Colorado Vacation!

Top 10 Colorado Highlights:

1. Skiing at Keystone, Vail, Beavercreek and A-Basin
2. Keeley and her granola loving, downward dog doing, crazy dog self
3. Trivia at the Cala and the hand star, Go team Snaggle Tooth
4. High 5 live & DJ Hillen at Greenlight
5. Falling asleep in Jacob’s car
6. Vail Powder- so so soft and white and beautiful
7. Alice’s famous BBQ
8. Dinner with Eileen & Friends—thank you
9. Snowshoeing at Montezuma with my parents & crazy big cornices looming in the distance
10. Sled ride up the Mountain
11. Hanging out with Ms. Wood

Chad and Hoover Chad reunited with former Manimals
Hannah & Chad
Snow Mushroom
Me and Alice

Snowshoeing in Montezuma with my parents
This one's for you Dave!
Playing around in the Climax Park

High Five at the Green Light
Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies in Beavercreek after skiing

Alice and Thor Daddy

I love Vail!
Alice in Vail

Chad & Jacob

Linville Gorge video

Our Friend Dave made this video after a trip to linville gorge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrJLLlwXWgo&feature=user

watch 'em grow

you can do it little guys!

Why I love my life

I have completely and utterly neglected this blog and probably to the point of losing all of my loyal fans. However, lately there have been exciting life happening worth documenting and pictures worth posting.

1. My lettuce seeds are sprouting, tiny little green sprouts that will hopefully make a delicious home-grown salad.

2. Julie and Dani visited from Atlanta and convinced me and Chad to go night skiing at Wolf Laurel Resort, 45 minutes north of our house. I was completely skeptical, especially considering the temperatures were in the 60’s that day and we hadn’t seen snow since the beginning of January. Nevertheless Chad agreed to buy my ticket and I agreed to go, merely to say I tried skiing in the South. I couldn't help but crack up laughing when we arrived and I set my eyes on the thin strips of snow they call "runs." It was a strange, very foreign experience, however I was pleasantly surprised at the softness of the snow and the diversity of the mountain; there was more than one run as I had imagined there would be. Please see the photos below.

3. Two more reasons why Chad is AWESOME: (1) He recently washed and re-used a plastic rice bag, reaching new heights in the world of recycling, I am so proud. (2) For Valentine’s Day he gave me a harmonica in the key of C, so shiny and sweet sounding, it is my new whistle replacement.

4. Dave visited for a weekend and we successfully climbed the Prow in Linville Gorge, despite high winds, lost chalk bags and prickly briar bushes.

5. Krista visited on one of the coldest weekends we have had. We spent two days at Rumbling Bald, with several successful climbs, and a few frostbitten toes.

6. The Planned Parenthood where I work, experienced a fire. Arson was fortunately ruled out, however the smoke damage has temporarily closed the clinic.

7. An Asheville city bus ripped the front bumper clear off my Subi.

(We love visitors and are happy to provide you with shelter and a nice air mattress. Warning: our apartment temperature does not exceed 60 degrees).

Muy Chulos

Cristina visiting Asheville

Bent Creek Adventures-- Mountain Biking with Chris and Lee

Wolf-Laurel Resort...let me tell you, I am really excited to ski in CO in march

Notice the smoky mountains in the distance

What a change from Eaglecrest-- wow

Riding the lift at Wold Laural-- first time night skiing

Living in the South = climbing in January

Chad on no-hands problem

Krista climbing Fruitloops at the Cereal Buttress

New Year's In Asheville



Katie's Christmas Sweater Party: Denver, Co

Chad is happy, climbing is so much fun!

Belay stop for 3rd pitch of the Prow, Lindville Gorge below

Chad climbing the 3rd pitch of the Prow, a super exposed climb--

We made it to the top of the Prow, beautiful smoky mountains in the distance

beautiful sunset, hiking out just before darkness fell upon us

Obed is rockalicious

Me and Noah

Noah is the coolest 4 year old I know!

It was getting dark and Chad and key decided it would be a great idea to take the seat belt (an old seat belt was tied to now rotting trees as something to pull yourself up the rock), straight up, through the brair patch.
View from up top, no longer in the canyon

Little Noah was such a trooper! We had to bushwhack through rhododendron and prickly holly.

Truffles anyone? No more Meat

Never thought I would sell truffles, but I am. I might have good news about another job soon too!

In other news...

I am super riled up about the UNESCO report that I just read. ahhhh.... It's nothing new but it just hurts to read and I wanted to share it with all of those I love so that they may also feel the pain and suffering. " UNESCO reported that each day about 40,000 children die because of hunger or lack of nutrition. Meanwhile, corn and wheat are largely grown to feed livestock or to produce alcohol. Over 80% of corn and over 95% of oats produced in the United States are for feeding livestock. The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equivalent to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people, more than the entire population on earth." OH my gosh!!!!

Thich Nhat Hahn says that "Eating meat and drinking alcohol with mindfulness, we realize that we are eating the flesh of our own children."

I leave all of you with that. It has been so great to hear from everyone, much love.

Chad's employed

Chad left for his first day of work today, it was like sending a child off to their first day of school after a long summer break. Chad is sad to leave pre-retirement but is excited to be working as a customer service rep at a medical supplies sales office in town! I am working at a local chocolate shop and selling european and american truffels!

The Green Race

Alice, Me and Nicole at the Green Race-- the most amazing white water race in the nation-- kayakers race down the class 5 rapids to victory in less than 5 minutes
Lots of people came out to watch the race
Boater racing to the finish

The name of this rapid is "Go Left or Die"
Boats seal diving into the river to avoid Gorilla the huge waterfall
Dave and Chad's classic poses