One year ago today I got a phone call that confirmed an addition to family!!! Hudson LeeRoy Potter made his entrance into this great big world! He soon became my god son and the light of my world! His cheesy smile, the way he tilts his head, curly locks of hair, and his love for a stuffed Santa as just a few things that make this little boy one that brings a smile to my face! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!!! Can't wait until I get to see you again!!!
Hudson's baptism
Jan. 7, 2012
My spring visit to SD
March 2012
Easter 2012
July 2012
Sept. 2012
Fall 2012
Hudson's first Halloween
Oct. 2012
Seeing Santa for the first time
Dec. 2012
Celebrating Hudson's 1st birthday at Nana and Papa's
For my nephew's 14th birthday {I can't believe he is 14 already}, I bought him tickets to the Nuggets vs. Lakers game here in Denver, and a plane ticket to get back to Sioux Falls, SD. We left Nana and Papa's house the day after Christmas and drove back to Denver to attend this game. Nicholas was pretty darn excited!
We jumped on the light rail and rode it to the Pepsi Center drop off and had burgers at Brooklyn's downtown. Of course, Nicholas ordered a cheeseburger with pickles only! We headed over the the Pepsi Center and watched the pre-game warm-ups and the game! It was a good game with Dwight Howard getting kicked out, another Laker's player fouled out, Kobe Bryant scored 28 points....but the NUGGETS won!!! I always love when an underdog wins!!!!
I took Nicholas to the airport the next day, and well we were there all day long! All I could think about was the lack of sleep I was going to have to suffer through that night at work! I got home at 5pm and had to be to work at 6:45, so with no sleep I pulled a 12 hour night shift and fell into my bed like a ton of bricks the next morning, but it was totally worth it to spend extra auntie/nephew time with Nicholas!!!
I have finally found time sit down and relax since I left Denver on Dec. 21st and headed to western KS for the Christmas! I came back to Denver the 26th with my nephew in tow and I haven't slowed down since. After working 3 nights, I have finally found time to do laundry, pick up my apt., go to the grocery store {something I hate!!!}, and catch up on my DVR!!! However, the time that I just spent with my family was a wonderful time and looking back on our time together in our hometown puts a smile on my face!
I first must say that I made sure that I was with my momma on Dec. 21st...I have major anxiety about not knowing what is next, {yes, yes I know that I am almost 30} and well the talk about the world ending just made that anxiety pop out! I was doing ok with the talk until I saw a post on Facebook with the weather forecast. Friday, Dec. 21st was red with temperatures out of this world...and well at that moment I freaked out a little bit! I planned it out to make sure that I was with my family just in case!!!! We survived, but it was still the thought of the unknown!!!
Christmas 2012...
There is something about the holiday season that makes me smile from ear to ear. The family traditions, pounds of yummy goodies, conversation and laughter that fills the house, kids running around wild, delicious food, presents, decorations, music...and well the list never ends. Spending time with my family tops the list!!! We had a great Christmas filled with love, happiness, and cheer! I do have to say that making a Christmas list of items that you would like to have with the website link attached will almost guarantee that you will receive the things you have been thinking about for months!!! I have to say that I scored this Christmas!!! I can't wait to put my KitchenAid Mixer to good use!!!
However the highlight of Christmas was when my dad pulled a onesie out of a present that said "Papa'sBoy" revealing that Darren and Tori are bringing another boy into the family! As much as I prayed for pink; more blue, trucks, and frogs will be just as fabulous!!!
Mr. Hudson and I on his 1st Christmas!!! {Mia and Gia had to get in the picture too!}
Watching the 1 yr. olds while their momma's went to Tori's house...
I am now preparing to work as we enter a new year! I want to wish everyone the most blessed new year ever!!! I have many plans for myself and I can only hope that 2013 will be a year to brag about!!!
As Christmas is swiftly approaching us, I have been in a place this past week that has be wondering about what I want to do to be a better person in 2013 and the bucket list items are running around in my head. I think about the last bucket list I made in 2011, and I need to revisit that list and see what ones I have actually accomplished {I don't think that it is very many}.
Then I pull myself back into the now, and realize that I don't need {or want} to over see the holidays! I am really looking forward to Christmas this year in a way that I have never looked forward to anything else. I look forward to next week, the drive home with Christmas music, seeing my Godson Hudson and my nephew Nicholas, being nice and cozy under and blanket by the fire place in my favorite chair at my mom and dad's, goofy around with my brother-in-laws with a beer in our hand, dinner with my best friend from high school...and the list could go on and on!
As I look back at my past Christmas', there are always those traditions that never escape my mind...and like everyone else I have favorites...so here goes the list!
