Jeremy & Kari's Blog

2011-06-11T09:23:00.001-07:00

=)

2011-05-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

So I kind of unplugged...

2011-04-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

...not intentionally, but it's not a bad thing.

Between not having internet at home except on our phones and a 8-5 job that doesn't consist of me being online half the time...and all the usual craziness of our lives...the internet stuff has taken a backseat. I'm on FB, but, right now, real life has me a little too busy to do much else. And it's not all that interesting.

It's a new season here. It's not one I'm fully comfortable with...and, I'm not ashamed to admit that taking a two-semester break from teaching so I can finally enjoy an occasional evening with my husband is propelling me into full-fledged mourning. It's the best decision. It's a grown-up, mature decision.

But I want to cry my eyes out.

My new job is fairly interesting. It keeps me busy. It gives us the steady paycheck/health insurance/free evenings and weekends/paid time off that we desperately needed.

But it's not teaching. So, I'm currently spending a great deal of time adjusting to this, and it's probably good I'm not posting a lot as I process this current season.

But God is moving in incredible ways in our lives and in our church. Life is moving forward...and, even when it is hard...it is good.

Because God...is GOOD.

Where did January go?

2011-01-31T18:22:00.000-08:00

If you want to see what J has been up to, check out his blog.

K has been busy hyperventilating over her thesis defense (I passed! I passed! I passed!!!!!!!!), working at H&R Block, teaching Composition, applying for jobs, playing with Mere Frugality, and chasing after our growing, very mischievous Kaia.

Our Christmas

2010-12-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

J and I started dating during the fall, so we had to figure out holidays early on. Luckily for us, it was simple. We would spend Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with his...and, if his family happened to be in the area (his parents evangelize), then they would just join my family. Easy peasy.

This year, though, we weren't able to join his parents for Christmas. So, we had to figure out what we were going to do instead. We were, of course, more than welcome at my family's Christmas celebration; however, I wanted to do something a little different. So, on Christmas Eve, we packed up the car and dogs and headed up to a cabin in the mountains. While it wasn't quite what we expected, it was still an interesting adventure...and a unique memory.

Kaia LOVED running around out there and was absolutely exhausted.

Berkley enjoyed himself more than it looks like.

The "museum" on site
I didn't take a picture of the cabin. That was intentional. Let's just say that we were more than happy to come home Christmas morning to our house to shower the next morning....

However, here is the picture I took of our Christmas Eve fondue dinner. :) Fun times.

After we came home and unpacked, we headed to a friend's house for the rest of the day for lots of food and laughter. All in all...a good day. :)

Check out...

2010-12-22T22:26:00.001-08:00

...the super cuteness of Kaia (who LOVES the heater)...

...and K's newest brainchild blog!

Pardon our dust....

2010-12-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

...K is attempting to redo the blog...and not succeeding very well...

Someone is getting BIG!

2010-12-15T21:49:00.001-08:00

Fixed link

2010-12-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have fixed J's blog link. You can find it here.

Don't forget!!!

2010-12-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to check out our other blog also. www.intouchwiththeoutdoors.blogspot.com

Kaia at nine weeks

2010-12-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

We've had Miss Kaia for a little over a week now...and, my, what an interesting week it has been. Our first goal, of course, was to start house-training immediately, using her kennel.

That hasn't worked so well. She hates her kennel. I figured that, after one night of being tough and not going to her after she cried, she would adjust and life would be gravy. But no. And she doesn't just whimper. She SCREAMS. The other night, she screamed for three.hours.straight.

So. We got her a playpen. I know. I know. Who gets a playpen for a dog, right? We do, apparently. And that is the.best.purchase.ever. We actually got a full night's sleep Friday night for the first time since we got her. She is perfectly content to lay in it. It's pretty big, with a mesh top and windows, so she can see us and move around and play. It is not helping with housetraining, but a lady in our church told us to just let her mature for another couple of weeks and try the kennel again. Right now, our need to sleep outweighs the necessity of housetraining.

She is definitely a handful and wearing us both out. It's like having a newborn and a toddler in one package. She is into everything. She requires constant supervision (hello, playpen). And she is a drama queen. She is super social, though. Tonight, she was held by probably 20 people at a church function, and she enjoyed every second of it.

After a week, we have found out that she absolutely loves these things:
--feet
--shoes
--food
--necks
--rope

And she absolutely despises...

--being brushed
--being groomed
--having her teeth brushed
--getting a bath
--being put in the kennel

We tried putting her in her bathtub to contain her. That didn't last long.

