A very happy easter

While it was hard to not be with our families and take part in all the usual family traditions, yesterday was a day of new beginnings for us in a way.  It was a way for us to start our own traditions with Liam and our family.  It was a way for us to enjoy a whole day off with each other.  It was a way for us to grow into our family and what we foresee for ourselves in the future.

We started the day out nice and early, 4 AM actually.  We decided we were going to go to the Easter Service at Red Rocks.  It was supposed to start at 6 AM, so we thought we had planned on getting there early enough.  We got into the line of cars to the parking lot and decided to cut out into a small lot on the side and hike the back trails to get to the amphitheatre.  It was such an amazing hike.  I Liam loaded up in the Ergo baby and we headed on our way, flashlights in hand.  The moon was still out, the deer were still out and the only sounds we heard at some points were our own feet.  It was something neither of us had experienced before, a hike lit by the moon and stars, which flashlights just in case the trails got a little tricky.  The peace, the quiet, the chance to be that at one with nature was absolutely what my soul needed that morning.  It had been a few long weeks at work, a bit of stress and with working the day before, I needed some recharging.  Our idea to be a little odd and certainly off the beaten path was a reminder how great it is to be off the beaten path and to be a little odd.  And perhaps odd isn't the right word, that perhaps has a negative connotation attached to it - let's just saw we are more adventurous, that sounds better.  We got the service and found our seat - since we were a little later, we were closer to the stage and missed out on some of the sunrise, but to be honest, it was perfect.  Liam danced to all the singing, waved to everyone around us, and of course, made many people smile.

He also decided to let us know when he was done, so instead of pushing our luck, we cut out a bit early and made our way back to our car.  Sean carried him this time, until he dozed off  and we found a family of deer again along the way.  There is something so pure and enjoyable to me to be sharing the trail with nature in such a pure way.

We headed back home to have some friends over for breakfast.  It was nice to host a little party again - of course, I feel my hostess skills were a bit rusty, but all in all, it was fun.  Liam got to see his buddy and play at his house for a change.  Pretty soon after that, Liam got a little crabby for some sleep, so it was decided we needed a family nap time.  It was nice to relax for a bit and hang out while Liam slept for a bit.  

After lunch we were ready for the next part of our day.  I had found a hike a few weeks ago that I wanted to take, but was a little nervous to take without Sean.  We went to Maxwell Falls (http://www.dayhikesneardenver.com/maxwell-falls-evergreen-colorado/) not too far from our place.  I heard it was a good 4 mile hike and doable with a baby on your back.  So, we headed out that way with Burton and Liam to get a nice hike in.  We got there and it was  much more crowded than I was used to.  Of course, I guess at this point I was hoping for the same peace and quiet that we had this morning at Red Rocks.  It was much more crowded and we weren't really able to let Burton be free, which is hard, since he is used to be free.  But we made it work.  We got to see some great views, walk along the creek and Burton explored a bit here and there.  Liam discovered that streams and creek are water, so he spent much of the walk saying "wa wa" and doing his sign for water.  It was a great hike.  Then we realized that it was getting a bit late and we hadn't make reservations for day care for Liam at Copper (we were planning to get one last day on the slopes in since they extended their season).  So, we didn't make it all the way to the falls, we turned around and headed back to the car.  Liam finally fell asleep in the back pack and got another quick power nap.  

As we got back to the car, we checked out a few things to make tomorrow happen and as it turns out, Copper is only open on weekends.  Bummer, we can't get in another day AND we cut our hike short.  Oh well, we decided it was time to go and welcome Erik and Bethany who just moved here.  We took the trip out the burbs and spent some time hanging out and going for a walk.  My poor little guy was so tired that he was getting up the stairs outside and scraped his head on the sidewalk.  But he did pass out as soon as we got home from our long and adventurous day.  Time to start planning the next adventure.  Seems like we are out of winter sports season, so it's time to get ready for our 14ers and some mountain biking!  Until then, it will be a peaceful night of sleep in the Foege house!  

My place....

...I think I'm finding my place, my home, my happiness, my peace, my soul.  I'm feeling more and more like the person I am and the person I want to be.  I am working out again, eating right and making good choices for me, which I am hoping will turn out to make good choices for my family and their habits.  I am feeling confident in decisions and thougths I am having...I am finding my place.  And it feels so great to have that place inside me coming out, I know I have so much more to give and offer and I want to keep sharing and growing and our new home will give me all those chances to do so.  I am finding my place - that's all for now - and it feels so GOOD!

A big decision

As with any part of life, big decisions come and go.  This is another one we had in front of us - do we give up on our dream mountain house and settle life in the suburbs (not that there is anything wrong with that), or do we keep looking, make a few sacrifices and find our dream house in the perfect location.  Will Liam be happier in a house with close neighbors and friends, or waking up to deer outside his window and a backyard that will be way too big for him for some time?  Will I be happier closer to things, stores, people, etc?  Will we miss out by being where we are?

Well, I guess those questions kind of give away our decision, which was to put an offer in on a house that is located on a great mountain lot, but much closer to the city than we are, cutting about 40 minutes off of my commute time each day, that means 40 more minutes I can be with Liam or Burton or Sean - NOT in a car.  It's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time.  I mean, a house, another house we will have to pay for.  Our house in IL is getting there - someone is renting to own it, which is great - he seems excited to buy it and I'm trying not to let the past situation affect how I feel about about and I'm also trying not to get too excited that it will sell and get my hopes up, trying to stay even keel.

So, the house - well, it isn't perfect, but I think we discovered that we aren't going to find the perfect house, even if we had more money right now.  The location is where we want to be, the lot is almost 2 acres of mountain side.  We can make our own mountain bike trail, which I would love to do.  We have a small shed that we will probably take down and either put up another one or a swing set.  There is a fenced area that we are thinking might be great for our new chickens and maybe ducks (The guy at the Big R told us that he eats duck eggs, makes me cringe a bit and seems weird, but then again, we decided againsst the normal so many times!) or for Burton.  There is a great patio all around with room for the hot tub.  The space inside has so much potential.  The fireplace is amazing and thinking we can use that for heat in the winter...I best brush up on my chopping of wood for that.  The rest is an open canvas - well, not really, but in our minds it is.  The house even has a lukna (which is a space under the stairs for storage, my grandparents house has one in thier basement, we always loved it as kids for some reason - the spelling on that might not be right).  Sean took time to look at the bones of the house and he was happy - so, we accepted the offer they countered back to us and we are going to get a house!  A house that will become our perfect house over time.  Of course, one bathroom is pink and the other is teal, but I like splashes of color!  

I just got really excited about this house, about the potential, about how it is just another step on our journey to live our dreams, in the mountains all while still being a part of the real world.  (But trust me, if we didn't have to work, we would be MUCH more secluded!)  Anyways, we are hoping for big things, we are looking forward to many changes coming up - meaning we are moving in about a month, argh! 

We also were able to sneak in some adventure, climbed about 500 feet on our hike to a great wall of stone for climbing - something we plan on getting very much back into.  Looks like wall on our deck could be nice for bouldering as well.  So, more adventures, more things to do to make our dreams a reality, but we are getting there...and I couldn't be happier!