Christmas Letter 2015

So, I finally mailed out my Christmas cards, again without a letter... I just get the impression that not everyone loves the letter and to save a few trees ... we will just do this electronically.

I'm not really sure where to start... 2015 has been a positive year at the Krapes house. Don't get me wrong, there are always a few bumps along the way. But all in all we are all still happy, healthy and always looking for a new adventure. In  January we started the year with a trip to Cancun with my sister and my parents. I always love relaxing vacations. I could get used to days of sitting by the pool with a good book to read. I know it can't last forever, so I try to enjoy it all while I can. Brooke, Tyler and Cali had tons of fun on the beach, building sand creations and playing in the water. In May Brooke and I went to Washington D.C with a school trip. Never being in that area before it was a great experience for both of us. Traveling with 25 5th and 6th graders is an interesting proposition. So when it is Tyler's turn, I think Lou will be going. In June we went to Long Beach California for Dance Nationals. The dance team did fantastic, and for the most part the trip was great. I'm not sure it is a place that I would go back to... In August, we did a little weekend trip to Beavercreek, we biked and hiked a little, along with some other fun activities. We let the kids swim and played board games. In September, we went with the Carey's to Snowmass and did the Tough Mudder. I'm positive that I'll talk about that adventure more ... And then in November we spent a few days in Steamboat, again with my parents and my sister. As far as mountain towns go, that one is by far my favorite. The kids went sledding, we watched people ski... It was great. Lou even mentioned that maybe he would like to ski / snowboard one day.

Tyler ... He is our guy that doesn't ask for a lot, but when he finally mentions something, that means he really wants it. He is always up for a new adventure, especially when sports are involved. He went snowmobiling with my parents a few times and decided that he really likes that, he doesn't even mind having to get up early. Academically, Tyler has continued to keep us on our toes, meaning that I'm always checking in with the school to see if there is progress.. The start of 4th grade has been fantastic, the teacher was motivating Tyler and he was happy to go to school. Well, life unfortunately happens, weather we like it or not and Tyler's teacher is moving to another state. We are all incredibly sad to see her go. Lucky for me (and Tyler) I was selected to be on the hiring committee and her replacement is a very positive person. So hopefully, we will still see good things. Tyler played soccer in the spring, he ran track in the summer and in the fall he played both baseball and soccer. That was a bit of a challenge for us logistically but Tyler couldn't have been happier. The things we do as parents, right? But I'm enjoying all of this now because some day, they may not like me as much as they do right now. Tyler also accompanied Grammie to St. Louis for a wedding in October. He had a great time and it was good for him to help out with responsibilities, giving directions and such without mom and dad there. And he was able to see the St. Louis Zoo and meet lots and lots of family that he didn't know he had.

We had a fantastic photographer for the soccer games...

Brooke ... She is the one that always has to be doing something... I wonder where she gets this from? Brooke 'continued' from 6th grade into middle school this year. At first I'm not so sure she loved it, but now that all the teachers think that Brooke is great, things are much much better. 6th grade ended well for Brooke, they went to Outdoor Lab, the school takes the entire class to the mountains for a week, with no contact with their parents or outside world really and they have to figure it out... Brooke had a fantastic time and said she is going back as a high school leader. Dance went well for Brooke this last season, but she has decided that she wants to change her focus, instead of always competing. She wants to perform and she would like it to be in Ballet performances. We started this season to compete so we will finish that but we have also looked into some other opportunities for the Ballet opportunities to come, so we will see where that takes us. Brooke's maturity level has increased as well, I don't have to go to school or dance anymore to have conversations with instructors or teachers, she has taken over that job... Thank goodness! As always, academically she is doing fantastic... she tells me she wants to have better grades than I did... That doesn't leave her much room for messing around. I'm proud of her motivation, and somehow she still manages to make time for her friends, for dance and school. Hopefully she can continue to balance it all for awhile longer.

 

Since Brooke turned 12 in March, she was able to get her first pair of pointe shoes... This girl was so happy! Until she realized how much work it is...

