Monday, June 30, 2008

Eighteen Years

Happy Anniversary, John. I love you!

Winner!!!


I used a highly scientifc process and asked Will to pick a number between 1 and 43. He chose 22 which means that Stephanie@My Answered Prayer (my long time friend in Arkansas!) will be receiving my gently used copy of Living Simply.

Congrats, Steph! I'll get it in the mail!

COMING SOON!

This page is currently under construction. Check back soon!

Contact info:

I love comments, but I realize that sometimes it's preferable to send a private message. Here is my email address:

meredith@lifeat7000feet.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Taking things to a whole new level...

I went on a hike this morning.

A killer hike.

When my friend emailed our hiking group earlier this week suggesting this trail on the US Air Force property, she said it was a 1.8 mile (one way) hike up to the summit of Eagle Peak, with a 300 foot elevation gain.

About 20 minutes on the trail, we realized that she got her numbers mixed up and instead of being a 300 foot elevation gain, it was NINETEEN HUNDRED. 1900 feet spread out over a whopping 1.25 miles.

So, basically, it was a vertical ascent, which is what I came home and discovered when I looked up Eagle Peak on the web.

Here's one description: "This near-vertical trail from the edge of the Air Force Academy was clearly made by young, hard-body cadets. It climbs relentlessly. There are few spots for a rest. But the 360-degree view at the top, with the spires of the Cadet Chapel on one side and the snowy profile of Pikes Peak on the other, makes this serious quad-burner worth the pain."

It wasn't easy by any stretch, but it was gorgeous. The aspen grove near the top (the only flat part of the entire hike!) was breathtaking, and there were Columbine everywhere.

I forgot my camera, but I did take some pictures with my cell phone...I just can't figure out how to download them to my computer, so here's a pic I borrowed from a website I found.



The views from the summit were astounding! The picture above shows the view looking down from the summit onto the US Air Force Academy.

It was very cool here today, and it was COLD at the top. My kids thought it was awesome when I told them that we were actually above the clouds a few times. That didn't help my fear of heights though.

Getting down from the summit was almost as difficult as climbing up. I slid twice on the scree (very loose rock/dirt) and scraped up both my hands and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a nice bruise in the middle of my back from landing on a rock. Ugh.

We made it down safely, and walked across the street to the USAFA visitor center and grabbed Subway sandwiches which we ate outside while facing "our mountain". Such sense of pride and accomplishment!

My knees took the brunt of the hike today...especially on the descent...so I'm going to make a Motrin cocktail and head to bed shortly. I bet I'll sleep really well tonight!

So...some of you have asked about my Pikes Peak ascent. My hiking friends and I are still working towards that goal. Honestly, as we were hiking up Eagle Peak today, we weren't sure we were ready, but my friend figured out today that Pikes Peak is only a 10% grade and what we did today was 23% (major steep!). Also, we climbed 1900 feet in 1.25 miles, while Pikes Peak is a 7,000 foot gain spread out over 13 miles. I think we can do it! I'm feeling pretty empowered after today.

Friday, June 27, 2008

grocery shopping mama

I just returned from a huge grocery shopping trip.

The fun part? Taking all three of my children.

Oh, I'm joking. It wasn't really fun.

For them, maybe, but not for me.

I have taken for granted the beauty of public school, and being able to grocery shop sans children. If you're tempted to hate me for that, don't. Please. Because the 2007-08 school year was the first time in 10 years that I've not had at least one child in tow.

I told them before we went inside that we were sticking to the list.

That didn't keep them from asking me for eighthundredandninetytwomillion things.

And don't think for a minute that I didn't buy stuff for them. Everyone got new toothbrushes, hair clips (well, not Will because I can finally see his face again after his haircut yesterday!), and snow-cone syrup (how did that get in the cart?). And that's in addition to all the food I bought for them.

