Mooses!

As Jill and I pulled off the highway onto the side road leading up to the cabin we stayed at last weekend (what can I say, we know how to pick our friends) we saw this fella and his family. We saw five more throughout the rest of the weekend--which makes the natives who have yet to see their first jealous. "Beautiful" may not be the right word, but pretty cool nonetheless.


Untitled from Joel Schreurs on Vimeo.

Nicaragua Vacation

Earlier this month, Jill, Adrian and I flew down to Nicaragua to spend a week with Jill's family (her brother works there as the director of Nicaragua Christian Academy). Since I've included more photos than anyone really cares to see, I'll just give a brief overview by answering the FAQs about our trip.

1. How did Adrian do on the plane?
Just fine. He slept more or less the whole way. He was actually kind of fun--people's faces would light up when they saw him, and then their smiles would get even bigger when they saw our seats were not by them. And of course, we got plenty of helpful childcare tips from complete strangers (including a flight attendant who had strong opinions about where babies should and should not be changed.)

2. Did you stay at Liam's house?
We love each other--but not that much. While Liam's two bedroom home serves its function for him and his family, it would have been a bit snug for all of us. Instead, we rented a three bedroom, three bath home just outside of San Jaun del Sur--a small village on the Pacific. Among the homes many perks were plumbing that allowed us to flush our toilet paper and showers that provided hot water without the threat of severe electrical shock.

3. What did you do?
As the pictures suggest, we sat around and read, splashed in the pool, played board games (I even let my in-laws win a game or two of Ticket to Ride), sweat, and stared at babies most of the day. San Jaun del Sur is known for its surfing--and I had brief visions of taking a few lessons--but that never materialized. I'm sure I would have dazzled them all with my sweet farmer/biker tan and cat-like agility.

4. Did you stay healthy?
Yes. Thankfully. Last time we were in Nicaragua that was not the case. All that needs to be said about that is that there are better ways to spend your vacation. Oh, while we stayed healthy, we had a close encounter with a scorpion (found one on a car seat, inches away from baby Judah's elbow) and I may have feared for my life when I was forced to drive on Nicaraguan roads while trying to keep up with my Nascar inspired brother-in-law.

Trail Ridge Road

Jill and I spent a few days at the beginning of this week (what we consider our "weekend) in Grand Lake, Colorado. We were at a friend's cabin just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park--not a bad location, if I don't say so myself. While we were there, I decided to take a morning to accomplish something I've wanted to do for a long time (okay, a year, not really that long)--ride my bike up (and down!) Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuous paved road in North America, topping out at (approximately) 12,138 feet. Great weather, great scenery, great time. Maybe this will become an annual event...

Back "Home"

After a week in Iowa, Jill and I are back "home".

At least I think that's what we're calling it now.

We're happy in Denver--we (obviosly) enjoy the many recreational opportunities, we love our jobs, enjoy lots of sunshine and our great neighborhood (complete with great coffee shops within walking distance that are probably a little too hip for us). But we're still adjusting to the idea of calling it "home."

For the first five or so years of our marraige we were always anticipating our next move (summer assignments, year long internships etc). It's taken a bit for the reality to sink in that we could be here for a long time (five years? twenty years?). It's odd enough to think about it for ourselves, but its even more strange to think that our child(ren) will call this place "home"--will say they are "from" Denver--in a way that we never can.

There are a lot of things I miss about Iowa. There's the appeal (probably easily sentimentalized) of living in a small town--of running into people you know in the grocery story and being able to ride your bike or walk almost anywhere. They beauty of the plains (you may need a trained eye to see this, but trust me, it's there). And more than anything, family.

On the bright side, however, there are a few perks about no longer living there. For one, it doesn't get "freeze-yer-booger-cold" in Denver (it was something like 2 degrees the day we left). I also don't get thirty-seven phone calls a day telling me why Mike Hackabee should/should not be president. Furthermore, if my weight gain last week was any indication, if I moved to Iowa this week I would weigh approximately 438 lbs by next Christmas (so much food!). While this would open up the possibility of me being the heaviest contestant ever on "The Biggest Loser" and would also mean that I could actually find clothes that fit at Big and Tall stores, it would also mean my new pants wouldn't fit. I like those pants. So, all things considered, it's probably best that we stay here.

