Live, Laugh, Love

Reflections of the Seasons

2009-11-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

It's fall once again in the U.P. The colors have come and gone but it looks like November is shaping up to be a beautiful month. I've been home almost 6 months now and it sure has been a time of reflection. I feel like i've had time to regroup and think about where my life has taken me and wonder now, where i'm headed next. I have to say i miss Colorado a lot and often think if that's where i'm destined to be. Only time will tell....Today, however i'm just so thankful for my health, my family and want to live each day to the fullest. Only God will show me the way and I trust in him to give me whatever path i'm suited for. Happy to be home for the holidays this year and i'm going to treasure every moment of it!

Moving Home

2009-05-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe it myself but I'm moving back to Upper Michigan. After spending 3 years in the West i'm ready to have a summer near the lake. I've met some wonderful friends out here and have had some great memories, sure someday i'll be back. As the time gets closer to head back home, i've been reflecting on all the things i'll miss about Colorado...the climate being the number one thing. We get over 300 days of sunshine a year out here and it's hard not to be happy with weather like that. Also going to miss seeing the mountains in my rear view mirror while driving to work everyday. That's something that never gets old! Most of all i'll miss my friends and all the fun outdoor things we've done in the past 3 years. In 5 days I will be on the road to my next adventure--can't hardly wait!

Spring is here---wait, no it's still winter!

2009-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

While most parts of the country are seeing the buds and green grass, we are just getting winter here. After having only 12 total inches of snow all year in Denver up till now, we've gotten two snowstorms and cold weather for the entire month of March it seems and so far the beginning of April. (Okay so we had two 75 degree days where I swam in the pool.)

Most people would be discouraged to get snowstorms in April, but after having such a dry winter, any moisture is welcome! My skin is so dry and everything is so brown that i'll take anything we can get. It's also nice to be able to be lazy and lay on the couch on a saturday and not feel too guilty. The winter was so mild that we didn't really get stuck inside like you do most winters.

I'm looking forward to May though I have to admit, which is my favorite month out here. I'm anxious to start hiking and hopefully training for the BolderBolder which takes place every May. It's a famous running event where thousands of people come from all over the country to run or watch. (I may end up being the spectator if I don't get my butt in shape:)

Joe's Visit

2009-03-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Had a great time the other weekend when my college friend, Joe came out to Colorado. He wanted to see as much of the mountains as he could in one weekend, so we did a lot of sight seeing. The first day we went to Idaho Springs for Colorado-style pizza (you pour honey on the crust of the pizza). The second day we went to Estes Park for a nice 2.5 hour hike. There wasn't much snow and man am I out of shape! I thought the altitude would be to my advantage, but it didn't seem to bother Joe--he wanted to keep hiking and I asked that we head back. We also went to Rocky Mountain National Park--he wanted to see some wildlife. We saw a few elk in the distance but that was about it. The third day Sally, Joe and I went to Colorado Springs to Garden of the Gods. Basically it's beautiful rock formations formed by water hundreds (millions?) of years ago. How fun to have someone visit that loves the outdoors!

I think it's spring...

2009-03-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well it is March in Denver and supposedly this is the snowiest month of the year. I woke up this morning to go skiing with Heather and couldn't go because the mountain pass was closed because of bad weather. The sun is shining as always though so i think i'll go for a drive:) Hope everyone is ready for warm weather--I know I am!

February Birthdays

2009-02-20T09:30:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted on here in awhile...I've been very busy with my job. With the crazy economy it's been very interesting at work and I feel like I don't know if I'm coming or going. Last week they downsized our account by over 50% and I was relocated to a new office about 40 minutes away. I got a pay decrease and a different position. So i've been in training and started the new position a few days ago. Just happy that I have a job though and thankful my company takes care of their employees. I may be starting another position next week so even more change. One of these days i'll have a set schedule and be able to breathe:)

I wanted to say Happy Birthday this month to some of my friends and family! My friends celebrating a birthday this month or Emily, Melissa and Amber. Hope you girls enjoy your birthdays! Also happy birthday to my big sister Mel! And to my nieces Lily and Grace and my brother-in-law Kevin. Lots of celebration! Wish i could be there to join you all~just know i'm thinking of you and miss you all!

