First year anniversary weekend

Yesterday was mine and Todd's first year anniversary!

I have to admit, sadly, with our first baby on the way neither of us had really thought too much about our anniversary.  We've been pretty consumed with baby prep and not so much how we would celebrate.  

In fact, the trip we took to Denver this weekend was initially set up to do some baby shopping.  Then we put two and two together and realized it was also our anniversary weekend, so we modified our trip to fit in some couple time.  Kinda sad, I know!

We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant in Cherry Creek, Denver called North.  It serves modern Italian cuisine that is just de-lish!  We both had the salmon filet with faro and it...was...perfect!  I'm salivating now just thinking about it.  

Afterwards, we went out for a drink.  Well, Todd had a drink.  I had a club soda and lime...

The next day we got down to bid-ness with baby shopping.  Denver was pretty much a bust.  We didn't find a single thing we needed there.  Ft. Collins, Colo., however, was a total win!  We found everything we were looking for there!

We also attended a "diapering class" for cloth diapers, which is something we're considering.  I'll chat more about this in the future, but to ease your minds - we are not doing it the old school way with folded material, pins and a plastic shell.  Those are still out there...but cloth diapering has come a long way since then and we're considering a different route.  But - more on that later!  Here's a pic of the instructor demonstrating some of the diapers...

The one big item we've had trouble figuring out is a nursery chair.  While Casper has many furniture stores to choose from, none of them have anything I would use for a nursery chair.  A big, fatty, Lazy-Boy recliner is not my ideal baby chair, though Todd would be thrilled with that!  

So, we've been looking for something that a) looks nice, b) is super comfortable, c) Todd fits in, and d) is that magical low price.   

Not surprisingly, this doesn't exist.

Several friends have chosen the Dutailier brand chair; one that, I have to say, doesn't meet my aesthetic or price point requirements.  But everyone has said these chairs are super comfortable and one girlfriend, whose husband is even taller than Todd, said it is perfect for them.  

The only place we could find that had them on the floor for trying out was BabiesRUs.  I have never been in this store before.  Honestly, I don't even remember shopping in a ToysRUs either.  I must have been pretty young if I did and it wasn't a place we ever went shopping as kids.  So, this was a new experience!  

I didn't take full advantage of my maternity status, but thought this was a nice touch for moms-to-be who can't or don't want to hike from the nether regions of a parking lot into the store...

We tried the various brands of chairs out and decided the Dutailier is indeed the most comfortable. And...we decided for the money we are probably getting a better, (hopefully) longer lasting product than the "knock-off" versions they had sitting nearby.  Todd fit in the chair, which glides and reclines - something I know he really wanted in a chair.  It's not exactly pretty or cute, but at this stage in the game, I don't care so much.  I just want it bought and in the room.  I want to be comfortable in it.  Check and check.

We didn't walk out with one, but instead decided to see if we could find it cheaper online.  Todd did!  By a couple hundred dollars, no less!  It's not the color combo we wanted (dark cloth to hide our black labs' hair and light wood to match the rest of the furniture in the nursery), but again - I've ceased to care.  Let's just get the darn chair at the better price and be done with it!

The chair and footstool will look basically like this, only with dark brown cushions...

So, that major purchase is off the list!

Next...we DESPERATELY needed extra storage for Little Kittel's room.  It is currently in such disarray you can't even walk through it.  That's because we have no place to put half the stuff we have for her!

I've been looking and looking for a cool vintage piece, but haven't had any luck finding something.  Leave it to Ft. Collins and their Antique Row to help us get the job done!

We saw several pieces for a decent price and finally narrowed it down to this...

It's a 1920s pie safe.  It's been refurbished some, but was in pretty darn good shape.  I'm very happy with it and can't wait to get it in the baby room!

We got home that night with just enough time to warm up our wedding pie and have our one-year anniversary bite.  We used the forks Linds C. got for us to eat with at our reception...

The rhubarb pie that served as our "wedding cake..."

Happy first anniversary!

A whirlwind anniversary to celebrate a whirlwind year!

Labor Day indeed

We are working our butts off around here trying desperately to get our big house projects done before the end of the month.

No rest for us this holiday weekend!

