Fall Fun for Everyone

Suzanne, Shelby, Whip, and I took a trip to Cottonwood Pass, which crests at 12,126...it is also on the Continental Divide. The pass is supposed to be one of the great areas of Colorado to see the aspens change, and for the most part, it was beautiful. We may have been a week too early, but most of the trees were already glimmering gold and yellow. I find that it's hard to put into words the beauty of nature. I've come to realize that I'm glad for that, though...I think if I ever get to the point where I can verbalize how nature awes me, it will have lost its magnificence and mystique. Enjoy the pictures...we love you guys!

Shelby Giggles!!!

Bath Time and Bows

I finally downloaded some new pictures from our camera. Like I previously mentioned, Shelby loves her bath time. It is a time that we all look forward to everyday. She loves to stick her feet out of the water and let me pour water on them (see picture). Any chance she gets she sticks her sweet, little feet out of the water and look straight at me (or Justin...whoever is giving her a bath) until we realize what she's asking of us. Then she'll give us a huge smile as she watches the miracle of water spill down upon her feet. She's fascinated with it.




We also got some cute bows from my mom!! They make her look like a little girl and not a baby anymore! It's amazing how fast they grow!! Below are a couple of pictures of her with her bow in her hair.




And finally, I love this little outfit, so here's a picture of her in BLUE!!

Water World

As part of our bedtime routine Shelby takes a bath every night. At first it took some getting use to, but now she loves it. It's the only time she doesn't fuss when you take her clothes off...my baby girls is modest like her mommy! :) The picture below is her chilling out before bath time! She's also been doing this thing where she holds her feet out of the water so that I'll pour water on them! She's so funny. I thought we had a picture of it uploaded to our computer, but we don't. I'll post it next time!

Get Outside!

I continue to be amazed by the diversity of Colorado's geography. Earlier this week I completed a two and a half day backpacking trip into Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains, perhaps the state's most rugged and remote range.

Having hiked 12 of the 54 14ers, I thought I had seen just about all the beauty Colorado had to offer at high altitude. Not that I have tired of the solitude of high mountains vistas, or the deep blues of ancient glacial lakes, or the seemingly endless views you get at 14,000 feet. I guess I expected to see all these things...I knew what they would look like...and I knew they would be beautiful.

As I have found with the other backpacking trips and outings into the wilderness, though, what I saw cannot be described with words...even the best composed photographs will never be able to capture the raw beauty of where I was. Entire books can be written and still not convey to the reader the magnificence of the beauty of our natural world. But blogs are posted, countless pictures are taken, and intimately described adventures are written to spark our imagination, to allow us to be transported to these wild places.

Suzanne, Shelby, and I are blessed to be living in Colorado, in a place whose beauty is world renowned. We are even more blessed to be able to enjoy the beauty with our good eyesight, with our working limbs, and with our healthy, but sometimes messed up, imaginations. The purpose of this post, which has changed just in the last few minutes, is to urge you, the five people that will read this post, to get outside and enjoy the beauty around you! If you think how much time you spend inside the mall shopping, in your home being lazy (which is OK), or just deciding not to go outside, you are missing out on one of the few calming and relaxing avenues we have in our crazy world. Even more important, God didn't design our natural world to be seen only in pictures, described in blogs, and written in books, He created it for us to see ourselves.

So put your Pottery Barn catalog down, your cell phone in the disposal, your makeup in the trash, and the TV clicker under your car tire, and get outside!

Growing Up So Fast!

From top to bottom: (1) Shelby is smiling more and more each day and has almost giggled a few times; (2) The day I thought would never get here...Shelby being able to face forward in the BabyBjorn! She loves being able to look out and see the world! (3) A new favorite thing to do...stare at the little green light on the video camera in her bed. It's almost like she's trying to tell us, "I know you're looking at me, and I'm not tired yet, so come in and play with me!" (4) Today just before taking Whip on his walk...when I got home the BabyBjorn was covered in poop...Shelby's that is.

