Best of February

Though Chad and I were only able to go skiing once this month (day three of the season), we truly made it count. It was a fantastic day at Sunlight, from sparse crowds to great runs and wonderful weather. Fingers crossed for several more days in the coming weeks!

Chad’s mom and sister came to visit us, along with our nephew and niece. It was our first time hosting them at our home, and we decided to show them the nearby Rifle Falls (which is typically a favorite summer destination). This time, it was snowy, icy, and still as gorgeous as ever. The trail was pretty slick (I probably wouldn’t recommend without spikes…which we do not have, lol) but we had a great time regardless. It was even better to have the whole place practically to ourselves on a Saturday.

This year for the Super Bowl, we invited our neighbors over to watch the game. We had a great time with delicious food (focaccia bread, brownies, pigs in a blanket, rolls, pulled pork sliders, chili and cornbread, jalapeño poppers, and margaritas), prop bets, and good company (the game was a little boring, but that’s alright).

Wally, Wally, Wally. He had another one-of-a-kind month. First, Wally had a very bad haircut. The floofy goof we all know and love was shaved down to his pink skin. Though it wasn’t a great look, he more than makes up for it with his amazing personality.

Second, Wally ate an entire tray of brownies (chocolate, as you likely know, is extremely toxic to dogs) and I had to take him to the ER for a good, old-fashioned stomach pumping.

Third, Wally ate some moldy or toxic hay in our backyard, which made him incredibly sick. He was throwing up and had to be taken to the ER clinic at 2 a.m.—a 45 minute drive away. The poor guy felt better the next day, but had to go through many x-rays and tests to make sure he didn’t have any blockage.

Note: thank god for pet insurance.

Last, we had Wally stay at a sitter when my in-laws came to visit. They aren’t dog people and he’s a lot of dog, so we decided to play things safe for a few days. We used a local person through the Rover site (saving quite a lot of money compared to a traditional kennel) and though it went great for him (walks, lots of attention and cuddles and playtime), we missed him instantly. It was our first night away from him, and it was tough.

More than ever, we just feel so fortunate to have Wally in our lives.

We’re not huge Valentine’s Day people, but I wanted to do something special to bring joy into this relentless year (we need something!). We landed on a few random activities: donuts, lattes, painting pictures for each other, junk food charcuterie boards, Chinese food takeout, a hot chocolate bomb, and a rom com. Overall, a pretty fun day with my bestie for the restie.

We closed on our refinance! This was a long process that we started in December. After going through two different lending companies, two appraisals, and many, many documents, we were able to knock down an interest percent and shave down some of our monthly mortgage payment. Woo!

This month, we had a few additions to our home.

• Leather stools (Target)
• Super cute mugs (Target)
• Candle (Mountain Valley Creations)
• Charger plate (Target)
• Salt pinch bowl (Amazon)
• Rug (Amazon)
• Air mattress (Amazon)
• Window shade (Amazon)
• Printer (Amazon)

Woo! I’ve officially added a new client into my Sunshine Creatives portfolio. I’m now working with the incredibly cool Spoke and Vine Motel based in Palisade, Colorado. I’m now creating a monthly newsletter for them and I couldn’t be more excited to create some content for them! They really are unique and a bespoke lodging experience.

• Halt and Catch Fire
• Hercules
• 30 Rock
• The Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
• Lord of the Rings Two Towers
• Lord of the Rings Return of the King
• The Muppets Treasure Island
• The Bachelor
• Hamilton
• WandaVision
• To All the Boys: Always and Forever