Abbey asked me as we were leaving the parking lot why I spent $XXX when I told her we weren't buying anything. She looked so cute with the magic marker freckles she drew on her face (oh, YES she DID!) that I couldn't help but smile back at her.

The best part? Having them help me carry everything inside and put it away. I could definitely get used to that.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

thinking out loud... (again)

what in the world are we going to do with our dog when we're gone next month? a kennel is the obvious answer but jack is going to be so sad. i hope he still likes us when we get back.

i really need to buy a new swimsuit.

sarah needs one too.

ditto for john.

we had such a good time in denver the other evening visiting with some friends from arkansas! i got caught up on all the arkadelphia scoop, and the mexican food wasn't bad either.

i chuckled a little at them getting chilled in the evening air. it felt perfect to me, but it took me a few years to feel that way.

i turned our air conditioner on for the first time this afternoon. i was really trying to make it until july without it. i'm stubborn, but i'm not ready to die of heatstroke.

i started a new book today. we'll see if i can get past chapter one. i haven't been able to get into a book in several weeks. and believe me, i've tried many different books.

will, however, is blazing through the books. he's reading To Kill A Mockingbird right now. he worked out some sort of deal with john where he reads a certain number of dad-chosen books and he gets a new Wii game. that kid is a slick negotiator.

i can't get sarah interested in nancy drew to save my life. i've tried reading them with her, reading them to her, letting her pick them and more, but she refuses to like them. how can she be my child?

i wonder if the mail has come.

oh, i need to remember to stop the mail while we're gone.

and stop the dairy service too.

praise the lord, my boys are getting haircuts today. my son's hair is SO long and it is driving me crazy. he doesn't know it yet, but it's getting chopped this afternoon (insert evil laugh here). i need to remember to take a before and after picture.

speaking of will, he got up this morning and fried 2 eggs for himself. i showed him how yesterday morning, and he got up and did it all by himself today. amazing. and they actually looked delicious...maybe even better than mine. i'm sure his future wife will thank me someday.

over and out.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Baking with Sarah "Ingalls Wilder"

Sarah, my soon to be 10-year-old, came to me yesterday afternoon and told me she'd like to bake something. I asked her what she wanted to make (while silently praying it didn't involve the EZ Bake oven) and she told me she was thinking of cupcakes. Alright sweetie, check the pantry and see if we have a cake mix. We didn't.

So we put our thinking caps on and both of us remembered that we've been wanting to make something from this cute cookbook we found last fall.

We're Little House on the Prairie fans around here. In second grade, Sarah chose to be Laura Ingalls Wilder for Famous American Day. She studied her life, read the books, and got to dress up like her (cute!) and give a short speech.
She became interested in her life after we started watching the series on dvd. My kids still love watching the adventures of Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura, and Carrie.

So, Sarah perused the cookbook and decided she'd like to make these..
Laura's Little Maple Cakes

Sarah loved every minute of measuring, stirring, mixing, pouring, baking, icing, and decorating.




In the interest of keeping things real, I should tell you that baking with my children, as fun as it can be, is a lesson in extreme patience for me. But who can resist that smile? Or those yummy maple cakes? Not me! I broke my sugar fast and had one (or five) and they were very, very tasty. Let me know if you'd like the recipe!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Question of the Week...



What are you praying for today?

I'm praying...

for my dear friend, Jennifer, and my sweet friend, Kelly, both of whom are joyfully pregnant after a long season of waiting on the Lord.

for John's mom who is having some medical tests done tomorrow.

for someone I love very much to not lose heart.

for a friend from church who is navigating some hard family relationships right now.

for another friend and her family who are preparing to move overseas soon.

for yet another friend who spends most of her days in a state of constant pain.

for myself, for an ability to fully trust that God's heart towards me is good, even in light of disappointing circumstances.

That's just a few that readily come to mind. What are you praying for?

(Many, many thanks to my sweet friend, His Girl who made the CUTE button for my weekly question posts! I love it, friend!)

