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fruit salad and avs game

My Avalanche mug came out of the kiln today. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty great!
The day was sunny and warm and then it quickly got cold and dreary. Gwyneth came right home from dance and got right into pjs. That girl does not mess around. 
While Annabelle was at dance Gwyneth and I decided to make a little marshmallow fruit salad for our lunches tomorrow.  I have no idea where the recipe came from originally but it always reminds me of my mom. It was one of my favorites growing up and it makes me happy that my girls enjoy it. What’s not to enjoy – canned fruit and marshmallows?! 
The Avs game was so late tonight. It didn’t even start until 8:00. We watched as much as we could but the girls both decided to head to bed at 9:30. I retired to read around 11 pm and missed the end. The word on the street is that the Avs won it in overtime. We’re loving this playoff run and hoping we can stay awake for their future wins!

colorado love

I had the best day at work. I opened up the studio nearest to home (love when I don’t have to manage the long drives) and hurried through my commitments. I had several customers that were sneaking in before the snow arrived and the studio was hopping and happy.

Before I took off for the day I was able to paint a few pieces. I’ve had some gifts I’ve been wanting to make and finally made the time to paint them. I’m excited to see them fired.

Feeling the Colorado love today:

As I pulled into the garage big, fluffy snowflakes started to fall. I love it! I love the snow and can really appreciate a good spring snowstorm. While everyone else curses the weather, I bundle up, turn on the fireplace and love every minute of it.

school house kitchen

We wanted to try something new for lunch and got the great idea to head over to Arvada to check out School House Kitchen and Libations. Old Towne Arvada was nuts with people everywhere. Of course, if we would have paid even just a bit of attention to the news we would have known the new train line from downtown to Arvada was opening today and the city was having a big ol’ party. What a bunch of dopes!
We finally found parking and snagged a seat in the bar. School House Kitchen is an old converted school house and it’s a bit kitschy, but also a bit cool and fun. We all thought our meals were ok, but we had a blast people watching and following the NFL draft. 
After B’s party at the kitchen that evening, we headed over to Echo for pizza for dinner. Sarah joined us while her parents attended a fundraiser. We love Echo and always talk about how we need to go there more often. Sarah wasn’t so sure at first but she quickly became a fan like the rest of us!
While Gwyneth and Sarah were drawing pictures upstairs, Annabelle helped me sort through the 100 tiles that were painted the previous weekend. She sorted and I packaged. That girl is speedy! I could barely keep up with her!
Mitch and Connie stopped in to pick up Sarah after their fundraiser and delivered us a big ol’ basket of goodies. Of course we busted right in and enjoyed a bottle of wine and luckily they stuck around to enjoy it with us. It was a fun night and we probably all stayed up a little too late, but it was too much fun to call it quits early. 

sleepover friday • ruby

This poor guy is still sitting on our counter. We water it often, but we’ve yet to plant it in the yard. Let’s hope it survives until we have some good spring planting weather. 
It was a pretty mellow Friday night around our house. B had a party at the Kitchen and I decided I needed a break from work. The girls invited their friend, Ruby over for a sleepover. I spent the night reading which was wonderful, but felt kind of weird. It’s been far too long since I’ve even had a moment of peace and quiet and felt a little anxious about it. It really was fabulous once I decided to just enjoy it! The girls made their own mini pizzas and ran off to the basement for most of the night. I loved the downtime but I think I thrive on the chaos and was ready to get back to business by the next morning. 

Such sweet friends! 

cats

Many years ago I went to see CATS with my dearest friend, Diane. We both hated it. I tell the story often about how much I hated that show. My girls love to hear that story. 
First and foremost, I’m not a cat person. I guess that’s pretty important when attending a show about…well, cats. 
CATS was included in the DPAC season subscription and for some reason I really thought my family should experience this. I don’t dislike many shows but CATS (and Les Mis…in case you were curious) is practically painful. Why I felt the need to inflict this on my family…I’m not sure. I guess I have a really weird sense of humor and it tickled me. 
We had dinner at Oceanaire before the show and let me tell ya, that was the highlight of the night. 
Gwyneth is our seafood junkie. She gave oysters a try tonight and decided they are amazing. Yessss! Her tastebuds and willingness to try new foods are astonishing. 
Annabelle and her Cesar salad. The girl has an obsession and could have Cesar salad for every meal…yes, probably breakfast too! She truly loves salads and can point you to all the best in Colorado. 
Oysters, shrimp and crab. Gwyneth is quite an expensive date! That college meal plan is going to be a real surprise for her. I’m not sure we’re doing a very good job of her preparing her college life but she sure is fun to go out to eat with now.  
And then off  to the show we went…
I have to admit it wasn’t quite as bad as I remembered. Diane may be a bad infuence on me (which of course is why I absolutely adore her!). There were some memorable songs, but overall it still falls at the top of my “Thumbs Down Theater List”. (I don’t really have a list like that but I’m kinda feeling inspired to create it…)

