defying gravity

Torstein Horgmo, Torin Yater-Wallace, Mark McMorris. Any idea who these gents are? How about Shaun White? There you go...now you've got it! They're all snow-sport greats that spent one incredible weekend strutting their stuff at the Winter X-Games.

Last weekend Adam and I headed to Aspen to experience the X-Games. We've always watched the games on TV but with Aspen just a quick 4 hour drive up the mountain, why not experience the events live?! But before we discuss just how amazing the X-Games were, let's start at the beginning.

Friday afternoon we headed toward Aspen with a plan to stay in Glenwood Springs. We assumed it was just a small mountain town that was likely right off the highway for travelers and truckers to find rest while driving across Colorado. Boy were we wrong.

As we neared Glenwood Springs we entered a beautiful canyon. Just big enough for a flowing river and the highway, the canyon was narrow with steep walls shooting upward. We entered the canyon at the perfect time - the sun was just beginning to set so the sky was bright with colors creating beautiful hues on the canyons walls. We drove for 20 minutes in total amazement. It was gorgeous! As the canyon began opening up, there it was, Glenwood Springs! An adorable little mountain town with a charming personality in an idealistic setting, just waiting of us!

That night we walked around the historic downtown, which is right on the river. We chose the Brewpub for dinner and really enjoyed everything, especially their microbrews (Adam may have found some inspiration for his next batches)! A few hamburgers and beers later, we went to our hotel to rest before heading to Buttermilk mountain the next day!

Upon arrival at the X-Games I was struck by just how big everything was. The SuperPipe and Big Air jump look pretty large on TV but it doesn't come close to how big they are in person. All of this created a new found respect for the X-Games athletes.

Later that morning we met up with Jeff and Sarah Gries who had also made the trek from Denver to enjoy the events with us. The spirit of the games and the energy of the fans/athletes was amazing! It's a love fest of extreme mountain sports! I'm not sure there are words to truly paint a picture of our experience at the games so I'll leave it up to a few pictures and a short video...

After many hours of cheerleading at the base of the SuperPipe, we decided to warm up in Aspen. We hit up the Hickory House for a delicious BBQ lunch and then headed to the center of town where we walked the quaint pedestrian-only streets that were lined with one amazing shop after the next.

With the Big Air event ready to start, the boys were anxious to get back to Buttermilk so they could watch the world's most amazing skiers defy gravity. At that point, the temperature was pushing 20 degrees so Sarah and I took advantage of some quality girl time in the comfort of the warming house! Hot tea, anyone?!

That night we headed back to the Brewpub in Glenwood Springs so we could show Sarah and Jeff our amazing find! We feasted again while enjoying the company of dear friends.

The weekend was certainly one we'll always remember - great food, great friends, great little mountain towns and amazing entertainment! We are so thankful for the memories and look forward to visiting Glenwood Springs and Aspen again soon!

rocky mountain high

Adam and I have been so blessed to call Colorado home for the past three years. There's nothing about this great state that we don't love - well, except that our families are so far away! Every season here has something great to offer.

In the fall, we love heading to the mountains to see the aspens turn.

Aspen Ridge - Buena Vista, CO

In the winter, we hit the slopes for some good 'ol snowboarding.

In the spring, well, we're still snowboarding!

And then there's summer...oh sweet, sweet summer! Every weekend feels like a mini-vacation. Over the years, Adam and I have found some favorite spots that we continue to return to.

A few years ago we stumbled onto a Jeep trail. As we journeyed up the mountain we saw markers for a place called Chinn's Lake. Coming around the last switchback after following the trail markers we both just gasped! This is what we saw...

Breathtaking, right?! Might I say that this is not a rare occurrence in Colorado - places like this are everywhere!

Adventure hunting!

On another beautiful Colorado day Adam and I headed up towards Chinn's Lake again but took a side road that went even further up the mountain. In pure amazement at the Lord's beauty, we stopped for lunch overlooking Russell Gulch. The view was absolutely majestic!

Russell Gulch Trail

Another thing I love about summertime in Colorado is that a simple dinner can be magically transformed with a picnic and a quick drive. One Friday night we grabbed our little cooler filled with food and headed about 15 minutes into the mountains. We hunkered down near a river and began preparing a delicious mountain meal we like to call hobos.

