Revive, Refresh, Restore, and Renew

Revive, Refresh, Restore and Renew: the four R’s of my life as I embark on our new lifestyle of being at home full-time.  It has been a bit of adjustment as I try to manage a summer schedule of 6 people.  I literally returned to a home that hadn’t been fully addressed in 3 years while I was consumed with my work outside of our home.  Believe me when I say it was kind of scary so we have been in a recovery mode in order to have a fresh start to our new way of life.  The chaos and dirt has created an overwhelming desire to restore my house to a more functional living space and I have been bound and determined to get these projects done before school begins however, I have been reminded of my purpose to build memories with my kids that will last long after I am gone and have thought well, maybe all of the Pinterest inspired organization projects can wait until my kiddos are spending their days in school and  I have time alone. So rather than tackling the storage closet in the basement that desperately needs a good dose of purging or a garage that should have the same, we will hit the pool, take some bike rides, see some movies and just soak in summer life for it will be gone way too soon.

This whole attitude of recovering and restoring my home to what it once was has reminded me of a more personal journey of reviving, refreshing, restoring and renewing my life in a deeper sense.  As the school year drew to an end during the last week of May, I found myself in great need of resuscitation.  I was physically, mentally and emotional drained and I looked and felt as if I been hit by a truck.   The previous 6 months had literally sucked the life out of me and as I boarded a plane heading to Florida with my 4 kiddos I desperately needed some life support.  As I think about that plane ride, I am amazed that I managed the flight without major complications.  Arriving to the warm sunshine of the place I used to call home was like the CPR for my mind, body and soul and upon feeling the embrace of my mom, dad and sister, I could feel the life returning to me within minutes of arriving.  It is truly amazing to know how the love of family can revitalize the weariness.  For 12 days I soaked in some of this 

 

 

 

and this

but most of all this

 

There is nothing more soothing to the a weary heart to see the sweet faces of your children light up with a joy that cannot be captured in words….happiness that overflows from feeling loved and adored by those who treasure your very presence. Who feel as though every second with you is a treasure to behold and to simply do nothing other than bask in the beauty of being together! To say that I needed those 12 days is a huge understatement.  It wasn’t a grand and lavish vacation but simple moments of  peace soaking in what is important in life and it was just what I needed to revive all parts of me.

The end of our visit came much too soon and we all longed for more time with our family but  the vacation had to end…much like when you are drawing to the end of a relaxing massage and your body begs for more yet you know it has to end and you have to return to the real world.  And so with heavy hearts I gathered up my pack and we journeyed home.  Revived but needing more refreshment and wondering if I could manage it once I returned to CO.    I was reminded of the 23^rd Psalm during a morning devotion while in Florida and found myself soaking in the words of the MSG version.  “You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.  True to your word you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.”  Oh how do we all need from time to time, a rest in the lush meadows of life, a drink from quiet pools.  Having a chance to catch our breath so that we can hear God sending us in the right direction.

I find myself still in a state of needing refreshment.  Trying to find quiet moments to drink in the goodness of the Lord.  I have been overwhelmed with this sense knowing that my Lord wants to envelope me in the peace of His embrace that breathes life into me much like the hugs of my mom and dad did on the day of my arrival in FL. I literally didn't have the time for this when I was trying to manage a 50 hour a week job along with a house, 4 kids and everything else that life threw at me but now the question is will I take the time to rest in His embrace feeling the fullness of His love and desire to let me “catch my breath”

I have a glimpse of restoration and ultimately renewal of all those things that have been absent from my life.  It may take time to re-learn and re-establish a new way of life and recover my mind (which according to Joshua has been lost at Target), my spirit and my body but I am excited for the first time in a very long while at what the future holds for me as a wife, mommy but more importantly as a child of God. 

I fully realize having left the comforts of my life as a stay at home wife and mom for a period of time that there are so many incredible women juggling the balls of life right now, wearing way too many hats and feeling frustrated, alone and desperately needing to “sit for a spell”, as my grandmother would say.    I pray today that if you somehow have stumbled upon this post and your body and soul are weary that you will find a moment in the day to sit.  It doesn’t have to be in a porch swing with a big glass of sweet tea although if you are able to manage that I sure do envy you but just take a few minutes to catch your breath, drink from some quiet pools and visit with the God who made you.

