Musings from Boulder on Business, Life and Sports

Zac Brown Band models first album after Good Tunes

2010-12-17T22:42:00.004-07:00

Here is a little video that details how the Zac Brown Band came about writing their albums... with a little help from their buddy Sean O'Connor. Let's take a look at some of the behind the scenes action.

Hey Tiger Woods, look out for these shady characters...

2010-04-29T19:08:00.011-06:00

Dear Mr. Tiger Woods,

Welcome to a non-Masters event. The following folk will be in attendance. Best of luck and stay focused on the hole!

Sincerely,
Quail Hollow attendees

Carmelo Anthony fans from Utah

2010-04-19T23:10:00.005-06:00

This was an ad shown during game 1 of the Denver vs. Utah series on Saturday night. Definitely a bit strange and apparently something from Nike.

Check it out and share your thoughts...

St. Patty's Day

2010-03-16T23:02:00.008-06:00

Well, we had a very fun and busy last weekend. It included an epic day of skiing, a nice Boulder hike up Sanitas, a tour of Avery Brewery and some intense Scrabble at the Mountain Sun.

Tony came in town to visit and meet Dylan.

Ranger helped teach Dylan the finer points of playing fetch.

There were birthday party's galore and Dylan figured out how cool balloons are! He erupted with excitement every time he saw one!

And at the end of the weekend, Dylan and dad took a nap together in mom and dad's bed.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Hello Wisconsin!!

2010-03-03T09:23:00.010-07:00

Saw this link on one of my daily readings this morning....

Having grown up in Wisconsin and with a majority of family in the state, this doesn't surprise me.

Jimmy Heuga

2010-02-17T23:13:00.008-07:00

When I was a youngster I took a trip from Wisconsin to Colorado with my dad. We got to ski Vail a few days, went to a Broncos playoff game and had dinner with Olympic legend and Buff Jimmy Heuga.

My dad's boss was a pretty big skiier and evidently a friend of Jimmy's so we had the chance to have dinner with him. It's one of those one-time meetings that has stuck with me all these years later.

Most people know or have heard of Billy the Kidd. How could you not. But Jimmy was was an American alpine ski racer who became one of the first two members of the U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal in his sport. After multiple sclerosis prematurely ended his athletic career, he became an advocate of exercise and activity to combat the disease.

Heuga was born in Tahoe City, California on September 22, 1943. He grew up in Squaw Valley, California, where his father Pascal, a Basque immigrant from southern France, operated the resort's cable car. Jimmie Heuga was on skis at age two and began to compete in the sport at age 5; he appeared in a Warren Miller ski film at age 9. Heuga was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1958, becoming the youngest man ever to make the squad as a 15-year-old.^[1]

He attended the University of Colorado, where he was coached by Bob Beattie for the first time. A three-time letterman, Heuga won the 1963 NCAA championship in the slalom. With Beattie also leading the U.S. Ski Team, Heuga, along with fellow Buffaloes Billy Kidd, Buddy Werner, and Bill Marolt, formed the squad's nucleus for the 1964 Winter Olympics. Both Kidd and Heuga became the first American men to win Olympic medals in Alpine skiing, respectively capturing silver and bronze in the slalom.^[1]

Heuga died on February 8, 2010, at Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, due to complications that stemmed from multiple sclerosis.^[2]

finished sixth in the slalom and fourth in the combined at the 1966 World Championships at Portillo, Chile
joined the pro racing tour following the 1968 Winter Olympics where he was 7th in the slalom and 10th in the giant slalom.
was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1970, which derailed his ski racing career at age 27.
- early symptoms were first noticed in 1967
founder of Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, formerly The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis.
the first NASTAR National Pacesetter (1968)

Jimmy passed away on February 8, 2010.

Pekoe

2010-02-05T19:41:00.009-07:00

As part of my 2010 Mantra, I outlined a few things I would like to focus on this year.

Having a cup of tea a day is one of them.

This cup of tea can take many forms. It can be a morning tea (though I love a cup or two of coffee in the morning) or an afternoon refreshing drink. Sometimes it has caffeine, though often it does not.

One great place to get tea is at Pekoe sip house. The motto on their website says:

We want people to create quality time through things that enrich their lives. Our customers are able to slow down and enjoy the Pekoe buzz, the energy inherent in a healthy lifestyle. Pekoe tea revives, replenishes and heals.

I couldn't agree more!

This place is absolutely great. They have a nice and knowledgeable staff and a wide and ranging selection of teas. Think of your favorite, local coffee shop. Or if you don't have a nice local coffee shop, think of your nicest neighborhood Starbucks (though I hate to even make the reference).

You can even order online here.

Great tea house. Great setting. Great place to meet with friends.

Big boy car seat

2010-02-05T19:30:00.002-07:00

Here are some sporadic photos from early January. Life has been really great lately, but also very busy. We are not complaining and enjoying driving the winding road!

Dylan in his new big boy car seat - giving it a test drive in the houseGrandpa's birthday dinner
with Dad after I was gone all weekend for a Business School retreat
The family at a CU basketball game on January 5th. The Buffs pulled out a victory to stay undefeated at home this season.
not sure who's more excited in this photo!

NFL Championship Sunday

2010-01-24T10:59:00.014-07:00

In my opinion, today is likely the best football day of the entire year. You have the NFC and AFC championship games on back-to-back. It seems that year after year these are the best games of the NFL playoffs.

Here are some thoughts:

Vikings vs. Saints:
Old Man River (Favre) versus Captain America (Brees). This has all the ingredients of an amazing game. Potent offenses. Solid defenses. Tons of speed and two teams use to playing on turf in domes. High scoring and lots of offense! Over-under of 60 points, which I think they'll hit. Brett Favre on the cover of SI this week....

Advantage: Saints.
I can't stomache having 2 weeks of Favre coverage and people talking about how great he is at 42. Six months ago the press was bashing him for his inability to make a decision (for what seems like the 20th time in the past 4 years). Now, they love him. Me, I am sick and tired of Brett Fav-ruh.

Colts vs. Jets:
Young upstart Mark Sanchez versus Peyton Manning. There was a great article in the local paper this morning about Mark Sanchez and his best friend relationship with CU wide receiver Scotty McKnight. Pretty cool that these two guys have been friends since 2nd grade and are still close to this day despite busy schedules and distance apart.

It will be too hard for the Jets to come out of Indy with win, but some how...

Advantage: Jets.
Here's to long time friendships and the under dog prevailing. Peyton Manning's sponsors will be bummed he's not around for the Super Bowl. We'll still see plenty of him, just not playing.

** Enjoy the games today!

Introducing Dylan's blog!

2010-01-24T08:45:00.001-07:00

With a start of new year, we've added a blog focused on Dylan. It's still a bit of a work in progress but looks really good so far! Click here to access the site.

I am going to stop sending out direct e-mails of new blog posts through my mailing list. If you get these blog posts via e-mail and want to continue doing so, please respond to the e-mail and I'll keep you on the list. If not, no big deal and no need to respond.

You can still come to this blog to check out my various Musings on your own and I have a link to Dylan's blog on the top of this blog page for all future needs. Just simply click and go!

Thanks for tuning in and.... Go Buffs!

Bobcats shout out

2010-01-21T21:05:00.003-07:00

So I'm headed to a Nuggets game this Monday as they host the Charlotte Bobcats. Somehow, the Bobcats are 9-1 since January 1st and some folks are calling them the best team in the NBA as of right now (see video below).

Well, since my buddy works for the [lowly] Bobcats and as a result Dylan has a bunch of their gear, I thought it best to share a video and article from NBA.com.

Good work Bobcats! At least I can expect a competitive game at the Pepsi Center this Monday night.

2010 Mantra

2010-01-20T22:08:00.003-07:00

I’m not a big New Year resolutions fan, such as “lose weight” or “hit the gym 5x per week” or “be a kinder person to X, Y or Z”. None of that really makes sense to me. It seems like people make resolutions only to know they can break them shortly into the New Year because they’ll get a chance at resetting them next year. I think you should always look at ways of improving and continually push yourself. So instead of resolutions, I prefer to set (and reset) goals. This year I'll call my goals my personal mantra.

[Please note “being a great dad and husband” is not a goal as I think that is part of everyday life.]

Here are my goals.

