ColoradoGrams

Today was a glorious snow day!  I got the call at 4:57am (cutting it close!) - I was glancing at my watch, sweating, trying to will the phone to ring with good news.  As I crawled back in bed with Paul (who still had a good 2 hours left before his alarm was to go off), I heard a muttered "I hate you..."  USAFA had classes still set for the day, and he had to be in at the normal time.  We fell asleep until Paul's alarm snoozed for the 5th time.  

My morning included 2 or 3 cups of coffee in bed with a book, followed by a great session at the gym.  I love the gym on Peterson Air Force Base especially when it's empty -- no waiting for machines, and being able to hop on the treadmill next to the Air Force Guy who makes you push your speed and incline up to get a better work out.    The gym was followed by lunch with friends at Old Cs - all of us are teachers and love gathering together to talk about what we could be/should be doing in the event school was actually in session.   (Aha!   Yelling at kids to get their AP stuff in before the deadline so they can take the test!!)

Back to the house to clean.  Like REALLY CLEAN.  Not just put piles on other piles to free up a space on my desk that's 8.5X11 to dust - I'm talking bleach, rolls of paper towels, moving furniture, and wiping down baseboards type cleaning.  I realized that the snow was melting and probably getting heavy, so I shoveled  the driveway and sidewalks quickly, then got back to the laundry and dog hair that that seeps into every aspect of our lives.  Our house smells like pumpkin walnut bread.  :D  Can't wait to bite into that!  

My vote goes to having another Snow Day tomorrow.  Just close everything down.  I'd love an excuse to stay at home with the boy .  Though, dressing up and going to the high school's Spring Formal (no - NOT PROM) could be fun as well.  

 Glass of wine + glass of milk & Oreos  + fireplace + comfy couch + good movie = awesome Friday evening! 

One of my favourite people to speak with at 4:00 in the morning is our school's Registrar, Karla.  There's almost nothing better than hearing her say "Good morning, sunshine!" as I struggle into partial consciousness.  I like hearing her voice first thing ALMOST as much as I like hearing Paul's.  When the phone rings at 4am, and Karla greets me, it typically means I have a delayed-opening or a snow day.  Snow Day! One of the definite perks of living in Colorado and working at a public high school in Colorado is that it snows here, which should mean snow days.  This year, however, has been an anomaly -- we've only had one true snow day so far, and that was back in December (November, maybe?)!  The weathermen have been teasing us incessantly all winter...empty promises of snow, leaving me sleepless and excited in anticipation of a snow day and all the possibilities that come with it!

This week in our local 5-Day Forecast, an impending spring snow storm has been growing on the horizon (that horizon being tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday).  Nothing yet.  

So right now, not wanting to jinx anything the meteorologists have been plugging/advertising/warning of/etc., I sit here in my pajamas -- backwards and inside out, according to old New Jersey lore (which no one in Colorado seems to know about, oddly enough).  This afternoon we've had lightning, thunder, hail, freezing rain and sleet, but no snow.  

Trying not to get my hopes up.  

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon...

On a completely different note, I've made a bunch of mini-muffins, and Paul and I are going to snuggledown in front of the fireplace to watch a movie.  

The Colorado Grahams haven't exactly done a great job of keeping up this blog.  We originally began the blog as Paul and I were working on wedding plans (2 years ago!) so friends and family could stay up to date with all of our wedding details, and also hear of our random adventures and travels.

WHERE WE LEFT OFF...

Well, to catch you up a bit, we officially became Paul and Carolyn Graham on November 23rd, 2007.  We were married at the Cadet Chapel on the United States Air Force Academy.  We were so thankful that the weather cooperated enough so all of our gests were able to fly/drive/bus into town.  Once the festivities got underway, the snow and frigid cold reminded us that we were celebrating Thanksgiving during a Colorado winter.  

The whole weekend of festivities was phenomenal.  We decided to delay our Honeymoon until the summer so that we could spend time with friends and family who were in town for the long weekend.  It was great being able to show everyone where we lived, introduce them to our pups, Rascal and Bandit, and have a casual weekend around town.

FAST FORWARD TO REAL TIME...

 Paul is currently working at the Air Force Academy teaching Computer Science.  He loves the teaching part of his job almost as much as I like seeing him in his uniform.  :)   We sponsor three USAFA cadets - they spend weekends at our place as a sort of "home away from home" when they have the time to get away from the Academy.  We've had a lot of fun getting to know them, and I, in particular, love having the opportunity to try new recipes out for them (and so far, I don't think they mind too much either). 

I am still working as a high school counselor at a brand new high school in the same district where I started. Currently we only have 9th and 10th graders at the school, so right now it is a pretty close knit group of students.  Our Spring Formal "Ciao Bella" will be held this Saturday night - I am definitely going to be chaperoning the event (Paul may or may not join me...I think it'll be a "day-of" decision).  I think the staff who is chaperoning are more excited than the students.  We have plans to go out AFTER the Formal to relax and unwind!

Weekend plans for doing the Incline before the Spring Formal may be a wash because right now snow (and a lot of it, fingers crossed!) is being called for beginning tomorrow.  Late season snow storms are my favourite - I love an excuse to not be able to leave my house and "have to" sit on my couch in front of the fire and read all day with a cup of coffee in my hand.  Keep your finger crossed/knock on something/wear pajamas inside out and backwards/dance to the gods of snow and winter that we have a snowy weekend! 

Thanks for coming back -- we'll update more regularly now!  (We hope.)