Prospect Going Away Party

Ron, Eric, Barry, Jeff, and Tracy and Tony goofing around front and center!

Okay, to say that we are going to miss the neighborhood we've been living in (on and off) for eight years is an understatement. We have met some amazing people here in Prospect (http://www.prospectnewtown.com/ ) ...it's a New Urbanism community and has had a lot to offer us in terms of a great lifestyle experience. But, more than anything, we will miss the people and all of the friends we have made during our time here. Our neighbor Kay hosted our going away party last night with help from Barry and Nikki ...you guys are beyond fabulous and you most certainly know how to throw one heck of a party, let me tell you!! I can hardly keep up ;) ....well, sometimes... Anyway, thanks again!!! You better visit us in Austin!! (though I'm sure we'll be back often, that's no excuse!) .....

Nikki and Tony

Shayne and hubby, Sharon, Tony, Marsh, Nikki, Paul, and Kay

....We had quite the feast as well with both chicken and lamb gyros AND an outdoor bar. Someone that didn't get invited must have been jealous (although Kay definitely made an effort to invite and inform many neighbors of the event) as the cops showed up at the front door to report a "noise complaint" ....at 10:30 on a Friday night!! Uh,....yeah.....it's Friday??? ....yeah, you should maybe try having a little fun yourself, buddy!! ....Other than this brief incident, things went swimmingly ;) ....what a good time with such fun friends that we will miss terribly.

A few old Boulder friends showed up: John, me, Fraser, Berryl, and Marsh

....and Ash and Andria came, too!!

Everyone enjoying the party and Kay's beautiful backyard.....

...Yes, the 80's ARE still very cool, thanks for asking......

my sweetie and me ...xxoo

...So, I as usual did not get nearly as many pictures as I'd like, but I know for a fact Nikki took a ton and I'm hoping to get them so I can put up a slideshow. We shall see, I'm just trying to keep current with the blogging as our move next week will put me behind once again I'm sure ....anyway, I can't say enough how lucky we are to have had such great neighbors and friends during our time here .....stay in touch, each and every one of you, okay??? ....Know you will be missed .....

Welcome to the world, Katja Marie!

I'm thrilled and cried tears of joy yesterday when I got the news that I have another niece!!!

Katja Marie, 7 lbs., 2 oz., .....precious....

My sister Kierstin had a baby girl, Katja Marie, yesterday in Wisconsin & and I can't wait to meet her when we take a trip as a family (Marsh, Justin, Collin, and I) to Wisconsin in July ....I'm just so happy for everyone!! K.C. (short for Kierstin) didn't know whether she was having a boy or a girl ....she didn't want to find out .....Although she was hoping for a girl and a sister for my nephews, Jonas and Roman, she knew she'd be thrilled either way once the baby arrived. Well, the stars were aligned and a girl arrived!!

brother Roman, mom Kierstin, itty-bitty Katja, dad Tim, Oma (my mom Patt), big brother Jonas, and Papa (my dad, Allen)

My other niece, Lucia (my oldest sister Lisa's sweet little girl), I'm sure is going to be over-the-moon that it's a girl as well ....I'm so excited!! Marsh and I love being an aunt and uncle .....we were made for this role, I think, as a couple :) ...We are so very much looking forward to our visit and spending time with Katja, Roman, Jonas, Benjamin, and Lucia ....oh yeah, and everyone else, too ;) .....Congratulations, Kierstin and Tim!! We love you!

On a winning streak

Let me just say, winning really IS sweet!!! Our trivia team won again this past Wednesday night at Tusk (http://www.tusklounge.com/ ) .....four weeks in a row now!! Although, I can only attest to participating for two of the four (the first week and this past week)....however, I did come up with the winning team name that I will not share on this blog ;)

The winners: Eric, Kay, Rob, Tracy, Nikki, and me!

