Burro Days!
7/26/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
This Sunday, Nicole and I attended Burro Days in Fairplay. Of all the summer festivals we've attended in the High Country, Burro Days was my favorite.


Fairplay is just 20 miles south of Breckenridge on the other side of the Hoosier Pass. Despite the close proximity to Summit County, Fairplay (and its sister town, Alma) are a world apart from the posh ski towns.  The people who live there seem to be just a little "off the grid." Fairplay resembles an old western town, having preserved its old main street. The main drag is complete with saloons and shops, but not without the modern tourist requisite gift shops.


Needless to say, the change of scenery makes for a great festival!


What we thought Burro Days was, and what it actually is are two different things. We thought it was a silly race down the main street with a few donkeys. Maybe a few local artisans and merchants would show up - but this is Fairplay - how big could this festival be? 


The race is not the cheesy race around town that we thought. It is an intense challenge. Each participant runs to the Summit of the Mosquito Pass and back WHILE pulling a burro alongside. The total distance is 27 miles - longer than a marathon! The slogan of the race great: "Get your ass up the pass!"






The race starts on Front Street (the historic old western street). Volunteers dressed in as cowboys line the streets as local security. When the race begins, the cowboys shoot their guns in the air, and a stampede of runners and burros make their way down the street. The whole thing is over in about a minute. So while the 27 runners and their burros work their way up into the mountains, crowds of people spread across the town to enjoy their day.






Burro Days is one of the biggest festivals in the high country. People came from all over the U.S. to get a taste of the unique flavor of Fairplay. Merchants came from many different states, not just Colorado. Nicole and I purchased a CD from a Peruvian man. There was even a man from Texas who led a cowboy church.


Needless to say, we had a great time! 






Time for an change
7/25/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
While the title of this blog might make it seem like I just up and decided on a change, that is not entirely the case. This morning I logged onto my blog only to be informed that the entire background had been deleted! Are you kidding me? Who deleted it?!? Did it just evaporate into cyberspace? Are there little hacking elves that live in our crawl space that come out at night to sabotage my "cutest blog on the block"? Probably not. But something happened, and I can only imagine that it had something to do with the website change over from whence I downloaded my background. 


Hence, the new format. Some of you might not even notice it, but it has changed. Alas. New fonts, new font colors, and a new background. Oh well, I think I like it, and I'm starting to feel at home here in the blue tones of my new Georgia fonts. I hope you find it pleasant and soothing as well. 

In other news: keep your eyes peeled for an update from Michael soon. I think I've officially drawn him into the blogging world. We'll see :) 


Whistle While You Work
7/19/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
One of the things I love about living in Summit County are the cool mountain nights. The soft breeze blowing through the Aspen trees, the chilly night air seeping in through the open windows; it is, in a word, magnificent. And, as a bonus, it means that I can enjoy a piping hot cup of tea without breaking a sweat- the way I would if I were in Tejas right now. 
So, you might think that since I have such an affinity for a nightly cup of tea, it would follow that I would own a fantastic tea pot. WRONG! For the last year, I have been heating up water in our little mini saucepan and then (precariously) pouring it into awaiting mugs.  This process often ends with scalding myself, the counter, or in some extreme cases Pepper, with boiling hot water. When Michael does it, it almost always ends in water boiling over the top of the pot and then making a crazy sizzling sound as it hits the hot stove top. 
I honestly don't know why it has taken me such a long time to come to the conclusion that I should purchase a tea kettle. But two weeks ago something came over me and I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to find one. I got there and realized that a) there are about a billion choices and b) the cute ones are REALLY expensive. So expensive, that I left BBB empty handed...
And came home and made a (sauce)pot of tea...
And almost suffered second degree burns.
So the other night, Michael and I went to Target. And he made me get a teapot. And my life has been better ever since. 



Climb every mountain
7/17/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
When we started the climbing section at NOLS I was very nervous. For one thing, I had never actually climbed out doors and one of the major goals of the camp was for everyone to lead their own climb by the end of the three week session. Needless to say, I was quite skeptical of my ability to accomplish such a task. To make matters worse, there was a participant in our group who was not very well prepared for the strenuous nature of the course, and eventually broke down during the climbing section. The whole situation caused quite a bit of distraction for our instructors and a LOT of stress for the group. By the end of it all, the unprepared participant wound up leaving the group and the rest of us continued on our journey. 
Some how, by the end of the three weeks, both Mike and I wound up leading our first climbs at a great little place in Red Rocks called "Cut Your Teeth Crag". 

