30 Days of Memories: Day 29

Nebalee, Deejo, me

All girlified: Staci, Robs, me, Nebalee, Sue

Me and Robs both in dresses - it was an event!

I love my family and my girls. Love them. A year or so after Hall and I broke up, Brandy and Justin got married and I was invited to the wedding, along with Nebalee and Deejo.

Our break-up was awful and it took me years to get over it, so Brandy's wedding fell smack-dab in the middle of my mourning period. Because I love Brandy, I wouldn't have missed her wedding for anything, even if that meant seeing Hall and his fiancee for the first time since our very bad break-up.

My sibs and my girls rallied around me, knowing how difficult it was going to be and I ended up having the greatest time ever. Yes, Hall and the soon-to-be Mrs Hall were an annoyance, but we managed to avoid each other and still have a great time.

Because of my crazy work-out schedule (and probably some stress too), I had lost 24 pounds since anyone outside of my girls had seen me. Perhaps one of the best parts of the whole night was seeing the look on Hall's face when I walked in with my posse sibs and my girls. I never thought I was "girly" enough that I would derive pleasure from rubbing the fact that I was doing okay (even if it was a lie) in his face. Turns out I was wrong, I totally loved that feeling. It was so worth the "die, bitch" looks I was getting from his fiancee, who happened to be a member of the wedding party.

(Yes, Robs and I wore black to the wedding, not for any malicious reason, but because we were only going to buy ONE dress and it needed to be multi-purpose. What's more multi-purpose than a little black dress?)

30 Days of Memories: Day 28

I didn't get heavily into shooting until after Hall and I broke up. I knew how to shoot before then, but once my stalker issue was resolved, I stepped away from the shooting lifestyle and learned to enjoy the soccer lifestyle, but I always missed it.

After we broke up, I stepped right back into the shooting world and began shooting competitively at our local defensive pistol matches. Neither Staci nor Robs are shooters, but they are always up for a challenge and agreed to join me at one of my matches.

I can't believe that it's been almost twelve years since these pictures were taken. I was so tiny back then and in the best shape of my life. Besides shooting, I was playing on four soccer teams a week (three indoor teams with Staci and Robs and one outdoor team), and working out six days a week. Being in that kind of shape certainly helped with my shooting skills, and while I would definitely consider Staci and Robs novice shooters, their athletic ability really helped them out at the match as well.

This was such a fun day and I'm forever thankful for my girls who wholeheartedly support me in anything I want to do.

30 Days of Memories: Day 17

This is a picture of me and Robs at the bottom of a cliff face between Manarola and Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre. We were walking from Manarola south to Riomaggiore and found a set of stairs that looked like they didn't go anywhere, so naturally, we had to try them. They led down to the water of the Italian Riviera, which was not by any stretch of the imagination a beach. The stairs basically led to a cove-like area where we took pictures and dodged the spray from the waves.

I would love to one day return to Italy. Someone once said they couldn't trust anyone who didn't love Italy (Rick Steves, maybe?), and I have to agree. One trip, and I will forever love it.

30 Days of Memories: Day 14

Holy cow, it might take me 30 weeks to get my 30 days in, but, by God, I am going to persevere. I am, I am, I am!

Today's picture is in honor of the Avalanche's Opening Day.

One of the first years we traveled to Disney's Wild World of Sports for the National 3v3 Soccer Championships, we were wandering around the Epcot Center. The four of us stopped at a food cart and the operator asked us if we were hockey fans. Well, yeah! The Colorado Avs were in their heyday and we were all fans. The operator then told us to head over to Canada, because they had the Stanley Cup on display.

It took us about half a second to change whatever our plans were and we made a beeline to see it.  We expected to have to stand in a long line, because the year after the Avs won their first Stanley Cup, the lines were hours long to see it when they brought it home to Colorado. We were pleasantly surprised to walk right up to it.

I had just purchased a popcorn while we were at the food cart and set it very carefully on the table, so as not to dirty it. A gust of wind immediately knocked over my popcorn as soon as I sat it down. I was mortified to have sullied the sacred cup, so I quickly righted the box of popcorn and brushed all the offending pieces to the ground.

