Just a snowin' and a sewin'

I've been working on some clothes for me.  Every time I start sewing clothes again, I realize how hard it is and how it's so much easier just to quilt and am I really ever going to wear this? 

Nevertheless, here are some recent projects.

This one was actually the easiest.  I took an old pair of James' slacks and cut off the legs.  Then I cut the legs along the side seam.  Then I used the bottom cuff for the waist-band, added a zipper to the side, and hemmed the bottom.  I did it super fast and sort of haphazardly (as in, I don't know if I can get that chunk of fabric out of the serger but who cares it's done and I don't need the inside edges surged) but I think it is cuter than the other two things which I took FOREVER to make.   

I saw this pattern on allfreesewing.com for the "Lazy girls Gathered Top."  I wouldn't necessarily call this girl lazy after spending 4 hours on A top yesterday, but I think it turned out okay.  I didn't do the drawstring at the bottom, I just wanted it straight.  The reason it took a long time is because it's knit, if you mess it up, it takes FOREVER to pick it out.  But I like how it turned out.  I'll probably wear it.  It's comfortable.  And it was a way to use this cute knit fabric I got a while ago.

I saw this "Socialite Skirt" on pinterest and thought it looked really cute (probably because that girl is skinny).  The pattern was not as easy as described, but it turned out to be a comfy skirt.  I used the same fabric as my shirt.  James wants me to wear them both for Halloween, start taking off my makeup with vaseline as I am known to do, and go as the "Hamburgler Christy."  Not a bad idea...

Dear Future Christy,

Make quilts.  BUY your clothes.

Sincerely,
Wiser Christy

Snowshoeing Adventures

These pictures are from a "solo run" I did a couple weeks ago near Conifer.  It was such a beautiful day!  I'm still kind of figuring out snowshoeing.  Snowshoes aren't really a necessity on the trail I went to.  In fact, there were some people walking their dogs their, just wearing their tennis shoes or boots who probably thought I looked like an idiot, but I think my feet and ankles stay dryer with the snowshoes.  If we had fresh snow, I would definitely need them.  And it's just good exercise, if only to have a little extra weight on your feet.

I was walking along the trail on the way down and all of the sudden I saw this young buck walking up the trail towards me.  It was kind of startling at first, then really cool.  I moved backwards so maybe he would walk a little closer.  I got some pictures but it's kind of hard to find the buck.   

I went a couple days later with my sister and some friends, Macquel and Rick, and that day we took a different trail and tried going off trail where we could and it was way fun going in the deep snow on the way down, because you kind of slide gently (and sometimes not so gently, huh, Laura?) down the hill. 

P.S.  James added music to my blog for me, isn't he so cool?!

Christmas Addendum

One of Ohio's greatest gems (besides James):  Smucker's Headquarters

Look at all the companies they have acquired!

I'm pretty sure this is one of the worst pictures of me, EVER!  I am such a cheeseball!

My personal favorite!

My Summer Hiking Goals

So my "new thing" this year is going to be hiking.  I have always loved hiking, and I have this book I got at Costco called, "The Best Denver Hikes," that James and I have been slowly working our way through.  My goal is to do all the hikes in the book before I die, and as of now, I've done 8 out of 30.  If I did the ones on my list below, that would make 16/30.  Maybe I should do more this summer, but this is a start.  Anyone want to join me?  I have included pictures to entice you all.  James has committed to come on some of them, but if the mileage is above 5 or 6, I don't think he'll do it, so I could use some hiking buddies.  I would also like to get into backpacking this summer.  I have never done it before, but I think I would really enjoy it.  So I'd also like to do a couple overnighters this summer.

Abyss Lake

Near:  Idaho Springs/Georgetown/Loveland Pass

Elevation Gain:  3.050 feet

Rating:  Moderate-difficult

Round Trip Distance:  16 miles

Round Trip Time:  7-8 hours

Beaverbrook Trail

Near:  Boulder/Golden

Elevation Gain:  1,830 feet

Rating:  Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  8 miles

Round Trip Time:  4.5-5 hours

Carpenter Peak

Near:  Roxborough State Park

Elevation Gain:  1,000 feet

Rating:  Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  6.4 miles

Round Trip Time:  3-4 hours

Chief Mountain and Squaw Mountain

Near:  Idaho Springs/Georgetown/Loveland Pass

Elevation Gain:  1,800 feet

Rating:  Easy-Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  4.8 miles

Round Trip Time:  3 hours

Herman Lake

Near:  Idaho Springs/Georgetown/Loveland Pass

Elevation Gain:  1,700 feet

Rating:  Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  6.5 miles

Round Trip Time:  4-5 hours

Highline Canal, Platte River and Lee Gulch Trail Loop

Near:  Arapahoe Community College

Elevation Gain:  Less than 100 feet

Rating:  Easy

Round-trip Distance:  7.5 miles

Round Trip Time: 3-4 hours

James Peak and Saint Mary’s Glacier

Near:  Winter Park

Elevation Gain:  2,900 feet

Rating:  Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  7 miles

Round Trip Time: 5-6 hours

Rosalie Peak

Near:  Idaho Spring/Georgetown/Loveland Pass

Elevation Gain:  4,300 feet

Rating:  Moderate

Round-trip Distance:  11 miles

Round Trip Time:  8-9 hours

P.S.  NONE of these pictures are mine, I didn't take them, I don't have the rights to them, sorry if someone gets upset about that.

