Finding My Place in the World

Make today Great!

2012-03-04T07:09:00.003-07:00

It's a beautiful morning here at the top of the world!!!

Make today a great day!

Hello Winter

2012-03-01T19:34:00.003-07:00

Boy, someone has finally turned on the switch for winter. I would say we have received about 18 inches in the last 6 days and we are suppose to get about 6 more inches before it clears out for a couple days. Because of the snow this week I have worked from home 2 afternoons this week. For most of my life I have lived in a place that when there was any considerable amount of snow the whole city shuts down. Here it snows and life continues just the same, but maybe a little bit slower. So, I am struggling to overcome the fear I get when it's snowing heavily outside because this week is really how most of the year is here. I am thankful that my work is understanding and they allow me to go home if I feel like I need to.

I know you all know that I am a huge Little House on the Prairie fan, but in the last few weeks I have really gotten into The Walton's!! Oh my gosh, what a great show it is and some of them are really funny! We are now watching 1-2 episodes every day and I am so excited that I still have 8 years worth of shows to watch.

A year ago this coming week is when I drove out with Sophie for the first time. How wonderful it is that I now live here and don't' have to travel back and forth. The minute I walked into her home here I felt such a warm feeling. I've always had this feeling that I didn't belong, but I wasn't sure where I belonged. Now that I am here it finally feels like I have found the place where I have always belonged. As a child I always felt right at home when we would come here to ski and it's a great feeling to be back in the place where I felt so at home when I was a child.

Tomorrow is Friday which means it's time to ski again come Saturday. I am having so much exploring the mountain and I can't wait for more of our adventure come Saturday.

Busy Week

2012-02-29T10:28:00.002-07:00

Happy Leap Day!!! It's hard to believe that 44 years ago my parents went out on their first date (blind date) on this day, 9 months later they were married and they are still together today!! It takes a lot of hard work to make a marriage work and when I think what my parents have been through in the 44 years they have been together it just amazes me. So, happy Leap Day Anniversary to my Mom and Dad!!!!

It's been a busy week in my corner of the world. Even though it's only Wednesday it feels like it's at least Thursday or Friday. I didn't get much sleep on Monday night because they were talking about this huge snow storm that was coming in. I woke up 3x in the middle of the night to check the weather, but the snow really didn't get started until 6am. I was anxious and excited to take my car for it's first drive in the snow and I am excited to say it drives awesome in the snow!!! I can't believe how much of a difference all wheel drive can make. And can I just say how smooth my drive is.....it's so awesome!! Monday was my first day to drive Max to work and I even made it to work 10 minutes early. (and no I wasn't speeding, it's just more efficient going up and down the mountain) So yesterday when I got to work I was shocked to see how much snow they got....about a foot! It continued to snow on and off all day yesterday and around 2pm my boss told me to head home and just work from home for rest of the afternoon. It was good she did that because the last 30 minutes of my drive were in complete white out conditions. That's scary when you are just driving down a road, but when one side of the road drops off a couple hundred feet the drive becomes even more scarier. More snow is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow; which I am told is very normal for winters up here. lol Keep in mind we have not had a normal winter so far, so I love how every couple of days there is a big snow storm coming right for us.

In more exciting news, we have officially booked our trip to Kansas City for Memorial Day weekend. I can't tell you how excited I am to show her where I grew up and to meet some of my friends. We decided to drive to KC because after looking at the prices for a plane ticket I just couldn't justify spending $600 (or more) for us to fly there. Driving there also will allow us to stay in Colby, KS for one night and relive our romantic weekend there last year. I think we are going to drive from Leadville to Colby the Thursday before the weekend and then drive rest of the way in on that Friday and then drive home on Monday. Since I am taking that Friday off from work that means I will have to work my birthday; which is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. That's OK because I am so excited that we will get to spend a few days in my home town. Here's another funny thing...the hotel we are going to stay at is where my senior prom was....Hmmm...how things are different now!!

So that's what has been going on in my world. What's new with you?

Hello Max

2012-02-25T20:22:00.003-07:00

And I thought yesterday was a good day.....so many great things happened today that 2/25/12 has become one of the best days ever.

It all started out by the two of us going skiing this morning. It was a beautiful day (maybe a little windy) and we got there early enough to enjoy fresh groomers. After 2 warm up runs on a green (easiest) I told her I wanted to try her favorite slope; which happened to be a black. Each time we rode up the lift I would see these young kids (5-6 years) that were going down this slope and I thought...hey I bet that isn't that bad. It was so exciting and I had so much fun!!! When we got on the lift after running the black she looked at me and said...You did fantastic!!! It's a great feeling to have your partner so proud of you!!!

After skiing we went to get my new car. I had called the day before and they were suppose to bring up a 2009 Outback from Denver, but when we got there they told us they weren't able to get it up from Denver. I was looking at a couple other Outbacks, but I just didn't feel right about it. Then the salesman suggested that I look at a new Impreza because for the price of a used Outback I could get a 2012 Impreza. A brand new car.......I have never had a brand new car and thought of that just got me so excited!!! We came to an agreement amount for the car and then it was ours!!!

I had to say goodbye to my good friend Dottie:
I named her Dottie because at the time I was living in Kansas City and I was getting ready to move to a small town in Kansas....it just felt right to name her after the Wizard of Oz. Dottie was a great car and got me back and forth to Colorado last year and overall I had very few repairs!! Thanks for the ride Dottie.....Because of you the name Ford has been restored for me.

So......here is my new car. Meet Max:

It's a cute story how I came up with name Max....but I think I will save that for another time. In the mean while....if you need to reach me it might be best to call me on my cell phone because most likely I will be out taking a drive!!

On top of the world

2012-02-24T20:18:00.003-07:00

Today has been such a good day!!!

I had a great day at work and felt like I got a lot of work done. It's amazing how motivated you can be when it's a Friday. :-)

I have everything ready to trade in my car and get a new one. I spent my lunch hour cleaning out my car and I found stuff in there from my move from Kansas City to Marysville. Ha!! It will be nice to have a new car that is all shiny and clean inside. I say this with every new car, but I really hope to keep this one nice and clean inside. It's not like my car is really bad, but some how things seem to move to my car and stay there for a long time. lol It's exciting that I am getting a new car and these circumstances are so much better than when I got my current car. I was so sad to have to say good bye to my Accord and I bought what I could afford at the time and it turns out this car has been one of the best I ever owned. I was a little skeptical about getting a Ford, but this car got me to where I needed to be!!!

Tonight we decided to get take out at a place where I have never eaten before and can you believe my surprise when I looked into the dining room and saw one of my co-workers from Marysville!!!! She has family here in town and I had no idea she was going to be here. The first thing she said to me was....I was going to call you, but I knew you would be working today!!! Oh, it was so great to see her (and her husband who I also worked with) and she is bringing back a hug for each of my friends in Marysville!!!

So, today has been a great day and tonight I am feeling like I am on top of the world. Oh wait, I guess I am!!!!

Surprise Snow Day

2012-02-23T18:55:00.002-07:00

When we woke up this morning we were shocked to see about a foot of snow and crazy crazy winds. I woke up around 1am because the wind chimes by our bedroom were making a bunch of noise. I went outside to see what the weather was doing and I couldn't believe how windy it was, but there was no snow. When my alarm went off this morning I looked out the front door and thought I saw about 6 inches of snow, so I got in the shower and got ready for work. I took Sophie outside and knew it was probably going to be a problem getting to work. When I went back in she told me that I probably shouldn't go in, but decided I would try it anyway. I made it about 2 miles and ended up turning around and coming home. It was a good thing I turned around because I later found out that the highway I take to get to I-70 was closed. When I got home I called my boss and told her how bad it was and she agreed that I probably shouldn't try to make it to work. So....I got a surprise snow day and it was great!!!! She made homemade baked brie for lunch, homemade banana nut bread and then a wonderful dinner. It was great having an surprise day off with her and I wish every day could be like this!!!

The snow and wind was so nasty this morning that for the first time ever (yes....ever) the schools here in town closed for the day. I also have a co-worker that has been commuting down the mountain for 3 years and even she didn't try to get out this morning, so a novice snow driver like me enjoyed spending the day inside and warm.

Yesterday I got my car back and turns out I just knocked a hole in my oil pan so it was a very easy repair. As I drove home in it last night I decided that it would be best if I kept the car for a little bit longer and loved how great it was driving. This morning when I was in the snow I could tell that it's just not running right and maybe I should just get a new car. I hate worrying about driving to work and tomorrow I am going to pray that it gets me there and home. The car has 160K miles on it and I don't know how much more money I want to put into something that will probably die in a year or so; especially with how much I drive every week. So Saturday after skiing we are going to go look at cars for me. I had really been debating about whether to get a Subaru or a Honda since I love love love Honda's, but this morning while I walked Sophie I watched a Honda Accord struggle to get up our hill and then they finally gave up and parked at the bottom and walked up. This is the first real big storm of the season and it really would be best if I had an all wheel drive car.

A few weeks ago my life took a particular turn and I realized that I had just come upon a fork in the road and there were some major changes made. After the events I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and for the first time in about a year I felt ok about a situation. One thing I have learned is that sometimes things happen in your life and you don't always understand it at the time, but eventually you see the light and make the needed changes.

Other then that and the snow.....life continues to move forward and each night when we go to bed and it's just her and me, I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be and who I am supposed to be with. Life is good!

Awesome 3 day weekend

2012-02-20T15:23:00.005-07:00

Oh how I love 3 day weekends!!! We spent Saturday in Denver doing some shopping and of course having a couple really nice meals. As far as the rest of the weekend we have been totally and completely lazy and boy has it felt good. We really needed some time to talk and decide what to do with my car situation and whether it was time for me to get a new car. Once we talked and figured out a plan I finally felt like I was able to relax.

While in Denver I was able to get some new clothes for our upcoming trip to Italy as well as some nice walking shoes for all the walking we will be doing. I sure don't want to be dealing with sore feet while exploring Italy. I am getting so excited for our trip and can't believe it's coming up so fast. We both got new carry-on luggage that is also on wheels which will make walking through airports a lot easier. I am still debating about taking my laptop on the trip. Since our phones won't work over there I though it would be good to at least have a way to check our email in case something happens and someone needs to get a hold of us. The guest bedroom has become packing central and every time we think of something we want to take we put it in that room. I am probably going to be kind of useless the last few days at work before the trip because I will be so excited.

Last week my work had an all day staff meeting and it really was one of the best staff meetings I have ever been to. The day started out with a comedian and he had us all laughing. They had lots of exercises for us to do that included: getting to know the people in our department that we don't work with on a daily basis, writing ourselves a letter saying what our personal and professional goals are for the next year (we will open them in August at the next staff meeting), a zumba class and my favorite...singing All You Need is Love to our Director. It really was a great way to get recharged and I felt great as I left for the day. I am so lucky with the job that I found and how much I love doing what I am doing.

For lunch for the staff meeting they asked 10 people to make a soup and we would turn it into a contest. How lucky am I that my sweetheart said she would be more than happy to make a soup for this deal. Actually, a few days after the email was sent out to everyone telling us about the contest I got several emails from co-workers that were requesting Dede make her lentil soup. Last fall she had made a big batch of her lentil soup and I took the leftovers to work and my co-workers loved it. We didn't win, but everyone that had it loved it and we have had a lot of requests for the recipe. Her lentil soup is becoming famous with my co-workers. :-)

And tomorrow....it's back to the world of being a crisis worker so I am going to enjoy the evening and cuddle up with my favorite person in the world.

Until next time......

Enjoying the Ride

2012-02-16T15:33:00.003-07:00

It certainly has been an interesting couple of days. As I was on my way home yesterday there was a small boulder in the road and I had no time to react to avoid it and ran right over it. I really wasn't sure if there was damage because the car kept driving with no problem. I was at a point where I had no cell phone coverage and I felt like I had no other choice but to drive home. I am just glad that my car made it home and wasn't stranded. As soon as I got home I called the car place in the town where I worked and made an appointment for them to look at it tomorrow. I was thinking that since it was still driving I could probably just get to work and get it fixed. Well, I went out around 7pm to drive it around the block to see how it was driving and the car started, but I couldn't get it out of park. Oh crap.

Last night when I was thinking about the whole incident I suddenly thought....Hey, I bet this would be covered under my insurance because I hit something on the road. I called a transmission place and they agreed that my insurance would probably cover any damage. Whew!!!

Thankfully my boss had no problem with me working from home, so this morning I got up and worked a little and then started the calls to my insurance. The car was towed early this afternoon and as they pulled the car up the guy could see the damage from the rock. Oh, and we also now have a garage floor that is completely covered in transmission fluid!!!

One of the things that the claims adjuster said this morning is that since I drove it home they might not cover the damage. I told him that I felt like I had no other choice because I was on the side of a mountain with no cell coverage. I will be very upset if they decide to not pay for this after I have had a policy with them since 1989 with maybe 3 claims.

My insurance will cover a car rental for me, but I am going to wait until Monday to actually pick up a car. I have a co-worker that also lives here in town, so she is giving me a ride tomorrow. I figured that since we were coming up on a 3 day weekend, there was no reason for me to have a rental over the weekend when I won't need it.

Even though I am going through something that really stinks there is still so much to be thankful for. What is going to happen (whether the car is totaled, not covered by insurance or me having to get a new car) is already in the works and sitting around worrying about what will happen will do nothing but send out negative energy!! I have found it's more fun to just enjoy the ride and see what the universe has in store for me!!

I just keep telling myself...!Hang on....it's going to be a fun ride!

Valentines 2012

2012-02-14T17:44:00.002-07:00

The smile on my face says it all.....I am totally and completely in love with her.

Happy Valentines Day to the woman that has given me the world.

I love you!

Early Morning Walk

2012-02-11T07:48:00.004-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is wake up early and go for a walk as the sun comes up. It's my time to just be with myself and enjoy the peace there is right before everyone else wakes up.

And as you can see in the last picture, I'm not the only one that enjoys this time of day.

Happy Saturday to you!!

Silence

2012-02-09T17:07:00.002-07:00

I am sorry that my blog has been a little quiet lately, but I promise that I will be back soon. Since talking to my Dad last week I have kind of had a heavy heart and I feel like I need to get back to Kansas City sooner than later to hopefully get some closure. Right now I am still trying to process everything I learned in the last week and I think I need just a little bit more time before I put into words the struggle my heart has been through lately.

Life here at the top of the world has been so beautiful lately and Leadville is finally starting to look and feel like Leadville in February. The snow is starting to pile up in our yard and it seems like the guy that plows our driveway has been coming by about every other day. Poor Sophie is running out of flat surfaces to do her business and even when we do find a flat surface she can't stand well on snow and usually falls down. It is breaking my heart seeing her slow down so much.

The only plan we have for this weekend is skiing on Saturday so it will be nice to just hang out around here for most of the weekend. I just love our home and it has such a warm comforting feel about it. We have these big windows in our family room and in the afternoon the sun shines right in them and it's becoming one of my favorite nap spots!!!

In my struggles in the past week she really has been that soft landing I need. She's been there to comfort me, hold me, cry with me and to just be there next to me. The one thing I love about our relationship is how I know I can go through some rough times emotionally and she just loves me through it all. A year ago I was wishing I could come home to her every day and now that dream has become my every day life. I think I am finally in that safe and loving place where I can now focus on and heal from the heart break of being kicked out of my family and finally get some closure. And I really believe the way to heal from all of this is to make a return trip to Kansas City and visit the city that helped me become who I am today!

Happy Birthday!!

2012-02-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to the other half of my heart!!!

Celebrating

2012-02-02T19:30:00.002-07:00

I took this picture last Sunday and it shows how we all spent the day. It's fun to see Jade's personality blossom and she really is a funny cat. There are times when she seems very ditsy and not that smart, but then she jumps on my lap and she turns into the most loving and sweet cat. She really was the perfect addition to our family.

