Pretty As A Picture

I have spent my day cleaning and putting my house back together after the first round of our extensive remodeling...whew! Flowers cast aside on top of the counter caught my eye. They reminded me of spring with their bright, vibrant colors!

All Day Project

Clara spent most of her Saturday perfecting her creation of "Jasmine". This tedious work takes time and energy...along with several breaks to aid in concentration and completion. Without further ado...Clara's colored picture...her masterpiece (captured from its new home on my fridge) "Jasmine".

The Foyer...w/grout!

The kitchen is moving along...the floor is complete and the first coat of paint is on the walls. I am so excited but all this remodeling is wearing me out!

As Per Request...

Without further ado...Clara's "new do"!

Clara's Bravery

I am SUPER-DUPER proud of my Clara Rose. Today she made the plunge and had 10 - that's right TEN inches cut off her beautiful blond hair to donate it for Locks of Love/Cancer patients. What makes it even better??? She absolutely LOVES her new do!

Eva's Art

Eva was bored today while I sat at the table working on my company website...she entertained herself by hijacking my camera and taking A LOT of pictures. I thought this one was pretty cool.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today was my birthday and I really enjoyed it! My girls made the day super special and made me feel incredibly loved!!! Here is a picture Clara took today at my parents house.

The Floor Is Finally In!

Stuck inside today b/c my new kitchen & foyer floors were laid today. I can't leave until tomorrow when the thin-set is dry. Well worth the "cabin-fever" b/c it looks AWESOME!! Thanks Hubby & Daddy!! :)

On the Go!

Yes, I know, seeing this picture you think...is she really driving? Admittedly, yes. ;). I was on the road heading to my first BTG (Bridge The Gap to Health) meeting. Today was an informational gathering and I ended up having to introduce myself to about 200 people. ON THE SPOT-I had to say a little blurb about myself. Thankfully, I actually pulled it off and sounded somewhat intelligent - thank God for the little things in life :). After all, I am almost a Certified Personal Trainer and I am a pacer for the 1/2 marathon race this May. Totally stoked about it too!

Late Night...Early Morning

Last night was a late night. I curled up on the couch and enjoyed ONE glass of wine. It was nice. I watched "Fame" - the original movie on Netflix. It was really nice down time.

Monthly Highlight

Vampire Diaries...I have been waiting for two months for this series to resume. FinallY!!!!

Another Picture by Eva

Eva was begging to use the camera today. I finally caved and this is one of the MANY photos the girl captured.

I Caught Clara

Sometimes Clara is a bit camera shy. I like to plan surprise attacks to capture her true self and not just what she wants to show the camera. This sneak attack was launched as she was leaving school.

Lucky Me

It is really late and I am exhausted. I have been slaving over my computer trying to update and manage images on a new website we are trying to launch at work. It has been miserable. My head is killing me and I was packing everything up to call it a night and remembered my 365 project. Grudgingly I grabbed my point and shoot and was going to take a boring picture of my computer monitor (b/c that is all my bleeding eyes have seen all day) but when I turned the camera on, I accidentally hit the preview button and low and behold my girls have once again gotten hold of the camera. Here is an image they captured today.

Satisfying Run

Last night at the table I was bemoaning that Bridge The Gap training starts Saturday, the 26th. My whine included the fact that we would be starting the morning program off with a bang - FOUR miles. A few months ago I would have the blown off the thought of four miles and put it in a "no problem" category, but I haven't kept up on my training so it seems a little daunting. I was sharing these exact feelings at the table with my family when my sister's fiancee pipes up that four miles was no problem. I held him to it the next morning and challenged him to hit the pavement w/me. It was fun! Funny - he's sore and I feel great!

The Enormous Snowman

I was out and about town today and managed to find myself driving down a side street. Most of the time I avoid side streets like most people avoid the plague, but today it seemed the most convenient choice. Two blocks in and this large object catches my eye off to the East. I think the picture speaks for itself!

The Smell of Citrus

Have you ever noticed that most cleaning products always have a citrus smell? Most of the time, it's lemon or maybe even orange. My house is smelling quite "clean" today with a pile of juicy grapefruit piled on my counter top. I love grapefruit; it brings back childhood memories of breakfast with my grandparents. My grandma had cool grapefruit spoons...you know, the ones with the little "teeth". I think I might have to hunt some down and buy them for my new kitchen. Maybe I could relive some of those warm and fuzzy - sweet feelings with my girls.

The Monster Machine

Found my motivation and am going to hang on for dear life! I launched my much dreaded training today. About time I am telling myself. I believe every excuse has passed my lips - but no more! No more dirty talk! I mounted the monster machine this morning for a little 30 minute cardio and hit the pavement at 2PM today for a nice kick-off jog of three miles. I am pretty pleased with myself today. Planning another run tomorrow at noon...and maybe some stretching!

