When We Was Fab

I often look back on the early years of my marriage and wonder-how did we do all that? Where did I have the energy to work multiple jobs, spend time with my husband (going to school) and have the money to go out with our friends to dinner, movies and sporting events?

It almost seems like a different life to me. I had two jobs, I worked at a restaurant, and nights I would work at the sporting arena. We lived in a tiny bachelor suite, the only room that had a door was the bathroom. I worked, and Geoff went to university. Geoff worked summers at the university to pay for his schooling. We saw our families on the weekend, or during the week if my dad was taking us to the grocery store. We had no car, we either walked, took a bus/train or we bummed a ride from our friends.

Now we have a mortgage to pay for, kids to put into school, bills to pay. We hardly ever go out to dinner, movies or sporting events. We have few friends here that we actually hang out with.

I miss that old life. I am not so delusional to think that if we lived back home it would be different. We still would have bills to pay, but maybe we'd have those close friendships again. We're all married with kids now, though some in our circle of friends are not our friends anymore. People change, they grow apart.

But those days...I look back and think those were the days when we was fab.

Tomboy

I have lived most of my life being a tomboy. I got along better with boys, I liked playing with cars, and I liked roughhousing with my brother and dad. I had friends who were girls, but even then, none of them were girly girls.

At age 32, I don't wear makeup. I don't even own makeup. I've never really learned how to put it on. I remember when I was in 6th grade, I got makeup for my birthday (or Christmas). I piled on those greens and yellows all the way up to my eyebrows. I am ever so thankful there no pictures of that!

I have spent years trying to find my inner girly girl. I hate shoes. I only moderately like to shop. I don't watch shows like Desperate Housewives or Sex And The City.

I guess it's a blessing that I am raising two boys. I think I would have done okay with a girl, but I'm thankful I save a ton of money on clothes.

Lead Or Follow

I struggle with the fact that I want to be a leader, but without all the responsibilities.

I like to be in charge, but it scares me to be responsible for an end product.

I am frustrated when people don't work on the same timeline as I do. I get annoyed when people don't follow through. I hate having to check on people to make sure they are doing their job.

I like to communicate where things are at, and when I don't get that, it bothers me.

I guess that makes me a bit of a control freak. But being a control freak, I think that makes me a better follower.

I can take an idea and run with it. But rounding up people to help-making sure those people are committed- no thanks.

I don't think I could run my own company. I might grow to hate the boss.

Snow

Yes I am Canadian, but that does not mean I love snow. I don't hate snow. I have some found memories of playing in the snow.

My boys love snow! They get giddy when the flakes fly, they cry when the snow melts. I think Colorado weather is perfect for them. They get a taste for it, but they aren't saddled with it for 6 months of the year.*

With the snow we got on the weekend, the boys waited anxiously for it to be "snowman snow". Today, I got outside with them to assist with building Snowman Guy.



I'm okay if this winter we don't see a ton of snow. If I want snow, I'll go to the mountains.

*Canada doesn't really get 6 months of snow. But it feels like it.

Always Pack Light For A Guilt Trip

I love my grandparents, I do. I don't see them often because we live far away. I speak to them maybe once a year but send letters a few times a year.

When I called my mom on her cell this weekend, she was at my grandparents' home. "do you want to talk to them?" she asked.

"Uh, okay."

Conversation was pretty much about weather, and a brief overview of what's going on with us (The Christmas letter is going out soon, they'll have all the details).

Grandma closed the conversation with, "well, tell the boys we say hello, even though they don't know who we are".

Thanks for the guilt trip Grandma.

It's true, only Elijah, the almost 5 year old has met them. We haven't been to Canada in 4.5 years. Meaning there is family who haven't met Miles. And it is hard for my grandparents (in their eighties) to travel, particularly Grandpa who has been having health issues the last two years. But let's look at it from my perspective:

Cost of four plane tickets to Edmonton: $2500

That doesn't include a rental car, meals eaten out, or probable hotel accommodations because who has room for 4 extra people in their house?

Sure I feel badly that my kids don't know their extended family. But I can't spend my time feeling guilty about things I have no control over.

I know my Grandma doesn't mean it maliciously. I imagine getting older, you want to be surrounded by loved ones. To see the future generations and ponder what their futures will hold.

Just think how my brother feels. He lives near them and gets the same talk from Grandma.

Halfway Point

We are at the halfway point of NaBloPoMo. Is it getting easier? Heck no!

I have, in the past, been known to give up on things. Not because they are hard, but because by nature, I'm pretty lazy. In high school, I took law. I loved it, I excelled for the whole 3 weeks I took the class. Then I just stopped going.

I can admit it, I am lazy. I can go days without picking my clothes. I could waste a day eating nothing but junk food and watching tv.

Having two small children has forced me to be more responsible than I would normally be. I have other mouths to feed besides mine. I need to set a good example for my little mynah birds.

I will finish this month of blogging, and hopefully be inspiring and inspired enough to continue to blog regularly.

Or not.

Paging Dr. Freud

I nearly always remember my dreams. It's normal for me to recall my dreams, even more normal that I'll spend most of the next day trying to dissect them. You are now at the mercy of hearing about what I dreamt last night.

I dreamt that I was being chased by a bear. And a talking one at that. No matter how I tried to barricade myself in the house, he would get inside. I would flee, run to a near by cabin, but even there, he would find me. He continued to ask me "do you really think these locks are going to keep me out?"

What does it mean? I have no idea, but it has left me feeling unsettled. Here is what the dream means, according to dreammoods.com: To dream that you are being pursued or attacked by a bear, denotes aggression, overwhelming obstacles and competition. You may find yourself in a threatening situation.

Being chased has a whole page devoted to it; Essentially it means I am feeling anxious about something. My reaction to run may be me trying to avoid the issue. I'm supposed to confront the bear. Also the distance between me & the bear is significant. The closer we are, the closer the problem is to me, and not likely to go away.

Hmm, so food for thought. I'll stew on that the rest of the day.

We won't discuss the other odd dreams I had this week.

But I ask you, do you remember your dreams? Do you analyze them?

Hit The Slopes

Do you know that I have only been skiing 3 times? None of those times have been on the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

I went skiing once on a bunny hill in high school, and then my first time was on my honeymoon in Jasper. The last time I skied was in 2003 at Mammoth in California.

I'm not adverse to skiing. I enjoy it, but not nearly enough to justify the price of a lift pass. I certainly don't want to spend the whole day out there. Not when there is a lodge with warmth, and my feet can breathe-not being crammed into awkward boots. Not when there is hot chocolate and hot tubs.

Someday, when the boys are older we'll aim to do a family ski day. Maybe we better start saving for that now.

Gary Moves On

It's with a little sadness I inform you that Gary, our 97 Saturn sedan is moving on to a new life. He was loyal car, joining our family in 2002 after the demise of our first car, Beatrice (may she rest in peace).

Gary proved his worth and while he still has some spunk him, we know he'll be happy in his new home. We wish him well.

Thanks for the memories Gary, and best of luck!

