Frost Cats competing at NCA in Dallas

We have had some technical issues on the blog but I think they have now been fixed. So, it has been a while.

In February, Anna and Marcy had a trip to Dallas for a big cheerleading competition called NCA. Both of Anna’s teams did well with Frost Cats scoring the highest of any time at CA-Denver. They ended the competition in fifth place with a score of 98.45

White Out at NCA

Meanwhile, Jude has been on a couple of college visits recently. We visited Tuscon to tour the University of Arizona 10 days ago. We checked out their College of Business and did an organized tour of the campus. It is very impressive. While it is a very big school with north of 40,000 students, the facilities are some of the best I have ever seen.

Anna was the Rookie of the Year on her high school cheer team

Right after Anna came back from Dallas, they had the banquet for the South High School cheer team. She was delighted to be awarded the Rookie of the Year and received her first varsity letter. She worked so hard for her cheer team so it was great to see her recognized for that.

Outside the football stadium at the University of Arizona

In Arizona, Jude and I met up with my friend Julian and his wife, who is from Tucson, and they gave us a great recommendation for dinner: an authentic Mexican place that was more than 80 years old. The next morning, we went for a hike in the Tucson mountains. The terrain is so different from Colorado but still very beautiful.

Hiking in the mountains west of Tucson

We flew back to Denver and we were home for just a few hours before we drove up to Keystone for Spring Break. My birthday was last Sunday and I wanted to wake up at our Keystone place. This was our first family ski trip for several years because until this year the kids had different dates for Spring Break.

Snowshoeing on my birthday in Keystone

They hadn’t had much fresh snow in a while so I decided I wanted to go snowshoeing on my birthday. We found a trail near the Keystone Ranch golf course and did a six-mile hike in the wilderness there. Then it was home and to my favorite Mexican place for dinner.

A powder day at Keystone

The night of my birthday it started snowing so we had a powder day on Monday. It was our first family ski day since before the pandemic and it was fantastic. We had a few powder runs and some bumps as well. It was Marcy’s first ski day since before she had bunion surgery and her feet felt so much better.

The CSU Rams in their admissions center

We came back from the mountains on Thursday and then on Friday Marcy, Jude and I drove to Fort Collins to tour Colorado State University. This was another great tour, and Jude came away impressed. It is was a little smaller than U of A but the campus was still very impressive.

Easter morning with full baskets

Today was Easter Sunday. No Easter Egg hunt this year (we thought it was the first time ever, but Anna reminded us we didn’t do one in 2022). Marcy still filled their Easter baskets with their favorite treats. We decided to do a non-traditional Easter dinner. I wanted to grill some ribs so we had a good old barbecue dinner with ribs, potato salad, coleslaw and cornbread. And Marcy made a delicious strawberry cream cake for dessert.

The annual Iowa birthday cakes from Baba

We had planned to drive to Iowa on Boxing Day (Dec 26) but a winter storm was pounding the plains and it looked like it could be dangerous driving. It was a good decision as the roads were terrible. So, we left home early (for us) on the 27th and made it to West Des Moines just after 7:30pm local time. Anna and I both missed the summer trip to Iowa so it was our first time in Iowa since summer of 2022.

Playing the “Saran Wrap” Christmas game

As always on our visits Baba keeps us entertained with endless games. We played Code Names several times, we had an epic game of Christmas Bingo with prizes and then there was the “Saran Wrap” game. Baba had wrapped dozens of small Christmas gifts inside an endless ball of Saran Wrap. There was well over 100 layers that we had to undo but you had time until the person next to you rolled a double on the dice. It was a lot of fun.

Toasting in the New Year with the cousins

New Year’s Eve was spent watching a lot of football and then all the kids toasted in the new year with “kids champagne” around 7pm. We also did the confetti poppers which were very loud and scared the crap out of Olive. Soon, there was confetti everywhere.

Shooting off the confetti poppers

Letting Olive know everything was ok

The trip was over too soon and today we drove back to Denver. It was a long but uneventul trip home. The kids have the day off tomorrow before returning to school on Wednesday.

On top of the Empire State Building looking south

Anna has always really wanted to go to New York City and around the dinner table a few weeks ago we were wondering if we could go on a trip to celebrate Marcy’s birthday. With cheerleading taking up so many weekends we saw there was a window in the week before Christmas. So, we cashed in a bunch of points for free flights and a free hotel room at the Sheraton Hotel just a few blocks north of Times Square.

With “Fearless Girl” outside the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street

We arrived Monday night and went straight down to Target in Times Square because we forgot the air mattress for Anna. Then the first morning we walked around Times Square, went to the New York Public Library and then brought in Joe’s Pizza for lunch at the office (the Fintech Nexus office is right in Times Square). Then it was on to the Empire State Building, still a beautiful and imposing building at almost 90 years old. That night we had dinner at a Peruvian restaurant in Hells Kitchen.

