D & G

Snowshoe for love...

2012-02-12T19:01:00.004-07:00

Valentine's Day is just round the corner, so Dave and I went snowshoeing on Saturday to celebrate. We enjoyed a few hours of snowshoeing (which feels like hiking, but in the snow) at Henderson Mine which is near Empire. It was beautiful, absolutely beautiful! The weather was glorious, approximately 35 degrees and sunny. The snow was fresh and the views were amazing. It was great to spend time together, even though we were both pretty worn out from the week. We capped the day off with a beer from Denver Beer Company as well as Great Divide Brewery, which was our old stopping ground before Rockies games. It was great to reminisce and anticipate the upcoming baseball season.

Happy Valentine's Day Dave! I love you! I am proud of your hard work and I am thankful for the time we had together!

A few random thoughts...

2012-01-30T18:56:00.003-07:00

I had this past week off. Let's call it calm before the storm. I had a week to organize, relax, prepare, read, stalk people on FB, and mentally get ready to see Dave even less than I do now. I did some awesome things like sewing two pillows, washing the car, checking the alignment of the car (not me, but I took it to the place), starched/ironed a bunch of shirts, went running each day, snuggled with Asher, cooked meals, cleaned the crap out of our apartment (bleach included), and studied ventilators for my upcoming ICU rotation. I was busy most every day and I feel ready to face the next 10 weeks. It will be difficult but I am rejuvenated after a week off.

As for my random thoughts:

-"Stronger" by Kanye West is still my top favorite running song. I prefer it to be on repeat so I can hear it over and over again..."Now that don't kill me, can only make me stronger..."

-Positive thinking is vital to surviving life. Changing your mindset is a powerful tool.

-Curve balls in life are often thrown by God. He knows and He heals. I laugh every time I think about last December when Dave and I were heart broken about the AF and Residency drama. But now, I know it was because God knew we were not ready, or knew for some other reason, we needed to wait. Dave is doing great this year and in March we should know where Dave starts his Emergency Medicine Residency. Pray. Wait. And know He is in control.

-I have the most beautiful nieces and I can't wait to meet another one in June!

-I am obsessed with our cat, Asher (ha, ha, ha, I even put a picture up with this post). She plays catch, responds to her name, snuggles, challenges the vacuum, makes me smile, jumps in small boxes, and loves bacon:)

-Dave and I have been married for 4.5 years. Wow, just wow. I still love him dearly and I can't imagine my life without him.
We make an awesome team! I love you Dave!

What month is it?

2012-01-21T16:57:00.006-07:00

I can't remember what today's date is, or what month I am in... scary, I know, but keep reading. Today I went for a run in a t-shirt and shorts, A T-SHIRT AND SHORTS! It was sunny and warm (approximately 60 degrees) outside. The air was clean, fresh, and it invited me to run harder. It was a great run, very invigorating (once I caught my breath). Once I got home, I decided I needed to get some more wind blowing through my hair, so I fired up the scooter for a ride to Cherry Creek. I ran a few errands around CC, then I rode to the grocery store to pick up a few essentials for dinner. I wore a sweatshirt, thinking I would get chilly riding at 30 MPH. Nope, sure didn't get chilly. I took it off and rode in a short sleeve tee. Wow! Just WOW. I also opened the sliding glass doors to allow fresh air in the apartment. Asher hung out on the deck, sunning herself and enjoying the weather. It was THAT warm outside. Confusing, huh. January 21st, 2012, and Denver, CO, was: 60 degrees, sunny, and a simply glorious day to be outside running or scooting:) A year ago, we were recovering from about 10 in of snow. Things that make you say, hmmm.

Oh how I just love Colorado weather. Praise God for wonderful weather and time off to be outside!

And on another note: I finished Term 4 (out of 7) 10-week Terms for Respiratory Therapy school. I will be doing clinicals in the Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs in February and March. I am excited to continue to learn and I get to spend time with my family in Colo Spgs! I finish school in August 2012! Not too far away!

Christmas Eve Fun 2011

2011-12-29T17:47:00.003-07:00

The Gilmore's hosted Christmas Eve this year, and it was a wonderful party! Delicious food (most importantly shrimp cocktail and meatball subs), wonderful family (the Gilmore's, the Hagiwara's minus Michael, the Ghiazza's, & the Otten's), great friends (Amy joined us), hilarious doggies (the 3 Gilmore pups) and Justin Bieber's Christmas album! Yes, a few of us may have rocked out to Under the Mistletoe by JB. It was awesome. You know what else was awesome? Dave got off in time to eat and join in on the Biebs dance. I also caught a pic of Dad being the first one to the dinner table and Kali joining him right away. This was a very joyous Christmas and I am thankful for family and friends.

Dad got an orange hat to match his orange socks:)

I love me some KALI!

Kali and Dad chowing down:)

Baby Hagiwara!

Top 10 Blessings for 2011

2011-12-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

In no particular order Dave and I thought about our top 10 blessings from the year, which was actually quite hard to do.

-My South Korean Trip: wonderful time spent with family, especially Carlie and the newest Tessa! This was a unique opportunity and I am very blessed to have been able to go there for 12 days.

-Dave graduating medical school, becoming a wonderful doctor that takes time to teach, show empathy and laugh a little, surviving Intern year while interviewing, getting a civilian deferment, and still having time for family

-Finding something I think I will really enjoy and having the opportunity to go back to school (Respiratory Therapy)

-Our health, along with the health and love of our family and friends

-Travel: Hawaii, western CO, St Louis, Uganda (Dave), Arizona (Dave), South Korea (Gwen)... We are blessed to be able to do the things we love and visit the people we love.

-Family. This year I feel closest to our families and grateful to be close to most of them. I am thankful for my growing number of nieces and can't wait to spend more time with them.

-Asher- I feel like our little kitty always knows when we need a snuggle or a laugh. She is the sweetest thing and we are blessed to have her in our lives.

-Learning to live each day as it comes. It is hard to not count down the hours until your next shift, or count the hours away. We have tried to live in the moment as much as possible. We are trying to appreciate each other, time together, and time apart.

-A warm apartment, with plenty to eat and working vehicles.

-A loving Savior that actively pursues a relationship with us and is watching over us. We can trust that everything that happens in our lives is in His hands and in His plans, and even though we might not always recognize it at the time, He is guiding our lives on a daily basis.

That sums up 2011 in a nutshell.

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!

With Love,
Dave and Gwen

Quick Trip to St. Louis

2011-12-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to St Louis, MO. Dave had an interview with Washington University and we have friends that live there. The Kothe's are the couple we went to Hawaii with and they recently bought a home in the area. It was great to spend time with them and Dave had a great visit with Wash U's program. I don't think it outweighs Denver Health, but it is a great second or third choice. We visited St Charles (an old part of the area with cobble stone streets), the St Louis Zoo (it was free and awesome!), and the Science Museum (also free). While at the zoo, we saw the penguin parade in which I was about 1 foot away from a penguin! Awesome! We also ate some delicious Italian food on the "Hill" which is the Italian neighborhood. It was a wonderful weekend away. I unfortunately got the stomach flu on our last day in St Louis and spent the day nauseated and/or in the bathroom. By bathroom I mean, public restroom and airport toilets:( No bueno, but I survived the flight and spent the next day resting. All in all, it was a great trip!

While in St Charles, there was an old time Christmas celebration and Dave met not only Santa, but .....

AMERICA SANTA!!

Yup, that is me, watching the penguin parade!

Caitlin and I with a giant penguin.

Penguin Parade:)

Giving Thanks in 2011

2011-12-02T08:30:00.006-07:00

I am thankful for many thing this year. I am thankful for time with family and with Dave. I feel like I have been seeing family almost every weekend and although Dave may not always be there, it is still nice seeing my sisters/mom/dad/in-laws/grandparents. I am grateful each time Dave and I are off at the same time. I am thankful for living 1 hour from family whether headed north or south. I am grateful for time spent traveling to see family. South Korea was a wonderful trip and I am so blessed to have been there for Tessa's birth. I am thankful for my health, Dave's health, and the health of our extended family. I am thankful for 3 beautiful nieces and one more niece/nephew on the way! I'm thankful for warm clothes in times of 20 degree days, for a cozy apartment with crazy neighbors always keeping us on our toes, and for plenty of food for nourishment. I am also thankful for our special furry friend (or should I say child) named Asher! She is the best company and almost always up for snuggling in your lap. Maybe this sounds cheesy, but it is nice to write down your thanks. I'm sure I have many more thanks, but I will keep this post short.

Here are some pictures of Thanksgiving 2011 in Colorado Springs. It was a wonderful day with amazing food, great company, and pies!

Beautiful turkey! Great job dad!

Wonderful Dinner:

The Newly Weds:

Beautiful sister and niece (Kezia and Kali):

Great weather for a walk after dinner!

Kali scoping out her christmas list.

Dave and Grandaddy:

South Korea Adventure!

2011-11-12T13:25:00.016-07:00

I recently traveled to South Korea to visit my sister Carrie (who was due with her second baby), brother-in-law Joe, and almost 5 year old niece Carlie. Traveling to South Korea is about a 10-12 hour flight from the west coast. I flew out of San Francisco on United, but there was no little TV's which made the journey feel longer than it should have. But I spent most the time reading and got in a few naps. I arrived late Sunday night to Seoul and traveled by bus to Yongsan Army Post where the Bemi were staying. Luckily Carlie stayed up and was able to give me a HUGE hug upon my arrival. Carrie looked cute as ever with her big belly. So wonderful actually touching my sister and niece instead of looking through Skype. On Monday Carrie, Carlie and I went to a flower market. We actually walked into the auction side of it and saw people bidding on beautiful carts of orchids. We finally found our way to the actual market. At first we walked around flowers still in the dirt, then found a warehouse full of freshly cut flowers. There were rows and rows of colorful flowers from roses, to tulips, to daisies, to sunflowers, to lilies, to almost every flower you could imagine. It smelled wonderful in there (surprisingly, I note this because most of the smells I encountered were gross). Carlie got some pink roses to take back to the hotel with us. This was my first encounter with Korean driving and traffic. It is insane there! Cars and buses squeeze into tiny places and turn wherever they want to. Of course, this made me nauseated, but really, what doesn't:) Here are a few pictures from our flower market adventure:

Reading about Korean Agriculture.

Amazing orchids.

Part of the warehouse:

Flowers piled up:

Flower Market sign:

Moving on to our next adventure, we decided to take a bus tour of the city. It was a bus that you can hop on and off while it drives throughout the sights in Seoul. Again, not such a great idea for a jet lagged, nauseated person like me, but I survived without puking! I did have to make a quick exit a few times, but no vomitator for me. Anyway, the bus drove to Seoul Tower which is communication and observation tower on top of a mountain surrounded by beautiful trees and land. Carrie and Carlie had already been there, but we got off anyway, and enjoyed the amazing views and gorgeous fall trees. The colors where changing, leaves were falling, a breeze was in the air and it seemed to be the perfect fall day in Korea.
Sisters!

Carlie and I with Seoul in the background.

Tree Pose.

The view...

Carlie and me with Seoul Tower.

Next stop: Changdeok and Changgyeong Palaces. Both of these Palaces had a few acres of property with buildings, lakes, trees, and a lot of history. It was amazing to see these Palaces that were built in the 1300's still standing, well preserved but with high rises surrounding the outside of the grounds. Again, we all enjoyed a wonderful fall day touring these two properties and thoroughly enjoyed the sights.

In front of the Throne Room.

Beautiful structures.

Brilliant coloring.

A sneak peek through the old and into the new.

Prego Carrie and Carlie Jean

More structures.

What a juxtaposition of the old and new in South Korea.

Seoul Tower can be seen in the background.

Maps of the Palaces:

Map of our bus tour:

Next stop on our tour of the city: Namdaemun Market. It is located in the center of Seoul and is the largest traditional Korean market. That means that there are tons of people, tons of crap (oh, I mean, tons of clothing, shoes, toys, scarves, food...), and did I mention, tons of people? Koreans go there to get knock off goods at a wholesale price. It was crazy, all I could do was watch and make sure that I got out with my pregnant sister and my almost 5 year old niece. It was fun to walk around and I saw plenty of interesting food as well. Like dried squid, some flat fish on a stick and of course there was kimchi for all.

I got to hang out with Joe! His schedule opened up just after I got there and it was great to spend some time with him. One activity that Carlie and I did with him was flying little motorized airplanes. It was a blast and Carlie loved BigBlue:) Joe and I also played tag with Carlie at the park and we were able to give Carrie some time to herself.

Carlie posing with BigBlue

Carlie and I

Another adventure we went on was shopping in Myeongdong. There are lots of high end stores as well as Forever21 and H&M. We found a yummy Italian restaurant for lunch. Funny, eating Italian food in Korea:)

A few nights before Halloween, the base we were staying on had an early Trick-or-Treating event for the children. This was Carlie's first year of actual trick-or-treating and she dressed up as an angel. At this point Carrie had not popped and she was a real trooper with all the walking. Carlie did a great job and was very polite. It was a great evening and I am thankful I was able to spend this time with the Bemis Family. Here is a sweet picture of the angel:

While in Korea, I celebrated my 27th birthday. THe day consisted of decorating a haunted ginger bread house and playing outside in the beautiful weather. We went to the park, flew planes and enjoyed the sunshine. For dinner, the Bemi treated me to an incredible Italian dinner in Itaewon. While walking to the restaurant we encountered a Korean music festival and a fire. There was an entire building on fire and we could not believe the amount of people taking pictures and trying to get closer to the action. It was quite a sight to see. The food we ate was amazing and it was topped off with gelato!

Carlie and I with the finished product.

Carrie and Joe:

The drinkers:)

Gelato off the belly.

The biggest news of all, at 4:45am on Halloween morning, Tessa Jolie Bemis was born. Baby Tessa weighed 9 lbs 2oz. No joke! Once Carlie woke up, I got to tell her the big news and we headed over to the hospital. She was SOOOOO excited! Needless to say, Tessa was beautiful and quite the chunk-ster. It was a beautiful moment to watch as the Bemis Family of four experienced their first moments together.

