Family - the best gift

Mom and I decorating the Vaughan Christmas tree

This has been a whirlwind holiday season. My mom was rushed to the hospital in mid-December and Kendall and I flew to Michigan to check her out first-hand - and, thankfully, to take her back home and get her settled before we returned to Colorado. It ended up being a delightful trip, finally getting a (big) taste of winter after the balminess of Colorado, finishing the decorations in mom's already beautifully decorated home, celebrating early Christmas with her, and generally having a relaxed and lovely visit.


(Left to right: mom ready for early Christmas dinner, ready for church, and trying out her new hammer)


Kendall and I returned to Colorado with four days to do all of our Christmas preparations: cards, shopping, baking... And it turned out to be a pretty good way to go!

• Tuesday: shop.
• Wednesday morning/afternoon: write and mail cards - in time to reach at least the Colorado folk before Christmas!
• Wednesday afternoon/evening: go to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert with some friends (wow - over the top sound & lights!).
• Thursday night/Friday morning & afternoon: bake bake bake and deliver plates of cookies to neighbors and friends in time for Christmas Eve feasting.

Friday night (Christmas Eve) we enjoyed our traditional pizza and movie with the boys...ahhhh...relaxation.

Christmas Day started with me running to Paul via trails, he running with me back toward the house, meeting up with Kendall, Devon and Jester in the park for a leisurely stroll back to home, stockings, and presents. Since we wrap our presents in Sunday comics, our present opening is a rather slow process as we simply must read the comic that was oh-so-carefully chosen to highlight the present.

Lots of laughter accompanying the presents - especially so this year since Kendall and I had showered the fellas with science nerd t-shirts.
(Left: Devon & 'rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock.' Right: Paul & his favorite reply to almost anything)





Celebrations and laughter continued on Sunday with the Miller Christmas gathering. The most uproarious moment? When Kendall and his brothers (the 'high foreheaded' Miller boys) opened a package addressed to the three of them containing hair hats (complements of Kendall). What a hoot!

Looking for winter

Little Traverse Bay from one of my favorite running trails
(xc skis might have been the wiser choice over my runnin' shoes)

Last week I ran in shorts every day that I started my run after the sun was up. Being December, I thought that was a bit ridiculous. Then on Sunday my husband and I made a spur-of-the-moment trip to Petoskey - and found winter. We flew into Flint (in southeast Michigan) and drove through a blizzard to Petoskey (northwest Michigan). I've been running in breezy, snowy, chilly (way chilly) weather ever since. But as a good friend has said many times, there is no such thing as weather too bad to run in, there's just inadequate clothing. Three cheers for many many layers, and a winter wonderland!

December what?!

December 8th actually. And I ran in shorts today!

I told my mom, who is battling yet another snowy northern Michigan winter (in addition to rebounding from some medical issues) that I would run in shorts today in her honor. And that's just what I did. A fine run it was too! Cows, two magnificent hawks (one who played leapfrog with me as I ran through CU's cross-country property), a chickadee, and a fly! What a wacky entry into winter we're having here in Boulder!

Keeping an eye on the trail

This was my view during the bulk of my run today, eyes glued to the ground before each foot plant. If I wanted to look about at the blue sky, glowing flatirons, snow-capped Longs Peak, tall amber grasses, critters hiding in those tall amber grasses, I came to a full stop then gazed. Why such caution? 16 days ago I hit a patch of black ice while running in the wee hours of the morning and fell hard on my right side. My knee is still cranky, and my upper arm is outright furious. I do not wish to take another tumble. (I usually have one big one each winter, do you suppose I've already reached my quota?!) Today's run up Skunk Creek Trail was pure indulgence...running through the pain in order to revel in the day. Some days just gotta be seized!