Mamas & Morton's

Last night Morton's Steakhouse in downtown Denver was overrun by the Mile High Mamas. I made my second appearance in as many weeks to a blogger event. Look out social calendar!

Seventh Generation donated some samples for us to try and let us know about the upcoming Million Baby Crawl on November 18. Their goal is to pass a law that will update regulation of toxic chemicals. While my "babies" aren't crawling anymore, I do believe we need to keep our kids safe. I try to buy products now with the environment and my kids in mind. These moms all felt the same way.

I won't be able to attend the "crawl" here in Denver, but I have shown my support on their website http://seventhgeneration.com/million-baby-crawl

As for the samples, they are going to make a great addition to our camping supplies. And Morton's- the food was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the filet mignon sandwiches with mustard mayonnaise. Delicious!



Thanks Mile High Mamas!

Caution: Falls In Love Easily

It's true. There are few places I've traveled where I haven't fallen in love. With the city.

Maybe I'm lucky, I visit beautiful cities. Or perhaps, I can find beauty nearly anywhere.

When we went to Ottawa, I thought, man I could totally live here. I'm a sucker for a town with history too.

Even on the rainiest of days in Glasgow, I wanted to stay there forever. The old gray buildings that I wanted to touch and know their stories.

The places we saw in California and the towns here in Colorado. I think I could live almost anywhere.

Except Toronto. That place smells like pee.

Important To Me

It was important to me for my boys to get the H1N1 flu shot. They get the regular flu shot every fall, and with this flu running rampant in the schools, I felt I had to try and get them vaccinated. I know some people have strong feelings against vaccinations, but I truly believe they are doing the world good.

Our pediatrician warned on their website they were not getting enough vaccine for their high risk patients, and if you could find the vaccine, get it. I got a call from Tri-County Health that they would be offering free vaccines at the nearest middle school on November 9th.

I was completely unprepared for the afternoon/evening that lay ahead of me! I arrived at the school 15 minutes before the clinic opened. Well, actually I left my house 30 minutes before, drove 5 minutes, parked and walked to the end of the line. The line snaked all around the school. It was crazy long, and continued to grow long after it grew dark. We befriended the family behind us, their son the same age as Elijah. The grassy areas gave them room to run. The sun began to sink, and we still had not made it inside the school. We spent between 90 minutes to 2 hrs before we got inside the school, and then they REALLY began the snaking. By the time we were all the way at the other end of the school, I thought I might cry! We were hungry, our feet hurt and we saw no end in sight.

3 hrs and 30 minutes later we made it to the nurse. The silver lining in all this: my boys got the flu mist- no needles! At least I didn't have to deal with crying kids as we stumbled back through the dark and tall grass to where we had parked our car.

Was it worth it? Time will tell. Had I been told when I arrived how long the wait would be, I would have turned around and left. Likewise, had I known I would be allowed to wait on school property early (say 1-2 hrs early), I might have brought my camping chairs and camped out.

Zumba

I don't like to exercise. Additionally, I don't really like my body, so I am forced to do something about it. Eating less and going to the gym are my solutions. Let me tell you...going to the gym 3 days a week is much easier to trying to eat less (I really am trying).

I get bored pretty easy at the gym with no workout buddy, and while I enjoy step class, it isn't offered at a good time of the day for me. I was thrilled to discover my gym offered a Zumba class. It's offered at a good time for me, not conflicting with dinner plans or preschool.

I had heard about Zumba on Twitter, and was anxious to try it. A class spent dancing for an hour? Sounds good to me!

The class I attend incorporates different dance styles and music, and the participants range in all shapes & ages. We warm up to Tina Turner, do some salsa and hip hop and cool down with the Bee Gees. Everyone has a good time.

This makes all the difference in the world. I love going to the gym now, and hope soon to see the fruits of my labor.

Night At The Museums

Denver held their first Night At The Museums in 2008, and it was such a huge success, they brought it back this year. This idea was birthed in Europe, an evening where museums would stay open late, and patrons could shuttle from one museum to another completely free. Denver uses this event to help kick off Denver Arts Week.

I love this idea! What a great date night, where you can choose from any number of museums to suit your cultural taste, or give you a chance to explore someplace you've never been. Last we we took full advantage of the free shuttle from Cherry Creek Mall, but they were not anticipating such a response and the wait time was a little long. We explored The Denver Art Museum, and even ran into a few friends. Unfortunately time did not allow us to visit another museum.

Tonight we are skipping the shuttle, and driving ourselves to the Denver Museum Of Nature & Science. We haven't been in a while, and have not yet seen the Expedition Health exhibit. Sadly, we missed out on getting tickets for the new Genghis Khan exhibit.

I encourage you to support your local museums!

Blogging Never Smelled So Good

Last night I attended my first blogger event. At first I thought my invite must have been a mistake. Whose radar did I land on? Well I decided I better say yes, so they couldn't take it back.

Glade put on a wonderful evening at the lovely Warwick Hotel in Downtown Denver. The food was good, but even better was the company I kept. I got to meet close to 10 other bloggers, some famous in their own rights. I felt a little sad I hadn't been following these ladies before, because they had a wealth of information to share.

On top of food and laughter, we were lucky enough to leave the event with a gift basket we made ourselves. Products were provided by the hostesses & Glade. One product included in my gift basket was Glade's Sense & Spray.

Although my husband isn't quite yet sure of the product, I like it. I've placed it in the smallest (and smelliest) bathroom, and the fragrance carries through the whole bottom of the house. I was also please to see I can get a refill with one of my favorite scents, clean linen!

I can't wait until my next blogger event!

My Own Version Of American Idol

Picture this:

A young girl, 16 or 17 years old, sees an ad for the chance to audition for a musical theatre company in her home town. Having gained a little confidence in choir class, she sets out to pursue her dream of singing and acting. She finds a pop song, one that she thinks would showcase her voice and practices for weeks.

The day of the audition, she heads down to the location. Frightened, she can hear a piano and other singers taking their shot. Shaky, her turn has comes. She enters a room, empty, except for a pianist and three very serious faces.

The piano begins to play, and the fear of this moment has been realized. Somehow she strains to sing the song, and time is moving so fast. Just trying to concentrate on the song is all consuming.

Once it is over, she feels awkward. She is told her choice of song wasn't appropriate (they didn't want a pop song). And in a Simon Cowell-esque tone, she is told even with lessons, they would not take her.

Defeated, she thanks them, and leaves the room. She leaves the building, and finally is able to cry.

Looking back, she is thankful that the only witnesses were those four people. Can you imagine, pouring your heart out on television?

As of this date, the young woman has sung in public a few times, but mostly uses her voice to entertain herself and her children. She is determined to take singing lessons someday.

Feeding The Masses

Now that we have established I like to cook (we established that right?), I must share my concern about feeding others.

I love to invite people over for dinner. But tonight I am serving 8 adults & 4 children and I am anxious. I can make a meal for my family, but cooking food for that many people makes me stress a little. Especially children. My kids will eat anything, other kids I have noticed are not like my kids.

