A Year of Change

This morning at 7am, the boys and I are off to Vail and Steamboat Springs and then back in Denver hopefully by 3pm. I have some business and will work in some fun for the boys somehow along the way.

Yesterday we were back at it, working our butts off. Lori made it home a few minutes after 6pm and I made chili and garlic chicken breasts over roasted broccoli. It was really good considering that we both had just had a protein shake for breakfast and a salad for lunch.

Tonight I’m supposed to make turkey chili but will need to hit the store when we get back to the city. Hopefully I’ll have the time. That’s about it since we have so much traveling on the agenda. Hope everyone is well, take care and God Bless.

Just when you think you’re getting ahead something pops up and sets you back. Well that happened yesterday but instead of getting down, we’re fighting back! Now don’t worry, nothing life shattering, just an unexpected bill that needs to be paid right away. It’s almost laughable, you work and work and then bam, out of nowhere a setback. Oh well, just another day.

Now yesterday Lori and I were officially back on our Belize program. This means we’re following the eating plan (not a diet) in the book as we did before we went to Belize. It’s only Day 2 out of 22 but we fell better already. It’s all about clean real food and is so good for your body. Check back with us in three weeks and you’ll see a whole new us. Our friend Peggy told us we can go back anytime, for free of course, and we’d all love to go but won’t make it anytime soon.

We both had pretty good days at work. Ty went to his friends house around 3 until Mom picked him up on the way home from work at 6. Jag and I did some work around the house and I managed to get all the laundry done from our trip and keep the house still somewhat clean. That’s about it, time to get after it as we both have lots to do. They say more severe weather today and tomorrow. Tornado’s were out by the airport and other areas but we lucked out here west of town.

Time to get everyone up, it’s 6:30 now so have a great day and we’ll see you tomorrow. God Bless.

We left Aspen around 10:30am and four hours later arrived home. The drive is actually nice until you almost reach Georgetown and then it slows to a crawl. This happens every Sunday year round, with it being the worst in ski season. There’s so many people from Denver that go to the mountains on the weekends that there’s just no way around a traffic jam coming home. If you leave too late on Friday to go up to the mountains, same thing.

It was a great trip, we just love the mountains. We feel as a family that we are just supposed to be there. Maybe we’d feel the same way if we were at the ocean but whenever we’re in the mountains, life is just better. Everything was so green for this time of year. We had great weather the whole time and and squeezed a lot in for being there two days and three nights. Horseback riding, mountain biking, a party, great dinners, fun times with friends, some good business, and a bunch of people watching.

Today we’re back at it, Lori at the her office and me in mine. To tell the truth, neither one of us really stopped working the entire weekend. There was always something that popped up, a text, a call or some emergency that one of us had to handle right away. Never the less, we still managed to have some great family time and fun.

Overall we feel pretty good about where we are. We’re still facing the day to day pressures but have a number of irons in the fire that will hopefully lead to less pressure and a better life in the near future. You’ll all be the first to know if and when something comes to fruition. Anyhow, we hope you all have a good week and are doing well. Keep your chin up, if we can, you all certainly can! God Bless.

We’re not looking forward to it but we need to head back down the hill to Denver today. Yesterday Jag along with Brook and Max went downhill bike riding on the mountain. They rode the ski lift up three times and then came bombing down on their mountain bikes. Apparently Jagger is quiet good at this. He came back covered in mud everywhere that his protective gear didn’t cover. He had a blast. Meanwhile Ty stayed with us and went into town where we had some lunch and stopped by some friends house. He then also spent a good two hours in the pool.

Around 5 we all went back in to Billie and Greg’s house for some fun before going to dinner. We were going to join them at the Steve Winwood concert but didn’t want to spend the money. Finally around 11 or so we made it home. Time to run now as check out time is 10am. Hope all is well, God Bless.

I woke up around 6:30 or so and went up into the village to find a cash machine. Upon my return I cooked up enough breakfast for an army. Bacon, sausage, eggs and cinnamon rolls  were the fare to fuel everyone up for the day. Around 9:30 the kids, Mark and I headed out to the T Lazy 7 Ranch for our high country horseback ride. We made it there 30 minutes later and hung out until we were ready to go. The kids were busy feeding the goats so the time passed fast. Jagger was on Cactus, Ty had Tucson and I was on Annie. We ended up heading out towards Maroon Bells Wilderness for our ride. My stirrups couldn’t extend down far enough so I basically rode bareback the entire trip. This was no big deal as when we were kids we never used saddles anyhow. When I needed to, I’d just hug my knees into Annie’s belly to keep me on her. It was a pretty steep trail with lots of ups and downs. You had to watch the aspen trees as sometimes the horses would run you into one if you weren’t watching. To prevent getting your knees smashed, you just push on the tree and push off and your horse will feel the pressure and move over, thankfully.

