Christmas 2007

We had a lovely Christmas Eve at our place (sorry, no pictures)and it was a lot of fun playing "Loaded Questions" and eating yummy food with our many friends. We played Wii and introduced Blayne's parents to the joys of Wii tennis elbow and double bogeys on the Wii golf course. Cecily watched "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and we all ate way too much.

Eric and I woke up late this morning and found that an inch of snow was already on the ground and there were 4 more on the way! The snow from our last storm hadn't quite melted so it looks like we have a blizzard here.

We opened our gifts and allowed the dogs to have a treat or two. Audrey didn't seem to notice that her stocking was once our beloved Darcy Dog's. All she really cared about was the basted rawhide Cache had received... Audrey has a sensitive stomach (we learned this the hard way) and has been given all the squeaky toys and a small rawhide.

Eric received Wii FIFA soccer, some cold weather biking gear, Wii Super Mario, and many wonderful goodies from my family.
I was very excited about the gourmet coffee, fancy coffee grinder, and other gifts I didn't deserve. Our tree was overflowing with gifts and it didn't seem right that it was just the two of us with all these presents! I did receive this wonderful book about green living from Eric. Ah, he knows me well!

Eric is still eating the potato chips and french onion dip from last nights festivities, and he is watching "Christmas Story" for the 5th time in two days!

We are planning on going over to the Chastain's for an early dinner and then dessert and game night. It is going to be a wonderful Christmas, as always!
Hope you all have a great holiday.
(If anyone wants to come out and ski please do! I need someone to come visit to give me the excuse to go-the snow in the mountains is amazing!)

Thanksgiving Fun

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at our house today, with many people, lots of dogs, and Cecily and Audrey (not our dog, but our 13 month old neighbor!)

Eric brined the turkey all night and then grilled it to perfection. It was chilly here and we got a few inches of snow for the holiday. As I listened to a holiday cooking call show on NPR this morning, a lady from Colorado called in to tell a horror story involving dogs and a turkey. The turkey had been carefully placed in the garage overnight to brine and early in the morning a commotion was heard coming from that area. By the time someone got there, the turkey had been "chewed" in many places. Horrified because 11 guests were coming to dinner, the lady decided to cook the turkey despite the mutilation. Her query to the NPR host was whether or not she should tell her dinner guests that her two dogs had a nibble of the main course! I laughed hard thinking of what would have happened to our two monsters if they had even licked Eric's prized turkey. It would not have been pretty...





Cache eyed the grilled turkey all day. Lucky for her she avoided temptation!


We played a lot of Wii and ate a ton of food. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun!

Happy Halloween!

Here we are with another year with a wonderful Halloween party and yummy treats. This year Deborah and Blayne hosted at their loft and the evening was "very nice, high five!" The winners of the costume contest was Cecily (the cute UNC cheerleader), Jonas, and Borat (aka, Eric Parrish).
Borat scared little Blayne (aka Erin Chastain) with his harsh kazakhstan accent and smell.



David and Deborah were having a great time too!


Cecily stole the show with her costume and personality!


We had a great time and I promise I won't be a whoopy cushion again next year. I won prizes with the costume three years running but I guess people are tired of it!

Pumpkin Carving Contest

It has been a long weekend for us. Eric had his wisdom teeth surgically removed on Thursday morning so I took two days off to take care of him. Today he was back to his old self-and finally pain medication free. Since he felt better, we went to the store to pick out pumpkins to carve. We need your help in determining a winner. Which pumpkin do you like best? "Incantation, a Witches Brew" or "Flying Witch" Please comment and vote!

Yipeee a Wii!

This weekend we went shopping for furniture. It's amazing how after a year in a house with a hodgepodge of belongings how you begin to covet the furniture of adults. We took the opportunity of a rainy Saturday (no long bike ride for Stefan and I) to drive to Ft. Collins to look for a bed frame, two nightstands, and to price a TV stand. We came home with a flat screen TV stand that swivels and a rekindled desire for a Wii. So much for the bed! Since our time in Nashville with Sam, we hadn't really stopped wanting one, though we convinced ourselves that we could do without one until after Christmas. A few weeks ago we went to the store to "price and check on Wii availability" and even though one was in stock, we refrained from purchasing. We were being good, responsible adults and saving the money so Eric could get his wisdom teeth pulled out next month. So on Saturday we thought it would be easy to find one-WRONG. Eric and I went to every store that carries the Wii with no luck. We were even tempted, for a brief moment, to drive to Denver to try to find one-but we soon came to our senses. We were very sad because our new TV stand had the perfect place for a Wii yet we were Wiiless.

Eric committed himself to walking to the game store across from his work everyday at lunch until we found one. So today, Monday, he trekked over and they had one! Yippeee a Wii!! Wii were SO happy!

