Christmas 2008

Chris and I stayed in Colorado this year for Christmas. We did some fondue on Wednesday night, which is a Horne family tradition. We got up on Christmas Day and went to Beaver Creek for some skiing. It was great snow and nobody was there. We had a really great time. We stayed that night in Frisco at the Snowshoe Motel, which was a big change from Beaver Creek. The staff was really friendly though and we had a good dinner on Main Street. On Friday, we skied at Breckenrige and our friend Josh joined us. It was another uncrowded day and there was awesome powder during the first runs of the morning. We felt like kids on Christmas morning!

Another Weekend on the Slopes and Goodies!

We went up to Keystone for the weekend and stayed with our friends Josh and Amber. Chris is getting really good at the teles and can keep up on the blue runs now! I did several black mogul runs with Amber, which was fun and very helpful since she was a ski instructor for about 10 years. It was so cold on Saturday we left the slopes early and went and saw Four Christmases, which was funny. We've received several yummy goodies for the Holidays. Patsy sent us a fun basket that has been very tasty and fun to drink. Susan sent us some home made goodies and we don't have much left. I have never seen Chris so exited about chocolate!

A Weekend In Breckenridge

Last week, Chris went up to the High Country and practiced on his teles all week. I took the day off on Friday and drove up with my friend Melisa. On Friday, Melissa and me skied all over the mountain while Chris stuck to the teles. It got really cold in the afternoon and the snow really started coming down. We met up with some friends in Frisco for dinner that night. On Saturday, Melisa and me took a Level 7 lesson. We had so much fun! I made tremendous progress on the moguls and we skied with the creaters of the Flying Elvis' that were in the movie Leaving Las Vegas.

Christmas Tree

We finally got a Christmas tree! The lot we went to last year wasn't there anymore so we couldn't find the Lodgepole Pine. However, we got a Colorado Balsam and it smells great and does not shed any needles.

Chris' Birthday Weekend

Chris turned 31 this past Sunday. On Friday night, we drove up to Keystone with the dogs and stayed with Rye. We got up on Saturday and did some skiing at Beaver Creek. It was a great day and we had a lot of fun. Chris did some tele by his self in the morning. While he was doing that, Rye, Dave and me did some black runs in the Rose Bowl. There was so much snow so it was tough. In the afternoon we did some fast, groomed runs. On Sunday, we went to Keystone and skied most of the morning. It was really sunny and warm outside. I don't have very many photos because our camera died. It is taped together and pretty pathetic looking. Chris and me are going to give each other a camera for Christmas. Mom bought us one last year, but Chris dropped it in a rain puddle and it did not survive the rain storm.

After a relaxing Thanksgiving, Chris and me headed up to the High Country for a long weekend. On Friday, we skiied in Keystone with our friend Josh and his friend Phil. After lunch, Chris got his teles, but the mountain was too crowded. We spent the night with Josh and Amber, which was a great time as usual. I was in bed by 9 PM. On Saturday, we went to Breckenridge and Chris did his teles all day. I hung out with him. He is linking his turns and looking good! He really likes it. We watched some of the Auburn game (and then turned it when we couldn't watch anymore) and then went to dinner with our friend Dave. We stayed in Breckenrige and then got up on Sunday morning and skiied some more. It had snowed all night and snowed all day. It was finally a great powder day on the mountain! We left around noon since we knew traffic was going to be bad. It took us four hours to get home and there was cars spinning out everywhere.

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

Chris and me ran in the Turkey Trot this morning with our friend Dave. Last night over dinner, we decided it would be fun to dress up for the 5K. Luckily for us, Van & Carolyn never throw out anything and we had taken some of their windbreakers from the early 90s. I can't believe they wore these and were serious! We had alot of fun at the race. Some of these Boulder people take a Turkey 5K way too seriously!

Atlanta & Trussville

Chris had to work in Atlanta last week and I went down on Wednesday to spend some time with him. On Wednesday night, we met some of my soriority sisters at Mellow Mushroom for dinner. I missed Meredith on Thursday night, so I went and saw her and Lilli at the mall on Friday before leaving town. We went over to Trusville on Friday night and it was really fun. Stacey came over and we went to see Devin and her new baby, Jackson. Mom cooked Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, which was very good!

On Friday, we went and watched "Children of Winter", which is the new Warren Miller film. It was really good and got us super excited for the ski season. However, Chris missed the first part of the movie. He landed at DIA and the 4Runner had a flat tire! On Saturday, we went up to Keystone and spent the night with our friends Josh and Amber. We met up with some other friends for dinner and took it easy in the hot tub then went to bed. On Sunday, we did some skiing at Keystone. It was fun, but there was just a couple of runs open and it was crowded. Chris did telemark the entire day and Josh helped him out, which was really nice. He really enjoyed it, but his toes were hurting really bad at the end of the day.

It Has Been A While...

