Breckenridge or Bust!

Our Thursday Night dinner group decided we needed a vacation. So we booked this BEAUTIFUL house in Breckenridge CO, left all our kiddos with the grandparents and headed out for a whole week! It. Was. Glorious. 

I wanted to fit the whole trip in one post, so it's a bit long and mostly pictures :)

Had wondrous plans of getting out of town at the crack of dawn....but the dawn cracked and we were still in Omaha....because Bill & I are chronically late. We spent the morning's drive listening to music, watching movies, doing trivia questions over the walkie talkies. 

Filled up for gas and Bill had a hot dog and Mountain Dew. At 8:30 in the morning. Gross.

Stopped for lunch in a random town.

We arrived!! The house was just beautiful and we had just TONS of room to spread out and enjoy ourselves.....room for 24, hot tub, theater room, game room....the whole deal.

Ventured into town to scout the place out. Tried some local fare from a food truck.

Hit up a pizza place for dinner. Shot some pool.

It was D-lish!

Spent a good part of the next day in town. Window shopping, Farmer's Market and had lunch at a place with a beautiful view.

The golfing.....oh the golfing......only a handful of us had ever golfed before, but what better place to try it out than a breathtaking course in Colorado?!? We had the best time. Like the best time ever. EVER. First time golfers, five golf carts, ten friends, and some booze. What happens on the golf course.....stays on the golf course!

Bright and early the next morning we loaded up for white water rafting!

Me and Billsie! Isn't he handsome?? :)

This was another activity that most of us had never done but totally loved it! It was a class 5 and I'm happy to say that none of us fell out or peed in our wet suits. Success. 

After hours of rafting, we were treated to a chicken fajita lunch!

One of the things our group loves the most is playing games. 'Cards Against Humanity' is one of our faves. 

If you haven't played it, go out and buy it. It's just hilarious.

Nothing better than the guys offering to do dinner! (AND clean up!)

Thanks boys!

Evenings around the campfire.

Random games of chess here and there.

Decided to ride our bikes down Vail Pass.

Looking pretty confident in ourselves.....mind you that Melody and I did get the reprimand of our lives after getting caught going potty behind a tree. The bathrooms were closed for goodness sake! What did they expect us to do?!? It was one of those moments where you get caught with your pants down-literally. It just wouldn't end. The lady just kept scolding us and scolding us.....talk about embarrassing, geesh. 

It looked like rain and everyone made fun of me, but I made a little poncho out of a garbage bag. And who was laughing at the bottom of the mountain when they were all soaking wet? This girl.

As most of your know, cliff diving is one of Bill's favorite things to do. We found a spot and off the side they went! 

I was a chicken and didn't do it. Diving off a 60 ft. cliff? Count me out.

But it sure was a beautiful spot!

Not too far away were the hot springs. There were over 25 different pools ranging in temperature from 85 to 112. It felt sooo good but we all stank to high heaven afterwards. Sulfer.....mmmmmm.

Quick dinner after the springs.....some of the group left early because Liz (she lives with us) had bruised her backside pretty good from cliff diving....

Ouch.

Everyone made fun of me because I love to do puzzles....but by the end of the week, everyone was hooked!

One of the nights we got all dressed up and went to dinner. The food was absolutely aaaaaaaamazing. 

The company wasn't bad either :)

Someone had the brilliant idea of stopping by the Absinthe bar on the way home. It tasted like gasoline and was really expensive.....oh well! You only live once!

 James suggested we all go on a hike. Now when I think 'hike' I imagine through the woods, on a path stopping at beautiful look out spots.....

This was no leisurely hike. Good Lord we all nearly died of cardiac arrest. These shots are about an hour in as we are clearing the tree line. It was a 6 mile hike 14,000 ft up! Now take into account the air is MUCH different up there in Colorado than everywhere else. Towards the top, we were literally taking 30 steps and stopping to catch our breath. It was GRUESOME! 

But we made it! Phew!

The view was magnificent!

We closed out the week with a trivia game that our friend John organized. Prior to the trip we had all filled out a l-o-n-g list of things about ourselves that no one else knew and he turned it into an AWESOME game! We each told one bombshell about ourselves too.....we are all a lot closer now! LOL 

The group (minus two who decided to sleep in).

It was a week to remember. We have been friends for over seven years, see each other every week, were there for each other's weddings, been through thick and thin, added over ten kids to the mix and have grown closer than family. 

We love you guys.

Brazil: Part 2

Who knew that dominoes could be so much fun!

Bath time at Nana Jane's!

