Peter Estin Hut Suckkkaaaas

matt and jon melting snow on the wood burning stove in a huge pot so we could have water. behind that are 4 twin beds against the windows we used for lounging! in front of the girl taking the pic (miranda) are stairs leading down to the basement full of wood for burning.
mirands and anastasia upstairs on the beds we slept in. there were three in front of me, and i was sitting on another bank of three. there were also 2 rooms with 2 double beds in them.

christopher and erica at the table we ate many a good meal at (and made up more verses to the diarrhea song) (when you're sliding down a hill and you feel the need to dil diarrhea diarrhea)

the view from the hut

that really low cloud is not a cloud, it's snow!!!! suckkkaaa!

erica brought in eggs for us to dye! this was a fancy hut to hut trip!

liz and emilyat the false summit (we had about 200 feet to go). we snowshoed up this on the second day (after staying the first night in the hut). We were beat man. You can't see my feet/snowshoes b/c we had to make the trail right there.

liz at the flase summit! i could barely breath if you couldnt tell :).

emo resting while we were sledding

christopher waist deep in snow after crashing sledding down his favorite run (he was a little stuck at this point)...

sunrise from the hut second morning

sunset first night april 1st. gorgeous.

emily, her fiance matt, anastasia, and miranda.

liz and erica trekking up the hill. erica was pulling a sled with 4 liters of wine and 12 hard boiled eggs :).

It was amazing. Woo woo for Colorado. It took us 5.5 hours to get up and 2 hours to get down. The first thing we did after was stop and get french fries and milk shakes :).

These were all people I work with.

Christopher: RN traveler from connecticut

Erica: Rn from Denver/Iceland...

Emily: RN from Pittsburg, PA

Matt: her fiance

Anastasia: in nursing school, but works as a tech, from russia

Miranda: just got accepted to CU for BSN, works as a tech now, from CO

Jon: Matt and Emo's friend from PA

Cleopatra (it's a bed)

I know I know, long time no post. Sorry. Things have been crazy here in the big D. Last thursday Cam and I started discussing getting a new mattress.... AND WE DID!!!

It's almost like one of theose temperpedic all foam ones, but a few notches below. We got it at denver mattress (denvermattress.com), and for a great deal. It was on clearance from $1500 to $899 (and we got all this stuff free with it)! It had been delivered to the wrong house and then brought back to the store, and so that makes it soooo cheap! Well, anyway it has no coils made out of metal, so that makes for a non-bouncy bed! Cam rolls around a lot, and I almost roll out of that old bed every night. Well, so I had a double bed (thanks to Papa Joe) for about 5 years. But when Cam and I got married, I registered for Queen sized sheets in hope that some day we would get a bigger bed (and the fact that rich old people buy nice sheets for wedding gifts).

So, we got a queen bed! It was seriously one of the happiest nights ever... Schnooze even likes it!

It's also taller and we have to remember that when we get up in the middle of the night so we don't die.

So..... that's that for now. Cam just came home so I could have the car for grocery shopping... I will try to post another one later with pics!

Live at Redrocks!

The picture doesn't do it justice, this thing is HUGE!
The side of the ampitheater. Naturally created in 1930.

The view from the top of the theater... lots and lots of steps to get up there (they have heartrate monitors in the visitor center, and they say you burn 40 calories taking the stairs to the top!)

Us at the top, it worse us out!

Schnooze on the trail!

Liz on the trail, it was about 1.4 miles around and you end up by the ampitheater.

Cam being all crazy!

First before I talk about the Redrocks... I have to give a huge shout out to my uncle marky!!!

He posted a comment on my blog and I am so proud of him!!!

Way to use that technology uncle mark!

Today was cameron's first official day of spring break. We wanted to do something cool but no expensive. Since we are poor. Anyway, I have always wanted to go to redrocks in Morrison. What I didn't realize is that it is less than 10 miles away from our house!!!

So we saddled up some snacks and water and the dog and went about 1200.

It was a gorgeous day. We started hiking and took a break about halfway thru to eat a sandwich and water the dog! And then we saw the ampitheater... it was sooooo cool!!! I can't wait to go to a concert there! It's open from 0500-2300. So we thought it would be cool to see the stars there at night! They are having an Easter sunrise service there but it starts at 0500... I will be working so I can't go. It's just a cool place. Very breathtaking...the pics don't do it justice at all.

