6 Wonderful Years...

Our MaKenna turned 6 years old today! Happy Birthday Kenna girl!
It amazes me just how fast the time goes by. Maybe it's because we're in the middle of it? Maybe it's because there is so much to think about? Maybe it's because "time flies when you're having fun!"?
In MaKenna's words, she had "the most awesomest birthday EVER!" This was a great day and a nice way to end a kind of crummy week for MaKenna. She has been sick all week. Battling ear infections, a cough that wouldn't quit and a nasty cold. That was bad enough but, when she had to stay home and miss school [especially since MaKenna was Star Student this week] that was the worst! MaKenna missed the day when she could have a Guest Reader come into the class and the day that she could bring in her birthday snack! Let's just say that the tears flowed and flowed and Rick and I were the most unfair parents ever! Not to fear though, MaKenna's teachers to the rescue... they promised to celebrate when MaKenna returns to school! sigh...big sigh!
The kids were off from school today. Rick and I had to work but the kids had a great day. We started bright and early before I left for work and MaKenna opened some gifts. Then off to some friends house for fun and cupcakes for a mid-morning snack [Ms. Sharon ROCKS!]Back to our house with friends in tow... more fun. For her Birthday Dinner Menu, MaKenna chose Goulash [Italian style], tossed salad with chi chi beans and fresh fruit salad! For dessert, no cake here just Twisters, please!
Six years ago today, I was in my hospital bed, getting acquainted to my beautiful, blessed baby girl and falling head over heals in love with her! Today, six years later I feel even more blessed and in love with MaKenna then I did on that day! MaKenna is my Lovey Girl!
We love you and wish you a Happy Birthday!

Some of this and Some of that!

It is amazing how quickly time goes by. It has been awhile since I have posted and it seems like too long. I enjoy blogging and sharing our happenings with those of you who read about them. This blog has allowed me to try and keep the family and friends who span the miles close to our hearts. So much has been going on... so I'll try to bring you up to speed!

• Rick has been as busy as ever! He is coaching Connor's lacrosse team again this spring. He really enjoys the sport and working with the kids. Connor likes having Rick as a coach and I can only hope that they both continue to enjoy this time together and the fond memories that they are creating. Work for Rick has been going well also. He is such a hard worker and he likes the insurance business! Rick has joined me in the commitment to a more fit lifestyle. He is very close to his goal and feeling great about it!
• Connor is loving the Spring weather, Lacrosse, 4th grade - the Intermediate school and all the activities that are happening there! Connor competed on the Page Tuners [reading competition] team and his team one the division and will compete in the regionals at the beginning of June. Connor also tried out for the Challenge 24 [math] team and made it. He will be competing with this team sometime in early June.Connor's teacher went out on maternity leave and welcomed a beautiful baby girl at the end of April. Connor and his classmates are adjusting to their long-term sub . We are looking forward to the 4th grade field trip to Niagara Falls. I will be chaperoning the trip. Lacrosse has taken the reigns as Connor's favorite sport[we'll see what happens when golf, football and skiing seasons roll around?]! !
• MaKenna continues to light up our world! She can hardly wait to be officially 6 years old. She is star student this week so we spent some time today gathering up some photos. MaKenna made me feel like a super star myself as she wanted to bring in every single scrapbook that I have made her. She said" I just can't choose Mom, I LOVE them all!" MaKenna decided to play lacrosse this Spring. She has been "warming" up to it. She "really doesn't care for the mouth piece... because it makes it too hard to talk!" She is "so frustrated" with the goggles! They "never stay where they're suppose to stay"! She "cannot run or hustle when the coach tells them to because I need cleats!" Sneakers are just "too slippery"! The good news is that after MaKenna had her first goal she seemed to get along just well with her equipment! Our weeknights are spent on the grounds of the school's athletic fields and Saturdays are spent traveling to games. Can't think of many other things that I would rather be doing. It is awesome to witness your kids having fun!
  

• An interesting factoid... my father emailed the following to me.

Bre has made the All Army female (6 members) triathlon team and Brooke has made the All Navy team. They will compete in California on May 27 with the top 6 of the 24 entrants qualifying for the World Championships in Europe. Both are very nervous since this is their first test in a big time competition. Neither expect to make the next stage but hope to use this race as a foundation for future races. Bre's lack of training due to injuries and other maladies will also hamper her. Husband and brother Jesse is fortunate that he will be at sea chasing the bad guys so his allegiance won't be visible !!

Bre is my youngest sister. Brooke is my sister-in-law, married to my youngest brother, Jesse. Now just imagine if my sister Sarah wasn't recovering from back surgery and had made the All Air Force triathlon team??? It never has really dawned on me, but out of my 4 siblings, 3 are active, dedicated members of our Country's armed forces in 3 different branches. I have a bil and a sil who also serve! Thank you to them all, for their service!

Rock the VOTE....Rick the Vote

Rick, Rick, he's our man!
Tuesday is our school district's vote. Budget and school boards member's fate to be determined.
Rick is running for a seat on the board. We have had lots of conversation about this opportunity. It all started when I mentioned to Rick that I was thinking of running for the board myself. Rick was supportive and we hashed out the pros and cons. As time passed and the it was announced that there were openings on the board, I had started my new job. Rick and I felt that with both kids being students in the district it was time for one of us to volunteer and run for the board. We decided that with my schedule it would be best for Rick to run.