In 2010 I will:
· Focus on Personal Development in my job. Aide in development of co-workers.
· Really apply myself in school. Establish myself as a thoughtful leader and active participant in each class I take. The goal is active learning throughout the year.
· Do 1 really fun / unique family event a month.
· Travel 1 place I’ve never been before.
· Participate in Toastmasters and improve public speaking ability.
· Train for a long, local bike race and finish.
· Work on establishing a stronger network in Colorado. Attend at least 1 networking / business event a month and find a take away from each event.
· Follow up with old contacts and friends on a more regular basis.
· Develop Musings from Boulder from a Dylan focused blog into a leadership / thought provoking community.
· Drink a cup of tea a day.
· Hike a few 14’ers.
· Play guitar. (No, really.)
· Focus on what really matters and stay ahead on things (aka prioritize and manage time more efficiently).

I wish you all the best in 2010. Please feel free to share what you are focusing on this year!

Delurker Day 2010

2010-01-14T22:17:00.006-07:00

Today is evidently being called Delurker Day. This is some sort of global movement of people who blog asking those that read their blog to actually stop lurking and leave a comment.

Kind of funny that bloggers would create such a day and even funnier that I saw a logo for it this evening:
So hey, if you check this out and see things you like, don't like or just want to say hi, we love the feedback and commentary! But given different technologies available, as a blogger you can see how many visits you get a day. When 150+ people check out your site a week, comments are highly appreciated and actually mean a lot.

I am also looking to overhaul a few things blog related in the future and want to bring Intense Debate on this blog as a way to leave comments, and well, debate!

Thanks again for checking out this blog!

Best buddies!

2010-01-11T05:56:00.002-07:00

Dylan has quite a few little buddies, but he has one furry buddy who enjoys following him everywhere and playing with him as much as possible: Ranger. So far Dylan's pulled a few whiskers for Ranger but the dog just keeps coming back for more!

Here are some recent pics of Dylan with Ranger.

Visitors at Christmas

2010-01-10T20:59:00.004-07:00

During Christmas we had the chance to see some family and friends. We enjoyed seeing everyone during the holidays.

So much fun!

Sean, in Colorado visiting his family from Charlotte. He stopped by Christmas weekend to say hi and see Dylan

my cousins, the Gzryzinski's

Uncle Jason in from Chicago

Christmas time

2010-01-10T19:30:00.021-07:00

We got to spend this Christmas with my family. With tough travel conditions nationwide and airports closing down in the Midwest the days just prior to Christmas, our family had many challenges getting into town. But everyone eventually made it in safe and sound and we got to enjoy a great weekend.

Dylan enjoyed his first Christmas and of course enjoyed the wrapping paper nearly as much as his new presents. All of a sudden Dylan has become much, much more vocal and picks up on what's going on around him in public. It's really fun to see the changes and growth in him. It was also really great that a lot of this happened right around Christmas so family could see the changes (especially since Thanksgiving). Dylan became an eater of new fruits and vegetables around Christmas and starting mastering the ability to sit up on his own like a big boy. He's quite the little dude!

Here are some photos from Christmas weekend.

my new chair!

enjoying a good book on Christmas

my "Elmer Fudd" hat

playing with more wrapping paper with Grandma
playing with Uncle Jason
trying to eat Mom's Luna Bar

rolling and reaching for more presents
the wrapping paper is the best part of all the presents
with Dad on Christmas morning
Uncle Gregg teaching Dylan to use his feet to play with Ranger

having a good time in his new shirt from Uncle Jason

playing his new guitar in his new personalized chair

Dylan putting his feet up on the coffee table during a long period of rolling around and entertaining everyone

and a nice nap the morning after while everyone else was still in bed

Merry Christmas from the Lee's

2009-12-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

We are lucky enough to be able to spend this Christmas weekend with family and hope our friends and family are all able to do the same.

Merry Christmas to all!

Here are some photos of Dylan from a photo shoot we did with him.

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-24T15:38:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we did a lot of things as a family, all centered around getting ready for Christmas this Friday and being able to relax and spend our time with family.

We took Dylan to see Santa, finished up our shopping, attended a Music Together class as a family, checked out a local toy store, took Ranger to a bath-your-own shop (Dylan thought watching Ranger get bathed has hysterical), bathed Dylan and of course found time to bath ourselves.

Melissa had a night out with the girls on Sunday (five other moms taking a break and leaving the kiddos with the dads) which encompassed a visit to St. Julien for Happy Hour and dinner at the Med. Dad and Dylan were happy to spend the night together, eating food with our bibs on, making a mess on the counter, rolling around on the floor playing with toys and listening to football.

We had a really great meal with our friends Luke and Christie on Tuesday. They whipped up a major meal and we got to enjoy great food, great company and of course great wine.

I got to attend the Nuggets game on Wednesday night. We had AMAZING seats - thanks to Sean - at half court, second row right behind the announcer. We could talk to the players as they entered the game and we even talked smack to the visiting team as they checked in the game - and they heard us, looked and laughed. Good times all around. It was our annual festivus for those of us in Colorado for the holidays. Just a fun, fun night with the fellas.

Now we are getting ready for church and waiting for Dylan to wake up so we can meet up with family.

We hope everyone has safe travels and a great Christmas weekend.
-The Lee's

Here are some photos from the past week with Santa and a Reindeer waiting outside for Santa.

And of course when you are Dylan's age, everything you touch goes in your mouth just prior to trying to shake it (to see if it makes a sound) or bang it against something (again, to see what kind of sound it makes). Dylan's getting little Popeye forearms now as well... he's quite a guy!

This had to hurt!

2009-12-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

I briefly turned on a Texas A&M vs. Washington game Tuesday night. With 5 seconds of watching the game they had a stop in play due to a player injury. The amazing part was how long they showed this player prior to realizing he had a pretty major injury. See if you notice something wrong with his leg.

This is what they showed:

My little "monster"...

2009-12-17T23:41:00.007-07:00

I guess you can say life's been busy since Thanksgiving. Dylan has been growing so fast and keeping his mom and dad busy in the interim.

Here are some fun photos from the past two weeks.

His mom and dad both love him so much as he's such a sweet little guy. It's just amazing to see what a little dude he's becoming each and every day.

Enjoy!

chasing bubbles....

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T22:25:00.022-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We spent the long weekend with my parents and brothers and had a very nice time. Dylan got to eat his first taste of sweet potatoes and his Grandma volunteered for some babysitting while Mom and Dad went to a football game.

Dylan also got to spend some quality time with his Uncle Gregg and Uncle Jason.

It's been a busy, busy month of November and December doesn't look like it will slow down until after Christmas. What a great time of year!!

Enjoy the photos!

Ever wonder how Pumpkin Pies are made?

2009-11-16T22:34:00.001-07:00

Melissa and I were talking about pies and Thanksgiving tonight as neither of us are huge pumpkin pie fans -so she is looking to bake some kind of pie in the next week. She loves Cherry pie and I love Pecan pie. I know, exciting, huh?!

Anyway, in case you ever wondered how a pumpkin pie is made this picture is worth a thousand words. Too funny!!

First weekend of November

2009-11-08T21:27:00.014-07:00

We had a really nice weekend. Melissa and I saw Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Boulder Dinner Theatre on Friday night. Our friends watched Dylan and we took their two kids. Not a bad trade off!

On Saturday we fed Dylan rice cereal for the first time - and no, he does not feed himself. He did pretty well overall with the rice cereal, a big improvement from when we tried it two days earlier.

We then spent a sunny afternoon at Folsom Field watching the Buffs win a dramatic game 35-34 over Texas A&M. It was a great victory and the Buffs finally showed some signs of enthusiasm and talent. Dylan should feel pretty lucky as the Buffs are 2-1 in the games he's attended. Not too bad for a team that has only won 3 games in 9 tries!

first day of eating cereal

at the CU game with Nick

little dude was really focused on the game!

hanging in his boppy this afternoon

Halloween, a week late!

2009-11-08T20:38:00.001-07:00

Dylan had a great first Halloween! He dressed up as the 'Bird-man' (aka Chris Andersen) of the Nuggets. With his natural mohawk and blond hair it was a natural choice for Halloween.

Here are a few photos of Halloween weekend:

Dylan with Chip - CU's mascot - during a kids parade on Pearl Street mall Halloween weekend

Dylan as a pumpkin and all his buddies Halloween night

Dylan in the snow during the big storm a few weeks back

Ranger enjoying the snow with me and Dylan hanging out in the background

We did it!

2009-11-08T18:00:00.019-07:00

Moving in with someone can be interesting. I have several friends that have moved in with someone very special over the past few months. Of course, this deserves some further discussion.