 

Lou ... Lou's tenure as the PTA vice president has officially come to an end. I think that as a family we are so happy to have him more a bit more... that might only be for 10 extra minutes but he isn't complaining about things going on anymore. That is exciting. He still is doing some tasks for the school, but nothing that he has to be there for hours and hours anymore. Some things happened in town with the industry Lou works in, which in turn has made him very busy. At the end of the day it is a good thing, but the day to day agony of dealing with customers who are pushy and needy is taxing and something that Lou has had to learn how to balance. Lou is the coach of Tyler's soccer team, and we found out just this week that he has been picked as the Real Edge Soccer U9-U18 Boys coach of the year. At first we thought this was a bit of a joke, because coaching 10 year old boys is an incredible struggle... but turns out it is kind of a big deal. We will find out in January if he will be the Colorado State Coach of the Year. In typical Lou fashion he says that it isn't him, it is all the help he gets from me and Tommy and David ... but Brooke reminded him that he was the one that puts it all together. I'm proud of him and strive to be more positive and happy and giving like Lou on a daily basis... maybe someday. Lou also did the Tough Mudder in September, his training was no where near as many hours as I put in, but of course, he makes it all look easy. In my world that is incredibly frustrating, but I'm also happy that he is almost always up for something new and challenging.

 

 

As for me ... I continue to work ... kind of a lot ... Bringing the Arctic Dealership into work has made my job both a bit more challenging but also a bit more fun. We have a new energy at work that, most of the time, makes things fun. All of us always have something to do, and some of us always feel like we are days, if not months behind. I try to be involved at school, but it isn't like it used to be. Luckily, both the kids have been able to take care of themselves. I'm still organizing runs for the Arvada Running Club. I'm certainly happy that they are so patient with me, because sometimes it all turns out to be a super last minute proposition. This year I have taken on some challenges with the running situation. As of this morning I have 24 miles to go, to hit the goal of running 700 miles in the year, for some people that isn't that many, but for me it is the most I have ever done... Believe me when I say I'm counting down every mile, but I also believe it is all within reach now. I picked up a Burpee challenge in September with a friend of doing 50 burpees everyday for 100 days. It has been difficult and burprees really aren't that fun, so I think after December 23rd I will be taking a break from those. I also, organized a running club at the elementary school for the kids and they ran a local 5K with the Olympic runner Frank Shorter. It was a great time for the kids, so I will be organizing the club again. It is so fantastic to see the kids when they are able to do something they always thought was so hard. I had one mom in tears because her son was so happy. That day made it all worth the headaches and hours of planning and the days when the kids were a bit out of hand. Hopefully, I'm able to recruit Brooke and some of her friends to help out. For this next round.

 

This is after our Tough Mudder Adventure.... at least we are all smiling!

 

 

All in all we have been very fortunate in 2015 ... we wish you and your family an incredibly happy new year...

Fall Updates

Look, here I am ... Almost December and almost time for my annual Christmas letter deciding that it is time for an update... I'm not sure that makes much sense to anyone, but oh well.

One of my best running buddies ... who got me into the whole running challenge in the first place. At the start of the Hot Chocolate 5K!

Update, the running challenge is happening. Our team met our goal of 2015 miles in September I believe, but my 700 miles is still not met yet. As of this morning I have 84 miles before I meet that goal, or an average of 17 miles per week for the rest of the year. I think I can, I think I can. Who am I kidding? This has been so much harder than I thought it was going to be. There are so many days when my motivation is so low that I end up walking. At least it is something, but goodness. And there have been days when my quad hurts or my foot hurts, or my brain is tired or it is cold or whatever. I haven't come up with this many excuses since I started running 8 years ago. At the end of the day I know this is helping me, if nothing else than just my brain power. I also joined a friend to do this burpee challenge. 100 Burpees (or in my case 50) every day for 100 days. I think I have about 35 days left. And although burpees are getting easier I have decided I don't love them, I haven't learned to even like them at all. So I guess maybe in some way I'm getting stronger but its like an ugly black cloud every day, like I finish the 50 and then 20 minutes later I remember I'm going to have to do it again tomorrow...

