Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Commence L’Adventure!

Four amazing seasons; brilliant blue skies; temperatures that let you work up a sweat without overheating…and glorious views from atop peaks piled with fresh, untainted powder? Oh no, it’s not a dream ~ this is COLORADO ski country.

There’s just something about the freedom, coupled with the awe of such a magnificent creation – an offering of unrefined nature at altitudes of such magnitude…ok, so maybe I need more oxygen up there, right? Well, if delusion are my poison, I’ll take them because this really is the stuff dreams are made of.

That is precisely the reason I don’t just want to – I have to – teach my children the skills to get them to the top of those majestic peaks…not metaphorically (well, yes, that too)…rather literally, to the summit because, even if the only way down is intimidating at best, there’s just something incredible about the whole experience.

So, where does it all start?

At the base of the mountain – and if you’ve planned your vacation to perfection, you’ll eat, sleep and play at the base, slowly working your way to the top. Sound intense? Not so much…I’m talking about luxurious accommodations at the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek.

 photo credit: concierge

The Park Hyatt is located at the epicenter of it all. It’s a true ski-in/ski-out offering the finest amenities and in perfect proximity to daily, complimentary three o’clock chocolate chip cookies (served by chefs in white hats!)…Sweet tooth aside, let me tell you, Park Hyatt is the premier Colorado vacation destination…and for some very good reasons – these are just my top five:

1. Children’s ski school is located right next door. Benefit: no shuttling in to drop the kids off (important need-to-know tip, because if you’re traveling to the base of the mountain every morning, you’re loosing a lot of value in your ski-in/ski-out accommodations).
2. You won’t get lost! I may be one of the few people truly at risk for this, but having spent an inordinate amount of time navigating my way back to resorts nestled in discrete locations on the mountain, I can attest – this is an important feature, ha!
   
3. Ski and boot valet. Not just a fancy locker room with automatic doors and boot warmers – this is the real deal. If you’ve ever tried to juggle skis, boards, boots and poles for – not just yourself – but you kiddos too, you understand the value of this service.
4. Après Ski S’mores by the fire pit…including HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS. I kid you not. Gourmet flavors created to marshmallowy, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Your kids will love ‘em too, wink!
5. All the other wonderful offerings that a five-star resort and spa might have to offer…breathtaking views, fabulous dining, heated towels and robes, outdoor pools, jacuzzis galore, heated walkways, kid-friendly hot toddy hut, full-service spa, hot cocoa in the lobby, wonderfully cozy beds, turn down at night – lovely toffee bars (I may have gracefully accepted the bars but gave a rain check on the service…and he offered a couple extra bars – good trade) and pretty much anything and everything you might want…because I’m pretty sure they’d do it for you! That’s one of the greatest things about the town of Beaver Creek – they have impeccable customer service!

Before you book your trip, be sure to check out the Park Hyatt’s latest promotions! One of my favorite new features: Pampered Pooches. Read how this lodging option will forever change the life of one of our dearest family members – our sweet Fiona Belle – and the suffering she endured during our road trip to Wyoming, ugh! “So You Can’t Spoil a Baby…How About a Furry One?”

VIEW OUR FULL VACATION PHOTO JOURNAL!

Thanks to Park Hyatt for being a gracious host, putting up with my quandaries, welcoming families, taking a green initiative…and for loving our furry babies!

Where Fallibilism Meets Laminin, #MolecularFav

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”  ~Henry S. Haskins

I heard a true pessimist once say, in response to the sharing of joys, “This too shall pass.” The tidbit of glass-half-empty insight was shared in good spirits, meant to entertain, but a resounding truth remained in the words of twisted wisdom.

It’s one of my most challenging feats *in the midst of sufferings*: finding true joy and thanksgiving. [CONFESSIONS OF A WORK IN PROGRESS]. So, I suppose that knowing, along the path of life – both the good and the bad – too shall pass is of little comfort to me.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17

In a position of seeking answers – real, concrete, unwavering, steadfast laws – for the unpredictably, ever-changing world I often find myself in, I turn to ScIEnCE. It is, in fact, “a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.”

This form of rational, dependable information – keeping fallibilism (the philosophical principle that human beings could be wrong about their beliefs, expectations, or their understanding of the world) at bay – brings great comfort to me in tumultuous times. I can rest my head at night knowing that there lies truth in the laws of nature.

LAMININ…it’s a cell adhesion molecule, the glue of the human body, a protein chain vital to survival…”an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every tissue of an organism.”

…and with Laminin, I can sleep at night. Yep, I find amazing, profound comfort in molecular science (might not guess that about me at a first impression, huh?)…but before you write me off as an under-slept keyboard warrior voicing fervent and fanatical hypothesis via mom blog…CHECK IT OUT:

And watch this excellent video: Louie Giglio, Laminin

Sources: Wikipedia, Quote Garden
Photos: ocopoligist, andrasic

So You Can’t Spoil a Baby…How About a Furry One?

