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Kathryn

17 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Food/ Product Recommendations/ Things to do in Colorado

Best places to eat in Colorado Springs

My favorite date nights with Ted include discovering new restaurants!

When we become empty nesters and have more time on our hands, I would love to visit every single restaurant in Colorado Springs (and beyond!).

I could be like Julie in Julie and Julia (I love this movie!)

Julie took a year and cooked her way through Julia Child’s cookbook and wrote about the recipes in her blog.

I could eat my way through Colorado Springs and write about it. And will someone remind me of this in about 15 years when our littlest one is out of the house? Who would like to join me in this future endeavor?!

Also – the year after I try all of the restaurants…

… I will be trying all of the gyms …

… to lose all of the weight!

Anyway …. I haven’t yet tried every restaurant in The Springs. (Not Yet!) But of all the ones we’ve tried so far, here are the ones that keep us coming back.

  1. Cork and Cask – This is an amazing place to come for an appetizer and a drink. The decor is fabulous.

    – If you want to do a “Progressive Dinner” – Dos Santos Mexican and Frozen Gold are next door.

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2. Hacienda – Great tex-mex with a fabulous view (if you sit on the top floor).

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3. Rabbit Hole – This is an EXPERIENCE! You go down a little staircase in the middle of downtown – and find a delightful restaurant underground!

Dinner with friends at the Rabbit Hole

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4. King Chefs Diner – Come wearing your baggy pants because you will be served a BIG breakfast!

This place has two locations. I recommend the original – it’s a tiny castle with only about 20 seats inside. It’s a fun EXPERIENCE! My oldest son loves their burgers (I had a bite and they were amazing!) Another son loves their french toast – it’s delicious too! My favorite thing, though, are their HUGE breakfast burritos smothered in green chili. Food Network called this meal the best breakfast in Colorado and I’d have to agree! (Note – they only accept cash!) Oh, and the coffee is great too!

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5. Viewhouse – Great happy hour with a fantastic view!

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6. Modern Market – I wrote 7 things I love about this place here.

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7. Ivywild – A historic school that has been transformed into several restaurants.

They have a whiskey bar with live music in one section, coffee bar and baked goods in another section, then a full restaurant and brewery in a third section. This place is worth a visit! My seven year old disappeared the last time I was there. I found him sitting at the whiskey bar, chatting with the bartender, snacking on maraschino cherries.

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8. Pepper Tree Restaurant -This restaurant served the best steaks I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.

I had one of their signature steaks, and my husband had the filet. They were both amazing. It’s the PERFECT spot for a birthday or anniversary. Dinner for two will cost around $100 (not including appetizers, drinks or dessert), but it is OH so good! You should make a reservation because the dining room is small. The restaurant is unassuming from the outside, but once you get inside, the view is beautiful! I love that they cook your steak right next to your table. I honestly can’t wait to go back. How many more days til my Birthday?

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9. Restaurant 1858 (Seven Falls) – Dining at this restaurant is a memorable experience.

Park at the Broadmoor (near The Golden Bee).  The shuttle will take you to Seven Falls.  Enjoy a beautiful walk up to the restaurant.  Some of the delicious food at 1858 is Broadmoor is served in a cast iron skillet like they would have used in 1858! I recommend the Chili Con Queso nachos! They were incredible and made from scratch (homemade wild boar chili, chips, cheese and pickled jalapeños … yum!)  Loved our experience there!

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10. Shuga’s-This is a fun little date place. You MUST try the Spicy Brazilian Shrimp soup.

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11. Carrabbas Italian Grill – I love trying local, authentic restaurants but I keep coming back to this place.

I love the warm bread with the oil (and that special seasoning). I love their house salad. And the chicken marsala just melts in your mouth and has SO much flavor. I’ve ordered the marsala dishes at so many other places and it’s never the same. I’m getting hungry just typing this. Something handy we occasionally use is their carside carryout. I order online, drive up, they bring it out to my car!   If you eat here, sign up for the Dine Rewards Program. You get 50% off every fourth visit. 

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12. The Broadmoor Hotel – There are many places to visit at this Historic Hotel.. and each is special for different reasons.

