Merry Christmas!!

What a crazy, magical week we've had.  We went to Atlanta on Sunday to celebrate Christmas with my inlaws.  SIL, BIL, MIL, FIL were all there. (For my dad, who loves to read, that is Sister in law, brother in law, mother in law and father in law.  He told me he has trouble with my "textspeak").  The kids had a wonderful meal, great time with their grandparents and aunt/uncle.  The biggest surprise was that Leslie and Richard (my sil/bil) found a really nice mountain bike that the got new parts for and fixed up for Wes.  He loves it and it looks great.


This past week Mary Madison has been a cookie making fiend.  We've had chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, sugar and snicker doodles.  And, we've gotten lots of goodies from church members.  Two days ago, our organist/pianist (who also teaches the kids piano) brought over some cookies and two bikes for the kids!!  Maddie and Tyler were very excited!!!!!!!  


Today we woke up to a beautiful white Christmas.  The flakes are huge and falling and guess what~it's not sticking to the roads. That is totally my kind of snowing.


Jesus has blessed me beyond measure.  And, as I live each day with Wes, Maddie and Tyler, I see such growth and change.  They learn EVERY day, whether I ask them to or not.  They love gobbling up God's creation, seeing, experiencing, and tasting that it's good.  And I know that they'll have him with them forever, thanks to that baby in a manger, who changed everything.


I pray you experience the true meaning of Christmas this year, pondering all the ways He's changed everything for you too.


Workouts:  Hmmm, can't remember where I left off.  So, I'll recap last weekend and this week.
Friday~Atletica, using heavier weights
Saturday~Two Firm Express Cardio Workouts:  Ignite and Tubocharge
Sunday~Rest day
Monday~Jackie Warner's Xtreme Timesaver
Tuesday~KCM Cardio Kick Stepboxing, vertical step mix, abs, and floor kickboxing
Wednesday~KCM Cardio Sculpt Fitness
Thursday~Joanie Greggins Holiday Workout
Friday~KCM NYC (New You Coming) Body Sculpting
Today~REST DAY!!

Life seems to have gotten in the way of tons of school work!  But, I comfort myself with the fact that the kids in the public and private schools aren't doing much seat work this week either!

We have had a field trip to the Tellus Science Museum on Tuesday.  It was my MIL's birthday so we met them for lunch and then the trip.   I came home after lunch because Tyler has a cold and couldn't go. 

Yesterday we spent part of the day purchasing Angel Tree gifts.  I also did this on Sunday due to the fact that the kids told me about their angels at the last minute.  My mother says this is payback for all the times I said to her, "By the way, I need 24 cupcakes tomorrow" and it was 9pm!

Maddie and Wes wrote up reports on the things they liked the most at the science museum. They'll finish correcting and print them out today. We've also gotten in two good days of math work.  Monday when Tyler was really sick he watched a History Channel special on the History of Christmas and yesterday we watched a documentary on the Anasazi tribes of Southwest United States while we ate lunch.

There you have it. We've really neglected history and science in the more "formal" ways this week but I think we've done a good job getting them in.

Workouts:
Monday~Atletica (weight workout using kettlebell and kickboxing principles)

Tuesday~Joanie Greggins Holiday Workout (old, cheesy cardio and cardio with light weights, but has nice Christmas music to get you in the spirit)

Wednesday~Kelly Coffey Meyer Powerscultping and Body Refiner Abs

Thursday~Firm Zero in 10 Cardio Intervals; Firm Get Chisel'd Kick it Into Gear Cardio Add-on.  25 minutes, quick and sweaty!


What I've been watching:  Christmas movies and specials!  I tortured Wes on Sunday evening by making him watch Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas.  Last night church was cancelled due to an ice storm so we watched Disney's Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey doing the voices of Scrooge and a myriad of other people. Pretty good!

What I'm reading:  A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens.   When I'm done with that I'll read Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie and some short stories out of my Murder for Christmas anthology.  Kind of weird that I like to mix my love for good, clean murder/mystery literature with Christmas, but there it is, lol.

