I heart Denver

I wanted to give you a few sights of Denver that I have been enjoying these days. This is just a nice overview of the city. Sometimes I am blown away by how colorful Denver is.This is the bottom of the 16th street mall. Most of 16th street is blocked off to traffic. The only vehicles allowed on it are the Free Mall Ride busses, which are free busses that go up and down the strip of little shops and restaurants. Since cars are not allowed on the road, the pavement has mostly been replaced with brick walkways, trees, benches and sculptures. It is especially pretty at night because all the trees are covered in twinkle lights.

This is part of Confluence Park. There are lots of trails and bike ways following creeks around Denver. This is where Cherry Creek and the Platt River meet. It has been constructed to look like rapids so kayakers can practice here. It is right next to a very large and extravagant REI, with a rock climbing center inside and practice bike trails outside. At the base of these rapids is a sandy beach and calm pools for kids to swim in.

This is a bridge over the Platt River, and those of you from Redding may recognize this idea. Sundail bridge, you thought you were so clever.
The other day I was in a grocery store in Boulder and walked out to this view. I was struck by how beautiful it is to live here. I used to feel the same way when I came out of the walmart in Redding. Mountains make for much more pleasant city experiences.

That's all!

Bringing home the bacon...actually, the andouille and gravy :)

After a week and a half of searching, applications and interviews I landed myself a nice little job. I will be working at Lucile's, a Cajun breakfast fine dining establishment.


I am so excited about this job! I went there to eat with the family I live with a week ago and decided that if I could choose any restaurant to work at, it would be Lucile's. The atmosphere is so comfortable and quaint, and the attitude of the serving staff is friendly and welcoming, even to potential new hires which says a lot. Along with that, it is only open until 2pm, so that means I will always only work day shifts which is a nice scheduling situation to find in the restaurant industry. To make it even better, this sweet little diner is just a few blocks up the road I live on. So, I officially have a job I can walk to, or more likely, ride a bike to. I am looking forward to making friends with the girls on staff there and beginning to develop more of a community in Denver. So far most of my relationships are in Boulder, so it will be great to begin to get to know my neighborhood, the Denver locals (at least those who love Cajun food) and the staff. So, those of you who live in the Denver area, come on down. But not on a weekend, or you will have to wait many many minutes to be seated, being as we are quite popular. :)

Along with my new exciting employment, I have begun the process of volunteering with the African Community Center. There is a thrift store near my house called Safari Seconds. It was brought to my attention that this store works to outfit and give money and resources to an organization that helps refugees transition into stable lives in America. Though the center is a part of a larger organization specializing in Ethiopian refugees, this organization helps refugees from all over the world. At my orientation I met three refugees who had just arrived from Bhutan. Hopefully soon I will be working with an after school program for these refugee children who are in high school and junior high. The program offers an hour of tutoring every day after school, and then activities such as soccer, dance class and art.

I have officially been in Denver for a month. So far I have been loving every minute of settling in and connecting with friends. Now I feel as though I am beginning to find a place here, and build a life of my own. I am so eager to feel like I belong here, like I am contributing to something here and that things are progressing. So far I have just been enjoying it here. It will be nice to take more of an active role in the community instead of just consuming the bountiful resource of joy and happiness I have found here.

Mommy for a week

I am sitting in my room, waiting to go pick up Craig and Laura from the airport after a five day conference in Boca, Florida. In the background all I can hear is the soft, and then sometimes not so soft whimpering of Haddie, the three year old I have had charge of the this past week while she tries to transition into nap time. Out my window, I hear nothing but the oh so tactful screaming, swearing and fighting of two construction workers that have been laboring on the house next door all week. They scream at each other, drop the f-bomb non stop, pee in front of me (I am assuming they don't know I can see them) and stand on a ladder leading to the roof of my neighbor that convieniently rests right next to my bedroom window. Today I hid in the corner of my room dripping wet in a towl until they weren't standing perfectly in front of my closet so I could change after my shower.

Ceili, the five year old I just picked up from school is watching TV quietly in the living room so as to not make Haddie jealous, who I am insisting lays down even though she does not want to. It is Friday, which is nice because otherwise I would be reading with Ceili the many books she is assigned for homework, even though she is only in Kindergarden. She is amazingly intelligent and this week we have been reading through books that make her sound out words such as silhouette, hovered, specimen, and frijoles.

This week has been a wonderful challenge. Ceili has to leave for school at 7:45am and goes to bed at 7:45pm, so I've been putting in atleast 12 hours of tender childcare a day this week, and more when you add the cleaning and cooking on either side of the kids waking up. In a few hours, it will be over and I can go back to being responsibility-less, which I can admit, makes me kind of sad. In the midst of the potty reminders, washing hands, brushing teeth, changing clothes, cooking dinner, enforcing the eating of dinner, doing homework, reading, putting to bed and snuggling to sleep, I found a wonderful joy of providing and caring for kids who love you for it.
Here is a sweet little taste of my week.

Haddie asleep after trying to stay awake reading.



Ceili in the coolest dress up outfit I've ever seen! She came up with it all on her own, and though
the picture might not do it justice, it was complex.

Making Cookies! Chocolate chip, banana, cranberry, coconut, pecan cookies to be exact. They were actually quite delicious.

Our first dinner together, personal pizzas they made themselves.