    1. The Broadmoor Brunch is an EVENT and so delicious! The Sunday brunch is about 50 dollars per person, but there’s a similar brunch on Saturday for half the price.
    2. The Golden Bee – Come for the good Irish food, stay for the “sing-a-long” – lyrics provided!

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January 10, 2018 By
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0 In Memories/ My Journey

My Night with a Narc!

It was my junior year of high school, and a new student arrives at study hall. He’s also in my gym class.

The word around school was that he was a “narc” (an undercover cop). As I watched him, I began to realize that he did look a little older than your typical high school student. And when the rest of us were huffing and puffing through the obligatory mile run in gym class, he did it with ease – running BACKWARD!

One day at the end of class he asked me to go on a date with him.  “I’ll pick you up on Friday at 6,” he says, “and wear a dress!”

At 6 pm on the dot, he shows up at my door. He is wearing a tie and I’m in my favorite dress.

He walks me to his car … and he is driving my FAVORITE car!

He opens the door … and there are a dozen roses on the seat!

There is music playing in the car … by my favorite musician – Harry Connick Jr.

(How did he know these things?!)

Then, he takes me one of the nicest restaurants in Tampa.

Before this evening, the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been to was the Olive Garden.

He orders appetizers and glasses of wine for both us. I’m 16. I’d never had wine. I had one sip to be polite but discreetly poured out the rest when we went out to the balcony to take in the sweeping view of the city.

We had a delicious dinner and it was the absolute, most perfect date! While every other girl my age had dates that included dinner at Taco Bell and a movie; I was driven in a sports car, given a dozen roses, listening to my favorite music, and eating the best food in town — and all of this with I guy who was like my own personal Liam Neeson!  This guy blew all the other guys out of the water.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel a bit of connection with him. I can’t even remember what we talked about. I wished I would have asked more questions about what he does “outside of school” … but he didn’t share any of that with me. We just had some polite dinner conversation.

Thankfully, he didn’t try to kiss me good night when he dropped me off after dinner.

And … I never saw him again!

So … was he a narc, an arch (angel), or just a regular Mark?

I guess we’ll never know.

January 7, 2018 By
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11 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ My Journey/ Traveling

Ten things I didn’t know about Colorado until I moved here

January 4, 2018 By
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2 In Colorado/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Things to do in Colorado

Goals for 2018

I haven’t been good about setting goals for myself in the past, but in 2017 I set 3 goals:

  1. Read 40 books
  2. Launch a blog by September 1
  3. Publish a book by the end of the year

Somehow, 2017 ended up being a year that I did all three! I launched a blog (on September 1), read lots of great books, and published my first book! WOW!!! This goal stuff might actually work! So…

Here are my goals for 2018!

1. Personal Goals

  • Market my book
  • Continue writing –
    • 2 posts per week for this blog,
    • Bible Studies for the Help Club and
    • articles for Homefront Magazine,
    • and write new drafts for my next children’s book
  • explore new places – Aspen, Telluride, Cave of the Winds, Crag, Paint Mines, Wolf Sanctuary
  • Keep learning – podcasts, classes, books, etc

2. Marriage Goals

  • Go on a monthly date with my husband
  • Go on an overnight with just the two of us

3. Motherhood Goals

  • Stay ENGAGED, present with my sons – enjoying each moment (It’s going by so quickly!)
  • Spend one-on-one time with each one

4. Ministry Goals

  • Build relationships with kids and volunteers
  • Invest in current volunteers
  • Personally invite 50 more people to serve

Leave a comment with a goal you have for 2018 (Little box beside the title of this post)!

Don’t forget to subscribe (on the right under my picture)!

 

December 30, 2017 By
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7 In Family/ Joy

The Merry in My Christmas, the Jingle in my Bell…

Our First Christmas, 2001

 

You are the Merry to my Christmas,

The tinsel on my tree,

The jingle in my bell,

The holly to my jolly,

The joy in my world.

The nut to my cracker,

The ginger in my bread,

The love of my life!

 

Our 16th Christmas

 

 

 

Our Christmas Card

 

Sending love your way!

Leave me a comment and tell me something special about your holiday!

December 26, 2017 By
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2 In Family/ Motherhood/ Raising boys/ Traveling

Peek into our Week

A Peak into our week before Christmas 2017

Friday, December 15

Every year, my husband’s company (The Center for Creative Leadership) host a Christmas event and Santa comes to visit. I picked up the kids from school a little early to spend some time with them at the event.