That was so much fun, let's do it again!


How about another giveaway?

My sweet friend, Gretchen, is hosting a book giveaway carnival, and I wanted to join in! You can play along too...if you're so inclined.

The rules suggest giving away a gently used book.

I decided to offer one of my favorites...


Living Simply by Joanne Heim

This book is subtitled "Choosing Less in a World of More", and Joanne shares practical advice about slowing down, being prayerful and intentional, and savoring some of the most simple pleasures in life--home, family, and friends. It's easy to read and she shares lots of real life examples, ideas, and even some recipes!

SO...if you want to be included in this drawing, please leave me a comment.

If you want to join the fun and give away a book on your blog, go visit Gretchen's blog for a list of guidelines, and be sure to check out the sidebar on her blog for a list of other giveaway participants.

Comments will close on Monday, June 30 at 11AM (mountain time) and I'll announce a winner shortly thereafter.

I'm open to international shipping...so go ahead, join the fun.
You don't have to have a blog to enter, but you must make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.

Monday, June 23, 2008

And the winner is...

The winner of the giveaway is...



#15...Kelly at Love Well.

Congrats, Kelly! I'll get your info and get it in the mail!

Don't know what's up with that time stamp in the pic above, but I promise that I did this at 7:09 on 6/23!

How 'Bout Somethin' Fun?

**This is a sticky--scroll down for newer posts**

I've been able to spend some time each afternoon this week working on my family photo albums. And I'm lovin' it! I was a Creative Memories consultant for 2+ years, and for some reason, when I combined business with pleasure, it sucked all the pleasure out of scrapbooking for me. Now that the pressure is off, I'm enjoying it again (yay!) and have made some serious progress on my albums this week. Woohoo!

In the midst of all my scrappin', I discovered that I have SO much scrapbooking stuff in my stash. Probably too much. I'm a minimalist when it comes to "stuff" but that doesn't seem to apply to paper, templates, punches, and stickers. *smile*

I happened upon a brand new box of goodies that I forgot I had, and I thought about selling it on ebay, but then I decided it'd be way more fun to do a little giveaway here on the 'ole blog.

So....

...wanna win this??? It's a Creative Memories Mini Moments box. It includes this colorful tin box...

12 printed photo mats...

One fun punch (I use mine all the time)...

12 5x7 calendar mats like this one (the back side has a smaller calendar box)...

And two fun magnets. The magnets are very strong, and have a clear lid that comes off so you can store things inside. And, the magnets stick to the tin box!


All you have to do to win is leave me a comment. I draw a winner on Monday, June 23, at 7PM (mountain time). If you're not a scrapbooker, enter anyway! This would make a fun gift for someone who is!

*You don't have to have a blog to enter this giveaway, but please make sure I have a way to contact you should you win!
*One comment per person, please.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

It's Monday morning, and I already miss the weekend...

I LOVE weekends. I'm always a little blue on Mondays when everyone goes their separate ways after all the family togetherness of the weekend.

So...here's a quick rundown of our weekend...

Ice cream at the Rock House...YUM! It was just the girls and us on Friday night because Will had a sleepover. The girls were feeling left out so we took them to get ice cream. I didn't have any (hard!) because I'm trying to get off sugar. I've tried off and on since March, but I always cave and give in. Three days without it, and so far, so good. I'm also trying to eat less meat. I hesitate to use the word "vegetarian" but I'm trying to eat veggies in favor or meat these days. So far, so good there too.

In light of those two dietary decisions, I made a trip to Whole Foods on Saturday. John had to run to the mall, and I don't know if I've told you lately, but I strongly I detest the mall. I don't think I've even stepped foot inside the place since Christmas, and I had no intention of doing so on Saturday. So, the kids and I dropped him at the door and headed to Whole Foods.

I was in heaven. I love, love, LOVE that place. I could spend all day and a small fortune in there. I bought a few things that I can't find anywhere else, and we took our sweet time looking at all the beautiful cheeses, seafood, and produce. My kids love all the free samples!

