Broke, Brown, and Barefoot: December 2024

I feel like the last time I wrote was in August, and since then, not much has happened but I'll leave some updates and photos here!

Talon has been playing hockey for what feels like non-stop. And that's okay because I enjoy team sports, which is where I tap in for Joe. If it doesn't have wheels and/or a motor in the sport, Joe couldn't be more uninterested. Between hockey travel and play, I've also been able to take Talon to some Avalanche games and that's been one of my new favorite times with him. He heckles each team while shoving ice cream or root beer down his throat and I do my best not to noticeably laugh at how adorable it is.

I'm craving the ocean and know I've retired that for my kid (it's wild what you WOULDN'T do for your kid). I'm heading home at the end of January so looking forward to that, and teaching Talon how to surf. Mom is flying in from Chattanooga, TN and we are both craving the ocean, so we got a beach house in Sunset Cliffs area and I'm really looking forward to that. Morning and evening walks on the beach, salty hair and skin, and sharing my joys with my kid who is under some impression that I'm a WAY better surfer than I actually am or ever was. It's going to be disappointment for him when he sees me in action. I've also gained 30lb since surfing, so watching me get into my wetsuit will be entertainment enough for him.

Joe is still my oldest child and what a good dad he's become. If you asked any of his friends prior to us dating what he thought of being a dad, he would look at them sideways. A couple even warned me, "you know he's not really the family type." But that was okay. The first guy I was serious with after Talon's dad was for me. The next guy was for Talon. Third time was a charm, and I struck gold with both. He is a kid himself, so the two of them are obnoxiously adorable and I love being the 3rd wheel. He's a good man, dad, husband, playmate, and he always keeps things interesting.

We bought another boat this year, and I know that makes us sound super rich, but both boats combined are $4k and they bring invaluable time together as a family. We're on Lake Granby nearly every weekend in the summer. We love camping, but camping at 8,000 feet is cold even in the peak of summer. Having the cabin cruiser is AWESOME! Minus the first night when it flooded, it's been great!

I don't think much else has happened. Mom's husband, Bill passed away in May from a quick pancreatic cancer and that was a big bummer. It allowed for me to fly out and help get her things in order and Talon flew out with Joe so we could drive Bill's truck home. It was a nice little road trip! We stopped in Arkansas and did some lake time in the Ozarks on Lake Ouachita, and that was really cool. We also drove through tornado damage which none of us had ever seen before. It happened the night before, 10 minutes from the town we were sleeping in.

Norovirus is going around Grand County so of course it hit Talon on Christmas Eve. We were both up all night, me mostly rubbing his back and not able to sleep in fear he will throw up all over his bed (as he does). Just as I fell asleep at 6am, the kid woke up with bells on ready to party and open presents. With one eye open, I sat on the couch while Joe delivered me coffee, Christmas morning was over in 45 minutes, and I fell asleep on the couch for another hour. Joe and I thought for sure we would be stuck inside with a sick kid all day, but to our surprise, he wanted to ski! It was a white Christmas, so we all got our ugly sweater gear on, and enjoyed an AWESOME day. We lost Talon on the first run, but that's to be expected. He called me from a strangers phone and said, "Ma! I'm at the pano! Can I go up??" The Pano is the highest lift at Winter Park, and it didn't surprise me at all he would want to go without us. We made him wait for us, and didn't lose him again for the day.

That was a lot of words, so here are some pics to follow up with it!