Grace Notes

2009-06-07T16:19:00.004-06:00

This afternoon I heard the tornado siren go off. Shortly afterwards, I started to hear hail pounding our house. Matt and I watched for 15 or more minutes as golf ball sized hail came down. Below are pictures of Matt holding some of the hail and some of the damage to our house. We are now watching the news, learning that a tornado actually touched down about a mile from our house at the Southlands shopping center, where we frequently go. We are thankful that we are safe and unharmed and that our house suffered relatively minor damage.

Family Guy and Star Trek TNG

2009-04-01T21:23:00.002-06:00

These scenes from Family Guy crack me up.

Free Chick-Fil-A for a Year!!

2008-11-29T22:47:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago Bri, Steven (My Bro in Law) and I went and spent a night in a Chick-Fil-A parking lot. The reason? Free Chick-Fil-A for a year!! That's right, we get a whole bunch of food for free and all we had to do was sleep in a parking lot of a Chick-Fil-A.

It wasn't to bad temperature wise and they had games, free food and drink for us as well. We've already redeemed quite a few of the vouchers we got for free food and I look forward for not paying for a good long time.

Here are a few pictures -

Bri and I with our free Mugs posing in front of the new store.

Our Tent and us just waiting for morning.

Bri and the Chick-Fil-A Cow.

Steven.

Steven and I playing 4 Square in the drive through.

Space Olympics

2008-09-19T20:42:00.002-06:00

There may be a commercial that plays before hand, but I found this really amusing.

The Desert is a Fragile Environment

2008-09-01T21:34:00.002-06:00

Brianna and I, along with her parental units and brother, went to Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It was a really great time. These parks are beautiful and we are very thankful to have had the chance to see them.

Here are some pictures -

May Update

2008-07-05T09:59:00.020-06:00

Well, it has been a busy few months in the Grace household. However, we decided that it was finally time for an update. Shortly after the last post, we made a trip to Delaware to celebrate the wedding of our friends Brenda and Dave. Here are some pictures from that trip and other events in May.

Brianna & the bride-to-be at the rehearsal dinner.

Brenda with the groomsmen.

Dave with the bridesmaids.

Brianna & Matt going for some goodies at the chocolate fountain.

Aaahhh....aren't they nice to each other?

We got to see many good friends,

including some of the girls from Brianna's small group.

Later that weekend, we went to the beach in Ocean City, MD

with our friends Joe & Sara.

Brianna stuck her toes in the cold Atlantic Ocean!

Matt's high school friend Chuck met us at the beach.

We enjoyed some fresh seafood at Matt's favorite restaurant!

Matt's friend Joe (yes, another Joe) also met us

during our trip to the beach.

After returning from our trip to Delaware, the rest of May was also pretty busy. Over Mother's Day weekend, Matt's mom flew in from Baltimore for a nice visit. We tried to drive over Guanella Pass, but there was too much snow to make it all the way, even though we were in our all wheel drive SUV.

While attempting to drive over Guanella Pass, we stopped

for a photo. You can see it snowing in the picture.

We also saw a herd of mountain goats during our drive.

Other highlights from May included celebrating Brianna's birthday, finding a kitchen table at a garage sale, and enjoying a visit from Brianna's brother, Steven, as he made his way from North Carolina to New Mexico to work at Philmont Boy Scout camp for the summer.

Our new kitchen table that we found for $75 at a garage sale.

It is in great condition!

Well, that concludes the May upate. Hopefully a June update will follow shortly!

New Wii Game

2008-04-28T21:58:00.002-06:00

I finally bought a new Wii game after owning the system for almost a year and a half. Actually, I bought one back in Feb, but that doesn't count as it was really more of a demo game. Anyway, I got Mario Kart for the Wii.

I must admit it is quite fun. It comes with a steering wheel so you can actually drive the car.

Who wants to play??

Orioles Manager Quote

2008-04-25T20:55:00.002-06:00

I think I actually like the manager of the Orioles, not because they are doing decent right now, but for quotes like this about people running on the field during a game -

"I wish I could have taken them in the back room," he said. "I would have kicked the snot out of both of them. I'm serious. You think I'm kidding you. I don't have any patience for disrespect. These guys bust their [rear] out there every night, and for two lunatics to come out there like that -- who do they think they are? Turn them over to us one time. I'll show them where the other side of the fence is. I believe in respect and common courtesy. Those two idiots last night did not show any of that." Dave Trembley - Baltimore Orioles Manager.

Now I don't condone language like this, but it is slightly amusing.

Denver Auto Show

2008-04-25T19:29:00.003-06:00

About a month ago Brianna and I had the chance to go to the Denver Auto Show down at the Colorado Convention Center. It's billed as the largest auto show west of the Mississippi.

