2009 Year In Review...

December 14, 2009 - It was brought to my attention that we have not been updating our blog as frequently as perhaps we should. This could be the result of several possible causes... One, we have had a rather extended period of "boring" in our lives... Or two, time simply hasn't permitted us to make the updates... I'm happy to report that the answer is most definitely #2! It's been a bit of a whirlwind of late, so I'm offering a "2009 Year in Review" as both an apology for not updating more frequently and a peace offering to get everyone "up to speed".

The summer was particularly eventful... In June, we were visited by some of the most extreme weather our area has seen. We had a tornado tough down within miles of our home and several consecutive days of funnel clouds. I have a new found respect and sympathy for the folks that make their home in "Tornado Alley".

Summer also brought "camping" to our family as a new fixture and staple to our leisure time. We purchased a pop-up camper and spent an extended 4th of July weekend at Empire Lake (private lake northeast of our home) boating and camping with some good friends. We also took the camper for our annual "father/son" camping trip in August and back to the lake several more times before the end of the season.

Hollyn turned 3 in July and couldn't be more precocious and charming if she tried. She has her moments, but she is a constant source of joy and brightens the day for all that come in contact with her.

Throughout the summer, Randy was also campaigning for Thornton City Council. He was approached in March and with the support of close friends and family decided to run in April. Campaigning is a time consuming business and involved a lot of neighborhood walking and door to door efforts. The occasional night camping was always a welcomed break!

In the Fall, Connor started 4th grade and Ryan started 1st grade... Both enjoy their teachers and the school is one of the best in the district. We are fortunate to have such wonderful teachers and administrators in our area. Connor also started playing basketball again and as of "press time" his team is still undefeated. Combined, his basketball team has lost a total of 2 games in the past 3 years (roughly 35 games or more). They are a remarkable group of kids. Beginning in January they will move up to play in an older age bracket simply for more competition. Ryan will also pick up where he left off with basketball this January as well.

November came with a tremendous amount of anticipation. The long journey toward election night came to an end on November 3rd (or so we thought). As election results came in, we were encouraged to be ahead in the vote at every update. The election itself was so close that the results could not be confirmed for a full week after election night. On November 10th, we were "officially" informed that Randy had won in his bid for Thornton City Council and would be sworn in on November 17th, 2009. While the results were certainly closer than we would have hoped for, it can't be understated what an achievement it was to win against an incumbent and 2 other challengers.

To help celebrate the culmination of the election and as a result of the enjoyment the entire family took away from our summer camping, we elected to sell our pop-up camper and purchase a larger travel trailer. We are hoping to spend a lot more time together at the lake next summer and the "facilities" are quite limited. So making a move to have something a little more "comfortable" (especially for the girls) seemed like the logical thing to do. And, what goes better at a lake than a boat? You guessed it, we can't wait for next summer to take the camper and boat out to the lake for hours of endless enjoyment watching the kids tube, kneeboard, wakeboard, build sand castles while mom works on her tan reading a book and dad throws horseshoes or pretends he knows how to work on a boat...

2009 was certainly a year for change... I know it was not a great year for many and we're thankful everyday for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us. While we certainly work hard and strive to achieve our goals individually and as a family, it is not lost upon us that nothing would be possible without the strong support of our closest friends and loving families. We close 2009 with our health, a roof over our head, a warm bed to sleep in at night, and love for each other... What else could anyone ask for? We are truly blessed...

Here's wishing you all a happy holiday and good fortune and blessings for 2010.

The Drennens

It's a Twister! It's a Twister!

June 7, 2009 - I've often thought it would be "cool" to see a tornado in person. The crazy storm footage on the news or some show on the discovery channel always make them look so fascinating. Peaceful from a distance and so chaotic up close. Apparently there are plenty who share this fascination or a term like "storm chaser" would not exist. While I've never been inclined to actually chase after a storm, I've maintained a desire to see one from a distance. Wish granted!

On June 7th, 2009 the boys and I were finishing some yard work in the backyard trying to beat the rain that appeared to be rolling in. The first drops had begun to fall so it was a scramble to put away the tools and clean up as quick as we could. As we finished up and came through the gate, we were greeted by several of our neighbors walking down the street toward our house pointing to the western sky. I turned to see what the fuss was about just as the words they kept repeating finally registered - Tornado... Sure enough, there it was! A very long and thin strand of wind reaching down from clouds to touch the ground. From our vantage point approximately 3 miles southeast, it was almost serene. Tornadoes don't dart across the horizon like a shooting star and the constant bending and swaying motion almost looks like a dance. We were all transfixed and could not stop staring at it as it changed shape and glided to the south. Only as the rain and hail began to fall in earnest did it begin to occur to me that we may need to seek shelter. In hindsight, I realize this should have dawned on me much sooner, but the threat seemed so distant at the time.