Tonight I'm making Chicken Parmagiana. I have only made it once before. I stress about my time management and whether the dish will be enjoyed. So to begin alleviating my stress, I better start prepping.

What kind of food do you make for a big group of people?

Wannabe Foodie

I have a reputation amongst friends and family of being the picky eater. Granted my dislike list of food is longer than the Nile, but I've spent the last 10 years or so trying to overcome that.

Funny enough, I credit the Food Network. When we moved to California in 1999, we discovered the Food Network. Shows like Emeril Live and Good Eats blew my mind. I grew up in a home where we ate out a lot, and food came in boxes and cans. We would sometimes visit my grandparents on the farm and eat food grown from the garden. Those meals were yummy.*

Emeril & Alton gave way to other chefs like Tyler Florence, Morimoto (and the original Iron Chefs), and Mario Batali. Now I watch Top Chef and remark on the chefs that I've heard of.

Once upon a time I couldn't eat "fancy" food without it wrecking havoc on my stomach. Now the thought of Jack In The Box or Applebees make me cringe.

There are still many fruits & vegetables I've never tried, and ethnic cuisine is a slow process too. But the girl who grew up eating Minute Rice is making risotto this weekend.

I don't dream of one day opening my own restaurant. I do dream about having my children experience food and get excited by it.

Eat well my friends.

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity." ~Voltaire

* I still won't eat my grandmother's signature dish, cabbage rolls. This upsets her.

Themes

My tweep Casual Perfectionist pointed out that a few years ago when she did NaBloPoMo there was theme. I thought to myself, would that hinder or help me? Today I ponder that very thing, wondering what do I write about today?

Last night, I dreamt I spoke to God. In my dream, he looked like Tom Collichio (let's not ask why). I recall asking him about the direction I should go with my life. He didn't answer much, would sort of look at me with a what do you think? look. As he walked away from me, I did ask him what my father thought about my choices. He assured me, my dad wanted me to do what made me happy.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't wish I could call my dad. I try not to blame myself for all those missed opportunities to tell him things. I try to focus on one of the more meaningful conversations we had before he passed. When I asked my father, do you talk God?

He replied, yes. I imagine being faced with cancer and death being a certainty that the thought of an afterlife, or a life without pain would have crossed his mind.

What do you say? I inquired. My whole life, we had never spoke of God before. But I needed assurance that my dad had set things right when he had the chance.

"I ask him to look after you kids, and Debbie . And that when it's time to go that I'll go".

I wiped tears from my eyes. "that's all I needed to know".

He died four days later. And after six years, my heart still aches.

A Better Writer

Geoff says the only way I'm going to get better at writing is to do it often. So I signed up for NaBloPoMo, forcing me to post every day for a month. Overwhelming? A little. But hopefully I will reap a benefit from it.

Let's get personal. I've been feeling like I'm living in limbo. With two years left on the visa, it's go time on seeing if a green card is going to happen. When we tell people about our journey, our friends find it confusing that two productive, law abiding people would have such a hard time becoming citizens. Yeah, how do you think we feel?! Longevity and having American-born children mean nothing to the process.

Though my heart longs to be close to my family, I truly feel that we were meant to live in the U.S. So much of our life happened here. Not to say I'm completely opposed to moving back to Canada. I'm just not sure after 10 years that I could adjust to a country I don't feel is home anymore.

Just as the move to America was lead by going where the science/job is, the same is true now. We will go where there is a job.

Let's wait and see what the future holds....

.....I hate waiting.

ReVamp

I'm hoping in the next few weeks to revamp Age Of Melissius. I'm not yet sure how to go about it, because as Geoff put it, I'm a better tweeter than blogger.

Any input you have is welcome (be kind), and stay tuned friends!

Time

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day -Pink Floyd

I started this blog about 6 years ago, when we moved to Colorado. I wanted to be able to share with family in Canada and friends in California what was going on with us. At times my posts have been about day to day stuff, other times it would be about things I'd watched/read/heard about and what I thought. The 2 boys had their own blogs, because I assumed not everyone would be interested in their milestones.

I guess I'm not really sure if my blog has a purpose. I'm sure it would be read more if I put more work into it, spent more time choosing my words and topics. And I just don't know that I want to make that commitment.

I do have some stuff I'm thinking about, but nothing I'm ready to write about. I'm still processing it, but I hope someday to let myself be transparent about it, if only so it will help one other person.

That's all I wanted to share.

That Seasonal C Word

Christmas. Okay, I said it. But I only write this post because I know family & friends shop early.

Again this year we ask you not to send the boys toys for gifts. I have talked with Elijah about it, pretty much every time he utters the phrase "there are too many toys to pick up!" So I'm offering you some suggestions:

Books, movies, clothes (Elijah is 5T, Miles is 3T), art supplies. The kids love to color & draw.

As always feel free to email with questions.

Thank you. :)

I Swear I Don't Have Münchausen's

In the month of August, I was at the doctor every week. And I have an appt next week! Before you freak out, it's nothing serious.

Week 1: Yearly checkup.
Week 2: Cholesterol test
Week 3: This was me going to get antibiotics because I'd had that sore throat for a week.
Week 4: Redoing a test from my checkup that didn't turn out.

And I go back to redo that test AGAIN, because for some reason they can't get a good result. My doctor isn't concern, so I'm not. Well, not really. I'm a little leery that if my doctor couldn't get results, what chance does the Nurse Practitioner?

Overall, my doctor said I'm in good health, and my concerns I brought up with her she said chalk up to getting older. So I continue on the path to eating less and exercising more. Two things I wish I didn't have to do. :)

Sick

I've been nursing a sore throat for 5 days now. At 2am, Elijah woke up crying with his croup cough. We had to get him to calm himself, because he was so worked. Good thing we had the humidifier already set up in our room, we just moved it down the hall. Geoff ran the hot shower, and I showed him a book to get his mind off his throat. He's much better this morning, but we stayed home from church so he can rest.

Elijah has his meet & greet with his new preschool teacher tomorrow. I'm happy he'll have Ms. Brenda back, so he'll have at least one familiar face. I am curious which kids will be back.

We went to a potluck dinner last night to meet a potential new Pastor and his wife. What a nice couple! I hope they get the affirmative vote, and I'm sure they will. He seems to be pretty grounded in the Word. I think the best part of the evening was that we were able to talk to the adults, while the kids were being taken care of by the hosts' teenagers.

That's about all going on here. Taking each day as it comes.

Over It

I know you all want to know what transpired.

I called her supervisor, asking her to place a call to the teacher, letting her know I wanted to speak with her before class, could she show up early. She showed up right before class began, and she snubbed me. I mean, I waved hello, and she sort of half smiled and proceeded to go talk to some other parent. Figuring she didn't get the message, I decided to let it go. When I returned home, the supervisor had returned my call. I called her back, and explained a little of the situation, but told her I was going to let it drop. She encouraged me to take it up with the teacher, stating that if I wasn't pleased with the discipline, I should let her know what kind of discipline I would like in the future. I don't think she understood that my issue was that I didn't think discipline was necessary.

