We're getting a dog!

 

Yep, it's true. Tyson (pictured above), is a reverse brindle colored boxer that we will be picking up from a breeder in Nebraska on March 1st. He might possibly be the cutest thing I have ever seen!

I've been having a blast shopping for his new toys and cannot wait to meet him. I just need to get through a massive software implementation with one of my clients over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for lots of pictures and updates.

Dirt Bikes and CX Nationals

Although I still haven't been feeling very well, I tried jumping on my dirt bike for the first time since my thumb surgery. It was fun getting back on my bike, but I hadn't turned a throttle (other than the scooter) since July, so I was pretty rusty. I only lasted a few laps but it was motivation to keep doing everything possible so I can get better as soon as possible. 

 Later that night, we went over to the Long-Huang's to watch Supercross. We made some delicious apple fritters and Bryce snuggled with Ellie all night.

Sunday was very bitter-sweet for me. For the first time ever, Boulder hosted the National Cyclocross championships. It was held less than a mile from my house at the new Valmont bike park. Although I was excited to cheer on all of my close friends who were racing, I wished so badly I could have been out there. Some day.

I did enjoy hanging with everyone else out there and cheering as loud as my body would allow. I'm so glad I was able to watch Allen have the best race of his life finishing 5th in the Elite men then get selected for the Worlds team. Super proud and excited for him.

Hooray, the bathroom is finished!

Final product in panoramic view!

I thought it would be fun to see the before/after pics of our initial attempt to make it fun and different when we first bough the place in 2009.

 

Although I'm still not sure what we were thinking with the lime green, it's still 100 times better than the 1960s peach palace.

I've been dreaming about this remodel for quite a while now and couldn't be more excited it's finally done!

Can you believe this is the exact same location?

It's amazing how much more you can do with an additional 20 sqft and cabinets with storage.

One of my biggest ''must haves'' was a freestanding soaker tub. I've used it twice already and absolutely love it. Soooo relaxing.

It was a bit challenging trying to fit all of our clothing in one small closet. We originally planned on framing out two separate closets on that same wall but after finding these completely customizable wardrobes that fit to the centimeter, it was a no brainer.

Finally, we had to add a bit of color coordination to the bedroom. Between the new LED recessed cans and the lovely white carpet, it truly feels like a new room. We worked really hard on this and we couldn't be happier with the turnout!

2013 Holiday Trip

This year we began our holiday festivities by driving from Boulder to Utah to see Jerry and Keren's new place! My parents also flew out from Michigan so we could all spend a few days together.

We started out with a day of skiing at Snowbasin. I cannot believe how many resorts are within 15 minutes from their house. It's absolutely gorgeous in their little valley and they have the perfect place for what they love to do.

Mom and dad enjoyed the area tons and loved hanging out with their adorable golden retriever, Reilly.

We visited many of their favorite local restaurants, did lots of relaxing, and had lots of good laughs.

 We even made GF/DF waffles in Jerry's Red Wings waffle maker. It was pretty sweet.

Bryce had been itching to wear his new snowboard jacket for months, but I was adamant about him waiting until Christmas since it was a gift from our parents. However, we agreed he could open it Xmas Eve morning so he could wear it while we rode at Powder Mountain. He was pumped!

The skiing conditions were much better on Tuesday and we had a blast playing in the fresh pow pow at Powder Mountain. The resort only has four lifts, but there is plenty of acreage to create your own runs. We had a total blast.

Later that night, we made chicken fried rice for dinner and opened gifts with the fam. Mom and dad were stoked with their headphones and Jerry and Keren loved their Cuisinart breadmaker. I got some flannel lined jeans with bath salts for my new tub and Bryce got his Volcom snowboarding jacket. It was fun and low key evening, just how we like it.

Christmas day began with a chill breakfast at Jerry's place, then a long drive from Utah to Vail. We arrived around 5pm, just in time for another epic Barbara Bingham holiday feast. It was also great to see Brittany since she stayed in Cali for Thanksgiving this year.

Thursday couldn't have been a more beautiful day to be on the mountain. Although the snow wasn't as fluffy as it was in Utah, it was still fun to be back at Vail Mountain. I hadn't been to that resort since 2008! We relaxed another day in Vail then headed back to Boulder to work on the bathroom. Overall, it was a great week away from the bubble and a super fun time with both of our wonderful families!

Our favorite Georgians are in town!

That's right, Russ and Katie are back in Colorado! This time, one of Russ' sponsors put them up at the Ritz in Beaver Creek for the week...yep, baller! We met them up there for a day of riding on Friday then rescued them from the upscale world and brought them back to the bubble for a more normal environment!

We did lots of catching up, made some delicious food, put up the Christmas tree, and walked everywhere. We even got in a bit of shopping on Pearl Street. It was a quick visit, but a great one. It's always so nice to spend some time with those two!

