We Made It One Year; and other Catchin' Up Da Blog items.

Adventures in Baby-sitting

Micah's Gift for Mom and Dad

In early February Katie and I had the wonderful opportunity of watching our good friends (The Hosies) little boy Micah. Unfortunately it was due to a complicated pre-mature delivery of their beautiful girl Vivian that led to us having him over so often. The Hosies showed incredible courage and strength as they struggled to nurse Vivian into a stable condition. I had never seen something so fragile, and so small fight so hard. Often times while we were visiting Vivian in the hospital her computer would go off in an alarm signifying some aspect of her health dropping. As a non-parent it was pretty terrifying to watch but Scott and Steph were always by her side whenever they could be. During February and March we took Micah everywhere during our three hour play dates. We even took him to a pottery painting store in Littleton so he could make a gift for Mom and Dad while they looked after his baby sister. It took all of February and March until they were able to bring Vivian home under stable conditions in April.

Happy Anniversary - "The First Year is the Hardest... Right?"

You know it's a fancy restaurant when they write in Chocolate Cursive.

The Golden Hotel gave us a deal when we chose them as the location for our reception. As part of the package we were able to go back and enjoy a free room on the house. Not that we really needed to but it was fun to not have to make the bed or clean up after ourselves. We enjoyed the evening and took the chance to evaluate our previous year of marriage. It was nice to finally unwind in a way that we hadn't the chance to before. We hit the hay relatively early considering Golden practically closes down by 7:00.

Katie and I have a fascination with Antiquing, but I should elaborate. We never buy, there isn't any fun in wasting our money on old junk but there is a lot to looking at them. We consider it a mini-museum and usually without fee except for the disgruntled looks of the clerks who watch us wander into every corner of their cluttered stores and leave empty-handed. We decided to travel up to Idaho Springs and then make our way off the mountain hitting every store on the way...

Nothing says old like racist porcelain dolls.

Our adventure continued as we made our way into Denver and went to the Armadillo Antique Mall. This place was the biggest collection of old-timey knick-knacks I've ever seen and there is no possible way to barter anything down. Rows and Rows of locked-glass cases surrounded the entire each one is bought by a different client who is allowed to place their antiques for sale. The place had everything from entire cases dedicated to old Michael Jackson memorabilia to Nazi Medals and Propaganda. It took us almost two hours to get through everything and even then I didn't feel like I had explored all items for vicarious ownership. It was fun hanging out with my wife, looking at things that both of us could find some joy in, and generally educating ourselves thanks to 20th Century hoarders, but only someone who gets paid to sort through all the junk could find more enjoyment out of it than a few hours. We headed back home to collect our one year anniversary cake and head over to Katie's parents to celebrate with family.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Quick Question: Where does a young couple WITHOUT children go for a late vacation? That's right! DISNEY WORLD!

How do we always end up wearing matching shirts?

In all honesty Katie and I had been planning a trip to Florida for a while, originally intending to go with my family but the finances and schedules could never quite match up. Instead we went with one of my managers from work and his wife. Considering we got engaged at Disney Land in California we felt it was poetic justice to spend our belated one-year anniversary there. We spent six days in the parks themselves without a care in the world. We mastered the art of Fast Passes, learned the correct routes through some of the busiest sections of each park and rode every single ride (many multiple times). There is also a certain craze we may or may not have spent far too much money on. Disney has a new fascination with pin trading. Each cast member is required to trade with you no matter what. We started off with some pretty generic pins and ended up trading our way to some of the best pins you just couldn't buy anymore.

Oh Toy Story Mania... the stories we could tell.

By far our favorite ride was Toy Story Mania, a Disney Land original we had discovered two years earlier. The ride would often run out of Fast Passes by noon but we found a loop hole in order to ride it several times. We took a two hour Time Share tour early one morning and managed to get access to a card that allowed us five fast passes each to any ride effective immediately. Using this strategy we actually rode Toy Story mania five times in one day. Being the dorks we are we also wore big red "Happy Anniversary" buttons which actually got us a few perks in the park.

