Mile High Musings

BOO!

2011-10-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! We truly got in the spirit this year, as Ava is old enough to enjoy (at least sort of enjoy) the festivities of Halloween. We carved pumpkins, trick or treated along Tennyson Street, and paraded in our costume at school. So much fun!

And a special Happy Birthday to my amazing Gram Barb - 86 years old today and still giving us all hell! Woot GB!

Trick or treating along Tennyson street... lots of good loot!

The results of some serious pumpkin carving...

Partying with our puppy friend, Miles

Cleaning up after the party... like any good house guest

Yay for Halloween! And Dad's artfully carved pumpkin

mmm... Halloween treats!

Trick or treating at school with our friends

Oliver even got into the Halloween spirit. Thankfully for him there was not a costume involved this year!

Snow Day!

2011-10-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

Although I am sad to see summer come to a close, it was really cool to wake up to a blanket of fresh white snow this morning! The kids - Ava and Oliver - both loved it and wanted to play outside all morning.

Can't wait to get outside with our stylish new Missoni for Target hat and gloves

Halloween Fun - part one

2011-10-24T20:25:00.001-07:00

Last Friday marked the first of several Halloween celebrations... the pinnacle of every toddler's existence. Ava wanted to be a ladybug -- read: Mom wanted Ava to be a ladybug -- this year, and she pulled off the costume quite well! We had a blast hanging out at the DAC's Halloween Spooktacular with our dear friends and their kiddos, Dorothy, the Tin Man and BumbleBee.

Indulging in Halloween cookies

Dorothy and the LadyBug

Our cute little ladybug

Posing for the moms

A sleepy ladybug

Ava on film....

2011-10-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

We've been taking more video of Ava and her antics lately, so here are a couple of our recent favs. Enjoy & Happy Friday!

Before... After...

2011-10-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is a our our cute, quaint little cottage before the destruction.

This is our cute, quaint little cottage after the destruction.

Because we didn't have enough on our plate with jobs, a toddler and an endless list of projects for our turn of the century home... we decided to tear the outside down to the studs and rip off the roof. Fun times! Thankfully Kent opted not to pursue this project himself and we brought in the hired guns.

In all seriousness, we have wanted to replace the aging vinyl siding and weathered roof since the day we moved in. And three years later, we are finally accomplishing that goal. I can say now, as the project is nearly complete, that it was worth it. However, when we were in the heat of demolition with our beloved veggie garden under 2 feet of roof trash that it was unpleasant to say the least.

Here are some actions shots to show progress over the past several weeks:

No wonder we were cold... see those pipes? Those are for our bathroom. Note the lack of any insulation! brrr.

The attic sees light for the first time in over 100 years

Newspaper clippings from the 1930s... otherwise known as insulation.

The siding begins to take shape after taking it down to the bare studs

The lovely view from the back door

More trash... I am not claustrophobic but I began to feel trapped

The roof is on!

Extra insulation and weather proofing. Crazy that no one addressed this in the over 100 years the house has been standing.

Starting to come together and look like a house again

So here we stand almost done. All of the trash is gone, most of the materials are gone. The porta potty is still here - ew! Now we just wait for the arrival of our lovely, new (and very expensive) front and back doors. We splurged and bought a dutch door for the front, and I am like a kid at Christmas. I cannot wait!

The family artist's (aka Kent) rendering of the finished job... we'll see if it come close.

Late Summer Fun

2011-10-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

The last days of summer... this time of year is a favorite of mine, as the days are warm and the nights begin to cool off. We have had a glorious summer and early fall here in Colorado. I want to savor each and every day. Before we know it we'll be scraping our windshields and longing for flip flops!

We had a lot of fun these past few weeks, but here are some of the highlights from September:

Playing in the sand at Oliver's "Dog Reunion Picnic"

Attempting to climb the slide while leashed is never a good idea

Olly was in heaven with all the dogs, as you can imagine

Ava showing her true colors in the family rivalry - GO BUFFS!

Playing at the park

Uncle Wes is soooo silly!

Our first fall harvest from the garden

Happy Birthday Ava!

2011-09-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Wow... a year has passed and our little baby Ava is one year old! It is amazing to think that we have survived a year of parenting without any major (noticeable) damage! And it amazing to see how much our wrinkled little nugget has turned into a beautiful little girl.

Ava Odendahl, 9/3/10

Ava Odendahl, 9/3/11

As we approached her first birthday, we reflected on the first year PBA (Post Baby Ava). For me, the most amazing thing was how adaptable we are -- both babies and parents. Kent finally has learned to wake up and get out of bed before 7:30am. It took a few kicks in those early months, but he is an amazing Dad and officially earned his "Daddy stripes." She was patient with us as we stumbled through those first few weeks and months, and we learned together how to be a family. Overall, we are just so lucky to have her in our lives, and experience all the joy, laughter, tears, frustration and other emotions that come with parenting.

In true Ava fashion, she decided that he could not celebrate her first year with any run of the mill birthday party... so we did it up Hawaiian style and threw a luau. I admit I was a bit over the top and channeled my inner Martha Stewart, but hey you only turn one once!

Can you believe I made that?

Enjoying cake with our friends Sloane and Eli

Sharing a smile with Dad

Hanging with our neighborhood buddies, Addy and Miles

Uncle Wes proving he will always be the younger sibling

Happy family!

Ava taunting her friends with the cake

Happy Weekend!

2011-08-19T15:56:00.001-07:00

I heart Friday afternoons, as you have two whole days and nights of fun to look forward to. This weekend will be particularly fun as I have a girls night tonight, and then we have a full two days of family fun... baby shower planning, a carnival, a friend's BBQ (which we will hopefully take the bikes and Burley to), golf on Sunday and lunch with old friends and their beautiful new baby. Whew, I am tired just writing about it...

Hope everyone else's weekend looks as fun as ours! Here are some new pics from the week, as we had our first trip to the Children's Museum on Monday!

Happy Aloha Friday!

The GIANT slide!

Woo, that was fun!

Trying to climb up the slide?

A little fishing... eat and release of course

Channeling our superpowers in the bat cave

Happy Friday! See y'all next week!

IKEA madness

2011-08-15T09:49:00.001-07:00

Growing up with an IKEA right down the 5 freeway, I was not overcome with happiness when they decided to open a store in Colorado. As the giant blue and yellow box began to get bigger along the side of the freeway, I actually was annoyed about how many people were planning their vacation schedules around the grand opening.

Flash forward about three weeks, and we broke down and made a trip to the behemoth Swedish purveyor. I should have known what we were in for given the sheer number of flashing signs and very bored police officers directing traffic before we even got to the store. Once we made it through the maze of Disneyland-esque lines directing us into the front door, I realized why I love IKEA.