Somewhere, one of the four of us has a picture of us all kissing the cup, but this is the only picture I have. My right thumb is caressing the engraved Avs name.

I couldn't tell you much about that trip, other than we had a great time and I got to kiss the Stanley Cup! It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a memory I'll cherish forever.

30 Days of Memories: Day 10

Dinner in Steamboat during our girls' weekend. I'm still very thankful that I met them through Hall. I firmly believe people come into our lives for a reason. Part of the reason Hall came into my life was to introduce me to these phenomenal women, for which I will always be grateful.

30 Days of Memories: Day 6

Yes the glass is cracked on this one too. I'll eventually get around to replacing it.

Robs is the one who took this picture at Sovigliano, the agritourismo we rented for a couple of days. The Tuscan countryside is even more beautiful than you can imagine. I had only seen it in pictures or in movies, but neither of those do it any justice.

Getting to the Italian countryside was so good for my soul - and for Robs' too. I found her sitting quietly in the swing in the yard at dusk our first night. I took a picture of her just sitting there, enjoying the peace, but haven't even printed the picture because it seems like an intrusion.

I loved Rome and the cities we visited, but the countryside is magical.

30 Days of Memories: Day 4

Boy am I glad I never promised to do my 30 Days of Memories in 30 days! I would have blown it the first week!

When Hall and I were together, I was the only one divorced with children. I got married at 18 and had Digger at 20, so while I was in my mid-late twenties, my friends (the ones I met through Hall) were all in their early twenties. Hall and I broke up about the time all of our friends were starting to get married, but by that time, I'd claimed my girls. I got to keep them in the "divorce".

I was thrilled when Staci met her husband. In fact, Robs and I decided that we wanted to have a "Staci" relationship when we were ready to re-enter the relationship world. Holding to that thought, of being as in love with each other as Staci and her husband were (are) served me well, and I can honestly say I'm "Staci happy" with Jay.

Staci was the first of the group to have kids. This is a picture of me with her daughter when she was just a new baby. Now that beautiful baby girl is sailing the Caribbean with her mom, dad, and little brother. A few years ago, Staci and her husband sold pretty much everything they owned to buy a sailboat to live on. While I miss Staci so very much, I also love to live vicariously through their travels.

30 Days of Memories: Day 1

After three years, I've finally been able to unpack my pictures and get them put up. Jay transformed two pallets into shelves for me, and I am once again able to see the pictures that bring me such wonderful memories.

I thought I'd take the next 30 days to post about each of my pictures and the memories they stir up. I'd love for others to join me, because it's going to be a lot of fun.

This was a girls' trip to Steamboat Springs one weekend a year or so after a bad breakup. I'm thankful for the relationship, because it introduced me to all of these wonderful women who were amazing and supportive through the whole thing. It was a weekend filled with hiking, fun, and laughter and I can't think of a better girls' weekend. (Unless, of course, we're talking about my surprise trip to the Women's World Cup, but that's another story.)

I sadly don't see many of these women on a weekly basis anymore, but I'm Facebook friends with most of them so we get to keep up with each other's lives. I firmly believe that people come into our lives for a reason - they might not stay forever, but the memories made will.

It's Almost Time For Baking Weekend!

Just a few more days and my girls (minus Staci, who is living the life on her boat with her family) will be joining me for baking weekend!  We are a cookie baking factory over the weekend and I can't wait.

However, there is one thing I can guarantee I won't be baking this year and it's these puppies (or should I say cubs?).

(Reposted from 12/11/11)

My girls came!

Robs, Sue, Staci, Me :)
I love my girls.

They did lots of this...

This is Robs' double batch in a single batch bowl -
I was super impressed she managed.

And this...

Which resulted in these...

They were baking machines.
(Yes, SGG, there was alcohol involved)

I did zero cookie baking.  Zero.  I kinda felt bad about it, but I was focused on a project I've been contemplating for two years now.  I don't even know where I first saw these Snow Globe Coca-Cola Cupcakes, but ever since I saw them, I've been wondering if I could pull something like that off.


