Now that our stint in twenty eleven is quickly coming to an end, it’s time to take a look back on what the heck just happened in the 12 month long smear that was this past year. Keep reading, this will only take a hot second and you’ve come this far already.

In early spring, we dared to dance with Disappointment and put our townhome up for sale again. Turns out, we were going about this house selling drama all wrong with tidy digs, perfectly rolled guest towels and inviting fresh cut flowers. Our misfortune came to a surprise halt the day we were ambushed with a showing, right smack in the middle of our “Let’s cook Indian food tonight!” tornado. We frantically opened all of the windows, jammed part of the meal down the disposal, stashed the unsightly rice cooker in a cupboard and the tucked rest of the oh so very fragrant grub, pan and all, into the fridge and ran for our lives. After I consoled my disgusted heart with a heaping pile of ice cream, we got our first (and only) offer that night.

Once the house sold, I quit my engineering job (a true Christmas miracle!), we bundled up all of our cherished belongings and BAM, moved out west to Boulder, Colorado.

(How could one puny sentence change my life forever!?)

Luckily, Colorado has been kind to us. We set up camp in a cute apartment complex that boasts of a grumpy hot tub (50% success rate that it will be warm) and posh fitness center that I have never used. We both work from home now on Zack’s startup, take coffee breaks on our snug patio and savor the charming mountain view. In late summer, I snagged a cross country coaching job at a local high school (bless their little puberty soaked souls), which turned out to be quite the compliment to our indulgent foodie tour of this delectable town. This adventure has been just what we needed; the perfect fit. Well…almost. We left part of our hearts and all of our memories in Minnesota. So, although we are lovingly rebuilding a life here, we don’t go a day without remembering where we came from, the smiling faces we our proud to call our friends and the folks we are blessed to be related to. I propose a toast, from our new home to yours; a toast to love, fresh and old. And lots of it. Let this new year be sweet and worth the wait.

Love,

Candace & Zack

An outtake, with my version of Michelle Bachman Eyes:  Click on the picture, it makes it big and really scary.