Noonday in the Rockies

As our family’s summer plans took shape, I quickly realized that my plan to head to Peru for my earned trip with Noonday was going to be challenging. And that did not appeal. So, in a joint decision with my friend Sarah, and knowing that we would also be with other friends, I pivoted to the first-ever Noonday trip to Lost Valley Ranch! 

The trip kicked off in Denver, which meant I got to catch up with Breen! So awesome. We had drinks Friday night and then breakfast on Saturday, where I got to see her house and visit with Colin.

Around lunchtime it was time to board the bus and head to the ranch, which I would say surpassed our lofty expectations! Stunning scenery and fantastic accommodations.

On arrival, we enjoyed a scenic happy hour at the home of the current managers (Brooke is also a Noonday ambassador!), then ate the first of many delicious meals in the dining room. From there we just enjoyed each other’s company, and Sarah and I closed the evening with a glass of wine in our cabin - before hitting the hay in preparation for our sunrise hike!

It was early, but waking before the sun for the hike was 100% worth it! I especially love that I only knew about half of these women before we started hiking, but wound up loving each and every one. Probably the highlight of the weekend!

After lunch, a few of us decided to give archery a try. MANY laughs, and another great crew of women!

Before dinner, we obviously needed a photo shoot - that’s what we ambassadors do! (And laughing together is what Sarah and I specialize in.)

Obligatory, if awkward, photo with Jessica!

Lots of memorable moments went unphotographed, like our line dances, jazzercise, and so many conversations that dug deep. It was a brief but powerful trip, as is always the case with Noonday!

I absolutely look forward to the next opportunity to travel internationally with Noonday - but I’m so glad I went on this trip!

Beed Visits Clare at ND

On the same weekend of Sadie Hawkins, I jetted off to spend the weekend with Clare! It was so fun to see her in her element, get to know her friends better, and enjoy a room in The Morris Inn all by myself!

We caught up Friday afternoon after her last class and chatted over lattes on God Quad - then made our way to Duncan Student Center to watch the Irish win an exciting basketball game in the NCAA tournament! We followed this with a delicious dinner at a local Indian restaurant with Katherine, Rebecca and Fernanda. So fun to share my ND stories and more!

Driving back, we saw Hesburgh Library lit up in support of Ukraine, and then I made a Grotto visit after dropping off the girls. One of my favorite spots on Earth!

Saturday we met for bagels (after a beautiful morning walk by me), shopped, then caught up with Rebecca for a study session. It was fun to observe their collaboration over physics - impressive, too! That night I took Clare and roommate Abby to dinner before Clare headed off to the Swim Club formal - and I went to bed!

We finished the weekend with Sunday brunch at the Morris Inn. It was a truly delightful weekend, and reinforced that Clare is truly at home under the Dome.

Danny’s 9th Grade Sadie

This year Marist kids got to enjoy the return of Sadie Hawkins after a two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus - and Mother Nature blessed them with a lovely evening for it!

Danny’s date was another long-time friend from CKS days, Lilah (also another fellow soccer player). It’s so fun to see these kids grow up together!

But hanging with the boys (Ken’s Kidz) always brings Danny the most joy! Not pictured: the mosh pit at the dance where Danny earned props from his fellow Varsity soccer players. These guys know how to enjoy themselves, for sure!

Shine 2022

This lead photo sums up how we felt about returning to an in-person SHINE and connecting with our ambassador community again. Gratitude and joy! 

I don’t have photos from some of my favorite moments, like great and fun conversations in the hotel bar, and team dinners - or a roommate photo with Brittany and Kathy?! I think I’ll remember, though!

So many wonderful people have come into my life through Noonday, and I was thrilled to have a weekend celebrating and having fun with so many of them…even if I did home home with Covid…

Laura Turns 11!

Given that Covid continues to rear its head and disrupt life, it’s a great thing that Laura has never been one for birthday parties. She once again chose to spend the day (and night) with Meghan. As they grow older, it’s become more of a challenge to figure out what fun things to do, plus the aforementioned pandemic issue. Thankfully, the girls still love LEGOS! And since we weren’t spending money on outings or a party, I took the girls to the LEGO store and let them each pick out a set (within a certain budget). They were thrilled!

Thus they busily passed the afternoon, with a break for Jersey Mike’s for lunch. Before they knew it, it was time to open gifts, then enjoy a steak dinner and cake! 

Laura gave me two options for this year’s cake design: A polar bear eating cheesecake, or Olivia Rodrigo. No brainer, in other words!

They finished the day watching Home Alone (which Laura had never seen) and a sleepover to also finish out their winter break. These girls are growing up - and it’s so fun to watch them do it together.

Christmas in Washington

It has been two years, almost exactly, since we had seen the Freymours! So, despite surgery preventing Larry and Donna from joining us, we packed up the van and headed to DC for the holiday.

To make the drive more pleasant, we opted to break it up and stopped in Winston-Salem for the night on our way north. We really liked the Wake Forest campus, where Laura fell in love with a big tree swing. We stayed at a charming historic inn and enjoyed a delicious dinner in the downtown area. After breakfast in the morning, we hit the road once again: DC or bust!

After rolling straight into Silver Spring for some QT and dinner before Ryan’s bedtime, we started the next day with another long overdue reunion: Terri and her family. It was a cold but calm day, and with Covid counts high we decided the patio and fire pit was the right venue. Their sumptuous spread of cocoa, cider, hot sandwiches and charcuterie made for a fabulous afternoon. We really enjoyed hearing about their various travels during their postings in Asia - and snuck in some college talk, too.

Christmas Eve dawned gorgeous and mild, so we made our way to the monuments. Got in some great sights AND photos!

Once Ryan had his fill, we parted ways and we five made our way toward the White House Christmas Tree. We were (somewhat rudely) halted by the police when trying to cross the street…and soon after the Presidential motorcade came driving through! We saw Dr. Biden waving, if not Joe himself. We decided they had made a Chipotle run…

We all cleaned up nicely and made it to mass, followed by our traditional fare - so delicious! We even forced Tim to watch “Elf” after dinner, which most of us enjoyed.

Christmas morning was grand, and after some rest back at our air bnb, we five went to see “Sing 2” before gathering for a delicious dinner. At this point, the picture taking definitely dropped off… but we spent our final day getting some fresh air around the monuments before meeting up with the Freymours for lunch and arcade games - a perfect spot for our particular crew. We grown-ups then enjoyed a nice dinner out while the cousins babysat - a great way to cap off the visit!

We opted to stop in Chapel Hill to break up the drive back south, exploring the UNC campus and then getting dinner at a pretty tasty Indian spot. It worked out well, but we were also very happy to get home the next day.

Another merry Christmas in the books!