That Ain't Cornbread, Sister!

Discalimer: this whole post is upside down and backwards.. i apologize... i'll fix it later. But for now, i have to go clean up 10lbs of moon-sand from the kitchen table. I am so OCD sometimes, it makes me a nervous wreck to have all that mess just out and about. haha

Say Hi to the Incredible Hulk!

Once upon a time i used to be able to cook... apparently that talent has left me lately.... and im left with things that look like this...

Thats no cornbread, sister. those are chocolate chip muffins... 

Its the inside that counts, ok!? ;) The Incredible Hulk, i mean, Topher, liked them! 

5:30 am

So Kaci and I started working out together today at 5:30 am - I can't lie, it was hard to get out of bed, since it was like 45 degrees this morning and i was still sore from power pump on saturday.But its nice to get it out of the way so early! 

Anywho - All of the above is just crazy. But here's to losing the weight! :) holla

There are days i wake to peace i can't explain..

Lately i've been listening to an extra lot of Tyler James music. haha (surprising, i know!) But this song, "Go Down To The Garden" says it all for me right now (give or take a few parts of the song).  My life has changed a lot lately, in little and big ways - and its only going to continue to change - - and though it may seem like too much to take in at times... especially when i realize my family is not with me... there is still this peace that wakes me up each morning, and carries me gently through my days. I've dreamed of moving to somewhere, anywhere -for years - and somehow God allowed this move to work out after trying so many different times. He must have something for me here - and though i've left behind family and friends and the comforts of 'home' - it remains that i have a purpose here - what it is, i have yet to find out. But i sense it. I anticipate it!  But the one thing that keeps me going is the constant reminder that my love for my family and my friends only continues to grow from far away. In fact, it feels deeper, more necessary, more deliberate. Even if this journey im on only exists to increase my love, i am happy to be on it. Even when i can't see your face, you're in my heart.  - and my your voice is sweeter to me than ever. So called, "hard times" don't mean 'bad times'... I think it means growth - in life and in love and in character. So im taking these times, and im loving them - each one - whether they are weird, or "hard" or "crazy", or just wonderfully amazing - and im living them out with all my heart! "wheresoever you go, ... go with all your heart."... and my heart is full - with love for each of you... 

There are days I wake to peace I can't explain that comes and carries me

And the plans I made when I was young have only left me

Distracted from all the many things I'd never change

It's no use trying to rearrange what's come and gone

Go down to the garden and see the things we've planted

Up from all that's withered, though often took for granted,

Grows flowers we've not planted... reminding me

In a photograph, there's a quiet country house with windows facing west

And I'm standing with a girl that's come to walk beside me

And when the leaves fall gently down upon her golden hair

I'll take her to the alter stairs and say, "I'm yours"

Go down to the garden and see the things we've planted

Up from all that's withered, though often took for granted

Grows flowers we've not planted... reminding me

our love will grow

our love will grow

Mt. Bierstadt

OK - so i realized i didn't say anything about these pictures! This was my fist 14er to climb (google 14ers) after being in Colorado for one week! It took us 6.5 hours to climb and it is one of the "easier" one's. There are about 54- 14ers in Colorado!!  They are called 14ers because they are 14000 ft above sea level. Some people get really bad altitude sickness climbing them, but surprisingly, i didnt! (im a little proud -hehe)! I did have a splitting headache at the end, which i think was mostly due to coming down so fast- (ok, thats basically altitude sickness - but it didnt stop me!) :). And it went away with a few Advil and a nap. :) I wish you all could be here to see it. The picture with me pointing at the Gold circle on the rock it the summit point! They mark the summit with some sort of plaque on this one - so i had to take a pic with it! :) 

Oh i went to Boulder this past weekend - brought back lots of memories of our mission trip there in like circa 1996- knocking on doors, going to the celestial tea factory  - and oh yea, mom breaking her knees while Dayle and I screamed from the ski-lift -thinking mom had broken her neck! haha - and then there was that whole long journey home on the bottom of the OBU bus!! lol oh good times in Colorado - we are going to hope I have better luck skiing when i finally get the chance! haha well, i better go - more later! lots of love sistas!xoxo

OH - this was the song that was in my head the whole day - and mostly anytime i see anything beautiful here but don't have a camera/or my camera can't capture the beauty of the place in the pics i do take... (its of course, john mayer - one of my fav's)