I remember a book, I think by John Steinbeck, titled Travels with Charley.  I never read it, but know it was about life with his dog, Charley.  Since yesterday was about our older dog, Penny, I thought I'd talk today about Rocky.

Rocky is about 3 1/2 years old.  He looks like a Dalmatian mix, but we have no idea what he is.  But he is wild!  And he loves to walk.  So every day, first thing after I read email and drink water, we walk.

At first I was resentful of the demand on my time. Plus, he doesn't do what I call a fitness walk.  He has to  stop to sniff a lot, visit with other dogs, and lift a leg at tons of trees and weeds. 

But over time, I've come to treasure these moments.  Since I don't drink coffee, this bit of me time wakes me up. Sometimes I talk to God while we walk.  Sometimes I think through problems or relational issues.  Sometimes I just let my mind wander and enjoy the knowledge that Rocky is in the lead and knows the way to get us home. 

It's not like it's that long of a time to be out.  We walk roughly a mile to a mile and a quarter and at his stop and go pace, we're still home in 20 minutes or so.  Looking back, these are some of the best 20-25 minutes of my day.  Things are quiet. I can hear my own thoughts.  I'm slowing down, letting someone else lead.  And, I'm feeding my mind, body, and spirit.

So thanks, Rocky.  The gift of time with the Lord you have given me in 2010 can't be measured.  And I'll tell you something else you rarely hear:  You're a good dog. 

Today's workout:  KCM 30 MTF Bootcamp, Cardio Premix

PM Yoga:  YBB Pajama Time

Last night Penny, our 12 plus year old beagle, gave every evidence of having a bladder infection.  So, off we went to the vet's office first thing this morning.  Lo and behold, $325 later, I find out that she has a bladder infection, enlarged heart and fluid in her lungs.  She will have to take heart medications and a diuretic for some time.  I was very upset as I'm very, very attached to my girl.  Plus, 12 (she'll be 13 in April) doesn't seem that old to me.  Plenty of dogs live much longer.


Well, a Beagle life expectancy is 12-15 years, so she's definitely not young.  And the vet didn't even mention putting her to sleep.  So what did I do?  I paid up.  Got the medication and came home, ready to take care of my girl.  Now I'm thinking my husband may have asked about putting her down, but I just couldn't.  She's mine and I love her and since there is something I can do to help, I will.  Even at the sacrifice of something else I might not purchase!


God is so willing to do that for us, isn't he?  His only son, a part of his Holy Trinity, wasn't too much.  His heart aches to reach out to us.  As long as our hearts beat, he reaches out, never giving up, doing what it takes to heal us of our sinful state. 


And, it comforts me to know that God owns a cattle on a thousand hills, and knows when a sparrow falls to the ground.  He sees my love for my animals that he created.  And his comfort is there. 


Now that is something to rejoice in, is it not?


Today's workout:  Rest day, yay!  Tonight I'm going to do the extended stretch from Kelly Coffey-Meyers's 30 MTF Bootcamp.

The kids are writing parodies to some of their favorite Christmas Carols this week. I've had "Let it Blow" from Maddie and "The 12 Days of Christmas, Redneck Version", from Tyler.  Wes is still working on his.

Maddie left for her 13th birthday trip to NYC with her Aunt Leslie this morning and they arrived safely about 11:15.  Thank goodness for texting, I have no idea what worried mammas did before cell phones!

So today the boys and I took a virtual tour of a Christmas tree farm in Ontario, Canada that we found through our everythinghomeschooling.com website.  It was fascinating.  We learned all about how seedling trees are grown, how long it takes Christmas trees to grow (8-12  years, after 2 or more years as seedling trees), how they prune them for shape, weed, keep bugs away, etc.  It really is a year round job, much harder than you'd think.  We also explored the origins of evergreens being used in Christmas celebrations and the history behind Yule Logs.  Very fun!

Tyler went to piano today and Wes made his annual pilgrimage to McDonald's to have an Egg Nog Milkshake.  With his dairy allergy he will certainly have a nosebleed, lol, but thinks that once a year it's worth it.  And, because they had to fix the milkshake machine and we had to wait, he got it free, which made it that much tastier.

