My 2009 New Year's Resolution has been met!

Not only did I achieve my goal of running 300 miles this year, but at last count, I had surpassed it by atleast 50 miles. It makes me happy to know I have regained my willpower to bring fitness back into my lifestyle. I feel terrific that I've obtained my fitness goals and reinstated exercise back into my lifestyle.
During my pregnancy with Jessica, I let myself get pretty out-of-shape and extra large!! Now, I am proud to say, I am 60 pounds lighter, stronger and healthier.
Creating and obtaining this fitness resolution has made me feel so good, I've already began thinking about what my next year's resolution will be. Since I enjoy taking certain aerobic and strength training classes at our Onalaska YMCA so much, my fitness resolution will be a specific number of hours devoted to exercise in general (rather than just running).
I'm jumping the gun a little bit...I still have a few months to figure it out.

Our acorn tree

We have an acorn tree not too far from our house; the kids get a kick out of watching all the squirrels that live in that tree, so we walk there quite often. We decided to plant our own acorn tree in hopes one day it will grow big enough to be taken out to a countryside and planted into the earth. The kids dug up the soil and dumped it into the pot. We placed the acorn into the soil and covered it up and then Jackson gave it some water from our hose. I hope it grows; Jackson is so excited to see it!

Are we raising a shopaholic?

Earlier this summer we noticed Jessica began showing an interest in shoes. She just loves to find shoes around the house (doesn't matter who they belong to), try them on, admire them, and then walk around the house wearing them. Jessica has now expanded her obsession to include clothing items too. She will find random articles of clothing around the house (she'll pull them out of drawers, laundry baskets, pick them up off the floor in the bathroom, etc...), then she'll put the article of clothing over her head. She'll continue layering until she is walking around with three or four articles of clothing around her neck.


Sometimes she'll come to mom and "ask" for help, in which case I show her how to put the clothes on correctly.
This is what happens when Jackson leaves his underwear and his shirt laying around on the floor of his bedroom...

Her clothing is underneath; I helped to put these two articles of clothing on over her own --and she couldn't have been happier:)

First day of daycare, Fall 2009

Today was the first day of daycare at our house.

Although it was not the first day for all the kids I will be seeing, it was the first for both Dawson (age 4) and Carson (17 months). The neighbor girl, Ali, is also pictured in this photo; school has not yet started for her, and she came over to play with the kids.

Jessica getting ready for potty training?

Jessica decided to take an interest in the potty (as of last night during bathtime). She climbed up onto the potty and sat there for a few minutes while both Jackson and I praised her for being such a "good girl!" Jessica smiled and seemed to be very proud of herself. And, although we didn't actually have any pee-pee come out, she enjoyed getting on and off using her stool, and she liked to practice placing the potty insert on and off the toilet all-by-herself too.
Baby steps, right? At least we're headed in the right direction.

BTW - I decided to spare our daughter a little bit of dignity and not post the pictures of her sitting bare naked on the toilet. If I can capture a more "appropriate" picture, I'll post it at a later date.

The kids. August 2009.

On rare occasions, I can get the kids to sit by one another (nicely) long enough to snap a quick photo.



They are sitting on the couch, sharing a bowl of pretzels.

Lake Mead, summer 2009

A few weeks ago, our family took a "mini-vacation" to Lake Mead, WI. We stayed overnight at a friends' cabin, which by the way, had all the "necessities" (water slide, rope swing, kayaks, skis, tubes, trampoline, etc.) for people of all ages to have a guaranteed good time. Thanks again Marc, Sue, and family for letting us stay with you at your beautiful cabin on the Lake! We had a really nice time.

Jackson loved this trampoline! Notice his facial expression in this first picture...cracks me up.



Jessica with one of her new "friends"





Jessica eating yogurt covered pretzels during the car ride home; this was our attempt to keep her content;)