Family Photos January 2023

February 22, 2023Family, Friends, Month-to-Monthrichruh3

Nate’s been having some sleep issues, so here he is getting ready for a sleep study

Trying to eat the world’s largest burrito (with Keanon in the background)

Nate and Dorinna cross-country skiing in Cameron Pass

Family Photos December 2022

January 30, 2023Family, Friends, Month-to-MonthChristmasrichruh3

Over the years, we’ve collected 10 different Lego Advent Calendars, making Lego assembly a family holiday activity.

Nate and my Aunt Anne at my cousin Laura’s baby shower.

My dad passed away on December 13. This photo of my parents was taken at our wedding in June 1999. I will write a blog post about my dad when I’m ready.

Playing games with Eric and Mike Liprandi

Lee and Keanon enjoying chocolate fondue on Christmas Eve

Mandalorian Christmas pants, courtesy of Flo

Wingspan, our newest board game obsession

Gloria, Monica, and Dora on New Year’s Eve

Nate and Rich celebrate the ball drop at 12:00 PM EST

Christmas Card 2022

January 19, 2023FamilyChristmasrichruh3

Well, actually it turned into a New Year’s card, but I thought I would keep the blog consistent. This year’s theme was to tell our story as if it was a Dungeons & Dragons adventure.

This year our Dungeons & Dragons adventuring party, armored with masks and wielding +1 Syringes of Vaccines, set out to explore the almost-Forgotten Realms outside our village.

After a series of winter ski adventures in the mountains, our party was ready for warmer climes. Not wanting to get trapped in Mexico by the Covid curse, we headed for the deserts of Death Valley during Spring Break. We descended into Badwater Flats (the Abyss of America), battled hordes of pupfish, wandered through canyons, and risked poisoning at the dinner buffet.

The biggest adventure of the year was to the Big Island of Hawaii. Lacking a spell of Water Breathing, we instead tried snorkeling, meeting manta rays, eels, and more species of tropical fish than we could count. Fortunately these creatures were all friendly and no battles ensued. We walked through treacherous volcano beds and to night-time lava viewing sites. We tried new potions, such as Guava Flows and Mai Tais, and gained extra powers with Hawaiian shaved ice, poke nachos, and more Ahi tuna than we could fit in a Bag of Holding.

We ended the summer with a nautical adventure on the coast of Maine to visit Rich’s parents. We went to the beach, wandered the port of Kennebunk, and sailed in Portland harbor. Nate’s attack rolls were enough to overcome a lobster’s armor class, and he gained experience points by slaying the horrible monster.

Nate practiced his archery, played the tuba (multiclassing into Bard?), and of course played Dungeons & Dragons on a regular basis. He traveled solo to Oklahoma in search of more adventures. After only a few more months of side-quests, he will advance in level to “high school.”

The healing spells and vigorous training of the last few years were finally successful and Dorinna’s hip is once again ready for combat. For the past 13.5 years, she has been highly trained in the Mommy class. Now that Nate is advancing in character levels on his own, she is trying to pick up more hobbies, such as Sorting the Legos and a Return to Knitting. Mostly she reads novels and does word puzzles.

Rich resumed his quests to Redlands, California for work, and continues to enhance his proficiency at bicycling and photography. As a reward for a rough year of adventuring, he traded in a 16-year old Subaru war horse for a more powerful magical steed, a Tesla Model 3.

The Ruh party sends best wishes to yours for a successful 2023 adventure!

Family Photos November 2022

January 6, 2023Family, Friends, Month-to-Monthrichruh3

The symphony performed:

Overture to the School for Scandal – Samuel Barber
Isle of the Dead – Sergei Rachmaninov
The Battle for the Ballot – Stacy Garrop
Firebird Suite – Igor Stravinsky

We traded in our 2006 Subaru Outback. I had been driving it with three cracked cylinders since April

Rich LOVES his new car, and won’t stop talking about it

Sharing Thanksgiving with our good friends the Weinbergers

Family Photos October 2022

November 25, 2022Family, Friends, Month-to-Monthrichruh3

Although cases were mild, the pink lollypop influenced much of our October

Colorado Springs

After recovering, we spent a fun weekend in Colorado Springs. One of the highlights was a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Band

Pictures from Nate’s fall band concert:

He even had an opportunity to play with the high school band at a football game!

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch (photo credit: Alison)

Family Photos September 2022

November 4, 2022Family, Friends, Month-to-Monthrichruh3

Our continued Dungeons & Dragons campaign, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.

Visiting Boondocks with the Weinbergers

Defeating supervillains with the Marvel Champions card game

Rich and Dorinna rode their bikes to a concert with Steward Copland (The Police) and the Fort Collins Symphony

Why go boating at Pinewood Reservoir when you can play in the mud instead?

Hiking in Lory State Park with the Liprandis

The year 2022, when you can order a new car with your phone
photo credit: Dorinna

Halloween 2022

November 1, 2022Family, FriendsHalloweenrichruh3

This year’s theme was Dungeons and Dragons. Our family and friends dressed up as characters from the game (plus one unicorn).

After Halloween 2020 was ruined by a global pandemic, and 2021 was ruined by 34-degree rain and sleet, 2022 was just perfect. Warm temps, no wind, no precipitation, just streets crowded with people enjoying the holiday. I made close to two dozen cocktails for parents- my busiest year yet!