Every news station in Denver is talking about this massive storm that is moving in. It does look like Denver will be getting more snow then us, but we are still expecting about 10 inches of snow and for this Kansas girl 10 inches is still a lot for me. (she keeps laughing when I get excited about such small amounts of snow and 10 inches is not a lot for Leadville) I have a meeting tomorrow morning so I am really hoping the roads aren't too bad. My boss is meeting me at the meeting and she has to drive a part of I-70 that is often closed when we get a lot of snow. This is the third Friday in a row where we have gotten a lot of snow and I can't wait to see what next Friday will have in store for us. The other good news about tomorrow is the meeting isn't until 10 and it would make no sense for me to go to work first and then drive back from where I had come from. Having a little extra time in the morning with her.....a perfect way to get her birthday weekend started.

It's been a good week, but I am ready to spend some time with her and celebrate her!!!

(Oh...and go Giants!!!!)

Thank You AAA

2012-01-30T17:42:00.002-07:00

Oh it has been an interesting day for me. The first half of the day went great, but around noon I decided to do a home visit in a rural part of the county. I took my own car because I know I have good tires and could make it up the steep gravel road with no problem, but what I didn't count on was that my clients road wouldn't be plowed and I would miss the turn off completely and end up trying to turn around on a very small road with one side going straight down.

Yea, so this is what happens when I tried to turn my car around:
I didn't realize that the road was a lot more narrow and when I pulled forward to complete my turn my front tire sank in about a foot of snow.

I tried to get myself out by dumping cat litter by my tires, using my floor mats and trying to dig myself out. I didn't have a shovel in my car (I will by tomorrow though!!) and the only thing I had was my mini canoe paddle from my days at camp in the 80s. Looks like I forgot to get everything out of my car from my move last July. lol

So then I knew I needed to call AAA, but that was hard because I was in the middle of nowhere with in and out cell service. I had to walk about 1/4 mile down the road to get cell service and luckily I got service and AAA were on their way to get me. I had a little trouble telling them where I was because I was an off road that wasn't on any maps. I then called my client (who I was going to see) and she came up and picked me up and took me back to her house to wait for AAA to arrive. They said it would be about an hour, but within 40 the guy was there and he got me unstuck.

It's not a huge thing that I got stuck in the snow today, but it was a big reminder how I have so many wonderful guardian angels that look after me. My client was shocked that I got any cell service where I was stuck and if I didn't have that coverage, I would have to walk probably 3-4 miles to get help. I was also blessed because the tow truck driver knew my client and knew exactly where to come get me without any trouble. And the tow truck driver....probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He followed me down the mountain just to make sure I had no more trouble. I am definitely going to call AAA and tell them how helpful every person was today.

When I got home I got some great news when I checked the mail........

My passport came in today!!! Looks like I am going to Italy!!!

Thank You Marysville

2012-01-28T08:34:00.006-07:00

So I have been thinking a lot about how in 3 years my life has taken so many turns, gone through many struggles, loved many people and came out of it all loving myself more than I ever have my entire life.

Three years ago this month I decided to start looking for a new job that was closer to Susan; who I was dating at the time. In a two week period I had a job interview, accepted a job in a town that I had never been in and totaled my car. Looking back on everything that happened in such a short time I wonder how I made it through it all, but I did and I think that was the first time that I was completely on my own and having to make grown up decisions. I found a nice reliable car and packed up my small apartment and moved to Marysville, KS and that was the beginning of a complete change in my life.

When I think about the fact that I moved to a town where I knew no one I wonder where this courage came from. Thinking back on it, it makes me scared just thinking about it. I remember those first few days in my new place in my new town. Susan had stayed with me the night I got there, but then I didn't see her for 5 days. I remember sitting in my little stone house knowing I didn't know a soul there and feeling so proud of myself. I did it....I got out of Kansas City. It's not that I don't like Kansas City (it will always be my "home"), but it was important for me to get out of the town where so much hurt and loss had happened. I was tired of running into people that once loved me and now couldn't stand the site of me.

When I think back to my time in Marysville it reminds me of how strong I really am. I went into a town where I knew no one and now there are so many of them that are truly my friends and I believe I will be friends with them for the rest of my life. They helped me through some of the toughest decisions of my life and I knew they loved me when they showed concern for me. On my many trips to Colorado there were a handful that always called me as I was driving home from one of my visits. It was nice knowing that if something ever happened to me, someone would notice.

Before I moved to Marysville, Susan and I had many discussions on how life in a small Kansas town would be compared to a bigger city like Kansas City. She told me that I could not tell anyone that I was gay because no one would like me if they found out, and if they did find out I would have to move. Stupid me listened to her for the first six months and I felt so bad because people were trying to befriend me and I kept myself so private. When I first shared with someone that I was gay, her response was....Caroline...I know and it's cool. After that I slowly came out of my shell and I suddenly found myself surrounded by so many good people.

What the town of Marysville taught me was that it's OK to be myself and as long as I am loved it's all good. So thank you Marysville...I may be in Colorado, but you are never far from my heart.

Family Time

2012-01-24T13:35:00.004-07:00

My blog will probably be quiet for a few days because her brother and sister-in-law are in town visiting and I want to spend as much time with them and very little time on the computer.

I've said this before, but I just love the relationship that she has with her brother and really all of her family. Seeing her interact with her family makes me long for my "original" family, but I am lucky because her family has totally accepted me as part of the family. She is lucky and in turn because of that, I am lucky.

See you at the end of the week!!

Drive home from Denver

2012-01-20T15:15:00.003-07:00

Haircut Time

2012-01-19T18:51:00.002-07:00

I have been meaning for months to get my haircut and highlights put back in, but with my work schedule I was having a hard time finding a time. Finally last week I found a place here in town and made an appointment for tonight. I had 3 inches cut off and blond highlights put in:
I love the length and the color is really nice. I am so glad I found someone here in town!!!!

Today was technically my Friday because I am going to a 1/2 day conference in Denver. She is going with me and we are going to have a nice lunch and then head home. It will be nice to spend most of the day with her and then we still have the whole weekend together. It's always so hard going back to work on Mondays because we always have so much fun over the weekends and I hate to see that end. One day I will win the lottery (lol) and then we can travel the world together!! :-)

The "big" blizzard that was heading our way turned into only about 3 inches of snow, so the roads were fine and I did make it into work today. I get so frustrated with Meteorologists because they never seem to get it right. I would love if I could make mistake after mistake and still keep my job. They say snow is in the forecast every day until Monday, but I'll believe it when I see it.

That's all for today!!

Let it snow

2012-01-18T19:11:00.004-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last couple of days.

Little Love just chillin.

Looking out the window in the family room. Hopefully by this time tomorrow everything will be white!!

In honor of the snow God Ullr we had a ceremony where we made snow and then put some outside. In this picture you can see that it worked and continues to work well. Tonight we are under a blizzard warning with 6-12 inches of snow expected. I am so excited I can hardly sit still.

It's hard to describe how much I love snow. I love the sound of it when it falls from the sky, I love walking in it and the sounds my feet make and I love driving in it. I love being outside when it's snowing and often times will put my face to the sky and let the snow flakes fall on my face.

Let it snow.

Just Breathe

2012-01-17T15:22:00.002-07:00

This is the first time that I have worked crisis work for my entire job and not just occasionally. I have noticed that I have been stressing a little bit because how can you not stress and worry when you are doing my job. I feel responsible for all of my clients and I feel like I should be available to them whenever they need me. In all of this (and I do know that the last part if probably not a healthy way to be dealing with all the issues my clients have) I have forgotten to take care of myself. Just starting a new job I want to make sure that I show them that I can do the job and make sure they see I am doing the best I can, so I haven't felt like I could go to my boss and say "Hey...I am a little stressed here". I know my boss would totally be OK with talking to me about my stress level and every week when we do have supervision she always asks me how I am doing and makes sure that I am taking care of myself. But as an employee I still don't want them thinking I can't handle the job.

Well, this morning we had a staff meeting and they brought in a therapist to do some exercises with us regarding taking care of yourself and working with us so we don't get burned out. Seriously, this is exactly what I needed right now. The exercises were excellent and I learned a new way to calm my brain when I am working in the middle of a crisis. It was interesting because I never really thought about my brain getting tired, but I really think this was happening to me. It seems the clients I work with I tend to take on what they are feeling or going through and I learned today that doing this is normal and as humans that is just what we do...when someone is feeling something we take on that emotion...good and bad. It was nice hearing that what I am doing is normal and most social workers do the exact same thing, but the best part was giving us some new tools to handle the crisis and traumatic work we deal with sometimes on a daily basis.

So, today I am thankful that I have such great management and they do all they can to make sure I am taking care of myself. The work that I deal with on a daily basis can be very traumatic and I have felt that in all of my body in the last month and it's nice to have some new tools I can use to not only help myself but also help my clients.

Good Morning Sunday

2012-01-15T05:43:00.006-07:00

One of the things I love about the weekends is I am able to get up early and just enjoy the peacefulness that is all around me. Usually Sophie gets up with me and we go outside for a walk and there usually isn't anyone else up so all you hear is silence. I love it!!!

I guess it's a good thing I am not a Broncos fan!!! Wow, that was not a good game for Denver! We had a date night in Denver so we got home at halftime and I personally wasn't too shocked about the score. One of the neat things that has come out of all this Tim Tebow talk is the fact that I have had more communication with my Dad. My Dad has enjoyed sending me test messages (wow, never thought my Dad would be text messaging!!!) regarding how Denver is doing. Instead of pushing for a relationship with my parents I am just taking it one day at a time. One of the great things that my love has taught me is how to just live life one day at a time. I have found there are more surprises when I live my life this way!

Shortly after I finished the above paragraphs I decided to head back to bed for a while. Is there anything better than it being early on a Sunday morning and being able to lay back down and sleep until my body decides to get up!!! Usually on Sundays I am already preparing for my upcoming week at work, but I am lucky because tomorrow is a holiday for our office. I am realizing how stressful my job can be at times and I am learning all the new ways my body is reacting to that stress. During my interview they asked me what I do to take care of myself and my response was, "I have a really good home to come home to" and that is exactly how I unwind from my job. It would be really hard to do this job and control my stress level if I didn't have such a wonderful partner waiting for me when I got home in the evenings.

The weather pattern is changing this week and we are suppose to get snow every day except 2 days in the next week. I think it was really nice for winter to let me ease into my first winter here in the Tundra, but I think I am ready for the real stuff now!!!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Window

2012-01-13T20:02:00.002-07:00

Here is a picture of my little cubicle at work. This is the first time that I have had a cubicle and I am kind of liking it. It's nice being able to have a conversation with someone and not even have to leave my desk. haha

So the person that sits to the right of the photo is moving to a different cubicle and today I got he good news that I get to move to to her cubicle next week. And if you look in the photo you will see the window that will soon be mine. I am so excited about having a window again. And this isn't just any window....this window overlooks the park that is right next to our office and there is always someone out there. Plus they have made the soccer field into an ice skating rink and I have had so much fun watching people out there ice skating. I am excited about just having more light at my desk!!!

So I hear there is a big football game this weekend!!! Gee, that is all we are hearing about here in Colorado. And they are making it really hard for me to not like Tim Tebow!!! Tonight on the news they talked about how he is really a good guy in real life and how he is does all these really neat things for people that have overcome extraordinary circumstances. I know I am a Chiefs fan, but tomorrows game is very exciting and I can't wait to watch it.

Have a great weekend!!!!

Through my eyes

2012-01-12T16:40:00.003-07:00

Now that I have a smaller camera I carry it with me at all times and I am finding I am taking more pictures then ever before. Here are some pictures from the last few days.

Shayna is the person in charge in our home.

Little Love is just the most awesome cat. Every morning she comes in the bathroom with me while I shower and get ready and I have grown to love our morning routine together.

As I was walking Sophie tonight the sun was just setting.

My sweet Sophie on our walk tonight.

Puppy prints in the snow.

I love my small mountain town!!!

Is winter back?

2012-01-11T19:16:00.004-07:00

This is my view as I turn off the highway to go home. We are so happy because we finally got some snow today....about 4 inches. It's so nice that everything is white now and we no longer have to see so much brown. The drive this morning was very slow, but I made it to work with no problem and was only 15 minutes late. My boss let me come home around 3:15 which made my commute home a lot less stressful since there weren't as many cars out there then if I came home at 4:30. I love how flexible my work is and how I have the option to work from home when the roads are really bad. There was one point on my drive this morning where I thought about turning around, but I kept going because I had to go to court with a client today. I really pray that this snow is just the beginning of our winter.

One of the things I wanted to do more of this year is blogging. It seems like I say that every year around this time, but I am determined to keep my blogging up this year. There are so many exciting things that are going to happen this year and I want to remember all of it. Sometimes I struggle with thinking that my life is boring and nobody wants to hear about that, but I need to remember that I am writing this for myself and so I can look back in 10 years and remember the small things in life that made the ride worthwhile!!!

Tonight I took a picture of Sophie doing her thing in the kitchen:
She's also started just randomly barking. Tonight she was sitting there and just all of a sudden started barking. Whens she does that we go over to her and let her know we are right here and she usually stops barking. It is really breaking my heart seeing her like this.

Tomorrow is Thursday which means at the end of the work day I know I just have one more day of work left and it always feels like my weekends kind of start on Thursday night!!

See you tomorrow!!

Good morning Moon!

2012-01-10T18:48:00.003-07:00

The moon has been so beautiful the last couple of mornings so this morning I had to stop and take a picture. With views like this the drive really isn't that bad!!

One of my favorite bloggers came out just recently and I am so proud of her and it of course got me thinking about my own whole coming out process. What a scary time that was for me and I knew exactly what I would be losing if I did come out, but that little voice inside me could not be silent anymore. In 1999 I knew that I was gay, but it was another 5 years before I actually came out to my family and honestly those 5 years were the worst of my life. I still have no idea how I graduated with my Masters degree during the time, but maybe that kept me distracted while I was in a living hell. During those five years I knew what would happen if I told my parents (especially my Mom) that I was gay and the though of losing everyone in my life was very terrifying and that fear almost paralyzed me. But somehow I got through it all and I am exactly who I am right now because of those 5 years. It's good to be at a point where I can look back on the last 12 years and be proud of who I am now and the person I have become.

So, totally changing subjects, I want to talk a little bit about Sophie. Oh my poor Sophie is aging so fast and I wish I could stop her from getting older. She seems to be confused most of the time and spends a lot of her time pacing around the house. I often times will find her just walking around in the kitchen for no reason and she will be standing with her head to the wall like she doesn't know where to go. I am so thankful that D is able to be home with her during some of the day because she really needs to be around someone a lot of the time because of her confusion. Plus with someone in and out during the day she is able to get more bathroom breaks. The good news is she looks happier then she has ever been. How could she not be happy with nice walks every few hours, lots of attention and home made dogs treats!!! I love D so much for being so good to Sophie and for taking care of her so well when I am at work.

So this is what was on my mind on this Tuesday. Tuesdays are always good because Teen Mom is on and tonight there are 2 new episodes!!!!

My Monday

2012-01-09T19:01:00.003-07:00

I am so lucky because with my job comes a car I can use to do my home visits. I have such a long drive just getting to and from work that it's nice that I can just park my car and put the miles on a different car when I am at work. I love not having a car payment, so I want to keep my car running as long as possible so the less miles I can put on her the better.

This morning I came into work and found this:
Someone had hit the car over the weekend!!! At first we were thinking it was a hit and run, but as I dug out the car from the snow (the plows plowed right next to the right side of the car, so the snow was up to the door) I found the card from the police. It is nice that they did notify the police and it's nice that there are still good people out there. They must have hit the car pretty hard because there were parts of the taillight on the top of the car!!