Read about the finest accommodations for our four-legged friends in Colorado…and our Wyoming summer road trip that was an obnixious comedy of errors making for a bummer of a vacation for our sweet Fiona Belle.

“So You Can’t Spoil a Baby…How About a Furry One?”

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Presenting: The Valentines Day Project. Dreams of the kiddos getting involved with cutting, gluing and the like ended up more like one of us (um, me) staying up late to do the dirty work, oh well…one can dream, right? They did have a blast handing them out though – and their classmates thought it was great!

The Heart’s One, True Desire…LOVE

The power of the human mind is a profound mystery but even more interesting to me is the persuading influence of the human heart.

Broken Heart Syndrome, as it is commonly called, tends to draw its share of media attention in the month of February. Disuvo is a more technical term for the condition…and Octopus Heart will pull Google hits – the reference being drawn from the shape the heart takes as the left ventricle balloons similar to a pot used by Japanese fishermen to trap octopus, the “Tako-tsubo.”

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

The peculiar condition mimics a heart attack but without the presence of an actual blockage. The sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart is caused only by a surge of stress hormones! Patients are generally in good physical health – suffering only from an increased amount of sudden stress.

So, can the heart be truly broken? Well, I’d say [shaking my magic 8-ball] signs point to yes. Ok, fortune telling toy unnecessary – my heart has most certainly been broken and more than once…evidence it also can be healed, right? Every heart experience leaves an impression – some bigger than others – all contributing to the perfected strength and endurance intended for that individual, providing astounding abilities to prevail in L-O-V-E. The heart is, after all, a muscle and to prevent atrophy, one best find ways to use it!

This Valentines Day, guard your heart with truth, fill it with love and let it guide you as if your life depended upon it…because it does.

 

Read more about Broken Heart Syndrome in this detailed explanation I wrote for Littleton Hospital (the “don’t quit your day job” side of what I do, lol!).

Other articles on LOVE:

The Greatest of These is Love

A Valentine for All Seasons

Making Love Potion

Choosing Abounding Love

Think About Such Things

Kids Remember

What Are You Thankful for This Year?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Denver Datenight and Squirrels In My Pants!

S to the I to the M to the P …the goofy song had the crowd jamn’ (and it appeared to me – based upon audience participation and lip syncing – as though Phineas and Ferb draws quite the closet following…of dads!). To their defense, I must admit that if any cartoon characters know how to have a zaney-good time, it’s Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb.

Squirrels Song [mandatory dance along to this]

This review adventure was particularly fun – including a light rail adventure (thanks to the ginormous snow storm) to the doorstep of the Convention Center to meet up for a datenight…with our cousins!

 

 

 

 

Only friends of similar genetic make-up could achieve an equally silly look for the camera…and check out what I got when I asked them to look up!

Gettin’ down to Squirrels In My Pants with Phineas and Ferb may not be the downtown Denver datenight I’d normally have in mind…but with memories like this, how could I not love it? GIANT Snow Storm + Adventurous Light Rail Ride + Time With Cousins + Phineas and Ferb ++ Squirrels #InMyPants!?! = Priceless

A Day in the Life…Park Hyatt, Beaver Creek

Not too shabby, huh? Ok, I admit I was TOTALLY and COMPLETELY thrilled to do a review at the #ParkHyattBeaverCreek!!! AMAZING. Need I say more? Well, of course I will – but not yet – because I have a story in the que…and then another after that. (Do I know myself too well or what!?) I was a bit too excited not to share photos. Check it out:

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Special thanks to Park Hyatt for hosting/Nana for last-minute kiddo rescue/Best Friend Ever for putting off a little work to ski fresh powder at BC…oh, and for almost dying at the top of Golden Eagle (Double Diamond Black – Super Scary Terrain) following a HUGE snow storm WITH limited visibility…and remaining my friend after all that!

Young Americans ~ Center for Financial Education

I recently visited Young Americans Center for Financial Education and received a guided tour and explanation of the many ways this non-profit organization helps educate children on the importance of financial responsibility. I have to say, I was quite impressed. The lessons are staged in real-world, interactive settings and offer lessons that even adults might appreciate including: exchange rates in different countries, various investment opportunities and the many ways to effectively balance a budget considering economic conditions.

Young Americans Bank is a REAL bank just for kids! Risks are minimized so it’s a safe place for a youngster to start learning the ropes of real-world banking. Check out the details here: Young Americans Bank

Young Americans Center offers a full Calendar of Events with many opportunities for learning made fun! A couple I have considered enrolling my seven-year-old in…

Money Matters Saturday Classes (5-16 year-olds) are totally free and cover lots of money topics.  And you can earn $5 in Bonus Bucks when you attend these classes!  Be SURE to register first.

Summer Camps (2nd-7th graders) are the BEST!  Every camp includes a fun hands-on activity at the end of the week.  Jr. Money Matters – Young AmeriTowne – Girls Can – International Towne – Be Your Own Boss – And More!