Mom & Dad Getaway

My mom and dad came out for a quick visit for Rocky's baptism Sunday! We packed in the fun from the minute I picked them up at the train station Friday morning to dropping them off Sunday evening! It's so much fun having them here! They love the majestic Rockies, they now have some favorite spots they like to hit up when they come, and as always they are down for trying new things!

My dad took most of the pictures on their trip, he usually sends me a picture cd. Hopefully I can get my act together and post a few more pics when the cd arrives, but for now, here's a snapshot of my cute papa at Stueben's with the Sarurday edition of the Denver Post.




Here is a quick run thru of the variety of activities we managed to squeeze in:

- Duschaunbe Tea House in Boulder

- Celestial Seasonings in Boulder

- Pepoercorn on Pearl Street in Boulder

- Wynkoop Brewery for happies

- Stueben's for brunch ( as seen on the Food Network)

- masterpiece theatre North&South

- Italian home cooking for dinner

- farkle!

- chocolate wine

- chocolove



Thanks for visiting! As always, we had a blast and wish you could stay longer! Love you!

BABY DILEONARDI HAS ARRIVED!

I went into labor 6 hours after my last post :) With my water breaking at 4:30 Tuesday morning and baby coming around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, let's just say, labor and delivery was AMAZING, FUN, CHALLENGING, REWARDING, and the MOST EXCEPTIONAL THING I HAVE EVER DONE!

Thank you SEAN

....you're an amazing husband and now...father! You were my strength! Thank you for advocating for me! Thank you for your patience! Thank you thank you thank you for a million things! I LOVE YOU!

Thank you MOM

....your level-headedness is contagious

Thank you ALLY

....your calm, soothing personality and sound, wise advice helped encourage me till the end! You are a wonderful doula and a wonderful friend!

Thank you NATALIE

....you are such an encouragement and could not have done this so light heartedly without you rooting me on!

Thank you DAD

....for all the support and encouragement!

Rocco James DiLeonardi

November 10, 2010

8lbs 6 oz

20.5 in

2:18 PM

While we wait....

We'll Make Jelly!

And PLENTY of it!

Upon arrival to our home in Denver, my mom spotted our Concord grape vines in full bloom and ready to be harvested. I have to admit, you really couldn't escape it's fragrance as you milled around the house! We started our operation small. A meagerly batch of jelly. Pick-Clean-Boil-Juice/Cheesecloth/Reduce and Thicken/Can

We canned 12 cans our first batch.

Tried the jelly.

and fell in LOVE!

In the following days we made 64 Jars of Jelly!

I'll never forget such a sweet memory made with my mom as we waited for baby to arrive. It was fun talking about what we would do if my water broke and we were in mid-process with the jelly. It was fun seeing my mom so excited about teaching my the art of canning.

It was beautiful using a blooming creation to make something new, and tasty!

Can't wait to do it again next year!

Thanks for all the fun, mom!

The Royal Gorge Bridge and Park

32 weeks! Sight Seeing with family! What could be better? http://www.royalgorgebridge.com

After church, we packed up the car with drinks and lunch and headed south west to the Royal Gorge. We were anxious to see this natural wonder boasting "A place that brings together the scenic beauty of the Grand Canyon and the human achievement of the Golden Gate Bridge. "

It was spectacular! This picture is taken at the bottom of the gorge next to the Arkansas River. How did we get to the bottom you ask? We took the Incline Railway straight down! Here's a complete description:

Built in 1931, and traveling at a 45-degree angle, America's steepest Incline Railway is still considered one of the most difficult structures ever built. Here, timeless granite walls loom all around as you descend over 1,500 feet to the canyon floor, a mere 50 feet at its widest. Looking up, the Bridge appears as a delicate ribbon cutting across the sky.

Stepping off the car, you'll enjoy the cool spray of the roaring Arkansas River, while whitewater rafters brave the Class 5 rapids below your feet. One can only imagine what it must have been like with guns blazing and dynamite exploding as early railroad officials hired Bat Masterson to protect their crew and materials in the Royal Gorge War.

Riding over the suspension bridge, funnel cakes, rootbeer, laughing, instant lotto tickets at the gas station and more made this adventure perfect for a family outing!

Welcome to Denver Mom and Aunt Bee!

Full Day for us Girls!

- pick up from the train station

- go to Snooze: Sweet Potato Pancake, Hashbrowns, Juan's Breakfast Tacos, Caprese Benny, and a Hot Chai Latte

- unpack at home

- Celestial Seasonings tour, tasting, and shopping in Boulder

- Root Down for dinner: Rosemary Lavender Lemonade (mom got it with vodka), Edamame Hummus with Wonton Chips, Colorado Lamb Slider with Harissa Aoili, Udi’s Challah Bun & Arugula, Organic Sweet Potato Fries w/ Curry Lime Sauce, Veggie Burger Slider w/ Tomato Jam, Sprout Salad & Udi’s Challah Bun, Sweet Potato "Falafel" w/ Lemon-Tahini Yogurt, Israeli Salad, Sesame Seeds & Serrano Oil, Sean and Aunt Becky enjoyed local brews :)

- Matt and Laura even met up with us for dinner!

- Exhausted, mom and I tried to stay up to watch a movie with no success.

A jam packed day full of fun! Welcome to Denver Thelma and Louise!

Cucina Colore w/ the Blocks

Mr. and Mrs. Block Visit Denver

With Matt and Laura moving just two short weeks ago, Laura's parents could not wait any longer to visit and see their new set up! Denver welcomed them with open arms! It was so fun catching up with Laura's parents and helping them celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary at Cucina Colore in Cherry Creek. We had a great time of sharing stories, eating great Italian food, and laughing at each and every one of Laura's dad's jokes! So fun spending time with you guys, can't wait to see you again!

