Busy couple months + very few pictures = Boring Blog

The kitties are very disappointed.  The have convened today in a kitty intervention to tell Bill and I that we have been working too hard.  They insist that we have been indoors too much on the little time off we have, taking up their comfy spots and stealing all the blankets.  They do not want to hear excuses about the rainy weather or chilly wind.  They say the life of a kitty does not suit us and they want us out of the house.  They are very scary when they team up against us.

Needless to say, these last couple of months have been busy for us - we have both been working and traveling for work.  When we are home, we are tired and just want to lay around on the couch reading books (me) or watching ESPN (Bill).  But, we did have a little excitement in the past two months:

Aunt Ally came to visit in March in order to audition for a weight loss commercial!  Look at how well she is doing during her practice session with us!  I would buy whatever she is selling.

Really though...  Aunt Ally came to stay with us while searching for a temporary home for the Weber Clan that is moving here in June.  Woo HOO!  We are very excited about having them here.  Aunt Ally accidentally packed Uncle Dave's jeans in her suitcase, leading to the amazing weight loss picture above.  Hmmm...I wonder if that's really how they advertise on those commercials?  Give a skinny lady someone else's fat jeans?

Although Aunt Ally was a busy bee during her stay with us, she and I got to have some fun adventures Colorado-style!  I took her and Dora to one of our favorite hiking spots in Eldorado Canyon, and she took me to the famous Johnson's Corner truck stop diner for a ginormous cinnamon roll. 

Fast forward through boring work stuff and regular old life to April and Bill's Rock Star Birthday celebration!

I got Bill a Wii and Guitar Hero for his birthday and decorated the apartment with rock band paraphernalia, including two life-sized Elvis posters.  We had home-made Chicken Chow Mein and Angel Food cake with strawberries and whipped cream (Bill's favorites).  Then we played Guitar Hero and sang like rock stars for the rest of the night.  It was awesome!

We were having such a good time shouting and trash-talking each other that one of our neighbors thought we were experiencing a domestic dispute and called the police!  Uh oh.  The police officer just smiled and said to keep it down.  :)

So that's the end of this boring blog entry.  We promised the kitties that now that the weather is improving, we will get out of the house more when we have time off.  We've got some exciting adventures coming up this summer, which includes more hiking and camping, of course.  Goose has already started his warm weather activities:

How is this comfortable?  Who knows why kitties do the things they do.  Case in point:

Weirdo.

All I want is a cabin in the mountains...

Happy Birthday to me!  My gift this year from my wonderful husband was 4 days and 3 nights in a private cabin just outside Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was a much-needed time of rest and relaxation for us both, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was the sitting area in our little hideaway - Pine Creek Cabin.  We had a fireplace and lots of huge windows so we could enjoy the beautiful views.

 

This was the view from the window in the kitchen/dining area.  Gorgeous!

 

Mule Deer visit us at Pine Creek Cabin 

Close-up of the deer 

 We were visited by many Mule Deer through the time we stayed at Pine Creek.  My favorite moment was when we were sitting in the hot tub out in the snow, drinking our frosty beverages, and three deer decided to join us for their evening dinner!  

Just more proof of the fact that I married the most wonderful man in the world - he cooked for me the whole time!  And one of the many reasons I love him - he always makes me laugh.  Exhibit number 1:

  

Can anyone guess how this happened?  I'll tell you - hubby forgot to put a cookie sheet under the pan.  Flimsy aluminum foil pan + heavy cooked lasagna + no support underneath = a big mess + lots of laughing!

He's so cute!  Well, he made up for the lasagna incident the next morning by making me my favorite breakfast - waffles!  And they were perfect.   Bill makes waffles

We mostly relaxed at the cabin - reading, doing crossword puzzles, drinking, eating, making fires in the fireplace, making S'mores in the fireplace, watching movies, sleeping...  all the wonderful things that make up a restful vacation.  But we did get some hiking in at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).

