tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21214252292225108762024-02-20T08:15:49.739-07:00AndersonvilleThe story about a boy and a girl and a girl and a boy.Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-63992602113989880412019-11-13T08:30:00.000-07:002019-11-13T08:30:06.121-07:00Workday Rising: Part 2 - Disney World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
On Tuesday and Wednesday of our trip, Griff went to his conference. Wah wah... Seriously though, Jerry Seinfeld and Lin Miranda were two of the speakers so how bad could it really have been?!</div>
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But WE went Disney World! Disney was a whole different beast from Universal Studios - different crowd, muggier, more crowded, but still the Magic Kingdom took me right back to 1990 (or whenever it was) that we visited when I was young.</div>
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We spent our first day at Magic Kingdom.</div>
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Shot some stuff with Buzz Lightyear (Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin) and rode a skinny rocket thing (Astro Orbiter) on top of a tower in Tomorrowland. Both enjoyable but let's get on to the good stuff.</div>
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Walked through the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square en route to It's a Small World. Of course, we broke out into The Simpsons' Krustyland version of during the ride. Maybe it was just me.</div>
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After that, it was time for the Haunted Mansion. I have no pictures of this. I was trying to coax and convince someone who shall remain unnamed that it was all pretend it and if a little three-year old girl thought it was her favorite ride, it couldn't really be that bad. Unconvinced, he stayed with us even if he didn't enjoy it one bit. Madelyn and I loved it.</div>
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The line at Splash Mountain Falls wasn't too long. Well, it said 60 minutes but we were hot, had had a snack, and were willing to give it a shot. I'm pretty sure we only waited 30 minutes. And, we got this gem of a picture on the final, big downhill.</div>
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I know, I know. You can't see us very well. Have no fear. I've taken the liberty of zooming in. Pay no attention to the literal posers in front of us.</div>
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After we were thoroughly soaked from Splash Mountain Falls, we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad two or three times in a row. THIS was my favorite ride from 1990 and I think it STILL is my favorite ride. Loved it. All three of us did considering we'd get off the ride and then go get right back in line to do it again.</div>
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We split some hot dogs for lunch and rode several other rides - Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and even got caught in a parade. Mickey went right past us on a float. Madelyn and Sawyer were too cool to wave at him. But, he waved at me and I waved back. Nailed it.</div>
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We did a lot of walking. Went to Gaston's to have some Grey Stuff. But, apparently they only serve Grey Stuff during special events. Rode the Mad Tea Party and several other rides before calling it a day. (Our schedule was dependent on the hotel shuttle we'd ridden over.)</div>
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We rode both the ferry and the monorail on Tuesday and had a fun, full day. "Monorail, monorail, monorail...Is there a chance the track could bend?"</div>
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On Wednesday, our travels took us to Animal Kingdom. Given that we were exhausted from our three previous days and having switched our ticket from Hollywood Studios to Animal Kingdom the night before, we were light on Fast Passes and found ourselves long on lines. Nevertheless, we persisted.</div>
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We scored a Fast Pass for Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. It's a thrill ride aka roller coaster. As we were walking to it, we could hear a roaring and screaming. Then, we came around a corner and saw that it was the ride we were headed toward. All three of us collectively agreed to pass.</div>
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Then, we came across Kali River Rapids. This was a fun one with a very short line. So, we rode it a few times and got varying degrees of wet each time. Still fun.</div>
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Tried to ride Dino-Sue. The line was long and unfortunately the ride broke as we were just about to get on. So, we passed as well. We were right next to DinoLand USA so we rode Triceratops Spin. It was fun and the right speed for us after all of the other "thrill rides" we'd been on over the last few days.</div>
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Both Disney and Universal have apps where you can see the estimated wait time for rides throughout the parks. By this point in the day on Wednesday, every ride we were interested in had a 50+ minute wait. Even Kilimanjaro Safaris had a a 65+ minute wait which was a bummer. That one would have been really fun..if we could have gotten on. The two popular Avatar rides had estimated waits of 75 and 190 minutes. I was not about to get in line for over three hours so we opted for Na'vi River Journey.</div>
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In line for Avatar Na'vi River Journey. It said this line was 75 minutes long and they weren't kidding. Was the ride worth the 75+ minute wait? Undecided. I will say that it was really cool and the music and environment really enveloped you. But, I also felt like it was the 21st century version of "It's a Small World" from Magic Kingdom.</div>
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Unfortunately, after Avatar we kind of peetered out. We had a bite to eat, found this thing that translated your dog bark imitation into words and had quite a bit of fun with that. We also saw a flock of parrots fly by overhead two times. Oh, and Sawyer scoped out a hat he wanted so we tracked it down. You can't see in the picture but Simba's tail is on the back of the hat. I would wear this but I wouldn't look nearly as cute.</div>
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We went to It's Tough to Be a Bug! as our final thing before heading out for the day. Was not expecting to be as frightened in this 4D video/experience as we were. I'm not sure which was worse - having someone spray "bug killer" on the crowd or when we needed to make way to let the roaches, spiders, and beetles all exit the auditorium only to have the underside of our seats booped. Don't get me wrong. It was a cute show and they had all of the appropriate warnings beforehand. But, I wasn't prepared for all the gotcha moments.</div>
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The storms rolled in after that so we headed back to the hotel by a Lyft. So much for waiting for the hotel shuttle. Had some downtime at the hotel and then enjoyed some afternoon/evening swimming once the weather cleared up.</div>
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On our final morning, I finally rented the kids an inner tube at the pool. We had four hours of glorious pool time (mostly all to ourselves) before showering, packing up, and heading to the airport to come home. Workday Rising was over.</div>
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When I asked the kids to rank their days from most to least favorite, they agreed: Day 2 at Universal Studios, Day 1 at Disney World, Day 1 at Universal Studios, and Day 2 at Disney World. I would say our "conference" was a success and now that I know how to plan/manage a Disney trip, I'm all for doing it all again. Universal, too.</div>
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Thank you, Griff, for taking us with you to your work conference!</div>
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Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-81813990372283410012019-11-13T07:30:00.000-07:002019-11-13T07:30:03.466-07:00Workday Rising: Part 1 - Universal Studios<div style="text-align: justify;">
Workday Rising - Workday's annual user group conference - occurred the same week as our Fall break this year. In Orlando. Griff got to attend instead of present so he was booked to fly and stay at the Orlando Marriott World Center.</div>
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Guess who tagged along? These guys!</div>
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Part 1 of OUR Workday Rising conference was spent at Universal Studios in Orlando. The conference began on Monday night. So, we flew in on Saturday morning and the four of us hit up Universal Studios together on Sunday and Monday.</div>
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We had a blast. There was a lot of Simpsons fun.</div>
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Krustyland - The ride. "Duff beer for me. Duff beer for you. I'll have a Duff. You have one, too."</div>
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Moe's!</div>
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<strike>Lisa</strike> Madelyn loves Millhouse.</div>
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And so. much. Harry Potter.</div>
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Gringotts Bank and the Gringotts dragon. The dragon blew fire every so often and it was so hot. Madelyn said it was something like 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Yikes!</div>
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Butterbeers all around on a hot day - three regular and one frozen, please.</div>
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We stopped into Olivander's and wands were purchased for the two young wizards. They proceeded to practice their spells at the various shoppes throughout Diagon Alley.</div>
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The Hogwarts Express. We rode this from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade Village...and Hogwarts.</div>
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Universal was so much fun. On Monday, we had the express passes so we were able to bypass the REALLY long lines. We did do other things besides The Simpsons and Harry Potter - Minions, Transformers. But, our trip to Universal was definitely heavy with The Simpsons and Harry Potter.</div>
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We had two very full days and 3+ tired and hot park goers. But, part 2 of Workday Rising would begin on Tuesday when Griff went to his conference and Madelyn, Sawyer, and I went to Disney World. Stay tuned.</div>
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Oh, and our newest cousin, Garrison Michael, was born to Aunt Lauren and Uncle Graham on Monday while we were in Universal. Congratulations, Uncle Graham and Aunt Lauren, and welcome to the world, Garrison!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-45394306637405856002019-11-12T10:39:00.003-07:002019-11-12T10:43:09.934-07:00Green couch be gone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
That's the text message I sent to Griff last night around 6:15 after I watched the green couch be loaded up and taken away. Outside of my big girl bedroom furniture, which technically Honey and Poppie purchased for me in 1999 in Kansas City, the green couch was the second piece of furniture I ever purchased.</div>
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Yesterday, the old green couch went to a new home. We decided over the weekend to turn our loft into a more family / movie room and replace the existing furniture with a u-shaped sectional. So, I've been in the process of photographing and listing the furniture and plan to go sectional shopping this afternoon.</div>