I've embarked on 31 days of praise during the month of December.  I thought that would be an awesome way to end the year.  I'm putting a praise moment thought each day on my Facebook status and it's been neat to hear how it's encouraged people.

This week's workouts:
Monday~Kelly Coffey-Meyer Muscle Definition, workout 2.  I used pretty heavy weights, for me, and challenged myself.

Tuesday~KCM Stepboxing, cardio and abs.

Today~30 MTF LIFT~Powerscultping Workout and Body Refiner Abs.  I had to decrease my weights, still a bit sore from the heavier workout on Monday.

I got time alone today and it was wonderful.  I told the children what their assignments were and left them in the capable hands of their dad, who is off work on Friday.  I spent time reading my Bible, window shopping, and running a few errands all alone.  I talked to God in between errands, listened to Christmas music and, sometimes, just the sound of silence.  It was very renewing for me.

After that, I came home and the kids and I had lunch.  I rested for about 20 minutes and hit my workout while Tom was drilling the children on mopping the floor!  Don't I have the most wonderful husband ever?

Today I've been meditating on the knowledge that God will work in me the things that please Him.  Think about that.  All we have to do is surrender.  The rest is his job.  And he will do it. Doesn't that make you want to break out in praise?

Today I told the Father that my resolution for the coming year is to enjoy Him.  So often I think about serving him, pleasing him, crying out to him and a million other things but never just enjoying him. As a child in a Daddy's lap does.  This year, I'm praying for that experience to become as much a part of my life as breathing is.

What are you looking forward to during the coming year with YOUR Father?  Ask him and I know he will be willing to hear.  He is, after all, the perfect Father who gives us every good and perfect gift.

Today's workout:  Tonya Larson's Step Pump, step workout only; KCM 30 MTF Body Training, Hip Mix (ouchie floor work for the glutes, hips and abs)

What I'm reading:  31 Days of Praise by Ruth Meyer

What a fun, crazy day we had!  I got up to walk Rocky and it was 25 degrees, brrrr.  I can't complain after my friend Kel told me she had 19 inches of snow at her home in Buffalo!  Eek!! 


After the kids got their written work going, we did some fun math probability exercises.  We took some Hershey's Special Dark M and M type candies and divided them into colors.  We put 35 in a cup~20 of one color, 10 of another, 5 of the final.  We came up with the percentage of times that we should draw certain colors out.  Two times we did this 10 times and came pretty close.  We also discussed how the more times you do this the closer it would come to fitting into the probability tables.  Of course when we were done the candies disappeared into the childrens' mouths!


Wes, Tyler and I also watched a science program from History International while we ate lunch.  It was on prehistoric animals and was fascinating.  Did you know that there are scientists who study the respiratory systems of beetles and can tell you how they breath and how it determines how large they can become? 


After school and my workout, we ran an errand to pay for some fruit Maddie sold for her American Heritage Girl troop and then went to Petland to purchase a Crittertrail for Twinkie, the hamster we inherited.  It is so much fun to watch him running, crawling and climbing~a far cry from the little jar he'd lived in while a tiny thing.


I find myself being grateful for my children. They say the funniest things and simply bring me such joy and laughter. Today I'm particularly grateful that I've gotten to share this much of their lives with them.  God is truly good to me.


Today's workout:  30 Minutes to Fitness LIFT.  I did the Powersculpting workout and bonus core work from the Body Refiner section of the DVD.

Tis the season~to spend all your money at the dentist office.   I had to have a cavity/crown done early this afternoon and needed to concentrate on school with the kids this morning.  1 hour, $900 spent and one temporary crown in my mouth later I decided that one of my kids should be a dentist.  That's my brilliant retirement plan.;)

Well, I did manage to concentrate on school, though.  We did science work today.  The kids are graphing the highs and lows of the weather for the next week, and seeing any patterns they can find as to when it is warmest, coldest, etc.  We also examined different weather maps to see the colors used to see types of precipitation, highs and lows, temperatures, etc.  And, just to remember how much fun it was to be in 8th grade, I got to do some Algebra with Wes.

No workout today, just too busy with school, dentist, and then church and Hanging of the Greens.  I've been toying with giving my body and extra rest day each week anyway.