The Big Sister outside of the hospital.

A very happy Big Sis!

Carrie and her girls:

A little lady bug and a big pumpkin for Halloween.

The day after Tessa's birth, Carrie and Joe checked out of the hospital and we all headed back home. Home being Osan, which is about 1.5 hours away from Seoul. We had to pack up the hotel and catch the bus, with a newborn! It was quite the adventure getting all the Bemi bags together and packing into a bus. But, it was so wonderful to get to their home! Although being in Seoul was fun and I got to see a lot of sights, it felt good to be in Carrie and Joe's home. They live in an apartment on the 14th floor. It is a really nice apartment. Joe cooked yummy nutella and strawberry french toast for dinner while Carrie settled in with Tessa. Carlie and I played with her dollhouse and enjoyed my last evening together.

New niece!

First car seat ride!

The morning of November 3rd, I had to say my good byes to the Bemis Bunch. I got in some last minute snuggles with Carlie and Tessa. I had a fantastic trip and I am so thankful I had the time to come out to Korea. Carlie has such a wonderful spirit. She is full of joy and loves life. Carrie and Joe set a great example of a couple still loving each other after 10 years of marriage and the love they have for their family. I feel blessed and grateful to have been a pseudo-Bemis for a few weeks!

Pumpkins!

2011-10-19T13:37:00.003-06:00

Dave and I have not carved pumpkins since college, but I had the urge to get into the season. Fall is a beautiful time of year and I wanted to smell the scent of a fresh pumpkin being carved along with freshly toasted pumpkin seeds. The pumpkins were beautiful, but had very few seeds. I persevered through this set back and toasted them any way. For some reason, I seemed to be the only one really pumped about the seeds, so I think I enjoyed about 15 of the 20 seeds that got toasted.

Dave working on his scary cat.

I am a very serious carver:)

Finished product!

Very proud!

A few random landscape pictures...

Early morning with the moon right off our deck...

Beautiful fall evening in Berthoud...

Oh, and I leave for Korea in 3 days. No baby yet, but I am very excited to get there!

Run, run, run!!

2011-10-14T16:29:00.004-06:00

This has nothing to do with the post, but it made you look at another picture of Asher! This time, helping me study. Such a smart kitty:)

This past weekend I ran my 4th half marathon and I finished with a time of 2:01 (much improved from 2:31, 2:10, & 2:07 times). Although I was aiming to finish under 2 hours, it was my best time yet so I am proud of that. I guess the elusive 2 hour mark with have to wait until my next race. Not sure when I will run again, but sometime in the Spring I'm sure I will get the urge. Dave had to work on race day so my parents and mother in law came out and supported! Thank you very much Mom, Dad, Beth and Dave (because I know it was hard for him not to cheer me on in person). Running is not the most exciting thing to watch, so any spectator is an awesome one!! Thanks for battling the cold weather and millions of blond runners that could have been me:)

On another note, I leave for South Korea in 8 days. I am flying there to meet my new niece (due any day now), help out my sister Carrie, spend time with my almost 5 year old niece Carlie and maybe see Joe when he isn't working. I am extremely excited to see everyone, travel to a new place and do it all on a break from school! I am blessed to have been given about a week and half off school and Carrie was able to talk me into traveling to Korea. Which truthfully didn't take that much work. I thoroughly enjoy traveling, encountering new cultures, and getting the opportunity to be there for a sister is a wonderful gift to give (to her and to me). I guess Carrie will owe me in the future since there is no telling where Dave and I will be once we have kids;) Ha, ha, ha, no but seriously, Carrie, Joe, Carlie, and new baby, you better prepare.

Late Celebration

2011-09-13T15:08:00.000-06:00

Dave and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary about a week late due to our work schedules, but we were able to go have a nice dinner out downtown. Yes, we scooted there! We went to Rodizio Grill which is a Brazilian Steakhouse, but it was disappointing compared to a different one we have been to. Non-the-less, we enjoyed time together and celebrated another wonderful year together.

Family and Games...

2011-09-11T15:16:00.003-06:00

In early August, my parents came to Denver and we went to watch a Colorado Rapids game (which is the professional soccer team here in Denver). It was a nice night outside and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

This past Saturday we headed to Coors Field and were able to watch a Rockies game with Dave's parents. It was a beautiful day outside and it was wonderful to see his parents.

Four Years Ago...

2011-08-25T14:51:00.003-06:00

I married my best friend, my biggest fan, my closest ally, my confidant, my everything. I am so thankful we met and started dating nearly 8 years ago. I never could have imagined being where we are today. I am so thankful for our health, our families, our careers, our kitty, and the wonderful times we spend together.

Happy Anniversary David Richard Finney Otten! I love you!

Right back at it...

2011-08-15T17:55:00.003-06:00

Dave and I got to spent some great time together this past week. I had a break from school and he had a week off, so we took advantage (knowing full well, this won't happen again) and went away for the week. We headed to the western slope since we had never seen much of that side of the state. We camped outside of Telluride in Ridgway State Park. It was incredible! We hiked, fished, played in the river, visited Telluride, ate some delicious s'mores (with toasted coconut marshmallows), visited Ouray, drove to Crested Butte, rode a tandem cruiser (which was a highlight!), walked through 5 foot high wildflowers, drank a few beers, and just plain enjoyed hanging out with the one I love.

Dave and I have been together close to 8 years and will celebrate 4 years of marriage on the 25th of this month!! Wow, time really does fly! Never could I imagine being so incredibly blessed with such a great husband that I am able to enjoy being with so much. Time is valuable these days and this past week was a refresher that Dave and I needed!!

But, Monday morning we were right back at it. Dave has one more week left at the ICU at Rose Hospital and I have begun my first respiratory class. And this is how I was welcomed back to school...

Yes, that is 10 books! I may be a bit busy drowning in RT knowledge. But nonetheless, I am soooooo excited to start learning about respiratory care!

July catch-up

2011-07-02T20:43:00.005-06:00

Dave is over two weeks into working and got his first paycheck on last Friday! It was pretty exciting to get his first paycheck as a doctor! No kidding though, Dave is working at least 80 hours... yes, 80 hours in one week. I see him most every night, but sometimes he is almost too tired to even talk much. It has been a long week for him because he is getting used to getting up early and being on the go all day long. He barely eats or drinks water from 5:30 am to 7 pm. I am proud of his hard work, and the fact that he still has energy to hang out any moment he is not in the hospital. We have tried to capitalize on any time he has and have packed our evenings full of Frisbee or dinner or just relaxation on the porch.

I have been very busy with school as it seems I have papers, speeches and exams each week, but I am doing great and I cannot wait until August when I start my first Respiratory Class. One curve ball we got thrown this week was that the Honda's engine ceased up on the Interstate and it is gone. Dave's dad is planning to rebuild the engine, but it could talk all summer due to him being busy. So, Dave and I had to make a plan for our car situation. We decided to help get us through the summer months we would look into a scooter. They are gaining popularity in Denver and the 50cc scooters are classified as a motorized bike so you can park on the sidewalks. Welp, a few weeks ago, we bought a Genuine Buddy. It is an American made 50 cc scooter. It's a cutie and we've taken it to Cherry Creek, school, and the park. I have been driving it to school since I only travel 5 miles to and from school each day. The only problem with the weather pattern we have been in the last few weeks has been the afternoon rain storms make for a wet drive home! I am sure some are scared for us, but we have helmets and will be mostly traveling on residential roads going a max speed of 35 miles per hour. Oh, the gas on this bad boy is 100 miles per gallon! Yes ma'am, it has a 1 gallon tank and goes about 100 miles per tank! Awesome! Here is a picture of the scooter at city park. Each Sunday night in the summer the park has a few jazz concert. We try to go each weekend and have enjoyed people watching, music and being outside.

Summer Time

2011-06-13T08:03:00.003-06:00

Welcome summer! Dave and I have tried to enjoy the beautiful weather as much as we can before he officially starts his Internship on wednesday. We have had some great times recently. Here are a few pictures of our summer-time enjoyment. And for those of you who don't know, Eric (Dave's freshman year college roommate and our good friend) is staying with us for the summer, so he is in many pictures.

Red Rocks: Eric's first time

Food Truck Party: local restaurant's food trucks meet up for food and fun!

Amy, Keely and I at Blue Bonnet Cafe

Denver Zoo Date!

Fly Fishing!

We have a doctor in the house!

2011-05-29T10:34:00.004-06:00

Congratulations David Richard Finney Otten, M.D.!!!

This has been a very busy weekend full of great friends and family! Thursday evening we attended an Honors Convocation because Dave received recognition for his research project he has been working on. On Friday, he graduated from Medical School! It was a nice ceremony and the weather was beautiful. After graduation, we headed to my sister's house for a BBQ and we were blessed to spend time with our wonderful family and friends. Thank you to all who came and supported us! Later that night, we had a dinner with Amy's family to celebrate both Dave and Amy's achievement. Way to go Dr. Otten and Dr. Reppert!

Honors Banquet:

Invesco Tour!

The Doctor's at dinner:)

Framing this one for the office!

Philimon!!!

2011-04-29T22:48:00.001-06:00

Just a sneak peek into Dave's experience with the children of Musana. We sponsor this little guy Philimon. He lost his entire family due to a mud slide about a year ago, but he is a real trooper: always smiling and loving life.

Dave in Uganda!

2011-04-25T12:20:00.004-06:00

Dave made it safely to Uganda after traveling for 26 hours. He is visiting is brother and sister in Iganga, Uganda. Bryan has spent time in Iganga with a school/orphanage called Musana Children's Home. Check it out at http://www.musana.org/. If you are interested in supporting with prayer or possibly sponsoring a child, Musana is an amazing organization that started with three students from CU. Dave will be in Uganda for 2 weeks. While there, he plans to visit a hospital in Kampala and see how he can assist in their medical care. He may also be doing basic physical exams for the children in Musana since they rarely ever see doctors and only have a small clinic in Iganga. Also, plenty of time will be spent loving and playing with the kids there. I am sure Dave will teach them baseball or frisbee or some organized sport to keep himself occupied. I will keep posting as I know more and more but please continue to pray for safety and strength over the next two weeks (for Dave and me). Also, here is a map of where Uganda is in Africa. It is a very beautiful place located on the equator so the weather is nice year round. Surprisingly it is green and lush.

Birthday Brunch

2011-04-20T10:13:00.004-06:00

For Dave's birthday, we had a brunch in our apartment with family and friends. It was a nice and cozy with 14 people in our little apartment. Here are a few pictures from the day. I really just wanted to post our family pyramid. Awkward family photos here we come:)

The Hagiwara's gave Dave the book titled The Mustache Grower's Guide.

Sisters:)

Kali is growing up fast! But I still made her sit on my lap for a picture:)

Dave was pumped for his Rockies wrist bands!

A cute picture of Sarah and Kali.

Rockies 2011

2011-04-06T18:44:00.004-06:00

This afternoon Dave and I went to our first Rockies game of the season. It was nice to be back in Coors Field and check out the players in person. Not to mention the Rockies beat the Dodgers!!

Sooooooo pumped to be at the game!!

This past month, Dave was able to spent a quick 5 days in Phoenix to see the Rocks at Spring Training. He was able to check out the new facilities and spend some time with his good friend Matt.

Rockies new Spring Training Facility

Dave, his 'stach and his friend Matt

Dave and Dexter Fowler!!

Yes, that is Dave and TODD HELTON!!

Beauty

2011-03-14T20:21:00.002-06:00

One evening Dave and I were eating dinner, when we looked up to see a rainbow colored cloud as the sun was setting. This picture does not do it justice, but it was a wonderful treat to look up and see.
Pure beauty.

Me in my scrubs... also pure beauty?!? Just kidding, but I look pretty cute. I just started my second week of class and I am pretty pumped about it! I have one class per day for 4 days a week. It will take time to figure out my study schedule, but Dave has been a great Anatomy and Physiology teacher! Good to use his degree!

This one might make you sick, but look at how beautiful Asher is. She loves playing in this tunnel and frequently takes naps in it.

Beauty, pure and simple:)

Thank You DPT

2011-03-07T09:33:00.002-07:00

Here are a few shots from my work outing on Thursday night. It was a great night to say good bye and be excited for my next step in life. Thanks for all the great memories Denver PT!

Good bye DPT, Hello RT

2011-02-08T08:41:00.004-07:00

After much thought and searching for what I want to do with my life... I think I have found what I am looking for. Yes, Dave and I want a family at some point but I have felt a need for something for myself. I have worked at Denver Physical Therapy for 3 and a half years which have been good a.nd I have enjoyed my coworkers, but there is no fulfillment in being an Administrative Assistant. Yes, I was good at my job, but I have been getting very bored and I have known I need something more challenging. I am thankful for this position because it has allowed Dave and I time to travel, go to Rockies games, and given me many great working relationships. But the time has come for me to move on. After much thought, Dave and I have decided that we are going to try to stay in Denver for one more year and that I am going to start Respiratory Therapy school in March. The military has made Dave do an Intern Year starting in June/July after he graduates, so we are going to take advantage of being around one more year. The RT program I have registered for will be completed in August of 2012, just in time for me to follow Dave to who knows where for his Residency. I will be going to Concorde Career College in Denver studying to get an Associate's Degree. It is an accredited and accelerated program that finishes in 17 months time with over 1,000 clinical hours. I am pretty pumped to start but it will be a big change. A question in most people's mind is probably what is an RT? An RT evaluates, treats, and cares for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders ranging from babies to adults. 80% of RT's work in the hospital and the other 20% work in home health, sleep apnea clinics or other private settings. I think this job will allow me to be challenged mentally as well as enable me to find a job where ever we may be. The field is also expected to grow 20% (higher than average) in the next 8 years which is great news for me. Good bye DPT, hello RT:)

Rockies Fan Fest 2011

2011-01-20T14:34:00.005-07:00

Seriously, one of the BEST days ever! We went to the Rockies Fan Fest 2011 and it was awesome. We went into the stadium and we were able to see the Rockies locker room (and saw Tulo finishing geting ready), hitting and pitting area, visitors locker room, their weight room, and got a ton of autographs! We are not normally into autographs, but it was fun to fill the Coors Field sign. It was a great day, but I was on my crutches so I am worn out! My arm pits hurt and overall, we enjoyed ourselves.