Katie's Favorite Disney Movie.

As much fun as Disney World is, something was lacking. We rode everything we could, went Christmas shopping, and ate at all the restaurants we had planned to, but after six days there just wasn't a whole lot left. In fact on our last full day we mostly just walked around, holding hands, and looking around at everything (and of course pin trading along the way). Both of us agree however that our favorite location was not Disney World but Disney Land in California. While the magic was prevalent in Disney World some of the servers we had, some of the crew members we encountered, and generally all the people in the parks had an aura of rudeness to them. It really took away from the fun getaway we had been planning since we had gotten married. Despite the few speed bumps along the way however we still managed to make the most of our trip, and felt completely satisfied. Someday we might return but probably not to Florida. I'm sure our posterity won't care either way... after all it's Disney.

Bring Them Home

No we aren't related.

Before we left for Disney World, my brother Andy came to live with us for a month. His family had been living in Georgia for two years too long and Andy had finally managed to transfer to Colorado and back home with the whole family. He had to start a bit earlier and his wife Sarah and their five girls had to stay behind in Georgia getting all the affairs in order and packing the house while he worked. When we returned from Disney World we put Andy on a plane and would be joining him just ten days later as we helped the family move across the country. 

The mandatory Temple Picture. Ask Katie.

When we first arrived Andy was deathly ill but we still had some work to do finishing up the house. Despite a fairly good night's rest Andy still was not feeling well and our first day of driving was a long twelve hour day. After the first two hours Andy's condition worsened and I could not allow him to drive (despite his natural McLean stubbornness to do so). The trek could have been shortened to only a few days but we extended our road trip to five days in order to take the McLean girls along a bit of a historical trip. We stopped in many locations including Nauvoo, Carthage Jail, and Winter Quarters. Something to understand about my brother and his family, they eat very well, and I don't mean big portions I mean real food. Andy and Sarah are super organic, eating only fresh veggies, fruit and meat. Therefore all our choices to eat were well raved restaurants, unique cuisine, and surprisingly really affordable. Our days were long but fun and we all got some quality bonding time. At last we arrived in Colorado, and unpacked the truck. Andy, Sarah and the girls were finally home.

Joseph and Hyrum in Nauvoo.

Katie and Sarah outside the Nauvoo Temple.

Caught Up Da Blog

Yes, you read that right. This was the last bit of big news that we have had. So after beginning this blog way back in 2010 and forgetting religiously to update it I can finally say that we have finally caught up. That's it! All the important stuff I care to write about our lives is finally all over the web for anyone to read... oh crap what have I done? Well here we go, hopefully this can be maintained a little bit closer and provide for those who actually read it a better glimpse into our busy lives, as they change and we move forward. Cus after all...

There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow
And tomorrow’s just a dream away

Seeya real soon, with Love;

Kenny and Katie 

Varsity, Zoo Lights, and the Holidays of 2011 (Catching Up Da' Blog!)

As time would always have it, yet again the blogsphere got left behind in the wake of our ever moving life. As such I regret to announce that it is with heavy heart that I again attempt to catch up by listing off the various adventures we have encountered since last you saw us... which was nearly a year ago. Never the less I must continue for those select few who actually care to read the blog... and if nothing else it gives me something to do on these cool summer nights.

Thanksgiving in Georgia - November 2011

August starting approaching us very quickly shortly after our Honeymoon in August of 2011. We had barely gotten home and unloaded our bags when we started looking for more teaching jobs for Katie. The month rolled on hoping beyond hope that maybe we might find something by the beginning of the School Year or at the very least the end of August. When the hopes ran dry and all else failed Katie decided to go and interview with a Bank... and she got the job. Changing careers for her might have been one of the greater things that happened. On top of the awesome benefits we both get to enjoy now, Katie found herself at home a lot more during the nights then when she had been teaching. Surprisingly enough the salary she began making at the bank was on par if not greater then her short life as a teacher.

