My New Years Resolution is

to begin (again) the Couch to 5K program.

I started it this past summer and made it to week 5 before giving up.  I know, I'm a loser.  This time I WILL finish it and lead a healthier lifestyle.  I have also vowed to eat very little red meat and shoot for a relatively fat-free diet.

The recent heart stent should be motivation enough, but I know myself.  I tend to be all gung ho for a few weeks and then completely quit.

I WILL DO THIS, though!!!!  I don't intend to win any races, but it would be awesome to just be in one and actually finish.

Oh yeah, this C25K graduate shirt will someday be mine and, yes, it will be in one of these cute little fitted styles.  Why?  Because I'm going to be so freakin' skinny from all of this running.....  

Yep, it'll happen!

Wish me luck!!!!!

the best Christmases ever...

---have been since my girls were born.  Here is a look back:

Our first Christmas together 2004
This picture was taken not long after Sophie came home from Thailand.  Gracie was 10 months old and Sophie was 16 months old.

2005 - modeling their dress-up outfits.   Gracie wore a tutu as a shirt.  Her fashion sense hasn't changed much since then.  ;-)

 2006 - Sophie was becoming quite the drama queen (see the tears?).

 2007 - striking a pose!
(subliminal message---- ignore the doggie footprints on the floor.  They are NOT there)

2008 - my babies are looking grown-up.

 2009 - they're both missing a few teeth.  ;-)

2010 - Visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus

 

2011-  They grow up too fast!

Christmas program...

The girls recently had their Christmas program at school.  It was short and sweet--- just like I like them.  ;-) 

Maybe someday the girls will actually stand by one another in a program---- I can dream...

Grades K-2 performed together.

I {heart} this picture.  ;-)

Grace, Sophie, and their bestie Blayn.

Candy Cane Invitational

Sophie's Candy Cane Invitational gymnastic meet was held today at the YMCA. It's a practice meet, so she only did her floor routine.

Of course I have pics.... and a video....   ;-)

No sneezing!

So my stress test didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, and I am schedule to have an angioplasty on Wednesday.  I'm not too happy about that, but I guess it's better than the alternative of having a heart attack.

Luckily for me, there won't be as many knives involved in my angioplasty as there are in this picture.  I'm still hoping that my cardiologist doesn't sneeze!  ;-)

Ahhhhh

Yep, that's my deep breath because my stress test is DONE.  Over. 

Ahhhhhh.....

I have absolutely no idea about the results, but at least it's over......

---stressed over a stress test

I'm having a stress test tomorrow.  A nuclear stress test to be exact.  And an echocardiogram, which really isn't a big deal. 

But I'm not gonna lie---- I'm a bit stressed about the nuclear stress test.  My last one was almost 2 years ago, and that was quickly followed by not one, but two, angioplasties in about a month's time. 

You see, I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself tonight.  My heart attack happened exactly 10 years ago.  I was 34 years old.  I am very thankful for the quick-thinking of the on-call physician at our local hospital and was quickly life-flighted to a larger facility. 

But still...... blech on tomorrow!  :-(

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!

We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving at my cousin's beautiful home in Joplin, so we won't have to travel far.  Be safe if you're traveling tomorrow!!!

On another unrelated note, the hubs had a MAJOR nosebleed last night---- horrendously, grotesquely, blood-splattered everywhere type of nosebleed.  He had to go to the emergency room to get it stopped.  He gets frequent nosebleeds, but this was a force to be reckoned with....   The poor guy is still looking quite pale.  :-(

yet more gymnastics......

Sophie's first mock gymnastics meet

Sophie had her first mock meet today, and although she was initially terrified, she did GREAT!

I'm just a little bit proud.  ;-)  Prepare yourself for photo overload.

and here is what Gracie did while Sophie was competing:

My drama-filled day

My did did not start off with a bang.

I broke my beloved Kindle this morning.  I started to put a sheet on the bed and stepped on it.  It made that sound that a calculator makes when you bust the solar panel, and I knew my beloved Kindle was FUBAR (that's a Kurt Russell term from the 80's).  I also think that maybe the only people who would know what sound a broken solar panel makes would be Middle School Math teachers, so you'll have to trust me on that one.

Anyway, after minutes of almost sobbing, I broke down and ordered a new Kindle Fire.  AND a new hot pink case to keep my new Beloved safe.

Then, the hubs irritated me.  Granted, that isn't anything out of the ordinary, but today I was apparently in the buying mood.  So I bought a new Christmas tree.  I have always liked flocked trees but never wanted to deal with the mess.  This one kind of felt like the white stuff would stay on...... We'll see.  So now I'm just waiting for the girls to come home from seeing Happy Feet with Grammy, and we'll put on the ornaments.

Sophie's first gymnastics meet

It's actually a mock meet, but she is very excited and is anxious to wear her fancy new Shooting Stars team leotard.  She has her routines memorized, and I'm hoping the jitters don't make her forget everything when it's her turn to compete.

And please please please pray that I won't turn into one of those Toddlers & Tiaras type of moms..... I don't *think* I will, but that is truly one of my biggest fears.  Seriously.  I hope somebody just knocks me upside the head if I utter a single word to Sophie about pointing her toes or saluting the judges.  I once saw a dad (yes, a MAN) attempting to demonstrate to his daughter how to point her toes and how to salute.  I still make fun of him to this day---- but only behind his back, of course.  ;-)

Time flies....

It seems like just yesterday when my girls looked like this:

Gracie - about 2 months old

Sophie - about 6 months old - the first photo we ever saw of her

Now look at them---- waaaahhhh.  My babies have grown.  When did this happen?

Gracie's pic taken by my friend/photographer, Tammy Williams.

Sophie's pic taken by my friend/photographer, Tammy Williams.

Grace - 7 1/2 years old

Sophie - 8 years old