And today I was thinking about what my old Indian friend use to give me in terms of love life advise: He would always say Let me tell you a story about "never". Well, it turns out that wise man was not quite accurate when it comes to relationship advise for others. Never is not the way to go so more power to those taking the plunge.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride....

Nate's tipping one back for you!

So, I have heard some interesting tidbits about things to keep in mind when you move in with someone for the first time. Of course I wrote something similar to this last year (and at this point my dad has probably thrown something at his computer and will be calling me for pictures of his grandson - but I digress) so it got me thinking.

Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Evidently you should keep an extra role of TP hidden somewhere in the house.
- Hide your "stash" of personal items you had while single.
- Keep the toilet seat down.
- Don't jump in bushes or moon pizza parlors (actually, maybe this works on second thought)

- Be careful what kind of underwear you wear around the house.

- Be careful where you fall sleep

- And, most importantly, when you step in dog poop make sure not to wear your shoes into the house. Like I nearly did today.

I'm not sure there is any secret to it or if this advise was really worth dispensing. But I will say life is fun and always finds ways to keep you on your toes. Best of luck, congrats and remember to enjoy everyday!!

And if necessary... go back to New York and play Beirut on Star's rooftop. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Playing in the bumbo

2009-10-28T20:45:00.006-06:00

Here's a couple videos of Dylan playing in his bumbo with a toy. He's getting pretty good at sitting up for extended periods in this thing.

Snow day!

2009-10-28T20:31:00.001-06:00

So Colorado is currently under a bit of a storm... within the past 24 hours we have had 16+ inches of snow in Boulder and the entire front range of Colorado from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs pretty much shut down for most of today. Of course with snow coming down nonstop at a rate of 2 inches per hour the area is suppose to get another 12-24 inches in the next 24 hours so we'll see if we are home bound much longer.

They think it will be in the 50's by Halloween so the kids will have nice trick-or-treat weather!

I came home a bit early from work today and here are a few photos of our house and all the snow. These photos are from around 4pm and looking out the window right now it looks like I never shoveled!

the branches on this tree around 6+ feet above the ground so I can walk under them. They are now touching the ground!

And of course of photo of Dylan from the weekend. At a young age he really seems to understand the importance of reading!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T20:32:00.012-06:00

We had a great time at Cottonwood Farm on Saturday. Dylan went through his first corn maze and was really taking it all in...between the farm animals and kids pulling around the wagons of pumpkins there was a lot of commotion! Can't wait to roast the seeds and get the pumpkin carved this week.

American pride

2009-10-17T14:55:00.001-06:00

Oh man... here is a light hearted song to fill your day with some good 'ol American pride.

I've listened to this country comedian/musician for more years than I can count at this point. Here's a video of a performance.

* There is Adult content/material in this video

Rodney Carrington - Show them to me - Watch more Funny Videos

Mental Gymnastics

2009-10-17T13:15:00.001-06:00

We watched this during a recent MBA class. I think it's a pretty cool video. Check it out!

Long Weekend

2009-10-13T21:16:00.011-06:00

We had a great time with Janet in town over the weekend! She flew in from Chicago with 4 inches of snow on the ground late Friday night...Boulder was a peaceful and chilly place. CU football and the Rockies didn't come out on top, but the Broncos game was a success! Go Broncos, 5-0!!! Thanks Janet for visiting. Dylan LOVED having you around! Especially when mommy and Janet went to yoga and he played with daddy-o! And the pictures...

A day in the mountains...

2009-10-03T22:45:00.013-06:00

We took advantage of a nice fall day and took a drove up Peak to Peak highway. Our first stop was in Nederland for coffee at Buffalo Bill's Depot before pulling over at a few scenic stops on the way back home. It was definitely a fun little trip and great to see the foliage. Plus, Dylan looks especially cute in his sweater from Grandma Chris!

A busy couple of weeks!

2009-09-27T10:21:00.006-06:00

After our tour of local breweries a few weekends back, we have been tied up with lots of family, work and school items.

Grandpa Ray did make it in town last Friday and we went out to dinner at Pasta Jay's on Pearl Street before watching the CU Buffs Stampede down Pearl Street. The loud band and old school fire truck scared the be-jesus out of Dylan but he recovered very quickly.

We then went to the CU vs. Wyoming game last Saturday at CU won 24-0. It was good to see the team show up to play and of course a Saturday afternoon game in Boulder in September is ALWAYS a great time.

Grandma Chris and Grandpa Gene have been in Colorado all week for a conference in Estes Park so Dylan has gotten to see his grandparents quite a bit in the past week.

Here are some photos from the past 2 weeks. We hope you enjoy them!

and after a busy couple of weeks, Dylan is ready for a day FULL of naps!!

Uncle Kevin came into to town!

2009-09-13T20:11:00.006-06:00

Uncle Kevin was in town over the weekend and we went on a local tour of breweries! Dylan enjoyed every minute, especially Lefthand Brewery. Here are a few photos we took during the day. Go Packers!!!!!

Mohawk!

2009-09-06T11:40:00.001-06:00

Dylan has developed quite a natural Mohawk over the past few weeks!

Early morning bugaboo ride

2009-09-06T11:38:00.002-06:00

Trip to Wisconsin

2009-09-06T11:28:00.010-06:00

A few weeks back Melissa and Dylan spent a week in Wisconsin, visiting both sides of our family. I flew out for a brief weekend stay as well.

It was great to see family and give everyone the chance to meet Dylan, or maybe it would be for Dylan to meet his family. Either way, we got to see my Grandma and Grandpa, Melissa's Grandpa Glenn as well as many, many, many aunt's, uncle's and TONS of cousins. Here are a few photos from the weekend!

Grandpa Gene

with Great Grandpa Glenn

Cousins...

more Cousins...

Dylan with Great Grandpa Glenn

Leah and Dylan

Kim and Aunt Becky

I LOVE my Exersaucer!

2009-09-06T11:09:00.001-06:00

This past week Dylan starting playing in his exersaucer. Melissa calls it "his office" and he loves playing in it.

Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

2009-09-01T23:02:00.008-06:00

Aww.... how times have changed! We've got our big man around to help us celebrate our 2nd anniversary! He is quite a present and definitely the gift that keeps on giving!

Today Melissa and I celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. Time has flown and life has changed oh so much! I'm the luckiest guy in the world!!!

Happy Anniversary Melissa

The next T. Crew model...

2009-08-14T07:14:00.001-06:00

As a biased parent, I think Dylan is pretty dang cute!! This outfit is one of my favorites and I think he looks like a little man ready to be a model in it. Again, I'm biased.

Perhaps he'll be gracing the pages of J. Crew or even T. Crew someday... that is if he's lucky enough!

Blue steel???...

BBQ with Dylan's little buddies

2009-08-13T22:05:00.010-06:00

Last Sunday I got to meet some of Melissa's friends at a BBQ. It was a group of new mom's from some various groups she attends at the hospital and around town.

In all, 6 babies all within 3-5 weeks of each other, 6 moms and 6 dads. It was great to meet some new friends and spend some time with Melissa and Dylan's little group of friends.

The mom's got some great photos. Of course Melissa had to sport Dylan in his CU outfit so his Dad could brag to the other dads about how he took Dylan to practice two days earlier!

The things these kids go through and don't even know!! Ha! Check these out:

Luckiest little man!

2009-08-13T21:58:00.003-06:00

There just aren't enough photos of Melissa and Dylan on this Blog. He is the luckiest little man to have such a great mom!

Here are a few from the past week. I think these are on the same night, likely 10 minutes a part and of course he is in different outfits!

My dad may be on to something when he says Dylan is in a different outfit every time he sees him. The truth is, it's just that he goes through so many outfits on a daily basis. He has more wardrobe changes than Zoolander... I'm tellin' ya!

Our boys!

2009-08-13T06:51:00.005-06:00

Melissa captured this photo a couple days ago... it's such a great photo of Dylan and Ranger (of course Ranger is slowly creeping his way back to being allowed on the bed as Dylan is a bit bigger.) This kind of reminds me of this photo of the crime solving baby and his side kick dog!

Melissa does such an amazing job at capturing SO many great photos of Dylan as he grows. She is just a wonderful mother and we have such a great boy largely because of all the great TLC she gives Dylan.

He's the luck

Dylan's First Football Experience

2009-08-12T21:45:00.002-06:00

Last Friday night Melissa headed off to see an outdoor play - Much a do about Nothing - at CU's Annual Summer Shakespeare Festival. This left Dylan and together for a night to ourselves!!