The park looks so different during the winter, when it's all covered in snow.  But it is still beautiful, and very peaceful (since it's not crawling with tourists!).  We took a short hike up to Dream Lake on our last day of vacation...

 

 On the hike to Dream Lake in RMNP

 

 

Absolutely breathtaking!  Of course the lakes are frozen this time of year, so it just looks like more snow.  We fully intend on getting back to this spot in the summer time, when the water is visible.  I'm sure it will be just as beautiful, if not more so!

As soon as we returned from our restful vacation, it was back to the grind.  I worked a couple overnight shifts, then flew immediately to Las Vegas for a veterinary conference which I just got back from.  Bill used his time as a bachelor to get a lot of extra time in at the office.  And we show no signs of stopping!

Twenty-ten, Two thousand ten, Oh-ten... However you say it, it's gonna be AWESOME!

It's been two months since my last post...  let's say my right-brain has been on vacation, while my left-brain has been working overtime.

In October I started working full-time as a Veterinarian at a Banfield "day" practice under my wonderful mentor, Dr. S.  My brain felt like it was in boot camp; stretching, straining, lifting, being pushed to the limits!  It was wonderful!  I started shaping my left-brain into a critical thinking machine while still maintaining the ability to see outside the box.

This month I switched over to full-time at the Banfield emergency clinic, where I started out with the company a year ago.  I am working a couple overnight shifts a week and one day shift - it's a very cushy schedule.  I'm loving it!  But, as any graveyard-shifter could tell you, working through the night takes its toll on the body and your interpersonal (read "marriage") relationships.  I'm tired, but Bill and I are adjusting pretty well to the changes.  Dora, on the other hand, LOVES having me home during the day!

With all this left-brained dominance over the past few months, my right-brain started throwing a little hissy fit.  And when enough was enough, she broke through the analytical jibber-jabber and screamed "DADGUM* - I WANNA CREATE SOMETHING!"  You'll see what came of that in just a few moments...

(*tribute to our beloved Bobby Bowden)

But first, a brief look at Christmas...

We had some wonderful friends over for a fancy Christmas Eve dinner.  Here is the menu for the evening:

Fresh Spring Greens Salad tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Bacon-wrapped Chicken Breasts stuffed with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnuts

Garlic and bacon flavored Green Beans

Two-Potato Mash made with Sweet and Yukon gold potatoes

 

Christmas morning:

Goosey just wanted to lay in paper for Christmas.  Who cares that he got the coolest catnip-filled feather-tailed stuffed mouse in his stocking.  Paper.  That's the best gift a cat could ever receive.

And then, after all the excitement of the morning, we all did what any normal American family would do on Christmas afternoon...

We slept.

 And now to the present! (today, that is...not Christmas presents.)  Remember my right-brain throwing a temper tantrum earlier?  Well this is what came of it:

I decided to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!  Hooray!  Did you like the Christmas card we sent you?  Made with Stampin' Up! supplies and my creativity.  I got into this hobby a little while ago, and since I love it so much I decided to start sharing it with my friends.  (Plus I get a nice discount on the supplies I need to feed my habit!)  Bill says it looks like Stampin' Up! threw up in our apartment.  He calls it my "crack", and he refers to my demonstrating as "getting other women hooked on crack".  It's great!

Here is an example of a project I made yesterday:

So, my right-brain is much happier now that I am balancing my two cerebral hemispheres a little better.  And I have a website, if you are interested in checking it out - you can even place orders that way!

craftyvet.stampinup.net

I'm also continuing to expand my horizons in the culinary department.  Last week I taught myself how to make crepes!  I've never done this before, and boy, were the first few attempts disastrous!  But look - I finally got the hang of it!  (You can see my disaster crepe in the background.)

Dora is growing so fast - she's 5 months old today and now weighs about 31 pounds.  She is such a joy, and definitely mommy's little princess.  We go on long walks together on my days off.  This is one of our favorite spots:

Spring is starting to peek through the winter chill around here, too!

We are sending lots of love in your direction!  Let us know what you're up to...we love to hear from you, too!