....This is a uniquely fun weekly event ....yet again, something more to miss. However, I'm pretty sure they have trivia of some sort in Austin, I'll just have to brush up on my "southern" facts (now that will be a challenge!). We have had an all female team that just keeps tryin' to be us, I mean beat us (.....wait a minute, or do I???), but no such luck, ladies ......You know what they say, if at first you don't succeed ... ;)

...the Enemy #1.... (I'm not 100% sure of every one's name, so I'll just stick with "the Enemy"!)

Our fantastic neighborhood bartenders, John and Chris

late night fun with Tracy (somehow, we always manage to stay out and up WAY too late, don't we, Tracy??!!)

.....there was a bit of a late night incident this victory evening at Tusk involving a bottle being thrown into an expensive vehicle and a man on something much more serious than alcohol eventually being hauled away by the police after the last patrons (which, of course, included myself and Tracy) were questioned. ....Hey, geez, I mean, I'm sorry you didn't win trivia, but maybe you should have stayed in school!! .....Needless to say, I ran home :)

Annual Spring Spread ...and more goodbyes

Matt and Shamane held their annual "Spring Spread" on Sunday and it was the usual: way, way, way too much fun!! As you can see, Logan even helped himself to a beer. He is the cute offspring of their neighbors, Chris and Wendy. This was also somewhat of a going-away party for Marsh and I and as a result, Marsh, myself, Andria, and Ash all spent the night (had too ;) ......This time, we even started a dance party later in the evening in the garage of all places ....I WISH I had pictures of that, but I'm sad to say I don't. We were all pulling out our best moves, needless to say. Matt and Shamane gave us a card that almost made me cry .....but I'm not going to get sad just yet. We are spending our last couple of nights in Boulder with them as the movers haul our stuff down to Texas, so I'll save my tears for then. ....I'm still waiting on some great pics from Matt that I'll turn into a slideshow, but here's some fun stuff we did manage to capture:Shamane, Andrew, and I getting the party started!

Getting crazy early.........

Andrew and I in a reenactment of sorts (comment if you'd like an explanation ;)

Ash pulled this "Mick Jagger" get-up and pose out of nowhere .........wow...........

Stop cleaning, Grandma ....I mean, Matt!

Me and Dale chillin' ...

Andria and Ash ....too cute!! (yes, it is, Andria!)

Marsh and I showing our fondness for and affection towards one another :)

Things I'll Miss: Sleepy Lion Outings

Last week (still in blog catch-up mode here!) Andria, Ash, and I went for a hike in Lyons on the Sleepy Lion trailhead. Marsh was out of town and unfortunately couldn't join us, but it was a beautiful afternoon and the three of us decided to head out with dogs in tow and enjoy it .....We brought a small picnic with us and it turned out to be a perfect day. We've done this hike before in its entirety and love it ......Buttonrock dam is in this area and it's just visually enticing (thus, my camera was a necessity this particular afternoon). I can't even express how much I'm going to miss this type of outdoor adventure this summer while in Texas .....hiking in the afternoon in June and July in Austin may not only be out of the question (at least until I acclimate .....or perhaps never), the reality is that it will never be anything like a late spring/mid-summer Colorado afternoon hike. .....No way, no how .......there, I've said it, put it out there, and now I need to move into the "acceptance" stage of things. ....I just wanted to share some of the photos and fun had from our flawless afternoon :)

mama, papa, and babies

yes, we'll gather by the river .....the beau-ti-ful, the beau-ti-ful ri-ver (and so on....)

Ash getting ready to test the waters....

Me and my Chance-a-po!

You're a pretty girl, Harlow!!

A wet head is a refreshed head .....just ask Ash.....

Andria and I showing off the latest flathead look ;)

Goodbye, Sleepy Lion Trail ....I'll miss you ......

