Archive for the 'Life in Longmont' Category

:: nebraska ::

Today we spent 13 hours on the open road…en route from Colorado to Minneapolis for my brother’s wedding. We stopped in Des Moines to crash for the night, and let me just say that sleep will be SO WELCOMED!

Let me also just say that SUMMER + LIVING REAL LIFE = LESS BLOGGING.

At the end of the day, I’ve been crashing onto the couch for some quick online catch up time…but haven’t felt motivated to blog at all. This isn’t an apology or a promise for more blogging…just keepin’ it real. I tend to blog a lot more when life isn’t moving so fast and when the sun goes down at 6pm.

I have a backlog of ideas and drafts of blogs that are half written, but haven’t had the time (because wow, blogging takes a lot of time yo!)…or the energy to complete. I tend to be a perfectionist in all things, so if I don’t have time to write a perfectly well-thought out post, then I won’t post at all.

However, I really like what my friend Olya at Life Inspired said about her new goal in blogging:

I am going to embrace the randomness of our daily life and not be afraid to be random here as well. Because in reality, our life consists of a myriad of random moments that happen throughout the day, every day. Trying to tie them together into one post with some deep meaningful title to go along with it is what often overwhelms me, takes too much time and causes me to not document those things after all.

And in that spirit, here are a few of my favorite moments from the last couple of weeks:

I have received several lovely letters in the mail from treasured friends. I SAVORED their every word and soaked it all in…with a delicious hot beverage in hand.

We had friends over for taco night and we enjoyed a beautiful evening on the patio.

After supper, we listened to some live music in downtown Longmont.

Bella spent 3 days at Sun Pony Ranch for horse camp! She had a BLAST and can’t wait to go back next year.

Shortly after that, she got her cast off! She will still wear a splint for playing for 2 more weeks, but she is enjoying the freedom!

I rode my cruiser and met Natalie on the front porch of Caffe Luna early one morning. It was a really fun time of connection and laughter and I cannot wait to do it again.

We spent time in southern Colorado at Monument Lake…what beauty! God’s creation is truly incredible.

We had a slumber party with our cousins in Castle Rock. A sweet time of fellowship by adults and kiddos alike.

We spent time with Ellen and her family in Lyons for the Outdoor Games. Fun!

Matt and I celebrated 11 years of marriage on June 17! He still makes my heart skip a beat with that killer smile and his sweet sense of humor.

We had some hard days after saying goodbye to Bella’s best friends in the neighborhood…they are moving on July 1, before we return from the wedding. She has spent so much time with them over the last couple of months…up to 6-7 hours a day between the park and in the backyards. It will take some time to adjust…luckily, they just moved an hour away and we plan to see them again!

And lastly…I’ve been hanging out these two amazing daughters of mine who teach me daily what it means to truly live life in the moment. To see beauty in the small things and remain in awe of airplanes and birds in flight. They make me smile. They make me crazy. They are the best gift I’ve ever been given.

And now I must get to bed, so I can be rested for the amazing wedding weekend of family, feasting, and fun!

 

 

Do you remember my friend Ellen? I told you about her awhile ago. We hung out last week in Denver at her place and had a blast. And then she came over again today and we hung out in Lyons with the kiddos at Meadow Park (the most beautiful park EVER). We will definitely be going back. Like tomorrow. Our kids play together splendidly and we plan to get together a lot more in the coming months!

The crew!

Bella surveys the rapids. This park has awesome little “still water” inlets for the kiddos to splash around in and have fun. Of course, the water is ICE cold (because it’s melting off the mountains), but they didn’t seem to mind.

Ellen and Lucy have a moment.

I fell completely head over heels in love with the little coffee shop in town…The Stone Cup. Super kid friendly and beautiful views.
She was asleep before we even hit the city limits…which means it was a good day!

And lastly…an awesome magnet I saw today. Such a wonderful reminder! Say YES! to your life this weekend…look for the little blessings in all things and be happy!

*Note: The filter on these photos is done with Instagram, which is an iPhone app. For those of you without iPhones, you can still follow my feed here. I post a lot of photos there that I don’t post anywhere else. If you do have an iPhone, download the Instagram app and follow “livelightly”!

I can’t believe it’s only been a year since this photo was taken! Lucy’s legs are so chubby…and my hoops are so new and shiny! We spent Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis last year with family…and this year we’ll be with family again, but this time in Colorado!

My parents are driving out from Iowa as I type this, so we’re looking forward to seeing them again. Dan, Jess, and Scotty will be here too.  I’m guessing there will be lots of good food and sunshine involved. Bella is ready and rarin’ to go with her new cast too.

I have been dreaming of the veggie pot stickers with spicy peanut sauce since Monica and I had them at the Boulder Farmer’s Market. Oh.my.word. Amazing. Or how about some iced Bhakti Chai from Laughing Goat? Yes please. As a recovering Boulder-hater, I am working on finding my bliss there again. I’ve been less than thrilled about the traffic and gaggles of people in the past…but I am embracing it now. It will be extra nuts because the Boulder Creek Festival is happening. Bring on the crazy!

