Denver Airport and the Razzle Dazzle 2012

We both came home from work Thursday night and saw a huge tent set up in the park across the street from out house. When I say big tent I mean BIG tent. It was white with spire/points and so it looked like a mini Denver Airport. We were curious about what it was so we went and checked it out. It was empty inside except for a stage- so I got up on the stage sang like I was an opera star and did a little jig. (Ben was slightly embarrassed, because I was acting this way in a public park.)

The next day a sound crew came and hooked up music equipment, speakers and instruments. There was a 'band' practice with a girl singing songs from 'Wicked' but it wasn't super good- so hopefully the performance was better than the rehearsal.  An event planning company came and set up tables, chairs and some lights but we still did not know what this was for. A wedding? A prom? 

Yesterday, Saturday the inside of the tent got decorated; table cloths, formal place settings, crazy decorations from the ceiling and acrobatic equipment.  In the evening we started seeing catering companies, waiters, musicians and 'performers' show up. There were people on stilts, rubbery bendy girls and a group of acrobats (hanging from ropes and doing flips). We finally were too curious and asked a kid who worked there and he said it was a fund raiser. 

So I googled it and this is what I found. The annual Razzle Dazzle is the major fundraiser event for 'Impact on Education', to raise as much as half of the needs for the students & teachers in the Boulder Valley School District. They were selling tickets for $150 apiece.  "This year's event will find you stepping inside the circus tent filled with magic, enchanting entertainment, drinks, & food. Meander through a garden of silent auction items, the proceeds to benefit Boulder Valley students."

Awesome Marriage Moment

The other night while we were laying in bed trying to fall asleep we heard a beeping/humming sound. It was really strange and was not stopping so I got up to investigate. I walked towards the side of our room (where the sound was coming) and leaned in to see if I could figure it down. I even took some pictures off the wall and thought it was coming through the wall. This whole time Ben is just watching me. Finally I turn to Ben and, like any wife, said "Ben I am freaked, Fix it." He moaned, got out of bed, walked over to the wall and hit it, hard. And the sound stopped. We still do not know what it was but through the simple 'fix' from a tired man just punching the wall, it is gone.

DUTCH OVEN PARTY

Ricky and Deanna just got a new dutch oven so they threw a dutch oven party. We all met at the Cherry Creek State Park (in Denver, I didn't even know it existed) to make different dutch oven dishes.  There is a fire ban right now, so instead of any open fire, we just started coals and did a complete dutch oven dinner. We had fruit salad, macaroni salad and jello to go with our dutch oven rolls, beans and sweet and sour chicken. We then had two dutch oven cakes for dessert (cherry chocolate cobbler and a devils chocolate/fudge cake).  The kids even made smores in tinfoil on the coals

  

It was a beautiful day when we got there and then the weather got a little gloomy and windy. The kids were cold so they spent most of the time in Nana and Grandpa's car watching a movie. When they did venture out into the cold they played by the lake, played bochi ball and ate the delicious food. The adults all battled the cold and had a fun time talking and spending some quality family time together. 

Because we are all participating in the 'Strength of Stones' competition, the meal was healthy (except for the delicious desserts) and we all were good and watching what we ate. It is great to have everyone working towards the same goal, it makes staying healthy a little easier.

BEN'S TRIPS

Ben has had quite a few road trips lately; one for Business, one for Family, and one for Fun.

 He went to Vegas for a business seminar for Channel Advisor (a company he works closely with).  This was two days of lectures and speakers about the online advertising market. Ben was invited to have a formal sit down dinner with the CEO's and high-ups of the other companies. He said they ate at a very fancy restaurant and had a 6 course meal (which he said was probably around $300/person).  It was a very informative trip (with little sleep) but he said it was fun. Ben is planning another business trip next week to Boston.

Ben's cousin, Daniel Nichols, got married Sat April 28th in Utah. Ben drove out Friday with his parents for the wedding. They got to stay with Jer and Heidi and their family and go to church with them Sunday. Then they came home on Monday- it was a whirl wind trip but he is really glad they went to be supportive. 

Danny Gibson got transferred (for the Marines) from California to North Carolina for some special training. He had to drive one of his car's out there and find a place for his family to live. On his way through Colorado he picked up Ben to keep him company on the road. They had a fun time together doing 'guy' things. One of the best parts of the trip was the BBQ. Everywhere they stopped they tried the BBQ; they even spent (waited) an hour in Kansas City looking for a 'real' bbq place (aka a whole in the wall where only locals go). As always, Ben loved hanging out with Danny and really enjoyed just having a relaxing trip.