We were supposed to go see our friend in winter park, but they have a youth group with them and said it would be too hard to get away for an hour. Boo.

Cam gets to see 300 the movie tonight... he is very excited and has been waiting to see this movie for forevers.

I read the best book ever last friday: The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer.

It's about organ trafficking very good!

My cousin Lane got a job at a private school as a math teacher!!!!

My sister and bro-in-law are in Seatttle (well soon, they missed their flight).

Peace out peeps!

Ringworm

This is a picture of a textbook case of ringworm. I have never seen it before in person, until Monday night.

Poor little Schnoozeberry was itching away at her belly. I turned her over to see all these red raised circles. Poor thing. She has ringworm. It is HIGHLY contagious too. It is not a worm no no no my friends. It is a fungus (the same as athletes foot). So we have been putting cream all over her and giving her benadryl.

What is Colorado doing to my baby???

She looks a lot better today and isn't even itching. I think we caught right on the money and speaking of money... this treatment was free!

Maybe another update later today!

Katie needs a baby!

I carry your heart (e. e. cummings) in pink
i carry your heart in green

forgotten/forsaken

family - print

chandelier cards

completely - print

Hey guys! I got this email from my very dear friend Amy. Her sister's hubby did the flowers for my wedding (if you remember they were amazing). Anyway, go to this website and buy some awesome art, they will continually be updating it with new stuff! I bought 2 things!

Hello all!

I am quite sure that if you know me at all you have often heard me talk about my sister and how I adoreher and so on. What some of you may not know is something of a more personal nature that involvesKatie and her husband Michael’s desire to start a family. Almost a year ago Katie miscarried at nineteen weeks due to complications during her pregnancy. A couple of months ago they lost their second child nine weeks into their pregnancy.

Katie and Michael are both incredibly strong people and their positivity and patience has been truly remarkable. Katie has diabetes and is already considered high-risk because of that. While her doctor does not feel that it has been a factor in her miscarriages, they have decided to begin the process of adopting. Adoption is something they have spoken of throughout their marriage, and after lots of research and planning and list-making (as only Katie can) they have decided to adopt internationally, specifically from Ethiopia. I am incredibly excited about this prospect for two reasons.

The first reason is perhaps the most obvious--I cannot wait to be an aunt. And I could not be more excited for Katie and Michael to be parents. The thought of finally getting to meet my niece or nephew is thrilling. The second reason is really the whole point of me writing this. Adoption, andinternational adoption in particular, is an enormous expense. So, I have started a project to hopefully assist them with the funding.

I have created some artwork which is available as prints and greetingcards at etsy.com. Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods and such, and we are thrilled to be apart of this community. We decided to title our shop Project 8256 (or, project8256 if you are searching forus in etsy) -- because there are roughly 8,256 milesbetween Oklahoma City and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Now, here’s where it gets really exciting: We had originally intended to put 100% of the profits raised from the project into an adoption fund. While creating the artwork used in the project, however, it became painfully clear that there is more that could be done. More that needs to be done. The statistics on orphans in Africa are absolutely staggering. It is truly a crisis--an immense one. While that is partly what drew Katie and Michael to Ethiopia, they are very realistic about the fact that they are really only making the tiniest of dents. This project is a way for us to do a little bit more.

So instead, 100% of the profits will be divided between an adoption fund for Katie and Michael and for AHOPE For Children. AHOPE (African HIV Orphans: Project Embrace) is an orphanage in Ethiopia that not only provides medical and housing needs to children infected with HIV, but it also provides counseling and education (which includes music, dance and art lessons!). We are extremely excited to be able to give financially to this organization, and my employer will match what is donated to AHOPE, dollar for dollar.

So, should you be interested, here’s what you can do:

1. Check out the shop at project8256.etsy.com. We will try to update periodically so if you don’t see something you like, check back.

2. Spread the word. Please tell your family, friends,co-workers and so on about what we are doing. Forward this email on if you’d like.