Click on the photo to enlarge,

A couple hours later we were back at the corral and jumped off our horses. We then rushed home for a quick shower so we could head into town for the Champagne Reception hosted by my distributor. We made it there a bit after 2pm and the place was rocking. I connected with a dozen or so people I needed to meet with and another dozen I just hadn’t seen since last year. I accomplished more business in the next 90 minutes than I could have over a couple of months and thousands of miles on a plane. That’s why we come here each year.

Finally we headed out, hooked up with the kids who were running around town and went to get something to eat. We sat outside at the Red Onion and had some appetizers listening to music. It was nice and relaxing. Then after a few stops and some window shopping, we headed back to our home away from home. The kids went straight to the pool and we hung out on the balcony with the sound of the rushing stream serenading us. Around 7pm we decided to head down the highway about 20 miles to Basalt to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The food is so good that we’re out numbered by Mexicans at least 20 to 1. A few hours and margarita’s later, we headed home.

Everyone was beat from the long day so sleep was on everyones mind. It didn’t take long for all to fall asleep. Today we’re hiking and then might go see Steve Winwood under the music tent outside this evening. Other than that, it’s playtime in the mountains.  Hope all’s well, Lori will post some pictures as Annette requested, take care and God Bless.

Lots of people love the ocean, like Lori, but for me, I’ll take the mountains anytime. The shear power of the peaks towering over you make you feel so small. The colors driving up were like an artists easel throw against a canvas of blue. Wildflowers everywhere were in full bloom with rushing rivers and waterfalls around every corner. Throw in streaks of white snow still clinging to the mountains and it was a picture hard to beat.

After picking up the good looking one (you should have seen her at the party!) we stopped by the house so she could change and hit the road by 12:45. Around 4 we pulled into Snowmass and checked into our massive 4 bedroom, 4 and a half bath, condo or town home or whatever you call it. Soon it was 6:30 and time to go to the party. We drove the short 2 miles up to the Village and headed in to join the festivities. We found lots of friends right away and began catching up as everyone was doing after being gone for the past few months. The food sucked but the company and especially the band, was great. It’s the same local band that’s played at a number of parties we’ve been to, they’re really really good.

Finally around a little after 10 we headed home. By 11:30 or so we must have fallen asleep. Today we’ll start off (after I go to the gym) with an hour and a half horseback ride up to Maroon Bells. Mark and I are taking the four kids while the girls lounge by the pool. Then there’s the champagne party at 2 or so and then dinner somewhere this evening.

Our place is over the top gorgeous and was rated the #1 destination in Snowmass in 2014. There’s nothing missing here and the beds are so perfect you could stay in them all day. But time to get up and get moving. As John Wayne always said, we’re burning daylight, which is pretty true about life itself. So off we go, hope all’s well, take care and God Bless from God’s Country!

Alright, I don’t know where to start so I guess I’ll start at the break of dawn. I woke up around 4:45 and laid there until 5 trying to let Lori get as much sleep as possible. At 5 sharp, I nudged her gently to wake her up. After treating me like the snooze button on an alarm clock, (no she didn’t hit me in the head) she was up 10 minutes later. She had made coffee yesterday and instead of wasting it and making a fresh pot, we agreed the night before to just let it sit overnight and warm it up in the microwave. The only problem was the day before she had made the coffee so strong we could have set Olympic records in the 100 yard dash! I forgot about this and warmed a cup up and 10 minutes later was flying like her plane! Lori had two cups, she must have been really tired. I warmed up the car and made myself a couple eggs and some bacon and some for her.

Around 6am I went upstairs to see if she was coming down as she needed to be at the airport by 6:45 and we live 30 minutes away without morning traffic. To my surprise, she was standing there in front of the bathroom mirror still in her robe doing her hair. I frantically said, “what are you doing? we need to leave in 10 minutes”. She said “what” and then the mad rush was on. She threw on some clothes, I grabbed her bag and put it in the back of the car, and after slugging down some more liquid adrenaline and a handful of vitamins, we were out the door. Luckily traffic was still light and we made it to the airport at 6:47. I dropped her off, gave her a quick kiss and off she went.

Next up was the morning traffic heading back into Denver and I was stuck in the heart of it. I made it home around 7:40 and both boys were still sleeping. I was too late to take Ty to track so I showered and decided to go wash the car. I made it there by 8am and was the first car in line for the 45 minute interior detail wash. I walked across the street to get some stuff for the trip at Walmart. By the time I was through, the car was almost done. 20 minutes later I was headed home. I arrived around 9:20 and to my surprise, Ty was still sleeping! Now I expect this from Jag, but Ty, never. Anyhow I decided to get to work in my office and check on them later. I came up around 10 and they were still both out. I had to check them to see if they were still breathing! I decided enough is enough and woke them up. After a quick bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (kids cereal), we hit the road to run errands.

