My 101st Post: Going Backward to Catch Up, Part 5

Pre~Note

Today is absolutely beautiful and it started with a gorgeous sunrise on the front of our property while simultaneously there was this surreal moon shining over our pond on the back of our property. It was truly incredible. I didn't take any photos. What was I thinking? Here is a photo of a sunset that was taken in November 2011. Love the pink reflection on the pond!

So as you have figured out, I haven't been able to sync my blog posts with the calendar! I spent a lot of time in November and December working on "organization" and cleaning out areas that needed de~cluttering! I was able to transfer about 10-15 bags of clothing, decorations and lots of unused toys. What an awesome feeling! My focus word for 2011 was "organization" so it felt good to make progress in that area. I am still working on my focus word for 2012 and have narrowed it down to 5. I like the idea of a focus word for the year, rather than all kinds of resolutions that I may or may not work on.

I really enjoy blogging. I haven't made it a priority in the past year, because I feel out of control when I spend too much time in blogland. This is my attempt to get back on track and get synched up with the calendar! I appreciate any advice on how to keep blogging with a busy life. Let me know what works for you!

November 2011
The Levy Passed!
I was asked along with a number of other people to help out on a levy campaign in the middle of October. There was a lot to be done in a 3 week period. What I will take away from the experience is that there are many wonderful and dedicated people who support education. I am so happy to say that our levy passed by about 200 votes. It took a few weeks to verify, but it is good to know that our children will continue to enjoy a very high level of education...at least for a few more years!

A picture of some of the thousands of levy pins that were made to show our pride in our school district!

This is a rally that was held on our town square. My daughters are holding the neon yellow/green sign and they are flanked by a wonderful first grader teacher on the right and sweet friends of mine on the left:

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to meet some really fantastic people. It is amazing what a team can accomplish.

Tennis
My kids have been playing tennis for a few years now. But, it wasn't until this year that I realized how fortunate we are to have such an awesome facility just 10 minutes from our house. I started playing in October with a group of fun women. One drives from 45 minutes away.

I am working on getting good indoor shots. This one is blurry, but I still love the action of it! This was Foster's first real tournament and he did well. He loves tennis and is addicted to it.

It seems that my tennis photos of Marissa are rather boring, so I will have to work on capturing her high energy level on the court.

Veteran's Day
I love that our schools recognize Veteran's Day and as 3 rd graders, Marissa and her classmates saluted our hardworking military and veterans with a very special music program which was created by my dear friend, their music teacher, Mrs. H. It was very inspiring and I particularly loved it when they asked for all of our veterans and military personnel to stand so we could honor them! This was the moment she spied me slipping into the filled auditorium, a few minutes late. Love that smile!

My friend, Mrs. H, the best music teacher.ever.period:

Black Tie Baby
We have 2 black tie events that we attend each year. Although it can be tiring finding an outfit to each one, I am always thankful for the date night with my well dressed hubby. The photo was taken by one of the kids, therefore shadows behind us. (I will take a slightly shadowy photo over no photo.)

Thanksgiving
We had a very low key Thanksgiving. The kids wanted to stay home and make traditional turkey and fixings. It was nice to be together for the day. We cooked, played outside on a rather warm day and then went to the movies.

A little football to stretch after Thanksgiving dinner. My girls both know how to throw a football. A skill that is necessary, if they ever go to a beach full of guys. Much easier to talk to a guy if you know how to throw a football:

I am not the best at football throwing, but I do like to get into the action and really appreciate a good quarterback & their abilities:

Enjoying being outside with my hubby, a former 8th grade QB!

Annual Buckeye Photo
Every year I take a pic of the kids on the OSU vs. Michigan football game day. This year I am amazed at how mature they look. Even though the Bucks lost this one, we had a great time watching the game!

December 2011
Choir Concert~Foster
I love snapping a photo of my kids during their concerts. When they played instruments it was so difficult to get them in action. It is much easier to get a choir photo! Foster is in the middle above the piano. I think this photo will be fun to share at graduation time!

