Zumba Take Two (or Three)

Well, I'm back on the Zumba train.  Sort of.   A few of my work friends and I started a six week session of Zumba Step last night.  You remember step aerobics from the late 80's/early 90's don't you?  Cardio to the max, while you tried not to fall off a box.  Well add really loud latin music, crazy dance moves, squats and clapping and you have Zumba Step.

The first 15 minutes I thought I was going to pass out, the second 15 minutes, I wished I would pass out and the last 30 minutes I just prayed for it to end.  Not really, but you get the idea.  I haven't actually moved a whole lot in about a year.  I loved Zumba before and I'm not sure if I'm going to love it now - but I know it's good for me and it was fun to sweat with my friends.

Today, the aches and pains started around noon time.  Going up and down the stairs became a little harder, a certain move towards my phone brought a twinge in my shoulder.  I was glad to have them all, it means I'm finally doing something towards making myself a little healthier.

I'm not sure if we will go past the 6 week session, but I do know that it's going to be good for me and I'm going to try not to complain about it too much!

Snow Day #7

It's been another one of those snowy winters and we are now on Snow Day #7, or as I like to call them "Work at Home in Your PJs" days.  Thankfully this is actually winter break at our school department, so today's Work at Home in Your PJs day only affects those of us that are year around in Central Office.  No student will have to go to school one day longer in June due to today. 

As much as I love sitting on my couch, with a rerun of America's Next Top Model playing in the background, I am pretty tired of the snow, blizzards, high winds, that we have in January and February.

So tired in fact, that B and I are heading to Florida  in two weeks for a nice long weekend of sunshine.  No plans while we are there, except to lay by a pool, or play mini golf.  I'd like to go pack right now, but I will hold off and wait for at least another day or two!

Spring can come anytime.  And I know that we are at least 5 weeks away from any sign of it around here.  I long to see the green grass  and buds on trees and a flower or two peeking through.  Florida is going to be a wonderful treat and hopefully will be just what I need to get me through this rough winter. 

HIs Christmas Gift

The past couple of years, B has asked for a magic bullet, or nutri bullet, or some sort of thing that makes smoothies.  And for the past couple of years, I've ignored him when he put it on his Christmas list or suggested that we pick one up when we are out shopping.  Until this year. 

I was having a hard time thinking of something to get him that would surprise him. I was on my "last" shopping trip of the season, in Kohl's, wandering around and there they were.  Bright, shiny, pretty colors, marked down.  The Magic Bullet.  I had 30% off and a $10 coupon.  It was like they were paying me bring it home and wrap it up, so I did.  And in that moment, I did not realize what kind of smoothie monster I was creating. 

To say B was surprised, is an understatement.  We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve, he admired the box and set it aside.  We left the next morning to visit my family for a few days.  When we returned on Sunday night, we made a grocery run and he filled our cart with kale and avocado and berries and all kinds of stuff he had read about. 

I came home from work on Monday and my counter was covered with Magic Bullet parts.  The questions were flying at my furiously - how would he take the cover off, what was this part for, how much should he put in the cup?  What?  Not my gift, not my thing. 

His first attempt was the same color as baby poop and I did not hesitate to tell him.  He drank it anyway.  Declared that it didn't taste that great, but he felt healthier already.

Day 2, I suggested he add a little less green and a little more berries.  So he tried that.  This concoction resembled poo from a baby that had eaten beets.  He claimed the taste was a little better.  I wasn't going to try it to prove him wrong. 

He also had visited the health food store for some kind of seeds and goji berries that he had read about that cost about a million dollars, but have huge health benefits.  They don't grind up that great, but once again - they are good for you!  Now his smoothies have a little crunch every once in a while.  Bonus!

Did I mention that the Magic Bullet parts are still all over the counter?  We've been able to put a few away that we don't use every day, but he needs the rest readily available if he decides he needs to "be healthy".

I have yet to take a sip of all this goodness.  I'm holding out for an all fruit smoothie, no green leafy vegetables or nuts and weird dried fruit for this girl!

New Year, New Start

Welcome 2015.  So, let's try this blogging thing again. 