Walking around all day with my stupid crutches....

Our awesome sign with 32 autographs...

Dave and TROY TULOWITZKI!!!!

Dave and Seth Smith

Huston Street!

Me and Ian Stewart:)

The Original Dinger Costume

Dave and the Great Giambino!!!!

Tulo's Locker

Kauai-Time!

2011-01-20T11:05:00.024-07:00

Spending one week in Kauai (the Garden Isle) was AWESOME! Warning: this blog post is VERY long and detailed. Just check out the pictures and read the highlights (at the bottom of post) for the cliff notes style, otherwise be prepared for all the details:) Most of the information is for Dave and I (or just me)to remember our amazing times and vacations!

Day One: Christmas day! We landed in Kauai in the evening and grabbed some grub at 7-Eleven, but don't judge our selection. The last time we were in Hawaii we were with Dave's childhood friend that was living in Hawaii at the time. He is the one that showed us the highlights 7-11 had to offer. In Hawaii, the locals love to grab manapuas and masubis from 7-11 (they even cater events there). A manapua is a dough ball that is steamed and filled with meat. Our favorites were the chicken teriyaki and the chicken curry. A masubi is a a rice pad with sauteed spam on top with a seaweed wrap. Both are delicious and a Hawaiian specialty. We drove to our hotel next. By hotel I mean our time share room that had a full kitchen and two bedrooms. It was pretty nice but the only down side was that Dave and I's room had two twin beds! Ha! But seriously, the entire week, we slept in different beds. Kinda funny:)

Day Two: We got up very early because of the time change and decided to try to see the sun rise... but it was too cloudy and we ended up just wandering around the lava rock outside our hotel. It felt great to be so close to ocean and in Hawaii. We had to pick Brett and Caitlin up at the airport in the early afternoon, so we toured our hotel and surrounding area. The weather was strange because one minute it was sunny and the next it was pouring. We heard the next few days would be like this, so we just went about our day and took cover when the sky opened. After picking B and C up from the airport, we hit up the grocery store for food and beverages for the week. That night we enjoyed a lazy evening of pool, hot tub, pizza and boardgames. Ever played "Forbidden Island"?? Yes, it was nerdy but it was actually VERY fun! Don't judge, just try it!

Day Three: Again, Dave and I were up early so we went for a walk, cooked breakfast then went to our 1st ever time share presentation. Of course we said NO, but we all got $25 gift cards to local restaurants, so we went to lunch after it. We went to Keoki's Paradise Restaurant and had some yummy tropical drinks and I got a fish sandwich (my first experience with opah). For dinner we went to a restaurant that is on an old plantation. They grow most all of the food and it changes with what is in season. The name was 22 North, but it was not that great. B and C were very disappointed because it used to be one of the best places on the island, but recently changed owners. It had great ambiance and great company, so I overlooked the average food.

Day Four: Up early again so Dave and I headed to Poipu Beach for snorkeling. Since we were early, we beat a lot of people to the water because by the time we were done, lots more people were getting in. The snorkeling at this beach was good, but we wanted to hunt down more hot spots for snorkeling. We headed back to the hotel and had some sandwiches with B and C, then went sight seeing in the shopping area of Poipu. Mostly tourist shops, but still neat to walk around. For dinner, we went to a fish market and picked up Opah to grill! We had fish, rice and salad for dinner and it was one of my top meals ever! The fish was almost sweet and did not need any seasoning. We put a little salt and pepper, that's it!

Day Five: Got up a little later this morning and decided to go to breakfast. We went to Joe's on the Green (a restaurant on a golf course) and got a fresh papaya and banana macadamia pancakes. Yummy but nothing special. After this we went snorkeling again, but to a new spot called PK beach. The currents were stronger today and the water was a bit more difficult to maneuver in. We saw lots of fish and many of them were different ones that the other beach which was surprising since it was less than a mile away. B and C did not love snorkeling so we headed home soon after. That afternoon, Dave and I went to Kipu Falls. A classmate of Dave's told us about this awesome waterfall (looked like a mini-Niagara falls) with a a rope swing. This was totally up our alley so we headed to the falls. There was about a 15 minute walk through tall grass and bamboo, then there was the falls, the river and the rope swing across the way. We took off our sandals and left our stuff in order to safely cross the river. It was a difficult venture because we were barefoot and walking of lava rock, which is very rough. We made it to the rope swing and jumped... screaming all the way (or doing the George of the jungle call like Dave). Once you were in the lagoon, you had to swim to the side where the was a ladder bolted to the rock. It was a bit nerve-racking climbing up a slippery, wet ladder but we made it just fine. The next round we jumped off the rope swing together, Jane and Tarzan style;) We clamoured back across the river and sat to admire the surroundings. This was such a gem to find. We were so happy someone told us about this. We headed back to our car next and decided to run into Lihue. We walked around the tourist shops (including a great toy shop) and then I got some Hawaiian shaved ice with a scoop of ice cream at the bottom! It was soooooo goooooood. The shaved ice was great by itself, but then it melts into the ice cream at the bottom and you have this delicious surprise waiting for you. This was also one of my highlights of our trip:) We got back to the hotel just in time for B and C to head out to their dinner date, while Dave and I decided to grill again. Yes, we had Opah and it rocked again!

Day Six: We got up in the morning and decided to go back to PK beach to snorkel. This time, it was much calmer water and we were able to see lots of fish and dive under the water and enjoy the beautiful sea. Next, we drove up the road about a mile and saw Spouting Horn. This was a spot in the lava rocks where the waves crash in and it forces water to shoot out of a hole. Sort of like Old Faithful, but not as big and it occured each time a wave hit. This area was very touristy but we enjoyed it anyway. For lunch, the four of us went to Puka Dog, Hawaiian Style Hot Dogs. This place takes a hoagie size Hawaiian sweet roll, stuffs a hot dog into it then puts any kind of tropical relish with it. The choices were Papaya, Mango, Pineapple, Coconut, Banana, Guava or Starfruit relish. It was very yummy, a bit too sweet, but a great experience. The afternoon consisted of laying by the pool, sitting by the ocean and/or reading. Very relaxing, while Brett watched the University of Tennessee football team play in a bowl game. Before dinner, we decided to go on a tour at the Kauai Rum Company. This place was located at the plantation we ate at earlier in the week. Not gonna lie though, the rum was awful, but we still had fun. Next up, dinner at Roy's! BEST DINNER EVER. B and C had talked this place up and how it was their absolute favorite restaurant, so Dave and I were very excited! Dave had amazing short ribs with a spicy BBQ sauce as an appetizer and we both ate some great fish as the main meal. We had great food, great friends and a great conversation while at dinner. Such a memorable evening!

Day Seven: Friday was our last chance to drive up to the North side of the island, so we decided to do it. It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to get there since part of the road towards the end is one lane, share the road type of driving. We stopped at Anini Beach to snorkel before we made it to the end of the road. The beach was beautiful and had a long beach and the water was very calm. There was a reef that was about 50 yards from shore that broke all the waves, which left a very still, clear, and fish filled water for us to snorkel! Dave and I were walking out into the water and looked down in waist deep water to find a turtle just hanging out munching some seaweed. I could not believe we were that close to a turtle! We spent the next 30-45 minutes snorkeling around the reef and spotting 5 more turtles. We were able to go under and swim right next to them. No touching though, it is against the law. This experience seemed almost mystical since sea turtles are such a peaceful creature. Alright, next up was the hike on the Na Pali coast. We got back into the car to finish our drive and I felt like we were about to see a teradactyle or some other dinosaur jump out from the greenery around us. No kidding, Jurassic Park was filmed here...it was beautiful, very green, lush and uninhabited (perfect spot for a movie). The Kalalau Trail took us along the coast up and down and around to the Hanakapi`ai Beach. You are not supposed to swim at this beach because of the rough currents so we just looked at it from afar. We decided to keep hiking to the waterfall. This hike was gorgeous. We tip-toed over rocks and mud and jumped over rivers and bushes. It felt cold when we made it to the waterfall because the sun did not make it that deep into the greenery and the water was very chilly. We saw the waterfall and turned around pretty quickly because we were all tired already, thirsty and hungry (we did not properly prepare for this venture). It was 4 miles to the waterfall and another 4 miles back to our car. The hike back seemed like it was uphill too. Not fair, uphill both ways? As tired and hungry as I was after and during the hike, I loved it. The sights were unbelievable and it felt good to work out (minus my sore foot). That sums up New Year's Eve day, now on for the evening. We grilled dinner again and enjoyed a few games. We hit the hot tub but got kicked out for it being past 11pm. Right before midnight, we popped open a bottle of pineapple champagne and hit the beach with our sparklers. Happy 2011! I went right to bed after this. Tired from the day and up way past me bed time:)

Day Eight: New Year's Day we said our good byes to B and C and started out last day of sightseeing. We flew out in the evening, so we decided to drive around and see everything we didn't have a chance to see. We started with the Grand Canyon of the Pacific: Waimea Canyon. Breath-taking views. Unbelievable that we were on the same island as the day before. For lunch, we got some yummy fish tacos from a local place. Then headed to Kauai Coffee Company. This place has free tours and tastings, so of course we detoured to take in the coffee. Next up, we wanted to see two different waterfalls: Wailua Falls and Opeaka Falls. Both beautiful and great to see. We walked around a few shops then bought some beer to sit by the ocean and take in out last few moments in Hawaii. This was a relaxing ending to a packed day and a great way to end out time here. For dinner we grabbed some Hawaiian BBQ and Dave got one last curry manapua. Good bye Kauai, it has been good.

Post Rope Swing

After the Rope Swing

Tunnel of Trees

After Dinner at Roy's

Dave Human Flagging

Napali Coast Hike

Highlights of trip:
-snorkeling with TURTLES!!!!!
-Hiking the NaPali Coast (breath-taking!)
-Dinner at Roy's
-Jumping off a 20 foot rope swing into a lagoon and over a waterfall!!
-Opah = most delicious fish!
*Time with each other... priceless

Mele Kalikimaka

2010-12-21T11:23:00.002-07:00

We leave for Kauai on Christmas morning! Wahoo. That is less than 4 days away! Here is our theme song this Holiday season!

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you
From the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say "Merry Christmas to you."

acceptance

2010-12-16T08:22:00.003-07:00

-we are accepting what has happened

-we are mad/frustrated at the air force for blind siding us with this since we never new this was even a possibility: dave got a deferred (civilian) PGY1 spot which equals worst case scenario and he will need to apply to these programs, he will have to withdraw his name from the civilian residency match and basically enter a different 'match'...crappy, just crappy. More work but we have come to terms with it...God works in mysterious ways and there must be a reason for this sudden shock to our systems.

-dave will be applying to PGY1 programs across the country that are still accepting applications (similar to him applying to residency programs)

-in January time frame, dave will be busy interviewing for the PGY1 spots

-we will find out march 15th where dave 'matches' for his PGY1 (works like the residency match, but now he is applying to PGY1 programs).

-after the PGY1 year, dave will decide between applying to residency programs again or doing flight medicine with the AF...not too sure about any of that, but this PGY1 will only prepare dave to be a better doctor in the end.

-i know it seems confusing but i hope this helps to explain what has happened.

-we were hoping for answer yesterday, but i feel like we got more questions.

-Truth: God is in control and He will put us where we need to be.

feelings...

2010-12-15T14:29:00.003-07:00

we are on a roller coaster, but not the good kind like at an amusement park; an emotional roller coaster... how did this happen, why did this happen, what are going to do, where are we going, how are we going to make it, why is this is this so hard... the questions are endless.

dave will now need to spend his time, money, and effort to apply to any and all programs that are still accepting applications for the PGY1 year...most places are done taking applicants, but some still have openings. again, this will be an exhausting process in which dave will end up doing internal medicine (hospitalized adults) or surgery; either way is will not be a very fun year for him.

i am struggling to determine how i feel: upset, afraid, sad, angry, lost, confused, let-down, scared, sick to my stomach...

this emotional roller coaster sucks and dave and i just want off. when will we know? how will we know? where do we go? where do we apply? why did this happen to us? did we chose the wrong path? what more could we have done? what happens now? what do we do? what is the next step? who will help us? so many questions and absolutely no answers from the military or the school. we are on our own to figure out our future.

The only truth i can put my finger on is that we have each other and God does have a path for us. we may not see it (at all) but this must be in His plans.

not good news:(

2010-12-15T09:34:00.003-07:00

we just found out devastating news.... we have NO IDEA where we will be. dave now has to apply to Civilian PGY1 (Post-Graduate Year) programs. this is about the worst thing that could happen. we will post more when we know.

countdown is on!

2010-12-13T16:10:00.002-07:00

Not sure how much sleep Dave and I are going to get in the next two days but we are only about 40 hours away from the Air Force telling us our destiny for May/June. This seems like the most exciting/stressful time in our lives. We know God has big plans for us, but sometimes it is hard to wait for them to unfold. This time, it is like we get a sneak peek into His future plans! Yay! Seems like we have been waiting a long time, but now we can countdown in hours! Woot woot!

Christmas Time Here We Come....