We did end up getting some snow on Saturday, but not the 5-10 inches they were predicting. We went skiing yesterday and I think every person that likes to ski was out yesterday. It was a blue bird day with fresh powder and it felt great skiing on new snow. For someone that hasn't skied in so long, the little snow on the ski slopes has been a big concern for me. When D tells me the conditions are bad, then I know the conditions are really bad for me. We have another chance of snow on Wednesday, but I don't think it's going to be a big storm so we will probably get nothing.

So...how was your Monday?

Dancing like no one is watching

2012-01-06T19:11:00.002-07:00

Today has been all about music for me. It's no secret that music plays a huge role in my life and it always has. When I was 10 years old I saved my allowance up so I could buy the new Barry Manilow tape. I remember being so excited when I finally had enough money and I was so excited the night we stopped at the music store on the way home from piano lessons. I don't think we had a tape player in the car so I had to wait until we got home to listen to it....isn't that funny to think about.

Give me a song from 1985 on and if I know it I can tell your exactly what I was doing in life just based off hearing a particular song. I guess you could say I associate my memories with different songs. I love going back and looking at my old play lists because just by looking at the songs I can see where my heart is at that time.

As I drive to and from work I have only found one station that I can listen to the whole way.....that is until today. I had found this station a couple days ago while at work and I set the station and by accident this morning I pressed that button and realized I had it here in town!!! Sometimes I just want to listen to the radio station and I was getting really tired of only having Jack FM here in town. I like Jack FM, but some of the songs are not the best if I have had a hard day at work. This other station is a little bit more mellow and I heard the first song in this picture tonight and it hit something inside me. It's just a very powerful song and reminds me of what I have been through. Boy did I shake things up in my family 7 years ago!!

The other thing that made today was great was when I walked in tonight from work I asked her how she was and she said..."in love with you". She makes me smile every day, she holds me close when I am feeling insecure, she's ok with me singing out loud while listening to my iPod, she gets me a card just because it's the weekend, and she's always right there with me.

As I said, I can always tell where my heart is by looking at the songs on my play lists. By looking at my latest play list I see a Caroline that is enjoying life (both the good and not so good) and dancing like no one is watching.

I love where I am!!

Catching my breath!

2012-01-05T19:54:00.003-07:00

Thankfully this week has been a lot calmer at work and I have been able to catch my breath. Next week will be my first full week of work since mid-December and I will tell you I am kind of getting used to these short weeks. And since I work for the government I will have another 3 day weekend next weekend. Today during my supervision my boss told me that I am making her a better social worker and making her think more clinically. Wow...what a huge compliment. This just shows that this job was made just for me!!

Tonight we were seeing what was on TV and I noticed that the movie Big was on. Big is one of those movies that I could watch over and over again and it's just a fun movie to watch. So you can imagine my surprise when she told she hadn't seen it!!! So tonight we are watching it and I am loving hearing her laugh and enjoy this movie.

You might remember that I wrote a few months ago that I really need to renew my passport and was hoping to get it done soon after I wrote that post. Yea, well I still haven't renewed it yet. After reading the application more clearly I realized that since my passport expired more than 5 years ago I have to renew it in person. I was thinking I was going to have to take a day off from work so I could go to Denver to a passport office. Well, thankfully one of D's friends reminded me that the tiny town next to the town where I work has an office where you can reapply in person. Whew.....So my goal is to get it done in the next few days. As I wrote on Facebook, I will not let her go to Italy without me!!!

Speaking of Italy....just a few more months until our trip!! We are both so excited and now that it's getting close we are having fun researching what we want to do while there. We also got a brochure about an Olivia Cruise in February 2013 that is celebrating their 40th Anniversary. The neat thing is the cruise is the same week as her birthday and in 2013 I will be turning 40. So being on Olivia's 40th Anniversary cruise and me turning 40....seems like it's meant to be. But we are just in the beginning stages of talking about this, but I do admit it would be a great way to celebrate her birthday and my 40th birthday.

Besides no snow, life here at the top of the world is pretty darn good. They are talking about a little bit of snow this weekend, but we aren't holding our breath that it will actually snow. The storms lately seem to be missing us completely. Everything seems to brown and it kind of reminds me of Kansas in the winter. There's still a lot of winter left, so hopefully soon we will have more snow then we know what to do with.

Stay tuned because I've come up with the prize for my next contest!!!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-02T16:21:00.003-07:00

This is how we spent our weekend:

It was so nice just doing nothing. I had wanted to ski, but from the sounds of it the conditions on the mountain are not good at all. We are praying for snow, but sadly snow is not in the forecast for the next week or so.

So far 2012 is pretty quiet. It's nice to be able to just be and not have to be so focused on just surviving. I am so looking forward to everything in 2012......turning 39, traveling to Italy, becoming a better social worker to my clients, loving her with everything I have, watching our furry kids become closer and more like a family and every day waking up and deciding to continue to do good in the world.

Welcome to my 2012!

Breaking News!!!

2011-12-31T09:04:00.001-07:00

IT"S SNOWING!!!!

We were going to go skiing, but Breckenridge is reporting winds of 126 mph. Yea, I think this will be a stay inside kind of day.

Happy New Years Eve!!!

My 2011

2011-12-30T19:00:00.009-07:00

I love yous exchanged, surprise visits to Colorado, lots of car troubles, thinking about moving to Colorado, romantic weekend in Colby, KS, Sophie meets D, resumes sent to places in Colorado, spring break spent together, lots of emails exchanged, Easter weekend spent together, I try bangs and it lasts about 10 hours, interviews in Denver, birthday weekend spent together, we decide that I should move to Colorado and we should move in with each other, I get a card from her almost every day for months, turn in resignation, run out of gas for first time ever, more resumes sent, move date is moved up by six weeks, movers not showing up for D to move out of the apartment, our first 4th of July, one last goodbye, many goodbye's in Marysville, love drive to Colorado on a very hot day, saying goodbye to the sweetest cat ever (I love you Ben!), more resumes sent, spending time together, getting to know each other, falling more in love, find the perfect job for me, meet her family in New York, decide we are going to Italy for vacation, Lynilu comes to visit, I finally eat at Casa Bonita and wish I hadn't, Thanksgiving in Denver, I ski for first time in 25 years, I find my job to be very challenging and my brain is usually fried by Friday afternoon but what a great job I have, Chanukah starts with home made brisket, we get worried about the lack of snow, an early Christmas in Denver, Christmas eve spent with friends, Christmas Day spent skiing Beaver Creek, and lots and lots of love. What a year it has been!!

Here is my 2011 through pictures. I included some of my favorite Daily Smiles that I posted on FB. I think the smile on my face says it all:

Happy New Year to each of you. I hope all your dreams come true in 2012. See you next year!!

Busy Days

2011-12-29T17:27:00.002-07:00

As you can see Jade is settling right into our family. Jade came to be with us because one of D's friends wasn't able to devote much time to her and she knew Jade would love being with other cats. Well, this friend came over on Christmas for dinner and at first Jade was giving her kisses, but as the night went on and it was time for her to leave, Jade wanted nothing to do with her. It was very interesting and ever since that visit Jade is being extremely loving. We love Jade and are so happy she is part of our family now.

Work continues to keep me busy busy busy. My days just fly by because I am always on the go and most days the first time I look at the clock it's already 2pm. The last couple of weeks have been unusually busy so getting a 4 day and 3 day weekend to rest up has been a huge blessing. Plus I have some great co-workers who keep me laughing even through the saddest of situations. Tonight I was thinking how much I love my job and how I feel like I am really doing what I was meant to do.

It's hard to believe that this year is coming to an end and what a year it has been!! I went back and read a few of my posts from this time last year and I said that if 2011 was as good as the first couple days had been, 2011 was going to be my best year yet. After my visit with her last Christmas I drove home and knew that we were meant to be together. So I turned it all over to the Universe and just waited to see what doors were opened. I had no idea how wonderful it would all turn out to be.

We Need Snow

2011-12-27T18:46:00.003-07:00

It's getting serious around here. Every one is talking about it. What is everyone talking about??? The fact that we have no snow. Here is what our yard looked like last year at this time:

And here is our yard now:

If you're reading this Mother Nature....please please please send us some snow!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T19:48:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas!!! We have had a great day which included over 2 hours of skiing this morning at Beaver Creek. I had never skied at BC before, but I really had a good time. They have some really nice green slopes and with this being the first time I have skied since I fell during Thanksgiving, nice and easy slopes is what I needed today. We met a friend there and the 3 of us had a great time and as we parted this afternoon we joked that we should do this every year. I think that's a fun tradition and I really enjoy hanging out with this particular friend. I have been blessed that D has so many great friends and all of them have welcomed me into their families and just been so nice to me. We are so blessed!!!

Tonight we lit the Menorah for the sixth night of Chanukah:
It's so special to be able to celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah on the same day. It really has been a good day.

I hope each of you had a Merry Christmas and were surrounded by love.

Dear Santa,

2011-12-24T00:35:00.001-07:00

You don't need to bring me anything because I already got the best gift ever!!!
Love,
Caroline

Letting my brain rest

2011-12-22T18:55:00.004-07:00

Look at my baby!!!! Doesn't she look like a puppy in this picture!! This is one of the pictures that was taken last weekend. I am so happy with the pictures and now I just have to decide which picture will be on the canvas I ordered. It's funny because in every single picture her tongue is hanging out. She was so nervous during the pictures and was totally not having a fun time, but we did get some really great pictures.

I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday and after this week at work I need some time off. This whole week has been filled with crisis after crisis and I can only take so much before I just need to rest. Luckily I had asked for tomorrow off because we are doing our Christmas in Denver tomorrow and with the office being closed on Monday I suddenly have a 4 day weekend. This has been the most challenging work week and for the first time in a long time I feel like I am using all the tools that I was taught in school. I felt really good about my work this week and when the Director comes to you to say how you have done such a great job it makes me feel even better.

We have such fun plans for the weekend, but also time where we can just be with each other. I know I have said this before, but I miss her so much during the week while I am working and it seems like we only see each other for a few hours in the evenings. BUT......I have to remind myself that a year ago we were driving back and forth and we were praying for what we have this year so I shouldn't be complaining. I really have such a great life right now....I have a job I love and a warm home that I share with this loving, funny, smart and beautiful woman. Every day I give thanks for this wonderful life that I now have.

I am now going to watch some Judge Judy on the DVR and just let my brain be still. Goodnight my friends.

Chanukah 2011

2011-12-20T19:41:00.003-07:00

Happy Chanukah 2011!!! Here is a few pictures from our evening.
We lit our Menorah.....

Even the cats celebrated Chanukah tonight with their special holiday plates for dinner tonight.

Here is our Christmas tree outside and the Menorah lit up on this first night.

She made brisket tonight and it was falling apart it was so tender. And to think that I almost stopped to pick something up to eat on the way home. I should know better!!

We lit a candle she received from a friend a few years ago since Chanukah is the festival of lights.

She also made Latkes that were delicious.

It's been a wonderful evening and our holiday celebrations have officially begun.

New Traditions

2011-12-19T18:37:00.003-07:00

Oh my gosh, I love this picture!!! And the funny thing is, I remember that exact issue of The Watchtower and thinking how silly the thought of Santa Claus was and why would any parent lie to their child like that. I know there is a lot of debate about the whole Santa Claus idea and I don't want to get into that, but that is what I thought back then and didn't know any better.

Growing up the holidays were very confusing for me because my Mom was a Jehovah's Witness and my Dad was not and therefore he celebrated all the main holidays. Side Note: Many people ask how my Mom (who is a JW) could marry my Dad (who is not a JW) and not get in trouble. Well, when my Mom met my Dad she was taking a "break" from the church. Yea, I am not sure what a "break" is, but she ended up marrying an "unbeliever". When they had my brother and I it was decided that my Mom would be responsible for our spiritual upbringing. So it was very confusing because I had one parent telling me it was wrong to celebrate (enter whatever holiday here) and the other trying to celebrate with me even though I never reciprocated. I still feel bad about that because my Dad tried his best to make holidays a good day. I was always so confused about what to do and I knew that whatever my decision was one of my parents were going to be hurt.

It's great this year because we are starting our own traditions. For the first time as a couple living together, we will celebrate Chanukah, Christmas and then New Years Eve. Last year I came out to spend 9 days with her and we knew that this trip would either make us or break us. I think it's safe to say that it totally made us.....and I couldn't be happier.

Good Friends

2011-12-18T12:57:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we went to Denver and had dinner at her favorite sushi place. I love having dinner as the sun sets and by the end of the meal it's always just a little bit romantic. As I sat there I thought about how a year ago when we would eat at this particular restaurant is was always at the end of one of my visits. I thought about how sad I always was because I knew our time together was coming to an end and I just wanted to be with her all the time. And now here I am a year later and it's like all my wishes have come true and I get to go home with her every night. Tuesday night we will start the Chanukah celebrations which I am really looking forward to. I love that this year Chanukah and Christmas are in the same week. I just know this coming week is going to be a fun week filled love, lights, good food and family. I can't wait to get things started!!!

Yesterday when we were in Denver we went over to some friends house so we could give them their gifts. As we pulled up they were in a neighbors yard looking at Jupiter through a mega telescope. It was so cool because you could see the different moons that surrounded Jupiter and two lines on the surface. Awesome, awesome and awesome!!!

We often stop and visit with these friends that live in Denver when we are down for the day. D has been friends with them for more than 12 years and they have completely welcomed me with open arms. I have always had a lot of appreciation for them because they have been there for D as a friend through some of the most difficult things. Well, when I first moved here and had to immediately deal with the fact that Ben was no longer here they knew how much the loss was for me. This was their Christmas gift to me:
When I opened the package all I could do was cry. It was the most touching gift I have ever received. As we were driving home I looked over and D and told her how thankful we are that we have such wonderful friends in our life.

This morning we watched the movie Prayers for Bobby.....this movie came out in 2009 as a Lifetime Movie and it's about a woman dealing with the fact that her gay son committed suicide. In the process of dealing with his suicide she ends up becoming an advocate for gay rights. It has some really good messages about what the bible actually says and I thought it would be good for my Mom to watch....so I just ordered her Christmas gift. Maybe one day she will watch it and see that she is actually one of the lucky Moms......I am still alive.

And the winner is.......

2011-12-17T21:58:00.003-07:00

Nothing like waiting until the last moment to post the results of my contest. Usually I write out each persons name and then draw a name out of a hat, but this time I decided to go to one of those sites that picks a random number. I had 28 comments to my post and the random number that was chosen was 22.......

Which means the winner is........

Kim from Marysville, KS.

Congrats Kim and thank you so much for being such a faithful reader. I will get in touch with you and get your information as well as what flavors you want. I am so excited for you because you are going to love this popcorn!!!

Coming Home

2011-12-15T19:23:00.003-07:00

When I came home today she was wearing this sweatshirt:

So while she cooked dinner I put this on her napkin:

I love coming home in the evening.

Love & Popcorn

2011-12-13T18:51:00.002-07:00

Today was a really rough day at work. I am working with a client that just doesn't care and it's hard watching someone go down that road knowing there is only so much I can do. When I got back to the office my boss came over to talk to me about the situation and she told me (it was 2:30) that I could just call it a day. I ended up working for a bit then decided to head home. I just couldn't wait to get back to my safe place in the world....our home. And to quote Rascal Flatts....She's like comin' home.

As I was driving back to the office I saw this trailer next to me:
Awww...it was a piece of Marysville right here in the mountains. And then I was thinking about the new store that has opened in Marysville and of course Daylight Donuts. As much as I would enjoy the donuts, it's probably good that I am not that close to warm fresh donuts.