Choir Concert~Ana
Years ago when Rich and I were newly married and I was pregnant with Ana, I sang in our church choir. It was a small group of good singers and I added some off key reality. I really did not know the notes, but for some reason they let me stay on for about 6 months, until we moved to another city as Rich had finished his doctorate. So when I see Ana on stage, I am happy to know that she is using her God given talents and I am ever so grateful for those choir members for the opportunity to let my baby hear the correct pitch and intonation. It has been years of music lessons and it is gratifying watching her and listening to her pretty voice. And as luck would have it, as a freshman you get to wear the choir robes for concerts.

One of their songs involved a bit of dancing which was fun to watch:

This concert was really such a treat. At the end of the concert the entire high school choir surrounded the audience and sang two songs. It gave me goosebumps, as it was really beautiful and put me in the perfect Christmas mood!

State Champions
In December Ana's tennis team was honored at a basketball game. The team was the Ohio State Tennis Coaches Association Division II State Team Champions. They won the title in October. Although Ana did not play in the actual event, she was there to support her team in winning the Championship. It was Lexington's 4th state championship in the past 6 years. Ana has wonderful coaches and great teammates. She is proud to be a part of this team! They are an amazing group of young women.

The following photos were taken by a professional photographer from the nose-bleed seats. I saw his big lens and asked him if he would take a few pics for me and he was so nice and agreed to. He then edited them and emailed them to me a few days later. I was very thankful that he did such a nice favor for me.

Christmas Eve
All I truly wanted for Christmas was 3 things. 1.Attend church with my family. This is the most important thing to me as it truly celebrates the birth of Jesus. We had an awesome service with incredible music! It was simply beautiful and such a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. 2.The second thing that I wanted was for the kids to sing/play a Christmas song of their choosing. Here is a pic of them in the music room. I think they played and sang Jingle Bells. It was perfect for me!

3.The third thing that I wanted was a picture of all of us in our Christmas outfits. We set the timer on the camera and had some fun, not knowing exactly when the picture would be taken!!

This is me on Christmas Eve, I was tired from all of the preparation. Whew. The holidays can really wear a girl out!

And this is how the kids typically act at picture time (if they aren't fighting) They were really excited about getting their new pj's, and of course the picture taking:

After church we go home and the kids get to open  a gift. It is their traditional jammies and slippers. We then had some delicious food and special time just being together!

Christmas Day
Check out the sky! It was a beautiful pink as the sun rose! A fun toy for son & Dad:

The stack of gifts in the back were for Rich and I . We wrap everything and give really exciting gifts like socks and ski gloves. I was adamant that his stack of gifts would be higher than mine! The joy is in giving, right? Happiness is getting a gift you wanted but didn't expect, like these two:

Marissa enjoyed her favorite gifts at one time: baton, gloves where the fingertips light up (I am borrowing those!!), a microphone and glitter hat. I love 9 year olds!!:

Skiing with Friends
After Christmas we got away for a few days on a ski adventure with our good friends.
Piggies getting warmed by the fire after a fun ski afternoon!

Our friend Connor making the girls laugh. My goddaughter, Quinn, is in between the girls:

Rich and I with our bestest buddies, Bill & Carrie, at their gorgeous lake house that is 2 minutes from the slopes.  Carrie made us a gourmet dinner that was so delicious. Not only is she beautiful, she can cook better than my momma!!

Connor, Foster, Brennan, Bill & Marissa after a fun afternoon! Brennan is the little guy in red and he made us laugh for the entire 2 days. And he is such a good little skier!

The best skiing is with good friends. We love this family so much and can't wait to make more memories with them!

New Year's Eve, last day of 2011
I don't have any pictures of New Year's Eve. We spent the morning doing some work and then the afternoon shopping and visiting with some very good friends. We were home early in the evening and for the most part spent it together as family. It was really nice to be able to see one another at midnight. The kids are growing so fast, so I know we won't have too many more New Year's Eves together!