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Here's where I get a little sentimental. That couch had quite a life and travelled with me through 3 apartments, a duplex, and 3 houses. When I first bought the couch in 2000, I had a sweet little Siamese kitten who was equal parts princess and terrorist.</div>
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The only real damage to the couch came from her when we she would. not. keep. her. claws. off. the arm. Bad kitty.</div>
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Over the years, we all enjoyed the green couch...</div>
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For reading.</div>
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For snuggling.</div>
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For eating during a rainy BBQ.</div>
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And, for napping. Pre children I used to feel like napping on that couch was one of my favorite things. Clearly, I wasn't alone.</div>
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So many memories. I didn't get anything for it except for rid of it. And, that's okay. We certainly got my money out of it. And, that Siamese princess / terrorist? Well, she eventually calmed down (and got declawed). The couch went to a young woman and her roommate who live in Golden. I'm thankful it'll get another life and won't go straight to the landfill.</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-21792034644777130112019-06-07T17:24:00.000-06:002019-06-07T17:24:15.625-06:00Sawyer's GR8!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
This kid. This spirited kid who has a mind of his own and the sweetest heart - he's 8! And, he's GR8! We celebrated his 8th birthday all day yesterday.</div>
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First of all, it's not every Thursday when you go outside to pick up the milk delivery and find a HUGE sign in your front yard. Yes, some people do like to wear footie pajamas in June and I've found it's best if you don't ask questions. Like Elsa, just let it go.</div>
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After breakfast, Madelyn, Sawyer, and I went to Red Rocks and hiked. It wasn't terribly hot when we got there but we were quite sweaty by the time we finished. It was also fairly crowded. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. It is Summer and Colorado and Red Rocks are both destinations. </div>
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The birthday king requested McDonald's for lunch so we honored his request. We finished up decorating his birthday cake in the afternoon. Had the local grandparents over for dinner last night. Sawyer discovered his love of shrimp and other shellfish in Lincoln on his 7th birthday last year. At his request, we had lobster macaroni and cheese. Honey brought her orange sunshine Jell-O salad. No birthday is complete without cake so we ate cake. Yes, that's a cat cake.</div>
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We took some more pictures in front of the birthday sign after dinner. Who knew that the birthday yard sign could also be used to play yard sign hide and seek?!</div>
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The birthday celebration will continue on next week when he goes to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner with friends. He's already committed to catching shrimp in his mouth. Fingers crossed I can capture that in a picture!</div>
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Thank you, everyone, who sent cards and gifts, called, and texted Sawyer yesterday on his birthday. He's special to me every day but extra special on his birthday. Your remembering and your love mean a lot.</div>
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HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY, SAWYER!</div>
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<br /><br />Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-55085208823952864372019-03-20T09:41:00.001-06:002019-03-20T09:44:28.026-06:00Spring break 2019 - Beaver Creek.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Having never been to Beaver Creek in the winter, I wasn't completely sure what to expect. I grew up skiing the Summit County mountains and have been to a few of the other Colorado ski resorts. And, we've been to Beaver Creek in the Summer and Fall. But, skiing at Beaver Creek was new to me. I knew it'd be nice but I had no idea. We stayed in the Village at the Beaver Creek Lodge. It's a property that Marriott recently acquired and it's just an escalator ride up from the front door to the lifts. Awesome! </div>
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Also, can I tell you how much of a fan I am of the escalators versus the steps? Steps are, generally, no problem in shoes but ski boots - game off. Escalators? Yes, please.</div>
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We arrived on Saturday just in time for 3P cookies and FunFest. FunFest is a Saturday afternoon activity designed for kids. There are games set up all around the Village where kids can earn tokens for playing and can redeem the tokens for a Beaver Creek themed souvenir. Madelyn and Sawyer are not one to walk away from games and free stuff. So, after a few pictures with their favorite statues, games were played. Each kid ended up winning enough tokens to earn a pair of Beaver Creek touchscreen gloves. Cool!</div>
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Sunday was ski school day for the kids and a play day for Griff and I. The kids weren't super stoked to be going to ski school but we thought it was important for all of us. And, it was only for one day.</div>
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Griff and I had a fun day exploring and playing. We found the Candy Cabin but didn't venture inside. Griff tried his skills at the race course. While he didn't "medal", it was still fun to watch. I like to turn too much to want to ever do the races. Nice, big turns. Side to side.</div>
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Monday was family ski day. Yes, there was still some complaining, from someone who shall not be named. However, I think we're moving out of that phase. We didn't ski as much on Monday as Griff and I did on Sunday but it was so. much. fun. to be skiing with the whole family, all together. The weather could not have been more perfect. Even though it's Spring, the snow was still in great condition. The only slush we saw was at the very bottom.</div>
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We had a great day. Now, we're not perfect and our skiing wasn't perfect. There was Madelyn's dramatic tuck exit from the lift. We thought she was falling but then she just tucked into a little ball and rode it out. So fancy. There was also the jump in the trees that caught her by surprise and took all our breath away. I'm thankful she got stopped and didn't head off out of bounds, down the hill through the rest of the trees. I don't even want to talk about Assay, the shortcut run I took Madelyn and I down where she fell and I almost did, that was the worst little shortcut ever. She forgave me and I thought nothing of her yelling at me because that run stunk. But, before lunch, we all skied from the very top to the very bottom. And, Sawyer led us across some fun little bridges and along a skiway through a condo complex. I was so proud of our little people!</div>
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Monday nights, from 6-9P, there's complimentary ice skating in the Village. So after dinner, Madelyn and Griff skated while Sawyer and I sat rink side by a fire.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09M5E1v8ccPNW2tDnxYLCqiHJgFpITBg4oGVQkU6wNWbMUlTwCd3JMMPpj-nx2rDZYX0viBKoCY3lCIWUzWxkFvYnTEb5J4gES-oP9BOprChwP5vZbS1w3JEuoND-zAMw_DcMx9NEcQU/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09M5E1v8ccPNW2tDnxYLCqiHJgFpITBg4oGVQkU6wNWbMUlTwCd3JMMPpj-nx2rDZYX0viBKoCY3lCIWUzWxkFvYnTEb5J4gES-oP9BOprChwP5vZbS1w3JEuoND-zAMw_DcMx9NEcQU/s400/IMG_0022.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yq0N7OqilVKmM2dQXGaodaS8eQI-09YpAm2GKzmzDDPOt0Uew5PcCvA-gWCi1EHhzhNnnjJaOUzTZUl5ivP3KxMBGSCkyEouXmOxSZnnUcRyozLZVGPX-IoVreA-lNYRnI6NrAD_lB0/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yq0N7OqilVKmM2dQXGaodaS8eQI-09YpAm2GKzmzDDPOt0Uew5PcCvA-gWCi1EHhzhNnnjJaOUzTZUl5ivP3KxMBGSCkyEouXmOxSZnnUcRyozLZVGPX-IoVreA-lNYRnI6NrAD_lB0/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sawyer</td></tr>
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All in all, Beaver Creek was a blast. All the little touches - cookies at 3P and the after ski activities that are included in your visit - make it such a unique and memorable experience. I feel very grateful that we're able to do trips like these. And, I'm also grateful for my little family with whom I get to make these memories.</div>
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So long and thanks, Beaver Creek. See you next time!</div>
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Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-75729332238734996352019-03-01T14:59:00.000-07:002019-03-01T14:59:21.202-07:00Ski bunnies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The kids took ski lessons this December and January at <a href="https://snobahn.com/" target="_blank">Snobahn</a> in Southglenn. It's an indoor ski and snowboard facility and is a really cool concept. We weren't sure how the skills they acquired skiing on a giant treadmill inside would translate to actual ski slopes but at least they wouldn't be cold or standing around in lines.</div>
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Our first venture out on the slopes as a family this year was to Loveland Valley. We drove up on the Sunday over President's Day weekend. It was small and we didn't stay all day. But, it was a good way to get some snow under our skis, so to speak.</div>
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Later that week, we joined Uncle Jerky, Aunt Sandi, Emery, and Camden at Breckenridge for some family skiing on Friday. The cousins had been in Breckenridge all week skiing. On a fun note, we also got to see Uncle Lee and Aunt Brittany at Breckenridge Brewery when we went in for dinner on Thursday night. Emery had hung up her skis the day before we arrived so she wouldn't be skiing with us. Her plan was to hold down a table in the Maggie so that when we needed a break, we'd have a place to sit.</div>
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Uncle Jerky, Camden, and Aunt Sandi. I guess the weather earlier in the week had been pretty darn cold. Fortunately for us, we brought warm weather because it was beautiful on Friday. Clear and sunny in the morning gave way to big, fat snowflakes in the afternoon. (I will say that the big, fat snowflakes caused an eastbound closure on I-70 at Silverthorne for a few hours during our drive home on Friday. So, that wasn't great but we did finally get home safely on Friday night.)</div>
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The Dude and I. I'm not sure if he's actually smiling underneath his face mask.</div>
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Kerkhoves and Andersons at the top of the Quicksilver chair. Missing Emery.</div>
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Three of four cousins stopped for a picture before heading into Ripperoo's Forest aka Ding-Dong Forest or was it THE Ding-Dong Forest? I think this one was lovingly renamed Ding-Dong Forest.</div>
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Some bunnies around here like skiing more than others. And, that's fair. One bunny likes to borrow her mother's poles in the lift line and if she's going to do moguls. The other bunny tends to complain. But, when that bunny is skiing, he is a really good skier and seems to have fun. At one point on Friday, that bunny skied past me and yelled out, "Hi, Mama!" in his sweet, silly voice as he went by.</div>
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All in all, I think we've made major strides on the skiing front. And, I definitely think the skills they learned and practiced at Snobahn translated to the actual ski slopes. Money well spent.</div>
