Random Store with crazy carpet.
The merchandise looked like it was a few decades old.Milagros Coffeeshop. Soon to become one of my favorite spots in Alamosa. :)
Some random guy I found inside.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sights around town:
Main Street. This is about 5 blocks from our house.
Random Store with crazy carpet.
The merchandise looked like it was a few decades old.
Milagros Coffeeshop. Soon to become one of my favorite spots in Alamosa. :)
Some random guy I found inside.
Random Store with crazy carpet.
The merchandise looked like it was a few decades old.Milagros Coffeeshop. Soon to become one of my favorite spots in Alamosa. :)
Some random guy I found inside.
The Open House, 1-25
We hosted an open house on Sunday afternoon, which was a lot of fun. About 15-20 congregants stopped by over the course of three hours; it was great for us to sit and talk with them and get to know them better. Plus, it gave me (Rebecca) an excuse to try a couple new recipes: Mexican 7-layer dip and that Velveeta-salsa dip goodness. YUM. 
(Yes, those are leftover Christmas candy canes circling the punch bowl. That was Deric's idea. Brilliant.)
At one point, we had four kids ages 3-5, and they LOVED Deric. :) It was super fun.
(Yes, those are leftover Christmas candy canes circling the punch bowl. That was Deric's idea. Brilliant.)At one point, we had four kids ages 3-5, and they LOVED Deric. :) It was super fun.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Oh Deer!
On our second morning here in Alamosa, Deric noticed dozens of brown little round pellets right smack dab in the middle of the walkway leading from our house to the sidewalk/street. Deer poop. 10 feet from our front door. We'd heard that the deer population in Alamosa is out of control, and this was our first evidence of that fact. It was a nice welcome to rural Colorado.
Later that week, we went for a bike ride along a wooded trail and saw this sight:
That same day, as were pulling up to our parking spot in front of our house, we saw a couple of deer standing in the middle of our street! What a sight. Now I'm starting to understand why there's an annual "In Town Deer Hunt" (with bows/arrows) every spring.
Later that week, we went for a bike ride along a wooded trail and saw this sight:
That same day, as were pulling up to our parking spot in front of our house, we saw a couple of deer standing in the middle of our street! What a sight. Now I'm starting to understand why there's an annual "In Town Deer Hunt" (with bows/arrows) every spring.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Gran Torino and "Freeze Your Buns" Fun Run
Last night Deric and I checked out the local movie theatre for a date night. We were hoping to see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," but it wasn't showing anymore. Instead, we chose "Gran Torino," and it ended up being really good. There's a lot of bad language, but it's a very good story and Clint Eastwood was amazing. I cried.
This morning we got up early and headed to the golf course for the 1st annual "Freeze your Buns" 5k fun run. It was beautiful weather: sunny and in the high 30's, so it was more like the "chill your buns" fun run. :) Deric was really excited to race again, but I was pretty nervous. The last time I ran 5k was in 6th grade, and I really don't like to run too much. My goal was simply to finish the race, preferably in under an hour. :) There were about 50 people that participated and it was a great trail on the dirt paths of the golf course, so full of trees and scenic views. Deric finished second in his age bracket (he got a water bottle as a prize), and I came in three minutes after him. I think I was third in my age bracket. Granted, there weren't many people in our age brackets. :) But anyway, we walked proud of ourselves, more inspired to work out, and it was indeed a fun run.
This morning we got up early and headed to the golf course for the 1st annual "Freeze your Buns" 5k fun run. It was beautiful weather: sunny and in the high 30's, so it was more like the "chill your buns" fun run. :) Deric was really excited to race again, but I was pretty nervous. The last time I ran 5k was in 6th grade, and I really don't like to run too much. My goal was simply to finish the race, preferably in under an hour. :) There were about 50 people that participated and it was a great trail on the dirt paths of the golf course, so full of trees and scenic views. Deric finished second in his age bracket (he got a water bottle as a prize), and I came in three minutes after him. I think I was third in my age bracket. Granted, there weren't many people in our age brackets. :) But anyway, we walked proud of ourselves, more inspired to work out, and it was indeed a fun run.
Friday, January 23, 2009
About Alamosa
My (Rebecca's) grandma emailed me with a list of questions about our new town. I figured I'd post them and their answers on here so that everyone can get an idea of life in Alamosa.
How big is the town (population)? Around 10-15,000
How far from Denver ? 236 miles, about a four-hour drive
How big is the church? around 200 people
Do you have your own building? yes, but it's an old and small building, so we're in the process of relocating to a larger and newer building.
