If a bear...

Greetings!

In our most recent adventures, we hiked a 14,000 foot mountain. Here is the story of our experience:

At approximately 3:57 A.M. I felt Steven moving around. I had been praying for the last 5 minutes that he would forget about wanting to hike, and we would stay in bed until well after the sun had been in the sky. My prayers were ignored as he gave me a gentle push, and told me we needed to get up. I finally talked myself into telling myself he would do the same for me when ski season was finally here. So after throwing on hiking clothes, leashing the dogs, and grabbing our packs we were out the door into the cool morning hours. We were headed for the Mt. Bierstadt trailhead, which is a little over an hour from our apartment. All was well as we had exited I-70 and made our way up a winding dirt road until we came across this little jewel...

The road to the trailhead was closed due to rock slides. I entertained the idea that I might get to go back to bed when Steven told me to find out more about the hike up Mt. Evans. This was his day so I looked up the Mt. Evans trail with my sleepy eyes. I found a trail called the Chicago Lakes Trail that 14ers.com said would summit Mt. Evans. Just as quickly as we had went up the small dirt road we were on our way back down. The sun was starting to rise so we had some good views on our drive towards Mt. Evans.

We made it to Echo Lake, which is where the trailhead for the Chicago Lakes trail is located. The sun was lighting the sky now so we parked, and quickly got started. We didn't have a map so we went off what I'd read on 14ers.com. We found the trailhead, and started what we thought would be our journey up Mt. Evans. At the very beginning of the trail we saw a small female elk eating some grass. The dogs went insane, and scared her off. It was so quiet in the area we were in that we could hear her hooves beating against the ground as she ran away. The trail was decently wide, and very well marked. It was protected by dense tall pine trees so the air smelled fresh, and we knew we'd be safe in the event of a pop up thunderstorm. Because we were in such dense trees with little other foot traffic, we would call out, "HEY BEAR!" every few minutes so the bears would hear us coming. Luckily the only wildlife we saw was another hiker. We felt like we were going in the wrong direction as we were heading in the opposite direction of Mt. Evans and we were going downhill. The hiker we came upon had a map, and he informed us that the Chicago Lakes trail does not go all the way up Mt. Evans. Trusting his map more than 14ers.com we decided to turn around. By this point it was around 7:30AM so we decided to eat breakfast by Echo Lake, and discuss what our plan was going to be for the rest of the morning.

After trail mix and homemade banana bread, we decided to go to the lodge across Echo Lake to see if they had any trail maps. They were all sold out, but the trip to the lodge was not wasted as they had toilets! After using the loo, we decided to look at an informational booth near the lodge. It wasn't much help. We decided to give up, and just drive up Mt. Evans so we could at least get a good view for all the trouble. I must say I was a bit excited at the thought of a relaxing drive. We were at the toll station when my resourceful husband tells the ranger of our previous plans to hike Mt. Evans. He told him we were really bummed that there was no trail to the top. The ranger chuckled and let us know that there was indeed a trail to the top.

We could meet up with it at Summit Lake. My dreams of a peaceful car ride were over.

The views to Summit Lake were breathtaking.

We finally arrived at Summit Lake to find the temperature much cooler, and a stiff breeze blowing. We were going to hike up and around to reach the top. It was about a four mile hike to the top. This was a much smaller hike than we had originally planned for, but we were excited to make it to the top. We started up the trail where we found a sign in box to let the rangers know who was on the side of the mountain, and how long they planned on staying. After signing in we continued up. The first section of the trail was very steep so with the breeze and working with the dogs we had to stop a few times to catch our breath. We found a nice spot to have lunch so we stopped on the side of the mountain with a view of the Chicago lakes that was at least 2000 feet down to enjoy our sandwiches. After a quick bite to eat we were off again. From our hike we had views of the Continental Divide (which we stood on when skiing at Monarch), Pikes Peak, and Denver. This trail was not as well marked as the Chicago Lakes Trail. We had to keep an eye out for cairns, or piles of rocks, to know where the trail was. We saw several marmot on our hike, and we even got to see a small family of them. I'd love to share pictures of this part of the experience, but Steven left the camera in the trunk thinking he'd save on the extra weight!

