Rocky Mountain High- Colorado

Earlier this month, Ken and I spent a wonderful week in Vail, Colorado.  It was absolutely beautiful.

The sad part was that my camera went whacky while we were there.  All of the pictures that were taken out in the sunshine have a lovely purple (magenta) hue.  The pictures I took inside or in low light are fine, but the outside ones are hilariously purple.  My brother-in-law, Don researched it for me and found out that, well, that my camera is broken.  The technical explanation was a lot longer than that, but basically, my camera is broken.  So if you see lots of purple in the photos, that's why.  

But I took some on my ipad:

Anyway, we had a fun time shopping in the little villages.  I LOVED the villages.  

Cars weren't allowed in the villages and it was just so pleasant to walk around on the cobblestone streets, look in the shops and art galleries.  It reminded me of being in Europe.  They had art and sculptures everywhere.  

 And flowers everywhere.  The flowers were just incredible

 I took these pictures in a light rain, so the lighting was perfect and there wasn't any of that purple.  They were so beautiful.

We ate at Pepe's- an Austrian restaurant.  It was delicious. 

 This may not look like much, but it was delicious.  I think it was in the top ten best meals I've ever had! It was called Jager Schnitzel: veal medallions topped with a wild mushroom sauce and served with homemade spaetzle and red cabbage.  Yum! 

 The mushroom sauce was to die for.  I wanted to lick my plate! (I didn't)

 Ken barbecued one evening.  It also was a delicious meal.  

I went to the library before we left and checked out lots of movies.  We watched one almost every evening.  

Loved this one!

 I think there were a couple more, but I can't remember.  Some were better than others!

I swam laps, Ken rented a bike on a couple of days and went for LONG bike rides.  He also went on a big hike one morning when I was suffering from a sinus headache/ altitude sickness.  He went above tree line.  We read a lot and just enjoyed being together. 

It  was a wonderful, relaxing  week together.  We loved Vail!  

Ken's New Ride

Peeled

Peeled by Joan Bauer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Hildy Biddle wants more than anything to follow in her deceased father's footsteps and be a stellar reporter. Though she just writes for her high school's newspaper, she ends up being part of a team that exposes the town's newspaper in scandal and deceit.
I enjoyed this book, but liked "Hope Was Here" by this same author more.



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When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


If you liked "A Wrinkle in Time" (and who didn't?), you will love this 2010 Newberry Award winning book. It's about a young girl living in New York City, who loves the book "A Wrinkle in Time." It's the only book she'll read. It's the story of her pretty normal life that changes dramatically when she receives four notes that lead her to her own wrinkle in time experience. The plot is clever and the book well written.



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My Favorite Things- Waterproof Ipod

For Christmas, Ken got me this waterproof ipod shuffle and earphones.  It makes me so happy.  I can download from itunes the music I want, and then swim to music.  I love, love it.  I swim to "Sweet, sweet Surrender" by John Denver, MOTAB, Eva Cassidy, Carpenters, Chicago, Ella Fitzgerald, etc, etc. It seems to be completely waterproof, which is amazing to me.  Did I mention it makes me happy?  It truly is one of my favorite things.   

Click here to see others of our favorite things.

Post Reunion Fun

After the family reunion, Kristen and kids came to stay for a couple of week.  While they were here, Shonna drove with her kids from Logan for a few days.  It was heavenly bedlam.  We went to splash parks several times in the two weeks, played lawn games with the parachute, went to our new park, and had several lunch picnics.  Ken even joined us for those.  We watched “Pete’s Dragon” approximately 40 times plus a few episodes of Word World.  Kristen, Shonna, Brielle, Nathan and I went to Mary Poppins at Tuachan.   Kristen and I bought the material and sewed Brielle’s baptism dress.  We played games and watched Chopped and visited and went to Chick- Fil-a.   We hired a babysitter one day while Shonna was here.  We had such a fun time going to lunch at Sakura( we all loved our Japanese Bento boxes), and doing some shopping.  I’ve been wanting furniture, so we went to a couple of furniture stores.  At Boulevard, we found these AMAZING chairs that give you a full body massage.  So we had spa day too!  It was so fun to sit in those chairs and giggle as it squeezed and tickled our bodies!   It was so fun to spend time together without the kids.  That was so fun that we did it again the 2nd week.  We hired the neighbor girls and Ken, Kristen and I went to Pasta factory and Kristen and I did some shopping.  Kristen and Shonna also helped me clean out the drawers and cupboards in my kitchen in preparation for my remodel.  It’s so nice to have someone with fresh ideas and eyes help me think of new places to put things.  Kristen and I redecorated my hutch in the dining room.    Kristen says she loves to organize things, but I think she loves me and wants to serve me.  That’s what I think. 

Sunning to get warmed up

Kristen, Brielle, Nathan, Shonna and I went to Mary Poppins at Tuachan.  It was just delightful.  

 Lunch at Sakura

 Day spa at the furniture store.

 As Shonna and kids were getting ready to leave, Brielle and Nathan made Caleb this kite so he could "Let's go fly a kite."  

The kids had fun pretending.  Here's they're in a rocket ship, I think.  

The kids love to play dress up and do art projects.

Jacob is an amazing puzzle doer for a two year old.

We had a wonderful time.  Thank you Shonna and Kristen for braving it alone with the kids and coming.  We love you so much!!!