I'm writing you to 

catch you up on places I've been 

You held this letter 

probably got excited, but there's nothing else inside it 

didn't have a camera by my side this time 

hoping I would see the world with both my eyes 

maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm 

in the mood to lose my way with words 

Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy's cliche' 

And strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky 

are next to mountains anyway 

Didn't have a camera by my side this time 

Hoping I would see the world with both my eyes 

Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm 

in the mood to lose my way 

but let me say 

You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes 

it brought me back to life 

You'll be with me next time I go outside 

just no more 3x5's Guess you had to be there 

Guess you had to be with me Today I finally overcame 

tryin' to fit the world inside a picture frame 

Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm in the mood to 

lose my way but let me say 

You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes 

it brought me back to life 

You'll be with me next time I go outside 

no more 3x5's

Nik

14ers Weeners

Ok - so im stoked! Tonight i went downtown with Kaci, Caleb and Topher. We had a good time- it was gorgeous because they had all the trees decked out with Christmas lights. We got some coffee and walked around and then listened to some live music on the streets. I love that scene. 

anywho - TOMORROW (aka 3.5 hours from now... yes, at 4:30 am) i am waking up with Kaci because we are going to hike a 14er! ... ok, look up 14ers.com. Basically, there are 54 mountains in Colorado that are 14,000 ft high - all different classes. Kac and I are going to do Beirstadt tomorrow. I love love love hiking and so i can't wait - but the killer is that we have summit by Noon, which means we need to be starting at 7 or 8. The weather can turn bad really quickly, so you have to be down by 1 or 2. Anyways - I can't wait - I will take pictures so you can see what im talking about. It should be really beautiful! 

Colorado is gorgeous - i still love waking up to mountains and walking out my door to a trail! There are trails everywhere here! I really need a bike. :) 

i love you guys and miss you so much! Can't wait to show you the pics tomorrow! all my love... xoxo

*Nikers

3rd Day's a Charm

So im almost on my 3rd day of Colorado living - and already i have gotten to have a picnic and hike at Pine Valley. It was beautiful! Sadly, we missed church. Caleb was supposed to play a show at some coffee shop with some friends, but it got cancelled and by the time we found out, church was over. :( next week, for sure! But a day in the mountains was well worth it. I put up a few pics from our day. There are also some hilarious pics of Christopher and Zac playing cowboy. (notice: topher's horse is actually a T-Rex .... sweet!) haha

Tomorrow is my first day to be semi-alone with Christopher! ah - im a little nervous, but it should be fun. We are going to go to the park and play, which im excited about. And thankfully, Zac is here, so that makes me feel better. anyways, i'll have to let you know how that goes! 

p.s my $10 dresser smells so much like must and cigarettes i wont put my clothes in it, and my whole room stinks! lol isn't that lovely :)

Welp, lots of love - i miss you all stax!! xoxo

*Nik

Rocky Mtn. High

So i finally made it to Colorado! There were a few glitches along the way, but you could consider them minor, seeing as how i got here alive and with my car in one piece, (almost). :) i have several pictures of the trip - leading up to it, and then when my car decided to jump off the tow dolly while we were driving! Scary! But there were only a few minor bumps and scrathes. eek!

Colorado is so nice. No humidity, and i can see the mountains right out my window... well, if i look past the interstate. haha. But seriously, its about 70 degrees- ah! The altitude is strange- i felt out of breathe walking around Target today - that was a first. haha. Oh and i did two big things today - firstly, i bought a $10 dresser from a garage sale (of course!) and then Kaci and I haggled the mattress king down from about $500 to $300 on a mattress. Im impressed! But i dont get it until tuesday. boo.  Anywho-Topher is hilarious for a 3 year old - he's got a mind of his own. and Zac is alot of fun with him. Its nice to be here, but so strange to be so far away from family. Being around Topher reminds me that i dont want to be far away from my niece(s) or sisters/parents forever. Im already looking forward to Thanksgiving/Taylor's birth!!  I love you guys so much!!  - i'll put pictures up tomorrow. Its pretty late right now, and im emotionally pooped. Not to mention i have Karoline and Britt's cold. (But im not complaining, im just glad i have a little bit of you guys with me!) haha

xoxo