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time for an update

with so much recent activity, it's surely time for an update! here's a re-cap of what the "sensational Spears," as Lisa named us, have been up to . . .
Once John learned that Florida State was going to Nashville to play in the NCAA Finals, he took a day off and drove the four hours to watch. I joined him in the wee morning hours, after an eight hour bus ordeal involving narcotics police hauling a couple guys off the bus in hand cuffs (other than that, the rest of the trip was pretty tame). We LOVED the Grand Ol' Opry and the botanical gardens in Nashville where dogwoods were beginning to blossom and multi-colored tulips covered the grounds.
Mom visited the next weekend and we donned lab goggles and visited "the pit" at the regional semi-finals of a Robotics Competition put on by FIRST. Then we headed to the absolutely gorgeous Shaw Nature Reserve to enjoy spring in full bloom in St. Louis. We were treated to an off-the-beaten-path peak day for bluebells in bloom, covering acres of the forest ground.
My golden birthday (31 on the 31st) was celebrated perfectly with Crossfit, a vegetarian buffet at an anarchist bakery (I thought that was a joke but, really, the bakery is full of anarchist literature that made us ponder how such a system is sustainable), a stroll-hike at a park, and a Golden Gala replete with golden balloons, a pot o' gold, goldfish, fake gold eyelashes, gold lamee, gold hairspray, gold sequined vest, and the list goes on.
We headed to CO last weekend for some late season skiing. We stayed at Keystone and skied A Basin Fri and Breck Sat. I had trouble keeping up with John and could give you any number of reasons for that but I won't bore you. Sat afternoon we headed back to Denver for a night with Donna, sunrise Easter service at Red Rocks, volleyball in Wash Park (much to John's delight), skyping with the Spears, an Easter egg hunt that got rather competitive, and brunch with Donna, Aimee, and Raf.
All in all, life's been REALLY busy with work and these respites have been so needed and appreciated and enjoyed. We just wish all you wonderful friends and fam lived closer!

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