We were on the backside of Mt. Evans when we decided to eat a little more. Hiking is a lot of work! We were also at about 13,000 feet at this point so our bodies were feeling a little funny because of the altitude. While we were snacking we saw the same hiker who let us see his map on the Chicago Lakes trail. He apologized for leading us astray but we were glad to see each other again so close the the summit. After our snack, we continued the rest of the way up to the very top. The view was amazing, and the sense of accomplishment to know that we had hiked to the top was great. We took in the sights from the top for awhile, and then decided to head back down due to the dark clouds that were starting to set in. It was important to get back to the car before an afternoon storm started because we were well above tree line so there was no protection for us in the event of lighting. A ranger let us know that there was a shorter path down the front side of the mountain. It was much steeper than the path we had taken, but it was a great deal quicker than the other trail. There was a thick layer of grass with boulders sprinkled everywhere on our way down. We saw a lot of small animals and even came across a few mountain springs that provided a cool drink for the pups. After about a 4 hour hike we were back at the car. The sun was behind the many clouds that had settled in, and we were glad to be back to the safety of our car. Our trip up Mt. Evans started as chaotic, but it ended in a tranquil manner.

Our next 14er looks to be Pike's Peak via the Barr Trail. We'd like this to be our first backpack camping experience so as soon as we complete our gear then we'll be finding a free weekend to head to Colorado Springs.

Kimble's Do Denver

Greetings!

We, mostly me (Ruth), pledge to get better at updating this blog!

It's been a busy time for us. Steven is continuing to learn the ways of property management, specifically through the community director's lens. He seems to be enjoying work, and is continuing to succeed within the company. I'm a proud wife! :)

Aside from being a great community director, Steven is continuing to be a great husband. He's proving to be a handy man around the house. So far he has fixed the screen door, a plugged sink, and a slippery shower curtain! He has been teaching the kids (dogs) new tricks. Madison can now play dead, and Oscar "speaks" on command.

The job search continues for me! I just took the Colorado state exams for my CO teaching license. I'm getting signed up for many different sub lists. While this isn't the ideal working situation is opens up free time for visitors and, more importantly, SKIING! :) I am know that God has a plan for my career so I am trying to be patient.

In other news, WE ARE OFFICIAL COLORADO RESIDENTS! After a VERY expensive visit to the DMV we are now equipped with pretty green and white Colorado license plates. Unfortunately, in Colorado the cars must have a plate on the front and back of the car. This means no more BSU plate for me, and Grey Baby (Steven's car) is getting drilled into. It has taken some adjusting to get used to the new plates, but we are excited to be over that hurdle.

Other than getting to know a new town, searching for a job, succeeding at a job, and becoming CO residents; we have been entertaining like crazy! The Kimble family has been our most recent guest experience. This brought a new element to the Moll Inn as the Kimble's have three children ranging from 18 months to 9 years. Colton showed us how to baby proof the apartment while Cassidy and Annalee win a gold medal for draining the energy out of Madison and Oscar. Garry reminded us of his humor, and Jennifer juggled ten tasks at once proving that she is still super mom. Here is what the trip looked like:

• Thursday - Left the airport to come home to a MUCH needed breakfast. Played Steven's made up games with the girls, and climbed on a boulder at a park near the apartment.
• Friday - Hiked around Eldorado State Park then headed to Steven's company picnic where we all engaged in some intense whiffle ball.
• Saturday - Experienced the American Girl store then the girls headed to Heaven Fest to listen to the likes of Casting Crowns and Barlow Girl. The girls received autographs from Barlow Girl! The boys walked around Denver then headed to the Cubbies game at Coors Field.
• Sunday - Ate at the foot of Mt. Evans at a cute little cafe. Experienced snow in August on Mt. Evans, saw Elk along the highway, and enjoyed our departing dinner together.
• Monday - Left the apartment at 4 AM to send the Kimbles off to Jason's family in New Hampshire.