2011
As I sit here with a warm mug of hazelnut coffee and reflect on 2011, I am feel that overall it was a good year. It seems trite to say that 2011 was filled with ups and downs. Isn't every year filled with highs and lows? What I can say about 2011 is that there were new challenges for me personally and for us as a family. Our family has quickly shifted from tweens to teens and that presents new challenges. It presents new situations with regard to dating, technology, social invitations, goal setting, sports and school. Some weeks go very smoothly, while others are completely disrupted with a new challenge.

For me, my mom's journey with NonHodgkins Lymphoma was very difficult. It was difficult to be apart from her as we live in different states. It is much better now that she is in remission. She is dealing with some health effects as a result of the chemo. Please keep her in your prayers.

I had a great experience with 2 different bible studies in 2011 and believe that this is what kept me sane this year; Reflecting on God's word and what my role is in this world.

2011 also brought new adventure into my life. I began kickboxing, learned to surf and started playing tennis. New sports that have me enamored! And I am proud of myself for working with a personal trainer to lose weight and learn some healthier alternatives in eating. I will be putting these newly learned skills back into practice in 2012. I hope to set a fitness goal for this year, too. Keep moving in the right direction. One step at a time.

I was able to give back by volunteering through our schools (worked with kids on spelling, levy committee, 8th grade DC trip) and church.

I enjoyed our first family trip to Cali and our favorite vacation spot at Glen Lake, Michigan and an anniversary trip with my hubby to Arizona. I was able to spend lots of time with friends and family on the boat, the slopes, and celebrating big events with family and friends.

I am glad that I also stayed true to my word for 2011 of "organization". I did wait until November, but then really worked hard in the last 2 months of 2011 to get areas of my home organized!

My next post will include my word for 2012. And some goals and of course, some fun pictures.

Thank you for reading my 101st post!!
hugs, Cathy

Big Air 2011

In my last post I mentioned the Big Air competition that my 12 year old son did prior to my husband's birthday party. Here are a few photos:

The VENUE:

FANS, Marissa, Mr. A, Mr. Jman and Miss J:

Rich & I on the right and our bestest, supergreat, ski & boating buddies on the left:

Miss J (our friend) with Marissa and Ana:

FLYING taken during the competition, this is Foster (12 years old):

My son over the years has told me that he wishes he could fly.  Maybe I exposed him too much to Jimmy Neutron or the Snowman movie where the snowman flies while holding the boy's hand, all over town (The Snowman by Raymond Briggs). There aren't any words in that movie and I loved the soft music as it would lull my kids to sleep. Guess it didn't work on my son, though.

PREPARATION
All of our  children started skiing by the time they were 3. We knew it was something that we could enjoy in the winter and so we made a commitment to teach them very early. It has been a lot of long winters with blood, sweat and many tears, as it is no easy feat teaching children to ski. Our children have always worn helmets. If you are considering teaching your kids to ski or snowboard, always require them to wear a helmet. They are very comfortable & warm. It is a critical component of ski gear.

As our kids have progressed through the years, they continue to challenge themselves with more difficult terrain and jumps. This is not easy on a mother. There are a couple of things that make it easier. I do know that my children have years of ski experience, as my husband or I have always been by their side, until just recently. We have taught them the etiquette of taking turns in line. We have stressed the safety measure in getting on, riding & getting off the lift.

I am afraid to say, there are many parents that won't invest the time and energy into teaching their kids or providing them with lessons. Unfortunately, there are times on our slopes where beginners with no training and no one by their side, make our slopes dangerous. Too often, kids are let loose on the slopes with no training. It breaks my heart that the parents do not realize the danger they are putting their kids in, as well as others. Skiing is a dangerous sport with inherent risks and we stress the risks to our kids.

TRUTH and TRAINING
To be completely truthful, I really did not want my son to compete in the Big Air contest. He had a fall about a week before the contest and injured his shoulder. I was secretly hoping that God was answering my prayer by allowing him a minor injury, so he could not compete. The shoulder healed quickly. In the days leading up to the contest, I couldn't talk about "BIG AIR" as my stomach would clench and I had a hard time breathing.