Lou and I did the Tough Mudder again in September with some friends ... I was just coming off an injury, not trained well for the hills at all and some of the new obstacles were tough for me mentally. I fell on the Monkey Bars this year, like close to the beginning so that messed me up. There was a new one with like 'gas' type substance that was rough also. I didn't admit it during the race, but my hip injury hurt most of the race... As a team we were probably a bit slower than last year but they changed the course so we aren't really comparing apples to apples. And all of us had some type of injury. At the end its all good, we finished, we made some great memories and took some fun pictures.

The Carey's and Lou and I with all our mud and headbands.

 

After we had showered ... my new favorite picture of us.

 

Work as smoothed out a little, or maybe I'm just used to busy (however, I'm taking time to write this blog right now). Mostly work is positive, but there are days when I just want to crawl into a dungeon and hide because there is just so many things that can go wrong. Lou's job has been incredibly busy as well. He comes home every night (some days later than others but never before 7) just saying how busy it is and how difficult it is to keep things straight. Having been through it a year ago I understand completely. They will figure it out but I'm sure there will be some tempers flare along the way.

Tyler played baseball during the fall and enjoyed it immensely. So much that he was able to convince me to let him play both soccer and baseball in the spring again. I guess keeping him active his good. Less time for him to figure out trouble...

Tyler's baseball team

At Batting Practice

Brooke has just been dancing... She started middle school and after she had all the teachers on her side she was good to go... No need for mom anymore (except on that 5 min walk after her and her friends part ways). Brooke did also run the Hot Chocolate 5K with her friend and had a great time! She even had me sign her up for next year.

Brooke and Ciara after the Hot Chocolate Race enjoying their snacks!

Fun at dance ... funny how they all think alike, wearing black and pink!

Maybe she still likes me ;)

Brooke and Tyler after the mini mudder!

Midyear updates

Well I guess writing can be a form of therapy ... that would mean that you actually write down your thoughts and go back and reread them. I understand that it can be a form of therapy, like look how far I've come or remember when... Well, here is to someday right?

Since the last post, upwards of 7 months ago many things have happened. Of course, Brooke has danced, Tyler has played soccer... Lou and I have argued with schools, I have run and signed myself up for crazy challenges again. Lou has officially ended his term as Vice President of the PTA. Lou and I signed up for the Tough Mudder again, the kids signed up for the Mini-Mudder ... They are super excited for that. 

So the Challenge that I have accepted for 2015 is to run 2015 miles with a team. Luckily, I have fantastic team mates that are keeping the team going. My mileage at the beginning of the year was rather lame and I was super stressed about the situation because secretly I had set a goal that I was going to run at least 700 of those miles. We 35 miles in January and 35 miles in February is pretty sad ... But I have stepped up my game and now I'm much closer to where I need to be... I haven't totally made it up yet but I'm close. Right now I sit at 370 miles. I was kinda hoping to get to 400 by the end of July but 30 miles in 8 days is probably not going to happen. Anyway, this challenge has given me motivation to keep running every week... You see I haven't really signed up for many races and no long distance races so I really didn't have a reason to get out of the house or go further than 3-5 miles. Since Lou has decided he would start running with me a little bit it has been much easier and motivating to get out of the house, however, he is forcing me to run much much faster. I've always said I don't do tempo runs because I'm afraid of them.... Well I'm still afraid of them, Lou just forces the issue.

Lou is so happy to be out from under all of the PTA duties. He thought it was great at first and to give back to the community and the school and stuff was great, however, like most things we volunteer for it all becomes too much. The last few months it seemed like every day he was at the school having to take care of something new. Quite honestly it was starting to make me a little angry also.

Brooke has had an eventful 6 months, outside of her typical dance schedule... First she went to Outdoor Lab, then she went to Washington DC, then to Long Beach. Brooke danced the whole season, she did great and for the most part enjoyed the experience of all of the competitions. As Brooke is entering the almost teenage years I'm doing my best to make sure she is learning lessons and remembering feelings along the way. That has been a bit of a struggle. Another big thing for Brooke, she was finally strong enough to be on point and to get her first set of point shoes. The girl was so happy, I don't think I have ever seen smiles so big. Brooke's dancing took us to Long Beach for a week. It was fun to visit a new place but believe me when I saw it is not the pretty part of California. Brooke and I enjoyed some time in Washington DC with kids from school. It was a fun trip filled with tons of sightseeing. The days were long and we were all exhausted by the time we got home. It was an amazing experience that I'm sure she won't forget, I know I won't. Outdoor Lab was very exciting for her as well. It was for the most part the longest she has gone without talking to us or seeing us. They keep them very busy so I know she was fine but there was a little worry there. And finally Brooke made it out of elementary school. She is officially a Middle School kid. I'm still not sure how this happened and if I'm even ready for it, but guess what ... Not many people care what I think.