...and then there were five.

Bill and I welcomed the fifth, and long-awaited, member of our family this month!  We are pleased to introduce to you...

Dora the Explorer

Dora is very excited to meet you!!  She is running over at full speed to give you kisses and jump in your lap!

And now, Dora is insisting that she get to tell you all about herself - she's very independent at times...

Yay, it's my turn!  Mommy and Daddy don't usually let me near the computers, but I promised I would be really careful and not slobber on the buttons.  

I live in the bestest dog house ever!  I have a big fluffy pillow to sleep on, and squeaky toys and balls and bones to chew on, and fuzzy big brothers to chase around and try to sniff, and lots of love all the time!  I am part yellow lab (that's what mommy says), so I get really excited about my favorite things.  

Daddy gave me a birthday (August 22), so that means I am almost 3 months old!  I am learning so much, and I love to show mom and dad how smart I am. I already know how to sit, come, eat, go outside, and "stop it".  That last one is hard.

I don't remember very much before I lived here, but mom says I came from a sad place in New Mexico where I wasn't safe.  Some really nice people came and saved me, and now I get to grow up with mom and dad and Beaner and Goose.  Hooray!

Yesterday white fluffy stuff was falling from the sky.  When we went outside to play, it was on the ground and it was cold!  I stuck my nose in it, and it made me sneeze!  But then I started running and jumping and sticking my face in the white stuff - it is so much fun!  Dad says it's called snow.  Mom threw snow balls for me to fetch, but I had a hard time finding them.  I just ate a lot of snow.  But I think snow is my favorite thing.  Mom and Dad took some pictures; I hope they aren't too embarrassing!

 

...Darn it.  I'm gonna go sleep now.

A Morning Experiment

I've decided to experiment with the idea that one can be trained to be an early-morning riser.  Over the past nine months, I have gradually become more of a night owl, which, of course, has led to the loss of many morning hours on the following day.  Last week, when I was forced to lay on my couch doctoring a sprained ankle, I saw no reason to get up early and slept until 10 or 11 o'clock every day.  What a waste of precious time!  But it felt so good...

O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head.
~Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream

On Monday (my ninth day of lethargy), I googled "how to become a morning person".  And this is what I found - a series of very helpful articles from a motivational speaker who specializes in self-discipline.  (and we all know that I need more self-discipline...[eh hem - that was sarcasm]).

Mr. Pavlina theorizes that getting up early in the morning is simply a matter of training your subconscious to make the decision to rise for you.  There is no way that your conscious mind will listen when you try to reason yourself into getting your crack outta the rack.   I've tried that.  It doesn't work.

So, as I lay in bed at night, I visualize myself going through my desired morning routine:

1. Alarm chimes obnoxiously at 5:00 a.m., immediately roll over and turn horrible noise off.
2. Young, hefty cat jumps onto tummy, nearly expressing full bladder.
3. Stretch sleepy muscles and fill lungs with fresh morning air.
4. Push both feet outside warm cocoon of blankets and toward floor (holy crap it's cold!).
5. Feet touch floor, eyes barely open, shuffle to bathroom.
6. Subconsciously feed yowling hungry cat under feet.
7. Make morning deposit in ceramic bowl.

And then I repeat the visualization several times until I fall asleep.  When the alarm sounds the next morning, my subconscious is prepared, and my body does what it is told.  The cats act in full support of this experiment.

There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.  

~Author Unknown

At least, that's the theory...

I am currently on Day 2 of a 30-day experiment to change my late-sleeping ways.  Now I just have to figure out a way to keep myself from falling back asleep while drinking coffee on the couch at 5:45 a.m.
   

The amount of sleep required by the average person 

is five minutes more.  ~Wilson Mizener

  

The things we do for love...

It is a well-known fact that when you're married, you happily (not begrudgingly) participate in activities that your loved one enjoys, which you couldn't care less about. At the end of August, I (Liz) collected some "credits" by attending a Colorado Rockies baseball game with Bill.