CU football practices began on Friday night from 5-8pm so Dylan and I had an easy choice on what to do: go check out some football!!

As some may recall, I was trying to take Dylan to the CU Spring game last April however given the temp and his age/weight, etc I decided to leave him home and check it out with Luke.

Anyway, I completely forget the camera at home so I could not document the occasion however I now know where we'll be each August - at CU's first football practice!

Here we are before our night together:

Note: he slept through the first hour of practice but was a bit more awake to check out what was going on around him before we left.

Bumbo

2009-08-11T08:14:00.007-06:00

Dylan is definitely getting strong and able to hold himself more upright these days. It's a short term scenario when he does sit up, but he is getting better.

Here are some recent photos. We had a picnic Sunday with some of Dylan's little buddies so we have more photos to post shortly.

How I love wedding season!

2009-08-06T18:20:00.001-06:00

Well, wedding season has been slightly different this summer around our house with Dylan. We missed a few prior and since his birth while also losing the financial ability to fly round the country to attend them as well. Hey, people always told me how money poor I'd feel after having a child and come to find out they were mostly right.

Lucky for us our good friends Luke & Christie are getting married in Boulder in just 10 short days! The day is quickly approaching and all the wedding details are starting to come together.

Of course I want to spend the next week watching Old School and Wedding Crashers over-and-over in anticipation of a very exciting weekend!

And one of my favorite lines from Wedding Crashers:
Owen Wilson: Seamus O'Toole.
Vince Vaughn: Bobby O'Shea.
Owen Wilson: I'm ready to get drunk!

Alright, this clip has many, many classic movies tied in. Anchorman, Zoolander, Old School and Wedding Crashers. Enjoy the clip and I looking forward to seeing many of you at the wedding!

The Frat Pack Tribute - "Shout" @ Yahoo! Video

Basketball at MSG = Unbelievable!

2009-08-06T12:39:00.003-06:00

A group of us had a once in a lifetime opportunity while in NYC a few weeks ago for a Bachelor Party.

Sean had a major hookup with the New York Knicks and got us an hour of court time on the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden. Granted it was 10am on a Saturday strapped in the middle of a long bachelor party weekend, but everyone showed up and brought their "A" game.

We managed to get out on the floor closer to 9:30 and had nearly 90 minutes (4 full court games to 21) of playing ball. The gang included about 14 guys and we played full court on the most famous NBA court!

It was just an absolutely amazing experience and some really competitive basketball games. I have been considering my official "retirement" from hoops after the experience. I figure I played some of the best basketball I ever have so I might as well go out on top! Hey, there aren't many better ways to go out!

Here are some photos of the gang. Just an amazing experience.

Grandma Ursula visit

2009-08-05T22:36:00.006-06:00

Grandma Ursula came to visit for the past week from Tucson. We had a great time building a vegetable garden and spending lots of time hanging around our home and Boulder.

As you can see, Ranger was Grandma's shadow the entire week. He slept next to her bed every night and hardly ever left her side.

Dylan had quite a week and has developed an amazing giggle and belly-laugh. It is so much fun to see him progressing and changing into a bigger boy everyday so much personality!

With this perfect Colorado weather we were able to get a lot done around the house with Grandma and spent most nights barbecuing on our back patio. It was a fun week and we are so glad Grandma Ursula came to visit.

You know we ALL do it...

2009-08-05T12:43:00.005-06:00

A video has popped up of Tiger Woods at last weekends golf tournament. The camera caught him, err, doing something we all do. I guess you could say Tiger let one rip before he ripped it!

Somethings just never change...

2009-07-25T11:06:00.001-06:00

Nate running through the fountains with the kids.

The Bachelor Party weekend - Stache Bash '09

2009-07-24T10:39:00.019-06:00

Last weekend was a great one in New York City. We had 2+ full days of debauchery with 10 of us, all classy as ever, sporting mustaches.

We were out on the town, drank a ton of beer, ate at Katz Deli, had the world's best BBQ at Daisy May's, and played some mad BuckHunter at Smith's. If I recall correctly, we even took a limo between some bars - although I am looking for proof of such a ride.

We also played some pickup 5 on 5 full court basketball at Madison Square Garden, Beirut on a NYC roof top, went to a great comedy show at Eastville Comedy Club in the East Village and did quite a few other things that will never see the light of day on this blog.

Enjoy the photos... a few more photos and a video to come!

Bachelor Luke

Bachelor Mike

Old bunk bed roommates in college...

A tamer photo from the weekend

one of our many bars...

... this stach wearing crew basically got kicked out

Be Strategic: The Six Traits of a Fundable Entrepreneur

2009-07-24T05:03:00.001-06:00

An absolutely solid article!

The Six Traits of a Fundable Entrepreneur
Yesterday afternoon in Waltham, Massachusetts, Intuit hosted on a mini-conference about the opportunities that cloud-computing offers start-ups. "Startups and the Cloud" proved to be an engaging event, packing a small auditorium on the campus of Bentley College. Sessions ranged from Longworth Venture Partners' Vishy Venugopalan's overview of the cloud computing marketplace to an open Q&A with Intuit founder Scott Cook to panel discussions with venture capitalists and CEOs about cloud computing and the changing economic environment for young companies.The venture capitalist panel featured a seasoned team of investors:

Jeff Bussgang from Flybridge Venture Partners
Jeffrey Beir from North Bridge Venture Partners
Todd Hixon from New Atlantic Ventures
Shawn Broderick fromTechStars

This group offered much wit and wisdom on a variety of topics. For now, I'll simply offer their composite profile of a fundable entrepreneur.In response to a question from the audience, the panel offered this list of traits that they look for in an entrepreneur:
- Passion
- Domain expertise (the entrepreneur knows his or her area thoroughly, and isn't just coming up with an idea in response to a news story, for example)
- Unfair advantage (something that gives this team of entrepreneurs a sustainable head-start in the market)
- Street smarts (knowing how to get things done in difficult situations)
- A whip-smart mind
- Salesmanship

And Shawn Broderick offered this observation, which deserves to be mounted on a plaque over every entrepreneur's desk: "Execution is insanely important."

Dylan Update - 16 week doctor visit

2009-07-23T22:03:00.016-06:00

After a Wednesday morning of being poked and prodded Dylan recovered by sleeping all day and smiles the next morning. He weighed in at 12 pounds, exactly tripling his birth weight! He accomplished two milestones this week by being able to lift and hold his head during tummy time and can roll from his tummy to his back.

He continues to amaze us by how content and laid back the little guy is as well as how he enjoys being held in just about anyone's arms! He has a knack for quickly becoming friends with everyone, including the little girl below who lives across the street from us.

Hope you enjoy the clip of Dylan figuring out how to take the pacifier out of his mouth and quickly place it back in. He's becoming a real pro!

Rodeo Trick

2009-07-22T18:18:00.001-06:00

The "beauty" and hilarity of WGN in Chicago!

Stache Bash Update?

2009-07-18T10:40:00.002-06:00

No official update on Stache Bash '09, however this video may just sum up things going forward (that is, if I keep the mustache past the Stache Bash.

2009-07-17T15:46:00.001-06:00

This is just a ridiculous video from YouTube... Crossbows + Mustaches in any situation (plus neon colors) equals an Instant Hit. Quite a classy video!

Just know this is what we are doing this afternoon

Dylan just keeps growing!

2009-07-16T05:50:00.003-06:00

Well, our little man just keeps growing! Here are some recent photos during Daddy photo time... it's so much fun to see him grow everyday and get to spend more and more time with him. The best part is to watch him kick his little legs during just about any activity... they are just always churning and on the go! I swear, he's going to hit the ground running and never slow down when the time comes!

Stache Bash '09

2009-07-15T22:32:00.005-06:00

The event we've all been waiting for is about to begin... after many long weeks of growing a Stache to celebrate Luke's pending marriage and Mike getting hitched (via a duel Bachelor party), the time has come!

For those out of the loop, about 10 of us are convening this weekend for a dual bachelor party. As part of the price of admission, you must have a mustache in order to attend the weekend festivities.

So with that, we will have many, many, many AWESOME pictures after this weekend. Jump on Twitter (twitter.com/ryanonboulder) and check out the photos I'll be uploading from my phone over the course of the weekend.

"It'll be a story!" (it's all been leading up to this moment - be sure to check out the video below)

2009-07-12T21:31:00.010-06:00

What a great family weekend we had...hanging at the pool, went to a friends party, and hiked Chautauqua! Dylan is changing so much everyday. Here are a few pictures to prove it!

Rodeo!! Yee-ha!

2009-07-03T09:20:00.017-06:00

Beaver Creek has a rodeo every Thursday night in the summer. If you haven't been to a rodeo in a small mountain town, I highly reccomend it. We have been to rodeo's in Steamboat Springs, Estes Park, Elizabeth and now Avon (Beaver Creek). We spent our Thursday driving to Avon to do a little shopping and check out the rodeo.

A rodeo in this setting is so fun. You are SO close to the action and there is always some good entertainment, food and action. The rodeo clown did a "butt dance" with some random guy right next to my seat. To save us all, I neglected to take pictures of the event. But seeing a small rodeo is a must do. It is definitely a good time!

And Dylan got to experience his first rodeo. Of course he slept in his Bjorn the whole time, but I imagine he took in all the sounds and smells of a rodeo (the true "good" stuff).

taking in the rodeo

kids chasing around calves trying to pull the ribbon off their tail

And of course someone HAD an interview Jason....

Taking it all in as we walk around Beaver Creek before the rodeo:

Day 1 in Breck

2009-07-03T01:12:00.001-06:00

We got out on a good hike Wednesday morning with the whole family. As you'll see below, we ended up getting some pretty good views!

And as any good family vacation goes, we definitely have had the chance to spend some more time together. Good times all around!

Room with a view

2009-07-02T22:16:00.010-06:00

If this were winter, we'd be walking out our door and down an elevator before getting on a ski lift. The amount of new construction near the ski hill here is amazing. We are at a place that is at the base of Peak 8 and is 1 year old.

There are several other buildings being built this summer. It seems like a bit much to me, but evidently all is good in the ski resort business.

Some cool views from our place...

Nap time on July 1st, before a hike!

2009-07-01T12:06:00.000-06:00

Dylan was taking a nice, quiet nap after a little eating and playing this morning...

Now he gets to go on a hike! This little guy leads quite the life.

"Am I in Heaven?"

- "No, Iowa"

Finally on vacation...

2009-07-01T11:14:00.011-06:00

We are spending a week up in Breckenridge with the whole family this week. Dylan, Melissa along with Grandma and Grandpa have been in Breck since Sunday and Jason and I just arrived late on Tuesday night. Gregg arrives Wednesday around noon.

Looks like it will be a beautiful week up here and we are excited to do some hikes and go for some bike rides. I am looking to make the trek up Vail Pass as well... time to get my butt kicked!!

Taking a bath in the mountains

With Grandma
With Grandpa

Ryan and Dylan and Ranger!

2009-06-21T21:30:00.007-06:00

Here are a few pictures of my boys on Father's Day!

Enjoy...

2nd post written by Mommy

Smiles for Daddy!

2009-06-21T21:12:00.011-06:00

Happy Father's Day!

Dylan smiled all day long and LOVED making all sorts of cute sounds. After a delicious breakfast and long nap (or two) we walked up and down Pearl Street and browsed in and out of Daddy's favorite spots. Of course Dylan enjoyed being pushed by his Daddy the whole time in his stroller and slept though the whole thing. Next year he'll be chasing after him!

Enjoy the smiles...
1st post written by Mommy

Happy (Belated) Birthday

2009-06-14T11:25:00.004-06:00

To a couple of my dear, "old" friends who turned 30 in the past few weeks.... Happy Birthday! I'll allow them to remain anonymous.

One lives in Chicago (sorry I don't have any 49er garments or Arizona State onesies...) Hopefully you are enjoying your day at Wrigley Field today

And since the Bobcats didn't make the playoffs, I am going to let the Buffs represent you on this big birthday accomplishment!

Now, like the rest of us, you are "old". Welcome to the club. These pics are for you!

(ps - Dylan's mom has a big day coming up soon as well.... more on that later)

Dylan's first hike

2009-06-12T18:44:00.008-06:00

I guess sometimes life gets going pretty fast and it's not always as easy to slow down and smell the roses as much as you would like... In the midst of yet of another busy week I nearly forgot to post photos - shame on me!

Last weekend we took a little family trip up to Nederland and stopped to hike up Sugarloaf Mountain on the way. Just a quick little hike (think 1.5-2.0 miles total) but well worth the views!

Dylan got his first hike in (via his Bjorn) and Ranger was as excited as ever for the hike! After the hike we had lunch - and beers - at Wild Mountain Smokehouse in Ned.

Between all the rain storms, we also walked around Pearl Street on a perfect day in Boulder (mid 70s, sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky).

We are glad it's summer and ready for a fun summer with the big guy. I am even more excited to put Dylan in his hiking backpack and take him out on some great Boulder-area hikes this summer!

Perhaps we'll take on Devils Thumb this weekend and get in a solid workout... we shall see

(The Eldora Ski Mountain is in the background of a couple of these photos)

Growing little man

2009-06-10T21:45:00.009-06:00

Here are a few recent photos of Dylan two things he really enjoys: hanging out in his bouncy seat and taking a bath! It's amazing how much fun he has while taking a bath and how his little legs just kick, kick, kick.... Of course the strategically placed rubber duck photo just cracks me up as well!

Favre... go back to Louisiana, get on your tractor and mow your yard! Again!

2009-06-09T19:34:00.011-06:00

SO... I'm pretty sick and tired of Favre and this whole "as far as now is concerned, I'm retired" BS he keeps spitting. This has gotten beyond OLD!

Part of me thinks ESPN and it's 24/7, 12 months a year coverage of the NFL needs to drum up some good stories, so ol' Brett is just a pawn in their game. Then reality strikes and I realize this guy loves the spot light and attention as much, if not more than, the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson and the like.

MJ decided he had to keep coming back, despite it tarnishing his legacy (luckily he had 6 titles to fall back on).

But then I Brett's 'ah shucks, I'm just a country boy' bit is part smoke and mirrors. Yes, he is a small-town guy, but after all those years with the Packers and all those post-seasons of "will he or won't" retire I am just plain sick of the story.

Brad Childress says Brett Favre "was worth a conversation," but the Minnesota Vikings coach insists the veteran quarterback remains retired -- as far as he knows.

Now the news this week is Minnesota gave Favre "a week" to decide if his surgically repaired shoulder is good enough to play another year. And news this morning that Favre's family has booked a block of rooms in Green Bay the weekend the Vikings visit the Pack on November 1. Can we say DRAMA!!?!!

Now, let's talk about Cutler and what a immature baby he is and how Bus Cook represents both Favre and Cutler... now there is a story I can get excited about!

Favre, go back to Louisiana, get on your tractor and mow your yard so I can wear my Favre jersey in public before my son is big enough to wear it. That's all I'm asking for!

Faces

2009-06-03T21:39:00.001-06:00

I feel like the month of May just flew right along and it seemed like we photographed some great facial expressions in accident along the way. So here is a gallery of those photos, starting on May 1 and going through the end of the month, in chronological order.

Happy, tired, smiling, shocked and sleepy all are words I'd use to describe these photos... I'll let you choose your own!

One of the first smiles we caught on camera

Update from the past week

2009-06-02T23:13:00.010-06:00

First, a blatant advertisement of Dylan's "one of a kind" Casper's Truck Equipment bib. This picture is for Grandma and Grandpa Lee

Since the 8-week doctor appointment and weigh-in last Wednesday, life continues to pick up speed around our house. Here's a quick sampling of events:

- We watched the Nuggets lose a disappointing Game 6 on Friday. Dylan slept like a champ as his parents yelled at the TV!

- Dylan made his first Boulder Farmers Market appearance with Melissa, his 1-year old buddy Miles and his mom Emily.

- Dylan also had his first official "babysitter" on Saturday night, featuring a quartet of watchers: Annie, Jack, Mary and John. Mom and Dad attended a nice fundraiser for Boulder Valley School District.

- Dylan and Melissa have done yoga and a mommy group in just the past two days!

- We worked around the house on our yard and Melissa's blooming garden.

- Dylan started doing some tummy time and really enjoys it!

- And Ryan somehow had a mid-term and finished some deals at work....

Again, probably missing some details or events here but just thinking of this list exhausted me. More pictures from the past four or five days!