I mean, look at them...

Photo cred: Bakerella

In fact, I was pretty sure I couldn't pull them off, but I've been getting braver in the kitchen.  Last year, we had success with the bococcini.


So I gathered up my courage and hit the stores looking for what I would need: Coke in the "ornament" plastic bottles, rolled fondant, an edible pen, and a red sugar sheet. I followed the directions that I found on Bakerella.

I used the bears on the wrappers as inspiration.

Beel even got in on the act...

See the bandaid on the back of his hand?
Yeah, I wasn't sure that I should allow him to use a knife.
I'm happy to report that he still has all of his fingers.

I even tried the Cola Cake recipe that Bakerella linked to.  It was one jacked up recipe.  I've never baked cupcakes from scratch, but I'm a direction following fool.  I read the recipe a couple of times, and then obsessively referred to it while I was making the cake stuff.

Butter, veggie oil, cocoa, and Coke.
It's not quite as gross as it sounds.

I brought that crazy concoction to a boil and added it to the dry ingredients, which included a cup and a half of marshmallows...

It didn't taste too bad,
for a diabetic coma in a bowl.

I then baked up a batch of the cupcakes.  They were awful.  They fell, which was a bummer.  But they didn't taste so wonderful either.  Plan B - store-bought Devil's Food cake mix.  Win!!


While I was waiting for Nebalee to come up to the lodge with my Plan B, I worked on the fondant.  Oh God, what a disaster that was.  The store must have put out last year's fondant, because it was a brick.  I had to break it open and scoop out the inside just to have any to work with.

I lost easily half of the fondant I bought - the outside was unuseable.

Staci and Little Miss 'Mantha helped make the fondant bears.

Staci was a bear making fiend!  I made two.  She whipped out the rest.  Wait...Nebalee made the little cub.  Aren't they cute?

I used the red sugar sheet to cut out their scarves,
instead of the fondant recommended by Bakerella.

Auto Bot and Kyzzer helped me prep the snow globes...

We sprayed the inside of the bottles with sugar water
and then the kids sprinkled them with sugary thingies.

Mom and Nebalee put snow on the cupcakes after I frosted them...

And then I got to assemble...

Oh. My. God.
I can't tell you how thrilled I am with them!

They're not quite as polished as the ones at Bakerella, but then, neither am I.  I'm so not a professional baker - I'm pretty sure that once-a-year baking doesn't count - but I am beside-myself-excited about these cupcakes!

I'll post about the rest of Baking Weekend when I come down from my cupcake success high.

My Girls Came For A Visit!

I'm a whole week late posting this, and not because I don't love my Robs and Sue. My computer is on its last legs (I think) and is really slow, so I get impatient give up.

Last Saturday was a busy day.  First, Copper got out of his gentling pen, then my girls came up.  It's been forever since I've seen them and Robs' kids have grown so much.  I swear they were just born, but here they are, over a year old already!

Remy, Ruby, Lucy, Robs, Sue (and Skeeter and Copper in the background)

Remy, Ruby, Lucy (hiding), and Maddox

Maddox is such a good big brother.  I have three siblings of my own, but I can't imagine having triplets for sibs!

I'm so impressed with Robs.  I always knew she was amazing, but watching her handle four kids three and under is awe inspiring.  Sue has been spending one evening a week (or more) helping out Robs since the girls came home from the hospital.  I wish I was close enough to do the same, darn it. 

I miss them so much and every bit of time I get to spend with them is so special.

Baking Weekend

I'm a little late posting this, as Baking Weekend is always the second weekend in December and here it is, just two days before December ends.  Yikes.  I always have grand plans for getting my blogging done and then it just doesn't happen. I've been off from work for a week now and I'm just now feeling like turning on the computer.  I guess it just goes to show how badly I needed a "brain break".

Before we could head up to the Lodge to start baking, we had to celebrate Ashinator's 21st birthday (how did that happen?!) at the Rio so she could have her first (legal) marg.  Rumor has it that the Rio margs are the most potent in town.  I'm not certain about it, but they do have a 3 marg limit, so maybe.

