity party. A case of the "maybe I think more highly of my friends than they do of me". Feeling a little neglected from some people I've been trying to reach out to. I'm dealing with it, and putting more energy towards those friends who do make an effort with me.

The days are feeling too long, the weekends with Geoff feel too short. With the kids up at 6-6:30am then going to bed at 7:30 & 8:30, that leaves about an hour alone with my husband before we retire to bed and we start the cycle again. This is why marriage is hard work. :)

Trying to find time to watch movies in that schedule, I have to say we haven't been able to stay awake to achieve that. We do watch tv that we have on the DVR. Like Living With Ed, Dream House, and endless episodes of Arrested Development. But don't feel bad for us, we've got a date on Friday night. God Bless Christina, who is coming down from Boulder to babysit.

I missed my KUCI reunion on the weeekend. I was not able to find a cheap flight out to O.C. Bummer. Maybe next time. All these trips that I miss out on, will hopefully be made up for if we can pull off the trip to Monterey, CA in the spring. It would be lovely to get more visitors here in CO, next year already has the parents (naturally) and probably Athena. We'd like to get back up to Canada for a visit, but the visa situation is unclear, and money for 4 plane tickets is hard to come by.

Lastly, there are hardly words to convey how happy I am the election is over. It was really driving me crazy those last two days with all the phone calls.

Elijah is up, and he wants to watch Shrek, so I'll close with a quote from that.

Donkey: You, uh... you don't entertain much, do you?
Shrek: I like my privacy.
Donkey: Y'know, me too. That's another thing we have in common. I hate it when you've got someone in your face, you try to give someone a hint and they won't leave, and then there's that big awkward silence...
[big awkward silence ensues]
Donkey: ... Can I stay with you?

November Birthdays

Happiest Birthday wishes to Kelly, Chad, Heather, Dylan & Dawn!

What Will Happen?

Maybe I'm naive, maybe I'm ignorant, maybe I don't really know people at all, but I have a hard time believing that riots will break out after the election. Is it really something people need to do to show how angry they are their candidate didn't win? Does it change anything? I know it is possible for either side to resort this kind of violence, I've seen it on the news, anti-Obama nutjobs throwing bricks through the Dems office windows here. Anti-McCain/Palin wackos threatening to do something drastic if the Republicans win.

I'd like to hear your thoughts, if you wanna share them. Can't people just accept whatever the end result will be and pray that good comes from it?

It seems appropriate to close with a quote from Men In Black.

Jay: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.
Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

September/October Birthdays

Forgot to get around to posting the birthdays. So here's a belated birthday post. Happy Birthday to... Amy, Jen & Kaisara. Hope it was a good one.

The Life Of Mommy

It's 2pm, and I'm still in my jammies. :)

Today, I baked cookies, and watched Shrek 3 & 2 (in that order) with the boys. If nap time is successful, we'll watch Shrek afterwards.

What's going on with me? Not much. Reading books on Disneyland/DisneyWorld and gardening books. I'm doing my bible study on Thursday mornings again. Organizing my stuff, getting ready to give some bags to Goodwill. Because some of you were wondering about my health, I will tell you that everything seems to be normal, and I have a doctor appt tomorrow to confirm that everything is normal. I feel fine, please don't worry about me.

Yesterday was the 5th anniversary of Dad's passing. It's no harder that day than any other. Everyday, I wish he could have seen my kids, grown fond of them, found joy in them. I know he would have. I wish I could talk to him. I am thankful I still have Mom.

On a lighter note, in tv land 3 of my favorite shows are on. House, Fringe, and Eli Stone! Whoo-hoo! I'm happy ABC renewed Eli Stone, I think it's a great show. Thank God for my DVR. I'll close with a quote from Eli Stone, last season.

Eli: It's not even noon and I've already made my end-of-life decision. What have you done today?

Is This Thing On?

I'm here, I just haven't had anything blogworthy to write about. Which I take as a blessing. Too many people I know are stressed, depressed, or dealing with newborns. And I go about my quiet life, thankful for the quiet. Have to say honestly, that all these new babies & pregnancies stir feelings in me. Then I remember I still have two in diapers, and the feeling passes. :)

September was okay, but October is what I am excited for. It means seeing Chad & Khara again, bible study starting up again, running on a relay team for the Denver Marathon, and my in-laws are coming to visit!

Everyone has been pretty healthy this fall (thus far), the weather has been awesome, and I'm even finding time to read again. I have travel fever pretty bad, and no money to soothe it. I've got a good start on my Christmas shopping, or least laid out what I plan to buy (which is also hindered by lack of money).

I'll be oh so happy once the stupid election is over. I'm not even sure what I would do if I could vote. Neither candidate seems to have my issues at heart. Too bad I'm not stupid, then I could be swayed by what some celebrity tells me I should do. All the country's problems solved! I am mildly concerned about the money market problems, but it's hard for me to see how I'm affected (although Geoff says our retirement stuff isn't doing so hot).

I suppose I'll close now with a quote from Fringe.

Peter: Something on your mind?
Walter: Please. The term "on your mind" vexes me with its depictive inaccuracy.

Got Apples?

Make apple cake. Nothing says Fall like apples. :)

A Denver Staple

Dinner at Wynkoop with the Pauleys

Last night, Geoff & I were able to enjoy dinner at one of the restaurant staples of LoDo (Lower Downtown). We met Ryan & Milena (in town on their honeymoon) at Wynkoop Brewing Co. The atmosphere is nice, the food was awesome, and Geoff said he had the best IPA he's ever tasted. It's been maybe 6 years since I saw Ryan, who is a friend from my KUCI days. His wife Milena is cool too, and today they head back to Houston to survey the damage to their home. They know for certain that they will have lost all the food in their fridge, but hope that's the worst of their worries.

It's hard to believe we've lived here for 5 years, and have only eaten downtown maybe three times. I'm sure there are a ton of great places, so we hope to tap into that more often. We took the train downtown, because it's cheaper and easier than parking there. The only issue is it adds on more travel time (curse of living in the 'burbs). So while we left LoDo around 10, we didn't get back to the sitter's (awesome Amy, Jerry & their kids) until after 11. Elijah was still wide awake, and NOT willing to go home, much less go to bed. Miles eventually crashed at 10:30. I'm gonna owe Amy big time!

Tonight, I'm heading back downtown to go to Women Of Faith with some girls from church. It's all day Saturday as well. I hadn't originally planned to go, but Kim got such a good deal on tickets, I thought I'd take advantage of that.

In tv land, I started watching Fringe, which got the lucky timeslot after House. Fringe is right up the X-Files alley, if you dug that, you'll probably like it too. I'm happy House has returned, since Psych & Burn Notice are done their run until January.

I'll close with a quote from this week's House premiere.

Thirteen: This is Dr. House. He's too brilliant for introductions.

For Papa

Making my family listen to some Motown in honor of Papa's birthday. He would have been 58 today.

September

Fall is certainly here. We have cooler weather, which is a relief after a hot summer. Elijah is in preschool two mornings a week, and he seems to enjoy it.

Geoff is off this weekend helping his buddy run a 100 mile race. I hope it doesn't inspire him to take on such a crazy adventure.

I don't have much going on. I'm trying to get my health on track, as well as make time to work out, and read. My Beth Moore study for the fall does not yet have a start date, but I am going to Women Of Faith in two weeks. Our group got so tight this summer, we are almost desperate to stay in touch with each other. It's awesome. As my friend Amy said, it's better than a sorority.

Elijah has made me watch Madagascar twice in the last 12 hours. So I'll close with a quote from that.

Marty the Zebra: Alex, do not interrupt me when I'm daydreaming. If a zebra's in the zone, leave him alone.

Really?