Here is what our Labor Day weekend has looked like:

Let's take a peek in the upstairs bathroom!  Here is Todd mudding the seams of the drywall.  I have already sanded the mud on the seams and screwheads and here Todd was going over it a second time.  Now, it has to be sanded once more and it's ready for texture, prime and paint!    

Another look at our new walls.  This entire room we have gutted and rearranged - meaning Todd moved all the plumbing so it made sense and the electrical followed.  What's left for the bathroom before we can make that first celebratory flush?  The walls need textured, primed and painted.  The wainscoting needs painted (it's already primed) and installed.  The vanity, which Todd made himself, must be finished with putty, sanding, and varnish.  The clawfoot tub (see below) must be finished.  The tile must still be sealed and grouted.  And there is still a strip of tile in the doorway that needs set.  These jobs will make the room FUNCTIONAL.  There will still need to be some finishing touches.  (Don't mind that blue sample in the pic. The room will be painted blue, but that sample turned out horrible!  On to option no. 2.)

Here we are entering the master bedroom.  That wall in particular has had spray foam insulation AND batting put behind it.  Why both?  The spray foam was to help insulate, yes, but to also help stabilize the 90+ year old plaster wall on the other side that is in the living room.  The batting was to provide an additional sound barrier...

A view across the room toward the closet.  We got that mostly drywalled today also.  Only a few more boards and it will have complete walls!  Tomorrow evening I will mud all the screwheads.  That window there?  Before that wall where the window is was spray foamed for insulation (there was none, not a lick, in that room), Todd had to re-mortar brick in around the window to fix a shoddy job done who knows when.

So, what else needs done in here?  I have sanded all the seams (minus the ceiling, which Todd will do) and screw heads.  The seams and corners all need one more coat of mud and to be sanded one last time.  Obviously, texture, prime and paint.  We have to reinstall the heat.  We are going to put crown moulding in here and the baseboards need attached.  The closet needs finished.  But, we are not worrying about the moulding or baseboards before the end of the month...

This is looking back down the hall from the master.  The bathroom is the next room to the right and that room at the end will be the nursery.  I share more on the nursery another time...

Here is Todd cutting a chunk of drywall...

What else have we done this weekend?  

Well, we spray painted the frame we will be using for the bathroom mirror.  And we started removing the old paint from the clawfoot tub we are using for the bathroom.

Todd has a power washer that we started with...

A lot of the paint flew right off, but there are still some stubborn pieces that refuse to budge.  So, we'll have to find a way to scrape that off without damaging the enamel on the tub.

What's left here?  Finish scraping the paint.  Then we will turn the tub over, lightly sand the outside of the basin and prime and paint the tub gray.  We are going to remove the feet and either have them chromed or, most likely for the time being, we'll just remove the white paint leaving them the bare metal.  They will have to be sealed, however, so we have a can of clear coat we will use to protect them.  We already have the fixtures, so that just needs installed.

And now, after a long weekend of working on the house, we are watching a movie and trying not to pass out!  

Dr. Dolittle

A few weeks ago, I was out with Todd helping him classify antelope, when he got a call from dispatch.

There was a bird on someone's porch and they thought it looked injured.  So, we came in so Todd could figure out what was wrong.

Turns out, the bird wasn't injured, just a little lost.  Todd brought the Western Grebe back to the truck with him so we could put it back on course...

The little bird was pretty scared, but Todd knew how to hold it so he could look it over...

Check out these webbed feet!  Western Grebes are water birds and need those toes to paddle around...

Here's Todd putting the bird back in the river...

It was interesting to watch.  At first, the bird acted like it couldn't believe we let it go and didn't serve 'em up for supper.  He just sat there paddling in place getting his bearings...

Then he happily hung around, paddling back and forth and weirdly looking back at us almost like he was saying, "Oh, thank you!  Thank you, for saving me from that porch, and not eating me, and putting me back in the water...!"

Then it took a couple dives...

Then one last big, long dive before making its way down the river...

I just love watching Todd work with animals.  He's just a natural with nature.  

Estes is the best-es

It's a rare weekend when Todd and I get to go anywhere together.  His work schedule in the summer and fall requires him to be in the field pretty much every weekend.

We had an opportunity to get out of town a couple weekends ago to Estes Park, Colo., for my friend Molly's wedding reception and Todd was able to actually make it happen!

