Moore Minutes: March 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Winter's End, stories of snow skiing and other wintertime happenings

Wrapping up our winter season with various celebrations and good times...

From start to finish, here we go!

New Year Fun...

We kicked into the New Year 2015, as a family, with a big steak and lobster dinner at a cowboy restaurant. Titus named his lobster "Seabill", then happily ate it all.

At home, we toasted with energy drinks to stay wide awake until midnight! Then, when the clock struck twelve, we did the silly grape tradition of putting one grape in our mouths every time the clock struck, until twelve giant grapes crowded our cheeks.

We also did a lot of birthday festivities with my Grandma before she went back home to Arizona. She turned 80 this year! She is beautiful! We had a fun girl's day out getting pedicures and viewing Christmas lights, and going out to dinner. The boys and I also took her out for a Mexican food lunch for her birthday. Happy 80th Grandma!

Snow Ski Adventures...

After the holidays, we jumped right into snow ski season! We tried to make it up to the mountain a few times this year. After all, we DO live in Colorado!

Our amazing friend, Derek, took the boys on the mountain for a special treat on weekend! They loved every second of it! And they all agreed that this trip was their favorite this year! Derek taught them a lot and we are so thankful for him!

More mountain days...

Spending a day on the mountain with their school and with friends!

Daddy was able to come watch one weekend!

This was a highlight for the boys!

Kotah tried snowboarding this year!

And other randoms...

We spent a lot of time at one of our favorite spots, 970 Muscle, this winter too! I cherish having a gym that's a home instead of a business, athletes who are teammates instead of strangers, a place of power and change instead of a place of unfilled promises.
Perfect progress happens here and I am absolutely grateful for this facility! Outside of my own home sweet home, there is no place else I'd rather be.

Kotah killing it in the gym!

Celebrating one of our best friend's (Derek's) birthday, gym style, with pinatas, for muscle men to destroy!

Outdoor winter hiking with one of my very favorites!

A special night out in the town...

celebrating as Derek received a very special community award.

Running with my youngest!

Breaking up the week with a spontaneous family dinner out to the Japanese Steakhouse!

Cameron spent a lot of time at his new robotics class!
Here he is showing Chris the robot his team designed and built!

Oh and this happened...

Just a lil injury from playing with our puppy!

But, I can still workout!

So many snowy and cozy minutes!

This is our Winter's End!

Surprise in Vail, Snow in Breckenridge, and all things Colorado this winter!

Winter weekend getaways are perfect in Colorado! The snow, lights, peaks and valleys, give a storybook wonderland to God's great country. Colorado has a big handful of charming towns to visit. Along with Aspen, we also did a couple weekend trips to Vail and Breckenridge this winter.

VAIL

Summertimes in Vail are incredible too! We experienced the boys' Adventure Race here last summer. And Chris raced his Tough Mudder on these mountains one summer also. But, during the winter, Vail is transfixed into a Colorado Disneyland. There are lights on every single tree branch, the cobblestone walkways are packed with snow in all the cracks, and a wreath hangs from every light post.

Our winter escape to Vail is a weekend I'll remember forever! Last summer, while visiting, we fell in love with a breathtaking piece of art, painted by the artist, Britten. This particular piece grabbed ahold of us and wouldn't let us go. Chris and I knew that we had to have it! Britten shares my exact philosophy on life and her art mirrors my heart in a big way. Her descriptive words on life take my breath away. They speak straight to my soul. I also agree that life "is all about the experience". It's a beautiful and mysterious thing...life.

Well, fast forward to a lazy January weekend at home. Chris surprised us all and suggested we pack up quickly and head to Vail to look at "our art" again. He timed us. We successfully packed for our trip in less than 5 minutes. In a jif, we were loaded in the car, mittens, scarves, boots, and rolling down the road.

Chris made me the happiest girl in the world when we arrived at the art studio and he resolutely stated that we would buy the art! I was (and still am!!!) on cloud 100! It was such a unique and exciting experience for our entire family as we bought one of our first pieces of real-deal art. ;)

Our artwork is called

"Passionate: freedom of the heart".

Freedom of the heart is so appropriate for me personally,

because I have been on a big journey on finding freedom in the last year or two.

I feel like this painting is symbolic of that beautiful journey.

photo via

Sold!!

Finding something to bring home from a beautiful art gallery,

is a family experience to remember forever!

Afterwards, we celebrated at a fancy-pants French restaurant.

Celebratory oysters, wine, and dessert of course.

Writing about this makes me feel giddy all over again.

Thank you Christopher for making dreams come true!

You really do create all kinds of happy inside my heart!

While there, we also saw incredible ice sculptures!

Breckenridge!

Not nearly as exciting as our Vail weekend, but still a treasured weekend together, was our quick weekend trip to Breckenridge. We have a passionate desire to show our kids the world right around us, the world that is only footsteps outside our door.

The mountain peaks at Breckenridge are mighty and majestic! These are the sights where heaven and nature truly do sing. When I stare at this amazing view, I marvel in the smallness of humans and I feel God's greatness envelope me.