The Top Ten List

A busy week so here comes a quick review of our ten most memorable moments (good and bad) in no particular order.

1. I finally met the nurse I will be working with very closely for the first three months of my orientation, Becky Hutchinson: nurse extraordinaire, avid outdoors woman, first time home buyer and a native of Colorado herself. To top it all off, a very kind person willing to put up with the countless questions I ask every day. She's going to be great.

2. Our first real attempt at cooking Korean. Bibimbap and mondu were both a huge success. With H-mart so close by and a trip to Peppercorn in Boulder (which claims to have the most cookbooks of any store in the world, including lots of Korean) we are planning on getting a bit more in touch with our Korean side. My parents loved it.

3. Haden's return from Greg and Kerry's wedding in Spokane was a much anticipated moment for me. It's amazing how long two and a half days can feel when your spouse is away--distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.

4. Haden got turned down from a job today, but we are trying to stay faithful. There are still a few more promising opportunities ahead. Prayers, please!!

5. On Monday we enjoyed a lovely trip up to Boulder. I've heard it described as a Patagonia Heaven...the description is not too far from the truth. You constantly see people with huge beards, dreds and surprisingly, cigarettes, clothed in some of the most expensive outdoor gear money can buy. It's like how Will and T describe people in Portland as "fake poor," it seems like they take pride in their grungy appearance and expensive clothes and cars. Anyways...we found a discount outdoors store where Haden stole a $350 ski jacket for $150. I got a much-needed new pair of ski gloves for $20. Unbeatable, especially at the start of the ski season. We came across several great coffee shops and enjoyed happy hour at a great tequila bar.

6. Highlight number six came on our way home from Boulder. We stopped at a dive of a bar near the church we attended on Sunday to join some of the young adults we had met for trivia, beer and some time of fellowship. It was great to feel like we are possibly starting to build some friendships here. P.S. Haden is a whiz at trivia.

7. While Haden was away, my dad and I enjoyed some quality time together on a beautiful hike up Herman's Gulch. There was some snow on the trail and my lungs were really hating the altitude, but our efforts were rewarded as we ate lunch on the edge of a frozen lake with steep peaks jutting up all around us. In such a beautiful setting there is no denying His name.

8. The door handle on my car broke off, and get this, a $13 piece is going to cost $220 to fix. Toyota... I hate what you do for me.

9. As I write, we are watching the Nebraska-Mizzou game (in HD I might add, it's a huge upgrade from our bunny ears) and the first Colorado snowfall. Haden is into the game; I'm more interested in watching the white snow fall on green grass. It's a strange contrast, but one that is common here--just yesterday it was 70 degrees, tomorrow a balmy 60.

10. Denver Broncos defeated the Colts to become one of four teams with a 4-0 standing. FYI...this is only the 6th time in Bronco history this has happened. Four out of the previous five times the Broncos went all the way to the Super Bowl. Let’s hope it happens again. (The Rockies are also in the playoffs, but in our minds this does not warrant a top ten moment, we have not jumped on the Rocktober wagon yet, that will only happen if they go to the Series.)