Thanksgiving food!

First, we made prime rib medium rare. It was done perfectly!

We had a tasty goat cheese, roasted pear salad with an apricot vinaigrette. Because I sautéed the pears, the goat cheese melted a little and mixed with the vinaigrette. So delicious! The sweet potatoes were done perfectly with a little brown sugar and pecans.

I made my bourbon pumpkin pie with pecan streusel topping. The bourbon and crushed pecans in the pie make this a party in your mouth and a step away from diabetes.

And. We made the most delicious, messy sandwich with leftover prime rib. Imagine this: prime rib bacon, onion, a fried egg, some mustard and horseradish all on toasted bread. We made it up, mostly Kathleen.

This ones really great. We took all our salsas and the horseradish and mixed them up to make a dipping sauce for the fingerling taters I made, baked with garlic and pepper, and dill.

I'm thankful for...college!

How much fun my amazing friends are!

Lexie moved to Denver and life got so much better. She's my lifelong friend and we are both so fortunate to have each other. Awe, so sentimental but so true!
Steve is moving here in a few months. What?! Is this real? He's our first friend at Loyola, he took some big consequences for us that first night of living in Creighton hall......We are indebted for a few more years.
I get to visit my Chicago crew every few months, and they come here too! We love food and when ya'll are back, I've got a list of places for us to check out! We run, hike, drink, laugh and recover together. We even play iPad games and have fun. Ha
And my sister even moved west! Thanks Ash!
I'm thankful every day for the beautiful, strong, smart, loyal, honest, hilarious, positive people that make me who I am.
I'd like to think each of us borrows the best of each other and makes it part of who we are.
When I get a mani/pedi, I think of ______*?
When I'm being a foodie, I think of :
____*?
When I'm in a little pain from working out, I remember to send good karma to...*?
When international travel crosses my mind, I always think of __*?
When I pass St. Mary's glacier, I send love to Chicago!

Weekday Winter Warrior

Winter is beautiful in Colorado. The snow in the mountains creates a sense of innocence in the people you see and the small towns you drive through. There is an overwhelming feeling that I get, that I am smaller than I think I am when it snows. All that fresh, white powder covers the mountains and roads saying, "here you go, a clean slate. Start something new, be free of your constraints." That is what I can hear when I'm blanketed by snow.

Then I hear the slice of my skis into the freshly groomed trails and hear myself say, again, 'I LIVE here!? HERE? No way.'

Pause. One of my closest friends sent an email with a great quote: Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally know who you are.

I know who I am because I found the place where I feel at home. Chicago was a temporary home and I still feel connected to the city every time I am walking the streets, on the EL and running on Lake Michigan. But Colorado, wow. I know I belong here because I've got the gear to prove it and the seasonal ski rental to show my commitment. And a lot of great friends to laugh with and share our time and love for this state together by running trails, snowboarding, skiing, and discovering more state parks full of fun! I am committed to living life to the fullest out here.

Final exam time is one of the greatest weeks of being at teacher. I didn't have to be at the school for the day I didn't proctor an exam. Wednesday at about 11 AM I left school, picked up a boy and headed to the mountains. We got a few hours of skiing on Wednesday, woke up and skied the next morning. WHAT?! This is my life!? Take advantage of this weekday freedom and get out there and ski!

Being judged

We've all done it.

You meet someone new, and a snap judgment takes hold in your heart and memory. Why does that snapshot come without the delete, or crop, button?

It's sinful to judge others; we aren't qualified to vote anyone off the island or take away another person's opportunity. God wants us to live in the image of Jesus...loving, compassionate, driven by faith and forgiveness. He accepts everyone. Every One. How does he do that? Why is that so difficult for me?

God will judge me one day and you know what, I'm ready. I'm ready to kneel before God and thank him for his grace and mercy because I sure as heck don't deserve forgiveness. I've chosen sin. I've fallen for temptation.

I also glorify God and praise him for the beauty he has created. He made this majestic state of Colorado. He created my family, and put the right friends in my life.

When will I start to fully fill my life with His love?

He will judge me and I shouldn't worry, be sad or broken, when I feel misjudged. Because it is all in His hands.

Xoxo

Mountain town: population 1200

2 weeks ago, Katherine and I were chatting via our school messenger and decided to book a hotel room in Crested Butte. My initial thoughts: On the search for a mountain man with a burly beard, leather skin and a knack for hunting dinner. That was my dream fall break. It's obvious he will be a stellar skier or boarder.

We heard the live music, saw the lights on, heard laughter and cheer and saw the PBR on tap. I scanned the room for the blue-eyes that could catch me and take me to the dance floor. Instead, we walked thru the...what's that generation? Oh, yeah, a bunch of baby boomers. And their kids... and some 7 year olds. The silver fox was a little too leather faced for me.

So, because we SCREAMED "we are tourists" we left. And walked to the touristy brewery.

How do people find love in crested butte, with a population of 1200?

Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover | Video on TED.com

Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover | Video on TED.com

orange leaves and running uphill

WOW. Time flies. Where have I been?

Oh yeah, that silly 6:45 AM wake up call started in August and there goes my life. I think Kenny Chesney sings about that. You look back - and where did it all go?

Hours of running around Denver, on the front range trails and along the Pacific ocean coastline paid off. Denver Rock and Roll marathon was a.... real marathon. This is the marathon where I felt my calves turn into bricks, my stride slow so much I didn't know if I was running and I had to baby crawl up and down my stairs at home. For 2 days.

yoga - you are more important than clipping my toenails on race day.

I felt great during the first half of the race but once I was in Wash Park the weight of my long sleeve t-shirt became unbearable and I shed that thing and thought I lost 2 pounds when I tossed that to the side. It was the easiest 2 lbs I'll ever lose!

My new roommate, Emily - she's awesome. Her friends- pretty cool too. Well, of course - they are all from the Midwest. They jumped in at mile 20 and this was no regular pacing team. This was the best-dressed team of the whole marathon.


That dinosaur/gator tail was crucial to my success. I reached out like a baby from a stroller going for their bottle and had that tail whip me forward.

But then. Mile 25 came. maybe Mile 24.5
And South Logan turns into a vertical, undefined slope, hill. Math people - you get me, right? This thing was straight up. Funny, I run this hill often but today, they cranked that thing up like it was a drawbridge and I was running up with the increased incline.

My team was positive, encouraging, and played Juanes. When Juanes came on, life was back to great. I had a little Latina step in my run and finished strong.

PR of 3:51. Next time? Under 3:50! Then maybe.. Boston @ 3:35 or faster!