Embu-the name is very familiar to anyone who lived in Brazil. It's this little artsy town right outside the city that everyone goes to when looking for handmade things. My good friend Cindy (it's weird saying that because she started out as my third grade teacher and neighbor and now that I've aged a bit, she's gone from 'Mrs. Rast' to just 'Cindy'. It's better this way!) Anyway, Cindy and I went and spent the day doing some shopping and enjoying the misty weather :)

There is this one spot that we have taken a picture at every time that we go. 

For some reason I can't find the one we took in 2009....but here are the rest!

Disclaimer: I was pregnant in the 2011 picture-not just fat!

We had lunch at a little place on the corner and this little dog was quite excited about how messy Raylan was when he ate. 

Crumbs for everyone!

Me.

Raylan and I went to the mall on our own one morning. Just us two.

Coffee and Pao de Queijo.

Brazil: Part 1

As most of you know, my mom was diagnosed with stage two cancer a few months ago and has undergone surgery. She will be beginning treatment as soon as she has completely healed. We were all quite shocked that she would end her time in Brazil like this, but God knows what he's doing!! Before any of this had happened, we had planned that Raylan and I would come down for a short visit and that my mom would move back to the US with us. Well, obviously plans changed because of her health but we went on our trip anyways!

I was a bit nervous about traveling alone with Raylan, but he was a CHAMP! Our first flight to Chicago, he just stood on my lap and opened and shut the window shade the ENTIRE time. Literally the entire time. 

Wish this was a beautiful silhouette of me with our plane in the background. But it's not. Just some random woman.

Raylan crawling around before we board the flight to Brazil.

When they saw that I was traveling with a child, they moved me up to sit by the bulkhead, which made sleeping arrangements so much easier. The flight attendants made him this little bed out of like ten blankets and he slept right on the floor! 

He was like the prince and the pea!

We woke up in a terrific mood!

Watching a bit of morning TV before we landed. 

It was so great to see my mom and be back to my old stomping grounds again. I grew up on the PACA campus and every time I go back things feel the exact same but totally different as well. Raylan loved playing on the pre-school play ground.

On  Saturday evening the school hosted a wonderful reception for my mom to commemorate her forty years of service! There were TONS of people there for the reception and ceremony! They had a worship time, a video of people thanking her and then of course time for people to share stories and thank her. 

At the end of the year assembly she had received many different awards-teacher of the year, epcial recognition from ACSI ect...because she is the BEST obviously! The faculty, staff and student body were all represented on this gorgeous quilt that they made for her too! It was a wonderful evening to celebrate her and all that she has accomplished in Brazil!

Sunday was like stepping back in time and doing exactly what we did every week growing up. Coffee at Santa Marcelina. Church. Lunch at Calhandras. Back to Santa Marcelina for coffee and dessert. Perfection. 

Oranges, anyone?

More to come on the rest of our trip!

Raylan's Burrfday!

I know it's been like a month since Raylan turned one, but he must take after me because he drew out his festivities well into the next month! We invited close friends and family over to grill out and celebrate the wonderful year we've had with Raylan!

The amount of growth and development that happens the first year is astounding. It seems like just yesterday,  Raylan was this teeny tiny helpless bundle that would just cuddle for hours....and 365+ days later, he's this rascally tornado that you just want to eat because he's that cute. 

The week leading up to the party was rainy, windy, gloomy and just blahhhh. But the day of the party was just perfect! We had wanted to be outside and it was sunny and warm-BIG sigh of relief! 

How stinkin' cute are these cupcakes? My mother-in-law always makes the boy's birthday cakes and they are always fabulous! I don't know what shy puts in her frosting, but man-oh-man people just can't get enough of it! 

He was more interested in eating this plastic spoon that he was in the candle and cupcake!

One of Raylan's gifts really made me chuckle. My friend Stephanie had asked what Raylan was really into these days because she needed a gift idea. I had joked that he really loved getting into the toilet paper in the bathroom. So low and behold, she got him a box, filled with tissue paper (his other favorite) and his very own roll of T.P.! Excellent. 

We tried to high tail it through the gifts, because let's be honest-who really likes to watch a one year old 'open' gifts? You sit there for God knows how long while the kid stares at the wrapped box, while the parents sit there with huge expectant grins on their faces, going "Open it up! Open it up!" and we are all thinking the same thing, They have nooo idea how to open that thing just DO IT! 

Don't you just wanna eat him?!?

I was pretty surprised at how long that mustache stayed on his face! 

We are so so so blessed that God picked us to be Raylan's parents and I just hope that we treasure every minute of it. It is our prayer that your mind be filled with pure thoughts, your eyes focused on worthy goals, your ears attentive to HIS voice, and your mouth speaking truth. We pray most of all that you will have a heart for Jesus and his word. 

We love you Raylan, forever and always, no matter what!