It was really crowded and there were a lot of people that didn't understand the courtesy of sitting in the car for just a brief period and then letting the people waiting sit in the car, but we had a good time. People also need to get their little kids out of the driver seats as well. They can't even drive. The Denver Auto Show also needs to accept credit or debit card to get in.

Anyway, going to the auto show has always been a favorite of mine ever since my Dad starting taking me to the Baltimore Auto Show when I was real little. I think I still have a fan from Hyundai from one of those shows.

Brianna and I came away really impressed by some cars and very disappointed in others. I don't understand what people see in BMW's and Mercedes. I didn't care for them at all. The Volvo's and Lexus's were actually my favorite in the luxury category. We aren't buying anything anytime soon though so this was just so we could sit in all the cars and have fun. Afterward Brianna and I went to Cheesecake Factory.

Brianna in her Mini Cooper.

Me in a Mustang. Still not as good as my 68 was.

For the Birds

2008-04-17T22:03:00.001-06:00

Did you ever feel like the big bird in the video below?

This Stinks

2008-03-14T22:44:00.002-06:00

The company I work for sent up a new Satellite today to help us expand our programming and compete better in the pay tv market place. I was excited about the next few months until I read this.....

ILS DECLARES PROTON LAUNCH ANOMALY

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, March 14, 2008 – Khrunichev and International Launch Services regret to announce an anomaly during today's Proton mission with the AMC-14 satellite.
The Proton Breeze M rocket lifted off at 5:18 a.m. today local time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying the AMC-14 satellite for SES AMERICOM and its customer, EchoStar Corporation. Preliminary flight information indicates that the anomaly occurred during the second burn of the Breeze M upper stage. The satellite failed to reach the planned orbit. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin.
A Russian State Commission has begun the process of determining the reasons for the anomaly. ILS will release details when data become available. In parallel with the State Commission, ILS will form its own Failure Review Oversight Board. The FROB will review the commission’s final report and corrective action plan, in accord with U.S. and Russian government export control regulations.
ILS remains committed to providing reliable, timely launch services for all its customers. To this end, ILS will work diligently with its partner Khrunichev to return Proton to flight as soon as possible.

Anomaly usually equals "Blown Up".....

Mad City

2008-03-07T17:03:00.003-07:00

On Wednesday and Thursday I went on a business trip to Madison, Wisconsin for a Retailer Development Forum. Why Madison, Wisconsin you may ask?

Well, back in the summer of 2001 I did an internship for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship which is headquartered there. Madison is a really great city and I loved living there for that summer. It was nice to take a trip down memory lane and see some spots that had changed since last I remembered. I was very disappointed though that my favorite sub shop had closed down since I left.

I was going to try to see if I could meet up with the family that I stayed with, but I had a co-worker with me, plus I hadn't talked with them in a long time. I didn't want it to be weird, know what I mean?

The only bad part of the trip was that some part was broken on the plane when we were coming back and they couldn't refuel it. So our 7:25pm flight became a 1:25am flight and I didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning.

Anyway, here are some pictures and just know that these pictures do not do Madison justice as it is winter and was snowing that day.

Capitol Building
State Street. It has lots of good restaurants and shops.
Me in front of the Capitol Building.
Lake Terrace that Frank Lloyd Wright designed.
Frozen Lake Monona

Baby Instructions

2008-03-04T22:05:00.007-07:00

Update on New Tires

2008-03-03T17:59:00.002-07:00

Well it seems that the new tires we got for Brianna's Toyota Camry are working in the snow. We had a pretty decent amount of snow and ice on the roads this morning and Brianna said she didn't have a problem getting around and actually passed another Toyota Camry that was sliding around.

This makes me glad that we don't have to worry about getting her another car. I'm sure that the car will still have trouble every now and again in the snow, but the fact that it does much better is good enough for me.

Thank You Good Year.

Little Dutch

2008-02-23T09:39:00.002-07:00

Some pictures of me and our cat Dutch. He's been doing better since we switched him to only dry food with low protein in his diet. He doesn't like it and gets excited every time I put his water dish down because he's thinking it's wet food.

Every time I sit down on the floor like this he comes over and sits in my lap and purrs away.

Me and Dutch

That's uh...a nice crotch shot. Just focus on how cute Dutch is.

Cirque Dreams - Jungle Fantasy

2008-02-17T15:10:00.002-07:00

Last night Brianna and I went to see what we thought was a Cirque Du Soliel performance, but what turned out to be a different company with a similar name. Anyway, it was a pretty good performance, a bit lamer then Cirque Du Soliel, but still pretty good. We got to see some contoursionists from Mongolia, some strong men, a cool balancing act and some other stuff. I added a video below from the morning news here in Denver that I watch every morning. I added this because it actually has the Violinist from the show. He was incredible and was easily the best part of the music and show. He also has a similar body figure to myself. It was worth going to see and we had really good seats and afterward we went to the Cheesecake Factory which made Brianna happy.

