Last year, for Valentines Day, my office did an Old Fashioned Valentines thing. Everyone decorated bags to receive cards in and then some passed out Valentine cards. It was cute. We’re doing that again this year. Anyway, my brother Reuben was working here at the time. He wrote little poems for each person. The card above was to me.  Yes, I CRIED when I read it. It says:

Snowboards are Red

Snowboards are Blue

I pray some day you

can teach your newphew

I was always excited for him to be a dad and me to be an aunt. I think it was just before him and Meggan knew the sex of the baby. I do remember him saying that either way – nephew is what rhymed, lol. It’ll be a blast to teach Ruby to snowboard, if she wants to learn. Every year, Reub told me he’d go and finally learn. I know he would’ve loved it.

I think about the things he’ll miss. There are so many things – especially with Meggan and Ruby, but really, it’s us that will be missing him. He’s in Heaven. He’s working on God’s computers and network now. Everyone knows you should be nice to the guy that fixes your computers. So, I’m sure my darling niece Ruby has special favor with God.

So, I hadn’t posted here about this, but had on Twitter and FB. I felt the need to put it here, too, especially since a recent post was about him and being a father soon. My dear, sweet, beautiful brother died this year, unexpectedly at the very young age of 32. My heart is broken. I miss him so much. He died in his sleep. It was a problem with his heart that we did not know about prior. He was my only sibling and we were so close. We talked every day via IM, phone, or in person. I feel like my right side is missing. But it’s ok. I’m ok. He died like I could only hope to, peacefully in his sleep after a fun night with a great friend.

My sister-in-law Meggan was pregnant at the time and changed the name of the baby to be Reubina…Ruby for short. That, to me, is so wonderful. My baby brothers baby has his name. Oh…and she IS beautiful. She was born on August 21st and I’m so happy just thinking about her.

I am very appreciative of the kindness of everyone. Very very appreciative. Sometimes I get to weepy to tell you all how great you’ve been to me. Thank you.

1. Who’s making a positive difference in your life?
Taboo words: friends, family, husband/wife/spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend.
Actually, everyone I know. I am surrounded by really great people. By surrounded, I mean locally, online, and by phone. =)

2. Where would you like to be right now?
Taboo words: home, bed, anywhere but here.
A nice mountain drive is ALWAYS great. Top off of the Jeep, music loud, and with a friend or ten, of course.

3. What’s the first thing you’d do with a $5,000 (or your local equivalent) gift?
Taboo words: save, debt, vacation, payments, invest.
Make phone calls to eliminate old burdens with two credit card companies. Then some play money!

4. What super-power would you really like to have?
Taboo words: invisibility, x-ray vision, flying, strength, transform.
How’s this? I’d like to be able to clean my house and do laundry in my sleep, yet still feel rested the next day. Ha!

5. What’s your favorite sound?
Taboo words: laughter, music, ocean, wind, ____’s voice.
Alright, I won’t use the taboo words, but I’ll push it =). I’d love to hear my brother sing again. He always sang, which made people smile. Goofy songs, too =).

Happiest Fathers Day to my Daddy, to my brother Reuben, my boyfriend Kelly (glad you have the boys for this whole weekend), all of the dads that contributed, and ALL of the other dads out there.

Chris:
Something I am experiencing right now with Noah (4), is a testing of the boundaries of discipline. I’m finding an effective technique in dealing with this is to always make sure I give him a choice. The choice is, “It’s either my way, or no way.” Of course this only works about 50% of the time, but that’s better than nothing.

Don:

• For me, there is no way to describe the feeling of coming home from work and your child being at the front door, with a smile, saying “Daddy’s home”.
• No matter how much you try, you end up doing or saying the same thing your dad had when you were little.
• Having patience is easier said then done.

Mike:
Without sounding condescending, it is so surreal that the little brother of one of my best friends in high school is now going to be a dad! Congratulations! Michelle has told me you are married and doing very well – I never expected anything else!

As for fatherly advice, the only thing I can say is that your child will always be the great equalizer. No matter how good or bad your day is, when you come home at the end of the day, nothing will equal the great feeling you get when your little one comes running across the house yelling “Daddy” and gives you a great big hug!

As for the rest, you’ll learn it on the fly – or from the What to Expect When Expecting series!!

Congrats again and Happy Father’s Day!

Jerremy:

• The most important relationship that a child can have is not one that the child has with its parent, but rather the relationship that their parents have with each other.
• Be your own person – Knowing yourself and doing the things you like makes teaching a kid to do these things much more natural.
• Drink…….  Alot – Hard Liquor is best
• Grandparents have already raised their children; do NOT let them raise yours.

Bo:

• PATIENCE:  No one is born with it, but once a parent, you can never have too much of it.

Rick:

• Always tell them how proud you are of them.

Frank:

Here are some random observations I’ve made during my time as a father of two girls. Three out of five fathers may or may not agree with me.

