Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Friends! We wish you and your family wonderful memories to share together today! It is after midnight as I write on Christmas Eve...everyone is dreaming of sugar plums, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your friendship during this entire year! It has been a year of changes and challenges, but your kind words and encouragement have been such a blessing to us! Thank you! Enjoy this special day, and know that we send lots of love and all our wishes for a healthy, happy, and joyous Christmas Day!

Today was Christmas Eve Day and we are anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival! It was a busy day for the Koffords and full of fun! Here's what we were up to...
We awoke to a beautiful winter wonderland, and had a fair amount of snow in the past few days!
Today we delivered cookies to the neighbors...
Enjoyed the beauty on our pond...
Delivered ham for 45 local police officers who are keeping our community safe on Christmas Eve...
Got dressed up to attend Christmas Eve services at church...
And fed Santa's reindeer before leaving cookies and letters for his arrival. We celebrate Jesus' birth in the morning, as well as Santa'a arrival, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with joy! With love from Colorado, The Kofford Family :-)

The wedding dress experiment...

Just for 'fun' I thought I would try on my wedding dress the other day. It had been 21 years since it last saw daylight, and now that I am back down to my wedding day weight, what better treat than to see if it would zip up once again.

The dress has been vacuum sealed, taped shut, double boxed, and hidden from air, bugs, and yellowing. Seeing it displayed inside the dress mold with only a clear plastic window made it look like it had been cryogenically frozen all these years!
Kyle grabbed the camera to capture the moment when it would zip up...Tom was on hand to help me get it over my head, and Ashlyn was ready with the veil. The moment came and I was so proud to know it would fit just as it did on Sept. 3, 1988! But that didn't happen, at all. Sure I could get it on, but Tom said there was no way it would even come close to zipping. It was about 7 inches too short around the ribcage! Oh the devastation! Everyone was right...after children your weight is redistributed and things expand that don't return again!
So, I guess it wasn't meant for me to be a 'bride' again. We captured little Ashlyn trying it on, hoping one day, perhaps she will wear the gown on her wedding day. Until then, back into the box the dress goes. So much for my post weight loss treat. Now, I think it's time to go shopping!

12 Days Until Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Colorado! We've been on a whirlwind month of activities, and here is a sneak peek into the past few weeks...

Since we were on our own for Thanksgiving this year, I decorated early and had the entire house ready for Christmas by the end of Nov. I've never decorated that early before, but with lots of activities this month, I am glad I did!

Welcome to our home, please come in!

The ice skates you see were my mothers, and I found a fun vintage sled to display them on. We're ready for winter!

The staircase full of garland...

The table all set for our ladies Bible Study Potluck.

A great chance to show off my mom's pretty pointsettia dishes, was at the Christmas Tea where I hosted a table.

On Friday I hosted a Christmas cookie exchange and craft night! We had fun tasting each other's delicious Christmas cookies and working around 5 stations of crafts where each guest was able to make ornaments, a "Fireside Coffee Mix", candy Santa Sleighs, etc...
Tom and I experimented with a new "signature drink" which I called a, "Christmas Cranberry and Sour Apple Martini! It was so tastey! Aren't the garnishes pretty?

Here is our bartender for the evening,

...and friends Kimberley and Joie!
The ladies busy crafting...
Here we are tubing in "Fraser" near Winter Park this weekend.
A pretty in pink snow bunny waiting her turn to head down the hill!
Tom headed down the hill...
How nice to have a rope tow to get back to the top of the hill...it was lazy man's tubing today!

It really wasn't as cold as it looks. It was around 28 degrees today, but compared to the -11 degree temps last week...anything above 20 degrees feels downright warm!
More December adventures to come! I have fallen so behind on blogging, but will be by to visit you soon! Leave us a comment if you have time, we'd love to know you were here! Merry Christmas! :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day friends and family! We hope you have enjoyed a delicious day filled with wonderful memories!