2010-12-05T13:32:00.004-07:00

I decided to get tickets to the Nutcracker Ballet in Denver and get some Christmas CD's from the library to get Dave and I in the holiday spirit. The ballet was nice. The story of the Nutcracker is a little odd, but I enjoyed myself. Dave enjoyed being with me but I think he could have done without the ballet. Saturday morning we played Christmas music and did some cleaning/organizing of our apartment. I still need to watch ELF to feel like it is actually Christmas time, but we are trying. I guess, all Dave and I want for Christmas is to figure out what we will be doing for the next three years, which will hopefully happen on Dec 15, the date of the Military Match. We are also looking forward to Christmas morning, when we fly out to Kauai, Hawaii!!!!!! We are very excited but it just does not seem like Christmas time. I will keep trying to get us in the Christmas Spirit, but it may have to wait until after the 15th, and even then it may not be the most Christmas-y year for us, but it is still an exiting time and we are excited to see what God has planned for us.

Merry Christmas to us.... sunglasses for Hawaii:)

I also wanted to add these two cute pictures.... Asher is such a cute little cuddle-bug:)

Birthday's

2010-11-19T11:49:00.005-07:00

I was a little bummed this year that Dave would be out of town for my birthday, but at work on Friday the 29th I received FLOWERS from him:) Dave is soooo sweet and it made my day! I seriously had a HUGE smile on my face and could not believe the wonderful surprise!

Me at my office, taking a quick pic of the flowers and my smile!

On Saturday, I woke up to a birthday cold and fever:) Yay.... but Amy and I made it down to Colo Springs to have chili and cake (and yummy caramel apples) with the family. It was nice to see everyone, but I felt awful and just wanted to crawl back into bed. Later that night, Amy threw a little party for me at her apartment and we went out to eat. It was great to see friends, but it was an early night for me to since I needed to get my sicky-butt back into bed. Here is a picture of the ladies at dinner. Thanks for the wine and dinner ladies!

Happy 10th Anniversary of your 21st Birthday Cheez!! I stole that line from Sarah, but thought it was cute. To celebrate Kezia's Birthday, we did a little shopping at Park Meadows and ate dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (Hagiwara's fav).

Best Surprise EVER!!!!

2010-11-19T11:47:00.002-07:00

DAVE CAME HOME EARLY AND COMPLETELY SURPRISED ME!!! On Tuesday night, my best friend Amy tricked me and picked Dave up from the airport then 'stopped by' for a minute and out popped DAVE! He was supposed to be back Friday evening, but took his exam early and moved his flight. He decided not to tell me and surprise me instead! It was awesome! I might have cried a little! One month away from you hubby is toooooo long:)

Dayton Update and Interview

2010-11-11T19:38:00.002-07:00

Three weeks here in Dayton. It hasn't been too bad, the ER is not super busy or exciting, but it could be worse. Overall I've learned some stuff while I've been here, I've done a lot of reading, and I did see the one neat attraction Dayton has - the National Museum of the USAF. It is a world class museum, full of planes, everything from Wright brothers planes to F-22 Raptors. The even have THE plane that dropped the A-bomb, which I thought was pretty cool.

Today I interviewed in Columbus at The (have to add that) Ohio State University. I actually really liked the program, the residents seemed really happy and the curriculum was one of the best I've seen. If I end up getting a civilian deferred residency slot I'm sure this program will rank high on my list.

This weekend I will be heading back to Columbus to go to an OSU football game with with college roommate, Eric. He is originally from Columbus and we will stay with his parents. It should be a trip to experience big time college football, a stadium of 105,000 packed full of hardcore fans. CSU just didn't have the same intensity. And next week I get to go home, which I am looking forward to.

Dayton

2010-10-24T18:05:00.002-06:00

I just arrived in Dayton, OH for a 4 week AF rotation. It should be pretty interesting. My room is nice, but it is very hotel-like. In San Antonio, my room was more like an apt with a stove and full size fridge. Here I have a mini-fridge and a microwave but that is it. I drove around outside the base a little bit, and this place is quite "ghetto". I've heard from other AF peeps that have already been here that this is kind of a dying base, and so far I believe it. It is really trashy around the base, and the base itself doesn't seem very nice either. It should be an interesting four weeks, but I will make the best of it. My friend and old roommate EZ only lives about an hour and a half away in Toledo, so I look forward to seeing him, as well as my childhood friend Dana and her family. I'll be working in the emergency department at the hospital on base. If I will have a few days off in a row here we will see if Gwen can come visit. I'll keep you posted on how things are going, and I appreciate your prayers that I will impress the right people and will have a good time during my stay here.

crazy sunday!

2010-10-18T07:19:00.011-06:00

WOW... yesterday seems to have been one of the longest days of my life. I felt tired, a little out of it, physically beaten down, but exhilarated at the same time.

I woke up early Sunday morning and headed down to Civic Center Park in Denver to race with Amy and 16,000 other runners for the Denver Rock-N-Roll 1/2 Marathon. The race was brutal considering I was not as trained as I would have liked due to some minor setbacks/injuries, but it was amazing to run through the city and have music, people, fans, bums, children and animals cheering you on. Seriously, a man had his dog bark for runners on cue. True story, it made me smile. During the race, I was hurting pretty bad, but kept running and finished with a personal best 2 hours 7 minutes for the 1/2 marathon.

Little did i know though that 16,000 runners would bring all of there family and friends and it would be so chaotic after I finished. Dave, his mom, my parents and Kali struggled to even make it to the park for the finish. 45 minutes waiting to cross one street.... crazy but thank you all for coming out and supporting. It was great to know you were there!

Next up, eat some food and head out the our frisbee tournament. We were the 2nd ranked team going into the tournament. That meant, we needed to beat two teams to make it to the finials. Yes, folks, that is three 1.5 hour long games of ultimate frisbee. WOW, I was beat. We had one sub for the first game but really all of the women played most points. I felt okay but wobbly toward the end. I was almost delirious at times but continued to eat and drink as much water as I could. Sadly, we lost in the finals but enjoyed every minute of it. Dave did a great job supporting me today and also killin' it on the frisbee field.

I think my body was really confused about what the heck I was doing to it. I took an Epsom salt bath that felt nice, but I am still hurting today. Once I get going I am fine, but initially standing up it tough. Also, squatting to pee or sit it very difficult. I know this is a random post, but thought I would enlighten everyone on my crazy Sunday.

On another note, here are some pictures of the Maroon Belles in Aspen, CO, the Continental Divide and a hike to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon.

Anyone who has ever traveled in the car with me (or been around me for more than a minute) will appreciate this picture... yes, it is me peeing on the side of the road. I HAD to go and we were too far from the hotel (like 5 minutes, but far enough). At least I was puking too:)

playing catch up...

2010-09-02T14:38:00.010-06:00

Wow... it has been a month since our last post?!?

Where do I even start?? So much has happened I hope I don't miss anything.

Okay, to start out; Dave spent a month in San Antonio checking out the Emergency Medicine Residency Program with the Air Force. Although he was still at Wilford Hall, this hospital is actually being converted into all outpatient offices and the ED will soon not exist there. Everything will be on Brooke's Army Medical Center in San Antonio. It is a Level One Trauma Center and even though it is on an Army base, he would still work there. Dave had a very successful time while in SA connecting with other residents and doctors and they all really liked him and wanted him to come back for his residency. He was pretty pumped and as of now he would rank them first overall. He will be going to Dayton, OH in October/November to check out the other military program. I am sure it will be fine, but I feel San Antonio has more to offer us. But, we will see. Also, December 15 is the big day that Dave and I figure out our future! Make your calendars:)

I was able to make a trip down to see Dave for a few days and we had a blast! We enjoyed a huge Texas sized margarita on the River Walk in downtown SA, saw the Alamo, viewed Lackland AFB, viewed Dave in uniform (very hott ;)) and just enjoyed being together. It was HOT but we were able to enjoy our time outside when needed. We floated the river while I was there and it was AWESOME! The water was warm and it felt great to relax on a tube and drink some beer:) We also ate a TON of mexican food, which I loved but my stomach did not love. We went to Sea World and it was neat to sea the killer whale show and ride the coasters with no line.

Next up, I went on a fabulous trip to Sanibel Island, FL. My family rented a condo and we hit up the beach for a wonderful family adventure! My parents, the Hagiwara's, CB squared, Sarah and I ate yummy food, swam in amazing water, enjoyed the warm weather, got eaten by mosquitoes and kept our eyes out for gators! It was an awesome family trip that I wish Dave could have been on, but he was still in SA.

Since Dave's return, we have been to many more baseball games, of course:) We have been able to see our friend Ty that had been gone traveling for 8 months in South America. He is also a die-hard Rockies fan, so it was nice to have him join in on our fun.

We also went to a concert at Red Rocks. We saw Sublime with Rome. It was a good concert and Rome did great filling some pretty large shoes. The amphitheater was awesome though and it is amazing how the rocks form such a great place for music.

In mid-August, we said out goodbyes to Kailey because she is headed to Korea for a year to teach English. She made the journey safely and is now preparing lesson plans and trying to survive the heat on JeJu Island. Please keep her in your prayers for strength, to keep well, to meet friends, connect with her students, listen to God's path and to enjoy her time.

Bryan is still in Africa and he is really finding himself there. He absolutely loves the children and everything he is doing there. He will be back for a short time in December but plans on taking a full time position in the Spring. Please also keep Bryan in your prayers.

Just last week Dave and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary! We went out for a nice dinner downtown and had a great time reminiscing about our years together. Crazy to think we met over 7 years ago! Wow, time flies! Oh, and I wore a cute black dress!

Well geezzz, I guess we should post more often. I think that is all for now.

A Fun(ny) Event at the Rockies Game

2010-07-10T12:19:00.007-06:00

A few nights ago Gwen and I went to the Rockies/Cardinals game together. Gwen had to do some work in Colorado Springs that day, so we hit traffic going to the game and didn't get to the stadium until after the game had started. This of course stressed me out and I was trying to rush us in as fast as we can. As such, we didn't have time to really eat anything for dinner before getting into the game. Normally when we go to Rockies games we never buy any food there, however, since we were both hungry and I felt bad for making us skip dinner I relented on my frugal ways and we got some nachos to share. We were sitting way up in the third deck down the first base line. Our seats were right against the railing, which was actually really awkward because you had to lean forward to see over it. So we moved sideways a few sections to a relatively empty section.

A few innings in I was close to finishing off our nachos when Gwen hit me and pointed out a foul ball that was amazingly heading toward us. We were way up there and very far away from the plate so I thought there was no way a ball would ever come to us. Nevertheless, here it came, and I quickly stood up and jumped as the ball sailed over our heads. I couldn't quite reach it, but Gwen and I turned to watch it hit the fencing just a few rows behind us. We both took steps toward the ball, and now our backs were toward the field. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but somehow I tripped over one of the chairs/cupholders in the row in front of us and toppled backward into the row below, hitting my back on the seats two rows in front of us. This whole time I was holding my nachos, which were mostly gone but still had some cheese, a few chips, and a nearly full cup of salsa. The nachos flew all over me. Two very worried looking ushers rushed down to check on me, thinking the salsa all over my hands and jacket was blood. As I looked up at Gwen she bent down to help me up with one hand, and in the other she was holding the ball. She laughed as she helped me up and the crowd around us gave me a standing ovation. Unfortunately I walked straight to the bathroom to clean up before thinking to take a picture of myself. When the usher asked if I was okay, I said I was but I was pissed I spilled my nachos. Shortly after I came back from cleaning up, the usher came and brought me a brand new free tray of nachos, which was really nice.

All in all, it was a pretty crazy experience. Gwen got her first live game ball, which we were both happy about. I made a fool and mess of myself, but at least I got some free nachos out of it. And after eating almost two full trays of nachos, I also got a nice stomachache to go with the bruise on my back and Gwen's ball. Plus the Rockies won on a Chris Iannetta walk off HR in the 9th. A game we will never forget.

Where our seats were

Gwen with her ball

The aftermath of the spillage in the row in front of us. You can't really appreciate the salsa on the ground/seats, but it is there

Kailey's First Half Marathon!!

2010-06-12T18:32:00.003-06:00

Great run today Kailey! She and a friend ran a half marathon from Copper to Frisco, that is at over 9,000 feet elevation! The weather was not great, lots of rain and cold. The girls running were okay, but the spectators were chilly. Kailey, you are a rockstar!

On a side note, I created a new mirror collage for above our dresser in our bedroom. I think it turned out nicely. I got all the mirrors at a thrift store, then spray painted them the blueish color.

Ultimate Frisbee Champs!!

2010-06-06T19:42:00.002-06:00

Our frisbee team won the championship today! It was very hot outside but we were able to kick some booty and win! Here are a few team pictures. Woot woot!!!!

CO Marathon

2010-05-13T19:37:00.003-06:00

4 hours 27 minutes!! Wahoooooo... the marathon was awesome! I felt great and all my hard work training paid off with a strong finish! I was so happy! Dave ran the last mile with me to support me, even after his stellar 10K performance of running 7 minute miles! Amy finished a little after me, but also did awesome!! We had a great race day with beautiful weather! Here are some pictures after the race.

