Can you say BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR?

Hi friends and family!

I just realized that we just hit our 5-month mark since we relocated to beautiful Colorado, so I guess it's time to give everyone an update. So far, everything has been great. Work is going well for Darin. Other than the less-than-glamorous diggs and a bit of a commute, he seems to have jumped right in and is proving to be a valuable addition to this Colorado team. He likes to be back in the "seasons" and I have to say, I like it, too. The Fall was beautiful, albeit short. We have had some good snow but it hasn't been overwhelming . . . yet. The cold is a little harder to get used to. The boys aren't used to wearing anything heavier than a hoodie, so the big jackets, gloves, hats and scarves are a new concept. They came to an understanding when we walked to school in negative 12 degree weather one morning. Most mornings it is below 20 so they've come to appreciate taking the extra time to bundle up. There is actually no snow on the ground now and we are having a warm week. It was 40 yesterday and today it is a balmy 50. It's amazing how fast my perspective changed!!!
Connor is doing well in 4th grade. He has some good friends right here on the street and enjoys being outside biking and skateboarding. We have a park directly across the street and the kids get to spend a lot of time there. Trevor is doing well in 1st grade. He had a bit of an adjustment period, but is doing well. He really misses his best friend, Frankie. He enjoys being outside and not having to have Mom sit out there and watch him like a hawk. He especially enjoys the snow and will spend hours at the park rolling giant snowballs. We took the boys sledding over Christmas break and they had a great time. I think they are starting to embrace all of the things they can do here. They do miss their friends in California though. That is by far the hardest part of being here--we miss you all VERY much. The only other thing we miss seems to be food related, i.e. Trader Joes, Western Bagel, Habit, In-n-Out Burger, Baja Fresh, etc.
We are planning a trip out to SoCal in July. We will be there for the fourth of July and spend a couple of weeks playing there and down in San Diego. We would love to see all of you and see how much the kids have grown and changed.
I will do my best to keep you posted this year. We wish all of you a very happy, safe, and healthy 2009.