As luck would have it, my husband and I ran into a coach that my son trained with this past summer. He was very confident that Foster was ready for the competition and explained in detail how he was ready. I tuned it out and kept saying over and over to my self, "but his mother is not ready".  (The coach just had one of his skiers place 3rd in the Mountain Dew Tour in Vermont!!)

The day of the competition was busy with me finalizing all of the party details. As my husband & son were departing for the ski practice runs, I had a run-in with my oldest daughter, Ana. As thirteen year olds tend to do, she was disrespectful and non-compliant in things I had asked her to do hours earlier. We had a doozy of an afternoon that was filled with tears and frustration and an exchange of hurtful words (both of us). I stuck to my guns and punished her the best way I knew how. Instead of going skiing for the afternoon, she had to study and stick by my side with the party errands. I did let her go to the competition, but she had to be with me (instead of her friends) as my shadow. As you know, 13 year olds do not prefer to hang out with their mother in public places. Perfect punishment.

My emotions were running high as I hit the slopes to watch Foster compete. I rode the lift with a 16 year old boy from a city an hour away. He told me how tough the jump was and that he had crashed in practice a few times. He was pulling out of the competition. I asked where his mom was and he said  at home (an hour away). My stomach was clenching very tight by now. I told him who my son was and he said, "That little kid with the orange boots. Yeah, he is shredding it!"

The competition was very exciting. Watching and waiting and praying that I have not made a huge mistake in letting my son compete. It did ease my nerves a lot when my husband explained that Foster had completed 3 practice runs and had done them well.

We cheered Foster on and his first run he did lose a ski, but was able to ski down the steep slope on one ski. I could barely watch the second run, so I just stood slopeside praying for no injuries. My prayers were answered and then everything was over. Of course I was thrilled that he was fine, but my emotions were still jangled. It took me awhile to recover.

In my mind I knew that Foster had trained for the event. He was ready. It was me who wasn't ready. Here is proof that of his training from last summer. If you are a friend of Facebook, you may have already watched this:


Week One Highlighted Skier from Ohio Dreams on Vimeo.

I know there will be more competitions. I need the Training Manual for Mothers of Freestyle Skiers. Anyone have a copy that they can loan me?
Hugs,

Chicken Orzo Soup & Other Updates

I apologize for not posting recently! I have been very pre-occupied and haven't had a minute to blog!

Personal Training: I started working out with a personal trainer last week. Ouch! It has been very good, but after the first day I came down with a stomach bug. I was couch ridden for 24 hours with a headache and fever. On top of it I could barely walk, as I was so sore from my first workout! As soon as I was over the bug, I felt fantastic and had plenty of energy, which I needed to finish planning my husband's birthday bash! (More on the bday bash later!)

Coffee Update: consistently less than 2 cups a day for several days in a row!! Isn't that fantastic? I am super excited that I have cut down so much! I really didn't think it was possible!

Sleepwalking: A new development: my youngest (age 8) has been sleepwalking the last 2 nights. One night she left her warm comfy bed & woke up on the couch. Last night she turned on all the bathroom faucets, flushed the toilet, walked downstairs into the kitchen (she seemed like she was wide awake!) gave me a hug, and used the bathroom. My husband asked her who we had dinner with that night & gave her the names of 2 friends. She picked the wrong one so clearly she was asleep! When I told her about it this morning she laughed and of course, didn't remember a thing! I know this is pretty common, but I am a bit anxious about it! My older two when they were very young, shared a room and would talk in their sleep to each other. Weird!!

Blog Button: figuring out the last little bit of code & then it will be visible on my site. Don't have a blog button & want one? Then you need to go see my friend Heather at A Lovely Mess. She does a great job & is very reasonable!! Tell her I sent you!

