Hit Head On

We were traveling to Rapid City to visit family for the Christmas holiday on December 20th. We had spent the morning in Laramie enjoying an incredible pancake breakfast with our friends and were on the road by noon. The drive was going fairly well. The weather was holding out, even though they predicted snow. We were an hour and a half from Rapid and had just passed Edgemont. We came around a bend and there in the middle of our lane was a deer apparently thinking that grass grew in the road. Micah had less than 10 seconds to react and was only able to slow down a little bit. The deer hit us head on and flew up and over our car landing in the ditch on the other side of the road. Micah pulled over to the side and our car instantly started informing us how unwilling it was to respond to this situation in a positive way. Micah checked on the deer to make sure it was completely off the road and not suffering. We then turned the car around and attempted to drive back into Edgemont. We were just turning into Edgemont when the car gave up completely. With the help of a local we pushed it into the gas station. We were both in shock for awhile and just sat in the car trying to figure out what we should do next. Thankfully the gas station had a little restaurant area for us to sit and wait since the weather was hovering above zero. We called Micah's parents and began the wait for our rescue. Once we knew that they would be able to come and get us we, or I should say I, got a little more emotional realizing that we were going to need to go car shopping over the break...not something we enjoy or were planning on.
Looking back on the situation we were able to realize how fortunate we really were. The timing, location... it was all a blessing because if we had been any where else it would have been more inconvenient for a family member to travel to us, there might not have been cell phone service or a gas station to sit and wait in during the cold weather, so we really felt very fortunate.
We did have to extend our stay in Rapid by several days to find a car. The day before we were planning on leaving we found another Outback, 6 years newer than our last one. The car was in great condition and we were able to get a great deal on the price, which we were very grateful for because it was an unexpected purchase.
On our way back home to Laramie we stopped in Edgemont to clean out "Ole Blue" and take the following pictures.

The view from the front, which actually looks a little better because they had to flatten out the hood in order to open it up and check out the engine.

The inside view. The grill was pushed back quite a bit, which pushed around other parts.

Christmas 2008

We began our blog a year ago to save on paper and send out our Christmas letter the "environmental" way. Now a year has passed and we find ourselves struggling to find the time to sit down and write our Christmas letter for this year! Where does the time go? Here is a recap of the highlights from this last year. We pray that each of you has an enjoyable Christmas season with family and friends!

*We traveled to Germany in March with our good friends Aaron and Nichole to visit Micah's little sister Jessie and see some of the country.

*Micah and I participated in our first 5K race.

*We attempted to build/plant our first garden in Laramie and that quickly came to a screeching halt with the Laramie weather of 60 degree weather, tornado and thunderstorms, and two days of blizzard. Argh Laramie weather!

*In keeping with our tradition of moving every two years, we relocated our home once again. We moved back to "East" Laramie and finally got to paint!

*We celebrated our 6 year anniversary by driving up to Lander, WY and spending the weekend with Micah's sister and boyfriend.

*Micah spent two weeks on a fishing trip with his buddy Joel having an amazing experience and then headed to the Rainbow Family Gathering to serve in a kitchen.

*Micah celebrated 10 years of freedom from high school.

*Made the decision to adopt a child!

*We spent a week in Jackson, WY hanging out with our friends Joel and Laura and getting them packed up for their move to Laramie, WY.

*We bought a pop-up camper!!!

*Celebrated Labor day weekend with an immediate Herrboldt family reunion.

*Visited our first pumpkin patch/corn maze with our friends.

*Micah had his first experience with hunting this fall. He was able to provide our family with an antelope and elk.

*Spent a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

Again we remind ourselves that the most important part of our lives are the people we share it with. We are grateful for the role we play in each of your lives and anticipate with excitement the experiences we will have with you in the future.

Grace and Peace,
Micah and SaraJane

SURPRISE!!

With the help of Laura, Aaron and Nichole we were able to throw a surprise birthday

party for Micah and Joel. We headed out to dinner with Aaron and Nichole Friday after work and encouraged the guys to make a drink run. Laura, Nichole and I headed back to the house and prepared to surprise the guys....and surprise we did. Joel and Micah couldn't figure out who the party was for since they both have December birthdays! We had a great time visiting with friends and hanging out. Happy Birthday Micah and Joel!!!