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We're going to Beaver Creek for a few days over Spring break later this month. We've visited there as a family in the Summer/Fall but Griff's the only one who's skied there before. Our hotel/condo is ski in - ski out so that should be great. I'm looking forward to some more ski fun with the bunnies. Let's hope for a bluebird day and no I-70 closures!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-4261959767898769382019-01-11T10:05:00.001-07:002019-01-11T10:12:56.792-07:00O-f-f-a-l is just plain awful.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Spellcheck's got nothing on Madelyn.</div>
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11 students out of almost 550 students were selected to participate in yesterday's spelling bee. Two from each grade (4th thru 8th) plus one additional. There must have been a tie in one of the grades. Anyway, dear Madelyn, who wasn't even going to try out for the spelling bee was one of the two students from 4th grade selected to represent their classmates. The pre-test was given during afternoon carpool in December on a day where I was volunteering during carpool. Since she was still there, her teacher said, "Madelyn, go take the test." Lo and behold, or whoopsie, she was one of the top two.</div>
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Yesterday was the annual spelling bee at school. I hadn't planned on attending. But, the night before, Griff and I heard her sweet voice call down from upstairs asking if we would please come to her spelling bee. So, of course, we said yes. Who could say no to such a request?!</div>
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The first word out of the gate was "cage" and Madelyn's classmate got it right. Madelyn was the second student up. I can't remember all of Madelyn's words but she made it to the 9th (?) round and beat out two or three other students. Here are a few of her words that I do remember -</div>
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<li>object </li>
<li>apprehend </li>
<li>procession </li>
<li>impregnable </li>
<li>offal </li>
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That last word is the one that did her in. When she stepped up to the microphone, the teacher said, "Your word is a homonym and its definition is 'the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food'," and then she announced the word. After hearing the definition, the teacher didn't even have to announce the word before I knew I would have been out. Not one to go down without a fight, Madelyn, "I probably won't get this right," and spelled the version she knew - "awful" - and was told she was incorrect.</div>
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Holy cow, Madelyn did great. I received so many compliments from teachers and the principals on how well she'd done and how her word was tough. I know she received many compliments, too. All of 4th grade was cheering and clapping for her all along. Her BFF was in the front row giving her thumbs up and encouraging smiles. And, when she got out, she did it with grace and poise. I couldn't have been more proud. (Perhaps in two years, we can have two Anderson kiddos in the spelling bee...)</div>
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This morning, Mrs Simpson, the school principal, saw Madelyn at morning drop off and I heard her tell Madelyn, again, what a great job she'd done yesterday.</div>
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Before we got to school though, Madelyn said, "Oh, I forgot to show you this!" and handed me a bunch of papers. Sometime before the spelling bee, her teacher and classmates made encouraging cards and notes of support and gave them to her. I found myself a little teary at how kind her classmates are, how well they know her, and how much they care about Madelyn.</div>
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She may not have won the spelling bee and that's okay. But, she did such a great job. I hope she's proud of herself and knows how proud we are of her for just trying. I'm so glad she asked us to come to her spelling bee.</div>
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Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-3785975368202686962018-08-15T14:46:00.001-06:002018-08-15T14:46:48.335-06:00Zinnias, marigolds, and pumpkins - Oh my!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We inherited a garden box when we bought our new house last February. It wasn't a pretty garden box by any means and we're actually going to rebuild it in the Fall. This year, just for kicks, I threw down some seeds to see what would grow.<br />
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* Wildflowers<br />
* Pumpkins<br />
* Zinnias and Giant Marigolds (started from seeds inside and then transplanted)<br />
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I even had a beautiful blue hydrangea plant next to Sadie's tombstone. But, TruGreen sprayed it and killed it. Wah wah... I've got a new cone flower temporarily in a pot until after we rebuild the garden box.<br />
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Surprisingly, almost all the seeds took. The tomatoes and volunteer tomatillo plant did not take. But, that's ok. This garden box was all about experimenting and playing this Summer.<br />
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The most pleasant surprise of all to me has been the zinnias. It's taken them a while to get to this but I love looking out or walking by and seeing their colorful flowers. I hardly have a green thumb so I enjoy these that much more.<br />
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Post garden box rebuild, I may have to sneak some zinnia flowers into the garden each Spring.Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-82765766096089965292018-08-11T09:59:00.000-06:002018-08-11T10:08:12.653-06:00Her-MEOW-ne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This t-shirt was Madelyn's souvenir from our trip to Seattle. Yes, there is absolutely nothing about it that screams Seattle. But, looking at it reminds me of our walks back from Pikes Market, under the monorail, and the little mall we'd go past each time. Also, that's where we saw the woman "sleeping" in the street. So, I guess it does remind me of Seattle after all.</div>
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Now, for those of you muggles who are unfamiliar with Harry Potter, the picture pays homage to the time Hermione turned herself into her cat. My kids tell me it was in "Chamber of Secrets" and the polyjuice potion. (I'm no muggle. I just couldn't remember which book.) <b>AND</b> it's a fantastic play on words and we all know someone who likes a good pun and/or play on words. <i>**Cough, cough. Honey.**</i></div>
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Last week, we met some of my friends and their kids at "the good" Jumpstreet in Ken Caryl for an afternoon of fun. Between my friends and I, we had six kids and our six kids were just about the only kids in the place. They let the kids jump well beyond what we paid for which was awesome. Happy, tired kids + happy mamas = Summer win for everyone.</div>
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Now, at Jumpstreet, this shirt made Madelyn a new friend. My friend's daughter who is a year younger than Madelyn came up to Madelyn and said, "You like Harry Potter and cats? I like Harry Potter and cats. Let's be friends." And, that's where it all started.</div>
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I wish we could all find friends who like Harry Potter and cats or whatever simple thing it is in life that makes us happy.</div>
<br />Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-52249755174612835142018-07-22T19:09:00.000-06:002018-07-22T19:50:05.039-06:00Road trip to Kansas City and beyond.<div style="text-align: justify;">
FINALLY posting pictures from our road trip to Kansas City and Lincoln in June. Yep, it's been almost two months but here we are...better late than never!</div>
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We took our first non-mountain, long road trip with the kids this past June. Our destinations were Kansas City to see friends and family and Lincoln, of course. The kids declared road tripping awesome. McDonald's in the car plus snacks plus movies equals a good time for sure!</div>
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We stayed in Lawrence with Don and Susan on Saturday night. They were gracious enough to tolerate our late arrival and made us feel incredibly welcome in their home. Sarah, Joe, and the boys came over Sunday morning for a delicious brunch. The Noltemeyers are old friends but they always treat us like family. It's so nice to having people like that in your life.</div>
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Speaking of Noltemeyers, our next stop was Olathe to see Matt, Sally, and the girls as well as their new home!</div>
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Love the Noltes and love these kiddos. They are all so sweet and are all so sweet together. Must because they have awesome parents. <i>(Tee hee.)</i></div>
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Fireflies. Madelyn and Sawyer were beside themselves with the fireflies.<br />
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Brunch on Monday before heading to the Plaza. Let's do this again soon, Noltes!<br />
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Monday we moved to the Sheraton in the Plaza. We walked around some and did a little window shopping.</div>
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Met the cousins, Aunt Judi and Uncle Elvin, and everyone else at the Kansas City Country Club for night swimming and a picnic. It's been too long since we saw everyone but we had a blast. The kids loved the high dive and swimming. (Our joke was to see how many different pools we could swim in on this trip. As of this point, we were only at two.)</div>
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What a sweet group. Aunt Judi and Alasdair recruited us to help plan the Knight family reunion in the Fall and we're happy to help. Looking forward to seeing everyone again sooner rather than later!</div>
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Tuesday, we went to Oceans of Fun and had an ocean of fun. The weather was perfect and we got to the park early enough that we got to do multiple rides on all the really popular, really fun rides.</div>
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You'll never believe it but in the park, there was a trio of men playing drums and they were wearing tank tops with cats surfing on slices of pizzas. You should ask Madelyn if she saw it. <i>(Also, wink.)</i></div>
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Hey, it's Ben Franklin!</div>
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After dinner treat on Tuesday - The Waffle Bar. Mine was good but I should have stayed simple.<br />
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Wednesday was an important day for our family. It was Sawyer's 7th birthday. Happy birthday, little brother! It was also the day we left Kansas City to go to Lincoln. <span style="color: red;">GO BIG RED!</span><br />
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Stopped at the Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. Took a tour and picked up our free baby trees.<br />
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Ate lunch at Valentino's also in Nebraska City. Madelyn has declared their spaghetti to be the best. I'm not even sure what to say about that. Hello...pizza?! I know she's mine but sometimes her food choices make no sense. Either way, thumbs up all around for Valentino's.</div>
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After arriving in Lincoln and checking in at the Cornhusker, we drove over to campus. There really is no place like Nebraska. I got all sorts of nostalgic walking around campus. For real, it's been TOO LONG since we visited.</div>
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It was also really hot but that didn't cut my campus tour short.<br />