3. Keep Katie and Michael (as well as the children ofAfrica) in your thoughts and prayers. If you are interested in more information, here’s where you just might find some:

Katie’s website is www.journeyfromethiopia.com

I have started a blog, which can be found at

project8256.blogspot.com

Thank you all so much for your support. I hope youare all doing well and finding yourselves blessed.

Much, much love,

Amy Coldren

Stuffy

I have to add to the list:

24: My aunt and uncle are taking the no-smoking pills, and they are working, which is a miracle in itself!!!!
25. I have some weird sinus coldy thing, and i sound all weird.
26. WE PAID OFF THE CREDIT CARD with our tax return and now are debt free (except grad school debt)... it feels amazing!!!!!
27. my haircut is cute!
28. i found shoes to wear with the dress for the jackson, ms wedding. I am wearing the brown dress from sus's wedding, and adding a yellow ribbon, and then these cute brown flats!
29. beat cam 12-7 at jeopardy tonight!
30. peace out

A tribute list to cousin lo lo

I love lists too... so this is a tribute post list for my cousin who loves lists just like me!!!

1. I am getting my hair cut today and I am excited!

2. I have been shopping at whole foods more, and they have this amazing fresh squeezed OJ and I am obsessed with it.

3. I bought a new indigo girls cd on itunes: Despite our Differences and it is good!

4. Cameron and I started going to counseling and we really love our counselor Rick

5. My friends Laura and Andy started a blog: okfroeses.blogspot.com and they have a cute dog Yoda who is a Schnooze dog but all white.

6. Laura and Andy are redoing their floors to hardwood!

7. They are probably a little crazy

8. It is 50 degrees outside, and when I took out Schnooze I wore flip flops!

9. I got new shampoo and it smells good

10. I regularly beat Cameron at Jeopardy (it comes on twice a day here!)

11. 2 weeks ago I had to get my stupid uniforms for work: Carribean Blue for RNs... they are ugly.

12. I took care of a pt from Iran, and she had a lot of flowers in her room, and when she left she said I could have them: a hydrangea plant and some roses and other things, they are pretty.

13. I have today and tomorrow off of work

14. Our friends Lisa and Michael are driving back from Tulsa today! They have Habib the dog

15. in about a month we will go to Jackson Mississippi for Cam's cousin's wedding! Their invites are realllll cute a white cardstock with a thick black ribbon on the bottom and then a green one over that!

16. I love green

17. Less than a month til my hut to hut snowshoeing trip! I have everything I need now too!

18. I have become addicted to redbull... i know, sad.

19. sus is going to seattle on a spring break trip with chris to find an apt and job!

20. lane is kicking it up in LA and getting a job!

21. Lo and Brad are making their house so cute and I want to see it right away.

22. The above picture is of my friend Genesis... she is pregnant with baby #2, and she found out it's A BOY!!!!!!!! She's such a good mommy! (that pic was taken on my last night in Norman in July) (we were sad and crying but you can't tell b/c we're so HOTTT!)

23. Last but def not least... MOM AND DAVID have a saturday goal of completely quitting smoking!!!!!!!!! They started taking a new drug that's amazing called chantix (sp?) and it's a miracle worker. I know 5 or so people that have taken it and have never been able to quit before... let everyone you know know about it!!!!

more snow???

This is a pic of when cam and I went to charleston last spring break to our uncles' beach house! It was amazing! We want to live there!

It snowed again all day yesterday, but it is like 33 degrees today and it's melting. thank goodness. cam has had a pain in his ribs, so he went to the doc, and they drew some blood and he peed in a cup. His dad has a weird high bilirubin disorder called Gilbert's Syndrome... but it is harmless, you could just be jaundiced some days of your life. Anyway, they are checking that and his liver functions and he doesnt remember what else. Schnooze got a haircut today, and she looks super skinny and soooo cute!!! I get a haircut next week FINALLY!!! And I think we are making sushi with matt and em saturday!

Denver Aquarium

Cameron just hates sharks, but we saw a lot of them!
Cameron looking scared b/c we were getting close to the shark exhibit! PS I made that scarf!

Dorie and her friends.

I love love love this purple fish, I named him Morado the sea-man!

