Congratulations!!!

Yeah!!! Welcome to the world Taylor Suzanne Hammond!! Taylor's life journey began at 4:45 am December 13, 2006! She is 5 lb 8 oz, 18 1/2 inches. Congratulations to the proud parents: Chris & Sara Hammond, love you guys!

Ansel wanna be

This picture was taken just outside of Steam Boat Springs, CO in October.

Just Because

Just down the road from where I live, Red Rocks, it's a spiritual place:

Snow Stories

With the recent dumping of snow on Golden I have learned a few new things about driving in the snow.

1. Yes, you can get stuck backing out of your own driveway. Thank you to my good neighbor, his shovel, and ice cream rock salt I was able to make it to my doctor's appointment only 5 minutes late.
2. Some hills are not approachable in an Acura TSX.
3. Sometimes getting back into your own driveway is not possible. So, it is ok if your back bumper is technically on the sidewalk (says me).
4. Practicing do-nuts (to learn what to do in a "crisis" situation) in the Coors Parking lot is not a good idea. According to the Coors police there are cameras and they "big brother" were watching. What we were doing was considered reckless driving and could result in 12 points against your driver's license, $1,000.00 fine, plus jail time. Luckily, we were let free with a warning and stories of many tragedies as results of reckless driving.
5. Oh and momentum, momentum, momentum when driving up hills and the driveway. Because once you stop you are out of luck sucka: a.k.a.: A Texas driver.

King for a day!!

I just wanted to wish my little bro a Happy Birthday bloggeer style!

Mac Fun!

I was fortunate enough to get a Mac on Sunday and my life is forever changed! All is right with the world now! I have enjoyed beyond words the quickness of this sheek little white machine. Programs don't stall, in fact their speedy quick. And speaking of programs, oh the plethora of new and exciting and creative programs I can now play with!!! One of my favorites is Photo Booth. There is a camera built into the top of my monitor and using this program you can take your picture. The fun part is, that it has all these crazy effects options. Here are a few of my favorites:

Wagging Tales

Here is the link to the Aurora Sennt./Daily Sun. These are the pictures I shot as a freelance assignment last Thursday.

http://auroradailysun.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=187785

Snow

Since the snow was such a grand event, I thought I would give you a few more pictures of what we experienced here in Golden,CO. Corrina especially loved the snow: as soon as her paws hit the snow she jumped up off all fours and then took off in many spastic laps around the yard. For you that know Corrina this is always fun to watch because as we say, "she only hits 3rd gear once a month" I guess the white stuff is the fuel to get her going!


Here is a pic of Nat and I posing in the snow. Corrina is in the right foreground looking at us weird because we are posing instead of running around like maniacs in the cold white stuff with her:

Yesterday the sun came out melting our winter wonderland. Most Golden residents were happy because it melted the icy roads, but there was one resident that was very upset that the snow was melting. You can see the look of confusion and sadness in her eyes as she tries to figure out why her fun magic powder is melting.

I like this picture because I find it very peculiar how the snow can collect on such a skinny surface without toppling over.

Most of the snow is gone today except for a few patches here and there in the shadows. Today is another sunny day, but snow is forcasted once again this weekend. It's just beginning.

White Fluff

This is the Black Walnut tree in my yard a couple of weeks ago:


This is the same Black Walnut tree today:


Today was a day of firsts:
-1st time I have lived somewhere that snow is definitely in the winter forcast.
-1st time I have ever seen snow in October.
-And the grandest: today was the first time I have ever driven in snow. (It was like driving into a white vortex)

A few hours after I awoke today I saw the snow. As the day progressed the snow continued and continued. It then started to stick and around 5:00 the white fluff was thick and bountiful. We (Nat, Corrina, and I) had a blast playing in the white winter wonderland! Here are a few more of my favs:

Home Sweet Home

So here are the first pictures of our new home. More will come of the inside when the boxes are gone and everything is in place.

Goodbye Guesstures Style

Friday night was our last get together in HB with all of our friends. We grilled out and ended the night with a mean game of guesstures...girls vs. boys. It was a typical battle of the sexes only that this game lasted until 2am. We had a blast as we got in touch with our inner actor. Everyone definitely had their distinctive styles:

Mr. Happy:


Ms. Action:


The Surfer on and off the stage:


Ms. Literal:


The Animated One:


The Graceful Actress:


And Last But not Least...The Procrastinator:


Nat & I will truly miss all of the wonderful friends we have made here. And of course they know they always have a place to stay in Colorado!