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Memorial Stadium. This was as close as we could get to the field on short notice. Also, one of my little campers was quickly running out of steam and any interest in doing anything else besides having some birthday dinner and swimming, again.</div>
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Birthday dinner at Shogun. He was intrigued but a little nervous. Griff caught the shrimp in his mouth and while Sawyer wasn't interested in catching shrimp, he did realize that he really likes shrimp. Happy birthday, Sawyer!</div>
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We had birthday cake back at the Cornhusker. I think it was a molten lava chocolate cake in a cast iron skillet with ice cream although I don't have any pictures of the treat. But, we did get a picture of this tiny boot of beer. How cute is that?</div>
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We headed back to Colorado the next day and it was good to be home.</div>
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This trip made me realize I miss the midwest, humidity, mosquitoes, and all. I loved getting to see our family and friends and getting to share Lincoln with my family. Bonus: I may have sold both kids on going to the University of Nebraska, too, so I think the trip was a win all around.</div>
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Oh, and our final pool count is below:</div>
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1 - Matt and Sally's neighborhood pool</div>
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2 - Swimming with the cousins at Kansas City Country Club</div>
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3 - After KCCC, swimming back at the Sheraton KC Plaza</div>
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4 - Oceans of Fun</div>
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5 - Swimming at the Cornhusker</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-62860881815889124022018-07-22T18:58:00.001-06:002018-07-22T18:58:16.879-06:00Seattle, Yo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's been a lot of flossing, "yo", and "bro" at our house this Summer. As you can imagine, it's been delightful and very mentally stimulating. <i>(Insert eye roll.) </i>Naturally, when I think about our trip to Seattle, the first thought that comes to mind is "Seattle, yo." </div>
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Thought I'd share a few pictures from our trip this week to Seattle. The weather was <b>terrific</b>. After having been above 90 degrees for I don't know how long in Colorado, Pacific Northwest temperatures in the 60s and 70s was a welcome relief.</div>
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The Gum Wall. It's more like gum alley. I've heard that they clean it off at least once per year and it quickly gets re-gummed. (Is that a word?) And, in case you forgot your gum, there are a few stores close by that thankfully sell gum. We had our own.</div>
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When in Rome, you stick your gum on the wall. Sawyer didn't want to part with his gum so Griff added his to the collection.</div>
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Day 1. On Wednesday, Griff had a meeting with a client so the three of us were on our own for the day. Madelyn really wanted to visit the <a href="https://www.seattleaquarium.org/" target="_blank">Seattle Aquarium</a>. It is such a neat place and a really good aquarium. You can even ride on the back of an orca. <i>(Wink, wink.)</i></div>
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We happened upon the sea otters' feeding time. Aren't otters the cutest?! Then, I found this brother and sister otter pair frolicking and generally having a good time. They're pretty cute, too. </div>
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We visited the harbor seals a few times including once during their feeding and toothbrushing time. Each seal has their own Sonicare toothbrush that the keepers use on them to keep the seals' teeth clean. Who knew?! And, on our second visit to the harbor seals, we watched as the "Madelyn" and "Sawyer" seals fought over who got to lay in the sun with "Mama" harbor seal. In the end, "Mama" let both of them stay with her in the sun.</div>
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After lunch, we took a break from the aquarium and ventured down to <a href="https://yeoldecuriosityshop.com/" target="_blank">Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe</a>...so much stuff and so many weird things. Definitely saw a lot of curiosities! We saw the mummies and shrunken heads and gawked at the Harry Potter wands. We sampled fudge and picked up a little to share with Papa later in the day. Madelyn found some shades she liked. Isn't she the prettiest?</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">My favorite was possibly the antique Wurlitzer (player) organ outside on the pier.</span><br />
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After walking around the waterfront, the kids wanted to go back to the aquarium which was fine with me. This time, we spent about an hour at the touch tanks getting sea urchin "hugs" and touching the tube worms and anemones. On our first visit, Sawyer didn't want to touch anything. On our second visit, he couldn't get enough. At one point, he was two-handed touching two different sea urchins and I swear I heard him exclaim "Madelyn! I'm touching two urchins!"</div>
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The volunteers at the aquarium are terrific. We learned so much through casual conversations with them. We still would have had a fun experience without the volunteers but thanks to their knowledge and accessibility, we learned so much more and had such a neat experience. I highly recommend the Seattle Aquarium.</div>
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Day 2. Griff was done with his client meetings so all four of us did some excellent sightseeing.<br />
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Fortunately, the kids arrived just in time to catch this piece of public art and hold it up. It surely would have fallen without them.<br />
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We did a duck tour and quacked our way throughout Seattle.</div>
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We watched a float plane take off past us in Lake Union.<br />
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And, while we enjoyed our duck tour, the events in Branson, Missouri, have been on my mind. I realize thousands of other duck boat tours, including ours, have had no troubles. I'm thankful for that. However, it hit a little close to home and I'm so sorry for all those people affected.</div>
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Back on land and done with our duck tour, it was time for the Space Needle. Here we come!<br />
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After we bought our Space Needle tickets, we had about thirty minutes to kill before getting in line. We found an awesome playground in Seattle Center. Madelyn climbed, Sawyer and Griff did the maze on the ground, and I solved the rebus puzzle.</div>
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What a view from the top of the space needle. I don't have a fear of heights but a sheet of plexiglass between the ground 600+ feet down and me is a little unnerving.<br />
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The rainforest <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-spheres/amazon-com-opens-its-own-rainforest-in-seattle-idUSKBN1FI1D7" target="_blank">Sphere</a> at Amazon's headquarters in downtown Seattle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoZqLOPxstiaTskKl3PWt8PdBuHIm2suKNcx5Cq5u8cqqLcQzlYzx5m33DMTZR4NiIKugB0L0rA6kZK2ej74hlLoNHh83aYNlLXIamdgGUMN6iG8cm3cwvHBDqrvg8hRiVVC4N1w2sBE/s1600/IMG_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyoZqLOPxstiaTskKl3PWt8PdBuHIm2suKNcx5Cq5u8cqqLcQzlYzx5m33DMTZR4NiIKugB0L0rA6kZK2ej74hlLoNHh83aYNlLXIamdgGUMN6iG8cm3cwvHBDqrvg8hRiVVC4N1w2sBE/s400/IMG_0085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Day 3. Back to Pikes Place Market. We only had the morning as we were flying home in the afternoon. Nonetheless, we arrived at the market around 8:30A. The shops open at 9:00A. But, the kids and I knew from walking around on Wednesday that there's a little window where you can buy the best looking pastries around - <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/markets-three-girls-bakery-100-years-old/" target="_blank">Three Girls Bakery</a>.</div>
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What the kids and I speculated from our scouting on Wednesday was correct. Their pastries were THE BEST. I don't even have other words to describe it. I had a spinach and feta croissant, Griff had a ham and cheese croissant, Sawyer had a blueberry scone, and Madelyn had a cherry turnover. But, that's not all. Someone in our group (who shall remain nameless) suggested we get a second set of pastries and try some other things. The rest of the group consented and we ended up with two cheese danishes, a s'mores danish, and a raspberry cream danish. None of them went to waste and none of them lasted very long.</div>
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Bellies filled with goodies, we walked through the rest of the market. </div>
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Bought some pickled herring at Pike Place Fish Market for our favorite Scandinavian fellow. Yes, they threw the jar of herring. And, while I paid for it, someone else in the market ordered two salmon which promptly flew right by...one of them was juicy.</div>
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Poppie reported that this pickled herring tasted different from the pickled herring at Costco. Neither he nor Griff could elaborate on how it was different.</div>
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And, Billie the Pig. We found him. His "sister" Rachel the Pig is in front of Pike Place Fish Market. He's less busy so we could get a good picture.</div>
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I'm happy to have visited Seattle. It was so nice of Griff to let us tag along on his work trip and I'm glad we could make it happen.</div>
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And, so much for cooler temps in Seattle. It's still hot back here in Colorado.</div>
<br />Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-79390882959190075482017-09-17T10:59:00.000-06:002017-09-17T12:08:06.979-06:0040th birthday jam.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2nR9ZE9vIlXJ9RJgqydQvM0FDFChvddGaZLqk8C0uz1SeK0XsuDdkG7CzbNFPBXk6Irri9th182V2NwdjE0uTJs8hDhYQ2jJ_L85gE305Fmy0wdJ-sOwPHSSvLeGjnKnRZwl1XorEEw/s1600/IMG_1215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2nR9ZE9vIlXJ9RJgqydQvM0FDFChvddGaZLqk8C0uz1SeK0XsuDdkG7CzbNFPBXk6Irri9th182V2NwdjE0uTJs8hDhYQ2jJ_L85gE305Fmy0wdJ-sOwPHSSvLeGjnKnRZwl1XorEEw/s400/IMG_1215.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The big 4-0 calls for a family vacation. After a last minute switch-a-roo, we decided to go to San Francisco instead of Cabo San Lucas and we couldn't have been happier with our decision. The following is a quick summary, in mostly pictures, of our trip -</div>
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<b>Thursday</b></div>
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Stayed at the Westin DIA again as Griff was flying in from a client's meeting that day and we had an early flight out on Friday. Luckily for us, the pool was open and the DIA zip line was up and running. We had some happy kids.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oBFih2-BVc29aTSFVtf_B-S4sUAjqO2LYophpTkf5OYU7HnyfcJtyFD1ktF3oMmxXG7mozduM8JqIb3XugsA9FGFmaI05H0xCRro2rNxfAbz8-Scwc7RHzqIENHZzjtXKwiXxr-8F64/s1600/IMG_1183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oBFih2-BVc29aTSFVtf_B-S4sUAjqO2LYophpTkf5OYU7HnyfcJtyFD1ktF3oMmxXG7mozduM8JqIb3XugsA9FGFmaI05H0xCRro2rNxfAbz8-Scwc7RHzqIENHZzjtXKwiXxr-8F64/s200/IMG_1183.jpg" width="145" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwntgaK68MK3C42qOa86Oo-6QOgCINlabGyNxLj2MJ79tDDuHXhNPvd1xf3FDi_yMDkoJjddGYD5S9oakKjCxYw2kf9BlkStiJGt1J5V1UVt53OVIurdZt9_LbRY6isEtdk2oxmZG_GpY/s1600/IMG_1184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwntgaK68MK3C42qOa86Oo-6QOgCINlabGyNxLj2MJ79tDDuHXhNPvd1xf3FDi_yMDkoJjddGYD5S9oakKjCxYw2kf9BlkStiJGt1J5V1UVt53OVIurdZt9_LbRY6isEtdk2oxmZG_GpY/s200/IMG_1184.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