Cam has always wanted to see this since he learned about it when he was small. It's a Japanese Spider Crab, and boy was it scary and mean looking. It decorates his shell with stuff from the ocean, this one didn't as much...just with moss.

My fav the seahorse... this is a pot-bellied one... and he was sooooo cute, moving his tail all around seaweed and such. His snout is my fav part!

We had fun with Laura-Beth and Steve, and then we went and the girls stomped the boys in pool!

Ash Wednesday

Lent is about mortality and transformation. We begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday with the sign of the cross smeared on our foreheads with ashes as the words are spoken over us, "Dust thou art, and to dust thou wilt return." We begin this season of Lent not only reminded of our death, but also marked for death.
The Lenten journey, with its climax in Holy Week and Good Friday and Easter, is about participating in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Put somewhat abstractly, this means dying to an old identity—the identity conferred by culture, by tradition, by parents, perhaps—and being born into a new identity—an identity centered in the Spirit of God. It means dying to an old way of being, and being born into a new way of being, a way of being centered once again in God.

Happy Ash Wednesday People!

For more info, google Lent or Ash Wednesday.

Good weather

This is our friend Chris who asked Emily to marry him!!! They are getting married in Norman June 2! We will be there! This pic is while they decided to "steal" aluminum cans and take then to the can bank. They made $30 somthing and bought pipes with them.... oh boys.

I need to take advantage of the good weather. It won't stay for long. It feels like it's 60, but it's really just been so cold that 45 apparently feels awesome! I worked out, walked the dog, washed the car, and now i am gonna take Schnooze to the dog park! She'll love it!



My friends Michael and Lisa love Harry P as much as I do! But it made me sad when we started talking about the new book and movie coming out in July, and I don't remember a single thing from books 5 and 6. So, this morning while I rode the stationary bike... I started to re-read Harry P 5. I am starting to remember it again... but it will make me super excited for the movie!



Cam has been real sick. This morning he even thought he was going to have to stay home from school (which he NEVER misses school)... but after some good ole drugs, he was on his way to Den Sem.



Schnooze is still recovering from Habib, but I think it did her good to live with him for 4 days!

She is much stronger.



Don't forget people that tomorrow starts Lent with Ash Wednesday. What are you going to give up to become closer to God. My friend that will remain nameless and some other girls... decided to go along with me several years ago and give something up. They all messed up but pretended like they were still going on with the giving something up..... until I caught them. You know who you are, and I know where you live :).



So today is fat tuesday and at the Y they were making free smoothies for people. While I was reading on the bike.... there was a little girl with a nursery staff member, and they were looking for her mom. They called her overhead like 3 times, and they looked everywhere... even the bathroom and showers. Where was she? It made me nervous, but there was nothing I could do. I told the girl I had a puppy and she could hang out with me, but I think she just wanted her mom. I will try and follow up with that when I work out next.



Now I am going to take advantage of the nice day!

Habib the silkie

Habib is a teeny little poot eating my foot!
This is his little bottom... he could take a bath in the water bowl he's so small!

I am smiling, but let me tell ya... that freaking bite kills. I swear my ear was bleeding.

He looks so innocent.

Schnooze finally started playing with Habib, and I think they had fun.

Habib Gungor is a silkie terrier. We babysat him for our friends while they went on a trip to Cali. He is only 2#s and 3 months. The plane ticket was gonna be $180 and the kennel won't take him til he's 4 months. So we were the best choice! He is soooooo cute and sooooo sweet! I just love him. Besides him peeing in the house and biting my face off... i love him!

Valentine's Day/Night

I had an interesting day yesterday. I actually got up and worked out! I cleaned the house. Then I called my friend (whose jeep got stolen out of their driveway in a nice part of Denver) and told her I was on my way over tot ake her to Whole Foods (since she had no way to grocery shop before her fam got here from PA I offered). I love Whole Foods. I bought Cam seom fresh ground honey nut peanut butter. Anyway on our excursion, Matt (em's fiance) called and said they found the jeep!!! So, I took her to the impiund lot (very ghetto I might add, not as nice as the ones on CSI). Em and I stayed in the car until matt got there. Keep in mind it was crazy snowing and traffic was about the get mondo bad (rush hour in denver is from like 2:00-7:00). Anyway, so we get to the counter and they say... oh too bad, they called you all the way down here, and there is a hold on your vehicle for fingerprints. WHAT!?!?!? Why didn't they tell us that before? So, em gets in matt's car, and I drive out of the ghetto behind them. Don't worry, It only takes me AN HOUR to get home. Boo.