It was great to see the Kimbles! We miss them very much. We video chat a great deal with them, but there is nothing like seeing them in person. We are trying to talk them into coming out to ski with us this winter! Jennifer says they'll come when Colton is a little older!

Our next guests to arrive are the Vogel's for Labor Day then Mom and Dad Zeilinga with Meme for Steven's birthday in late September.

Let us know when you are heading out!!

Up to no good in the wood...

Hola!

It has been a busy month. We moved to Englewood, Colorado, I had a final the next day, and then I left for Malawi, Africa for 16 days.

We had a great trip with a lot of good people. It is really nice to surround yourself with genuine people who share the same passion for travel. That's all I'm going to say about the trip. If you want more details...COME VISIT US IN COLORADO! :) We can also Skype sometime if travel isn't an option. There will be pictures up on shutterfly soon. I'll post the link when I get them up.

Upon arriving "home," it doesn't feel like home because we'd only been here one day before I left, I was greeted by my sweet husband and two furry kids. I had two days of rest and then we had friends from Indiana drive in to spend the week. They arrived early to surprise our friend Josh on his birthday, July 4. Since they've been here we've hit up all the sights, laid by the pool, ATE, and enjoyed each other's company. I've added more books to my reading list thanks to Katie, our English Ed book loving friend. They'll be leaving Saturday.

Steven and I will get back to the daily grind. He's been working in northern Denver as a Community Director for a property up there. It's been nice getting to see him in a tie everyday. :) I've been finishing up my graduate assistantship, class, and applying for jobs like crazy. A mix up with my license is putting things in slow motion right now, but I trust that God has a plan for how this is all supposed to turn out. Hopefully I'll be starting my first year of teaching in August, but if not I'll find a part time job and continue taking grad classes.

Some interesting things to leave you with about our new home:

1. Our apartment came with a loft.
2. 4 miles away is Columbine High School.
3. We are within a good walk of a light rail station.
4. There is a bike path that runs along the backside of the property.
5. Sadly, there is no longer an awesome view of the mountains from our apartment. (I miss the Springs!)
6. Our apartment came with a washer and dryer!!!
7. We have vaulted ceilings.
8. 20 minutes/8 miles separate us from our good friend, Josh.
9. Denver has a Sunflower Market.
10. There are no mule deer or mountain lions creeping around neighborhood.

Back Home In Indiana...

Greetings!

I'm taking a break from reading for class for a bit, and I decided I should post about my most recent visit home.

My nephew, Cayden, turned three on May 22. I like to check flight prices often just to see if any sweet deals are coming up. In March the tickets to come home for Cayden's birthday were insanely cheap. So after asking Steven if he would mind, I booked a flight home. I had texted Jenny, my oldest sister and Cayden's mom, if she would mind me coming home for his birthday. She immediately called me freaking out. She thought it would be wonderful. Now if you've ever met Jenny then you know that she has big ideas about life. You can tell from her work ethic and the way she does things that she wants things to be perfect. She came up with the brilliant idea to keep my trip home on the down low. The only real loud mouth who knew I was coming home was Cayd. When Jenny would ask who was coming to his birthday (he had a Spongebob themed birthday) he would say, "Aunt Roofie!" She had intended for him to say, "Spongebob." Luckily, the little man didn't let it slip! Curt came to get me at the airport late on Friday night, and I helped at the flower shop Saturday morning. Then I anxiously awaited the arrival of the birthday guests from Cayden's room upstairs. After everyone arrived Curt came to get me. With a Spongebob mask covering my face I stepped onto the back patio. Everyone was back by the garage in the shade. Aunt Diane was the first to notice. Everyone just stared for a second. I don't think my mom could believe her eyes. Finally, Aunt Diane said, "Is that Ruth?!" Mom came running up to the patio with tears in her eyes. She said, "I didn't want to believe it because this family is known for sick jokes!" It was so great to see everyone, and we had a fun filled day celebrating Cayden's birth.

The rest of my time in Indiana was spent visiting with family and friends. I made it back to Vogel's to try out Cayden's new slip n' slide which made me feel old because my body was sore after playing on that with him for three hours.

