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10.30.2015

The Subjectiveness of Time

Reading through a book for doula training recently, I was struck by the most vivid memory. I remember holding my pregnancy week-by-week book, filled with frustration that I would have to start all over again. Twelve weeks seemed like forever. I had already done that time, and only had empty arms and endless fears to show for it. 6 years down the road and the hang up over twelve weeks seems silly, but at the time it really and truly felt like an eternity. 

Time is so subjective. Days can go so slow, the five minutes before an ultrasound can last forever, and yet years can be gone in a blink.

Our recent anniversary just reaffirmed that for me. We were such babies when we got married, but it does not seem like it could have possibly been 9 years ago already. And the fact that we first started dating 15 years ago, well that's just absurd. Yet, when I think of all that has happened in that time, the trips, the changes, the moves, and the babies... well then it doesn't seem so absurd after all.

We've been in Colorado for 2 months now. It feels both far longer, and far shorter then that.
A month until Thanksgiving, two until Christmas. Gwen will be 6 in 3.5 months.

Time makes fools of us all, doesn't it?

Have you been struck recently with the subjectiveness of time?

10.28.2015

Semi-Wordless Wednesday {Not Even Sorry}


I don't even drink coffee, so it's no pumpkin spice latte in there, but I love autumn so much that even this cup makes me stupid amounts of happy. 

Sorry, not sorry!  ;-) 


10.26.2015

Fall in Colorado


Its officially fall and has been for almost a month. Though I didn't note it here specifically, it certainly didn't go unnoticed! My favorite time of year is here and I cannot wait to see how it pans out in this new state of ours.

The Aspen leaves here are supposed to be things of legend. 

Gwen and I did get a nice preview of that when we drove through the Rocky's at the beginning of our adventure.




(Beautiful!)

The area right around our apartment is dry by the end of summer. Its dry here, period, but that sun just roasts the grasses. With the change of the season, suddenly those browns don't seem so ugly or out of place. They mingle with the yellows to look like autumn.

We went out hiking, in search of more autumn beauty, the other weekend. Eldorado Canyon State Park is outside of Bolder, and it is lovely!!




Its a different kind of beauty then on the East Coast.


But the woods felt like a piece of home.





And there were a few traces of those red leaves we are used to...


Fall might not look exactly the same out here, but it is lovely and I'm enjoying it completely. Plus when I close my eyes - the breeze, the smell, the feel of autumn - its there.

Show me your autumn pictures, or link to your own autumn posts in the comments. I would love to check them out.

10.23.2015

Good Decisions {Us Time in a New Place}

One of the most important things we did when moving to Colorado, was to tap a friend of a friend for a recommendation. We asked her about doctors and dentists, sure, but more important then that was asking her for a recommendation for a babysitter.

We were so spoiled in Pennsylvania. My mom lived only a little over an hour away and as long as she didn't have something already planned, would come down anytime we needed someone to watch Gwen. If my mom wasn't available, then Auntie Ro normally was, or our neighbor Sue. We paid for babysitting exactly once in Gwen's life prior to moving to CO. I say that not to brag, but because we were so damn lucky. I loved the time Gwen got to spend with people who are important to us. 

Things are different here, obviously, but what's not, is that there are times that we are both busy, or better yet, there are times when we want to interact as two adults who are in a relationship! Ha! 


We just celebrated our anniversary on the 13th. We've been married for 9 years! And together for 15! (That blows my mind, but that's a different post!) Of course we wanted to go out to celebrate.

Thankfully with recommendation in hand, we were able to do just that. We met B a few weeks before the actual day, just for an hour, Gwen and I. Gwen was excited for her to come over to play and I felt comfortable with her too. Gwen counted down the last few days, and the night of went great. 


Thinking ahead, this solves the problem of schedules for my yoga teacher training. Trav gets home a half hour after I have to be there, so now we have someone who can come over to keep Gwen company during that hour. 

I miss out familiar face babysitters back "home" in PA, but I'm so grateful that we made it a priority to find a new friendly face here. 

10.21.2015

Wordless Wednesday {Our Kind of Celebration}


What? You don't celebrate your anniversary with 
champagne and Walking Dead?! Weird... 😉 

10.19.2015

in the works

The past few weeks I've been reading my way for the required reading to start the process of being certified as a doula through DONA International. The beginning of November marks my training workshops. Then its paperwork and births.