So, I was supposed to be kicked out of the house so cam could set up for vday, and this was his chance. I got home at 5:30 and was sent straight to the office. I got his stuff ready while he was in the kitchen. I come out to see the Melting Pot in my living room!!!! I LOVE THE MELTING POT!!! We had some fancy cheese fondue with veggies and bread to dip in. then the kicker... turtle chocolate with fruit and cheesecake to dip in! Cam also got some very nice pinot grigio and had roses at the table! He had the foot bath all set up and rubbed my feet, and let me pick a girly movie from on demand! Way to go Cam! I am in the works of making homemade vanilla icecream with (his fav) crumbled up thin mints in it!!!! YUMM-O!

The night was amazing! Even though cam thinks he is getting a sinus infection...boo.

Yeah for husbands!

The FW Zoo

This is a pic in front of the Cannon house before we left for the airport sunday morning.

This was our trip to Plano the first week of Feb. L to R: Alec 11, Cameron 23, Liz 25, LeaAnn 25, Blake 26, David is taking the pic! We were at the Zoo in Ft. Worth and it was a little nippy (hence all our outerwear).

We got to see lots of very cute animals, and a weird crocidile looking thing that i thought was a statue, but was real, with very sharp pointy teeth.

oh my husband

This pic is after he jumped, and he is in the shower.
This is during the jump into the 30 degree water in the pool at the Cannon house.
As you can see he is all geared up with very facy gear: tights that wick away water, socks, shorts, a thermal undershirt, and a dryfit tshirt, not to mention the gloves and bike helmet!

He ran straight from the pool to the shower and jumpe din with all his clothes on.

He said he was numb for awhile. Hmmm?

That's my husband.

Thank goodness for the handy man

I put this pic, b/c I want to send a shout out to these peeps. I miss them.
Our hot water heater was making weird noises Thursday morning, but the office ignored us. Then when we got home, the pilot light was out in our heater (and it was cold outside) + the noises. Normally a pilot light wouldn't be a big deal, but we need some new part. I slept with 100 blankets. Then the office people sent someone out yesterday morning, and he took one look at the hwh and said we needed a new one. Thank goodness we live in an apt and dont have to pay for it!



I am also a big dork and bought some brillo pad like things so I could scrub the things under the burners on the stove. they were encrusted with black hard caked on baked on boiled over food. they are now silver and shiney! I am now working on some pans that are the same way! Boy I am exciting!



Cameron FINALLY got to turn in his 17 page paper. So he is done with his january intersession class and can focus on his normal 13 hours. He is currently mountain biking with his friend, the extreme (steve)...cameron is pancake.



I hung out with my friend Lisa yesterday. She is cool. I think she must be famous b/c she writes songs and is in a band and all that cool stuff. But the most famous part about her, is when she goes and sings, she actually gets a Green Room!!!! She's so cool. If you wanna see something really gross that might make you throw up (this is what we saw yesterday online) go to: ebaumsworld.com and search butt pimple. Then Lisa, Cam, and I went to Noodles and Company. Their mac and cheese was outa this world!



It is supposed to snow monday and tuesday. Boo. They said on the news there has been snow cover for 53 days... the record is 62 days in '83-'84. I think we'll beat that sissy record.



I think the Synthroid is starting to take effect!!! I want to call it the 'roid... but then it sounds like I am talking about hemmorhoids... which I most certainly am not.