It seems like we ran errands until around 2 in the afternoon getting ready for the trip. Next up was baseball practice at 4. It was raining on and off and I am the pseudo assistant coach, meaning I do all the stuff an assistant coach does without being an assistant coach. 2 hours later we headed home. I still hand’t packed and now the boys were hungry so back in the car and off to Good Times for burgers and fries for dinner. Finally around 7:30pm I started to pack. An hour later I had two large full suitcases, a duffle bag, two or three hang ups bags and a 2 boxes of boots. Throw in a bag of groceries and a few cases of wine and the car will be full. I can’t believe all the clothes, and shoes ( must be 20 pair between the four of us) that I packed. I still need to pack a backpack for hiking with the necessary gear (first aid, water purifier, survival supplies, rain gear, etc.) as you can’t get caught in the mountains without being prepared. I’ll do that this morning. Oh yea, I need to run to the dry cleaners and ask them to press my pants quickly as they have a line from hanging over the hanger in the closet for so long.

I just called Lori at 5:15 her time to make sure she gets up so she doesn’t miss her flight. The first call received no response but a few minutes later she called back to tell me she was up. Hopefully she won’t be too tired for all the dancing she has to do tonight!

Then after feeding the boys and making sure they shower, I’ll pack the car and then get ready to go get Lori at 11:15 or so. Then we’ll make a pit stop here at home and let Lori change into jeans and boots before heading out to Aspen. That’s about it. More tomorrow on the big party, maybe I can get the misses to write as my fingers are getting sore. Anyhow, take care and God Bless. Here’s a comment from Annette,

I wrote this last night as this morning I have no time. Up at 5am to get Lori to the airport for her 8am flight to Las Vegas. Then it’s home by 7am to get Ty to track, go wash the car and then pick him up at 9. Jagger will sleep through the entire thing. After that I need to go to the distributor to pick up some wine coming in from California and then get going on laundry. A trip to the grocery store for essentials for breakfast and snacks to take is also in order. Next up is packing Lori’s, Jag’s, Ty’s and my clothes. We’ll be hiking, swimming, horseback riding, dining and dancing and just general partying plus a few meetings for me. We might also be taking the boys bikes for them to ride down the ski hills after riding up the gondola with them. All that requires lots of different clothes, shoes, coats and more. On top of it, I’ll be packing it all alone.

Then I need to get some wine ready for the trip, chase down some purchase orders, particularly from Illinois and Michigan, and then wrap up the days work. At 4pm, Jag has baseball practice. Oh yea, I almost forgot, I need to clean up the house as we’re splurging and having the cleaning lady come Thursday morning so we have a clean house when we arrive home.

Meanwhile Lori will be sitting in various conferences all day long before attending a cocktail reception with Dr. R and then going to dinner with her. Thursday am she’ll get up at 5;30 for an 8:30am flight home.

Yesterday was a day full off driving and work along with making dinner until Lori got home. The boys rode the bikes up the Golds Grocery store and bought some chips and ice cream unbeknownst to me. They probably had a pop too knowing them! Meanwhile Lori laid out all the boys clothes as well as her own so it’s easier for me to pack them. Finally a little after 10pm she went to bed.

Here’s a comment,

This morning we slept until about 6:45 so we’re all running late this morning. Ty has track in 45 minutes and needs to get up soon. Meanwhile Lori has another busy day and then is off to Vegas tomorrow. I’m supposed to have a lunch today with a guy but we’ll see as I have a lot to do.

The U.S. Mens soccer team won their first World Cup game yesterday in great fashion. Normally I don’t watch soccer but do watch the World Cup. It was a great game.

I need to run as it’s almost 7am. Have a great day, talk to you tomorrow. God Bless.

That’s what the past few days, or I guess weeks, have been, a big blur. We’re not sure if it’s all the cotton blowing off our cottonwood trees or what, but the wife and I are both foggy and groggy in the mornings feeling like we didn’t get enough sleep. Now normally I’d think it’s alcohol but we don’t really drink much anymore!

Fathers Day was nice. We started off the day by going to see How To Train Your Dragon II. I’d put it right up with with such classics as Lawrence of Arabia! We stopped on the way at Nordstrom Rack (their discount store) to get Mr. Ty a much needed pair of tennis shoes. After the movie we headed home after returning one of Lori’s dresses she bought yesterday. She decided she didn’t like the neck line.

We were going to go to the Harris’s for bbq chicken but they called at the last minute (super) as Carrie was upset as her dad just passed and it was Father’s Day. Now I understand but this put us in a spot to get something for dinner, especially for the boys. We managed with some Orange Chicken which we luckily purchased from Costco the day before. Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful relaxing day. Oh I forgot to tell you, Owen the little 6 year old boy two houses up, took blue chalk and wrote “Happy Fathers Day from Owen” on all the dads driveways in the neighborhood that he knew, too funny.

This morning I need to make it across town to the distributor and back before Lori heads off to work so time to get moving. Lots to do today to keep it all together so time to go.

Here’s a comment from Annette,