4th of July Weekend

On Friday (July 3rd) we went down to Denver with Dad and ran in Erica’s Ward 4th of July 5k. This was our second 5k and it was defiantly challenging (full of hills) but it was such a great accomplishment. We were both very proud of ourselves and were rewarded with a pancake breakfast- yum!















For the Fourth of July we did the typical all American thing- we BBQ’d! We went to a breakfast BBQ in Lyons (with my parents ward) and then went to a Lunch BBQ/Potluck with our ward in Louisville. It was really fun and we got to play volleyball and enjoy being outside with friends. Then in the evening we went to some friends, Eric and Jamie, and they BBQ’s salmon and chicken for dinner- yum! I made a trifle for dessert (its red white and blue).














We played games and then went to see the fireworks at the Louisville Golf Course. It was so beautiful and the fireworks were shot off right above us.

MOTAB at Redrocks

On June 29th Ben and I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert located at Redrocks, CO. Redrocks is an entirely outdoor amphitheater with built in acoustics (made of sandstone rocks). It was both Ben and my first time being at Redrocks and it was so beautiful.
The concert was amazing. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is said to be “America’s Choir’ and that is justly so. They sang some amazing songs from around the world and some great patriotic American songs. We were sitting in the very back and so it wasn’t very loud- but it was still very good. The choreography and professionalism was astounding. This was the last concert of the Choir’s tour and so there was an extra surprise, President Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) was there!
It was a wonderful night with great uplifting music, beautiful scenery and wonderful company!

Father's Day LUAU!!!

For Father’s Day we had a big family LUAU!! We decorated the deck, dressed up in Hawaiian gear, played luau games (parrot scavenger hunt), did the hula and had Hawaiian haystacks for dinner. It was hilarious to watch the Dad’s/Brother’s all doing the hula. It was so much fun!

NEWSON FAMILY REUNION

The past week we have been having a Newson Family Reunion here in Colorado. It has been so fun to have the whole family here (24 people in one house) and to spend time with all the nieces and nephews. Ben and I had to work during the days but each evening we did something fun and got to spend quality time with everyone! It was such a blast and we really got to know everyone better!! We love family!





















More pictures to come

Colorado Star Ball

This last weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Colorado Star Ball, a national Ballroom dance competition held in Westminster Colorado. I was a runner (I took the scores from the judges to the computer person who tallied the results), I helped with trophies/ awards and I also helped with odds and ends (setting up chairs, passing out ‘bling’, ect). What was the most amazing is that I got to spend two days watching people dance and it was amazing. Friday was a latin/rhythm filled night- with more scantily clad costumes but amazing moves, dips and spins. Saturday was a romantically elegant day filled with tuxedos and ball gowns doing the standard/smooth dances. It was so amazing to watch the theatrical dancing, see the bedazzled costumes and hear the eclectic music. It made me realize why I love dancing!


Watch videos of Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis (World Latin Dance Champions) at http://coloradostarball.com/

Day in Denver with the Stones

Last weekend we got to go up to Denver to see Mylie, Andrew, Mat, Andi and Baby Wyatt. It was so fun to see all of them and to play in the swimming pool. While in the pool the kids perfected their flips. Mylie was flipping so high and Andrew would do fast back spins. In the evening we had hamburgers (so juicey- the best I’ve had in a LONG time), broccoli salad, jell-o salad, onion rings, french fries, soda, cookies (Andi’s amazing) and ice cream- I am just salivating thinking about it and we played games through the night.
It is always fun going down and playing with the “Denver Stones!”

Brea's New Internship at RMA

So I am at work and am supposed to be working, but I am falling asleep (literally my head bobbed)- so I need to do SOMETHING that will wake me up. So I thought I would write a little about my new job and hopefully this is less boring that what I am actually doing and will give me a 15 minute rejuvenation in my day!

