Mara's Website

So, here are my updates: In July, I went to multiple weddings. One of my volleyball friends, Cindy, got married. Here I am with two of my other vball buddies, Cali and Christine:

Two weeks later my friends Jen and Courtney got married. It was a really beautiful wedding, especially to see two women with long white dresses on. So pretty!!

I also did a bunch of the fun races (that I always do) this Summer/Fall. Started off with the Urban Assault Race in Denver. Brent and I did it again and it definitely didn't disappoint! My favorite might've been the hippity-hops! I could hippity-hop up the hill quite fast! :)

I also did the Muddy Buddy with Brent in August and we shaved quite a bit of time off our results from last year, so I was very happy with that. And, it ended in a giant mudpit, so how could I be sad about that? :)

And in mid-October, on a very cold and rainy day, my friend Kathy and I did the Urban Assault Race in Ft Collins. Our team name was "You call Fort Collins URBAN?". :) We did decently well considering Kathy started out with a flat, was riding with one bad arm, and the weather was very very very wet and cold. :) So it was definitely fun, but a bit more challenging. :)

I also spent quite a bit of time this Summer with friends doing lots of activities! Cooking seemed to be a theme... In August my friend, Himanshu, taught me to make Indian Dahl. It was really good, but the parethas (bread) we made... that left a bit to be desired. :) It ended up more like crispy tortilla chips than bread!

Also in August I went mushrooming for the first time with my friends Andy and Carolina. It was soooo fun and we found TONS of yummy mushrooms! Here I show off the largest porchini we found (which I found!). :) Soooo tasty!

Also in August, my friends Sara and Lee came back from a year abroad in Indonesia where they were teaching. We decided to surprise them by all wearing the skirts they had sent us as gifts while they were still there. None of us actually knew how to tie the skirts (although they informed me I had tied my the correct "female" way, so I was pleased). :)

At the end of August I went on a backpacking trip with Anika and my friend Derec. It was really beautiful and to Indian Peaks Wilderness which I had never spent time in before. So we did a bunch of hiking which, of course, Anika loved. Plus it was the site of a few old mines and LOTS of lakes (which I was brave enough to put my feet in, but it was cold!!).

It's also been a year of LOTS of scrapbooking for me. I finally finished my Kenya and Cameroon albums (nope, haven't even started my South Africa ones. Heck, haven't even started 2007 yet!), but it's been fun. I went to a couple scrapbook retreats this year, which I always enjoy since I get a chance to spend time with friends! Here I am at one with my friends Jana and Rini!

And, as if moving out and selling my house weren't stressful enough, I decided I wanted to host one last party in my house! So, I had a Halloween party. I was impressed- everyone wore a costume, and pretty decent ones at that! Here I am with my friend, Cate. I went as the "hostess with the mostess hostess" and wore twinkies, cupcakes, ding dongs, etc. :)

And then came time for moving out. I got rid of SO MUCH STUFF! I had no idea just how many things I had collected (which is funny since I had made a concerted effort not to collect things). :) So after getting rid of a bunch, storing the nice furniture my parents sent me at my friend Kathy's house, this is what was left- all to be brought to my new apartment. Luckily the people buying my house were really nice (turns out it was a co-worker's brother) and they allowed me to store my stuff in the garage in the week between closing on my house and being able to move into my apartment in Denver!

But now I am settled into my new apartment (all that's left is to finally finish hanging all the pictures on my walls. I've started, just not really done yet). :) I even think Anika has settled in (she's found her favorite places to curl up, the giant window that looks outside on a big tree with "squirrel TV", she *loves* being close to City Park (again, lots of squirrels to check out), and is loving having me home more and getting lots more long fun walks! And I just got back this weekend from a very fun trip to Whistler, Canada (near Vancouver) with my friend Jeremy. We got lots of good boarding in and quite a bit of fresh powder, so it was a nice soft way to re-learn how to do it all this year! :) My legs were quite tired by the end of the trip!!!

So, all in all, it's been a very busy but very fun year!! I wish you all the happiest of holidays and a very good New Year!
Love,
Mara and Anika