In any case, he has 2 classes left, and all future swim lessons will take place somewhere else. Elijah mentioned to me after class, "did you see that I didn't talk about body parts today?"

Thanks for the support everybody, it meant a lot to me. :)

Fail

When does the learning curve kick in? I would like to think that when I make a mistake, I learn and don't repeat it. But when do children learn not to repeat a mistake?

On the 2nd day of swim lessons, Elijah remarked to the boy sitting next to him that his "belly sticks out". This was heard by the teacher who prompted Elijah to apologize, and a discussion was had about bad words (both by teacher and Daddy).

Now it's day 5, and again Elijah remarked about bellies sticking out. He was told to apologize for his bad words, and given a 30 second time out. He cried the entire time, not wanting to be excluded from class.

He's not being malicious, and the other boy is not showing any response to Elijah's words. My concern is that he is going to be asked to leave the class if he doesn't stop talking about it. I haven't been given the opportunity to talk to the teacher, or the other parent. I am going to have to be more forceful about it before next class, but there isn't time or privacy to discuss it.

What's a mom to do? Help me out. (Lisa-thanks for the advice)

Nederland, CO

Barker Reservoir, Nederland, CO


Geoff enjoyed a staycation this week, and after days of nagging him, I convinced him to take a trip somewhere. I was desperate to get out of the 'burbs, if only for a day. While we had the option to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, we also wanted to be able to enjoy Friday night activities, like step class. I suggested we try to visit Boulder Falls. It was an easy hike, and who doesn't love to see a waterfall? We drove on up, only to discover that falls were closed. Another visitor to the spot told us it had been closed for months, due to an accident, a rock hitting someone on the head. Our next option was to either go back down into Boulder, or continue up the road to Nederland.

Having never been to Nederland, knowing the town only for it's Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival (which I intend to do someday), we took a chance. It was a small town, a population of less than 1400. There wasn't a lot to do or see, the "main street" was almost painfully short. The one gem we got out of the place was a BBQ place called Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery. We were able to sit out of the patio, enjoy the fresh air and view of the mountains. You can see Eldora ski resort from there. Lunch was pork sandwiches and Geoff tried the Hop Diggity IPA.

I was able to snap off some pictures of the place (visit Shutterfly), but didn't get one of the infamous Tuff Shed. Though I did see it on our way out of town. Well, at the very least, I can say I explored someplace new this summer. And that's my goal, to see as much of Colorado as I can while we're here.

Lola Produces

Lola's first fruits

Yes, she produced tomatoes, and the boys in the house seem to be enjoying them. I consider this planting season a success!

To give you an idea of their size, they are bigger than cherry tomatoes, but smaller than on the vine tomatoes.

Lola Grows Tomatoes

Little green tomatoes


She's getting taller

Here's Lola at the 2 month mark. We got her on May 5th, this was taken July 5th. I think we'll definitely have tomatoes this summer. Next summer, we'll try green beans or peas. Or both! I'll just have to find a spot to plant those.

Camping In Colorado

Our site at Golden Gate Canyon State Park

When the Armstrongs camp, you must anticipate the unexpected. You can count on rain for one thing. This trip lived up to that, and then some. We arrived Friday around 12:30, and the rain had just started. The kids and I stayed huddled in the car while Geoff set up the new shade. Thankfully the neighboring campers helped him erect it, and we were able to go out underneath it and help with the tent. It was a light rain, so not yet unbearable. Once the tent was up, and the car pretty well unpacked Geoff left to go buy some wood. At this point the rain had begun to beat down hard. I went into the tent to set up, so the kids could have some place dry to play. Then the hail hit. I called the boys to come into the tent. We huddled inside while lightning crackled right above us. It was unbelievably loud, nearly frightening me, but not Elijah or Miles. It must have lasted at least 15 minutes, before it went back to rain. Geoff returned to a very damp site, puddles everywhere. With his mad fire-starting skills he got a fire going. The sun eventually returned but we had to try and dissuade the kids from soaking their shoes in the puddles (we were unsuccessful).

The big reason we like site 91 is because it backs into a wooded area, giving the boys a lot of room to run around and explore. Even the sites on either side aren't very close, so it affords us privacy.

Chad & Khara (along with pup Kona) arrived around dinner time, and thankfully it was a quick dinner to throw together. We made flank steak fajitas. Kona loved having the puddles to lie down in. We were all a little concerned about being warm enough throughout the night, but only the girls and the dog were chilly.

Saturday morning, we woke to a sunny morning. Following breakfast Geoff went on his trail run, and we walked up to the amphitheater. I was able to check out the inside of the cabins & yurts (for future reference). That short walk was all Miles wanted to do, so we headed back to camp. The kids played and napped a little and us grownups played some crib (Jen & Cate-I didn't win!). We had some lunch once Geoff got back. We hung out at the campsite the rest of the day, most everyone had an afternoon nap, save for Chad & Geoff. Chad made baked potatoes and kababs for dinner. Naturally dessert was the same as the night before, marshmallows.

Sunday morning Chad made bacon, eggs and hashbrowns, and the Lockmans tore down their tent. We decided that we'd had enough of camping, with the boys being whiny and fighting over sticks. We packed up and went home a day early. It worked out well, since it allowed us the rest of the day to clean up from camping. We did stop by Panorama Point again, since it's on the way out of the park.

3 days and 2 nights is a good amount of time with a 2 year old in tow. Perhaps next year will go smoother, weather wise and kid wise.

Pictures are on Shutterfly.

Father's Day Hike

We did a 2+ hr hike on Mt. Falcon today for Father's Day. The weather was warm, comfortable when the breeze picked up. But sure tuckered out me & the kids. Pictures are up on shutterfly.

Next weekend, camping!

Lola At Four Weeks

And post-tornado:

Summer Is Nearly Here

Sorry about the lack of posts. Part of it is laziness, and part of it is waiting for something to happen that is worth writing about.

Where do I start? Um, I made some new friends. I've been visiting the Mile High Mamas website for a while, and then there was a post about free zoo tickets. so I grabbed some and found out which other mamas were going and could we meet. I was so nervous, it felt a little like high school, would they like me? Would they already be clique-y? Well, they were awesome, and my kids were happy to meet new people too. *Pictures are up on Shutterfly*

Sunday Elijah was invited to Connor' b-day party at Party On, where he climbed and explored in a few inflatable structures. He had a blast. While we there, Daddy & Miles were out shopping at REI & B&N. Meanwhile, our side of town was being pelted with golfball sized hail and a tornado touched down at Southlands. Now if you've visited us, odds are high we've taken you to Southlands, so you know the proximity we are to the mall. Our house saw little damage, we are having the roof inspected just in case. The only visible sign of a storm was the hail on the lawn and Lola took a hit. I think she'll pull through she's a tough little tomato plant!

Elijah is on his last week of school. I found out his teachers (all but one) are leaving to teach somewhere else next year. I'm happy he'll still have one familiar teacher, and hopefully a few familiar classmates.

