December Blizzard

Out our front door

Out the back door

Passing time with our neighbor Chase

I haven't posted in a while. Maybe it's the busyness of the Christmas season or the distractions that come with the family spending Thanksgiving weekend very ill and my 30th birthday. I've been quite inspired today though to tell the tale of Rob trying to get home from work (remember it's 50 miles) in a blizzard. It starts with a forecasted 2' of snow in Denver and 16" of that in Boulder by 3 pm yesterday. Rob drove the Daewoo into work as usual and not the truck, but even four-wheel drive won't save you in 2' of drifting and blowing snow. As some of you know who live in Denver, they closed the Boulder Turnpike from noon through most of the day Wednesday, so Rob had to find an alternate route home. He spent about five hours going 10 miles. The problem with traffic at a standstill is running out of gas, so he probably would have been OK if he could have found gas, but with 1/4 tank left, he asked me to find a gas station between him and tollway, without having to backtrack. I found one on Mapquest using their gas station pin-pointer, and gave him directions. I called since from the map, it looked like a neighborhood and the cashier said it was their corporate office (no gas). Calling him back, he was already there realizing the same thing and made a U-turn. He ended up getting stuck in the neighborhood and trying to dig out for an hour and a half. We are grateful for the good samaritan that gave him a shovel and took him in for the night in Lafayette. In the morning, he was still stuck with no sign of the snow stopping. I called for a towtruck, but they were either busy helping the Broomfield Police get to work or taking their downtime from working until 4 am. Rob ended up making it out on his own. Did he head for home after all this?!? No, he went back into work for two hours, showered and had lunch there, then came home, finally arriving around 4 pm (of course, not before getting stuck in our neighborhood once more). Meanwhile, at home, Ashleigh and I hunkered down for the storm and went out today in the snow gear and carrying Ashleigh in the backpack over to our neighbors' house down the street. I fell once in a big drift and it was impossible to get back up in the powder with 30 lbs on your back and pregnant! So I ended up taking the backpack off to stand up again. I'm sure many others will have tales to tell of the blizzard of 2006, but this one is pretty good.

Pooh Bear Halloween

Ashleigh dressed up as Pooh bear for Halloween and we celebrated at our church's Fall Harvest Festival complete with games, horse and carriage rides, a bouncy castle, and lots of candy. She's a little young for the bouncy castle and they scare her right now. She did have fun with the games and candy though. It's great having a safe and fun environment that's indoors (it was 25F here on Halloween night) for celebrating Halloween. Last year, we tried door to door trick or treating and went to the neighbors we knew, but this year was much more fun seeing our friends and their kids dressed up in costume too.

On a side note, I started watching our neighbor's daughter on Halloween. Here's a picture of she and Ashleigh at the Harvest Festival. She's about 10 months younger than Ashleigh is and so far, they're getting along really well. There are some jealousy issues, but it's good for Ashleigh to realize she isn't the center of the universe.

Ashleigh's Two!

We celebrated Ashleigh's birthday this weekend with a big party, food, presents, and of course, birthday cake. It was such a difference from the previous year's birthday party. She understood the present thing this year too and can now chant 'We want cake!' thanks to my brother and sister. It was a fun party with a butterfly theme to it. More kids than adults, but that's what happens when you're the only grandchild on both sides of the family. Thanks to all our family and friends who made it such a special day. We love you all!

Rob, Hanna, Ashleigh and me opening gifts

Pretty in purple opening cards

Butterfly cake

Waiting for cake (Ashley, Ashleigh, and Eden)

Trying hard to blow out candles - she got a few of them!

Fall Playtime and Snow Storms

Ashleigh and I had a fun day trip with Amy and Hanna at Washington Park on Tuesday to see the fall colors and just play with our kids at the playground and have a picnic. It was awesome. We fed the ducks in the lake and stopped to play in the leaves and made a big pile for the girls to sit in and throw leaves up in the air.

Feeding the Ducks at Washington Park

Ashleigh and Hanna Throwing Leaves

Ashleigh and Mom after feeding the geese

We also got around 8" of snow today at our house and these pictures were taken after I spent an hour shoveling the walk and driveway. It took Rob a good three hours to get into work this morning and it always amazes me just how patient he is. The only thing he was complaining about after three hours when I called was that he may need to pull off and find a bathroom.

Ashleigh in the driveway where the snow from the driveway was piled up

Ashleigh on our front porch

Our deck and patio furniture

Other than that, this past month has been busy. Rob and I celebrated a late anniversary after he got back from China just last weekend. We also celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday, sister-in-law's birthday, my mom's 60th birthday, and Ashleigh's actual birthday this month (the big party's on Sunday with pictures to follow). We've also been shopping for a mattress and bedroom set which takes up our time on most weekends. We finally decided on a mattress last weekend and think we have the furniture almost nailed down.

More Wedding Fun

Andrew and Becky's Wedding Ceremony

Janice, Rob, and Ashleigh waiting outside the church

Leaving the Church

We got to see our friends, Andrew and Becky get married last Saturday in Golden. I've known Andrew for several years now and he is the brother of one of my roommates I had after college. Their ceremony was beautiful and done by the same pastor that officiated at Rob's and my wedding at the same church we attended while dating. They also had a fun reception at a Mariott hotel and I never knew Andrew could be so romatic with his singing and serenading his new wife in front of 150 people. Rob and I sang a duet together at our own wedding and while I was used to singing in front of people, and it was still nerve-wracking to add that to your wedding day. Kudos to you, Andrew (and Adam)!


I love weddings, as they're so fun and happy and makes you remember all the things you love about your own marriage and spouse. The day-to-day living can drag you down at times, but it's fun to celebrate with old friends and reminisce. Becky was just overflowing with happiness and the new married life she and Andrew were about to embark upon. Even Andrew who doesn't show a lot of emotion most of the time was happy as well with stars in his eyes. May God bless you both in your new life together!

The newlyweds, Ryan and Carrie

Sarah with Lucas (9 mo) and Ashleigh (23 mo)

Rachel, Lucas, Janice, and Ashleigh

Andrew and Becky's First Dance

Daddy and Ashleigh on the dance floor