Valentine's Day Dinner

2008-02-15T20:38:00.003-07:00

On Valentine's Day Brianna and I were invited to dinner over at Coy and Hannah's house with the rest of our small group. It was a really good time, though it seems everytime we eat dinner with the small group the conversation turns south really quick and we end up with bathroom humor. Not that I don't mind that, because I still find that funny. And I know what a "Tracer" is now. The meal was good and most of the dessert was good. There were some issues with the chocolate fountain and chocolate in the Crock Pot, but there was nothing we could do about that.

Brianna and I thank God that we found a good group of friends that love the lord and love talking about bodily functions. Here are a few pics that Brianna took.

Megan cleaning one of the pans.
Laura, super excited.
Oh, the fun I could have with this picture. I'll keep it clean and not say anything.
Laura and Craig...actually a pretty nice picture.
Jordan - Chillin like a Villain....and mixing doo doo in the pan (Actually, I think it was chocolate).

Rain

2008-02-14T16:02:00.001-07:00

So it just occured to me this morning that I haven't seen it rain since October. Just snow. Interesting huh?

We'll give this a try

2008-02-13T19:10:00.002-07:00

So since it started snowing back in October Brianna and I have found out something.....Toyota Camrys suck very bad in the snow. I believed Brianna about how bad they were because I saw first hand that she couldn't even make it into the garage with about a half inch of snow on the driveway. So I always made sure that when I got home, and it was snowing, that I would shovel the driveway so she could make it into the garage.

Well last week Brianna was oh so nice and told me that I could take her car to work one morning when it was snowing and she would take my All-Wheel Drive Rav4. So I set off in her Camry thinking it wouldn't be to bad. That was until I got stuck on one of the many hills around our house and couldn't make it up. So I sat there, wondering what I should do when I see a snow plow coming up the hill. I thought "Awesome, now I'll be ok." So the snow plow came up and pushed a wave of snow over the car and I was stuck even worse now. I finally waited for the cars behind me to pass and was able to drift backwards into where the plow had gone and make it up the hill.

Now the point of this story - I get to work and say to myself that there is no way it can be this bad. So I check the tires and sure enough, the tread is almost completly gone. 25,000 miles and those tires were done. Lousy Bridgestone pieces of trash. Never buy a Bridgestone tire, they super suck. I went this past Saturday and got them replaced with some nice Good Year Triple Treads that Consumer Report rated as one of the best All-Season tires in snow.

We'll get our first test with the new tires tomorrow morning when it is supposed to snow again. Hopefully these new tires will do better because Brianna and I were very close to buying a new car for her and I really don't want to do that.

Caucus and Voting

2008-02-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

So I went my district Caucus last night and it was really interesting. I have never lived in a state that held a Caucus before, only primaries. First, there was a lot of people there. They had a room that was only supposed to fit 115 people (I know this because the fire sign was up for maximum amount of people in the room) but yet we crammed about 300 people into the room. Then they informed us that our vote really didn't matter and that the state delegates choose whomever they want to vote for. We just do a poll for the press so they know which way the state is leaning. So we did our highly scientific "secret ballot" which was me writing down Mike Huckabee on a Post-It-Note and putting it into a plastic cup that someone had just gulped down their water out of it so we could use it. Then I stood there as they counted and tallied up the votes. After that they were going to elect some county delegates, but it was about 100 degrees in there and there were mostly old people with bad gas voting so I rolled out. I think some 90 year old woman copped a feel too while I was squeezing past her.

So that was my Caucus experience. Brianna wasn't able to have the joy that I did as she had to teach a class last night. I think I will go back and try another one though. There was such a high turnout because of the race and I don't think that will happen in a non Presidential election year.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All!! As many of you know Super Tuesday is coming up and a lot of our friends that read this blog live in states that will be voting.

Most probably know what is coming next, but I am hoping that you do go and vote and that you will consider Mike Huckabee. A lot of news sources aren't even counting him in polls anymore but he is still has a small shot at the upset. I know it's not likely, but something is better then nothing.

Anyway, if you don't know much about him go and check out his website -

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

If you like what you see and read please consider voting for him this Tuesday. I know I will be.

Matt Grace

P.S. And if you aren't going to vote for him, the Primaries are being held on Wednesday in your State.

Braving Freezing Temps for My Wife

2008-01-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Surmounting treacherous icy pavement and a windchill factor dipping as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit, I survived a real-life battle with the elements Friday when I successfully completed a harrowing four-and-a-half-minute journey across the desolate, frozen parking lot of an area King Soopers Grocery Store.

With night coming and temperatures dropping rapidly, I was forced to leave my wife, Brianna, at the entrance of the supermarket and valiantly set out on my own to retrieve our Toyota. Before leaving, I solemnly vowed that I would return for my wife as soon as I possibly could.