Mom and Dylan on May 29th. Quite a little "chunker" this day

Look who found their thumb! (same day)

Arms up! (A couple of days later and someone is less of a chunker and has grown all over to thin out those chubby cheeks)

Based on his positioning and onesie, this may be his airplaine sleeping position

Ready for nap time with Ranger

Enjoying tummy time!

Tummy time with Ranger in sight!

More tummy time

Did you know???

2009-06-02T18:03:00.002-06:00

This is an interesting video. Enjoy it if you decide to check it out.

Ding Ding Ding...

2009-05-28T23:18:00.011-06:00

...Another weigh in for Dylan.

This short week of work and school has turned into a crazy-busy week, so I feel like there is almost too much going on and conversely a lot to catch up on.

Dylan had his 8-week doctor appointment on Wednesday morning. He weighed in at 9 pounds 0.5 ounces, 21 inches!! Considering he was born at 4 pounds 0.5 ounces just 8 weeks ago, this is a big accomplishment for him and makes us feel good. He's still small versus the charts for an 8 week old but none of that percentile junk really means much at this point anyway.

It is crazy to think I know people who have newborns that came out this size... but whatever, we received an "early gift" and he is growing so big and so fast! We are very excited about his progress.

The actual shots and medication he received were not all that fun and he has been really grouchy for the last 24-36 hours but seems to be doing much better tonight. I guess I need to get Melissa to chime in on this because I was at work Wednesday afternoon, slept in the basement last night because I wasn't feeling very well and I was at work and school today from 7:30-9:30... perhaps this gives me reason to have Melissa start chiming in on Dylan and our life on this blog. I'll see what I can do about that.

Dylan also attended his first graduation party last Friday night as our good friend Alison graduated from CU's Med School. As one party-goer stated "I'm proud to say I'm friends with a doctor!", we echo that sentiment. Congratulations Alison!

Lots more going on that I'll have to get to later... Keep on truckin' in the meantime.

Grandma and Grandpa

2009-05-28T22:48:00.000-06:00

Well... over the end of last week and Labor Day weekend Dylan had more visitors. My parents were in town from Wisconsin and spent a good deal of time holding their first grandchild (yes, this is the part where I should say "how my parents are so proud"... or something to that effect).

We had a great time and enjoyed a weekend full of house projects that included 1) planting some great new plants in Melissa's flowers, 2) fixing a pesky broken front step and 3) fixing a broken old door to the garage... amongst our many "project endeavors".

It was a great weekend and despite some rainy times, we got to spend a lot of quality time together and around our home (fixing it up, of course).

Thanks so much Mom and Dad, we really appreciate all the muscle you added to the weekend. And we are so glad you got to spend time with Dylan! Here are some photos:

Dylan with his Grandpa Gene

Melissa even got him to look at the camera!

Grandma Chris and Dylan enjoying a nice afternoon

Cute little guy in his car seat

And of course Ranger always needs to make an appearance...

Or two!

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T22:53:00.007-06:00

As previously posted, we took part in one of our favorite events of the year today: the Bolder Boulder. Race time temperature was perfect this morning and despite my lack of running lately I managed to finish right around where I was hoping to time-wise.

After the race, I drove home to pick up Melissa and Dylan (who chose not to walk as the temp was in the upper 50s) before heading back to enjoy the Memorial Day festivities with Gregg and my parents. Yet another great ceremony with a packed house in attendance. Within seconds of the closing remarks, the rain began to fall. Great timing on Mother Nature's part!

Very busy and enjoyable weekend at our house with LOTS of new pictures to share. Just not tonight.

Happy Memorial Day and God Bless the USA!

Always my favorite part of the ceremony - with Lee Greenwood blasting over the stadium and everyone singing along!

Dylan is buried in the Bjorn and of course Melissa was our photographer

Ready for the big Nuggets game tonight!

2009-05-23T11:59:00.010-06:00

For the first time in a long, I'm not in the minority as a huge Nuggets fan. With the team stomping New Orleans and Dallas in reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20+ years, Melissa and I have been having a blast watching this team grow! The entire city is now firmly behind them as well. It creates a pretty fun buzz around town.

We are REALLY excited about Game 3 tonight in Denver. Dylan and Dad are already sporting their Nuggets gear for the big game tonight.

When we were in the hospital for two weeks the only TV that I would watch were the Nuggets games as they made a strong late season push to win their division.

I've been "able" to stay up late watching games the past two months as the Nuggets games have became the time when I fed Dylan (when he was bottle feeding early on) or when he and I got to hang out on the couch and get a good snuggle in.

Game 1 against the Lakers was a great game and the Nuggets made too many mistakes in the last 90 seconds of the game before bowing to LA. Carmelo Anthony's play showed me the team was ready to win this series.

For Game 2, I had class and missed all but the last 5 minutes of the game. I called Melissa as I left class and she was INTENSELY into the game - as she has been really into the Nuggets herself for the past two months. Melissa's first comment to me (paraphrasing) was "This is a great game! However I think Kobe has the look on his face like he's going to kill someone and Melo just has this big, confident smile!"

As a semi-interesting side fact: the Nuggets are UNDEFEATED when playing at home since Dylan was born 8 weeks ago. I kind of think that makes him their good luck charm. Here's to the Nuggets winning tonight!

Why I love Boulder...

2009-05-18T06:20:00.003-06:00

Continuation of my personal (and biased series)

Reason #3: the Bolder Boulder

50,000+ people will run this year's Bolder Boulder. My first race was in 1998 and I think the participation topped out at 22,000 runners. Every year I have lived in Colorado since then, I have run the race. After graduating college I moved out of state and came back a few times to take part in the Bolder Boulder, just for fun.

I've never really done that "great" in this race. I finish in under an hour and enjoy every second no matter my running stamina. There are bands all throughout the course, locals cheering you on (often with a beer in their hand at 8am), belly dancers lined up in front of their studio, local high school bands playing some "pep" music and a wonderful tour of Boulder you could only get in a race like this!

My first year I ran next to a guy for most of the race that had a crab hat on. I've seen Batman, Superman, Abe Lincoln and other "noteable" figures running. The Smurf's showed up last year.

I remember first few years I ran it I'd see this guy who was offering "free bacon" to runners at around mile marker 1. Not too many brave souls took him up on his offer!

Last year, in 50 degree and overcast weather, I decided to run through a slip-and-slide around mile marker 3 in someone's front yard. It was refreshing but I was wet and cold the west of the way in squeaky shoes (not my best idea).

At the top of the last hill before entering the finish line, you get to see this statue. Due to the unavoidable pain at this point in the race, nobody who is trying for a personal best will notice this statue honoring legendary runner Frank Shorter. Not only did he win a gold medal in the Olympic marathon, he was a co-founder of the Bolder Boulder and won the race in 1981.

The race finishes in CU's stadium. By the end, the stadium is packed and everyone awaits for the post-race festivities to begin. There are parachueters that drop in while a little Lee Greenwood God Bless the USA blares, followed by ceremonies that honor Armed Service veterans and enough overall entertainment in and around the stadium to overwelm any family or racer.

This is a one of a kind race that we thoroughly enjoy. Come visit and take in the festivities with us - we'll always be in town this weekend!

Anyways, the race is next Monday and our family will be there (Dylan and Mom walking with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Gregg). We hope to see you on the course!!

A nice little weekend

2009-05-17T21:03:00.013-06:00

"Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time."

Yup, this pretty much sums up our weekend. A family trip with Dylan to Home Depot on Saturday (Ranger was left at home - which is too bad because he loves Home Depot). Anyway, lots of work around the house on the first nice weekend since Dylan was born.

Speaking of which, today he is 7 weeks old. He just measured nearly 20 inches long (by my ruler) and is definitely gaining weight!

He gets to meet Grandpa Gene this week, so there is a lot of excitement around the house!

Here are some recent photos:

With Ranger before going to Mom's final Doctor appointment

Ready to head to Home Depot (by ready, I mean sleepy)
Best Buddies (some how I could see this being a poster to a movie involving a crime solving baby and his sidekick Golden Retriever...)

Yup, the shirt is true!!!

Smiling in his chair

Air Jordan's

2009-05-16T12:28:00.005-06:00

I saw this from a friend via Twitter this morning and in some strange way I wish I had an extra $8,000+ to get these! Air Jordan Eminem Encore Edition shoes... supposedly only 50 ever made!

As a kid, these were my favorite version of the Air Jordan collection (I'm not sure if I ever ended up getting a pair as a kid but almost bought them on several occasions a few years ago when they "re-released" all the Air Jordan's.) To me, these shoes are iconic.