 

Reflections and a Beloved Starbucks Coffee Mug

Have you ever found yourself in a season of life where you feel like you are standing on the platform deck of a high speed train trying to get on but you just can’t seem to figure out how to stop the train long enough to catch a ride?  Or perhaps you wake up one morning, take a long look in the mirror and realize that the person staring back at you is not someone you really know at all?  How do we lose ourselves in the ocean of life, how can we force the train to stop so that we actually get on and soak in the beauty of the ride?

We find ourselves at this point in life sometimes for a specific reason and at other times accidentally and not of our choosing.  Perhaps we made choices which landed us on the platform unable to get on maybe a crisis forced us to get off the train and it sped up and it was just too difficult to get back on.  But what if these two word pictures collide in the reality of life.  That is where I have found myself recently.  A few months ago the train of my life was traveling much faster than I could keep up and I woke one very cold and windy morning at my usual 5:00 am, after a shower and a strong cup of coffee I glanced in the mirror and realized I didn’t quite recognize the woman in the mirror.  Where did “I” go? Had the circumstances of life shattered the person who was so familiar to me?  Somehow I felt my beloved self was still within me; she just had become buried in the rubble of all the popping of being stretched in too many directions. 

I was reminded of this reality a week ago as I walked through the ashes of what was once the home of a good friend of Mike’s.  Fires raged once again through our community a few weeks ago but unlike last year this fire was far more destructive and much closer to our home.  Over 500 homes were lost and as we drove through what was once a lush and beautiful forest to arrive at Mike’s friends’ home last week we were in utter shock at the loss.  Standing in the rubble of everything that this couple owned which was now reduced to a literal pile of ashes, I listened and watched as they pointed out the remains of a dishwasher, or a few items of pottery that has survived.  They recovered gears of a mountain bike and a few other insignificant items however, everything they owned was gone including a “beloved Starbucks mug”.  Any coffee drinker knows that a good mug is like a loyal hound dog….well-seasoned to welcome you every morning.  It fits perfectly in your hand and somehow an extension of it's owner and so I understood to well the longing that Sid had to sift through the ashes with the hopes of locating his mug.  It hasn’t been found but as I have pondered this lost mug I thought about myself.   Sometimes we have fires in our lives.  Fires of many different origins and many different degrees but they all char us in some way.  For me, the fire has been kind of like a burning ember that would flare when the winds of life blew hard and in the midst and “I” much like Mikes friends’ beloved Starbucks mug got lost in the charred debris left behind.  When the fires raged I didn't have the time nor the mental energy to attempt to put out the fires or even discover the cause, I am ashamed to say that I simply just tried to evacuate until they somehow were reduced to smolders again. 

I have great hopes of finding the lost remnants of “Nichole” as I return to the loves of my life….my husband, my children and my home.  I have said goodbye to the job that took me away from those loves in order to reinvest in that which I know is my “true purpose”.  In Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, he states “Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.  It defines what you do and what you don’t do.  It is impossible to do everything people want you to do.  You have just enough time to do God’s will.  If you can’t get it all done, it means you’re trying to do more than God intended for you to do.  Purpose driven living leads to a simpler lifestyle and a saner schedule.”  Oh, how I am looking forward to a simpler lifestyle with the time and brain capacity to exploring every facet my true purpose while building beautiful memories that my children will treasure long after I am gone.  And along the way, I hope to recover the beloved mug of me and recognize that reflection of the woman in the mirror.

The Shelter in the Storm

Oh “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” seems the story of my life these days especially when it comes keeping my blog up to date. I am constantly thinking that I will take the time to do a big catch up but somehow get distracted by the in’s and out’s as well as the to do’s of everyday life. So since today is the first day of our Spring Break and you would never believe it by looking out the window, I decided to take a moment of this cold and snowy 25^rd day of March to pop on and say hello. As the cold winds blew this weekend I found myself dreaming of some warm ocean breezes. There are many things I love about Colorado, one of which is this amazing view which I soak in every day of my life

 

 

but I will have to say that around this time of year there are many more things that I dislike about Colorado living, one of which is spending Spring Break snowed in. Somehow it just seems wrong to even call it Spring Break. In fact our Emily announced today that it should be called Winter Break and I couldn’t agree more. So for those of you basking in a warm day, enjoy some for me.