I think the last time I was in Estes I was maybe in junior high and Todd had never been there.  I made reservations at a cute little cabin and we loaded up the dogs and took off!

Truthfully, we didn't walk around downtown as much as I was hoping, but it's only because we were having too much fun at the reception.

And after the reception...

The next morning we had a little photo shoot with the dogs at the cabin before getting on with our day...

Me with the dogs...

Todd with the dogs...

Next...breakfast downtown Estes then the famed Stanley Hotel...!

It is absolutely stunning inside the Stanley.  Here's Todd in the hotel lobby...

Todd and I outside the Stanley with the Rockies behind us...

Game warden Todd with elk just roamin' the hotel grounds...

I asked Todd if it sort of made him crazy that he has to put so much effort into hunting an elk in fall and here they are, lounging at a glitzy old hotel right out in the open.  He said yes...

Come on, now...you know you shouldn't chase wildlife! haha...Doesn't Todd's pose look kind of like he's playing air guitar...?

On to Rocky Mountain National Park!  We had to wait only a little bit at the entrance...

Another elk! This guy and a partner actually stopped traffic as they lollygagged across the road...

About 35 miles out there is Wyoming...

More wildlife!  A young moose...

Another young moose closer to the road.  Unlike his elk buddies above, this one didn't care so much for the cars pulled over to watch him...

On the other side of the park we stopped in the town of Grand Lake for lunch...

And stopped again in Walden, Colo., for a snack.  The funniest thing...that store behind Todd is called Island something or other and was pumping Hawaiian sounding music out on to the street...

After this it was a straight shot home.

Mountains, scenery, fun with friends...  what a great weekend, huh?

Junior game warden and wardenette

Rigby has been a junior game warden for a while.

He loves going out with Todd in the work truck.  He sits so proudly on the front seat, watching for animals and helping Todd spot bad guys.

Todd has pinned him a junior game warden, a title Rigby takes very seriously.

Last weekend, Lulu went out for half a day on her very first trip as a junior game wardenette.

It was so cute to see Todd loading all his helpers in the truck...

Rigby actually doesn't need loaded.  He just jumps right in and gets settled into his seat...

All loaded up!  Lulu is checking out her new assigned seat.  I asked Todd if that console folds up so Lulu had didn't slide around and he said yes, but then she couldn't see.  Oh...

Here they are!  Ready to roll out for a very early morning (I think this was around 5:45 a.m.) of sage grouse counting and checking fisherman on Pathfinder Reservoir...

I joined them for a picnic lunch that afternoon and got the report that Lulu did great on her first outing.

She's a natural.

Happy birthday Todd!

Thursday was Todd's birthday!

I know, I know.  My blog is still under construction and I haven't updated since last week.  But I am now!

So, let's get started by wishing Todd a happy belated birthday!

We began the night with dinner at the Fire Rock Steak House in Casper, Wyo.  I have really enjoyed this place.  It's a nice restaurant with pretty good food - and a place Todd hasn't been to yet.  We rounded up a nice group of his friends and colleagues and had a very tasty meal.  Todd opening the birthday present I gave him...

A knife made of antler and inlaid turquoise in the shape of a deer track.  It's by Barto Collectibles, a company out of Dubois, Wyo. 

Todd turned 31 making him, according to one colleague, an old man.  So, his colleague gave him a box of Iraqi Viagra...

 Ok, the good stuff!  Todd's dinner: the ol' 96er.  Just kidding, it was only 20 ounces...

Mine. A slab of fish (can't remember what kind) topped with tomatoes, capers, basil and a lemon sauce.  Um...delicious!

Todd's birthday dessert: a strawberry rhubarb tart.  I had a bite and it was good too!  I love strawberry rhubarb!  And check out the globe of ice cream on top...

Todd wanted to do karaoke after dinner, so we ended up at this random place called Taylor's that housed several random people.  This girl's name is Aline and she and her significant other were from Oklahoma.  And get this: she lives about four miles from my old boss Cong. Hefley!  She actually feeds their horses for them when they're gone!  How crazy small world is THAT?? She and KJ had just run a load of bulls up to Thermopolis, Wyo., and were on their way back.  I know she was telling the truth too because I saw Mr. Hefley's home number in her phone.  We were both floored...!

The birthday boy singing it up.  He was certainly on a roll...!

Happy birthday Todd!