When I got home she told me I had a present waiting for me at the front door and much to my delight my Topsy's Popcorn had arrived. Suddenly my bad day was history and I didn't have a care in the world. The tin I ordered is huge. Huge! Looks like my co-workers will be getting a treat this week!!!

So that was my day....it started out bad, but a little bit love from her and some popcorn from Kansas City has made everything better.

Topsy's Contest

2011-12-12T11:38:00.004-07:00

How would you like to win a 3.5 gallon tub of the best popcorn in the Midwest? That's right, I am giving away a tub of Topsy's Popcorn!!! Topsy's has been around Kansas City since the 1950s and I had completely forgotten about this Kansas City tradition until a few weeks ago when one of my FB friends had mentioned how she got some of their popcorn as a Christmas present! Last week I just couldn't handle it anymore and I ordered myself a tub of their caramel, cheese and cinnamon popcorn and now I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of it so I can enjoy some popcorn from my hometown.

So, I thought it would be fun if I had another contest and gave away a tub of their popcorn.

In my last contest I asked you to give one word to describe my 2011 (and I loved all the responses), so I thought it would be great if this time my readers commented and in one word described your 2011.

I will accept all enteries until this coming Friday and then Saturday I will announce my winner.

Ready....set.....go.......

(and here is a picture of some popcorn to get you in the mood!!)

(For anyone that had trouble commenting last time, you can always do a comment under the "anonymous" tab, but just make sure you leave me your name so I know who you are)

Denver Day

2011-12-11T08:32:00.003-07:00

We spent the day yesterday in Denver and as always we had a great time. We left home with no plan as to what to do except dinner at 4:30pm and maybe a few things we wanted to get done.

Our first stop was the mall where we ended up staying and watching the movie Hugo in 3D.
It was a cute movie with a very sweet storyline.

As we were walking out I saw the sign for the Muppets:
She has no interest in going and seeing this movie and I just don't understand that. Who doesn't love the Muppets???

After the movie we walked around the mall and hoped to see Santa:
Never did see Santa since he was taking an extra long lunch.

We left the mall and ran a few errands and then ended up stopping for a drink and loved I could watch my Jayhawks:

We ended the day having dinner with a friend. Here is us at dinner:

It was a really good day and the drive home was so beautiful. We had clear skies and a full moon and the moon was reflecting off the white mountains and it was just gorgeous.

So.....my last contest was such a success, that I am planning on having another one this week. Keep your eyes out for a chance to win a great prize just in time for the holidays!!!

View

2011-12-08T19:54:00.002-07:00

Even on days when I don't feel well, I still love the views I get during the day.

Spending time with the police

2011-12-06T19:16:00.002-07:00

The last two days I have been working with a police department because of a client issue and most of my day yesterday was spent driving around town with a police car in front of me and behind me. I kind of felt like I was getting an escort around town...it was kind of fun.

Just like the rest of the country, it has been very cold here. This morning when I took Sophie for her morning walk it was -17 and well, no one should be out in those temperatures. Even though my car was in the garage all night, I still let it warm up 20 minutes because I know the garage was well below freezing and Dottie is getting old. When I got to work I immediately got called back out into the field and I decided to take my own car, instead of the company car because I knew my car was still warm. It's all about staying warm nowadays.

Speaking of staying warm.....a few days ago we decided that it was time for us to get a gas fireplace for the house. I love fireplaces and so I am thrilled that we will soon have one. I used to think that it had to be a wood fireplace for it to be a fireplace, but last year she had a gas fireplace in her apartment in the springs and I realized how wonderful they are!! Getting a fireplace will mean completely rearranging the family room, but I know it will be totally worth it.

It's hard to believe that this year is coming to an end already. Overall, 2011 has been really good to me and some really good things have happened this year. Sometimes I can't believe the risk I took in moving out here before having a job, but I am a perfect example of how if you want something all you have to do is have a little faith. 2011 also brought some challenges in my life, but for the first time in years I had someone right there beside me to love me through it all.

It's been years since I have had someone there with me to celebrate the holidays and I am so excited for the holidays this year. I made a decision to not get a tree this year because well, I just didn't want to mess with it. Sound terrible, doesn't it!?!? The grocery store here in town is selling mini Live Christmas trees. They are so neat and I did debate about getting one, but for some reason this year I am just not into it. Since D is Jewish, she wasn't too disappointed with the fact that we don't have a tree.

So here's something funny...right after I finished that last paragraph we decided we wanted some ice cream. So that meant going out in the cold to get something really cold to eat on a very cold night. Haha....we are funny.

Snapshots of my day

2011-12-03T20:21:00.002-07:00

It's Thursday and I can't think of a title.

2011-12-01T20:12:00.002-07:00

Earlier this week my employer handed out these mini muffins to remind everyone that today is National Aids Day. I just love my job and the people I work with!!!

My day started out at a conference in a fancy resort in Vail. Breakfast was served and it was only so-so, but the presentations were awesome. I learned so much about the aging population in the sate of Colorado. It is so nice to get away sometimes and attend a conference. I always feel so recharged after attending good conferences.

My big concern is the lack of snow we are getting. For the 3rd time this year Denver got hit big and we got nothing. I just took Sophie out and we are getting flurries, but nothing like what normally happens here. We have a small ski slope right outside town and they have had to delay their opening twice because of the lack of snow. Lake Dillon looked so great during the summer, but with very little moisture the water level continues to go down. If you're reading this Mother Nature, please send us some snow!!!!

We have had a cold front move in and tonight's low is 3 and guess what decided to stop working???? Yep, our furnace. The heater guy came by and said he had to order a part and then showed us what we have to do to get it started up. Right now we have the thermostat set to 80 and praying it stays warm through the night. I think I am going to get up around 3am and jump start it for the morning. So we don't have to wait until Monday, D is driving down to Denver tomorrow to pick up the part. She is kind of excited because that means she gets to have a nice lunch at her favorite sushi place.

I have been thinking a lot about Italy lately as our trip is getting closer and closer. Just 120 days until we fly out to spend a week touring Italy. I keep meaning to renew my passport, but only seem to remember at 9:00 at night. Well, a few days ago I had a dream that we were at the airport and I realized I hadn't renewed my passport and I said.....Please let this be a dream, please let this be a dream, Please let this be a dream. Hahaha...when something comes up in my dreams I guess it's time to take care of it!!

42

2011-11-29T20:48:00.003-07:00

42 years ago today my parents got married. Even though things turned out differently than I would have hoped, I still appreciate them for what they were when I was younger. As a family we had some really good times and to honor their marriage here are a few of my favorites:

~Spending the summer weekends at Lake Lotawana

~The first time I went away to summer camp for a month, my Mom drove to Minnesota to visit me for Parents Weekend. I still remember I was in Arts & Crafts and I was making a candle in the shape of a heart. (As you can see hearts and I go way back)

~When I was getting my masters degree my classes were just a few miles from where my Mom worked and I would often times go see her on my break and we would have lunch at Taco Via.

~When my Mom would be out of my town my Dad would not tell my Mom that while she was gone I would go on dates with boys.

~My last summer at camp I stayed for two months and my Dad came up to visit me for a weekend and we had the most fun driving around Duluth.

~My parents were supportive when I decided to go back to college after taking a 2 year break. Because of them (and my Grandma Murphy) I got both a bachelors degree and masters degree with no student loans.

~My parents bought me my first Honda Accord, which was the starting of my love of Hondas.

~They were both supportive when I told them I wanted to divorce my ex-husband.

~They took me to see my first musical (Les Miserables) and because of them I have almost every song memorized from that show.

I only wish my parents the best and hope them nothing but love and peace.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Nice Weekend

2011-11-27T12:20:00.002-07:00

Thank you for all the great advice about the car incident. I did call the non-emergency police number for that town and they told me the only thing I can do is wait to see if an investigator from the Hit and Run department calls me. I am sure these people will call the police and we will just go from there. I'm not going to worry about it until I get a call.

We have been totally and completely lazy the last couple of days and it has been so wonderful. My shoulder and pretty much my whole right side is still really sore from my fall. This morning I woke up at 4am and could barely move, so I decided not to ski this morning. It would have been a beautiful day to be out there, but I am afraid that if I did have another fall I would do more damage. On Friday we went to a different part of the mountain and it was the part that I had skied when I was a kid and it brought back many memories. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that the place where I had so much fun as a kid is now considered my home.

I will leave you with a picture of myself and Jade. She fits so perfectly into our family and has one of the sweetest personalities.

Help!!

2011-11-26T14:36:00.003-07:00

So I need some legal advice!!!

Yesterday we got a call from the family that hosted us for Thanksgiving saying their neighbor across the street called her and said when I was backing out of the drive way on Thursday I hit her car and did damage. We were shocked to get this call because there is no way I hit any ones car!!! So, yesterday I called this woman and left my name and phone number and waited for her call. About 3 hours later our family member called us and said this woman had called her again and she had already gone out and got an estimate for the damage and it was $900. Our family member told her she needed to call us and then she called us upset about this whole thing. So, I called this woman back and she did answer the phone. She says that when I was backing out I was really close to her car and did damage to her door and side mirror. First of all, coming close and hitting are two totally different things.

Here is the thing....1) I did not hit her car. 2) There is no damage (not even a small scratch) on our car. 3) If I had accidentally hit their car I would have stopped and said something.

They called us again today and told us that "we need to come clean" with them. We have told them that they should probably go to the police because we did not do this damage. When we told them they should call the police their response was, "so you can lie to them as well".

I am not worried because I know I did not hit their car, but I hate that this family member is involved and is upset about all of this.

What can we do....if anything?

Rough Day

2011-11-25T20:01:00.003-07:00

This is the first picture I took with my brand new camera!!! My regular camera is almost 5 years old and kind of big and bulky and for a while now I have wanted to buy a smaller camera that I could carry around with me all the time. Last night I saw that Walmart had a Kodak camera for only $49 and I decided this is the one I wanted. It's cheap enough that if I break it or something I won't be out that much money. For about 10 minutes last night I was going to drive down to the Walmart closest to us at midnight to get this camera. Well, I then decided that I was too tired and if it was still there after skiing then I would get it. When we showed up at Walmart at 10:30am it was still there and I bought it!!! I am so excited to have a new camera!! My old camera was 7.4 mega pixels and this new small one has 14!!

So this morning we went skiing and on my first run I had a big fall. I landed on my right shoulder and when I hit the ground I prayed that I didn't break anything. Thankfully I didn't and I was even able to go on a couple more runs. Now that it's the evening my shoulder is pretty sore, but I think it will be fine if I continue to move it. I knew that I would fall at some point and I was pretty nervous about that first fall, but now that I have it's over I am ready to get right back out there!!

When we got home we decided to watch the movie The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and it hit a sensitive nerve for me. The characters Mom reminded me so much of my own Mother and it of course brought up a lot of emotions for me. We had to stop the movie several times because my emotions were taking over. I continued to watch it because I knew it would be good for me and maybe even a little healing. When I talked to my Dad earlier in the week he disclosed some information about my Mom and her health and it makes me very scared for her. Being so far away and her not wanting anything to do with me just eats at my soul sometimes because I know in my heart that she will never speak to me again and the next time I see her will probably be at her funeral. Each year that goes by that we don't talk I feel myself growing further and further away from her and there's nothing I can do about it.

Since I came out to my Mom she has always said to me that I am not the same Caroline she once knew. I always debated that and told her I was the same Caroline, but she is right....I am not the same Caroline. I will no longer live my life for someone else just to make them happy, I will always stand up for myself and my right to love whomever I want and even if you are the woman that raised me from the day I was born, I will not allow someone to make me feel bad for just being myself.

The movie was really emotional, but I do think it healed me a little bit. For so long I thought there was something wrong with me because they rejected me, but something about this movie made me realize that my Mom was not healthy and the best thing I could have done for myself was to get away from her.

So my body is sore tonight and my heart is extra sensitive. It's really good that I have this woman that just wants to take me in her arms and love all the negative away.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T21:31:00.002-07:00

Today we enjoyed our first Thanksgiving together and it was a great day. We went down to Denver today to have lunch with family. Before lunch we stopped off at some friends house and enjoyed a nice visit and then we headed out for our dinner. It was wonderful meeting more of her family and I just love watching her interact with her family. All in all it was a really special day.

I have so much to be thankful for this year and I feel incredibly blessed. Last year I spent Thanksgiving alone and being alone is extra hard when it's a holiday, but this year it seems like I have more love than I know what to do with. I have a wonderful partner that makes me laugh every day, a job that I don't mind driving 10 extra hours a week to get to, some really great fur babies that love me even when I am no fun to be around, a warm and cozy home, money to pay my bills (plus extra to have some fun as well) and some of the best friends in the world.

Yesterday one of my friends on Facebook put Happy Happy Joy Joy as her status update and that is exactly how I feel. I am happy and surrounded by so much joy. It's an awesome feeling!!!!

I hope your Thanksgiving was as blessed as mine was!!!

Happy Mommy

2011-11-22T18:08:00.003-07:00

Today I took Sophie to the vet to get her shots, get a bath and for her to be examined by a vet. At 13 I really think it's important for her to become familiar to a vet in our area. We went to the vet that D has always used and it was a very nice experience. I think Sophie had fun while there today because when I went to pick her up she just casually walked over to me. The vet said that she is in excellent health for someone her age and size....and speaking of her size, she has lost 9 pounds since moving here. Yay for Sophie!!! They did take some blood, but had to send her sample out because her blood was not cooperating with their machine. They explained it to me and still I didn't understand. I asked if I should be concerned since they had to send the sample out and the vet said that since Sophie is not acting sick we are probably OK. We will get those results on Friday.

I spent $333 on her today, but finding out that she is a very healthy 13 year old dog makes it all worth it!!!
I am a very happy Mommy tonight!!

4

2011-11-17T19:22:00.002-07:00

Four months ago today I moved to Colorado to spend my life with her.

Best decision ever.

And the winner is.......

2011-11-15T18:10:00.003-07:00

I am sorry for the delay in posting the winner of my contest, but yesterday was just a horrible day. I felt out of it all day and then on my way home I started getting a headache and by the time I got home it was a migraine. After 3 Advil and some quiet time once I got home I went to bed feeling much better!!

So....I know you guys didn't come here wanting to hear about my Monday, so let's get down to business. First of all, thank you all for your comments and private messages. I love the words you guys came up with and it makes me want to put together a little book with all your words and title the book 2011. I wish you all could have won, but there could only be one winner this time.

So.....the winner is:

Congratulations Traci!!! Keep an eye out for your special package!!

End of a Great Weekend

2011-11-13T09:47:00.002-07:00

Having lived in Kansas City my entire life I kind of took for granted the fact that the Chiefs were my home team. Even when I moved out of Kansas City, but still lived in Kansas I could still feel like the Chiefs were my home team. Now that I am living in Colorado, things are completely different. Every one in Colorado are Broncos fans. Every one. So on a day like today where the Broncos are playing the Chiefs I feel like I am in the minority. And these Broncos fans, they are serious about their football!!! I told D that I am a little nervous to show my pride of being a Chiefs fan (especially today) because I am afraid the fans will come after me when the Chiefs roll right over the Broncos.

We have had a perfect weekend. I was off work on Friday and we did nothing all day. It was wonderful. We watched lots of tv and some movies and it was just so nice to be with each other. Yesterday she was wanting some sushi so we went down to Denver. I was a little nervous about the weather because there were blizzard warnings all around us and lots of snow all around us, but we had no problems at all. I did talk to her into going down for lunch instead of dinner, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. Her normal sushi place is not open for lunch on Saturdays, so we decided to go to Sushi Sasa and boy was that a bad decision. I don't like sushi, but the place we normally go to has cooked food that I like. This place really didn't have many options for me, but I did find a couple things and only one of them was good. The service was horrible and D did not enjoy her lunch at all. Boo!!! The one good thing about lunch was being able to spend some time with some good friends. D really has the greatest friends and I love how they have welcomed me into their families and made me feel so welcome!!