We were able to visit a replica of the Mayflower when we were in Massachusetts this fall. It was wonderful to see the location of our country's first "Thanksgiving" and appreciate all that the pilgrims endured. This particular ship actually took the same voyage that the Mayflower travelled. Character actors were on board to tell us of the many hardships endured during the 2 month journey. There was no fresh water on board so everyone, including children, drank beer due to the nutritional properties of the barley. Hearing of their adventures made us appreciate our 21st century lifestyles!

This is "Plymouth Rock", a small rock showing the location of where the Mayflower landed in 1620. What a neat experience to walk where the first pilgrims did close to 400 years ago.

Centuries later we too celebrate the meeting of pilgrims and indians and the foundations our country is built on. Here Ashlyn awaits the turkey that took an hour longer than expected to cook!

Tom carves the bird, and our tiny 13 lb. turkey gave us plenty of leftovers for a week! It was just the four of us this year, so it has been a quiet and relaxing day. I jogged around the lake this morning and the rest of the day was all about cooking, eating, celebrating, and cleaning up. Now we wait until we're hungry, or can make room for, pumpkin pie and pumpkin ice cream!

We hope you have had a wonderful day, and that there is much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving!

With love from Colorado, Denise :-)

"The family that exercises together, stays together!"

Last weekend we all ran in our city's "35 Annual 10K Turkey Trot!" Kyle and I participated in the 10K run, (6.4 miles) and Tom stayed back with Ashlyn so she could complete the 2 mile run. It snowed the day after, so we were fortunate that we didn't have any weather to contend with except for a cool morning start time. Kyle finished in just over an hour, and my time was 1 hr. 11 min. We were both pretty slow, but still felt a good sense of accomplishment when we were done!

The 2 mile runners and our cheer section at the finish line!

The shirts were were an eco-friendly bamboo organic material...too bad they couldn't have found eco-friendly pretty colors! :-)

We've been on the go the past few weeks. Lots of kid's activities, concerts, lessons, job hunting, volunteering, church activities, etc...fill our days and nights. My biggest news is that for the past 12 weeks I have been working on dieting and exercising and have now lost 26 lbs! It feels great to be lighter on my feet, and now I am only 6 lbs. away from my wedding day weight 21 years ago! I'm going to try and get there again...the real challenge will be if I can maintain it. I have found that over the years, losing weight is much more motivating than holding steady. I will keep you posted!

Tom is still job hunting and following leads, but jobs are few and far between. In the meantime he is working around the house, organzing finances, and helping me with all my duties. I don't know what I will do when he returns to work! It is so nice to have help with the cooking, chauferring, and all the simple things like having him home during the day to carry in groceries! I will manage once again though, and we are keeping our fingers crossed he finds work before Jan. when the severance salary ends. Keep your fingers crossed!

Quick post tonight as I want to stop by your blogs and visit! Happy Fall!

Bearded man shaves for symphony!

At last, the time has come...the beard is gone! Whoo hooo! :-)

Tom has enjoyed growing a beard since Aug. when he was laid off from his position at work. As much as he enjoyed the beard, he promised to shave it when a special occasion or job interview was lined up. Well, the special occasion came first, so Friday he shaved his wooly face for a night out with friends to attend the symphony!

Our friends Kevin and Robin graciously invited us to attend the opening night of the "Boulder Philharmonic". We started the evening out with a romantic dinner at a local Boulder hot spot called, "Black Cat." The chef grows many of the ingredients used in the restaurant's organic menu. We then enjoyed a musical treat with a full orchestra playing spooky selections to usher in Halloween night the following day!

Halloween was full of fun for our 8 year old fancy leopard, and our 14 year old crazy 70's guy! Kyle's shirt was actually one that Tom purchased at a "Grateful Dead" concert years ago, making the outfit especially authentic! :-)

Look at all that loot!


Sadly, Halloween was also the 3rd anniversary of my dad's passing in 2006. The day is always full of meloncholy emotions for me, but I find peace in knowing that my parents spirit and legacy lives on in us, and in how we live our lives to honor them.

Have a wonderful week filled with memories to last!

Smiles to you,
Denise :-)

Halloween is coming!

Halloween will be here in a few short days! Before then we have a few fun parties and a school parade. Ashlyn will be a fancy leopard for the big day and she was glad she got to try out her costume earlier when we went, "Boo Bowling" with Girl Scouts! Here is our kitty, posing with the real cat!

