Monster Jaaaams!!

Last weekend my friend Mike and I wanted to hang out, but we didn't have anything to do. Until Mike looked up the Pepsi Center and found out that the Monster Jams truck rally was in town!! lol Now, i've never been one to do much redneck stuff, but I was not about to pass up such an opportunity. We assumed we could buy tickets at the show, but when we got there it was SOLD OUT! lol We ended up buying shady tickets from a guy on the street that miraculously got us in. We had the sweetest seats ever! Like 8 rows up and it was the most fun night ever! Here are some of the pics... including the most ridiculously sweet mullet i've ever seen, and one decked out redneck Monster Mutt fan! ;) 

El Toro Loco rampin the cars

Major Monster Mutt Fan - wow.

Hands down, sweetest mullet on earth. 3 haircuts in 1. 

The set up

Donkey Kong and Monster Mutt racing

Mike and I - not the best pic of me, but the only one of us that night. 

For kicks

I feel like writing something today, but i don't know what...

So to start out -im going to put a clip up of some of my fav musicians, -10 out of Tenn-  who are coming to CO in April. Its a few artists from Tennessee traveling together and singing each others songs. I want to be a part of their group... if only i knew how to play an instrument or sing....*dreams*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1kwy-7z6VY

Tyler James - my dream man.

I feel like i have so many little things flying around in my head, sending butterflies into my stomach, and scattering my thoughts out like a kaleidascope - just fragments of emotions and frustrations and interests and dreams and goals. And yet, i feel so... helpless with them all. 

Im told if you write down your goals, they'll be more likely to happen.

But i can't tell you how many journals are filled with pages of goals and dreams and lists of pros and cons. And at the end of everyday i wonder what im doing with my life... 

Yea, i am loving being here in Colorado, and getting to wake up late and not have a job to really go to.  I love this "gap" year, and for the rest of my life, i won't regret taking it... but what really gets under my skin is that i can't FULLY enjoy it, because im so worried about what im going to do next. .. about wasting time, and about not being fully independent. It bothers me. 

Mostly, im bothered that my decisions don't make me fully happy. I want independence, but im sad because im alone. 

I want to take a year off, but im worried about wasting time.

I want to do something different, move states, but i've been here for 5 months and am still "nannying", with no prospects of a "real" job. 

I don't know if i should stay or move and if i move, will i be happy? and will i be able to live on my own, or will i be stuck living in the room down the hall from my parents? (love the rents, but im getting a little old for that... if you know what i mean..)

I don't aspire to be some great scientist or doctor or a nobel peace prize winner. I just want peace in my own heart, with my own life. And most of all, i want to share it with someone. I realized that being alone is lonely. Sounds obvious, right? Well, its a whole nother reality when you actually live it and find out. But not to put a damper on things - cause a lot of me IS happy. I just feel like my life is in fragments right now, and im just ready for a piece or two to link up and give me some direction and motivation. 

Its not that i expect all of life to come together in perfect unison and for all the stars to align and my life be complete. Thats something I will always be striving for, and what makes life interesting. I would be bored if it was all together. But im just asking God for ONE or TWO things to work out in a certain direction. 

Anywho - enough of the pity party - its upward and onward!! And lots of good music to listen to while i continue my quest!! 

Peace 

Its Cold walk to Hells Hole

So this is the hike Ryan and I decided to do last weekend! He found it and read that it was a good "snowshoeing trail". But instead of renting showshoes like normal people, we trecked it out in just plain ol un-waterproofed hiking shoes! haha- we are dumb. It was so cold i was frozen almost the whole time - all 10 toes were at one point, i am sure, on the verge of frostbite. I couldn't feel any of them. We were above our knees in snow towards the top and i didn't get any pics of that because i was too concerned about surviving. haha - but here are some pics of just how beautiful it was! The carvings on the trees lined the trail for most of the way and were the sweetest things. 

I love that this sign says: Mandatory: Shovel, Axe and Bucket. ??? like anyone could hike with that?! 

Just a glimpse of the beauty of hiking in the snowy woods

There were definitely bullet holes in this sign. Kinda weird. haha

We ended up stopping here and turning around after 2 1/2 hours of uphill hiking. I was exhausted and frozen solid! But it was worth the view!

We had to ice skate part of the trail! haha

Man, i love Colorado. But i am missing my family. Love you guys!

toodles

*Nik

lame

So, im not a fan of my blog. I keep trying to convince myself to keep it, but my life is so lame from day to day that I really haven't gotten that much to write about. I remember the days of xanga and how much i wrote on that thing - man, i was a bloggin' fool! haha - now, i feel like a lone ranger in a world full of babies and photography gurus. 

