Waterbabies!

We had our make up waterbabies class from last Wednesday tonight. I decided to get back in the water and let Steve watch the fun. He'll get to have his fun this Wednesday!
He got a couple good pictures of us though!
She loved it!...but this girl gets HEAVY! My arms get so tired carrying that 30 pound child around in the water for half an hour!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Friday we got out the Christmas tree and got it decorated. Presley was a big help (?), but she is doing a great job of leaving the tree and ornaments alone now!
We went out for a mexican dinner with 1000 calorie margaritas that night and I enjoyed every calorie! And I was sleeping on the couch by 9 pm again!
Saturday we had the Goodrich Thanksgiving in Earlham. A lot more food and fun! We were hoping P would take a good nap before we went so we could stay late, but she decided to talk in her crib for over 2 hours before falling asleep about a half hour before we had to leave.
Presley is always a little overwhelmed by all the people when we go to Earlham, but she did GREAT! Her and Ava played good together too!

She played well with her other cousins too and they were a great help in keeping her away from the stairs and keeping her occupied while we played the Goodrich pool tournament! (Steve and I played in the championship game, Steve won. He was pretty proud of himself even though I'm really not a good pool player!)

Here is Presley with cousins Ava and Gavin.

We didn't leave Earlham until 11 pm and Presley was still wide awake and rolling with energy. She rarley gets whiny or throws fits when she gets tired and with only a 1/2 hour nap, we were happy that she was so good (and social!).

This morning Steve took Presley shopping and let me have a couple hours to do whatever I wanted. Of course I cleaned, did laundry and headed to Target, but it was nice to have 2 hours to myself! Our long weekend is coming to an end and that stinks! I don't have another vacation day until our cruise in January! (that's right, I'll be working Christmas Eve thanks to my employer). I hope everyone was able to spend some time with their families, eat too much and relax!

Loving long weekends!

It's been a whole week since I've posted, we've been busy and eating! My Biggest Loser weigh in on Wednesday was good, I lost another 1.4 pounds and was the #5 loser for the week! So far I'm down a little over 7 pounds! Woohoo! Of course, this long weekend has been a disaster with my eating! I'm pretty sure I'll be paying some money for pounds gained this week! Yikes!
Here is P cooking with Daddy again, helping by putting cheese on the ravioli.

I like this picture b/c she looks so sweet and innocent...and she isn't cheesin like she normally does!

We had Thanksgiving at my parents house on Thursday. It was good and fun and I ate way too much and was falling asleep on the couch by 9 pm.

Presley decided to help Grandma by sweeping up the kitchen after dinner.

Samantha and Boston in their plaid shirts! Aren't they cute?

Overall I am extremely grateful for my awesome entertaining baby girl, my hard-working awesome husband who is a wonderful daddy and my family, who are supportive and critical and loving and sarcastic.....we are lucky, lucky, lucky to have you all so close to us! (and I'm thankful for everything else in my life too, but that would be boring for me to list it all! )

A different kind of dinner.

Before kids we used to get together with 4 other couples for dinner once a month. But life happens and people are busy and now we are lucky if our 'dinner club' meets a couple times a year. No matter what, it is fun to see everyone and catch up! There were 3 kids on Thursday night and 3 out of the four women were pregnant. Yours truly was the fourth woman (the NOT pregnant one!). The kids played good and Presley and Preston ate at the picnic table together. Preston was even nice enough to share his green beans with her!

The weekend was busy with errands, we got a lot done (even some Christmas shopping!) and spent a lot of time playing. Presley now likes to fake cry and laugh! They are both pretty funny! I should try to get both on video!

Presley sporting her Packer outfit....wearing mommy's shoes, which she LOVES to do! She can walk pretty good in them too!

Go Pack Go! Go Hawks Go!

It's amazing once you start counting calories, how you become so aware of everything you eat and drink. Like the damn Red Bull in our fridge, normally I would have no problem drinking one but I don't want to give up 110 calories for one! (I don't know why Steve didn't buy sugar free!) I would rather give 100 calories up to a nice Hostess 100 calorie pack of chocolate cakes. :)

On the other hand, I was able to run a little over a mile tonight! Those of you who run, are probably thinking that isn't very far but those of you don't run....the first mile really is the hardest! It did help that there was girl running on the treadmill next to me and I really didn't want to stop running before she did...thank you girl for motivating me without knowing it!

FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

1. What Christmas song do you loathe? I love them all!

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on complete opposite sides of the bed? Most of the time it's other sides of the bed unless I'm cold and need some body heat to warm me up!

3. Have you ever had surgery? I had my tonsils out in preschool and I had my wisdom teeth out when I was in highschool. I've also had 2 minor surgeries in the last 5 years removing moles with abnormal cells.

4. When do you typically have your Christmas shopping done? This year I'm hoping to get most of it done soon. We have 11 nieces and nephews to buy for (not to mention all of the other family members!), 7 of them will just get money b/c I don't have the time or patience to try to find presents! But usually, I wait until the last minute which I hate!

5. If money was not an issue (and you HAD to choose something), what would your ultimate luxury item be? Despite my issues with the sun and skin cancer, I would still buy a house on a beach somewhere warm. Just being able to travel would be wonderful!

Oh Wednesday!

We've had another cold roaming around our house this week. P and Steve have had stuffy heads and terrible coughs! Presley rarely seems sick, she is still active and fiesty as ever.

Yesterday we bought a new flat screen TV, we've had our TV for about 6 years, it works fine but the picture is not good quality. We pay for HD channels and yet you can hardly tell the difference between the normal and HD channels. Steve had been doing research about what we should get and we found a good deal on a good TV, so we bought it! It is amazing the difference in picture quality! So Merry Christmas to us!

I had my Biggest Loser weigh in today at work. I lost another pound! I slipped down to #8 out of 18 people but at this point every pound is going to be a struggle and hard work to get off, but as long as I'm not gaining weight I'll be happy!

Tonight we had our first waterbabies class at the YMCA. We were both going to go and Steve was going to get in the water with her and I was going to do what I do best and take pictures! But Steve went to the doctor in the afternoon and had a 102 temperature, so he wasn't able to go. I mustered up enough guts to get in my swimsuit for the third time in 2 years to take her. I was nervous about taking her. I didn't know if she was love it, like she does her baths or if she would hate it since there would be strangers there! She is very aware of stranger danger! :) But she LOVED it!!!! She was smiling and laughing the whole time and did great with splashing, kicking and 'jumping' in the water to me. She did scream and cry when we had to get out of the pool, but it was worth it since she loved it so much!.....and I have no pictures! :(

Here is P helping daddy cook. Doesn't she look so grown up?! Where did my baby go?

Sorry for another long list....but I just LOVE this and wanted to share!

Written by a 90 year old

This is something we should all read at least once a
week!!!!!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland ,Ohio .
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons
life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the
column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your
friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to
disagree.
7. Cry with someone It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the
present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea
what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be
in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But
don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or
joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you
stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the
second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,
don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy
lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear
purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In
five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your
business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of
anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting
everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw
everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you
need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Friends are the family that we choose.

And I have learned that Family can become Friends as well.