I hate baseball. It was stifling hot and sunny that day in the stadium. We spent the majority of the game standing in the concourse to get out of the heat, while observing play between the shoulders and heads of the other fans standing in front of us.


I found happiness and consolation in flavored ice and roasted nuts. The Rockies won over the Giants that day, and despite the overall environment, I enjoyed spending that time with Bill doing something he enjoys.

I decided to cash in my "credits" by dragging Bill to Colorado Springs for the 2009 Balloon Classic. It is the largest hot air balloon festival in Colorado, held every Labor Day weekend.

We had to rise, shine, and get on the road by 4a.m. to arrive in Colorado Springs in time for the launch, just after sunrise. This is Bill's "grin and bear it" face.




It was a beautiful morning - perfect sky, clear and cool. There were 73 balloons launched that morning, all different colors and designs. The excitement mounted as the field of color began to rise - rolling hills of rainbows.


As the balloons filled with air, there was a slow building of anticipation. Then finally, in a sudden energetic lift, the fabric of the balloon would pop up off the ground and stretch toward the sky. Only the strength of the ground crew was keeping the balloon from going airborne at that moment.

At the right time, the balloon was freed to silently and gracefully ascend into the clear blue morning. I coveted the few people who were allowed to be carried along under the balloons - their view of the mountains and Colorado landscape must have been glorious.

I think Bill enjoyed the balloon classic, but the early rise was a bit much for both of us. We drove home and immediately hit the sack again.

More pictures of the balloons are here. Maybe next time we'll be lucky enough to be carried along in a balloon basket!

At Summer's End

First things first - I passed my final licensing exam! After weeks of painful waiting, nightly nightmares, withheld scores due to the "cheating fiasco", and many prayers for peace and a passing score - it has finally come to an end. I can officially practice medicine for the rest of my life without ever taking another licensing examination. [deep breath of relief] HOORAY!!

Summer is drawing to a close and we are back to a quiet home empty of visitors. It's a little sad, in a way, when your visitors leave; however, we are keeping busy and looking forward to the new changes facing us in the fall.

My mom was here for a few days in August, and we had a great time hiking and exploring. I'm pretty sure she fell in love with Colorado all over again (it's not hard to do!).


I took her hiking in Garden Of The Gods, which is always a treat. Mom is afraid of heights, so getting this picture took some convincing!


We had fun being silly together. Mom made my hat fold that way because she's short and the brim was hitting her in the head. :)


Then I took her Rocky Mountain National Park (a must-see for any visitor!) and we hiked Deer Mountain. It looks a bit like a hill compared to the surrounding peaks, but the summit is just over 10,000 feet. It turned out to be the perfect challenge for a sea-level dweller like my mom! After several stops for altitude adjustment, mom made it all the way to the summit - at 10,000 feet for the first time in her life!


I introduced mom to one of our natural wonders - the butterscotch tree. Really! It smells like butterscotch when you stick your nose deep into the cracks of the bark. I wouldn't lie to you.


Our last hike was in Eldorado Canyon State Park, up the Rattlesnake Gulch trail. We finally got Bill to take some time off work to join us!

All good things must come to an end, as is life, but we had a great time with mom. I know she'll be back again soon. If you'd like to see more pictures of our adventures, click here!

As we make our way into our first fall in Colorado, Bill and I are preparing for a great football season (both NFL and college), a REAL job for me, the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival in Colorado Springs, and the Great American Beer Festival! You gotta love Colorado!

Edit: I am an idiot. I forgot to mention one of our most-important visitors this summer! Unca Dave and Chris - I beg for your forgiveness. Just as I begged for forgiveness after spilling good beer all over Bill's lap while exuberantly recounting a veterinary tale. I grovel. I weep. I am scum.

Okay, enough of that.


We ate, we drank, we laughed until we couldn't breathe or walk. It was the most wonderful time to have after the most stressful test of my entire life. I am so grateful to you guys.

Please come back!!