It has been somewhat of a cathartic process. It has brought back some fond memories of when my Dad ran for school board. I can remember our family helping with the "campaigning"! We stood outside... a specific distance away from the entrance of the school, and handed out fliers, asking people to vote for our Dad! I believe that I learned about civic duties, volunteering and being part of working towards the greater good from my parents! They have all set examples of this throughout my life! I only hope that Rick and I can do the same for Connor and MaKenna.

Random thoughts, updates and more...

Just thought I'd take the opportunity to ramble to anyone who's willing to read.

So it's been 6 months since I started on my fitness journey[check some of my first posts on this blog or the links on the right of this blog to my fitness blog...working it out] and the motivation started to seep away a few weeks ago. I came down with a nasty cold and it wiped me out. I kept up with my normal routine until I realized that I wasn't getting any better and decided to cut back. Well, the cold got better but my drive was depleted. Not a good thing for me. I have accomplished a lot so far. I am proud of every pound that I have lost [24# to date], every muscle I have built - getting some definition back, every sweat that I've broke, every puke [yes, I said puke and yes, I've done it more than once] and every last rep that I have eeeked out! But, like I said in the beginning, I have accepted the fact that this is more than reaching a certain weight or fitness level, I have decided that this needs to be a way of life for me. And, while I know that if I am truly going to make this a way of life I need to accept that I am going to have the ups and downs that are just part of every person's lives. Let's just say that's easier said than done for me!
I work out with 3 great women and a hard-ass trainer. She is not a yeller like Jillian on the Biggest Loser but she will push you to your breaking point and still want more! Can you see the determination on my face yet??? You all know how I love a challenge! Enough said! We do a great job of pushing one another and motivation is another plus.
After this week's workouts I think my "drive" is back! On Tuesday, our trainer came in at 5:45am, big smile and announced that we were going to do 30 Man Makers [if you really want to know what these are, check out the Cross Fit Link to the right and search Man Makers] for time. We all looked at her and waited with eager eyes and baited breath for her to say "April Fool"...
no such luck! OMG! It was a hard workout! And never fail, Bethany did not disappoint us today. 100 jumping jacks, 50 sit-ups [straight legs & touch your fingers to your toes], 50 supine hip extensions using a physio ball. 5 rounds for time. My abs will be burning, burning, burning [Sarah & Rob relate there]! And if that wasn't enough, I went for my 3 mile loop walk when I got home from work. It was a gorgeous day and it felt good to be outside. I think that I'd better have my mojo back after those work outs!

Connor is helping out with the Varsity Lacrosse team's home games. He went tonight for the first game. Before he left for the game he asked me if I had a black sharpie marker. He wanted it so that he could ask "the guys for their autographs". It was so cute! It reminded me just how impressionable he still is and how excited he must of felt to be able to go "hang" with the "Varsity Lacrosse Players"! I remember when I was young and my father coached college wrestling. I loved to tag along to the practices and matches. I felt so cool when the athletes would acknowledge my existence. I also remember going to home college basketball games with my family. The players knew our family and would sometimes stop and chat with us. It was awesome to "look up" to them. It's nice to have heroes!

Thanks for reading!

Skiing anyone?

I've created a couple of media clowns! The kids love seeing their pictures on the blog and better yet, when I blog about them. Connor has been wanting me to post some of the skiing pics and videos that I took over this past skiing season.
Our last ski outing was for Connor's birthday celebration. A few of Connor's buddies joined us for a day of skiing, pizza and cake. They had a great time.

MaKenna had taken her skies off but wanted me to get a picture of her anyway. My friend, Sharon has some awesome video of all of us skiing, Connor skiing backwards and over jumps... some "air" shots.I may attempt to post so that the kids can feel like SupaStars!

If only...

we lived south of the Mason Dixon line?! My little southern bell would fit right in. This Spring head piece that I made reminds me of the big, flowery, fancy hats that the southern ladies wear. Maybe this is a geographic, stereotypical image that I have somewhere in my memory but that's what this headpiece reminds me of. MaKenna's class was celebrating Spring and asked the parents to create a hat for the celebration. I originally tried to put the flowers onto a hat, but it would have caused some serious damage to Makenna's scalp. Alas, a headband and I was ready to create. It is quite the dramatic piece fro my "little princess". MaKenna LOVES it and thought that I was the "Greatest Mom, ever"! I love a win win scenario! Happy Spring!

Happy Easter!

Close up green Easter
Originally uploaded by moline

A family day, just the four of us and it has been a nice day together. We have enjoyed one another's company. Wishing all of you a wonderful Easter and family celebration.

I love this photo. When I saw it, all these thoughts flooded my mind. The drawing on the calendar page reminds me of the Peter Rabbit Tales books and the illustrations on those pages. My Nana was an author, librarian and an avid reader. As a child, one of the many things that she indulged me with was lots of wonderful books. Nana started my Peter Rabbit Book collection and added the character figurines over the years. I even had a cup and plate with the Peter Rabbit sketches on them. MaKenna has inherited some of these items and they bring a warmth and a smile to my heart when I walk in her room and see them there. I remember when Connor was 6 years old, the students at Geneseo High School were preforming the Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit Tales for their annual school play. I took Connor to the show and truth be told I'm not sure who got more enjoyment out of it... him or myself. I know that Nana would have loved to be there with us.

I also love this picture because of the egg cups. When I was growing up we had egg cups. They were shaped like ducks and were very cute. My Mom would make us soft boiled eggs [another Nana memory, because I remember that my Nana always had her eggs done as soft boiled eggs]. It felt so fancy to have our soft boiled eggs served in these cute egg cups.

I'll try to post some pictures of the kid's Easter events soon!