Getting their first taste of the NYC subway

Marcy booked a walking tour of Lower Manhattan on Wednesday so we all jumped on the subway to get the train downtown. We had a wonderful guide, Megan, who showed us all the high spots of Lower Manhattan including the City Hall, Seaport, Battery Park, Wall Street, the 9-11 memorial and more. It was one of the highlights of the trip. After another pizza lunch we decided to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and explore Brooklyn. We walked along the East River promenade and then to the Dekalb Market for an early dinner. Then it was back to Times Square where we bought tickets to see & Juliet, one of the popular new musicals. It was great.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge

Thursday we walked through Central Park and on to Columbia University which is just a few blocks northeast of the park. We walked around the campus a little and tried to get into the library but it was closed. Not to worry we enjoyed taking in the beautiful campus. After lunch at Pret it was another subway ride to the pier for our Circle Line cruise. This was a cruise around Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. It was a gorgeous day but a little cold. That night we went to Grand Central station and caught a train to have dinner at our work friend Joy’s house in New Rochelle.

On the cruise to see the Statue of Liberty

Friday was more walking (we walked around 13 miles each day). We started off at the Intrepid Museum which is on the Intrepid aircraft carrier that is moored in midtown Manhattan. Marcy and I have been there twice before for Fintech Nexus functions but we thought the kids would really enjoy it, which they did. We got to see a ton of old planes, including the one from the Top Gun movie. We also toured the bridge and the officers’ quarters and learned about life on an aircraft carrier during times of war.

At the Intrepid Museum on the aircraft carrier

From there we walked down the High Line to Chelsea Markets for a delicious lunch.

Walking through Chelsea Markets

Then we happened to be walking past Cornelia Street and we had to stop to get a picture of Taylor Swift’s old house.

Outside Taylor Swift’s old house on Cornelia Street

Then we walked through Little Italy where we stopped for some dessert at the Cannoli King. Next we walked through Chinatown before returning to the hotel. That night we went our separate ways with Marcy and Anna going to see Chicago while Jude and I went to see the Nuggets play the Brooklyn Nets – just a fluke they were in town while we were there. It was Jude’s first NBA game ever.

Outside the United Nations building

Saturday was our last day and we split up again. Jude and I wanted to watch the Arsenal game in one of New York’s bars devoted to Arsenal, so we chose Olde City in Chelsea. We had a great time, it was a very rowdy but friendly bar with lots of singing and drumming and yelling at the TVs. Meanwhile, Marcy and Anna rented bikes and rode to Holly Golightly’s apartment, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Then they walked through Central Park to Columbus Circle to visit the Taylor Swift exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design.

Our last walk through Times Square

We then walked back to our hotel and headed to the airport. Our plane was a little early but it was still 11:30pm by the time we got home.

Yesterday was spent unpacking and doing laundry and, of course, getting ready for Christmas. It is a little easier now the kids are older but Marcy still puts in a big effort to make the day special for everyone.

Christmas Day lunch at Little India’s restaurant, a family tradition

Christmas morning began with the sharing of presents, and Marcy and Anna made cinnamon rolls. After a quiet morning we headed to Little India’s for lunch. We usually get takeout but this year we decided to dine in. It was a delicious meal and we had lots of leftovers to enjoy. This afternoon Marcy baked her nut rolls and I made a fruit salad, just like my mum used to make on Christmas Day in Sydney.

Celebrating with Marcy’s birthday cheesecake

It was Marcy’s birthday on Friday and she wanted a low key day. She baked herself a lemon cheesecake because that is what she wanted for her birthday cake. Marcy and Anna had their nails done, then we all went for lunch at Modern Market. We played Pictionary and for dinner we had pizza from Whole Foods.

This weekend was all about Anna’s cheerleading. It was the first competition of the year for Cheer Athletics and they had been working on their routine for more than four months.

Anna and her team about to start the Frost Cats routine

Anna is on two teams: Frost Cats and Whit3 Out. Frost Cats performed early, around 9:15am both days and Anna needed to be there at 7am. I took her early on Saturday and Marcy on Sunday. Whit3 Out performed late afternoon both days so Anna was there around 12 hours each day. Each performance is 2 1/2 minutes and each team performs on both Saturday and Sunday.

Anna was so excited this morning when Frost Cats won their division with a flawless routine. Whit3 Out also performed well, hitting zero in both performances but unfortunately, they came in third place, a big disappointment for the team.

Whit3 Out after the awards

Frost Cats at the end of their routine

After training since June, the Cheer Athletics season officially began today with the Blue Debut at the National Western Complex. This is the day when they perform their routine in front of an audience of a couple of thousand people but they are not graded and it is not an official competition.

White Out doing a stunt (Anna is the base closest to the camera)

Anna is in two teams this year at CA. She started off in Frost Cats which is a level 2 team and then a spot opened up on White Out, a level 3 team, and Anna was invited to join. So, she has two teams as well as her high school team. This is a lot but we are ok with it as long as Anna keeps up her grades which she is doing.

Today, the teams did well although they didn’t “hit zero” meaning zero mistakes. There was a small hiccup in each routine but Anna was so happy to be back performing again, she just loves it.

Jude came today and saw both routines. There was a 90-minute break between them so Jude and I went to a sports bar to watch some of the Broncos game.