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<b>Friday</b></div>
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Early flight out but arrived in San Francisco around 9:00A PDT. Took an Uber to our hotel - <a href="http://www.westinstfrancis.com/" target="_blank">Westin St Francis in Union Square</a> - and had a little breakfast at Lori's Diner. Madelyn claimed this place was THE BEST. She still goes on and on about how that Belgian waffle from Lori's is the waffle all others are compared to. Considering how hungry we all were, it certainly hit the spot. Picked up our 3-day MUNI passes and headed off to AT&T Park.</div>
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Took the MUNI over to AT&T Park but arrived a little early for our tour. Luckily, there was a San Francisco public library nearby. You know how much my crowd likes libraries. So, we ventured in to kill a little time and add another library to our list of California libraries we like. (Coronado is still the best.)</div>
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Toured AT&T Park. It was pretty cool. I really like how they've gone to great lengths to recreate some of the charming characteristics of the old parks. A game here would be cool but we had other things to do and see.</div>
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Our room was in the newer tower of the hotel. You had to swipe your card in the lobby and enter your floor destination. Inside the elevator were no floor buttons. As such, we had quite a fun time constantly trying to trick each other into pushing the buttons in the elevator. Because, there were no buttons. Ha ha! Gotcha. People thought we were crazy...which we are but we're also fun.</div>
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Dinner was at <a href="https://www.cafezoetrope.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Zoetrope</a> in North Beach. A friend of mine recommended it. It's heavily influenced by Francis Ford Coppola and was incredible. I highly recommend it.</div>
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After dinner, we were hanging out in Union Square, enjoying the evening. And, you'll never believe what we saw. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. There was a man with two bengal cats on leashes in Union Square. Those were the most beautiful cats and they were loving all the stimulation. For a while after our trip, the kids would say the bengal cats in Union Square was their favorite part of the trip. Sheesh.</div>
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<b>Saturday</b></div>
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We walked down the hill from our hotel to get in line for the Powell-Hyde Cable Car. We waited and waited and waited and finally got on one. San Francisco in August is a busy time for tourists. Thank goodness we have incredibly patient and cooperative kids.</div>
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Rode the cable car and got off at the end for breakfast at <a href="http://www.thebuenavista.com/home/home.html" target="_blank">The Buena Vista</a>. I can't even tell you how much I like this place. When Griff and I came to San Francisco in 2007, we ate breakfast here every morning. And, when we passed through SFO in 2011 on our way back from Hawaii, we had breakfast at The Buena Vista in the United terminal at the airport. Not as good as the original but good enough for a fix. There's really nothing special about The Buena Vista. Maybe it's the destination and the atmosphere. Regardless, we shared a table with two Australian men on holiday and filled our bellies for the day.</div>
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Walked down through Fisherman's Wharf and made our way to Pier 33 for our bay tour. The tours of Alcatraz Island were sold out through the end of August. So, we took their recommended alternate boat tour of the bay. On the water, it was so foggy. It was so foggy that even when we were under the Golden Gate Bridge, looking up, you could barely see it. On a clear day, it would have been a neat experience. But, in the thick fog, it was something else, very surreal.</div>
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We picked up a sourdough turtle, sourdough bear, and a ham and gruyere croissant at Boudin on our way back toward Ghirardelli Square. We sat in the grass at Aquatic Park, overlooking the Maritime Park and the Golden Gate Bridge, and passed the turtle, bear, and croissant sandwich around. I would definitely call this carbo-loading. We let the kids run around and chase birds for a few minutes then went up to Ghirardelli Square to get our free sample of chocolate.</div>
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We also purchased a little something at Ghirardelli to take home with us. Our plan from here was to take the cable car back up the hill to the top of Lombard Street. However, by this time, everyone else was wanting to go back that same direction so the cable car line was L O N G. On paper, from Ghirardelli Square to the top of Lombard Street, it's really not that far. What you can't see is <b>the hill</b>. But, we bribed the kids with chocolate - When you get to the top and haven't complained very much, you can have a piece of chocolate. And, we did it. They were such troopers. Madelyn encouraged Sawyer and Sawyer just kept trucking along. (Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.)</div>
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There was an enormous crowd at Lombard Street which was kind of a buzzkill. So, we looked and left.</div>
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Went back to the hotel for a bit. Then over to Chinatown to get some high quality Chinatown souvenirs. Madelyn got a fan and Sawyer got a fortune kitty.</div>
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We ate dinner at The Daily Grill and went back to the hotel for some much needed rest.</div>
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<b>Sunday</b></div>
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Picked up danishes, coffees, and milks from the Starbucks downstairs at the hotel for breakfast. Today was our free day. We walked down to Market Street and rode the Market Street Railway over to the Ferry Building.</div>
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We walked down the Embarcadero and settled on The Exploratorium. The price of admission was high but it was worth it. It made me realize how much value we, as citizens of Denver, get from the SCFD which subsidizes the big museums in Denver. Anyway, The Exploratorium provided hours of scientific entertainment.</div>
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We made a sweet still-frame, animated video called "Daddy vs the Bull Snake" but didn't get a video of our video. It was awesome. But, alas we were getting hungry.</div>
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So, we went back to the Ferry Building and had lunch. After lunch, we rode the street car back down to Pier 39 to see the sea lions again. I could stand and watch the sea lions all day. From there, we went back to Ghirardelli Square for another free sample of chocolate. A little tip here: Don't bother waiting in line for the soda shop. If you walk into the gift shop, they give you a piece of chocolate FOR FREE.</div>
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We picked up a bus and headed back toward the hotel. Of course, we stopped at the Cable Car Museum. It was hot and loud in there but it was really cool to see the cables that pull the cable cars and how it all works.</div>
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We also walked down to the Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory, located in an alley between a few streets, for some fortune cookie scraps and purchased a bag of cookies. At this point, I don't have as many pictures due to sheer exhaustion. But, I'll tell you that we just finished off our bag of fortune cookies this last week.</div>
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Dinner was at Puccini & Pinetti in Union Square. It's right across the street from the hotel where Griff and I stayed in 2007. And, I shouldn't forget to mention that right around the corner from there, we saw a restaurant called The Old Siam. Sadie! We didn't go there though.</div>
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After dinner, we had 7 minutes to get to Ben & Jerry's before they closed. We literally ran into Ben & Jerry's at 5:57P with 3 minutes to spare but the woman shook her head and told us no. Boo, Ben & Jerry's. Boo. We found a Pinkberry nearby and had that for dessert.</div>
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Our flight back to Colorado was on Monday. After 3+ busy days of travel, fun, WALKING, and good food, we were spent. San Francisco was truly the fun adventure I anticipated when we switched our plans from Mexico. I would absolutely do it again. Sawyer keeps asking me when we're going back to San Francisco. He wants a Giants uniform although I'm not sure why. The other night, Madelyn saw a clip on the TV of a baseball game at AT&T Park and she exclaimed, "Mommy, they're in San Francisco! I recognize Levi's Landing." So, needless to say, our kids enjoyed the trip as much as we did.</div>
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Thank you, Griff, for taking us on a fun adventure. And, thank you, Honey and Poppie, for taking care of the Young Siam while we were gone. 40 is just another year and it's just another birthday but if someone wants to take me on a birthday jam, I'm game.</div>
<br />Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-48871922906975496542017-06-21T15:15:00.001-06:002017-06-21T15:15:52.578-06:006 years old.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our guy is six years old. To be honest, he's been six now for a few weeks. However, his mother is slacking in the blog department and is just now getting around to posting. It's been hot!</div>
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Sawyer celebrated his golden birthday on June 6 with a triple header -- tennis camp in the morning, swimming lessons in the afternoon, and t-ball practice in the evening. His tennis crew serenaded him with happy birthday at the end of camp. It was very sweet. His name was on the board at swimming lessons and he was, again, wished a very happy birthday. In between swimming and t-ball, he worked on his birthday gift from Griff, Madelyn, and I. It's a new Lego Star Wars speeder! (Don't ask me which one.)</div>
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The long awaited Captain Underpants movie premiered on June 2. So, on the Sunday after his birthday, Sawyer and four of his school friends met for lunch and a movie. They are an incredibly sweet group who I got know throughout this past year.</div>
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We enjoyed pizza at The Rock...</div>
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...and underwear cake. Who doesn't like cake with tighty whities on them?! Happy birthday, Sawyer!</div>
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After lunch, the soon-to-be first graders, along with Mile High Madelyn and I, walked the short walk down the the street to the theater like a family of geese. There was even honking and shaking of tail feathers.</div>