Her first parade of lights

Merry Christmas!

Meet Kaia.

2010-11-26T10:00:00.001-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2010-11-20T12:33:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at our Christmas card this year! Shutterfly saved me $108.00!! (Not that I would have spent that much on Christmas cards to begin with....but the figure looks nice. ;) )

Guess where K is?

2010-11-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly!

2010-11-10T14:39:00.000-08:00

Check it out here.

I was absolutely thrilled to hear about Shutterfly's newest promotion, allowing bloggers to blog about their cards for 50 free cards! That happens to be right around the number that we need this year, and I've been carefully browsing and pricing cards for the past week or two. I want to do a photo card; last year, we did a professional photo shoot...but I'm not sure if we can swing it this year. There for awhile, it looked like I was going to be relegated to Wal-mart's card (nothing wrong with them at all...but I wasn't really in love with any of their designs).

Shutterfly, on the other hand, has some simply darling designs, and I don't know what to pick! I've narrowed down my top favorites, and I'll let J help me figure it out. A lot of it depends on what photo we end up using. Currently, my favorite photo from this year is a beach photo, and that seems so wrong for a Christmas picture. We'll see.

And, while this blog post does make me eligible for the 50 free cards, I'm serious when I say I love their designs. They have a huge variety of Christmas cards, and they also have general holiday and New Year's cards for those who don't celebrate Christmas. You can choose photo cards or regular cards...you can use one photo or several...you can have flat cards or traditional cards...etc. What's great is that you can customize right from home before sending it off, so you can play with multiple designs. You can also request a sample card to see what it looks like in person before you order.

If we DO end up going with the beach photo, I'm pretty sure we'll use this one if J likes it:

I also like this one if we go with three favorites from last year. If we put the dogs on it, we'll do this one.

Then, there's this one that is just fun!
This one is a very close runner-up to the first one if we do use the beach picture:

I love how the words pop out from the black and white. Actually, this one just might be my favorite.

(Why, yes. I do have a hard time deciding what to wear every day. Why do you ask?)

How to choose? Hopefully, J will be the deciding factor. Maybe. Or maybe I'll draw a name out of a hat. And I will.not be tempted by the New Year cards, which are equally darling....

Back post alert!

2010-11-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

No, we didn't do another trip to California....but I'm taking advantage of a lull to catch up on posts I should have made...um...last year...

Until I catch up on my scrapbooks, this is a nice way to record all of the stuff we did...so bear with the barrage of posts.

Until then, I will leave you with this:

This is how he insists on laying when I'm on the computer...

Lake Como

2010-10-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

J went solo on this off-roading venture. :) This trail was a 9!

Us

2010-10-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Fall 2010

We're 4x4ing Blanca Peak Trail This Weekend!!!

2010-10-13T23:09:00.001-07:00

The Blanca Peak Trail is one of Colorado's toughest. It is rated as a 9 on a 10 point scale by the Colorado Association of 4WD clubs (CA4WDCs) . There are no tens. The trail is in Southern Colorado about 40 miles west of the I-25 Walsenburg exit as the crow flies. Directions can be found in the CA4WDCs "The 4x4 Trail Book" which states, "Several spots on the trail can be extremely hazardous." This point was driven home in our minds when we learned that just a few weeks before a FJ-40 had done several full rolls down the side of a steep slope when it slipped off Blanca's Jaws 2 obstacle.

The trail also offers two mountain lakes in very scenic settings, abandoned mining cabins, and hiking beyond the end of the 4WD trail. To fully experience the rugged beauty of the area, a two day trip is recommended with overnight camping at Como Lake near the top. The view of the stars from so high up, under such a clear and unpolluted sky is awe inspiring as one considers the grandeur of the mountain and at the same time is humbled by the incomprehensible expanse of the universe. Indian legend has it that this mountain was used by the gods to come down to earth and return back up into the heavens. (http://www.4x4now.com/cobp.htm)

Did you know that birds like nachos?

2010-10-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

We found at least two who do at a recent date morning at our local zoo ('cause our schedules don't allow for date days or date nights these days....)

Okay...so we're dorks. But we still thought it was funny.

We're keeping a pretty low profile these days with our very hectic schedules...it's all work and no play. Hopefully, we can remedy that in December. ;)

Tag. :)

2010-10-09T20:57:00.001-07:00

We've been tagged, so I'll step out of the box from our usual posts. And I'll just answer for me, as J rarely updates any more. ;)

1.Do you have a favorite love song that makes you feel warm and fuzzy?
"When God Made You" has always been a favorite.