If you don't live close to a Whole Foods, I'm sorry. If you do, please tell me you love that store as much as I do! The only store I might love more is Trader Joe's (though I've never actually been there), and I'm so sad we don't have Trader Joe's in Colorado.

Yesterday morning, John suggested we take a family hike. I love it when he makes suggestions like that!

We went to North Cheyenne Canon...a GREAT city park...and hiked up above Helen Hunt Falls. The hike was short and very steep, but the views from the top were beautiful!

I was kinda hoping to see a bear. When we drove up to the visitor center, they had a board with some wildlife sightings listed, and people had seen some bears within the last week. We didn't see any, and that's probably a good thing. I always think that would be fun, but I'd probably freak out if I met one on the trail.

The kids did great on the trail, but they were very thankful when we said it was time to head back to the car. We stopped down the road, and found a huge rock to perch on for a picnic lunch. Beside the rock was a little stream, and the kids had fun wading in it.

It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time. The temps were perfect, and everyone was in a relatively good mood. Of course, any day spent outside in nature is a great day for me!









On the way, home, we stopped at the recycling center and dropped off our first, BIG load of recycling. I wish I had taken a photo because you can't believe how much stuff we were able to recycle in one months time. I was proud!

We made it home and my kids watched Camp Rock for the bajillionth fourth time since Friday (thanks to my sweet friend who taped it for this cableless family!)


And we all had a good laugh about Jack, our fly-stalking-then-eating-beagle. We haven't turned our AC on yet, so we've had our windows open, and with open windows come flies. Ugh. John told me that Jack has been catching and eating them. ICK! GROSS! Sure enough, I was sitting on my bed (watching Camp Rock with the kids) and Jack started going crazy chasing a fly. He caught it. And you know the rest. Blech.

I'm off this morning to my moms group at church. This morning I'm up to share my testimony. Yay! Happy Monday.

This evening, I'll draw a winner for my GIVEAWAY. It's not too late to enter!

National Flip Flop Day...

Evidently, yesterday was National Flip-Flop Day.. I wish I had known about that.

Oh, wait.

Almost every day is flip-flop day for me.

If you know me, you know I'm always wearing these...

or these...

or these...

And that is why my feet look like this (which, by the way, my family makes great fun of).

Whatever.

I love flip-flops.

Thanks, Leah, for making me aware of this landmark day, and for sharing your flip-flop bandit story. Very, very funny!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

a little bloggy business...

Alright. I keep thinking of things I want to mention in regard to blogging so I'm just going to lump them all into this one post.

1. Can you guys see my header when you load my blog? 'Cause I couldn't for a long time. In fact, I was so used to it being white up there in that space that I almost forgot I had a header until a couple of friends emailed me saying they couldn't see it either. The problem seems to be with Safari (Mac browser), so I downloaded Firefox and now I can see it, and can I just say that I really love my header? Anyway, maybe Firefox will help you if you're having problems too.

2. Does anyone know how I can change that picture of myself in my profile. It's a weird picture and I can't seem to figure out how to change it with my custom template. If you want to help me, I'll be happy to let you!

3. Do you use a feed reader? Which one? I've been using Bloglines and Google reader. If you're unfamiliar with a reader, let me just tell you that it's a huge timesaver. You subscribe to the blogs you read, and when there's a new post, it lets you know. I can't tell you how much time it has saved me. Now, instead of obsessively clicking on my favorite blogs to see if there's a new post, I automatically know!

4. I want to hear what you guys think about comments? Is there some kind of comment etiquette? There are some blogs I read where I'm a total lurker, some that I comment on occasionally, and there are others that I comment on every single post. What do you think about that? Should one comment on every single post? Or just the ones that resonate with you? There has actually been some interesting commentary on this subject in the blogosphere in the last couple of months. I'm curious what your thoughts are on the subject.

