UNC, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Eli's birthday, and Boulder...whew!!

Where does the time go?  It felt like Eli just did a blog post and all a sudden it is 5 weeks later.  Life is feeling pretty normal out here in Colorado although there have been some big events that have taken place and some fun trips!!!  On January 11^th, Eli got two pieces of exciting news.  Eli started the day finding out he got a job.  He is now working with a non-profit in north Denver through United Way, the Children’s Outreach Project.  It is an early childhood program in which Eli is primarily with Kindergarten aged children with developmental delays anywhere from Autism, Down’s Syndrome, and the whole spectrum between.  He has become quite attached with the kids although it is a very challenging job with only 2 teachers and 14 kids who in public school would mostly have a one on one aid.  He is leading the lessons in February with a space unit!  He has branched out and become a favorite with his singing talents, igloo making skills, and positive attitude in the face of many challenging situations.   The second piece of news…. and even more exciting is that Eli will be a TAR HEEL beginning in August!!!  He was the first accepted to one of the top ranked schools in the United States where he will get a dual masters in public health and nutrition.  Eli put his career on hold to get me through school, so this has been a long time coming and I couldn’t be happier for him.  We are both very excited that he got into the school and field that he is very passionate about as well as getting to spend some more time in North Carolina, a state which is dear to our hearts.  That night Aunt Cyndi took us to the Cherry Creek Grill to celebrate all the good news.  It was a fabulous meal and happened to be owned by the same person who owns the Rutherford Grill in Napa, which was one of our favorites during our time in California.    

The weekend following the news brought the end of the Tebow mania.  We had a fun time getting caught up in the Bronco's crazy season.  We watched the tortuous playoff game with some of Cyndi’s close friends Chris, Cleo, and Carole where the Broncos lost to the Patriots 45-10.  The rest of the weekend was low key, working out and resting up for a full work week!

Tuesday, January 16^th we got to meet up with an old high school friend of mine, Sarah Young.  We met at Wynkoop Brewing Company in downtown Denver.   It was a great atmosphere and was wonderful to catch up over good food and good drinks.  One of the founders of the restaurant is actually the current Denver Mayor, John Hickenlooper.  

That following weekend was low key in Aurora.  Cyndi and I went shopping on Saturday, while Eli spent the day putting together Cyndi’s new treadmill.  That evening Cyndi went to a work party, so Eli and I went to a local place, the Sushi Den for amazing sushi.  While eating, it was the first time I have seen rain in Colorado….it is usually bright and sunny or snowy so it was an odd thing.  After eating we got to meet and enjoy the company of a lot of Cyndi’s co-workers.

The fourth weekend in January I got to take a trip to Phoenix, Arizona.  I am working with about five patients who have Parkinson’s Disease and there is a relatively new physical and occupational therapy approach called LSVT Big which is getting really good results and improvements in that population.  My work would not help pay, so my parents gave me the class for my birthday.  I know it sounds very nerdy but it was absolutely the perfect early birthday present as I am now certified and am seeing awesome results with my first official “Big” patient.   Another plus to the weekend was a brief break from the cold.  I was able to wear t-shirts daily in the mid-70 degree weather….right up my alley!! J

Outside of Taos

The very next weekend Eli and I escaped a 16+ inch snow to travel south again but this time to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We had found a Groupon for a great deal on a hotel within walking distance to the plaza.  We didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity and knew with the snow coming if we waited we would be snowed in for the weekend.  With that in mind, we left Thursday night as the snow was coming down.  Eli got us out of the snow’s reach just north of the New Mexico border.  I was not much help as I slept most of the trip (what’s new??).  Friday morning we drove a scenic way to Santa Fe, traversing through Taos for lunch and continuing through beautiful country for the rest of the trip.  Taos is where we began the week of eating lots of green chili dishes.  We got green chili fries and green chili quesadillas.  We walked up and down the main street enjoying the local artists and fun shops.  