It is not the super cheap faux wood furniture, those days are gone along with the post college decor. I love the idea of walking through a store and having your mind wander with creativity. I love the visual displays, and the way they actually put forks and spoons into the display kitchen cabinets. And, of course, I love the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce... mmmmm.

So while we were just going to "check out" a potential bookshelf, we ended up walking out with not one, but two bookshelves as well as a bag of irresistibly smart organizational goodies. So now all of our different types of rice, cereal and crackers have their own individual clear plastic homes. I don't know how we could have lived this long without IKEA here!

Who has time to cook?

2011-08-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, apparently during the summer time... I do! Earlier this week I made an excellent new dish. Sorry for lack of photographic proof, I am still getting used to this more than once a year blogging thing...

But, I digress... so back to my cooking. I made Szechwan style green beans, courtesy of Tyler Florence of the Food Network. (Special thanks to Dad for the nod to this recipe.)

Just to mix it up, I sauteed a few pieces of of lightly floured chicken and then added the green beans and some brown sugar to create a wonderful, rich caramelization for the whole dish. Two thumbs up from my customers, including Ava, which means a lot these days!

Unfortunately the oatmeal choco-chip cookies did not garner such rave reviews. While I do consider myself a "baker", with a Best Brownie medal to show for it, these cookies were not my best effort. The Nestle Toll House recipe was not a crowd pleaser as the cookies were thin and lifeless. Better luck next time. But, I have no doubt they will still be consumed, as we have some serious sweet eaters on Utica Street.

OMG - I am 11 months old!!

2011-08-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Howdy world!

How times flies, as last time I posted Ava was not even mobile. Now we have moved from scooting, to pushing, to crawling, to crawling super fast, to walking!

We have had much to celebrate these past few months:

My first Mother's Day

Dr. Wes's graduation from Medical School

A family trip to Hawaii

Holidays with friends and family

And, of course, summer in Colorado!

Next stop... One year old! Watch out world!

Where have the Odendahls been?

2011-04-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!
So blogging is not my thing... I have come to the realization and I am ok with it. I hope you all are too! Lots has happened since my last post over three months ago (embarrassing!) Mainly, I went back to work full time. So gone are the days of taking pictures of Ava doing cute things and immediately posting them or emailing them out. I know some of you even doubt we still have a child! But let me assure you, we do, and she is alive and well. I'll upload the highlights of the last few months, and put the rest on Kodak Gallery.

Enjoy! Here is where I would normally say "I'll try to be better about posting more often," but lets face it that is not going to happen until the Legislature decides to end their business and summer hits :)

Ciao!

Ringing in the New Year with a martini

Loving tummy time and our tongue

Perfecting our flirtatious grin

Four months old!

Sleeping like a pro

Love that smile!

Six months old -- the five month shot is MIA!

Sweet dreams angel

The great flood in our basement... fun times!

Lovin' Dad's ball cap

Ready for our first race - The Annual Running of the Green 7K

Enjoying a frosty beverage after wards

mmmm, solid food! This girl loves her veggies!

A visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma

Sitting up all by ourselves!

Oliver has grown into such a handsome pup

Enjoying her big girl girl chair

Sporty Ava, ready for a walk

A pretty profile

Showing off her strong little pinching fingers

Happy 7 months Av-ster! Mommy just loves those flowers!

December Fun!

2010-12-31T19:27:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks were filled with fun and festivities as we celebrated the holidays with friends and family. We started out the holiday season with our good friends the Murphys and McWolfs and their brood of kiddos. Presents, dreidel spinning, gingerbread cookies and general mayhem were on the agenda as we had a house full of kids under the age of 6. Thankfully, Ava just observed, and took notes for next year.

Sloane getting into the cookie decorating

Wilson in his Iron Man outfit

Presents galore at Casa Odendahl

Ava also got into the Christmas spirit with her first pic with Santa -- Kent just couldn't resist being in the photo too! She really began to enjoy tummy time, and giggles incessantly when she is on her playmat.

Hanging out with Oliver - her favorite furry friend

Look how strong I am!

Ava and Dad with Santa - Ho Ho Ho!

We were also lucky enough to have both Uncle Wes and Jess Hess in town for a long weekend! We spent the first day obsessed with a puzzle, but thankfully we finished it and escaped the house to see the Botanic Gardens and their Blossoms of Lights. Wes enjoyed his residency interview at CU, and I am secretly crossing both fingers and toes that he will select that program as his top choice for his residency!

Kent in the technicolor lights at the Botanic Gardens

Enjoying a cozy dinner with Wes and Jess

The infamous puzzle, what a beautiful centerpiece!

Three Months!

2010-12-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Wow... how time flies. I can't believe that our little nugget is three months old today. It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and were trying to figure out what the heck to do with her!

Teeny Tiny Ava

Now she is a hefty 11.5 pounds and 24+ inches long. I am sensing volleyball player or supermodel in her future! Every day brings new discoveries and it is so much fun to watch her progress. Earlier this week she rolled over for the first time, and giggled afterwards. She also learned how to grab an object, preferably a colored ring or mom's necklaces, and put them in her mouth. Her verbal skills are improving by the day, and Kent and I both agreed she is going to be a very vocal kiddo.

Three month photo with Mr. Hippo

Sitting up like a big girl in junior highchair!

All those smiles, ooh and aahs go hand in hand with sleepless nights, explosive poopie diapers and crying (read: wailing) for no apparent reason. But we wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy Three Month Birthday Little Girl... Cheers to you!

Really... another flower on my head? At least this one is appropriately sized.

Fun at bathtime

Tummy time on my favorite quilt from Auntie Jess Hess

And... we're done.

Turkey Day 2010

2010-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving means so much more this year, as we have so many things to be thankful for... first and foremost we are thankful that Miss Ava is in our lives! Health and happiness of family and friends, and gainful employment are all on the list too. I also had some time to reflect and realized that this Thanksgiving was an opportunity to start new traditions with Ava and our family, as well as cherish old ones. We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, made cranberry jelly and rolled out homemade pie crust for the pumpkin pies. All fun activities and experiences that I can't wait to share with Ava as she grows up. All in all a fabulous Thanksgiving... definitely my favorite Holiday of this festive season!

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a giant bow!

Happy Ava!

Smiling at the paparazzi

Family photo - I can't believe all three of us are in it!

Thanksgiving #2 at the Odendahl's

Watch out!

Doesn't Olly look vicious in his beret?

