Happy belated 4th

I know this is several days past due, but now is the time that I have time to wish America happy birthday!

For the Fourth I spent Saturday and Sunday at Alcova lake with friends.  A couple I went to college with has a cabin there and they very graciously invited me and several others to come hang out.  Todd had to work the lake most of the time, but was able to meet up here and there to say hi.

Jonna's dad Wayne became our Lady Liberty when the boat light snapped off.  He diligently held the light until we found a fix...

This was our fix.  Medical tape.  Worked like a dream...

There were two boats of us that went out on the water for the fireworks show Sunday night.  Notice the dark boat pulled along the white one?  That's Todd pulling over one of our fleet.  Just a simple life jacket check...nothing to see here...

Jonna and her fiance Eric.  How romantic...!

Fireworks on the water!  Happy belated 4th!

An hour saved is an hour earned

Daylight Savings!

It is one of my most favorite holidays of the year - and I do think of it as a holiday.

It's an official proclamation that warmer, longer, lighter days are ahead!

The only drawback is that it's dark again in the morning, which is a bummer. I love waking up at 5:30 a.m. to a lightening sky.

But those mornings are just around the bend!

(Headline credit: Todd.  Isn't he clever?!)

Happy 2010!

Can you believe it's 2010?!

Unlike other New Year's, I just wanted to have a fun, but chill, night. Usually, my New Year's Eve outings involve high heels, a lame (I can't do the accent over the "e" to describe the fabric) or glitter shirt or some other glitzy outfit, and a night of dancing.

Instead, Todd and I went snowshoeing then stayed with April and Craig at the amazing Fish On Ranch which they manage. We made dinner and drinks and played games until the ball fell in Times Square.

It was a great night!

This took us about a million tries to capture. I couldn't feel my hands by the half million mark, but we got it!


After freshening up in our cabin on the ranch we met up with April and Craig at the manager's house for some dinner and celebrating...


Here's the Miner's Cabin which Todd and I called home for the night. Not exactly a shanty!

Let's go inside the cabin. Here's the downstairs living room. Pretty cozy, huh? We lit a fire in the fireplace when we got home after celebrating. SO nice...


Here's the upstairs. That bed is maybe the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on...


Happy New Year from me, Todd and Rigby!

A capitol Christmas

I think one of the neatest things about Christmas in the state capitol is the open house at the governor's mansion.

Each year, they open the mansion up to the public for a very nice spread of Christmas treats, decorated trees, a roaring fire and piano music.

I thought Nancy and Todd would get a kick out of going so we mosied on over and checked it out.


Nancy was tickled. She said she'd never done anything at any governor's mansion, so this was a treat. We tucked an "official" paper napkin from the mansion in her purse. Shhhh...


We've been trying to find time to take a Christmas picture to send, but it keeps not happening. I'm half inclined to just use this one. Only Rigby's not in it...


Merry Christmas from Wyoming!

Christmas cookie madness

Rather than buying presents for our grandmas, Todd had a nice idea to make boxes of baked goods for them.

In theory, this is a wonderful thought. What grandma wouldn't want a box of baked goodies from their grandchildren? However, this has meant I've been baking for four days!

It's been taking a while because we're also trying to get things ready for Todd's mom to visit. She gets in tomorrow. Fitting a batch of gingerbread cookies in around vacuuming, mopping, picking up, etc., has been pretty tight, as you might imagine!

So, after going through the millions of recipes I have I decided the cookie box should include: One mini loaf each of banana bread, some Wyoming-made candy from De's Candy here in Cheyenne, homemade marshmallows (which I've never tried making before and will hopefully get done tonight), and an assortment of decorated sugar and gingerbread cookies.

Todd helped decorate with me last night. I always think starting projects like cookie decorating (or making homemade Christmas cards with Linds H. from potato stamps we cut ourselves) is a good idea until I get about half way through and just want to quit...



Some of the finished product...


A close up...

More cookies! It's madness!


And yes. That is a Coors Light can in the background. That's some product placement, huh?!

Rockin' around the karaoke mic

Last night was Todd's office holiday party.

It was a nice shin dig! Dinner and a DJ at the historic Plains Hotel equals a good night of fun.

But a great night of fun...? How 'bout some karaoke afterward!

We went with two other couples to one of the biggest dives in town: Scooter's. Oh man, is it sketch! But hardly anyone goes there on karaoke night, so it's great because you basically have the place to yourself!

Todd and I with a very un-holiday background at his holiday party...


Singing Picture by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow (with a much more interesting background)...


Jaimel, me and Susan singing Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks...


Now this is what I call a happy holiday!

Ain't no Charlie Brown tree

Todd and I cut down our tree yesterday outside Woods Landing, Wyo.

It is...perfect!

Our first stop for a tree. Nothing here...


We went a little farther down the road and there it was...the perfect tree, just calling to me to come home with us. Here's my Wisconsin lumberjack cutting down the tree with a hatchet. He said it was more woodsy than a saw...


Me with the tree post-cut...


Preparing for the journey home...


Our little snow dog. We were right by the side of the road, so thought it best to keep him in the truck...


On our way home we had a beer and split a burger at the Woods Landing bar and dance hall. I've ALWAYS wanted to go to a dance here! I'd love to rent one of their cabins and spend the night kicking up my heels in the hall...


The bar at Woods Landing...


This CRACKED me up! It's the basket liner our burgers came in. I love it when food becomes a character! It reminds me of the walls at Corona Village Andale Rapido in Laramie.


This one is just cute...


Todd decorating...


Me decorating. I don't have photoshop at home to fix the color...


The finished product!


Certainly no Charlie Brown tree!

Belated Thanksgiving

Here are some pics from Thanksgiving. I was off the radar a bit, but am back on!

Todd and I Thanksgiving day...


Most of the fam around one table...


The boys with their Grandma Holly, my brother-in-law's mom, at a different table...


Oh, Turkey...you get us every time. Todd taking a little nap, and Kelly trying not to...


I may not be musically talented...


...but I've got some skills. No hands!

Roll on

We're off to Wisconsin again then on to Omaha, Neb., for Thanksgiving!

I will try to update periodically this week - especially with pics of me in a deer stand on opening day this weekend (Todd wants me to sit with him for a while and I said I would. May as well give it a whirl!).

Later!

"Real World" Bachelor Gulch

I mentioned a couple posts ago the kicka$$ condo I stayed in over 4th of July weekend...

Well, here are some photos to back up my claim.

Yeah...our condo is the top middle window...


A better view of that top middle window...

The living room...

Our gourmet kitchen...

Our awesome dining room. Mine and Carrie's room was to the left...

The spectacular view from the enormous, amazing porch...


Me in the lodge lobby...

From mine and Kate's hike on Saturday morning...


A random pic from Tom's Tent at 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott, Colo.

These next few pictures sum up the fun: Alley, Carrie and I at the country dance at 4 Eagle Ranch...


Me by the pool with a plastic bottle of wine - you couldn't bring glass and we only had glass drinkware in the condo! I'm all class, I know...