2.Do you remember the first time you really felt God tugging at your heart? Where were you and how did it make you feel?

Despite being raised in the church, I would have to say my teen years. Growing up, I was in many services where there was a powerful move of God, and, while I was fascinated by it and wanted it for myself, I was always a bit at loss as to how to experience it for myself. I always wanted this life and always clung to the doctrine, but it wasn't until my teen years that I really began to get to know the REASON behind all of this and began to move toward an actual walk with God.

3.Do you remember a particular time when someone encouraged or complimented you and it changed your whole attitude, giving you a better day?

It happens quite often as a teacher, but I can't think of one off the top of my head.

4.What is/was your very favorite subject in school and why?

History was always my favorite subject, and, honestly, it still is. I should have majored in it, but it never occurred to me. lol.

5.What is your preference of a pet - dog, cat, fish, or none?
These days... none. ;) We have two dogs, and that's plenty. I love cats, but I'm allergic...and, honestly, our dogs are a pain in the neck. But I love my husband, and he loves dogs...so there you go.

6.Name one thing that you really like about your personality.
I am sincere. I will never fake anything. Ever.

7.Name one thing that you would like to improve about yourself.
I really wish I wasn't so prickly.

8.Name one thing that you are very thankful for and can't imagine living without.
J. Love that man. <3

Labor Day!

2010-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

After our wreck this past December, J chose to get a jeep that would enable him to do more off-roading....a vehicle that one of my grad school friends appropriately dubbed "the man-car."

I am not fond of this "man-car," but we have reached a compromise with it. It is his baby to do with as he wishes, and I have my Neon that is much more suitable for me. :) When we go places together, we take the Neon. I only ride in the jeep when it is absolutely necessary. It is NOT my thing.

Off-roading is also not really my thing; I get car-sick, so riding around in a bumpy vehicle across rocks, down valleys, etc is not my idea of a good time..and it usually leaves me a bit green.

That said, I did agree to do a mild off-roading trip on Labor Day. I grabbed some Dramamine and fortitude...and, all in all, it was a good day. :) We chose a trail that was only about an hour away-- La Salle Pass.

Rialto, CA

2010-09-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

(Above: All ready for the MOJ concert)

In probably our best whirlwind trip YET (and, yes, we do specialize in those), we spent this past weekend in Rialto, CA for a Men of Judah concert. J was recruited for the drums, and I came along for...eh...supervising. Yeah. That's it. Though my husband did say I rocked at running the cd table... ;)

Essentially, anyone who knows me isn't going to suggest that J take a trip...without me. Um. No. I LOVE to go...anywhere. If he's going somewhere, I'm definitely going.

Due to THREE plane delays...for a total of four hours...our trip was even more crazy than we had intended. We finally got to our hotel at around 1:30 a.m. Friday morning. After some sleep, MOJ practiced while those of us who weren't in the band shopped at the outlets right next to our hotel. After that, we had the concert. Saturday morning, we did a bit of shopping before heading to lunch on the beach...and then home we went!

Some pictures: J on the drums

Santa Monica Pier

And THE MOST GHETTO car rental place ever...if you see this....run, run, run!

Videos: MOJ concert and feeding the birds. :)

New York, New York!

2010-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Bright-eyed and ready to go...

En route on our red eye...and we thought we were tired then!

Seeing the delightful Mary Poppins (again!) on Broadway...

The skyline...

Seeing the Statue of Liberty was amazing.

Ellis Island was pretty neat, too.

Outreach in the projects

The outdoor concert in the projects...and, yes, that is J on the drums.

The Empire State Building after church Saturday night.

We went on a whirlwind missions trip to New York City last month. There were approximately 70 of us who took over NYC as we experienced every bit that we could. We drank toasted marshmallow shakes, visited Times Square, saw Mary Poppins, took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, browsed the shops in Chinatown, did hefty outreach in the projects, watched rats scuttle across the subway, held an outdoor concert in the projects and sang/played our hearts out...and watched those same hearts get wrenched as people wept right there in the streets..., had fantastic church, gazed at the Empire State Building at night...and much, much more. We came home fully exhausted, with lots of memories and very, very swollen feet. ;)

Tulsa, OK

2010-05-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Incidentally, J and I started counting the other day...we've been to 10 states since we've met! Not bad.... ;)

Our latest road trip included very little sightseeing, but LOTS of church. =) We traveled through Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico (eh, not in that order), in this little venture. We had a lot of rain and storms...and one night of 90 mph hour winds and tornado sirens...all of which we mercifully slept through. Our trip home ended on a bit of an exciting note, with a storm, some hail, some tornado warnings, and a rather nervous K, whowould prefer to keep her tornado memories in the PAST...thankyouverymuch.