Oklahoma

Ben and I have been using our old bishop, Gary Hansen, as our financial advisor. We love having a final perspective on our lives that we trust and know as being honest. Gary had a party for all of his clients at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown (near Loveland), CO.  The night that we went they were performing Oklahoma and it was fantastic. The Playhouse is new and it is beautiful and spacious and the set, talent and music were all superb. We loved it and will definitely be going back.

Patio Furniture

So a year ago, when we moved into our house, I bought two chairs for $5 (total) at a thrift store. My plan was to paint them, recover them and use them for patio furniture but...I never did it. So finally I hunkered down and finished the project. I think they look pretty good (I lost a screw for one so it is a little shaky- I should probably have Ben look at that).  Now that I have the chairs I am contemplating other things I can do to make our front 'porch' more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. Flower Pots? Pink Flamingo? Brass Statue of a Bear? We will see...

(So I don't have a picture of the finished chair's in front of the house- I will get those).

 

Easter Basket Exchange

For Easter I participated in an Easter Basket Exchange. I filled out a questionnaire and sent it to the host, she then sent me the questionnaire of another girl/participant.  I had to use the information about my girl and get her an Easter Basket (under $30).  This did not actually have to be a basket (because you had to mail it, it was just a box) but you filled it with things that that girls likes. Then you send it in the mail so it gets to the girl in time. 

It was fun doing this and being the 'Easter Bunny' for another woman who probably is busy doing Easter for other's and has forgotten about herself.  I got a great Easter Basket with so many fun things. I loved it and hope to be able to continue with this fun tradition.

Also on the note of Easter- we decided to have a fancy breakfast for Easter and so we make crepes. It was our first time ever making crepes on our own and they turned out great. We had a wonderful Easter.

'Peep Show' Party

For Easter our friends, the Larsen's, planned a 'Peep Show' Party,  when everyone makes a diorama featuring peeps (the gross marshmallowy bunnies, only found at Easter). We all met at a park and had a potluck but the weather got cold so everyone moved over to our house for the 'event.' Each couple had  an hour to make their diorama and there was a plethora or craft supplies and peeps to use. The diorama was supposed to be a memorable moment from 2011 but really it was just creativity that mattered.

Ben and I thought it would be cool to do a diorama about 'Hanging with our Peeps' and showing a party (like the one we were at) with all our friends. We decided to make one peep representing each person and have quotes/objects so it was obvious who was who. We were not really concerned about making it beautiful we just wanted it clever (everyone else wanted theirs beautiful- so we lost points on that one). 

There were a lot of great diorama's: "Peep" punzel (from Tangled), The 'Peep' Games (modeled after the Hunger Games), Apocalyptic Peeps (this one was not based on 2011), The Avengers 'Coming to kick your peeping peeps!', 'Peep'ing over the Royal Gorge (based on their trip the past summer) and Peeps are 'Better Off Dead' (based on the movie Better Off Dead).

It was a lot of fun and cool to see everyone's creativity.

Ben's New Position

Ben started 'officially' working at Crocs in April of 2011 (he started as an intern in Oct. 2010). As the year went by there were a lot of changes in the structure of crocs (they made an America's team and an Internation Team) and there have been a lot of people moving to different job opportunities and in turn a lot of people getting hired on.  Ben got a new boss in the fall of 2011 and has been trying to get to know her better and understand her expectations.  He has been really worried that he did not understand as well as he should and that she was disappointed in his work. 

Well his fears were put to rest at the beginning of this year when he got a promotion. Ben is now the Web Analytics Manager for the America's team. There is a steep learning curve because of his new responsibilities but he is really excited.  He has done a really great job so far and his boss seems really happy with him. 

Yay for Ben!

St Patrick's Day Birthday's

Monday, March 19, 2012

 I love getting together with my family- we have LOTS of excuses with so many of us because there is a birthday every month. Yesterday (March 18) we got together to celebrate Evelyn and Cousin Sean's birthdays (both where on St Patrick's Day).  There was lots of St Patty's food, green food, rainbow food and pot's of gold (candy). The kids did a leprechaun scavenger hunt and found of pot of GOLDfish. We played games, talked and had so much fun together. 

In this picture is Wyatt, Devynn, Evelyn and Clayton

 

Before the scavenger hunt: Alice, Tre, Evelyn, Mylie, Devynn, Andrew, Wyatt, Braydon, Clayton