Today she will be doing some cooking and well, you know what I will be watching!!! I am sorry to see this weekend come to an end, but tomorrow it's back to the real world and that means alarm clocks, many hours in the car and missing her like crazy.

Today is also your last day to enter my contest from my 500th post. If you don't have a google account and want to comment, you can just do it under anonymous. But please send me a message or leave your name so I know who you are. I've decided that I like doing contests like this, so stay tuned because I have many ideas for more contests in the future!!! And to those of you that have already commented, thank you so much for your words. I can see the last year in each of your words. I've decided that I want to do some kind of project with those words. What a great way to end 2011!!!

500

2011-11-10T18:23:00.002-07:00

One of the things that I love about not being a Jehovah's Witness (and there are many) is I don't have to hide how proud I am of being an American.

For the first time in a long time, I am working for an organization that closes on all the bank holidays and that means I get tomorrow off!!! I am so happy that for at least a couple days I will be able to just sit and enjoy our home. And that means no driving anywhere. No driving. Ahhh......

One of the things that I am hoping to do this weekend is to go skiing again. Did I not tell the story of my first time on the slopes in 25 years? What a bad blogger I am.....

So my first day skiing was last Sunday and overall it went really really well. I had a little difficulty getting my boots on (god....i hate the whole process of putting them on) but once I relaxed a little I quickly got them on. The walk from the parking lot to the ski lift just about killed me. Yea, it's time to get in shape. I was really nervous about the ski lift because falling while getting on or off has always been a fear of mine. D was great about giving me little tips along the way and the lift turned out to be no problem. I only did one run because by the time I got to the bottom I couldn't feel my legs. Seriously, I couldn't feel my legs!!!! But..... I was proud of myself because I didn't fall and I didn't make a fool of myself!!! Turns out the slope I ended up going down was a Blue which means it has a medium difficulty level. Well, the good news is we are getting more snow which means soon all runs will be open and I can work on getting in shape while on a green (easy) slope.

So guess what??? This is my 500th blog post on this blog!!! So I thought it would be fun to have a little contest. Leave me a comment and tell me in one word how you would describe my life in 2011 and I will pick a random winner.

The prize: The winner will receive a small care package with Leadville goodies. And believe me there are some fun unique things here in Leadville!!

I will pick the winner this coming Sunday!!!

So.....what are you waiting for????

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T17:53:00.003-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

Two Day Post

2011-11-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

Today we welcomed another member to our family. Two weeks ago we woke up to find that one of our birds had passed away. Well, D went down to Denver today to get her sushi fix and on the way home she picked up Powder Puff. Isn't he cute!!

Tonight as I was driving home it started snowing and about 30 minutes into my drive (and of course as I was driving up the mountain) the roads got really slick and it took me over an hour to go 30 miles. There was an 18 wheeler stuck on the mountain, several cars that slid off the road and a van that had turned upside down. I am lucky because I am made it through and I am sure not long after I drove through they closed off that part of the highway.

Tuesday 9:30AM: So I started this post last night and about halfway through I got tired, lost my train of thought and gave up and went to bed. I do love my drive to and from work, but there are some days (like yesterday) where I am just ready to get home when I am done with work. Maybe it's because instead of driving to work in the dark, I am now driving home at night in the dark. And then when you add the additional time it took for me to get home, I came home in a totally bad mood. I was short with D and just wanted to rest my brain for a bit and I feel bad for being in such a crappy mood when we have such limited amount of time together during the week. Thankfully our offices are closed on Friday for Veterans Day (yay!) and we will have more time together.

Tuesday 1:45PM: It seems like it's taking me forever to finish this post...haha. Today I took my car in to get the coolant system repaired. There was a leak in the coolant container and when my car had no heat last week that was the first sign that there was something wrong with my car. It's all fixed now and I am reassured that my car will not overheat on my way to or from work.

Well, I better hit publish before I get distracted again and then totally forget about this post!!!

Love it all out

2011-11-04T14:43:00.003-06:00

The "big" boss of my office has this on her door and I just love the message!! And how awesome is it that the "big" boss has this as her motto. I am in the right place career wise for sure.

So here it is Friday around 2:45pm and I have already checked out from work for the week. Actually I have a bunch of computer work to do, but somehow I locked myself out of the state computer system this morning. I called the help desk, but I don't have authorization to reset my password, so here I sit with nothing to do. It's kind of a policy to leave Fridays to do all our paperwork and I had lots of plans to do that today, but since I can't get into the system I guess I will just watch the clock tick by until 4:30 gets here. All of the supervisors for our department are in a training so there is no one that can reset my password.

6:45pm: So as soon as I started writing this post things picked up at worked and before I knew it it was time to go home. One of the things I did was help one of our clients who was at the local grocery store and couldn't get her food stamps card to work. So I drove over and helped her and quickly realized she was hit the touch pad to hard and the first couple of numbers were being entered twice. She was very happy that I came to her rescue and it was a perfect way to end my work week. I am so blessed that I get to work with people that as a whole are all missing so much love and kindness in their lives. I know this may sound corny, but it feel so good that caring for another human is part of my job description.

So I am home now and want to curl up with my love and make up for all the time we have been apart this week. It's cold outside, but so warm in our home.

Have a great weekend!!!

It's Thursday and I am tired.

2011-11-03T18:48:00.002-06:00

I am happy to report that Jade is fitting into our family really really well. There have been no fights and just yesterday Little Love and Jade started playing a little. Our other cat Shayna is tolerating Jade, but she is letting us know she is not happy about this whole thing and to her this is the end of the world. She was like this when Sophie and I moved in and it took only a couple weeks for her to realize it's not so bad.

This has been an incredibly long week and I am so happy tomorrow is Friday. Some of the cases I have to investigate are just heart breaking and by Thursday I am usually completely drained. And that is exactly how I feel right now. I am really enjoying my job and it really is the perfect job for me. I think all my career I have been searching for where I belong in the social work field and after my first day on this job and I knew that I found what I had been looking for. When I was at the hospital my favorite cases were the ones that came in through the ER or were struggling with a mental illness. In these cases you are working with someone that is in crisis and that is what I do every day in my current job. It's not for everyone, but crisis work is my niche. The other thing that makes me really tired at the end of the week is all the driving I do. I would guess that of the 40 hours I work each week, half of those hours are spent driving in the car. Part of our county is on the other side of this mountain range so you have to drive around the mountains in order to get to this one little town. Today I drove 100 miles one way to meet with a client and she chose to not answer the door. The TV was blaring, but she never came to the door or answered her phone. It was a little frustrating.

I'm not going to lie....the last snow storm was a little bit of a disappointment. We only got about 3 inches of snow while Denver got another 8 inches and I was just a tad bit jealous. There is talk of another system moving in this weekend and I really hope we get dumped on. I told D that I want to do absolutely nothing Friday night and all day Saturday. If it's snowing outside it will make it just perfect to lay around and watch movies. And on Sunday.....I will go snow skiing for the first time in 25 years. I am so excited!!

Forever Home

2011-10-30T15:56:00.004-06:00

Hi. My name is Jade. I have finally found my forever home.

Meeting New Friends

2011-10-27T14:00:00.003-06:00

One of the things I *love* about my job is the fact that 80% of my time is spent out in the field doing home visits. I have met some really cool pets in the last month and today I met this very friendly kitty. This kitty is 18 years old and is just a love bug. She wouldn't leave my side while I was in the house and I think I massaged her neck and head the entire time I was there. But she is loyal to her owner because when I got up to leave she immediately went over to her owner.

Yesterday it snowed all day at home. The ride to work was very slow (took me close to 2hrs), but my tires worked great and did exactly what they were suppose to do. I didn't slip once and felt so secure as I was driving down the side of the mountain. When I got to work there was a little snow on the ground and by the time I left there were blue skies and no snow. Crazy how the weather can change in just a few short miles.

This morning as I was driving to work I noticed my heater in the car was not working and with it only being 8 degrees outside it was the coldest commute I have ever had. By the time I got to work my feet and hands were frozen. I called the car place by my work and they said they couldn't get it in until Monday..boo. Well, I started doing some research on the Internet about the heater suddenly not working in the car and come to find out it was most likely due to low coolant in your car. So I ran my car up there over lunch and just asked them to check the coolant since I have such a long commute and that was it. I am lucky because there was no coolant at all in my car and it would have certainly overheated on my way home. They filled it up and the heat came right on. He said that I probably have a small leak, but since it's filled up I should be ok until Monday. Thankfully I won't be driving my car after tomorrow, so I think I will be fine. I am just so glad that I decided to do a little research on my own because if my car had overheated I would have had a lot bigger problem.

After work tomorrow we are heading out for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. I remember how nervous I was a year ago this time knowing I would be meeting her shortly. It's hard to believe how far we have come in the last year and I still have to pinch myself because I can't believe I have this wonderful woman that has given me the world. I went back and read some of my blog posts from this time last year and I thought this particular one showed exactly how I was feeling.

Be sure to check back here after the weekend because we have a very exciting announcement!!!! (yea, I know I am mean to make you all wait)

Take the Bad with the Good

2011-10-23T12:31:00.004-06:00

I am so excited because I found someone on Facebook that I have been looking for since 2009. It was interesting because after looking through my pictures on Facebook she responded with, "You look so happy". It got me thinking about this past week and the differences in what has been said about me recently. On one hand I have a friend that I haven't seen in over 2 years and she is saying how happy I look and then on the other hand I have a couple people that have spent maybe 2 hours with me in the last year say that I am not being honest about my relationship with D and I really can't be that happy. I think I am going to believe the person that has proven to be my friend and not someone that really isn't that significant in my life.

The Internet is a weird thing. On one hand it has done so much for our society and really has changed the way relationships work. I think to some degree it has created this whole world of false relationships. Some people feel that if you are friends with someone on Facebook then you are automatically friends in real life. It seems this past week some people have felt that just because you are one of my friends on Facebook that means you get all the special details of my personal relationships. I think we also feel that just because we see what someone writes every day on Facebook or their blog then we know exactly who they are.

When I first started blogging in 2005 I befriended someone I went to camp with. The two of us had "dated" while we were at camp and I thought it was neat that I had reconnected with him and was so excited to share with him who I had grown up to be. As it turned out we were now two completely different people with completely different lives. This was an important lesson for me because I learned that sometimes it's best to leave the past where it was....in the past.

In the last six years I have met some pretty amazing people because of my blog and Facebook, but with the good also comes the bad. You have people sayings things to you that are private and personal where anyone in the world can see. I always feel that if you have something you need to talk to someone about it needs to be done in a private way, not where everyone can see the conversation. I lose respect for people that don't have boundaries when it comes to their relationships on the internet. We seem to forget that behind every comment, email or Facebook post there is a human with real feelings.

This past week I had a couple people try to break my own personal walls and try to bring down my happiness. They deny this, but when you come to someone who is clearly very happy and say they have information about your partner that would change everything that is trying to take away my happiness. And then to have them do it on a public forum made me realize that if they were a true friend they would have come to me privately to voice their concerns, not put it out there for the whole world to see. So yes, I did take a couple people off my friends list, but one thing I have learned over the last 10 years is that you can chose who you have in your life. I want to surround myself with good people and people that do move loving than hurting. Purposely and intentionally saying things that you know could hurt someone is not loving in my book.

This past week I have felt like maybe I need to censor myself on my blog and not share all the good things that are going on, but thankfully that was just for a few seconds. Anyone that knows me and knows what I have been through would understand why I write about all the wonderful things happening in my life. Life is not perfect for anyone, but don't judge me because just because I write about the good things in my life. Besides, I think the world needs more good news and not so much about how we wish things could be different, etc.

I think this past week has been a reminder of what I do have in life and how blessed I really am. I think this is an excellent way to start out the week of celebrations for us. Saturday will mark one year since we met in person and as I look to my left and see her sitting there reading the Sunday paper, I can't imagine being anywhere else or with anyone else.

Break Time

2011-10-20T17:44:00.003-06:00

Look at where I got to take a break today!!! Isn't that beautiful!! I was out in the field and there is this really awesome rest area that is right next to the Colorado river and I decided to stop and walk around a little. There were 2 men fly fishing right in front of me and it seemed like they were catching something every couple of minutes. I don't know about you, but watching fly fishing on my break at work is one very cool thing!!!

This has been such a crazy week and today while I was standing in this spot of paradise I couldn't help be thankful for what I have in my life. I feel so blessed that I have a job that I love and I really don't mind that I have to drive so far each day. I have over 900 songs on my iPod and I am already about half way through listening to every song. I am wondering what I was thinking when I downloaded some of the songs, but the variety helps make the my commute interesting.

I stopped on my way home and got a quote on replacing all my tires to prepare for the winter. We have been very lucky and the weather has not been too bad. On Monday my drive into work was the scariest drive I have ever been on. I am driving down a mountain and when I try to slow down I am sliding all over. I never want to experience that again, so I stopped tonight to order my new tires. We are suppose to get snow Monday night and Tuesday, so I will have new tires just in time!!

Next week we are going to Denver for our anniversary. It will be so good to get away for a couple of days where we will be with just each other. We were so fortunate to be able to spend so much time together this past summer and now that I am out of the house for 11 hours a day I really miss her. So two days with her will be just perfect.

Happy as a Bird

2011-10-18T17:47:00.002-06:00

I couldn't have said it better then what one of my friends said:

"I seriously can't believe that someone would go through that much effort to rain on your parade. I think that a true friend, or at least someone who cares for your well being as a fellow human would make the effort to contact you personally to discuss their concerns. Anonymous comments posted on your blog or any other public forum are just sour grapes. Be as happy as a bird with a french fry, Caroline. You deserve it."

I think I might have some french fries tonight.

Scary Drive

2011-10-17T19:10:00.004-06:00

This morning I experienced my first white out drive. Oh boy was it scary. I had to turn my headlights off so I could see the road or anything else 10 feet in front of me. I am planning on getting my new tires in the next week or so and this morning I was wishing I already had them. There were a couple times I was sliding pretty good and I was nervous that I might hit something. By the time I got through the worst part of the road the blinding snow had turned to rain and when I got to work I could see blue skies. It is amazing how the weather can change in just a few miles. Crazy!!! I took the above picture on my way home. I can't believe this is the same road I drove 8 hours before.

Last Friday night she asked me what I wanted for dinner and was so disappointed when I told her that I had already picked up dinner. One thing I love about her is she loves to cook for me. Seriously...how lucky am I? Twice last week we had homemade bread with dinner that was better than any restaurant. So, last Friday night....she was really wanting to cook something so instead of cooking for me, she made Sophie home made dog treats!!! I'm not sure who is happier in this relationship...me or Sophie? lol And have I told you about the playdates she takes Sophie on? About once a week she takes Sophie down to our neighbors and the two dogs get to run around and play with each other. I can't say this enough...I love how she loves my babies.

Last night Sophie wanted out around 12:30am, so I got up and got dressed and took her out. When I opened the front door I heard something by the garage and the sound kind of startled me. I then noticed that there were plants pulled out from our barrel planters. I then heard the noise again and realized it sounded like a horse. When we got past the garage I saw 2 deer standing in the street....hahaha!! I need to be more careful when I open the door late at night.

Hope each of you have a fantastic week!!!

For Anonymous

2011-10-16T15:07:00.002-06:00

You might read the comments from my previous post. The person I was speaking about went so far as searching for my blog (since they were removed from my friends list and no longer had the link to my blog) and then left a comment with their opinion of my life.