5. Blog Award Time! Last week, Kelly, gave me a very fun blog award--Blogs that Make My Day. In the spirit of the award, I'm passing it along to some of my favorites!


Here are some blogs that make my day, and make me smile every time I see a new post in my reader!

La Vida Dulce

His Girl's Blog

Mustard Seeds

For Such a Time As This

Life at Sonic Speed

Feel free to pass this on if you choose. I'm not into pressure!

And thanks to Kelly for this fun award. You simply must go here and read about her God-sized answer to prayer. I know you'll be blessed. Just be sure grab your tissue first!

Oh, don't forget about my giveaway! Click HERE for details!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Some simple summer fun...

I have a couple of fun recipes and ideas to share with you for some summer fun!

First is my recipe for...

The Best Homemade Bubble Juice

1 cup blue Dawn Ultra dishwashing soap (it absolutely has to be this brand)
1/4 cup glycerine (found in the first aid section of most drug stores)
12 cups water

Mix together (I use a mop bucket) and let sit overnight. Pour into shallow containers when ready to use (like a pie plate). I store mine in tupperware pitchers that seal tightly, so when I'm ready to use, I can pour it easily. Don't worry if you can't use it all in one afternoon...it gets better with time! This makes a TON of bubble juice; you might need to half the recipe. It's great for an outside party or a lazy summer afternoon.


Earlier in the summer, I bought some big bubble wands at the dollar store. They're perfect to use with this bubble juice. However, this is what they look like now.


When my kids cry over something from the dollar store that breaks, I remind them that it's because it's cheap. I looked for more wands last week at both Target and Walmart and couldn't find them. *frown*

Actually though, I got this recipe for Bubble Juice with in this kit that included a ginormous bubble wand. Check it out below! This picture is a few years old, but wowza...that is one big bubble!


Another fun summer treat we enjoy is homemade popsicles. You can buy popsicle molds at Target and Walmart (couldn't find the bubble wands, but they did have popsicle molds!). We make 'em with grape juice, orange juice, gatorade, lemonade, and anything else you can think of. My favorite kind to make though are smoothie pops. We make fruit smoothies almost every morning for breakfast, and I try to make enough extra to freeze for popsicles. It's my favorite mid-afternoon treat!


I don't know about your family, but we eat TONS of berries in the summertime.

Strawberries and blueberries are usually packaged in #6 plastic containers, which can be re-purposed to make shrinky dinks. Here's a link with directions. We've done this a few times, and our shrinky dinks have yet to come out flat...I don't know if we're doing something wrong. I still think they turned out cute!

I think we're going to use these to make a charm bracelet for Abbey.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Question of the Week...

What do you like to eat for lunch?

Honestly, I think lunch is the hardest meal of the day.

I feel like I'm running out of creative options.

I don't like sandwiches, unless I eat them somewhere else. They just seem to taste better anywhere else but home.

And we don't usually have tons of leftovers thanks to our growing children and their summertime appetites.

Lately, I've been eating this cheese with some whole wheat crackers. And sometimes I have one of these burritos or a Lean Cuisine.

What do you typically eat for your mid-day meal?

Monday, June 16, 2008

Having a blog has it's perks...


This is what my bed looks like right now.

It might look like a mess, but I've been terribly productive this afternoon! It has been cold and dreary here today (temps haven't made it out of the 50s) so I finally pulled out all my scrapbook stuff. I soon realized that I hadn't journaled on about SIX MONTHS worth of pages, so I dug out out my pens and went to town. And that's where having a blog has come in very handy. I'm working on my 2006 album, and couldn't remember some details from Will's birthday, or Easter, so I consulted my archives and was able to journal accurately. Love that!

I also grabbed one of the kids' portable dvd players and popped in my Sense and Sensibility dvd. I've had the best afternoon sitting here on my bed journaling and watching one of my all-time favorite movies. I need to stop pause and get dinner started, but can you guess where I'll be again this evening?