Our camping weekend is just 2 weeks away, and I was excited to hear that there are going to be 3 weekends this summer where National Parks don't charge an entrance fee. I want to take advantage of that and Geoff is keen on trying to camp again this summer.

I'm off this morning to buy a wagon from someone off Craigslit. The kids feel in love with one when we were at the zoo, so I figured our best (and cheapest) bet was to get one second hand.

I'm gonna close with a quote from Peep.
Beaver Boy's Dad: Never touch a beaver's dam sailor!

Lola At Two Weeks

Her Name Is Lola

Okay, so she doesn't look like much in this picture, but this was the day we brought her home (5/5). Lola, is our tomato plant. I have big dreams for her, to grow yummy tomatoes for my family to enjoy (I don't eat tomatoes). The thing is, I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't grown a plant before, so I'm just watering her everyday and talking sweet to her. Oh, and trying to protect her from over eager toddlers wielding shovels.

If this proves to be a success, we will expand to a bigger garden next year, instead of just one pot.

I'll keep you posted, as I'm sure you are riveted.

Tulips, My Favorite

For Mother's Day, from the men in my life.

Fort Collins

Old Town Fort Collins

We traveled up to Fort Collins this weekend for Geoff to run in the Ft Collins Marathon. It's about a 90 minute drive north of here. Lovely town, and I would have liked to be able to see more and dine at some of the interesting place we saw. We had our pasta dinner at Canino's, which was located in an old house. Geoff dined on spinach lasagna, I partook in the pesto pollo. The warm fresh rolls were delicious. Service was great, and we were even greeted by the owner, Clyde Canino. If you're headed that way, you must check it out!

It rained as we were leaving the restaurant, and continued to do so through the night. It made for a beautiful Sunday morning, great weather for watching a race. We got there in plenty of time to see Geoff finish his race (you can read his race story on his blog). We headed back to our hotel for him to shower up before we headed back home.

The town was bigger than I expected, I guess I thought it was smaller. What I did see of the CSU campus was very nice. Old Town Ft Collins reminded me a little of Pearl Street in Boulder, with less hippies.

Now I'm on the hunt for another Colorado city to visit on a day trip.

Nothing To Say

I feel like I'm neglecting my blog, but I really don't have anything to say. I'm just dawdling along in my world, trying to stay sane, whilst I spend my day with two very active toddlers. I thank God we don't have more kids, because some days I feel so stressed.

I have some things I'd like to do this year, and wondering where I will find money for those, as well as the huge goal of saving for DisneyWorld. Add to that, we still have bills to pay, and that pesky green card application...

On a sunnier note, we're taking a trip up to Ft Collins for Geoff's race on Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Colorado. And watching Geoff run is exciting. I hope to amuse the kids while we wait for the finish (and hopefully his BQ). We're going to have to take 2 cars, since I don't love Geoff enough to get up at 4am to drive him to the race. :)

ABC is going to air the last few episodes of Eli Stone this summer. I'm pretty bummed that a great show like that wasn't more popular. I did discover a new show on the Science channel, Mantracker. It's a Canadian show (been airing there since 2006). Even Elijah will watch it.

So that's all that is going on. I'm pretty much content and stressed, and missing my family. I haven't seen my mom since August, and likely won't see her until January. I don't even know when I'll see my brother. Right now, I'm hoping to see Kelly sometime this year. :)

I will close with a quote from Amadeus.

Salieri: I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint.

Sweet!

I wanted a post title that would encapsulate several things I wanted to blog about.

1. Family. Good visit with Nana & Grampy this last week. They got in the day before Geoff's first half marathon, where he kicked ass. I've never seen him finish a race so strong before.

2. Travel. Took a trip back up to Steamboat Springs. It's a little different in the spring/late winter. Chillier for one, and most of the stores close early.

3. Date. Got in a dinner alone with my fella. We settled on McCabe's, and it was lovely.

4. Easter. A busy morning of hunting for eggs (both at home and church. Church played a snippet from Passion Of The Christ, and I was crying. There is one line that always gets me. Part of it is a reminder of his sacrifice, part of it is just being a mom to a son.

5. Justice. While walking Elijah to school, a car went through the stop sign while we and the crossing guard were in the crosswalk. A big no-no. And as luck would have it, there was a cop car at the corner where we parked. He flashed on his lights, and followed the car into the school parking lot. It totally made my day. The number of times I've seen cars drive through the intersection while the crossing guard is still in it... it's nice to see someone get busted.

So that's life right now. Elijah is back in school after 2 weeks off for Spring Break. Bible Study is wrapping up this week with a feast, and I'm still training.

I'm gonna close with a quote from Clue.

Wadsworth: I can explain everything.
Cop: You don't have to.
Wadsworth: I don't?
Cop: Don't worry, there's nothing illegal about any of this.
Wadsworth: Are you sure?
Cop: Of course, this is America.
Wadsworth: I see.
Cop: It's a free country, don't you know that?
Wadsworth: I didn't know it was *that* free.

No Joke

Sorry, I don't have the time to think up some clever April Fool's joke for you.

I finally uploaded the pics of our trip to White Fence Farm with Chad & Khara. I also have only one (or two) thank you cards left to write and mail. This is from the boys' birthdays. Yes, I'm slow. I even blogged on my training blog. Look at all I accomplished this week! :)

Right now, I'm trying to get my house in order for my in-laws arriving on Saturday. This means a big clean & organization. Some things I have to leave until Friday, because I know someone will get those things messy before Saturday comes. Geoff has a half marathon on Sunday, so we need to make a sign. I still have a stain on my carpet from the last sign we made (oops).

I'm in a Disney mindset again. Trying to keep on top of my plans. It's very silly, because rates for next year won't come out until August/September, and promotions might be after that. But hey, the boys & I have saved like $130 already. (Most of that is money they got for their birthdays) Still not sure who is joining us in WDW, the people I have spoken to personally are in the not likely column, but I'm not giving up hope yet. Why is it so expensive to fly to Florida?

Andy Hallett, who played the delightful Lorne on Angel, died yesterday. It's sad, he was only 33. Congestive heart failure. So I'll close with a quote from Angel.

Lorne: My psychic friend told me I had to come back here. I didn't believe her. Then I realized I did have to come back here, because - I really always thought I had to come back here, deep down inside, you know? I had to come back here to find out I didn't have to come back here. I don't belong here. I hate it here. You know where I belong? LA. You know why? Nobody belongs there. It's the perfect place for guys like us.
Angel: That's kinda beautiful.
Lorne: Ain't it?

Okay

So Melanie wanted a new post. Here goes.

I'm training for the Bolder Boulder (Memorial Day Monday), and it's going okay. I have a training plan, and I'm still doing step class and abs class on Fridays. I am less than pleased with my body, so I need this to make me feel better. My goal is to lose some weight and shrink my waistline. I am hoping that 6 months of abs class will strengthen my core muscles and make the summer clothes look cuter on me. :)

I have to work this training in around Geoff's training for his marathon (May 3). I'm excited to see him run again, and the bonus is getting see someplace new in Colorado. His race is in Ft Collins (which the Stanleys & Gustafsons saw), but we're only staying a night. It's a good town for beer lovers (which is not me), and it's supposed to be beautiful.