Chef Kent... ready to carve the bird

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

2010-11-24T16:43:00.001-08:00

First I must apologize for the lag in posting these last few weeks. I'd like to blame it on Comcast -- our internet was out for a week -- but I was also wrapped up in other activities. Lots has transpired since my last post. Ava had her first plane flight, as we jetted off to California to visit my extended family. It was a bit too eventful on the way out, thanks to a flat tire on the way to the airport (sorry Frau!) and a last minute dash to make the plane. We SO were "those people" who were the last ones on the plane searching for a seat. The only drag of flying Southwest is the lack of assigned seats, so luckily we found a nice person who didn't speak much english who we convinced to move to a middle seat so we could sit next to each other.

We had a great time in sunny CA, and here are some pics to prove it!

Is it wrong to gate check your child?

A sunny day in San Clemente... Ava loved the beach!

Hanging out with Uncle Jim and Aunt Susan

Soliciting medical advice from Uncle Wes

Helping the pilot navigate the plane back to CO - don't tell the FAA!

After all the fun in CA, we needed a weekend to relax and get back on schedule. But the world had decided otherwise, as the new windows we ordered for the house arrived and Kent felt compelled to install them. In the middle of the great installation project, field mice decided to invade our house and escape the steadily dropping temperature outside. Despite Kent's best efforts with elaborate mouse traps laced with peanut butter, the mice are winning. We did capture several of the early scouts, but they are on to us and have decided to play hardball. However, we have time on our side as eventually we will capture them all... Watch out mice, we are coming for you!

All this excitement made me forget to post pictures of Ava's two month photo with the hippo. She is doing really well sitting up (when propped against the back of a chair), and can hold her neck up 90% of the time. She loves tummy time and hanging out on her play mat exploring the world. She also discovered her tongue earlier this month, and love to stick it out at us. Smiles are coming fast and furious, as is her cute little giggle!

Two months old!

We had a great visit from her favorite "Aunt Jaisy" last weekend, and we played to our heart's content. Jaisy and I escaped for a few hours to enjoy High Tea at the Brown Palace -- a fun tradition! The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying friends, family and of course shopping for Ava clothes.

Playing with Aunt Jaisy

Chillin' in my track suit

Extreme baby close-up!

That's it from the Odendahl house on this Thanksgiving Eve. Wishing all our friends and family a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow... we sure have lots to be thankful for this year! Cheers!

Ava's First Halloween

2010-11-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Fun was had by all last weekend as we celebrated Ava's first Halloween! She dressed up as a ballerina, and was a great sport as I made her wear a fluffy headband that was just about as big as her head. We had a great weekend filled with Trick-or-Treating along Tennyson Street, and a party at the neighbor's house. Mom and Dad ate most of her candy -- just testing to make sure it wasn't bad of course! Enjoy the photos...

Dad why must I wear this annoying thing on my head?

Smiling for the camera with Mom

A pretty pink ballerina

Yo, do you like my pumpkin shirt?

Pumpkinhead!

Frankenbaby... she is scarier than she looks!

Costume #2 -- Go Trojans!

Week Seven

2010-10-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

Fall has definitely hit Colorado, as we have enjoyed cooler weather and lots of colorful leaves. We've been so lucky to have such warm weather lately, but this change is a welcome one. I cannot believe it is almost Halloween, as that means November is around the corner and my time at home with Miss Ava is coming to a close. I am excited to get back to work and in the swing of things post-election, however I can't imagine not being at home with her! I know we'll manage, and she will love her new friends and teachers at the Denver Athletic Club. But for the time being, there is more fun to be had so take a look at what we've been up to this past week.

Our cute little ladybug snoozing with Dad. Our growing girl is now 10 lbs and has outgrown all her newborn clothes.

Sporting her 80s legwamers and stretching after a long nap

Getting angry at Mom for waking her up and taking her picture!

OK, now I am REALLY mad!

And we're back asleep... all is right with the world

Seriously Mom, how much more of this dressing up and posing must I endure?

Pumpkinhead!

Week Six

2010-10-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

How time flies... I cannot believe it has already been six weeks since Miss Ava entered our world. Both Kent and I cannot imagine a world without her - or with sleep - however you look at it! We're enjoying a wonderful Indian summer in Denver, so we've been able to take lots of walk and spend time outdoors. Oliver is a huge fan of this weather too, as he gets extra trips to the dog park!

Not too many exciting activities this week, as we are settling nicely into our routine. She is sleeping well, giving mom and dad about 4 hours at a time during the night. Hopefully that will only increase in the coming weeks. I actually had my first outing sans baby this week, as Kent played Mr. Mom which allowed me to attend a fundraiser luncheon for the Colorado Children's Campaign. The keynote speaker was the director of the new education reform documentary, "Waiting for Superman". He also directed Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth", so needless to say it was an interesting afternoon. Having Ava really made me listen and watch with a different eye as I feel so blessed that we will be able to provide an excellent education for her. It was a really special afternoon, and a nice break for me to put on some fancy clothes and have adult conversation.

Today we had a fun play date with my girlfriends their kiddos, Josh and Levi. We went to a local pumpkin patch, and Ava snoozed through the whole outing. Obviously the pumpkins were not as exciting to her as they were to me! We came home with several fun gourds and hopefully the squirrels won't eat them before we can carve them for Halloween!

Enjoy the pics from the week... Cheers!

Sporting a new bib, courtesy of our friends at LiveWell Colorado

Ava and her pumpkin

Trying to get artsy with the photos...

Ava and Mom at the patch

Weeks 4 and 5

2010-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so I missed my weekly posting dates... we've had just a few things going on lately with lots of family and friends in town to visit. Dad was in town for a long weekend, and spent lots of time holding the little one. She is getting SO spoiled with all the attention. Kent's family has also been over to visit, and even babysat for us so we could enjoy a baby-free anniversary dinner! Next in line were GB and Wes from opposite ends of the country. It was a blast to have three generations of family here at the same time.

Ava is growing by leaps and bounds, as she is changing everyday. She is much more alert these days, and loves her daily playtime on the space gym. She is "talking" a lot and we're finally beginning to understand her different cries. All in all she is a really easy baby, and we are having a blast with her!

Enjoy the photos below.... and we'll post more as the weeks go on!

Cheers!

Happy One Month Ava!

Grandpa Russ with the munchkin

Ava snoozing with Grandpa Leon

The little nugget sleeping peacefully

The four legged kiddos... sacked out

Loving playtime in the space gym

Future USC fan in training!

GB and Ava sharing a laugh together

Uncle Wes and the princess in her room

Wes can't handle his milk...

Kidder family photo

Week Three

2010-09-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Three Weeks Ava! It is hard to believe that she is already three weeks old! While it seems like time has flown by, it also is hard to imagine our life pre-Ava. It is just amazing to watch her grow and change -- seemingly by the day.