Lucy’s birthday is on the 29th…so I’m sure we’ll do a little something fun for that. We had a celebration in Iowa with everyone…but she’s too cute not to celebrate again.

There are summer breezes pouring in every window and pretty birdie songs floating through the air. In the distance I can hear Bella playing with her besties and the wind chimes I took from my Grandma’s patio are joining in the song. The RV “guest suite” needs clean sheets and fresh flowers…so I need to sign off and get busy on that.

I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend…I have lots of good stuff planned for the blog (and for you!) this summer. Can’t wait!!

God is good. Life is good. Cherish each moment. Much love…

 

 

 

 

Life has been full and wonderful…and I wanted to share some of our most recent fun with you! This weekend Bella took a tree climbing class (part of the Longmont Parks and Rec Program) and she had SO much fun. This isn’t your regular ‘ol “tree climbing” though…

Once you get your harness on, you use your arms to pull yourself all the way to the top of the tree and then you release the knot to come back down.

She was a natural…and loved every  moment. Matt is even talking about getting our own tree climbing gear.

On a rainy day this week, we met our unschooling group at Bounce Town! It’s a big warehouse with 6 large bounce houses in it for the kids to go wild. I like to crawl in there with them and bounce bounce bounce, but it doesn’t take long before I get sick and dizzy!

I’m getting to know some really fun local mamas…it’s so nice to build a connection here.

Another day, while we were cleaning up a bouquet of purple irises on the table, we decided to see if we could dye paper with them! They were wilting and we were going to throw them away…but instead, we threw them into the Vita-Mix with a little water and soaked our paper in it.

It turned out to be a beautiful shade of blue/violet. We had some good discussions about how people used to use plants, seeds, and flowers to make dyes all the time (and still do). I told Bella that’s how they did it in the “olden days”, and she said, “…you mean like in 1984?”. Oh my.

Bella has been asking to set up a lemonade stand…so on the first sunny day this week, we brought out all the supplies and set up shop. She did well…but she did have to pay her “employees” their wages, so her profit was a little down. She was still happy with her results…she has such an entrepreneurial spirit!

Yesterday morning we decided to scope out a new breakfast spot in town and we settled on Two Dog Diner. It’s a sweet little cafe tucked away in the Prospect area of Longmont. They have Bhakti chai there (which I am quite obsessed with right now) and even veggie sausage! We enjoyed some sweet family time together and we will definitely be going back!

Other activities from this weekend: I painted our TV-less corner and have a few little decorations in it. It’s not quite done, but I will share it with you when it is! I picked up the supplies to paint our bedroom (finally!!). I’m SO excited to start it. Bella had a sleepover last night at her friend’s house, which went splendidly. Today we enjoyed meeting with our house church family and had a relaxing afternoon.

We’re looking forward to another lovely week.

Monday and Tuesday we’re *hoping* to paint and hang curtains in our bedroom. We’re having guests over for tacos on Wed. night. Thursday is Bella’s last day of Raccoon Clan for the season and there will be a family potluck out on the land. Right after that we will leave for Iowa and drive back for my Grandma’s estate sale. If you recall, she died just a few days before Lucy was born and I wasn’t able to attend her funeral or have closure…so I am looking forward to getting back there. My entire family will be there, as well as Matt’s parents who are driving down to see us.  We’ll be there through Sunday.

Whew! Life speeds by so fast…I have to remind myself to stay in the moment so often! I love taking time throughout the day to stop and really WATCH the girls faces and see what they are feeling. I also like to list all the things I am grateful for in that particular day…and that helps me too.

How do you stay “present” and in the moment when life is rushing by? I would love to hear your thoughts…

 

 

It’s been a little crazy ’round here! and now my computer is at Apple for repairs until next week…so no “real” blogging for me. WordPress iPhone blogging is enough to drive a girl insane!

We said goodbye to Rachel (above) Chad, and Oliver on Tue…had a wonderful time (photos coming!).

I pick up Monica at the airport this afternoon and it’s going to be an amazing, 80 degrees and sunny weekend with Farmer’s Markets, hooping, Pearl St, tea, and good food!

See you all next week!

When I think of Portland, I get all mushy lovey-dovey feelings inside. Mostly because of those amazing food carts. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that they are mobile? You know I love little traveling pods!

Well, Longmont isn’t quite Portland yet…but we’re getting there! We were SO excited to see food carts in Prospect last weekend…and hope to see them there again soon. After talking to the owners, it seems like they might be there every Monday. I would LOVE to see this entire park packed with people and food carts and love. Yes!

Pico and Quesadillas from Comida

Top of The Hill Grill — A new fave!

BBQ Tempeh wrap with coleslaw and goat feta. Yes please.

Cupcake!

Hey people! Where is my cupcake?!

*I fell in love with Prospect the first time I laid eyes on those funky & sweet homes. Wanna know more? Check out this great Dwell magazine article from 2002.

After traveling the country far and wide, the places that we love the most are those in which we made true connections with the community. No matter where you live (on the road or in a home), if you don’t feel that “connection”…my guess is that you will eventually be unhappy there. But connection doesn’t just magically happen…it takes a little work on your part.