Here is Tulsa, OK...where the sun did not shine ONCE. Luckily, our conference was in our hotel, so we avoided coming into church with wet hairdos and just strolled comfortably down the hall. Personally, I think staying in the headquarters hotel was worth every.extra.dime.

All ready for church the first night. And, just as a plug, I'd like to remind my audience...of a whopping, what, four, bloggers?...that going to a church conference is probably the best thing you can do for yourself AND your family. As a friend likes to say, you can't put a price tag on this!

And the lovely little sign that, perhaps, the tornado warnings might have some reason behind them...

And, because I like the video setting, on my camera...a taste of what we experienced once we got THROUGH those clouds.

1 year anniversary!

2010-05-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Because of our two almost back-to-back trips in May and June, we opted to take a very short anniversary trip. We headed back up to our honeymoon spot in Manitou Springs and stayed in the Spindletop Suite at Rockledge B&B.

Our suite was bigger than our apartment. I'm not sure if that means the room was very, very big or our apartment is very, very small. Maybe both.

We spent the evening wandering around the B&B and Manitou Springs...and just enjoying the much-needed time to relax. While walking on a trail behind the B&B, we stumbled upon a wounded deer. =(

On a happier note, we got to see the fantastic view of Pike's Peak...

The next morning, we had a fantastic breakfast of stuffed french toast...

Then, we went to the Cave of the Winds. We were very disappointed that we could not do the lantern tour--it's only offered on weekends until after Memorial Day--but we still enjoyed the regular tour. The pictures didn't turn out very well. We did get a great picture we purchased there, but scanning it in is a little too much effort for an obscure blog. ;)

Garden of the gods

2010-04-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite spots to visit throughout the year. It's free, it's pretty, and it has some great trails. What more could you ask for? :)

Highway 1

2009-12-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

After we visited the aquarium, we decided that we should spend New Year's Eve in San Francisco. Thus, we took a leisurely drive down Highway 1 on our way down there. This is an absolutely GORGEOUS stretch of coast.

As the sun set, we took the opportunity to take play with the tripod and take what have become some of our favorite pictures to date.

Monterey, California

2009-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

After our trip to L.A., J and I took off for a mini-trip to Monterey--just the two of us. We took a leisurely drive down to the little seaside town and had a nice Mexican dinner. The next day, we explored downtown (and, of course, had to photograph all the Steinbeck references...I DO have a degree in English...), including the famous aquarium. And, yes, there were more things than otters and penguins, but those were my favorites, soooo.... :)

Indio, California

2009-12-25T22:40:00.000-08:00

This is one part of the trip we're not really fond of...

A slight detour to grab some groceries on our way to Joshua Tree Nat'l Park ended up in smashing glass, a totaled jeep, hours in the ER, and an unexpected hotel stay in Indio, California.

Here we are the next morning...a bit of an nontraditional Christmas

And our not-so-fond memory =(

Santa Barbara, California

2009-12-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

Nothing like riding a 4-person bike down the beach boardwalk...

Ventura, California

2009-12-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

Also known as Bentley's first trip to the beach...he did not like it...

He DID like meeting other dogs...

This was our first day of REAL California weather...

We watched the boat parade of lights at the harbor

Sequoia National Park

2009-12-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

Our trip to Sequoia was breathtaking. The snow prevented us from seeing certain parts of the park, but what we saw was fantastic.

Grand Canyon

2009-12-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break, J and I--along with his brother--took a road trip to California to be with his parents, who are evangelizing. We spent three weeks traveling around, and it was a road trip to remember.

We made the first leg of the trip non-stop---an 18 hour trip or so. We pulled into Grand Canyon National Park at around 4 a.m....and proceeded to crash until sunrise at 6 a.m.

We stumbled out of the jeep in time to watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon. It was FREEZING...but absolutely breathtaking.

Bishop Castle

2009-10-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

Bishop Castle is nestled in the San Isabel National Forest. It's an oddity, but people flock there all year. Most of the fun is simply marveling at the absolute insanity of the place. Getting a chance to talk to the builder, Jim Bishop, is always...interesting...