Father's Day Weekend...

Gus, Woodrow, Clara, Newt, Deets, and Lori (Lonesome Dove Marathon), steaks on the grill, homemade cards, kisses and hugs, blueberry scones, church, mexican food, time with good amazing friends, new blue jeans, naps, more steaks on the grill (livin' large), and family freeze tag in the backyard.

It was a good weekend. We love you, J.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

The Anniversary Box


In a couple of weeks, John and I will celebrate 18 years of marriage. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. Eighteen years!!! Wow.

I've been thinking about what to add to our Anniversary Box, and though I posted this last year, I thought I'd re-post it again today since so many people have anniversaries in June. *Several blog friends suggested I post this on WFMW, so here ya go! Enjoy*

The Anniversary Box


On Saturday, John and I will celebrate 17 years of marriage. Seventeen years is a long time. I love him more every day and can't imagine my life without him. Some of our years together have been hard, but most have been very, very good. He's my best friend and the most amazing father in the world and he makes me laugh every single day. I am richly blessed.

Several years ago, I created The Anniversary Box for us.


It is basically a collection of objects that have special meaning to us. Every year, we add one or two items to this box, items that symbolize something about the past year. Here are a few objects from our box. You'll see the program from John's seminary graduation, the cum laude medal (thank you very much) from my college graduation, a rock (that symbolized a very "hard" year for us), a photo of the first house we ever bought, a Colorado postcard (for the year we moved out west), and other things that mean something near and dear to us. The years that our children were born were extra-special and some of their most cherished baby items are in the box as well. We make some time each year on our anniversary to take each object out and remember special things about our lives as a couple. It's a really great way to mark time and to reflect on the many ways God has blessed us.


And lest you think I'm some smart, crafty chick with loads of time on her hands, let me quickly assure you I AM NOT! I got this idea somewhere (a scrapbooking magazine, I think) and loved it, and intended to do this for a long time, but didn't actually put our Anniversary Box together until four years ago. I suggest starting much sooner than 13 years into your marriage because once I started having children, my brain cells started dying off, and remembering things was a little, um, challenging. To help us keep track of the years, I made a contents guide for our box that I just keep adding to every time we place a new item in it.

I'm a sentimental girl, and this box is full of so many great memories. I hope we can keep adding to it for a long, long time!

Friday, June 13, 2008

crow...

I felt like I ate some crow today. I posted last week about my kids and their enthusiasm for chores, and while it's true that my oldest two get up and tackle their list first thing, my youngest child and I have gone round and round over her "chores" all week long.

One of her daily tasks is to straighten up her room. She told me a few days ago that she was taking that chore off her chart because she didn't really feel like doing it anymore. My reply? Uummm...sorry, sweetie...that's not for you to decide. That girl definitely has some spunk!

Since the beginning of the week, her room has gotten progressively messier and that box on her chart hasn't been checked off since Monday.

Yesterday and today we worked on it together. I refuse to straighten her room for her, but in an effort to show her that she CAN do this I helped her break it into smaller tasks. For example, I'd say, "Go pick up 5 books and put on your bookshelf" and once she did that, I'd ask her to "Go find 7 things you can throw in the trash" or "Pick up 3 pair of shoes and put them away". After 45 minutes of playing this little game today, her room was finally (first time all week) back in order.

It's not just her room that she doesn't want to straighten either. I've had to coax and prod her to do almost everything on her list. So...if I gave you a false impression that my children are angelic helpers (ha, ha, ha!) around here please know they're not. I've eaten the crow to prove it.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Big Backyard Bloggy Bash

Today, my friend, Joanne, hosted The Big Backyard Bloggy Bash, in where else, but her backyard! We had such a fun time!