Brooke's point shoe fitting

 

Brooke and her friends at 'continuation'

Tyler played soccer in the spring, ran track in the summer and will play baseball and soccer in the fall. As if everything else didn't keep us running, Tyler wanted to make sure we were full... Tyler is over the top excited about his first opportunity to play baseball, I hope it turns out well for him. Tyler also has been taking statistics classes for fantasy football ... I guess there is always room for improvement, winning by 20 points every week isn't enough. This is to give him a little something extra for his Math push. Last year Lou and I argued with the school often about them ignoring Tyler ... finally they put him up a level at life at our house was so much better. This worked so well for Tyler that the school has changed the schedule to be able to accommodate other students like him. Just getting that battle over with has helped the stress level at my house immensely.

 

 

Aside from all of the above excitement, we have run a few 5K's as a family, spent some time at the pool, tried to enjoy each other's company... Here are some random pictures to show just that...

 

Oh, Right! We went to some Rockies games...

This is the "bike" rental on the beach, it was a lot more work than Lou and I anticipated!

This was after a 5K ... In the middle of July ... That started at 3 in the afternoon... That race director was not thinking ... I don't think Lou likes me much ;).

Tyler and I trying to match Lou's face ... Or maybe Lou just doesn't believe in taking a picture any other way...



Running Streak Thoughts ... Cancun trip

Well ... I finally have about 3 extra minutes in my life ... So here are my running streak thoughts ... I ran at least one mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years Day ... I did this same streak last year and it seemed so much harder ... When I looked at the mileage differences I was running longer mileage last year but I had so much less time ... There was more than once that I was out running my mile in my jeans at 11:30 at night because that was the only time I could fit it in. This year I was also still cross training at the gym 3 days per week and working a whole lot more so mentally I was drained. I did race on New Year's Day on a pretty cold day and snow covered paths. There was no PR or even top 10 finish but it was good to get out and race ... I haven't raced in a long time. It was really great that the Running Club had a great turnout also. I love running races with a bunch of friends. Overall, the streak is good for me. It keeps me honest during the holidays and although I'm not sure I get any stronger I am not loosing ground either.

A friend has suggested that we do this other challenge ... Run 2015 miles in 2015 ... Lucky for me we can split this into teams and the team has to run that many miles. So far my January mileage isn't great so I need to figure out a plan to get me going. Last year I logged about 500 miles, however that didn't include any track workouts or hill repeats and God knows I probably did plenty of miles then. I'm trying to find a race to train for again but it seems like every one that looks good there is a conflict. I'll figure it out though... Don't worry team, I'll do my part, I promise.

At the beginning of January we went to Cancun for the week. The best thing about the trip ... the lack of a schedule. Recently my life has been scheduled down to the minute, from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I'm not really loving it but I love that I can be so involved with my kids and work and that people like me enough to want to hang out with me. The trip's start was a little rocky when they told me they at security in Denver that they need to search Tyler (I guess he is a sketchy looking kid) and then when we landed in Cancun we sat on the runway for about 45 min waiting for a gate to open up. And then Sunday (the first full day there) I lost my sunglasses ... After that we were smooth sailing. My Birthday Present was a new pair of sunglasses ... not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess my expectations were pretty low for a birthday present anyway. I need to learn to stop loosing stuff in Cancun though ... Overall we spent a ton of time at the pool, on the beach letting the kids build in the sand and swim. Happy hour (and only 1 hour) was great and the relaxation was exactly what all of us needed. The wind along the beach was extreme while we were there so I elected to run on the treadmill instead, which was not pleasant but it was nice to run at sea level and not know my pace (their treadmills are km/hour). It was nice to come home with a nice tan and it only took a week to be exhausted again... Sometimes vacations like that are exactly what was needed...