September hit us with little remembrance other then the desire for Katie to use her new time off she had acquired at her new job. We decided to go out to Atlanta in November to visit my brother, his wife and their five girls. We got ourselves loaded up, landed, rode the Marta into town and had a blast visiting and hardly relaxing as we played along with the girls and caught up on important conversations with my brother and his wife. 

Remember those friends we made on the cruise ship? They just so happened to live in Georgia and made it a special visit to come into the city of Atlanta and drive us around. It was very entertaining, hearing the stories of these couples and their place in the history of Atlanta. We saw all the landmarks, all the sights, and on one off-handed occasion accidentally crossed the wrong side of the tracks and wound up in a very depressing and shabby part of town. 

Cartersville, Georgia... Don't ask me how we got here.

We ate at a local spot known as the Varsity, an acclaimed and honored restaurant just up the road from Georgia Tech. I want to apologize for any and all who might have eaten at this restaurant and found yourself enjoying it. The food was horrendous! I'm not talking stomach-able. The fries were slippery with grease, the food processed beyond any original animal recognition. Even the soda was flat and jejune. Luckily after our date with the "Old-Timers" we made it back to my brother's house and enjoyed sandwiches instead.

Welcome to Marketing... Wanna buy a Coke now?

Aside from hanging out with family, Katie and I also took the opportunity to explore the World of Coke in Atlanta. While obviously playing up to the ideals of Americana via Caffeinated Beverages the place was pretty cool. After watching a video about the magic of Coca-Cola, they then take you into a large room with multiple side rooms. One such takes you into the art of Marketing including foreign ads, athlete sponsored ads, and general Coca-Cola wall-art. Another room leads you through a mock bottling facility, and another into a theater where you can watch thirty minutes of Coca-Cola commercials. In the end it was worth the time at least to get a chance to see all the things that have come out of the company for nearly 100 years. It was a huge part of the American identity back in them days, and even today. Oh Coke... how can I ever quit you...

The Newlywed Christmas - December 2011

Ho! Ho! Ho! Good luck sleeping tonight!!

Buying gifts for your three older brothers, and two younger sisters is hard enough. Add getting married on top of that and suddenly you are buying for a whole new set of Brothers and Sisters. Our first Christmas together official began when we returned home from our Thanksgiving trip in Georgia. After being dropped off by Katie's father we raced upstairs and were blinded by a sudden light glaring from our back porch. When upon further investigation we found that our apartment had not been left alone despite promises that nothing would have happened to it. Instead we find the culprit, a cartoon Santa flying a single rider plane through the sky with a flag waving behind him with the insignia: Merry Christmas. The whole thing was on a timer and was great for a laugh during the dismal December nights but after coming home to Neon Illuminated Darkness night after night the thing quickly got old and was unplugged except for the few days leading up to the actual holiday.

Don't let that smile fool you, I'm really crying.

Katie found a new project during December as well. We had bought a sewing machine with some of the generous gift money that was given to us for our wedding. During the entire month of December my mother had been attempting to get Katie and I to attend Church with them on Christmas Morning (as it fell on a Sunday). Katie kept going through the month hearing this request over and over and suddenly got an idea... an awful idea... The Katie got a wonderful, awful idea. She decided to make matching Christmas Vests for us to wear to Church with my parents. According to her philosophy "If we are going, at least we can embarrass them somehow." Katie's plan worked, and while perhaps not causing quite the scene she was hoping for at least the Christmas Vests were talked about for a few weeks if not more. We actually received quite a few compliments and Katie was asked several times on how she went about making the vests to begin with. 

Another Christmas here and gone, the only difference was this was our first as an official family. The month was ended with good will and cheer for all and of course the tradition of Denver Zoo Lights. 2011 was a good year for both of us. We got married, enjoyed a cruise together, changed careers, visited family in Georgia and new friends, and made it back in time to slow down and enjoy each other.

Klondike and Snow... still in our Neon hearts.

It's Christmas! Can we go back to bed now...

Join us next time for the exciting conclusion of... Catching Up Da' Blog!