I am doing my final pending internship at Tri-County Health Department (located in Commerce City, CO) working in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Department as a Water Sampler. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) was created in 1942 by the United States Army as a location to manufacture chemical warfare agents for World War II and again in the Cold War. Between the wars some of the plants and buildings were sold to Shell, a company that produces pesticides and other chemicals. The demolition of chemical waste and creation of harmful chemicals and pesticides on this land was continued through the 1980’s until in 1987 the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was put in the National Priorities List, a list of hazardous waste sites eligible for long-term remedial action, financed by the federal superfund program (aka taxes). At this time remediations were started to turn this hazardous waste dump into a National Wildlife Refuge (where Bald Eagles are now living).

The RMA was situated over many huge underground plumes (like underground lakes), which were the source of water for neighboring residential areas. The Tri-County Health Department was invited to aid in this cleanup to provide private well sampling and determine exposure pathways and the exposure levels of chemicals in the water. Since the project began the harmful chemical exposure radius has decreased from the original 27 miles to about 5.6 miles.

I go out and do the field sampling (collect the water samples from private wells) and then do the lab work to test for hardness, conductivity, nitrate levels, and fluoride. Then we send samples out to be tested for DIMP. I also do lot of paperwork, filing, reporting and charting on maps and things.

So hopefully this will help you understand what I do! I am a little more awake now, hopefully you aren't asleep!

31st Memorial Day Bolder Boulder

The Bolder Boulder is the largest 10 K in the United States and the second largest road race in the United States with over 54,000 participants and over 80,000-100,000 participants and spectators. The race weaves up and down steep hills throughout Boulder, CO (an ideal racing town at a high elevation) and finishes in the CU Stadium. It is really cool to sit in the stadium and watch all of the people run in and over the finish line. Right outside the stadium is an expo with booths of free stuff (t-shirts, food, water bottles, ect) and it is bustling with music and all sorts of different people.

All of the pedestrian runners have to be done by 11:00 am and then they start the international professional races. These runners were so amazing to watch. The fastest male did 6 miles in about 27 minutes. After the professional racers get in there is a sky dive by the Mile-Hi Sky Diving Team, each carrying a flag from a branch of the U.S. military as well as the United States Flag, A 21-gun salute and presentation of the Colors, the National Anthem is sung and there is a formation flyover by military jets.

The entire race is emotional because you get to see people struggle and reach their goals. You see parents pushing their children forward. You see elderly beat their age and bodies limitations. You see people beat weight, sickness, fatigue and doubt. It is awe- inspiring to see the dedication and commitment on the runners faces.

The final portion of the program when they dedicate time to the service of the military and the memory of the country, it brings the dedication and commitment we saw on the faces of the runners into a new perspective and shows the dedication and commitment that others had for our country. It was an amazing moment that felt like time stood still.

The flyover of the military jets ended the program and as the last jet flew over the rain began to poor. It was also a slightly awe-inspiring thing that the rain waited for us to have that moment. It was a great morning; we got to see Erica run in (I am so proud of her) and got to see other people we know complete their goals. I feel almost silly to be so emotionally attached to those moments I had this morning but they helped me remember that I am proud to be an American!

Godfather to a Gibson

We got to go up to Loveland to visit our friend Amy and her new baby, Kate Fay! Amy had Kate while Danny is on deployment in Iraq for the Marines. They had an inspirational story that was in the newspaper and even on national TV. It was so wonderful to see Amy (she is a great mother and has always been such an example to us) and to get to talk and catch up. Kate is so small and looks like her Dad (but we all think that’s because of her hair).

Ben immediately fell in love with Kate and decided that even though he is not Catholic he is going to be her godfather. (He said it was a "Father Agreement".) Amy told him that means he has to pay for all her schooling, wedding and monthly installments! Ben agreed and said he would pay for anything… he is so smitten he is already passin’ out the cash!

Sod, Sweat and Tears

We are finally beginning to reconstruct the backyard. This past week we prepared the main backyard for sod; tilled the ground, spread compost and clay buster over the entire thing and then tilled it in. We also started arranging and laying brick, weeding the flower beds, getting the flower gardens ready and planting the flower pots. Then on Friday and Saturday we laid 4 flats of sod. It was a tiring week but it looks great and the yard is starting to look more normal. It is great to see the fruits, or fields, of our labors!