1. Favorite Christmas song: "Mary, did you know?" Rascal Flatts sang this song at a country Christmas show and I fell in love with this version! I also love the Kenny Rogers and Wyonna Judd version! There is just something about this song that touches my heart and it isn't a song that everyone knows the lyrics too. I can't tell you how excited I was to hear this song when Christmas music started playing on the radio!
2. Favorite Candy: My Grandma Honas' cinnamon candy. My Grandma always had a ton of treats on the counter for all of us to eat until we couldn't eat anymore! Her cinnamon candy was the bomb dot com! Jera has already asked me to make it for this year, and I made a couple batches last night!
Hard Candy Recipe
3 3/4 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. light karo syrup
1 teas. cinnamon oil {or any flavor you want}
red food coloring
Mix first three ingredients, place on heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring until candy reaches 310 degrees or makes thread in cold water. Add flavoring and food coloring. Pour into a greased cookie pan and let harden. Break into pieces and ENJOY!
3. Favorite Tradition: Christmas Eve with my family! My mom makes appetizers, soups, and usually a yummy cocktail. We eat and then open gifts! After gift opening we usually drive around town and look at Christmas lights and wait until midnight mass. As a family we go to midnight mass. After midnight mass we make breakfast at 1:30 in the morning in our pj's and enjoy our sleepy selves!
4. Favorite Decoration: Nativity Set. I bought a new Nativity set when I was in Rome with summer at the Sistine Chapel. When I first saw this Nativity set I fell in love and honestly I wanted it no matter how much it cost...and well I bought it! I am so glad that I did! I look at is everyday and not only do I remember a fabulous trip I had this summer coming closer to God and my faith, I always remember what Christmas is all about! Every year when I put this Nativity set out I will always be reminded of the trip of a lifetime!
5. Favorite Scent: Peppermint from Bath & Body Works! I love this scent! My candle that I bought this year is already more than halfway gone!
6. Favorite non-traditional pastime: Our family ski trip to Breckenridge in 2007. My parents wanted to take us on a ski trip and we loved it! It was our Christmas present and we all had a great time! From the ski-in, ski-out condo, skiing with Santa on Christmas day, going to Christmas eve mass in Uggs because the snow was so deep, spending time with our "second" family, the Loftus', getting Nicholas ready for his first time on the slops...and I could go on and on! We are planning another Christmas Ski trip within the next couple of years!
Well, those are my top favorite things about the holidays! If I keep going it will be the longest blog in history because I love the holidays and have so many favorite things that are family traditions throughout the years! Here's to making more traditions and memories in 2012! I can't wait to be with both of my sisters, brother-in-laws, nephews, and parents all in one house for several days! I CAN NOT WAIT!!!! 12-20-12, you can not come fast enough!
Well, it's been over a week since I started B210K!
The first week was ok...
It looked like this...
Warm-up: 5 min.
Run: 10 min.
Walk: 1 min.
Repeat for a total of 4 times
Cool down: 5 min.
When I was running outside this workout was not too bad, but one day last week I had to run on the treadmill because I had a class and it was dark outside {or close to} when I got home...and well that workout...SUCKED!!! For some reason, I was really struggling, but the important thing is that I finished the workout...sucking air and all!!!
It has been hard to get motivation to do this program because I am completely intimidated by it...and when I am intimidated it's hard to get off the couch, pull on those sneaks and hit the pavement or treadmill...so, needless to say, it's Tuesday and I just did my first workout of the second week. It actually went well, and I felt good while I was running and even better after I finished! I was glad I laced up those sneaks today and headed to the gym...it snowed last night and has been pretty cold here the last couple of days...and I had another class today so it was almost dark by the time I got home.
This week looks like this:
Warm-up: 5 min.
Run: 15 min.
Walk: 1 min.
Repeat for a total of 3 times
Cool down: 5 min.
Here's to having motivation and lacing up the sneaks tomorrow!
Isn't the the absolute cutest picture you ever did see!!! Mia was in love {lust} with that salmon can for about 4 days! She carried it around everywhere to the point she would carry into my room and leave in on the floor by the bed, when I would put her up on the bed she would stare at it like it was going to disappear if she wasn't watching it! She would carry it to the door when we would go out to tinkle, just to attack it like a maniac when we got back inside! Talk about OBSESSED!!!! :) Oh, but I love her! She is seriously the sweetest little thing and there is nothing better than her good morning kisses after a long 12 hour night shift!
Mia going to town on the salmon can!!!
Did I mention that Mia also loves to lick the remains of Fro Yo??? It's a good thing that she has a momma that loves Fro Yo!!!
Mia also loves her Papa!!! And I think that he secretly loves her more than he would ever say!!! :)
When I was a child, every year we would get a small package from my Grandma Chaput and it was always the Hallmark Granddaughter Christmas ornament. I have ornaments dating back to my very first Christmas in 1983. When I was younger decorating the Christmas tree was one of the greatest traditions that we had as a family! Every other year it was "Grandma's Christmas Tree"! My sister's and I busted out the boxes with our names on them and put up ornaments from the year we born to the current year.
