The newest baby in the house....

Can I tell you just how excited I was to find this little hum dinger....I have been looking for a treadmill for a while, and even found a really (really) cheap one on craigslist that I almost got today, but after really doing some reading and research I came across an entire page on great reviews of this one...





It has everything I need and more, auto incline, speed control, fan, water holder, great motor and warranty, and even a spot to plug in my ipod....there are functions for a personal trainer and cross training workouts, plus training for 5 and 10K...sold...Im in debt now, but worth it. And I dont have to run my 5 miles tomorrow in the bitter cold rain, although now that I have it Im sure the sun will come out just to irritate me...hahaha. Erica was thrilled and even took her turn at it...shes been out on the pavement with me too making it really fun. I cant wait for Spring!!!~

Snow...lots and lots of surprise snow!

Science Fair!

So we were up and out the door early this morning to the science fair; Karalynn spent the night so it would be an easy transition to school. The girls worked on "speaking" to plants over the last month or so, trying to figure out if the way they spoke to them made a difference.


They ended up getting Honorable Mention along with about 15 other kids...there were a lot of 4th and 5th grade projects this year. I think Erica was just glad to be done with it, but well see next year.

Tonight is a quiet night; Shanes off to a "guys only" (haha) poker party...new wives only will be there thats a given. Kids are in playing Lego Star Wars on the 360...Ericas being the princess and has learned how to make her dance...precious.

I got in my 4 miles today, tough with the weather the way it is SOO cold but I know I cant fall behind. 2 weeks of training down, 15 to go. Ive gone off my meds now too...not the smartest thing, but I keep forgetting to take them and then after a day or so it makes it worse to start up again, so I just quit altogether. I want to make things as simple and natural as I can, so Im doing a lot of research online for holistic approches...well see. Nothing can help me tonight except the chocolate bar and jar of peanut butter....yummmmmmmm.

Our bike ride to Orting with a few ups and downs...

The day started out not too bad; Shane said it was sunny enough he was going to trek out to the trail in South Prairie and bike to Orting, and that we were going to drag the kids along too. There was some resistance (and a small meltdown) but we got everyone geared up and loaded into the car to make it to the parking lot of the trail. So heres where the first bump is.

Warning!! This is so utterly gross and I cant believe Im actually going to let anyone know this but it was so traumatic and relieving at the same time I have to get it all out. Daniel had to go potty, so I let Shane take him in, then someone snuck in before Erica and I got our turn in there. As some of you know, I got a new phone for Christmas, and I recently purchased a case for it online that hasnt been all the best as far as keeping the phone inside it. As I was done doing some business I stood up and felt my phone fall out of my pocket and as I turned....there it layed in the port o' potty hole....yeah.....I grabbed the little handle on it that was sticking up in the air and lifted it up, only to have it be feather light...my stomache dropped and without even thinking first (because if I had I would have NEVER done this) but my hand found its way into the great blue beneath...oh yeah...I went in after my phone....my Iphone people....I will pause and wait for the screaming and laughing to stop. ( I can hear it all the way in here)

**Please dont repeat this for the safety of my reputation!~** Ill be forever the gross lady! HAHAHA

All I could think of was that Shane was just outside and how was I going to explain that to him. As it was my pants were still around my knees and Erica was in totally horror at what had just happened in front of her, and I thought she was going to pee herself. I tried to clean myself up a bit and pull my pants up at least, because I had to call the honey bucket people to come rescue my phone from the bottom of the crap shack, and when I did I felt it.....beautiful and rectangle at the back of my knee.....the back of my jeans had caught the phone and they slipped down into them. I was so relieved I was shaking and crying. I calmly laid out the toilet paper for Erica to sit on, we finished up and got the heck out of there. I couldnt wait to tell Shane.....

We didnt have any hand sanitizer in the car,which usually dissapears when its needed most anyways. Shane rode over to the store and got some baby wipes and rubbing alcohol. I still needed to wash my hands over and over and over to feel a little better but it would do until I could find a place. We got on the bikes and headed out.

