"We Like to Move It Move It"

My girls love to dance and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Dance is one thing I feel like I missed out in life BIG TIME. I attend a weekly hip hop class and will be taking ballet this summer (yes, I am the one attending at age 28, cool huh!) so to see Sadee and Ava interested in expressing themselves through movement is VERY cool. I get them watching about every dance show out there.

This semester I am teaching hip/hop in PE. I wore about the best "bad a--" outfit around. It really is a shame I didn't get a picture. Just picture lime/orange/magenta hemp shoes, brown leggings, and army tank with an orange shrug and HUGE black Sandcreek PE shorts. WORD people. It rocked. And after weeks of hip/hop I have to give myself props, I'm a decent dancer. Those rolls and slides and stalls are working out. YEAH
We learned the first 32 counts to Elevator by Flo Rida on Friday, and yes, I was laughed at all day but I consider it a compliment when a student says this...

"Mrs. A, I want to grow-up and have as much fun as you have." Have it now I said!

I don't think I have had that much fun in PE all year!

Family Photo Shoot

Sadee wanted us to have a fmaily photo shoot for family night. It was really pretty cute. She had us pose and afterwards selected her favorites from the bunch. I think most of these are decent coming from a five-year-old.

No, not a Gina, but a start. Give her a few years.

Trader Joes

Ok, I love Idaho, don't get me wrong, but lately I have been feeling really deprived of options when it comes to the grocery store- CAN THERE JUST BE A TRADER JOES EVEN SORT OF CLOSE?!!! like within a state close? I am telling you I am VERY jealous of any of you who live near one. I don't think you appreciate the greatness. I would even take a Good Earth or Wild Oats- anything besides Winco and Walmart.

So I'm blogging this in search of a way to get the products. Can I find them online? Can I have them shipped to me from the store?

Kristin- will you come and visit me with a truckload of goods.

Abby- you intensified this issue by posting such AMAZING ideas on your blog.

I am pathetic I know, but Wealth of Health isn't cuttin' it these days.

Jeff and Brianne....

I finally used my birthday gift card and bought this FABULOUS coat! Thanks! We have 8 new inches of snow this weekend!

I'm THIS happy about....

Modern medicine- Ava's HORRIBLE earaches required lots of this this week

Dave coming home on Friday- hate when he works out-of-town

Peanut Butter- I don't care about the scare on the news- I lOVE PEANUT BUTTER and eat it almost daily.

Potty Trained kids- this one speaks for itself!


P.S. Ava took this picture :)

Is this what a real mom feels like?

I'm home today. I decided to to take the day off for a 10 minute doctor's appointment and spend the rest of the day with Ava. She has sent out very obvious signs that she is mother deprived lately, speaking candidly about how she isn't going to grandma's again, or staying home with Dad. We shared a cinnamon roll this morning for breakfast, shopped the INCREDIBLE Target winter clearance, spent lunch with Sadee at school and are now will be making cookies! I might even do laundry at 12:00 on a Thursday- that is a very strange phenonmenon for this house. :)

I can hear Ava playing in the toy room, I can make my lunch and NOT have to put it in a brown bag, all while sitting in my home. It's funny how we take those little things for granted.

My point being, it is really nice. I could get used to this. I think a four-day work week would suit me, and Ava, just fine. It is being talked about at the education legislation this Saturday to help save money in the state.

Now wouldn't THAT be cool?!

I'm off to pick-up the morning craze, make those cookies and enjoy these last few hours with Ava before Sadee needs picked-up from school.

Hope your day is great too!

P90X... we take the challenge

Don't laugh. You've all seen the commercials and wondered if it really works. My bet is yes. The theory behind the whole program is years old, but yet genius. It reminds me of old man training. Stuff that everyone used to use to get fit but has been forgotten in the age of technology and gagets to accomplish vertually the same thing. We discussed this in depth at Christmas time and now, being hooked-up with the program for free from our brother-in-law, we are embarking this week. Yes, we have done the videos here and there, but this week we are going to follow the program to a T, writing down our reps and weights, taking measurements, etc. I am even going to postpone my favorite workouts at the Apple (besides the nights I teach) to join Dave in the fun in our very own basement these next 3 months. I figure we'll accomplish three things

*more time together
*save money on gas to and from the gym each morning
*sexier physiques:)
I consider we both are already in fairly good shape, myself more cardiovascularly and Dave more so strength. Dave can pump out 15 pull-ups, myselft only 7 but were fairly even with push-ups, both around 60. I run the mile in about 6 min, Dave in 7 and I am positive my flexibility is superior but after taking on YogaX that could change. So, yes, we are are looking to step it up a notch. You know, we want the whole effect of

"Honey, you are looking SO fly"... when we go on our first cruise we'll be saving for this year too.