Here are 3 simple ways to help you build that connection:

1. Go out your front door.

This is as simple as it gets. Walk out your front door and look around. Pull up a chair and sit there for awhile. Read a book and drink an iced tea. Take it all in. When someone walks by, say hello. Know what happens around your neighborhood…who comes and goes, etc. See it all with fresh eyes and BE SEEN. If your neighbors see you out there regularly, they will be more likely to come out of hiding as well.

I’m challenging myself (and you too!) to spend 1/2 hour a day “out on the block”. Taking a walk, sitting at the park on the corner while the girls play, throwing down hoops, working in the yard. In addition to just being fun, it gets me out there in a place to truly know my surroundings.

2. Talk to people.

3. Do Nice Stuff.

4. Attend Events

5. Plan a Community-Building Event

What have YOU done lately to engage your community? Let’s share ideas!

Each week after Raccoon Clan, we’ve been heading up the road to Madhava Honey for a treat. There is a little “sweet shop” outside their main building in Lyons, CO with all kinds of lovely honey-related items for sale, including beeswax candles, lip balms, lotions, and lots of candies of course !

As soon as we walk in, Lucy makes a bee-line (sorry, couldn’t resist!) for the honey candies. She has a very specific one that she gets every single time. Just one little chewy candy. She puts that little itty bitty candy into a big basket and carries it around proudly. Bella’s favorite part is searching out the queen bee in the hive. Right now there are only 500-700 bees in there, but in the summer there are 5,000-7,000 (or so they tell us…we’ll have to check it out for ourselves in a few months)!!

We’re big honey fans at our house and we love getting it locally from Madhava!

*this is not a sponsored post…just a big fan!

 

 

Every Thursday morning we wake up and drive across the breathtaking Colorado meadows into the foothills.

We pass our favorite horse…

…and soon we arrive at the place where children run free.

…where they find confidence and appreciation for God’s creation.

It’s Raccoon Clan!

Raccoon Clan is one of the programs available through “Her Feet On The Earth“, a non-profit with a “vision to help raise young people who are ready to meet life’s challenges and be of service in the world: youth who have a positive sense of themselves as young women and men; who know what their gifts are; feel deeply connected with nature; have strong community support; and are full of resilience and vitality.”

So what does Bella do at Raccoon Clan?
She explores the mysteries and wonders of nature.
She wanders along the stream banks.
She searches for good things to eat.
She makes tracks, plays games in the field and shares stories.

Each week she has new adventures and nourishes her connection with nature by learning about the animals, birds, plants and trees around her and learns important skills to help her feel at home in nature, such as fire making, navigation, shelter building, archery, and more. (paraphrased from HFOTE)

We drop her off at 9:00 a.m. and pick her up at 3:00 p.m. There is a tipi on the land and so much beauty to explore. Lorene and Mary are fantastic with all of the kids and so mindful about what they are teaching.

I have noticed such a difference in her level of independence and how she interacts with others…and she LOVES her new friends there. She talks about going all week and loves packing her lunch for the big day. As you can see from the photo below…she’s pretty excited about it.

We are thrilled to have found this program and hope to continue in it for a long time.

 

The Mullers are in Colorado! That’s right…our dear friends from Omaha, NE came out for a few days to visit and we had a blast. These should be familiar faces to you if you’ve been around my blog for awhile. After spotting each other at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market in the summer of 2004 (both of us slinging our babes)…we decided we had much in common and have been hanging out  for the past 7 years.

So…what did we do?

We smooshed into our van so we could drive around together and do fun stuff.

Isaiah stalked all of the best skate parks…and we loved watching his sweet tricks.

We played A LOT.

We drove up to Nederland and enjoyed the mountain views.

Denise showed up sporting brand new baby dreads…how cute is she?! I was so excited to see she finally did it!

We spent time on Pearl Street.

And found cool new shops.

We hiked up the trails at Chautauqua and I only had to stop 4 times to catch my breath. To my defense, I was carrying an almost 2-year-old and a very heavy camera.

All smiles on the way DOWN!

The kids loved climbing on the rocks.

We showed those mountains who was boss!

We ate lots and lots of yummy food…John Henry and Annora have celiac disease, so we were on the hunt for gluten-free and vegetarian options. Boulder has LOTS of that…and we were pleased.

But most importantly…we spent time talking about life. Laughing together over tea and other delicious hot beverages. Reminiscing about times gone by. Reconnecting with old friends is the best.

We can’t wait to see them again SOON. We crammed a lot of goodness into just 3 days, but there is still so much to do! You can see the full set of photos here.

Oh, and be sure to check out John Henry’s company, What Cheer. If you need a website created…he is your man. Seriously. He rocks. And if you live near Omaha…go to one of Denise’s classes at Bhadra Yoga. She just started teaching there and she’s amazing.

We have two more sets of friends coming to visit in the next 2 weeks…the Hasslers from Indiana and Monica from Portland. Yippeeeee!! I’m more than a little excited.

Hope you’re all having a great week!