We've had a pretty active week, as Kent was home for his final week and we took advantage of two sets of hands to get some work around the house done. In fact he is out planting fall-time foliage as I type. We've also had lots of visitors -- Mom and Bill were in town last weekend, and babysat one night so we could go out on a date! In true new parent fashion we spent the entire time talking about Ava.

Next week is my first week flying solo, and I am sad to see Kent go back to work. But it had to happened eventually, and I feel like I am as ready as I can be to handle Ava by myself. She loves her car rides and seems to enjoy shopping, so we will be just fine!

Enjoy the pics from Week Three!

Mom finally took my "Zero" picture. We're going to take one each month in the chair next to my hippo so you can see how I grow!

Another crazy flower headband... Mom is so mean!

Ava snuggling with Gram Linda

Spending time with Papa Bill

Snoozing in the newborn lounger

Classic shot asleep on Dad's shoulder

Precious!

2010-09-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

I took some videos on my iphone leading up to the birth and shortly thereafter. Don't worry, they are all tastefully shot (in case you were wondering). There is a lot of short unedited clips here but hopefully it conveys the excitement and special moments we had!

We didn't make it two laps! Just around the corner from this shot Sara's water broke and things got exciting.

Ava's been cleaned, checked and just placed on Sara at this point, maybe 5-10 minutes after delivery. Very happy parents!

This was after my meltdown at the hospital because we left on a holiday weekend and there wasn't anyone to check out the car seat for us AND I was sleep deprived. A really nice nurse helped us out the best she could and we were able to come back a few days later and get it figured out.

Welcome Baby Ava!

2010-09-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Hello friends... it has been too long! The time has come to finally update our blog, as our precious baby, Ava Campbell Odendahl, has joined us. She was born on Friday, September 3rd at 5:50 pm, exactly one week past her due date... or fashionably late as she contends. She was 20 inches and 7 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, with a head full of dark hair.

We came home from the hospital on Labor Day, and have been enjoying her ever since. It is amazing how something so little can make such a meaningful impact on your life. Both Kent and I are smitten, as is her dog brother Oliver!

Some recent pics are below, and we'll update on a weekly basis... so check back often to see how our gorgeous girl changes and grows!

Cheers!

Baby Ava - Week One!

Ava's official stats

Proud parents

Ava with her Daddy

Hanging with the Grandmas

Great Grandpa Dutch

Headed for home!

Love at first sight!

First bottle with Dad

First sponge bath... not a fan!

Snoozing on the Tri-Delt quilt - thanks ladies!

This photo is sure to haunt her for years to come!

Lessons in Security

2009-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Sara came home for lunch to take care of Oliver our puppy and found that our place had been broken into. We think she actually scared them off as she was opening the door and I'm obviously very thankful that she was not harmed. They stole my computer AND backup drive along with various other items. Our home was fully locked at the time and every window closed but they somehow found one they could jimmy open and climb though. It was an old window I thought was painted shut. They wore gloves and did not leave any fingerprints. Apparently the MO is to ring your doorbell, if you don't answer then drive to the alley and scope that exit out. It's usually two people so be aware if you see this in your neighborhood.

Things we've learned:

- An audible alarm is the best method for scaring people off. Even if they decide to kick in a door, they can only grab a few things before they get nervous about being seen with a loud alarm.

- Lock your house, even when you are home. It's very common for something to be taken through an open door while you are out mowing the lawn or chatting on the phone in your back yard. Kazia had her wallet snatched at the office during business hours if you all remember. And if you leave a window open, make sure it's locked in place so someone can't open it further and gain entry.

- Make sure you have the correct insurance. We were good except for purchased video and music files on a hard drive. They are not covered unless you have a separate rider on your policy. Physical DVD's and CD's are but I haven't bought a CD since 2005 and all of that is money sitting on a hard drive for someone to take.

- MOST IMPORTANTLY think about your digital life and what goes with that. I never dreamed someone would take my desktop machine AND my back up drive with many years of photos, videos, music, tax returns (turbotax) and my freelance business files. It wasn't locked because I didn't seen the need, it was not a laptop. And with 5-800gb of info, it's not exactly easy to go burn DVD's. Think about using a backup service off site or if you have a back up drive like a time capsule, try and hide it separate from your machine. And keep all files with your sensitive identity info in a password protected folder on your hard drive.

Take a few moments out of your busy life and think about ways to make your home and life more secure. It's a recession and people are desperate out there.

-Kent

Summer fun

2009-08-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Summer has already flown by, but we are blessed to have had some wonderful times. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

Sunset from our hotel balcony in Hawaii

Lazy days on the beach

A day of fishing on Kakalina with my BFF and BFD (best friend's dad)

Celebrating Jenni and Bryan

Good times with dear friends

New trees for the front yard; I especially loved planting in the 30 degree freezing rain!

Spending time with mom and a beautiful hike in Boulder

My best friend!

Enjoying our backyard

At the top of Vail Pass after 80 miles on our bikes

Planting in our front yard with Dad

Oliver's first bath

Fun with friends

Back from the dead...

2009-08-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Despite the best of intentions, this little blog has been ignored and relegated to the back shelf of life for the last six months. I think it was the combination of a hectic work schedule (thanks to my new job) and just life in general. I also experienced a bit of technical difficulties last month when my beloved PowerBook died and had to have emergency hard drive surgery. But thanks to the awesomeness that is the GeniusBar at the Apple store, we are back in business with brand new parts!

So as you may imagine alot has transpired in the past 6 months - trips. weddings, birthdays, and of course the new addition to our family - Oliver the golden retriever. Unfortunately I lost most of the photos when my computer crashed as I did not follow Kent's stringent back-up instructions - oops! But I do have some fund pics, so I will post them on the site for all 2 people that read this to view :)

Hope to be more regular now that I have my computer back!

Cheers!

Half a decade

2009-02-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

Wow that sounds like a long time... but today is the 5 year anniversary of our first date. Looking back it is amazing to see how much has happened - new houses, new friends, new babies, new President. All exciting and wonderful things in their own right. I can't wait to see what the next 5 years will hold :)
Cheers!

The Big Green Wall

2009-02-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

Last month we decided to spice up our kitchen a bit and do some painting. Hence the big green wall... Per my mom's request, here are some pics of the wall, the *new* tv, and some other random decor in the kitchen. Now if we could only do something about that island...

Cheers!

Christmas Cheer!

2009-01-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Christmas is over and 2009 is upon us... We had a cross country Christmas with trips to CA and OR to see family. We started out with a long weekend in the OC with the Kidder clan. Four generations were there - the first time since our wedding!