New bakery shop in Boulder

August is nearly over, can you believe it? My mom's visit went great. We drove up to Estes Park, in the pouring rain, and shopped, ate & took in the views. Mom loved it. We then retreated to Boulder for dinner and spent the night there. Sunday morning, we discovered a brand new bakery, bought some pastries then took them to Peet's to get coffee/tea. Did some more shopping, then headed home to go see Mamma Mia! at the movie theater at Southlands.

Things at church are complicated, but we're staying put. Finally all the rumors were addresses, and I'm happy that it is out in the open. I plan to attend the church meeting tomorrow night, and I pray the church continues to keep people in the loop.

Elijah started preschool, and he seems to like it. I love it! I get 2+ hours of quiet time with Miles, without Elijah filling every second with sound. I've met a few of the parents, and I hope I can get in and volunteer soon. Get the inside scoop on how Elijah spends his morning.

I've been super slack on my fitness. I'm getting distracted by life, and I'm not happy with the results that yields. I think what would be best for me is to put together a training plan for the 4 mile Turkey Trot (Thanksgiving Day). And I badly want to get back up on the wall.

We watched 21 the other night. Pretty enjoyable, but it gave me a case of Vegas fever. Sigh. I have to hope it passes, since a trip to Vegas is not going to happen.

My bible study is ending this week, so I have to wait and see when the fall one starts. It was a great experience this summer, growing closer to other women, sharing in our battles, and holding each other up in prayer.

Yes, the democrats are in town, and some of their Hollywood friends. I live in the 'burbs, so I'm not exactly bumping into Ben Affleck at Safeway. I would like to go downtown this week, enjoy the sun, try and spot a celeb. We'll see.

I'll close with a quote from 21.

Ben Campbell: So why are you telling me?
Micky Rosa: Well, let's just say a spot opened up on our roster.
Ben Campbell: How?
Micky Rosa: Jimmy got a job at Google.
Ben Campbell: Jim... Jimmy got a job at Google?
Micky Rosa: Yeah, it's catchy, I know.
Ben Campbell: Well, if you're making so much money at this then why did he take it?
Micky Rosa: Ben, I said Google, not Sizzler.

State Of Confusion

I feel like I'm on the outside of a whirlwind, watching things swirl before me, and I'm trying to make sense of it. Let me assure you, I'm okay, there is just a flurry of oddness, and I am not in it but on the outside.

My 2nd dr appt turned out alright, I have one more, and I really hope I can get some answers. So far as anyone can tell, everything looks normal. The question remains, why is my body acting so weird.

A friend of mine is going through a hard time, and while I have no details, my heart is breaking for her. I can only pray God brings her through this so much stronger than before, and that he will protect her & her family. When I saw her the other day, I thought I might cry, because I felt like I could feel her sadness, just by hugging her.

The exodus from our church continues, and I am not ready to jump ship along with them yet. But it makes me sad. While Creekside has never been what Woodbridge was to me, Creekside has still been a blessing. I just want to see my church thrive.

As summer draws to a close, I hope we can get out one more time and explore someplace new in Colorado. This weekend, I will be jaunting off with my mom (in town for a few days) to Estes Park & Boulder, leaving the boys behind. We have no plans for Labor Day weekend, so I'm on a mission to find something.

I wanna say, remaking Ghostbusters (which is already a flippin' awesome movie) is a bad idea! Especially when you throw in crappy actors. I just shake my head.

I'm going to close with a quote from Futurama, where we got our nicknames for the boys, Wingus & Dingus.

Brannigan: "Leela! My sweet. I've come to save you! I have a devious plan."
Leela: "Oh, great... Captain Moron has a plan. Why don't you tell it to Wingus and Dingus here?"
Brannigan: *turns to Bender & Fry* "Wingus, Dingus, listen up. We're going to give the aliens the ol' switcheroo."
Fry: "You mean..."
Brannigan: "Correct! I've found a giant hideous ape that looks exactly like Leela."

Mild Disappointments

1. My dr appt did not end in resolving my issue, rather it has spurned on two more appts. I'm not concerned, it will get fixed soon enough I'm sure. It's just the inconvenience of more appts.

2. Denver Botanical Gardens at Chatfield. I thought it looked promising when we drove up, but it paled to the Gardens in downtown. It was like going to visit an open field, there were virtually no flowers, just a lot of buildings you couldn't enter (used for events). And the mosquitos were awful! Thank God it was free, because I doubt I'd go again. (The few pictures I took are on Shutterfly, under 2008 Out & About)

3. No Country For Old Men. While I thought it was filmed very well, the lack of character growth, and no resolution at the end, left me puzzled as to why the actors garnered Oscar nominations. Not to say Javier Bardem isn't a good actor, but to play a psychopath for 2 hours, and not see the character grow or change, didn't seem all that challenging to me. What do I know?

That's about sums up my Thurs, Fri & Sat. We're finally going to drop out of the 90 degree weather tomorrow. Oh how I wish it would rain, our lawn looks so sad. This week, I have another dr appt, and hopefully we'll be going out to Lakewood to see Chad & Khara. Throw in there some playdates, some trips to the gym, and hopefully reading some books. That's my week. What's yours look like?

I'll close with a quote from Two Weeks Notice.

Lucy Kelson: What did I tell you that defines an emergency?
George Wade: A large meteoroid, severe blood loss and uh... what was the other thing?
Lucy Kelson: Death! And you're not dead!

Scattered

I thought I should write, even though I have no real idea what to say.

Summer is going alright. In a few weeks, my mom will be come out here for her birthday. We're going away for the weekend, then she'll see the boys for a day and some before heading home. Before she gets here, Chris & Ashley get here for a visit. I'm really hoping to get some alone time with them, but I'm unsure what they're plans look like. Plus, I know we will pale in comparison to little Genevieve. I just need to show Ashley this is where they want to live! :)

The kids and I are heading to the Botanical Gardens at Chatfield on Friday. I hope we can get some cloud cover, so it won't be too hot. Colorado hasn't had enough rain yet this year, and we're breaking the record for most consecutive 90+ degree days.

Do you know how disappointing it is to anticipate a movie, and be let down? I had moderate hopes for The Ex, because the cast is so awesome, and even with moderate expectations, I was left feeling I wasted 90 minutes. I am going into my next movie rental with moderate expectations as well, since the back cover does not describe the book I read at all! What book/movie? Breakfast At Tiffany's. I hope to be proven wrong.

My Beth Moore study is still going well, very insightful. I'll end up missing tomorrow's meeting because I have a much needed doctor appt. I'm sure I'm fine, I just need to get an issue resolved.

I'm going to close with a quote from Arrested Development (the movie is due out next year!).

Michael: The only thing I found in the refrigerator was a dead dove in a bag.
Gob: You didnt eat that dove, did you? I only have 6 days to return it.

July-August Birthdays

Here are the special people this summer...

Birthday wishes for Trina, Ali, Jen, Sharon, Kristy, Cate, Erik, my mom & Amy. Hope you all have awesome birthdays.

Summertime

Man, it is hot! Allergies have been plaguing half the family, so we've given up on opening windows and live in the joy of A/C.

Last week, darling Lexi watched our two little angels (well, they were angels for her) and we went out to dinner & a movie. I know what you are thinking? What?! The Armstrongs already saw a movie this year. That's right! Now we've seen two! We had a lovely dinner at La Creperie Cafe (where the portions were too big for me!), and then enjoyed Hancock.

Today I took the boys to the Denver Botanical Garden near downtown, and it was beautiful. The boys were happy to run around, but with the heat & crowds, we only stayed an hour. I'm hoping this summer to get out to their Botanical Gardens at Chatfield, and also enjoy an afternoon exploring Chatfield State Park (make some use of that park pass)

In tv news, I'm hugely disappointed to learn that Tom & Katie Scientologist are doing a guest spot on Eli Stone next season. Sigh, what can you do? I also missed out on seeing Top Chef come to Denver on the weekend. I had all intentions of crashing it, but it would have been impossible, since it was held in an trailer, and seats were limited to 40. According to the paper, the two chefs present were Antonia & Ryan from this season. That would have been cool, as I liked them on the show.