Well, it has been a while since our last post. It has been busy with Chris being out of town most of the time during the weekdays. He has been in Atlanta, then he did some training her in Boulder, and this week he is in Florida. Tonight we are going to see Warren Miller's new film Children of Winter with some friends. I have a feeling this will get us fired up to skiing for the weekend. I'll take some photos!

Below is just some random photos. We bought the dogs a dragon outfit for Halloween of the clearance rack at Target. However, large wasn't as big as we thought it would be, but it was worth the $0.99 for the laughs. Chris went fly fishing last Saturday with some friends. Today I woke up and it had finally snowed at our house!

It's Time to Ski!

Chris and me went up to Loveland Pass today to watch our friend Josh ski. It was fun to watch, but REALLY cold and windy. Afterwards, we road down the mountain to A-Basin to take a few runs to start of the season. It was a good time!

We Have Company...

Ms. Slaughter came to town this week. Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch and made a pumpkin pie. It was really yummy, but a lot of work. Today we went on a walk near our house. It has been a really nice week with temperatures in the 70s.

Great American Beer Festival

This weekend we went to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO. The weather was cold and rainy, but it was a awesome time inside!

The House

I thought I would post a before and after picture of the house. We still have a ways to go, but it is getting closer! We are going to get a nice wooden door, expand the front porch, and re-do the landscaping.

A Dog's Life

The dogs have been spoiled again with Chris out of town since they get to sleep in the bed with me at night. There pads were looking pretty rough, so we got them some new ones that arrived today. They weren't too sure about them at first, but have warmed up to them. I also included a picture of the curtains my mom made for the "blue room". Thanks mom!

Gold Hill and House Updates

Chris and me rode our mountain bikes up to Gold Hill today from our house. It was about a 24 mile round trip. However, it took us 3 hours to get there because it was all up hill with significant elevation gain. It took us less than one hour to get home. We stopped at the Gold Hill General Store, which was really good. Gold Hill is a neat little mountain town. I don't really know if you can call it a town...more like a street. However, it does have its own general store, hotel, and antique store.

I also included some pictures of the house after the painting was done. Our tree is starting to change colors. Fall is in the air....which means skiing is not very far away!

Orange and Blue = Black (Kind of)!

I had my camera missing for a while, but got it back so I have some catching up to do. We went to the CU game last Thursday, which was fun. We also went to the "Stampede" on Pearl Street the night before. It was entertaining, but not near the intensity of the Tiger Walk. The game was really fun and the students were really exited about the game. See if you can spot the Alabama fan in the pictures...everyone is decked out in their black CU gear and what do you know if there isn't a redneck Alabama fan in a Alabama hat and jacket! No matter how far you go you can't escape!

Chris is back in Atlanta this week. He will be having a fun time watching the Auburn game at George Wilbank's lake house in Alexander City. I have been keeping busy with swim lessons and bike riding, but I am ready for him to be back in town!

Progress is being made....

The weather has been really nice in Boulder this week. Chris and me went mountain biking on Monday and yesterday I had my swim lesson. I learned a lot yesterday during my lesson. I had my own instructor and my own lane and swam free style the whole time! We are finally getting the house painted! It should be done by Friday and we are really excited. Today the green coat was put on and it starting to look really different.

Breaking News: Hurricane Steve to hit P.C. Beach Tonight

Breaking news from Schooners Beach Club in Panama City Beach, FL. Hurricane Steve is expected to hit tonight via The Fur Bus. All residents are advised to join the party or evacuate.

New Boots and The Dog Days of Summer

Well, Chris is one step closer to being a tele skier. Our new passes just came in for the 08/09 ski season and all the local stores are having clearance sales for their 07/08 gear. Now all he needs are some bindings, skis, and some poles.

We also took the dogs to swim at the public pool. As a fundraiser, they open the pool up at the end of the season and let dogs swim for $5/dog. Overall, Maddie was pretty tame (Chris took her skateboarding to wear her out) and did really good. There was so many chocolate and blacks labs I couldn't hardly tell which ones were our dogs! It was craziness.

Labor Day Weekend 2008

We took a little road trip over the holiday weekend. Our adventure started on Thursday night with a late night stay at the Super 8 Motel in Leadville (interesting). We woke up Friday morning and drove the Independence Pass to Aspen, CO. Chris had to work some, but then we went to see the Maroon Bells. They were beautiful. That night, we went to see Widespread Panic at the Aspen Jazz Fest. We had a lot of fun and it was a great show. The venue was awesome, but I didn't have my camera.

On Saturday, we drove to Fruita and met up with our friends Josh and Amber from Keystone. We did some biking that afternoon in the Bookcliffs area, but it was extremely hot so we set up camp and took it easy. When we woke up on Sunday, it was overcast and raining....and raining....so we drove through Colorado National Monument Park. It was really pretty. We went and did some fun riding in the Loma area on the Kokepelli trail that afternoon. We got caught in a flash flood, which was interesting and fun. On Monday, we did some more riding, but just stayed a half day. Chris lost the screw to his rear break (not good) and I sprained my ankle! However, we all survived with just some bumps and bruises.