Love Marsh

Happy Birthday

2009-01-31T15:34:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Greg, Brad & Jacko!!

Happy Birthday Lisa

2009-01-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday! Looking great...hope you have a wonderful day with Kevin and the girls. Love you, Marcia

Winter Park '09

2009-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Today was my first ski of the year. Everyone had to work so I went up by myself and got to enjoy the peace. I woke up at 6a.m. and was one of the first on the hill. We have no snow in Denver so it was great to see the winter wonderland up at Winter Park. There's just something about the "Rockie" mountains that is magical....come and see for yourself:)

Christmas Vacation

2008-12-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Now that i'm finally back in Denver, here are some pictures from my vacation. We had a lot of parties and lots of fun in the snowy U.P. It never stopped snowing and it was great to see my nieces and nephews and family. Traveling to and fro was quite an experience, including one night on a chair in the Colorado Springs airport. Back to reality...50 degrees and no snow in Littleton.

"Blast from the Past"

2008-12-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

So I must be missing my sisters because I saw this picture and had to post it. I think this picture is about 13-14 years old..i shouldn't even put an age on it because we don't look that young in it. Well young enough, but it still feels like yesterday. I'm very lucky to have 7 sisters that I get along with...can't wait to see you guys!!

Cartoon Below

2008-12-19T06:56:00.001-08:00

Sorry the picture didn't show up so well....it says "If we can't find the car by noon, I'm going back to bed."

Safe Travels

2008-12-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like the snow and cold is coming just in time for the holidays!! I looked at the weather last night and there are winter storm warnings for Calumet, Detroit and Minneapolis. Just want to pray that my friends and family make it home safe over the holidays. I'm preparing for a "Winter Wonderland" when I fly in tomorrow:) Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Wings vs. Avs

2008-12-16T16:21:00.001-08:00

Looks like the Avs beat the Wings last night. Final Score: 3-2 I'm getting a lot of crap from my Avs friends out here...let's look at the overall season record though...Was a good game, nice to see the Avs win for a change, or maybe not:)

Christmas Memories

2008-12-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

Parade Of Lights

2008-12-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Every December Denver has a Christmas parade called "Parade of Lights". It's like a mini Macy's Day parade and has marching bands and the big inflatable cartoon characters. I went last night with Sheena and her husband and their little boston terrier puppy. The weather was perfect, almost 60 degrees and it was a lot of fun.

2 More Weeks!!

2008-12-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

The countdown has begun! I have never missed a Christmas yet at home...and this year once again I get to go home. The weather in Denver has been so crazy that i'm worried we may not have a white Christmas here...but i'm sure I won't be dissapointed when I step off the plane in Hancock. Hope everyone is ready to do some sledding and skiing!!

Our first snowfall

2008-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

It's the holidays! It's beginning to feel a lot like....Christmas:) I was just out christmas shopping this evening, trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Without any snow, it just didn't feel right. I went into T.J. Maxx for 15 minutes and came out to a blizzard. I was so excited I got Heather on the phone and she was just as excited! (You've got to like snow if you live in Colorado, so why not embrace it.) I can't wait to wake up tomorrow to see the mountains covered...one of my favorite things.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

So I was reading the news on TV6's website this morning at work...and what a pleasure to see an article about my Mom and my nieces:) Here is an incerpt from the article....

"So why did people wait until the day before? Well, some were busy. But others, like Barb Helminen waited to get fresh sides , like dinner rolls.
"I guess the last minute salads", said Helminen, a resident of Laurium. "I got my meats and all my staples ready. But, I'm here for the last minute fixings."
Helminen's granddaughter's, Grace and Clare say they're looking forward to more than just dinner.
"I get to see all my cousin's, aunties, uncles and grandma", said Grace.
And they're not the only ones thinking about more than food. Campioni says he sells double the number of newspapers on Wednesday, because people want the sale inserts for Black Friday."

I hope you all had a great "Turkey Day"! See you in 3 weeks

2008-11-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a view from my apartment. When it snows i'll take another shot...the mountains don't look half as pretty without snow. Let it snow!