I will keep it, cause like i told my dear (ex) co-worker, the day i deleted that xanga a wave of regret hit me so hard, i felt like i had just thrown away 3 years worth of journals! So no matter how lame it is right now, im hoping for more to start going on in my life - and i think either way, one day i'll look back and laugh at these random entries. :) besides - its a good way to share a little bit of me with you  - even if it is rare and sometimes slightly boring! haha

As for today - Im going to go walk around the mall with Topher and Ryan. Woooo

Oh and im on the last Twilight book - (finally) and i can't even begin to express to you how much i hate this series! lol Loved the first book and kinda liked the second, the third got a little old and now the fourth is just twisted and dragging on for eternity! I think Bella Swan is so dumb. She should have been with Jacob to start with. Just a little thought of mine. As soon as this series ends, im not sure i'll ever start something i dont want to finish again (as far as books are concerned). haha

miss and love

Skiing, Concerts and Oh, so much snow!!

This is our little fox that would visit us in Crested Butte - just so beautiful!

This is the view from our Crested Butte condo - looks fake, its so beautiful!

This is the "Wildflower"  - where we stayed in Breckenridge. I took this pic from the other side of the street - but it looks like an add. haha

Think its time to post something else.. .

I kinda lost touch with the whole blogging thing.. but I thought I might as well just make it into a journal of things i'm doing, or want to do - more for myself than anyone. Just so I can look back and read it later. 

I can't believe I will have been here for 5 months on January 25th!! Thats longer than any trip - including study abroad, that i've ever been on! I can't deny that i've had my moments when I've been ready to pack it up and come back home - but, I really do love this place. How can you not look out at the mountains and be thankful? But what I love most - is the environmental friendliness of this place! I've never seen so many trails anywhere - right outside my door! And everyone wants to be organic and exercise outside and recycle and drive hybrid cars and there is no limit to their cause. I love it! Only negative: My family is much, MUCH to far away. I miss them so much!

Anywho - I went to a concert last night in Boulder and it was awesome! Katie Herzig and Griffin House played at the b.side lounge and they were excellent! I even stood next to Katie's mom in line and got to talk to her for a bit - she was really down to earth. (Not sure what i expected her to be.... but still - very cool moment!) :)  

The weekend before I got to go to Crested Butte with some friends and ski. I had such a good time!! And it was possibly one of the most beautiful sites i've ever seen - overlooking the snowy mountain village! The most magical scene i've ever seen! A few weeks before that I got to tag along with some friends to Breckenridge! It was amazing - as you can see from the pic above, we stayed in the cutest loft ever - right on Main street, above a gift shop! I have been SO lucky to have great friends who stay in the coolest places ever! 

Anywho - im doing good here. If i could just get a job outside of this house - i would be doing EVEN better! :) 

Love and miss you all - ALL! xoxoxo

TAYLOR ELIZABETH STROUD!

Any minute now our new niece, Taylor Elizabeth Stroud will be born and she couldn't be any more on time!! Today was her original due date and Jan's water broke at 1:30 AM!! We have been here since about 3:30 AM in the waiting room at the hospital. Mom is excited and keeps going back to check - we've been joking that she is going to hide under Jan's hospital bed just so she can be in the room when Taylor has her first cry!! LOL The news is that any minute now Jan will be giving birth to our new baby girl!! We couldn't be happier! Especially ME - i am supposed to fly out at 3:40 this afternoon, to go back to Colorado, and i thought i was going to miss the birth completely!! As i started to fall asleep last night i was praying to the Lord that Jan would have Taylor - and God is good - Mom came in my room at 2:15 to tell me it was GO time! :) Getting to hold Taylor in my arms before i leave is worth more than any sleep i could have gotten or shower i need to take! ;) Im already looking forward to coming home for Christmas!!

Too bad Uncle Colin is in Arkadelphia preaching at our church and we had to leave him to come up here. We wish he was here with us - as do we wish every one of our south african (and Tennessee) cuzzies were here as well!

SOON and VERY soon!! Praise the Lord!!

*Nik

Im coming HOME! in 3 days and i can't wait to....

Hug and kiss my family!
Hold Karoline!!
Rub Jans tummy (TAYLOR!!)
Meet my newest Niece!! (fingers crossed and prayers answered!)
Pick up Dad from the airport
Spend QT with each one of my sisters and parents and bro in laws and niece(s!)
Throw a babyshower for Brittany Weeks
Hang with Maggie
Shadow Dr. Hankins
Get my hair cut
Eat THANKSGIVING at Barri and Justins house!!
Go walking with Bitty!
Have a game night
Play Nertz
Count my blessings
Make future plans... ;)

hope i can fit it all in!! lol

I can't wait to love on my family!! - in just 3 days!! xoxoxox

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!