Recuperating at home following my struggle with nature's fury, I recounted the look in my wife's eyes at the moment I set out across the barren rows of the parking lot.

I could see that she was concerned, but I wasn't about to let Brianna go out there, as I sit blanket-wrapped now from the safety of my living room couch recounting this story between sips of hot chocolate. You see Brianna had left her hat at home.

Shivering from the brutal winds, my heart full of determination, I encountered the first setback on my grueling 75-meter trek when a sudden gust of wind blew freezing cold snow off an SUV and down my collar, nearly causing me to lose my footing on the slippery pavement. Due to the restrictive nature of my bulky cold-weather gear, several tense seconds passed before I was able to brush the snow out of my jacket and soldier on.

My next hardship came when I was forced to guide the wheels of my shopping cart through the increasingly slushy terrain. I was eventually left with no choice but to abandon the cart and carry nearly seven pounds of groceries in hand for the remainder of the journey, slogging past the lifeless, long-abandoned carts of those who had attempted the perilous journey before me.
I remember thinking, "If I stay out here much longer, I'm going to freeze to death." It was that cold.

Because the strain of my journey at times caused me to doubt whether I would ever find the car, I was forced to look inward—drawing strength from past experiences in which I successfully overcame similar extreme conditions. I'm no stranger to long waits on hold for customer service or scaling the heights of the attic stairs with nothing but a box of Christmas decorations. I even remember one traumatic ordeal in which I was locked out of my own home during a violent rainstorm for a full 12 minutes before Brianna heard me knocking.

However, even with all of my experience, nothing could have prepared me for what was in store next.

I thought I saw my car, but it was a different Toyota about seven spaces up. Upon seeing the similar Toyota, I made the near-tragic mistake of removing one of my gloves in order to retrieve my keys and accidentally dropped it beneath the misidentified vehicle.

With my visibility limited by blowing snow and the fast-approaching dusk, I was forced to leave the glove behind. Summoning all my strength, I quickly reoriented myself, using the brightly lit Blockbuster Video store to the right of the supermarket as a guide, and steadily made my way in the general direction of the car.

After one-and-a-half-tense minutes I made the ingenious tactical decision to set down my shopping bags and blow vigorously into my unprotected fingers, providing me with just enough warmth to retrieve my bags and continue on.

Those final twenty feet were the hardest of the journey. That last thirty seconds felt like an eternity out there.

Chilled to the core, I at last reached the car safety and collapsed exhausted behind the wheel. My survival instincts kicking in, I swiftly put the key into the ignition, turned the heat up full blast, hit the defrost button, and waited for the car to warm up. I then set about recouping my energies before undertaking my only remaining task: retrieving my ice scraper from the glove compartment and leaving the car one final time to begin the painstaking and risky process of removing the thick layer of ice from the car windows.

Shaken but wiser after the ordeal, I'm just glad to be home again, but if nothing else, I have learned a valuable life lesson I will not likely forget.

I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life and I'm parking much closer next time—even if I have to circle that parking lot several times to find a space.

Wait....Where is Brianna???

(Taken from the Onion and rewrote to amuse you...hopefully it worked)

Being Good Financial Something Somethings...Yeah

2008-01-25T23:31:00.000-07:00

So I'll admit, Brianna and myself have not been very good with our finances in the past. We would go out and eat all the time and bought whatever we wanted when we wanted it. When we moved out here to Colorado though, things changed. We looked at our finances and realized that we couldn't keep doing what we were doing or else we would be Moochie McMoochers when we got older. So we have started to be very tight with our finances and watching everything that goes out and where it goes to. I have definitely learned one thing with this -

It's stinking hard to watch the finances.

I come to find out that "I want", and I want all the time. I find my mind justifying things that I want and it is really hard to say no. No to running in and getting some snackage at the gas station, or picking up that DVD at Best Buy, or buying that video game at Target. It's like I crave shopping sometimes even when I don't need anything. I take lunch with me to work and I sit there justifying how I can go out to eat even though I brought a lunch. I'll admit that once I eat the lunch I brought and not go out to buy food I feel good, but still, I'm craving that WingStop or Jimmy Johns.

So anyway, it's super hard and I'm sure I'm not the first person to ever figure this out. If there is anyone else out there struggling to save I feel your pain.

YES!!!!

2008-01-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

So I go on Yahoo and see the most wonderful thing that is coming out Christmas this year. I even have a preview video of it. Who's with me on this???

Oh Yeah!! Cool Beans!!