Warning: There is a crazy amount of photos!

Catch of the Day

Chris went fly fishing with our friends Dave and Ry in early August at Rocky Mountain National Park. He had the catch of the day and Dave got a good pic of it.

A Biking We Will Go

It has been nice having Chris back in town for a while. When he was gone, I went on the Girls Ride Tuesday night, which was really fun. Today we did Walker Ranch and had a great time. I did wreck and go over my handle bars. My bike landed on top of me and my leg was looking pretty funny. However, I survived with just some bruises.

Also, I am going to make it official....I am going to train to do a Triathlon. I want to do a few by the time I am 30 and have a few planned out for next summer. I start adult swimming lessons in September!

On the Road Again....

Chris was in Ft. Lauderdale last week for work and won MVP for his department! He got back Friday night and was back on a plane Saturday morning for a trip to Atlanta. Me and the dogs will be glad when he gets back this week!!

Biking at Heil Ranch

Chris and I had big plans to mountain bike in Nederland all day, but the weather was supposed to be bad up there. Instead, we just went to Heil Ranch in Boulder. We had fun and I did good with my new pedals. Here is a couple of photos of the trail.

Rain & Birthday Celebration!

It has finally rained at our house. We were so excited we took photos. After months of anticipation, we finally saw our gutters in action. Chris got me some new pedals and mountain biking shoes for my birthday. I am really excited, but a little scared.

Maddie goes Skateboarding

Chris was watching the "Dog Whisperer" on Sunday and was inspired. He took Maddie out for a couple of spins around the block while he was on his skateboard. She seemed to really like it. You'll have to watch the video sideways since it wouldn't let us flip it!

Happy Anniversary!

I suprised Chris with a new tree for our anniversary. It is a Autumn Blaze Maple. Hopefully it will help us out with some shade on the house!

Backpacking the Gore Range

On Friday, we drove up to Keystone to meet up with our friends Josh and Amber for a weekend of backpacking. We took Maddie to the dog spa (aka kennel) while Oakley went with us. Oakley had a great time, but we decided this was going to be her last backpacking trip. Her age is starting to show. We hiked about 3.5 miles on Friday and set up camp. We then hiked up to Willow Lake on Saturday and the boys did some fly fishing. In all, we think we did about 15-17 miles. On the last day, I got another blister, which was not much fun.

Girls Ride!

Hello! This is just a quick picture of me in action during the girls ride last night. If you want, you can check out the blog for it at http://tuesdayrides.blogspot.com/

Happy July 4th!

Chris is back in town and we had some friend over to celebrate the holiday. Enjoy the photos!

Bowls & Blood

We got new food bowls for the dogs today. They are supposed to slow them down, which it did kind of...click on the photo that says movie and you can watch them in action. I also went on a bike ride. I was doing pretty good until a wrecked and banged up my thigh and elbow.

Rocky Mountain and Denver Adventure

On Saturday we took a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and drove up Trail Ridge road. On Sunday, Dad's conference in Denver began. I spent the night with them on Monday night and we had a fun time out on the town. Everybody is back in Boulder now and it is hot!

We have visitors!

This week Jen and "Papa" Self stopped by on their way to California. We went to dinner and had a fun time with them in town before they went back on the road. Mom and Dad came into town Thursday night. Today we took a road trip to Mount Evans.

Latest Happenings....

On Thursday, we rode mountain bikes with Dave and Melisa at Betasso Preserve. On Saturday, we had our overnight backpacking trip with the CMC. It was really fun. I think we might be spending our 5 year wedding anniversary with them!

Happy Father's Day! (I know a little early...)

Happy Father's Day! I know it is a little early, but I am exited about the gifts we have. My sister's sewing skills are really coming in handy and now Steve can really get to grilling. Dad, your gift will be out here waiting for you....

House Photos

I forgot to take the camera during our mountain bike adventures this weekend, but will get some pics this week. I thought you might enjoy some photos of the house progress.

CMC Snow Travel Class

I thought you might enjoy some of our photos from our Snow Travel class that we took on May 11, 2008. We are at St. Mary's Glacier.

First Annual FooManChoo Fat Tire Memorial Day Festival

Chris shaved a "foo man choo" to celebrate skiing at A-Basin for the weekend. Well, we ran out of time to ski, but had a great time mountain biking with Melisa, Amber, and Josh. We rode about 9 miles with a lot of up hill, so we took a break at the Tiki Bar by Lake Dillon for some rum runners. Chris and Josh rode the trail back (another 9 miles) while me and the girls took the 5 mile paved bike trail back home.

Rocky Mountain National Park (5/31 - 6/01)

We did some hiking and camping at Rocky Mountain National Park. The snow report was knee deep on the trail and postholing up to the waist for the last 200 yards! Thankfully, the snow report was incorrect. The weather was perfect!