So, anonymous...this is for you:

Life is good....Seriously it is!!

2011-10-15T18:59:00.000-06:00

I was sitting here trying to think of what I wanted to write about when I realized I had a couple pictures on my phone that I hadn't shared on faeebook. I feel kind of weird bringing my camera with me to work, so for right now I am just using my camera on my phone.

Yesterday a co-worker and I drove west to visit some clients and it was the first time I got to experience the canyons here in Colorado. Oh my gosh are the beautiful. I can't wait to go back with D and be able to take time to stop and really enjoy the views.

Isn't this just awesome views. I can't believe that when I go out in the field for my job this is what I get to see. Seriously....how bad can work be if this is what I get to see while I am working.

My co-worker and I were out in the field until about 2pm yesterday and when we got back the dessert fairy had put these on my desk?
Apparently yesterday was National Dessert Day and someone in my office stayed up late the night before to make cookies for everyone. And let me tell you....they were delicious. I was nice and brought them home so we could share them together.

So you remember the snow we got last week? Well, the weather has been so warm here that it's all gone from our yard and there is no chance of snow for at least the next week. I keep having these dreams about skiing, so I am really anxious to get out on the slopes and see if I enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. I have a feeling this is going to be my new favorite activity on the weekends!!!

I am so excited for our little getaway in a couple weeks to celebrate our anniversary. Each day I wake up feeling blessed that I get to share my life with such an amazing woman. Tonight I was in the bedroom and I heard her laughing in the family room and it just made me want to laugh. I love hearing her laugh and it makes me feel so good inside. It has been a long time since I have been this happy. When I think back to my life even just a few years back my heart gets so sad. I think back to the Caroline that came home to an empty house and kept hanging on because I knew that one day things would be really good. And then here I am....I am not sure life can get any better.

One more thing...there is a person that feels maybe we are just too happy. Our life is not perfect and yes we have days that are rough, but at the end of the day we come together as a couple and appreciate every little things we have been given in life. The last few years I have really come to realize that the energy you send out into the world is what you get back in life. I feel that my Facebook posts and what I put out there on my blog sends out a certain kind of energy and I am choosing to send out more positive than negative. I would rather have people remember me because I am really happy than a person that can't appreciate the small things in life.

Be sure to keep checking back at my other blog. The last couple of days of the work week were a little rough for me and on Thursday and Friday I got 4 pictures sent to me of hearts. How awesome is that!!!!! See, the universe was sending me back just a little bit of love right when I needed it. You can either email me pictures or send them to my phone and you can find my cellphone number on my Facebook profile. There is a link on the sidebar for my Love is Everywhere blog......I promise you will leave feeling a little better.

A visit from New Mexico

2011-10-10T19:27:00.008-06:00

I can't believe it's been a week since I have blogged. I have a lot of catching up to do. We said goodbye to Lynilu today after a great visit.

She flew in Friday and after a long day of travel our first stop was dinner at Elways. Even though it is owned by John Elway, I have to admit that the food was really good. We all got dessert to go and I chose the Key Lime Pie; which is by far the best I have ever had. It was served with whipped cream and raspberry sauce and it literally melted in my mouth. After dinner we still had a long drive home and it was nearly 11pm when we pulled into the driveway. We were all exhausted, but ended up staying up until 1am talking.

Saturday morning we woke up to a snowy day.
I was so excited about the snow that even though I was exhausted I was up by 8am to watch the snow. I think we got only a few inches and by the afternoon it was already starting to melt. It felt like we had both winter and spring in the same day.

We decided to just hang out at the house that day and it was a good thing because around 3pm Lynilu started getting sick. We knew immediately what was happening and after 30 minutes of being on oxygen she started to feel better. We had planned to have dinner in that night and with Lynilu still adjusting to the altitude it was good that we stayed in.

At one point we were all on our computers and we laughed because they were all Apple.
And this doesn't include the iMac in our office.

After breakfast on Sunday, I drove Lynilu around town to show her where I now call home.
I do live in one of the greatest towns in America!!

Sunday night my sweet lady cooked a delicious turkey dinner. It was so good and we laughed when we realized it was Thanksgiving in Canada and we dedicated our dinner to all our Canadian friends.

Today we drove Lynilu to her brothers house so she could spend some time with him before heading home on Friday. One of the places she really wanted to go was IKEA so we headed that way today:

I was really excited to finally make it to one, but to be honest I was a little disappointed. First of all, it is huge and I really didn't like the big crowds. I can't imagine what it's going to be like around the holidays.

Next up was lunch at Casa Bonita:
This had been someplace I had wanted to go since seeing the episode of South Park where Cartman can't wait to go to dinner here. It was on the news last week that the parent company that owns Casa Bonita had filled for bankruptcy. You would have never known that today because even at 2 in the afternoon it was busy. The food was so-so, but the shows they put on during our meal were very cute. I am glad I finally got there, but I think Casa Bonita is something that I only want to experience once in my life.

Thanks for a great visit Lynilu!!! Sorry you were affected by the altitude, but I think you will believe me when I say we are at the top of the world.

Snow in the forecast!!

2011-10-03T15:21:00.004-06:00

I took this picture last week as I was driving home from the post office and as pretty as it is, I have a feeling this street will not look the same by the end of the week since snow is in the forecast. And the snow is coming right on time since Lynilu will be coming in that day for a long weekend visit. I think she is a little surprised that we are getting snow so early and the fact that next week when she is at her brothers in Denver the weather is at least 20 degrees warmer. Yep...that's Leadville for you. As for the snow, I am so excited I can barely stand it. My work is only at 6600 feet and last week it was so warm in the afternoon that I had my a/c on in the car, but today there is a different feel in the air and you can feel the colder weather moving in.

So on Saturday night we watched the movie Whip It and I feel in love with this movie. I am not sure what it is about this movie, but it really impacted me. There were several times throughout the movie when I would have to pause it because a particular scene reminded me of myself when I was younger and the emotions were almost overwhelming. Yesterday I downloaded the entire soundtrack and that is what I listened to on my way to work and I am sure I will listen to it going home. Every once in a while a movie comes along that hits me like a brick wall and totally impacts my life. And the movie Whip It did exactly that. If you haven't seen it, you really should check it out. Ellen Page (Juno) is the lead character and I can so relate to all she goes through in the movie. Drew Barrymore is also in it and this was the first film she directed.

So did you hear I started a new blog?? I love hearts and it seems like I find hearts throughout my day in the oddest of places. So I decided to start a blog where I share with you the pictures of all the things I find in my everyday life that are in the shape of hearts. Be to check it out....I promise you will leave that blog feeling all good inside. You can find my other blog HERE.

A year ago today

2011-09-30T14:09:00.004-06:00

I took this picture last labor day weekend and since then I have had issues with keeping track of how much gas I have in my car. In May I ran out of gas and ended up spending $150 because I had no idea why the car had just died (lol) and then this past Wednesday I started up the mountain with a quarter tank and ended up having to turn around and go back 15 miles to the closest gas station. It added 30 minutes to my already hour commute and I had to pay 30 cents more per gallon. I am hoping there will be no more of these close calls and vow to never let my car get below half a tank.

A year ago today I heard the sweetest voice for the first time. We have come so far in the last year and it has been wonderful to see how everything has come together perfectly so we could be together. Moving here without a job was a huge leap for faith for me. I was interviewing with an agency here in town and the job sounded very promising, but as we found out that job wasn't meant to be. For so long I lived my life in a little box and was told what to do in every area of my life. After that experience I knew that I wanted to go through life living every single moment for myself and no one else. Moving to Colorado to be with the woman I love did exactly that.

So here it is one year later and oh how my life has changed. I had no idea that love could be this good. Last night she surprised me with a getaway the end of October HERE to celebrate our anniversary. She told me that she wanted me to experience a hotel the way it should be, so we are staying on the concierge floor. Oh and the hot tubs for the hotel are on the roof about 20 floors up. It's going to be a really good weekend!! On a side note: Am I the only one that thinks of Jehovah's Witness when you hear the word "JW"??? lol

We have zero plans for this weekend and I am so happy about that. It's a huge adjustment being back at work and a weekend of watching movies is just what the doctor ordered. Plus there are going to be a million people coming up to the mountains to look at the Aspens and the roads are going to be packed. Next weekend Lynilu is coming for a visit and we are so excited to have her here for a few days. We have lots of things planned and it's all going to be fun, but the thing I am most excited about is the fact that while she is here we are going to Casa Bonita. If you are a fan of South Park then you know why I am so excited.

That's about all that's going on for now. If there's an emergency and you need to get a hold of me this weekend, I will be in my recliner.

Paradise for real

2011-09-27T20:30:00.003-06:00

Wow...I am tired tonight!!! Since it's only 8:30pm and way to early for me to go to bed I thought I would update my blog; which it seems I am horrible at lately. Learning my new job and the ins and outs is completely exhausting. I have the most beautiful drives in the morning and evenings and this picture is one that I took this morning. Yea it's a long drive, but the scenery I get to see along the way makes it totally worth it.

So, I totally love my job. It's going to be challenging at times, but I love the people I work with and the county I work for totally rocks. Yesterday was the new hire orientation and as I read through the materials I realized they offered domestic partner benefits. What a huge blessing this is for us and it will save us a ton of money. Here are some of the other benefits they offer for all their employees: they match our contributions of 6% to our retirement fund, they offer free college courses at the local community college (technically you can earn your associates degree for free), you can be reimbursed up to $300 for either ski passes, gym memberships, etc, 11 paid holidays (so when the banks are closed so are we), both sick and vacation time and the list goes on and on. Oh, and I also got an iPhone for my work cell phone. Can I tell you how much I love the iPhone. I was debating about getting one, but I think I am totally sold on it. Last Friday a co-worker and I had to take a client to Denver and we just typed in the address and the GPS knew where we were and gave us directions to where we were going. It was the coolest thing. I put a bunch of maps of the area in my car for when I go on home visits, but with the iPhone I don't need them. I am extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity and I am so incredibly thankful.

So, yea I am really tired and my brain is very full, but so is my heart. I can't believe how well things are going for me and when I reflect upon the last 4 years I know that I have found paradise for real this time.

Kansas City on my mind

2011-09-24T21:19:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about Kansas City lately and on our flight there seemed to have KC things all around. Not only was the in flight magazine all about Kansas City, but the man in front of me had a Kansas City Royals hat on. All of these things made me miss my hometown even more.

Now that we have gone back to her hometown, I want to show her around my hometown. There are so many things I love about Kansas City that I can't wait to show her. I want her to see my where I went to high school, middle school, places I have worked, homes I have lived in and fountains that I have put soap in. Oops...did I say that out loud? lol Yes, Kansas City is the City of Fountains and I spent many summer nights when I was a teenager driving to different fountains late at night putting laundry soap in. How my friends and I never got caught is beyond me. So....there are so many things I want to share with her and show her where I came from.

I would love to come back in November because that is a beautiful time of year to be there. The leaves are colorful and the temperature is usually perfect. Speaking of traveling....did you hear we are going to Italy??? Yep...we sure are. We are going for 10 days the end of March into April. The other great thing is we are going with her 2 best friends from New York. When we were in New York we were able to spend Friday evening with her friends and I just love them. Going with them is going to make this a fantastic trip!!!!!

Tonight we went and saw The Lion King in 3D. I was so excited to see this movie because when the original one came out I didn't see it in the theatre. It was great and I apologize to the people around us for my singing of every single song during the movie. lol Afterwards we went to dinner to a Japanese Steak House. Is it just me or do Japanese Steak Houses' have the best fried rice??

Many of you have asked how the two of us have met and since we are approaching our first anniversary and I thought it would be a great things to write about how our paths ended up crossing. The 30th of this month is the anniversary of the first time we talked, but we are actually using the date of the first time we met in person (Oct. 29) as our anniversary. So, be sure to look for a post about how I got lucky enough to meet the most wonderful woman in the world.

Day One

2011-09-21T19:59:00.002-06:00

So today was my first day at the new job. The drive to work is a little over an hour one way, but as you can see the drive is just beautiful. Last week when I was on this road the Aspens had just started to change a little and today there were the most beautiful pockets of golden. I know there will be some days when I wish I lived closer to work, but for the most part I think I am going to really enjoy my drive.

Today was the usual first day of filling out a million forms and reading policy and procedure manuals. I have a feeling that I am really going to enjoy my job and the people I will be working with. Many of you have asked what I am doing and I apologize for not answering before now....I am working in Adult Protective Services; which means when there is a call about elder abuse/neglect, I will be doing the investigation and case management. Just from what I observed today, I don't think I will be bored with this position.

The benefits for my new job are just awesome!! I only have to wait one month to get health insurance, I was issued an iPhone today, I can use a company vehicle for any of my home visits, there are 11 paid holidays (and you don't have to use earned time/PTO) and did I mention that my salary totally rocks!!! For the first time in a long time, I finally feel like I am being paid what I am worth.

So life is pretty darn good right now and it is so nice that things are going so well in my life. This afternoon I was thinking about what we were going to have for dinner and I realized that I no longer have to worry about what I will have for dinner after a long day at work. And just as I expected I came home to a delicious dinner with homemade hummus. Yum!!!! She is by far the best cook I have ever met and I am so so lucky that she picked me!!

New York 2011

2011-09-19T19:01:00.004-06:00

I can't wait to tell you about our trip to New York, but for right now you will have to just see a preview through some pictures.

On our last day we drove to the beach and I got to put my feet in the sand and ocean.
It's been so long since I have seen the ocean and I forgot how gigantic it really is.

Love is in the air....
This trip just solidified our relationship even more and I thought I loved her then!!

As we took off today we both got a kick out of the altitude:
I love being able to watch TV on the plane and see how fast we are going.

We played the game BananaGrams with her brother and SIL.
I need to practice a lot before I am even close to how well D and her brother play.

Another picture from our day afternoon at the beach:
I can't wait to go back in the summer when we can spend a whole day at the beach.

Here is the main reason we flew out for this weekend:
Congratulations to her niece Mandi on her engagement to Bobby.

Here is D and her brother:
Can you see the family resemblance? lol D and her brother have the neatest relationship and it is very clear how much they mean to each other.

We had an evening with her 2 best friends in the whole world:
I had so much fun with them and can't wait for our vacation with them next year.

We also spent a day in Pennsylvania at her family lake house:
I told her that if she told me she wanted to move to this lake house, I would do it in a heartbeat. We stayed with her brother who has a gorgeous home on a small pond:

It was a wonderful trip and I really enjoyed getting to know all of her family and her friends. I had heard so many great stories about her family and friends and now I have faces and voices to all those great people. I can't wait to go back and spend more time there. We didn't make it to Manhattan or have time to do any tourist things, but I have a feeling we will be going back many more times.

Tomorrow is my last day before I start work. And believe me, I am going to enjoy every single minute of the day.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-09-13T19:01:00.002-06:00

Do you see that? Yep, the snow is on it's way. And guess what?? I am going to miss the first snowfall of the year. We are leaving tomorrow morning for Denver and the snow is suppose to start after 3pm and we will be in Denver by then. They are saying that at our altitude we are suppose to get 2-6 inches of snow and I am going to miss it!!! Oh well....I am sure it will snow again sometime this winter. lol

We are all ready for our trip to New York and the fact that I get to meet her family and friends makes it not so bad that I will be missing some snow here. We have a list a mile long of errands that we need to do when we are in Denver tomorrow and it's suppose to be raining all day. We are then meeting a friend for dinner before heading to our hotel where we will hopefully crash early since our flight leaves before the sun rises.

One of our errands tomorrow is to drop off both my laptops at the Apple store so they can transfer my files over. So...that means no blogging while we are in New York. I have a feeling that we are going to be so busy that even if I had my computer with me I wouldn't have a chance to get on it.