Nichole and I watching for the guys.The feast of birthday celebration goodies.Joel and Micah sporting their tacky Christmas sweaters and preparing to blow out the candles!

A beef heart given to Joel and Micah from Mike...it was by far the most interesting birthday gift!

It's Time!!!

We spent some time today decorating for Christmas with our very merry friends, Joel and Laura. It was a very festive time!Micah sporting his Christmas decorating attire. As a child SJ always envisioned decorating for Christmas in pajamas and bathrobes, while listening to Christmas music and drinking apple cider. Micah made it a reality.

Joel demonstrating how to look very merry while wearing a Christmas sweater. SJ and Laura decorating the tree.The finished product sitting on top of the coffee table for more to see. Joel entertaining us with a little holiday music.
Micah decorating in the kitchen.and finally.... Joel and Laura surprised us by putting Christmas lights around our headboard.

Thanksgiving Festivities

SJ and Laura with Pistol Pete at the Cowboys Basketball game. Preparing for Thanksgiving. The table of food....it was all so yummy!Our friends and family gathering for a wonderful meal.

Build it and They Will Come!

Working our way through the corn maze!

Tesfaye, SaraJane, Micah, Laura, Joel and Hermon at the Pumpkin Patch!

Step Into Africa

This weekend we made a trip down to Fort Collins to experience the World Vision exhibit, Step Into Africa. This walk-through exhibit was very interactive and takes you into the heart of Africa and into the life of a child. The exhibit features four different children and how the AIDS crisis has affected their personal life. We highly recommend that you check out the site and find if they will be coming to a town near you. It is a great way to remember the children of Africa and find out what you can do to help them.
If you cannot attend the exhibit in person then please check out the following link Step Into Africa Online to hear some more of the stories.

Motivation

Coincidentally brother Jonathan introduced us to the author Jonathan Kozol early last spring. We had the opportunity to attend the John P. "Jack" Ellbogen Symposium for Teaching and Learning this afternoon and listen to Mr. Kozol himself speak on his latest book, Letters to a Young Teacher. This is his most recent publication and addresses many controversial issues such as: high-stakes testing, corporate involvement in public schools, and yes, as hard as it is to believe, the re-segregation of urban schools. it is a very interesting book and I am reading through it for a second time.
Now maybe it is because I am a teacher, maybe it is because I am one of the most emotional people I know, maybe it is because of both, but I spent a portion of this address crying. This man was so encouraging of teachers and spoke so highly of them. He spoke of the hardships they endure, the battles they come up against everyday and of the many, many joys of breaking through the HUGE walls that surround some children academically and emotionally. My heart swelled with joy listening to this person, whom I have never met, speak so passionately about the many things I myself have felt so deeply. It made me feel like someone was out there advocating for teachers-and still believed in supporting us and public education.

Blossom

A little over a year ago I met my dear friend Emily. Emily moved to Laramie after her husband decided to go back to school for education. She had just finished her schooling and was now a practicing nutrition therapist and yoga teacher. I had a goal to complete a yoga class. Despite the nervousness I first felt - and the need to have Micah drop me off so I would actually make it - I really enjoyed the practice and it would be foolish for me to not admit how much I have grown from yoga becoming a more regular part of my life.
So when Emily mentioned that she was considering opening up her own yoga studio, I was very excited for her. This is a person who has such passion and excitement for life-it is hard to not get excited and passionate with her! Emily found a place downtown and with the help of family and friends fixed it up quite nicely. You can't even tell that it used to be a candy store! So after many longs days of hard work she opened up Blossom Yoga Studio on October 6th. We are so proud of her and know that she will bring so much to this community with her dedication to people and her passion for life. Way to go Emily!

Fall Hike at Vedauwoo

We headed up to Vedauwoo after work for a quick hike.  You never know when the weather will change-it is Laramie after all-so we wanted to enjoy the changing of the leaves and the nice weather while it lasted. It was a beautiful afternoon and we found ourselves hoping for a few more days as beautiful as this one. 