You can check out the full E-Bay listing here.

And don't worry... we have a bunch of photos of Dylan to put up soon.

Boulder - #1 place to Live Well according to Forbes

2009-05-11T05:34:00.004-06:00

This is a continuation of an ongoing series of"Reasons I love Boulder". And no, it's definitely not for the hippies or liberals that seem to give this place a bit of a reputation.

Reason #2:
Forbes.com had this article recently about the top 25 towns to live in. Of course Boulder barely fit into the less than 100,000 people part of the "town" definition, but that's okay.

Rationale from the article:
Boulder is a consistent high performer in all our measures. The city's businesses bring in $1,165 in per capita venture capital funding; it ranks fourth for its young and educated population of those 25-34 years old, in the top 5% for its patents per capita, second for its number of sole proprietors, fourth for its number of museums and cultural institutions and has an average commute of 17 minutes.

Drawbacks: If you don't like snow, this might not be the place for you.

Next story:
Reason #3 - The Annual Bolder Boulder 10K held on Memorial Day

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:24:00.019-06:00

Today was a great first Mother's Day for Melissa and Dylan. Mom got to celebrate Dylan being home for a month this weekend and Dylan also hit the 6-weeks old mark.

We went out to brunch at a local restaurant. This little excursion marked Dylan's first time out in public - for a meal or otherwise! Of course it had to be in the upper 50's and rainy but what can you do!

Dylan is also signed up (via Mom and Dad) for his first Bolder Boulder in 2 weeks. Let's hope there is good weather so Dylan can be carried in his baby bjorn for the 10K race (Ryan is running and then walking with Dylan, Melissa, Uncle Gregg and both Lee Grandparents).

Here are some recent photos of Dylan with his visitors:

First bath with Mom (5.6.09)Firth bath with Dad
In the tub!

drying off after... ...and hanging out

Grandpa Ray's first visit (5.6.09)

Grandpa Ray and Dylan

Uncle Gregg visiting on 5.3.09

Uncle Gregg and Cisco

Dylan's Cinco de Mayo check-in

2009-05-06T21:03:00.001-06:00

Dylan had a check up yesterday with his pediatrician. Things went well as he weighed in a 6 lbs, 13.5 ounces - with a length of over 19 inches. Definitely great news!!

Too bad they weren't serving Marg's at the hospital at 9 in the morning on Cinco de Mayo. That would taken an edge off from all the signs, masks, etc. scattered on the grounds because of this whole swine flu thing. I'm about as sick of hearing about the swine flu as I am Favre "un-retiring". Geez... we need some real news in this world!

Anyway, Dylan has been such a great guy lately... eating pretty well, sleeping good for most of the day and he really only gets cranky when a) he gets his daily liquid iron vitamin 'shot' into his mouth, b) when he gets his eye drops put in to help get the crusty's out of his eyes.

Here are some photos from the past few days...

The Heisman Trophy

2009-05-06T18:22:00.004-06:00

Well, Cinco de Mayo did not bring about any margaritas or even chips and salsa for me this year. It's actually quite all right however.

Rashaan Salaam's 1994 Heisman Trophy wandered into our office on May 5th, which gave all the Buff alumni in our office the chance to hold the trophy and take photos.

I realize this was a bit random. A women at our office is married to the head pro of the new Colorado National Golf Course and at the Heisman was on display at the dedication ceremony over this past weekend, as previously seen on this blog. So in returning it to Dal Ward it made a quick pit stop at work.

It wasn't quite like holding the Stanley Cup but it's pretty close for this guy.

Big event for CU

2009-05-06T05:04:00.002-06:00

CU now has it's own golf course, Colorado National Golf Club.

Over this past weekend there were dedication festivities for Colorado National Golf Club -- the new home for CU's golf teams -- as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate Colorado National Golf Club. This represents a "true" home course for the Buffs for many years to come. Over the past 20+ years, the Buffs have changed their home course on a somewhat regular basis.

Formerly Vista Ridge Golf Course, the links were purchased by Steve Kerr, a former CU golfer from the 80s. On the foggy, rainy morning a couple hundred Buff backers were in attendance, including professional golfers (and former Buffs) Steve Jones and Hale Irwin.

The CNGC clubhouse on Saturday was decked out with all sorts of past and present CU memorabilia and awards. Outside, lined up on one side of the putting green, were 12 carts, each painted with the colors and logo of a different team from the Big 12 Conference.

Of particular interest, parked on the side of the putting green was a range-ball picking vehicle colored red and white, with a Nebraska football helmet on the roof and an "N" emblazoned on the front. Keep in mind that range-ball pickers are often the target of people hitting balls on the practice range, and what better target for a CU fan than a symbol of the NU football team, long a dreaded nemesis of the Buffs.

Another day in the life of...

2009-05-03T05:24:00.005-06:00

Well, May started off here as rainy and cold. It has made for a good weekend of hanging out around home with Dylan and doing some stuff around the house.

Here are some fun photos from the past couple of days...

We got this from some friends... it's pretty appropriate given our "conversion" to composting 6 months ago and the fact Melissa has taken her own shopping bag into stores for a year or more at this point. Once Dylan gets bigger and goes the cloth diaper route this shirt will be more true than initially realized. Also, I happen to think Dylan will look quite stylish in this onesie!

Hanging out

In Mom's arms...

Already cheering for his favorite Eastern Conference NBA team (yes, he does have a Nuggets onesie that will make an appearance very soon)

Sleeping, with his stocking cap sideways - just like Dad

Ranger is always nearby... and so curious!

Dad going on his first walk with Dylan and Mom last Wednesday. Ranger came along as well.

I'm sure we'll have more photos up soon.... keep coming back to the site for updates!!!

Dylan's photo shoot with Mom

2009-04-28T21:44:00.015-06:00

Melissa and Dylan had some fun today (just like Ryan thinks they do everyday). Here are some pictures from a little photo op they had today...

Settling in

2009-04-28T21:20:00.007-06:00

We had a pretty low key weekend around home and after a few days of 50s and overcast we were sick and tired of the TV. It makes me glad that we don't have that much that we consider "must watch" TV. Anyhow...

Dylan is doing well and it's amazing to see how much more "settled" he feels throughout the house. For a while, he was pretty content to stay in mom and dad's room in his sleeper and grew to enjoy the living room as well. Everything else was a bit much.

Now he's getting pretty use to traveling the house and going into different rooms. We are excited for the weather to get warm and stay warm, especially on the weekends so we can all go for walks. It's been nice here for the most part and it feels like spring is about to officially break for summer.

A few pics of Dylan from the weekend.

NFL Amazing!

2009-04-24T09:33:00.001-06:00

This is one of the cooler videos I have seen in a long time! Check it out:

Dylan is growing!

2009-04-22T14:03:00.001-06:00

Dylan had a follow up doctor's appointment and we had some good news: he's growing! (and quickly).

He weighted in at 5 lbs, 7.5 ounces. This is a 12 ounce increase in the past week and represents over a pound of weight gainage since we took him home from the hosptial the day before Easter!

Still not sure if he'll be able to make the CU Spring Football game this Saturday... we'll have to wait and see! (this is of little relavance of course)

Melissa is also on Facebook now, so I imagine some of this isn't news today. Go add her as a friend in the meantime! As promised, here are some pictures of Dylan with his mom.

Dylan and Mom

Enjoying the sunny day!

Dylan with his sock monkey

Havin' a good time!

Looks like quite a little man when he's not in a onesie

Spring is here

2009-04-22T13:10:00.008-06:00

Well, after getting nearly a foot of thick, wet snow last weekend, the temps are back in the 70s this week. With one final exam completed on Monday night and only two more days of "paternity" leave in front of me, Ranger and I went up to Chataquea Park in Boulder for an afternoon run/hike. It was our first hike of the year and somehow we managed to run for about half the 3 mile hike. Of course there was some snow hiding in the more shaded areas and both of us were pretty muddy by the end (pic of Ranger below). I had to show him off to Melissa before I took him for a bath!

A muddy and happy dog

Showing off for Melissa and Dylan

First bath at home

2009-04-21T07:02:00.008-06:00

We gave Dylan his first sponge bath at home last Friday. It turned out to be quite a fun experience! And yes, this all went down on our bed...