At intermission I asked what everyone thought of it. Gwyneth replied “well, it would sure be a lot better with dogs!”. 
B fell asleep half way through the second act. 
Annabelle’s favorite part was the Cesar salad at dinner. Ha!
Even though the show was a bit of a bust we all laughed so hard together. It was a night we will never forget. 

easter monday

B joined us for breakfast, but had to head home early for work. I spent the day working from the pool while these little ladies swam their hearts out. It was a pretty quiet day at the pool and they were pretty pleased. 
Unfortunately the girls had dance that evening and with recital just around the corner we thought it best for them to not miss class. We had to be home in the late afternoon, but it was a wonderful time and a nice little getaway. 

colorado state nursery

What a weekend! Honestly, it’s been an intensely hectic several weeks.
My mom was out to visit and I managed to snap just one picture of her with Gwyneth right before we had to leave for the airport. I’m working like crazy these days and I didn’t get to spend much time with her or the girls this weekend. It has been frustrating, but I’m trying to remember the benefits of these small businesses and that it really ebbs and flows. 
I was able to escape for a bit with Gwyneth and her girl scout troop up to Fort Collins for an afternoon learning about the Colorado State Forest Services. We explored the nurseries, learned about conservation and volunteer opportunities, and about forest fire prevention. 
I found it informative and loved all the greenery. On the ride home Gwyneth casually announced “well, that field trip was not my favorite”. Ha! You win some, you lose some….at least I had some quality time with that little lady. 
Each of the girls was able to pick out a tree to take home and plant. I didn’t get a pic of each one with their tree…some like to pose more than others. 
It’s so lovely to see Gwyneth and Brielle fall into step with each other. They are the only two left from their original troop and although they have made new friends in this troop they tend to still gravitate towards one another. Those kindergarten friendships are keepers!
Our guide was awesome…and truly committed to nature and conservation. He told the girls stories about how he rescues cats and he now has a farm with over 60 cats. 60 cats?!?! 
the whole gang:
The girls had a sleepover the night before with their dear friend, Charity and then Gwyneth and I spent 3 hours in the car today for the field trip. Annabelle went off to work a birthday party at Blue Mountain Kitchen with B. Gwyneth and YaYa set their sites on finishing the Jurrassic World Lego mansion the girls received for Christmas. As soon as B and Annabelle got home from the kitchen we had to leave for the airport. YaYa’s visit went by way too quickly and we are all pretty worn out!

easter eggs

My interviews last weekend went great and I hired lots of new staff. That means these next few weeks will be busy with training. One of the replacements was my Aurora manager. It will be for the best in the long room but it certainly adds more complexity to my current training schedule. 
While I was at the Aurora studio today my mom helped the girls dye Easter eggs. Yaya showed some exceptional patience because those girls spent hours decorating those eggs. They had a lot of fun and we got some really fun eggs!
These girls are so goofy and I love it. 

celebrating with friends

The Tendlers invited us over for a celebration dinner for B’s birthday. They had just returned from a cruise and we were just back from San Antonio. We had lots of travel stories to share! We were so excited to share travel adventures and they may have even convinced me that I might want to go on a cruise. 
We enjoyed delicious homemade pizza right from the grill. Yum, yum, yum!
After dinner we enjoyed homemade birthday cake and celebrate B’s birthday. 
Such great friends spoiling our little family!
Making a wish! Ha!
Sweet friends

happy birthday b

Happy birthday to my husband who lives life on the edge! 

We returned home from vacation last night and got thrown right back in the swing of things with work, school and dance classes. I felt bad that we couldn’t take B out for a birthday celebration but the Monday night routine can be a bit hectic. We stayed close to home, grabbed a beer, and a quick dinner. He didn’t seem to mind and just asked that we all spend time together and everyone gets along. He’s such a dad.