I've been busy!

Ok, ok, so it's been FOREVER since I've blogged and it's high time for an update!  But this is going to be just a quickie since I'm shoulder deep in writing my Capstone project (first draft is due on Monday) - blah.

1.  We spent Fall Break in  Cabo!  It was beautiful there and the snorkeling was incredible!  I'll post some pictures later, promise.

2.  We're expecting our first baby in early April!  We couldn't be more excited about the addition to our little family.  We're at 17 weeks now, so we don't know if we'll be going with blue or pink quite yet.  I'll let you know as soon as we do.  I LOVE BABIES!

3.  I'm currently taking my last class and completing my capstone project for school.  Thank goodness I'll finally be finished with my MPH degree in December.  It seems like I started it forever ago!

4.  My job with the school district has been busy and fun.  My latest big project was to organize a district-wide Flat 14ers Community Walk.  Around 700 people came out for it!  The event started with Zumba, proceeded on to a two mile walk (the equivalent of climbing from the trail head to summit of Mt. Democrat, a real Colorado 14er - hence the Flat 14ers), and it ended with a party hosted by Radio Disney and Channel 4.  I also recently completed the process to update the district's wellness policy.  Now we're on to raising more awareness and compliance with the policy in the schools.  It all ends in March when the grant I'm managing is over.  Just in time for Junior to come!

5.  We moved a few weeks ago.  Just from one apartment to another.  I'll be honest, moving sucks.  But we had great help and are so thankful for it!

6.  We went to Driggs, ID with Ben's family for Labor Day.  God's Country - seriously.  They have a cabin there.  It's a simple old cabin with the most incredible view of the Tetons.  Ahh, I just love it there.

7.  I made a baby quilt for a good friend - pictures to come.

8.  Since my last post, we went to Spicer, MN to enjoy the lake and fireworks, went to an AWESOME Avett Bros concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, spent some time in Utah, and did a bunch of other things that I can't remember right now.  :)

Once I'm finished with school, I'll add pictures and start posting more often! 
Hope you're all doing well!

More fun :)

We went Canyoneering in Southern Utah this past weekend.  I didn't freak out this time like I did last October (phew!).  Ben's brothers (except for Sam who's on a mission in Des Moines, IA, currently serving in Quincy, IL), and our sister in law and Jake's cool girlfriend came along for the trip.


First, we hiked Zero Gravity, which is on the way from I-70 toward Hanksville, UT:

Then we hiked (and swam) The Black Hole in White Canyon near Lake Powell:

 

What we've been up to lately

We've been doing all sorts of stuff to stay busy and here are a few of the highlights:

Road Biking Denver's Cherry Creek Trail:  

 I got a steal of a deal from Craigslist for my bike.  Some lady bought it last year, rode it twice, and decided she does not like road biking.  So I picked it up for less than half the retail price.  Wahoo!


Visit to Colorado Springs:

 Biking around Garden of the Gods.

(Someone please tell me not to wear those sunglasses anymore!!!)

Touring the chapel at the Air Force Academy.

My dad came for Memorial Day!

And we went hiking in Evergreen and went to the Flying W Ranch for a cowboy dinner and a show with Uncle Gordon and Aunt Pam:

 

We're just having a bunch of fun.  That's all.

Helvetica Coolness

I've always liked fonts and think it's so cool how the design of letters can influence the image and even the meaning of a word. Here is a trailer to a documentary about Helvetica, the font. Looks like a documentary worth seeing at some point, if only for the NYC pics.

Pretty Therapy

Picture from http://www.maleneb.com/showrooms/

I could (and do) spend hours and hours googling over pretty things. There is just something about staring at pretty things online that makes me feel so feminine, international, stylish, and inspired. It's strangely therapeutic.

I have an obsession with a certain kind of style that's hard to define, but you know it when you see it. I love designs that seem to use a palette of the world to create a perfect combination of culture, sophistication, worldliness, organic earthiness, modernity, and fresh class. But it can't be overdone (i.e. Amy Butler).

• Cultural/Worldy/International
• Shabby chic (But not too much. yuck, when it's overdone.)
• Modern vintage
• Contemporary
  
• Antique-ish and Jacobean
  

Perhaps I could define it with one word: Anthropologie. (This also might explain why I like to look, but don't often buy.)

Here are a few highlights from my latest pretty googling therapy session that was motivated by a frustrating trip to the fabric store and started with googling India and fabric, and morphed into kantha, and morphed again into Anthropologie and fabric, and morphed again into....

www.maleneb.com/collections/signature/
www.contemporarycloth.com/
www.etsy.com/shop/theneedleshop?page=1
www.absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/
www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/good-questions/good-questions-similar-fabric-online-059460
www.justscandinavian.com/
http://kkantha.com/
http://bolefloor.com/

Missing the Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms in DC are a magical DC treat. They ring in the spring like a fashion show, each tree putting on its best blossoms for the new season.

I LOVE the feeling that I get when I think of that beautiful site. I laugh at some of my cherry blossom memories the 5 years I spent in DC. Jogging around the Tidal Basin with Amber, having a DTR with an ex-boyfriend, coercing a crush to join me there (ha!), FHEs on the Jefferson Memorial steps, lunch breaks in the park, the National Kite Festival, visiting the blossoms at 5:30am, taking photos with friends, visiting them with my mom, ahhhh, such good good times. I love spring.


I'm sad to miss it this year, so anyone who's out there, please, give those trees my hello. Amber, maybe you can do the Tidal Basin run for good times sake.

Go Cougs!

The NCAA basketball tournament brought our alma mater to town this past weekend, and we joined friends in cheering on the BYU Cougars! Thanks to our friend Staci's adept negotiation skills our seats were upgraded from the top row of the Pepsi Center to the 10th row in the bottom bowl. Jimmer and the boys look pretty good from there!

Where we sat would typically be the student section at a home game, but as we looked around, it was just a bunch of young professionals reliving their student days. It was great to be part of that crowd, and even better to watch BYU work their way into the Sweet 16 by schooling Gonzaga!

Honeymoon Dreaming

I downloaded Picasa on Ben's new computer today and had so much fun looking at all the pictures it found on our external hard drive. This will make it easier for me to post our pics, which I've been lazy about over the past 6 months. Seeing our honeymoon pictures again was just what I needed on this cool March day. We started our marriage in the right direction with a Mediterranean cruise. If you are thinking about ideas for a honeymoon right now, I highly recommend going all out. It's totally worth it.

Here are a few pics for you to enjoy: