snowshoeing take #2...

This past weekend we had the pleasure of joining our good friends in the mountains at their new house.  The overnight was a two-fold event, one was to hang out with our friends who both of our busy schedules have gotten in the way of hanging out and, two was to give snowshoeing another try.  


Friday night was perfect with good food, lots of laughs, board games, and reminiscing.  We all got to bed relatively early and woke up ready for adventure on Saturday.  After a fabulous breakfast, coffee, and getting the skiiers out of our hair, Hayley, Andy, and I headed out on the trail.  And by trail, I mean we headed out in their backyard, which is on Buffalo Mountain off of Wildernest Road in Silverthorne.  We were able to hook up with the Salt Lick Trail and headed into the wilderness.  


It was BEAUTIFUL!  In ever direction there were daunting peaks to look at, forests of trees, and the sun was shining down on us.  It was a very hot day...so much so that none of us were wearing jackets or gloves and the snow was melting by the time it hit afternoon and we were on our way back to the house.  


The day was filled with awesome conversation and good people.  I am a HUGE fan of snowshoeing!  Not only did we not see one person until we were on our way back, but we also didn't have to spend any money, fight a crowded parking lot, worry about finding each other, or get in a car.  


The little thing is that some people think snowshoeing is dorky or for old people.  Some people even think it is not very hard and not as exciting as other winter sports.  But, for me it is a way for me to gain clarity in my busy, stressful life.  It is a way for me to get in touch with nature and center myself.  Right now, it is my sanity and I adore my new hobby, no matter what anyone says to knock it down!

1000...

I officially feel like a blogger.  Today I hit 1000 views of my words.  

Thanks to everyone who reads what I have to say and to those who are able to relate to the little things that keep us moving every day...

mountain revival...

There are two things that Andy and I can always agree on..

1.  We LOVE Colorado

2.  We enjoy any activity that is outdoors

We've been in a funk for many reasons this winter and have noticed ourselves holing up in our house on the weekends where we don't get out of our pajamas and we read entire books.  This doesn't sound all that bad, but after a few weekends in a row (or since October) it starts to get a little depressing.  

Recently, we have come back around to some realizations we already knew and to the things that we both agree on (as mentioned above).  Because, you see, we had forgotten about some of the things that are important to us and why we live where we live.  We let ourselves become hermits and stopped enjoying what we really love.  

For the last two weekends we have gotten back to the true us.  One weekend, a friend invited us to go skiing/boarding with him and his two sons (who we absolutely adore) at Copper Mountain using their buddy passes.  We agreed and woke up bright and early Sunday morning for a day of fun in the mountains.  It was great!  We made it up for the first lift and left in time to beat most of the traffic.  We got in just enough runs to satisfy an itch, ate a fabulous lunch with illegal beers in the cafeteria, and got to enjoy some amazing company.  Thanks Fesslers! 

The day at Copper brought us back to those two things I mentioned above, so we decided we needed a new winter activity for the outdoors since we didn't buy a ski pass this year and Andy still needs  new skis.  We decided to give snowshoeing a try!  So, the following weekend we headed to Nederland to meet our friends Chad and Sarah for another adventure.  

It was perfect from the very beginning.  We took a new route up to the mountain town and found ourselves on roads that we had never been on.  When we arrived in Nederland, we found out that it was their famous festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days (go here for the crazy, yet super interesting story of the reason for the festival).  We had a great breakfast and coffee and headed to the trail.  It was extremely windy while we were trying to get our gear in order, but we were ready for the adventure  no matter what.  

The four of us humans and two canines headed out on the trail and Andy and I instantly fell in love with this new sport.  We were able to catch up with our friends, bask in beautiful scenery, and get a workout!  The boys took us off-trail for a little bit and that was not super fun, but we were troopers and made it to Lost Lake, which was a gorgeous frozen lake surrounded by mountains.  We took a break, had a snack, and found a treasure for the dogs.  The way back to the car was a lot easier and we figured out that we did a total of 4 miles.  We are definitely huge fans of snowshoeing and have made it our new winter hobby!

The little thing from these two recent experiences is that the Groettums are people that feed off of nature and the outdoors.  We live in Colorado for a reason and need to remember to take advantage of what it has to offer.  Getting outside, even for an hour can rejuvenate the deepest funk or depression that has set in and a simple drive in the mountains can bring clarity and peace to almost anyone, especially Team Groettum!

love for books...

That's right, I finally have a book club!!  I have been talking about having a book club for about three years.  It never seemed like the right time to start it or I wasn't sure who to invite or I just plainly didn't pull the trigger.  I think I wanted it to work out so badly that I was nervous to get the ball rolling.  

Luckily, a couple friends of mine pushed the ball down the hill to get it rolling for me!  They were sitting around talking one day and both expressed the desire for a book club. Hence, Novino Book Club was born!  (what we love most, novels and vino, put together...get it?  NOVINO!)

Our first meeting was just the three of us and we read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.  