Eyeing the moat as we walked in...

I looked up and decided that was as far as I was going...

Aww...

"We the People" is painted...everywhere....

I refused to walk on the bridge. Building codes are for a reason. Just sayin'.

The dragon is a nice touch.

San Isabel National Forest

2009-10-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to get away from the chaos of the semester, we packed up the truck a couple Friday afternoons ago and took off to destinations unknown. J wanted to find a secluded spot and camp. I agreed--as long as their were bathroom facilities nearby

It turns out those two are rather mutually exclusive.

We ended up driving through San Isabel National Forest, and we stumbled upon a cute little campground that just happened to have a sleeper cabin open and available. It wasn't fancy, but it was WARM.

San Isabel National Forest was awash in gorgeous fall colors...beautiful!

Denver Botanical Gardens

2009-09-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

After the first week of school, we took off to Denver for a weekend getaway. Jeremy humored me with a visit to the Denver Botanical Gardens. I believe they just finished stage 2, and it's already quite a place to visit. It's going to be amazing when the final stage is done.

Steamboat Springs

2009-06-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks after our honeymoon, we spent a week in Steamboat Springs with Jeremy's parents. It's a gorgeous little town. One day, we took off for a picnic lunch in the mountains....

Seven Falls

2009-05-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

We also hit up Seven Falls after North Cheyenne Canyon. Seven Falls is a must-see if you are in the Springs area. We went up in the afternoon and returned in the evening to see the lights. Gorgeous!

North Cheyenne Canyon

2009-05-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

The second day of our honeymoon, we went to North Cheyenne Canyon. It was beautiful...

Colorado B&Bs

2009-05-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

We stayed in three different B&Bs on our honeymoon; they were all excellent! We highly recommend them.

The first place we stayed was at Red Crags B&B. We stayed in the Coach House Suite, and it was awesome. Every morning, we were served a fantastic breakfast over on the sister property, Rockledge.
Outside our suite

The second place we stayed was Victoria's Keep. It's a classy Victorian house that offers fabulous breakfasts as well. We stayed in the Queen's Chambers...beautiful!

Our third spot was actually at the sister property of Red Crags, Rockledge.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2009-05-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of the first places we went on our honeymoon was Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Manitou Springs. It's a great zoo...with a lot of hills. The interactive parts were definitely the most fun!
Isn't it pretty?

He did not like the kangaroo wandering around...

So regal...

Feeding the giraffes!

Garden of the Gods

2009-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

On our way back from purchasing a new computer, thanks to some lovely thieves, we stopped at the Garden of the Gods...a favorite stop.

See the kissing camels? We couldn't resist. =)

Backpack

2009-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

I just picked up a new backpack from Edge Ski Paddle & Pack in Pueblo, CO... For $75.00. Now it's time to go hiking!

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

2009-03-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

Located in Keystone, SD, Mount Rushmore is a standing memorial to some of the greatest presidents that ever lived. It stands like a shrine commemorating the accomplishments that these presidents made throughout their lives.

Did You Know?

Over 90% of Mount Rushmore was carved by using dynamite. Dynamite blasts removed approximately 450,000 tons of rock from the mountain.
There were approximately 400 workers that worked at Mount Rushmore during the carving process from October 1927 to October 1941. Also throughout this extremely dangerous work there were no lives lost.

Badlands, South Dakota

2009-03-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you've ever traveled through South Dakota, you understand the desolation that makes up its landscape. I find it amazing that out of this desolation stands one of the most amazing ranges of mountainous landscape. It's almost like a canyon is being eroded into the landscape right in front of your eyes.

Our first trip

2009-03-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Since J's family is primarily in Minnesota, his mom decided it would be nice to take me down to Minneapolis to meet everyone. At the last minute, J and his brother decided to drive down and meet us there, turning it into a fantastic Spring Break for us all. I met his family, we had a shower, and we explored the city of Minneapolis as much as possible. What fun! :)

Here are some pictures...in no particular order. It's waayyyy too much work to get them organized. :P

In St. Paul

Right on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota

At the aquarium under the Mall of America.

At the Science Museum in Minneapolis

Ahhh....Nirvana...

The guys enjoying the amusement park at the Mall of America.

Picture spot at the Rainforest Cafe

The bridal shower...before J was banished to the basement. ;)

In Minneapolis...yes, we are exhausted

The signs on my room...awww!