Paige, Ella and Great Grandma Kidder

Celebrating Christmas with Grandma

From CA it was back to CO for a couple days with the Odendahls in Castle Rock; a bit of work; and some last minute shopping. Then we jetted back to the West Coast and met up with Wes in Portland. Luckily we made it to Bend (albeit four hours late), but our bags were not so lucky. Thankfully we packed our toothbrushes into the carry ons as our bags were MIA for 3 days! Other than the little luggage snafu, we had a wonderful week in Bend with family. There was lots of laughter, lots of wine and some serious pool playing.

All the lovely ladies on Christmas

"King Kent"

Fun at the pool table

Braving the snow in Sisters

Now it is back to the real world... Cheers to a fabulous 2009! Here is a link to more pictures from the Holiday trips (http://www.flickr.com/photos/skodendahl/) for your viewing pleasure!

Fall fun

2008-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Fall is officially gone, and winter has hit Denver! As I type our furnace is chugging along trying to keep us warm from the -5 degree temp outside. The last month has flown by - literally - and I can't believe the Holidays are just around the corner. We had a fun November... new job for me, and lots of family activities for us both. We hosted our first Thanksgiving and were lucky enough to have both of our families join us!

Yummy dinner and a pretty table

Wes goofing off at the bowling alley

Chilling out at Coors Brewery

We also celebrated Kent's grandma Lois's 80th birthday with a special luncheon at the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club in Colorado Springs.

The Odendahl/Heschele clan at the b-day celebration, apparently argyle is in style!

Now we look forward to a fun December, and spending time with both of our families over the Holidays. We'll be traveling to a warmer climate - thank goodness - this weekend for Christmas with the Kidder family. And then it is off to Bend for a week with the rest of the fam.

More pics from the month are on flickr...

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday season and a fabulous New Year! We are so thankful for all the special friends and family in our lives, and wish everyone a joyous Christmas!

Cheers!

Ch, ch, ch, changes...

2008-09-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long - an increasingly common theme - but I will try to remedy that once again. The title of this post is quite apropos as today I accepted a new job! And it is not just "a job", as I am quite happy in my current position. Rather it is a "dream job", one of epic possibility and potential.

So beginning in early November, I'll be transitioning back into the for-profit world as a Policy Associate for a top-rated lobbying firm in Denver. I'll be working on issues that truly move my heart, and I couldn't be happier. I also would like to apologize in advance for the numerous fundraisers I will be hitting my friends up for, as well as the politicized rants that I may be prone to as they both come with the territory. But for the meantime, I am just.... happy!

On the home front, we've finally hung our pictures and made the guest bed so it is beginning to feel like home. We spent an entire weekend painstakingly staining our fence, which is now the most beautiful fence on the block! I promise to finally post some pictures this evening, as certain blog readers have become quite demanding of visual aids.

That's it for now... cheers!

A life unconnected

2008-09-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

Seems like forever since I last posted, as so much has transpired.

1. We moved (yeah!)
2. Kent became an expert with the jackhammer.
3. Summer said "goodbye Denver!"
4. We came close to losing our lives on Mt. Princeton... Fortunately the sherpa gods were smiling on us that fateful day and we made it home alive - save for the blisters and aching muscles.
5. I became a brunette again.

So that was the last few weeks in a nutshell. I posted new photos to Flickr.com, so check those out when you have a sec.

Cheers!

A new home with some new friends

2008-08-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

The sweet day has come where Kent and I are no longer homeless, as we closed on our new house on Tuesday afternoon! After signing our first born child over to the mortgage company in exchange for financing on our the house, we headed over to officially take possession. Unfortunately there was a bit of a misunderstanding as the family of wasps living in our back fence didn't get the memo that we were the new owners. Kent tried to negotiate with them, but ended up evicting them from their dwellings in the fence, much to their displeasure. As a parting gesture they decided to go in for the kill and sting me as I ran away in fear, apologizing for Kent's lack of negotiation skills.

Not the best welcome to our new home, but we'll get over it. We are just thrilled to begin this new chapter of our lives together!

Cheers!

July, where did you go?

2008-08-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Now that August is upon us, I thought I'd finally sit down and recap our very busy July. Well actually I am procrastinating at work too... So here it goes:

July started out with a visit to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival and a fun Fourth of July fireworks show. We hung out with friends and had a nice long weekend enjoying this lovely city we live in - biking, picnic in the park, a trip to the Botanic Gardens and a few other fun excursions. Trying to take advantage of our condo downtown, we walked everywhere and soaked in our surroundings one last time!

Unfortunately the fun didn't last long, as we moved out of our condo mid-July and went back to our roots. Kent's roots that is, as we moved in with his mom, Jane, while we continued our house hunt. Not to be dismayed by our first house crush falling out of escrow, we found a new house crush! It was a more perfect fit all around, and we are super excited to call it home on August 19th!

The new pad in Highlands

In the midst of the moving madness, we took a week long vacation to Bend to visit my family. While it was stressful to leave in the middle of everything, it turned out to be a fabulous break from busy work schedules, moving headaches and scorching summer heat. We had a blast with the entire Bend clan, and didn't want to leave at the end of the week.

Floating the river

Riding the Trikkes

Dinner at Broken Top CC

Ryan's baseball game

A family picnic

Last weekend we participated in the last of the summer bike rides - the Copper Triangle. I was admittedly nervous as I have a nagging case of tendonitis in my knees, so I was worried about the climbing. But we decided to do the ride anyhow... as it was only 78 miles. Piece of cake!

Looking back I am so glad that I pushed through the pain and finished the ride as it was some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen on a bike. We rode from Copper Mt up over Fremont Pass to Leadville, over Tennessee Pass to Minturn, down through the Vail Valley and back up over Vail Pass, finally finishing back in Copper. Unfortunately the pics don't do justice to the gorgeous vistas we saw...

Top of Fremont Pass

Top of Tennessee Pass

More gorgeous landscapes

Top of Battle Mountain

All in all, a fun month spent with family and friends in beautiful places... what more can you ask for! We took tons more pics and posted the on Flickr (link at top right of page).

Cheers!

Bike MS 150

2008-06-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ride on! This weekend we participated, along with a group of friends, in the Bike MS 150 charity ride. 5280 Magazine sponsored our group and hooked us up with the stylish outfits you see in the pics. Kent's boss also was generous enough to match all our pledges, so our team raised over $6K for MS! Between us we know several people afflicted by MS, so this ride was an awesome way to celebrate them and help eradicate the disease.

The ride was a blast, and we were blessed with beautiful weather and smooth roads. Our route took us along the winding roads of the foothills as we made our way from Westminster to Fort Collins. There were only a few moderate climbs, and we made good time both way - thanks to a nice tailwind!

We stayed in Fort Collins overnight, and were treated to the amazing hospitality of our friends Scott and Kristen Beasley. Cold beer, yummy food and good friends - who could ask for more. On day two we trekked back to Westminster to complete the entire 150 miles loop. Our legs were tired but we rode a fast pace the whole way home... personally it was the ice cream sandwich at the finish line that kept me motivated! All in all a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to more summer rides!