What kind of college is in the town? Adams State College is a small public liberal arts school. Its track and cross country teams are internationally known.
What grocery store do you go to? Where is it? There are two grocery stores in Alamosa: City Market and Safeway. We prefer the Safeway because it's closer to our house (about 1/2 mile) and nicer.
When you went out to lunch on Sunday, where did you go? To The Inn of the Rio Grande. It's a nice hotel with a nice restaurant. There are several fast food places: McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Long John Silvers, to name a few. And there are a few restaurants in town: a great Chinese place, a Thai place, a brewery, and a restaurant called "The Outhouse." (That doesn't really sound too appealing to me!)
Who are your neighbors (besides the pastor who lives across the street?) The only neighbor we've met is Virginia, a very old woman who's hard of hearing. She lives in our same complex. I think a family is living to the left of us, and it appears as though a young married couple has just moved in to the right of us.
I know that you don’t have Jazzercise, but do you have an Ace Hardware? Yes, there are two Ace Hardwares within 17 miles of us. There is also a True Value, where Deric hopes to work part-time. Even though there's no Jazzercise, there's a nice Rec Center which provides exercise classes.
Have you started looking for jobs yet? Yes. We've both applied to be substitute teachers, and Deric has applied elsewhere as well. I'm planning on subbing 2-3 days a week, and Deric hopes to work at a hardware store.
Do you sense a feeling of warmth with the people? Very much so. We feel right at home.
How do most of your congregation earn their living? Some work at the college, some are farmers (the San Luis Valley is home to potato farming) or ranchers, many have their own businesses (a fencing business, a hardware store, a leather business, etc.).
Here's additional information about Alamosa:
Elevation: 7,544 feet
History: Alamosa was established in May 1878 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center. The railroad had an extensive construction, repair and shipping facility in Alamosa for many years and headquartered its remaining narrow gauge service here with trackage reaching many points throughout southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico. Alamosa is now a notable tourist town with many nearby attractions including the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The town hosts a Sunshine Summerfest on the Rio Festival which occurs the first weekend in June. The city takes its name from the Alamosa River. The name "Alamosa" means "shaded with cottonwoods" in Spanish.
Geography: Alamosa is located in the San Luis Valley, in the highest general agricultural land in the United States. The San Luis Valley is the largest intermountain valley in the world and features a dry climate with long cold winters and short cool summers.
Demographics: About 60% white and 40% Hispanic; about 25% of the population is below the poverty line.
Source: wikipedia.org
How big is the town (population)? Around 10-15,000
How far from Denver ? 236 miles, about a four-hour drive
How big is the church? around 200 people
Do you have your own building? yes, but it's an old and small building, so we're in the process of relocating to a larger and newer building.
What kind of college is in the town? Adams State College is a small public liberal arts school. Its track and cross country teams are internationally known.
What grocery store do you go to? Where is it? There are two grocery stores in Alamosa: City Market and Safeway. We prefer the Safeway because it's closer to our house (about 1/2 mile) and nicer.
When you went out to lunch on Sunday, where did you go? To The Inn of the Rio Grande. It's a nice hotel with a nice restaurant. There are several fast food places: McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Long John Silvers, to name a few. And there are a few restaurants in town: a great Chinese place, a Thai place, a brewery, and a restaurant called "The Outhouse." (That doesn't really sound too appealing to me!)
Who are your neighbors (besides the pastor who lives across the street?) The only neighbor we've met is Virginia, a very old woman who's hard of hearing. She lives in our same complex. I think a family is living to the left of us, and it appears as though a young married couple has just moved in to the right of us.
I know that you don’t have Jazzercise, but do you have an Ace Hardware? Yes, there are two Ace Hardwares within 17 miles of us. There is also a True Value, where Deric hopes to work part-time. Even though there's no Jazzercise, there's a nice Rec Center which provides exercise classes.
Have you started looking for jobs yet? Yes. We've both applied to be substitute teachers, and Deric has applied elsewhere as well. I'm planning on subbing 2-3 days a week, and Deric hopes to work at a hardware store.
Do you sense a feeling of warmth with the people? Very much so. We feel right at home.
How do most of your congregation earn their living? Some work at the college, some are farmers (the San Luis Valley is home to potato farming) or ranchers, many have their own businesses (a fencing business, a hardware store, a leather business, etc.).