 
Even though we wound up having a great experience at climbing camp, we both thought that it would turn out to be a stand alone experience that did not transfer to our regular lives. 
Fast forward to spring time and Mike's 28th birthday. For some reason, we began reminiscing about climbing camp and how exhilarating it was. We looked at our pictures over and over and I became inspired to buy him a bunch of climbing gear for his birthday. Once we got back to Summit County, we purchased a local climbing guide and discovered there are tons of awesome, secluded climbing spots all around the area. 
And last Tuesday, we finally went climbing. We were both a little skeptical about how much we would remember, but between our two brains, photos from NOLS, and the benefit of our wonderful instructors' reminders ringing in our heads, we successfully set up top rope sites, climbed, and Mike even led a 5.8!!!! It was so much fun to go out on our own. So, if you're looking to go 'scend it- give us a call!!!

Mike and his first lead climb, Big Pendulum 
Zuma Rock





Sugar... my arch nemesis
7/13/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
Over a week of eating clean and I am still loving it. This week we transitioned out of the detox phase into the maintenance phase. Last night, Michael and I went to the grocery store on an exploratory mission to determine which of our favorite "healthy foods" would be allowed- side note: grocery shopping is one of our favorite activities to do together. 

Breakfast is one of the hardest meals to avoid sugar, so we started there. One of our favorite morning meals is granola, yogurt, berries, and a glass of OJ. After checking out labels, wandering up and down numerous aisles, and fielding many "what are those health nuts doing?" stares, we determined that in one sitting we regularly consume upwards of 80 grams of sugar PER BREAKFAST!! WHOA! GROSS! And here we were thinking we were eating healthily. 

So we tweaked our breakfast plan a little and selected some lighter fair. We looked at labels before purchasing granola and yogurt, focusing on minimizing sugar content; decided to skip the juice for now; and inserted eggs as our source of protein. We also decided to actually measure out a serving of granola before chowing down- what a novel idea. 

Dr. Oz, who I love, recommends no more than 4 grams of sugar per serving in anything that you eat, which can be pretty hard to come by, but is definitely worth trying. 






Eating Clean
7/11/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
After ski season, Michael and I had the wonderful opportunity to go back to Dallas for about six weeks. The whole trip was wonderful, but as usual, left its mark on our midsections- my favorite place to gain weight. Once we got back to the mountains, we decided to make a little change to our eating habits in an effort to both loose a little and be more aware of what we're putting in our bodies. 
(Insert my personal dietetic consultant, one Ms. Rebekah Cairns). As many of you know, Bekah and I lived together while the boys were deployed. She is a great personal trainer and motivator, as well as the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to what is/isn't good for your body. For a while, Bekah has been "carb cycling," which was my initial inspiration for our new diet plan. However, after reading up on it and realizing that no, I don't feel the need to have only 5% body fat or get in shape for a bodybuilding competition, I gave Bekah a call and she recommended "The Eat Clean" diet.

The basic premise behind "Eating Clean" is to eat five to six meals/day with a balance of protein and complex carbs at every meal and to rid your body of processed foods, white flour, and most of all refined sugars- basically the idea that "if your grandmother couldn't eat it, you shouldn't either". 
So, I read up, decided to follow the seven day "detox" plan, and Michael and I commenced eating clean last Monday. 
Now, I had some trepidation about beginning such a diet- Would I be craving things all the time? Would I be able to cook enough chicken to sustain myself? Would I turn orange from eating a whole sweet potato every DAY?!? But alas, it has been seven days and I have had no such worries. One of the biggest things I've noticed is an increase in energy. I love afternoon naps but in the past week, even though I started working, I haven't had any desire to take one. 
This week, we begin the regular maintenance phase, which allows you to stop eating quite so many sweet potatoes, and add some dairy, more fruits, and a variety of grains. Last night I picked up the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, which has tons of great recipes (and pictures) of clean meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special occasions. 
We by no means desire to become total health nuts, or to stop eating the foods we love (ie oatmeal cookies), but being more aware of what's going into our bodies and how it affects us is always a good thing. 


Я люблю Россию- I love Russia!
7/01/2010 - Posted by Nicole - 2 comments

As many of you know, I have a very special place in my heart for orphans and have felt called to serve them for about a decade. In 2006, my mom, Courtney, and I were supposed to travel to Russia to serve with Buckner, but due to the G-8 conference, the trip was canceled. I was devastated and ever since I have been searching for a chance to go to Russia and serve. This year, I received that chance. I applied for an internship with Buckner International and was offered the opportunity to serve in Russia for the month of June. So, at the end of May, I packed up my things, kissed Michael goodbye and started off an adventure to St. Petersburg.