Physical Experience Unlike Any Other!

I have been watching the old tv show "Roswell" on the computer. It is all about meeting Aliens and having paranormal physical experiences. Last night I definatly has a physical experience but it wasn't exactly paranormal, it was more Lepidoptera... let me explain.

Last night I had to go and put some stuff onto the porch, as I was coming in a moth flew into my face and I started batting it around with my hands, trying to get it to leave. As it flew and I batted, it changed courses and dive bombed down and into my t-shirt. It not only made it into my t-shirt but continued until it made it into my BRA, against bare skin (yes, it defeated multiple layers to get there). Then it continued to flutter and fly to any space it could move- groping and molesting my feminine beauty. I was screaming and dancing around the kitchen while trying to rip of my bra without flashing everything to my entire family. Finally, the fluttering stopped and the moth was gone…or so it seemed.

Discussed and ashamed that I was just sexually abused by a bug I started getting ready for bed. Halfway through brushing my teeth the fluttering again began from within my shirt- yes the moth was still there. It has not left but had just sat there in my shirt, on my skin for over 5 minutes- EWWWW! At this point I screamed and ripped of every layer I could to release the fluttering beast into the bathroom. I definatly has a physical experience, I felt like my body had been abused in a way unlike ever before- by a winged larva laying maggot!

5k- The 'Gift of Life and Breath'

This morning we went down to Denver and ran the ‘Gift of Life and Breath' 5k race. It is a race to raise awareness and get donations for non-tobacco related lung cancer. The race was throughout the Colorado University Medical School Denver Campus and it was beautiful.

Ben and I have not been exercising since we came home from school (and probably before) and so it was a lofty goal for us both but we decided to do it. Ben ran with my Dad most of the time and ended up running the race in about 27 minutes. We are really proud of him. I ran/walked the race with my 5 year old niece, Mylie and we did it in 47 minutes. We are so proud of her for doing such a long race. Other members of my family ran it also, like my older sister Erica, my brother Mat and his son Andrew (7) ran together, and my mom and sister in law (who is 9 ½ months pregnant) also did it. It was really fun to all do something together and be able to accomplish something. I am proud of what we did and it feels good to do something healthy and of such great worth!

Casa Bonita

On Saturday we went to CASA BONITA in Denver, to ‘taste the magic of Mexico.’ For everyone who hasn’t been to this entertaining adventure you are missing out. Casa Bonita is a mixture of indoor waterfalls and caves sporting cliff divers, cowboy shootouts, gorilla masquerades, pirate attacks and much more. There are magician magic shows, puppet shows, piñata parties, arcade rooms, mariachi bands, and even a haunted dragon cave. And to top it off there is mediocre lunch room food and endless all you can eat homemade sopaipillas with honey. It is hours of over stimulation and overindulgent eating topped with sticky honey. It is perfection to a child, humorous to a teenager and entertaining to an adult- fun for every age!!

Leach Field Update

Our septic tank is in (yay for minimal sewage) and we are now working on getting the septic/leach field (overflow) put in and working. This is causing a lot of stress and grunting at the Newson household because this is the project that required ripping out the garden and trees, moving tons of dirt and bringing in an equal amount of sand, and turning our once beautiful peaceful yard into a construction site.

The leach field is roughly a 100x30 feet wide, 3 feet deep field (the neighbors have started to call- asking if we were putting in a pool) comprised of intricate layering systems to filter out the overflow waist fluid, clean it and distribute it back into the natural ground water (yum). Currently they have moved the dirt/mud out of the field and made various mounds throughout the yard and have filled the field with truck loads of sand (we have a dinosaur sized sandbox in the back yard). Right now the work is up to the construction guys and so we are just sitting watching them demolish the back yard, feeling kind of useless. But hopefully next week they will be done and we will get to start putting things back together!