Haha...Oops!

Today I did some baking while Brady took his nap. All seemed normal.

Made some of these

And some of these...

When Shayne came in to pick Buster Brown (aka Brady) up, he said, "Mmm...smells good in here. Is that bread?" "Nope," I replied, "Just cookies. Take one if you want." They leave. I continue to write up my grocery list and prepare to go get them. As I near the stove...it feels warm. Hmmm. Then I smell bread! What in the world?!?!? So I open my oven door and find this:
That ladies and gents is pizza dough. Yep. A golden loaf of pizza dough! I had gotten it out of the freezer this morning in anticipation of pizza tonight. Since things raise better in warm environments I placed it in the oven, still warm from my cookies. After it cooled a bit I turned it on "only momentarily" to warm it back up. Well, Momentarily grew to more than a few moments. Just glad it was in a GLASS bowl not a plastic one! Looks like Dan and I will be having bread tonight! And I'll be off to make more pizza dough! And it was supposed to be so easy...

Christmas Happenings

First off, I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! God has sure been good to us. When I stop and think about how good I really have it, I'm humbled!

Christmas Eve Dan and I went over to Jake's to help him on his house. Dad L. and Jared were also there. We painted some, did some electrical work, grouted tile and the guys probably did a bunch of other things that I have no clue about! Jared bought some steaks on sale so needless to say we had a very filling lunch! Yumm.

Later, at home, Dan and I commenced our own little Christmas.

It started with this...

Some of this...

Then we were able to Skype my family in Haiti and watch them open some gifts! It's always so good to "see" them again! Haha... Brett was in his bumbo chair and was totally folded in half reaching out in front of him. At first I was like, "poor guy! sit up buddy!" but then I realized that a shiny piece of wrapping paper had caught his eye and he had folded in half just to reach out and play with it!!

After conversing with the fam, we continued with the gift opening theme...

I think he likes it :)

So, turns out I've been wanting one of these ever since we got our couches...
And look what my sweet husband got me!

Thanks Dan!He also got me the much needed CAN OPENER! Let's just say the old one made me really appreciate 1)my forearm muscles 2)normal can openers!
(the new one is on top!)

Ceremoniously getting RID if the old one: Good riddance!

We spent the rest of the evening snacking on hor'dourves (still stuffed from lunch!) , sipping hot chocolate, reading the Christmas story, and admiring our presents all snuggled up on the couch with our feet properly propped up of course!

Christmas Day, after church, we headed over to Papa Lemans to celebrate with Grandpa & Grandma Leman, and Jake. (Mom Leman was in Roanoke for Christmas -we know she had a lovely time but she was MISSED HERE!) Dad made some fabulously delicious pizza! I didn't want to stop eating. After lots of laughs, funny stories, and Grandpa reading the Christmas story, we made our way into the living room for some music! It's been a while since we've had a music night so it was long due! We were able to to call Mom L., Grandpa Hodel, and Uncle Paul over the phone and play a few Christmas selections for them! After Grandpa & Grandma left the boys and I played boggle (which I lost horribly at! That what you get for marrying into a family of work-smart people!) (well, except for Jake kept adding 'er' to words that don't make sense with 'er' added and Dan sometimes having a bit of trouble spelling correctly under stressful boggle-like situations.) But even with these for exceptions, I still lost!

Even though we didn't get a white Christmas, it was definitely still a wonderful day. In the readings we had of the Christmas story, a couple things really stuck Dan and I. The first being the joy of the angels. They were SO happy! Then, consider the shepherds. They were moved to ACTION! They didn't just sit around gawking and dumbfounded at the marvelous display of the angel choir. They believed first, then got up and searched for Messiah. But they didn't even stop there! They continued on to proclaim what had happened and who had arrived!

May we all get infected with that joy and action!

Happy New Year!!!!

A Blessed First Year...

...Of marriage to a wonderful man!