Chicago

2010-05-13T19:31:00.003-06:00

Chicago!!! What a wonderful city! We had a great experience here in Chicago. The architecture was a beautiful mixture of old and new. Dave and Amy took a National Board Exam on Tuesday so we made a fun trip out of it. On Monday we took in the sights starting with breakfast at a great local favorite. Next, we walked down State Street (lots of shopping) and then to Millennium Park. President Obama gave his acceptance speech in this park and it also holds the "bean". This is a reflective sculpture that is shaped like a kidney bean. Very cool actually. The park also had beautiful tulips and nicely landscaped gardens. From there, we headed out to Navy Pier. This was very touristy, but it was pre-tourist season so it was nice to walk around and see the pier without the hustle and bustle of too many tourists. By the pictures you can tell it was windy and chilly while we were there. Next we headed for deep dish Chicago style pizza at Uno's. This place was established in 1943 and started the 'deep dish' tradition in Chicago. It was delicious! They put the cheese on the crust then the toppings and sauce. Different, but yummy! Pretty long day of walking around, especially post marathon! Tuesday, Amy and Dave went to their exam, so I wondered back into the city. I was planning on seeing the Sears/Willis Tower, but the low lying clouds prohibited me from seeing past the first 1/3 of the tower; so I saw the building then headed to the 'Magnificent Mile'. This is known for its wonderful shopping! I found a giant H&M, which I spend nearly an hour in. I saw the Water Tower which was the only building still standing after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. I also spotted a three story Crate and Barrel.... had to take a pic! I also enjoyed the sights of the Chicago Tribune Building (very gothic), Wrigley Building, the riverfront and I enjoyed a yummy sub from "potbelly's sub shop". I headed back to the hotel just in time to meet back up with Amy and Dave. We took a nap to prepare for a dueling piano bar in downtown Chicago. It was a great time and we thoroughly enjoyed singing along! Wednesday was Dave's day: WRIGLEY FIELD!!!! We got Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast (very big out here) and got to the game in time to watch batting practice. Dave caught a fly ball without a glove and was pretty stoked about it! He is such a stud:) He got lots of cheers and 'nice catches!' It was a little chilly for the game, but luckily, no rain. Amy was pretty cold, but Dave and I have tough baseball watching skins:) The Cubbies won and we had a blast in the left field bleachers! This place in known to get rowdy and has crazy fans. The Cubs left fielder (Soriano) was interacting with the crowd during the entire game. It was pretty awesome to see the fan support and the players appreciation of their support. The area around the field was beautiful and fully supports the Cubs! Sadly, that was our last day in Chicago, but we packed plenty into our time in the city. Here are some pictures that sum up the fun:)

Breakfast at Lou Mitchell's: est. in 1923 and hasn't moved. Great waitress and yummy food.

Millennium Park- awesome tulips!

The 'Bean': awesome reflection in this kidney bean shaped reflective sculpture.

The three of us at Millennium Park.

Navy Pier

Navy Pier- Chicago Skyline in the back

Chicago at Night...

Home Plate View

Wrigley Field!

Dave's pumped for his 'on the fly' catch!!

At the Game with our free shirts:)

Pumped to be at Wrigley

Wrigley Field

Hugest Crate and Barrel ever- three stories... Carrie/Kezia/Mom/Sarah thought you would enjoy a picture of this:)

Prayers for Bryan and Uganda...

2010-04-28T09:18:00.002-06:00

Dave's younger brother Bryan has begun his adventure to Africa. He will be volunteering with an Musana Children's Home in Iganga, Uganda. I included a map so everyone could see where Uganda is since Africa is a huge continent. Here is Musana's website if you want to take a look at the story of how it came into existence.

http://www.musana.org/index.html

The story is pretty fascinating and ironic that three women from Colorado University starting this school/orphanage in Africa.

Bryan has always had a passion for children, especially exploited children of Africa. We are so thankful for his wonderful heart and the opportunity for Bryan to serve the people of Africa. Bryan left on Saturday April 24th and will be spending the next year or so there. Please keep Bryan in your prayers as well as the entire mission of Musana. God has blessed them with many wonderful volunteers but work is still needed to be done.

Dave's 25th Birthday!

2010-04-11T18:34:00.004-06:00

Dave turned 25 on Saturday so of course we celebrated with the Rockies. It was a tough loss that lasted 14 innings, it was a bit past my bedtime by the time it was over:) Here is a picture of the birthday boy enjoying an evening at Coors Field.

Lastly, this picture just screams irony... the only black player of the Rockies that struck out for 3 straight innings...

Dad's 60th Birthday!!!

2010-03-30T20:14:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from dad's 60th birthday! I can't believe he is sixty years old! I do have to admit that he is the hottest 60 year old I know! Happy Birthday Papa!!

Dinner at Luigi's! Yummy Italian food and wine:)

"The Race" Dad challenged me to a foot race in which I kicked his 60 year old a$$! I am so proud:)

Group Shot: good looking family!!

Sarah and Dad blowing out their candles together. Yes, we may have celebrated Sarah's birthday a little late, but better than never:)

New hat and t-shirt!

Cute pic of Kezia and Kali

Here's a picture of Patty- mom and dad's new doggy for those who have not met her.

Hodgepodge Post

2010-03-05T20:01:00.006-07:00

Here is a hodgepodge of the past few weeks...I have posted some pictures of the events that I had but here goes:

Dave has begun his last rotation of his third year of medical school. The first two weeks are emergency medicine and the last 6 weeks are OB/GYN. He is pretty pumped to be on his last rotation and planning a very busy start to fourth year with trips to San Antonio and Dayton for EM rotations with the military. Anyway, to cap off his third year of medical school, I talked Dave into running a marathon with me and my friend Amy. We are running the Colorado Marathon on May 9th, then flying to Chicago so Dave and Amy (his best friend from med school and my closest girlfriend) can take the next set of board exams. They have to go to a specific city and take an 8 hour test so of course we checked out where we could go and see a baseball game; so we are headed to Wrigley Field!!! Dave is beyond excited for this! Also, Amy's brother lived in Chicago, so he can tells us what to see.

Next note: yes I am training for another marathon. This time I have a training partner (Amy) and we are going to rock it. I chose a marathon that is downhill, starts early (6am) and should not be as horrible as my first. I am very pumped and very excited for Dave to show off his running skills!

Red Rocks Hike:
One weekend we went to Red Rocks Amphitheater and hiked/walked around. It is pretty neat that they let you roam around right where concerts happen.

Kailey and I:
I just thought this was a cute picture of us:)

This past weekend we watched our friends twin girls. We have watched them a lot but they just keep getting cuter and cuter as they talk more and more. The Casseday Clan came over to our apartment and it was the first time for the twins to interact with a real, live cat. At one point we jumped on the bed with they girls to burn some energy and they LOVED it. Here are a few picks from that fun night!
Me and Carli

Jillian, Dave and Carli

Carli the Cuddler (Funny thing is, Carli asked to go nigh-night about two seconds after this picture)

My friend Amy and I went out to a nice dinner and got all dressed up. It was soooo much fun to spend time enjoying food and wine!
Posing for the paparazzi!

Any and I looking good at dinner:)

That is our life in a nut-shell over the past few weeks. I have not passed out again and it is still a running joke at my work.

Completely Mortified...

2010-02-13T09:50:00.004-07:00

I have a great story that happened yesterday, I was completely mortified by it, but I know everyone will get a HUGE LAUGH out of it. I had a appointment with the gynecologist yesterday for a pap test so I left work at 10:30 and went to the doctor's thinking it would be a quick appointment. Well, the exam went fine until the very end.... the nurse practitioner was talking to me but I started getting tunnel vision, seeing stars, getting all hot, sweaty, and stark white; so I told her I needed to lay down and she put my feet up. I felt much better after my feet were up and I was just embarrassed at this point. She kept asking me if I had eaten anything for breakfast, which I had, but it was almost lunch time, and for everyone who knows me, I am always starving and need food pretty much all the time, or I feel sick. So, yes I was hungry and maybe my blood sugar was low, but still, why did I feel so weird?

As I felt better, she told me to get dressed and she would be right back into the room. So I get up to put my clothes back on, and the dizziness comes back. This time I passed out! I hit my chin on the sturups and completely blacked out for a few seconds. I was trying to lay back on the table when the nurse came back. So imagine this, me with no pants on, chin bleeding, shirt half way on my arms and the nurse walks in.... completely mortifying!

I was crying and laughing but I think the nurse was scared, so of course she called a few women in and got me some water. I felt better after a few minutes but they made me lay there. I had to ask to put my clothes on (mortifying). I also had to ride in a wheel chair and go down to the urgent care doctors to have my chin looked at. Also, completely mortifying since I was feeling fine at this point and my chin wasn't bleeding. Well I am bright red, still kinda crying and the doctor asks me if I was having a procedure done and if that was why i passed out.... NO IT WAS A REGULAR PAP TEST... no big deal, for most people I guess. Well my chin was fine, he put a bandaide on it and told me to ice it. But, since I hit my chin on a metal sturup and they have to record of a tetanus shot, I had to get one...I was fine with the shot and did not get dizzy, but I had to call Chris (a guy from my work) to come pick me up because they would not let me drive home or back to work. So I call Chris, who thought I went to a regular gyn check-up, and ask him to come get me. He thought my car was having problems but I told him I passed out and I would tell him the rest when he got there. They wheeled me right out to his car and assisted me into the car... again completely mortified. Chris says, you do not have to tell me what happened if you do no want too... I am sure he is thinking I have some crazy disease now, but I told him I am just a little weirdo that passes out sometimes.

Does anyone remember 7th grade gym class when I bumped my elbow, got dizzy, passed out, hit the lockers and woke up bleeding? I almost clpped the tip of my nose off so I went to the nurses station and they called my mom, who came and picked me up and went ot the doctors office where he had to sew my nose back on. Meanwhile, my mother almost passed out while in the room with me. I guess it runs in the family.

Well, all in all I am fine. My chin is sore and bruised but nothing major. My pride is a little damaged, but it will get better, I will never forget this gyn appoitment and I am sure all the nurses won't either:) For everyone who is laughing at me right now, don't feel bad, I was laughing too. It is hilarious and I am thankful I didn't knock my teeth out or something.

Because I Got High...

2010-01-29T08:31:00.003-07:00

Last night I had the best run of my life! I definitely had a "runner's HIGH," hence the blog title. I went to the gym to run on the treadmill (which I despise) but I felt great as I began running. I was planning on running 5 miles, but instead I ran 9 miles in 77 minutes. Which is very fast for me. Usually I run a 10 minute mile, but last night I felt like I had an out-of-body experience and ran at about 8.5 minute miles. Amazing! I am sure I looked crazy being on the tread for that long, but it was awesome. I wore some new bright orange shorts (thanks to Kailey seeing them on sale at Old Navy), so I am sure that made the difference in my running:) Anyway, I felt like a was on crack, but hey, this has never happened before, so I am going to enjoy this feeling as long as I can. Also, I usually do not listen to music when I run, but last night I got the I-Pod from the car and decided I needed it for the treadmill. The rendition of music I listened too was made up of only a few because I get addicted to listening to specific songs while running. I think I only listened to like 4-5 songs over the course of 77 minutes. I know, I am crazy but...'N-n-now what don't kill me, can only make me stronger', 'I got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night, tonight's gonna be a good, good night', 'Baby you can have whatever you like, I said you can have whatever you like, yeah'... just a small sampling. Well, I just thought I would share my special feeling after running but I am sure you all think I am a bit strange now more than ever. Oh well, just being honest.

Company Party

2010-01-23T09:04:00.004-07:00

Last night, Denver Physical Therapy had the Company Celebration a.k.a. Christmas Party in January. Dave and I had a great time which is to be expected with my work. We all love to laugh and have a good time. We had dinner, drinks and Improv Comedy! Dave joined in on a skit where he was an Icelander named Ren. What is funny is that he wore that plaid suit jacket to the party and it fit perfectly into the skit.

"Ren" THe Icelander

Some ladies from the party!

Deal of 2010!

2010-01-09T08:54:00.004-07:00

I just had to post this deal of the year (at least so far)... On New Year's Day, I went shopping with all the women in Dave's family/extended family. I was not too pumped to go, but after we got there, I got a shopper's high! I got this comforter set for $10 from Dillard's, yes, $10. It was originally over $300, but I think it was mismarked and I took advantage. I was pretty excited since I have not really bought anything for our bed because it is expensive and I had not found anything I could commit too, but for $10 I think I can commit. Here are the photos of the bedding. I really like it and it includes some accent colors which I love!!

On another note, Dave has started his surgery rotation at Rose Hospital. He has 8 weeks of general surgery then he has his last rotation of his third year which is OB/GYN. The start of his rotation has been extremely time consuming but over all he has enjoyed it. He scrubs in for all the surgeries and has been able to get his hands in there as well. I do not like him to tell me too many details, just in case I pass out :), but he has been able to assist the surgeons. I am surprised ho much they let him do, but it is great to start learning hands on. Right now, Dave is thinking more about Emergency Medicine (EM) as his specialty and will be in contact with a doctor that is at Wilford Hall in San Antonio. He gained this contact through a EM doctor he currently works with and he is excited to talk to an Air Force doctor that has gone through the residency program in San Antonio and also has been a practicing EM doc with the Air Force. I will keep you posted with any interesting information.

I have been keeping busy with work. We have to re-verify insurance for 2010, so this is very time consuming but it makes the days fly by. These next few weeks should be interesting with Dave being gone a lot, but I am looking forward to time to myself and hopefully visiting family.

A Wonderful Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T14:18:00.004-07:00

Christmas was wonderful this year! On Christmas Eve, Dave and I were in Colorado Springs. We spent time with Kali and my dad in the afternoon until mom got off work. Eventually Sarah and Kezia made it over and we enjoyed yummy meatball sandwiches and shrimp cocktail!! A Ghiazza Christmas tradition!! Kali could barely contain herself with excitement of opening gifts, but she waited until it was dark to open her first one. I think I would have let her open them at like 2... I am such a sucker! Mom and Dad bought us Wii's so we opened one up and played. I think Kali and Sarah liked it the most! Michael got off work late but made it for some grub and Wii. It was a wonderful night.

The next morning Dave and I opened a few presents then headed out to Berthoud. We decided to wear our footsie pajamas up to Dave's parents house. It was great, but a little warm... I guess adults aren't made to wear fleece footie pj's. Who would have thought? We took Asher up to Berthoud with us and it took her time to relax, since I am sure she could still smell the cats even though only Babe, the dog, was there. It was a quiet Christmas morning and afternoon filled with games and relaxation. I really enjoyed staying in my pj's ALL day. Thank you for all the wonderful gifts!

Dave and I are very blessed to have such wonderful families. Thank you all for a really great Christmas! Thank you Jesus for coming to this earth and Happy Birthday:)

Dave and Bryan... they look a lot alike...

Berthoud Family!