Christmas in Ohio

James and I went to Ohio for Christmas, to see his family.  We had a great time.  We spent time with family, talking, playing "Hand and Foot," saw "We bought a Zoo," and mostly just ate as much as possible.  We flew with Cooper on the 23rd and came back on the 28th. 

Airplane shot

Dad and Joan's tree

James and his Dad and Cooper's "scary eyes."

The scene of the crime

I just noticed the creepy dog under the table in a Christmas sweater.

James with his stepmom Joan and Dad.

Tired boys

James opening up this crazy, cool clamp from Aunt Peg

James' brother Rob and Rob's friend Jordan

DeLoe's Mom Janet, Me, Marta, Rob, James and DeLoe

Marta's tree

Cooper's favorite thing about Christmas:  a stuffed possum wearing a santa hat.  He quickly removed the ears, then the hat, then ripped open the possum and extracted the squeaker and stuffing. 

Cooper and Minnie (or Mini)

This is Minnie, the dog we are hoping to adopt when we get back from Ohio.  I love that I can hold them both at the same time. 

On a totally unrelated note, these are some powerful words from Jeffrey R. Holland about the Savior.  I usually try not to be too "wordy" in my blog, but I remember reading this talk on my mission (4 years ago!) and still think about what he said, so I'd say it's worth a read.  (I bolded some of it).

"In spite of life’s tribulations, there is help for all of us on this journey. When Christ bids us to yield, to submit, to obey the Father, He knows how to help us do that. He has walked that way, asking us to do what He has done, but He has made it very much easier for our travel. He knows where the sharp stones and the stumbling blocks lie and where the thorns and the thistles are the most severe. He knows where the path is perilous, and He knows which way to go when the road forks and nightfall comes. He knows that because He has suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind … that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11–12). To succor means “to run to.” I testify that Christ will run to us, and is running even now, if we will but receive the extended arm of His mercy.

"When we stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and strengthen us. In the end He is there to save us, and for all this He gave His life. However dim our days may seem, they have been a lot darker for the Savior of the world. As a reminder of those days, Jesus has chosen, even in a resurrected, otherwise perfected body, to retain for the benefit of His disciples the wounds in His hands and in His feet and in His side—signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect; signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn’t love you; signs, if you will, that problems pass and happiness can be ours. Remind others that it is the wounded Christ who is the Captain of our souls, He who yet bears the scars of our forgiveness, the lesions of His love and humility, the torn flesh of obedience and sacrifice.

"These wounds are the principal way we are to recognize Him when He comes. He may invite us forward, as He has invited others, to see and to feel those marks. If not before, then surely at that time, we will remember with Isaiah that it was for us that a God was “despised and rejected … ; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” that “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:3, 5)."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, "Teaching, Preaching, Healing," Jan 2003 Ensign

Merry Christmas!

A Few Notes about Running

1.  Cooper can run up to 5 miles without EVEN having to open his mouth!  What is that about?!

2.  I've been wearing socks on my hands this winter when I run.  It happened the first time kind of by accident, I couldn't find my gloves and James' (eek) dirty socks were sitting by the front door so I thought, "What the hey?"  The good part about using socks for gloves are:  how different are socks than mittens, really? and if your nose is a little drippy, you can just wipe it on the socks because you know you're just going to throw them in the wash when you get home.  And you have a bunch more pairs for succeeding days.  And the reason I can justify using a pair of socks for my hands is because...

3.  I haven't been wearing socks when I run because I've been wearing my vibrams to run.  I slowly worked myself into them and I like them.  They are not way more comfortable or way less comfortable than my old running shoes.  I haven't done any huge distances in them, nothing more than 5 miles.  I like feeling kind of au natural.  I feel kind of cool/xtreme when I wear them to run. 



4.  I still love running.  It's just such a good way to exercise for me.  It's refreshing.  I feel so good when I finish.  I feel good while I'm doing it.  I can see myself doing it for a long time.  I love getting done with a run and knowing I've done it.  I have been wearing my marathon t-shirt a lot lately to remind myself that I have done and will do hard things.