Scheming, Plotting and So Much More…

I realized Will and I don’t have any recent pictures together so you are getting a picture of the guy I fell in love with.

Will and I hit 9 years of marriage today.  We had a wonderful anniversary in Denver to celebrate.  The story is quite comical so if you feel obliged, feel free to step into the comical world of me.

Will informed me that my parents were going to watch the kids and he had planned a fun date.  I was expecting a show and dinner or something to that effect.  In the car, headed for downtown Denver, Will announces that we are going to walk around the 16th street mall(He seemed VERY excited about this).  I got a little huffy. A slight chastising of Will and his planning ensued(For the record: I have since, apologized profusely).    I believe my words rang to the effect of, “We have got to start delegating anniversaries for planning, because this just isn’t cutting it.”  We get downtown and Will tries to park in some hotel’s parking garage.  I tell him that the parking meter is open across the street and it will be a lot cheaper, but I let it go thinking that this might be the only place he felt comfortable with in his planning.  We park and he is asking about validation and what I think is blah, blah, blah, so I go sit by the fire waiting for it all to be over.  At this point, you might be savvy to his plotting, but I was oblivious.  He tells me the inside elevator of the hotel takes us shopping, which I think he is crazy, but I follow.  Then he punches the top floor saying he wants to see if there is a restaurant or at least a view.  I tell him there is NO restaurant on top of The Magnolia and they aren’t going to waste the awesome view on the halls, but he ignores me, stepping out into the hall.  He then replies, “What about the view from in here?”  Then he swipes a card for one of the suites and I about jump out of my skin.  The first words out of my are, “Does my mother know about this?!” You would think I was 16 at this point, right?  Aside: I know that was a completely embarrassing comment, but that is just what came out.  I retrospect, I hear myself commenting, boy was I a brat!

My parents had indeed schemed with Will so we could get away.  He patiently endured me.  There isn’t a better guy than that!  We all know life is about enduring to the end.  Rarely, do we think it is enduring another person, but he does it so well.  Regardless, the view was breathtaking and the fire inside was cozy.  After checking in, we went down and out on the town for a night filled with little stops that laced so nicely together making such a beautiful memory.  We wandered the 16th street mall in LoDo.  We got chocolates and steamed milk.  We listened to the street performers.  Pianos placed up and down the street have become an artist’s canvas both on the pianos themselves as well as the music that resonates from them.   We did some fun shopping and even ended up at a wonderful bookstore.  We read in the library of the hotel while enjoying their nightly milk and cookies.  We even managed to squeeze in some games of pool.  I love Will and I know just how lucky I am to have him.  He is so patient, thoughtful and kind.  I consider myself, one lucky gal.  Happy Anniversary Will!

The Gingerbread Village

It took a village this year to make our tummies happy.  Now that the kids are getting older, they aren’t satisfied teaming up for competitions anymore.  This year we featured a house, a bakery, a chalet, a toy shop, and a gabled house. If I do say so myself, the kids managed to hold their own.

Once There Was A Snowman…

I think Annie was more impeding our efforts at the start.

She warmed up to him in the end…He never had the chance to melt though.  Annie reduced him to the mound of snow he started as, as we headed in the door for dinner.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Grandma and Grandpa put in a call to the North Pole and we got 2 visitors Christmas Eve.  Apparently, Grandpa met Santa in his travels through Alaska during some military training.  The kids cleared off the naughty list just in time too.  Santa did return late after the children were tucked all snug in their beds to fill stockings and deliver presents.

Sledding Your Life Away…

Colorado must have known we were coming.  It dumped a foot of snow just a few days after we got here.  Those hills’ beckon call had us scrambling for snowsuits, gloves and mittens.  I find it hard to resist the sledding hills when the hills have such a thick layer of powder.

I’m not one for dumping tons of photos on the blog, but I couldn’t resist this time.

Everyone wanted to send Gracie down on her own, but I refused.  Considering her white snow outfit, I was sure we would lose her after the inevitable topple at the bottom.

My favorite comment of the day goes to Hudson as Annie was climbing on the sled with him.  ”You don’t need to be scared Annie.  Don’t worry, I’ve got you!”