Hanging Lake

Chris and I spent one of our sunny spring break days playing near Eagle River and hiking Hanging Lake.

Here is Chris making his way on to a mid-river boulder... in flip-flops.

King of the River... at least King of my Heart!


We changed for the icy, muddy, cold but sunny hike to Hanging Lake.


We're near the top...

I'm coming!

This is my favorite spot... Hanging Lake is down below and it is such a peaceful place. In the summer, I love bringing a book and a lunch here.

My favorite spot with my favorite Man!

Do you recognize this bird? It looks like a Blue Jay in this picture, but it actually had a really black head and bright blue body... we had never seen one like it.

Hanging Lake behind us

You can see in this shot the cliff above the lake where the "favorite spot" pictures were taken.
Isn't this lake beautiful?!?! It's even bluer at different times of the day and year.


What a great time!

Spring Skiing!

Spring skiing is awesome! Some days are beautiful and sunny and warm...

A view of Vail Mountain
Have you ever seen Vail's back bowls?
They are unreal! These pictures do not even begin to do the mountain justice.
It is like nothing else!

This is a view of Vail Village from the face of International/Pepi's Face
Vail Village

Then there are other Spring days... like the one we had Sunday... ten new inches of snow!

My Week In Review April 9

This week was wonderful! One high is impossible, but I will stick to a couple {extreme} highs... First the low because it is less fun:

LOW

I had a HORRIBLE migraine on Friday. That is my definite low. Luckily, after resting and medicine, it skedaddled in time for my high:

HIGH(S)

Dinner with our friends on Friday night! Pictures will come in a later post but in the meantime, rest assured, it was a great time! This was the first time Chris and I had entertained together and we had SO much fun. We divided the cooking responsibilities (although I seemed to get the brunt of the cleaning responsibilities) and it was a wonderful time with them.

Another high from the week involved Chris having the week off from work and my having Monday and Tuesday off from work -- and the WONDERFUL skiing that was had on Vail Mountain!

Oh, AND, I got my engagement ring back from the jewelers! It fits perfectly and will not be leaving my possession for a very long time! :-D

LESSON:

When life is unstructured, I lose structured routines -- namely my exercise routine. I need to learn who to maintain my positive routines when in an unstructured environment...

On a side note, I want to take myself out of the drawing affiliated with Amy's weekly giveaway because I have a cake carrier from the sponsor. IN FACT, the pictures on Amy's site that says "WOLVERINE GIRL" is my cake carrier. The one that says "MSE" is the one I gave my sister-in-law for Christmas! I can fully endorse these awesome carriers, and Amy, if I win, please give the prize to another girl who doesn't already have one of these awesome cake carriers! :-D

Liquid Sunshine Party

Favorite season, and why?
I love whichever season is present - or forthcoming. That's not to say I'm dissatisfied with where I am, but on the contrary, I LOVE whichever season I am in. I LOVE autumn in Aug-Nov. In Nov, I start eagerly anticipating Winter and I love winter until early April when I start to anticipate the beautiful of Spring. I love living where I experience four season and feel blessed to love them each for their own beautiful, unique traits.

How would you describe your personal style?
I don't think of myself being stylish... so it is hard to think of my personal style. I guess traditional, classic and elegant with a heavy dose of practical. I have work clothes for work, which are always skirts and I look very professional... and I have very practical clothes for chores (working out, skiing, hiking, packing, moving, hunting). So, my personal style: classically professional and practical.

What's one weird thing you can do? (The stranger the better!)
I can play the harp... not strange, but unique. Um... I can french braid hair? I always did my friends' hair before sorority dances... ... Well, this is something weird -- I can quote things I've heard with exceptional accuracy. Sometimes I only need to have heard the passage once... sometimes it takes twice or thrice, but its a little like photographic memory... but its audiological memory.

Rain or shine?
Both as needed. But if asked to choose one, I choose Snow!

Confession time... what's a flaw of yours?
I eat junk far too much. I struggle with addiction to junk food instead of the healthy food I know is better for my body.