The view on the street side of our condo ...

The ocean / pool view ... Love Love Love waking up to this ... Maybe I should consider moving to the beach...

The kids master piece ... a giant pyramid ...

With decorations of course...

Love kids photo bombing our selfie ;)

I was trying to catch a picture of my kids holding hands walking down the beach but I missed it ...

 

Christmas Letter 2014

Christmas Letter 2014

So another year … updates, I’m sure, of how all of us are doing. Wonderment of where all the time went. As best as I can tell the average year has about 8,400 hours in it and when you try to look back can one account for all of those hours? And why is it, at the beginning of the year we all think there is all this time and new beginnings and time for change, but at the end of the year we wonder what happened!

Anyway, 2014 has been another successful year at the Krapes house. The kids did try but were not successful in driving each other crazy… Mom and dad on the other hand, might be a different story. We traveled some, in January we went to Kauai with my family. As always Kauai is an amazing place and full of lots of fun sites as well as a ton of relaxation. We also went on a road trip to Wisconsin Dells over the summer which boasted tons of things for all of us to see. We spent a night in Snowmass when Lou and I completed the Tough Mudder. And I made a quick trip to Vegas for a work ‘meeting / training’ with my dad.  Unfortunately, other than those trips our lives have kept us close to home.

Tyler … continues to keep us on our toes. Anytime we think we have an easy street he finds a way to find another challenge for us. Tyler played soccer in both the spring and the fall… Lou continues to coach the team. I think it is a good thing. Much to my dismay Tyler loves to play goalie, and Lou doesn’t mind putting him there. It is just so stressful to watch. He does pretty well and it is only mom that complains, so perhaps I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.  Tyler had a great second grade year, still is looking for someone to give him a little extra push instead of letting him just ‘skate’ by. Tyler also has continued to be our sport guru of the house.  We do get to follow the sport of the season, which lucky for me is football right now. Lou and I have learned an enormous amount about baseball, basketball and hockey, not sure I love those spots as much as Tyler does. He is currently running a few fantasy football leagues. In the one that counts (apparently there is money on the line) he has made it to the playoffs, however Peyton Manning had a few slow games so he lost. I’m a little worried that we may create a habit of gambling. Tyler also loves to “help out” with the chores, Lou has had him mowing the grass (some) and papa has him helping at work, when has time to make it there. Any time there is a tractor involved Tyler is always there.

Brooke … continues her dancing adventure. Coming from a mom that doesn’t know much, I can see definite improvement.  This was the first year that she performed a ‘solo’ which is amazing to me that she will get up and dance in front of hundreds of people all alone. Her first competition she did forget some of the choreography but made up for it very well, only the teacher and I knew.  Brooke scored very well and placed in the top 10 often and even earned first place a few times. Brooke just loves life when she is at the studio. I’m not sure how many problems an 11 year old can have, but she says that can forget them all when she is dancing. We all need something like that right? We did have a few struggles when some choreographers came to town and Brooke was not picked for the dance. Eventually, after conversing with everyone, it turns out she wasn’t picked because of her body type (super skinny and short) and not based on ability. Those were some interesting talks about confidence and being able to accept yourself for you who you are. Some days I feel like I’m still trying to learn the lessons that I’m trying to teach Brooke. Aside from dance, Brooke plays the piano as well as being very involved at school. This year, being the last year in elementary school, she is on the weekly broadcast team, as well as helping students who are struggling. Brooke has also run a few 5k’s this year, with some of her friends.  I’m not too sure I’m ready to have Brooke head to the big world of middle school but I guess life is going to come weather I like it or not.

Louis … He continues to be super involved with work, the school PTA, the second job, dance dad and of course keeping the house and yard in great shape. Good thing there is never a dull moment.  Lou took on the Vice President of the PTA and although there have been some difference of opinions the PTA seems to be doing so much better than when Lou started. Work has gone well for Lou this year and the second job did slow down a little bit, which has actually been alright for our time crunch.