We got to Santa Fe around 4 and immediately fell in love with the city.  The city has a small city feel with a New Mexican flavor shown through the Adobe buildings, artwork everywhere, beautiful teal, and history pouring through every street.  After we checked in we began exploring walking all over the city and in several shops.  We were directed to Tomasita’s which was a great choice for dinner.  Randy Travis has a dish especially named for him, so you know it had to be good!!!  The sangria margarita was a great start followed by a sampler with about every Mexican dish you can imagine smothered in green chili!!!  That night we sat in the hot tub as a light dusting of snow fell!!

Saturday, February 4^th, we attended a cooking class to start the day.  As chili seems to be a way of life there we went to a class teaching you all about chilies, how to handle them, and most importantly how to make both red and green chili.  We came across some interesting people and really enjoyed the instructor.  Next time we cook for you, be ready for some authentic green chili!!!   That day we also enjoyed window shopping as there is so much local art on every street.  We also saw the Cathedal Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Loretto Chapel with the miraculous staircase (you actually pay 3 bucks a person…and could buy holy water if you feel so inclined…my recommendation….just look at a picture!!!), and many other sites along the plaza and neighboring streets.  That night after many, many recommendations, we went to the Shed.  It is situated in a neat building along the plaza filled with character and good food.  We both went to our go to's eating enchiladas covered in….green chili!!!  We finished up the weekend on Sunday walking up and down Canyon Road which has art gallery, after art gallery, after art gallery.  Completing our weekend of excellent New Mexican cuisine, we ate at a local favorite Café Pasqual’s.  Eli was in the mood for traditional breakfast so got pancakes, while I went for the macaroni and cheese with green chili’s while we both drank Mexican hot chocolate.  It was a great way to finish up our time in Santa Fe.  Once we got back (after about a 5 and a half hour drive), Cyndi had prepared lobster ravioli and we watched the last quarter of the Super Bowl.  All of the teams we cared about had been knocked out so we loosely rooted for the Giants.  That evening before hitting the sack we were sure to look up the most popular Super Bowl commercials on YouTube!!

The week of Februrary 5^th was Eli’s birthday week and gearing up for our move to Boulder.  On Friday, I picked Eli up from work and we met Cyndi and one of her friends’ Alix at the Govnr’s Park in downtown Denver where we started with appetizer’s and drinks.  From there we walked down the road to Benny’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar where Alix bought us all some fine Mexican.  To finish the night we went to Don’s Mixed Drinks which is a definite dive but full of fun.  We found out that while we were enjoying Eli and Seth’s birthday out on the town Denver, Seth was being the good child leading a youth event at Massanutten, VA!!!  On Saturday, we did a lot of relaxing until Cyndi fixed shrimp and grits special for Eli while inviting Lynn and George to join in the celebration.  We had a great, relaxing evening with lots of fun conversation. 

Sunday, Februrary 12^th we packed up (our last time until moving back to North Carolina) to move into a cute apartment in downtown Boulder.  While we have had a blast at Cyndi’s and will continue to see her a lot, the driving force behind this move was to alleviate my commute (a 55 minute to 2 hour and 50 minute commute) to about a 1 minute commute.  Eli’s commute was reduced by about 10 minutes.  With the reduction, I already feel like I have so much more time to enjoy my day and get to see the pups every day for lunch!!!  We are also enjoying to learn about and explore Boulder.  Ed and Jan had given us a gift certificate to the Sink which was featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives so we took Cyndi and Carole out to thank them for all the help moving and welcome ourselves to Boulder.  It was an excellent choice as Eli and I shared the Buddah Basil pizza which has a pesto tomato sauce with tomato, tofu, spinach, basil, artichoke hearts and an awesome honey crust which is almost like dessert.  We loved the place…and to top it off everything in the place is fresh, local, organic, and run by wind power!!!  We love Boulder already!!!