Since my last post honoring my sweet sis on her birthday, we have embarked on a new school year, welcomed my family to Colorado for one of the best Thanksgivings ever, started new jobs, transitioned into new positions, made new friends while also walking through some really difficult times as a family. Life’s circumstances can sometimes dish out some really tough stuff and we have had quite the serving of hard times over the past couple of months. Situations that have been so difficult to process and work through while testing the strength of our family and faith. There are times when you just cannot fathom why you find yourself in the midst of a raging storm.  It is our human nature to become anxious, and scared when we are faced unknown circumstances.  But during that storm we can hear God saying, "I am with you, and I always will be.  I know life is hard.  So I provide relationships that refresh and sustain truths a that enable you to persevere and keep hoping, and My Spirit to guide and strengthen you.  And I Myself am always here for you."    We know that God IS our protector and that He is full of promises to be our Shelter, the cleft in the rock.  He will not just give us shelter but he IS our Shelter.

I lift my eyes to the hills....where does my help come from:

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip...he who watches over you will not slumber, indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you, the Lord is your shade at your right hand, the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life

The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

And so in the midst of this storm we as a family find a place of rest, comfort and hope in the Shelter of our Lord.

 

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

Yesterday, my sister celebrated one of those "milestone" birthdays.  I won't say which one because as we all know once we hit 29 we are 29 forever.  Nevertheless, I thought of her all day giving thanks that God brought her in my life. God made us sisters but life made us best friends!  Our lives have always been so intertwined in that there were many times we were just extensions of each other.  Time and physical distance have created separation that is a constant reminder of how much I miss her and my heart aches to know that yet another birthday has passed without me being able to celebrate with her.  We haven't seen each other in 2 years and given that she is a busy stay at home wife and mom of three very active kiddos and I live a life with a full time job, 4 kiddos and a stay at home husband, we just don't even get a moment to catch up on the phone and although physical distance keeps us apart our hearts are always connected.....that is the way it is with sisters.  In fact just this week, Emily and Grace were arguing and fussing with each other saying things like, "I wish you weren't my sister" and I had to remind them that one day their relationship would be the most precious one in the world.

So, Happy Birthday to an incredible wife, an amazing mama, and a most wonderful sister!!!!!  I miss and love you beyond words.

Here she is with her beautiful family!

 4 years ago at Cody's Baptism and our last photo together.

Colorado Fires

Having lived in Florida for many years I weathered my share of hurricanes and witnessed first hand the devasting destruction of how powerful weather can be but never in my experience have I seen something as frightening as what we witnessed here in my city yesterday.  Last Saturday morning as the girls and I left the gym I looked out over the parking lot where there is usually a magnificant view of the mountains and saw a large black plume of smoke.  We listened to the radio and discovered that the canyon just behind this ridge was on fire and for three days we stayed tuned to the news praying for rain and for fire fighters to keep the fire from crossing the ridge into neighborhoods on the west side of our City.  The fire fighting seemed to be going well until yesterday when weather conditions provided the perfect opportunity for this fire to cross the ridge and as I left my neighborhood to pick Joshua up from summer school this is what I saw.......

Within, a few hours this was the scene as the fire invaded a neighborhood where Mike and I had seriously considered moving when we were searching for homes in preparation for our move.  In fact the street of the home we looked at was mentioned in news casts and we are certain that it probably was destroyed.  The fire was so powerful that fire fighters were forced to retreat while over 32,000 residents were evacuated within a very short time.  Although we live on the other side of town and far from any danger we still found ourselves scared and in shock as to how quickly one could lose everything  as well as how uncontrollable fire can be.  We awoke in the middle of the night with the smell of smoke in our home even though our windows were shut tight and air conditioning having run all night long knowing just across the highway from our home an entire community was going up in smoke.

We currently have no news as to how many homes have been lost and the weather conditions are favorable for spreading today so we are praying for a mighty God to reach down from Heaven and heal our land.

A shot from the AirForceAcademy Chapel which is about 5 miles west of our home with smoke plumes billowing behind.

Is it Summer?