Footsie PJ's

Asher playing with her new tent from auntie sarah!! She LOVED all the new toys she got!

Colo Springs Family!

Kez and Kal! I love this picture!

Kezia and I.

Mom and Maggie

Kali and Me!!!

Thank you for the wonderful mugs Carrie! ALso, thank you for the great bowl! They are beautiful!

O' the Joys of Christmas...

2009-12-22T19:52:00.003-07:00

Dave and I went to Golden on Saturday for a Christmas parade. I got these adorable handmade ornaments from a local artist. I had to post a picture because they are too cute.

Also, tonight I got home from work to find Dave and his friend Tyler in footie pj's playing SEGA. It was awesome. I guess they are ready for Santa:)

Medical School Prom 2009

2009-12-19T09:03:00.006-07:00

Yes, that's right, last night Dave and I attended Medical School Prom 2009! We had a blast dancing, singing a little karaoke and just enjoying the fact that Dave gets two weeks off!!! Before prom, we went out to eat with a group of people. We had some yummy Italian food then headed to the dance.

Downtown was beautiful!

I really liked the giant nutcracker:)

Friends: Keely and me (she was the one who ran a 1/2 marathon with me this past summer)

The beautiful ladies that went to dinner: Nicole, Keely and me.

Girl's Day in Denver!

2009-12-11T07:26:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas Mom! I gave mom a haircut and color for Christmas so her and Kezia came to Denver. Sarah went with us to lunch and we had a yummy Italian inspired meal. Next, Kez, Mom and I went shopping in the Pavilions off 16th Street in Denver before heading to the Aveda Salon off Market downtown. I had sooo much fun watching Kezia and Mom get their hair highlighted and cut. Kezia's hair stylist LOVED her and could not say enough about how HOT she was. Mom was looking pretty smokin' too! It was such a great afternoon and here are some pictures!

The Before picture:

At dinner with two HOT Mamas:)

A Snowy Weekend Getaway!

2009-11-15T17:23:00.010-07:00

This weekend Dave and I went to Evergreen and stayed at the Bears Inn. It was a very cute bed and breakfast owned by a wonderful woman. She was so sweet and the Inn was decorated very well. She used a lot of antiques as well as classic Colorado mountain flair in all the rooms. We stayed in one called 'Wildflower' and it was great. Dave had two consecutive days off so we took advantage of our time together and had a wonderful snowy weekend!! Here are some pictures of the Inn and our room. Oh, there was also a cute scotty dog there that looked almost fake. He was so quiet and sweet, his name was Mr. Scotty McDougal.

Dave looking kinda goofy in our room:)

Mr. Scotty

Inside the Bed and Breakfast

Inside again, but also my cute new hat:)

At dinner...

Snow!

Picturesque Evergreen, CO.

Halloween "1985", my 25th and Snow

2009-11-08T18:42:00.009-07:00

Dave and I dressed up as "1985" for Halloween this year. We had a ton of fun with our roller blades on. We went over to Sarah's party and saw a little cheer from her and her pups. Also, here are some snow pictures from last week. We got quite a bit of snow. Lastly, there are a few pictures from dinner for my 25th birthday. It was just going to be me and a friend named Keely, but Dave was able to meet up with us!

1985 Complete

Dave skating through the hallway.

Just rockin' the blue eye shadow....

Go Broncos!!

It looked a lot worse from our deck...

Dave falling into the snow

Just the 3 of us...

Keely and I with yummy pear martini's

Congrats Matt and Lindsey!

2009-10-18T16:29:00.004-06:00

We had two friends run in the Denver Marathon today. We were able to bike around town and cheer them on. Lindsey ran her first half marathon and Matt finished his first full MARATHON!! Wahoo. Congrats to both! It was a perfect day for running the streets of Denver!

Also, thank you Carrie, Joe and Carlie for the birthday gift. Asher has really enjoyed the box:)

A cute pic of Dave and I waiting at the race.

Rocktober!

2009-10-13T20:14:00.005-06:00

The Rockies had a great run this season, but it was sad to see it end with two loses at home. Dave and I were able to go to both playoff games and it was COLD for the Sunday night game. Here are some pictures of the opening on Sunday evening. The American flag was breath-taking.

Before the game

Bundled up before the game.

Our friend Matt, covering up with his Rock-Tober towel.

Go Rockies!!

2009-09-26T08:08:00.005-06:00

Matt Holliday was back in town with the Cardinals but we saw a Rockies WIN! Dave and I went to the game last night and saw a thrilling game against the St Louis Cardinals. The Rockies won in the bottom of the ninth inning and it felt like Rocktober is just around the corner! The game also had fireworks after the game. Dave and I got onto the field and we able to lay in left field to watch the beautiful firework display. I had never been on the field so it was wonderful to see the stadium from where the players see it!!! Here are a few pictures:

Soooooo excited to be on the field after a Rockies WIN!

Yes, we are laying in left field!

Fireworks!

26.2 Miles, Booyah!!

2009-09-20T18:14:00.011-06:00

I RAN THE BOULDER BACK ROADS MARATHON TODAY!!!!!!!!! WAHOOO, 26.2 GRUELING MILES! I have been training for 18 weeks for this day to come and wow, was I nervous. I had nerves all morning before the start at 8am. The run was HOT and very HILLY!! I am not used to running in the heat, so I was feeling pretty awful by 14ish miles. It wasn't my muscles so much as that I felt like I was overheating. But non the less I FINISHED my marathon. Dave ran with me for the last 7 miles or so and was a great encouragement to keep me going. I do not think I could have finished without him. It took just under 6 hours to complete. Not the best time but I did my best under the circumstances!! Now I think I am going to retire from my marathoning days. I plan on never doing another, but at least I was able to meet a life time goal of running the 26.2 miles that it takes to get through a marathon!!

Really Nervous for the Start :)

Mile 8: Still feeling okay.

Feeling pretty bad with only 200 yards to go. With may Afgani-Motivational Coach.

DONE!!

Thank you DAVE!!!!!!

Done :)

Thank you Beth and Kailey for coming out to support!! It was great to have you cheering for me!! Thanks for the flowers too!!

South Lake Tahoe, CA

2009-08-27T06:43:00.024-06:00

It took us 15.5 hours but we made it the South Lake Tahoe and it was beautiful. The lake is HUGE! It is as wide as it is deep. To drive around the lake it is about 70 miles. We stayed at Dave's Grandparent's cabin that they have owned since the 70's. I was delighted when I got out of the car in Tahoe at the wonderful smell, clean and almost sweet. I guess that there are Jeffrey Pine's that have vanilla scented bark. Dave and I did a lot of hiking and swimming all over the area. We hiked to Angora Lakes and jumped off some rocks into the water. We also walked throught the burn area from the Tahoe fire 2 years ago (which was not very far away from the cabin). I felt like we were walking through a cemetary or something with all the burned trees and ash on the ground.
One day we visited Uncle Andy and Susan that live about 1 hour west of Tahoe. They took us to a park with a river and we just relaxed in the water and caught up with eachother. For dinner we went to In N' Out Burger. Very delicious but thankful we do not have them in Colorado.
One day we drove around the entire lake. It was pretty fun to see all the towns around and we stopped in Tahoe City. There is a bridge where you can look over and see trout that are over 2 feet long and weigh over 20 pounds. They are protected so the fish just keep growing! It was funny though, Lake Tahoe is so big I almost felt like we were at the beach without the salt water:)
We also went to Emerald Bay which is a tourist sight to see in the area. The bay is beautiful and there is an island (the only island on the lake) in the middle.
I thoroghly enjoyed playing in the water everyday. In Colorado we do not have natural lakes like this. Here are some pictures of the trip:

The Cabin

Camp Richardson, Lake Tahoe

At the Hippie Pond (where the Tahoe Fire started)

Burn area

The butt burning hike up to the lakes.

We jumped off the rocks across the lake in this picture.

Angora Lakes

Dave with his Old Man Pipe and the old Green Chair at the Cabin.

The Beaver Pond. Dave in his sweet Rockies Floppy Hat!

Fallen Leaf Lake

Old Ski Lift = New Swing

Awesome Sign!

Sunset over El Dorado Beach, Lake Tahoe.

Yes!

Fallen Leaf Lake (Papa's Secret Spot)

Tahoe City: doesn't this look like the beach?

Above Emerald Bay.

We saw this boat while we were in Emerald Bay. I think it was called the Queen Tahoe.

Dave and SMokey just chillin'

After our only dinner out, we went to 'The Brewery'. Yummy beer:)

Freakin' HOT in the desert of the drive home!

Asher missed her mom while she stayed in Berthoud for the week. This is the drive home:)

Hot Springs Pictures

2009-08-27T06:35:00.006-06:00

Starting out.

The trail, there is an old cabin on the left of the picture.

The two smaller pools.

Happy to be done!

On our way home, we went from Aspen to Leadville over the Contenental Divide. Very beautiful up there, but windy!!

Conundrom Hot Springs: Aspen, CO

2009-08-05T09:51:00.003-06:00

This past weekend Dave and I got the chance to get away from the city and heading for a little mountain air. We have been wanting to do a little backpacking before the end of the summer and the weather forecast looked good (no rain), so we went for it. We drove 3.5 hours to Aspen early Saturday morning with a hike to Conundrom Hot Springs in our sights. We have been waiting to do this hike because of all the hipe about naked hippies in the natural hot springs... no just kidding, but the hike was appealing with a great reward to soak in the hot springs.

We stopped in Glenwood Springs on our way to Aspen and to our surprise there was a Kawana's Pancake breakfast!!! We were able to fill up our bellies for the long hike ahead and it was the most delicious pancake breakfast I have ever been to!!

We arrived at the trail head in Aspen and started hiking around 10am. The hike is approximately 8.5 to 9 miles and it took us 5 hours to make it up. We were each carrying a backpack full of our camping gear, so our shoulders and hips were getting pretty sore as we neared our final destination. Dave did a great job encouraging me to push through the pain and make it to camp. The trail you follow on this hike winds with the Conundrom Creek and there was one river crossing without a bridge. The bridge had been washed out and not replaced by the Forrest Service yet. We had to go through calf deep freezing cold water but we survived the trips across.

To have a fire up there, you had to camp at least 1/4 of a mile from the springs (which was fine with us) because camping is not camping unless you have a fire.

Up at the hot springs, we were greeted with an open valley with the springs flowing down the side of the mountain. There was one large pool (about the size of a small rectangular pool) and 3 smaller pools (hot tub size or less). The springs are supposedly over 100 degrees. The springs we much smaller than we anticipated but it was still great to soak in. The views from the hot springs were amazing. Massive mountains surrounded the area and it was great to just relax and take in the fresh air. Also, the springs did not smell funny at all...I thought they would be sulfury, but to our luck, nothing.

Well, that was our weekend in Aspen.

***I will post pictures when we get our computer fixed.

Another happening:
I ran a half-marathon on August 8th, then Dave and I played in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. My race went great and the tourney was fun, but I was very worn out! My full marathon in on September 20th in Boulder, so come cheer me on if you are in the area!!

Also, we are headed to Lake Tahoe, CA, this week! Dave's Grandparents own a cabin there, so Dave had a week off of school so we're drivin' to Tahoe!!! I am very excited!

Happy 4th...

2009-07-08T18:41:00.007-06:00

I know it has been a few days since the fourth, but here are some pictures from our day. Dave and I decided to go hiking in Boulder on the morning of the fourth before we went to Berthoud. The hike was amazingly beautiful!!! I always knew Boulder was nice, but being able to hike to the top of the flatirons gave me a new thankfulness for Colorado!

During the day, Dave's parents had his extended family over for a barbecue (that got a TON of rain and wind for about 30 minutes). I got to finally met the last Uncle and Aunt on his dad's side. They are missionaries with their 3 kids in Kazakhstan. It was nice to finally meet them and to spend a little time with Dave's family. We had a great fourth! Happy Birthday America:)

St Louis, MO

2009-06-30T21:25:00.017-06:00

WOW... Dave and I made a whirl-wind trip to St Louis and had a great time with friends we have not seen in a while. Brett and Caitlin's wedding was beautiful and made me think I was in a movie or something. Here are a bunch of pictures of the main events: the Arch, the Stadium and the wedding. Dave was not only pumped to see his good friend Brett, but I think he may have been even more pumped to see the St Louis Cardinals stadium. It is a very new stadium and it was very impressive! It had the 'historic' look much like Coors Field, but the history with the Cardinals cannot be beat. It was very HOT and HUMID in St Louis, but we enjoyed the time we had anyway:)

Yes, I have been working out, I know, my muscles are HUGE!!

Handstand :)

The park near the Arch...

The Stadium!!

Dave in front of Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals home!

The view from our seats, we were on the top level, but you could not beat the great St. Louis view! Gotta love the arch!

Church, wedding and Reception Pictures:

Trinity Lutheran Church

Smile!!!

On the front church steps... isn't the dress cute! (it is the dress I wore to senior prom)

Reception site: Magic Chef Mansion

Dave found a swing while we were having cocktails...

Just arrived at the reception and the tent was beautiful.

Amazing centerpiece at the reception.

Brett & Caitlin's first dance

The tent was beautifully lit up at night.

We were 'glowing' after a night of dancing in the mid-west:)

St Louis this weekend....

2009-06-25T14:28:00.000-06:00

Dave and I are driving to St Louis, MO, this weekend for a friends wedding!! Wahooo!!! We were not planning on attending (and Dave had to decline on being in the wedding) due to his clinical rotations, but Dave was able to get this week off of work! Our friend Brett is who Dave and I drove out to California with during Spring Break in college. He is also in medical school out in St Louis but his rotation do not start until July.