As for me … we have had many changes at work which has forced me to learn many new aspects. We have partnered with Arctic Cat (snowmobiles, ATV’s and side by sides) to bring Denver the only full service dealership in Denver. There were many hurdles that had to be jumped through to get the dealership off the ground but so far things have been fantastic. I’m overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. Along with all of those learning curves, I have also taken on a coaching position with Girls on The Run, a great organization that teaches young girls confidence and self-esteem through running and exercise. I continue to organize runs and races with the Arvada Running Club and although I didn’t get the time to race as often as I would have liked I have enjoyed all the running adventures with the ladies of the club. Finally, I have taken on teaching a stretch and strength class to girls 10-18 at the dance studio, not only to help the dancers with their stamina but also to give kids in the Arvada area. Some days I think the kids teach me as much as I am teaching them.

So yes, my Christmas letter is incredibly late, my pictures are lacking and probably my sentence structure could have been so much better, but like the rest of my life, I’m feeling rushed and very guilty that it is New Year’s Day and I still haven’t published this. So hopefully our 2015 Lou and I will figure out a way to slow down a little, maybe not take on so many projects and try and enjoy things just a little bit more. Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous year filled with tons of joy!

 

PS ... I will update on the running streak of 2014 soon...

Running Streak 2014

Remember awhile ago I said something about a small chance of me signing up for the running streak of running at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years? Well apparently that small chance decided to come to life again and here I am ... 4 days into the streak. And I already had the first meeting with myself ... after a short night (maybe 4 hours of sleep) a full day of work I remembered (while in the shower) that I needed to get my mile in. And only 1 mile I went, after I took a shower. This year I ran a race with Brooke on Thanksgiving Day ... That was a good choice. This year I am also signing up for the New Year's race before I have time to talk myself out of it. I do have to say it certainly is easier to run with friends, than to go out alone. And this year I will have some other obstacles ... like having to go to the gym and my daily routine. But I will figure it out!

I'll try to keep this updated. I'm hoping that there is not another 5 degree streak that we have encountered with snow... That might make me sad -- or learn how to run in a bunch of layers again.

Summer Updates

So since my last blog post we have had an incredibly busy but fun summer. Since the Bolder Boulder we have road tripped to Wisconsin for dance, raced the Slacker Relay race, 4th of July Parties, met some of the Rockies players, got an Arctic Cat dealership, kids started school, started coaching soccer and Girls on the Run again and I'm sure so much more that we have forgotten. Thank goodness we have pictures.

Our Wisconsin Dells Road trip with dance was so much fun, for Brooke and for us. My mom joined our trip. We tried to see an amazing amount of things, but there are only so many hours in a day. Brooke danced great. She got a National Platinum award for her first solo ever. She was also in a dance that got a prop award (although I'm not encouraging that nonsense) and she was in another dance that was top 10. She was able to hang out with her dance friends and overcome some water park fears. But also be a little more independent. That has been good. On our way home we stopped through South Dakota and went to Bear Country USA and Mount Rushmore. The kids loved both places and Lou and I decided that we will have to go back when we have a little more time on our hands.

This is what the bear thinks of the mountain lion.

We didn't have time to do the hike, next time...

Brooke and her friends...

Bombs on the Dance Floor

Brooke's friend McKenzie -- Brooke is her 'mini me'

Brooke's last time in her solo costume.

 

After the road trip, I ran the Slacker Relay with some friends from the running club. I loved the no pressure attitude and just go run to have fun. We then enjoyed the beer at the end.

Laura and Wendy are so fun!

Funny, I forgot that I even still had this on my phone. Nice 11 min mile in a race...

 

And we can't forget about our Annual 4th of July Party!

 

 

Tyler's highlight of the summer! We had the opportunity to go to a Rockies game and meet some of the players. You know Brooke really only likes one guy, but Tyler knew them all... Everyone's name, their position, why they were on the DL etc.... I love that he has a passion.

 

One of Tyler's favorite, Tyler Chatwood

Brooke's favorite guy, Nolan Arenado

Charlie Blackmon... that guy is tall!

 

At work, we have been a bit on the busy side! We took on the only Arctic Cat Dealership in Denver. Our first shipment was delivered on August 21st

 

School has started. I have a 6th grader and 3rd grader. Not really sure how that happened.

 

Brooke doesn't like having her picture next to Tyler because he is as tall as her. Hence the reason she is wearing Giant shoes!