One Last Kick at the Can

I find it hard to wrap my mind around the fact that another year is almost behind us. It is so cliche to mention that every year goes by faster than the previous one, but facts are facts.

I always like New Years. It makes me feel like I have a chance to start fresh. This year I only have two resolutions: to run for the enjoyment of it, getting in 4 workouts a week and the second is to make an effort to be more green. I worry about what we do to the mother Earth and I am going to work harder to see that my little family does our part to help her out.

Here are some pictures of the kids opening the gifts that Santa Claus left under the tree for them:







This picture of Q is so funny. "What cookie? I didn't see any cookies."

Sleepy Christmas Faces

We made if safely back to the Loops. We had a wonderful Christmas with Jodie and Ryan. I am going to share our trip in a couple of installments for you.

We arrived in Trail on Christmas Eve. Aunt Jodie popped some popcorn for the kids to string into holiday decorations. I am not sure but I think more ended up in their bellies than on the tree.



Following the family Christmas tradition the kids hit there stockings first thing. I tell them ever Christmas they can have their stockings first thing, but they always come and wake up us first. Fine by me, it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.



This year I heard the kids awake and checking to to see if Santa had been here yet at 4:00 a.m. It is the earliest they have ever been up. Sebass woke up and woke up the rest of the crew. I sent them back to bed and they all went sleep pretty quickly.



There is something so sweet about Christmas morning pictures. I don't know if it is the pajamas or the sleepy faces or the great hair everyone has. Maybe it is the sparkle of excitement in their eyes.



Here is a blurry picture of Aunt Jodies Christmas tree after Santa's visit. I love the kids blurred in the photo with excitement.



And the traditional posed picture. Look at Q's face, could a kid be more excited?

Big Boys and Little Toys

We headed off to Kelowna yesterday for Christmas, it was our first stop on the Way to Jodie's place in Trail. We had a slow but safe drive into Kelowna and then we got to have diner with Paul's Aunt and and Gran and family. It was a great start to the holiday.

There was a little mix up at the hotel we were booked into. They had us booked into the Honeymoon suite. When they realized their mistake they let us keep the room for the price of of a regular room. What a great Christmas gift.

Our room had 3 T.V.'s, two bedrooms, two bathtubs, a kitchen, two decks and a living room with a hide-a-bed. PJ and I had a jet bath in a bathtub so big I could lay out in it without touching my feet or head to either end. It was so cool.

We had breakfast with Gran today and then headed out for the long drive to trail. It took us 4 or 5 hours. The roads were pretty good and the scenery beautiful.

Due to the fact we were heading out of town we let the kids open a couple of presents early:



What are those two boys playing with. Paul went crazy and got the kids a dirt bike for Christmas on E-bay. It cost next to nothing and the kids are in love with it. I am a bit worried about them riding it, but I have seen kids smaller than ours tearing up the local dirt bike track.



I guess it is better to teach them now and teach them safely. The look on Sebastian's face says it all.



We wish you all a merry Christmas. We will set our web cam in the morning for anyone who wants to take a look at what we are up to.



Pretty drive:

Isn't She Lovely?

The week before Christmas is a bit of a whirlwind isn't it? I had everything done except for a bit of wrapping to do and my Christmas cards to get out.

Every Christmas I wish I had a wife. Maybe I will ask Santa for one next year.

What is the deal with the married thing? You know the part where once you exchange vows the wife is all of the sudden in charge of Christmas? Don't get me wrong, I am not bitter about the whole thing, just a little fruit for thought.

Here are some pictures of this years angel. She is so pretty, I think Yvonne outdoes herself every year.



Several pictures of the same sweet angel, I could not help myself. I was having fun with my camera and she was so willing to pose for me.



I am on my way to bed. We are always busy at work the week before Christmas, I expect I will be hopping.



Workouts: 3
Posts: 2

Mirrors Don't Lie

I think body image is a funny thing.

I feel good about my body most of the time. Of course there are parts that I would lift and tuck if I had a magic wand that would do such things. (I would share the magic with all of you if I had it) I have very little in the way of aches and pains and so far my body does everything I want it to. That is really all I can ask of it.

Most of you know that I have been a runner for many, many years. Well, the truth of the matter is, this past year I have logged the smallest number of miles in about a decade. (It hurt to type that sentence.) I just could not seem to stay consistent this year. I could rattle off any number of excuses for you, for myself. But I think ultimately I just lost some of my passion for running. I have been logging only one or two runs a week on a good week three.

I was getting to the point where I wanted to get faster. I was racing every year and wanted to shave a little off time every race. I found that I was not enjoying myself as much as I was when I would just go out and leave my watch at home and relax. Running has always been something I did because I enjoyed it. Never was my primary goal fitness; the fitness part was just a perk.