The Bday Bash

We had a fantastic weekend celebrating my husband's birthday. I planned the party in less than a week. I used Evite for the party invitations. It was super easy! I love sending real invites, but was under a time crunch so I decided just to email the invites. He especially enjoyed reading everyone's comments as the party drew closer! Evite.com does a great job on keeping you notified of rsvps. The only tricky part is making sure that you have the correct email for everyone. After that, it is super easy!!

We held the party at our local ski lodge where there was already a great band booked. The snow fell lightly all night long & it was super pretty to look outside and be inside with great friends. I ordered 24 latex balloons & 6 huge mylar balloons. NOTE to self: hard to fit that many in a SUV! I had friends that secured tables for the party and they decorated the whole area for me! I walked into a beautiful party. Thanks girls!!

I had a photo banner made (12 feet long) of 200 fun photos of my husband. I was sure to include all of our family (including pics with his Grandpa, "Pop Pop") and our closest friends. It is now stretched out on the living room floor and we keep looking at it and laughing about all of the good times we have shared! I stitched this photo together on my point & shoot camera:

And in place at the party:

I had our local grocery make a cake with a skier on it. It was super inexpensive. Let me tell you that it was DELICIOUS!! It was awesome when everyone sang Happy Birthday to my husband. 

The food was prepared & served by the restaurant. We had gourmet pizzas, dips & nachos. People snacked on the yummy comfort food all night long. 

I forgot to mention that just prior to the party, my son was competing in an event called BIG AIR. I was slopeside to watch him compete. The competitors ski down the hill to a steep ramp, which is about 50 feet from the ramp till they land on the downhill slope. My husband had been there all afternoon & witnessed a  lot of falls and skiers/boarders pulling out of the event. My son did 3 practice runs safely. In the competition he had 2 awesome jumps and he did not fall or get hurt. He did lose a ski on the first comp run, but was able to ski down on ONE ski. I was a nervous wreck. I found out later that he is the YOUNGEST skier to EVER compete in BIG AIR. I am still nervous. After the comp I had to change out of ski clothes into party clothes & get the kids fed & arrange to meet up with their babysitter, who took them home, after giving their Daddy big birthday hugs & greeting some of our guests. My husband made his entrance right on time. He had to run home & get my jeans. Yep, I left them in the dryer!

The best part of the party was interacting with our awesome friends in one spot. It was an amazing feeling to look over at my husband and watch him with his great friends, laughing & talking and enjoying life! We are truly spoiled by having so many wonderful people in our life. I feel very blessed. 

I didn't forget AP Here was my Anti-Procrastination list for the week of 1/10/11. I link up with Amy at New Nostalgia and you can see her button for Anti Procrastination on my side bar.  These things were done before January 10th!

• Order family photos of kids from our summer photo session DONE
• Clean 2 kitchen junk drawers DONE (so glad I did this! I can find what I need now!)
• Treadmill workout~ease back into running with a workout  NOT DONE. but started  personal training instead

Anti Procrastination List 1/24/11 (get done by Feb 1st)

Get new photos in frames

download photos from email, phone & then back up

back up kids' photos & videos

set up printer for Ana

And Last but not LEAST. A few have asked for the Chicken Orzo Soup recipe. I just made it up as I was going along. Here it is:

Chicken Orzo Soup

2 T. Wesson oil

2-3 fresh chicken breast, washed & cut into 1 inch pieces

3 carrots washed, peeled & sliced

3 celery stalks, washed & sliced

1 small onion washed, peeled & chopped 

1 cup orzo pasta

1 Large can Chicken Broth 49.5 ounces ( I used Swanson 100% Natural, 99% fat free, no MSG)

lemon slices

Sautee chicken in oil until cooked through. Add carrots, celery & onions & cook until carrots are not hard (about 5 minutes). Add can of chicken broth & bring to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes & then add orzo. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve soup into bowls (with fresh warm bread!) I squeeze the lemon after I have served the soup into a bowl. Some of my clan likes the lemon, some do not. 1 slice of lemon squeezed, per bowl. Enjoy!

I am off to enjoy a cup of hot tea and watch it snow. We have had a beautiful winter and January is zipping by us! 

hugs,