Just checking in. Every once in a while I think “I need to get all this down so I can remember the details” and I have a night of insomnia and I can.
We just got back from Colorado for our belated 10 year wedding anniversary trip - we actually hit that mark September 22, 2023. It was incredible. We stayed in Boulder at a hotel that wasn’t the best overall, but the beds were comfy so we always slept well. I did have a breakdown the first day because it was kind of brown and wintery out and I felt bad that Nathan wasn’t going to see Colorado’s beauty - but I was so wrong. The second day we went to Georgetown, a little old mining town and got the kids an antler whistle necklace and drove up some windy roads to see snow and beautiful birch trees. We ended up driving to Loveland pass and took some video of the skiers there. We stopped off at a pass where we heard a rattle snack but didn’t see it, but it overlooked a giant frozen lake. We went into Breckenridge and ate at a Rita’s (tacos) and wanted to take the gondola to peak 8 but I was feeling sick (probably mild altitude sickness) and we headed back down. We need to do it next time we go though! We got some canned oxygen and inhaled the heck out of that heading back down the mountain. We hit Red Rocks amphitheater but couldn’t go inside because there was a concert going on, but we got to see the amazing scenery and the rocks nonetheless.
The next day we went to Garden of the Gods and Nathan and I got to climb some rocks and take some photos. Truly an incredible sight. We did go to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings museum where Adobo Indians built their homes into the side of a mountain. Very cool. We finished the day by going into Colorado Springs and eating at a really great BBQ restaurant (banana pudding for desert!) before heading back to our home base in Denver.
Third day was super cold and we ate in Denver at Atomic Cowboy - a really great biscuit place. We drove around the city of Denver for a bit before hitting the Eddie Bauer outlet and getting some better sweaters for me (it was freezing) and I’m so glad we did because we went to a Rockies game that night at the Mile High Stadium (Coors Field) and sat 3 rows behind the Rockies dugout - I had never been that close before! We had to leave during the 6th inning because the wind chill was so bad my legs went numb and Nathan’s hands were freezing. They lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, but it was a fun experience nevertheless. Ate a hot dog and hot chocolate and got the boys a bunch of souvenirs (mini bat, their stuffed mascot Dinger - a triceratops, and a Rockies pencil - Nathan got a nice purple ball cap and I got a keychain). We drove to the hotel and had winds shearing at us the whole way there. You could truly hear the winds howling and whistling. The gusts that night hit 60 mph in Denver - almost 110 in Rocky Mountain National Park as we had heard the next day.
The fourth day we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful drive even if it was windy. Windy is actually an understatement - a lot of traffic lights were out and we saw some snapped power line poles on the way up. We drove through Estes Park but really didn’t have a chance to explore too much (next time!) and headed straight to the gas station for some beef jerky and Gatorades. We went into the park and one of the roads was closed, but we saw a LOT. It was stunning. I was almost in tears at times looking at the mountains and surroundings. We saw countless deer (which are fuzzy up in those mountains), a few elk, a fox - no bears or moose though :( We saw the most beautiful landscapes - a lot of the rivers were still frozen or partially so. We ate at a restaurant right outside the park and got directions to go the scenic route back to the hotel. We were so exhausted by the end of this day that we crashed pretty early after eating.
The last day we hit the giant REI in Denver before flying home first class! Our first time - we took advantage of the free drinks and food for sure, but it was a great flight!
Some things we underestimated - how dry the air is, how much water you need to drink with electrolytes, and how thin the air is. We were okay in Denver, but those higher elevations like in Breckenridge, we could really feel it. We were constantly drinking water and were still dehydrated. It was crazy! I have no complaints other than the hotel… no ventilation in the bathroom, the staff wasn’t great. Etc. But it was a magical trip for us and we want to take the kids out there sometime!
In other news, Nathan turned 37 on the way back to GA, which also coincided with the eclipse - we were glad there was not an end of the world scenario that day ;)
Updates on family:
Benjamin is in 3rd grade, playing violin and piano (at home) and he is very good at it. He definitely has an ear for music. He likes piano more than the violin at this point so we are trying to encourage him to follow what he wants to study - although he has to finish the year with violin since he’s in the orchestra at school. He loves documentaries and old shows like Tin Tin and Andy Griffith. He is our reader - he loves to read. He is still so innocent and such a sweetheart. His ears haven’t been giving him trouble and his health is great. Benjamin gives me random hugs and tells us he loves us all the time - it’s so nice and I pray he never changes and stays an inquisitive, kind person. He is up to my shoulders now. So insane how my babies are growing like literal weeds.
Ethan is in first grade and doing so well. He still has a temper when pushed to his limit, so we are working on how to de-escalate his emotions in those situations and he is doing great. He is our artist. He is always drawing and painting and coloring and writing notes and giving little homemade gifts to Nathan and I. It’s precious. Ethan has the most sensitive heart - and is just so sweet and mushy. He has lost some teeth and is about to lose another front tooth! He’s still growing too! Not quite as big as Benjamin, but he is getting there. He is so active loves to constantly swing outside or run or “work out” on the monkey bars. He’s built like a lean machine!