This was about the usual gap in distance between Daniel and I with Shane and Erica WAY up ahead of us...whatever....Erica got tired later and I had to push her to keep her going.

They did good until about the 5 mile mark, maybe a bit sooner. I had Shanes old bike, since mine really is kaputz now, and it has on the back of it the old support for the bike carseat, so I threw his bike sidways over the back and held it in place with the bike lock tied to it, then fashioned a seatbelt for Daniel out of my sweat jacket....He rode on the bike seat in front of me and it worked pretty good for a while. I ended up riding ahead of Shane and Erica just because it was a bit more difficult leaning so far over to reach the handlebars but we made do with it. By the time we got close to Orting, and seen the cows, Daniel wanted to ride again and he made it the rest of the way. Boy I wish I had a picture of the two of us like that, since I dont think that will ever happen again. (but you never know!)Here was the incentive to get the kids out on the bikes in the first place....the Orting park. Not the greatest in my opinion, but they LOVE it!~ We sat there and they played while Shane rode back to get the car, since there was no way we could even ask them to try it, let alone get home before dark. Only took him about an hour to be back at the park, we loaded the bikes up and headed over to eat at the cool pizza place.

And the one picture Erica would love to know is posted online....her and Daniel were actually fighting over who got to be in the airplane seat, so they both ended up in it...yeah me. We had a nice dinner and ride back...I used up the rest of the bar soap at home too, and tons of sanitizer; at least I had no cuts or openings I needed to worry about, but sheesh.... fun times to be remembered by all!~

new year, new start...

So Im on the phone today closing as many credit accounts as I can...easiest was Macys...they suck. I havent been a big fan of their customer service in a long time and havent even shopped there in a prob. a year or more, they werent sorry to close it for me either. Lowes is gone, Gap, platinum business Visa and the Amazon Visa is next (I didnt even sign up for that one). I think I have a Zales card around someplace too that is collecting dust that should be gone....this is so scary and so exhilirating at the same time. I feel like im starting to get a hold on things and be in control with a loss of control too. Wow....I might actually start to feel like a grown up. Now to figure out how to pay for some gnarly running shoes; I sure dont need any injuries.

Christmas, oh what fun...

So back to fighting and screaming, and more fighting....the Christmas spirit has left our house in a hurry, if it ever really showed up at all. Coming home from our trip was harder on me it seems, as Shane pulled out the decorations and went to work putting them up, kids helping throw tinsel and garlands on anything they could find. Christmas eve was fun, we went up to Darrell and Kris' house to have some wine and food; the kids got to play for quite a while before the present opening began...cool stuff too!~ We ended up playing a new 360 game that was a hoot with 4 of us playing it, and the kids have been playing it over and over at home now too. I think we left our camera there, so no pictures to post of the fun night, hopefully soon though.

Christmas morning was fun; I was up at 7 and just stayed in bed ...waiting....and waiting....and making a little noise....and waiting more...sheesh. The kids didnt get up until almost 9, which was so strange to me, and promptly made their way down the stairs to see the bounty that Santa had brought. And they werent dissapointed by him either!~ He remembered to eat the cookies this year (gulp) and drink the milk too which they thought was cool. Daniel started to rip open the presents because he thought Daddy said he could...ouch...he only cried for a minute as Daddy reminded him that Stockings were first...he quickly recovered though and started tearing into the goodies in there. Erica got the Nintendo DS shes been asking for from EVERYONE, and all the Santas she's seen didnt dissapoint. She did start asking this year about all the different ones and I have a feeling that this might be the last year for her....So sad to think about that coming. But with all the "rumors" from the kids at school and their wonderful older siblings, I should be glad it lasted this long so far.
So another Christmas over and done with....I feel ready for it now, but I suppose it would be too late to start over and really enjoy it this time. I had fun watching the kids faces light up with each gift and the wonderment that Santa can still find his way into our house to do all that for them, just because they were good. On to a new year!~