Cheers!

Team 5280, day one

mmm, snow cones!

The crew, day two

The morning sun over Horsetooth Resevoir

Sara and Dwight on the road

Pooped after two long days of riding

More pictures on Flicker (look for the link on the right of the page)

The hunt is on...

2008-06-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been a blur in the Odendahl household. About three weeks ago we put our condo on the market... thinking it would take a few months, if not longer to sell. And low and behold, after a record number of showings, we went under contract yesterday! Now I know what you are thinking - great news! Yes, on one hand it is fabulous news, but now we are looking at becoming homeless in about 3 weeks - ha! So tonight started our official house hunt. Wish us luck as we embark on this exciting adventure together!

Cheers!

It's racetime!

2008-06-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

WOO HOO!!!! It's called Solo which is the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) brand name for autocross competition. Solo events are driving skill contests where anyone can safely take there car out and test it's limits and their own driving skills against other drivers. Saturdays event was a class set up specifically for newcomers to the sport. Cones were set up at one of our local event center parking lots and each driver had an instructor ride along with them while we drove through a series of courses designed to help each driver experience what the car could handle. More importantly, the instructor could give feedback on how to drive it faster, much faster! Actually speeds are limited by the nature of the course and usually don't exceed more than 50 mph with very little danger or hitting anything or anyone. That's really the beauty of it. It's a safe place were people with all kinds of cars can come out and experience racing for a minimal cost and risk. My buddy Tavi and went for the day and left totally addicted and promising that we would participate in another event as soon as we could!

Can't you just smell the burnt rubber and fumes of gasoline?

waiting for tech inspection

Tavi waiting for the next event
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yep, that's me behind the helmet!

hugging the corner

Trying to get under the 23 second mark!

You can view more picks here

Mission Accomplished!

2008-06-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

100 miles... 160.9344 kilometers. Either way you slice it, it's a long distance to travel. And it is even longer on a bike. But that is exactly what we did last weekend, when we ventured out on the road. The annual Elephant Rock bike tour takes riders from Castle Rock, south through the Black Forest, and then back around through Monument and Palmer Lake.

The route itself is beautiful, as there are pleasant rolling hills and a few steep climbs all with the picturesque background of the Rocky Mountains. This year, however, the weather had something else in store for us - in the form of a 20 MPH head wind. But we powered through and after 7 1/2 hours of cycling accomplished a milestone in cycling - a century ride!

Here are some photos from the big day...

Kent and Scot in all their spandex glory

Its all smiles along the route

Yeah... we're done!

A little blurry, but my bike computer shows the final mile count

Click here for some more photos from Scot.

Next up is the Bike MS 150 ride from Boulder to Fort Collins and back. Luckily we stay in Fort Collins over night so it is only 75 miles per day. In addition to riding, we're raising money to support MS research. Check out my personal fundraising page.

A weekend away...

2008-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Fun was had by all this weekend as we traveled to Lake Tahoe to celebrate our friends Kristy and Dave's wedding. After a brief pit stop in San Francisco - to meet up with our traveling partners and of course a stop at In-N-Out - we hit the road. Lake Tahoe was gorgeous, as was the view from the house we all stayed in for the long weekend. The celebrations started strong on Thursday night with a rousing game of quarters, lasting until the wee hours of the morning. Lisa proved to be the quarters champion, though Bryan talked a big game.

Friday brought beautiful weather, just in time for Kristy and Dave's nuptials. The wedding was at the West Shore Cafe in Homewood, and the venue could not have been more perfect. We all enjoyed the wedding and subsequent drinks and dancing... but thanks to our drivers Kent and Lisa, we made it home in one piece.

Sleep was the key component of Saturday, as we all lounged on the massive red couch built for 22. We did manage to motivate and take a driving trip down to Emerald Bay. It was worth every curve in the road, as the view was spectacular.

Everyone parted ways on Sunday, but Kent and I stayed in San Fran for an extra night. We walked around the city and explored all that we could in a short 24 hours. Drinks at a swanky bar and an excellent dinner rounded off the perfect evening.

All in all a fabulous and fun weekend away. We loved seeing old friends, laughing and generally just being silly. I think sometimes we all get so busy in our lives we forget to treasure our friends and the fun times we share. This weekend was a reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things in life... like a good game of quarters!

Cheers!

OMG! A new post!

2008-05-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Woah nellie hold on to your hats, we finally have a new post. Well sort of. Due to a malfunctioning camera, we have been unable to document all the thrilling things going on in our lives (or something like that). However, this weekend brought the purchase of a sleek new digital camera which is charging up for action as I type.

We're headed to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe on Thursday, so I know there will be lots of fun photos and stories to share.

Until then...

Colorado Safe Haven Day

2008-04-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Today was an exciting day, as Governor Bill Ritter proclaimed April 8th Colorado Safe Haven Day. Kent designed the sign you see below, which will hang on all Colorado fire stations! We announced the signs at a press conference with state legislators, Denver's fire chief and other interested parties. Yours truly even had the opportunity to speak to the press - a role I definitely need to work into :)

This organization has grown near and dear to my heart, as well as Kent's, as I have recruited him to be our official pro bono graphic designer. Check out the link to the 9News story above as it tells the wonderful story of our organization...

Cardboard Tron

2008-04-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, someone has some free time. Enjoy a great 1980's classic remade in recycled materials.

Share the Road

2008-03-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

For all the drivers who believe they drive defensively (myself included) here is a test to see just how aware you really are. This is really important for those of you with the 2 ton SUV. Go ahead, take the test. and see if you have what it takes to avoid a cyclist riding in traffic.

Sara, Scot and I are still bummed out we didn't get into Ride the Rockies this year. The lottery system makes it very difficult with the popularity of the Ride. It's one of Colorado's most highly regarded bicycle tours and people come back year after year for a week long tour filled with great scenery, good people and aching quad muscles. Scot and I have participated a total of 6 years and were looking to share that experience with Sara and a few other friends but alas, it just wasn't meant to be.

We are still looking to participate in a few cycling events this summer like the Copper Triangle and Elephant Rock and should have some fun experiences to share with everyone.

Weeeee for the Wii

2008-01-24T21:50:00.000-08:00

After searching the metro area high and low, Kent was finally able to become one of the few -- the proud -- a Wii owner! Now for those of you not familiar with the Wii, it is newest, coolest video game system on the market. So cool in fact that you cannot just stroll into a store and buy one, you have to hunt far and wide to find one.