Here's additional information about Alamosa:
Elevation: 7,544 feet
History: Alamosa was established in May 1878 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center. The railroad had an extensive construction, repair and shipping facility in Alamosa for many years and headquartered its remaining narrow gauge service here with trackage reaching many points throughout southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico. Alamosa is now a notable tourist town with many nearby attractions including the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The town hosts a Sunshine Summerfest on the Rio Festival which occurs the first weekend in June. The city takes its name from the Alamosa River. The name "Alamosa" means "shaded with cottonwoods" in Spanish.
Geography: Alamosa is located in the San Luis Valley, in the highest general agricultural land in the United States. The San Luis Valley is the largest intermountain valley in the world and features a dry climate with long cold winters and short cool summers.
Demographics: About 60% white and 40% Hispanic; about 25% of the population is below the poverty line.
Source: wikipedia.org
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Tour of Our New Home
We love our new home and are so thankful that the Lord provided us with such a cozy and comfortable place to live, right in the middle of Alamosa. Many of you have requested photos, so here you go. Pretend you're coming to visit!! :)
The view from the street. (My brother says it looks like Army housing, and we agree.)
Like you're about to ring our doorbell. :)
The view once the front door is open.
Another angle, and at nighttime.
The view from the "dining room" corner. Notice the big florescent light. They're in each room but the kitchen. We don't ever turn them on, though.
Entering the kitchen. Finding a spot for everything was an exciting challenge!
Additional storage!
Here's the view from the backdoor. We have a little backyard. That small building on the right is a storage building, but it belongs to the landlord, so we can't use it.
The bathroom.
The hallway.
Linen closet.
Our bedroom.
Look how organized our closet has to be! Hopefully it'll stay that way. :)
Entering our extra bedroom: the office/storage/utility/guest room. :)
Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Come visit us in person!!! :)
The view from the street. (My brother says it looks like Army housing, and we agree.)
Like you're about to ring our doorbell. :)
The view once the front door is open.
Another angle, and at nighttime.
The view from the "dining room" corner. Notice the big florescent light. They're in each room but the kitchen. We don't ever turn them on, though.
Entering the kitchen. Finding a spot for everything was an exciting challenge!
Additional storage!
Here's the view from the backdoor. We have a little backyard. That small building on the right is a storage building, but it belongs to the landlord, so we can't use it.
The bathroom.
The hallway.
Linen closet.
Our bedroom.
Look how organized our closet has to be! Hopefully it'll stay that way. :)
Entering our extra bedroom: the office/storage/utility/guest room. :)
Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Come visit us in person!!! :)
Monday, January 19, 2009
1-17-09, Our Move from Littleton to Alamosa.
On Saturday, January 17th, Deric and I --with the help of amazing friends!--loaded up a borrowed pick-up truck, horse trailer, and my little VW Cabrio and drove four hours southwest to the small town of Alamosa, CO: Our New Home. We began the day around 8am, hit the road around 12:45pm, arrived in Alamosa around 5:15pm, and fell asleep around 9pm. The Lord blessed us with fabulous and unusually warm weather, hard-working friends who helped us use every single nook and cranny to fit all of our furniture and boxes into one trip, and safe travels. Amazingly, nothing was lost or broken in the move; our only casualty was a plastic trash-can lid, which flew off immediately after we began driving faster than 45 mph. Below are snapshots of our long but good day.
Deric cleaning the kitchen.
Our living room, all packed up.
Our books and bookshelves.
Outside our apartment building.
About an hour into loading, the horse trailer was just about full...
...but we still had more stuff! What a dilemma! Would it all fit in one trip?
These guys didn't think so. Skeptics.
But thanks to ingenuity, Tetris skills, and ratcheting straps, everything fit!!! It was a Beverly-Hillbillies-looking miracle! All we were missing was an old lady to ride atop a chair in the truck bed. :)
The miracle-workers.
The truck, upon arrival in Alamosa.
My car was packed to the hilt!
Jeron and two of his kids helped us unload into our new home. Here's 7-year-old Mandy helping out. :)
Deric fixed our cracked table leg.
Deric cleaning the kitchen.
Our living room, all packed up.
Our books and bookshelves.
Outside our apartment building.
About an hour into loading, the horse trailer was just about full...
...but we still had more stuff! What a dilemma! Would it all fit in one trip?
These guys didn't think so. Skeptics.
But thanks to ingenuity, Tetris skills, and ratcheting straps, everything fit!!! It was a Beverly-Hillbillies-looking miracle! All we were missing was an old lady to ride atop a chair in the truck bed. :)
The miracle-workers.
The truck, upon arrival in Alamosa.
My car was packed to the hilt!
Jeron and two of his kids helped us unload into our new home. Here's 7-year-old Mandy helping out. :)
Deric fixed our cracked table leg.
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