My dear friend the pet rescuer

I feel like I am becoming just like my dear friend susanne. Which most of the time isnt a bad thing. She used to live in a place where stray dogs were magnitized to her. She would take them in, name them, and then cry when she had to take them to the pound/dog rescue place. We always had to reassure her that they were going to find a great home, and NO pounds killed the unwanted dogs. I remember a specific dog named Barney, and even I was sad when Barney had to go. So, back to the story at hand. yesterday I was at work when the wound care nurse shows up with the cutest puppy that you ever did see. It was a Yorkie and she found it in her neighborhood, and no one claimed it for 2 weeks. it was a little boy and he was using his puppy face to win me over. apparently he had been to someone else's house and didn't work out with their dog, so he was back looking for a mom. well, cameron happened to be dropping a starbucks drink off for me at that time, and saw the little booger. We will call him Snickerdoodle. Snicker won cameron's heart over, and cam said we could have him for a TRIAL RUN. Well, snicker and schnooze DID not like each other. I don't know the full story, but cam called several hours later, and we had to bring Snicker back to the hospital. A wonderful family (of a respiratory therapist) took him. Snicker now gets to play with a 7 year old boy!!! I loved Snicker and he was soooo sweet. This is a pic of what he looks like. More like the one on the right than the left. He has real floppy ears!

Anyway, the synthroid has not kicked in yet, and I am anxiously awaiting the day that I have full Liz energy again.

It is 58 degrees outside today (a miracle in itself) and all the snow is melting away. I almost died when I saw someone riding their bike along the river. There's a river in Englewood leading to Cam's school..... I almost forgot! But the bad news is that it's supposed to start snowing again this weekend. But the highs are in the 40's... so maybe it wont stick?!?!?!?

Schnooze spent the weekend at Uncle Steve's and behaved until she peed and pooped on Scott's rug. But she's feeling a lot better, and was very excited this morning when I took her out and she could see the grass and walk on it! It is much softer than that nasty hard packed snow she's been walking on for forevers.

Hashimoto's Disease

This is Hakaru Hashimoto. In 1912 (Fig. 8-1) Hashimoto described four patients with a chronic disorder of the thyroid, which he termed struma lymphomatosa. The thyroid glands of these patients were characterized by diffuse lymphocytic infiltration, fibrosis, parenchymal atrophy, and an eosinophilic change in some of the acinar cells.(1) Clinical and pathologic studies of this disease have appeared frequently since Hashimoto's original description. The disease has been called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, chronic thyroiditis, lymphocytic thyroiditis, lymphadenoid goiter, and recently autoimmune thyroiditis. Classically, the disease occurs as a painless, diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland in a young or middle-aged woman. It is often associated with hypothyroidism. The disease was thought to be uncommon for many years, and the diagnosis was usually made by the surgeon at the time of operation or by the pathologist after thyroidectomy. The increasing use of the needle biopsy and serologic tests for antibodies have led to much more frequent recognition, and there is reason to believe that it may be increasing in frequency.(2) It is now one of the most common thyroid disorders.

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the thyroid.

Today I went to the Endocrinologist. And I found out I have Hashimoto's. Apparently my parents gave it to me, since it is an autoimmune disease. Boo for genes sometimes. Anyway thank the Good Lord it can be treated with hormone replacement therapy (Synthroid). Just 1 pill a day at bedtime. She did another ultrasound to make sure she knew exactly what was going on. It was not multi-nodular like the other doc said. It was what Dr. Panzer called "moth eaten". Basically it had some pits all over because my body is eating my thyroid. And she did say I have a goiter, but it will get better with the meds. It is not a big goiter...don't be alarmed. And no it's not big enough to dress up or put bows on it.

The doc was really cute. She asked where I got my hair cut b/c she needed one. And she moved here from Boston about a year ago with her husband who is a Cardiologist. He cracks open chests and does implants. Anyway... she said he was looking for nurses... and I said, hey give him my name! How cool would that be? Anyway, come to find out, she has a mini schnauzer too, and his name is something like schnoopy :). They are from germany and did their schooling there. Then they went to Cleveland Clinic for Residency, then Boston for Fellowship, then moved here because of his job! Anyway, she has Hashimoto's too, and I really like her. We might even set up a play date for our dogs!

So, also I forgot to tell you that Schnooze got sick like before AGAIN on sunday. It was another $650. Boo. I brought home 24g IV's and IV fluids in case it happens again. Also we finally got to take our car in to get fixed and have been driving a rental car... a Mazda 5. It makes us want a new car soooo bad.

We go to Plano tomorrow for Lea Ann's birthday!!! Yeah for home!