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

Good Times

You can tell I’m back in school as it’s been two months since  I last posted. Things are going well. MJ thoroughly enjoyed swimming  lessons and graduated to the next class, which she can start  at the age of 3. She didn’t like going under water much, but  she’s great at kicking, paddling and blowing bubbles. We go to  story time at the library nearly every Saturday, as well. She’s  becoming quite a book lover and has an amazing memory for  stories. MJ is really blossoming at preschool too. She’s  becoming much less shy, more willing to share, follow directions,  and looks forward to seeing her friends (almost) every day. She  also loves going to “Fun Bus” (a gymnastics type class) and to  Music and Me class at preschool. She’s also getting really close  to being potty trained (with the help of sticker brides, of course). MJ is very excited for Halloween and has had her costume  picked out for months. Ever since we went to the Museum of  Nature and Science in August, she’s insisted on dressing up at  as a pirate. She’s practicing saying “Argh! Give me some candy”  for trick-or-treating. In other news, school and jobs are going well. Both Jared and I  received raises at work after only 3 months, which came as a  pleasant surprise. Both of my grad classes haven’t been as  terrible as anticipated, though much of my time is still spent doing  homework. I am NOT a fan of night classes and can’t wait for the  next two years to fly by so I can recoup my lost sleep. We’re getting quite settled in Colorado and really enjoy owning a  home. We’ve repainted just about every room and, since IKEA  opened, spent most of our disposable income on furnishings.  Jared and I frequently have reoccurring conversations about  how much we love our life here and how glad we are to have  moved. By Thanksgiving we will have a guest room all set up,  so please feel welcome to come for a visit.

Now for a recap of the past couple months with some pictures.  Some of these are from several months ago. I finally relinquished them from Jared's phone. Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park She's so strong! Helping remove rocks from our pathetic front yard. At a Kid's Fair. She's roaring like the dragon painted on her arm. At the Children's Museum- being a firefighter. Riding a cow on 16th Street Mall. At the Denver Zoo! She likes to make silly faces. Showing off the gigantic bump on her head after riding her toy pony down the stairs. This picture doesn't do it justice. First snow of the season and looking stylish!

Quick August Update

Despite the three of us trading illnesses throughout the month, we've managed to have a lot of fun on weekends. I'm posting this blog right before going to my Marketing Management class, so pictures will have to suffice for now.

At the Rockies Game

That's right... She has a bucket on her head.

We're butterflies!

A rare smile captured at the Butterfly Pavillion

No longer smiling

At Rocky Mountain National Park

Nymph Lake

This picture doesn't do Dream Lake justice. It was breathtaking.

And, here's my favorite part. On our hike in Rocky Mountain N.P., MJ was regaling us with songs. Jared captured one with his phone. (It's a bit shaky, but very adorable)

Things to look forward to in the next month... swimming lessons, grad school, and more adventures!

Too Much Fun

MJ and I started out Saturday by visiting the library to get some new books for the week. We arrived a few minutes before they opened and waited outside. MJ saw a bee and starting doing this...

Later that morning, we made a trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We went to see the Real Pirates exhibit before it closed, but ended up spending the whole day checking out all the other amazing things they have. The museum was very kid friendly and MJ especially loved dressing up as an astronaut, playing in the kids areas, petting a mastodon, and looking at the dinosaur fossils. 

It was a long fun-filled day. However, it turned out to be too much fun...

A little while after we got home, I was trying to coax MJ into eating her dinner and she just kept refusing. After a few minutes of power-struggling, MJ ran off into the living room and promptly puked on the couch. MJ has never really been sick before and so this came as a huge surprise.

MJ did start preschool this past week and probably just picked up something from the other kids (as to be expected). She has transitioned pretty well into preschool and looks forward to going most days. It's a huge change for her, so we expected more ups and downs. But, we didn't think she'd get sick so fast. 

In other news, Jared is now the Jr. Web Developer at Shompton, LLC in Denver. He started work this past Wednesday, and is really, really excited about the prospects and environment this new job has in store. 

All in all, things are starting to fall into place for us. Even the second half of our blinds finally arrived after being backordered for a month. I believe I heard our neighbors rejoicing when Jared installed the blinds in our bedroom. 

Feeling better and showing off her pirate hat from the museum.

Denver Adventures

I don't have time to write a lot, so here's some pictures of a few of our adventures.

Driving back from our 3rd trip to the hardware store...

Story Time at the Library

On of the many, many nearby parks

Climbing the tree in our backyard

Cheese!

Princess Lolly (from Candyland) at KidSpree

This weekend, we'll be headed to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 

MJ chose it. She wants to see the pirate exhibit. 

Incredibly Busy June

After several ups and downs with the financing for our house, we finally were able to close and move in on time! Jared and I are really excited to be home owners. It feels like a huge accomplishment. Our house is very nice, but far from perfect. Once we have the money, we'll be installing air conditioning, landscaping, ceiling fans, lighting in the bedrooms, and so on... But, it's ours!

Kitchen

Living Room

We've already taken on a simple project that turned out fairly well. In the kitchen there was a decorative backsplash of brown glass tile. We ripped it out and replaced it with pretty blue glass tiles and switched the cabinet hardware. That little change really made the house feel more like ours. I know it'll be a LONG process, but eventually the whole house will reflect some style and personality. We have a huge list of things we'd like to buy at IKEA when it opens July 27th (counting down the days).

Jared in heaven at the LEGO store

We've also kept busy doing a bit of exploring in our new surroundings. We've been to the Denver Arts Museum, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, 16th Street Mall, tons of shops, parks and tours of the local hardware stores. Jared is especially excited about the nearby LEGO store. 


MJ has done pretty well with the move. It's obvious that she misses spending days with Grandma, but she's adjusting. We've found a really great Montessori preschool for her to attend once things get settled. She loves playing in the backyard of our house, seeing the turtles that live next door, watering our newly planted tree, and going out with us on adventures. 

At the Museum

I have also found a job! I interviewed at about 6 different places and received two job offers in one day. I will be working for ALPS Fund Services in Downtown Denver (directly across the street from the Denver Art Museum). They do mutual fund servicing and I will be an Accounts Payable Processor. While it isn't a job that will use my marketing skills, the pay is good, I'll receive benefits and the schedule is flexible. The company is also large and growing, so the possibility of transferring to a marketing related position or working my way up is likely. 

All in all, things are all falling into place. I'll be starting grad classes at the end of August. Right now I'm just enjoying having a bit of free time.