Happy Birthday, Ashinator!

Staci is still on her boat with her family, so we missed her again this year.  It did work out, though, that she was some place with WiFi and we could FaceTime with her.  It was so good to see her and the kids and have them join us for a bit, even if it was via computer.  Robs was even kind enough to sample all of the cookie dough for her.

Sue and Robs with Staci

It's actually kind of hard to bake and hold a phone at the same time.

While I didn't have any big new recipes planned for the day, Robs did.  It's a chocolate cookie sandwich with a peppermint filling, rolled in crushed candy canes.  It's essentially a diabetic coma in cookie form.

Spreading the peppermint filling

Don't they look amazing?

But, seriously, check your blood sugar after eating one.

My girls.  Don't know what I'd do without them.

Some of the fruits of our labor.

Mom's "pretty" Christmas tree

Nebalee's family went Christmas tree hunting in the morning, so they were a little late getting up to join us.  Mrs. Junior and her son also joined us later in the day. That way, we can work in "shifts" in the kitchen.

The Lodge is so beautiful in the winter.

Robs and me

Jay and me.  He's such a goober :)

We had planned on having the triplets with us, but Robs let them stay home with her wife, which freed us up to do more baking.  Let's be honest, if we'd had the babies with us, there wouldn't have been much baking going on.  The "aunties" would be too busy playing with the girls.

It seemed like we really scaled back on what we baked, but we still ended up with a ton and a half of cookies.  Our final cookie count for the weekend was:

Magic Window Cookies: 106
Gingerbread Cookies (Mom's recipe): 47
Peanut butter Cookies: 37
Aztec Cookies: 180
Oatmeal-mint chip Cookies: 130
Chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies: 38
M&M Cookies: 90
Peanut Butter Kisses cookies: 50
Mini-gingerbread cookies (mix): 50
Medium gingerbread cookies (mix): 12
Butterballs: 152
Chocolate-dipped Coffee Cup Cookies: 40
Fudge: 10#
Magic cookie bars: 72
Plus some toffee and a couple hundred pretzel/kisses/M&M thingies.

Ashinator did the math, it's something like 1004 cookies (okay, maybe it's only half a ton).  Since we still have some left, I'm guessing we over-did it a tad (we didn't mail as many out this year - mailing has gotten expensive!).  But, as usual, it was a blast and I can't wait to do it again next year.

Adventure by Proxy

Baking Weekend 2011
Robs, Sue, Staci, me

You know how much I love "my girls"?  Robs, Stace, and Sue?  And how much I treasure our rare get-togethers?

They are some of my oldest (and by oldest, I mean, I've known them a long time, not as in we're getting old, because we're not) friends.

This year, Baking Weekend is going to be a little different - we're losing my birthday twin, Staci.  She and her husband have sold pretty much everything they owned and bought a sailboat.  They're planning on spending the next couple of years sailing.

I'm super happy for them, even though I'm going to miss Stace a whole heap.  I mean, how often do dreams like this come true?  They've been plotting their escape for a long time and the fact that they're able to do it makes my heart happy.

Stace has started a blog, Shambala Sails, to detail their adventures.  I might not be on the boat with them, but I'm looking forward to living vicariously through their blog (and I don't have to worry about sea-sickness).

Baking Weekend Is Almost Here!

I was trying to figure out how long we've been doing Baking Weekend, which started out as Baking Day.

It's been a long time; almost as long as Mom and Bill have owned the Lodge, so this must be our 13th year.  The first year was My Girls and Hall (my ex-boyfriend); the following year we added to our "menu" and the number of bakers grew.  Thirteen years is a long time for a tradition - we've been through break-ups, marriages, and children.  Some of the bakers come and go, but at the core of it has always been My Girls.

Me, Robs, Staci.  Missing Sue...not sure where she was hiding

During a relatively calm part of the day...

I've got a special project in mind for this year, one I've been mulling over ever since I saw it a couple of years ago.  I wasn't sure that I'd be able to pull it off (still not too terribly sure how it will turn out), but what the heck, I figure I'll give it a go and even if it doesn't work, it's still edible.

