Fall is in the Air

Pumpkin spice lattes are back! And while I haven't had one yet this season, it's comforting to know it's an option and, therefore, fall is on it's way. I'm certainly no where near ready for it to be winter, but a light scarf and boots would be nice. The mornings and evenings here have been getting cooler, making me believe fall is right around the corner. So during Labor Day weekend I was excited to get out and do all things fall!

First things first, I HAD to go apple picking! I found out too late in the season last year that we have apple orchards near us, so this has been on my bucket list since the end of last September. We went to Jenkins Farms Apple Valley Orchard in Penrose, CO. It's super cute (as I imagine all apple orchards are) and the people that worked there were really friendly. They had about ten different varieties of apples growing and it was fun to go up and down the rows figuring out the differences between all the kinds of apples.

We left with almost ten pounds of apples. It was a really fun and something different from the norm.

Of course, I had to get a little shopping in there too. I love these lip oil-balms from Bare Minerals! My mom got me the peach passion and I have been wearing it all summer, so I thought I'd give plumberry pop a try for fall/winter. I also had to stop by Bath and Body Works and get some of their fall scented soaps!

I've already gotten out all of my fall decorations, so the house is officially ready for fall.

We ended our Labor Day weekend with the Labor Day Parade here in town.

 Let pumpkin spice latte season begin!!!

Yay Friday!

Boy have I been looking forward to today! Yay for three day weekends! This week has been a slow/fast one. Where the days seem to take forever, but somehow the week has gone by quickly. Below are some of the highlights of the week!

1. We've had a lot of yummy meals this week!

Recipes
Chili - Just follow the directions on the back of the Chili Seasoning packet
Taco Salad
Cream Chicken Orzo

2. I got a package from my lovely mother-in-law with this awesome coloring book inside. Can't wait to snuggle in bed and watch a movie while coloring!

3. Mike and I started the Couch to 5K program this week. If you haven't heard of it, it's a walking/jogging/running regime that supposed to take you from a couch potato to being able to run a 5K in eight weeks. As motivation, Mike and I signed up for a 5K in October called the bRUNch run and I'm actually pretty excited about it!

4. We have some fun Fall activities planned for this weekend that I'm pretty pumped about! Hopefully, I'll have a post up next week to fill you in on what we did.

Hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!!!

Leather Holster Making Class

During the first week of June Mike and I took a leather holster making class together as one of the NRA Summer Courses. I was a little nervous that I might be in over my head, but the teacher, Bob Calkins, was awesome and I had an absolute blast. It was really cool to take a class with Mike and spend time together while learning a new skill. I was SO sad on Friday when the class ended, I wanted it keep going and going!!

We started by learning about different types of holsters and which guns go well with each type. Then we discussed what makes good leather versus not good leather for holster making. Bob taught us how to trace a pattern onto leather and then cut the pattern out without messing up your nice leather. Then began the assembly stages. Almost all of the work is done by hand. The only electronic tools we used was a Dremel for sanding and drilling.

My favorite part was stamping the leather. Bob had several different basket stamps we could choose from to imprint on the leather as well as two different alphabet stamp sets.

The biggest thing I learned this week was to take my time. If I concentrated on the task at hand and went really slowly, my work turned out a million times better than if I just went through it quickly. I can't say enough good things about my experience taking this class. I loved learning something new, working with my hands, spending time with Mike, and the teacher and his wife were just amazing! The first day of class, Bob told us we should each be able to get two holsters made that week. I thought that was going to be an impossible task, but I ended up making three! Not only did I make more than I expected, but more importantly, I'm really proud of the work I did. I think all of the holsters Mike and I made that week were of a much higher quality than we thought we would be able to produce in a one week class.

 Made by Mike

 Made by me for my dad!

 The back of the above holster.

 Made by me.

 Made by Mike for his bestie.

 Made by Mike.

Made by me.

Again, I just want to say what a relaxing fun class this was. If you get the opportunity to take a class like this one I would definitely recommend it. Feel free to ask if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping by!

Mesa Verde National Park

Ten million years ago, a.k.a. Memorial Day weekend, Mike and I went to visit Mesa Verde National Park. It’s about a five hour drive west from where we live in Trinidad, and is a really pretty drive! On the way, we stopped in the towns of Pagosa Springs and Durango. Both are super cute and picturesque little towns with mountains in the background.

When we arrived at Mesa Verde it was sprinkling. We checked out the visitor center and signed up for two tours the next day. We then went over to the campground and checked in at our campsite. By this time, it was full-on raining. It didn’t stop raining the whole night! So Mike and I didn’t even bother setting up the tent or trying to make a fire. We ended up sitting in our car eating snacks and people watching. This was a way different scenario from what we normally do while camping, but we had SO much fun!

In the morning it was still overcast, but it quickly cleared up and turned into a beautiful day! We started the day with a tour of Balcony House. Before we began the tour, the ranger warned us we would have to climb a 30-foot ladder and crawl through a narrow tunnel. The ladder made me nervous, but it was totally worth it. The views are amazing and the history of the people who once lived in these cliff dwellings is awe inspiring.