It was a great trip home, but I was excited to get back to Steven and the kids (we call our dogs "the kids").

We've been busy packing for our move this Friday. Steven has been making the LONG commute to Denver everyday so I know he is excited to move. I'm going to miss the Springs. My mom is coming to help us move. She'll get her Wednesday, and we are excited for her arrival.

Until then I have a paper to write, a quiz to take, four chapters to read, and a final to study for. I better get back to studying! :)

One last thing....I leave for Africa Sunday. Please pray for a safe trip! Also, please pray that Josh and Steven don't get in any trouble while I'm gone!!

Pictures of our hike up Blodgett Peak should be coming soon...

This and That

Well, Steven will be proud. I never blog, but I'm in the mood this evening. :)

A lot has been going on since the last post...

I was offered a second grade teaching position with Fremont Elementary, which is the school I am currently working for as a special ed assistant teacher. I would LOVE to teach at this school because the staff is amazing, and it is a good group of students. The same day this great news happened Steven also got fabulous news...promotion number two! Steven has landed himself his very own property in....DENVER! He is the new Community Director of North Creek apartments on the north side. Of course he accepted the position so I'm back on the job search, again. Prayers for a great teaching position would really be appreciated!

Along with Steven's promotion means another move. The commute would be about an hour and twenty minutes, and it would include going through Palmer Divide everyday, which is a hot spot for terrible weather. After going back and forth between an apartment and renting a house we decided to go with an apartment. Click here to check out the apartment we're considering. We are really interested in floor plan F. Hopefully we'll be settled in before I leave for Africa. Fingers crossed!

More big news that has little to do with Steven and myself...Josh got a dog! It is a 4 month old dachshund named Swarley (Pronounced like Harley, but with "Sw"). He's adorable, and our dogs are getting along great with him. Madison is very motherly toward him, and Oscar is still evaluating the situation. It's been fun getting to play with a puppy.

Some fun news: I went to the dentist and got an A+!! Mom and Dad are saying, "Unbelievable!" I always have cavities despite my obsession with dental hygiene so this is an occasion to rejoice!

Finally,

I'll be leaving for Malawi on June 13, and I will be returning to Colorado June 30. We will be going to Mtendere Village Orphanage again, and we will be taking donations with us. If you are able to donate, and you are interested here are the details:

We can take checks, which will be cashed to buy supplies for the orphanage. These can be tax deductible. Let me know if you are interested in the tax deduction, and I can get AFC to send you a receipt. You can either make the checks out to me (Ruth Moll) or Ambassadors for Children. Every little bit can help. Even if you can only do $10 you will make a difference in the life of these children. (I wish I could take everyone with me so they could experience what life in a developing country is like!)

Here are some items that the orphanage is always in need of:

• Mosquito Spray (95% or higher DEET to protect from Malaria infected mosquitos; You can find this at most camping stores.)
• Feminine Products
• Pens
• Scales (to weigh mothers at hospitals)
• Batteries
• Lotions
• Soaps
• Shampoo
• Razors
• Flip Flops
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Bubbles, Balloons, Hot Wheel Type Cars (The students go crazy for these things!)

These items can be shipped by June 11 to:

Ruth Moll

850 Vindicator Dr. #305

Colorado Springs, CO 80919

Well, that is it for now. :)

As of lately, we have had some minor changes.

I am no longer going to be working where I live. I start Monday at a new location. It is much bigger than where I am now and it is beginning a renovation. My supervisors tell me that I will be a good fit because my strengths will help with some of their weaknesses. It will be a big change of pace. I'm glad to have the opportunity where I can prove myself.

Also, last week Ruth and I sponsored a child in Costa Rica. His name is Magdiel and he is 2-years old. His family has a seasonal income of $52 dollars a month. The organization we are working with is through our church and all our money goes directly to his needs (food, shelter, education, healthcare, etc.) We will be sponsoring him until he is 16 and has an education or skilled labor training. Until he is old enough to write himself, his mother will be writing us back and forth. We are really excited to have Magdiel in our lives.