On a slightly differen note, I should say that some things have changed in Iowa during fifteen months since we were last there. Some changes are good (a bookstore in Sheldon), some not so good (a Super Wal-Mart in Sioux Center), and some are just strange. In this latter category, I place the appearance of a multitude of what I formerly new as bank signs--those electronic signs that show the time, date, and some inspirational message. Well, they aren't just for banks anymore. They are everywhere. Taco Johns, Demco, the furniture store, Fanatasia Gifts, McDonalds (oh yeah, they have McDonalds now too). No one in Iowa has an excuse for not knowing the current time and temperature. Here are two examples of said signs--located within about fifty yards of each other (and I think there's another one or two just down the block).

Moab!

A few weekends ago (after Jill and I took our trip to Creede) I jumped in the car with two buddies (Chris and Nick) for a couple days of mountain bike. It sounds cruel to leave Jill at home, but she really wanted to go to work.

Here's the cliffnotes version of our trip:

Friday:
6:54am--Stuff junk in the car. Neatly of course.
7:18--Drivin' drivin' drivin.
12:34--Stop at Wendy's for lunch. This would prove to be a poor choice.
2:07--Set up camp.
2:18--head out to Slick Rock Trail. A little scary. A lot steep. Mucho fun.
Dusk--Grocery store. Delcious noodle supper. Beer. Diet Coke. Cool Ranch Doritos.
Later--Bed time. Animated discussion about "Blankin' Robert Plant" in the back ground.

7:08am--Rise and shine to heated debates in next campsite.
7:32--Start water for coffee.
7:56--still waiting for water to boil.
8:02--Pour water into nelgean with great haste. Ponder Nick's new french press. Make with haste.
8:04--Spit out large chunks of coffee. Acknowledge our ineptitude with the french press.
8:28--Catch Shuttle that drops us @ 25 miles into desert at the top of porcupine Rim trail.
9:47--start riding.
9:52--whoop with delight.
10:01--pass crazy guys "doing some drugs" (their words not mine) along side of trail
10:07 Whoop some more.
11:48--Hunt for trail. Trust hightened sensory perception of aforementioned crazy guys.
11:57--question sensory perception of crazy guys.
12:43--more whooping.
1:51--accept oatmeal from crazy guy. "It's all natural...I mean no green, man." (Imagine Otto like voice).
2:35--laughter as I endo (flip over handlebars)
2:42--grimace when discover that bike is not functioning properly.
2:55--CL miraculously fixes my bike (mostly).
Later--finish ride.
4:37 (ish)--Discover toppled tent. Chuckle.
4:41--discover bent poles on new tent. Swear under breath. Consider leaving to beat storm.
4:53--Make comfort food--brats.
5:01--Contented by brats, decide to stay.
5:06--wind changes.
5:07--decide to leave.
5:41--stuff remaining goods in car and leave.
Later--eat Taco Bell. This is also a poor choice.
Much later--grind teeth, hunch over, squint, and pray as we drive over Vail Pass in snow.
2:30am--arrive home.

Okay: Here's the good part. The pictures...

We're Back

Well, we're back--"We" being me and my computer (which has been undergoing major surgery the past few weeks but is finally fixed--I think) and, more importantly, me and Jill from our vacation.

The short version is that Jill and I went to Creede, Colorado for a few days and had a great time. We did all those things married people do--you know, went to bed early, went for a few walks, played games (I taught Jill Yatzee!) and read (for the record: Jill and I listened to The Last Juror, I finished Whale Warrior, and also completed Terrorist and Lone Survivor). Then we came home so that Jill could go to work on Friday and Saturday and I could go for a little bike ride in Moab, Utah.

Here's the longer version:
Jill and I headed out after church Sunday afternoon on what turned out to be about a five hour drive down U.S. Highway 285. We chatted a lot, ate "Pull and Peels" (more my thing than Jill's), and then had a jaw dropping moment when we came around a bend and suddenly had a huge mountain range (the Collegiate Peaks, I believe) extending before us. The pictures never capture it, but we paused for a few tries anyway.