"What's a hobo," you ask? Heaven! Ground beef, butter, sliced potatoes, butter, carrots, butter, corn, more butter, onions and butter - all covered with Cavender's seasoning. If you've never experienced a hobo, you must give it a try. Simply wrap all of the above items in foil and throw it on the grill or an open fire. Then 15 minutes later, BAM! The most delicious meal ever - perfect for camping or picnicking in the mountains!

There are so many wonderful places that Adam and I enjoy but one of our favorite spots is on Lake Dillon in Frisco. It involves a 30 minute paddle to an island that has a small bay, perfect for an afternoon of relaxation. In fact, it's in this bay that Bailey first braved the water and learned to swim! Since then, we've fondly referred to it as Bailey Bay!

Every summer we venture to Bailey Bay at least a few times. We always pack a picnic and our hammock for a lazy afternoon in the sun. The view from the bay is beautiful - sail boats gliding across the water with mountains creating the perfect background. And maybe it's because the island is a good paddle from the marina but we always find ourselves alone there. Just me, Adam and Bailey girl! I can't think of anything more perfect for a Saturday afternoon!

Entire video shot and edited on an iPhone before leaving the island...we LOVE Apple!

All of this to say, Colorado is an amazing place that we've come to love so much. Also, we're secretly hoping that these stories have helped convince you to visit us! If you do, you can be certain you'll experience some of our favorite places! 

a very vintage thanksgiving

Before we're too far into 2012 let's quickly time travel back to November 24, 2011. This Thanksgiving was extra special because we had the honor of hosting Adam's family in Denver! "Hosting," you ask? Yes! Adam and I hosted our first Thanksgiving. Those Andruses are brave souls - they were willing to give me and Adam a shot at the biggest meal of the year!

But let's start at the beginning. About a month before Thanksgiving, one of my dear friends was married at her parent's country home. Might I say, not only was my friend a beautiful bride, the entire wedding was like a fairytale. Jamie and her mom, Susie, had an extraordinary vision for making the wedding incredibly special. The ceremony and reception took place under a big white tent strung with lights. It was simply enchanting - think vintage-romance meets country.

Beautiful

There were so many things that made Jamie's wedding unbelievably perfect but one of the most unique touches was the decor. Susie had spent months going to antique stores looking for ways to make each table's centerpiece look different. Everything from old books to milk glass vases with fresh flowers were used. Along with the centerpieces, Susie also purchased antique plates for guests to use for dinner and dessert. What makes this so amazing? Almost all the plates were different! I found myself at the head of the buffet line distracted by which beautiful plate I wanted to pick!

It was the vision of both Jamie and Susie that served as inspiration for my Thanksgiving table. "A Very Vintage Thanksgiving" would be the theme of the day! I shared my plan with mama Smith and she instantly took to the Wichita antique malls hunting for the perfect antique china plates. Meanwhile, I began my hunt in Denver for centerpiece items.

The week before Thanksgiving my sweet mom drove to Denver with a car full of china and other goodies. It was go-time! Over the next week we managed to pull together a vintage table inspired by the beautiful settings at Jamie's wedding.

Along with dressing the table, my mom and I spent hours in the kitchen making our family's traditional holiday brittle, candied pecans, shortbread cookies, check mix and other goodies. Late in the week I shared my traditional Thanksgiving menu with mom. She then patiently walked me through each recipe to ensure I felt comfortable making all the dishes by myself. She even helped me make an oven schedule (a must when you only have one oven!) World's greatest mom, right?! Thanks mom - love you!

So with the table set and the prep work completed, Adam and I were ready to host our first Thanksgiving. We were ready for the Andrus family arrival!!

Thanksgiving Day was so memorable! We munched on appetizers, made pies and stuck to the oven schedule. Adam tried his hand at a fried turkey and was absolutely successful. Dinner was delicious! All of this was accompanied by a delicious batch of Adam's Pumpkin Ale (a British style ESB infused with pumpkin and spices). This special blend is now called the Union Jack-o-Lantern! Did I mention that Adam is a homebrewer? One of his many talents!

Appetizers!

My adorable sister-in-law, Anna.

Mom Andrus

Prepping the turkey!

The boys!

Dinner is served!