See you early next week!!!

Monday Monday

2011-09-12T12:11:00.000-06:00

We had a very laid back weekend which was really nice!! We did go out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate our new jobs and as always she picked out a great restaurant. Living just 30 minutes from so many great restaurants I don't think we will ever run out of places to go out to eat.

This morning she was up early and off to work and I left early to get my tires rotated and balanced. Next month (once the snow starts to fall seriously) I will be getting all new tires that are made for living in the Tundra; like we do, but until then I really need my tires balanced. We live about 30 minutes from a Walmart that has a tire/lube and this morning I called and they said just to bring it in. Not two hours later when I arrived I was told it would be a 3 hour wait. Yea, not going to happen. So I came home and started the laundry and packing for our trip. We don't leave until Thursday, but our flight leaves at 7am, so we are staying at a hotel in Denver the night before so we need to be ready to go by Wednesday morning. Sophie will be staying with a friend of ours and I know she will be spoiled and loved to pieces. This friend comes over when we go to Denver for the day and will walk her and the last time she was here she left a note saying that Sophie is just precious. I totally agree. :-)

Here are some cute pictures I took the last couple of days. The first one is Little Love. This cat just cracks me up. She will be 2 next month and is still so much of a kitten. I love this picture because it makes it look like she is super long. Do you see the end of her tail on the other end?

Here she is just hanging out in the laundry basket:

I took this picture yesterday of our neighborhood.
I love love where I live.

And here is our flag out for September 11.
In 2001 I was trying to get back into the church (big mistake) and I was not able to show my love of my country like I am today. I love being able to put out our flag with so much pride.

Today as I was driving back from Walmart I noticed how many of the Aspens are starting to turn a beautiful golden color. I have a feeling this fall is going to be my best ever.

Exciting Times

2011-09-09T17:56:00.005-06:00

Look what came in the mail today:
I must have caught the ski bug because I can't wait until I can get out there and try this again. The awesome thing....we woke up to fresh snow on all the peaks surrounding us. I seriously can't wait until there is white snow everywhere you look. And I love the fact that the lantern holding my ski pass has the Sprint's logo. Sprint's World Headquarters are in Kansas City, so I feel like I have a little piece of my first home with me.

Tonight as I was walking Sophie I thought I heard what might be the high school football game and I decided that I really want to go to a game here. The high school stadium sits right in front of the beautiful mountain range and the view is amazing. And aren't high school football games the best!!!!

Tomorrow night we are getting all dressed up and going out to dinner to celebrate both of our new jobs. She never lost hope in finding a job and she got exactly what she wanted. I am so proud of her!!! The place we are going to dinner has live music and I can't wait to dress up in one of my new outfits and take my girl out on the town.

So much love

2011-09-08T16:24:00.003-06:00

I am one week into having my Mac and can I tell you how much I love this computer. One of the things that I kept hearing was how user friendly a Mac was and I am finding that to be completely true. I am having so much discovering new things on the computer and I really think this computer can do anything. lol I took this picture of my desktop and you might see the little Angry Birds icon at the bottom. I have never played this game, but because I heard so many people talk about it I decided to give it a try. But here's the thing....I can't figure the game out. Can someone please explain the purpose of the game and how you play. One of the things we got when we bought the computer was a $100 gift card to iTunes and Apps. I am afraid to look more at the different apps because I have heard they can be slightly addictive. (you know who you are..lol)

In just one week we are heading to New York for 5 days. Most of her family live on Long Island, so that is where we will be spending most of this trip. I am so excited to meet her family and get to know them. The last time I was in New York was in December 1999 and I was with my ex husband and his parents. It's going to be fun learning about New York and Long Island from someone that is from there.

A couple days ago we ordered my season pass for skiing. As excited as I am, I am also a little nervous. It's been 26 years (wow...I feel old) since I have skied and I am hoping it's kind of like riding a bicycle. I used to have so much fun when we would come out to Colorado to ski, so I am looking forward to experiencing this sport as an adult.

I also have to start thinking about getting back in the work routine. That's going to mean setting an alarm clock and driving 10 hours to and from work each week. I keep hearing stories about what winter is really like around here and it just makes me love it here even more. I know that eventually I will need a car with 4 wheel drive, but I am loving not having a car payment and will try to go as long as possible without one.

Thank you all for your comments on how happy I am. For so long I was cursing my last name wishing that I could have better luck in life and just like that it's as if God has said....Here is your reward for all you have been through. I have so much love in my life now and all this love is just wanting me to be a better person in all areas of my life. This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from a Michael W. Smith song....Love isn't love until you give it away.

.....and summer is gone.

2011-09-06T20:51:00.002-06:00

And so summer is gone. This morning we woke up and it's as if a switch was turned off overnight and we are officially in fall. As I have for the last two months, when I wake up in the morning I put on shorts and immediately take Sophie for a walk. I looked to see what the temp was and when I saw it was only 47 it would be a good idea for me to wear my light jacket. I am glad I did because it was very chilly outside and we didn't get above 55 degrees today. By noon our house was so cold that we ended up turning the heat on, but within a few minutes the house was nice cozy again.

Speaking of it being chilly, I have a cute cat story. This afternoon I couldn't find her cat Little Love. I looked in closets, under the bed, behind the couch....everywhere. I was beginning to think maybe she had gotten out, but then I walked into the guest room:
Yep...the house was a little chilly. lol Can I tell you how much I love this cat. She is so good that she allows me to hold her and squeeze her when I am missing Ben the most. She has really helped my heart heal.

Tonight there is a small chance for snow!!! If you are tired of me talking about snow, you might check back next June. I should be done talking about snow by then. :-)

Lots of Fun Going On

2011-09-05T14:45:00.008-06:00

Today when I was going through the pictures on my phone I realized a lot of the pictures hadn't been uploaded or shared.

I took this one today:

Not only do I have beautiful mountains surrounding me, but I also am only 5 miles from this lake. What more could you want?

After going to the Taste of Colorado on Saturday we stopped by to visit with some friends. We ended up going out to dinner and on the way there I saw some very cool art in Denver. I loved this billboard.

We've been watching The Great Food Truck Race and when they were in Denver I saw this piece of Art and was thrilled when we passed it:

I also came across pictures from my last few days in Marysville:

Awwww...I miss my friends back in Kansas. I took the bottom picture as I drove west in July. The last two months have been a dream come true for me. I joke with her that we started our relationship out with a honeymoon since we were able to spend 2 months where neither of us were working and being able to live life with no clock. But here in a little over 2 weeks I will be heading back to work and with my work day and commute I will end up being gone for at least 10 hours a day.

So, for the next 2 week I am going to soak up all of the good times we will have and enjoy living life with no clock or schedule. We have lots planned for the next few weeks and I think there is a good chance of there being a lot of fun!!!

Goodbye Summer Hello Fall

2011-09-02T21:15:00.002-06:00

Can I tell you how much I love my new computer. I have found the transition fairly easily, but I am still learning my way around. We paid for a years worth of one-o-ones with Apple support. Part of the one-on-one is they will transfer all my old files from my old laptop to this one. I was so worried about my photos and this brings me a lot of peace of mind. Since we live about 2 hours from the Apple store and they need to keep it for at least 24 hours, we are going to drop it off when we go to New York and then pick it up when we return. I would love to have a photo for this post, but I don't had my pictures on here yet and I can't figure out how to download from the internet. One of the rebates we got was a $100 gift card for Apple applications. That will come in handy once I really learn the system. But so far I love the new computer and I can't believe how fast it is. When I turn it on it just comes up like that.....on my PC it had gotten to the point where it would take at least 5 minutes to start up.

When I first moved here I noticed that in front of the court house there was a lady there with a hot dog cart. I love hot dog carts and I think it was only a few days after I moved here that I bought a hot dog from her. It was by far the best hot dog I have ever had and having such a nice person selling them made it even better. She was always nice and even when there wasn't a parking spot she would run one out to my car. Today was her last day and I told D that I had to go get one last hot dog. As I drove up and walked towards her cart she said...Hi Caroline, how are you? Not too sure if it's a good thing t hat I have been there so much that she knows my first name, but it still felt really good. For the first time I feel like I am part of this community. I have gone out there and made friends with people and with each new person that I met here in Leadville, I fall more in love with this town.

This weekend we are going to be very busy. Tomorrow we are going to Denver for The Taste of Denver. I love festivals like this and can't wait to try all the great food there. On Sunday and Monday we have an option of going to the art festival in Breckenridge. Tonight as I was walking Sophie I noticed how cool it was. I think we got a little bit of light rain early this evening and when we were walking back inside I noticed the front steps were a little slick. It's getting cooler sooner and staying cooler longer. I looked at the weather for this coming week and we will be lucky to get out of the 60s. Remember when Labor Day weekend meant summer was over and it was time for fall.....it's been years since the weather has been so cool on this weekend that I know for sure that summer is over. As much as I look forward to the snow to start falling, I am going to try to enjoy every moment of my first Colorado fall.

Guess who gets a new laptop

2011-08-30T19:51:00.002-06:00

Today has been a very good day!!! I had my 2nd interview at 1:30 and within 15 minutes of the interview I knew they were going to offer me the job. Little did I know that after the tour of the building I would be offered the job right there. That has never happened to me...until today! As they went over the benefits and salary I really hope they couldn't tell my mouth was hanging open. The benefits are wonderful and the salary is more than I have ever made. For the first time in a long time I feel like I can breathe a little bit when it comes to money. I knew becoming a Social Worker I wasn't going to make a lot of money, but when you have a masters degree and 13 years experience I would hope to make enough money to live. This job is going to give me that opportunity...to pay off some bills, save some money and just have a little bit of fun. I am so thankful for this job and for the opportunity I have been given.

My first day won't be until September 21 since in two weeks we are going to New York for 5 days. I told them I could start before my trip, but when they were OK with me not starting until after the trip I couldn't pass up spending another 3 weeks with my girl.

And speaking of my girl....I know some of you might be tired of hearing me talk about her, but she really is so wonderful and I am so lucky she chose me. She has been so supportive of me the last few weeks on finding a job and she kept reminding me to not just settle for any job, but to find something I really liked. She is always so happy for me and has been so wonderful in making me feel like her home is our home. She is my best friend and the person that I can't wait to share my good days and bad days with. I was telling a friend today that not only do I love her, but I really like her. We have so much fun together and most evenings are spent talking and laughing. We went from spending maybe 4 days a month together to being together 24/7 and the fact that we still like each other says a lot. :-) Moving to Colorado to start a life with her was the best decision I have ever made.

Thursday we are going to Denver and one of the errands we have is to go buy a new laptop for me. She has a Mac and I would love to get one, but boy are they expensive. So for right now I guess I will have to settle for a PC. Since it's been 6 years since I have shopped for laptops, do any of you have any suggestions as to what kind of PC to get??? I use my laptop mainly for the Internet and photography. Right now I have a Gateway and have been very happy with it, but now there are so many other options. Help!

So that was my Tuesday. Not a bad day at all!!

New Laptop?

2011-08-29T16:10:00.002-06:00

I took this picture yesterday on our way home from Aspen. We decided Saturday night that we wanted to get out and play a little. There was a restaurant in town that we wanted to visit so why not go for the day!!!

When we started out it was gray and rainy, but by the time we got to Aspen it was sunny and warm. We took the Independence Pass, which is only open during the summer months. I have seen pictures of the amount of snow it gets during the winter, and you don't want to be driving this road with any snow on it. There are parts that are very narrow with huge drop offs with no guardrail!!!

The drive was just beautiful and I told her that we have to take this road again in a month when all the Aspens will be a beautiful golden. Along the way we stopped and did a very small hike which was great. We only have a few more weeks where we will be able to go for hikes, so we both want to get out and do more hikes.

Today has been a great day. I got a call from the agency here in town letting me know they received my resume and would be calling back for an interview. Then I got a call from the place I interviewed at last week asking if I could come back for a 2nd interview tomorrow. Yay!!! I think I would enjoy the first job better even though it's an hour commute each way, so I am hoping I get a job offer this week.

I told her that the first thing I want to buy when I get a job is a laptop. I have had my laptop since October 2006 and it's just not very fast anymore. So....if you read that I am buying a laptop you know I got the job!!

Hurricane Watch

2011-08-26T19:44:00.003-06:00

I found this picture online of Irene 2 days ago. All this talk about the hurricane and how west it is, is really scary. All of her family is in New York and they are right in the path of this hurricane. We are lucky because on our cable we also get 3-4 New York TV stations so we get to see first hand what is going on there. But that is also a little scary because we are seeing exactly what is going on knowing her family is right there.

I also have a lot of friends that are on the east coast and it's scary knowing they are also right in the path of this hurricane. It's all very scary and I really think we need to start listening to what is going on with the weather and what is happening to our planet.

I did not hear from the place I interviewed and I was hoping for a phone call by this afternoon. The good news is, another Social Work job opened up here in town working for the county. It's a lot less pay, but it's only 5 miles from my house. I am not going to stress about the whole job thing because I know the job for me is out there somewhere. Something will come up and it will all make sense why all the others fell through.

I need to brag again about how well she cooks. This week we have had grilled lamb, baked chicken, corn on the cob, home made macaroni and cheese that was low fat and delicious, quesadillas with roasted chilies, home made guacamole and these are just a few of the things. I have not had red meat all week and I don't miss it at all. I joked earlier in the week that I think she is trying to make me a vegetarian, and once again I think I am OK with that. Me not eating meat....I never thought I would consider that, but I had no idea how good food could taste without so much meat.

Little of Everything Day

2011-08-24T18:14:00.002-06:00

Today has been a little of everything day. It all started at 5am when I woke up coughing and decided to take Sophie out as well. The sky was so beautiful this morning and I was so excited to finally see my favorite star constellation Belt of Orion. It's usually in the southern sky and it's 3 bright stars right in a row. The last time I saw these stars it was probably April or May, so it was good to see my stars again. When we got back inside I was getting back into bed when Sophie threw up. Sophie does not throw up like a regular dog where you can hear them 30 seconds before they actually throw up, she just throws up. So I got back up and cleaned up the mess and took her outside one more time. When I woke up a few hours later she had thrown up again after I had fallen asleep. My poor baby was sick because throwing up is something she doesn't do unless she is really sick. When I would take her for a walk she wouldn't want to leave the yard, when normally she is pulling me out to the street. We called the vet and they suggested just giving her rice and cottage cheese to eat today. I waited until about 1pm and I gave her some chicken and rice soup and she did not throw up. She was laying around all day and very lethargic. We were suppose to take her to Denver tomorrow to meet her new pet sitter, but I think we will wait a few days before attempting to drive down the mountain. Thankfully tonight she is doing much better and my love was so sweet that she made some extra rice for her to go with her chicken and rice soup.

So the very cool thing that happened today was I won $500 from a $10 scratch off!!! I don't usually buy the $10 scratch offs, but something told me to buy it today. I kept scratching and I kept winning money. I bought it at a gas station and they didn't have the cash to give me, so I had to go to Safeway to cash it in. If I could do this once or twice a week I wouldn't need a job!!

Today it was cloudy and rainy most of the day and it felt like fall. I am told that there is only 2 weeks left of summer and to get ready for the snow. I can't tell you how excited I am about all the snow we will get. Seriously....what is not to love about this picture....

