The Newest Brock

IT'S A GIRL!

After much thought, Tim and I decided to add to our small family...before you get too excited take a look below: 

She's a Malshi just like her brother and we call her Tillie.

Holidays at 516

The holidays were quite an event for us this year! We hosted a Potter/Anderson/Brock Thanksgiving and then took another round with having all of the families back for Christmas! After a few seasons of traveling over the holidays, we were very excited to have all the family near.  Lots of good food, singing, dancing and laughing made this season a very memorable one. 

The Beauty of Charleston

It's taken a VERY long time to get the pictures posted, but they are worth the wait!  These were taken when Tim and I traveled to Charleston, SC for a wedding he piped at on my birthday weekend.  Please enjoy, and if you've never been to C-town, you'll want to go now...

Oktoberfest/Hallowine

Wow, October has been busy--and it isn't over yet! We still have a wedding next weekend in Charleston. The month began with a visit from Michelle and Carson. It was so great to see them. We miss them and Matt so much (as well as everyone else in Colorado.) With both Tim's and my birthdays in October, we attempted two major bashes in one month. The first was the 1st Annual Oktoberfest to celebrate Tim's birthday. I will admit we did not take enough pictures. Lesson learned for next year. The second event was the 2nd Annual Hallowine party. Both parties were great and we look forward to doing this again next year. Below is a slide show of pictures from the busy month so far.

516 Kennet

Ok, ok.  I have a very good reason for taking so long to blog this time!  Tim and I have only been busy moving back across the country, house shopping, house buying, starting new jobs, and working in the new house so that it becomes our home.  Finally, we got to a place were I felt like it was ok to take pictures and post them for all of you who have asked.  You know me, if it's not perfect, I have issues!  It still isn't perfect, but it is perfect for us.  We are nursing homesickness for Colorado by shopping, mulching, and rediscovering the Upstate.  I figured the easiest way to display pictures of the house would be through a slideshow.  That way you can skip to whatever you care about! Hope everyone out there (far and near) is doing well.  Now that we've gotten a little more settled, we would love to have visitors!  (P.S.  For anyone who visited this before I discovered some song was attached to the slideshow, please ignore that...I am not "so much better without you!")

My New Favorite Flower

The Dahlia...one of the great buys Tim and I got at the Hub City Farmer's Market this morning.  My new favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning...immediately following my dose of caffeine via a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.  I love the fall!

It's official...

We're moving back!

Long time, no BLOG

Well, I know I should be ashamed of myself for not blogging more often in the past few months, but when you see how busy we've been you'll understand why! This is my feeble attempt to recapture the months of February, March, and April as May takes over. Most of February was a blur with the exception of another great brunch at the Brown Palace for Valentine's Day with Matt and Michelle and the birth of Carly May Stevenson (born to our friends Kristy and Ben.) Congratulations again, guys!

In March, I slowly planned for the triathlon, training as much as possible but allowing the weather to get in the way of most of that. We had several snow storms, but never anything to encourage a snow day or even a delay! Oh well, with spring break approaching, I had Mexico to look toward and snow to forget! The last full week in March, Tim, myself, Jenny, and Greg, headed south to San Jose del Cabo. There are only a few pictures posted here because the majority of this trip was spent by the pool! I have to say my three travel mates were much more active than I was! Tim played beach/pool volleyball each day, Greg went on dives, and Jenny even left a day or two to explore. My two main events were a horseback ride on the beach and a sunset cruise in Cabo San Lucas the night before we left (see pictures below.) Outside of that, I enjoyed my book, the sun, the entertainment around the pool and the fact that I didn't have anything I was required to do! It was a great trip! We've all missed it and want to go back. My dear friends, Autumn and Daniel, welcomed Eli Golob into the world this same week...proof that it was a good one!

The beginning of April ushered in a visit from Tim's mom, fun with Carson, and Easter. We had a great experience as we finally made it to Red Rocks for the "sunrise" service. True to Colorado spring, it was pretty unpredictable and stayed gray and rainy all day. Regardless, the service was nice (the dove release was so special) and we got a few good pictures from the morning:

Not very long after that...we got snow...just enough to make commute home on Friday horrible and force us to stay inside most of the weekend!


That same weekend, our friend Melissa had her birthday, where we got to eat yummy sushi and enjoy wonderful desserts! Happy Birthday Melissa!

Right after the snow, the Nuggets (our beloved) made it to the first round of the NBA playoffs and Tim made it onto the Jumbotron! Take a look:





The following weekend was the (much avoided??) weekend of the triathlon. For those of you who do not know how I got into this (since I'm neither a swimmer, runner, nor biker), it was Jenny. She is from Nebraska and she knew of one that the special education team could do for "fun." Well, in all honesty, it did turn out to be a lot of fun. I got to know the people I work with better and I felt pretty darn proud as I crossed the finish line! Here are a few pics:

Now, it's a few short hours away from being May. I anticipate another few busy months ahead. I vow to be a better blogger (since I really didn't have a very good excuse for not keeping up with the past few months!) Check back and see what's new!

Winter Wonderland

In honor of my sister-in-law's birthday, Matt and Michelle were able to get a great deal on a ski resort in Beaver Creek, CO. They so graciously invited several of us up for a weekend of skiing. The first day was spent skiing in Vail (the neighboring village) and the second day was in Beaver Creek. We had a blast and have the hurting muscles and joints to prove it! I'm slowly gaining ski-confidence and am thankful to Melissa and Matt for their patience! Each day, I inadvertently encountered a "blue" (which from what I hear, is more like a "black" back east.) All I can say is that I made it down without a broken bone! One day, maybe I'll actually go down one voluntarily! Tim also conquered his first "black diamond." In any case, Tim was able to grab a few cool shots from the slopes. Nothing can fully describe how pretty the slopes and villages were, but his pics turned out pretty great! The one pictured above is one of the Aspens (his muse) in fresh snow.

Words to live by...

Lots of people responded favorably to this when I sent it out as an email. I figured I would post it online for anyone who did not get it the first time through. I'm accomplishing some of what's on this list but I guess that's why it's designed for a whole year!

A GREAT RECIPE FOR THE NEW YEAR!
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God (or a friend) about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________'
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, Issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this really matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
20. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!
21. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
22. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.
23. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
24. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

Photo Tag

Ok, so if you read Carly's blog, I'm copying this verbatim...but it's a cute idea. Read below:

Here are the rules:

1. Go to your 4th picture folder

2. Use the 4th picture in the folder

3. Tell us about your picture!

4. Pass it on!

This is a picture of the view from mine and Tim's window on our long weekend trip to Chicago. Chicago is a city I highly recommend you visit for fun (and food-earlier blog in September, 08) if you ever get the chance. I am determined to get a Girl's Weekend going! Hello Magnificent Mile!