nothing but love for steamboat

i look back and am amazed by how long it has been since i have blogged.
we didn't die we are very alive. this year has looked a lot different so far then our first year here. taylor has been pouring a lot of his time and energy into the start up bike shop he is managing. it has been a great experience and he is learning so much. so our adventures since april 2011 have looked a little different.
on the fourth of july we escaped the city to return to one of our favorite places in co, the place that when we were dating we visited and planted the dream of living here. we got to stay in a fancy fun hotel that made me giddy by the time we got in the lobby... thank you hotwire you make anything afforadble.
in less then 36 hours we ...
mtn biked twice, watched fire works on the river while listening to a fun funky little band, watched a ski jump in july, sat in a slopeside hot tub, held hands, reconnectd, laughed and tried to  make plans for year two in a city so far from home. we came home and moved two days later to this sweet little bungalow in wash park. did i mention taylor and i single handily moved every item on our own. challenging beyond words... but we did it.
this little home is part of our new plan, our hope is that by moving toward young people, our church, and the city we will not feel as disconnected as we did where we were before so yipeee for a denver address ha. today our friend doug is moving in the basement and the tiny space will get warmer, I love having people around and look forward to more company.

maravilloso

for me it does not get much better than this....


we went on a sailboat all day and went to a little island Yelapa there are no roads no cars few inhabitants,  it was gorgeous! we got to snorkel through caves, jump off cliffs and learn to sail. i want to relive this day a 100 more time and i still would not be bored


this is yelapa


more fun in the sun





we also learned to surf kinda.. the water was packed so we didn't become experts
we caught one together though that was amazing




i always morn a little when vacation is over, i have a hard time not wanting to go right back ! i am so beyond grateful for the wonderful break from life.
we got great news before we left taylor got a management position at a new bike shop in town and is beyond fired up about it!
this was taylor before mexico praise the lord he needed a baby face for the sun ! he might kill me for putting this up so look now it will be gone tomorrow ha.

one year in the making

here is a peak into the last year and what we have been up to 

 it has been a wild and crazy year full of life.

this year has been more challenging and more fun then we could have ever dreamed.

we didnt climb mtns and explore new places everyday 

although we did do a lot of it :)

there were really hard days we questioned if this is where we were supposed to be 

as i look back and reflect i see huge changes in mine and taylor's hearts 

we are more grateful, more aware of the value of people and community, 

defenitly more in love and aware of each other.

i would not change this year if i could

i now know god in a new way from walking through new challenges

and experiencing a new part of his creation. 

thanks be to god that he is the author of life

and i am not in control . 

a year in the mtns sure has made me miss the coast so 
we are off to mexico for the next week to celebrate two years of marriage !
my husband gets me .
he would be fine in a tent on a mtn side me not so much .

time off

i had no idea how much i took for granted normalcy and a  regular schedule. i had no idea how much of the world operates not on the norm. we have crossed over into not in the norm this last year. i am really committed to not whining or complaining so much i gave it up for lent as silly as it sounds. I am seeking to choose life, joy & gratefulness. although a month of waiting for a day off together can be challenging. i find it makes me all the more grateful for the time we do get to be together. so after a month of waiting taylor took a personal day and said lets do something, i think movie, dinner, shopping he thinks adventure.
we loaded the car down with who knows what and headed to CO springs. I really like the springs, the size and feel of it is similar to knoxville except pikes peak.

we went and shopped around in a little town outside of pikes peak called Manatou, where the north pole an amusement park lives , sadly it was closed



taylor meets big foot! kinda look a like

you get me

in the last month i had to visitors that made my heart so glad. two friends who being with is so natural and easy!

Brittany is one of the most fun people i know, she inspires me to follow my dreams  like she has here http://www.britfrayphotography.com/
we went to lunch for hours , played at thrift stores she gets it, most people i have taken have been grossed out she was full of squeals! and then did a work out video nothing fancy or entertaining just time together that was so good for my heart. 

Molls B arrived early  Tuesday morning and boy did we make the most out of here visit it was a packed three days of joy!

the three of us headed up to breck for the day to ski didnt get any pictures of us in the act of sking but here we are on top of hoosier pass on our way to Buena Vista to visit sharon 

it was beautiful ! friendship is beautiful i have been friends with these two woman since we were girls sine 11 that means in 2011 we will have been friends for 15 years

so grateful to have them in my life.

we had a lovely breakfast at yumilious roosters crow in BV with sharon and the boy , headed to newbies an old thrift store the highest form of entertainment in BV in the winter  
we sadly did not get a picture of the four of us, but  i did sneak a few of this little one who says aber where tayer. 

it was such a treat to spend quality time with people i love. until next time ill hold on to these memories.

happy tuesday, im off today so happy it is !

land of life

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!  ~Albert Einstein

last weekend my parents flew from tennessee and my gramie flew from texas to come be together and visit us in our new life. to spend time separated from jobs, obligations, and chores.
I learned a little about myself through watching each of them no matter how you embrace it or fight it you are your family. i am my family.
i wash my hands a million miles a minute, love to  talk on the phone, and getting a little rise out of people im close to. just like my dad

i love people, texture, being silly, decorating & shopping. just like my grams


i dream of  having little girls but my grams makes me change my mind when i see how much she loves my dad



i love quality time, connecting, snuggling, drinking huge diet cokes,getting things accomplished, being warm . all my mom


it was not the most beautiful weekend ever the wind blew hard and the chill was cold. the adventures i planned were not all followed through . we headed down 16th street mall and lasted less than 30 minutes

what we did was better we spent serious quality time together in the car site seeing, on the couch watching silly movies & ate long meals with great convo.
thank you all for coming it was a treat to have you and beyond fun to be together.
miss them all already!

i wanna be just like her !

she told me while she was here all she ever dreamed of was to have a big family i thought ohhhh thats where i get it.
im hoping and praying  when we start having kids i can talk her into living with us

the professional co tour guides . not joking when i say we have had people with us more days then not since janurary. i wanted a full table :)
cant wait to see brit and nathan next they will be here this week


 

six weeks

im dreaming of this.

 the snow keeps dumping. 

i shovel and shovel some more

i make an effort to enjoy hunkering down by the fire

going on new adventures

driving to mountains to snowboard after wrecking this weekend in the snow

i have enjoyed the winter but i am OVER IT !

in about six weeks i will head to the bahamas to this sweet new friend nikki's wedding

i cant wait for the celebration

i cant wait to hang out in the sun & put my toes in the sand

sharon and i will hop on a plane and fly to the bahamas in six weeks ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
to escape the neg 20 degree weather to sleep in a sweet room where we can hear the waves rolling and smell the seashore. to drinking pina coladas and  lather on the sunscreen. to taking fun pictures of beautiful people, im so grateful for every chance im with sharon when she shoots i learn infinitely more than hours of online tutorials and practicing alone
 im dying i can not wait for every bit of it

today i will be grateful though because im not guaranteed tomorrow
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. "