 Can you spot the hand in the middle of the picture? That was made by one of the Puebloan Indians that lived here!

Mike was not a fan of this tunnel! It was a little tight for him.

After Balcony House, Mike and I had about an hour until our next tour so we checked out some overlooks and the museum. Look closely at the next two pictures to spot the cliff dwellings.

Next was our tour of Cliff Palace. When you think of Mesa Verde, you’re thinking of Cliff Palace. Its unreal how well preserved these dwellings are. Cliff Palace is the largest of the dwellings at Mesa Verde and was home to several families.

These round holes are called kivas. They originally had roofs on them and fires burning inside. The families would gather in them to keep warm and get out of the wind.

Mesa Verde is such a special place. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to spend some time here and take the tours. There is a lot of history in the cliff dwellings and still a great deal of mystery surrounding the people who once resided in them. 

Yay Friday!

Hi!! It's Friday again and I have lots to be thankful for!

1. Mike and I had a great weekend with Shane and Lindsey in Estes Park! We went into Rocky Mountain National Park and got to see lots of beautiful views and some pretty cool animals too.

2. Mike started his last semester of school, so this is his last picture of his first day of class. These two years are just flying by!

3. Wednesday night and Thursday night Mike and I enjoyed dinner with friends. It's always nice to relax, eat, and spend time together.

4. I'm starting back to work at the state park this weekend. It's just on a temporary basis, but I think it should be fun!

Hope you have a great weekend! I've been working on doing more posts, but just haven't gotten them completed yet. Hopefully they will be ready soon!!

Yay Friday!

Hello! I’m checking in to say YAY for Friday!! 

Last weekend our friends David and Katie showed us around Crested Butte. It is SOOO beautiful there, I couldn’t get over it. We had a great time camping, hiking, walking around town, and definitely eating!

Monday a package arrived from my mom and dad filled with tons of goodies!!! I was so excited! They always send the most thoughtful things. Thanks Mom and Dad! Love you!

I’m attempting to get back into some sort of workout routine. I’ve done at least a thirty minute workout every day this week. I’m hoping this becomes a habit.

The crochet project I’ve been working on since February is really coming together. It’s still got a ways to go, but I’m starting on the final stages. I’m really enjoying all the colors! 

Helper Cats!

 

Today Mike and I are off to Estes Park after work to see Shane and Lindsey! They flew in for a wedding so we decided to take advantage of their nearness! Mike and I haven’t been to Estes Park yet, so we’re looking forward to seeing a new area and are stopping by Rocky Mountain National Park too!

Hope you have a great weekend!!

Updates and Yay for Friday!

Hello! I am WAY behind on my blogging. I have a bunch of stuff to write about, but just either haven't had time to do it or, if I'm honest, haven't been in the mood to sit down and write. There's been lots going on around here! Mike has finished his third semester in the gunsmithing program at TSJC. I'm proud to report that he has gotten straight A's once again. He has yet to get anything but an A in all of his classes!! He will be taking several week long NRA summer classes this summer and also will be a teacher assistant for two classes as well. I started a new job about two weeks ago! I am working as an Office Manager for a local real estate company. It's always a little nerve wracking to start something new, but I'm sure it will be great. Mike and I recently took a trip to Mesa Verde National Park and had a great time! I need to get a blog post up so I can share all the awesome pictures!

Now for Yay for Friday...

1. Mike and I have been taking a leather holster making class all this week. I plan to do a whole blog post about all we did so I don't want to get into too much detail right now, but we have had an absolute blast!! I'm so sad today is the last class.

2. Tonight is date night!! We've had such a fun week and we don't want it to end, so we're going to our favorite Trinidad restaurant...Bella Luna's!! My mom recently sent me a new dress and I haven't had the opportunity to wear it yet, so I'm excited to dress up a little, eat some pizza, and spend time with Mike!

3. Mike's birthday is next Saturday and the birthday packages have started arriving. I LOVE birthdays!! I can't wait to celebrate the birthday boy and watch him unwrap all the gifts.

4. Speaking of celebrating, Mike and I are headed to Cuchara this weekend to start his birthday festivities a little early. Hopefully, I'll get a blog post up about this too!

That's it for now! As I said, the plan is to get get several blog posts up soon, so hopefully I can do it quickly. Check back next week and yell at me if I haven't written anything yet! I hope you have a great weekend!!

Yay for Friday!

Another week has flow by! I've managed to stay pretty busy, and I'm excited to spend a little down time with Mike this weekend. Here are some of the things that kept me busy this week...

1. We got a package from my parents! How cool is this Skittles candle?! Plus I'm in love with these gorgeous pens. Thanks mom and dad!

2. Mike has been hard at work this week as the semester is wrapping up. The stock and barrel of this gun were made by him!

3. I started a new crochet project and it's coming along nicely.

4. We've had crazy weather this week. Monday it was snowing and by Thursday it was in the 70s and I had the windows open. I got this beautiful flowers from our front yard!

Hope you have a great weekend!!!