Yesterday was our anniversary and we had a lovely celebration. In the morning Dan studied for his final that afternoon while I helped my mom-in-law with some Christmas cookies. Then, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed downtown. Before Dan's final we went to REI where Dan got me some needed hiking shoes for my anniversary gift. (goodbye blisters!) After a stroll along the Platte, he headed to school to take his final. I went to the park and just chilled out...it was a beautiful day! (in the 60s!)

After school, we fed the meter and walked downtown admiring all the beautiful lights! It's all aglow down there! Dan found a few painted pianos and serenaded the surrounding passerbys with jolly Christmas carols.

Turned out that the place Dan had selected for dinner was totally reserved for a huge tennis group so we drove around until we ended up at "Salty Ritas"...a Mexican restaurant. Other than having my tongue so on fire that I couldn't taste much, it was good! :) On the way home we stopped at DQ for a "Oreo Cookie Jar" blizzard to share. Turns out, oreos and cookie dough make a pretty yummy combo! Thanks babe for a special day!

I love you!

Having reflected on marriage, and how I used to think it would be, I've concluded that it is way better than I ever could have imagined. I didn't really think of the fact that husband and wife really have the opportunity to become best friends. I didn't understand the term "soul mate" at all. But this first year has given me a glimpse! And having reflected some more, I don't know how marriage can be at all fulfilling or successful if God isn't woven in to make that strong three-fold cord. Christ can draw two people together (not just initially but life long as well) like nothing else can. And when a couple draw closer to Christ, they can't help but draw closer together!

Thanks to the Lord for giving me a wonderful husband...I don't deserve him! And thank you Dan for loving Jesus first and me second. You both take pretty good care of me! :)

December 13, 2009

Turkeys and Ornaments

First off, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! There is much to be thankful for isn't there!?!?
We were blessed to have Grandpa and Grandma Leman, Jake, Shayne and Brady Fehr, Matthew and Kristy Moore, and Kristy's sister Erika for our Thanksgiving dinner. We had a lovely evening! Several of us played games 'til near midnight!

Post Thanksgiving comes Christmas music and decor! Dan and I were traveling to Colorado last December 25th and by the time we got settled, Christmas was long over and therefore, no Christmas decor was set up. I really enjoyed setting up our Christmas paraphernalia together this year!

I had forgotten about this little nativity set. It is from Haiti.
My Dad gave it to me last year. Every little piece was wrapped in banana leaves and tucked safely in the little coconut hut. A memento of my "other" home!

Our tree

We received this angel for our wedding. We decided it was a bit too large for our tree....

So it made its home on the mantle!

Tree pictures are hard. Here's an attempt!

Another wedding gift. I like how it has verses written on the characters. The verses correlate to where that particular character appears in the Bible.

Extra strands of white lights (wedding leftovers!) found their place too.

During the holidays, it is so easy to leave the real reason we're celebrating suffocating in the turkey, lights, ornaments, and new years resolutions. May we choose to remember and focus on the CHRIST that we are thankful for, indebted to, and reliant upon!

A Taste of Heritage

The boxes haven't been cracked open since my dear Grandpa & Grandma Gutwein loving and carefully packaged them up. But today was the day! I am grateful to announce that all of the pieces safely endured the journey to Colorado! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for the wonderful wedding gift!

This beautiful hand-painted china was my great-grandma Laura Gudeman's. Grandma Gutwein remembers how excited Great-Grandma was when she bought them. It's no wonder! They are elegant, dainty, useful, and many of the pieces are types that aren't made anymore. Not to mention part of the set was made in occupied Japan!

Here is a sampling:

A covered serving bowl, regular serving bowl, two sizes of serving platters, gravy boat, soup bowl*, jello/salad bowl, dinner plate, salad plate, dessert plate, teacups and saucers, creamer, and sugar bowl.

All ready for Thanksgiving!