In the months leading up to the trip, our team was told that we would be given information and direction from the director of Buckner-Russia once we got there. However, once we arrived, we realized that most of the daily details, save where were going to serve, were pretty much up to us. You see, Russia is in a bit of financial crisis right now- much like the rest of the world- and the crisis is directly affecting Buckner and their ability to operate effectively in Russia.

Up until two years ago, there were eight full-time employees for Buckner-Russia. These ministry team members were able to stay in direct contact with each of the orphanages affiliated with Buckner and provide services on a weekly basis to the staff and children. They did everything from Bible studies, to English clubs, to just stopping by and checking in on the daily goings-on.

Due to decreased funding, there are now only two full time employees for Buckner in Russia. As a result, they are no longer able to keep up with the orphanages with the same diligence. Consequently, much of the responsibility of providing Bible experiences and English exposure falls to volunteer groups and internship team members.

Lauren, Caryss, me, and Melissa at Peterhof

This is where my team and I came into the picture. We were given the challenge of providing Vacation Bible School experiences for the kids while helping Buckner maintain positive relationships with their orphanages. It’s paramount that we keep the orphanages well taken care of, so that they will be willing to work with Buckner.

During our stay, we visited a different orphanage each week- for a total of four, in addition to one hospital/orphan crisis center. Typically we would travel on a Monday, spend three full days with the kids, and then travel back on Friday. Two of the orphanages were village orphanages that house children specifically from the village in which it is located and the other two were city orphanages that we visited at camps in the country.

The Children's Home in Lapohinka                     
 Camp for Children's Home #2
Culturally, there is a huge emphasis on children going to camps during the summer. It began back in the Soviet era and continues full-force today. The idea is that after the harsh months of winter, kids need a chance to get out in the summer air and run around. So, each summer, the government funds three-week camp experiences for the orphanages. Now, camp to me means structured daily activities like horseback riding and canoeing, but in Russia it literally means run around outside… all day… sometimes unsupervised… on ridiculously high, Soviet-era jungle gyms… even if you’re five. Therefore, a lot of our time with the kids was spent playing. We played tag; hide and go seek; duck, duck, goose (who knew “duck” was the same work in Russian and English); hopscotch; and football, as well as checkers, chess, and Phase 10. The kids crave someone to play with them individually but since the ratio of children to caretakers is often 10:1, it just doesn’t happen that often.
Slava was much better than me at ping pong



Although I hadn’t anticipated it, playtime was one of the best opportunities that we had to minister to the kids. The language barrier, short attention spans, and a lack of discipline led to rather short Bible classes, but when we were playing, we had the kids’ full attention and the opportunity to pray over them individually. They crave one-on-one attention and affection and that’s just what we were able to give them. Sometimes the only thing they wanted to do was walk around holding my hand or sit and play with my hair. What a blessing to be able to provide that love and attention, if even for a short time.

Veenyera loved doing my hair

There were numerous eye-opening experiences for me over in Russia, but the single greatest thing I realized was the need for prayer for the country, it’s people, and the evangelical leaders who are trying to impact their world for Christ. The Russian Orthodox Church makes it very challenging for Evangelical churches to thrive in Russia. They are constantly writing legislation that seeks to squash the work of the church and yet the power of the Spirit continues to move.

Though it’s illegal for Protestant groups to rent property in the city, they find locations to house their churches. Though they put out propaganda to vilify evangelicals, their membership continues to grow. The truth is that the Spirit is at work in Russia, but we must pray for their empowerment, we must provide funds where they cannot, and we must go and serve if we are able.

I am so very thankful to every person who made it possible for me to go and minister in Russia. Without your prayerful support I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet little kids like Kirill, Max, and Sasha. I wouldn’t have had the chance to learn about the challenges facing Russia and the pressing necessity to support Natasha and Ismail, our Buckner directors. And I wouldn’t be able to spread the word. Please continue to pray and support Russia, they need you. 
Some of my favorite kiddos, all of whom spoke a little English:
My buddy, Max and I at Lapohinka Children's Home. He gave me the book Rufus the Red Kangaroo and asked me to exchange gifts with him "like real friends do." So, I gave him a bandana. He also picked me a sweet lilac bouquet. 
Me and Sasha at Children's Home #2's camp. I taught her the English alphabet and she taught me the Russian alphabet.


Kirill and I at Tikhvin's Children Home. Within 20 minutes of meeting, he brought me his English reader so that he could read to me. His favorite English phrase is "What time is it?"