Past Week

2008-01-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since I last wrote so I figured I put a recap of this past week for Brianna and I. Not a whole lot going on. We went and saw Juno last Friday night with some of the couples from our small group. It was a pretty decent movie in my opinion. Some of the other guys thought it was a total chick flick. Afterward we went to Chili's and I was given a very hard time for not sharing my boneless hot wings. I'm sorry Jeff, I didn't want a taste of your chili in exchange. I love wings and I don't share them with anyone....unless they taste aweful in which case help yourself (i.e. Pappa Johns wings).

Saturday was spent cleaning and then we went over to a friends house and watched the football game. After the Jaguars lost us guys played poker and I did well for the first time in a while. Brianna played cards (Dutch Blitz) and board games with the girls while we played poker. Then we did some Wii and played Apples to Apples. It was a great time, but we stayed out really late. Probably the latest we have in years.

Sunday we went to church in the evening and did some grocery shopping.

Brianna had a busy week at work because she is getting ready to teach a class again. She's excited for it though.

I had a busy week watching the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction!!! So far I have watched 15 hours of it. It's totally awesome. Only 24 more hours to go. They are auctioning off Truckasaurus on Saturday. You may have seen him in commercials for monster truck rallies. He is the dinosaur truck that shoots flames and eats cars.

Well, I hope everyone that actually reads this blog is doing well. Drop us a line and let us know how you have been.

Cool Beans.

P.S. Huckabee For President.

Another Good Reason I Support Huckabee

2008-01-10T22:40:00.001-07:00

I swear I will not make this blog a "Huckabee is the greatest blog" but I wanted to point something out. Tonight there was a debate in South Carolina and Mike Huckabee was brought under attack and asked a question to clarify what he said. Here is part of the article that was written by the AP -

"In a 90-minute debate that touched on economic issues, foreign policy and immigration, Huckabee drew the loudest applause of the night from the audience when he was asked about having quoted a Biblical passage saying a wife "has to submit herself graciously" to her husband.

A Baptist preacher before entering politics, he said he was "not the least bit ashamed of my faith," but didn't impose it as governor and wouldn't as president. He said the citation is from Ephesians, and "the point is that as wives submit themselves to their husbands the husbands also submit themselves" to their wives.

"That's why marriage is an important institution, because it teaches us how to love," he concluded. "

I really think that you have to, at the very least, respect his answer.

Countdown to one of my Most Favorite Times of Year!!

2008-01-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Does everyone know what wonderful event starts this upcoming Tuesday?!?? If you guess Martin Luther King Jr. Day you would be wrong. It's the first day of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Show and Auction.

You may be asking yourself why you have never heard of this glorious event that should be up there with Easter and Christmas (I know I may be speaking sacrilege). Well let me inform you the way I wrote papers in college...by copying and pasteing all the information into here from the internet (just kidding).

The ultimate collector car auction and exposition arrives in Scottsdale, Arizona, offering hundreds of the world's finest classic and collector vehicles, and provides world-class, non-stop entertainment. This visual feast includes spectacular displays of classic, muscle, sports, and futuristic automobiles, designer fashion shows, and auto memorabilia. Plus, I can watch all the action on Speed Channel...Thank the Lord for DVR's!!!!

Some of you may ask if this is also Brianna's favorite time of the year. Sadly, it's not. She gets mad at me watching 30 hours of car auctions. I think that deep down she enjoys it though, she just doesn't like to admit to it. Her rolling of the eyes at me is just a way she says.."Keep watching it, cause it's awesome."

So to all those who have DVR's or are home and have nothing better to do, sit down this Tuesday through Sunday and tune into Speed TV to watch this fantastic event.

Oh, and if you don't have a DVR or Speed TV I also sell DISH Network and can hook you up.

Random Thoughts for Today

2008-01-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

My first random thought I wanted to put on here was a Congratulations to Mike Huckabee for taking first in Iowa. I've been a big Huckabee supporter since before we left Delaware so I am really excited about his first win.

My second is that Brianna and I went to Burger King last night for the first time in a while. We don't eat out very often any more and I was craving it. It tasted good going down, but afterwards I felt like junk. Brianna said the same thing. I don't know if I can really handle their food any more which is a shame because I like Burger King a lot.

And my third thought for the day is that JenVare thinks this blog rocks. I think you are correct Jen....Cool Beans.

New Years

2008-01-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last night for New Years, Brianna and I were invited - by our friends Jeff and Jaime - to go to PF Changs for dinner and then back to their place for a party. It was a really good time because we got to hang out with some couples from our Bible Study and meet some new people in the process. There was a poker game going on when we went over to their house that I decided not to get in on because my skills at poker are lacking a little bit. Actually, I didn't feel like losing $10. Anyway, a good time was had, but I must say it seemed artificial to watch the ball drop in Times Square 2 hours after it had really happened. Happy New Year everyone!!

Bri and I.
Greg and Emsie
Jeff (wearing a pink crown) and Jaime: our hosts.
Jaime, Jeff, Me, Brianna, Greg and Emsie. We are all in a Bible Study together.
Me being the only dork that drank sparkling cider to ring in the new year since I don't like champagne.