• Puke, snot and slobber no longer illicit any reaction other than to calmly reach over my shoulder and grab a burp rag.
• Talking to your kids like they are adults and playing with them like you are a kid produces the best results.
• If my daughter wakes up grumpy, I do my best to irritate her until she either smiles or storms off to the bathroom. Either way, her mood changes!
• Girls are born with the knowledge that daddy is wrapped around their little finger.

Kelly:

• Spare change thrown out on the lawn and Vaseline on the door knob will buy you about ten minutes of private time =)
• One of the greatest days in a dads life is when your child can wipe their own ass.
• A Hug from your kid is one of the best things ever.
• When baiting a hook, make sure the little one doesn’t run by and snag the line. The hook will always find its way to your finger.
• Homemade gifts are the best from kids.

Our Dad:

• Are boys and girls different?  I remember a time when several five year old girls were all playing quietly outside, and Reuben, a three year old, grabbed a water hose, turned it on, and started chasing the girls with it.  Who, but a boy, would think of taunting the girls like this?
• When I was very young, I was called Sam.  I didn’t know for years that Sam wasn’t my name.  My sister, Leslie, when she was upset with me, called me Samuel J. Chicken Hawk.  It was even longer before I was old enough to put two and two together and learned that my nick-name came from the cartoon with Samuel J. Chicken Hawk. This little bird got into a lot of trouble every day; I got into a lot of trouble every day.  I am not sure, although I think that nick-names may be a good idea.  I think they can be a special name between a father and daughter that can make her feel special.
• Oh, how I remember the first time we made Smores, roasting marshmallows on an open fire.
• A Dad must remember to ‘make memories’ for his children.  There’s that first visit to a museum, the first swimming pool, the zoo, etc.
• I think every child should have a flashlight to keep next to her bed.  There might be scary noises or shadows in the night.  It also helps her to play after scheduled bed time.
• My father had the idea that each teen should participate in one sport per year and play an instrument each year.  This will prevent nerds and jocks.
• Let ‘em cry for a few hours when newborn; they’ll then sleep night well knowing they cannot summon you when they’re bored.
• Teach Bible stories early.
• Make her earn an allowance.
• When a teenager, give her budget to buy school cloths; she may not choose the $100 tennis shoes then…
• Let her experiment a bit, but don’t let her go overboard (e.g. Goth, etc.).
• Set bedtime hours that get later with age.
• How about half an hour each school night to read a book of her choosing?
• Don’t reward tattling on siblings.
• Never argue with your wife in front of children.
• Always ask her if she asked Mom before she asked you.
• Don’t assign punishment immediately; try to wait an hour to hash it over in your brain and talk with wife first.
• Don’t spank with an object; always use hands.
• If you paddle her at 2 years old, you may never need to do it again after 4.
• Reward good grades (e.g. As); retrain bad grades (e.g. Ds and Fs) with extra homework (e.g. looking up words in a dictionary and writing down definitions.
• Buy video games that educate (e.g Super Mario Brothers Alphabet).
• Paste Stars and Planets that glow in the dark on her bedroom ceiling.
• Teach her to swim at a young age.
• Teach her to ride a bike early; then encourage her to explore on it.
• Teach her to cook at a young age.  One of those kids’ ovens that cook with a light bulb is a good start.
• Take her to Grandpa’s place and teach her to drive at 14.
• Take her camping often.
• Keep the TVs and computers in family rooms no matter how old they get.
• Make Sunday night dinners a must for all to be present.
• Give her a long solo summer trip to relatives ay 16; it’ll teach independence.
• Don’t let her date a boy that is old enough to drive until she is old enough to drive.
• Don’t let kids beg for anything while in a store.  Don’t let begging be rewarded.
• Somehow teach her to like fruits and vegetables.
• Make her eat everything on her plate; don’t let her develop ‘don’t likes’ until a teenager; make sure she has a small plate though.
• You are her parents, not her friends; you can be friends when they are adults.
• Teach her to tithe 10% of her allowance.
• Teach her to do her own laundry; it teaches responsibility.
• Teach her to make her own bed.
• Teach her to analyze both sides of a debate.
• If she cries for no reason, give her a reason.
• Teach her silly songs.
• Hang her pictures on the Fridge.
• Let Grandma spoil her.
• Mark her growing on a wall.
• It’s OK to say ‘no’.
• Teach the ‘honor system’, and don’t abuse it by asking those questions that require a lie or punishment.
• Teach her to play with bugs when she is young.
• Tie her gloves together through her jacket sleeves.
• Only speak positive words; a negative word can end up a curse; never forget.
• Make up a family recipe if you have to; then teach her; she’ll appreciate the legacy.
• Buy her a globe
• Volunteer to be a class trip chaperone.
• Make sure your bedroom door has a lock.
• Give her something to trade in her school lunch.
• Teach her games to play on car trips, like counting types of cars, etc.
• Play Scrabble.
• Help her to collect something (e.g Stamps, Pennies, etc.).
• Teach her to not call adults by their first name, or at least use Mr. Jason if not Mr. Pearson.
• Let her eat dirt; she’ll survive.