Another Alaska Blog

Here is the link to Marcus & Emily's Alaskan adventures blog:

http://www.marcusandemily.blogspot.com/

The last post is a little bit about our trip, the rest is about their amazing time at the lodge.

Alaska

The boys and girls both had a wonderful trip in Alaska. As for us girls we saw many things: bald eagles, sea lions, seals, puffins, sea otters, Mt. Denali, moose, glaciers, mountain goats, Eskimos, drunk Eskimos, crazy cab drivers, you name it we saw it. Our main mode of transportation was by train. Spending a total of 25 hours on different trains we were able to see the backwoods of Alaska as well as indulge our tastebuds in many train meals (interesting). Other modes included a catamaran, where we saw the artic sealife & a thundering glacier, and cabs, where the cabbies were the entertainment. We were fortunate enough to see Mt.Denali. There is only a 20% chance that you are able to see the top of Denali, due to the fact it is so tall it has it's own weather system. It is the tallest mountain in N.America. Not only did we see the top, we saw it all!! In Denali Park we were a bit adventurous and went horseback riding and rafting. We also made time for a bike ride in Anchorage where we saw a mamma moose and her baby munching on the trees right by the trail. We were very careful to look and keep moving because moose are known to be very deadly, especially when their young are involved. But don't worry I did a drive by shooting with my camera! It was a once in a life time trip that I will always cherish! Thanks to my parents for making it possible! Due to the fact that I took 2.5G worth of photos I had to narrow it down. Here is the link to view my favorites:
http://www.jackieland.shutterfly.com/action/

Le Coq

Here ye here ye I present you the board entitled "Le Coq" shaped by my dear friend Rachel. Rachel asked me to help her on the painting portion of the surfboard making process, I of course jumped at the opportunity to use an air brush gun! We decided to go with a very stylized peacock with a vibrant palette (just in case you could not tell). It was a fun experience that resulted in an awesome board!

Skater Dude!

With many questionable excuses for leaving the house and stretching of truths on my part Nat' birthday gift is done! With everyone's traveling schedules I decided to give Nat the skateboard last night so the reveal could be enjoyed by all involved. I told Nat we had to pick up his gift because I special ordered it and I wanted him to get it tonight. Blind folded, with only a few odd looks from other cars, I drove an indirect route to Pravda (I didn't want to give our destination away). I carefully guided my blindfolded husband to the entrance of the store where Val and Rachel were standing with board in hand. After his pupils adjusted (it took a bit) he was a little perplexed as to why we were there! Then Val handed him his board and said Happy Birthday Man! I think overall he was pretty impressed and excited! Val did a great job on making the board and of course I pitched in with the design. It is a one of a kind custom board made by a friend and wife...not too many people can say that about their skateboards!

Tasty Tip

My tasty tip of the summer is to indulge your palette with Rainier Cherries. They are deliciously sweet and are currently in season. Corrina enjoys them as well, hence the large amount of drool. So for a refreshing treat this scorching summer try'em out!

Latta Love

Sarah, Shawn, and Piper came to visit us on Tuesday. They drove out from Austin and are making their way up the coast, ending at Sarah's cousin, Kristi's, wedding. We hit downtown and ate at Wahoo's, looked in local shops, and took a stroll down the pier; the typical 1st timers routine. The US Surf Open has been going on this week, so there was plenty to see. We came back home and had some drinks, then when out to dinner. And before we knew it, it was bedtime. Piper of course was so adorable in all of her cuteness. She loved Corrina and our kitchen towel. They left early Wed. morning and we were sad to see them go. It was fun to have friends visit, it is a rare occasion.