In the past year, I've met some pretty incredible women that I now call friends through this blog. What made today fun was that several of those friends (and some new friends too) were at Joanne's house for a time of fun, food, and festivity! This is the first time we've gotten together with all of our children, and let me tell you there were LOTS of 'em. I think there were about 18 kiddos running around in her backyard! I loved that each of them seemed to have at least one other child about their same age. Abbey and Sarah had a blast making new friends. We heard all about Audrey and Emma and Kylie at dinner tonight. And Will was very grateful for Noah because the only other boys there were toddlers. (In this group, the girls WAY outnumber the boys!)

I can't believe I didn't take a single photo. That is not like me at all. I think I was having to much fun visting with everyone! Joanne took this one photo, and I think we're all hoping that Holly will share some that she took with the rest of us. (She did! Thanks, friend.)




Okay, so here's a list of all the fun bloggers who were there:
Joanne (of course), Holly, Angie, and her sister, Amy, Kate (on her cool motorcycle!), Kimberly, Janna, and Joanne's sister, Kristen. I was so sad that Wendy wasn't able to join us. I was SO looking forward to getting to meet her. Wendy, I hope you're feeling better very soon!

Today was the first time I met Janna, and she was so fun. Like Joanne, she's also very crafty, and she made each of us a fun magnet from the pages of old Golden Books. I'll have to post a photo when I find my camera (yikes! where could it be?). Thank you, Janna! I've got mine on my fridge!

It really was a fun day. I enjoyed visiting with friends--new and old--and watching our kids run and play together. It was a great way to spend a summer afternoon. Thank you, Joanne!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Ramblin' Road...

Hang on friends, I'm about to begin ramblin' all the way to nowhere.

This afternoon it was rainy and cool, so the kids and I made some chocolate chip cookies. Most of you know that I don't like chocolate. Not one bit, and yes, I know, that is extremely odd. But I do make chocolate chip cookies with, and for my family. Though I have an aversion to chocolate, I do NOT have an aversion to chocolate chip cookie dough (sans chips, of course) so I helped myself to a couple of big spoonfuls. It was yummy, but I can pretty much set my watch for 20 minutes, and when the time has elapsed, I'm in a sugar coma. Seriously...I crash so hard and so fast that I usually have to lie down. It happens without fail, but yet I keep eating cookie dough. Wonder if I'll ever learn.

Yesterday morning, I got up early and went hiking with a friend. It was a great hike, but I am SO SORE today that I can hardly walk. I don't know what I did to exert myself so much but I'm wondering if my knees and hips will ever recover. I think I'm getting o-l-d.

I told myself this morning that no matter what I was going to sit down at some point this afternoon and pull out my scrapbook stuff. I've been to 2-3 crops this year and haven't done one single page. Not one. I end up talking and eating and laughing and watching other people crop. Anyway, it's after 4pm and I've yet to pull my stuff out. I blame the sugar coma. Maybe later tonight (or tomorrow, or Friday).

Most people don't know that my hair is naturally curly. I bought my first CHI flat iron about six years ago and fell in love with it's ability to beautifully straighten my crazy-wavy-hair. The CHI is amazing!!! Every once in awhile though, usually in the summer, I give my hair a break and let it go curly. This photo is for my friends who don't believe me when I tell them that I have curl. Voila!...now you have proof! (Joanne, the "V" in Voila! was especially for you). If you think my hair is not super curly, you're right, and that's because our humidity is only about 5% today.

Oh, oh, oh...
We were at Glen Eyrie again this weekend. I've been there more in the last few months than I have in the last few years! A friend of ours wrote a book that came out last week and we went to the release party on Sunday afternoon. As we were leaving I made John drive all over Glen Eyrie looking for the bighorn sheep. We were almost to the gate when I spotted them behind the welcome house. SO EXCITING!! John stopped and the kids and I got out and took some pictures. I was beyond thrilled. They are such amazing creatures, and I am completely fascinated by them. We counted over 20 in the herd, including one baby.



Aren't they beautiful?