First bath - 4.17

Mom washing his blonde hair

Drying off in his Rubber Ducky towel

Hanging out after the bath

Meeting of the Lee boys on the bed

Planning

2009-04-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

In life, sometimes it helps to try and plan things out. You meticulously walk through scenarios, make assessments as to what you will do in each situation and try to the best of your ability to prepare for all outcomes. Expecting a child is definitely no different.

We were expecting this week to be a possible early delivery week as "Baby Lee's" due date was this upcoming Saturday, April 26th. Around week 34-36 it was evident that he/she may need to come early via a planned Cesarean. Regardless, we still had some planning we could do and believed we were prepared for most anything.

We also spent a reasonable amount of time discussing on who would come to stay with us and help Melissa when the baby was born. I envisioned my life as running to-and-from the airport shuttling the many house guests and helpers that would be constantly in our home, helping Melissa and I.

As it turns out, you cannot count on or expect things to turn out the way you plan. Life always seems to throw you the proverbial curve ball. You need to adjust in life and go with the ever changing daily ebb and flow. I believe we are doing just that.

As one of my professors so profoundly stated to me when I told him I'd be missing class due to the unexpected birth of our son "Delighted to hear your wife and son are doing well. No matter how much we plan, the expected seems to be the norm. We are fortunate that medical science has advanced so far." (I think he meant unexpected. Still not sure where this was going)

Here are some updated photos of Dylan! (we'll post more photos with Melissa next time - I promise!)

Waking up on 4.14

Sleeping on 4.18

After feeding with Dad 4.18

Feeding last Saturday - 4.18

A lazy Sunday morning

Update at our house...

2009-04-16T10:45:00.011-06:00

Dylan is doing really well. We had a doctor appointment with his pediatrician on Tuesday. He weighed in at 4 lbs, 11 ounces - this is a 4 ounce gain in 3.5 days from when he was discharged on Saturday. This is GREAT news and made us feel much better on his progress as the doctor wanted him to gain 0.5 to 1.0 ounces a day, which means he's right on target.

Dylan is doing a lot of eating, sleeping and now taking a daily iron/vitamin supplement.

Here are some updated pics:

Dylan enjoying his new elephant onesie

The guys in their hats

Prepping to swaddle

Ranger, the ferocious attach dog...

...and even Mom is getting some time on the phone to call back the "millions" of people that continue to reach out to her

George Karl - NBA Coach of the Year?

2009-04-16T09:48:00.011-06:00

Simply: Yes

The local sports news castors are drinking my kool-aid and discussing the Denver Nuggets very own head coach as a coach-of-the-year candidate. There is some warrant in this discussion, as previously discussed HERE. He deserves to be in the conversation and is showing why the Nuggets owner hired him several years back.

1) The Nuggets are the #2 seed in a very tough Western Conference. Preseason predictions definitely did not have the Nuggets as the #2 seed and had the Nuggets barely making the playoffs.

2) A second straight season of 50+ wins. A record of 54-28 was an improvement over a 50-32 record last year. All in all, the team played equally as well this year but was more consistent and won the games they were suppose to. That's a good sign of improvement.

3) Intangibles: the team played and looked like a true TEAM. This was not the case last year or the year before. This year's team showed real signs of maturity and the coach-player relationships were very good - no Kenyon Martin issues, AI was traded and the best players on the team generally showed up each and every night.

This season was truly special and now it's time to show up and play a tough first series against the Hornets. This should be a tough series for the Nuggets despite their #2 seed. Last year New Orleans was a game away from the conference finals.

Here's to a strong post season showing by the Nuggets: Let's get it on!!

Home for 1 day now...

2009-04-12T21:09:00.030-06:00

feels like a week! (well, kind of)

We got our walking papers out of the hospital on Friday afternoon with a Saturday afternoon departure. We had a feeling that we would be leaving "soon" but I must admit the timing caught us both a bit by surprise as we kept thinking he'd get the OK on Monday.

While it was great to head home, I will say we were almost kind of "sad" to leave the hospital. The nurses and staff we basically lived with for the past two weeks were absolutely amazing. There were definitely up's and down's for Melissa and I and we went through a variety of emotions and saying goodbye to some of the great staff was a really tough thing for us. We are so thankful and grateful for the support and help they gave not only Dylan, but the both of us as well. Thanks Boulder Community Hospital NICU staff... we can't wait to come visit!

Anyway, Dylan got to meet his future best friend Ranger yesterday and after a mostly sleepless first night we all settled in a bit throughout Easter Sunday. I suppose we didn't do much today but all things considered it ended up being a great Easter as we were at home as a family.

I feel like we are slowly getting into a groove and Melissa and I are figuring out what all we need to have near the changing area when it's time to switch diapers (Dad found himself ill prepared a few times). Grandma Chris stocked us up pretty well with foods "ready to eat" so the eating part of the day has been the easiest!

Dylan had some adjusting to do in his first 24 hours at home but has been just great since. Here are a few photos of us leaving the hospital and arriving at home:

The Lee's Arriving Home!

Dylan entering with Dad

Ranger checking things out...

Dylan strectching out

Ranger still checking things out....

The Lee's

Some quality time with Grandma Chris

Yo! Don't mess with me!!

Easter morning with Mom...

Easter morning with Dad

Dylan is heading home Saturday!

2009-04-10T11:56:00.004-06:00

Well, less than two weeks after he's born Dylan is heading home. We just found out this morning that he is being discharged at 2pm on Saturday, April 11th. This is great news and now his Mom and Dad get to finish any final "prep" in the next 24 hours.... We are very excited and will post pictures over the weekend and next week.

Chances are we'll be pretty busy so if we get calls, there's a slight chance we'll actually answer. Hopefully the big guy sleeps well and I'm sure Ranger will be very curious about his new buddy!

Here's a random video that popped into my head. I hope there are no underlying messages in this song that I am currently failing to recognize!

Cheers!

Dylan update - 4.4.09

2009-04-04T19:15:00.000-06:00

Dylan is continuing to do well. His Uncle Gregg visited him yesterday (4.3.09) and is currently his favorite Uncle (that's a challenge to his Uncle Jason to come visit). He is eating more each day and is progressing very well according to his pediatrician.

Mom and Dad are hopeful he can be out of the hospital and ready for the CU Spring Football Scrimmage on 4.25.09. Luke and Christie gave Dylan a little Buff Baby onesie to wear! It is so great and he's going to look like quite a stud in his CU gear! His signs are all pointing in right direction now!

Dylan on 4.2.09

Uncle Gregg's hand

Uncle Gregg with Dylan's "Peanut"

Dylan thinks life's a beach at the hospital

Baby tired, Daddy tired

More pictures can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=RyanonBoulder&target=ALBUM&id=5319536567109657233&locked=true&authkey=Gv1sRgCKLXoMzh7rz6Zw&feat=email

Ranger is living the Dream this week

2009-04-03T14:21:00.009-06:00

Seeing we are in the hospital with Dylan this week, my mom is staying at our house with Ranger. Yesterday they went on a 3+ hour walk that found Ranger walking to CU, taking a tour of campus and then walking home past the hospital. I'm sure he enjoyed the long walk and every smell along the way.

Here are a few photos from the excursion. These are pretty great...

I'd like to thank the kind person that took this photo in front of CU's football stadium!!

Funny thing, this is the gate I use for my access my season CU football seats

Didn't Luke and Firth have drinking parties in this dorm all the time? Ranger likes it.

Bacon Cupcakes? YUM!

2009-04-03T14:05:00.008-06:00

As we've been in the hospital this whole week we have definitely had some great support. Yesterday we received a dozen cupcakes from a local place called Tee & Cakes. There was an assortment of cupcakes inside however the dozen was specifically delivered with 4 bacon cupcakes. Our friends are having their annual "Bacon fest" this weekend in WI. From Melissa's description, it's a day where nothing but bacon is eaten along with a few fine Miller beer products. We are envious of those able to attend such a great event and hope they have a little extra for us!

So the bacon cupcakes are very unique and very tasty. They have maple syrup in the chocolate frosting and bits of bacon in the cupcakes themselves. As the picture shows, there's a whole lotta bacon to enjoy!

Things are going well here at the hospital. Melissa will get discharged/released from her hospital care tonight after dinner and we'll begin our full-time "boarder" status here with Dylan.

Dylan is also doing well and after five days is back to his birth weight (for a baby born at 36 weeks the nurses say they expect it to take up to two weeks to reach this milestone. This is definitely a good thing.) He is starting to gain a good grasp of how to eat and is quite a little character. We'll look to post more pictures soon.