Evening Motivation

My plan today started off with little motivation. I just feel wiped out from this week. I blew off the office this morning and went to Eva's field trip to Hy-Vee. They have been learning the food pyramid. I cut out early from the field trip and met my friend Carrie for coffee...we visited and unleashed all of our stress for about and hour or two. Then, off to a massage and adjustment. After that, I picked Clara up from school, ordered tile and counter tops for my new kitchen and came home. At that point I felt pretty unmotivated but, I walked into my dust covered bedroom and thought - NO MORE. I then proceeded to dust my bedroom from top to bottom - literally. Clean the main bath and vacuum upstairs. I bathed the kids, read a book, tucked them in bed and studied my PT stuff while I ate dinner. Now, FB and then bed.

My Little Dragon

We spent our afternoon at "Little Dragon Karate" tonight. Eva got to be the "Sensei" for part of the class. It was so cute!!! Then she learned a new defensive move and got to try it on her real Sensei - she got to pull Ms. Powell's hair! Eva thought she was a star!

Mommy-Daughter Date

This picture was captured by Clara Rose. We had a Mommy-Daughter Date Night tonight at the "Rainbow Restaurant" which is properly named "Kelly's". Her pick...she has good taste. We enjoyed some one-on-one time tonight which I have decided is to few and far between. We both had a ball visiting and catching up on our day.

Remodling Almost Complete

It is almost done! The new kitchen is coming along

quite nicely. The guys got a coat of primer on it today. Boy, is it looking nice. I believe flooring is next and then the real paint. I can hardly contain my excitement! Oh, yea, that's my Daddy picking over the stairwell wall - he is so cute and has been and ENORMOUS help!! Kudos to Dad!

Babyface!

Today was a great day. I went for a massage and a much needed adjustment this morning and then my baby sister Kendra showed up for an unexpected visit that we all really enjoyed. We are always SOOOOOO busy and never get a lot of time to hang out. This is my beautiful nephew Amadeus peering up at me me with his summer blue eyes! *Love him*

A Day In My Robe

Today was yet another snow day but instead of trying to work my schedule around the girls being at home, I called into the office and embraced the day hunkered down out of the weather! It was bliss - can't remember the last time I spent the day in my robe and did absolutely nothing, except my two favorite things. I finished a really great book and drank lots of coffee while the kids enjoyed free reign of the house and movies all day. :) Ahhhhh.

Snow Days Make LONG Days

Today was deemed a snow day. Of course, our school couldn't be considerate of parents and cancel school w/the 10PM news - no, they forced all parents out of bed in anticipation of school being in session. That being said, I spent the majority of my day held-up in the house w/my little ones. Needless to say, I was forced to save my sanity and throw in the towel early tonight. Bedtime.

Wednesday Coffee Break

I always look forward to Wednesdays. Waking up on a Wednesday morning my heart feels a little lighter. For one, it's "hump day" and that is in itself exciting, two, I get to meet Carrie for Starbucks and it feels like a really cheap therapy session just taking time to enjoy a friend. And finally, I have absolutely no commitments on Wednesday evening...that's right, no karate, piano, tennis - nothing!

Holiday Break - Pros/Cons

Work, work, work! Boy, sometimes I wonder if vacation is truly a stress reliever or a stress inducer!!!! This pile is only the tail end of the overwhelming amount of orders that I had to catch up on. Although, the saying goes...all work and no play...I definitely like the play better. I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and the nice exhale when a lot of hard work is complete. Ahhhh. Tuesday's down.

And it has begun...

I tackled the day like a star football player! First day back after two weeks *sigh* but it ended in a touchdown. No, I am not a football enthusiast but I am a fan of finishing my list and today it is complete...even my exercising! Check.

Arriving At Destination - HOME!

Finally! Seven days later and as you can see...many miles we made it. Not like the weather didn't try to impede our progress but we muscled through. Thanks to Matt's excellent driving skills our trip was a success. IL-KS-TX-IL. 29 Hours - 15213.3 Miles - Avg. Speed 51mph; now that's a trip!

Sugar & Spice & Everything....

SILLY! That's right, I can't complete the title with "nice". My girls are just plain goofy. We were having fun waiting for wedding party pics and trying pass the time. The girls had a blast. This was their response to an exasperated Dad that wanted a "pretty" picture. They were full of it!

Me

So, here it is, my first picture of 2010! I was very focused to crank out this pic before my day got away. January 1 we drove from KS to TX to for my cousin Jennifer's wedding. This is me in the hotel make-up on and ready to slip into my evening attire.

Happy New Years!! 2010

As I usher in yet another year, the desire to "mud, spackle and sand" my life is overwhelming! My big sissy has encouraged me to embrace my -everday- and document the little bits that allow me to pause and savor a moment for myself. As a crazy-busy wife and mother, I decided to take Erica's advice and carve a little piece of everyday for me; embrace the opprotunity to capture the things that make me smile.