Now Reading

The first one has started out quite sad... and I can guess where it will end being as it is a story told by a dog, but still... finding it SO hard to put down! A few pages into the second one, too - couldn't decide which one to start first! Any thoughts on these two?

Update

Had a few minutes to relax today after the last two days, and that was much-needed! I can walk down stairs again (phew!) and found out that my race time was 2:11:44, so I shaved a few minutes off my last races - woo!

Spent the day at USD today... wouldn't this table make YOU want to study abroad? (Just picture an overly-enthusiastic tall blonde behind it."Hi....Hi....How ya doing?....Hi....Hi...)

Now back to the lake to catch up on work. Not a bad office view

Mom and I took a walk down to the lake just as the sun was setting

Now what was I doing again? Oh, right, work....

Running

... from one thing to the next, it seems! This morning was the Omaha 1/2 marathon -

Katie and I in the pre-race darkness...

We did it! 

At home Alex and Papa did a little BB shooting

Now Mom and I are at the lake house... I'll be doing some study abroad fairs in South Dakota on Mon, Tues, and Wed, and the lake house isn't a bad place to call home base! Mom is here keeping me company, which is great. Off to bed! Now if only I could make it up the stairs... my calves are SCREAMING!

Thanks, Mom!

Mom does know me best... I found this little gem in my mailbox yesterday. And yes, I've already learned something from it. I'll be a twexpert in no time :) Thanks, Mom!

Kenosha

I always hope to see the aspen leaves in peak bright-yellow season in the fall... maybe next year... The last two years we were too late, and this year we were apparently too early. Maybe next year?

Taking in the view

Remaining colors of summer...

A few leaves are changing!

Emphasis on few :)

aaaaand then this is where we ate dinner. Yup, sure did! 

I feel like I'm almost ready for fall now... Just as long as the snow holds off for a while. Much love from the Rockies!

New job party

We needed to celebrate Travis's new job... and since I've been out of town the past two weekends this was the time! We went to the 1Up, a bar filled with retro arcade games, skee-ball, giant jenga, and signs that say "no patron dancing". A high school nerd's paradise.... Travis loved it. In his words, "I will dominate anyone in here at Mortal Kombat II."

(Oh yes, did I mention there 40s? Ohhhh my)

My fabulous friends made it out to celebrate, too! Gary and Sarah were en route to Oktoberfest, in case you couldn't tell :)

Thoughts

Last night it was great to catch up with Sarah and Ilana over snug run! Both had just returned from amazing vacations (Hawaii and Brazil, respectively) and I must admit I'm just a teensy bit jealous. Not that I didn't enjoy my time in the midwest, but I sure didn't come back with a tan...

A HUGE shout-out congrats to Sarah who got her first piece of grad school work published! If you care for some light reading (45 pages of it regarding Amazigh Legitimacy through Language in Morocco) check out http://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/mena/Morocco.pdf. Congrats Sarah, this is truly an accomplishment! There's nothing like perusing a grad school paper to make you appreciate that the two years of seven-syllable-word-world has passed :)

Another random note... now that I have a Twitter account for work (I know, right?!) I come across all sorts of random things (is that the point of Twitter?) like this list of the 10 creepiest abandonded resorts on earth. I was hoping that Devil's Nest would make the cut, but after seeing these photos I realize that the paint-peeling ski lift is no where near as creepy as these! http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-10-abandoned-resorts


Possibly camping or hiking this weekend, but there is now snow on the mountains. And I'm already always cold while camping, so I'm not too sure...
 
And one week until the Omaha 1/2 Marathon! Yikes stripes fruit stripe gum!

And a picture of baby Eil that Mom sent through... I promise I'm not giving him whiplash, he just sleeps lopsided.

 
Much love from the Rockies!

babies!

The last weekend in Omaha was filled with kiddos and babies - so much fun! And tiring. I don't know how you guys do it full-time!

Cutie-Pie Eli

Mr. Mason burning off some energy before his baptism.  

 Beautiful church!

I'm so fortunate to be this little munchkin's Godmother! Thank you guys so much for asking me - I'm truly blessed to be a part of his life in this special way. Love you! 

Nebraska Trip #2

Less than 24 hours in and I've been to Ella's soccer game, went to an art show, took many, many rides on the golf cart courtesy of Alex (yes, the 6-year old drives the golf cart. And he intentionally drives under branches to make you duck!) and cuddled my newest nugget of  nephew, Eli. Man, does he have CHEEKS! Currently watching the Husker game, eating some stellar Zoucha chili, and watching Alex continue to fly past the window on the golf cart. Excited to see my B tonight and Katie and Mr. Mason (and family) tomorrow!

The saga of the selectively mutated and mentally blind

So I'd been looking forward to this Australia reunion for months now, but there was a little part in my mind that nagged, "It's not going to be the same." After all, it has been 8 years since Australia and 4 years since we'd seen each other and things change. Lives go different directions, people's priorities change... it couldn't be the same, could it? I'm happy to report my nagging mind was wrong. It was Exactly. The. Same. (Less a few Australian boys and plus a few years' wisdom, thank goodness.) Four days of reminiscing and it felt like we never left! And Mom and Dad got a more, ummmmm, enlightened view of my time overseas. These girls are what made my time in Australia so wonderful...

Miss Mol. Living in Seattle, and while she was in Nebraska she became an "Oscar" fan. (Um Mol, are you sure he didn't ask you if you were a Husker fan?!)

Danielle, AKA Peanut AKA Jersey. Shown here sharing her ice cream cone with her new found friend, Fred, the turkey decoy that lives in the lake house Suburban. 

Sarah (on the right) lives in South Carolina, and spent the weekend not changing diapers for her two kiddos and instead repeatedly schooled all of us in Uno Attack. 

Mel, living in Toronto, discovered the newest decoration she must add to her home. Deer-butt-turned-owl-face, as displayed at CJ's.

And Katie, living in Minnesota and shown here in some yoga move, ate about 1 gallon of Mom's fresh salsa. Per day. 

At the abandoned ski resort... we're going to buy it, we've decided. Any investors? 

The view from atop the abandoned ski lift pole! Yoo halloooo!

Will this hold us??" "Jump on and let's find out" (Molly had yet to join us for this portion... we'll photoshop her in later!)

Gourmet appetizer platter at the Lindy Country Club. Greasealiscious

Hoppin' town of Lindy, NE. Population: 14. I think they rounded up.

 Chilly weather didn't keep us off the water! Feast your eyes on "happy baby" yoga pose on the tube. Excellent form, ladies. 

Aaaaand here come the duck fart shots!

A group picture with the singer of the awesome band. We walked into the bar and they started playing "I come from a land down under". Seriously! Couldn't have been more perfect! We ran into the lead singer after the bar closed in the bathroom line. You can sense here what a classy joint CJ's is :)

Group photo before heading home. We love Canberra!

We all ate too much, drank too much wine, and laughed way too long into the night. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I truly had such such such a great time with these ladies! And I owe it all to AustraLearn. Wait...what's that? Oh okay fine, AustraLearn AND Dad :)

Look out Toronto - we're heading your way in 2013!!

ZBB

Not every band would be worth sitting in the rain for 5 hours... Zac Brown Band at Red Rocks? Totally worth it!

 Carrissa and Alissa... coworkers and fellow country fans!

Possibly my favorite ZBB song - and my life's mantra :)

(Aus reunion pictures to come...stay tuned)