Well, it is summertime but I will have to say that the living is not exactly easy. In fact I sat in my office one day last week after having just traveled over 60 miles in one morning dropping 4 kids at their camps and activities, with an inbox full of emails from some pretty impatient and demanding parents and dreamed of this……

Ahh, to sit on the beach with a warm breeze blowing listening to the soft sounds of waves crashing against the sand.  Then the phone rang, jolting me back into the reality of my life.  A life that is now characterized by chaos and stress.  I honestly believe that somewhere along this path I have been walking, my mind was lost and I do wonder if it will ever be found.  Just in the past couple of days I have brewed at least 2 maybe 3 cups of coffee in my Keurig only to discover coffee pouring down my kitchen counter for lack of a cup.  I drove out of the driveway the other morning without a child, ran a stop sign, tried to make a bank deposit at the dry cleaners all the while leaving the house every day not remembering whether I brushed my teeth or not.  The stretching that has occurred over the past 1 ½ years has caused me to become frayed, not at all like what I used to be.  I lose my temper so easily, I am disorganized and unfocused and filled constantly with negativity and fatigue.  I have neglected some of the most important things in my life in exchange for a full-time job working, sometimes 45-50 hours week with the addition of weekends spent working on all the things I couldn’t get done during the week. I am exhausted all the time having poured my time and energy into other people and lacking the energy to make it through a page of a chapter book with my own kids before falling asleep.    I have debated on whether I should just close the blog given that I don’t have the time to devote to keep it current coupled with the fact that we just don’t do much blog-worthy stuff anymore.   I barely even take photos.  I know, not a very pretty picture which is why I really haven’t wanted to blog.  I am a firm believer that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all and I really haven’t had anything uplifting to say recently.  Life certainly hasn’t turned out exactly like I had planned but then sometimes it doesn’t, we are forced to accept things that we can’t change and live with decisions we thought were a good move at the time.  We simply just have to make lemonade out of lemons.  Well, along with my mind my love and ability to pull together culinary treats has vanished amidst the chaos of managing a demanding job, 4 kids, a house, laundry, grocery shopping, errand running and just making sure I am fully dressed (with matching shoes) when I leave the house.  I am hopeful however that with a few weeks of disconnecting from my job that I can at least recover a recipe for some sweet lemonade in life.  It may not happen but I desperately desire to reclaim some order to my house (at least have some clean clothes to wear), re-connect some friendships and family relationships that have been severely neglected and love on my kiddo’s who I know have missed their mommy.  So while this blog post is not filled with beautiful pics of fun summer times of our family, I do hope it may let some mom who may be struggling with life know that she is not alone.

Hoping for some Lemonade!

Sunday Brunch: Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits

This weekend has been filled with yummy food and great fellowship and we are in full preparation mode for Super Bowl so this Sunday we are enjoying something quick and easy for breakfast which is so healthy and satisfying.  I created this last spring after returning from China with more than  I expected.  Being diagnosed and treated for  Giardia left me with chronic tummy troubles so I concocted these yogurt parfaits as a way of bringing some healthy bacteria into my system.  The greek yogurt is so delicious, great for the digestive system and the added flax is very beneficial for many different things.  Flaxseed supports normal functioning of the digestive tract and the fiber, alpha-linolenic acid, protein and SDG lignans found in the flax have heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids while the SDG lignans have antioxidant properties that have positive effects on balancing hormones.  All of which all of us need on a daily basis which is why this is my standard daily breakfast.  Now I typically don't serve it parfait style given that I don't have time to eat breakfast until I settle in at work and may get some teasing from my students if I whipped out my Lenox Crystal while writing tardy passes but it is nice to serve it this way when you are entertaining.  Of course if you aren't a fan of flaxseed you could always substitute granola instead.  So after last weeks sinful Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding, I hope I have redeemed myself with some healthiness.  ENJOY and may you be blessed!

This is my favorite kind of Greek Yogurt, I find it at my local King Soopers as well as Whole Foods

I purchase my flaxseed with dried fruits at Whole Foods.  I use 2 Tablespoons every day.

Voila, Delicious and Healthy!

