366 Week 3

Week 3 Completed! Corinne is featured a lot this week. Hope you enjoy, thanks for checking on us.

Elise and Neal are playing video games so I took my Wedding dress out in honor of the Golden Globes. Corinne loved playing dress up. I have to do this with Elise too.
Girls have a long weekend. Picture from Boston.

Took the girls to Boston Aquarium. The jellyfish are beautiful.

Corinne out at the bus stop every moring. Today it single digits.

Happy Birthday to me. Neal and the girls got this cake with my favorite princesses.

Beautiful
Date night celebrating both our Birthdays

366 Week 2

Week 2 completed! Hope you enjoy thanks for checking on me!

A self portrait because I'm the picture taker. I did purchase a tripod and
remote this week so stay tuned.

Second week of January and just a dusting of snow.

My drug of choice, along with coffee, oh and maybe a little wine and

chocolate.

Corinne loves to take shoes out of my closet and walk around. I

don't get a chance to wear heels that much these days so at least

they are getting some use.

First snow not a lot but enough to be annoying. But it's January

12th

Game night! Trying to teach the girls about games that don't involve angry

birds, or men named Mario:)

Portrait of my life as Cookie Mom. Also a shameless attempt to sell you

cookies:)

January is a Jungle

I think the most popular resolution of the New Year is to be healthier. We all start our plans January 2nd full of hope.

For me going to the gym is part of my routine, but I always have new goals to keep me motivated. Last year running was a big focus, but I have really missed my spin classes and wanted to get back into that along with everything else.

I used to do spin 3-4 times a week. I actually spinned the day before I gave birth to Elise so I'm not a beginner.

I was excited this morning when I got up getting organized to get out the door in time to get my bike for a great class. I arrived early so I could set up and got Corinne off to Child Care. When I walked back into the spin room and sat down what do I hear? A women talking to the instructor saying she should stand at the door and determine all the "Regulars". She went on to say if you were not a regular you should go to the waiting list. I don't even think she noticed me when she was saying this. Maybe she did? It got me to thinking though what right does she have to single people out? Imagine how someone that has never taken spin before felt hearing her??

I'll admit being a person that goes to the gym year round it's busier at certain times. It can be annoying to change your routine, but at one time we were all beginners, right?

I have a treadmill at home but would rather go to the gym. I have been lucky to have supportive, instructors, and friends that make it fun to spend an hour exercising.

As a Mom of two little ones that have been tagging alone with me from the age of 6 months I know how hard it is to just GET to the gym we should all be supportive of each other.

366 challenge week 1

One of my New Years Resolutions is to take better pictures. I signed up for the 365(366 because it's a Leap Year) Photo Challenge. My plan is to post the pictures to my blog at the end of the week. By the end of the year I should have a nice album and hopefully improved my skills. Thank you for following me on this journey. Happy New Year!

Day1: We started New Year's early. Luckily Neal and I didn't stay up to midnight with our 5:30AM wake up. I let Neal sleep and made french toast and bacon for the girls as they created these signs.

Day 2: A cliche I know, but I'm sure you will see many fitness themes throughout the year as it's a big part of my day to day routine. With the holiday rush it wasn't not my top priority but today I hit it hard at the gym today.

Day 3: Back to school and routines for all of us!! It was nice to have them home but I think we all need to get back to reality. When you look closely at this picture I can see Elise waving from the window. I wonder how many more years I have before this goes away..sigh. Day 4: A portrait shot of my cutie waiting and I waiting for the bus. We are bundled up with our first frigid day of the year. It was 9 degrees this morning, but we still have no snow.

Day5: Elise at ballet class. I'm here twice a week. Both girls take 1 class. I'm sure next year Elise will be adding another.

Day 6: Family dinner at one of our favorite Japanese Hibachi Style restaurants. I love that no color crayons or Leapster is needed. The entertainment is them cooking the food. It's also refreshing to have a kids meal that has vegetables!

Day 7: I wanted to do something with color. This week has been about purging and organizing. I cleaned up the sun room where the girls color and do crafts. I sharpened all there colored pencils. Something about sharpened pencils that make me smile.

Hope you enjoyed the first week! Thanks for checking on me.

You're going to miss this??? I think I will.

Tis the season to be jolly...not sure how jolly I have been lately? I have been up late running all over the place trying to keep up with all the demands of the season.

I woke up with one of my stress knots in my neck and thought it would be a good decision to take the girls to Church. I'm sure you can guess that they were extra naughty (Corinne wanted to leap like a frog up to Communion).

My girls are good and I love them but it's hard to be good all of the time. That is why when we got home from Church Neal took them in the basement to play. I watched some TV, ate my lunch in solitude and got some PERSPECTIVE!! Later that afternoon the girls and I popped some popcorn and made garland with popcorn and cranberries.

I had a quick errand to run and on the way home I heard this song that brought tears to my eyes. It's true I will miss it all even the craziness... especially that.

THE TWELVE SOUPS OF CHRISTMAS

Wow! It's been awhile since I've posted and now I pick the busiest time of the year to sit down to write something??? This was just such a fun night I had to share.

I knew I wanted to invite a few women over from town to celebrate in some Holiday Cheer. I was thinking maybe a Cookie exchange??? I really don't enjoy baking, mainly because I don't need all that added temptation(SWEET TOOTH). So I decided for the healthier route and the Soup Exchange was born.

Each guest was to bring a sample for the night and a container for each guest to bring home. I gathered all their recipes and made a recipe book as a take home favor/keepsake. We had a large group so we sampled two soups at a time in Dixie Cups. We were all doing shots... SOUP SHOTS that is:) These ladies sure know how to party!


The night was filled with yummy soup and wonderful conversation! I have soup for lunch all week and new recipes to get through the winter.


This party was just what I needed to give me a little Christmas Spirit. Thank you to all of you extraordinary women for making this a fun night!

Hope you're finding Joy during this Holiday Season and keeping your Coffee Cups full!

Happy Holidays

NINE YEARS

Today is the day I said I DO to my sweetheart.

Neal and I have fit a lot of living into those 9 years!! Just like the vows say. GOOD, bad, BETTER, worse, sickness, HEALTH.

Marriage is romantic, beautiful...and a lot of WORK! When you're young, love is about flowers, and romantic dinners. I still get the flowers occasionally (usually because it's close to a Chinese food restaurant). I'm not complaining though!!!

I get what I need everyday from this wonderful man. A kiss good morning, a call in the afternoon to check on the girls and I, and when he is next to me at night I feel like I'm home (I could live without the snoring though).

When married for nine years with 2 small children some days it's hard to focus on what brought you together. That is where the work comes in. There are days when I feel like running, but I don't. I can't stay mad at this man! He is so much a part of my life that I forget I'm mad at him.

Even though romantic dinners and flowers are not as frequent the romance lives on. This man I said I do to nine years ago today truly knows me. Good, bad, better worse, sickness, health, till death us do part. Now that is romantic!

Happy Anniversary to my sweetheart, the best is yet to come.

Love,
Janice