Other than my super secret special project (there will be posts), I don't have anything special planned this year for Baking Weekend.  I wanted to make more mozzarella, which was so much fun, but decided to try something new this year.  RCC has something up his sleeve too, that I'm sure will be wonderful.

Mostly, what I'm looking forward to this Baking Weekend, is getting to hang out with My Girls.  I love them and this is the only guaranteed time we get to spend together.  I haven't seen Sue since last Baking Weekend and I saw Robs and Staci in June when Robs had her baby.  How is it that a mere sixty miles can seem like half a world away?

My Girls

Yesterday, Jay and I went to see Julie/Julia and there's a scene in the movie where Julie Powell says, "Cobb Salad Day tomorrow. Dreading, dreading, dreading." The next scene is of her and three of her friends out for lunch (they all order Cobb Salad, with different ingredients removed, hence the name "Cobb Salad Day") and it becomes apparent why she was dreading it. Her three friends are all just busy, busy, busy and it's obvious they do lunch because the "have" to, not because they want to.

I can't imagine having friends that I would dread spending time with.

My girls, Staci, Robin, and Sue, are all amazing women and I don't get to spend nearly enough time with them. We had a "Girls' Night" last night and went to the Chophouse in Denver. Our original plan was to go to Sing-Sing beneath the Chophouse, but we decided we'd just grab dinner at the Chophouse and then head down (literally, Sing-Sing is beneath the restaurant).

I met my girls when I was dating my ex, Brian, more than ten years ago (I can't believe it's been that long). If nothing else, I have to thank Brian for introducing me to some of the most incredible women I've had the joy of spending time with. While Brian and I were together, I saw the girls weekly, as they played on Brian's soccer team. Eventually I started playing soccer, too and I saw the girls two to three times a week. Over the almost five years Brian and I were together, Staci and Robin became like family to me. I'm not sure I would have gotten through my breakup with Brian without them (it's a good thing they got me through, 'cause now I'm married to the most amazing man on the planet).

In the past ten years we've been through some truly horrible, heart-crushing breakups; incredible trips to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Italy; weddings and childbirth. Through it all, my girls were right there with me. There's no way I could ever dread spending time with them.

It took us four hours to get caught up on each other's lives. Staci's kids are growing like weeds and I feel all sorts of guilty for not seeing them more often. I haven't seen Nick since he was just a couple of weeks old and now he's toddling around after his big sister, Samantha, whom I also haven't seen in ages. Staci and Paul are one of the happiest couples I know - because of them, I refused to "settle" for anyone less than perfect for me. This was really hard to do sometimes - I was convinced I'd be single the rest of my life if I didn't settle. It worked out though, because I've now married a man who is absolutely perfect for me, the man of my dreams.

Robin and Mandy just bought a new house and are getting ready to start trying to have a child of their own; Robin's been through all of the preliminary work up and it all looks good, but there's a whole lot more involved in deciding to have a child for them. Mandy's got a son from a previous relationship, but Robin for years has talked about having a child of her own and they have to think about things that have never crossed my mind. Just the choice of a sperm donor (someone you know, someone local, someone from a different state?) is mind-boggling.

Sue, just yesterday before she came to meet us, was offered, and accepted, a new job. It literally fell in her lap, one of her old bosses looked her up and offered her a job completely out of the blue. It comes with regular hours (she's working the craziest hours ever right now) and a $15,000 increase in pay. She deserves a good job that will make her happy.

I missed Nicole, who couldn't make it because her husband, Squid, is off at soccer camp and she stayed home with their beautiful daughter, Molly. And my sister, Nelle, couldn't make it because she had to work for her son's gymnastics team. So, not all my girls could make it last night, but it was wonderful to spend time with the strong, independent, amazing women I get to call my friends. I'm so blessed to have them in my life and the only thing I really regret is that our children won't get to grow up together; my kids are almost out of the house and Staci, Nicole, and Robs are just now starting their families. No matter, though, we're the kind of friends who can pick up where we left off even if it's been almost a year since we've seen each other.

I love you girls. Thank you for being my "besties".