 

Santa and Luke

The boys got to hear Santa tell a story, sang some Christmas songs, opened a gift, and ate together while headed over to New Life (where I work on Friday nights).

At church, I had a two meetings with two new volunteers and helped a couple of others get connected with the people with whom they’d be serving. Once the service started, I noticed a mom standing in the lobby with her kids. I found out that her son didn’t want to go to class because he wasn’t sure if he knew anyone. I asked if he would go with me and told him I’d help him get to know some other boys. We walked into his class and two boys came over, gave hugged him and told him they’d missed him! You could see the smile grow on his face. Then, one of the boys remembered he had severe food allergies and asked if they could pray for him. The two 9 and 10 year old boys gathered around this young man and prayed that God would heal him! From there, the boys spent the rest of the evening together! This is why I love working with kids!

Saturday, December 16

We had a little family Christmas.

  • Clark was SO excited about his “Heely’s” (shoes that have “rollers”) and new Bible,
  • George loved his soccer shirts/jerseys,
  • Paul enjoyed his new games,
  • Luke loves his new running shoes because the make him SO fast!

 

Sunday, December 17

We went to church, then I had coffee with a friend. That evening I went to a Volunteer appreciation dinner at Holly Newman’s hone. It was an incredible evening. I got to know volunteers better over dinner, and then we gathered in the living room and reflected on what God has done in New Life Kids in 2017. There was SO.MUCH.GOOD that happened this year and I’m so grateful to be a small part of it!

 

Monday, December 18

We enjoyed a day where we didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything! Then the doorbell rang…and on the porch sat two large boxes ….

In the boxes were my books!!!!!! It was thrilling. Like Christmas had arrived at my door. (I wrote a little bit about it on instagram)

 

That evening I signed books, dropped some off at the post office, and made personal deliveries.

 

Tuesday, December 19

I had 7-8 kids at my house all day. I watched 3 kids for a friend and a neighbor spent most of the day with us too. We played in the morning, then jumped in the “Egly Sleigh” and delivered a few books, then played some more.

 

Wednesday, December 20

I went to a volunteer meeting at church, then got to drop off a bunch of books and gifts at the Hope and Home Foster Care. Every year they have a day where foster parents can come pick up gifts for their foster children! We’ve donated gifts for this event for the last two years, and I as excited to donate a bunch of books this year too! Each book was personally signed with a note of love and encouragement inside.

We were planning to leave for Tulsa on Thursday, but bad weather was coming our way and we decided to stay ahead of that and left as soon as I got home.

(Playing with a Rubix Cube to pass the time on the drive to Tulsa)

Thursday, December 21

I got to spend time with my sisters Brooke, Rachelle and Rachelle’s family. We took the kids to explore an old engine and see the Tulsa Driller. That evening, we went to look at Christmas Lights.

Friday, December 22

My boys played all day with one of their favorite Tulsa friends (Caleb Blonsky)…then Ted and I went our with some of our favorite Tulsa friends that night – the Blonsky brothers and their wives. We’ve been friends since before we were married and always pick up right where we left off when we are together. It’s as if no time has passed and we cherish our time with them. We were all together 16 years ago for Craig and Robin’s wedding (the couple on the far left) and we all got to be together again to celebrate their 16th anniversary!

 

 

What have you been up to this week? Leave me a comment!

December 23, 2017 By
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5 In Colorado Springs/ Family/ Motherhood/ Product Recommendations/ Raising boys/ Saving money/ Things to do in Colorado

Best Inexpensive Christmas stocking ideas!

If you are like me, stockings are an afterthought. I put the presents under the tree and then those stockings are hanging there…staring back at me…begging me to stuff them. I’ve usually already spent my Christmas budget on REAL gifts, so I don’t want to spend much on the stocking stuffers. So, I decided to make a trip to the Dollar Tree to see what I could find. Would you believe that I found enough to fill all of my kid’s stockings – for under $10 each!! Here are things I found!

My #1 favorite idea EVER for Christmas stockings:

  1. JOURNAL

Put a journal in your child’s stocking with the following questions (one question per page):

  • What was your favorite book or movie this year?
  • What is one happy memory from this year?
  • What is one thing you learned?
  • What did God do in your life this year?
  • What are you looking forward to in 2018?