I keep meaning to mention that if you've ever tried to add my blog to your google reader and get a message saying there is no feed available, I have a solution. Stephanie figured this out a couple of months ago, and it seems to work. Here's what you need to do...
1. Click "Add Subscription"
2. In pop up box, paste: http://www.lifeat7000feet.com/feeds/posts/full
3. Click "Add"
That should do it. Thanks, Stephanie.

Enjoy your evening!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Question of the Week...

What are some of your favorite smells of summer?

A few of mine are...

chlorine
Coppertone followed by Solarcaine
honeysuckle
watermelon
smoke from 4th of July fireworks

I have many more, but want to hear some of yours!

(I promise I'll be back soon with a real post.)

*I don't buy usually buy Coppertone, but it's one of those nostalgic smells for me. Will and I ran by the grocery store this afternoon and I opened a bottle of it just to take a whiff! Love it! Took me back about 30 years!

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Look! A Meme...

(So original, I know, but hey, it's fun...and easy)

In your entire life, have you ever...

gone on a blind date? Nope

skipped school? Yep

watched someone die? No

been to Canada? Vicariously, through John

been to Mexico? No

been to Florida? Yes. It's pretty but I'm just not a beach girl.

been on a plane? Yep...lots of times

been lost? Yes

been on the opposite side of the country? Yes...both coasts

gone to Washington, DC? Nope. I was pregnant with Sarah and John went without me. I wasn't thrilled about that either.

swam in the ocean? Yes

had your booze taken away by the cops? That would be NO!

lettered in a high school sport? Funny...ha ha ha. I didn't realize I was athletic until I was in my 20s.

cried yourself to sleep? Yes

played cops and robbers? I don't think so

played dolls? Of course

recently colored with crayons? Yes

sang Karaoke? Yes

paid for a meal with coins only? Yes

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Absolutely

cheated on an exam? Yes

made prank phone calls? Yep

laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Yep. Milk is the worst.

caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

danced in the rain? Yep

written a letter to Santa Claus? Yes.

been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes

watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes

been arrested? Never

blown bubbles? Just the other day.

gone ice-skating? Yes

been skinny dipping outdoors? No...I am very modest

had a nickname? Catfish, Mer-baby, Mer, and every once in awhile, if I'm wearing gray, John calls me His Old Gray Mer. I only take offense at the old part.

been to Africa? No, but I'd love to.

eaten cookies for dinner? Yes, and how lame is that?

been on TV? Does closed-circuit count?

stolen any traffic signs? No, but I did steal a plastic letter from my high school. They had these plastic letters that spelled out each department--Business, Math, History, etc. Jennifer...which letter did we steal? :) I'm sure it wasn't an "M".

been in a car accident? Yes

What is your...

mother's name? Charlotte

favorite drink? Dr. Pepper

birthplace? Jonesboro, Arkansas

favorite vacation spot? Estes Park, Colorado

favorite salad dressing? Lily's Balsamic Vinaigrette

favorite pie? Coconut cream

favorite number? dunno

favorite movie? Oh, so many--probably The Age of Innocence or Anna and the King

favorite holiday? 4th of July

favorite food? mexican

favorite day of the week? Sunday (or Friday)

favorite brand of body wash? Dunno...I actually prefer plain 'ole soap

favorite toothpaste? Crest

favorite smell? Cinnamon

Do you have any...

tattoos? Um, that would be NO.

body piercings? Just my ears

Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door mini-van

What do you do to relax? Read, take a bath, watch tv

How do you see yourself in 10 years? Adventurous

Wanna play along? Let me know if you do!

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Sunny Skies


The girls finished up Vacation Bible School yesterday...they had a BLAST and treated us to a concert and recap of the week before bed last night. So fun to hear all they learned.

Yay, the sun reappeared yesterday, and we've had two beautiful days with temps in the 70s. 70s are my idea of perfect!!! I'm so thankful for the sunshine.

Hope you're having a great weekend!