And then I can really start this new chapter in my life.

January I continue the transformation by starting yoga teacher training.

Then I can start working to help people, find their peace in yoga and birth!

I'm excited and terrified.

This is a whole new direction. One that represents something so much more authentically me then the things I've done such far.

Change is uncomfortable sometimes, but this change means really amazing things for my future and my family's future.

Wish me luck.

Blue haired yoga teacher and doula in the making!

10.16.2015

Fall Break - Travel Time! {Part 2}

So mid-way through our trip, and at the Southern tip of our travels, was Trav's parent's place. We spent 5 days there, enjoying family, and enjoying not driving so much!



That's not to say they didn't have fun things in store for us, because that's not true! Friday we headed to the Phoenix Children's Museum with Barb.


Saturday John took Gwen and I to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center for a tour. 






Sunday we headed to MacDonald Ranch, and that evening I went for drinks with a college girlfriend. 





It was a very different experience pumpkin picking while surrounded by cactus!


Monday we took it easier, running a few errands with my MIL, and taking a last dip in their pool.



Tuesday it was time to head home. We left early since we had a long drive ahead, and reservations in Mesa Verde National Park that night.

Miles... so many miles...

Remember the plan was to drive back through New Mexico? Well my GPS apparently didn't like that plan and rerouted us through Arizona. Without telling me...


It was a beautiful drive, don't get me wrong, but to say I was annoyed and disappointed would be a HUGE understatement.

We did stop at the Four Corners, which was neat (though I won't say it made up for missing New Mexico).
 


Tuesday ended up being a frustrating day, and a long day. Especially when it started raining, and didn't stop even after we arrived in Mesa Verde. 



It was a cold, damp night in the tent. We woke up a little frayed on Wednesday, and I was wondering how much we were going to get out of the day. I'm glad we stuck it out though, since it ended up being one of my favorite days overall!


We did an amazing guided tour of Balcony House, which involved climbing this very tall ladder on the edge of a cliff.



We then checked out Spruce Tree House...



where we got to go down into a Kiva!



After that Gwen found a trail she wanted to check out (Petroglyphs Trail). It was a 2.8 mile loop (554 foot gain) with the Petroglyphs situated about 1.5 miles in. I tried to warn her away from it, I told her it would be long and hard. She persisted and I agreed... with the promise that she would walk the whole thing herself, and that I didn't want to hear any complaining. 



She was amazing! This was not an easy trail, it was rocky and uneven, it was up and down, and had some slightly scary stone steps... not to mention some thinner parts with nothing between the edge of the trail and a drop off! But she marched on the whole way, with nary a complaint.

The payoff was pretty awesome too.



Just before we got to the petroglyphs, so just over half way, we heard our first rumble of thunder. It started to rain (thankfully) just after we scaled some crazy cut out rock steps to get back on top of the mountain, though the thunderstorm itself stayed a few miles away until after we had left. She climbed through it all, telling me once or twice that her legs were getting tired, but always in a very pleasant, matter-of-fact way. I did carry her for about 10 minutes when we were almost at the end to give her a little break and get her past a muddy part, but that was it. 


I have to say, I was completely blown away by how grown up she seemed that day. It made the day so much better then I could have hoped! I'm really glad she convinced me to go on that hike!



Then finally, it was time to head back home. Thanks to our impromptu extra hike (not to mention the 40 minutes it takes to get from where we were in the park to the entrance/exit!), we ended up not leaving the park until after 3, and since we had to get some lunch then, we didn't get on the road until 4! Clearly we weren't making it home that day!


We just drove for a while. Past snow capped mountains, open plains, farms, small towns, and through a few mountain passes. We drove through a few storms too!



We also enjoyed some postcard views before stopping for the night in Alamosa, where I got us a hotel room... one with lovely soft sheets, and a nice warm shower! We slept well, ate a nice breakfast, then finally headed home.


We were so ready to be home. It was an absolutely amazing trip, but by the end we definitely missed Travis and Daisy badly (I believe that's the longest I've been away from Daisy!), not to mention our own beds.

2100+ miles, 10 nights, 8 stops, 3 National Parks (and 1 National Monument), ~ 31 hours driving, about 20 dropped calls, a good 30 minutes praying hard for a gas station to appear on the horizon (Utah/AZ border area!)... and you have 2 happy girls who will not soon forget this trip.