This year I decided to carry on this tradition myself! Last year my tree was black and silver, but this year my Christmas tree is full of memories. Not only do I have the ornaments that I received all those years from my grandma, but I added the ones that I bought when I was on different trips!
Here are a few close ups of some of the ornaments that adorn my tree...
Grandchild's First Christmas 1983
"Granddaughter- You're So Sweet" 1995
"A Granddaughter is a special joy" 1991
"Granddaughter, you are the apple of my eye" 1992
"Season after season, a Granddaughter grows dearer and dearer" 1986
This angel I bought this summer while in Assisi, Italy
This Alcatraz, CA ornament, I bought in 2009 when my cousin got married!
Another tradition that my family has are stockings! My mom has made each one of our stockings the year we were born, or the year that my brother-in-laws joined the family! These stockings have been under our trees for years! I have to say that mine is the cutest and 29 years later it still makes an appearance under my Christmas tree! Now, I just have to remember to take it home when I go to KS for Christmas...yes, Santa still comes at 29 years old!!!
Last, but not least is my little girl in front of the Christmas tree! Last year she was deathly afraid of it, but this year it's a game to run around it when her sister Gia is visiting!
This weekend Tori and Darren made an appearance in Denver to do their Christmas shopping and we pretty much did our own things this weekend! Friday night they arrived and we chilled on the couch and caught up on the weekly dish! I was up and at 'em at 0645 on Saturday morning to go to Boulder for the Colder Bolder 5K...I headed out at 0800 sharp with all my running gear in hand leaving my sister and her husband in bed! After the 5K, my friend Rosa and I headed down to Castlerock to the outlet mall to do a little Christmas shopping myself! I scored both of my sisters presents, a pair of black skinny jeans, and a cute Tommy Hilfiger plush coat with fur around the hood {I have always dreamt of owning a coat with fur on the hood!!!!}...oh and we can't forget the yummy salt carmels and raspberry carmels from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory that I just happen to be indulging in right now!!! :) oops!
As we were walking through the mall Rosa checked her email on her phone and told me that the vintage furniture blog that we are VIP members of and get all of the new furniture before it goes on the website had sent an email. Well, needless to say, I fell in love with a piece...I called the lady at 1545 {3:45}...got the piece of furniture and it was delivered at my apartment at 1715 {5:15}...and I have to say I can't stop staring at it!!! I love it!!!
Saturday night Tori, Darren, and I went out for pizza and a beer, well Darren and I had a beer! Afterwards we had our own little photo shoot!!! Tori and Darren needed a Christmas card picture and I got to sneak in a few with my little sister!
At dinner!
In Belmar with the ice rink in the background
Darren saw this Crown Royal blow-up and had to stop and take a picture to send to my dad! We have some major crown lovers on our hands!
Sunday morning we went to mass and celebrated the first week of Advent and the new liturgical year for Catholics. I love starting new seasons! After mass we went for some lunch and they packed up the jeep and headed back east to western KS!
I love a weekend with my family and friends! It was a perfect blend of both all weekend!
Well, I did it! I ran the Colder Bolder 5K on Saturday with a group of friends form work! We had a blast and I see more races in our future!
Recap on the race:
The weather was more than ideal on Dec. 1st...it was about 50 degrees when we started the race and it only got warmer from there! There were a few times that I was thinking that wore too many clothes! I wished I would have went with that t-shirt instead of my under armour cold gear!
The race started out good, and I was doing fine until I hit the mile 1 mark...the end of the first mile ended with a hill and it was a bad deal from there. I lost my breathing and my legs were barking at me...and well, my side started to cramp. I never could get rid of my side cramp the rest of the race no matter how deep I breathed, how slow I ran; no matter what it was an annoying little cramp that reminded me that I could do better than I was doing for the next 2.1 miles! However, when I finished I had a fabulous cheering team waiting at the finish line! I had a great time and am glad that I did it! Here's to the next race!
Stats:
Place: 580/860
Time: 32:46
Pace: 10:33/mile
These stats aren't what I would have liked to see...but it gives me something to work toward for the next race! Hey, I never said that I was a fast runner, I have just said that I DON'T QUIT!!!!
My blog started in 2010 with my adventures as a travel nurse. I stopped updating my blog in 2014. I am now back but for completely different reasons. At 32, I have been diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer. I am now shifting my blog to tell the story of my fight with cancer.
"I wanna do something that matters, say something different. Something that sets the whole world on its ear. I wanna do something better with the time I've been given. I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life. Leave nothing less than something that says...I was here." ~Lady Antebellum