Otherwise, not much else is happening. Ruth is finishing her schoolwork for the semester of grad school. She is interested in some book suggestions for her to read this summer. I have been re-reading The Lord of the Rings and another book called Comfortable with Uncertainty written by a Buddhist nun named Pema Chodron. We took the dogs to the vet today and they are both in excellent health. All the vets and techs said that Madge was the sweetest dog they have ever seen. I will probably spend most of the rest of the day at the dog park. The weather here is gray, damp, and cold. It reminds me of an Indiana winter.

Josh is going to come down tonight when he gets off work. The property where he works is also going under renovation and he is bringing me 2 large potted plants. I'm really excited.

Also, so far our guest-schedule consists of Fred, Kathy, and Papa (Kathy's dad) coming down at the end of April. Des (friend from Tuesday night club, Folk Tales [see previous post]) coming the first or second week of May. Katie and Matt (and more?) are coming early July. Kimbles are coming the end of July/August. Ruth will be gone the 2nd half of June to go back to Malawi so if you want to come visit you better plan in advance.*

*all dates subject to change. :)

Spring in coming in CSC

The days are getting warmer and longer. We are spending more and more time outside. Although we have had a couple snow storms in the past few weeks, the snow will be missed. This was the last weekend for skiing. While Fred was here we went skiing with him and Josh. We had a really good time. It was Fred and Josh's first time but they got the hang of it. Ruth and I also started getting more and more brave on the slopes. As perfect the weather could be, the sun was a bit warm and towards the end of the day the slopes were less like fresh powder and more ice. It proved to be hard to turn and very fast. Here is a picture of the four of us on the top of the continental divide.

The sun was so warm that we had hats off and jackets open most of the time. The only problem was that the UV rays were so strong both mine and Ruth's lips got burnt and we both had sunburn all the way around our goggles. It proved to be pretty funny for a week or so. We also took Freddy to the zoo and Pike's Peak and the other main attractions.

Since Freddy left, Ruth and I have been working and planning for our next visitors. I still love my job, especially living where I work. I am extremely happy working for this company. Ruth has been enjoying her job working with the special needs kids too. She has made some friends at work who invited us to an Easter Potluck. There were about 12-14 other couples there. Most had similar stories to us; they had moved to CSC for work and their families were out of state. We had a good time. Ruth has been invited to participate in an after-school yoga class a couple times a week taught by one of the teachers. We also went to karaoke one night with some people I work with.

Some sad news.. Ruth killed our 'Love Fern.' We've had it for about 6 years and it was a bit droopy so she drowned it. I haven't lost faith, but it looks real bad. Also, Oscar fell in love with a pillow the Cassidy and Annalee made us for Christmas. He would lay on it all the time and carry it around the house with him.. then one day we found it like this.

It's still around but we have to occasionally re-stuff it.

I've collected a few tumbleweeds to fulfill a promise I made to Ruth's sister, Jennifer. Unfortunately, I thought them to be sub-par so I set them free. We had a ceremony where I threw them off our balcony to tumble their way across Colorado, or get stuck in a bush or smashed.

Ruth and I have also reinstated our love for avocados. I've been having one a day for lunch, along with a bean burrito or last-night's leftovers. I'm also saving the pits to grow little avocado trees. I'll keep you all posted on the successes our my labors.

Also, we've shaved Oscar. A bit too close; I'm afraid he may get sunburnt. And Madge is being Madge..

Lunch Break

Well, the perks of living where you work are in full effect. I am currently home for lunch. I don't have to pack a lunch and if I ever need anything I walk upstairs to get it. I'm learning my way around the new office pretty well. There's a lot that's new but I think I'm adjusting pretty well.

Ruth and I finally bought a new mattress so we now have a guest bed. We haven't had any complaints about the couch yet but we're planning on having more family come and visit, and those old people don't like the couch. Ruth's brother Fred is flying in this Wednesday. We have an eventful week planned out including St. Patricks day at Trinity, Skiing Saturday, and even rock-climbing sometime. Of course we'll do the usual trip up Pike's Peak.

The kids need to go out before I go back to work. If you want to come stay, give us a call.