We want everyone to know that there will be many evenings of Wii partying at our house now. We rearranged the basement to accommodate lots of people and of course, a lot of space for bowling, golfing, and soon to come, FIFA soccer. Here is Eric playing one of his favorite games, golf. He's actually pretty good and can beat me at computer sports.

We also had fun creating Mii's for our friends. Can you guess who these Mii's are? Please post and take your best guess.

I am crazy

Hello everyone. Most of you already know this, but I'm crazy. Let me explain.

Throughout the thesis/work/marathon training I complained and whined about having too much to do and that the stress level was too much. So I finished my thesis and took the most wonderful cross-country road trip and thought, "this is the life! No more busyness for me-it's time to relax, work around the house, and maybe even start a family!" But after 31 years of being me I should have known that I can't sit still with nothing to keep me going 100 miles an hour 7 days a week.

It all started with a phone call. My friend Amy, who I work with at Brentwood, calls me and says, "hey, what do you think about me coaching the Central girls varsity team?" I reply, without hesitation- NO. I explained that she already had enough on her plate teaching 4 preps, raising two girls, and watching her husband coach the boys varsity team at Central. She told me to continue to talk sense into her, so I tried. I knew we both loved basketball (we play before school once a week and have a blast) but I wanted to take some time off from coaching. Then it happened. One night I was in one of those crazy moods (I think wine was involved) so I called her and said, "if you take the varsity girls job, can I help you coach?" She laughed and said that was the reason she asked me in the first place! It was a trick! She knows me well...

So two weeks later here we both are, varsity girls basketball coaches at the high school down the street from my house. The girls don't have much talent, they aren't dedicated, and I'm not sure what we got ourselves into. Besides the fact that we might not win many games, I do know it's going to be fun and a great learning experience. We are going to take the couch we got from Scott and Lisa to our office (it won't fit down our basement stairs) and make the office a place where Amy's kids can hang out. Eric gave his blessing, (reluctantly- he keeps shouting "we can't do this Amy, his words when he first heard the idea) and is going to help take Amy's girls back and forth to their soccer, volleyball, and choir practices when we are coaching. We are all one big family now.

This move also allows me to get to know the faculty at Greeley Central, where I would like to eventually teach. Plus the school is less than a two minute walk from our house which would be perfect for us, the one car family.

That is why I am crazy.

Here is one picture I wanted to share. It is one is of Eric and his cousins. It was great to meet all of them.


That's all for now.

In the South

Eric and I are finishing up a visit to the south. Eric's grandfather passed away and we were able to go to the funeral and spend time with his family in Ardmore, Alabama (near Huntsville). I had not met most of them so it was a great opportunity to get to know them better. I also understand Eric a little bit more now-his crazy sense of humor all makes sense. I now understand why he is always pestering me!

Since my family is in Nashville (just an hour north of Huntsville), we were also able to spend some time there. Of course most of that time was spent with Sam and Alyssa.

Alyssa and I spent a lot of time on the couch watching Sam and Eric play tennis on the Wii. I think Eric is addicted.




We also took the kids to the park. Eric helped Alyssa put on sunscreen for our day out. It was SO hot that we didn't stay long. Eric and I had been thinking of moving back to be closer to family, but the heat is almost too much. I forgot how it is sticky hot and thick during the months of June, July, August, and even September.




Alyssa just LOVES uncle Eric. We took them bowling too, and Eric helped Alyssa bowl in the 70's (the ball seemed heavier than her!)

I don't have pictures, but on the way from Huntsville up to Nashville Eric and I stopped in Lynchburg, TN-home of the famous Jack Daniels distillery. It was amazing watching them make all that whiskey. I was also shocked (though I shouldn't be) at all the Confederate flags that fly on houses in that area and the fact that one of the businesses in Shelbyville (home to Nathan Bedford Forrest) is called "Kim's Klassic Kuts." The KKK is still alive and strong there. Ah the rural south...

Who knows if we'll move back. I have a feeling that if Eric could find the right job and we were able to sell our house in Greeley that we would move here. We'll see what the next few years bring.

PEI Adventure-There & Back

Well, Eric and I ventured out on our cross-country adventure on July 7th. We didn't know what to expect from spending so much time in a car together, unable to escape... I'm getting ahead of myself so I'll start from the beginning.
The morning we were to leave Eric ended up setting the alarm for 5:30pm, so needless to say we got a late start. We headed to Nebraska where we caught a scenic route through the small town of Broken Bow. If you are planning a road trip you MUST check out a book called "120 Most Scenic Drives in America" and that is where we found this drive. We found a quaint soda/sandwich shop in the middle of downtown and it was then that Eric and I fell in love with small town life. We saw the Nebraska sandhills and then headed back to the bustle of Interstate 80. That evening we camped in Des Moines (it was our first time tent camping together!) and watched the stars. In the morning we played the first 9 holes of an amazing disc golf course, but it got too hot to play the back 9. We recommend this course if you are ever in Des Moines. Here is Eric eating a cinnamon roll with the course in the background.