Anna with her favorite cheer coach, Coach Eddie who coached her last year

After dinner at Wash Park Grill to celebrate Jude’s birthday

The kids were off school for Thanksgiving break all week. And Jude turned 17 on Thanksgiving Day. So, we gave him the option of going out somewhere for dinner on Wednesday and he chose Wash Park Grill. It was an incredibly delicious meal.

Off to do the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning

On Thanksgiving morning Jude and I headed out to do the Turkey Trot, a four-mile run around Wash Park. I think this is the fourth time we have done this run, so it is becoming a bit of an annual Thanksgiving tradition. Jude and I both had our fastest runs to date (Jude’s time was 26:34 and I did 32:29).

Sitting down to our Thanksgiving feast

We gave Jude a PS5 for his birthday so he spent some of the day playing with his new console. But we all contributed to Thanksgiving dinner. Anna made the bread rolls and pumpkin pie. Jude made the twice-baked potatoes, I made the turkey and gravy and Marcy did the sweet potato casserole, green beans and cranberry sauce. It was one of our best meals ever.

Jude celebrating his birthday with pumpkin pie

We celebrated Jude’s birthday after dinner and he chose pumpkin pie as his “cake” of choice.

The day after Thanksgiving we drove up to Pine to visit Marcy’s cousin Michele and her husband Tony. They have a beautiful house and are real foodies so we had a delicious pasta meal paired with some truly incredible red wine (Opus One is to die for).

At the Broncos game vs the Browns

Today, Jude and I went to see the Broncos game at Empower Field. It was a gorgeous sunny day, although it was a little brisk at 38 degrees. It was a good day for the Broncos, they won quite easily against the Browns. Jude had a blast.

South Cheerleading team at League

Anna’s two-week imposed break because of her concussion is over. She was back to her practices this weekend which made her very happy. But she was disappointed to miss out on the first high school “League” competition this past week. She went along to cheer on her teammates but she could not compete. Hopefully, this is the last time that happens.

Her White Out team with their community service project

This week, Jude started a business. This is something he has been talking about for months and we finally sat down to do it this week. He decided to do a dropshipping business on Shopify and his store is TopSoccerGifts.com. He has a rudimentary store up right now but he will be working on it every day with the goal of launching it before Thanksgiving. Now that soccer season is over he has a lot more time on his hands.

On our date night downtown

Last weekend Marcy and I went on our quarterly night away from the kids. This is the fourth time we have done this and this time we stayed at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver (using points of course). We had a wonderful meal at a Mexican restaurant next to the Denver Milk Market. We also went out for breakfast the next day at another great place called Onefold.

A bald eagle in Wash Park

When I went out for my afternoon walk on Friday I noticed a bald eagle flying and landed in this tree. Very cool to see one of these in the city.

Jude (No. 12) in action for the South Varsity team

It was quite an eventful Wednesday night here in the Renton household. Jude had his first playoff game ever for South Varsity team. They came in ranked #31 in the state which means they had to play the #2 ranked team: Ralston Valley who were undefeated.

The boys played the game of their life and it was 1-1 after regulation time. Jude came on in the second half and played really well. But the referee made a dubious call in overtime awarding a penalty to Ralston Valley and the game was over. Still, South gave one of the best teams in the state a run for their money and with a little luck would have beaten them.

Meanwhile Anna was at her high school cheer practice that same night. When one of the stunts went wrong one of the other girls fell on Anna’s head and gave Anna a concussion. Marcy was called and it was decided they should go to the ER to get Anna checked out. She was diagnosed with a concussion but nothing worse than that. But Anna was told she had to take two weeks completely off. No sports, no driving, no lifting anything. This would be a forced break.

With her care package from Baba and Grandpa

This weekend we had our first snow of the season. About 8″ fell at our place so all outdoor activities were canceled, including Jude’s refereeing and his Real soccer tryouts. “Stupid snow”, said Jude.

Jude relaxing at the top of the Incline

On Friday I took half a day off work so we could all go to Manitou Springs to do the Incline. I think this is the fifth year in a row we have done this and with the kids on Fall break we headed down south. It was a beautiful crisp and clear day, perfect for the challenging climb. I climbed the 2,768 steps slightly faster than last year at 41:41 and Jude also lowered his record to 30:59. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch in the town and the kids had their traditional funnel cake afterward.

At Falcon Stadium on a chilly fall night

Anna did a cheer camp at the Air Force Academy this summer so she wanted to go back to see a football game. On Saturday afternoon we headed down to the Springs to see the Air Force Falcons defeat the Wyoming Cowboys. There was the usual flyover, with an AC-130 bomber this time, and they also had a bunch of paratroopers drop into the stadium.

One of the actual falcons the Air Force trains (the headgear is to help keep them calm)

The highlight for me at a Falcons game is watching the actual falcon fly. It came out at halftime and flew around the stadium for a couple of minutes. They are such amazing creatures – the fastest living thing on the planet, they can fly at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. We got to meet one on our way out which was really cool.