While Dave and I are in St Louis, we are going to the new Busch Stadium to go to a St Louis Cardinals baseball game. I think Dave might be the most excited about this part ;) No seriously, though, I think we are going to have a wonderful weekend!! Pray for out safety with all the driving:)

Mt. Bierstadt: 14,060 feet

2009-06-14T16:53:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful weekend in Colorado, minus the funnel cloud in Denver on Sunday. Dave and I were able to go hiking on Sunday and we hiked Mt. Bierstadt in Georgetown. So one more 14er down and I DID NOT EVEN VOMIT THIS TIME!! Wahoooooo! I am very proud that I was able to hike and not get sick! I must be growing up :) Ha Ha Ha... Anyway, the hike was a lot of fun! We got an early start in the morning (like 6:30am) and were at the top about 2 hours later. The last part of the hike included packed snow that was like a stair master. But the hike was worth the marvelous views at the top. It was a very clear morning and we had a 360 degree view of the mountains around us. It was pretty cold at the top though, as you can see we are bundled up. The way down was very fun b/c we slid on our butts/feet down the packed snow. It was much easier than huffing it down the snow.

This is a picture from the parking lot.

Dave powering through the hike...

Here I am on the snowy slope...

The top seemed sooo close, yet soooo far away.

That is me and our friend Ty huffing it up the mountain.

Gorgeous view from the top...

I made it!!!

Wahoooo... we made it to the top and I am not sick!!!

Another beautiful shot of the snow and mountains (that is actually Mt. Evans behind us).

That sums up our pictures from the hike. It was really great to enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors. Also, on the drive up to Mt. Bierstadt, Dave and I saw lots of fishing and camping spots to come back to. Georgetown is only about 1 hour from Denver, so it is nice to have a quick idea of where to camp.

I just wanted to add these next pictures to the blog:
Here is me celebrating my Monopoly Victory over Dave and our friend Ty!!!!! For those of you who do not know, Monopoly is Dave's favorite game, and I beat him! I have since decided to retired from my Monopoly career. Ha ha ha!

Here is Dave handing over the last of his cash!

Throwing up the money...

Celebrating sweet success!!

Fun Times with KALI!!!!

2009-05-31T07:31:00.001-06:00

Kali came to visit Dave and I this weekend and we had a blast! Or at least I had a great time and I think Kal did too:)

The weekend started out on Friday evening, Michael drove Kali to Castle Rock and we met up to exchange the 'package'. Kali and I drove back to D-town, but first stopped for food. We went to Chick-Fil-A then did a little shopping at Target. Kali helped me with laundry when we got home as well as making muffins. We watched most of Hook, then called it a night.

On Saturday we decided since it was such a beautiful day that we were going to go to the Denver Zoo. It was gorgeous outside with the perfect temperature to be outside walking around. At the Zoo, we saw hungry hyenas, back flipping otters, show-worthy seals and sea lions, a 48 year old elephant that did tricks, a young gorilla drinking his own pee (yuck!), lots of felines that reminded us of our precious Asher, as well as some stinky rhinos and hippos. It was a great trip to the Zoo and we spent about 3 1/2 hours there! The pictures below show how small Kali is compared to an Asian elephant, Kal photographed the baby giraffes we saw running around, and 'how far can you jump' showed that Kali can jump as far as a penguin, Gwen as far as a jack rabbit and Dave as far as a polar bear. We had a wonderful time! We got some lunch after the zoo, then we rested for a bit (I wass mostly the one that was tired, Kali is like the energizer bunny). Then we went swimming! We just went to the pool in the apartment, but still had a good time! Kali is a good little swimmer that knew lots of strokes!

Next up: THE COLORADO ROCKIES!! Dave's parents, sister and cousin came down from Berthoud to go to a game so we met up with them. We sat in left field and enjoyed a great game! It was a thriller right up until the end, but phew... we won! In a few pictures Dave and Kali have thier 'rally' caps on to help the team rally in the 9th inning. I think it must have really helped since they pulling out a W. During the 3rd inning Kailey (Dave's sister), Kali and I went to meet Dinger (the Rockies Mascot). It is said that when Coors Field was being built, a dinosaur egg was found and on opening day it hatched and out came DINGER!! IT was fun to get his signature and take some pictures. Kali got a hat signed as well as a picture of Dinger. Fun fun fun!!

Hmmmm... I think that pretty much sums up our weekend with the Kal-ster. Power packed with fun and excitement!

Memorial Day Weekend...

2009-05-25T19:43:00.001-06:00

Although Memorial Day Weekend in Colorado was rainy, Dave and I were able to go fishing on Saturday. We went to Evergreen Lake which was only 45 minutes away up I-70. The fishing was unsuccessful but enjoyable non the less. We woke up early that day, so we were able to get fishing and a walk around the lake before the rain poured down later that afternoon.

Oh and here is a picture of my hair. It is short in the back as well, but super easy to do! And yes, I did get my nose pierced;)

Pictures you have all been waiting for...

2009-05-25T19:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some Cheyenne Wells Pictures...

The Water Tower

Keefe Memorial Hospital (pretty exciting)

Cheyenne County Court House

Cheyenne Wells, CO

2009-05-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

Cheyenne Wells, Colorado: Population 1,000, but it has a hospital with 2 providers! It was really great to visit Dave this weekend. I was able to meet some nurses, both doctors and the women in the kitchen that have taken care of him the past few weeks. Everyone was very friendly and sad to see Dave go, since he only has 4 days left. I stayed with Dave in the hospital since he was staying in the old 'nunnery'. it was just like a dorm room! On Saturday and Sunday Dave and I were able to hit up the golf course and had a blast! This was my first time picking up clubs, so my golf game was not really a game so much as it was me chasing my ball around and missing the ball a few times:) The weather was beautiful and the time with Dave was great. Only a few more days and he is coming home! He will be home Thursday night. The next part of his block will be with a family practice in Cherry Creek. He is very excited about the proximity to home! Hopefully I will be able to post pictures once Dave is home.

This weekend...

2009-05-11T13:58:00.001-06:00

This weekend Dave was able to come back for a few days and we had a nice time. Friday night we went to a birthday party for my boss at work who was turning 39. It was a surprise party and he had no idea! We had a nice little fiesta with yummy food and margs! Saturday morning I got a hair cut and it is pretty short... No pics though since I don't have our camera, but when I get it I'll show everyone. I think it is cute and very easy to manage. Saturday afternoon I went to the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Civic Center Park. It seemed to be just like every other fair with just a little more Latin Flava. It was fun to listen to the music and watch people dance. That evening we went up to Berthoud to help celebrate Bryan's (David's little brother)19th birthday. On Sunday we had a breakfast for Mother's Day/Bryan's B-day and just relaxed for a few hours. We brought Asher up, but she was not very happy in the house. She wasn't at all comfortable and spent the entire time in the basement hiding from their cat, Missy. I was pretty upset because I had never seen or heard Ash growl and hiss so much, but she survived the time their and was able to cuddle up with me later that night. Dave took off on Sunday afternoon to finish up his last two weeks in Cheyenne Wells. I am going to visit him this coming weekend, so I am excited to see the town and maybe go golfing:) I know this post is kinda lame, but at least it is an update. I hope all the momma's out their had a wonderful day.

Sewing, kitties and hospital updates...

2009-05-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

Dave's mom, Beth, got me a sewing machine for my birthday last year and I finally opened it up and took it for a test drive! Yes, I know, 8 months later, but at least I am sewing! Thankfully the machine came with an intro CD-ROM with an explanation of loading the machine with thread. It is actually quite simple once you get the hang of it.

My first project was not that difficult, but a project non-the-less. I sewed covers for the pillows to our couch. I never liked the fabric on the pillows that came with the couch so now I covered them with a gold colored fabric that looks great against the red couch. I also made cute little decorative pillows that have a colorful floral design to match and also bring in sum spice. It looks so good! I am totally excited about the addition. I will have to post pictures when I get the camera back from Dave (he took it to Cheyenne Wells, to document the facilities and eventually show all of us the exciting town and hospital). I feel like such a little home-maker while Dave is away working his tail off:)

Hmmm... anymore kitty stories? Of course I do, since they are my main entertainment lately! Well, the two of them have been quite the little characters. This morning they were playing a game on the bed (at 5:30 am) called "don't let Lily on the bed". Asher kept teasing her to jump up on the bed, then she would attack Lily and knock her off. It was actually quite amusing because after Asher would succeed in knocking her off the bed, she would jump on my chest and cuddle up to me. I think she was rubbing it in to Lily that her mom is here and Lily's was not.

Oh, and yet again, Lily woke me up in the night because she was climbing up the curtains again but fell against the window and the bars on the window to keep children from falling out. She is a crazy cat and maybe an escape artist? Only hopefully she doesn't fall out the window. Just kidding, she could not get out of the window.

Also, Asher's favorite place lately has been on top of the refrigerator. She hops up there and looks out the sliding glass door. It cracks me up too because Lily can't get up there, so again Asher is on a power trip being 'above' Lily.

Dave is coming home this weekend and I am very excited! It has only been two weeks, but it feels like much longer. He gets to do laundry and enjoy the big city for a few days:) An update on Dave though, he has been busy at the hospital. This week there is a health fair of sorts in Cheyenne Wells, and the docs are doing skin examines and drawing blood and other sorts of basic health care exams. It is kind of like the 9 News Health Fairs that just occurred in the Denver area. Some cool things that Dave got to do: put an IV in a women (he got it on the first try), draw blood, gave a cortisone shot into a man's elbow, and other things but I can't remember them all. Either way, he has been very busy and learning lots!

That's all for now, another update on "The Cats of My Life" sitcom to come. Only a few more days of watching Lily though, so the excitement might dwindle.

Crazy Kitties...

2009-05-01T08:39:00.000-06:00

So, our friend Gina is out of town this week, so I am watching her kitty. It is the grey kitten in the pictures with Ash. Her name is Lily and she is very sweet, but much more mello than Asher. The past few nights have been really interesting.

Night #1: Asher did not come to bed at all. She was on Lily-watch all night. Asher has too worried to come to bed and relax because Lily might also get comfy on the bed. So, in turn, Asher made Lily stay out in the living room while she watched her (all night). I was a little sad because I missed Asher sleeping with me, but I understood since this is how Asher always gets when Lily first comes over. Anyway, while I was drinking my tea in the morning, Asher was laying on the coffee table but she was unable to keep her eyes open or her head up. But every time she heard Lily's collar, her eyes opened and she made sure Lily was not on the couch or near me. Hilarious! Poor little Asher was exhausted after a night of being on guard.

Night #2: I decided to lock Lily out of the room and make Asher stay with me. Well, it was a good idea for a few hours, but then Asher and Lily began talking to each other through the closed door. It is quite annoying to be woken up by two whinny cats, so I opened the door and just decided that Ash would not be keeping me company. At about 2am, the two kittens thought it was a good time to begin playing and chasing each other. This entails then darting from room to room tackling, play-biting and grunting at each other. All of a sudden, I opened my eyes to see Asher climbing up the curtains/window in our bedroom with Lily on her tail. I yelled at them and they scurried off. I shut the door and left them out for the rest of the night. As soon as the alarm went off in the morning though, the two were eager to come wake me up and play. I thought this was pretty funny and I am looking forward to the nights ahead. Two 8 month old kittens in one apartment; I think it could be a sitcom on TV or maybe I need a nanny cam to catch them on camera and win America's Funniest Home Videos.

Well, there is an update on my exciting life:)

Update on Life...

2009-04-30T08:45:00.001-06:00

1) DAVE PASSED HIS BOARDS!!! Wahoo, Dave got word last night that he passed his boards and is able to continue his doctoring career. I am very proud of him and all his hard work!

2) Dave is in Cheyenne Wells, CO for 4 weeks for a Rural Medicine Rotation for school. This town is in southeastern Colorado near the Kansas border (population 1,000).

He is living in the hospital, which turns out to be not that bad. He has his own room, a sink, a lounge area with TV and couch as well as a frig which is shared. Since the town is so small, specialty doctors (cardiologists/ anesthesiologist) need a place to stay when they come to town about once per month. Also, some of the nurses that live pretty far away are able to sleep a few nights without driving home.

Two women work in the cafeteria and make all the food. Dave will be eating there the whole time since there are really no restaurants in Cheyenne Wells. The women are very nice to Dave and leave him a plate if he is not there at meal time. He seems to be well taken care of.

The doctors he will be working with seem very nice and laid back. These doctors work in the clinic in Cheyenne Wells, but are also the hospital doctors too. They act as the emergency docs and take care of anyone admitted to the hospital. Dave will be able to see a lot of things while here as well as get involved with many patients. He has been pretty pumped on this rotation so far.

Yesterday, Dave and one of the doctors went golfing after work! Only 7 holes, but a wonderful time anyway:) Since there is not much to do in the town, Dave hopes for good weather to at least golf to get outside for a few hours a day.

While in Cheyenne Wells, Dave has a lot of learning outside the clinic as well. He has multiple books that he has to read for school, he has to document all the patients he sees and many other small things for school. During this rotation, he is required to see certain things/cases as well as read about other possibilities. I'm sure he can tell you everything, but he will be kept busy while there.

3) I have been hanging out with Asher mostly. I have plans to help out with a family fun night at our church as well as visit the Denver Art Museum this weekend. I miss Dave but I am thrilled that he is enjoying himself!

4) This is just a funny story:

Dave calls me at lunch the other day and was telling me that his stethoscope seemed fussy and scratchy while he was using it at the clinic; then he looked down to see bit marks in the tubing of the stethoscope. Well, Asher must have thought it was a play toy for her one day and attacked the scope:) I found it pretty funny, but Dave wasn't as amused. Now he has to buy a new stethoscope and get it sent to him ASAP in Cheyenne Wells.

Well, that is about it for now in the lives of D and G. Feel free to call or email him while he is there.

Asher!

2009-04-21T18:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I wanted to post some new pictures of Asher:) Her eyes are as beautiful as ever:)

Italian Adventure with the Bemi!!!