As you guessed, I am thrilled that Flight Of The Conchords was recognized by the Emmys this year. Their second season airs on HBO in January. I don't get HBO, I'll have to wither wait until it is released on DVD, or I could consider buying the episodes on iTunes.

I'm closing with a quote from The American President (Lexi, this one is for you)

Lewis Rothschild: I tell any girl I'm going out with to assume that all plans are soft until she receives confirmation from me thirty minutes beforehand.
Robin McCall: And they find this romantic?
Lewis Rothschild: Well, I say it with a great deal of charm.

Widget Widget

I don't know if you know how much I like to have iGoogle for my start page on my computer. I log on, and now I have a page that gives me weather, news and wiki-how- to's. It got even better when sister Amy launched A Nickel A Day, a glimpse into Amy's thoughts, updated every few days. Inspired by this, I started an Age Of Melissius widget. So much shorter than a blog, it's easy to share a thought with whomever adds it to their iGoogle start page.

If you have iGoogle (it's free), and want to add me, let me know, I'll send you my link. If you don't have a fun start page, rather you open up online and see MSN or something dumb, get iGoogle. You can adapt it to what you want to see.

Armstrong Camping Trip

Sunday afternoon we left to go camping at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, about a 75 minute drive from our place. Once we left our neighborhood, it started to rain, and continued off and on until we reached our campsite (J-91). The rain fell until we had the tarp and tent set up, then let off for a spell. This was not only our first camping trip with the kids, but our first alone. We've always camped with others, be it Geoff's parents, or friends from CA (shout out to Eseras & Pursleys...we missed you!) We've spent the last few years collecting camp gear in preparation for this trip. We had nearly everything we could need by the time we left, and after the first day, I was wishing I had packed more clothes! It rained off and on the whole trip, but we managed just fine.

We ate a lot of yummy food, and the boys spent a lot of time exploring the campsite and forest around us. They got dirty, they fell down a lot, they played with sticks and rocks. Sleeping in sleeping bags and tents was hard at first, but they loved to roll around and be silly inside our huge tent. Elijah (along with Mommy & Daddy) wants to go back and rent one of the yurts there. It's definitely a possibility.

Here's a list of things we did...
Geoff did a trail run
Miles tried to eat pinecones dipped in mud puddles
Elijah made shapes with sticks, and drew pictures in the dirt
I had a great nap in the tent on a rainy afternoon
We ate fajitas, steak, corn on the cob, and bison burgers

Because the campsite was so close, and we really did enjoy it up there, we bought a parks pass. It's good for a year, and I hope we can get back up there in the fall, though probably in a cabin or yurt, as I'm not sure all the sleeping bags we own could withstand colder temps than we faced.

Pictures are up on Shutterfly. I encourage all of you to get out and enjoy nature, if only for a day.

Yay! July!

I've been waiting for July to get here forever! Well, at least since June began. July means Kroliks are here to visit (all too short a time), Lexi is here most of the month, and most exciting is our first family camping trip!

Last night we had the Kroliks & Gustafsons over for dinner. I made the fun suggestion of shish kebabs (or kabobs) for dinner. I was happy it was successful. I think the full house is a little overwhelming for Miles. He's been having issues with big groups of people.

I am feeling good about the camping trip, if we can fit everything we want to bring inside Steve McQueen. The packing list is big,
but we aren't so far away from civilization that we can head into town if we need something. This camping trip comes with some nervousness, but the key will be letting go, and being flexible. I will try to take pictures, and I hope this will be a good time for everyone.

I must confess I stopped watching Wimbledon when Andy got knocked out. Add to that my favorite girl retired before the French Open (Henin), and it wasn't worth making an effort to watch. I do hope Federer wins today though. To get my fill of sports, we've been watching all of the Olympic Trials (swimming & track and field). I will know all their names come August. This does not mean I prefer Summer Olympics over Winter Olympics. I prefer Winter.

Alright, I have to eat breakfast, get on with my day. I'll close with a quote from Flight Of The Conchords (this one is for you Geoff).

Murray: Be careful with it. Don't stand next to any big magnets.
Jemaine: Why would I stand next to a big magnet?
Murray: I don't know what you do in your personal life.

Flight Of The Conchords

Love them! Frodo, Don't Wear The Ring.

Where Was June?

June is nearly over, and I barely blogged! What can I say, most of it wasn't blog worthy. But here's what was:

Genevieve Gustafson was born! Two days before her due date. And what a sweet little angel face! Everyone seems to be doing well, and I predict the Gustafsons summer will be filled with fun and people flocking to meet the little girl.

Bible study for the summer has begun. I am very excited about it, and left the first meeting feeling like my spirit had been renewed. This is another Beth Moore study, Breaking Free.

We had our good friends Chad & Khara over for dinner & wii on Saturday night. I miss them! And they just live on the other side of Denver from us. But driving an hour to each other's houses can be much. We're going over in August to see their house and meet their puppy. We also totally sold them on getting a wii. Bwa ha ha.

Camping plans have been solidified. I'm very excited. The only bummer is missing out on Krolik time while they are here in Colorado, since the dates overlap. We still need to buy a few things to make camping easier, write out a camping list, and plan our meals.

So that's all going on. Trying to stay cool, trying to keep kids amused, and trying to stay sane. I'm still finding time to read, so my brain isn't turning into mush.

I know I usually end with a movie/tv show quote, but I wanted to share with you a quote from Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential.

(Tony's opinion on garlic) Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don't deserve to eat garlic.

Summer

I feel like summer has been kicked off already. We had a lovely trip to Steamboat Springs, my race went well (see my training blog for more info), and the weather was perfect. Right our weather is sitting in the 70-80F range which is great. I'll be sad when it climbs higher, because then it's just too hot.

What have I been up to? Not much. I have summer bible study coming up soon, which I hope I will be able to do. Like everyone else, I'm waiting for baby Gustafson to arrive. I am anxious to know her name, and to see Kevin & Ali become parents. I also (selfishly) am anxious for Kroliks to come back to visit. :) Lexi is coming for a few weeks in July, and has graciously offered a few nights babysitting for us. July we will also go camping, for the first time in Colorado. I think we have our campground picked out, we just need to set the dates.

I need a haircut, badly. I've been putting it off for a long while (last haircut was August 2006), as I can't decide what I want to do with my hair. I think I better commit soon, after all, hair grows back.

I finally finished watching Twin Peaks. I had never seen the entire series, and I got the gold box edition for my birthday. Now I'm bummed because it's over, and I wanted to know my favorite characters go on to live a happy life. Sadly, this was not the case. Now I hope to plow through the disk of special features. On the plus side, this means I won't be watching it before bedtime, and giving myself nightmares. Come on, Bob is scary!

I blogged a few weeks ago about my passport expiring, and you'll be thrilled to know I got it in record time. Seriously, from mail date to Canada, to DHL delivering it to me, it was 10 days. Nice eh?

Now that my half marathon is over, I have my sights set on taking the rock climbing class at the Trails this summer. I might try and get a girlfriend to do it with me. I may never get out into nature and climb a rock or a mountain, but I do plan on using the wall at the gym for exercise.

I'm gonna close now with a quote from Big Daddy.

Nazo: I had a doll like that once but my cat bit his head off.
Julian: What kind of cat would do that?
Nazo: Are you calling me a liar?

May & June Birthdays

A little belated for some, a little early for others, but best birthday wishes go out to Karen, Cindy, Laurel, Brooke & Mike.

1001

Apparently this is my 1001st post. Whoo!

Here's a silly song to make you smile.