Eventful Weekend

Ruth and I had a great weekend. Thursday evening we drove to Denver to stay at Josh's apartment. We dropped off the kids and Friday morning Josh took us to the airport where we departed for Mobile, AL. It was an early morning but we were picked up by Sean and a fellow groomsman and took a 45-minute ferry across Mobile Bay. Ruth and I joked that we had ridden in a car, airplane, train, and ferry all in one day. It was well worth the trip because later that evening we took a stroll along the beach, dancing with the waves. It was great to see a lot of extended family and especially great to meet Sean's wife, Eleana. We had a great time partying with the wedding party even though we had just met all of them. The wedding was at sunset on the beach behind the house and it was beautiful. It wasn't the warmest of Alabama days, but the sun was plenty hot to give me a pretty harsh sunburn on the back of my neck, arms, and even tops of my feet.

The weekend was ending nicely and we were checking into the Mobile Regional Airport after saying goodbye only to find out that someone had misread our flight time. After we exhausted all efforts, we had to come to terms with the fact that no flights leave Alabama after 6pm and absolutely nothing was headed towards Denver. So we contacted our employers and informed them that we were on the first flight leaving in the morning (which happened to mean we were getting up at 3:30 am). In the end it all worked out really well.

Ruth had her first partial day at her new job. She has an interesting time ahead of her. She has students with a variety of special needs she with whom she will be working. I also found out last week that I will be the new assistant community director at the property where we live. Today on our way in from Denver I found out that I start at my new job today. I have to learn a lot in a short period because the current assistant director is moving to North Carolina at the end of the month. I'm really excited about the new promotion. I will miss The Retreat and the people there, but I won't be complaining about the commute.

To top off an eventful weekend, we were picked up at the airport by Janelle and Stephanie. They just arrived the other day to kick off their Spring Break from their graduate programs in Indiana. They have been staying in Denver with Josh the past few nights, but tomorrow they are coming to the Springs to spend the evening and we are going to my favourite CSC restaurant Trinity Brewing Company. Hopefully Ruth will let me buy a growler of my favourite brew Soul Horkey.

In the next few weeks Ruth's brother Fred is coming out for a ski trip. So far it is Ruth, Fred, Josh, and me but more are welcome to come! We are just hoping we don't see this on the way there.

Bored? Check out this guy,

No excuses

It's been a long time since the last update, and like the title suggests, I have no excuse for not updating.

Last time I wrote I was about to embark on a trip to Seattle. Well, I went and am back again. I had a great time. I learned a lot about the company I work for and I was reaffirmed in my decision to join such an awesome team. I even had the opportunity to meet Mr. Weidner, the president and founder of the company. He was extremely nice and caring; not what you would expect from a CEO. I spent my days in class and my evenings hanging out with another employee from the Canadian region of our company. We had a lot of fun and frequented the local breweries and brew houses in the evenings.

After I came home a lot of our corporate team followed me. We had our annual Weidner awards for the Colorado region and again I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Weidner and also the VP of Operations. It was a great recognition ceremony and I met a lot of other people in the region.

Ruth had been looking online for new jobs because she does not feel satisfied with her current job at La Petite Academy. She feels more like a babysitter and that she hasn't been able to use her degree. She interviewed and was offered a position as a teacher's assistant in the largest district in Colorado Springs. She accepted and she starts March 8th when we return from AL from my brother Sean's wedding. She will be working with special needs children in her new position.

The past weekend we took our first ski trip. We went to Monarch Mountain and spent the day Saturday skiing. We started by taking a lesson to learn the basics. Unfortunately, the rest of our class was in 6th grade and the instructor spent more time latching boots and helping put skis on than instructing. Nonetheless, after an hour we learned the basics and we were off. Ruth had been skiing once before in Indiana, but it was my first time. We each had a few embarrassing spills, but we eventually conquered the bunny hill and were on to bigger and faster slopes. Ruth picked up the S turns relatively quickly. I didn't do so well. I would go really fast, try to do an S, and roll. I picked it up eventually, but by that point my sunglasses has icicles and my cheeks were as rosy as St. Nick. After our hardships there's only one word to describe skiing for us, addictive. We have already looked into goggles, masks, and mittens (with slots for the hand-warmers for Ruth). Ruth's trying to book a ski trip with all the friends and family that are coming out to visit. She's looked into getting a season lift pass for next year. We aren't going to buy the skis and boots until a later date when we have a bit more cash and we know that this is a sport that we can frequent.

