Visitors: A cousin, a [new] boy, a dad, and a roomie.

So, I just made pasta with crushed up Sunchips in it because before I added the chips it was super blah pasta.  And it became awesome.  Just one adventure after another over here, I tell ya. 

Alright, so I'm now in a season where there are so many exciting things going on and things are changing really fast.  However, I'm starting to get used to the everyday newness that until I decided to blog about it I hadn't really realized how much has happened in such a short time!

As my last post talked about, I had just recently gone on a work trip to Boston and then home for Easter to MN.  Then we had a church youth group from WA here in CO working on the World Vision warehouse--more on that in a bit :)  So the week after the group left, my cousin Rebekka and her boyfriend Peter came out to visit the beautiful-ness that is, Colorado.  So much fun to have them here!! We walked around Garden of the gods in Colorado Springs, we toured the Coors brewery and walked all around Golden (which is super pretty, by the way) and enjoyed watching people in kayaks practice tipping over in the river.  Cheap entertainment at its finest. We hit up a Rockies game and just overall enjoyed some good cousin bonding and laughs! I'm hoping someday to turn her into my first Colorado roommate ;)

Cousins are the best.

So I've also been in the heart of some good ol' half marathon training, race is in 9 days!  I love training.  Oh, big news: I'm becoming a morning person.  I LOVE the days I get up early and run before work.  Ok, I don't love the first 10 minutes after I wake up and see that my alarm clock reads 5:30am, but running that early makes my whole day...awesome.  Well, until 7pm that night when I crash hardcore.  But Colorado is amazing because of the whole "300 days of sunshine!" thing.  Which means I'm not confined to running in the rain or...the dreaded treadmill. And it's helped me get to know my new neighborhood and discover some pretty awesome trails around here! One is full of prairie dogs.  Have you ever heard one of those guys? They sound EXACTLY like a squeaky dog toy.  Imagine that times like, 30 around you at all times.  How's that for a cheer squad. 

My new thing is I want to run a half marathon in a different state every time.  Not that I need to move each time, but I love a good mini-vacation.  Even if the vacation includes running a race that makes me feel like every leg muscle has been ripped out the next day.  Don't worry, it's a good pain.  And its addicting.  Isn't that what people say about tattoos? Which is why I'll probably never get one.  I'd be that person that ends up getting my whole body covered.  Ok, no I wouldn't.  Which is why I'll stick to running instead. 

Even bigger news: I have a boyfriend :)
I feel like a 13 year old again saying that with a smiley face...but I'm excited! He's great. Really, I promise.  He was here as a leader with the mission team that came from WA to work on the warehouse.  And he just came back this last weekend to hang out with me which was a blast. We did some hiking up in Evergreen, we cooked some good food, hung out downtown and people-watched from one of the rooftops during Cinco de Mayo, we also made it to a Rockies game (and got hooked up with some SWEET free seats!!), went to church and he even ran with me!!  If you want to hear the whole story...and I promise, it's a pretty great story...just ask and I'll tell ya :)

...he's good looking, too ;)

In family news, I got to have dinner with my dad last night!! He got asked last minute to do a charter bus run from SD to Denver.  It was so much fun to see him.  We were both pretty hyped up that we got to see each other.  Lots of laughs!!! I'm SO blessed with the amazing parents that I have.  Seriously.  I know everyone says that...but I think I win. 

Yep, we really were as happy as we look.

AND....guess what? Nicole is coming to visit in exactly TWO WEEKS!!! Also, it's her birthday today.  If you know her, you better wish her a happy birthday.  Seriously, go do it, now!

On a more serious note, (not that wishing her a happy birthday wasn't serious, cuz it is, did you say happy birthday yet??) I can tell that as a person I've grown so much since moving here, even in just the short 5 months.  I've had to quickly become a lot more confident and outgoing.  People that I meet now honestly have a hard time believing me if I tell them how shy I was in high school.  But I suppose it makes sense that this big of a life change is going to have some affect on me!  I like it. I like that I'm not afraid to go hang out with new people.  I like that so many other people here have the same adventurous spirit that I have.  I like that everyday I wake up to sunshine and am just happy and consistently content.  God is so faithful!!! 

Life is good in Colorado.