The unique thing about the Wii is that you hold a wireless remote shaped controller that monitors your movements, how hard you "hit" a ball or "throw" a ball. Pretty cool technology. So far we have played tennis, golf and bowling, most of which I dominated! Well, at least the bowling game... for now.

As I type, Kent is playing the second big purchase of the day -- Guitar Hero. I think this was one of the reasons why he purchased the Wii in the first place. The goal of the game is to successfully play any number of classic rock songs on your mini guitar. You earn points by playing notes correctly, which is harder than it sounds. And you can even get boo'd off the stage by the virtual audience if you are really bad. Thankfully I am over that stage! Watch out world here we come. Enjoy the rock star pics below...

Rocking out to Social Distortion

Jamming old school style with Cream

Horses and cows and sheep, oh my!

2008-01-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Only in Colorado can you drive ten minutes from a metropolitan city, and be immersed in Western cowboy culture. Today was field trip day at my office, as we took an afternoon outing to the National Western Stock Show. We had the unique experience of seeing "competition cows" being primped and prepped for their big day in the arena. And I am not joking when I say primped, as we actually watched a cow having its hair blowed dried and curled by its caring owner! Lucky cow...

Not only did we see prize winning cows, but we went to the afternoon performance of the professional rodeo. We were amazed and entertained by the bucking broncs, steer wrestling and team roping. Unfortunately we had to get back to office for a meeting before the bull riding, but I got to relive my memories of living on the A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming, and wear my cowboy boots to work. Who could ask for more on a Wednesday?

Cheers Kent!

2008-01-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today is a very special day in the Odendahl household, as we are celebrating Kent's 32nd birthday! While he wanted to "lay low" and not celebrate his birthday, I deemed that unacceptable and took control of the situation.

Yesterday we boarded the Ski Train, bright and early, for a day-long adventure to Winter Park. The train itself has been in operation since the 1940s, however they upgraded the cars about ten years ago to better accommodate travelers. The actual history of the Ski Train is quite interesting if anyone is yearning for more knowledge.

We were booked in the Club Car (only the best for Kent!) and enjoyed a nice breakfast of freshly made waffles on the ride up. After a day of glorious skiing in a foot of fresh powder, we raced back to the train and boarded for our trip home. On the way home we enjoyed a nice glass of wine and played gin rummy - so civilized! The best part of the whole trip was avoiding the road rage that comes with sitting in 3 hours of traffic coming down the mountain. We arrived in Denver refreshed and relaxed, the perfect end to a perfect day!

Days like yesterday make me realize how lucky I am to be married to by best friend and partner in all things fun! Happy Birthday Kent...

Let it melt!

2008-01-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings from balmy Denver! I know 40 degrees doesn't sound too warm, but trust me it is a nice relief from the deep freeze we encountered the last two weeks. The ice flow in our alley has even started to melt, yeah!

Fitness 2008 was the mantra of the weekend as we busted out of our cookie induced comas and hit the gym for spinning class and yoga class. We are determined to keep it up and get back into pre-Holiday shape!

Saturday was particularly fun as we met our good friends the Murphys and the McIntire-Wolfs for dinner. We caught up and talked about all the exciting things going on in their lives: potty training and diaper changes. Oh how life has changed!

Erica and Baby Eli with his stylish new hat

Look how tall I am, says Wilson!

Shawn and Kent being silly with the elephant glasses. Aren't those for the kids?

After the parents and kiddos retired for the evening, we decided to go ice skating at the local outdoor rink. Neither one us are terribly skilled on skates, so it was a laughable night.

Watch out, Sara is on the ice!

Hope you enjoy the photos, I also updated our Flickr account with pics from the fall and the Holidays. Cheers!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Year! I can't believe that 2007 has already come and gone. How time flies... We had a lovely White Christmas in Colorado, and celebrated the Holidays with Kent's family this year. We hosted Christmas Eve at the Rexford, and I impressed everyone with my domestic abilities- ha! We continued the Callaway tradition of Christmas Eve chili, and it was quite a hit.

Christmas morning we woke up to a snowy wonderland, and had fun opening gifts and stockings at home. That evening we went to Jane's house for a yummy Christmas dinner and round two of presents and family time. Fun was had by all.

The tour de family continued on Wednesday with a trip down to Colorado Springs to hang out with Leon and Gloria. The doggies joined us for a visit and even got in the Christmas spirit!

The rest of the week was spent lounging around the house, skiing in Breckenridge and showshoeing in the freezing cold! I don't think the mercury had risen above 20 since before Christmas and I am beginning to get a bit worried about the "mild winter" I had hoped for!

New Years Eve was a fun night spent with good friends at a wine/jazz club downtown. Really it was an excuse to buy a new dress and get dolled up! We enjoyed a wonderful sushi dinner before meeting everyone for a night of fabulous wine and dancing. Needless to say it was a brilliant evening and a fun way to ring in 2008.

Here's wishing the year ahead finds everyone happy and healthy! Cheers!

A Deep Freeze!

2007-12-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, a new post! We are alive and well here in Colorado, and have not sold all our worldly belongings to move to Hawaii and open a snack shack (although tempting at times).

Winter has officially hit Colorado, and with it came six inches of snow over the weekend! While the fluffy white snow is very festive and puts us in the Christmas spirit, I can't help but have nightmares about last year's snow and ice which lasted until mid-April. But we are praying that Kent's favorite weather girl crush, Kathy Sabine, has it right and we are in for a mild winter... The jury is still out in my mind!

Much has gone on in the Odendahl household since I last posted. Trips to DC, Rhode Island, San Francisco and Southern CA have come and gone, as has Thanksgiving and a good part of December. I have a bunch of fun photos to add to the blog, and will cull through them this weekend when Kent is living it up in Las Vegas with the boys. Stay tuned for more!

One Year!

2007-10-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it has been one year since we were in Hawaii with our family and friends celebrating our wedding! To celebrate the big day, we went to a wonderful dinner at Oceanaire, drank a beautiful bottle of wine and saw a great show at the theater. I also dragged Kent to power yoga in the morning (i.e. big mistake) as he hobbled around the rest of the day. All in all it was a wonderful and special day, and we look forward to many more fun adventure yet to come!

All dressed up to hit the town (Kent really isn't that short, rather I am wearing really tall heels!)

Our replacement top layer of cake, since the original melted in Hawaii!

Babies Everywhere!

2007-09-28T14:43:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have not heard this week Denver experienced a baby boom. Why, you ask, are all these babies being born in late September? Well, about nine months ago Denver was covered in feet of snow... hence the influx of "blizzard babies".

We are proud to have a blizzard baby of our own, sort of. Our good friends Tavi and Erica welcomed their little 6 lb bundle of joy on Tuesday afternoon. It happened to be an especially great day as baby and mommy now share a birthday. We went to visit the happy family on Wednesday and quickly fell in love with the little guy.

