A WII Bit O' Fun!

We decided that we'd spend the $$$ we won from the "Losers" NFL pool we participated in and invest in some good old video-gaming fun(after all we need to do our part to keep the economy on the up & up). After weeks of searching, we got a hold of Costco on a morning that they had just received a new shipment, ran right over and put our money down!! Matthew happened to be in town the day we got it, which was an added bonus and fun in getting to try out our new gaming system. We're pretty psyched about it - the gaming system we've been using is a Nintendo 64 that is nearing its 10 year anniversary with us! Don't worry, there's no way we're getting rid of the 64, after all it still offers us MarioKart, Diddy Kong and Dr. Mario!

Anyhow - it's been fun so far, but I absolutely HAD to put up this video of Jeff and Matthew in one of the very first boxing matches on our WII. Enjoy!

Kate's First Haircut

It was time. We were trying to let it just grow and be "natural", but it just got to be too much.

Let me just say that this was a very difficult decision. It was pretty much one of our very first parental decisions that embodies a basic value. Should we just let it go and she can be "all-natural" or do we cut it and attempt a more maintained and possibly cuter look? We wrestled with the decision for quite some time and it recently got to the point where she had become a decent representation of a mix between a 1970s rocker, a hippie with dreadlocks (the back of her head we affectionately call the "rat's nest"), and the quintessential mullet sporting kid. While we generally pride ourselves in doing our best go all-natural whenever possible (which inevitably turns into spending way too much money on organic and all-natural food), we caved on this one and administered the very first haircut (or should I say I caved, Jeff was hoping for the "natural" look).



Jeff and I both agree, the cut is pretty cute - although I have done some refining after this video was taking... I guess a cute haircut is a work-in-progress, much like current trends in haircuts. The mullet is probably coming back "in" soon and I'll regret having cut it!

Uncie Mafflew is a Runnin' Fool!

Hi everyone, this is Uncie Mafflew guest blogging again. I'd like to write some funny things, and maybe I will, but this blog entry is actually about a very serious topic. About a month ago, I signed up to run a half-marathon in Portland's Race for the Roses, which is in early April. While I am excited to be training again (as long as my Branch feet hold up) the main reason why I did it is to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I've pledged to raise $1310 (which is $100/mile that I run... yikes!) in order for them to help fund research for cures to blood cancer and other problems. I decided to attempt to raise more than the minimum ask in order to lower their overhead so that more money can go to research.

But I need help. Well I need lots of help in a lot of ways actually, but for this I mostly need your monetary help. A donation would be most helpful to the cause. You can donate a set amount or by the mile (but you'll have to do the math, it would be whatever amount you'd like to donate per mile X 13.1). If you are at all interested, I suggest checking out my fund raising page at:

http://www.active.com/donate/tntor/MattBranch

If you are more comfortable sending money the old fashioned way, please feel free to drop me a line at mjbranch@yahoo.com and we can discuss your options. Remember that this is a tax-deductible donation and you will receive a receipt from Team in Training.

And just so there is no confusion, this race for the cure thing is not the type where the winner gets the cure, its a benefit to try to find the cure. It took me a couple of weeks to figure that part out.

So on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you for taking the time to read about this, and any donation would be greatly appreciated. And I too, would appreciate it, because if I don't raise the money they said they were going to take me out back, which does not sound positive at all.

Warmly,
Uncie Mafflew

ps. feel free to tell your friends!

Maui Wowie!

In the year 2007, Jeff's mom turned 60, his dad 65, Jeff and I both 30, Jeff's brother 25 and Kate was born - so Lucy decided it was a great opportunity to do a family trip to Maui to celebrate. As such, a little over a week ago we found ourselves enduring a 12 hour travel day to get to the beautiful island of Maui. Despite the fact that Kate caught her very first cold just one day before we departed, she Jeff and I all survived the two flights to get there.

The main lesson learned on this little excursion was that it is no longer necessary to pack any reading material for flights - we were 100% busy feeding, holding, and playing with our little travel companion. The good news is that Kate did receive her flying "wings":

The 72 degree difference between Denver and Maui was a bit rough on the little tyke, Kate was down to her diaper when we got off the airport and hot and sweaty even still! That poor little thing had never felt air so warm in her entire life!!  The good news is that after a day or two she settled right into the heat and went back to being her happy little self:


All-in-all the trip was a good one: Kate did great, we got to swim, boogie board, snorkel, watch the whales, play tennis, hang out on the porch and just generally relax. Here are a couple shots from the trip:

Sending you Valentine's Kisses!

