April 24, 2018

My two favorite birthday gifts this year....

snow from God...

...and this card from Jed.

He wrote it the way he was instructed to write his opening statement for the prosecution,

which we both thought was bogus at the time,

but is hilarious now.  :)

April 19, 2018

 The big day!!

 Judge Hagerty with Jed's class.

Judge Hagerty debriefing Jed's class/team as well as the opposing team.

Jed's class won one of the verdicts, and the overall points.

This experience has taught Jed one really big lesson - 

 that he never wants to see the inside of a courtroom again for the rest of his life.  :)

April 18, 2018

Jed's homeschool class, after a practice mock trial with another homeschool class.

The real thing is tomorrow!

It is so much work - 

there are essentially two trials, as each class/team acts as the prosecution in one trial and the defense in the other.

Jed's team won both of the verdicts and the overall points, 

which are awarded for their performance, regardless of the verdict.

It is gratifying that they did well, as we have done nothing but mock trial prep for two weeks now.

April 16, 2018

 This is what we've been doing - and ALL we've been doing - the past week and a half - 

mock trial practice.

We'll all be glad when this is over!

April 5, 2018

Jed's homeschool class has been preparing for a mock trial. 

in a real federal courthouse with a real federal judge, later this month,

so his class (along with some other similar classes in the region) met with the judge today in the courtroom 

for instructions on judicial proceedings.

The judge took us back into his chambers afterwards for further discussion and instructions and pictures.

The kids are all smiles in the picture, 

but they were all thinking the same thing all us moms were thinking - 

there is no way the kids are ready for this in two weeks!

This judge is intense, 

and it seems he expects the kids to know what real prosecutors 

and defense attorneys 

and witnesses 

and defendants 

do in a courtroom,

including courtroom protocol and procedures.

We have a lot of work to do. :(

April 1, 2018

 Happy Easter!

 Jed looking a little stiff in his new suit.  :)

 That's more like it.  :)

March 27, 2018

Another light dusting of snow.

I wish it would blizzard!

March 26, 2018

I've never been very good at coming up with my own creations in any form or fashion - 

cooking, art, home decor, etc etc etc - 

but today I hit it out of the park!  :)

I made a white cake, filled between the layers with lemon pudding,

and frosted with lemon buttercream frosting.

Nothing fancy, but it was yummy and I was tickled. :)

March 21, 2018

It is the Spring Equinox today, 

and we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise this morning on the way to Jed's homeschool class. 

You can see Denver in the far background if you click on the pic to enlarge it.

This is the church building Jed's class meets in once a week.

I've always thought it was an interesting structure.

March 19, 2018

A little more snow!

And a surprise package in the mail from my oldest friend in the world!

What a nice way to cheer someone!

Thanks, Penny!!

March 1, 2018

 A beautiful full moon.

If you click on this image to enlarge it,

you can just barely see South Table Mountain under the moon.

It's a shame a camera can't capture what the eye can see so clearly.

February 25, 2018

The flatirons on the way to Boulder, covered with a light dusting of snow.

I love these mountains so much more than the ones we have in Golden - 

the stone is so pretty in these.

I'm happy I get to enjoy them every Sunday on our commute to church.

February 23, 2018

We had a pretty good bit of ice recently....so pretty, how it coats the leaves.

Brad sent this sign to me for Mother's Day last year, and I love it -

it has signs for places I've lived, and their distances to the home where we last lived together.

The post was never secure in the base, though, 

and I've puzzled over what to do about that for a while now.

I finally came up with a really cute solution...

paint toothpicks green to resemble grass, and insert them into the base to mimic grass.  :)

February 14, 2018

Jed's favorite Valentine's Day gift this year:  a shirt that reads

You Matter.

Unless You Multiply Yourself

By the Speed of Light...

Then You Energy.

LOL

Tracy's favorite Valentine's Day gift this year...or any year.  :)

February 12, 2018

Jed knows how to be comfortable while doing his schoolwork.  :)

February 7, 2018

A precious friend in Malaysia sent me this beautiful hand-knit scarf recently - 

you can't imagine how soft it is!  

And how cute is that card, with its own little hand-knit scarf as an embellishment?

Thanks, Lin, from the bottom of my heart - for the lovely gift, and for your patience!

February 4, 2018

We have four little boys in our small church family, 

and they love to do the motions for songs with Mr. Mike

before we go downstairs for Sunday School. 

February 2, 2018

I made these apple crisp cookie cups today.

I hope I haven't posted about them before...I was too lazy to look.  :)

They are so yummy!

The cookie cups are made with oats and spices,

and the caramelized apples make the cups into little pies.

I've only made them once before, in the regular size muffin tin;

this time I split the batch between the regular size muffin tin and a mini muffin tin.

The mini muffin size are definitely less messy, but you get less apple filling too.  

As much as I like to avoid messes, this is one time I'm going to have to turn my back on that.  :)

January 31, 2018

Jed's homeschool class is on Wednesdays, from 7:30 to 2:00.

It's a pretty good distance from our house, so we leave about 6:45.

When I heard there was to be a trifecta of astronomical wonders at 6:30 Wednesday morning,

I was so excited - I don't think I could have dragged Jed out of the house that early on a regular school day.  :)

The moon was to be in the north-northwest sky in our part of the world,

so we drove to the top of the mountain near us to get a clear view of the moon behind it.

We were so disappointed when we couldn't see it - the moon was to set around 7:00 am, 

and apparently it was already below the mountains to the west of where we were.

However, as a consolation prize, I took a few pictures of the valley that is Golden.

They're kind of dark - if you click on each picture, it will enlarge.

It was pretty amazing to see the sky change so quickly, just during the time it took to get down the mountain.

The first picture was taken from the top,

and this one and the next were taken about midway down.
The two mesas are South Table Mountain on the right, and North Table Mountain on the left.
Golden lies between the mountain we were on, Lookout Mountain, and the two mesas (and in between).
Denver in on the other side of South Table Mountain, where the more intense light is.

This picture was taken near the bottom of Lookout Mountain...

the sky was starting to turn orange by this time, 

and it was time for us to be about our day.

January 29, 2018

Jed's homeschool class had a science fair this month.  

I gave some artistic advice but he did the experiment and put the board together himself.  

He was pretty proud of himself.  :)

So. Much. Work. to do in school.