And the race begins....

Had a great time with Riley and Jen (even though Jen somehow got a hold of milk...). Now we're off to the races with only twenty six days of school left. Not to mention all of the wedding things! We're headed to the front range again this weekend to pick up Jer's suit and drop my dress off to be altered one last time. Below are a few more pics of Riley! Enjoy!

Sucking on some frozen sweet potato... it was Uncle Jeremy's idea!

Getting stuck in the furniture that was supposed to keep me from heading up the stairs.

Going down the slide with mommy!

Being super cute while I practice my reading strategies.

They Finally Arrived!

It seems like I've been anticipating Jen and Riley's visit forever, but they're finally here! So far we've pretty much just hung around the house. Today we did head into Montrose for lunch and some shopping... looked at lots of gardening items for ideas for the wedding :) We also went to the hot springs!!! It was Riley's first time being in water besides a bath. She was super cute and seemed to enjoy it.

Playing with building blocks with Uncle Jeremy.

Being mischievous.

Happy Riley!

First time on the swings!

The cutest thing on earth.


And swimming, swimming, swimming...

Happy Easter!

Jeremy's mom and I dyed a few Easter eggs on Friday evening... here are my favorites:


Then the Easter Bunny brought Jeremy and I all sorts of furniture to put together in our offices! A new desk for Jeremy, a bookshelf for the entry way (to replace Jeremy's old one that he wanted to put back in his office with it's match), and three new bookshelves for my "office." We moved grampy's desk to our bedroom in what used to be the "reading nook" (it was really just a chair that ended up being a laundry catcher). The desks fits PERFECTLY in there and has created a much more usable space. It turned my "office" into more of a library/workout room. My elliptical fits better now, and the new book shelves made lots more room for all of my books and space for my collection to grow!

This first week of spring break has been wonderful... some reading, the first Card's game of the season, and a short trip to Santa Fe to explore! In three days Jeremy, his mom, and I managed to hit a historical landmark (a chapel), three museums, and two national monuments. We were also able to squeeze in some time sitting by the pool in the sun, one short soak in the hot tub, and a trip to Trader Joe's (a organic grocery store that Jeremy loves, but we don't have in Colorado).

A natural hot spring just south of us as you head into Durango.

Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico. Six to Seven million years ago, volcanic eruptions a few miles away allowed harder "cap stones" to form over softer rock. As erosion occurred, the harder stone sheltered the softer stone beneath it, forming these "tent" shaped rocks.

A few sights in Santa Fe...

The "miracle staircase" in Loretto Chapel...

Bandelier National Monument...
This group of Ancestral Puebloans lived in this valley. One group in the cliff dwellings and one group on the valley floor. This park is much like Mesa Verde, but nicer because there were far fewer people and no one constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure you didn't do something wrong. Very pleasant!


There were lots of small spots in the cliff wall we could see into with a short climb up a ladder or steps, but then we went to Alcove House... It was a 140 foot ascent up several 30 foot ladders! At the top was a "cave" dwelling with a kiva that had been excavated.

A reservoir we passed on the way home...

Updates...

It's been quite a while since I've posted! Since returning from my Presidents' Day weekend trip to St. Louis it's been a mad rush to finish my online class, complete the National Board portfolio entry that I'm redoing, and continue to check off the never ending wedding checklist! Luckily, my class is over and my NB paper is nearly finished... just a few finishing touches:)

We've also been entertaining... Jamie and Todd came out for 4 days. Even though there has been no fresh snow since mid-February, we skied both Saturday and Sunday last weekend. It was scrape-y and even a bit slushy in areas, but we still had fun. They hung out at our house on Monday and Tuesday while we worked, but we were able to hang out in the evenings. A nice dinner at Siam (our local Thai restaurant) and Jeremy's corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day. We loved having guests and can't wait until Jen and Riley arrive at the end of April!

Next weekend we're headed back to the front range. I'm using my birthday as an excuse to force Jeremy to complete a few wedding tasks...he wouldn't dare say no when it's my birthday, right?

Only two more weeks of school until our spring break...and lots of fun activities! Food projects, guest speakers, field trips...yippee!

A weekend back with the family was nice. It was very different without grandpa there, but good none-the-less. I loved seeing both the Hastys and the Millers, as well as Jamie. Although a few might come visit me in the next few months, I will most likely not be back in St. Louis until the two weeks before the wedding.

Mom, Dad, and I managed to get in most of the restaurants that we miss: Pasta House, Jack in the Box, Steak and Shake, and Yen Ching. We also managed to hit Blueberry Hill, yummy grandma Hasty spaghetti, and taste-test fried chicken for the wedding. Did we do anything but eat?

I headed back home this morning to get back to work, with a push through until spring break the second week of April. I’m looking forward to settling back in with my fiancé in our lovely house and finishing the winter with a flurry of skiing (both downhill and cross-country) and sitting warm and cozy by our fireplace.

Here are few pictures from the last few day of the cutest little girl ever…

In Loving Memory...

Robert Christian Miller
December 16, 1939 - January 26, 2009

An Irish Funeral Prayer
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort.
Live means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting, when we meet again.