We've been on the go since my last post...we had a wonderful trip to Boston to visit my cousin David and his family. I'm so excited to show you the photos since I know you will recognize so many sites from Plymouth Rock to Bunker Hill. Here we all are near the Old North Church where Paul Revere hung his lanterns on the night the Revolutionary War begun. More pics to come!

Today the kids had their first snow day of the season and they were thrilled! What fun weather we have here in Colorado...literally, one day it is sunny and 65 degrees, and the next we have 10 inches of snow on the ground! It's wild but we love it!

The dogs get in on the sledding action...

Kyle and Ashlyn with our Chihuahuas, all dressed for the weather!

Pure bliss!

Tom was able to enjoy a weeek out in CA to visit friends and his family. He had a wonderful time and flew back to CO with his parents. They all drove out to Oaklahoma to visit our niece Holly and her husband Will, then back to CO where we were able to enjoy Tom's parents for a few days. Tom's sweet mother taught me how to crochet after seeing my struggles with knitting, (although I am going to master BOTH skills!) and it was a perfect activity to enjoy by the warm fire when the snow was falling.

Here is Ashlyn with her "Papa Ron." Sorry Grandma Billie we didn't get a photo of you this trip!

We hope you have all been well, and I look forward to posting more frequently...the only good thing that has come of my lack of blogging, is that I have replaced that time with exercise! I happily share with you that I have lost 20 lbs. in 9 weeks! Pictures to come tomorrow when Tom and I get all dressed up to attend the Boulder Symphony!

Happy Friday! Happy Fall!

Travel, Family, and Seizing the Day!

Home in Colorado, Kyle and Ashlyn enjoy the pond and waterfall...it was a cool 44 degrees this morning!

Busyness abounds in the Kofford Household...

Life is full of so many opportunities, and we are seizing every one that comes our way! I am trying to embrace the words I know my mother lived by during that final year of her life. She wanted to enjoy life fully every day and not miss a single opportunity. We are trying to do the same!

I have a very small family and few extended family members that are still alive. It seems the last times I have seen most of them have been at my parents funerals. Determined to have current memories that make up happy moments, rather than mourning, I decided to fly to southern California to visit my aunts, uncle, and cousins for my birthday. It was a wonderful time to reminisce of my parents, yet spend time together with family making new memories!
Family! My cousin Michael, Aunt Beth, Aunt Sylvia, Uncle Jerry, and cousins Andrew and Abby...Mike's wife is behind the camera! (We enjoyed a delicious dinner and swimming in Mike and Paula's pool...while it was 102 degrees in CA it was in the 50's back home in Colorado!) It was great to hear everyone sing not only the "Happy Birthday" song we all know in English, but to also have them sing the Swedish version which is a tradition in our family! I hadn't heard it or had it sung to me since before my dad passed away...
My Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Jerry at the Arboreteum where there are trees with memorial markers for my grandparents behind us. They also drove me by the first house I lived in, and where my dad went to college, etc...It was a great birthday weekend!

My only other cousin, David, lives with his family in Massachusetts. I have missed him too and and wasn't sure when we would see one another again. We have decided to take a family trip to the east coast to visit David, and see the fall colors as well as all the historic sites of the area next week! We hesitated to pull the kids from school, but for a few days, the opportunity to learn more about the Revolutionary War and see the area where battles were fought, will be an educational experience for us all! I will post photos when we return!
Back home in CO, I went horseback riding this week with my friend Kate. We went for a leisurely trail ride around, "Pella Crossing" on a beautiful crisp fall morning. You can see why I haven't been blogging much...there is just too much outdoor living to do right now! :-)

Tom is still busy job hunting, but until a position is found, we are using this time together to travel and spend time with family whenever we can. Tom will be flying to CA to visit with his family later in the month, and then he and his parents will fly back to CO for a road trip out to Oaklahoma so his folks can see their granddaughter, and Tom's niece Holly. We are sure making the most of our time together while Tom is home!

I hope you too are seizing the day and enjoying time with friends and family whenever you get the chance! Life is short, let's make it count!