Glorious Autumn Monday

Monday morning was going to be a lazy day at home when my friend Natalie invited me to a Corn Maze. We couldn't say no to such Autumn revelry, so here you have it. It was absolutely beautiful and educational and no chainsaw kids (those kids freak me out!) We made it through, we may have made our own path a couple times but it was totally worth it! Each turn had a question about health/food/agriculture etc depending on the answer you chose which way to go.   It was nestled next to the mountains kind of like everything here is.  Unfortuantely my camera died so this is all I got pic wise.

 Did I ever tell you about the time I talked TJ into going to the Haunted Village at This is the Place Monument? Well one time when I was just barely pregnant a friend of mine who was a hostess up there gave me free tickets. I thought how scary can it be? Before we walk into the first building a sign says no hurting the staff members. We walk in and scary man is corning me into a wall, I want to deck him or kick him where it counts but I can't. So I run out the door where I hyperventilate and start running around the building where I'm not supposed to be, a creepy dressed woman/girl breaks character and says it isn't so bad, whatever, I think let me out of here before I claw your eyes out, and that was it, I'm done with scary haunted anything.

Up to Date!

Sunday my little man

My men!

Huds saw the kids shoveling leaves into piles so he dragged a shovel out of the foyer

Anyone else love when little kids comment on their outfit/grooming.  For example today we were sitting by one of Hudson's friends at church, she is 3 and quite perceptive.  She pointed at my red lips puzzled and said to her dad "what happened to Hudson's mom's lips" I quickly offered her some lipstick to which she declined.  It reminded me of a few years ago when I wore glasses to church and a fiery red head who was also about 3 was like to sum it up, why, why would you wear those, terrible idea.  Then there is the opposite of the spectrum when you wear big pearls and ruffles and all of a sudden you must be a glamorous princess.  Can't please everyone all the time I guess especially in the 2-5 year old age range.

My week in Review

Huds hasn't touched a binky in months

Red Mountain 6 at 6am with the Lions and Bears

D

Storytime on the Bus

Huds has been stacking things to climb on a lot lately

how many balls can you carry at once?

Daddy's shoes

this is a new one

Lots of time watching these kids, they have too much fun together!

Glenwood Shuffle AKA The First Race I Got Lost On

The hill right before finish line from the top

Here I Come!

I got 2nd in my division

This guy's smile always gets me to the finish line!

So I set a PR (Personal Record)for my half marathon last Saturday, I hadn't run a road half in a couple years so I decided I had to get one in this season.  I started out with the front of the pack, there was one other lady and 4 guys.  I felt like I could even pass those guys in the beginning.  Then my GPS starts to inform me I'm running a 6 minute mile awesome, so I try to pace myself even though I'm not feeling winded or strained.  I finally slowed down to a 7:30 min/mile and than an 8 min/mile which is what I was expecting.  I played passing games with some other people for a while.  Then the next thing I know I'm running up Grizzly Creek, and I know Grizzly Creek does not take me to No Name, I yell at an Asian tourist, "WHERE IS THE RACE?" he tosses his hands in the air, this is bad! 
First of all this is Glenwood Canyon, this is a bike path, how did I get lost on a bike path next to the river?  (You should also know Glenwood Canyon is one of my favorite places in the world, always has been, always will be)  So I start heading back I see two runners and think oh I'm heading the right way and start booking it again, I turn around to be sure and they are gone, so I loop back through a parking lot around a bridge and see another runner and run with her and see the turn I missed.  (The 3rd place runner also got lost in the same spot).  I yell at the aid station "YOU NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE BACK THERE I GOT LOST!!!)  and try to make up for lost time.  There was only 2 miles to go and I had a 1/4 mile to make up, it didn't happen.  Thankfully my GPS told me my half time and I added 30 seconds for the hill at the end.  Which makes it 1:49:30.  I know I can go faster, so tempted to do another half.

Apple Orchard

Highlights of our trip:

• "That boys got a set of peepers!"
• Hudson wanting to pick his first apple and than immeadetly sit down and eat it
• Hudson crying when we left behind the apple picking lacross stick
• Loosing a $10 bill in the orchard and than finding it after saying a little prayer in my mind, it was a big orchard and on the complete other side!
• Fresh apple cider mmm, should have bought a whole jug!

Last Saturday in Denver

Denver, CO Temple

Molly Brown Home

Captain Hudson

The Organic Pizza Co, not our pizzas

Street festival that you know you wished you stopped at

Godiva Cheesecake, 16th St Mall

My favorite statue, sorry about the angle

Since my dear sweet son was moaning from 4am, I finally got up at 5am and tried to see what was wrong with him, first he was soaking wet, I changed him and put him down for a second to which he marched to the fridge and got some food, now we are awake and I'm tired, perfect time to blog. (Will I ever sleep again?)

Anyway this was our last weekend, uh oh I'm turning into one of those bloggers, you know the one that posts Easter Posts on Halloween, I hate that by the way, I like to relish in the current season.

So we went to the Denver Temple which I love doing.  It's the temple I grew up with, and Denver is pretty fantastic, minus traffic, especially now that I like in a one main street town, where we drive 25 miles an hour down the road, and traffic is having to stop at the stop light.

It was Smithsonian free museum day, we had planned to stop at the Botanical Gardens and the Molly Brown home, but Huds tired out too quick.  So we just went to Molly's house.  Maybe you've heard of the Unsinkable Molly Brown?  She survived the Titanic.  Anyway, she did all kinds of amazing things for women's rights, child labor laws, and getting enough, life jackets, flotation devices, etc on boats and planes for everyone.  It was interesting.

Next the boys were hungry so we got some pizza at The Organic Pizza Co, actually we got the people behind us pizzas.  We didn't know this, we just thought they messed up our order and tried to be nice and eat them anyways.  Then they brought our pizzas to the people behind us, but they were not so nice, so we ended up with our pizzas and their pizzas.  Ours were much better, we got The Herbivore, which is a vegetarian obviously pizza with alfredo sauce and The Charity which was like a BBQ chicken with fresh pineapple.  I may have made pizza last night with fresh pineapple it was that good.

Across the st from dinner was a festival where we got free camera booth shots ( I love those!) and entertainment such as street dancers.  We walked a couple blocks to the 16th St Mall and got some Godiva Cheesecake, oogled and awed at the street performers and art and hopped in our car for the 3 hour drive home.

Such a great Saturday with my boys!

The Roasted Turkey

I know we have awesome serving ware right? All our serving bowls recently cracked, so sad. Should have kept the melamine version. Anyway before I forget I roasted my first turkey and really it was the best I had ever had! We aren't planning on being home for Thanksgiving so when I found a frozen butterball on sale, I took the plunge. We were supposed to have company as well but they had to cancel on us. More turkey for us I guess.

So I rinsed the turkey removed the inerdz and such and patted it dry.
Then I shoved a spatula in between the skin and the meat and poured in olive oil.
 Next I rubbed it in and out with salt and pepper, lots of it, and the outside with rosemary and thyme.
 I squeezed some lemon juice inside and put half an onion chopped in quarters
Next I put it breast side down on a roaster for the recommended time at 350, I flipped it the last hour to let the breast brown.

It was the best turkey any of us have ever had, beginners luck I suppose. The gravy was delish, I made it from the drippings and some cornstarch mixed with water. I think I need to remove more of the fat from that next time but it was yum. Some of the onion fell out from the cavity and then made it's way to the gravy so good. I also cooked up some carrots, mashed potatoes and corn. Huds ate every bite and even requested if for breakfast.