The night hours seem shorter to me. With trips to the gym, and bible study, I feel like I'm not at home at night much. A lot of my shows I watch have wrapped up, so I'm left watching Lost and House. Fringe will be back in April, then nothing until summer (Burn Notice & Psych). This is allowing me to watch some of the DVDs I got for my birthday (Psych Season 2, Angel, X-Files).

I'm also trying to read, right now I'm almost done People Are Idiots & I Can Prove It (Larry Winget). Reading Larry's books feel like conviction. Essentially he says stop saying you'll do something or you want something and do it already!

The kids are good. Healthy, but driving me nuts! Thankfully our winter has been tame, so we have a lot of opportunities to get outside, but last week was a wash because the kids took turns running a fever. Friday though we got out to Berry Park and what a gem that place was. The boys loved it. Amy & Caley met us, so I was thrilled to have an adult to talk to.

I had a hankering to watch The Prestige, and to my luck it came on tv the other night. (Yeah I own it, but I didn't want to put it in) So I'll close with a quote from that.

Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

Tomato Thief

This is why I have to keep my fruit basket on top of the fridge:

Happy 4th Birthday Elijah!

Happy 2nd Birthday Miles!

Ugh

Two weeks ago, I had several days of a cold + allergies. I passed it onto the kids (sick all last week), and then Geoff finally caught it. Now, I've gotten it again! Ugh! Right now, it's a sore throat and my head feels funny. Joy.

I was feeling a little nostalgic re-reading Miles' baby blog. Re-reading the weeks leading up to his birth, and the day he was born. I was feeling sad and sweet. But I really don't want more kids. I'm just sad my baby is turning two on Sunday.

Thankfully both kids still like to cuddle with Mommy.

We're cheating on our hippie store. We've been shopping at a different hippie store, because they offer better deals. Hey, in this economy, you gotta do what you gotta do to save money.

We celebrated our 12th anniversary on Sunday by making pot roast. It's was yummy, and my first time making it. Geoff also played his violin in church that morning, but I missed it because the kids were still coughing that wet sounding cough.

Not much else is going on. We did book our campsite for June, and I'm super stoked that Chad, Khara, & Kona (their dog) are joining us. We're in the same spot as lsat year, and they've reserved the site next to us.

Since the kids were sick all last week, we watched a lot of movies. We watched Wall-E 3 times. So I'll close with a quote from that.

Captain: Oh, I see the ship's log is showing that today is the 700th anniversary of our five year cruise. Well, I'm sure our forefathers would be proud to know that 700 years later we'd be... doing the exact same thing they were doing.

Transition

I don't really know how I'm supposed to transition from such a serious post, to the normal stuff I post about. I'm just not that good at segues.

So... in my small quest to be a little greener, I bought a new showerhead.

Here it is:


It's very nice. Feels great, and evidently uses less water. Which is awesome. I'm willing to do things to lessen my footprint and be green, but sacrificing long hot showers...not gonna happen! Now I can feel better about taking them.

I'm all over taking baby green steps that don't break my bank.

Ugh!

I'm having an emotional day, and I'm not ready to blog about all of it. I'm still crying over my own stuff. Shocking I know, the robot does cry once in a while. Add to that, my eyes and nose have been running, and I look awful!

Just pray for me to get a little perspective, and an understanding heart.

Good Days

The last couple of days the boys have been sleeping until almost 7am. It's awesome. Except for the rush to get to school on M&W. The wii fit says I sleep too much, but I think it's an idiot. I am not thrilled with the sass it gives me, but Geoff and it have a nice relationship.

Bible study starts up again tonight. I'm happy to move off Thursday mornings, since it saves me money. Plus next year Elijah will be in school on Thursday mornings. We are studying the book of Esther, which I've read, but it will be interesting to read about it with Beth Moore's perspective.

The weather has turned back to winter the last few days, which makes me sad. Gimme temps in the 50s!

Wish there was more I could tell you. Just being a mom/wife and watching some tv. Oh yeah, and trying to get to the gym at least 3 days a week. The last two weekends we've had friends come over for dinner, and it's been lovely. And you'd be surprised that picky eater Melissa is ever expanding her palate. Though I'm probably still the pickiest eater you know (or so I hear all the time).

I'll close with a quote from Psych. That show rocks!

Juliet: Lassiter is my partner. How would you feel if something happened to Gus?
Shawn: Depends entirely on what happened to him. I mean, if he wakes up one day and he's Howard Jones, I'm like, "Dude, things can only get better."

Off By Two Weeks

Apparently, there is a whole day, sometimes a week, devoted to de-lurking. And it was two weeks ago.

Oops.

So now I ask you post a comment, let me know someone still reads this (besides Cate, Kelly & Sharon!)

Thanks friends.

Ack!

I'm so behind on my blogging, and so unmotivated to do it. :)

I had a lovely birthday. I had waffles and bacon for breakfast, a relaxing afternoon, and one of the most delicious dinners ever! We went to the Wine Experience Cafe at Southlands. Highly recommend it to people looking for a quiet, romantic evening.

I had:
Angus Beef Shell Steak, Boursin Potato Gratin, Cognac Green Peppercorn Jus

Geoff had:
Iron Skillet Roasted Duck Breast, Maple Cider Gastrique, Sweet Potato Apple Hash

We sampled the trio of olive oil with olive bread, and for dessert...
Bittersweet chocolate dulce de leche bread pudding, cappucino gelato

Yum-o! I really really hope the restaurant continues to succeed, because it's a gem. And the owner (who served us) was great.

Today I had the joy of visiting my favorite place in the whole world, the DMV. (I'm being sarcastic) I hate that #1. they didn't give me the right information the LAST time I was turned away. So once AGAIN I didn't have the right papers. #2. They don't ever say I'm sorry. It's like I'm not a person to them, I'm a number.

Sorry, I'm gonna get over. I don't want to dwell on the negative. It all worked out in the end, now I have 2 years before I have to go back and deal with their crap.

I'm working on planning a vacation for 2010, so most of my thoughts are on that. I'll let you know soon what comes of that.

I'm gonna go, sign off. I'll close with a quote from Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

Lynne: He's a boy and he's alive, what's there to hate?

Birthday Girl

Another year older, and blessed.

Is It Spring Yet?

We've had a mild winter, and yet I'm still yearning for spring to get here. We haven't had much snow, but I'm longing to see green again.

New Year's Eve, we watched the Survivorman marathon on Discovery and drank champagne. Struggled to stay awake until midnight, then fell asleep. We're such party animals! New Year's day our friend Cristina came over for a ham dinner. The boys loved it, someone new to play with! Elijah loves Cristina & her "messy hair".

Yes, I set some resolutions. Lose weight (I have a goal in mind), read more, and learn something new. Throw in there, forgive more and love sinners. No biggie, right?

January is gonna be a good time for new tv. Psych, Burn Notice, & Lost are all coming back. Sadly Eli Stone may be gone for good. I"m holding onto hope ABC will run the last of the episodes they shot this summer. I think ABC is stupid for letting it go. Do we really need more reality tv?