A Hotter Than *#!! Louisiana Reunion

Last Thursday, Marsh and I flew to Dallas and then drove to Shreveport, Louisiana for his 30th high school reunion .....you see, Marsh actually went to two different highschools, splitting time between his father's home in Shreveport and his mother and stepfather's home in Fort Smith, Arkansas .....so, next month, we've got another one in Arkansas and then a family reunion in St. Petersburg, Florida .....AND a new baby coming on my side in Wisconsin ....so, needless to say it will be the summer of intense travel ....oh, plus a move next week to Austin .....almost forgot!!! Things are quite crazy to say the least. Anyway, we had a blast in sweat-like-a-beast Louisiana. Marsh's friend and classmate, RoRo (Rosalyn), was kind enough to set us up with accommodations during our stay. They were staying at a friend's home here in Shreveport and had room for us. .....Well, this is what we pulled up to (feel free to drop jaw upon viewing): .....And this is just the main house. We stayed in one of the OTHER homes on the property called the "garage house":.....Poor us, having to stay here, right???? Well, we sucked it up and got over it (yeah, right ;) ....Oh, and here's the pool house on the right side of this picture (in case you need more room):

...The entire property was an entire city block long with the front and back entrances on two different streets ....unbelievable. In addition to what I've shown here, there is a beautiful pool with a pergola and a "cabana house", if you will, that has another kitchen, sitting area, movie theater room, and two baths inside. .....It was quite fabulous!! Thank you, RoRo!! ....The weekend included, as I'm sure you can imagine, one party and get-together after another (many of them taking place at this gorgeous property above) ....we also had a crawfish boil outside on the river just on the outskirts of town where I could literally feel the sweat dripping down my back thanks to the Louisiana humidity (I better get used to this in preparation for what's to come in Texas).Hangin' in the heat ......hell's ya!! (*notice Martha fanning herself with a plate in the corner ...we all followed her lead soon after....)

We continued the fun back at the "McMansion" Saturday evening and after enough cocktails, the entire party was in the pool (some clothes and all as you can see):

Edie, Marsh, RoRo, Kenny, Steve (RoRo's honey), Mary Evelyn, and me ducking down in front

Let the good times roll, yeah!! (*shortly after this photo we had just about the rest of the party in the pool .....some in their tighty whities ......damn, I wish I had a shot of Kevin ;)

....Marsh and I were also pleasantly surprised to find out that his brother, Lashar, who lives in Saudi Arabia, just HAPPENED to be in Houston over the weekend as well and came over to visit us and his old stepsister, SuSu (Susan) ....RoRo, SuSu, ...must be a southern thing!! Anyway, it was great to see him and to finally meet one of the infamous stepsisters that Marsh and Lashar grew up with (there's three more I have yet to meet)....QUITE a few stories from that household, let me tell you!! Their cousin, Evey, also stopped by and we jumped out of the pool for the photo op:

Evey, SuSu, Lashar, Me, and Marshie!

.....we had one heck of a hot and wild weekend!! We're looking forward to possibly meeting up back in Perdido Key again with this group next year ....can't wait, guys!! At least we'll have the ocean to cool off in ......but wait, the sharks......We'll worry about that next year :)

Matt's 36th celebration

Me, Matt, Marsh, Ash, Andria & Shamane in celebration mode!

Okay, people .....it's catch up time!! Getting ready for our big move and having traveling commitments in between has put me quite behind on the blog front. But this afternoon is catch up time with multiple blog postings! We celebrated Matt's 36th birthday (what a baby!) on the 17th at Tandoori Grill in Boulder (THE best Indian restaurant in the Boulder region ....make that in Colorado period by far!) ....they have the tastiest and most unique menu hands down ....browse it here, folks: http://www.tandoorigrillboulder.com/ ...As usual, we wrapped up the evening in Boulder at Matt and Shamane's pad. There were multiple birthday desserts by the amazing pastry chef, Shamane (what a lucky guy you are, Matt, to have a chef for a wife....c'mon!!), a game of "Imagine If" (go here to check it out with reviews ....it's a hilarious game and lots of fun: http://www.areyougame.com/interact/item.asp?itemno=BG175&q=BG175 ) , and dancing to Matt's ipod selections ...oh, did I mention drinking?? That, too ;) .....Enjoy the mid-30's while they last, Matt!! We love you, Grandma!!

My sexy honey!!

