nat & matt

fashionista meets computer guy

Holiday Parties Galore

We had a night full of holiday parties last night (and a hoarse voice this morning to show for it).  First we celebrated with Karen and Francis, who live just down the street.  They freely admitted to reading this blog, which brings our readership to family plus two.  Silly, though, we never pulled out our camera while we were enjoying spiked hot chocolate, apple cider and snowtinis (all delicious!)

Then came Duke and Lucile's annual karaoke bash.  Singing ruled the night (especially Jen's, who carried the torch until after 4:00 am.)  And there was an incredible spread of food (as usual), including Lucile's award-winning mac and cheese (well, they should make an award for it.)

All in all, very very good times.

Snow!

We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning -- perfect weather for wrapping presents, decorating, and... couch shopping. :)

Oh, and go Yellow Jackets and Huskers!!

Meeting Baby Leah for the first time

Nat is again an aunt has another little cousin!  Her cousin Laura gave birth to Leah Grace five weeks ago, and we finally visited them both over Thanksgiving.  We're happy to report that they're both doing great: Laura makes the whole "being a mom" thing look easy, and Jeremy isn't too shabby himself.

Who knew ice could be this cool?

In all seriousness (since that title is anything but), Nat and I just took in the opening night of ICE!, a Christmas ice sculpture exhibit at the Gaylord National.  They keep the big room at a balmy 9°F, so they hand out blue parkas to everyone that arrives.  Inside there's everything from polar bears to a life-size nativity scene to four ice slides big enough for this grown-up.

IMHO, it beats the Pathway of Peace by a long shot. But of course, you have to shell out some bucks to see all that ice.

Sports Photographer for a Day

I visited Mike out in Boulder last weekend, and we decided to take in the CU football game on Saturday.  We weren't having much luck with the scalpers, but then this random guy handed us 10 yard line tickets, 13th row.  I don't think I've ever sat so close at a football game.

Luckily, I was sporting my camera with the zoom lens.  It isn't as big as those sideline cameras, but it got the job done!

More painting pics

Ok, so I haven't quite figured out Posterous yet when it comes to pictures.  Here's another attempt.

             
Click here to download:
More_painting_pics.zip (1378 KB)

Giving the basement a new skin!

Our home has been invaded by painters.  Nat and I decided to go with professionals to repair the basement walls and give the whole thing a fresh coat of paint.  Things are looking great so far - amazed at how much spackle these guys use!

The 360 degrees of U2

Two nights ago Nat and I took our first steps on FedEx Field.  Our friends Jonathan and Courtney hooked us up with some awesome U2 tickets, and we got to see what it looks like from ground level (oddly, it seems smaller when you're on the field.)

First off, the stage was a sight to behold.  It looked a lot like a space monster sent to eliminate humanity.  Fortunately for us, it never left the ground (though Bono did jokingly call it a spaceship.)  Chris Richards of the Washington Post gave a humorous review of the whole thing.

Oh, and the music didn't disappoint either.  We dropped our camera back at the car after seeing signs that they weren't allowed, but we managed to snap some shots with the ol' iPhone.  Cheers!