My Tuesday

2011-08-23T16:47:00.003-06:00

Last night I had a dream about my co-workers back in Kansas and it really made me miss working. It felt great yesterday to get up early and have somewhere to go. I know that my little vacation I have had the last four weeks will come to an end and I need to enjoy the time that I do have off. D and I have been given this gift of time together to really get to know each other and I am so thankful for it. We have been together pretty much 24/7 for the last month and I think it's a good sign that we both still wake up and smile at each other. :-)

Today was the big task of getting my Colorado plates and a new drivers license. I first had to take my car to the Sheriff's office so they could do an VIN inspection. That took a while and then I went and got my plates. All of that went smoothly and I can't wait to get the new plates on my car. To get my drivers license I had to have something with my physical address, not the PO Box that we normally use for all our mail. Long story short I ended up having to use the receipt from when I had oxygen because that was the only thing I could find with the actual physical address. I should get my license in the mail next week and I can't wait to see how my picture turned out. The guy doing the license said my eyes were so blue they were magnetic. Wow....I have never had someone say my eyes are magnetic.

So did you hear about the earthquake in Colorado today? There are some crazy weather things going on and I think our planet is trying to tell us something.

I now leave you with a couple pictures from today. I would also like to introduce you to the one that is in charge in our home!!

Interview

2011-08-22T21:29:00.003-06:00

The interview went really well today and I really hope I get this job. They said that I should know something by the end of the week because that is when they were wanting to make their decision. I am going to try to not get my hopes up, but I did feel really good about the interview. The commute would be an hour each way, but with views like this I think I could handle it:

I took this picture last December when I was here visiting and this is one of the highways I would be driving in the winter.
If I do get this job the first thing on my list of things to buy is a new car with really good snow tires.

Keep Leadville Weird

2011-08-21T18:43:00.003-06:00

Today we just stayed in town and went on a tour of the Matchless Mine. On one of my daily drives (I love just driving around town looking at all the historic buildings) I came across this mine and the cabin of where one of the most famous people from Leadville died. As we were driving there we saw this t-shirt in one of the many thrift store that are here in town. We didn't get the shirt because they wanted $22 for it and when I asked if they would come down on the price they would only come down four dollars. Leadville really is a great place, but not everyone is meant to live here.

Here is a picture of the cabin we toured:

This was the name of one of the children born to this family:
Can you imagine having a name this long?The family made it's riches in silver, so that would explain the Silver Dollar as part of the name.

This was the road heading back into town:
Look at that view!!!!

Yesterday at the rummage sale I came across this shirt:
Even though it doesn't fit, I decided to buy it because this will be good motivation to lose some weight. Love this shirt!!!

Tomorrow is my interview and I really, really, really want this job.

Early Saturday

2011-08-20T20:53:00.003-06:00

I don't know when I will learn to bring my camera every where. This morning we woke up early and went to a huge rummage sale where I was able to get 2 sweaters, a winter coat and 3 other shirts for $30. Most of the clothes I got are name brand and in excellent condition. After the sale we drove by where my interview is Monday morning. I wanted to make sure that I knew where I was going since I have never been to this town before. We found it with no problem, but I wished I had my camera because the drive there was beautiful.

Tonight for dinner she made quesadillas with sweet caramelized corn, Mexican cheese and chilies. Every weekend in the summer/fall a group of Mexicans come to town and set up a small farmers market and we love to stop there and buy their produce. Something about getting fresh veggies and fruit make them taste so much better. I am eating so much less red meat and I joke with her that she is going to make me a vegetarian. Honestly....all the things she has made that have no meat are the best tasting meals I have ever had. Maybe one day......

Kansas finally sent me the title for my car (I paid it off right before I moved here, so it's taken a while to get the actual title) so Monday after I go to my job interview I am going to get my Colorado plate and drivers license. I guess this means I am staying......I think I know someone that will be really happy about that.

Please Be Gentle

2011-08-19T16:23:00.002-06:00

I took this picture early this evening and thought it was so beautiful. Then about an hour after I took this picture I looked outside in one window and saw a thunderstorm moving in. I then looked straight ahead and I could see the sun setting in another window. It was so beautiful and I have never felt like I belong more than I do right here.

Today I laid down and took a nap (a benefit of being unemployed) and I couldn't stop thinking about Ben. Whenever I laid down he was always right there and there were many nights I feel asleep to the sound and feel of him purring in my arms. Next week will mark one month since he has been gone. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him.

I have also been thinking more about my Mom because her birthday is this coming Sunday. Even though she doesn't even celebrate birthdays, I still think about her. As I was unpacking I found the shirt she bought me the last time we went shopping together. I haven't worn the shirt in years, but because it was the last thing she ever bought me, I will probably keep it for the rest of my life.

I think for the next couple of days I should have a button that says....Please be gentle.

Heat Wave

2011-08-18T21:30:00.002-06:00

Today was very warm and we ended up opening almost all of the windows to try to cool the house down. I never thought I would live in a place where I wouldn't need a/c, but here I am and it's wonderful not having to worry about it getting to hot. But today...it was warm. The thing about living here is when you are in the sun you can get hot very quickly, but once you are in the shade it's nice and cool again. The house is still a little warm, but I am sure within a few hours it will be nice and cool inside again.

So, I have a computer question.....Two days ago I renewed my Norton Anti-virus and I can't seem to get it to download. It seems to stop in the middle and the whole screen disappears. I called the customer service number and if I wanted anyone that could actually help me then I would have to pay $40. WTF is that all about???? When did companies start charging for customer service. I think that is absolutely insane. I'm sorry...I have already spent money on your product and if I can't get it to work then I think you should be able to help me without charging me more. So, if anyone has any suggestions on getting this to download please share them with me.

Her niece is getting married and next month is her Engagement Party and we decided last night to go back for that weekend. I am so excited, but also a little nervous because I will be meeting her family. She grew up on Long Island, so it will be fun to see where she grew up.

One thing she is teaching me is how to just live in the moment. Before meeting her I could probably have told you what I am doing 5 years from now. Some of our best times have been when we did something that was totally spontaneous. So I am trying to live in the moment and not worry so much about tomorrow and I am finding that it's actually really fun to live in the moment. Even though I have no idea what we are going to do tomorrow, I know it's going to be a great day.

Day in Denver

2011-08-17T21:44:00.002-06:00

Today we spent the day in Denver and as always it was a great day. The first thing we did was go see the movie The Help. Just as the movie was starting she asked if I had extra napkins because she heard it was kind of sad and I did use all of my extra napkins. Oh my gosh....there were so many parts that made me cry and think about my own life. As good as the movie was I hate the kind of movies that make me cry so much that I am still crying as I walk about the theatre.

After the movie we had two hours to do about 5 errands and I was so happy when we got all our errands done and made it to dinner just a few minutes late. We live about 90 minutes from Denver and since Denver is such an awesome city, we always try to squeeze as many things as possible in just a short amount of time. I am having so much fun learning my way around Denver, but I can really do without the traffic. I am used to my small towns with little to no traffic, not all the 8 lane highways. But it is a very cool city and I am loving our trips into the city.

I took this picture as we were driving home (and right after she said she was never letting me drive again for playing with my cell phone while driving) and it does not capture the beauty that is my new home. She is so kind because she will let me say every night....Look at that...isn't that beautiful. Some times I just can't believe that I live here in Colorado.

I am truly blessed beyond words.

Down the Mountain

2011-08-16T19:11:00.003-06:00

Today was an unexpected great day. I think every day is great here with her, but today was a great great day. After we woke up we went into town and did a few errands and then decided to head down the mountain. One thing she said today was....Isn't it great that no matter where we go we have to go down the mountain to get there. It is pretty awesome living at the top of the world. I need to take some more pictures of my new town and show you where I call home now.

As we drove down the mountain we had planned on going to the movies, but due to road construction we were running late and wouldn't get there in time. So, we decided to head into Breckenridge and get lunch and walk around. It was the best day and I really enjoyed getting to know Breckenridge better. It is such a cute little town and I love all the little tourist shops. One thing about me...I love gift shops or any store that sells little tourist items. She is great and allows me to go into all the stores I want and never complains. :-)

Today I wore a KU t-shirt and some guy stopped D and asked if she was from Lawrence. She looked at him like he was crazy and said...Oh no..I am from New York. LOL...it was funny that he asked her when I was the one wearing a KU shirt. I ended up talking to him for a few minutes and he was from a town close to Marysville and I was so proud to tell him that I was now living in Leadville. And as we drove back up the mountain I looked around at all the beautiful trees and mountains and just smiled. If I get this job next week I will have an hour commute each way, but somehow I think all the mountains and beautiful views will make the drive not so bad.

Tomorrow we are spending the day in Denver and then having dinner with friends. It's going to be just another day in paradise.

I Had No Idea

2011-08-15T17:08:00.003-06:00

I think part of the reason I haven't been blogging more often is because I wait and wait to blog and then I have so many things to write about that it becomes overwhelming and I don't know where to start. So one of the ways to correct this is to blog more often. So.....I am going to try to blog every day for the rest of the month. There are so many great things going on and happening that I want to remember everything and blogging about it gives me something to go back and read. And thanks for all the comments from my previous post. I appreciate all of you that take the time to leave me a comment. I appreciate each and every one of them.

So the good news of the day is I got called back for an in person interview for the job I had a phone interview with last week. This phone call couldn't have come at a more perfect time because just this morning I woke up angry with the agency here in town for not hiring me. The interview process was almost 3 months long and included 3 phone interviews and 2 in person interviews. The reason they gave me for not hiring me is because I don't have enough experience with cognitive therapy and from just looking at my resume you can see I don't have that experience. I guess I don't understand why they let the interview process go this far if I never had the experience in the first place. I guess when they asked me what I was going to do if I didn't get the job during the interview process my instinct was correct in thinking they weren't going to hire me. But.....everything happens for a reason and I know that perfect job is still out there just waiting for me to find it.

It's been a month now since I moved to Colorado and every single day (even when I am homesick) I am so happy I moved here to be with her. I love learning all these new things about her and all her little quirks make me love her even more. For the first time in more than 4 years, I feel like I have a partner again. It is such a comfort knowing that if something happened to me there would be somebody there with me. I feel so blessed that she has let me into her life and let me in her heart and I will work every day to make sure she knows how much I love her and want to be with her.

I originally started my Daily Smile on facebook so she could see a picture of me every day that we were apart. Somewhere my Daily Smile became very popular and people started missing the Daily Smiles when I wouldn't post for a few days. I was encouraged to keep doing a Daily Smile after I moved here and I finally created a new album last week. Since my new home is in paradise, I thought the title Smiles in Paradise was great for the new album. Here is today's picture.....as you can see from the smile on my face I am very, very, very happy and loved. :-)
I had no idea love could be this good.

A Lil Update

2011-08-14T12:33:00.002-06:00

Since I moved here it seems like we haven't had a regular easy going Sunday. The last four Sundays we have had something going on and this is the first time that we have been able to sleep in, watch a little CBS Sunday Morning and just hang out. She is doing some cooking and I have done a little bit of cleaning. It's been a very nice day so far.

Yesterday we had a yard sale and thanks to some really great friends we finally have room in the garage for my car.
Each day that I am here it feels more and more like home, but now that there is a place in the garage for my car I feel more at home than ever before.

This past week I had kind of a rough week. I was feeling homesick and then I got a call that I did not get the job here in town. But you know what, at the end of the day I was still with the woman I love and I know things will work out. I had a phone interview the same day I got the call about the other job and I am just going to have faith that soon I will find the job I am meant to be at right now.

The weather is quickly changing and it feels like fall to me. At night it's getting down to the mid to high 30s and with each day that passes it seems like the days are cooler and cooler. Today she went to the grocery store and I guess there was talk that there might be snow showers up higher. You have no idea how excited I am to experience life in the tundra.

Home

2011-08-06T13:47:00.003-06:00

Every day I fall in love with something else about my new home. The other night I was sitting in the family room watching TV and I looked out the window and saw the most beautiful moon in the sky.

I have had so much fun getting to know my new neighbors and other people here in town. Even though it is way out of my comfort zone, I try to start up a conversation with people when I am out and about. Right after Ben passed away I stopped at the convenience store and there was a gentleman in there also and he appeared to be homeless. I went up to him and told him that I was having the worst day of my life and would he allow me to buy him a cup of coffee or hot dog. I ended up standing outside the store with him hearing about how he ended up in Leadville on this particular day.

Last night as I was putting away my insulin I dropped the bottle on the title floor and the bottle broke and I watched $100 go down the drain. D had already gone to bed and when she heard me cussing she came running and in the cutest I just woke up voice she said....What's wrong...Don't worry, I am here now. It was cute and somehow I wasn't so upset.

We are really enjoying getting to know each other on a day to day basis. After she went to bed last night I cleaned the entire kitchen and then wrote a little love note for her to find when she woke up. My heart smiled when I heard her open the coffee and laugh at my note. My note to her....I told her that I couldn't wait to spend today with her.

This weekend is Boom Days; which is a celebration of the mining industry that once made this town boom. We walked around yesterday as they were finishing up setting up and took some dinner from one of the food stands. We both got take out from a Thai food stand and I swear it is the best Thai food I have ever tasted. We ended up going back today to get some more Thai food and as we walked in and out of all these people that have come to Leadville because it's so awesome, I thought to myself...How lucky am I that I get to call this place Home!!!

I still haven't heard from the place I interviewed at 10 days ago. I called to follow up on Wednesday and the HR person that I have been communicating with was out of the office last week. This might explain why I have not heard anything. In the mean while, I looked online for another job (just in case this one doesn't work out) and I found a job about 30 minutes from here that pays almost double the amount of the other agency. I sent in my resume and they called me Friday to set up an interview. How awesome would that be if I got to have my choice of jobs.

So...even though my life here in Colorado has been filled with some sadness, I am still so thankful for the life I do have now and the incredible woman that I get to share it with.

Peaks and Valleys

2011-08-03T22:03:00.002-06:00

And somehow another week has gone between my blog posts. I really am wanting to blog more, but it seems that real life is so much better than what's online. I am living my life and enjoying every moment and because of that I pick up my computer less and less in the evening. Yes, I still have a serious addiction to facebook that I am currently working on (lol), but blogging seems to have not found it's place in my new life yet.

So until I find where this blog belongs I promise to update it at least once a week. I do appreciate all of your comments from my last post about my Ben and the unexpected loss I experienced last week. Yesterday I went to get my eyebrows done and while she is pouring hot wax on my face I suddenly think of Ben and the few minutes before he was gone. I couldn't help it and I started crying. The lady never said anything so I am hoping she just thought my eyes were watering from the pain of the waxing.

Last week I felt a sadness that I had not felt in a long time. I was so happy when she came home on Sunday night and we got back to our life together. We were only apart for 5 days and even though we have gone much longer between seeing each other, these 5 days seems so much harder and lonelier. So this homecoming was so much sweeter and the minute we saw each other we embraced and held each other tighter than ever.

Today we decided to have a fun day and drive down to Denver for the day. She has been wanting to see the latest Harry Potter movie since the day it came out and when she suggested we went part I last night and see the new one in the theatre there was no way I could say no. We were able to see it in an IMAX theatre and even I admit it was pretty good. I had no idea what was going on, but the special affects are awesome in the movie.

After the movie we did some errands and then arrived for dinner at 4:45pm at Sushi Den; which by the way, I am told has the best sushi ever. I have been here several times with her and thankfully they do have a good selection of cooked items as well. Tonight I had shrimp, soft shell crab and Kobe Beef. . My food was delicious and we finished up the dinner with Banana Tempura. It's fried banana that you dip in chocolate sauce. Not the healthiest thing, but every once in a while you have to treat yourself to something fun.

Speaking of health....Each day I become more and more adjusted to the high altitude. I am still using oxygen when I sleep, but most days I don't need it. Sophie and I are going for shorts walks all through the day and I seem to have fallen in love with a gourmet chef, so my meals not only taste wonderful, but they are good for me too. I have been here a little over 2 weeks and I am already down 9 pounds. Yay!

So, life is moving on and I am working at enjoying every little thing. Life is about peaks and valleys and thankfully I am surrounded by the most beautiful peaks in the world.