Fun with Aubrey!

We were excited to have our very first visitor here in Colorado! Tim's sister Aubrey came out on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. I was busy starting my job this week (still in training-it's boring), but Tim and Aubrey explored Denver on Thursday (with me joining them for dinner at Cafe Rio!), and Boulder on Friday. On Saturday, we went out to support the CU Buffs...
Their mascot, Ralphie, joins us at the start of every football game. These guys running with her have to stretch to warm up and then sprint down the field and hand the reins off half way so they can keep up with her. I think Ralphie's run was the highlight of the game for both me and Aubrey, but I was disappointed to find that she only runs once a game.
Saturday night we went to downtown Louisville (the city we live in) and skated at the cutest outdoor rink.
The atmosphere was so fun with lights and Christmas music playing.
Aubrey has taken ice skating lessons and skated like a pro compared to me and Tim.



And we didn't forget to celebrate Tim's birthday with a delicious homemade ice cream cake!
I would say Aubrey's visit was a success! Thanks for coming!

Happy Birthday Tim!

On November 9th, Tim is turning 28. In honor of this big celebration, I am going to list 28 reasons I love him:

1. He genuinely loves to spoil me (like making me cocoa and playing with my hair).
2. He is a great story teller (probably got that from Grandma Bywater).
3.He is a really good cook-especially with Southern Food.
4. He watches chick flicks with me.
5. He is really smart.
6. He helps out around the house ...a lot (and will have to start to pick up more weight again once I start my job)
7. He has a strong testimony and really knows the gospel
8. He knows almost everything there is to know about sports and teams (okay, so I don't necessarily love this, but it's just him).
9. He is good-looking. I hope our future kids get his eyelashes and dimples especially.
10. He didn't complain (more than about 7 times) when I wanted to foster dogs this year. This was a BIG commitment and he helped out a lot.
11. He is funny -even though he doesn't think I think he is.
12. He LOVES holidays and gets really excited for special events.
13. He reads to me and so I can fall asleep.
14. He is working really hard in school and has high ambitions.
15. He always puts my needs first.
16. He often acts like a little boy. His family knows that if we are out on a hike or something and there is water, he will touch it. No matter the risk.
17. He supports me in all I do.
18. He is very patient.
19. He was an excellent sunbeam teacher (3 year olds at church). He's really good with kids and will make an excellent father.
20. He is a good writer and even has good handwriting.
21. He does a lot of stuff I don't want to do-even when it involves spending a lot of time learning (such as figuring out what is wrong with our car or fixing a drain).
22. He always takes care of the details (whether it is our checking account or mapping the roads on a trip).
23. He is funny about some things-like he is very picky about what jeans and ties he wears, but they're not necessarily fashionable, they're just...Tim.
24. Did I mention he spoils me?
25. He has gone without a car for over 3 years so I could drive to work. Sacrifice.
27. He's always saying nice things to me. Sometimes I just have to tell him to stop.
28. He's my BEST friend and we just have fun together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM, I LOVE YOU!

Halloween in Nederland

Happy Halloween!
We were invited by some friends from church to go to a "cabin" (mansion) up Boulder Canyon in Nederland for the weekend. We had an awesome Halloween Party on Friday night. Tim and I couldn't agree on a costume, so we went the cheap route and got sponsored by the local grocery store.
This couple below had my favorite costumes. Emily is a teacher, so she dressed up as a chalkboard and her boyfriend was chalk (although Tim kept saying he looked like a cigarette).
A party isn't complete without a roaring game of Scary Pictionary.
(My word: Twilight Fans)
Our house had an amazing view. Tim was having fun using our panoramic feature:

Beautiful.
The girls: Emily, Jaime, me, Natalie, Krystal (minus Kristin)
Our "cabin:"
Nederland (Note you can see Eldora, the ski resort in the mountains)
The only thing to do in Nederland - Ride the Carousel of Happiness. Tim and I were the only ones besides Jane (the cow pictured above) who rode it. Tim couldn't pass up riding on the donkey carrying barrels of monkeys on it's back (look closely). I chose the dog and bruised my knee on its ear. The bottom left picture is of the Nederland Police Department and Library conveniently located in this mini-mall.

Yay!

Things are going well here in Colorado. The Fall weather has been beautiful, Tim is enjoying school, and I am happy to say I have found a job! It is for WellPoint, a subsidiary of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I will be a Health Educator, and my job will be working with patients of the insurance company who have chronic conditions through phone, fax, mailings, etc. taking health assessments and educating them about wellness and (some) exercise. It will be a change from working face to face with people, but I am excited to try something different. I also get my own cubicle on the 11th floor of this building in Denver:
It will be another commute of about 40 minutes, but I've done it for the past 3 years, so I can handle it some more. The best thing about the job: I am eligible to work from home after 9 months! Then my commute will be excellent! The hours are kind of a bummer (12:30-9pm), but I will be able to continue teaching my Yoga class and there are a lot of good things about the company. Basically, I am way excited! I start training on November 8th, so I've still got two weeks of partying! I'd better get busy...

The picture below is of a really pretty hike Tim and I went on last Friday...

Namaste

Before moving to Colorado, I decided this would be a good time for me to earn my 200 hour RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher). I have been attending Yoga Sansar with my instructor, Chuna Rai-Nelson, every Saturday and some weeknights since August and will complete my training November 6th!

I am excited to say I got a job teaching a modified yoga class at the Louisville Senior Center and I now sub at the recreation center (they are connected). Yay for 2.5 hours of work a week!

A Post to Boast

Let's face it. A blog is just a place to brag. Take a look at my previous post and you will know that I am flaunting my cute nieces and nephews.

Last night, my Sweet Chicken Chili was pronounced the winner of the Louisville Ward Chili Cook Off! I just can't help but be excited! I got the chili recipe a few months ago from allrecipes.com (I love this site) and decided to enter it because it was so good and easy. My award is this bouquet of chili peppers.
Looks Delicious!

The "trophy" in its new home:

I plan to keep it for a while and then either donate it to Cafe Rio (in exchange for a burrito) or the lady in our ward who said she wanted it...?

The Winning Recipe:
(Because AllRecipes.com isn't exactly a secret)

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 2 onions, cut into chunks
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Apple cider or rice vinegar
• dash chipotle powder (my change-but chili powder works too)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in the kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, onions, green bell pepper, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, chili or chipotle powder, and salt. Stir to combine all ingredients, and set the cooker to High. Cook for 1 hour; stir again, and set the cooker to Low. Cook for 4 more hours.
2. Remove the chicken breasts, shred with 2 forks, and stir the shredded chicken back into the chili. Sprinkle the top of the chili with Cheddar cheese, and serve.
   

The STG

Tim and I took advantage of living closer to Utah and drove to St. George for conference weekend and ...the marathon. Three words describe my experience: hot, long, and ouch. Don't let the smiles in the pictures deceive you; I knew the camera's were there so I faked.

After 26 miles, all form is lost...This picture was taken from Mindy's camera. I didn't know she was there. You can see the pain on my face.

Finished with a time of 3:39:13. I am satisfied.

The picture above is a real smile. No more marathons for a LONG time.

We fit a lot into the weekend. Besides the marathon, we saw some petroglyphs in the desert

and celebrated Halloween with the kids!

I did some carving myself.

Can you guess which is mine? (answer at bottom)

Henry and Hailey were born two days apart (April 29 and May 1). This weekend was their first time meeting. They are adorable!

Grandma had fun too!

Answer:

Yay for a fun weekend!