We learned from our first meeting that we all had similar  likes and dislikes about books.  We also learned that Amanda and I are easy to please, whereas Hayley is a little more picky about her praise for a book.  Overall, it was a fabulous first meeting and we couldn't wait for the next!  I got to choose our second book and after going through a bunch of options, I chose a book that has been haunting me for over ten years. 

 I originally sat down to tackle Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver in college and quickly realized that it was a little too much for me in between studying, partying, and just my general college life.  I have picked it up several times since college and each time I failed to get further than the exposition of the story, around page 75.  This time, I was determined to master this novel and I did!!  Once I got further into the book, the characters became more alive for me and I fell in love with the story.  I also fell in love with the Congo, where the story takes place, and was intrigued with the location as a character joining the Price family on their journey.  


Unfortunately, not everyone in Novino was on the same page as me.  They showed up to our meeting and I was the only one who had finished the book!  We laughed about that fact, but still had a great conversation about the book, and were able to also have a great discussion about why we struggled with the text.  We were able to welcome another new member and she is a great addition!  We look forward to more lovely ladies joining us in the future.


We moved on to choosing our next selection, which was up for Amanda to decide.  She had some great options, but we ultimately settled on Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.  





If anyone is looking for a good, easy, but also historical read, look no further!!  I am already half way through this book and we don't even meet for another month!  I would highly recommend this to my fellow readers out there.  It is a story about a boy growing up in Chinatown in Seattle in the 1940's as a Chinese American.  He makes friends with a girl his age that is Japanese, but their friendship is taboo because of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the general hatred for all Japanese people whether they were born in America or in Japan.  I won't give anymore away, but I love this book and can't wait to talk about it with my lovely Novino ladies next month!


So, long story short, the little thing I look forward to every evening is reading my latest quest of a novel.  I love sitting in our reading nook we created in our basement with Andy while we both keep warm in our Snuggies.  I adore that we can waste whole afternoons losing ourselves in our books and we both have a huge passion for literature (although we don't always read the same genres).  I really love sharing my passion for books with others, so this is the beginning of many posts about the reading that happens in the Groettum Reading Nook.  


Books rule!!
  

sharing my writing...

Since becoming a teacher, I have really opened myself up to the idea of sharing my writing (obviously, since I am now writing a blog) and being comfortable with other people reading what I have to say.  My students have been a great audience to feel out what their reactions will be to things that I write.  I mean, sometimes they clap after I read something that I have written...that definitely makes a girl feel good!


  One assignment that we did in a class I taught was to write a speech that was a personal narrative.  We also tried to tie it into giving a message like writing something that you believed in.  At the time, my dad's heart surgery was fresh in my mind as an experience that helped me to reaffirm my belief in hope.  

Recently, a teacher I worked with for the last two years decided to do that same assignment with her class and have me in as a guest speaker to share my words.  I am honored to do it, but it has also helped me relive a time that was extremely tough on my positivity and has allowed me to reflect on how I made it through the roller coaster of emotions I felt two summers ago.  

So, in sharing this piece of writing, I am reminded that constantly reflecting on your feelings and reminding yourself of those times that test how strong you really are is a little thing that can help you in future hard times and help you realize how strong you actually are.  

"Thump! Thump! Thump! My heart pounded as I waited anxiously for the phone call. I couldn't sit still or even think about anything else...

I have always been an optimist, a person who is always positive and hopes for the best. This was no different when I found out my dad was scheduled for heart surgery. Even though I was feeling scared and helpless, I still believed there would be a positive outcome and continued to hope for the best.

I believe in hope and going through the roller coaster of emotions when my dad had surgery made this belief grow stronger...

My parents got divorced when I was six years old. It was really hard on me because I thought it was all my fault. Even though I didn't live with my dad, we always had a strong and close relationship. I went to stay with him every other weekend and we always had a good time. He was always encouraging me to do my best and his famous line was, “You can be anything you want to be as long as you give 100% all the time.”

That line stuck with me as I grew older and helped me get through many hard times. When I was in high school and getting in trouble, it reminded me to get back on track. When I was in college and couldn't decide on a major, it helped me go in the right direction. My dad and I sometimes lived far from each other, but we talked frequently and he always continued to encourage me to follow my dreams.

...it was the last day of school and I was anxiously awaiting a phone call from my step mom, Kelley, to hear the news of the heart surgery. I had knots in my stomach and was having a hard time focusing on anything. I was sitting in my 4^th period class practically ignoring my students and co-teacher, Ms. Thompson when my phone started singing. AT LAST!! Kelley was calling with news on how everything went. I walked down the hall and could hear my heart beating through every word she spoke.

The news was good on that day, but what I was about to find out was that his status would quickly go downhill and the recovery would take what seemed like years to be complete.

