Obadiah Parker

Wow! I just stumbled across this band by accident tonight and they are awesome! They are just now recording their first album and I can't wait to hear it!

New Favorite Drink - Pomegranate Champagne Punch

I got this recipe off of Bon Apetit and it's really delish! We had it on New Years and then again last weekend at our game night.

1/2 cup simple syrup (1/2 C Sugar, 1/2 C Water - boil to make syrup)
1 bottle champagne (I used spumante, but it called for Brut)
1 C. Rum
1 C. Pomegranate Juice
1 lemon thinly sliced
mint leaves

I varied the original recipe slightly, so the one above is not the exact one from Bon Apetit

Snowshoeing at Echo Lake

Last weekend Tony and I went to a snowshoeing Demo at Echo Lake. REI had a few different snowshoe makers there so we went up to try out the goods. It was so freakin' cold! And there were quite a few people there, so we had to wait in line about an hour to get a pair, but we still had a really great time. We have to start doing activities like this...it was one of the reasons we wanted to move to Colorado in the first place!

Bathroom Renovation

Seeing as I have a 3 day weekend, I told Tony I wanted to paint the guest bathroom, his response was to renovate the whole thing! It needed to be done anyways. The bathroom was carpeted (yuck!) and the vanity is just contractor grade, never been replaced. There wasn't anything wrong with it, we just wanted to update it (and definetly get rid of the carpet).
Tony never ceases to amaze me. The bathroom is really coming along, and he's doing it all himself. I have mostly just supervised today. And by supervised I mean that I have painted 3 different samples on the bathroom wall, did homework, and am now watching 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. :)
Here are the 3 samples I painted, although we have chosen to not go with any of them and instead go with Russian Blue. I'll put up pics once it's done!

The Biggest Crybaby

Yeah, that's the category I would definetly win since I'm sitting here bawling watching the Biggest Loser. Wow! I had no idea it was this emotional. I have never seen this show before. I just want it so bad for these people. I might just have to tune into this every week!
I really shouldn't be watching anything, as much homework as I need to get done....but I guess that's what commercials are for!

Welcome 2009

First of all I have to say congrats to our great friends Adam and Jen for the birth of their first son - Carter! I'm so excited for them and can't wait to see pics. Their 2009 is already off to an exciting start! That's the fifth baby year to date that friends have had....hmmm, much pressure?

2008 was a great year and one year ago at this time none of it was planned, just hoped for - We got to go to Italy with Robin and Jesse, we moved to Denver, bought a house, Tony got a job right away....things worked out really well for us. My folks came up on the 31st and helped us ring in the new year. We had so much fun! We ran around and got to eat at some new (to us) restaurants. We had such a nice time visiting. I'm hoping that Amy can come up sometime too (this time without having to work so much!)

Now I'm looking forward to 2009. Hopefully we will get settled into the house and our lives will seem less chaotic.
These are a few of my hopes for 2009 (and things I just want to get done)...not resolutions:
*To start cooking more, like I used to, experimenting and trying new things. I bought a new cook book the other day, so hopefully it will provide some inspiration.
*Get all the painting done in the house.
*Start going out again and finding fun new restaurants (I have to say this is one of things I miss the most (after our friends) about B-more. The food).
*Get at least most of the furniture picked out and bought so our guests don't have to stay on air mattresses or sit on the floor when there isn't enough room on the couch. (Sarah - this is where you come in!)
*Stay focused on school....(it's already starting - my first class starts tomorrow and I already have homework to do!)
*Get a better, more positive attitude towards work....and other things...but mostly just work. I have to remember that I can't be a reflection of those I work with, but have to be myself no matter the circumstance. I have to try not to get so down and depressed about mean people that suck. Wow - that already sounds more positive! Yikes! This is going to be hard....
*and of course the one thing everyone says they are going to do - start working out, again. I have a different motivation this year though...we want to start trying for a baby, and I really want to be at a good weight when that happens. If I could lose about 15 pounds, that would be ideal to me. That way it may not be as hard to lose the baby weight. I know I can do this. I'm good about excuses for exercises, but usually try to force myself to do something...but the eating part. Oh how I loathe diets!!! But I know that if I just cut out a few things I will be on the right track, like sodas and loading up my coffee with sugar. And candy during the day. And second helpings. But I am not, I tell you this now, going to cut back on the chips and salsa. Even if that meant never losing another pound, I won't let it go.


HAPPY NEW YEAR Friends! Many blessings to you for a wonderful 2009.