Bolder Boulder Pictures

Frank Shorter Statue decorated for the Bolder Boulder by...

Centennial State Pipes & Drums. We stand by them every year.

Daddy's fans

Geoff, out in front (blue shirt, blue hat), he ran faster than I was ready for

Still Plugging Along

Um, I don't know what to say. I'm not mad at you, I just haven't had much to write. :)

But this blog must serve some purpose, because my friend Khara has been reading, and as a result, we're hoping to meet up in Boulder to cheer for our hubbies on Memorial day (Bolder Boulder!).

In my free time, I'm playing Mario Kart. Productive? Not really. But it amuses me. I've also manage to keep up with reading one book a month, though this month was pretty cheap, I read a very short book. Maybe I ought to squeeze in another short one.

Bible study has wrapped up, and I indicated my interest in doing another one. It keeps me in the Word, so it's a good thing.

Last week, I was going through something. It's hard to explain, but I got it out to a few people, but I don't quite think I dealt with it fully. It was about my hopes & dreams, and my self esteem. Another part of it was about allowing myself to be vulnerable to people who will likely hurt me. And my unwillingness to go through that. Geoff pointed out, I was not created to close myself off, to which I agreed. I do enjoy relationships that grow, but I don't think I can open myself up to hurt. Maybe I need to give people the benefit of the doubt. Even if they do hurt me, in the end perhaps what I shared, will impact them in the future.

Okay, next topic. My passport is about to expire. Oops. That'll show you how long it's been since I used it. I am not adverse to traveling to the Great White North, I'm just picky about where I want to go and who I want to see. :) As I tell all my Canadian friends & family, we'll see what happens. No trips have a departure date, but there are a few cities on my list. If I had money, right now, I'd be in the beach house in Laguna Beach. Sigh, a girl can dream.

Well, dinner isn't going to make itself (it can, it just won't today). I'll close with a quote from Titus (I just got the whole series!)

Christopher Titus: A lie is a lie... unless your friends and family are in on it. Then it's a "commonly held belief."

Hee hee

I'm teasing, I love when my friends have blogs. :)

Sloth

I was pretty lazy while Geoff was away on the weekend. I didn't do much more than play Mario Kart, watch a ton of this seasons episodes of Lost, and read a ton of stuff on Lostpedia.com. Meanwhile, he traveled to Kingston to see his beautiful cousin Karen get married to a very nice guy named CJ.


The bride


The family, minus me, the kids & Meg's husband

He was grateful to have the time to talk to family he hasn't seen in a while. Heck, he hasn't seen his sister since 2005!

Mother's Day I picked Geoff up at the airport, and we walked around Southlands. Must be spring/summer because the fountains were on. Elijah drenched himself, he was so happy. We ended up getting Jim 'N Nick's take out for dinner and then relaxing at home.

This week, I have my last Beth Moore meeting, and it will be our potluck. I'm going to make a pound cake. I may sign up for the summer study, depending on if I can work it into my schedule (i.e.- depends on the childcare situation).

Race day is in 20 days. Maybe you've been reading along with my training journal. I'm not sure what will become of it after I'm done my race. Time will tell.

I'm going to close with a quote from Burn Notice (new episodes start July 10th!)

Michael: You can learn good self-defense fighting with students in a class, but great self-defense you pick up fighting with your family.

Delayed

Manitou Springs, CO
I would blog more often if I had the time away from "Mommy. Mommy. Whatcha doing? Mommy"

Our weekend in Manitou Springs was good. A strange town, certainly wouldn't want to live there. Friday afternoon, we got in and settled in at our motel. It was one block away from the start of all the shops on the main street. While the motel was older, it did have two rooms, so the boys were in one room and we could close the door and sleep in our room. I needed to eat quickly to get into Colorado Springs before Beth Moore started, so we didn't stay in the room long. We tried 3 restaurants (2 were closed, one was a bar) before we settled on Marilyn's House Of Fine Pizza. It was alright, the place was plastered with pictures of Marilyn Monroe. I ducked out early to drive into Colorado Springs. Before I hit the 24 (freeway), six deer bounding in front of the car, trying to cross the freeway. Two of them decided not to continue past the median, and stopped traffic. This amused me, as it did not affect me. The drive in went okay, I missed my turn, had to turn around and go back. Then the traffic was awful trying to get to the arena. At 7pm (when it started), I was still trying to get into the parking lot. I eventually got in, and 10 minutes later was able to call Cindy & Ali to find out where they were (because I didn't understand the directions. At this point it was about 7:20pm. It was a good session, the music brought me to tears, and I was looking forward to going back in the morning, not looking forward to driving back to Manitou. I got lost (I have a horrible sense of direction. Trina, you have nothing on me!), but I did find my way home around 10pm.

I slept like crap, my mind was racing, and I was cold. Geoff drove me into CS, I was happy to get there early. The sessions again were awesome. During the break, I connected with Erik to plan our lunch date. Once the second session was over, I headed out to meet Geoff and we drove towards Erik's side of town. We decided to eat at Thai Basil (Geoff's choice). The food was alright, but Miles was not happy to be there. Then we went to Maggie Moo's for ice cream. We parted ways with Erik, and we hope we'll see him & Becky come up to Aurora for a visit. Since Miles had napped in the morning, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking the main street in Manitou. Some shops had signs that pretty much said no children welcome. We didn't go in those stores, nor could we go in many stores since we had the double joggy stroller. Elijah bought himself a souvenir from the rock shop (which he lost in an hour. I tried to find it, it was gone). I was thisclose to buying myself something at the British import store (they had Irn-Bru!). I did buy Geoff's sister Meghan something at Mona Lisa's Italian Ice. (You're wondering what it is aren't you? I don't want to ruin the surprise in case she reads this. Needless to say, it was perfect, and HAD to be bought). That store was owned by a very nice woman who was thrilled to talk to another Canadian (she was from Revelstoke, B.C., but went to college in Calgary) Then we headed to the park to let Elijah show me around. Next to the park was a Moroccan restaurant Geoff wanted to try for dinner, but it wasn't a good fit for us. So I got to pick the dinner spot, on a recommendation from someone I met at Beth Moore. The Mason Jar offers yummy comfort food, the kind of food Melissa loves! I had one of my favorites, chicken fried steak and for dessert, homemade coffee ice cream. (Yes, I had ice cream twice in one day, but this was way better than Maggie Moo's.)

I was so tired, I went to bed at 8pm. We all slept until 7am. Nice! Geoff was anxious to take me to the breakfast place he found Saturday morning, The Spice Of Life. I had the very delicious cinnamon french toast. I love french toast! Following breakfast we went back to the motel to pack up and go running at Garden of the Gods. It was the perfect day to be outside. Geoff took pictures while he ran with the kids in the joggy stroller, and then we took one family picture before we headed home. (All pictures are up on Shutterfly)

Erik said Manitou Springs is referred to as Colorado Springs' liberal sister. It does have a different feel, but the charm we sought, I'd say we found. Perhaps on the next visit, we will let the kids play at the big penny arcade. In the summer, you can take a cup around town and taste all of the springs (though I was warned some don't taste so great)

Well, that was our weekend away. I need to grab a quick cat nap on the couch before the rugrats awaken.

Do You Manitou?

This weekend we're going to Manitou Springs. Whoo! I know I said earlier that Steamboat would be the kickoff to exploring Colorado, but change of plans. I am going to Colorado Springs to hear Beth Moore speak on Friday night/Saturday morning. I'm very excited, I love Beth Moore. I suggested the boys come down and we could check out Colorado Springs. And then Geoff suggested we see Manitou Springs, which is close by. From what I've heard, Manitou Springs is a quaint little town, so it should be right up our alley. Since I still have to train, we'll probably try to run at Garden Of The Gods. If all goes to plan, we'll even get to see Erik in Colorado Springs Saturday.