Mazel Tov to the McWolfs and Eli McIntire Wolf!

Baby and Mommy, both looking great.

Brr, put the blanket back on... its freezing outside the womb!

Happy Friday!

2007-09-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah... it is finally Friday! This week just seemed to drag on for some reason. Perhaps it is gorgeous fall weather we are experiencing in Denver, and the fact that I'd rather be outside than sitting at my desk. So, not much new here on the home front. Kent is abandoning me for the weekend to go fishing with his dad. So I'll be forced to go out and have fun, do some shopping and perhaps get a pedicure. It is a tough life I tell ya! I can't take credit for this pic, but it sums up what a beautiful state we live in. Cheers!

Dearly beloved...

2007-09-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Seems we are at the age where all of our friends are either getting married or having babies. This weekend we were invited to our friends Inge & Dave's wedding in Golden. It was a beautiful day and a fun time celebrating with our friends.

Going to a wedding is such a special occasion and we feel blessed to share in our friends' special day. It also allows us to reflect back on our wedding and remember what a fabulous and memorable day it was. Hard to believe it is almost a year since we were in Hawaii, as it feels like yesterday that we exchanged vows on that hot and humid day. The first year has been an adventure and we learn something new about each other every day. I guess I didn't know exactly what the first year of marriage would be like, but looking back it has been an awesome journey that we made together. Here's one of my favorite pics from the day as it captures how much fun we both had!

Where did the summer go?

2007-09-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously, where did it go. Last I remember it was Fourth of July and we were headed to Bend for a long weekend. Now it is almost the middle of September and it got down to 35 degrees last night (brrr)! While the summer seems to have vanished away, so has my promise of blogging more. Even though there are like four people that read this blog, I still feel the need to be more responsible about posting. So here is the wrap up of our summer, in five paragraphs or less...

July was spent in Bend over the Fourth and then in the scorching heat of Las Vegas. We had a blast visiting Mike, Les and baby Ella, and acquired a new car in the process. Talk about efficiency! I really can't say what happened during the last few weeks of July, obviously nothing of importance, as it flew by quickly.

Celebrating at Tavi & Erica's baby shower

August was also a blur... it started out with a week long trip to Steamboat for work, where I learned more about the lawyering process than any non-lawyer should ever know. Needless to say it was a fun and exhausting week, and it gave me a new respect for the art of event planning. Kent met me for the weekend, and we were able to go on a hike and see some friends that live in the 'Boat. On the way home we went through Oak Creek, outside of Steamboat, and we saw where the Odendahl clan originated from back in the day. Very cool piece of family history.

Later in the month we went camping and tested out Frau (the new ML 320) in the wilderness. She was a trooper and withstood the muddy dirt roads like a champ. We tried to go for a hike but got rained out, so decided to head back to camp to play horseshoes and drink beer. All in all a fun jaunt into the woods.

Kent trying hard to start a fire with wet wood!

Frau, the new car, roughing in on her first camping trip

After our experience roughing it in the woods, we headed to California for some quality R & R family time with Grandma Kidder and the Georges. I think we brought bad weather karma as it was the one weekend all summer that it rained. So we didn't get any beach time, but we did get the requisite frozen banana on Balboa Island.

A fun evening with Grandma Kidder

The month came to a close as I went on a marathon road trip of the Western Slope of Colorado for work. We drove 900 miles in three days - whew! But we saw some beautiful places - Durango, Telluride - and I am looking forward to visiting again when I am not working. We celebrated Wilson's third birthday over Labor Day weekend and watched the Buffs crush the Rams, giving me bragging rights for at least the next year.

All in all a fun and busy couple months. I'll post pictures of our adventures to Flickr later this week for your viewing pleasure.

A New Personality Test

2007-08-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what your favorite coffee drink says about you? Check out the Starbucks Oracle... it is hysterical!

http://www.buttafly.com/starbucks/index.php

New beginnings

2007-08-16T07:48:00.002-07:00

As you can see we (i.e. Kent) has done a little face lift on the blog site. I think he just wanted to procrastinate at work, but whatever the case it looks great! What is not great, however, is my lack of posting. I promise there are very good excuses... I was sick and then out of town for work. Oh and then last night I watched Bravo TV all night long (damn those shows Top Chef and Flipping Out). So the title of this blog will hopefully be indicative of my new found commitment to posting to the site. Stay tuned....

The week of sports

2007-07-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Another fun week was had by all... I am calling it our week of sports as we hit the links, watched a baseball game and spun our hearts out on our bikes.

Patience was the theme of the golf outing, as I learned that even a par three course is challenging. I was the big winner amongst the group with two (2!) pars, however I followed those up with a nine and seven - boo! Consistency is not my strong suit. Kent won the longest hit contest by hitting his tee shot onto the following hole's fairway. Scot set the record for greatest number of balls lost and Jane captured the longest putt contest. After fierce competition, Jane won the round with her solid chipping and putting skills. Scot and Kent split the middle, and I brought up the rear with a smashing 72!

The big excitement of the week was the Rockies come from behind victory over the Padres. Picture this... eighth inning, down by three, two outs, two men on base. If it were the Rockies that we all know and love, they would have choked. However this night was special as Brad Hawpe stepped up to the plate and hit an under pressure homerun to tie the game. We were shocked with delight! They went on to win the game, and I think our presence might have had something to do with it!

Here are some fun pics from the week of sports...

Cool air!

2007-07-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! This was a glorious sight, given our recent heat spell here in the dust bowl. I know certain people residing in "warmer climates" may not sympathize, but we are very enthused about the predicted changes for the weekend. We might actually have to break out a long sleeve shirt - crazy!

Polo anyone?

2007-07-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we had the unique opportunity to go to a polo game. Didn't know they had polo in Denver? Well, either did we! So we donned our best polo gear and went to check it out. Surprisingly the game itself it is bit slower than we thought. There are huge bursts of speed with riders literally hanging off their polo ponies to shoot the ball, countered by gaps of time while the riders just trot around waiting for something to happen.

We watched six chukkers (periods) and then got our chance to go on the field and stomp in the divots. But beware of the steaming divot (for those of your Pretty Woman fans)! All in all it was a fun experience - something we can cross off our list of "things to do before we die".

Welcome!

2007-07-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

A beautiful backdrop at Todd Lake in Bend, OR

Feeling a bit out of the blogosphere loop, we finally decided to create a blog to chronicle our life and times in Denver! While we can't promise award winning journalism, we hope our adventures will keep you entertained. I hope to contribute to the blog regularly since I have more free time on my hands nowadays. Hope you all enjoy!

Cheers!
Sara & Kent