After everyone answers the questions, do two things: FIRST: Have each person share their answers and SECOND: Put the journal back in their stocking for the next year.

Not only will we get to reflect on good memories from THIS year as we talk about our answers, but we will also get to look back on all that we’ve learned, relive the happiest memories, and remember what God has done YEAR AFTER YEAR!!!!!

(Can you see why this is my favorite stocking stuffer idea EVER!!!!????)

There are LOTS of options for journals at the Dollar Store – I found a unique one for each person in our house!

 

2. CHAPSTICK OR LIP BALM

It doesn’t seem like we can ever have enough of these. Especially in the winter or dry climate of Colorado!

 

3. PAINT WITH WATER BOOKS

I LOVED these as a little kid and was so pleased to find them at the dollar store for my youngest boys!

 

4. DRAWING BOOKS

My kids enjoy drawing and I was so happy to see that the dollar store had books that will teach us how to draw animals and sea life!

5. BOOKS TO READ

There are tons of books for all reading levels.

 

6. ACTIVITY BOOKS

These are handy for holiday road trips. My kids also keep them beside their beds to work on puzzles when they can’t sleep.

 

7. LEARNING GAMES AND BOOKS!

These are perfect for 3-8 year olds who are just beginning to learn letters and numbers, or who are learning to read and write.

 

8. PUZZLES

Honestly, the puzzles at the dollar store aren’t my favorite, but they do make a simple and inexpensive stocking stuffer. Your kids can do this once, and you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing it away.

9. PLAY MONEY

My kids love to ‘set up shop’ in our house and sell their toys to each other. This gift idea a little too wide for our stockings, but I still wanted to add it to the list because it’s an expensive gift you can put in a gift bag!

 

10. GAMES

There are so many to choose from – Checkers, Mini Jenga, TicTacToe, Card Games, Ball Games and more!

      

 

11. LEGOS

I can’t say what the quality of these are, but I went ahead and put one of these in each of my kid’s stockings so we could try them out.

12. CANDY or SNACKS

They have a ton of snacks from which to choose.

 

 

13. CUP OR WATER BOTTLE

Encourage your children to drink more water by adding a special cup to their stocking.

 

14. HAIR ACCESSORIES

I have four boys, so the only one in our house that uses most of this stuff is ME. However, I grew up with FOUR sisters, and I know how handy it was to have extra bands, bows, clips, combs and brushes!

 

15. CRAFTS

Lots of items to put in the stocking for the child who loves to draw, paint and color!

 

 

BONUS – If you are filling a stocking for your family pet – they have stocking stuffers treats for dogs and cats too!

 

 


 

 

Do you have a favorite item that you add to the stockings in your house? Comment and let me know!

 

December 16, 2017 By
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2 In Book Review/ Saving money

These are a few of my Favorite Books!

Though December 18th, Amazon is giving you $5 off any book purchase of $15! Use code BOOKGIFT17

Here are a few of my favorite books:

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links.)

Left to Tell

One of my favorite biographies of all time. This book tells the fascinating story of how one woman survived the Rwandan Genocide and how she was able to forgive those who caused her family and country so much harm.

Led by Faith

The follow up story to Left to Tell. How God provided miracle after miracle of provision. Wept with Joy through this book.

The Blind Side

There was a period of probably 3 years where I stopped reading. I had little children and was sleep-deprived and only wanted to use my free moments to catch up on household chores or REST (with my eyes closed). Then, I watched (and LOVED) The Blind Side and wanted to know more. I checked this book out from my Library and started devouring books again. This book reminded me why I love reading! SUCH a GOOD story!!!

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A follow up – An autobiography by Michael Oher – his side of the story:

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond

The Hiding Place

Knights in Training

My favorite parenting book of all time. If you have sons, I would HIGHLY recommend it. Click on this sentence for my review of the book.

Bread & Wine or Bittersweet –

Two of my favorite books by Shauna Niequist. Stories of her life and how she sees God show up through the good and the bad.

  

 

Creating Magic

One of my favorite books on Leadership. The author worked for Disney and tells some incredible stories. I’ve read this book twice and going to read it again in the next month!

