Breckenridge Beauty!

One of the perks of living in the land of the lovely Rocky Mountains is that it takes only an hour or two to drive to a cabin with a breathtaking view of God's glorious creation for a weekend trip in the woods.  That's what we and three other couples did last month to get away from it all and relax mountain style:-)

Here was our view:

 Looking out the back windows down on the valley of Breckenridge below.

To the left of our back deck, the view of the ski slopes preparing for the season's first run was incredible!

 More ski slopes!

Good morning, Rockies.

While we were up there, we enjoyed leisurely mornings with good coffee (hot chocolate for the two pregnant chicks!), great conversation, and many pauses for photo ops!

The Photographers:

 Andy uses the tripod to try and stabilize his camera for catching the early morning sunlight cresting the snow capped tips of the Rocky Mountains.

 Blake goes for an artsy shot looking out through the back windows, silhouetting and framing the mountains like so:

Jon and Andy enjoy the view.

Oh Sarah... :-)

On Saturday we took a trip into town to do some shopping and of course eating!

Naturally, we had to stop in the crazy hat shop:

 It's a good look for you, Blake.

Why the long face, Andy?

Someone's looking FABULOUS! ;-D

The first night we stopped by the Breckenridge Brewery for some tasty burgers and fries (and ales for some!) and the second night we all pitched in to make a delicious spaghetti supper in the house.  It was a great time of friends, food, fellowship, Die Hard, and fun with some great people!  Until next year...

The Breck crew!

A wedding in Williamsburg!

The first time I met Kristin was freshman year of college, on a hot and humid day in August.  Upon first arriving at our dorm, all 20-some freshman girls gathered in the commons area with our RA to do a little meet-n-greet.  Little did we know it would be one of MANY meet-n-greets that we would encounter during Freshman Orientation.  (Some of them were sillier than others!)  For this first round, we were instructed to give our name and pick a word that describes us that starts with the same first letter as our name.  Then, we went around the circle and had to remember everyone's word and name.  I was "Just Joy!" drawing from "Just Jack" in the show Will & Grace.  Kristin was "Kind Kristin."  I honestly don't remember anyone else's words, but I do remember thinking to myself, That Kristin seems like she'd be a pretty cool friend.  Boy was I right!

From the Spotswood "ghetto" as we lovingly called our cinder-block-walled freshman dorm to the much nicer Brown all-girls dorm, Kristin and I did become fast friends.  Freshman year we were part of the gym crowd that would work hard to avoid those freshman fifteen!  That summer we traveled up to NYC together to be in the audience of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and vacation on Long Island with Kristin's family.  We then roomed together in Brown sophomore year with two of our other freshman hallmates.  Memories were made involving our favorite local Italian restaurant Sal's by Victor, long walks on "DOG" street, free cone days at Ben & Jerry's, trips to VA Beach, and many other fun excursions.  Kristin is a very talented handbell ringer and when I mentioned my aunt was Cynthia Dobrinski, she flipped out.  Apparently, my aunt is a pretty famous composer in the handbell world!

When Kristin joined the W&M choir, our paths crossed even more and we were lucky enough to travel to Scandinavia together for a three week musical tour the summer before our senior year!  Yes, you could pretty much say that I couldn't think of or talk about college without including stories of Kristin and the fun times we had together:-)  So it is no surprise that I was thrilled to reconnect with this dear friend when Andy and I moved back to VA a couple of years ago for our TDY adventure.  Kristin is into pharmacy and has been in a leadership training program up in MD for the past few years when she's not doling out pills.  It was so fun hanging out with Kristin again and she and Andy instantly got along with their great senses of humor:-D

Halloween weekend of this year a couple of weeks ago, Andy and I were honored to come back to Williamsburg for Kristin's beautiful wedding!  I made for a rather rotund bridesmaid, but the other ladies made me feel like I looked beautiful anyway:-)  Knowing Kristin to be the gorgeously stylish woman that she is, I knew this wedding would be an affair to remember and boy was I right!  Since I was in the wedding, I didn't have my camera accessible for much of it, but here are some key photos from that special weekend:

 The happy couple find time to smooch during the rehearsal dinner at Sal's!

(Note the random accordion player behind them.)

 William & Mary represent!

 One of the bridesmaid's daughter was the adorable flower girl.  

She did not shy away from attention!

 Beautiful sisters!

 What a gorgeous cathedral-length veil!  

The rhinestones and beading on the edge perfectly matched K's gown.

 Look at that gorgeous bride!!

 Are you ready??? :-)

 I love this photo which includes our bridal bouquet.  