This past weekend was pretty low key.  On Saturday we went on a beautiful hike only about 15 minutes from our apartment on the Betasso Preserve (the Canyon Loop).  It was a little over 3 miles on a snow packed trail with great views of the mountains as well as a peek of the city.  We then went walking down Pearl Street and picked a random place to eat, the Trattoria on Pearl.  To finish the evening we went to good ol’ Ben and Jerry’s for delicious ice cream.  I then worked on Sunday as our great friends, Ashley and Chris Sellers, are coming to visit us next weekend.  We absolutely can’t wait!!!

Evergreen

Some very amateur rock climbing

On Saturday, January 7th, Katy and I loaded up the dogs and headed into the mountains. We went to the town of Evergreen and went hiking at an area called Three Sisters and The Brother, named such because of the four large rock formations that define the area and provide great overlooks of the Bear Creek Basin. It was a great hike other then the fact that the trail was covered in snow and ice, so of course me being the graceful one ended up wiping out with a bruised tailbone and hurt pride in the process. We hiked about four miles, most of it with snow falling which made the views even more beautiful.

 

After hiking we drove into the town of Evergreen and grabbed a bite to eat at the Tin Star Cafe, voted as one of Denver's top 50 restaurants to eat. Heading home was more of an adventure then we had wanted as it took us twice as long as it should have because of a snowstorm that had blown in and was dumping several inches up in the mountains. The car behind ours, a four wheel drive jeep, fishtailed and caused the car behind it to slam into its side. We did our fair share of sliding on the road, but thankfully made it home unscathed. Sunday was all about the Broncos as we watched them win an exciting overtime victory over the Steelers!

Christmas Part 2

This was my second Christmas away from home as I spent the Holidays in 2007 overseas in Iraq, but it was Katy's first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home, so it was a little sad. However, it was extremely nice to have had Dave and Sherry spend five days with us, to be with family despite being 1,500 miles from Virginia, and to have my family coming out in a few days as something to look forward to. On Christmas Eve we celebrated with Aunt Cyndi's partner, Carole's family. We had a wonderful time with them as they are a great group to be with. We did a white elephant gift exchange, ate some wonderful food, and played Shut the Box, a gambling game that Carole's 92 year old mother whooped us at!

On Christmas we woke up and made breakfast together before opening presents. It was a lazy day and nice to just stay in one spot without having to bounce from one house to another, our usual Christmas tradition. The one cool thing about spending Christmas in Denver....it was definitely a white Christmas!

Christmas Part 3

The third and final act of Christmas this year lasted for a week, with Mom, Dad, Seth, Brittany, and Kylie flying out to Denver to visit. They arrived on Tuesday afternoon, December 27th. It was so wonderful to have everyone under one roof and to be able to spend time together. We missed Josh greatly, but Josh had flown out earlier in the month and was now spending the week with his friends on their annual New Year's beach trip to the Outer Banks.

On Wednesday Katy had to work, so everyone else decided it would be nice to take Katy lunch and then spend the afternoon in Boulder. After getting a bite to eat and showing everyone where Katy spends her days, we drove into downtown Boulder to walk around, do some shopping, and enjoy the street entertainers. One performer that was especially good was a guy who could tell you what city you were from and then say something about that city, simply by you telling him your zip code. He knew Staunton and Charlottesville along with countless other cities. The other cool thing about the show was that Seth volunteered to be in his performance.

 That night after returning from Boulder, Cyndi had prepared what she called, "nibble night." It was a feast of hors d'oeuvres with all kinds of appetizers and finger foods. This was our Christmas feast as tonight we decided it was officially/unofficially Christmas and that we were going to exchange presents. The best and most exciting presents of the night were all the homemade pottery we got from Mom, Dad, and Josh, along with tickets to go see the Broncos play on Sunday!

On Thursday we spent the afternoon in downtown Denver walking around and shopping. We then grabbed dinner before heading over to the Pepsi Center to watch the Colorado Avalanche play the Phoenix Coyotes in hockey. Mom and Cyndi took Kylie home for a girls' night while the rest of us enjoyed our first NHL experience with an exciting 3-2 win for Colorado! On our way home we drove by the City County Building of Denver, a must see attraction for the Christmas season.