Bonhoeffer –

The Biography of Fredrich Bonhoeffer. This is such an incredible book that I now want to read the other biographies by Eric Metaxas.

Passion and Purity

The Love Story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot. Excellent story for girls ages 12 and up!

 

For Kids:

Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore!

My book – perfect time to buy if you haven’t already! With the $5 coupon, you can get it for $10!

It tells the story of the Magnificent Four who love to explore climbing Pike’s Peak and encounter the animals who live on this mountain. You and your child will enjoy this story of adventure and learn some fun facts about Colorado Wildlife!

Jesus Storybook Bible

This is a Bible in storybook form. It’s a GREAT way for parents and kids to see how the Bible is ONE story that all points to Jesus.

Christmas Lizard

A sweet story that shares the true meaning of Christmas.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

One of my favorite ‘chapter books’ for kids ages 8 and up. A heart-warming story about how some challenging children learn the story of Jesus and how it transforms them.

Bob books –

Great for beginning and struggling readers.

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? What are your favorite books for adults or kids?

December 13, 2017 By
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2 In Family/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

Out of the mouths of babes

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Out of the mouths of my 4 babes….

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When Luke was three, I handed him a few gummy snacks to enjoy. A couple of minutes later, he came to me with wide eyes and said, “I need more—I lost mine!” We weren’t sure if he’d actually lost them or just eaten them. George, who was ten at the time, must have been wondering the same thing. Without missing a beat, he placed his hand on Luke’s tummy and declared, “Let me check… Yep, those gummy snacks are in there—I can feel them! You didn’t lose them, you atethem!”

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When Paul was six, he loved to tell stories—especially tall tales. One day, after enthusiastically recounting how he kicked a soccer ball so hard it flew straight through the front door, Ted couldn’t help but smile and say, “Paul, I think you’re exaggerating.” Without missing a beat, Paul replied, “Dad, I’m in kindergarten. I don’t even know what exaggerating means!”

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One night after having take out food for dinner, I had the worst dream. The next morning, I told Clark, who was eight at the time, about it. “I dreamt that Dad and I were falsely accused of something and ended up in jail!” Clark’s eyes widened as he replied, “Mom, I’m SO glad you didn’t get my fortune cookie last night. The paper inside said, ‘Your dreams will come true!’”

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A conversation with 10-year-old George:
“Mom, what other names were you and Dad thinking of before you decided on George?”
“Well,” I said, “we considered Ethan, William, and even Theodore the Fourth—after Dad, since he’s Theodore the Third.”
George lit up and said, “I wish you’d named me after Dad! I want to be just like him!”

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Leave me a comment and tell me something funny you’ve heard recently!

December 11, 2017 By
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1 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Faith/ Family/ Finding our place/ Motherhood/ Moving/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Colorado

Our Adventure on Gold Camp Road

Two and a half years ago, when we decided to move to Colorado, I had mixed feelings. Part of me was excited about the new adventure, and part of me felt fear and even dread! I didn’t want to say good bye to all the things and the people we loved. I didn’t know anyone, or much of anything about Colorado! Then I stumbled across this quote:

“Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the Unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.” ~ Wendell Berry

Wow. I clung to this quote like I would a favorite Bible verse or security blanket.

Along with the quote was a picture of a tunnel on Gold Camp Road in Colorado Springs. I was determined to one day, find that tunnel, get a picture of it and post the quote.

On Thanksgiving 2017 – this dream finally became a reality!

We have an annual tradition of going out as a family on Thanksgiving morning. We like to spend the morning hiking or exploring. Since we didn’t have any friends or family in town this year, we decided to try to find the tunnel.  We weren’t exactly sure where it was or how far we’d have to hike/drive. Someone sort of told me where it was, and we headed off.

We drove past Helen Hunt Falls and continued up the mountain until the road became a dirt (Lower Gold Camp Road). We continued on this gorgeous road about a mile until – “wah – lah!” There it was, right in front of us. We parked and explored this incredible tunnel. It was everything I had imagined and more. Stunning, spooky, enormous, and picturesque!

 

  

I’m grateful to call Colorado Springs home. I’m glad I was able to move beyond the fear (and the dread) of leaving what was familiar and those we loved to embrace this new adventure! I honestly can’t believe we get to call Colorado home!

 

 

December 9, 2017 By
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