Favorite music?
I was a music major in college -- I refuse to specify favorite music, there is far too much beauty to be heard in the form of music to specify a favorite.

Have you ever made a decision you instantly regretted? What was it?
Yes, I have. We will leave it at that.

Who do you admire/look up to?
I admire my parents. I also look up to my sister... and Sarah Palin.

You've just won an unlimited lifetime supply of... what?
I hate to sound this way, but, if given a choice, I would take an unlimited lifetime supply of money. I would live modestly and give generously, but I would take comfort in knowing I could provide for my (future) children. As it is, I think my faith is meant to be exercised to trust the Lord to provide for my children.

If you were an animal, what would you be?
I think I would be my cat, Lexie. She leads a pretty pampered life.

If you knew you were going to die in a year, what would you do with your time?
I don't know. I would have to talk to Chris, my fiance', about the best way to spend our last year together on earth.

You're now a gazillionaire... where do you go to spend your money?
Seriously? A Gazillionaire? I would reform education in America. If I didn't desire such an intense project, I would improve the care in orphanages around the world and help fund adoptions for loving families.

Classical music: love it or hate it?
Love it.

Phobias?
Snakes, Spiders, Fires.

Hop on a plane and go live somewhere for a year... where is it, and why?
A missions field -- wherever the Lord calls me... or hopefully Chris and me. If I'm living for myself, I don't know where I would go for a year. I don't think I would stay put, I would plane-hop for a year.

Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
I used to think I was extrovert because I enjoy time with friends. This past year, I've learned I'm an introvert. While I enjoy company and being social, I need time to decompress without people (except Chris :-D)

Would you/do you perform on stage?
I would have I have. I hope to again, someday. When the time and opportunity are right.

Lexie Update

My friend, Nick is serving overseas and he knew Lexie from the beginning. The Lord brought me Lexie in early June 2008 in Lexington, Virginia and she was four weeks old. She was SOOO tiny!Nick knew Lexie when we lived in Nashville. She and I moved to Colorado in January 2009 and Nick hasn't seen Lexie since then.I promised him I would take some recent pictures of Lexie so he could see how she's grown! She's nearly 3 years old (come May) and she's a regular cat now... a small cat, but a grown up cat!

This is what Lexie does when she wants to be pet or picked up. When I walk through the door, she ALWAYS wants to be held and it is such a nice feeling to have her excited for me to be home.
She loves to snuggle under blankets, in boxes, in cupboards, in suitcases and in baskets.

She loves windowsills and fresh air, even though she is not allowed outside.
She LOVES plastic bags and hair ties. She will chew holes in any plastic bag... and she will confiscate any hair tie she can find.
She loves the basket on top of the refrigerator at the Vail condo. She thinks it is her personal bed.



She sleeps at my feet just about every night. Here she is ready for bed at the Vail condo...

She also loves to play with blankets... specifically she loves to jump on feet or hands under blankets. Here she kept jumping up to try to catch fingers.


Thanks for serving, Nick! Lexie and I miss you!

P.S. Nick loves email from the outside world. If you are interested in supporting him through emails, please let me know and I will give you his email address.

Spring Break!!

My SPRING BREAK has BEGUN... which for me is a long weekend, but I am SOOOO excited!


I am going SKIING tomorrow, (and skiing on Monday, and skiing on Tuesday!) and then I am spending Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with my wonderful finance'... then I go back to work, but he will still be on break, so I get to see him Wednesday-Sunday!!!

I am BEYOND EXCITED for a FIVE DAY BREAK, which will include:

• SKIING
• time with my WONDERFUL MAN!
  
• wedding plans
• movies
• running/biking/swimming
• workout videos ChaLean Extreme
  
• reading
• time with Lexie
  
• some... exploration of opportunities -- please pray about this and rest assured that God knows the specifics

I am as happy as a clam at high tide right now... 5 full days of fun and rest ahead. I'm currently updating my IPOD so I can ski to music tomorrow, and watching the DVR of Dancing With The Stars from this week.

Do you have anything fun planned for this weekend?