Last night, Jake (in town to help Kevin finish the basement) came over with Kevin and made fresh keilbasa. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it was tasty. 3 1/2 lbs of pork, and there were hardly any leftovers. It was awesome to get time to see him before he flew home this morning. I tell ya, Kevin & Ali having a baby was just the thing to get Kroliks out here regularly. :)

So not much is really going on. We have Manitou this weekend, then Geoff goes to his cousin Karen's wedding next weekend (yep, he's missing Mother's Day, no biggie). We couldn't all afford to go, and he takes with him all of our love and blessings. It'll be a wonderful wedding I'm sure. At month's end Geoff runs the Bolder Boulder, then we're off to Steamboat Springs. Maybe we ought to explore all the Springs towns this summer. :) I'm all over trying to get out to Glenwood Springs...

In tv world House returns tonight. Sweet! And Lost is on fire! It's good tv watching. Plus I have Top Chef. Hopefully I'll be sustained until Psych & Burn Notice come back this summer.

Well, that's about it. Just doing the mommy/wife thing, my bible study, and training. Everyone is healthy and doing well. I'll close with a quote from one of Geoff's favorite movies, Toys.

Patrick Zevo: I can't even eat. The food keeps touching. I like military plates, I'm a military man, I want a military meal. I want my string beans to be quarantined! I like a little fortress around my mashed potatoes so the meatloaf doesn't invade my mashed potatoes and cause mixing in my plate! I HATE IT when food touches! I'm a military man, you understand that? And don't let your food touch either, please?

Sunday Morning Funny

Pop Goes My Heart

I was feeling pretty crummy, and then I watched Music & Lyrics, and it made me feel so much better. It tapped into my love of 80s music. I hope this video makes you smile.

Birthday Men

I thought this picture was cute, Kevin & Geoff celebrating their birthdays.

Phew!

Well, this last week has been full. The Kroliks arrived, we took in their dog Amber for a week, there was a lot of visiting, a lot of yummy food eaten, and many many laughs. I had a 12 hour stomach bug that threw off my training, the sisters and I surprised Ali with the baby shower we've been planning, and we celebrated 3 birthdays. I uploaded the pics on shutterfly.

So that's where I've been, not much time to get online and blog.

Now things are quieting down. I would love a day to just lay back and relax. I do need to book our lodging for the half marathon. Geoff says he wants to dub this summer as Summer In Colorado. Getting out and seeing the state. The kickoff will be Steamboat Springs. He is in charge of planning the camping trip.

We finally saw Evan Almighty (a few weeks ago), and it was pretty entertaining. So I'll close with a quote from that.

Evan: Do we have anything unleavened?
Joan: Yeah, we do. It's in the back, next to the frankincense and myrrh. We have a nifty name for it in this century. It's called pita.

April Birthdays

Wishing a great birthday to Doug, Alec, Geoff, and Kevin!

Things That Will Make A Day Better

A nice mochaccinno



Kids playing nicely together

Argh!

I feel like I have so much I want to write, but I lack the words to articulate what I'm feeling, or the point I want to get across. I also feel like I have a bunch of different topics, but no time to write them all separately, nor do I want one huge post.

First things. The baby Armstrong blogs are going private. I probably should have done that from the start, but anyways I'm doing it now. If you read them, if you want to read them, email me your address, and I'll put you on the list. Otherwise, you'll just get the info second hand (which maybe you do already).

Bible study is going well. All concerns I had from the get go are long gone, I've made some new friends, and most importantly, I've got focus. Two weeks ago, I got a great phrase that sums up an issue I have with some of my relationships. Truth Breeds Trust. She talked about how she has trust issues, and what you can do to gain trust. I felt like she grabbed out of my head my big problem with the superficial relationships in my life. If you can't/won't tell me truth, heck, if you can't/won't tell me anything at all, then we can't have a trustful loving relationship. How do you love someone, trust someone if they won't tell you truth? It was powerful, to me anyways.

I am annoyed with all the Olympic-boycott crap. I don't understand the IOC, I think they must be idiots. I'm not even a big fan of the summer Olympics (Winter Olympics are better IMHO), but is not watching them really going to make a difference? I don't think the athletes should be to blame for wanting to compete against the best in their fields. I put the blame solely on people who sell those dreams to the highest bidder. Seriously, let's hold the Olympics someplace where the athletes will struggle to breath fresh air, in a country with questionable ideas. Because they gave us a crap load of money.

I'm very excited that Jake, Cindy, Lexi, Alyssa, Alec & Abbie are coming next weekend. Yes, they are coming to see Kevin & Ali, but we get face time too! It feels like forever since I've seen them. It will be so nice to have family around, even if for a short while.

I'm gonna go rest the knees. I'll close with a quote from Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil.

Jim Williams: Sport, truth, like art, is in the eye of the beholder. You believe what you choose and I'll believe what I know.

Easter Pictures

Easter Lilies


Elijah & his Easter basket


Miles can't wait to eat his chocolate bunny

I'll get the rest of the pics on shutterfly very soon. I need to get some from Ali's camera from the dinner.

Date Night

Date night was AWESOME! The downsides being it was only one night, and Geoff was still getting over the flu.

We stayed at Magnolia Hotel in downtown Denver. We originally thought we'd explore downtown, but with Geoff's flu, and it being drunken debauchery weekend (A.K.A. St. Patty's Day Weekend), we didn't go out at night. The room was lovely...


Our room



The comfy bed



Naturally, a photo of a magnolia in the room



Me, all dolled up for our date (thanks for the dress Kelly!)

I made dinner reservations at Red Square Euro Bistro, a Russian/European restaurant. We enjoyed the dumplings for an appetizer, Geoff had the spinach & goat cheese ravioli and I had bacon wrapped chicken with goat cheese risotto. For dessert, a dark chocolate terrine. The place wasn't very big, but it was so quaint. A little hard to find if you don't know where to look. So it was perfect, off the beaten path, and by the time we left, it had filled up.

The big selling point of the Magnolia Hotel... complimentary milk & cookies before bedtime. They were excellent. Slept great in the king sized bed, until 8am! Then back downstairs for breakfast. Their club level (where the food is served) is lovely. I meant to take a picture, but I forgot. It was a lot of tables, some small booths (perfect to read a book in) and a waterfall. After breakfast we went to Peet's for morning coffee, and then we ran some errands before retrieving the boys. We assume Kevin & Ali did okay with the boys since they were in good spirits on Sunday morning, as were the boys. They are going to be great parents to their little baby girl.

I have other stuff I wanted to blog about, but it will have to wait for another time. I have errands to run, and kids who want attention.

Slacker

Sorry I haven't blogged for you dear readers, but I was occupied entertaining my mom while she came for a short visit. Geoff was away all week in Monterey, and I'd like to tell you he had a blast, but the week turned yucky for him when he got the flu. Hopefully the rest of us will not catch it upon his return. Or I'll be really mad!

Tomorrow night is date night, because even if Geoff is sick, we are not rescheduling. I hope to be able to blog about how awesome the hotel & restaurant are. Let the record show that I am breaking out of my comfort box, and going someplace I probably wouldn't have tried before.

So now that the writers are back, new episodes will return end of April. Lost you're gonna kill me! I think after next week's episode I'll go crazy without knowing what's next. I guess I'll have to watch the episodes I have on the DVR to get me through. Or I'll try to get the old seasons from the library.

I'll close with a quote from last week's episode.

Jack: You people have therapists?
Juliet: It's very stressful being an Other, Jack

Happy 3rd Birthday Elijah!

Happy Birthday buddy, we love you!