Babies R Us

2007-12-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

So after church today Brianna tells me that she needs to go to Babies R Us because she needs to buy some stuff for her work. So we go and all the time I am thinking that maybe there is a way that I can get out of going in. I have been in a Babies R Us once before and let me tell you, this store creates a very uncomfortable feeling for men without children.

First, we go in and Brianna says that she needs to get a basket and walks back toward the front door. In the meantime, I stand there looking at a stroller on "Clearance" but is somehow still priced at $220. That is stinking ridiculous. So I stand there for a minute, wondering when Brianna will come back with the basket so we can get the stuff and get out of there. Then I turn around and she's left me. I don't see her anywhere. Now I'm feeling like that time I was at the gym and I forgot my workout socks and had to wear my black dress socks and sneakers.

So I begin my uncomfortable quest around the store to find her. I'm quite sure that the people working there had a book out with mugshots of kidnappers and they were just trying to match my picture with one of them.

Then I finally find Brianna and vow that I won't stray far from her as she starts her hour long journey of looking at sippy cups. So I start looking at the products around there, keeping an eye on her so she won't leave me again. I found two of the most worthless products that I can't believe anyone would buy. First there was a baby wipe warmer. A warmer for baby wipes. Let me repeat that one more time, cause I can't even believe that product exists. A product that warms baby wipes past room temperature. WHY??? I ask Brianna and she says that babies don't like cold wipes on their behinds. My initial response is - WELL WHO CARES???? I don't get warm, moist toilet paper on my behind at home. Why should a baby???

Second there was a little bear that you velcro to the cradle and it makes sounds like you're still in the womb. That just blew my mind when I saw it so, of course, I tried it out. Let me tell you, if that sounds like the womb, then the womb sounds like the engine room of a World War II diesel submarine.

Then, as Brianna is checking out and I'm trying to keep my sanity, I go over and read their "Calender of Events." Let me just tell you that was a big mistake. Did you know they have classes on "How to use Breast Pumps" in that store? I'm afraid to see how they demonstrate that. There was also the class on "How to Change a Diaper." If that class is more then 2 minutes long, the people in it shouldn't be allowed to be parents.

Now that I've ranted about my journey to Babies R Us, I should say that if we decide to have children, we'll probably register there, and who knows, maybe by then I'll decide that baby wipe warmers really are necessary....or even a bling bling pacifier (they really do sell them!)

We Went To Toledo!! Yeah..Toledo...Ohio

2007-12-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

So we got to go to Toledo, Ohio two weekends ago to see my family and new niece. I'll leave my opinions of Toledo, that God forsaken hole of a place, out of this blog.
We got to fly into the crappy Detroit Airport, which if you haven't had the privilege just look at pictures of abandoned, filthy, third world country buildings and imagine a runway in front of it. (If you ever fly into Detroit, fly on Northwest, because they have the nice terminal.) We then got our rental car, which was an 08 Toyota Highlander, from Hertz. I have never rented from Hertz before, but it was wonderful. Way better then Budget, who I normally rent through. We got to our Hotel in Toledo around 2 am.
The next day we went and saw my brother and his family and my parents. We went to Sears and got pictures taken as a family and then came back and had a Christmas dinner together. Then it snowed pretty good the next day and we didn't really do anything until Monday when we went to Tony Packos and got some Hot Dogs.
It was good seeing the family though. I hadn't seen my brother and his family since Brianna's and I wedding. I would never go to Toledo or Detroit though if he didn't live in that area.

My new niece
Brianna holding her
My mom, niece, nephew and me...wearing paper crowns.
My mom just wraps stuff from when I was a kid and gives it to me as presents. Yes, that is a Smurfs Pillowcase.
Awesome.

White Christmas

2007-12-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

So Brianna and I woke up this morning and looked out the window and it was SNOWING!!! This is my first snow on Christmas that I can remember. Brianna thinks it snowed sometime on Christmas while she was in Michigan or Minnesota. You can sort of make out the snowflakes in the pictures. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday Jesus.

Brianna holding Dutch, though you can barely make him out.
Dutch just wanted to jump down and play in the snow.
Me, loving the snow.
Picture of the house from the street.

A Christmas Wish to All Our Friends

2007-12-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

To All Our Liberal Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To Our Conservative Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving

2007-12-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know these are a little late since it is almost Christmas. Anyway, we had a really good Thanksgiving. We had two couples from our Bible Study over and we had our friend Chas as well (Who helped a lot with cooking). There were some interesting conversations (Let's just say I now know someone who has streaked and another few people that have clogged toilets exactly the way you think) and a good time of fellowship. It was definitely hard for Brianna and I being away from family for this Holiday but the Lord has blessed us with some great new friends out here.
Enjoy the Pictures!!