Charlie is 4 and will be 5 next month - so he starts kindergarten this year! He can read better than his brothers sometimes. We have finally conquered pooping in the toilet consistently (and not in his pants out of distraction) and he’s excited for school too! He’s my most stubborn, and he likes to tease his brothers - but he is so stinking smart. He has 2 stuffed lizards (Mr Jones and Fireball) that are exactly the same, just one is older than the other, and he takes them everywhere with him. He loves dinosaurs and size comparison videos on YouTube. He is sweet when he wants to be - but he is still pushing those boundaries of what he can do and what he can’t. I do remember Ethan being a little bit like that, and he has come out of it just fine. He’s so smart and keeps us laughing all the time.
Nathan is going to get a part time job in August when all the kids are in school and the house is empty. He’s been making sourdough and working on some woodworking/leather things as he can. He’s still so handsome and caring and loving to us all. He’s the best father and homemaker. He thrives in those roles even when it may be tough. I still roll over in bed every night and kiss his back and thank the Lord that I have him. He’s a blessing to me and our family and I feel closer to him now than ever and I pray it continues to grow as the years go by. It’s crazy that we have been a couple for 13 years this year and married 10. What a wild ride!
As for me, oof. I will be 38 this year. My weight is back up at at my worst in a while (228) so I am working to lose some for my health. I was on Skyrizi since last January with my “psoriasis”/weirdo immune response that no one can really give me a good diagnosis for, and had to stop in November because I have been sick once or twice a month to the point I needed inhalers, tons of antibiotics, had pneumonia twice… it just knocks out your immune system completely - so I am trying to taper off of it. I had some intermittent itching but I have been taking a beef kidney supplement that has surprisingly helped quite a bit and I take a ton of supplements. I just pray the immune response/psoriasis doesn’t come back. If it does, I will likely have to go back on the Skyrizi which means more infections which I would rather not have. Also why I am trying to lose weight - to minimize my health problems. I was having so many steroids, and stress related binge eating episodes that this is where I’m at now, and I’m not excited about it. I need to lose it again and I will!!! I need to. I am trying to grow spiritually and as a parent and as a mom and wife. I don’t like my leadership at my job anymore, so I have been looking. I had an interview at a hospital Tuesday and they offered me a job! But I am waiting to see what compensation will be - I am praying I can leave this job I am in now. I have been there for 9 years this year, and it’s time. I may see if I can stay on PRN there, but I have been praying for a door and a way out for awhile and this job seems to fit. For posterity- I work Thursday - Sunday every week, 8 hours on Thursday and Friday and 12’s on the weekend. Not ideal, but it pays well. The new job would be 3 12 hour days, including Sat/Sun - but would have the opportunity to transfer to weekdays once I have been there 90 days and a position opens, and the workload sounds better. We will see, but since my only other option is to literally stay where I am until November (I have a “written warning” from attendance from all of my sick episodes and finally got approved for FMLA) I think this option sounds great. I am getting back on birth control because I feel like being off of it makes my hormones flip around worse and I’m having on and off UC flares which I haven’t had in awhile. It sucks having autoimmune disease and having to try and manage it in the most natural way possible. I am trying so many different things. Prayer is my biggest help so and support as is my husband!
Grandma and Chris are well and we are going to see them next week! We have all been sick on and off so we haven’t been able to see each other. Lisa is good, and she and Charlie just watched the kids together while we were in CO. We don’t know where their relationship is or where it is headed, but I’m sure they’ll let us know if they get back together, even if we are all hesitant about that idea. Kenny is good, still working at the restaurant and living with a roommate and his dog Luna. Samuel is finishing up a travel CT tech stint in North Dakota before going to Pensacola for flight school. As per the usual, Nicholas is following Samuel and also trying to get into flight school. Matthew just lost his job unfortunately and is looking for a new one. Mom is in Florida and doing okay I guess. It’s sad but since Christmas we haven’t really talked so much. I feel like she is just in a very different place in her life than me regarding family etc. we offered her a place to live rent free here in our home, but she declined over and over saying she has cats and doesn’t want to leave the beach (even though she never visits the beach). We had a rough time this Christmas - something kind of changed. I don’t know how to describe it, but seeing how my kids seemed to annoy her and take her attention away from her phone… it made me mad and kind of resigned myself to the fact that we will likely never have an interactive grandmother from her, and that’s just how it will be. It’s crazy to me to chose cats over your child and grandchildren, but that’s how we are different I guess. I had an interesting conversation with my Grandma about family and she mentioned my mom was always pretty much leaving towards Kenny for favoritism, which is apparent still, and that’s okay. I pretty much lived my life that way, but I am appreciative for the love I get from my family and my grandmother and Lisa. My heart just yearns for a closer relationship that will probably never happen. I am not a bars and party person anymore, and my mom is at 65. Just crazy that some people outgrow adolescence and some don’t. It is what it is and it’s her choices to make, so I don’t harbor ill will, it’s just kind of a grieving process. I should probably pray more about it, but I’ve been a little bitter - that needs to change.
Anyway, maybe I will get another 6 month update in when I can. Or maybe sooner. I may try to take a little nap before I have to get up for work. My hubs is here sleeping next to me, so I don’t want to wake him up.