After the initial day of the surgery, I spoke with Kelley every day...sometimes multiple times a day depending on what was going on. It was the beginning of my first summer vacation as a teacher and I should have been ecstatic and overjoyed, but my emotions were more like melancholy and lost. Every day that Kelley and I talked, it seemed like there was more bad news. Kidney failure, pneumonia, bladder infection, fluid in his lungs, fever, and on and on the list went. He was in the Intensive Care unit at the hospital for 28 days and I was beyond worried.

One of the reasons this was so hard on me is that I talk to my dad every day. When he was in ICU, I was unable to talk to him. Not being able to hear his voice for reassurance was killing me, so I decided I needed to go see him myself and at least I would be able to talk to him face to face. I flew out to California on a Thursday afternoon and went straight to the hospital. Kelley had to prepare me for what he would look like and tried to give me strength. I went in and I couldn't believe my eyes. He was hooked up to so many machines, could hardly talk, and had already lost tons of weight. He recognized me right away and game me a smile. I didn't cry the whole time I was in the hospital room, but when I left I broke down. I couldn't believe the man I saw as my rock, my pillar, the person I always relied on and that was always so strong in my eyes being so helpless and in a lot of pain. Kelley brought me to the hospital every day and we even tried to stay overnight one night. Overall, I felt a lot better after seeing him and being able to hear his voice. Even though he still had a long road to recovery ahead of him, I felt better after that weekend in California.

This experience challenged my belief in hope and sometimes it was difficult to keep my thoughts positive. Without this strong belief, I would not have made it through this rough patch. Without siblings in my life to lean on through things like this, it made it that much harder to stay positive. My husband, other family members, and friends were definitely my rock.

My belief in hope is the strongest it has ever been because of going through the different emotions of my dad's heart surgery. I encourage everyone to dig deep inside of yourself during a rough time and find the tiniest bit of hope and I guarantee it will help you through good times and bad!"

why i teach...

More times that not, teaching can be very challenging.  I know many great teachers who think to themselves on a daily basis, "What am I doing in this profession?" and "Is this job worth the stress?"  I am only in my third year of teaching and I definitely find myself thinking those thoughts from time to time.  I have also chose a field in education that often brings some extremely challenging kids not only because of their low skills, but also the behavior that they have learned over time to deal with their skill level by the time they get to middle school.  

Below is a note that I received from a student who I have taught for three years. 

Mrs. Groettum, 

You are a great teacher.  I love having you as a teacher.  I learned so much being your student and I love how you never give up on me.  You're not only a teacher, but a friend, someone I can talk to.  Thank you for helping me from 6th grade until now.  You're an awesome teacher.  I love you Mrs. Groettum.  

xoxo 

Love, Frances

Frances and many of my other students make it easy for me to answer the questions I have about this profession.  My students are the main reason that I stay where I am at in my career, but it is the little things that they bring to the table that bring me back every day with a smile on my face.  

more than hearts and candy...

I started writing a status update today on Facebook and realized I wanted to say a lot more than should ever go in that space, so I decided to dedicate a blog post to what I want to say on the 14th of February.  

I have always had a lot more to celebrate on this day than just Valentine's Day.  Think back to the weekend of February 14th in the year 1981 and it has some of the best stories that I never get tired of hearing about.  Three miracles happened within that time that will put my feelings about this day into perspective.  

  First of all, February 14th is my wonderful father's birthday.  In the year 1981, there was a plethora of things to celebrate.  My dad turned 30, there was a big party that was held in his honor, and he won a big game as a basketball coach for a local high school.  I was born two days after his milestone!  He turned 30 that year, which makes us 30 years and 2 days apart in age.  This makes it extremely easy for me to remember how old he is and we always hit milestones in the same year and within days of each other.  So, February 14th is always a day to celebrate my dad, who has shaped so much of who I am and who I love dearly!  

The other event that happened on February 14th in the same year was my grandparents got married.  They decided to do it in a small ceremony at my parents house since they were already visiting for my dad's birthday.  My mom's dad died when she was 16 years old, so my grandpa Tim has always been "the" grandpa in my life.  He adored me and I looked up to their love that was evident in the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking.  Unfortunately, my grandpa passed away from Parkinson's two years ago, but I still celebrate the love my grandma and him had for each other on this day.      

Lastly, it has always seemed silly to me to only dedicate one day a year to celebrate love.  I feel like love should be celebrated on a random Wednesday or a special weekend night or any moment that the spirit moves you.  I definitely am a HUGE fan of love, but I just think this day has too many other things for me to celebrate and it can carry a lot of unnecessary pressure for many people whether they are single or attached.  

However, being surrounded by 7th and 8th graders handing out valentines, with huge red balloons flying in the hallways, and stuffed animals being squeezed in excitement has grabbed my attention today.  

There is one more reason for celebration today and that is my amazing, loving husband.  He is my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my shoulder to cry on, my rock...my everything.  I am a better person with him by my side.  From the day we met as young, freshmen in college to now after 3 years of marriage, I love him more and more every day. 

The little thing today is that I actually have a lot to celebrate on this day of love.  Today, my Valentine's are...my dad, my grandma and grandpa's love, and my forever Valentine, Andy!