Vedauwoo

Vedauwoo

SaraJane and Laura

SaraJane, Laura, Joel and Micah

Micah and SaraJane

*These beautiful pictures were taken by Brad Pontius while he was out visiting Laramie!

Brazilian Beads

In a previous blog we mentioned the Community Enrichment magazine that we receive each semester. Through the magazine we discovered the bird watching class.  Another class that we came across was a Brazilian Jewelry making class.  I was particularly interested in this class because I like jewelry and because I like jewelry that has to do with a cause. 

The instructor of the class, Dorly, is a native Brazilian who has lived in Laramie for sometime now. She works with Partners of the Americas and created the Bio-Jewelry project to help promote early breast cancer detection in Brazil. The jewelry is made using Brazilian acai and other tropical seeds, and any money raised from the jewelry goes towards the purchase of a mobile mammogram unit for the impoverished women of Goias, Brazil. 

I was unsure if I would attend the class because it turned out to be an incredibly long week with Micah being so sick, but it was a great way to relax and not think about everything that has been running through my head.  I sat for two hours creating bracelets and visiting with other people from the community, and when I finally left for home I was able to donate some bracelets to be sold and take a few home for myself....unless I decide to share!

Not Just for Those Over 50

We receive a community enrichment magazine every semester in the mail.  Most of the time we skim through it and then throw it away, but not this year! This year we both noticed a bird watching class that would be offered for two weeks.  It was $15.o0 per person, a reasonably affordable amount for a unique date.  So we registered for the class and we were really excited! We both love being outside and thought this would be a great way to learn more about the surrounding area, and it was! Laramie and the surrounding areas are apparently great for bird watching.  As we shared with people what we would be doing, many of them asked, "Aren't you a little young to be taking a bird watching class?" Apparently there is this unspoken rule that you only take a bird watching class when you have retired and passed the age of 55.  So we're rule breakers, so what?! 

Herrboldts Unite!

This Labor Day weekend we gathered together with Micah's family for a mini reunion.  We were able to rent a cabin in Centennial, which is 30 miles west of Laramie, nestled at the foot of the Snowy Mountains.  It was a beautiful area and we found ourselves wishing more than once that we had our own cabin in the Snowies to visit throughout the year.  We were grateful for the time spent with family and happy that we could finally share with them the beauty of our home and the surrounding areas.  

Micah, Bruce, and Jon taking a break to enjoy the view as we hiked Medicine Bow Peak.

A view of the Snowy Mountains half way up the trail. 

Beth, LaVon and Jessie at the top of Medicine Bow.

A picture of the whole gang at the top! We all made it!

Bruce and LaVon enjoying the scenery back at the bottom of the mountain. 

The family participating in a craft prepared by LaVon. We each painted our own "traveling" wine glass. No more germ swapping going on in this family!

Enjoying a day of rock climbing at Vedauwoo.

A picture of Vedauwoo from where we were climbing.

The Herrboldt family after a yummy breakfast at LaVon's favorite place, Perkins.

First Day Jitters

There is a wonderful children's book that shares the story of Sarah Jane Hartwell who is pretty nervous to wake up and prepare for her first day of school.  She wants to crawl deep down under the covers and stay there.  She can barely eat her breakfast and is confident that if she doesn't go to school she will be fine because no one will miss her or even notice that she is gone.  Mr. Hartwell urges her to get out of bed and prepare for her exciting first day of school, despite her nervousness.  

This story might seem like fiction, but there is more than a little bit of truth in it. I know from my years of teaching that the students are not the only ones who get the jitters at the beginning the school year. There is a certain anticipation surrounding the first impressions, how they will respond to you...will they like you?! I was even worried about what I should wear for goodness sakes! So I love sharing this story with the children on the first day.  I love hearing their responses to the surprise ending and reminding myself that I will get through this....we just need to remember to laugh a little along the way. 