We all stood and watched the funnel ride it's course and ultimately return to the sky, but it's something that none of us will forget for some time. Thankfully, no one was hurt by this particular tornado and damage was minimal since it hit a relatively rural area.

Enjoy these photos ALL TAKEN FROM OUR FRONT YARD!

The Bulls Win!

June 13, 2009 - Once again this summer, Connor has been playing baseball for Northern Lights Little League. He had been with the same coach for 4 years prior to last year when he went through the "draft" and landed on another team. This year, Randy had the opportunity to be the assistant coach with Connor's previous coach which brought him back to the team he really wanted to play for, the Bulls.
Connor plays in the AA division which is comprised of 7-9 year old boys. This is the same division he was in last year. There were six AA teams in the league and Northern Lights also plays several other leagues throughout the season (over 20 game in all). Connor's team went an amazing 19-2 in regular season play. Even the two losses were "questionable" at best. One loss was against a AAA team from another league and the second loss happened on a game called for darkness when Connor's team was actually winning. Because of a loophole, the entire game rolled back to the last completed inning and several runs came off the board for Connor's team essentially handing the victory to our opponent. But 19-2 isn't bad for a bunch of 8 and 9 year old boys.
Connor played every position this year and had fair number of opportunities to pitch as well. His season was highlighted by a complete game 2 hit shutout that he pitched against Shaw Heights. Connor also started and pitched 3 solid innings for the Bulls in their semi-final game allowing only 2 runs in a 13-2 victory.
The championship game was played last Saturday against the team that "beat" us when our runs came off the board. The boys were more than anxious to set the record straight. Connor was fortunate to have his own private cheering section at the game. Among those in attendance were Grandma Judy and cousin Collin, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Sharon, Uncle Jared and Aunt Jenna and Meadow, Aunt Edie and Uncle Steve, Mom, Ryan, Hollyn, and even some friends and neighbors from our street turned out to cheer him on. The Bulls came out strong and never trailed. It was a close game throughout the day with several nail biting moments, but a late inning rally put the game out of reach. The Bulls won 10-3 and secured the title of AA Northern Lights Champs. What a terrific season and a great bunch of boys.
Most of the boys came over to our house after the game for a backyard movie night and slumber party to blow off a little steam after a hard fought victory.
As an added bonus after the season, Connor learned that his play had earned him an invitation to try out for the 9 year old All Star Team. Tryouts are this week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Congrats to the Bulls and Connor on a fine season!

Spring Break 2009 - Crested Butte, CO

March 25, 2009 - Just back from Crested Butte, Colorado after an excellent Spring Break getaway! We had never been to Crested Butte and were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find a quaint little mountain town similar to what I remember Breckenridge was like before it became so commercialized.
Crested Butte is located about 25 miles north of Gunnison (if you don't know where Gunnison is, time to pull out your globe)... It too about 4 and a half hours to get there from Denver, but the drive is spectacular. As Ellen commented, it was a much nicer road to travel than simply getting on an interstate and setting the cruise control. We saw elk and deer along the way and some beautiful Colorado back country.
The boys picked up where they left off in Steamboat and both took another lesson on the slopes. Connor started the day as a level two and finished as a level four. We were fortunate that the crowds were small so his "group" lesson turned out to only include him. So he essentially had a private lesson. Lucky guy! But he is now linking turns and riding heel side or toe side equally well. For those that know, that's pretty darn good for a kid who has been on a board for exactly two days! Ryan started the day on as a level two skier and finished as a level three! He is now able to ski in a snow plow, stop himself at will, and can turn and navigate through a set of cones. Huge progress for Ryan in such a short time! We are very proud of both of them!
The kids all enjoyed a nice dip in the hot tub after hitting the slopes for some well deserved relaxation. Ellen and Randy even had a chance to read a book (a fleeting luxury these days) while the kids entertained each other.
Other highlights in case you find yourself in Crested Butte in the future... The Secret Stash is a must if passing through... A little hard to find, but great pizza and local dishes (try the Philly cheese steak pizza) and Camp 4 Coffee makes a mean cup of cocoa, and avoid Donita's Mexican Food (we think they just misspelled their name "Don't Eat Us") not good!