Brianna with the Turkey
I was mixing the Brine that we soaked the Turkey in.
Some of our appetizers
Chas all happy because he discovered Top Chef on Bravo
Ham, Sweet Potato's, Green Bean Casserole, Stuffing, Rolls
The Turkey all nice and carved.

So we couldn't find the Cat for a while and were getting worried. Turns out he had climbed into the cabinet and gone to sleep in one of our drainers.

Garden of the Gods

2007-12-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Again, a few months ago, Brianna and I made the trip down to the Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs. I had been fortunate enough to have been there before, but this was Brianna's first time. When we first got there we checked out the Visitor center, but it was totally lame so we picked up a map and headed for the Park. We drove around and headed down to Balance Rock. There was a lot of traffic, but yours truly pulled some illegal maneuvers and got a sweet parking spot there. We spent some time climbing on some rocks and it was kinda cool.

Then we headed up to the actual Garden. We parked and started hiking on a trail that goes around the Garden and saw some cool stuff. Then we hiked in and saw some people rock climbing. We decided to hike back to the car but our map from the Visitor Center super sucked and we got lost. Ended up on a horse trail with poo all over the place. Eventually, we made it back to the car and then ate at Buffalo Wild Wings. Enjoy the pictures.

Entrance of the Park

Me standing next to a tree growing out of solid rock.
Pikes Peak
I think you can sort of see the kissing camels.
The Garden surrounded by the Rocks
Another angle of the Garden
Me standing on another rock...There were lots of rocks there.
I think something famous happened here but I don't remember now.
Brianna the Rock Dweller
And some more rocks

Farewell Duff

2007-12-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

So my Mom sent me (Matt) an e-mail today and let me know that she put down their cat Duff. Duff adopted us in 1993 after a family on the block next to us abandoned him. He was about 2-4 years old when we got him. We had our struggles with that cat (he could be so annoying sometimes), but I loved him and he was and will always be a part of the family. It's amazing how hard it is to say goodbye to an animal when the time comes. As my mom said, she walked away from a cat that she loved for 14 years and knew she would never see him again.

Unfortunately, Brianna and I already had to that this year when we put down Zach. And even more unfortunate that we may have to do it again real soon with Dutch since he is very sick.

So farewell Duff, you're up in cat heaven playing with Zach and Butch now.

Jeremy Riddle Concert

2007-12-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to a FREE Jeremy Riddle concert at our church. It was a really amazing evening. He also led us in worship this morning. If you haven't heard of him I'm pretty sure you have heard his song Sweetly Broken (I attached it below). It's kinda weird....I went into tonight looking for just a really cool concert and something neat to talk about, but God totally has a way of changing that. I was brought into a deep worship that I have not experienced for a while. I think one of the songs that spoke to me the most was a song that said, "And I will fear no evil." With the attacks at the Church's out here today it's a comforting thought to me.

Guanella Pass

2007-12-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

I think it was around the first or second weekend in October (Brianna thinks it was late September. Maybe she should have posted this at the time instead of waiting for me to post. And then she made me check and it turns out she was right.), Brianna and I drove out into the mountains to see the Aspen trees turning colors. Brianna printed out a list of scenic drives, so we picked one and off we went. We set off down Highway 285 which takes you into the mountains and first stopped off to get some Jerky. I bought some Buffalo and Elk Jerky which was awesome but kinda expensive. Then we stopped at the Coney Island Hot Dog Stand along the way, which for some reason had a ridiculously long line. But Brianna snagged a prime picnic table next to a mountain stream and we had a good time. Then we went down the road a little more and made a turn onto the Guanella Pass. It's a 24 mile road that goes up to an elevation of 13,000+ feet. Only 12 miles of the road are paved though so my Rav4 took a little bit of a beating. Anyway, I tossed some snowballs at Brianna when we got to the top and then we drove down the other side where we were dumped into Georgetown. We walked along and did some shopping there and then came home. Here are some pictures!!

Yes, it is shaped like a Hot Dog.The stream we sat next to while eating.
Some of the Aspens that are turning colors.
A picture of where we were heading to.
Mountain Lake.
Yes, I did.
Picture of Georgetown while we were coming back down.

Chas and the effort to keep his eyes open in a picture

2007-12-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

So Chas came up to see us a second time for Thanksgiving. I must say that he was very helpful and we loved having him. It's good to see a familiar face every now and again. He cooked some awsome mashed potato's and some other stuff. Everyone was very impressed with his culinary skills. He also discovered Top Chef on Bravo which became his new favorite show. Anyway, we also went out and did some shopping over the holiday weekend and Brianna and I had a good time spending it (the weekend that is) with our friend.

C'mon Chas...open the eyes

Alright...SERIOUSLY...Can I get one Picture with your Eyes Open!!