I bet you thought I dropped off the face of cyber-space!! Well, we've been both busy and on vacation - so more to come on that. I'm hoping to do a lengthy update on all we've been up to this weekend. But in the meantime, Kate wanted to send along some Valentine's kisses!!

Too PC?

I love having this website. It's a great avenue for self-expression as well as to share fun ideas and photos with friends and relatives who see us more on the internet than in person. One of the dilemmas with it is the fact that I often feel inhibited in writing exactly what I'd like to write about because of the small possibility that a certain somebody might be reading the blog (even though the chances are that very few people actually read this blog!) and maybe they might be offended by something I'm writing. 

In general I know that I am far too sensitive about these sort of things, although you never would have guessed that when I told the host of a recent party I went to that she had the same name as a friend of mine's pet parakeet (or some other brand of bird-in-a-cage...).   Anywhooo - I guess I am going to try and put aside my overly-sensitive self and begin to be more "myself" in my writing and posts, after all if I do offend someone they'll have to admit to reading my blog if they want to discuss the issue further!  

So, yes I do go to parties that you aren't invited too, I enjoy my time alone, I like both of my dogs more than most people, I think home-made food is generally better than anything you can get at a restaurant (okay, most of the time that's true),  making crafty gifts is better than buying junk, romantic comedies are better than any action-packed war movie (full disclosure: the credits just started rolling on my #2 romantic comedy of the evening), sometimes I won't answer the phone when you're calling (but I usually will call you back!), there's no way I'm ever going to vote for Romney McCain or Huckabee,  and yes we are going to caucus on Tuesday. That's all the controversial or interesting things I can think of for now...

 

Crackin' on Colorado!

Apparently these were written by Jeff Foxworthy on Colorado - it's pretty funny & true!  

You are a Coloradoan if .............

1. You switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in one day.
2. You know what the " Peoples Republic of Boulder" means.
3. Your sense of direction is: towards the mountains and away from the mountains.
4. You're a meat-eating vegetarian.
5. The bike on your car is worth more than your car and you have your own special bike lane.
6. You're able to drive 65 miles per hour through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without even flinching.
7. You take your out-of-town guests to Casa Bonita even though you would never go there otherwise.
8. You think your major food groups are granola bars,tofu and Fat Tire Beer.
9. You design your kid's Halloween costumes to fit over a snowsuit.
10. You think that sexy lingerie is wool socks and flannel PJs.
11. You know all 4 seasons "almost winter, winter, still winter and spring blizzards
12. You've been tear gassed in a riot to celebrate a CU/CSU victory.
13. You can never figure out why your out-of-town guests faint from altitude sickness on a picnic to the mountains.
14. You can drive over a 12,000-foot pass in 4 feet of snow, but can't get to work if there are 4 inches of snow.
15. You know the 'correct' pronunciation of Buena Vista
16. When you visit friends at sea level, you can drink a case of beer and not get a buzz.
17. Your car insurance costs more than your car.
18. You have surge protectors on every outlet.
19. April showers bring May blizzards.
20. 'Timberline' is someplace you have actually been.
21. You know what a 'Chinook' is
22. You know what a ' Rocky Mountain Oyster' is.
23. You know what a "fourteener" is.
24. .But you don't know what a "turn signal" is.
25. A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you nearly as much as a Democrat in Congress does.
26. Your golf bag has a 9-iron, a 3-wood and a lightning rod.
27. People from out of state breathe 5 times as often as you do.
28. Having a Senator named Nighthorse doesn't seem strange.
29. Thunder has set off your car alarm.
30. You have an $800 stereo in your $300 truck.
31. You think a red light means 3 more cars can go.
32. Where we're going, we don't need roads!!
33. You know where the real " South Park " is.
34. You can recognize the license plates of all 50 states on sight.
35. Driving directions usually include 'Go over_________ Pass. '
36. You've 'checked for ticks.
37. You've dressed in shorts, sandals, and a parka with a hood.
38. You've gone snow skiing in July and.........
39. You've played golf in January and.......
40. They were in the same year!
41. You've urinated on the Continental Divide just so it could run into both oceans.
42. You know what a down slope and an up slope weather pattern is.
43. And the most important: You get a certain feeling of satisfaction from knowing that California and Texas are both down stream.