Still Here

I'm still here, I'm just too busy to blog. Funny thing is when I am running endless laps at the gym, I'm thinking about emails I need to send, or blog stuff I want to write. I think about the unresolved issues I have with people, and pray for resolve to be the bigger better person and make an effort with them. Then I get that non-Jesus thought that says, why bother, it hasn't made a difference before, why would it now? So as you can see, I am far from perfect, and I don't claim to be.

Yes, I am busy being Mommy, and training. I am on top of my bible study homework, and on top of blogging about my training.

We had birthday cake for the boys on the weekend, and I finally got those pics up on Shutterfly. When Elijah opens his gifts, those pics will go up too.

Also on the weekend we were finally able to see Bourne Ultimatum (which I got back in January). You want a good action flick, you watch a Bourne movie.

Date Night is back on! Thankfully we were able to get to Kevin & Ali before March filled up. Elijah is so excited about sleeping over there. It'll be an adventure I'm sure.

I'll close with a quote from Bourne Ultimatum.

Noah Vosen: [in car, on cell phone] Perhaps we can arrange a meet.
Jason Bourne: Where are you now?
Noah Vosen: I'm sitting in my office.
Jason Bourne: I doubt that.
Noah Vosen: Why would you doubt that?
Jason Bourne: If you were in your office right now we'd be having this conversation face-to-face.

March Birthdays

Happy Birthday this month to Abbie, Elijah, Alyssa & Lisa. Have a great year!

I Don't Even Like Fruit...

But I thought this was funny. Thanks Cate!

You Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside. People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes. And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary. You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything! You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around. You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Happy 1st Birthday Miles!

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Stuff

My anniversary flowers

I spent Valentine's Day with a hot water bottle. How romantic! I wasn't feeling well until Saturday, so we waited to enjoy the sparkling wine I bought, and toasted our 11 years of marriage. Our plans for a big date this Saturday have been postponed until a later date, but we may still try to make our dinner reservation. I'll work on that today.

I did end up reading a book this month, and never did touch the other one I got. I may end up returning it, since I picked up a bunch of parenting books to read.

I do plan to watch the Oscars on Sunday night, though I haven't seen any of the movies nominated for big awards. I better start doing some research if I want to pick winners. The only one I'm sure should win, is the one movie I've seen...Ratatouille. Go Pixar!

I'll close with a quote from that. (*note to Sharon, you have a Remy doll, what do you mean you have rat stories?)

Linguini: Ratatouille. It's like a stew, right? Why do they call it that? If you're gonna name a food, you should give it a name that sounds delicious. Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like "rat" and "patootie." Rat-patootie, which does not sound delicious.

Happy Anniversary!

I never needed love like I need you
And I never lived for nobody, but I live for you
Oooh, babe, lost in love is what I feel when I'm with you

Maybe it's the way you touch me with the warmth of a sun
Maybe it's the way you smile, I come all undone
Oooh, babe, lost in love is that I feel when I'm with you

Baby, oh I get chills when I'm with you
Baby, my world stands still when I'm with you
When I'm with you

I never cared for nobody like I care for you
And I never wanted to share the things I want to share with you
Oooh, babe, lost in love is what I feel when I'm with you

Baby, oh I get chills when I'm with you
Baby, my world stands still when I'm with you
When I'm with you

Baby, oh I get chills when I'm with you
Baby, my world stands still when I'm with you
When I'm with you
When I'm with you
When I'm with you...

Love you Geoffrey!

Melissa's World

This is probably going to be scattered, so hold on.

I am busy with my training, which I feel like is taking over my life. It isn't, I'm just being dramatic. I started a bible study at church, which I've been wanting to do since Mom To Mom ended 2 years ago. And I'm 4 days into it, I'm behind on my homework, and I'm frustrated that the plans I had for it did not come together. Geoff (or Ali, I don't remember) said maybe God has His own plans for me & the study. So now I'm stuck wondering what to do next. I'm not sure how to let myself be open to where God wants to lead me. Does anyone else feel this way too?

Onto a happier thought, Geoff and I will be celebrating our 11th anniversary this week (Friday). But the real celebration won't be until next week, dinner and a night away from the kids! Sigh. It's hard to explain the joy & concern over leaving my boys for the night. We haven't been alone in 3 years! Anyways, we booked a hotel downtown, and we're going to do something I've wanted to do since we moved to Denver, which is take in Restaurant Week. I'm very excited.

Friday we got a DVR. Wahoo! It came in handy Friday night when I had a headache and wanted to go to bed early. Geoff recorded Psych for me, and I was able to watch it Saturday. And fast forward the commercials. Bwa-ha-ha.

I am trying to catch up on my blogging, I finally posted again on Elijah's blog, the first time since November. My plan is to combine the two boys blogs into one. I'm just lazy about setting up a template I like.

I'm going to close with a quote from Jaws, since Roy Scheider just passed. Jaws is a classic for a reason folks, it's a great movie.

Quint: Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'.

A Good Cause

This message is geared towards my Canadian friends...

Laurel (my best bud Lisa's daughter) signed up to dye her hair pink and shave it on Valentine's Day. She's doing it to raise money for the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton. I would ask that you consider throwing some money at this cause. This girl has a very compassionate heart for an 8 year old. I mean, would you do all this at age 8? Or even age 30?

Donate Here!

If you are unable, at least leave a message of encouragement here for her, and Lisa will be sure to pass it along. Way to go Laurel!

February Birthdays

Birthday wishes go out to Athena, Chris S, Chris N, Lexi, Jake, Stephanie and of course Miles. Have a great year!

Misc Thoughts

Aren't these boys getting tall?

Yes, it's true. I started a training blog for my half marathon. I've had it since August. I figured no one would be interested, so I didn't really make a public announcement. But thanks to those giving me encouragement. Race Day is June 1. It's closer than I think. 123 days to be exact.

I kinda feel bad for my Canadian family & friends. Weather there has been -48 C (that's with wind chill). That would be -54 F. Yuck-ville. I am so very, very happy I don't have to deal with that crap anymore. :)

This month, I read two books. I'm kind of a fast reader (if it's good), so it's not super impressive. But I'd like to try and read at least one new book a month. I already have two books waiting for me at the library, so that will cover February.

I have not yet watched all my movies from my birthday, but the one I did, was called Starter For 10. You probably didn't hear about it, but I think it's worth checking out. Especially if you love 80s music. The lead actor, James McAvoy, seems to be quite the rising star. I may have to check out more of his work. He just did Last King Of Scotland, Becoming Jane, Atonement, and next up is a movie with Angelina Jolie.

I suppose I'll close with a quote from Starter For 10.

Brian Jackson: Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be clever. Some people are born clever, same way some people are born beautiful. I'm not one of those people.

My Trip To Washington, D.C.

If you don't wanna read, and think a picture is worth a thousand words, the pics are up on shutterfly.

Last Friday, I left chilly Denver for chilly Washington, D.C.. Had no real issues with my travel, though my connection in Atlanta was tighter than I would have liked. Arrived safely, called Kelly to arrange a meeting place, and in no time, I was being escorted to her place. I loved that you could see the Washington Monument from almost everywhere. Enjoyed a lovely dinner when we got home, and we watched Shoot 'Em Up and Psych. Once I kicked Wimsey out of my room, I slept okay.

Saturday morning, Kelly & I got out around 11am and headed for the Air & Space Museum. My first choice museum at The Mall was closed, the American History Museum, but a few of the artifacts were being housed at Air & Space. The big thing I wanted to see was Dorothy's ruby red slippers, and they were taken out for filming. :( But I did see Abe Lincoln's hat, and some items from television and music. I figured I should see at least one thing in the Air & Space, so we checked out the Wright Brothers exhibit. Saw the famous plane, only the fabric has been altered, everything else is original.

