Thanksgiving

What I am thankful for:
>gas prices under $2.00, today I paid less than $40 to fill up my gas hog
>50 degree temperatures in November
>a smile from Ellie and time to run, which turned my "waking up on the wrong side of the bed" frown, upside down
>the many pictures I receive from my little artist Ethan
Most of all . . . .
>a loving, supportive husband who is a wonderful father
>beautiful children who help me enjoy the simple things
>family and friends who we get to go see over Thanksgiving.

Ethan or Elisabeth?

Check out the babies in the yellow pajamas. Can you tell which one is Ethan and which is Ellie? When I put this hand me down on Ellie we couldn't believe the resemblence. The other pics are 6 weeks pictures of Ellie.

Huh?

Just reread my post about exercise! I do love it, but that was a little corny.
Well that's how I was feeling at the time so I guess I'll leave it.

Ode to Exercise!

This past weekend as I was able to take my run outdoors I thought about how great I felt. Sure, I was out on a cool autumn morning (with all of the sights and smells you love) and the beautiful mountains to the east and west, but it was more than that. I thought about all the wonderful things I get from exercise. For me running is almost meditative and I seriously pondered over this for most of my run. So here are the things I get from exercise:

>more energy
>stress relief (aren't you always in a better mood after a good workout)
>endorphins
>clear mind
>better immune system
>good night's sleep
>less guilt over my sweet tooth
>higher metabolism
>confidence
>a way to challenge myself
>two uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries
>overall I do it for good health: healthy bones, heart, lungs, skin, you name it!

In addition to my family my two passions are exercise, particularly running, and teaching. So this is why I chose to use a portion of this blog to go off on one of my favorite past times: exercise. For me it's not a chore, it's a part of what makes my life complete.

Halloween

Here are our little ones all dressed up. Doesn't Ethan make a mean Storm Trooper (it's from the new animated star wars, everyone kept calling him a transformer)and Ellie a sweet Love Bug.
Halloween was quite eventful for Ethan. At school he had the usual party as well as a field trip to a nearby business where the students sang some Halloween songs. Ellie and I were able to tag along. Later we went to Dad's office to trick or treat and of course Ethan and Kelly went around our neighborhood that evening. Ethan was very excited to have so much candy. He organized several different ways: by color, type, size, random, and into different containers. He probably had them organized other ways, I just didn't catch on.

Our first month as four.

Time flies when you're adjusting to the routine of caring for a baby again. It's hard to believe that Ellie is already 5 weeks old.

Everyone is adjusting well. Ethan is the best big brother ever.

We're slowly getting back to some sort of a routine (those of you who know me well, know I need structure). Occasionally I get Ethan to school on time and showered before noon. A week and a half ago I started running again (yeah!) Ellie routinely sleeps a full 5 hours or more (when

we're lucky) at night and Ethan knows that when I need a favor it's usually a diaper run.

Some of our bestest friends in the world came and visited us for a few days, which was a ton of fun (We love and miss you guys!). Ellie enjoyed meeting her first friend, adorable Jace. Ethan and Ashlynn got along together well, especially when Dora was on. Just wondering, is Ethan too old and boy for Dora yet?