Union Jack-o-Lantern

Apart from the food, we were so blessed to have a few days with mom and dad Andrus, Anna and Ethan. We missed Abigail and Micah but thought of them often. Every year we have so many things to be thankful for but without a doubt, I'm always most thankful for family. We are certainly blessed!

signs

I love signs! You know, like wooden signs with little saying on them? It may sound weird but it's true. I love them! I got my first sign when I was in college...

What if?!

My favorite signs are those that mean something extra special. For instance...

Something often said in our little family!

Then, one day my mom came to visit and brought this sign for me...

...aren't you funny mom! 

One of my other favorite signs now hangs in our room and it couldn't be more true.

In addition to the signs I have hanging year-round, I have one special sign that is seasonal.

This sign was given to me by my dad. You see, ever since I was a little girl we use to watch Father of the Bride on Christmas Eve. I know, I know...it's not a Christmas movie but it was always special to my family. Maybe it was because my dad looked strikingly similar to Steve Martin. Maybe it was because the lines were just so quotable, "some bigshot from the hot dog company got together with some bigshot from the bun company and decided to rip off the American public." Or maybe it was because we all loved Franck! Either way, the night before Christmas was always very special!

In addition to these signs, there are a few others I have my eye on! 

Ever since I was little, my family has always called me Sunshine!

My dad use to say this to me. "If all the little girls in the whole world were lined up, I'd still choose you!"

Yes he does!

Couldn't be more true!

Do you have any signs hanging in your home?!

home sweet home - 1 of 2

It's hard to believe it's been over three years since we moved into our little home. Boy does time fly! It's almost humorous looking back on our house hunting adventure. You see, Adam came from a family that were geniuses when it came to "flipping" houses. By age sixteen, Adam had helped his parents remodel over eight homes. They are seriously GENIUSES! They can see the potential in anything with four walls. I, however, had a difficult time simply imagining a different light fixture over the kitchen table much less new flooring, cabinets, paint and countertops.

All of this to say, Adam and I had a little different vision for our first home! After spending hours driving around Denver and its suburbs, we found a little neighborhood that we simply loved. It was older and had lovely ranch style houses - exactly what we were looking for. Working with our realtor, we set up some showings.

I remember it like yesterday, we walked into one of the homes and Adam instantly saw so much potential. He LOVED it! I, however, was less than impressed. Let's recap:

The kitchen flooring was in fact bathroom tile which I'm pretty sure had never been cleaned. GAG!

The kitchen cabinets were circa 1960.

One of the kitchen walls was filled by a workbench that could have been nice in the garage but certainly not the kitchen.

"Ummmm, is that a blue bathroom with a two-tone toilet?"

The entire back of the house was covered in ivy. Like as in, although there were windows into the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, you would've had no idea - you couldn't see a smidge of light through them. Ivy...was...everywhere!

Can you find the three windows? I don't think so!

And yes, the master bedroom had a porch light as the overhead fixture. WHAT???

This doesn't even include the basement but let's save that for another post.

Needless to say, I was ready to leave about 5 minutes after arriving. But as Adam walked the entire house I heard him say things like, "potential," "nice," "great structure," and "perfect." I was nervous.

Fast forward a month and we were sitting at a table signing our lives away so that we could call ourselves homeowners. That very night, the demolition started! Along with some friends that so kindly offered to help rip apart our newly purchased home, we took to the kitchen floor with sledge hammers and various power tools.

After exactly five weeks, many sketches by Adam (to help me catch the vision) and a lot of hard work, we were putting the finishing touches on the main level of our home. All the walls had been painted, new carpet and tile had be laid, new cabinets had been hung, light fixtures had been changed, appliances had been purchased and counter tops had been replaced. It had become our home. It was our own little corner of the world - and we loved it!

Entry

Living Room

Dining Area

Kitchen

Wall where workbench had been!

Office

Guest Room

Master Bedroom

Adam made this headboard. Amazing, right?!

Yes, it's still blue!

Trellis and outdoor countertop also made by Adam!

It's amazing how much love we've put into this home. Some long days and hard work but it has become such a special place to us! It's hard to imagine leaving (it will be a day of MANY tears!) But thanks to a husband that's taught me to see the potential in old homes, I'm actually looking forward to finding another place someday that simply needs a couple who knows what it can become!