We had lunch next door at the Native American Museum, where lunch was okay. Next we headed towards the Natural History Museum. We did a quick tour of the Sculpture Garden, before we went inside. We went right for the 2nd floor to get a look at the Hope Diamond. Cursed or not. I'd totally own that! We looked at the Harry Winston collection, and hit the gift shop. Last stop was the Smithsonian Castle. Inside was the crypt of James Smithson, as well as artifacts representing all the museums.

We went home to relax for a bit, then departed for Gallery Place, where I wanted to see the Presidential Portrait Gallery. Lots of great pictures there, learned some history and then sought out the Stephen Colbert Portrait. It was just where I heard it was, in the bathroom hallway. There was a line of people to see and laugh at it. I was glad I saw it, since it's only there temporarily. We hit the gift store before it closed, and then crossed the street to have dinner at Clyde's.

Rachael Ray visited Clyde's (in Georgetown) on $40 A Day, and said it was good. And the food was, it was excellent. The service, on the other hand... I spoke to a manager, and ended up getting our desserts for free. It was disappointing. On the way home, Kelly drove me by the Watergate. All The President's Men is one of my favorite movies. We brought home some dessert for Roman, then played some Scrabble, drank champagne, and watched british shows on PBS.

Sunday morning, we headed to the White House. I really, really wanted to do the tour, but you have to be a group of ten, and book in advance. I'll probably have to wait until the kids go in school and be a chaperone. But the grounds looked nice. We checked out the White House Information Center (a few blocks away), and it was really neat to read about the history of the Presidents' pets. The wind was really blowing, and I regretted not having my scarf, Kelly regretted not having her hat. We drove home to grab them, picked up Roman and the three of us went out to lunch. We went to Lauriol Plaza and I wish I would have ordered Kelly's lunch, because it was way tastier than mine. I saw a few more neighborhoods, and then we headed home. Kelly & I played a game called Booktastic, which is more fun than you'd think. You have to collect books and whomever has the most money and valuable books wins. I swear, it's fun.

For dinner, Kelly & I went to Five Guys, for awesome burgers & fries. I'm excited to learn they are opening one in Aurora soon. Sweet! For dessert, we went to Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe. When I read my Washington, D.C. book, I said to myself I have to go to this place. It's a book store in the front, a cafe in the back. Then Kelly said she loved that place, so it was a must-do. It was very hard to not buy a ton of books. What I should have done is write down all the books I saw that I wanted to read. Anyway, we enjoyed some tea and dessert, and then headed home.

Monday morning, I got up at 7am, had some cereal & tea then took the bus to the Lincoln Memorial. To get there, I had to walk past the Vietnam Memorial, which really made me sad. It's such a big wall, with 58,000 names of soldiers who died. To see so many names, it puts it in perspective. At the Lincoln Memorial, a few high school groups were there, so it was not as quiet as I would have liked. But it was pretty cool to see. I sort of tried to take in the view from there, seeing the Potomac, the reflecting pool, the Washington Monument. I stood on the spot where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, and on MLK day even. I walked along the tree groves beside the reflecting pond, and I was all alone. A runner would go by, a plane overhead, but otherwise silence. Just me & the winter chill. It lead me to the WWII Monument. I walked around there, then crossed the road to the Washington Monument. After seeing this obelisk from everywhere, I was finally right beside it. There must have been at least 300 high school kids waiting in line to go to the top, and I didn't have time to get in line. I continued on, heading for the Smithsonian Castle, to pick up my last souvenirs. I hopped on the Metro there, which dropped me downtown, and then took the bus back to Kelly & Roman's. I had packed the night before, so I just hung out until it was time to go.

Kelly drove me to the airport for my 2pm flight, and we passed by Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. Then we had to say our goodbyes. Security searched through my bag, but didn't find what they thought they saw on the scan (something that looked like a jar?) I had to connect in Cincinnati, so I called Geoff to passed the time.

My boys met me at the airport, and we had Jim 'N Nick's for dinner. It was good to be home, but I sure miss Kelly. I wish we lived closer, and I can not wait to go back to D.C. I want to go with Geoff, and we can bring the kids when they are older.

Did you get through all that? Sorry, I really did try to pack in as much of D.C. as I could.

Home

Me, in front of the Smithsonian Castle

I am home safe and sound. When the kids nap, I will upload the pics and try to write a recap.

I had a wonderful time, and can not wait to go back with Geoff. It's was so nice of K & R to put me up and take good care of me.

Awesome

I'm having an awesome time in D.C., I just wish I could be here longer. Yes, I miss Geoff, Elijah & Miles, but this city is so big, and there isn't enough time. The boys will have to be much bigger when we bring them. There is a lot of walking to see the sights, so most of my pictures will be from a distance. :) I saw that you can rent segways to see the city, so I suppose that's an option too. Do they come with sidecars for your kids?

Getting ready now to head towards the White House, then lunch in Dupont Circle. I've eaten a lot of great food here, both home-cooked and out and about. And I did take pics of that.

Sorry, you'll have to wait until I get home to see all my pics. Pray for safe travel for me tomorrow.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Tomorrow morning, I'll be departing for the east coast,specifically Washington, D.C., to visit my dearest cousin Kelly. I'm super excited, and feeling sad/guilty about leaving Geoff home with the boys. But we will all go as a family someday in the future.

I hope to take a ton of pictures, and I hope to stay warm. The weather is expected to be as warm there as it is here, with the high temps being in the 30s. Yuck. But I'll be so busy running around I'm sure I'll stay warm. Sadly, I won't be able to tour the White House, but I'm gonna try to visit the gift shop.

I'll close with a quote from The American President.

Leon Kodak: You see, the country has mood swings.
Lewis Rothschild: Mood swings? Nineteen post-graduate degrees in mathematics, and your best explanation for going from a 63 to a 46 percent approval rating in five weeks is mood swings?
Leon Kodak: Well, I could explain it better, but I'd need charts, and graphs, and an easel.

Super Villain

Thanks Brody!

Your results:
You are Mystique

Mystique 58% Dark Phoenix 54% Magneto 54% Apocalypse 52% Catwoman 52% Riddler 49% Poison Ivy 46% The Joker 46% Dr. Doom 45% Juggernaut 38% Two-Face 38% Lex Luthor 37% Venom 35% Mr. Freeze 30% Green Goblin 26% Kingpin 25%

Sometimes motherly, sometimes a beautiful companion, but most of the time a deceiving vixen.

Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Ketchup

So I'm 31 now. Yesterday was my birthday (thank you for the well wishes). It was a pretty good day. Had free birthday drink at Caribou (I had a mocha), then I went to Noodles & Co for my free birthday lunch (had beef stroganoff, excellent!). Got in a nap, and we went to Fatburger for dinner. My cold is going away, I'm left with a yucky cough, but I feel functional, so that's what is important. The boys, all 3 of them, are still sick.

Got some movies for my birthday. From my in-laws Twin Peaks Gold Box Set (Yeehaw!), and from Geoff and the boys Batman Begins, Spiderman 3 & Bourne Ultimatum. The last two I have not yet seen, which is cool. This means I'm practically caught up on all the trilogies I didn't see last year. We borrowed Santa Clause 3 from Kevin & Ali, mostly because we wanted to see Jake & Alec's extra debut, and also because we like the series. Very cute, and in the spirit of the first two movies. I'm practically caught up on my movies now.

We tried to throw a Christmas party in December, but the timing didn't work, so we're having it today. We decided back then not to make it holiday themed, rather winter themed, thus moving it didn't change anything. The funny thing is Geoff's running buddy is a vegan, and I'm a carnivore (hardly an omnivore at all). The table will have to be divided into two factions. :)

I guess all that is left is to close with a quote from PCU.

President Garcia-Thompson: You passed out cigarettes for a smoke-a-thon on Earth Day. You installed speed bumps on the handicapped ramps and, most recently, you dumped 100 pounds of... MEAT on a peaceful vegan protest!
Droz: Oh, come on! That was way more than 100 pounds.