Stunning!

 Andy cleans up well, don't you think? :-)

 Do you recognize this baby bumping bridesmaid??

Thanks to Andy and his mom for helping me get into this non-maternity dress - youch!

 Here's to us!  We're married!

 Good college friend Marc and his lovely wife Kim drove down from Pittsburgh!

We're tired but so happy we could be here for this beautiful affair.

Kristin and David, I wish you all the best this life has to offer in your new adventure of marriage together.  You looked so happy and fulfilled on your wedding day and I hope that love only blossoms and deepens as the years go on.  Love you both!

Williamsburg, VA ~ An Insider's Guide

My first experience in Williamsburg, VA was as a child and I remember feeling bored and wondering what all the hoopla was over the colonial streets and tri-cornered hats.  Little did I realize that later I would spend four years there as a student at the College of William & Mary!  (In 2007 it also became a romantic place for Andy and me as we got engaged there just outside the Bruton Parish Church.)  I came to know, appreciate, and love this little colonial hamlet as a student and I now I relish every opportunity Andy and I have to walk its cobblestone streets.

The Fife and Drum Corps!

A little history about the Fife and Drum Corps:  "Fifers and Drummers were an important part of the 18th-century military.  Just as Virginia enlisted soldiers and stockpiled arms and ammunition, it also trained fifers and drummers to work with soldiers in the field.   In the 18th century, fifers and drummers tended to be boys ages 10 to 18.  Today, in the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg, members of the Fifes and Drums are boys and girls ages 10 to 18." (see link for more info)

Walking the streets of Williamsburg, watch out for horse manure!

The following are not my pictures, but are lovely depictions of this quaint, historic town:

The last weekend in October, we had just such the privilege of visiting W'burg for we were in town for the wedding of one of my college roommates.  Autumn in Williamsburg is splendid!  The leaves are all crimson, orange, and gold.  The air is crisp and cool with scents of apple cider, coffee, and peanut soup wafting along "DOG" street.  Chimney smoke rises from the taverns down near the capital building.  And best of all, you don't have to deal with any bloody humidity! :-)

Again, not my pictures but I wanted to show you the leaves!

As a student, there are certain things you learn about Williamsburg:  insider's tips, if you will.  These tips include avoiding parking tickets (good luck!), where to eat, and where to find the best ghost stories in this historic town.  I'll share a few of these with you here, in case you ever find yourself on the east coast looking for some colonial American history.

PARKING
Avoiding parking tickets is a challenge in Colonial Williamsburg for if you happen to chance upon a prized parking spot, you will see a sign that reads "2 Hour Parking Only" and those meter maids are ticket happy!  It is now easier to avoid having to move your car every hour or two as there is a lovely parking garage just a block off the main drag (at Prince George and N Henry St) that charges $1 an hour or a maximum of $8 per day.  Suck it up and park here if you're visiting for the day.  Then, you won't have to worry about running from the meter maids.

EATING
Eating in Williamsburg is a pleasure.  You have the options of traditional Colonial American fare (think taverns with peanut soup and fresh game hen), modern restaurants like Seasons Restaurant (great Sunday brunch option, too!) and The Trellis Restaurant (the perfect date spot where they wrap up your leftovers in a beautiful aluminum foil swan!), and tasty bites from the local Cheese Shop, Aromas, or the Wythe Candy store.

Taverns abound in Williamsburg, but one of my favorites is the King's Arms Tavern.  Located on "Dog" (Duke of Gloucester) Street, the King's Arms offers traditional Colonial American food in the cozy atmosphere of preserved history.  No matter what you order, be sure to start your meal with peanut soup.  Virginia is famous for her peanuts and grows the largest variety of peanuts in the world!  (Read more about the peanut's journey to Virginia.)  So, before leaving Williamsburg be sure to stop by The Peanut Shop and pick up a can of peanuts (choose from many varieties - all with samples for you to enjoy while you decide) to take home.  They make wonderful host/hostess gifts!

The Cheese Shop is another local Williamsburg favorite.  They make fabulous sandwiches and sell delectable cheese, wine, and more.  My favorite is their tuna salad sandwich with provolone cheese!  What W&M students know and love about The Cheese Shop is their house dressing.  Made up of horseradish, mustard, and other seasonings, house dressing tastes good on any sandwich.  What us cheap college students love about it is that for $2.50 you can get a bag of bread ends (discarded bread ends swept up in a bag) and a small side of house dressing to easily feed two.  Andy and I enjoyed just such a snack on our recent visit to W'burg.  YUM!  

 

The Cheese Shop was recently remodeled and expanded.