Ryan loses a tooth!

March 14, 2009 - Ryan woke up and announced he had a loose tooth! He steadily worked on it all day and by nightfall, he had a date with the toothfairy! Nice job Ryan!

You can't manage time, you can only manage you!

February 4, 2009 - While attending church this weekend our pastor demonstrated a very effective metaphor for time. It's given me food for thought ever since so I felt compelled to share it here... Here's how the story goes...

A speaker was giving a speech for a group of successful managers and executives at a large corporation. The topic of the speech was "Time Management". The speaker wanted to illustrate that you can't really manage time because it's a fixed asset. In other words, assuming we all make it through the day, your day will contain exactly as many seconds, minutes, and hours as mine. So you can't "manage" it as though you can borrow from tomorrow and save up from yesterday. The only thing you can control and manage is YOU, and how you use the time you are given... That being said, the speaker placed a large glass cylinder on the table and began filling it with large rocks. When he could no longer fit any more rocks in the container, he asked the audience if they believed the cylinder was full? Several raised their hands indicating they thought it was... After seeing their response, the speaker produced a container of gravel and began pouring it into the container. When the cavities between the large rocks had filled and no more gravel would fit in the container, he again asked the audience if they believed the container was full? Much more hesitant to answer, most did not respond... Then, the speaker produced a container of sand and filled the smaller cavities. He repeated the process one more time using a pitcher of water until everyone was finally in agreement that the container was indeed full.

Standing behind the cylinder filled with the variety of materials, the speaker asked the group gathered what they believed was the point of the exercise? One bright young manager raised his hand and boldly announced that he believed the message was that "no matter how full you think your schedule is, you can always fit something else in"... Several in the crowd nodded in agreement seeing a reflection of their own schedule in the demonstration. However, the speaker shook his head from side to side and responded "no". In fact, the point of the demonstration is that "if you don't put the large rocks in first, you won't be able to fit them in later".


Having pondered this demonstration as it was presented to me, it gave me reason to evaluate what my "Big Rocks" are and whether or not I am effectively putting them in my jar first everyday. What are really the most important things in your life and are you making time for them as you should? How often do you fill your jar? If every jar represents a day, do you control what is placed into that jar? If you don't fill it, someone or several others will fill it for you...

Right now, I'm thinking about my "Big Rocks", I hope this will help you do the same...

Randy

The Loft is done!!!

January 16th, 2009 - Our loft project is complete... Back in the summer of 2008, Ellen and I started to look pretty serious at the possibility of building a loft above our existing living room. We wanted to create a space the entire family could use and enjoy together or individually. Initially, we thought it would provide the kids a better option for homework than the kitchen table, however loft beds and desks in each of their rooms accomplished that goal. So we had carte blanche to create any type of space we desired.
From a construction standpoint, the biggest challenge was spanning the entire living room without the aid of a support post. This was accomplished through the use of four microlam beams bolted and glued together to act as one resting on newly constructed supports within the walls. We had friends (who also happen to be neighbors) assist us with the concept and design. Nice to have an architect and structural engineer living around the corner...
To keep the open feel and maintain all the possible line of sight aspects, we decided to use a handrail rather than a partial wall across the open side of the loft. The views in and out of the loft are so much better with this open rail and I'm very happy we chose to go in that direction.
With the space relatively undefined, we chose the best available wall to designate as a "tv" wall and wired it for a television and surround sound speakers. The other minor challenge involved replacing the larger existing window with a new "operable" window so we could open and close it during the summer time.
Once the framing, drywall, carpentry, and electrical portions of the project were completed it was up to Ellen and I to arrange the flooring, painting, and finish out the TV/satellite/network portions of the project. We painted the ahead of the carpet install to avoid any mishaps. The carpet installers did an excellent job. And, with a little luck the TV was installed and wired to the DirecTV box. Christmas brought the addition of an xBox 360 so that's hooked up in the loft as well.
To outfit the room, Ellen and I moved a couch out of bedroom just so we'd have some seating. I was fortunate enough to find a few other steals on Craigslist (bubble hockey table and LoveSac's). The result is a comfy and cozy space that the kids can use and mom and dad enjoy as well. See what you think...
A very special thanks to our Uncle Mike for assisting us with all the construction materials and also recommending a very good contractor. And also a special thanks to our Uncle Steve who was able to help us order some absolutely spectacular Hunter Douglas blinds to complete the room.

See ya next time...