2009-04-19T06:54:00.000-06:00

Dave and I are back from Italy after a lot of traveling one week. We had sooo much fun visiting with Carrie and Joe and Carlie!!! We took over 200 pictures so I posted them on snapfish so let me know if I did not send you the link. Our trip went like this: we arrived in Venice on Sunday evening (we spent Easter on planes and in the Frankfurt Airport) and Carrie picked us up at the airport. After about a one hour drive we made it to her house. It is very beautiful with marble floors, beautiful coloring and it's very spacious. We ate some leftovers from brunch (which was great after traveling so much!). We played outside with Carlie and just enjoyed visiting. On Monday morning Dave and I woke up super early (like 3:30 AM) and went upstairs and ate pancakes then went back to bed for a few hours. Carrie and Joe took us to Lake Barcis which is about 30 minutes from there home in the mountains. It was beautiful and the water was turquoise. Here is a picture of us at the lake.

Tuesday we got up and started our car adventure to Cinque Terre. The area is on the west side of Italy and it is 5 towns (population appr. 600-900 people) built into the coastline. Along the way Carrie, Carlie and of course myself fell asleep. For me it was a coping method for not getting nauseous on the winding roads. We arrived in Monterroso and checked into the bed and breakfast. The views were breath taking. Here are a few from our patio as well as from our hike around the town (and Carlie and spaghetti).

On Wednesday, we started a one and a half hour hike from the town we were staying in to the next town. Carlie looked very cute in the backpack with Joe:) The hike was beautiful. Joe was definity a trooper for carrying Carlie the entire day! The weather was wonderful and we could not have asked for a better day. Dave and I did some "rock jumping" from about eight feet up into the cold sea. We hiked between two other towns and took the train or boat to see the others. It was a long day with a lot of walking, but it was really neat and all the towns were really cute.

Thursday we drove back. It took about eight hours with a few short stops in Verona and a small town called Soave to see a super neat castle. On Friday we took a quick tour of Aviano AFB and then Dave and I took a train to Venice. We then took a bus from the train station to our hotel, which is actually outside of Venice, and we got lost because someone told us to get off the bus early and we ended up walking a few miles with our heavy backbacks on asking Italians who spoke no English how to get to our hotel. We did finally find it, and we dropped our backpacks off and took another bus into Venice and spent about five hours walking around. We slept for a few hours then got on a shuttle at 5 AM to the airport for the long trip home.

On our way back we had to go through customs in Dallas. We had to pick up our bags, clear customs, then recheck our bags and make it to our gate in about an hour and 15 minutes from the time our plane landed until our next plane took off. We were literally running through the airport to make it. When we went to re-check our bags, they wouldn't let us because there was only about 20 minutes until our flight took off, so we ran and carried our bags on after throwing away some liquids. We did just make the flight, but that was a fun adventure in itself.

Overall, it was a whirlwind trip but we really enjoyed spending time with the Bemi and seeing a lot of beautiful sites in Italy.

Party Time!!!

2009-04-11T11:10:00.000-06:00

We went to the Rio with some friends to celebrate Dave's birthday and the success of finishing his first set of boards!!! It was a great night. Now, we leave for Italy!!! Woot Woot:)

Getting Pumped...

2009-04-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

Dave has 2 more days of studying then on Friday he takes his big exam!! Please pray for his patience and concentration as the exam is 8 hours long on Friday. He will also be turning 24 on Friday! We are planning dinner and drinks at the Rio with some friends. Then on Saturday afternoon we will be flying out to ITALY!!! I am getting pumped for our trip!! I just thought everyone should know what going on in the Otten household :)

Quick trip to Virginia...

2009-03-31T20:22:00.000-06:00

Well, bad news hit the Otten Family when David's Grandma on his mom's side passed away on Wednesday. We booked a flight out to Virginia and left on Friday and stayed until Monday afternoon. The funeral was on Saturday and David's dad gave the eulogy for his mother in law. It was a wonderful speech and and he focused mainly on the fun, humorous side of Grandma Finney. Visiting with the extended family was nice since we do not go out there very often.

One of the best things we were able to do was visit the USS George H. W. Bush Aircraft Carrier. It is at the Navel Base in Norfolk. Dave's cousin's husband was in the Navy and is stationed on the ship. He was able to give us an amazing tour of the huge ship! Tip to tip it is as tall as the Empire State Building.

The Ship!

This is where Kyle Sleeps! Yikes!

Very Patriotic! On the flight deck.

Giant Anchor Chains...

The Captains Chair...

Amazing....

Brewery Tours, Fort Collins, CO

2009-03-19T20:40:00.000-06:00

We took our friend Gina to the breweries in Fort Collins. She is from Oklahoma, so she had never been to New Belgium (home of Fat Tire), Fort Collins Brewery, or O'Dells (home of Easy Street). We had a great time. Kailey and Bryan came with us, so it was a cute "Otten" affair. I also added a few pictures of Dave and his friends at karaoke. We dressed up one night and had a great time making fools of ourselves a the bar.

Oh and here is a super cute picture that is totally unrelated. Asher has been Dave's study partner as he has been preparing for his boards. Apparently she is getting tired and can't keep her eyes open on all the paper :)

Italy here we come....

2009-03-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Big news: we leave for Italy in about 5 weeks..... Yes Italy.

Dave and I were planning a trip to Mexico before he starts work in the hospital, but thanks to mom and dad, they warned us about the growing violence with our neighbors to the south. I guess I have not been watching the news closely enough because we had no clue about the drug cartel and other violence that has been happening. Thanks Mom and Dad for keeping us in the loop:) Well, Dave and I threw around quite a few ideas about what else we should do with that week, but we kept coming back to Italy. It will be a short trip since we will be there for one week, but we may never have much more time than that to travel. We are VERY excited to visit Carrie, Joe and CARLIE!!! I laugh at our decision because it seems that Dave and I like make big decisions in short amounts of time... we have been procrastinating on making a decision about Mexico (which I am glad we did), but now we are leaving for Italy in 5 weeks:) Oh well, we are very excited and got a good deal on airfare to Europe. Also, we are excited because we are flying on Lufthansa Airlines which is known for great service, little TV's in the head rests and free alcohol.

Also, a reminder that Dave takes his boards exam on April 10th, so keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he prepares for this major test!!

Ice Fishing

2009-03-01T19:28:00.001-07:00

Gwen and I went ice fishing today after church in Evergreen. It was a beautiful day, about 55 degrees, but the ice was solid. We had a fun time, and caught four fish.

Here I am attempting to use the agar to drill the hole, but it turns out we just used holes that were already drilled since it was such a wonderful day. Not to mention it saved us a lot of work:)

Gwen just relaxing with her pole.

Look at that bad boy!

Our feast!!!

Vegas Vacation

2009-02-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Kailey turned 21, so 11 women went to the desert to party like the Rockstars that we are:) Well, the weekend was soooo much fun! I think we walked about 10 miles a day! I got to visit the Hoover Dam and it was incredible. Here are some pictures of the weekend.

On the Dam, they are building a bridge to bypass the Dam...

Kalisa and I

Kailey drinking out of her Eiffel Tower!

Kailey is 21!!

2009-02-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the Rio (a mexican restaurant) to celebrate Kailey's 21st birthday! Here is a few pics of her taking a shot like a champion:)

Finally an Update........

2009-02-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been TWO months since we posted anything! Way too long! The holidays were very nice this year. It seemed to fly by! We spent Christmas Eve and Day in Berthoud with Dave's family and Spent the following weekend in Colorado Springs with my family and got to see Carrie and Carlie!

Dave has been extremely busy with school. He is scheduled to take his first set of boards (the huge doctoring exam) on April 10th (also his birthday). Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as that day creeps up on us.

I have been busy mostly with work. I am thankfully not taking any classes this semester which works out nicely with work. I have been busy helping with the Woman's ministry at our church. We are planning a retreat for the fall and many other activities along the way.

Asher is growing up quickly! She is so freakin' cute!!! It is almost sick how much Dave and I love her! She likes to fetch her little mice which just cracks us up since she acts almost like a dog. She is still very affectionate and loves to sit on our shoulders still. Lately though she has been a pillow hog and has been sleeping on my pillow which is fine until I roll over and she doesn't want to move. But she is too cute so I make it work:) (yes, I am turning into a crazy cat lady)

I am pretty excited because I am planning a trip in February to Las Vegas for Kailey's (David's little sister) 21st birthday bash! A girls weekend in the city of sin, wahooo!

This post is very wordy but the only picture I have to post is of Dave's recent trip to Carmel, CA. He attended a Research Conference last weekend and presented his study that he developed this past summer. He was able to have some fun while there which included the famous 17-mile loop where he saw Pebble Beach Golf Course, toured the Monterrey Aquarium and went on a whale watching tour.

Well that about sums up what we've been up to in the past few months. Sorry for the lame post but it was just a quick update!

Just an update on how handsome I look...

2008-12-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Oops... I Mohawked Dave's Hair....

2008-11-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided to give Dave a haircut and forgot to put the guard on, so we had fun with it. I gave him this awesome mohawk and he kept his beard. Yay, I know your all jealous, but he his my wonderful husband:)

Givin' Ash kisses

Me and Asher:)

Dave and I in Cherry Creek... yay for Christmas lights up!

Leaf Rakin'

2008-11-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today we helped out with our church and raked some yards. It was great weather to be outside working. Here are some pictures with our friends Brad and Gina. They were also in the Halloween pictures as Beetlejuice and Lydia.

I am just looking tough and strong (as always).

Gina used a great technique.

Dave was very proud of his huge pile!

Brad decided to just jump right in.

Dave and his balancing rake. I think he needs to join the circus.

Avalanche!!!

2008-11-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Go Avs!!! Well we finally made to a Colorado Avalanche game. It seems we have been able to see every other professional sports team in Denver, but never the Avs. Our friend Ty had tickets through his fathers work so we got club level seats for 20 bucks. It was great to have awesome seats and enjoy an Avalanche victory. Here are a couple of pics from the game. (Oh and I got my hair chopped off:))

Crazy Kitty...

2008-11-09T18:11:00.001-07:00

Well Asher has been sooooo adorable. We cannot be happier with her. She is so playful, yet so loving. Here are a few pictures of her cuddling with us when we nap and also helping Dave study:)

This is cute. I had a ton of landry to fold and Asher was helping/playing. She kept jumping around the pile and stalking me when I was folding clothes.

Dave's a BIG baby!

2008-11-01T20:32:00.000-06:00

No, literally, Dave was a baby for halloween. Yes, Depends/diaper and all. Here are some sweet pics of us. I was a high school wrestler with the shoes and everything!

Sarah and I at her PARTY!

I took Hobbes down! Look at my guns!!!!

A Greaser, Luigi, Baby Dave, and BeetleJuice

No, literally, Dave was a baby for halloween. Yes, Depends/diaper and all. Here are some sweet pics of him. I was a high school wrestler with the shoes and everything!

The Big 24!!

2008-11-01T20:20:00.000-06:00

Gwen the Geezer turned 24 on October 30th. Here she is with Asher and some flowers I got her. We also went out to a fun family-style Italian restaurant with some of our friends for her birthday dinner.

Mom made this cute little kitty cake for my birthday!!! Just like when I was 5! I loved it:)

Uh-Oh!! We got a Kitty:)

2008-10-13T20:01:00.000-06:00

Please welcome the newest edition to the Otten family: Asher. We got her at the Dumb Friends League this weekend and she is my early birthday present!!! Asher is 8 weeks old and is a grey and white shorthaired cat. She is so cute she only weighs two pounds! Asher is very loving but also frisky!! She really loves sitting out our shoulders and also loves Dave's beard. We had a hard time choosing a name but we decided on Asher, which means "blessed." We feel blessed to have her, plus she is kinda grey and ashy. We are very excited and love her very much!!!

As you can see, she is a great study partner.

Look at those beautiful green eyes!

Wahoooo, A New Car!!!!!

2008-09-28T14:30:00.000-06:00

Here it is, our new car. We decided to get a new car before one of ours kicked the bucket. We got a 2005 Toyota Corolla. It is silver as you can see and is in great shape. It gets great gas mileage compared to our other cars and it is much zippier than the Jeep or Pathfinder. Oh and in the background is the Casa Del Sol fine apartment living.

In other news, Dave is still learning about the brain and spinal cord. It has been one of the toughest classes because of the amount of information and the amount of important details with the brain. Dave is also managing to find time for Frisbee on Wednesday nights with other med. school students as well as flag football on Saturday mornings.

I on the other hand am learning lots about physics and developmental psychology. Physics is hard because it is a completely new way of looking at things and problem solving things. It has been very time consuming to study but at least Dave has a study buddy now:) Psychology has been interesting so far. We have mostly just learned about the different learning theories out there. Our first paper is comparing and contrasting different theories of development. Work has been going well. They have been extremely flexible/accommodating with my school and work schedule so I could not ask much more from them. All in all, life has been good here at the Casa Del Sol. We are staying busy but enjoying ourselves as well.

Randoms Pics...

2008-09-07T16:14:00.001-06:00

so, dave and i have been very lazy with posting things, but here are a few updates. i have started taking a few classes as pre-recquisites for physical therapy school (although i am not applying until the fall of '09 for the following year b/c then dave will have an idea about his residency). i am taking physics and psychology. i am very busy since work has stayed steady throughout the summer and into fall. dave is busy starting his second year of medical school and learning lots about neuro-anatomy....the BRAIN!!! ahhhhh. we are both busy but still managing some fun and of course ROCKIES! we went camping over labor day weekend and caught some yummy trout for dinner. i posted a picture of dave and the celestial tea factory in boulder. he loved the beard net:)

dave with a creepy 'stach... no he is not on cops or america's most wanted.

the sunset from out balcony.... colorado is beautiful!!!

so, the DNC was just here and it caused denver transportation hastles as well as a huge influx of cops into the area. we rode our bikes to a rockies game during the dnc and look at all the cops....it is not that great of a pic but you can see the full gear and fbi peeps.

i hope this blog helps to update you all on what we're up to.