Monday, we headed from our little cabin on the Rio Grande to the town of Creede. In the summer months, Creede is supposed to be a happenin' little town--it has a lot of theatre, artsy-fartsy stuff. But in the fall (as we expected), there wasn't much to do there but sit around in the local coffee shop and talk about high-powered rifles, camouflage, and musk (its hunting season, in other words). Not really our thing. But that was okay. We had a very greasy burger, stopped by the Forest Service to get some maps and recommended hike routes, and then headed out of town to take one of the recommended hike. A good time was had by all, but a better time would've been had if the place we ate for lunch had put a little more hamburger in with their grease. And if we had Daisy along (sniff, sniff).

Tuesday Jill and I drove a little ways up from our cabin so that Jill could hike and I could bike. The goal (for me) was to make it to make the 14.5 mile MTB ride to Wheeler Geological Area and see the sights. I made it--eventually. And in retrospect, I'd even say I had a good time. But for much of the ride, I could only think, "Wow, I'm not very bright. This was not a good idea."

Here's a few free cycling tips for you from one who's been there. First, elevation makes things harder. (Yes, very good, I know). And on a related note: 11,000 feet (the elevation of my ride) is much higher than 5,000 feet (where I live). And the second tip: if you make it about 5 miles into your ride (okay, 3.5 miles into your ride) and you're wondering if it would be best to turn around--if you really have what it takes to mountain bike 30 miles over tough terrain with much less oxygen than you're accustomed to--you've probably bitten off more than you can chew. You're probably going to have a miserable couple of hours ahead of you. At least, that was my experience. I made it to my destination, but for a good two thirds of the ride home I felt lousy. I don't want to scare my mother or sound overly dramatic, but I was cold. I was tired. I was exhausted (I had to stop and push my bike up several small hills). Like I said, I wasn't very bright in choosing to do that ride. But of course, I'd do it again in a heart-beat if I had the chance.

That was Tuesday. Wednesday was a bit more laid back. We had intended to go "somewhere", but it looked like snow, so after going out for an even greasier burger than Monday, we hunkered down at the house. Perfect.

Thursday we made the drive back home, swinging by Great Sand Dunes National Park. There are sand dunes there. They are very great. So I guess the park is aptly named. We didn't spend much time there, but some day we'll go back, hike up them, and get lost in the wilderness

That's all for that portion of the trip. I'll tell about my little bike ride in Moab later this week. For know, here are some more pics of the rest of the trip (push the play button if you haven't figured that out already).

MORE Vacation

That's right...more goofing off this weekend. Just think, I usually only work one hour a week , and this weekend I even got that off!

We had a good time showing Brian and Becky a bit of Colorado.

Supper at Thai Basil Thursday (mmmmm), breakfast at Duffy Roll on Friday, a bit of work for me and Jill, then off to the mountains!

A couple from church was kind enough to let us stay at their mountain home near Fairplay, Colorado. That's a pretty cool part of the state, if I don't say so myself. You come over Hoosier Pass and suddenly see a huge open plain--it looks like Narnia. Its a strange feeling, because if you look straight ahead (not very far), you'd think your in Nebraska, it's so flat. But if you look around, you realize you're at around 10,000 feet and there are some really big mountains around (You can see Pike's Peak from where we were staying).

I confess, I can now see why "those mountain people" find a weekend get away so attractive. (By the way, anyone want to go in to buy a cabin with us? Or toss a hundred grand our way to get us started? I found a really nice little spot that might be relatively cheap. I can even send you a picture if you're interested in the investmnt opportunity). Jill and I (but perhaps especially Jill) really, really like to get out of the big, dirty city. I also love the chance to sit around and read in peace (Mary Doria Russel is a really good writer. I'm now 300 pages into A Thread of Grace, and still loving it--which says something since I'm usually sick of books by about page 200--and that's if its a good book), to play games (a lot of "Ticket to Ride"--Choo, choo!--this weekend), and, drink coffee (that mug made it taste even better), and generally do nothing. For me, the only thing that would have made the weekend more perfect would be if I had a bike a long. I would have loved to tackle the thousands of acres of National Forest in the Cabin's back yard. Maybe next time.

We left Sunday afternoon after a short hike in the snow. Stopped at three sisters for another hike, then came home and picked up Daisy, who clearly missed us a great deal. Here are some pics:

Our Humble Home.

Sunrise out our Front windows Sunday Morning

Jill, not being annoying at all.

Brian, Ever Thoughtful.

Jill, Showing that Puzzle Who's Boss.

Hiking at Three Sisters (Ever Green)


Jill, Doing What Jill Does

Becky Playing Hard to Get