Beautiful design

*About that soup bowl. There's only one. Why? Grandma Gutwein said that since they didn't normally serve soup to their guests, Great-Grandma let them use them for everyday...or at least whenever they had soup. Guess they broke dishes back then too ;)

In today's desire for sleek modernism, I've enjoyed pulling these traditional treasures out and ogling their ornate beauty. But this all forced me to ponder something else. The word heritage. Tradition. Even legacy. It's all fine and dandy that my great-grandma passed down her lovely china, but how much more precious her legacy of faith? I have another great-grandma (Dorothy Bachtold) who passed away over a month ago. I read in her obituary that she had 23 grandchildren, and 44 great-grandchildren. What have these women left behind?

Faith. Witness. Love. An example. (just to name a few)

Faith in Jesus and a life lived by His standards. Through that, they are witness to His faithfulness to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. Their love has had a ripple affect on those around them and those still left here on earth after they are gone. Their example is that no matter how many mountains we have to climb, the prize is worth all the struggle and God will carry us through. They didn't necessarily lead easy lives. But who said that it was going to be easy? And why do we expect it to be? "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" (1 Peter 1:7) Today's woman seems to be defined more by her outward appearance than of her inward character. "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 31:10) Those trials, that price, the effort put towards developing godly character; they not only glorify God, but they leave a heritage in the process.

Just like my great-grandmas.

So even though beautiful china is a mere possession of this earth, I think I'll find it serves as a reminder every time I take it out of the closet. What heritage am I developing that I will one day leave behind?

We got "Squished" !!!

More about getting "squished" in a bit...but first, some other exciting news! FRED & JODI are married. And a lovely weekend it was! The wedding was beautiful. God writes the best love stories. We were able to stay with Dan's brother and his wife: Caleb and Erin. Since we don't get to see them often, this was a special treat. I got the privilege to meet some of Dan's aunts and uncles! Neil and Leila, Gordon and Ellie. They're keepers! :) While Dan was taking pictures with the wedding party, I was standing in Grandpa Hodel's kitchen. Fingers wrapped around a steamy cup of coffee, listening to Grandpa's stories of Japan. Yup, another treat. :)

The happy couple(s). Blessings to you both Fred and Jodi!

My crazy sister-in-law. Put us together...watch out.
(and...that's her dad, Brad...I wonder where Erin gets it from?!?!?)

Thanks for keeping us guys!

Another pal: Sarah :) (and Brad again)

Squeeeeek! My other sister.

So about getting "Squished"....
My sister graced us with her presence for tad over a week. Let's just say that I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! There's something about being totally at east with one's sister. :)

Squish and I posing with the fabulous tortellini soup we made! We even found bread bowls!

She helped me watch Brady...

We went antique shopping!!! Sporting the specs.

We all went to the IMAX and saw "Hubble" (amazing), spent time with the YG and with Dan's parents, baked treats for Sunday lunch, talked, laughed, ate Pretzel M&M's, played scrabble, skip-b0, and Russian rummy, and enjoyed some of good Alisha's cooking!

First fire of the season!

At the airport :(

Squish, you can come back any time you want! We love you!!!!

Better late than never

So, I've been a slacker when it comes to this here blog. Sorry! To catch y'all up, lets start with some recent visitors: Heather (H) and Elizabeth.

We had three full days with them! Some downtown shopping, jeeping (*cough*..more on that later) and chilling at our place.

Somebody was pretty popular!
Brady (the baby I nanny for) has a tendency to win hearts

Including Dan's!

Elizabeth spent one day with her brother, Fred, who lives out here while the rest of us went jeeping! It was beautiful, but chilly day.

H and I (j,k,l,m,n...)

Yup, we got stuck in this here hole. No more comments.

Thanks for visiting! Next time we'll complete the list of things that we wanted to do!

Oh, and Dan and I got the chance to carve a couple pumpkins. The seeds got roasted too! YUM!

Mine on left, Dan on right.