Child-Care Blues

Today was the first time I've had to drop Shelby off at "day-care". She is going to be staying with a lady (Amy) from church, so that makes it easier, but it definitely wasn't easy. I cried before I left Amy's house, in the car on the way to work, and for about 30 minutes after I got to work. Nothing feels right about leaving your child with someone else. I know that one day God will provide us a way for me to stay home, and until then I will be seeking His comfort and peace. Shelby is in a home where she will be loved, and that's the most important thing. I called a few minutes ago and Amy said that her son, Rylan, held her this morning when he woke up. He was holding her and said, "this feels so good". He's only five!! It's the funniest and sweetest thing I've heard all day! It put a smile on my face, which I truly needed.

The above picture is of Shelby doing "Tummy Time"! She loves her little surf board! She has rolled over for us twice already. The first time I saw her do it I screamed with excitement. It's amazing how the little things can bring us such joy. Justin and I tried putting her to bed without her swaddle Friday night. We watched her on the monitor and were in awe with how easily she put herself to sleep. We commented about how amazing she is. Little did we know that two hours later she would wake up and not truly go back to sleep until a hour and an half later...after we swaddled her! :) So, she's not ready to give up the swaddle yet, and that's fine with us.

The picture here on the right was just sent to me from Amy!! She said that Shelby is having a good time and that her daughter, Kyndal, is having fun with her! She really made my day! I think Shelby may have a little cowlick on the right side of her head! We can't get her hair to lay down!

Where is Shelby?!

I'm sure many of you are wondering where a picture of Shelby is! This is her latest thing. She loves to RELAX! She has been such an easy baby...so far. We are enjoying every second of our new family. Sure there are things that get frustrating from time to time (for Justin it's the darn swaddle). The hardest thing for me is leaving her every morning. No job is worth it in my opinion, but putting food on the table is a priority. Lord willing, one day we'll be in a position for me to stay home.

Shelby has started rubbing her eyes when she gets tired...it's so adorable!!! She seems to be learning something new everyday. She and I love to give Eskimo kisses to each other. I guess you could say it's our little thing. She'll close her eyes, wrinkle up her nose and then give me a big smile when I pull away. She melts my heart. We couldn't be more blessed.

We will do a much better job of posting pictures of our little angel. And I'll make the next post much more entertaining...my creative mind is protesting this morning.

Feline Photography

Cats have always amazed me, especially their eyes. The eyes of any animal, humans included, are almost mesmerizing to me. Somehow, cats have an ability, unlike any other living animal, to tell a story with their eyes without needing to use any other part of their body. At the same time, their eyes can express wonder and mystery, rendering me absolutely amazed and aware that their true nature cannot be understood.

It's no wonder why so many wildlife photographers love to capture images of a lion's eyes. They are not only captivating, but they tell of adventure, they express sadness, they shout fear and anger...they give us a glimpse into the world of the most majestic animal on this planet.

Even in this simple image of Tripod, his eyes tell me how happy he is, how loved he is, and how much he appreciates life. What else is he trying to convey to me? Is he in awe of my extraordinarily good looks? Probably. Does he reciprocate the same respect for me as I do for him? I can't help but think he does. What's fascinating is the communication, solely expressed through our eyes, that is occurring between us, two entirely different species.

On a daily basis, between 3 and 4 o'clock, as the sun's rays create a rectangular sunny spot in our entryway, Tripod will lazily lie down and soak in the warmth. I, naturally, get out my camera and try to capture an image with the perfect lighting, and this was one I happened to capture two days ago. Tripod is a poser, so incredibly photogenic, as it seems most animals (except humans, in particular, me) are, that he almost wants to be able to talk. He doesn't need to though...his eyes tell me all I could possibly hope to understand.

