Recycling

Our school has a huge recycling program. We recycle different things you normally recycle through the curbside service. Anything from capri suns to cereal bags to markers/pens to candy wrappers.  It's just a great thing for our school and for the students.  But it's so even more fun for the 3rd graders, as they got to visit the Grand Rapids recycling center, to see what other things could be recycled.   I think the lady giving the tour was impressed with how much the kids knew about recycling.  

Meet Bentley

Things in life aren't always fair.  We don't always understand why things happen the way they do.  But sometimes good things come from a unexpected circumstance.  That's how we ended up with Bentley.

It all happened on the same day as I took the boys bowling for the first time.  On our way home, Mike called and wanted to let me know that the boys should be outside because the was a downed power line in our yard.  While when we returned home there was a Consumer's Energy truck in our driveway.  I must say I was a little ticked because the only way to get around the truck was to drive on the yard.  and then the garage door went open, again I was ticked off, not remembering the fact the power was out.  That's when Brendan informed me there was a man walking up the driveway.  I told the boys to stay in the van and I stepped out to talk with the guy.  He informed me that the power was out and wouldn't be coming back on for a couple hours.  He wanted to make sure I kept the boys in the house.  Then as I was walking back to the van, he asked if by any chance we had a black dog.  That's when my heart sank.  It's not that I loved the dog but Mike did.  

I had to call Mike...not fun.  

It turns out that Aly (our black lab/husky) had been electrocuted by the power lines....so sad.

Let's fast forward to the end of that same week.  It now Friday night, we had taking the boys to Old Chicago Restaurant for supper, while waiting for dinner I was looking through the ads on Craigslist and find a litter of puppies. We called the number and within 15 minutes we were picking out a puppy. 

The boys love him, especially Austin. I hope he will be a good fit for our family.

1 Strike and a few spares and many gutter balls....

...until we got some bumpers.

During Winter Break in February, Connor had a birthday party for a classmate at a local bowling alley.  So I decided in would be a great time to see if the boys liked to bowl.  The first game I forgot to ask for the bumpers and the boys began to lose interest almost immediately. But I got smart for the second game and they had tons more fun. .

Happy Valentine's Day

from all my favorite dudes!!!!

to see more about our Valentine's Day dinner click here

Sledding at ZCS

Last Friday I took boys to ZCS to go sledding.  I know it's a long drive for a couple of hours of sledding, but that's the hill I grew up sledding on and I can't find a similar hill any closer where we live.  Needless to say the boys had tons of fun and it was great exercise for all of us.

 

New Beginnings

With the beginning of a new year, there are always resolutions made and forgotten about.  I can't actually say that I made any resolutions, but it's a time for begin fresh again. A time to pick up where I left off last summer and working towards new goals.  To be honest this past year, well 6 months hasn't been the best when it comes to diet and exercise for me. I kind of went through the motions but wasn't really mindful.  I stopped exercising altogether and gain back some of the weight I had lost.  I let some of my worst trigger foods creep back into my diet.  It sucks gaining weight back that you had worked so hard to get off.

3 days after the New Year, I was sitting on the couch watching TV, an afternoon program about resolutions - how fitting.  They were talking about a 3 day detox. As I was listening, I keep thinking to myself I can do this, it's only 3 days.  How hard can it be???  Right!!!  Detoxing your body is great once it's all done.  During those three days, I felt gross, I had no energy and I craved sugar....that's my trigger food.

I can proud stand here today and say I made it through.  I didn't cheat once.  and I losted my appetite for sugar and sweets.  Since then I have been much more aware of what I am eating.  Trying to eat more raw foods.  Cooking more from scratch foods for the food.  I got ridden of all the "fat free" and "sugar free" foods.  I am eating more veggies and proteins, and eating more of the good fats that our bodies need.  and it's working!!!  The scale is heading in the right direction again!!!

Also I started back on the ol' treadmill, and I just couldn't possible do that without buying some new sneakers. (wink,wink)  At first I was scared, because I was afraid of how much I had lost.  I was afraid I would have to start from the beginning again.  But that wasn't true, nor could I run 3-4 miles like I could last summer, but I working my way towards that again.  I am hoping to run a couple 5k's this spring/summer and the Fifth Third 10k.  I am excited for the new challenges and goals that I have set for myself.  I am hoping to do a better job at continuing to run through the heat of the upcoming summer...I'm a fair weather running - not too hot, not too cold.

Wacky Hair Day

My Trumpet Player

5th grade is the year for band to start

my kid plays the trumpet

He really likes band,

but hates, really hates to practice

 

New year's Eve

LOVE THESE PEOPLE!!!!

 

Thanks for a fun night!!