On the Campaign Trail

Wednesday evening our family had the  pleasure of attending a Rick Santorum Campaign Rally.  It was so much fun and brought back some fond memories of times when we were campaigning for various candidates while living in FL.  Election season was always a time we enjoyed, feeling strongly that as Believers it was our responsibility to contribute in promoting those whom we thought would honor the conservative values if elected.  I had even thought early in our marriage that Mike was destined to serve his country in political office however our lives took a different turn so we were thrilled to once again stand behind a candidate who probably is one of the most genuinely conservative politicians we have ever supported.  We were very impressed with Rick Santorum prior to the rally and were not disappointed after hearing him speak on Wednesday.  Although, the numbers indicate that he won't make it to the Oval Office and we will happily support whoever gets the nomination but whatever the outcome may be in the primaries we are honored and proud of men and women like Rick who remain faithful to their beliefs and stand strongly consistent in them once they arrive to their political offices.

Sunday Brunch: Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

May I begin by saying that there is absolutely nothing healthy about this Sunday Brunch recipe that I prepared for Mike's Mens Group on Saturday.  It is full of sugary carb filled donuts, sugary sweetened condensed milk, fatty butter and a little bit of booze if you like.  Not exactly heart friendly but oh is it good and nice to share with friends when you want to wow them with something wonderfully delicious. I would highly recommend that you prepare this to share because the temptation of having leftovers will certainly sabotage any New Year diet goals.

The recipe is a Paula Deen special and one that reminds me of my college days and our late night drives downtown Birmingham to the Krispy Kreme for a fresh batch of warm doughnuts.  Those were the days, when we could devour late night carbs and fat and simply work them off the next morning with a brisk walk to class.  Ahhhh...to be young again.

I have a few things to share but haven't had a spare moment to post.  We have soaked in some wonderful worship and teaching at our church recently, the kids are staying super busy, we continue to absorb new things about Joshua's medical situation, there are possibly some big changes on the horizon for me personally and our family is looking forward to getting together this weekend with some old and new friends.  Soooo, lots of fun things to post about if I can ever get a chance but in the meantime find an excuse to indulge in some Paula Deen's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.



Ingredients

1 pinch salt
1 9 ounce box raisins
2 Eggs, beaten
2 4.5-oz cans fruit cocktail (undrained)
1 14-oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated)
2 dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts
1 or 2 teaspoon cinnamon

Butter Rum Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 pound box confectioner’s sugar
Rum to taste

Directions

Cube donuts into a large bowl. Pour other ingredients on top of donuts and let soak for a few minutes. Mix all ingredients together until donuts have soaked up the liquid as much as possible.Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour until center has jelled. Top with Butter Rum Sauce.

Butter Rum Sauce:

Melt butter and slowly stir in confectioner’s sugar. Add Rum and heat until bubbly. Pour over each serving of Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.  (In case your like Jack Sparrow and find yourself saying "why is the rum gone"  you can substitute Apple Juice for the rum)

Enjoy and may your week be full of blessings!

Sunday Brunch a day late: Asparagus and Tomato Fritatta

Well, another insane week as come and gone and here we are ready to hit the ground running for another one. Last week was just frustrating in that I felt I started behind and never caught up so yesterday I was still lost in about 20 loads of laundry and the house was a wreck so I worked like a mad woman to try to get caught up. Fortunately my sweet baby girl, Grace who just happens to be a wonderful organizer played "clutter catcher" which made cleaning so much easier. This is where I found her last night when she should have been in bed

organizing our kitchen junk drawer. I just love this girl. I have to take a picture and post the finished product...it is a masterpiece. Anyway, we started our day with a healthy breakfast of Asparagus and Tomato Fritatta. We don't eat out often (way too stressful with the pack) but when we do there are just a couple of restaurants that we enjoy. One is a little breakfast spot that serves this wonderful Mediterranean Frittata. I love it so when I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to try...I wasn't disappointed. It was just as yummy as our beloved breakfast spot and South Beach friendly (yay). So here is the recipe from Kayln's Kitchen. I substituted Reduced Fat Feta for the Havarti and served it with some Aussie Bites from Costo. YUM!

Asparagus and Tomato Frittata

Enjoy and have a blessed week!