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Captain Underpants - TRA LA LAA! Popcorn, waters, and reclining seats made our day complete.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixASqifk1hE-8qJEGlEJNnXeKLU2tgMVL0VpwZT5KC9HqdjQ0V5ZtUiEfuRlCLBpqtnc6Kt3iDVX4CS0ftGM_AXTLDZ8q96iAXmQg_K7bQ8uST2SHtCin6guQ5Z3u-VrHGdR5orMhF-yM/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixASqifk1hE-8qJEGlEJNnXeKLU2tgMVL0VpwZT5KC9HqdjQ0V5ZtUiEfuRlCLBpqtnc6Kt3iDVX4CS0ftGM_AXTLDZ8q96iAXmQg_K7bQ8uST2SHtCin6guQ5Z3u-VrHGdR5orMhF-yM/s400/IMG_1060.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The movie was what I expected. But, most importantly, the birthday boy had a great day and it was a great celebration of him. Happy birthday, dear Sawyer!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-12359874940965704002017-04-27T10:04:00.000-06:002017-04-27T10:06:19.601-06:00Landsharks.<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thought about opening up with the old land shark bit from Saturday Night Live. But, sometimes I think I'm funnier than other people do.</div>
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Madelyn and Sawyer are doing Landsharks this Spring. It's a track club. It's not exclusively with their school but because Ben Franklin Academy has enough kids to fill a team, our school has its own team. For the last month, they've had two practices after school each week. This week the meets start.</div>
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Last night was their first Landsharks track meet. Their team ran against four other teams. And, I'd say their team did really well. Each school has its own color shirt. Ours is red. There were a lot of red shirts and most of them in the front half of all the packs, if not leading.</div>
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How did our Mile High Madelyn and Sweet Sawyer do you ask? AWESOME.</div>
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They each ran a 50 meter and 400 meter race with boys and girls of their respective gender and grade. While they did not win either of their individual races, more importantly, they Did. Not. Quit. And, to me, that's HUGE. Also, they didn't come in last. They had great sportsmanship and cheered for their friends, teammates, and each other.</div>
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And, most importantly, they earned gelato from Mici afterwards.</div>
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Way to go, Madelyn and Sawyer! Dad and I are super proud of you and hope you are proud of yourselves, too!</div>
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And, if you still want to see the old land shark bit from SNL, here you go -</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="268" src="//giphy.com/embed/3o6Zt8b3UcRAN2b3UY" width="480"></iframe><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-httpwwwnbccomsaturday-night-livevideolandshark2832305-3o6Zt8b3UcRAN2b3UY">via GIPHY</a></div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-71985247019859495172017-04-16T19:01:00.000-06:002017-04-16T19:02:51.953-06:00All it took was a little hail.<div style="text-align: justify;">
June 6, 2016, hail storm damage repair is complete.</div>
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Among all our other repairs -- new roof, new windows, paint, etc -- the pergola was rebuilt and painted last Fall. Last weekend, Griff hung my patio lights, a Christmas gift from Uncle Jerky, and VOILA! The pergola and deck are ready for primetime.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0GjeoGaIdhYAH3ViQEDIPjqRCFmXXTDQLvD9vZTBED1lRBaigwJ7OmkIhWOJHDId9i55g8OrziwYXUU1cOzBfKhBNesrrFLxHr5XzcyWgt5fMgF-Sl2EW9ZZ8MgMJiXTyz3IH01_1Kk/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0GjeoGaIdhYAH3ViQEDIPjqRCFmXXTDQLvD9vZTBED1lRBaigwJ7OmkIhWOJHDId9i55g8OrziwYXUU1cOzBfKhBNesrrFLxHr5XzcyWgt5fMgF-Sl2EW9ZZ8MgMJiXTyz3IH01_1Kk/s400/IMG_0880.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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We inherited the pergola when we bought this house six years ago. I wasn't sure about a pergola at first but, as it turns out, it's nice and really makes our deck usable. However, like a number of things we inherited with this house, it was built but not right.<br />
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Pre-hail storm, the top slats were rotting and beginning to fall out in small blocks. Post-hail storm, the pergola was shot. There was no repairing it. But, because our pergola had an obvious pre-existing condition, the insurance adjuster would only pay for half of the total repair needed. So...we ponied up the rest and had it rebuilt right.</div>
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And, it's awesome.</div>
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If you need us this Summer, we'll be on our deck chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool.</div>
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Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-72607060726317679382017-03-31T12:53:00.001-06:002017-03-31T13:14:48.416-06:00Winner, winner, chicken dinner!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I just received this email from the art teacher at Madelyn and Sawyer's school -</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1n54X0X4oZrz9pBpQY1jx3TjC-AcRI9mHBs5L1kg1PQJxsNWEcdB_51dDaJWw1CugwfL-tO4y0t7U7TrJ9h_jCSDu7urvWp1ispc_bJLYy8jftfNYr49HTavfkYODSB2I7_4QvFE6UM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+12.49.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1n54X0X4oZrz9pBpQY1jx3TjC-AcRI9mHBs5L1kg1PQJxsNWEcdB_51dDaJWw1CugwfL-tO4y0t7U7TrJ9h_jCSDu7urvWp1ispc_bJLYy8jftfNYr49HTavfkYODSB2I7_4QvFE6UM/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-03-31+at+12.49.33+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sawyer doesn't take art classes yet with Mrs Hinkle so I know this is in reference to Madelyn.</div>
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The window of when the art will be displayed is pretty short. But, if you're in the area and looking for something to do this weekend, swing on by the Hilton Garden Inn on Plaza Drive to check out the DCSD (Douglas County School District) Art Show and our Madelyn's artwork.</div>
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Congratulations, Madelyn!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-9604672971981718312017-02-27T15:28:00.001-07:002017-02-27T15:28:33.174-07:00Would you like to buy some cookies?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyd8GohCXZEx8fuBLebzzCrKFJO23FEGW_c4E50dvZMrLI3wCMjF3ULnRYOvcr_ueVRvLfCwbH-ufOrQt1HIAI2ZRWs-83T5_9xQ91cUGnjAuRtxCxK7BJzBKgtTlTJx-i6nHcspjZH8/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyd8GohCXZEx8fuBLebzzCrKFJO23FEGW_c4E50dvZMrLI3wCMjF3ULnRYOvcr_ueVRvLfCwbH-ufOrQt1HIAI2ZRWs-83T5_9xQ91cUGnjAuRtxCxK7BJzBKgtTlTJx-i6nHcspjZH8/s400/IMG_0626.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Our Mile High Madelyn is a Brownie with some school friends this year. And, as such, she's been selling Girl Scout cookies.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">It turns out that her troop is considered a "super troop" because they sold SO. MANY. COOKIES. last year. Last year, the girls averaged 284 boxes each and that is after the two highest sellers' numbers were taken out. Yikes! Needless to say, o</span><span style="text-align: justify;">ur house has been taken over by Girl Scout cookies over the past month.</span></div>
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She (we) committed to her selling 200 boxes. It is her first year, after all. She got right on it in terms of selling. Of her inventory, she sold almost 150 boxes which is terrific!</div>
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Her troop participates in booth sales at local grocery stores. So far, through three booth sales, she's sold approximately 110 additional boxes. That goal of 200 boxes flew by faster than a road sign at 65 mph! And, she still has one booth sale left to go.</div>
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The remaining 45 boxes of cookies are finally off my dining room table and in the corner of the room.</div>
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I crafted our very own set of cookie costumes. That's a Thin Mint on the left and a Samoa on the right. They might be cute and look delicious but please don't actually eat them.</div>
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We are incredibly proud of Madelyn and how hard she's worked at selling cookies. She is so well spoken, polite, and can quickly add up the price of her customers' cookies. It's no wonder she's done so well this year. Luckily, cookie sales are over in two more weeks and then we get a break until next February. And, the girls can go to Girl Scout Camp with the money they've raised as a troop!</div>
<br />Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-1497094308246490852017-01-22T10:27:00.000-07:002017-01-22T10:27:57.487-07:00Winter vacation by Sawyer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGN3ELbWDcoab2xpcmjsi2SMN2qYuGSLYx8Y3hr4soDousPAtjWoQCxOhecttM91C58Y6VvGHNN3dfOA9M5b59_m9b2BTb3I-V6Ohy5tpkvroVV25SnmjD_uktME3VY5iqrXXQFHl0DY/s640/blogger-image--584946441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGN3ELbWDcoab2xpcmjsi2SMN2qYuGSLYx8Y3hr4soDousPAtjWoQCxOhecttM91C58Y6VvGHNN3dfOA9M5b59_m9b2BTb3I-V6Ohy5tpkvroVV25SnmjD_uktME3VY5iqrXXQFHl0DY/s640/blogger-image--584946441.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
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Translations below.</div>
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<i>I had fun when I...</i>played with my kitten. I named her Penny. This is Penny.</div>
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<i>I was surprised when...</i>I got for Christmas <a href="https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Star-Battle-Takodana-75139/dp/B017B1BTD2/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485105886&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=maz%27s+temple+lego+star+wars" target="_blank">Maz's temple</a>.</div>
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<i>I was sad when...</i>I was not sad at all.</div>
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<i>The best part was...</i>when I got my new kitten.</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-58964987761289748212017-01-16T10:31:00.001-07:002017-01-16T10:31:45.416-07:00Holiday wrap-up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr, day, everyone! This morning met us with several inches of snow. I got in a workout, Griff trapped a rabbit, and the kids are creating Lego sets in an attempt to win us a trip as a family to Denmark. All this before 10:00AM!</div>
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To me, MLK Jr Day signals the official end of the holiday season. You see, since I have a January baby, my holidays continue on a little past everyone else's. I'm lucky like that! We haven't had the 8th birthday party yet. It's next weekend. But, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite memories from the 2016 holiday season -</div>
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Class holiday parties and all the fun preparation work that comes with them including 15 Rudolph water bottles!</div>
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A collection of artwork featured in the school's entrance titled "Warmest wishes from 2nd grade."</div>
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This one was, by far, my favorite. Look at all that detail!</div>
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Holiday lights at Hudson Gardens with Madelyn's Brownies troop. It was a cold night but thanks to the preparedness of the troop leaders, the hot cocoa was flowing. When there's hot cocoa involved, these kids can do anything!</div>
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This one might be frame-worthy. Love that iPhone 7 camera!</div>
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And, the elusive tree that Griff wanted ever so badly to get our picture in front of but the flash was not cooperating.</div>
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We, of course got separated from the rest of the troop about halfway through. But, no worries. Team Anderson had fun, stayed warm, and enjoyed the evening.</div>