On Friday Katy began a four day weekend, so we celebrated by going to breakfast at a well known restaurant in the Denver area called Sam's Number 3. This place is famous for their burritos (including a current one called the tebow-ritto). They are also well known because of their green chili, which they douse practically everything on their menu with. Sam's Number 3 was recently featured on the television show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," so of course we had to watch the episode before leaving for breakfast. 

After a delicious meal, complete with the opportunity to be really touristy and not only meet the owner, but also be photographed with him, we headed to an area of Denver called Southlands. Southlands is a big shopping area, so needless to say Dad, Seth, Kylie, and myself only lasted about an hour before excusing ourselves to return home because "it was time for Kylie's nap." The women spent a marathon day shopping and didn't return until dinnertime! 

Saturday was a lazy day. We started off with Mom making an experimental Eggnog French Toast for breakfast, and then took a shopping to trip to Whole Foods to load up on fondue supplies for Dad's birthday dinner. This is a fun time of year for the Lovell clan as we are able to celebrate the obvious holidays, but also are able to celebrate Dad's birthday on New Year's Eve and Mom and Dad's anniversary on New Year's Day. We settled in to watch the UVA bowl game versus Auburn, but were disappointed by a lousy game...it was like we were all dressed up with no where to go. 

We then celebrated Dad's birthday with a delicious fondue meal with two kinds of cheese and a chocolate fountain (which oozed more then it flowed) complete with anything you could imagine for dipping. Most of us wanted to just celebrate New Year's Eve by going off of East Coast time and heading to bed at 10pm Mountain West time, but us Coloradans convinced everyone that we had to stay up and ring in the new year in our current time zone, which was complete with watching the re-run of the Dick Clark countdown!

            

On Sunday Seth, Brittany, Katy and I  headed down to the Denver Broncos stadium early to do some tailgating before the game. Despite the 7-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, it was still a fun game and a great environment with playoff implications on the line. Since the Oakland Raiders lost later that day, Denver was able to slump into the playoffs. We had a blast cheering and soaking in the energized atmosphere, and when we arrived back home we had Cyndi's homemade crab cakes with basil aioli to greet us!

Monday was our last full day together. We left in the morning and headed up to Golden, a town all of us had been to before and enjoyed for the free tour at the Coors Factory. Today, however, we headed up Lookout Mountain to soak in the views and visit Buffalo Bill's grave. After spending time up on the mountain we headed into the town of Golden and went to its second largest brewery, Golden City Brewery. It is imporant to know this little fact about Golden, there are only two breweries in this city. As we were sampling beer we struck up a conversation with the head cook at the brewery, who not only led us on a tour of their brewing facility housed in an oversized garage, but also shared with us his/her (our guide was a cross dresser with a five o'clock shadow and breasts) famous green chili recipe. 

After leaving Golden's second largest brewery, we headed back into Denver to eat dinner at the infamous Casa Bonita. This restaurant, self proclaimed as the most entertaining place to eat in America, is a well known Mexican restaurant complete with cliff divers, a haunted cave claimed to house Black Bart's hidden treasure, strolling musicians, and many other entertaining aspects. Casa Bonita is probably most well known for being prominently featured on an episode of South Park. South Park actually does a good job of capturing Casa Bonita, so if you're interested, check it out (not for children younger then 21). 

inside of Black Bart's Cave

watching the cliff divers

doing the limbo with Kylie

Tuesday morning Katy was back to work and the rest of us were up bright and early to drive to the airport. After a wonderful week of celebrating all the happy occasions, especially the fact that we were all together under one roof, we said goodbye and came to the realization that the long drag of winter and routine lay ahead. Katy and I are loving the experience of traveling the country and what has made it so easy is the fact that we have extremely supportive families who we love more then words can express.