Wythe Candy & Gourmet Shop is Candyland for children and grown-ups alike!  Step into their front door and smells of chocolate truffles and candy apples welcome you.  Here you may find any kind of chocolate dipped goodness and truffle filled magic.  Perhaps the best of them all, though, is the Wythe candy apple.  A visit to Williamsburg would not be complete without sampling your choice of these chocolate, caramel, gooey, fruity treats.  Wanting to add something special to that host/hostess gift of Virginia peanuts?  Why not pair a fresh candy apple to the mix?  It's a treat all are sure to love.

Broncos Game at Invesco!

So it all began a month ago when Andy and I were talking about fun things to do BB (Before Brady gets here!) and one of us mentioned going to see the Broncos play downtown.  I'd never been to a professional football game before and told Andy I'd love for us to go sometime.  Within the week he called me from work with tickets to the Broncos - Oakland game.  So exciting!

The day started off beautifully.  The air was crisp and clear.  The leaves were changing in the trees -- brilliant hues of gold, orange, and red set against the autumn grey sky.  The day was filled with promise.  Andy pulled out his two Broncos jerseys (one to fit over my baby bump!) and we packed long sleeve shirts and a blanket to take with us in case the weather cooled.

After a short ride on the Light Rail to the Invesco station and a looong walk through shouting vendors and make-shift booths selling (what my favorite vendor yelled) "slightly less expensive overpriced crap," we arrived at the stadium.

We walked around (and around!) the front sidewalk until arriving at Gate 4 where we were told to go find our seats.  MAN were they great seats!  Section 112 Row 15!  That's just fifteen yards off the field right at the corner of the end zone; luckily on the Broncos side of the field, too!  We were there in time to watch the players warming up and could pick out Coach McDaniels, Quarterbacks Orton, Tebow, and Quinn (so cute!) from our seats.  This was really cool.

Things started with a cute "junior cheerleader" routine from 600 local girls dancing with the Broncos Cheerleaders, while people on the sidelines blew up the inflatable Bronco surrounding the Broncos entrance to the field and made ready the smoke machines.

Next, they freaked me out by announcing four skydivers who spiraled and soared onto the field (and nearly killed themselves... okay not really, but I was paranoid for their safety!) trying to land on specially colored rings as a contest.

Then, the Broncos were announced and all came rushing in to smoke, fireworks, and fanfare...

The coin was tossed.  The game began.

Our faces dropped

...as the Broncos let the Raiders score three touchdowns and a field goal within the first quarter.  Ouch!  Again and again and again, the Broncos fumbled at catching the ball, slipped and slid on the grass instead of making the tackle, and allowed the Raiders to march down the field to score far too many points for one game.  It was a sad, sad state of affairs for Broncos team members and fans alike.  Kyle Orton was not at his best, but remained in the game as the Broncos quarterback.  Fans in the stands started chanting, "We want Tebow!" to no avail.  The few Oakland fans scattered throughout the stadium stood and whooped and cheered time and time again.  The beer guy ran up and down the stairs of the stadium selling Budweisers and Coors to sulking Broncos fans who resorted to drowning their sorrows while they watched the rather abysmal game unfold.

After the first quarter, the Raiders were up 24-0.  That's 3 touchdowns and a field goal to no defense.  By the end of the second quarter, Oakland had scored two more touchdowns to Denver's one, making the score OAK 38 - DEN 7.  The stadium nearly emptied at halftime as Broncos fans rushed to the food and drink stands for distraction.  When third quarter started, I was somewhat hopeful as Denver pulled out an early touchdown.  I thought, "All right Broncos!  Now you're playing football!"  Then, they let the Raiders score 3 more touchdowns.  People around us started packing up and leaving, without wanting to stick around for another quarter of this massacre.  At point I said to Andy, "The only defense our team has are the 5-10 yard penalties called against the Raiders by the refs!"  Sheesh!

With a final score of 59-14, Oakland marched off the field proudly while Denver licked its wounds, falling to 2-5 for the season.

Today, the Denver Broncos website quotes Head Coach McDaniels as saying that the game was "uncompetitive" to say the least.  "It's not good enough -- it's not even close to good enough," McDaniels said. "I apologize to (Owner) Pat (Bowlen) and the organization, all the fans and everyone else. It was awful."

Despite the devastating game, I at least can say that I had a wonderful time at the "Mile High" Stadium.  Just being there, so close to the field and the game, a part of the crowd and the cheers (and many boos) was exhilarating.  And I can't help but hope that there is still some small ray of victorious light yet to come for this struggling Broncos team...