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A beautiful Christmas eve service at Honey and Poppie's church where Honey sang with the choir and Poppie ushered. We may not have gotten to sit with them but it was such a nice evening and a special way to celebrate Jesus' birth.</div>
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Our visit with Santa. A certain five year old, who will not be named, wanted <b>nothing</b> to do with this Santa and tried to keep as far away as possible. This picture cracks me up because it reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George photobombs his boss' family's beach photograph and several subsequent Photoshop mishaps ensue as well as Kramer's fake skin cancer screening in an attempt to fix it. The unnamed someone in our picture did get his Santa wish - a new kitten - so Santa must not have been too offended.</div>
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Skippy shenanigans. Remember the time when Skippy replaced our stockings with underwear? I do! Now that he's been with us a few years, I think he's getting comfortable and becoming a little more mischievous.</div>
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Penny shenanigans. There are too many to name. But, who besides me doesn't love a kitten belly?</div>
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National Western Stock Show fun. We took the Sheriff with us...</div>
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...and a rodeo queen!</div>
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We also saw a rodeo which was a blast. Getting to our seats was quite an adventure and a wee bit frightening. But, we made it. When I asked Sawyer if his favorite part of the rodeo was the hot dog, chips, or rodeo, he answered, "All of them!" I agree!<br />
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And...the birthday. Happy #8, Madelyn!</div>
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The obligatory cake and cat picture. This year's picture features a kitten with no fur on her belly. Mental note: Get the cat a bikini top before Sawyer's birthday.</div>
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And, last but farthest from least, my sweet birthday girl. </div>
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Happy new year to you! I hope 2017 brings everyone good health, good luck, and much happiness. Now back to the snow.</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-15960222356699770982016-12-07T06:00:00.000-07:002016-12-07T06:00:08.987-07:00Lady Penelope of CloudCity aka Penny.<div style="text-align: justify;">
The start of a new (cat) generation began for us this past weekend. We adopted a kitten!</div>
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In late October, I reached out to a local Siamese breeder via her website and asked to be kept in the loop should she have any kittens come available. Honestly, I didn't think I would ever hear back from her and I figured we'd just adopt a garden variety cat from a shelter. So, on Thursday morning when I woke up to find an email from this woman stating she had two litters of Siamese kittens ready for homes, I was so excited!</div>
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Saturday morning, we drove to Lakewood to pick our kitten. The kids were invited to come with and I was happy for that. I vaguely remember picking up Dusty back in 1980 but I still remember it. I thought it would be an important experience for them to have.</div>
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There were 7 kittens remaining and they were all so cute and playful and funny. It was room full of Jilly Boo, JuJu Bee, Jezebel, and Skippyjon Jones! We narrowed it down to two kittens, Pinky and Greenie. The names were based on the color collar they were each wearing, of course. Pinky was a seal point and Greenie was a blue point. They were sisters from the same litter. In the end, we chose Greenie!</div>
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Meet our dear, sweet Penny.</div>
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We (I) decided she will be registered as Lady Penelope of CloudCity. CloudCity is the name of the breeder's cattery.</div>
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She is 15 weeks old. Her birthday is August 18. She is a funny kitten who talks <u>non-stop</u>...even when she's eating. She purrs with her whole body and loves lap time. Bringing home a kitten is never easy but after a day and a half, we're both getting more comfortable with each other. I might still need the noise canceling headphones though if this meowing doesn't let up.</div>
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We have truly missed our Sadie cat. Even though it was her time, and we knew it was her time, her absence was still hard and definitely felt. Dear Penny will never take Sadie's place and we wouldn't want her to. She is already making her own place in our home and hearts and will be a great member of our family.</div>
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Also, when she's 15 years old, Madelyn will be 22 and Sawyer 20. YOWZA!!!!!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-30494601801011321642016-12-05T09:38:00.002-07:002016-12-05T09:38:57.028-07:00Thanksgiving 2016 - San Diego.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Thanksgiving has come and gone. It truly feels like it came on faster this year than in previous years but I'm pretty sure they didn't take any days out of the calendar, I think. At any rate, we had such a nice holiday and now all of a sudden I find myself in the midst of the Christmas season!</div>
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We spent the week of Thanksgiving (Tuesday through Saturday) in San Diego with family. Unfortunately for us but fortunately for them, Gregg and Cathy were out of town for the holiday with her extended family. However, they were gracious enough to let us stay at their house on Coronado in their absence.</div>
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The first day we were in San Diego, we hit up several of our new favorite spots - Spreckels Park, the Coronado Library, and, of course, the beach. The water was too cold for swimming but that certainly didn't stop Madelyn and Sawyer from frolicking and getting wetter than they were supposed to get. We even found several live sand dollars. Pretty cool!</div>
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On Thursday, we had Thanksgiving dinner at Uncle Jerky and Aunt Sandi's house. Uncle Jerky was flying the whole weekend we were in town so he wasn't with us. Bummer. Even though we missed him, we still had a fantastic dinner and there was LOTS of cousins playing. Sandra's sister and her husband plus their two sons came over as well. They brought a fried turkey, which I had never had before, and it was SO GOOD.</div>
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The whole day was really nice. The only thing that could have made it better was if Uncle Jerky had been with us, too.</div>
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Friday: Legoland. Legoland was fun in 2012 when we visited. But, this time was definitely better. An almost 8-year old and a 5-1/2 year old can really enjoy themselves at Legoland. We drove boats, recreated pictures from 2012, found some Lego Friends, and even toured the Sea Life Aquarium.</div>
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I did lose Madelyn and Sawyer a few times inside coral aquariums but they seem to have survived. Maybe they were trying to find Nemo? Or, was it Dory?<br />
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Our travels were easy and uneventful. I feel so lucky that we can take these trips to visit family and create memories together. Here's to good times, making memories, and happy holidays to all.</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-34372396977368398892016-11-01T13:15:00.002-06:002016-11-01T13:15:30.315-06:00Halloween 2016.We came. We saw. We have a lot of candy to eat.<br />
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A proud lion(ess)</div>
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A rascally, trash eating raccoon</div>
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The cutest pair of trick-or-treaters I saw all night</div>
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From our house to yours, happy Halloween!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-18470888685778889832016-10-02T17:39:00.000-06:002016-10-02T17:39:27.426-06:00Isis Sadie Rula.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I posted these pictures earlier today on Instagram, along with the following -</div>
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"Rest in peace, sweet Sadie. May you now enjoy all the ice water, cheese, beer, and tuna you like and may there always be a lap for you in the sunshine."</div>
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We lost our sweet Sadie two Mondays ago.</div>
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She was diagnosed with chronic renal failure (kidney disease) in October 2014. While it's fairly common with cats, it's still an unpleasant diagnosis. By this past June, she had progressed to stage 4 renal failure which meant her kidneys had lost 85% of their normal function.</div>
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Bless her big heart, she did her best to keep trucking along. Mind you, she was no spring chicken. Our girl was just shy of her 16th birthday! At any rate, she was also developing arthritis in her knees and hips which was making life significantly more difficult.</div>
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After a long weekend of knowing, both on our part and hers, I called the vet on Monday, September 19, and took her in for one last appointment.</div>
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We had her cremated. Today, we buried her ashes under the pine tree in the corner of our yard. She's right below the bird feeder so there's excellent TV. Plus, that spot gets plenty of sunshine. She always did love to sunbathe. We gave her an ice cube, two different kinds of cheese, and some strips of paper to notarize.</div>
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I'm so thankful for the life that kitten experienced with me. She loved Griff from the first minute he began coming to our apartment. It's like she just knew! And, I'm thankful for the love and kindness she showed my children. She considered them her babies. She will never be forgotten.</div>
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There are so many other Sadie pictures I could share. But, I'll leave it at that.</div>
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Isis Sadie Rula</div>
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11/27/2000 - 9/19/2016</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-5120315431353941672016-09-24T16:54:00.003-06:002016-09-24T20:25:07.931-06:0010th anniversary jam.<div style="text-align: justify;">
10 years of wedded bliss.</div>
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Griff and I celebrated by spending, almost a week, sans children in Boston and Maine. Madelyn and Sawyer (and Sadie) spent the week with grandparents. We certainly missed them but knew they were well cared for and we had a great time.</div>
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Day 1.</div>
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Flight to Boston. Dinner at <a href="http://www.easternstandardboston.com/" target="_blank">Eastern Standard</a>.</div>
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Our dinner at Eastern Standard was outstanding -- possibly one of the best I've ever had. The atmosphere was cool, the service was excellent, and our food was delicious. We had full tummies and passed on dessert. However, our server insisted we couldn't leave without dessert and she delivered a dish of custard with raspberries and chocolate.<br />