Pam, Matt, Sean, Tim, Laura, Lizzy

Sisterly Love!

the dios and the dios

The sweetest brother's picture to date!

Poudre Canyon/Jack's Gultch Camping Adventure

With the Persius Meteor Shower upon us, Sean and I decided to go camping for maybe the last time pre-baby :) We asked Matt and Laura if they'd like to come and experience one of our favorite amenities of living the Colorado life.

Sean and I love camping in Poudre Canyon, just west of Fort Collins. We love camping at the Narrows, typically, but we're always up for going off the grid and finding new and fun places in this serene, LL Bean like location. We drove past our beloved Narrows spot, up to Pingree Road (above the canyon) and started scoping out spots at the canyon's edge.

View Larger Map

We picked up Sean after school and headed straight for Ft. Collins, then up the Canyon to find the perfect spot. I had packed us foil dinners to start cooking over the campfire right away when we got there.

Foil Dinner:

Sliced Potatoes (Thin)

Diced Onions

1/4 lb. All-Natural or Grassfed Beef

Sliced Carrots

Lawry's Salt

Meat Magic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Foil Rectangles

For One Packet:

Lay your foil rectangle out on the counter. Layer about 6-8 sliced potatoes in the middle of the foil, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Disperse about 3T of diced onions on top of the potatoes. Add beef, sprinkle with Lawry's salt and Meat Magic. Add another 3T of onions and 1/4C. sliced carrots on top of the beef. Add salt and pepper and drizzle with more olive oil.

Fold up foil around layered potato and beef entree in a burrito or butcher wrap style. Make sure to crinkle and close all edges to keep olive oil sealed inside packet.

Cook over hot coals for 25-30 minutes depending on how lean the meat. Check the meat for doneness before eating and don't forget to pack a fork!

I transported the foil dinners in a cooler with ice :) After we located the perfect spot for our camping escapade, the guys set up the tents, Laura unpacked, I built a fire and got the food a cookin'. Laura brought corn and a delicious potato salad! I need to get that recipe, it was so tasty. She foiled up the corn on the cob and roasted it in the fire, too :)

After dinner and some clean up, we laid a big blanket between the tents and got ready for the big meteor shower. I brought my sleeping bag out because it was pretty chilly as the night continued on. Sean and I were curious as to how long we could stay awake, we decided to count the number of shooting stars we saw to help stay attentive.

Stars blanketed the sky, I think more than I've ever seen in my life! It was beyond magical and was a great reminder of how huge and vast the world is, oh, and why we love it here so much. After counting 42 shooting starts in about an hour, I drifted off to sleep, Sean soon after. We moved into the tent and had a restful night's sleep in the mountain air.

In the morning we had a beautiful sunrise, a quick stop in Ft. Collin's at the farmer's market, a bagel sandwich and we were on our way back to Denver.

Sean said it was his favorite camping trip yet.

Our coveted off the grid campsite we found

Sean and Matt setting up camp. Look how off the grid we are, our car is SO far away!

Off the GRID!

Our tents set up overlooking Poudre Canyon

Our campfire, nestled perfectly between a couple boulders.

Lizzy and Laura enjoying the campfire!

Sean. Being Sean.

Matt and Sean smoking their cigars, like good Italian brothers should.

All four of us with our yummy dinner!

Our view when we woke up in the morning.

Matt and Laura Move to Denver!

Sean's brother Matt and his wife Laura moved to Denver today! Sean and our good friend Curt helped move them into their apartment this morning. They only live about 15 minutes away from us! So much closer than 15 hours :)

We're excited to share life with them out in Denver, introduce them to some of our friends, eat dinners together, and go on lots of adventures!

Let the fun begin!

Oh, we had them over for dinner tonight, too. I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon for Kevin and Dennis last night and made extra for Matt and Laura's dinner tonight, too. It was DELICIOUS!

To finish it off, I made a New York Style Cheesecake, with a twist on the crust. Instead of a traditional graham cracker crust, I made an oatmeal crumble crust. I topped the cheesecake with strawberries and a raspberry balsalmic sauce. So good!

Uncle Frank and Aunt Kelley's

After hanging out with Jen in Mundelein, we continued our roadtrip to the Northwoods and hung out with Uncle Frank, Aunt Kelley, and Ashley at their amazing cabin on Lake Manitowish. We grabbed lunch, hung out at the cabin, went out on the pontoon boat exploring the chain of lakes at the end of their dock, and Sean and Kelley went out on the wave runner for a spin around the lake. Sean took me out too, not going the wild 55mph that Kelley boasts, but only about 20mph because of little Baby D.

After a fantastic dinner, Ash, Aunt Kelley, Kelley's dad, Sean and I went out on another pontoon ride, just star gazing and checking out various firework displays lighting up the sky. Its so interesting listening to all the stories of how the lake has changed over the years and all the memories that Kelley, Ashley, and Kelley's dad shared together after being apart of the Manitowish community since before Kelley was even born!

I, of course, was rocked to sleep by the smooth pontoon and cool breeze on my face.

so memorable.
Ashley, Sean, and I tried to stay awake to watch "Public Enemies" highlighting John Dillinger's hiding in Manitowish Waters at Little Bohemia (a place where Aunt Kelley used to work!) but we all fell asleep sometime in the middle of the movie :)

The Fig Family met up with us in town the next morning. They too have a cabin and were on their way up for Fourth of July lakefront celebrations. Although it was short, it was so fun to see Lauren, Jordan, Aunt Sharon, and Uncle Pat! Can't wait to do it all again!

Thanks Uncle Frank and Aunt Kelley for having us up! We had a blast!