Busy Little Lives

Grad school this semester has been a lot of work. So, here's just a quick recap of our last couple of months. 

First off, we had a  great Christmas and enjoyed having my mom and brother visit. Jared had to work most of the week, but the rest of us got to have some fun. It never fails though, that MJ got sick while they were here. MJ got everything she ever wanted for Christmas with the help of my mom's jam-packed Acadia teeming with presents. The separation definitely caused her to go extremely overboard!

Since Christmas, we've just been treading water trying to keep up with work, school and MJ. We did have a very large snow storm earlier this month that kept even this fearless driver from commuting into work. We made good use of the day and broke out the home brewing kit to start an IPA. It's been fermenting in the basement and we look forward to bottling it soon. 


Jared has competed in a few other races trying to keep motivated for the marathon in May. A few days before his latest race, a 10 mile, he unwisely went running in Vibram Five Finger shoes and had very sore calves. But, he still competed and finished well considering the field was comprised of Road Runners of America Championship competitors.

Dancing and playing tambourine at the DMNS.

Really digging her new tutu and sparkle shoes.

Jared's latest race- a 10 mile.

A rare photo of the two of us- Valentine's Day lunch.

Cooking up some strawberry cake.

Winner of Pretty Pretty Princess

14 inches of snow in about 24 hours. 

Really excited to plant a pansy at the Home & Garden Show.

Looking forward we have just two short months until MJ's 3rd birthday. We can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can start work on our landscaping. And, I can't wait for a break from school!

Merry Krismas 2011

WISHING YOU A SUPERCHARGED CHRISTMAS!

This year has been filled with more changes and significant events that we can recall. Starting out 2011, we were pretty content with our lives in good ol’ Cedar City, Utah. Cambria was still working on her Bachelor’s degree at Southern Utah University and was unsure about graduate school. Jared had a stable job that allowed him to telecommute most days. MJ was barely a toddler being watched every day by Grandma. Fast forward a year and we’re now the proud owners of a cozy home in Aurora, Colorado.  

 

In April, Jared celebrated (or rather, refused to celebrate) his 30^th birthday. When we moved in June, Jared was planning on bringing his job with him to Colorado. However, company plans changed and Jared quickly needed to find another job to avoid working solely for commission. Luckily, he was able to do just that. He now works are a Web Developer for a small company in Downtown Denver. After 3 months, Jared even earned a 25% raise. Jared is still pursuing his Bachelor’s degree through Western Governor’s University online and hopes to finished in a few years. The remainder of Jared’s time is spent running, a passion that has really developed over the past year. Just this month Jared finished 4^th in his age division at the Rudolph’s Revenge 5k. He’s training to compete in the Ogden Marathon next May, as well as any other race he can fit into his time frame. Jared has dubbed himself “RunnerGeek” and even has a website devoted to his new hobby.

Cambria graduated in May from Southern Utah University with her Bachelor of Science in Marketing. She also left her job at the Volunteer Center of Iron County at the end of May to focus on moving and finding a new job. Once we’d arrived in Denver, Cambria interviewed at 6 places and received two job offers in one day. She now works for a large and growing mutual fund servicing company doing accounts payable. While it isn’t a job that uses her Marketing degree, it’s been a decent job and the possibility of advancement and/or transferring to the Marketing Department is very likely. Cambria just finished her first semester at University of Colorado-Denver, working on her Master of Science in Marketing and Sustainability. She’s going part-time, taking two classes a semester and is on track to finish in just two more years.

 

MJ has experienced more changes than the rest of us. After the move & once Mom & Dad were both back to working full-time, MJ started going to a great Montessori preschool nearby. She’s also transitioned to sleeping in a “big girl” bed, using the potty, dressing herself, and doing pretty much everything herself (due to her own insistance). Having never been exposed to other kids before, MJ has spent a big chunk of time being sick since starting preschool. The first couple months were really hard for her, but now she’s really blossoming in her new environment. Her teachers at preschool absolutely love her. MJ has grown to be a compassionate, opinionated, constantly helpful, and incredibly silly little girl.

 

We absolutely love living in Denver and being homeowners. Our free time is spent exploring the greater Denver area, fixing up our house and dreaming about fixing up our house. Most of our efforts (& money) have been spent furnishing our office and guest room, replacing the horrid brown tile backsplash in the kitchen & installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms. If you'd like to visit, we now have a comfy bed just for you! Our plans for next year include putting in landscaping and air conditioning.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday. May the new year bring you all the happiness you deserve.

Love,

Jared, Cambria & MJ