Nesting

2008-11-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when those of us living in cold climates start "nesting". Basically meaning we are stuck inside a lot more and have a desire to do projects. I've been making Christmas gifts as you can see in the picture of the photo frame. So don't be surprised if one shows up as your gift:) I stole the idea from my crafty sister Mel who always has fun ideas for projects. The other project is my new kitchen table. I got it free from craigslist.com and just had to buy new screws for it and connect the legs. So I was pretty pumped on it and now Sally and I no longer have to eat dinner on the coffee table in front of the t.v. I'm now looking for another project...any ideas??

Jack & Charlie--This post is for you!

2008-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

I went for a nice walk this beautiful saturday morning and was surprised with what I saw. The place was called Waterton Canyon and it is only about 5 miles south of my apartment. The first wildlife I saw was a group of deer. They were right in the middle of the trail! (Maybe they were some of Santa's reindeers visiting Colorado...I didn't see Rudolph though:) I kept walking another mile or two into the canyon and saw the biggest bighorn sheep I have ever seen. They were perched atop the mountain rubbing their horns against each other. They live right along mountainsides and have very strong, sharp feet to climb up the mountains. Their horns are curled and they are like monster deers, not quite as big as elk. I think they are also called Rams sometimes, depending on the person you talk to. So I hope you like the pictures of the animals I saw today, Charlie and Jack. If you come to visit me I can take you for a walk to see the bighorn sheep!

Why I love Colorado

2008-11-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home from work tonight I started thinking about the reasons why I love living in Colorado. Every since I was a young child, I've always loved the outdoors. I think it all started with my Dad. He was the one who gave me an appreciation for most of what I enjoy doing outside. Whether it was camping, fishing or talking a walk in the woods, he really seemed to find peace in these things. Of course as a kid, I didn't quite understand why he liked being outside and more often than not, even wondered why he planned these outings. But as I grew older I found that same peace. A peace where all is natural and the explorations are endless. Living in the U.P. I was fortunate to experience this as I grew up near the water. As all of us Yoopers know, something about the sight of the "big lake" makes us feel contentment. I feel this similiar contentment near the mountains. Watching the sunset over the majestic purple (yes, they actually look purple) mountains as I drive home from work every night, never gets old. Hiking the peaks and skiing down the slopes on a powder day, are enough to make it worth getting through the week until the weekend. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to spend my single years out here. As much as I miss home and no matter where I end up, Colorado will always be my second home:)

Childhood Friends

2008-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

My new hairdo from Christi:)

Millenium Park

Everyone needs a gals' trip...last weekend I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Chicago with my childhood friends, Emily and Christi. I hadn't seen Christi in almost 3 years...i finally got to see her wedding ring! She did mine and Emily's hair which was a lot of fun. We shopped till we dropped, ate some great Chicago-style Pizza and caught up on each others' lives. The weekend ended with me missing my flight back home, but needless to say we had a great time.

Race Pictures

2008-10-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Denver Marathon Relay

2008-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! I started the day waking up @ 4:52 a.m. without an alarm (I must've been pretty excited). Sheena and I arrived downtown around 6:00 for a group picture with the rest of the team. It was crazy how excited everyone even though it was still dark outside and a little chilly. It was very pretty...you could see the sun rise over the capitol building while we were waiting for the race to start. The race started @ 7:00 and we finished around 11:00. It sure was an amazing experience and what a great atmosphere. Fun was had by all and I think we are all going to be a little sore at work tomorrow:)

Golden, Colorado

2008-10-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places out West, only about 10 miles from my apartment is the town of Golden. It's about the size of Hancok, Michigan and has a lot of history. When I first moved here I spent a lot of time in Golden for my job as a nanny and really enjoyed it's small-town feel. It is most famous for being the site of Coor's Brewery. It's filled with little museums and restaurants and has a creek flowing through it called "Clear Creek". This creek goes through the town and Sally and I have spent many summer days riding black inner tubes down it. It's one of the first established towns in the Wild West and I recommend visiting the town someday!

Fun times in Colorado

2008-10-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

These are just some random shots from Colorado. Some old, some newer.

Some of my favorites

2008-10-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some of my favorite pictures from this past summer.