January Birthdays

The best month for birthdays! Have a great year... Ashley, Diane, Gwen, Meghan, Jeramy, Roman, Glen, and of course ME!

Sigh

Well the rush of Christmas is over, the houseguests have gone, and I feel like I haven't stopped cleaning in days!

Christmas Eve's bread project went over well. I had an abundance of food (fishes & loves miracle if I ever saw one), and I heard several compliments. Elijah enjoyed the music, so I think he's ready to check out KidStuf at church. It's a family service with singing and dancing.

Christmas was a blast. Santa brought us a Wii, which everyone enjoyed. Grampy left wanting to get one fro their place! The boys got so many toys (please, none for their birthdays!!!), and we've eaten so much yummy food and treats. Thankfully I've only put on a few pounds, so once I get back to the gym, I'll be okay. Pictures are up on shutterfly, under Holidays 2007.

We had plans to take Grampy to Boulder, as he's never been, but the snow we got last week cancelled that. We'd have to take 2 cars there, and Gary doesn't do so great with snow (he's a summer car). Maybe next visit. We mostly hung out around here, and played Wii, and more Wii.

The plan for New Year's Eve is the same as always, try and stay awake! New Year's day we'll have a ham dinner and possibly have Kevin & Ali over.

I've finally seen some movies I have wanted to see all year, thanks to Christmas gifts. Ratatouille and Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End. Both very enjoyable.

I'll close with a quote from Ratatouille.

Larousse: Oh, look who it is! Alfredo Linguini! His mother's an old flame of Gusteau's.
Skinner: Ah, yes. How is Renata?
Linguini: She's good... well, not good, she's been better. She's, uh... she's -...
Horst: She died.
Skinner: Oh, I'm sorry
Linguini: Oh, no, don't be. She believed in Heaven, so she's covered... after-life speaking.

Merry Christmas!

Elijah, Daddy, Grampy, Miles, Nana, Melissa & Honey Cat

Been very busy, but will try to blog again soon. Needless to say, this Christmas has been filled with abundant blessings, family, snow, and a Wii from Santa.

Christmas Quiz

Thanks Kristen! Hope my other online friends will do this too.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper & gift bags. I reuse gift bags from years past.

2. Real tree or artificial? We have one of each. I love the smell of a real tree in the house.

3. When do you put up the tree? The fake one goes up the first weekend in December. The real one maybe two weeks before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends on when the mood strikes me. Around New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog? No way Jose.

6. What about Fruitcake? Not a fan of fruit.

7. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my doll. I had this one doll, and she was as big as me. I'd pretend she was my little sister.

8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a few of them. I love them. Got one this year for the kids.

9. Hardest person to buy for? Grampy (my father-in-law)

10. Easiest person to buy for? Either my kids, or Dawn.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Oh, the infamous jar of mints.

12. Mail or email Christmas cards? I love mailing Christmas cards, and I like to get them out just after Thanksgiving.

13. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, Elf, and The Ref.

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas? In the summer.

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I should at some point.

16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Holiday M&M's

17. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, for sure.

18. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night (traditional) and Last Christmas (non-traditional)

19. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Stay home, but I sometimes miss the hustle of Christmas past going from one set of relatives to another (Uncle Kim's, the farm, Doug's)

20. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen.

21. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel (Insert my FIL saying "Santy Claus where do you want me to put the tree?")

22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We usually open one gift Christmas Eve, then the rest wait for the morning. Not sure we'll do that with the boys this year.

23. What is the one present you want most this year? Don't laugh... long underwear. Seriously.

24. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The greediness. "That's all I'm getting?"

25. What I love most about Christmas? The lights, the music, public celebrating of Christ's birth, the excitement the kids have. It's also the one time a year I can count on hearing hubby play his violin.

Waiting, And Waiting...

This is the longest month ever! I want it to be Christmas now! Thankfully the urge to shop is gone, mostly because everything has been wrapped, and I don't want to wrap anymore. Now I can be bothered by whether or not shipped gifts arrive on time.

We've had a little snow come in this week (Tuesday & Friday) , and we might get a little more on Friday. Nana & Grampy arrive Thursday night. So we're all looking forward to that.

Friday night Ali & Kevin came over. Ali needed a sous-chef for her Christmas baking project. No, not me, Geoff. Let me tell you, it was pretty hard to let her leave with that treat, especially since the whole house now smelled like it. Since I don't know if it's a surprise to her family, I won't say what it was publicly.

Oh, also on Friday night, we had Jim 'N Nick's. Let me say again how much they rock! Our loyalty there has never been more rewarded. We did drive-thru, and when we got home, we discovered part of our order was missing. We did check the bag before we drove off, but all we did was count the boxes. It was snowing, and we didn't really want to go back out in it. So I called them, thinking they'd offer to credit my credit card. Instead, they sent a chef to our door with the food, plus some extra food. And they kept apologizing. This company sure goes above & beyond let me tell you. I wish JNN were everywhere so you could all enjoy it.

Yesterday we went out to get a real tree, and wow it sure looks awesome.


Then we decorated it (more pics are on shutterfly). Eliajh pretty much hung all the ornaments I gave him on one little section of the tree. It's kind of cute. We have put a few presents that have come in the mail under the fake tree. Elijah has organized them by wrapping paper.

I'll close with a quote from Scrooged.

Props man: I can't get the antlers glued to this little guy. We tried Crazy Glue, but it don't work.
Frank Cross: Did you try staples?

Merry Christmas!

Thought I'd post the Armstrong Christmas letter online, in case you didn't get a hard copy (all you have to do is ask for one). I'm looking forward to reading my friends' letters now. :)

TGIF

Is it Christmas yet? How can an impatient woman teach her children to be patient for Christmas?

I have a few stocking stuffers to pick up, one Santa gift for a little boy, and I am done. But I can't buy that gift in the presence of his older brother, so I need to find time to get away and do it. It's at the really cool toy store in Cherry Creek North.

Took the boys to see Santa at Southlands (pic on Miles' blog). I love that my kids aren't the ones crying and screaming, so Santa is happy to have them come back anytime. And there was no line, which was even better.

The bread adventure for church is going okay. I'm not totally worried. But check with me next week.

Went to the dentist yesterday and Jane said my teeth look great. Yay!

I'm gonna close with a quote from Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.

Yukon Cornelius: Fog's as thick as peanut butter.
Hermey: You mean pea soup.
Yukon Cornelius: You eat what you like and I'll eat what I'll like.

Let's Eat

I am warning you up front, this post is about food. So if you are hungry, don't read it.

Last night Geoff and I went out to dinner while the boys spent time with Kevin & Ali. We opted for someplace new, so we went to Ted's Montana Grill. We thought it would be fancier than it was, nonetheless it was a very tasty meal. We both tried bison burgers. I would recommend Ted's to someone looking for a good meal.

A few weeks ago we were looking to get some lunch after shopping and tried Dickey's Barbeque. Now you all know how we love Jim 'N Nick's, so we thought maybe we ought to compare. Well, a bbq lunch is pretty good, but Dickey's had nothing on JNN. No comparison, JNN is far superior. We are happy to know our loyalty has not been in vain.

I've undertaken the task of trying to organize people to help bake bread for Creekside's Christmas Eve service. It's a big job, but I am feeling encouraged by the willingness of some of the bakers, and by the support of my friends and family. If I can do a small thing like this to make Christmas Eve special, then it makes me happy.

I'll close with a quote from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

The Grinch: Blast this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant.

Birthday Wishes (Belated & Current)

I in no way meant to slight the November birthdays, rather some of my favorite people have November birthdays. I just plum forgot.

November birthday wishes went out to Chad, Kelly, Dylan, & Dawn.

December birthday wishes are going out to Colin, Kirsty & Josh.

Hoping you have a great year.