Well, there's a start to the catch up. Life's been one thing after another...see next post.

Family!

Family is a blessing. And we were blessed to have most of my family come for a visit! Dad and Alisha flew in Tuesday afternoon (in Dad's plane) and Mom, Mark, and Derek arrived via vehicle Thursday morning. Since it'd be hard to explain every detail, I'll outline our time together by outings and adventures.

Thursday Night: Clear Creek Hike
Derek was begging to go hiking so we decided that there was enough time to go somewhere close. Dan chose the beautiful Clear Creek area. Other than Mom and Dad getting lost (oh dear) we had a lovely time...enjoying the crisp air and the sound of hard breathing.

My beautiful mom!

This kid has way too much energy! :)

At the top!

Tired and sweaty. Derek took use of the river to cool his face off.

God's beautiful creations!

Friday: Mosquito Pass/Jeepin'Since we weren't tired enough from hiking/climbing, we headed out to try the trails by JEEP. What wasn't sore from the day before was jostled around as we bumped over rock after rock and waded through streams. But really, it was fun! The views were amazing too. The mountains have some snow right now...I think they are most majestic that way.

Park of an old mine...or something.

:) Thanks for the lift!

Saturday Morning: Flight to TellurideAt the crack of dawn, you wouldn't have found Dad, Dan, Derek, or I at our apartment. No sir, we were aboard N926JG (aka: my dad's plane) on our way to Telluride. Smooth sailing (0r should I say flying) all the way there! Maybe not so much on the way home...:(

Coach passengers

Pilot and...um...navigator.

Talk about a cool landing strip! Oh the side of a cliff?!?!?!

Grabbing a snack before going back.

A great chance to see the mountains from the air! Thanks dad!

Sunday: Church and Dinner at Dan's Folk's
After a wonderful couple of services by visiting Willis Ehnle (he also gave talks the previous evening), we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Leman residence. Mom L. made her/dad's famous Italian Beef! Yumm. Jake's house and Grandpa and Grandma Leman also joined in the festivities.

Monday: Pho', IMAX, Museum, and Downtown!This day may have been our busiest! Dad wanted to eat somewhere "exotic" so we went to Pho' Duy II. It may have been the most interesting meal I have ever eaten. (and I've lived in Haiti!) But we really liked it! (most of us anyways. Derek and Mark weren't too keen) Dan and I are planning a return trip.

Spring rolls and fixings.That stuff in front of Dad goes in the noodle soup.
The place was Vietnamese.

Next we made it to the IMAX in time for the 1:00 showing of "Under the Sea". It was even 3D! The Museum, home to the IMAX, was having a free day so we only had to pay for the movie!

Looking spiffy!

Before Dan headed off to school, we roamed the museum. Taking in rocks and gems, sting rays, the Amazon, brain wave frequencies, just to name a few.

Bugs.

Hmm... Sisters?

Mom & Dad

We ran into some animals. Some quite friendly and full...

...and some quite vicious and hungry!

After Dan was finished at school, we took a walk on the town. Denver's downtown is really quite lovely. It was bit brisk out, but we warmed up at "HBurger". Wonderful burgers, wonderful fries.

Ride 'em cowboy!

Tuesday: Rocky Mountain National Park/Estes Park
We had rested up. So hiking we went! This time in the beautiful Estes Park area. It was stunning! The perfect amount of snow! Though unfortunately, no elk. :( After reaching Bear Lake and Nymph Lake, we wandered around the park for a while just taking it all in. We ladies wanted to scope out the shops in Estes Park and the boys, upon hearing this, opted to go Jeeping.

Grabbing a bit at MickyD's before the hike.
Ah....

See what I mean?!?!

Survivor Mark

I can't really put into words how much it meant to me to have my family come visit. Now they know where we live, what our place looks like, who are friends are, what our church is like, where we like to explore, etc. That is priceless. And so are the memories.