Birthdays & Oceans.

The last two weeks have been filled with birthday celebrations and oceans.

Taylor turned the big 2-6 on May 13th! The celebrations started on Friday with homemade Big Macs, followed by chocolate cake, with chocolate icing, and chocolate chips inside (birthday boy's request). I added strawberries on top to make it prettier.

We lit the candles and I serenaded Taylor with my best version of Happy Birthday. ♫

On Saturday we drove to Denver to continue the celebration. We did the whole dinner thing and ended the night dancing from bar to bar, that left me sore for days.

Sunday was Taylor's actual birthday so we couldn't let the celebrating end quite yet! We relaxed and then finished the day at our lovely friends, and neighbor's house. 

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Last weekend I ventured out of the Springs to a place called...California. One of my best friends, Amanda, lives in Santa Monica (how unlucky she is...) and we had an amazing time catching up, going to piers, straining our voices in Glee Karaoke, visiting the ocean, drinking Blue Moons & Mimosa's, and wandering the Promenade. 

This weekend Taylor, Ella, Duke, and myself will be traveling west to Moab for some warm sunshine. 

Our Tenth 5k!

Taylor and I completed our tenth 5k run yesterday evening!

Every Tuesday, a bar named Jack Quinn's has a 5k around the beautiful town of the Springs. It takes you along a dirt river trail, looping around amazing homes of the Colorado College area, and straight back into downtown.

After the cold winter, we finally reached 10 runs! We received free Jack Quinn's t-shirts and had a celebratory beer afterwards. Here are a few pictures of the journey.

Next goal: twenty-five 5k's!

Sombrero's & Mustaches.

The Cinco De Mayo festivities took place at our house on Saturday. We played Mexican corn hole, loaded up on homemade tacos & goodies (thanks to our friends), and jammed to Mexican tunes.

Good company, good weather, good beer.

Ella could hardly wait for the party to begin.

Duke, doing what Duke does best.

All is well in the 'Rado Springs. I'm getting some snow up here in Green Mountain Falls at work today, with a high of 34 degrees. Taylor has a well deserved day off and is preparing homemade meatball sandwiches for dinner.

Stay tuned for Taylor's 26th birthday celebration this weekend!

No One is More Professional Than I.

After 17 straight days of leadership training, map reading, land navigating, physical fitness training, and more, Warrior Leader Course has been completed! Taylor graduated on April 26 after doing extremely well in the class.

The ceremony was packed with friends, families, and other soldiers supporting the graduates.

One step closer to becoming an NCO!

Miller Moths Attack!

This weekend I was just admiring how much our Lilac Trees have blossomed...

...until I realized that the killer moths love them too! 

Apparently they come to Colorado every Spring for 4-6 weeks and they came early this year. Last night I was in our kitchen swatting moths left and right with an oven mitt while they were dancing on my face.

They are uncontrollable. What we kill today will just come back tomorrow! 

Here's to a mothy Spring!

Easter in the Springs!

We celebrated Easter this year at our house in Colorado with Duke & Ella and our friends Brittany & Josh. We cooked all my favorite foods, combining Thanksgiving and Easter. The meal included ham, potato salad, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls (made by Taylor), and deviled eggs (made by Brittany).

Everything was amazing and we moved the dinner table outside since the weather was so perfect! After dinner a few other friends came over and joined us for some Easter Corn Hole.

We are getting the hang of this Holiday business but sure do miss our friends and families!

  

Ham for days!

The meal.

Apparently making rolls pooped them out..

Happy April, Happy Spring!

It is finally time for some warm weather, barbequing, enjoying awesome company, and of course corn hole!

Taylor definitely surprised and impressed me by making these home made corn hole boards.  If you don't know how to play (that's a shame) here is my poor explanation:

• 2 teams, 2 boards with a hole, 4 bean bags per team.

• Let's say team red throws first (because that is the team I am always on). I throw one bag onto the board, followed by team blue that throws onto the board. We alternate throwing till our 4 bags have all been tossed.

                           - On the board = 1 point
                           - Leaner (leaning over the hole) = 2 points
                           - In the hole  = 3 points

•  Play to 21.

Below is the board and I will begin painting them next weekend.

Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, and Deviled Eggs all made by our wonderful friends!

Taylor's handy work. Yes, that is a pig in the background.