Matt, Shamane, & Andria .....what's so funny, ladies???

Yeah, baby ....yeah!! Marsh in an Austin Powers moment .....uh, I think it's working on me....if I can keep my eyes open ;)

Startling accurateness via Keith Olbermann

.....So you will need to give yourself 12 minutes total for this one, but believe me, it is well worth it. Keith Olbermann has such a fantastic way with words and seems the only person who truly says what needs to be said at times in this country (especially nowadays) .....We do still have certain freedoms, right?? ...I'd love commentary on this one!! (except I need more friends and family to get there OWN blogs going, people .....c'mon now!!) .....I think I'll at least get Tanya and Myra to say something on this one ;)

Not enough heroes

I'm not the most religious person, but if there is such a thing as the face of an angel, this woman I'm certain wore it well. Her name is Irena Sendler and I knew nothing about her until reading about her death today at the age of 98. I can't even imagine the life she must have lead. She is not nearly as infamous as perhaps she should have been for rescuing around 2,500 children from the Nazis in the Warsaw ghetto during World War II. She was not afraid to put her own life at risk time and time again to save others and rebel against the insanity of a Nazi controlled society surrounding her. This is a true hero ....and quite frankly, there aren't enough Irena Sendlers in the world. To learn more about this beautiful, selfless woman and her life of giving, you can read today's associated press articles (anywhere on the web) or go to this website devoted to her and her memory: http://www.irenasendler.org/

Roxanne & Bill: And the credit goes to......

So, Marsh and I FINALLY got together to have dinner with Roxanne and Bill in Denver last Thursday. Roxanne, you see, is the mother of our niece Caroline. Once upon a very, very long time ago, she was married to Marsh's brother, Lashar, and this is where Caroline came into the picture ......to make a long story short, Roxanne moved to Denver last year for a change and to be closer to Caroline (she goes to school in Denver now). As a single woman, she was looking to meet new people .....I knew this wouldn't be a problem for long (I mean, hello, she's gorgeous, intelligent, fun, and the list goes on and on!) ....BUT, just who should we introduce her to?? All I can say is that Marsh had someone in mind and I vetoed this as I just did not think it would be a good fit whatsoever. Immediately, our friend Bill came to MY mind as the PERFECT person to introduce Roxanne to ......I will say after the fact, Marsh did step in to help start the communication and exchange contact info., etc. .....HOWEVER, it was my idea in the first place to set these two amazing individuals up AND I'm happy to report they have made their union official ......and yes, I'm taking most of the credit, honey!! Anyway, we had a wonderful dinner together and we are very happy we were able to fit it in before our upcoming Austin move .....Bill and Roxanne took us to dinner (thanks again, you guys .....you weren't supposed to do that!) to a place called Chinook Tavern in Cherry Creek. It was fabulous!! They serve a European inspired menu with a contemporary American twist (at least that's how I would describe it) AND they have a fantastic wine list. Roxanne and I had the Wasabi-seared halibut ....unbelievable! You'll just have to experience it for yourselves by making reservations here: http://www.chinooktavern.com/ ....We took a few more pictures (one that is a little questionable) ....take a look:

Marsh, me, Roxanne & Bill

...there's just something not right about this....

We had a lot of fun and can't wait to have Roxanne and Bill come visit us in Austin!! Next one is on us, guys, and again, CONGRATULATIONS ....and you're welcome ;)

Trivia Night at Tusk

Tusk, our neighborhood watering hole and entertainment lounge, held its first trivia night last night. In order of appearance in photo above, Tracy, Kay, Nikki, Carol, Clark, Andria and Eric (along with myself) showed up for the fun!! Best of all, I was part of the winning team along with Tracy, Andria, and Eric .....we rocked!!! Sorry, guys, but we are going to be VERY tough to beat in the weeks ahead .....I have asked to be called the Trivia Queen upon entering the establishment from here on out, but I've been told this will not occur until our team has won multiple competitions in a row ......No problem, see all you geeks again next week and prepare to be crushed once again!!