The Cabin

For the 4th of July weekend Nat, Corrina, Rachel, Val, Jordie, and I piled into Nat's car and headed up north towards the Redwoods. Our destination: Maria's cabin (Rachel's mom)located in Branscomb, CA, which is north of San Fran. The first day of travel ended with howls and rustling. We stopped off about halfway to camp for the night problem was there was no available campsites. After being turned away from 2 sites, one of which we were thankful, we decided we would find an "off the road place" and camp there. After scraping up and down old logging roads we finally found what looked to be a good site, as best we could tell in the dark. We started setting up camp when we heard a loud rustling just a few feet away from the tents, assured by Nat that everything was ok, we continued with the set up. Tired from all the traveling we turned in for the night. Soon the mystery animal rustling around to our right was joined with howling dogs and then coyotes. It was a symphony of nature that allowed only a little shut eye for all of the campers. We awoke early that morning and continued our journey North. On the way we went through San Fran & Sonoma county, where we stopped off at 2 wineries. One for lunch and one for tasting. Finally we arrived at Maria's late in the evening on Saturday. We stayed at the cabin for 2 days. We enjoyed, swimming in the river, hiking, biking, relaxing, peaceful nights (only the sound of the rushing river), and good company. It was a great trip for all of us and a much needed time of relaxation. We headed back on the 4th and took the less scenic, but faster way home. Our arrival in the city was perfect timing: we saw a multitude of different firework shows. I have created a website so you can view the trip. There were too many good ones to pass up. Click on the link below:
http://www.jackieland.shutterfly.com/action/

The 3 Billion Dollar Man

My dad's farewell party was a grand affair. We were surrounded by people who admired and appreciated my dad, which is always nice to see. I suppose it is rare that a child is proud of their parent, but I am honored to say that I am proud of my dad and all he has accomplished as a businessman and father. The evening was finished off with an after party in the Grand Hyatt presidential suite (nice)! As the crowd dwindled and the morning neared the rest of the party made it's way up to the rooftop for poolside cigars and scotch. It was a great night and it is always fun to see the adults cut loose! So here's to the 3 billion dollar man!!

Diet Coke & Mentos

A CEO, writer, hydrogeologist, and a struggling artist made up the experimental team this past Friday night...An email floating around Nat's work showed the chemical reaction due to the mixture of Diet Coke and Mentos (the freshmaker) was the fuel to our delirium. It could not be ignored, it had to be done, and we had to do it! (To See Video of inspiration click on link below) So with the two men discussing the different hole placements on the coke bottle for optimal trajectory, the two ladies stood by wondering what they had got themselves into. With the squeal of the drill and mentos powder flying we all knew it was going to exhilarating. The ladies even stepped in and helped with the power tools...yes power tools. Once all holes were drilled it was time for lift off. Perched upon the fence post the coke bottle waited for it's moment of glory. The wire menots mechanism was carefully placed inside the diet coke bottle....3...2...1...pull and run like hell....out came the diet coke in heights never seen before. Diet Coke decorated the night sky and the car-less streets all that was missing were the sounds of heavenly horns. Our experiment was successful and our inner child had been set free! **Pictured: The prep of the diet coke bottle and close up of optimal hole positions. Rachel getting involved with the power tools and the glorious finale! ******Inspirational Link: http://eepybird.com/dcm1.html

Go Mavs

I just got the funniest email from my sister-in-law about my crazy brother:

He was convinced his team was losing because he was not a good enough fan, so on went the homeade hat and out came the crazy...I'm suprised he didn't paint himself blue. It was a tragic end though, sad day. But I have to say it's nice to get some uninterupted sleep now :)

emily

Back from Pasadena

Nat had a conference in Pasadena to attend and with my new found freedom Corrina and I decided to tag along. Pasadena is a beautiful town nestled in the valley of the San Bernadino mountains. It is filled with beautiful lush trees, incredible homes, and a trendy downtown area. Nat was in the conference for two days which meant 2 days of exploration for me. I of course "explored" many shops...some of which I returned with treasures (on sale treasures of course). I also explored the site of the Rose Bowl where the good ole Longhorns beat USC, I of course was beaming with Texas pride. In the evening when Nat was set free, we indulged our palates at the different restaurants the town had to offer. We both experienced fondue for the first time, we are still full from our 4 course meal of fondue (lot's of dipping). All in all it was a nice visit and a much needed change of scenery. Pasadena was a neat town with lots of fun things to do and see. *Pictured: The Rose Bowl Stadium and my favorite street in Pasadena. This street is close to the Rose Bowl site. It is lined with beautiful trees as well as amazing homes.