January Recap

We finally did it! I have been saying probably since we got married that our January 3 anniversary would make a great occasion for an overnight or weekend getaway to recover from the holidays and start the new year. Thanks to our friends the Abels watching our kids for the weekend, we actually did it this year, in celebration of our ninth anniversary.

Just 24 hours away felt like a chance for my soul to breathe deeply and soak in the sunshine. We used an Amazon Local deal to get dinner at the beautiful Briarhurst. We got a last-minute booking discount at a local B&B. We slept late, enjoyed breakfast, took a walk (it was a beautiful day for January), saw Les Miserables, which I absolutely loved, and finished with coffee and good conversation before heading to pick up the kids. Here's to many more getaways like that!

Crescent Lily Inn, downtown Colorado Springs

Boy did the second week of January turn out differently than we expected. A visit from Josh's Uncle Richard and Grandma Keffer turned into an ambulance ride and three-week inpatient stay for Grandma. At times, even her survival wasn't a given.

We're thankful that things turned out OK and that we got to spend some time with her on what will likely be her last visit to Colorado. My favorite part about visiting with grandparents is hearing their stories. For example, we learned this time around that Grandma and Grandpa Keffer drove to Colorado Springs on their honeymoon many moons ago and drove up Pikes Peak. Who knew?

Josiah is not interested in being photographed, but you can see
Grandma's joy at having these munchkins visit her in the rehab facility. 

Finally, we welcomed the 52nd class of the Focus Leadership Institute. I am so happy to say that my brother Steve is part of it. We're so excited to have him here.

And yes, there is a moose in this photo.

Stolen from Howie Fischer. (The photo, not the moose.)