Other than that, we've found a church that we're really happy with and this coming Sunday we're going to see what we need to do to become parishioners. We've been going to the same one for a while now and we're really starting to bond with it. We've noticed that CO has a much higher rate of Hispanics than IN and it reflects in the church bulletin (which is half in Espanol).

We're really looking forward to our trip to AL. Sean is getting married on the beach at sunset. I have my suit and everything all fitted and pressed, waiting for the big day. We couldn't be happier for him and Eleana. Unfortunately, we procrastinated on getting the gift we wanted and someone else got it off their registry already.

After the wedding we have two friends from BSU coming to visit for their spring break. We're super excited. We're calling the week they'll be here March Madness. Ruth and I both have to work, but we'll still find plenty of opportunities to have fun that week.

Here are photo albums from our ski trip, Lorin's visit, and Seattle.

Lo is Here!

Ruth and I are really excited. Our good friend Lorin (one of the bride's maids) just flew into Denver this afternoon. Josh drove up to pick her up since Ruth and I were both at work. They're hanging around Denver for a while and coming back here tonight when Josh gets finished with his night-class at the downtown UC Denver campus (where he's getting his Masters Degree in International Marketing). Lo is going to check out the 16th street mall and other attractions in downtown Denver for an hour. We had big plans to check out all the sights like Pike's Peak, Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, etc. but it looks like to snow storm that came last night and hasn't let up yet may put a damper on things. We'll need a lot of sunshine to make it to the peak by Saturday or Sunday.

Meanwhile, I leave for Seattle on Sunday (flying from Colorado Springs) and don't return til Friday. I'll be sure to blog a lot while I'm out there and take a lot of photos.

Also, Josh has found a full time position working for Weidner in Denver. He is going to live onsite and his parents are coming to help move him in next weekend.

Ruth and I have also been taking advantage of technology and video-chatting with friends and family. Ruth uses Skype (username: ruthamoll) and I use iChat (username: stevensingsongs). We love to chat. Let us know and we'll meet you online! :)

I haven't been boycotting blogs, there hasn't been anything new. I've been working pretty regularly. Most days I take my lunch which consists of frozen vegetables with a dash of oil and garlic salt. Sometimes I'll bring clementines if we have them. I am reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughter House Five during my lunch hours and I'm almost finished with it. It's a great book that I would recommend to anyone. Ruth eats lunch at home before she goes to work. She usually eats a frozen pizza or left-overs.

This weekend I have a three day weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. This will be my last weekend until I go to Seattle on the 31st for a week of MIT training. We have talked about going to do something fun. A coworker suggested going to the Colorado Hot Springs, but I think it may be more than we want to spend for a weekend. I heard of great hiking trails that intersect with some wild hot springs in the mountains. I will definitely have to try those sometime.

Other than that, our lives aren't too thrilling. I have decided that I am going to start jotting down my ideas into an essay. Mostly, about the government, economy, modern-lifestyle, environment, and religion. Most things fall into those categories. It will be an ongoing expedition that will involve a lot of valuable criticism from my friends and family. I am sure my opinions and values will grow in the process.. Enough of that for now; it is only an idea.

Day Off

Well, today was my day off. It was a great day, but it will stink on Saturday when I have to go in from 9-5. We went to the dog park again today and we were there for two hours. Not only did the dogs get a lot of exercise and social interaction but humans do too. Every time we go we walk the perimeter (which includes a huge hill in a corner) and often stop and talk with other pet owners. We've learned a lot about the Springs chatting with locals. Almost everyone is an immigrant from California, Texas, or the Midwest. Every once in a while we meet a native.