I'm not really going to say much on the upcoming award season. They nominate the same old shows every year, kiss the same people's butts. I've openly professed that I think Tina Fey is OVERRATED! Whatever. As long as Slumdog Millionaire gets some recognition, I'll be pleased.

I watch a LOT of children's programming, so I'll close with a quote from Peep And The Big Wide World.

Chirp: "A talking log! Oh log, I'm such a big fan of the work that you and the trees are doing for us birds."

Mad Libs

Dear Cate, I don't really know how to tell you this, but our affair is over. I think I realized it that night you picked your nose under the bus and hit on my My Little Pony collection. I'm sure you're high enough to understand how boring you are. I'm returning your nose hair clippers to you, but I'll keep your virginity as a memory. You should also know that I haven't showered in a month and you should get that embarrassing rash checked.
Warm tingly sensations,
Melissa.


Have a go if you like...here are the instructions.

Dear (someone),I don't really know how to tell you this, but (1). I think I realized it (2)(3) and (4)(5).I'm sure you're (6) enough to understand (7). I'm returning (8) to you, but I'll keep (9) as a memory.You should also know that I (10) and (11).(12),(Your name).


1) What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - I'm in love with your dog
Red - Our affair is over
White - I’m joining the Convent
Black -Our romance is over
Green- Our socks don't match
Grey - You're a leprechaun
Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You're mean
Other -I dislike your eyelashes

2) Which is your birth month?
January - That night you picked your nose
February -When you smacked my ass
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on peanut butter
May - When I threw up in your sock drawer
June - when i quoted forest gump
July – when you put cuffs on me
August - When I saw the purple monkey
September - Last year when you peed your pants
October - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
November - When your dog humped my leg
December - When u finally changed ur underwear

3) Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Lasagna- In your car
Pasta - Outside of your office
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Jean Chrétien
Fish - In a clown suit
Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert
Pizza - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a street light
Annat- With George Bush and Stephen Harper

4) What's the colour of your socks?
Yellow - Ignore
Red - Carve your initials into
Black - Hit on
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Put whipped cream on
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - bit of
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the pants off of
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive over

5) What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My boyfriend
White - My father
Grey – The Catholic Priest
Brown – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie
Purple - My corned beef hash
Red – My knee caps
Blue - My salt-beef bucket
Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana
Orange - My Blink 182 cd
Pink – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection
None – My prized statue of Michael Jackson in the nude
Other --The elephant in the corner

6) What do you prefer to watch on TV?
One Tree Hill - Senile
Heroes- Frostbitten
Lost - High
Simpsons- Cowardly
The news - Scarred
American Idol - vexed
Family Guy - Open
Top Model - Middle-class
Other - Slutty

7) Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful you are
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That I get turned on only by garbage men
Angry - That your smell makes me vomit
Depressed – That we’re related
Excited - That I may pee my pants
Nervous - The middle-east is planning their revenge on you
Worried - That your Ford sucks
Apathetic - That you need a sex-change
Ashamed - That I'm allergic to your earlobes
Cuddly - That Santa doesn't exist
Silly - That there is no solution to you being a dumb kid
Other - That your driving sucks

8) What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your toe ring
Yellow - The cut toenails
Red - Your Hannah Montanna underwear
Black - Your pet rock
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - Your car
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your nose hair clippers
Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear
Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket
Pink(ish) - Your love letters to me
Other - The pictures from Vegas

9) The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your collection of butterflies
C/D - Your photo with the mustache drawn on it
E/F - Your neighbor dog
G/H - The oil tank from your car
I/J - Your left ear
K/L - The results of that blood-sample
M/N - your virginity
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your glass eye
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X – Your sucide note
Y/Z - Your credit cards

10) The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Haven’t showered in a month
C/D - Always will remember the pep talks
E/F - i hate your cooking
G/H – am better off without you
I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly
K/L - Will tell the authorities that you did not steal that whale in the back yard
M/N - Told in my confession today about the moose poaching
O/P - Was interviewed about the car you stole
Q/R - Always wanted to break your legs
S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet
U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart
W/X- I told my psychiatrist about the bruises
Y/Z-bought tampons from winn dixie

11) What do you prefer to drink?
Wine- Our friendship is ruined
Soft drink – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemon
Soda – I will haunt you when I’m reincarnated as an Eskimo
Milk - The apartment building is on fire
Water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked
Cider– I have a passionate interest for mice
Juice – You ruined my attempts at another world war
Mineral water – I'm scratching my butt as you read this
Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism Is Weird
Whiskey - I love Oprah Winfrey
Beer – you should stop picking your nose
Other – Thanks for the Cocaine

12) To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Italy - Warm tingly sensations
Australia - Best of luck on the sex change
France - Love always
Spain - With tears of sadness
China – You make me sick
Germany – Please don’t hurt me
Japan - Go milk a cow
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
USA - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt – Kiss my butt
England - Go drown yourself about the bruise

Merry Christmas!

From the Armstrongs to you, we hope your Christmas was as blessed as ours.

Still Here

I'm still here, I'm just not doing anything exciting.

I'm pretty well set for Christmas, just a few things left to wrap. As usual, I'm just waiting on Canada Post to finish delivering my gifts. I can get them mailed weeks in advance, and it still a crap shoot if they get there before the 24th. I refuse to use Fed-Ex, since they expect duty to be paid on them, by the people receiving them. And it's too expensive for me to hand deliver. :)

There is snow on the ground, but the weather guy says any snow we get before Christmas will be gone by the end of Christmas Day.

Last night, I went to a step class at the gym. It was fun, and a good workout. I'd like to try and make it each Thursday if I can. I am not running as much, but I'm still trying to run a few miles a week. I do want to do another half marathon next year, just trying to figure out which one.

Anyways, that's all that is going on. Hope everyone's Christmas plans are coming together nicely. I've gotten into watching reruns of 3rd Rock From The Sun, so I'll close with a quote from that.

Mary Albright: I think you look distinguished with gray hair.
Dick Solomon: Thank you. I think you would look distinguished with gray hair, too.
Mary Albright: No. When men get gray hair, they look distinguished. When women get gray hair, they look old.
Dick Solomon: When women get breasts, they look sexy. When men get breasts, they look old.
Mary Albright: Good point!

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Oh Yeah, It's Winter

We've been getting snow every few days. It's nice if you can get some sun to dry up the roads the next day. I really, really do not like driving on snow & ice. Call me a wuss, I don't care.

I'm nearly done shopping for Christmas. I may be able to finish this weekend. I would like to get a tree this weekend too, if we have time. Geoff won't put up the fake one, he says only LED lights this year.

Tomorrow night (weather permitting) we'll go to the Parade Of Lights. We don't know yet when (or if) we'll make it to Zoo Lights. Really, I'm content to drive around our neighborhood and look at lights. It's fun enough for me. :)

Nothing else is going on. Bible study has wrapped up until January.