But more than anything it will be a way for us to bond- something you ALWAYS get when you get sweaty.

Kids Say the Darndest things!

I keep thinking what a great thing blogs are. I used to be a such a good journal keeper but alas the past 10 years I have been anything but. I find some comfort in that this silly blog has aloud me to write down the funny and sweet things my kids say. I just know someday they will have great fun reading these.

Sadee- "I want to be a teacher when I grow-up mom. Then I can stamp the papers and turn the pages during storytime." (I still find it funny how much students have NO CLUE how much work teaching is!)

Ava- "Shut the door mom, it is stinkin' cold out there!"... and it was.

Sadee- "Mom, when are you going to have another baby? I mean, is it really that hard of a decision? Yes Sadee, actually, it is. :)

Sadee- "Is my bum going to look like yours soon?" I didn't know whether to cry or laugh, but in the end I just answered with "stop talking about bums Sadee."
"Well ok." she replied.

Ava- when saying goodbye to Sadee in the morning..."Bye Sad, I'm going to have a good day." I had to laugh at that one.

New Year, New Us

So it is so cliche' but I had to post our hopes and aspirations for 2009. I have earnestly taken to heart that saying of 'Work hard at what you can do, and even harder at what you can't'. That pretty much sums up what my personal goals are this year. Just overall improvement with a fearless courage to attempt and go after those things which have seemed just too daunting.

1. Spend more time as a family- with Dave and I both working full-time it seems we let the week get by us without doing lots as a whole family. We hope to improve on that.
2. Be moderate people when it comes to junk food- our family does eat healthy, I won't deny that. However, we can down a batch or cookies or a quart of Cold Stone like no one else around. This year we hope to be a little less that way.
3. I want to take part in more of the things Dave loves and he in the things I do- aka- I need to ski more and watch more sports- Dave needs to read more and exercise with me. :)
4. Save, save, save and work towards being debt free!
5. Build a substantial food storage- this was our Christmas wish and thanks to my parents we are on our way!
6. Prepare our family in all ways for more children- don't be thinking this means more than it means. It just means that moving from a family of 4 to a family of 5 seems like a fairly big change. We want to be ready.
7. Become a more inspiring teacher with a greater dedication to helping teens find self-convidence/responsibility/motivation, etc.
8. Up my certifications in group fitness and attend convention in the summer!
9. Run a 1/2 marathon in less than 90 minutes- I am going to get it this year :)
10. Dance more!
11. Be a more disciplined person- that pretty much sums up all the rest- cook more, quit biting nails, attend the temple more often, etc.

Holiday Memories

Christmas 2008

Christmas has been WONDERFUL this year! I contribute most of that to having Dave off work for almost 2 weeks and myself more than that. We have had so much fun as a family skiing, sledding, visiting family, shopping, staying up late and SLEEPING IN- both a rare phenomenon in our household.
This year we were able to spend time both here with my family and in Utah with Dave's family. My mom hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and Christmas morning fun. After spending the rest of the week with my family we traveled to Utah to spend the next week with the Atkinson's. All three of his sisters came with their families to Utah from Georgia, California, and Arizona to spend time with family. With nine grandkids under the age of 10 you can imagine the fun the girls had playing all day long (and night) with cousins they never get to see. It was so fun as a parent to see them together and reconnect with family we never get to see.

Derek, my brother-in-law hooked us up with Rock Band, my new favorite time-waster (hahaha), and we had a blast rocking out to old nineties hits. Thanks Derek. What would I have done while you crazy people were playing in the emotion bowl upstairs?

Tom, another brother-in-law hooked us up with the P90X so the Atkinson's will be getting ripped! HAHA. Tom has been running like crazy in Georgia and earned the award for most coveted physique this weekend. :)JK Nice work "To-mas".

We also helped Katherine, the SWEETEST girl around, celebrate her 4th birthday. We hadn't seen Katie for SO long. She has grown up to be such a sweet, fun, and beautiful little Richard!

Between snow fights, games, food and kids we all had a very busy, but relaxing time.

Overall it was a wonderful holiday filled with many fun memories.

Cheers to an even more eventful 2009! Dave and I have the list of goals ready to go. :)