The remodel is also coming around too. We're almost there! The vanity is complete with mirrors, cabinets and lights. Although we still have some minor detail work and touching up, it's fully functional which is all that matters right now.

We have also finished building our massive wall to wall wardrobes. This is what the inside kind of looks like. The left side is still missing lots of drawers, but you get the idea!

 This is how the doors look. At this point we had only hung the left side but the right looks identical. Again, still some minor tweaks, but it's functional and we're completely moved out of the downstairs guest room :)

Getting Closer

It's funny how the coldest week of the year is when our garage looks like an IKEA shipping department and I can't put my car inside...oh well, the remodel is a little more important than a frozen vehicle :)

We've been super busy putting in floor tile, vanities, tubs and toilets!

There's always a slight issue with every little part of the process but we're working through them slowly and finally starting to see the bathroom come together!

The toilet and vanity are fully functional which has been great. Now we just need to get the plumbing squared away for the tub drain and install the shower doors.

It really has been frigid here. Last week was 54 degrees on Monday then we never got over 5 degrees for the rest of the week. We even had a pipe freeze making the second of 3 showers unusable. Since paint doesn't dry well in colder temps, we decided to make our own trim painting station in the living room! Classy, huh?

Thankgiving Weekend 2013

This year we drove up to Vail on Wednesday evening to hang with Bryce's family for Thanksgiving. We hadn't seen Bruno (the dog) in a few months and needed a change in scenery for a few days.

Thursday was filled with walking the dog a few times, helping Momma Bingham with a few dinner items and lots of relaxing. Just what we needed. We couldn't believe how big Bruno had gotten...he's only 8 months. Although he looks like a full grown boy, he's definitely still a puppy at heart :)

Bryce's family was vegetarian for 20+ years and their normal Thanksgiving tradition is making a ''nut loaf'' instead of turkey. They have recently began eating meat so Barb decided to test out her turkey making skill this year! It was AWESOME!

She also prepared the most delicious gluten and dairy free meal ever, which included a pumpkin and apple pie. We are too spoiled.

 

We had planned on skiing on Friday but it was so warm and the snow wasn't that great. Instead, we came back down to Boulder and did a few bicycle rides and got the tile laid in the shower. It's all starting to come together!

Back on the mountain

This Saturday was the first time back on my snowboard since late 2008! With my vast array of injuries and health issues over the past 5 years, it really hadn't been a priority in my life. However, I really got the itch to get back into it this year. Instead of buying a pass and limiting ourselves to one area, we decided to go where we want, when we want. This past weekend, we hit up Loveland. Neither of us had been there before but it's close and inexpensive. Although there were only a few runs open, the snow was actually really good. I only lasted about 3hrs but it felt good to be out there and remember the uber soreness that comes along with it :)

Flora and I have been sending cookies for ''Bake-offs'' to the Shimano headquarters recently. I tried to wow them with some GF/DF Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies last time, but Flora schooled me with her gluten and butter filled Chocolate Chip ones. This time I wasn't about to lose so I through out the secret weapon with my special Peanut Butter Buckets. Unfortunately I couldn't eat any, but apparently they were good enough to crush Flora's White Chocolate Macadamia Nut ones. If I can't get the thrill out of competing on my bike, might as well get it baking cookies in the kitchen!

And lastly, we have walls on the extended bathroom. I'm still slightly bitter about not doing an open concept bed/bath but it actually doesn't look/feel too bad. We had a few snafu's with some plumbing supplies not arriving on time so hopefully we can get back on track this weekend and finally start laying some tile.

No turning back now!

That's right, the master bath has officially been extended and there's no going back now!

As much as I wanted to keep an open concept bed/bath feeling, I was talked out of it and convinced that adding walls will be much more appealing to future renters/buyers. I win some, I lose some. Either way, I couldn't be happier with the work our framers did to bump out the room and add a fancy pocket door last week. 

To give you a brief idea of how an additional 3ft will change our bath, the above pic is how the room used to look and below is how it will eventually look!

We are compromising on a smaller shower but in return getting a gorgeous freestanding soaker tub which I've been dreaming about for years. We'll also be adding a second vanity sink. And to make Bryce happy and motivated, we're laying in-floor heating as well :)

Our original plan with the closets was to have two separate framed units along the back wall instead of one larger closet and a small nook.

Instead, we found it easier and less expensive to just remove the current closet and associated framing then insert two large wardrobes that will go wall to wall and be much taller. This also gives us the opportunity to completely customize the insides and have the exact space and organization that fits our individual needs. Plus, I still wasn't really over ripping walls out!

 Here's a panoramic view of the space from Bryce's new iPhone. Much more to come!