january in review...

January seems to have gone by much more quickly than I was ready for it to go.  This is partly because we had more commitments this month and partly because it's true that the days sometimes seem endless but the months and years pass quickly.  Here's a peak into our lives this past month and a glimpse ahead into February.

For the past two years, the four of us have filled out college football pools.  It's just a straight pick of winner for each game and you only win bragging rights.  And for the second year in a row, I have won!  I wanted to document it here because it's a fun tradition that we started and Mark tried to say he won last year but he didn't have proof, so I'm saying I won.  On a funny note, Mark's is the sheet that our family submitted to an actual pool that you have to pay to enter and he got the least amount of picks right.

This year, I bought Grace an ice cream cake for her birthday and she was finally able to eat her birthday cake.  This was always something that bothered me, if I made a cake or brownies she couldn't eat any of it.  So when I saw the ice cream cakes at the grocery store I was so happy.  She was fascinated by the candles and was laughing at our singing.  It was so great to see her enjoy a slice of her own birthday dessert.

One of my favorite things Mark and I did in January was go to a Sam Smith concert!  These tickets were one of my Christmas presents.  It wasn't really a surprise because I spent the month of November repeatedly telling him dropping hints that I wanted tickets for Christmas.

Luke and I had a great conversation the night of the concert:

Luke: Mom are you going to 'scream like a girl' when you meet Sam?
Me: First of all, just because you have a ticket doesn't mean you get to meet the artist.
Luke: Well that's not fair
Me: And, since I'm old enough to be Sam's mom, no I won't be screaming like a girl.
Luke: Oh, so you'd just make him dinner or his favorite dessert?
Me: Yup, pretty much!

I love how he views my role as a mother :)  And, I'd be happy to make Sam dinner or his favorite dessert!  Even though he only has one album out with 14 songs, it was a great show.  He did what he does best, which is sing.  You could tell his show had been updated since he was nominated for 6 Grammy's but he still was just basically a guy standing on stage who sings.  I'm partial to singer songwriters and love his 'throw back' ways.

In keeping a promise I made to myself to have my best year, I participated in this challenge.  I have been playing with clean eating for a while and finally decided to just do it.  I liked this 21 Day Super Hero Challenge because Emily gives you a meal plan and daily videos.  The videos included specific workouts, workout tips, healthy eating information and more.  It was awesome!  I have continued with eating clean and working out daily.  I can't wait for the next challenge to start on February 22nd.

I also am challenging myself to try new things this year.  I feel like, I've gotten into a rut or a habit of keeping things safe and comfortable.  So this year, I'm trying to break out of my old habits by branching out and trying new things.  It doesn't have to be large, life altering things.  Sometimes a small change is all we need to move us forward.  On that note, a friend and I starting taking spinning classes at Fit Ryde an indoor cycling center.  Taking these classes reminded me of how fun working out with others is, gets me out of the house and taught me new respect for people who cycle.  Yowza!  I was so sore after the first class.

In addition to having Luke and Grace's birthdays, January also marks the anniversary of me becoming a mom.  Our family doesn't have a celebration to acknowledge or recognize the days our children joined our family, but we always remember it.  This year, I told John stories of the day he joined our family and looked at some of the 46,000 pictures we took of him before we had more than one child.  I always hold my babies a little closer on these days and whisper prayers of thanksgiving that God saw me fit to be their mom. 

The boys ended the month with a road trip to West Virginia to see a WVU basketball game.  They were tricked out with new WVU gear by Mark's mom and John got an early birthday party.  Grace and I stayed home and cleaned out the laundry room and the closets.  I love spending time organizing my space.  It always gives me a sense of accomplishment and peace to walk into an ordered room.  It was an awesome weekend all the way around.

February is off to a good start with lots of fake snow storms in the forecast and threats of school closings.  The boys are hoping for one good storm that gives us 6+ inches, so they can really play in it.  We are looking forward to John's birthday.  He's just like me, he has been counting down for a month.

Grace and I will be heading to Hershey Medical Center next week for the start her feeding therapy.  I'm planning on blogging while I'm gone and keeping everyone updated on her progress.  We leave in less than a week and I've packed my barbells, yoga mat and seven books.  I may not know where we are staying, what we are eating or wearing but I'm going to keep my mind and body in shape while I'm gone.  And thanks to our amazing village, my boys will be well fed and well cared for while I'm gone.