Success!!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!

Chas and The Taste of Colorado

2007-12-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

So back in September around Labor Day our friend Chas came for his first visit. He was actually picking up his sister at the airport, but got here early so we headed to downtown Denver to go to our first "Taste of Colorado."

We had a really good time. I had some slamming Corn on the Cob, some Buffalo and some other stuff I can't remember now. I think Brianna got a funnel cake or something and Chas just drank beer. Oh and I got a free bag of Cat Litter. Woo hoo!!! (Later found out it was the crappy kind of litter that doesn't clump which super sucks, but whatever....I'm not mad or bitter I carried around that stupid bag for an hour for no reason.) Check out the pictures -

Brianna in front of the Kiss Car...I uh...don't know what this had to do with food

I think I had Steak....mmmmm Steak.....

And Chas picking a giant heads nose. (Notice his eyes are shut to.)

Dutch

2007-12-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

So this isn't really new news, but we did get a new cat when we came out here. His name is Dutch and he is such a good kitty. We named him after the two cats I had growing up (Butch and Duff). Just kinda smushed the names together.

Anway, we just found out recently that Dutch has some Liver problems and there isn't anything we can do about it. We're not sure how much longer he has (It could be 2 months, it could be 10 years) so we're just going to give him the best life we can. Here are some pictures of him.

The True Cat. He's thinking, "Take one more picture and I will kill you until you die from it."

Just give me the milk and no one dies!!

Laying with Mommy!!

"Who is that Handsome Kitten in the Mirror" (Fakes kisses to himself)

Chuck Norris Facts

2007-12-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.
When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up; he’s pushing the Earth down.
Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
Chuck Norris gave Mona Lisa that smile.
Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost
Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.
Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

Visitors!

2007-08-18T21:04:00.000-06:00

Our first visitor since moving into our new house was Brianna's good friend, Jennifer. They first met as pledges of Alpha Phi Omega while attending Baylor University. During Jenn's trip to Colorado, they spent one day in Breckenridge. There, they met up with one of Jenn's good friends, whose husband plays in the orchestra for the Breckenridge Music Festival. On Brianna and Jenn's drive up to Breckenridge, they stopped at a wood shop which specialized in making bears. As Baylor Bears, they took the opportunity to stop and Brianna posed with the bears. After strolling through the shops at Breckenridge and stopping for lunch at Downstairs at Eric's, the girls joined Jenn's friends for dinner at a fondue restaurant on top of Keystone Mountain. Other highlights during Jenn's trip included a trip to Boulder, plenty of shopping, enjoying the City Park Jazz Fesival in downtown Denver, and stopping at the newly fashioned Kwik-E-Mart at 3rd and Broadway. Matt was especially excited to get a Squishee, created for the Simpsons movie. (If you didn't already know, Matt is a Simpsons fan!). Here are some pictures from Jenn's trip:

Brianna with the bears.

Strolling the shops in downtown Breckenridge.

Posing on the ski lift at the fondue restaurant.

Posing at the scenic stop in front of the Flatirons outside of Boulder.

Matt in front of the Kwik-E-Mart.

Delaware to Colorado

2007-08-18T20:16:00.000-06:00

Matt made the move from Delaware to Colorado in early June to begin his new position. Brianna stayed behind in Delaware to wrap things up at work and close on the house. Her trip to Colorado began on July 12th. Fortunately, her good friend and former co-worker, Angie, was kind enough (or is it crazy enough?!?) to accompany her on the cross country drive. They made the journey over four days. Some brief highlights of their trip included:

the Gateway Arch in St. Louis,

the Anheuser-Busch factory tour in St. Louis,

beautiful country sunsets,

and of course, the world's largest ball of twine, in Cawker City, Kansas.

The trip ended in Denver at Brianna and Matt's new home. Some of the stuff had already been delivered by the moving company, and Matt had started to unpack. However, due to poor planning on the part of the moving company, our stuff had to be delivered in two shipments. The second shipment made it before Brianna started her new job. So, the house is mostly unpacked and was ready for our first visitors!

Rainbows

2007-08-15T20:41:00.000-06:00

Since moving to Colorado, we have witnessed many amazing storms. Often there is lots of thunder and lightning, a short burst of large rain drops and then a beautiful rainbow to finish it off. Since moving here, we've seen an average of a rainbow per week. We've seen a whole rainbow with a double half visible, and the other day when Brianna was driving home from work, she saw one end of a rainbow, and then was able to see the other half as she got near to home. It's amazing to witness such a beautiful symbol that God created as His promise to never flood the Earth again.

Our adventures in Colorado

2007-07-28T11:33:00.001-06:00

As most of you know, we recently moved to the Denver area. We've created this blog to keep our family and friends updated on our adventures in Colorado. We hope to post pictures of our new house as well as our explorations of this beautiful area.