Elephant Towels

On one of our last visits to Crested Butte Tim created some special towel animals for our bed.  It was a cute surprise.......what a guy!

Uncle Rock Visits

During March Uncle Rock came to Colorado to visit.  Arn and were able to get away to Crested Butte for a few days. We also skied a day at Copper Mt.and checked out Ski Cooper and the Tennessee Pass Nordic Area.  We skied 6 mi. at the nordic area.  The conditions weren't the best but next time we will park further down the road and do the flats in the meadow which we didn't try due to the wind, etc.  Nick, Matt, and Noah were in state to ski at Vail and we were also able to spend an evening with them in Vail at Chris and Maren's (thx a bunch). On the way home we grabbed dinner at the Swiss Chalet which was delicious.  Thanks a bunch also to Rock for staying with Gma and entertaining her with lots of card games and eating out.  We did also go to Garden of the Gods for a stroll one day.

Icy the day we went and a lot of downhill but a nice area.

New bucket list item - a night in a yurt, dinner, nordic ski, and Ski Cooper

Swiss Chalet - great fine dining in Woodland Park - cute place

February Update

Wow, I just realized I have been lax in updating..........what's been going on?  Grandma is still here and plans on returning to Ohio in May after Lauren's wedding shower.  Arn and I have been trying to walk more since we haven't had snow since the last big dump when we made the snow dragon.  Arn worked over a whole week which tired him out and I have been trying to work as much as possible.  Some of the recent walks/hikes we've taken..............walked from Spruce Mt. Trailhead almost to Larkspur (6 mi.), Black Forest Section 16, thru the fire burn area (4mi.), Monument Preserve with Tyler, Lauren and the dogs (over 3 mi.) , around  the neighborhood (over 3 mi.), and I stopped on the way home from work and walked 4 mi. on the Santa Fe Trail until the Air Force Academy closure (should reopen this spring).  We took a mud hike on the Lincoln Mt. Open Space for 4 mi. which was a mess and now are checking out some of the drier places we don't usually go until the snow melts and the ground dries up.
I have also been trying to keep up with Betty Rocker, a 30 day challenge workout video series.  Gotta get this excess poundage off!

Puff the Snow Dragon

Arn and I were busy for a couple of hours this past Sunday before the Super Bowl.  What started as a snowman became a robot, then a cat, then a dinosaur, and finally a dragon.  We really started getting into it and raided the trash can (the Christmas tree was still in there since the trash wasn't picked up due to the blizzard). Some pieces of it became his toenails.  The weather was warm that day and will be warm for the next few days so we think that Puff won't be around for long.

Our new Nordic Ski area

  This winter has been great for Nordic skiing.  We've used our skiis almost weekly depending on the snow. Our golf course has a new nordic center with a volunteer director  - Michael Brothers, a top-ranked Nordic skier who represented the U.S. Armed Forces at seven Military World Ski Championships and, as a biathlete, in the 2002 Winter Olympic trials, and he is doing a great job.  He grooms the trails daily and we usually go a couple times a week for 1-2 hrs. We've always skiied at the club but it's great to have groomed trails. 

Happy Birthday Meredith!

My youngest turned 28 yesterday.........it doesn't seem possible.  We spent last weekend together and went out for a great sushi lunch.  She had been in Denver for a dental conference and extended the weekend.  She and Tim were going to go to Ouray but a snowstorm kept them in CB. They went to a hot springs outside Gunnison (want to check it out) and got some powder skiing. Happy Birthday Meredith Ann!!