I walked by my bedroom mirror the other day...naked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw it...cottage cheese. It jumped out of the refrigerator and landed on my ass and the backs of my thighs. Now my weight has not changed, not one pound. But this once a week thing it has made me soft and squishy.

The moral of the story: It is time for me to find my passion. To run for the sake of running and relaxing and if it lifts up that sag and smooths out some of that cottage cheese that will just be win win wont it?



I am going to set an easy goal. 3 runs and week and the boot camp class I do on Wednesday nights should get rid of some jiggle. Boot Camp is a weight training class, we do lots of weights and lots of abdominal work and then we stretch for 20 min. I really enjoy it.

As long as I working out 4 times a week I am going to get on this computer and keep you posted. You can keep my honest. That means I will blog a bit more too. See, two birds with one stone.

This week: One 3 mile run yesterday
One Blog post.

Christmas Cheer

The kids and I decorated the tree Tuesday. We had such a great time the kids did such a good job.



We broke down and bought a fake tree this year. We normally go into the bush and cut one down. With B.C. forests being what they are right now, suffering so much loss due to the bugs we did not have the heart to cut down one of the few green trees left.



We bought a beautiful 9 foot pine with lights already on it and I so happy with it. No mess and no need to worry about watering the thing.

Copping out with a Link to another Blog.

I did a medicine wheel workshop this weekend. It was good for me. I find that the work helps keep me grounded and reminds me to keep things in perspective. Signing up for a workshop forces me to take a little time to work on myself and I feel that is important.

I have some pictures to post for you but my camera is a home and I am at work. So I will give you a link instead. I stumbled across this blog a few weeks ago and I have to confess I am addicted to it. I show it to the kids every time he posts something new and he posts often. Check it out Ugly Overload

Yum

I am happy to report that I shipped Christmas to the States today. Canada Post said it should get there within the next ten days. I have tracking numbers if anyone wants them email me.

I sent one package to Dad one to George and Judy and one to Mom's house. Everything is sent except for Taylor's gift, it will be arriving to Shannon's place I ordered it online and had it mailed directly to Taylor.

Mom please call me before you open the box when it gets to you.

Random photos for you. I liked this picture of Sebass playing in the snow until just now when I realized I cut Q's head out in the background. I think I might play with it and try making Q disappear for a better picture.



Paul took the kids to Chapters where they had a craft morning with the Blazers. I love that they send these great big hockey kids to make penguins with little children. Most of the kids were in school so PJ and Q pretty much had 8 Blazers to themselves.

Here is Leclerc, (I don't know if I spelled his name right) he is the goal tender, reading The Grinch to Q. I love that Q is more impressed with Leclerc than with the story.



Somewhere in that pack of hot young hockey flesh PJ is helping them find Waldo. I will just save this photo for her and she can take for show and tell when she is 15. See number 11 there? Oh my does have a nice hockey butt. That dude is HOT.



I know this is not the most artistic photo ever but I wanted to show you these hedges. I think they look like great big muffins dusted with powdered sugar. They are all over town and they make me crave a piece of chocolate cake with sprinkling of powdered sugar on the top. Yum

Snow Angels

We have had a bit of wonky weather these past few days. It snowed all day Saturday and Sunday and was as a cold as -12C. We had more than a foot of snow on top of what we already had.

Monday the sky cleared up and the sun came out for a bit. We reached 12C and all the snow melted off. I don't think I have ever seen that much snow melt so fast.



Today we started with rain and it turned to snow. It snowed for hours and the wind howled. The streets are pretty icy and there is plenty of snow for the kids to play in.

They played in the backyard for over an hour. They called me out to see their snow angels. I think this first one belongs to PJ.



Sebass made this one:



Q is making his on the bench. They had such a great time they did not want to come in out the cold. I had to drag them in so I could get to my boot camp class.



You would think with all this snow I would have been snuggled inside knitting but I have not even knit a stitch.

Fun Stuff

We have had a fun couple of days.

Last night we took the kids Disney's Live Production of Beauty and the Beast. It was done right here in the Loops by a local theater troupe, it was incredible.

Paul bought our tickets early and we were in the 4th row from the stage. It was one of the best productions I have seen here and we have seen some good ones. The kids had a great time, I sure they will remember it for the rest of their lives.

We have been a getting a bit of snow of the past few days. Not a whole lot but a bit here and there. Yesterday we had the prettiest snow flakes I have ever seen. I did my best to capture them with my camera.



If I ever decide to buy another lens for my camera I would purchase a macro lens. I really enjoy taking pictures of small things up close and that would be the best lens for those kind of pictures. First a flash....



Fillet and The Giggle Queen are town for the weekend. I got a baby sitter for the evening and Paul and I are off to dinner and hockey game and then we are going to meet them for a few drinks at a local pub. I told you we were having fun these days!