Praire Dogs

2008-10-02T13:03:00.001-07:00

Being that i'm single with no kids or boyfriend, a big part of my life right now is my job. I recently completed training with a new university and it's our second day speaking with students. Normally I take 150 calls a day and the past two days, because of technology, i've taken a total of 2 calls. BORING! But I can't complain for the break and i'm getting to know my new co-workers:) Sometimes I feel like I work on an episode of "THE OFFICE" with all of the drama, but it's fun and i'm meeting great people. I often feel like a praire dog (which we have so many of in Colorado). Basically they are like big chipmunks that peep in and out of their holes in the ground all day. (i'm always peeping over my cubicle to see what's going on with my co-workers on the other side). I do love my job but would rather be skiing:)

And most of all, I love being an "Auntie"

2008-09-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

There's nothing greater in the world than being an Auntie...okay maybe being a Grandma can top that. The hard part about it is being so far away. Going home this summer for a week and hearing my nieces and nephews say "Come play with me, Auntie Marcia", is something I can't forget. Their unconditonal love as kids is something we all can appreciate. And i'm finding that when I don't get to be around kids, that simple nature is easy to forget. So until I have kids of my own someday, being an "Auntie" is the greates gift God has given to me:)

Friends

2008-09-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a picture of my favorite girlfriend out here in Colorado. Sheena and I met at work 9 months ago and hit it off the first day. She is from the midwest (North Dakota) so it feels like we've known each other all our lives'. They call us the "northern gals" at work because of our accents. Not a day goes by without someone walking by our desks while we're on the phone and turning to say..."Are you from wisconsin?" So we have a lot in common and i'm very lucky to have such a great friend to hang out:)

Hello family

2008-09-22T17:03:00.001-07:00

I had a request to post some pictures from Colorado so I have to show off our beautiful scenery:) Some of you may have seen these, but I think they are worth seeing again. Enjoy!

Hockey is coming...

2008-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's almost here! I know it's still fall and football season just started, but i'm itching to watch some hockey. I'm one of the few Redwing fans in Denver so I tend to watch the Avs a lot but to me, hockey is hockey. This week i'm going to a pre-season game: Avs vs. L.A. Kings. My friend Sheena got some free tickets to the game on Wednesday so i'm excited for that. Michigan Tech comes out here to play both in October and January so I get to cheer on my alma mater 1500 miles from home;) As for Detroit, let's hope the wings can win another cup this year!!

New things

2008-09-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that life is all about change. New adventures, new people...friends, new ideas...and for me most recently, that change is a new position in my job. When I was young and fearless I loved changed. I craved it even. The older we get I think we all realize that change is inevitable, but we don't welcome it so much as we did in our younger years. I'm learning that though it may be painful and scary, it's exciting! So i began training this week for a position as an admissions advisor for Kaplan University. I'll be recruiting students and helping them through the enrollment process. As wonderful as it may sound, it involves sales. Yes, sales. I love education but never thought I would be putting the two together. I'm in my second day of the job and I couldn't be more scared! I guess I can only look forward and wish for the best:)

Summer '08 Random Pictures

2008-09-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

What's new in Denver?

2008-09-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall. I went for a bike ride this morning and although it was a high of 80 today, it was a crisp morning. I just recently started biking and I am really enjoying it. Denver is very biker-friendly and many people bike to work and the biking trails are busy. I'm also getting excited for ski season and can see some "white stuff" on the fourteeners. (We do get snow year-round in Colorado.) I recently signed up to do a marathon-relay with some friends from work in October and think I need to start training:) Basically it's 5 persons per team and you each do a leg to equal 26.3 miles. (I lucked out with the 4-mile leg.) It starts at the Capitol Building in Denver and goes through the city I believe. At the end of October i'm going on a gal's trip to Chicago to meet my childhood girlfriends for a weekend away. This is much needed and a great way to keep me from getting too homesick before Christmas. So it's going to be a fun-filled fall and I couldn't be happier.

I am now a Blogger

2008-09-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

After viewing my sisters' blogs and seeing all of the great pictures, I decided to join the world of blogging. I finally have a digital camera and have begun to take pictures of my life's adventures. Maybe if I post some pictures of the Colorado landscape I can attract more visitors:)