Since it was my day off, Madison and I went to the Ute Valley Park for a hike; just the two of us. As we climbed through the trail we reached a summit of boulders and stopped to take a seat and enjoy the view. I sat and contemplated many things about life and happiness and God's role for me. I watched Madge explore, in and around cracks in the boulders over looking the valley. She is my teacher of ultimate virtue. After we came home and ate dinner, I was reading Thoreau and I found a passage that best summarized how I felt on that boulder. Thoreau writes:

Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them. Their fingers, from excessive toil, are too clumsy and tremble too much for that. Actually, the laboring man has not leisure for a true integrity day by day; he cannot afford to sustain the manliest relations to men; his labor would be depreciated in the market. He has no time to be anything but a machine.

So I refer to Thomas Merton from the Abbey of Gethsemani when he writes:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that he desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

To go back to Thoreau:

The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend.

Now we are home, fat and full. Ruth has started her classwork and we will occasionally discuss her readings in "Diversity in Education." For the most part it is a relaxing evening with soft music and dog cuddling. Unfortunately, Madison is gassy and forced Josh to leave the room.

c'est la vie!

Weekend

TGIF! (yesterday)

Now that we're working all day, we don't get to enjoy the sunlight during these dark months in the shadows of the mountains. As the days get longer, we do enjoy a silhouetted Pike's Peak in the sunset on our way home from work. The native Ute indian tribe called it Sun Mountain because it is the first piece of land to feel the sun's warmth every morning.

Since today is Saturday, we tried to take advantage of our day off by seeing the sights and spending some quality time with our dogs. We slept in and took them to the Bear Creek Dog Park this morning. It was busy since today was in the 40's after a subzero week. They ran and chased and played for over and hour, up and down the hill, even through a cactus plant. We had to due an emergency operation to pull a few thorns out of Oscar's paw. He was back on the ground in no time.

We then took them to Garden of the Gods again for a hike around the rocks. It was also busy with hikers, climbers, runners, cyclists, and of course dog-walkers. We took the camera since it is such a beautiful day and we got a lot of really good shots. You can see a lot of the pictures we took by clicking on the link HERE. We will also post them on the shutterfly account as well. After Garden of the Gods, we went to Manitou Springs to get lunch. We had a really good time as usual walking through the shops. Once, the sun started to set, though, it became pretty chilly and we decided to come on home.

Now that the daylight is gone, we are home in the apartment. We'll settle in and maybe watch a movie (500 Days of Summer). We've made a tradition of playing a card game called San Juan every now and then. I may try to see if Josh wants to play racquetball again tonight. So far we've played every night this week. The night is young.

Pictures

Check out some new pictures by clicking HERE!

Enjoy!

Monday January Fourth

Well, today Ruth and I started our new jobs. I worked at The Retreat at Austin Bluffs as a MIT (manager in training) and Ruth started orientation at La Petite Academy. She is going to run an after school program for kids starting at 1 year old to fifth graders. She even has her own classroom. It is part-time work for now but it could become a full-time position very soon. It works out great since she is still writing curriculum for the Malawi program for Ball State as a graduate assistant. She is also working on her masters degree in education online through Ball State.

Our friend Josh is here now. He is doing some graduate work for the University of Colorado in Denver and is staying with us while he looks for apartments. We really enjoy having him here. He cooks on Monday and Friday and so far we have played card games, done yoga, and played racquetball together. He really enjoys our dogs as well so when we have free time we try to frequent the 34-acre Bear Creek Park off-leash dog park (which was ranked one of the top 10 in the country). It is an awesome place with a giant hill and a creek. Unfortunately, we have to check Oscar's feet for needles from the indigenous cacti. We also live across the street from Ute Valley park which has great trails and hills. We even took the dogs to the Garden of the Gods and hiked for two hours on the trails and sidewalks around the giant rocks and big-horn sheep preserves.

The altitude may be taking a minor toll on our bodies. Ruth had a migraine over the weekend (first one in years) and I came down with a slight head cold. We've started drinking lots of water in order to subdue these new symptoms and so far it's working.

Tonight, however, we have home-made ice cream and brownies. :)