CNN YouTube debate

Did anybody else watch the CNN YouTube debate from last night? I have to be honest, I am pretty impressed, but cautious, about 3 of the Democratic candidates, the three being: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards, who are all, ironically, leading the polls in that order. I hope I am not falling victim to the "all talk, but no action" spiels of each of the candidates. Feeling like I am a good judge of character and of one's genuineness, I sensed a lot of heartfelt and honest answers from The Three. I think The Others have no shot at all and should just quit now, except maybe for Joe Biden, whose no B.S. personality is pretty fun to watch...probably because he is full of B.S. But who isn't at this level of politics?

The main theme I got from the debate was: it's time for a real change. Did anybody take away anything else? Yes, there were other main points, but the "real change" one seemed to be echoed by the entire group. Is a "real change" possible? With a Democrat or a Republican? In my opinion, the Republican candidates are a joke, but I will try to keep this post unbiased, which won't happen since this is my blog and my opinion. Anyways, I'm not sure how many of you follow politics closely, closely being relative of course. I definitely don't, but when it's presidential election time, few things can match the televised debates, especially the ones where the party's own candidates are facing off with each other.

All that having been said, can we really expect a "real change" if one of The Three were elected? I hold, and forever will, I think, a faint glimmer of hope that America will become one of the greatest countries in the world. I'm not old enough to remember anything important about the presidents before Clinton, and I probably didn't really start caring for politics, at the president level, until the 2000 election. But it seems to me that Americans, the ones who care enough about what's going on with Jorge Bush in office, are ready for a new direction, a new leader who has a genuine interest in America, its people, and its future. That sounds cliche and sweet, I know, but when a sensible direction and a true leader has been absent for the past 7, going on 8 years, what else would Americans want?

I feel like I am babbling, so I will sum up the main point of this post. Do you think if one of The Three were elected that America's direction would be righted and we would see true and effective leadership? Do you think no matter who is elected, Democrat or Republican, that America won't really change and that we will continue to act as we have acted for so long now? Any thoughts, challenges, or disagreements are welcome...as long as nobody says anything positive about Pres. Bush...seriously.

Seeing nature through Suburbia

Despite the seemingly inescapable suburbs that make up Colorado Springs, there still exist those opportunities where nature reminds us that no matter how many houses and businesses and roads are built, its beauty is ever present and everlasting. This shot was taken from our back door the other day.

"God doesn't exist because nature exists, nature exists because God exists."

Thoughts from a new dad

Shelby is only 11 weeks and 2 days old, but it is amazing to watch her grow and learn and wonder. Just recently, in addition to having rolled over twice since Wednesday, she has become intrigued with her feet. Suzanne and I love to incline our legs and have Shelby lean back on them. Often, Shelby will lift her head and just stare at her feet. I can't help but wonder what she is thinking. Does she know those feet belong to her? Does she have control over them, even just the slightest bit?

The other day in the bath tub, Suzanne was pouring water on Shelby's feet. Shelby loved it and proceeded to lift her legs up so Suzanne would keep doing it. The funny thing is, Shelby wasn't smiling or giggling about it, but she had a serious, almost concerned look on her face. For whatever reason, she enjoyed it and was mesmerized by it...the sensation, the different feeling it gave her.

I think about times like these and am blown away knowing how much Shelby has learned, is learning, and will learn throughout this first year...this next week...in 5 years. If "knowledge is power" are we, as adults, learning as much as we can? Are we still intrigued by new feelings, different situations, and the things we see? Scientists have proven that humans use so little of their brains and that the potential for learning exists for all of us. At the same time, we, scientists and just about everybody else, realize that we are not reaching this untapped potential. I can only wonder, in awe and fear, what else I can learn and experience.

I hope that as adults we aren't afraid, too lazy, too self absorbed, to miss out on just even a fraction of what we have no idea exists.

Blogging about blogging

I really can't believe Suzanne and I have started a blog. A close friend (you know who you are) of Suzanne's commented on how she was such a good writer and that she should start her own blog. After only a few minutes of discussion and then nothing for about a day, Suzanne came home from work today with our blog page created. We are all enthused...especially Shelby. So what do you think of our first post? Hopefully it is not indicative of the quality of our blog and our future posts. We will see. Until the next post...