Despite the nervousness and the lack of sleep, the first day went well. I realized that I also felt a lot of excitement for the fresh start that is provided with the first day.  I have expectations in mind not only for my students, but for myself as well. I am eager to see how things fall into place and if those expectations become a reality or not. I am sure that by the end of this year I will no longer have the "first day jitters" but the "last day blues" just like last year and the year before. 

Bouldering With the Browns

We spent our last weekend of freedom up in the mountains with our friends.  Friday night we took out Fin and went camping with Joel and Laura.  Later on Saturday we met up with Heath and Emily.  They have a lovely little Chinook so we had ourselves a little pop-up camper retreat! We spent Saturday afternoon hiking around and then came across a nice bouldering spot.  The weather was beautiful and couldn't have been better.  After a great Saturday we gathered in Fin for a lovely meal and then an intense game of spoons. We couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate our last weekend of freedom.  Thanks friends for the exciting weekend!

Fin and the Chinook

Heath finishing his great adventure of bouldering. Way to go Heath! 

Micah starting the climb.  Thank goodness Emily is there to catch him!

What Could it Possibly Be?

Chelsea, SJ and Laura having just enjoyed a traditional Ethiopian meal. 

Really, what could be better than enjoying an amazing meal? Alright, I will tell you... enjoying an amazing Ethiopian meal.  Wait! It still gets even better.  "What?" you ask! I know, it is hard to believe, but what is even better is enjoying that amazing Ethiopian meal with amazing friends. Micah encouraged me to have a "girl's date" for a last hooray before work begins. Laura and I drove down to Fort Collins and met beautiful Chelsea for lunch.  It was a great "date" as we enjoyed the injera and shared many, many conversations about life.  I love this food and I love these woman! If you haven't shared life with them, you should because you are missing out. They are soooooooo incredibly fantastic and I feel so grateful they are my dear friends! 

Snowy Adventures

We spent the day exploring the Snowies with Joel and Laura. We headed up to the mountains a little before lunch and had a nice picnic lunch consisting of grapes, apples, and cheese before we began our hike.  It was such a great hike and an extremely beautiful day....well except for the extreme gusts of wind.  At times SaraJane had to wear her long sleeve shirt as a hat to keep her ears warm! 

After the hike we drove over the pass into Saratoga and indulged in the hot springs.  The weather was a little too warm to sit in the hot springs for too long, but it was still a nice treat.  Joel and Micah then went exploring for the "perfect" fly fishing spot while Laura and SaraJane enjoyed a good book and took a little siesta. Needless to say we had a great day and we were happy to be outside!  Soon these adventures will include lots of snow.... Boo hoo to summer coming to an end. 

A view of the Snowies along our hike. 

A Columbine wildflower!

Another view of the Snowies on the way back down.

Micah, Joel, and Laura 

Laura, SaraJane and Micah enjoying the hot springs in Saratoga after the hike.

Finding Fin Scamper

So after a lot of internet searching, Micah and Joel left early Friday morning to find Laura's birthday present, a pop-up camper! They had plans to look at a few campers and hopefully would come across one that would be the perfect addition to our family adventures of camping. Late Friday night they arrived home pulling "Fin" behind them. They shared with us the story of finding Fin and how Fin received its name after being posted as a "fin tent camper" rather than a "fine tent camper".

Saturday morning we began the task of cleaning and preparing Fin for all of our outdoor adventures. Our goal was to get everything cleaned, put back together and head out by 3 o'clock. We ran into a few minor problems along the way and finally pulled out of town around 6:30pm. We headed up to Vedauwoo to set up camp and enjoy a tasty meal. All of the hard work payed off; Fin was quite comfy and we had a nice time. The next day we were even able to get in a quick hike to the main formation to go rock climbing.

Supplying Fin with all of the necessary items. Thank goodness for garage sales!

Laura scrubbing away, working hard to make Fin nice and clean.

Joel giving a "thumbs up" for Fin.

Popping Fin up for our first night out!

Our campsite at Vedauwoo.

The "Welcome wine with cheese and fruit platter".

Micah leading the climb at Vedauwoo.

Laura climbing!