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We stayed at the <a href="http://www.sheratonbostonhotel.com/" target="_blank">Sheraton Boston</a> in the Back Bay. The hotel was within walking distance to Fenway, Commonwealth Avenue, Newbury Street, and T stations. Once we parked the car in the hotel garage on Sunday afternoon, we didn't get it back out until we'd checked out on Tuesday morning.</div>
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On a side note, it is so much easier traveling without children. <i>Wink.</i></div>
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Day 2.</div>
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Fenway Park tour. <a href="http://boston freedom trail" target="_blank">Freedom Trail</a>. Afternoon swimming at the hotel. Boston Red Sox game.</div>
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We had the 900A Fenway Park tour on Monday morning. It was the PERFECT way to start our day. Other than the grounds crew, we were almost the only people in the park. Fenway Park is such a neat stadium with so much history and so many preserved artifacts. Even if you're not a baseball aficionado, I would recommend the tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RxO_D4yRrDxs9UTX2NrdNi6lW7UvkQuzy8_OVnC8PIbd0z-L2OFi9mj-ho0brGDC3YqR-TxUaP77bla1-M0N06Hp4EDqYifDn71kunA3RCcFLgcDjkRG76DeqzsLpxVvBBqKeQ6QP2o/s1600/thumb_IMG_2869_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RxO_D4yRrDxs9UTX2NrdNi6lW7UvkQuzy8_OVnC8PIbd0z-L2OFi9mj-ho0brGDC3YqR-TxUaP77bla1-M0N06Hp4EDqYifDn71kunA3RCcFLgcDjkRG76DeqzsLpxVvBBqKeQ6QP2o/s400/thumb_IMG_2869_1024.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Standing on Yawkey Way.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ocww6hxCJk7kYtZktgV3YhnRXLAp6Z7oOWPaTvNuMfhzQZov_NAffKiQcVLudg_nL4yEADwd0wKXvxMU-1Q7JrAOKP7f7MSj4gMMJ8ubdVnaiKXCc2RO8XfAKgjUTb3yvdV0qn3xOAI/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ocww6hxCJk7kYtZktgV3YhnRXLAp6Z7oOWPaTvNuMfhzQZov_NAffKiQcVLudg_nL4yEADwd0wKXvxMU-1Q7JrAOKP7f7MSj4gMMJ8ubdVnaiKXCc2RO8XfAKgjUTb3yvdV0qn3xOAI/s400/IMG_2251.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Original grandstand seats.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkdBxT5UZs3g16b0F5mJ63Mt2qL9lcStVTcMZZA-ZDyh2217nXr0mRW_2zylH7u8AA2JvkoYqOONy_LH-_VIwx6qRJyklntCTjxV_j14zTXtrMAp0eot4z7flgHWBWsfmXZRhm-715yo/s1600/IMG_2253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkdBxT5UZs3g16b0F5mJ63Mt2qL9lcStVTcMZZA-ZDyh2217nXr0mRW_2zylH7u8AA2JvkoYqOONy_LH-_VIwx6qRJyklntCTjxV_j14zTXtrMAp0eot4z7flgHWBWsfmXZRhm-715yo/s400/IMG_2253.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">View from atop the green monster.</span><br />
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Our ballpark tour wrapped up at 1000A. We walked back to the hotel, sunscreen-ed up, and headed north to the T station. We picked up the T near the convention center and rode up to North Station. Our plan was to follow the Freedom Trail from the north southward.</div>
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If you are the least bit interested in United States history, the Freedom Trail is such an incredible experience. The red brick path insures you don't get lost along the 2-1/2 mile walk. It wanders from point to point through the various neighborhoods. In the North End, I truly felt like I could envision it 250 years ago before our country gained its independence. And, the fact that the settlers built all these churches and homes and meeting houses without the use of modern construction tools constantly blew my mind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu43q0mdhd-cy9xwDDC5IWpJe5I0Mw255VVM_ZGFGvNhLKJgkGaJrvdvlzbBlDTRG3_15l8DOIb3r-GeFSFYOpxTruwLad14JjOYkMEodn7fL0NJvlRJtxtr9kH2SmgkB7u6nPQRUDLo/s1600/IMG_2259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCu43q0mdhd-cy9xwDDC5IWpJe5I0Mw255VVM_ZGFGvNhLKJgkGaJrvdvlzbBlDTRG3_15l8DOIb3r-GeFSFYOpxTruwLad14JjOYkMEodn7fL0NJvlRJtxtr9kH2SmgkB7u6nPQRUDLo/s400/IMG_2259.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Street's a little uneven.</span><br />
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We capped off day one by attending the Red Sox - Orioles baseball game. Talk about a fun place to watch a game. The fans are so devoted. We now consider ourselves Red Sox fans.<br />
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Oh, and I figured out we walked a half marathon, logging over 25K steps. Whoa!</div>
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Day 3.</div>
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Breakfast on Newbury Street. Drove to Camden, Maine. Lobster roll for lunch. Sunset schooner sail aboard the Appledore II.</div>
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We stayed at the <a href="http://www.lordcamdeninn.com/" target="_blank">Lord Camden Inn</a> in Camden, Maine. It was right in the center of main street and across from the harbor. Our room was on the fourth floor and we had incredible views. Both mornings, I watched the sunrise over Penobscot Bay. And, I didn't even have to get out of bed for it!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">View from our 4th floor balcony.</span><br />
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Our first evening in Camden, Griff really wanted to go on "an old people cruise". I was wanting to hold off until our second day but caved and we went that night. We booked a sunset cruise on <a href="https://appledore2.com/pages/camden-maine-day-sails" target="_blank">Appledore II</a>. While it's true we were the only people under 50, other than the crew, that didn't matter. It was a 2-hour sail from the harbor out to wherever the wind blows you and back. And, Griff got picked to help raise the main sail. Thank goodness for our youth!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raising the main sail.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Returning to Camden Harbor.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunset over Penobscot Bay.</span><br />
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Day 4.</div>
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Run from Camden to Rockport (and back). Walked the Rockland Breakwater. Lobster roll for lunch, again. Low key pizza and salad dinner from Camden House of Pizza.</div>
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According to Fodor's Travel, the walk from Rockport to Camden is one of the prettiest in the world. We did it from Camden to Rockport, and back, and can agree that Fodor's Travel was not lying.<br />
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Rockport's harbor was much quieter than Camden's although it was still fairly early in the morning. We saw the remains of lime kilns that were used 200 years ago when Rockport lime was harvested, processed, and loaded into windjammers to be taken to Boston or wherever lime was needed in construction. What's cool is the trains would pull up above and behind these, dump in the lime, it would get processed in the kilns, and then loaded into windjammers docked directly in front of them to sail off to wherever. The railroad tracks are gone and the harbor has been changed. Now there's a gravel road instead of water right in front of these but still...so hard to imagine!<br />
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After our run, we cleaned up and went to Rockland to visit the Rockland Breakwater. It's a man-made granite pier, built in the 1800's, that is 7/8 of a mile long with the Rockland Harbor Light House at its far end. Due to tides, the breakwater is only "open" from 1100A-200P. The walk out is a little disorienting but nonetheless incredible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The lighthouse is <i>W A Y </i>out there in the distance.</span><br />
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Day four's lobster roll came from a little roadside lobster shack called <a href="http://clawsrocklandmaine.com/" target="_blank">Claws</a>. The line was long but the food was worth it. This was my favorite lobster roll of our trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My future's so bright, I've got to wear shades.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUU13nbyK7vLQUq4H9n8A7t1zWDw-IE3U6kuXbRtoEULk8_q1Atr40bzDPLoOQwLUSVm3R5ysQo82IoHBr0TlTlB3EtQnSN2KOX3-21IyFv2u8LYXPX2LnZL6LHU3KO7Vu-CTW1USots/s1600/thumb_IMG_2924_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUU13nbyK7vLQUq4H9n8A7t1zWDw-IE3U6kuXbRtoEULk8_q1Atr40bzDPLoOQwLUSVm3R5ysQo82IoHBr0TlTlB3EtQnSN2KOX3-21IyFv2u8LYXPX2LnZL6LHU3KO7Vu-CTW1USots/s400/thumb_IMG_2924_1024.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lobster PILED high. Yum!</span><br />
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Day 5.</div>
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Drove to Portland, Maine. Visited <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Williams_(Maine)" target="_blank">Fort Williams</a> and the Portland Harbor Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. This was awesome. Walked around the Old Port in Portland, Maine, and visited Harbor Fish Market. Almost got pooped on by seagulls but - HA HA! - they missed us. Dinner at <a href="http://waltersportland.com/" target="_blank">Walter's</a>.<br />
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I had heard about Portland Harbor Light but I wasn't familiar with Fort Williams. Holy cow. Fort Williams -- what's left of it, at least -- is so interesting. The remains of the batteries and bunkers for placing and sweeping mines during World War I are still present and accessible. And, the cliff walk was breathtaking. It's hard to imagine axis forces trying to get access to Portland during this time but I read on one of the plaques that a U-boat was intercepted in Casco Bay...which is just around the corner from Cape Elizabeth. It really brings the world wars so close to home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seriously. This state is so photogenic.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beautiful day.</span><br />
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Day 6.</div>
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Drove back to Boston. Flight home...FIRST CLASS.</div>
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We had a very full trip, both with activities and fun. It was so nice to be alone together. I realize those two words are in opposition but whatever. I ain't no grammar expert.</div>
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It was nice returning home and getting back into our normal routine. Grammy and Grandad and Honey and Poppie obviously fed Madelyn and Sawyer because I swear they grew while we were gone. Thank you for making our trip possible...and for feeding the kids.<br />
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Griff, here's to 10 years and many more. Thank you for choo choo choosing me.</div>
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Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2121425229222510876.post-62277287458948937192016-09-22T09:30:00.002-06:002016-09-22T09:30:59.583-06:00Big Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Guess who read this book to me the other night all by himself? That's right - Sawyer!</div>
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It's a sweet book about two kids and their big cat. But, it's even sweeter when it's being read to you by a sweet 5-year old who loves cats. He did a great job and melted my heart.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3H46xruPqiXCarCmiHxgTTVZF-IjyVgz330EIEmv6qIFm712reRQ8eggEAM-7-yWEnuyehMQ9_lk7O04-9kBlrR2S0UpROhWIUj92VrhyzCLR9rhGa_NRIZSl3K2yG-gz5lF27gND6M/s1600/Big+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3H46xruPqiXCarCmiHxgTTVZF-IjyVgz330EIEmv6qIFm712reRQ8eggEAM-7-yWEnuyehMQ9_lk7O04-9kBlrR2S0UpROhWIUj92VrhyzCLR9rhGa_NRIZSl3K2yG-gz5lF27gND6M/s400/Big+cat.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
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Sometimes, as the second child, the milestones don't get documented as thoroughly as they do with the first child. Well, consider this milestone documented.</div>
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Way to go, Sawyer!</div>
Mollie Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08937655627476799506noreply@blogger.com0