We've had a busy few months.  We took a wonderful week-long trip to Jamaica in October to celebrate our 10th anniversarya.  Every day was paradise.  We had a sunset photo session, ate like royalty and had our first massage.  I've never had a vacation where my greatest decision of the day was which bathing suit to wear.  I will have another vacation like that again - sooner rather than later!

We spent Thanksgiving at home with B's family.  My sister and her kids flew in from Florida and joined us just in time for the meal.  There were 17 around our table (and in our living room on tv trays.)  It was a tiny bit stressful, but in the end, a blessed day.

Christmas was different this year.  B's mom is currently in the midst of chemo and radiation and ended up in the hospital the Thursday before Christmas.  She was released on Christmas Eve and we spent that evening celebrating with B's family.  His mom is not well, and we ask for your prayers as she continues this journey.  We hope she will be healed and be with us for many years to come.  We woke up Christmas morning, bright and early and after visiting with B's mom for a little bit, headed north to my family.  Much fun was had.  We enjoyed visiting with our nieces and nephews.  Watching some basketball, playing cards and eating. 

And now we are in the new year.  B is working nights, I'm hanging at home, trying to put the house back in order.  I think that's going to take a few more days, but there is no hurry. 

What's up in 2015?  Well, we've been talking about that a little bit.  I think we are planning to redo our upstairs bathroom, which will be a huge project!  Maybe a quick trip to Florida and lots of trips to the coast and beach this spring, summer and fall.  We want to spend time with our family's and friends and with each other.  I'm hoping we get to church more often and just enjoy this time of our lives.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!  And I hope you will join me in my 2015 journey!

Quiet Weekend

B worked this weekend and I never left the house.  It has been a wonderful, peaceful, restful weekend.  I've cleaned a little bit, decorated for fall, pulled up some flowers and put away some of our outdoor decorations.  And I've played Candy Crush and cruised Facebook.  I made a lasagna and an apple pie and I'm already dreading getting up in the morning and going back to work.

The good news - 5 days of work and then we are on vacation for a week.  The bad news - 5 days of work!!

I've been such a house hermit this weekend, that I didn't even go out and get the mail yesterday!  I couldn't do this every weekend, but it sure was needed for these two days. 

The week ahead is going to be busy, not even counting work.  Hair appointment, mani and a pedi, tanning, packing, anticipating our vacation!  It's nice to be rested before all this starts.

The September Post

It's September, so that means a few different things to me.  It's my birthday month, harvest is starting, and I have been a slacker about posting on here.

We celebrated my birthday last night with my family.  It was a wonderful time around the table, getting caught up on what everyone has been doing and enjoying my sister and sister-in-law's wonderful cooking.

I was able to get out to the field and take some pictures of the harvest and spent some time with the kids working at the potato harvest and enjoy some home made donuts during their break.  So many of my best memories growing up are from this time of year - when we all worked together out in the field. All kinds of inside jokes that are really only funny with my sister, brother and I.  Good times - no, Great Times.

My nephew was home from college this weekend, and B and I brought him back to school today.  What a wonderful treat, to spend 2 hours in a vehicle with him.  Getting to hear about his first few weeks away from home, his hopes and dreams for the future, what he is learning.  What can I say, but that I just love that kid.

B helped my brother-in-law do some roofing work before the winter sets in.  Hard work, but a job that needed to be done, so we were happy to be able to help out.

Oh, and Dad won most of the cribbage games.  Memories were made this weekend, that's for sure!

You Can't Be Everywhere

This is one of B's non-work weekends.  We have enjoyed each other's company, gone out to eat, done a little shopping, went to church this morning, visited with our family this afternoon and celebrated one of our cousin's 16th birthday.  It's been a wonderful weekend.

This weekend, my family up north celebrated the baptism of my niece and nephew.  And thankfully, with today's social media, I have been able to see photos of this blessed event.   Even though I would love to have been there to see it in person, it is not possible for me to be everywhere.  Thankfully, I think my family know how much I love them and support them in all ways.

No matter where we live, or what we do, we are never going to be able to attend every event.  It's just not physically possible.  We have tremendous families and friends on both ends of this state, that we love so much.   So we do our best to get to as much as we can and still carve out time for ourselves. 

It's a balancing act and so far, I think we have done a pretty good job at it!