19 Years of being "The Mrs."

19 years ago today I said "I Do" to the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life. My wedding day was the most magical day of my life and I love remembering all the special details of a moment in time when I felt like the happiest girl on earth. It was a perfect day and the beginning of a journey that would take me places I never dreamed of going. Destinations in life to which I only arrived because of the man by my side. He is a dreamer, a risk taker and is never afraid of stepping out of the ordinary in an attempt to experience the extraordinary and on January 16th, 1993 he took my hand and has never let go. Holding me tight he has walked happily with me through some of the most joyful times of our lives while carrying me through the fires of pain and then holding me closer than I ever imagined when those fires left us standing in heaps of ashes. Through it all he has been as near as my own heart beat. The walk has not always been easy nor has it been perfect. There have been disagreements, disappointments, and many times when we didn't see eye to eye but our love for each other has never waivered. I am blessed beyond words to share my life with my husband by my side and to know that out of all the people in the world he is mine. And so I celebrate today, the day when I traded my Miss for his Mrs. with an excitement in my heart of knowing I have the rest of my life to love on my man. 

This is probably my favorite wedding photo...I shared more photos of our wedding here.

Reconnecting and Rediscovering

Many years ago when we were just beginning this journey of life as a family, Mike and I participated in a parenting class at our church.  I will never forget the words of the teacher speaking in length about the importance of staying connected as a husband and wife. Something that stuck with me was his encouraging husbands to routinely take their women out of the roles of being mommies and give them opportunities to just be wives.  While this was directed to men there was also an encouragement of us wives in being willing to allow our husbands to do this for us.  At that particular time in our marriage, doing this was somewhat easy.  We only had 2 little boys with 2 set of grandparents eager for every opportunity to spend time with their grandsons giving us many chances to escape the everyday life of mommy and daddy and reconnect as husband and wife.  Fast forward 12 years, and add 2 more kiddos to the mix and a cross country move far away from grandparents and we find ourselves in a very different place.  Those reconnecting times as husband and wife are much more difficult to mine out of the all consuming responsibilities of doing family.  Lysa Terkeurst says it so well in her book, Capture His Heart,

"When we are dating one of the things that makes us so exciting to each other is the new discoveries about each other that we spend time unearthing....All the newness is exhilarating and serves to stoke the fires of romance.  Then you get married, have a couple of kids and suddenly every conversation becomes the Cliff Notes versions.  There is no time for in-depth reviews and new discoveries.  We slip into survival mode and stop discovering all together.  I look at him everyday, sleep with him at night, talk, kiss and even make babies with him yet there is still so much I don't know and sadly what I do know has gotten lost in the shuffle of life.  It helps to think back to those days of dating and resurrect the desire to discover what makes him tick a priority."

When you are a busy mom and dad taking care of a family finding those moments to rediscover each other is down right hard.  It takes energy, effort and time that often isn't readily accessible and we go for weeks, months and years without knowing what lies deep within the hearts of our mates yet this is a vital key in keeping our marriages strong and vibrant not to mention fueling us with what we need to weather the storms that rise within our families.

I am blessed with a husband who has always encouraged me to sneak away with him and enjoy just being his wife but I am embarrassed to admit that I haven't always been a willing party.  I get so consumed in meeting the many needs of our family that I don't believe I can take the time to date and enjoy the love of my life.  This is something that I have vowed to make a priority in my life and after a little get-away he and I just experienced I am even more motivated to take advantage of every opportunity we have to reconnect and rediscover each other.

In an effort to take me out of my encompassing mommy role my man arranged for his sister to fly out and keep the kids over night while we escaped to the mountains. We spent a day soaking in this
  

and each other. It wasn't necessarily a time of discovering new things about each other but rediscovering and enjoying all those things that we already loved.  We shared quite rides up the mountain on the ski lift where we laughed, reminisced and just enjoyed being together.  Giving up the black runs, Mike skied greens and blues with me and patiently waited for his slow skiing wife at the bottom of each run.  We sipped hot cocoa together like dating teenagers and enjoyed a couple of calm meals where we actually finished a sentence.  We talked about our hopes and dreams reminding each other of how precious we are to each other.  Mike even spent an hour checking out the new IKEA store with me and was willing to DVR the Bronco game to prolong our time alone.  It was a blissful 30 hours and something that I hope to repeat as often as we can.