In tv news, January will be a great month. The return of Burn Notice, Psych, & Lost! I'm tired of reading the movie news on IMDB, because it seems every other story has the word "remake" in it, and I just cringe. There are a ton of books out there, can't they adapt them? Why do they have to remake old movies?

Right now, the boys and I are watching Chicken Little (AGAIN!) So I'll close with a quote from that.

Buck Cluck: I'd like to see the movie they make about you now.
Chicken Little: I just hope they stay true to what really happened.
Buck Cluck: Oh, son. These people are from Hollywood. The one thing they will never do is mess with a good story.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Winter

For The Few

I think Christmas shopping would be way less stressful if...
1. I didn't have to ship gifts. Then I could take my time buying them, not worrying about sending them off beginning of December. Also I wouldn't be limited by shape or size.
2. The people I shopped for didn't already buy themselves whatever they want 24/7. Then I could shop year round, without fear of a duplicate gift.

Aside from that, I am looking forward to a fun holiday season. The boys are older, and they can help out more. For example, Elijah put stickers on all the envelopes of the Christmas cards. They both will be able to help with the Christmas cookie cut outs, and hanging of ornaments.

Some Christmas traditions we hope to enjoy are visiting Santa, and going to see Zoo Lights. This year, we hope to take in the Parade of Lights downtown. We'll bundle up, bring our camping chairs, and enjoy the parade.

I can't wait to receive Christmas cards & letters from friends, so I can hear all about how everyone's year has been.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and it will just be the four of us this year. We sent out many offers to share our feast, but everyone left town for the holiday. There will be turkey sandwiches for weeks! It will truly be a time to look on how thankful and blessed we are.

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

In A Christmas Mood

A little Christmas quiz, I hope you'll copy and paste on your blog:

1. Getting kissed under the mistletoe or in the snow?
The snow

2. Santa or Rudolph?
Santa

3. Stocking or presents?
Presents

4. Egg nog or hot cider?
Neither, gimme hot chocolate

5. Angel or Star?
Angel

6. Decorating the tree or putting lights on the outside?
Decorating the tree

7. Warm fires or sleigh rides?
I've never been on a sleigh ride, so warm fire

8. Expensive presents or presents that come from the heart?
From the heart

9. Snow ball fight or snowman?
Snowman

10. Will you be getting coal or presents?
Presents, I hope

11. Giving or Receiving presents?
Giving

12. Open presents quick or slow?
Quick

13. Caroling or Christmas stories?
Caroling

14. Snowy days or icy days?
Snowy

15. Red or Green?
Green

16. Nightmare before Christmas or The Santa Clause?
I'm gonna go with Santa Clause, because it's a little happier

17. Dasher or Dancer?
Dasher

18. Prancer or Vixen?
Prancer

19. Comet or Cupid?
Comet

20. Donner or Blitzen?
Donner

21. Fake tree or Real tree?
Real

22. Prime Rib or Ham?
Ham

23. Red and White Candy Canes or Colorful Candy Canes?
Red and White

24. Get up early or sleep in late?
Early!

25. Old Christmas Movies or New ones?
I like the newer ones

26. The Santa Clause 1 or The Santa Clause 2?
They're both entertaining

27. The Grinch movie or Elf movie?
Elf for sure!

28. Scrooge or Tiny Tim?
Scrooge

29. Ornaments or a Wreath?
Ornaments

30. Christmas Eve or Christmas day?
Christmas Day

Before Christmas:
1. Does your family send Christmas cards?
You bet

2. How soon do you start shopping?
As soon as I can find the right thing

3. Who do you shop for?
Family

4. Do you put up a Christmas tree?
Two, one real, one fake

5. If so, is it fake or real?
Both

Decorations:
6. Do you like tinsel?
I used to love it, but I don't enough to put it up. So we found tinsel icicles that we put up.

7. Do you use homemade or store bought ornaments?
Little of both, mostly store bought

8. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house?
Yes

9. Do you put lights on the tree?
Yes

10. How about popcorn and cranberries?
Nope

11. Is there a wreath hanging on your door?
I wish

Christmas Eve:
13. Do you hang up your stocking?
Yes

14. Does your family read "Twas the night before Christmas?":
Yes

Favorite:
15. Christmas Movie?
Either Elf or The Ref

16. Character from any Christmas Movie?
Ghost Of Christmas Past from Scrooged

17. Christmas Song?
Oh Holy Night (Josh Groban), anything off of Harry Connick Jr's Christmas albums, traditionally, I like Do You Hear What I Hear?

18. Christmas Memory?
My first Christmas as Mrs. Armstrong was good. Last year with the kids. Seeing Colin be so disappointed the year my parents wrapped his gift in a cracker box. The Christmas Day we spent at Disneyland.

This or That:
19. White Lights or Colored Lights?
Colored

20. Blinking Lights or Still Lights?
Both

21. Were you Naughty or Nice this year?
Mostly nice

Presents:
22. What do you want for Christmas this year?
It doesn't matter, it's all good

23. When do you open your gifts?
One on Christmas Eve and then the rest on Christmas Day.

24. What's the best gift you've ever gotten?
Earrings from Geoff, and last year's Wii was pretty cool.

25. What's the worst gift you've ever gotten?
The infamous jar of mints.

26. Have you ever had a secret Santa?
Sure

27. Do you like wrapping gifts?
If they are easy to wrap, yes. I'm not very good, and I used to work at Hallmark.

Random:
28. Do you put change in those red buckets?
Yes

29. Do you burn a yule log?
No

30. Can you name all the reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Cupid, Comet, Donner, and Blitzen, and Rudolph. And isn't there an Olive?

31. Do you bake cookies?
Yes

32. Have you ever seen your mommy kissing Santa Claus?
No

33. Have you ever gotten a kiss under the mistletoe?
Yes

34. Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights?
Yes, I hope someday to have people want to drive by my place.

35. Have you ever left Santa cookies?
Yes

36. Have you ever sat on Santa's lap?
Yes, but not in a long time

37. Who do you celebrate Christmas with?
Usually family

38. Where do you celebrate Christmas?
Lately it's been home

39. Have you ever had a white Christmas?
Almost all my Christmases have been white

40. What part of Christmas do you look most foward to?
The music, the lights, the excitement of the boys

41. Have you ever had your picture taken with Santa?
Sure

42. Does your family always take pictures at Christmas?
It's a tradition

An Open Letter To Will Smith

Dear Mr. Will Smith,

I am thrilled you have decided to visit Denver. I only wish I could be there to greet you tomorrow on the red carpet. I will be at home with my two small children. As a parent, I know you'll understand.

I think it's wonderful that you are coming to support the film festival, but not as wonderful as your kind donation to the Food Bank of the Rockies and the Denver Rescue Mission. Generosity, kindness, devotion to family, and a remarkable talent are the reasons you are one of my all time favorite movie/tv/music stars.

I hope our city treats you well, you are welcome to back anytime. I'd love to sit down and talk with you someday, I'm sure you have a lot of interesting things to say.

Best of luck in all your future projects,
Love Melissa Armstrong

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.