Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Let's keep the good times rolling.

The very next weekend, the one after the Broncos game, I had a couple friends in town for the weekend. It's quite interesting how the four of us are connected. Get a load of this... Jen (the one in white) and I know each other from church; we go way back to childhood, although we never really became friends until we were a little older and went to school together. Kinsey (the one in blue & purple) knows Jen and I from our school years; like middle-school through graduation. Then Jen and Kinsey went on to college at U of I, and became friends and roommates with Jane (the one in light blue). I met Jane, completely independently mind you, working at a summer mission program called Appalachia Service Project. I believe we met the summer before the three became roommates, and ironically, it was Jen who had told Jane about ASP and encouraged her to apply. Jen knew about ASP because we had volunteered for the program in high school through our church youth group. So there you have it, the it's-a-small-world version of how we all met and became friends.

Fast forward to now... Jen and I live in the same city again, Denver, Kinsey lives only a few hours away, and Jane happened to be in town for a job interview. So we decided to make a weekend of her visit and go skiing. It was fun to have a weekend with the girls and catch up on what's going on in everyone's lives. Not to mention it was just a relaxing weekend.

Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to beat local traffic to the ski resorts, we took our sweet time. Starting with breakfast and coffee at Panera around 8:30, we got on the road to the mountain around 9:30am. Then we still had to get rentals for 2 of them and go to the grocery store for some food for lunch. This is the much more economical way to eat at a ski resort.

I'd estimate we got to the mountain, had our gear on, and were finally in line for the lift around noon. Then we took a whopping 3 runs before we went in for water and lunch. Plus some were having a hard time adjusting to the altitude, and once again, the point of the weekend was to be together not see how many runs we could get in. We only took a few more runs before we decided to call it a day. It was windy, cold, and snowing pretty hard (as it had been all day), and we were a little concerned about the drive back.

Speaking of the drive back, it sucked. Scuze my language. I believe it took a total of 3 hours to make the typically 1.5hr drive. I don't think it was sheer volume causing the slow down because it really didn't seem to be that busy, so I'm blaming the snow, which is probably a pretty good guess if I do say so myself. Good think we were in good company. The conversation and thought-provoking discussion helped to pass the time, and we were in Denver before I knew it.

Since the drive delayed our arrival back to town, we ended up calling it a night and cozied up on the couch for more "girl-talk." I do have to say, I really miss spending quality time with my girlfriends, so that is a goal of mine for this new year. More on that in a future post though...

The next day was just as fun, although entirely different. We woke up without any plan except to get breakfast. We went to a local diner called Dozens, and it was delicious! They seem to focus on local and wholesome food, as much as possible. Mmm, mmm. Afterward we went to Cherry Creek shopping center and wandered the streets and cute shops. I found one shop that I adore! It filled me with tons of inspiration for cute DIY and art projects. I can't wait to start one! Although, I should probably finish the few that I have started around my apartment first.

We all went our separate ways around 2:00, and I headed home to clean up, go through mail, and get ready for the week. Wah, way; I won't bore you with details. Check out the very few pictures we took from the weekend!

{having lunch at Arapahoe Basin}

{the next morning before heading to breakfast}

{having fun with the phone booth outside this adorable English pub}

Thanks for a great weekend girls!

Thanksgiving Thoughts for the Day

The true measure of Thanksgiving lies not in what we say, But in how we use our blessings to care for others.

- Words inside a Thanksgiving greeting card from ASP

and related...

Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.

- N. Eldon Tanner

It's That Time of Year

When I begin yearning for

cool, misty mornings;
fog covered mountains;
daily circle-ups;
early morning drives to the hardware store;
12-passenger vans and old beater-trucks;
a diet of entirely too much fried food and junk;
wearing jeans, a tie-dye shirt, and bandanna or hat;
sleeping on an air mattress in a school classroom;
late-night meetings;
early morning photos;
group devotions and prayer;
peanut butter and jellies;
getting to know complete strangers;
hours of laughter, jokes, frustration and tears;
fresh produce from roadside stands;
winding, curvy roads;
trips to the dump;
t-shirts;
cookouts;
hug time;
theme days;
dogs and cats galore;
bluegrass music;
constant construction talk;
party-beds and The Breaks;
happys and crappys;
county fairs and local celebrations;
new friendships and relationships;
beautiful scenery;
dilapidated homes;
content, joyful, and loving people;
nightly trips for ice cream;
singing with the staff;
simplicity;
The Porch.

It's that time of year, when thousands of people flock to the Appalachian Mountains hoping to make a difference.

You may have guessed, I'm talking about the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). Another summer program has gotten under way with the training of the Summer Staff Center Directors (CD) starting 5 days ago. Tomorrow the rest of the staff will join them, and the first volunteer group will arrive in a mere two-and-a-half weeks. For the past four summers I have been a part of that staff, and this morning when I looked at pictures of CD training online I felt a small pang of jealousy and a large amount of sadness that left me feeling mildly depressed as I drove off on my hour-long commute to my 8-5. I can't explain how much my body ached and my heart tugged as I longed to be on The Porch training for another summer of service to ASP. Even now as I write this, my throat is tightening and my eyes are watering as I try to fight back the sadness I feel. I've never been able to put into words what I experience when I look at a picture of a crumbling home set against the beauty of a lush, green Appalachian mountain. In fact, any picture of that region, or of the people I met and worked with there, conjures up a flood of emotions that ultimately leaves me feeling pure joy, but also ironically sadness. More often than not, I want to burst into tears and run back there as fast as I can. Maybe the best way to say it is that I fell in love with Appalachia and left a piece of my heart there when I left. I think that piece of my heart will always be there.

That place and time changed my life.

Another Trip Around the Sun

(circa 1987 - my 1st birthday)

Today at exactly 4:17am (central time) I turned another year older - 24. This past year was a good one, although full of changes and uncertainty. Here's a taste of my 23rd year, in pictures and words.

I began dating this handsome fellow.

I celebrated weddings with ASP staffers.

I visited the Coors Brewery and the New Belgium Brewery for the first time.

I went on a road trip to Moab, Utah.

I graduated my dietetic internship, then became a Registered Dietitian a few months later. I also attended my first Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo with my mom.

I spent my summer working for ASP for what was likely the last time.

I celebrated more weddings with friends.

I watched the Cardinals clinch the NLCS at Coors Stadium in Denver.

I attended my first opening day of the snowboarding/skiing season at A-basin.

I survived/played in/enjoyed my first October snow storm in Colorado.

I went ice fishing for the first time.

Other notable moments:
I drove from Colorado to Illinois to Tennessee to North Carolina and back, putting many miles on my trusty old Malibu.
I shot a rifle at a target for the first time, and nailed the cup I might add.
I tried out for the Broncos Cheerleaders, on a whim, which was quite the experience. I was unsuccessful you may have been able to guess.
I began serving at Chili's Grill and Bar while continuing the long process of finding a real job.
I moved into a new apartment with a new roommate, in Littleton, Colorado.
I enjoyed many happy and wonderful moments that filled in the rest of my 23rd year.

I don't feel another year older, but I'm sure one day they will all catch up to me.