It was onward to Ohio and my parent's house in Castalia. There we met up with my sister Amy and her husband Dave, and of course my two nieces, Sam and Alyssa. The first item on the agenda was the amazing roller coast, Cedar Point (are you jealous Deborah?) Eric LOVED it-who wouldn't love an amusement park with 17 roller coasters and lots of carnie food? Here is a picture of him outside the park.

Eric also practiced his bow shooting with my dad in our backyard. Some things never change...I remember shooting shotguns and bows as a kid.


Lake Erie is a beautiful place and I took Eric to the Marblehead Lighthouse for his first visit to a Great Lake.

We stayed with my parents a few days and then headed on to Boston. There we were able to stay with Bradley and Meda, and their wonderful kids. Bradley has the most amazing view from his office and here he is drawing us a map so we would be able to get back to his house after our biking adventure touring the city.

We had a blast seeing the city on bikes and did find our way back to the house. Everyone in Boston bikes (how refreshing!) and there is a great path along the river we meandered down.

After our Boston adventure, Eric and I headed to Maine to meet Dr. Saunders and his wife. When we arrived at their house we were treated to an authentic Maine Lobster boil. I had never eaten lobster before and LOVED it. There were clams as well, and other than dinner, the green grass, cool humidity, and lots of mosquitoes made us realize we were a long way from home. Eric and I soaked it all in and were excited to head to Prince Edward Island.
We meandered up to the Island from Unity, Maine. First priority was the coffee shop in Unity where I was able to get my caffeine fix at the local coffee shop (much to Eric's displeasure). After driving for about 5 hours with a lengthy search at the border (though we did spot a Bald Eagle while eating a picnic lunch by the river), we set up camp in Fundy National Park in New Brunswick. We camped in a beautiful wooded area with trails to the bay. We were able to explore the Bay of Fundy at low tide the night we arrived and then view the bay at high tide the following morning.


I was able to get up before Eric (not really that much of an accomplishment!:-) early that morning and found a trail that ascended to the top of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. Needless to say I enjoyed running through the green, mossy forest despite the steep grade. The cool air (filled with oxygen!) was amazing and the view was one I'll never forget.

We packed up camp and drove the rest of the way to PEI. We crossed the 10 year old bridge to the island, which is somewhere around 9 miles long.

If you ever go to PEI, be aware that while it is not posted on any sign, other than one that says "toll will be collected when leaving the island," there is a 42 dollar toll for crossing the bridge. There really isn't any other way around it, and taking the ferry takes longer and is a little more pricey. Despite the deception, it was a pretty bridge.
We were able to explore the island by car on our way to Lord Selkirk Provincial Park. We ate fish & chips, saw beautiful lighthouses, and got out of the car many times to take in the spectacular views.

We camped near cliffs for two nights at Lord Selkirk, then headed to another Provincial Park next, and we ended our trip at Red Point Provincial Park. If you are ever on PEI, camp at the Provincial Parks. The facilities are great, they aren't crowded, and the views are amazing. Here are the highlights from our camping experiences. The sunset was on the evening of our first wedding anniversary.





We did a lot of biking on the island and here are a few pictures of what we saw. The island is growing canola (which stands for Canadian oil, low acid-Google it if you are a science nerd), that is what the brilliant yellow field is, and eating at Crabby's was amazing. I also had the most amazing seafood chowder somewhere in a quaint harbor town in the middle of a 60 mile biking day. Eric and I had a lot of fun biking, and the best part was traveling by the Confederation Trail, a railway turned into bike trail. It was nice and flat, unlike many of the roads.





The last night of our stay, Dr. Saunders held a special graduation ceremony for me and another grad student on the trip. Here we are, caps on and sparkling rhubarb wine in coffee mugs, with the group humming the graduation processional. It was the best ceremony I've ever been to!



We headed for home, traveling through Maine and then to Wilson, NY (where Eric wants to move despite my warnings of lake effect snow) and Niagra Falls.


We made it back to my parent's house in Ohio where we recovered. Eric wanted to go back to Cedar Point, but we couldn't muster the energy to tackle more coasters. We did visit Cheese Haven, a specialty cheese shop on Lake Eric, and eat smoked catfish, but other than that we just visited old friends and relaxed. I was able to introduce Eric to many old friends who didn't even know I got married. Eric did get to witness the famous "Cold Creek Festival" where my sister is the 1989 queen. We had grand plans to stop in St. Louis, but we are glad all I have is this picture of the arch from the car-turns out when I took this picture people had been stuck in the arch for over 6 hours! We kept trudging on, thinking of home.

We made it home after many, many hours in the car.

Since Deborah and Blayne so kindly watched my crazy dog while we were away, it was only fitting they repay us for the famous "ass incident" inflicted on poor Darcy Dog. Here is what Cache looked like when we returned. Maybe she should have gone biking with us!