My neighborhood is quiet and I have great neighbors: people, rabbits, deer, rabbits, birds, rabbits, and bears. I didn’t expect to see so many animals down here – coming from Woodland Park. The neighborhood kidlets are a lot of fun. I love driving by the bus stop, because they all wave hugely at me – yes, hugely =). My next door neighbor and I have enjoyed a, ahem, few beers, several meals, and countless laughs together.

There was only one thing on my want-to-have list that I didn’t get with this house and that is a fenced yard for Cupid. He’s got plenty of yard out there; It just isn’t fenced in. Otherwise, I am still THRILLED to have a garage for the Jeep and all of my garage type stuff, a fireplace (well, this is wonderful when it is chilly), an open kitchen, never-ending hot water (yeah, seriously – solar heated), a nice location (West side, baby!), and well, everything else.

I am very thankful to the people that have helped me out with my house in each and every way – especially my mom, my dad, and my boyfriend Kelly, and my friend/Realtor Jim.

UPDATE: OMG, how could I forget the view?! I have such a great view. One of my favorite things to do is to just sit out back and enjoy my amazing view of Pikes Peak and surrounding mountains, cuz I can see ALL of them!

1. When did you last sleep in a tent?
   The end of last summer on a FUN camping trip with some of my favorite people – Kelly, Ashley, Reuben, Jason, Jim, Ken – and many dogs =). Speaking of tents, mine is so cool. It was a gift from Casey.
2. What comes to mind when you think about relieving yourself in the great outdoors?
   Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh my! No, seriously, it’s just not fun. It could be the only thing I don’t like about camping.
3. Where’s the best place you ever went camping?
   Colorado. Yep, anywhere in the state probably. There aren’t mosquitoes here.
4. What’s your favorite camp food?
   Bloody Marys. Oh, camp FOOD? I don’t have a favorite. Do pretzel necklaces count? (See photo of Kelly and Jim.)
5. What’s your sleeping bag like?
   Warm and cozy.

• Michelle, aka YogaChelle, the instructor. She’s so generous, funny, and pushes us (in a good way).
• Our class (The Weeble Wobbles!). We have so much fun. We laugh a lot. This is good for my mental health =).
• Stretching! I know it’s good for my muscles and my overall blood flow. I really love doing it. It’s very comfortable for me.
• Sweating. Yep, it’s a HOT yoga class – about 100 degrees. I really can’t imagine doing yoga without the heat. I think it helps me to push myself farther (not just because I’m slipping, lol.)
• YogaChelle can pop my back really easily. I appreciate that so much.
• Progress. Although I didn’t let YogaChelle snap pictures of me when I started (neither did Joe!), I know I’m farther in poses. I’m more comfortable in them. I understand the poses more and I’m still learning about them in each class.
• Sleep! I sleep sooo well after hot yoga. I highly recommend this if you’re having trouble.

So, if you’re intrigued, ask me about it or get more info here.

1. What are you looking for?
   Two nice shades of paint for my living room wall =)
2. What are you waiting for?
   6pm (go-home-from-work time)
3. What is someone else waiting for from you?
   mmm, really, I can’t think of anything at the moment
4. You know you have a long wait ahead of you at the doctor. What do you bring?
   Just my phone. I can text or tiny-web surf. Although, my wonderful doctor-people never really make me wait. They’re really great (for many other reasons, too)!
5. Where can you expect always to wait in a ridiculously long line?
   …the ladies’ room after waiting too long to go =)

Well, I did this on Monday and I kept the answers short. Eh, cest la vie.

I went snowboarding last Wednesday with Jim (local Realtor and great friend) and some wild and crazy guys that he knows. It was the first time I went this season, which is strange and I can’t believe I almost talked myself out of going. We went to Copper. I hadn’t been there before. I’d like to go back on a day that isn’t so windy, but still, the snow was pretty nice. I’d also like to go with the boyfriend, who worked there once upon a time. I think it would be fun to hear his memories while we’re actually there.

The weekend prior to that, Kelly, Ashley, and I went to the X-Games in Aspen. That was pretty amazing. It’s very cool how close you can get. We wandered around different areas, got different views…even up on the side of the Super Pipe (22′) where the boarders were flying over our heads. Ash has asked me to go every year and I’m glad I finally did.

I’m taking a week off soonish, just because. I plan on a house project or two or three. I have paint color options taped to my wall. My friend Stephanie is coming for a visit and I can’t wait to see her.

Work has certainly been busy lately, but I’m thankful to have a job.

My taxes are done – woohoo! My mom works at H&R Block in Woodland Park, so if you’re looking for someone to get yours done…tell her I sent ya. She’s the tiny little woman that everyone says I look like.

Other than that, I’m still doing hot yoga most weeks. I LOVE IT! It’s another thing I’m glad Ash got me to do =). If you’re interested, come join us. Also, the yoga instructor, aka YogaMichelle makes some lovely jewelry. Check it out here.

Oh, back in December, I had mentioned that I was most excited about my grandmothers’ Christmas gift. My parents got her a digital frame and I gathered up the almost 500 pictures that we put on it. It was SO much fun. I absolutely loved that project. My parents, brother, uncles, aunts, and cousins sent some really great pictures.