I Heart the YMCA

This title comes from a dear friend who uses the word "HEART" in reference to things that are very special to her. I felt that it was the only way to properly say how I feel about the YMCA. Where do I even begin??? I have been contemplating my love for this particular establishment for sometime and this morning I discussed it with some friends as we were in the parking lot walking in to our kick booty spinning class at, you guessed it the YMCA. So I decided post about it because it has been in my thoughts so much lately. It plays such a big part in our lives and oh how I will miss it when it comes time to leave Indy. I know a lot of you are probably saying, "what, you must be crazy" because I have heard that this particular one is very out of the ordinary, and for the most part YMCAs are just a poor and failing attempt to bring programs to communities in need. However ours is neither poor nor failing but it is greatly succeeding in bringing so many wonderful things to us. Let my just tell you some of the many things that we enjoy at the Y. First of all they have a wonderful workout facility with any and all of the equipment to slim down even the chubbiest of thighs (this I know from experience). Along with that there are tons of classes form Yoga to kickboxing and anything else you can imagine for all ages. They even have a child watch area where you can drop your kids off while you work out if you are into that. Caden goes to preschool at the Y, where he learns all kinds of good things including this prayer they say at snack time, "God is great, God is good and we thank Him for this food, amen." I love that even though it's not just like the prayers we may say at home, they are teaching them to be thankful to their Heavenly Father. They also have a really fun indoor jungle gym that helps the kids to get their wiggles out when it is too cold to play outside. This is a real blessing to us as Caden has way more energy than he knows what to do with even when he can play outside. They have a big indoor pool where they teach swimming lessons all year long. In the summer we spend tons of time at the two outdoor pools, one of which is made for young kids so I don't have hold on to both of mine but can let them roam and play freely. In addition to this they have Family Fun Nights once a month were they do fun activities for your entire family, like making ginger bread houses or having breakfast with Santa and doing Christmas Crafts. So anyway, I realize I'm rambling and this really doesn't effect any of you directly in any way but now maybe you can understand to a small degree why I HEART the YMCA so very much.

Kicking off the Holidays

So the turkey was great and we had a blast with our friends from school on Thanksgiving, now that it is over we are getting sooooooooo excited for Christmas. Every year since we have been here in Indy we get up on Friday morning (not crazy early like the ambitious Robbins' in Utah) and head out shopping. Don't get me wrong I would love to go with them at 2 am but with our kids it is easier to get up at our regular time and just go out and enjoy the day. This year Caden was old enough to walk through the isles and make a list for Santa....it is about 30 pages long if anyone is interested!!! It was a blast to see how excited they got and they were really good about just looking, writing it on their lists and then putting it back. We also got ideas of what we want to get for others and we even got some of our shopping done...hopefully it will all fit on the plane as we will be spending Christmas in Utah this year and will have to take everything we buy with us. What a good way to kick off the holiday season. We also got to go to the Circle of Lights Celebration downtown at monument Circe. There was music, dancing, a big Christmas tree lighting and firework show. I have always wanted to go but usually after a long day of shopping we just don't feel up to it. This year we planned for it so it worked out great and even though it was FREEZING we had so much fun. The people were packed in so tight we could hardly feel how chilly it was. During the weekend we also started playing Christmas music, got out the Cinnamon candles, and started putting up decorations. I would say we are ready...now the only thing that stands in the way of us and Christmas are finals and a plane ride.

The kids and their buddy Jon "Jepps" looking on as Dave carves the bird

Downtown Indy During the "Circle of Lights"Celebration

The family enjoying all the festivities

Let the Christmas Preperations Begin

Well it has officaially started...the preps for Christmas have begun and the turkey isn't even in the oven yet! I must admit these aren't the first real preps because I have done a little shopping here and there and we had to buy our plane tickets to go home, but this is big!!! Finally after 5 years of marriage I bought some stockings today. Hooray!!! I have always wanted cute matching stockings for the entire family and I have toyed with the idea of making them but I have never seen anything I am completely in love with so until now we have just had cheap stockings to get by with at our families homes. I was beginning to think we would never have our own wonderful dream stockings, so I have been feeling badly because Caden is getting old enough that the idea of his very own stocking will be so fun. However, after this long of a wait I didn't just want to settle. Wait no longer...thank you Pottery Barn Kids and Aimee, I have found some that are so adorable. We even bought extras for future kids so we can all match (silly I know, but blame the dream I have of the perfect mantel and the perfect matching stockings). So the stockings are on their way but the mantel with have to wait for a couple of years, but we are getting there. I'm so excited for Santa to fill them.

A Season of Thanksgiving

Since it is almost Thanksgiving, I thought I would write a little about what I am Thankful for just to get in the spirit before the big day. We are blessed with so many wonderful things but it seems like sometimes in the day to day shuffle we lose sight of it all and forget just how blessed we really are. So here we go the biggest and most wonderful blessings in my life (in no specific order).
1. My amazing husband. He is the hardest worker I know! He gets more done in one day than some people do in a week. Sometimes I admit I wish he would be a slacker for just one afternoon but Iam greatful for all his hard work.
2. My fantastic kids. I know its silly but I think I have two of the greatest kids on the planet. They bring us so much joy and just when we think there is no way we can love them anymore they do something perfect and poof...more love. I can't paint this little picture without a touch of reality so, yes there are hard days but never a moment when I am not greatful to be their mom.
3. Family! Brady and I have such wonderful families that love us and support us. We have alway felt that love no matter how far from home we are. What a blessing it is to be a part of these great families
4. Good friends!!! I have always been very blessed to be surrounded by great people to form relationships with. Throughout my life one thing I have never been without are people who I can trust and count on.
5.The Gospel! I am greatful to have a knowledge of a plan and a Father that loves me. The eternal perspective this knowledge offers is irreplacable and a tremendous blessing in my life.

So there are a few and I could go on and on... but you get the idea. Isn't is wonderful that we have a day set aside to reflect on all the things we are blessed with.

I took the PLUNGE

Okay so today was my hair appointment, the one I have been waiting for for about two months now. It seems like every time I have gotten my hair cut in the last two years or so I have really wanted to go short but I just didn't have the courage. Well, I finally did it!!! I found a style I liked and even though I had some reservations, I gave my consent and she chopped. Thank you to everyone that voted, it looks like eveyone either really likes short hair or you all just wanted me to cut it so you can laugh when I am crying because I miss my long hair, either way it gave me the added courage I needed to do it. I can't say I love it but hey I haven't even had the chance to do it myself yet...maybe with a little time to get used to it...who knows. I'm sure you all want to see the product of your voting so here you are.

Mrs. P

This will probably mean very little to most of you but it is a little attempt to pay a small tribute to a woman who played a very important role in my life. I got news last week that my very favorite teacher of all time was in the hospital and only had a few hours to live. Mrs. P was my Honors English Teacher in H.S. for 3 years and she was brutal, not usually a trait found in a teacher that you love, but while her class was difficult (more difficult than anything I encountered in college) I learned a ton and loved going. We read so many books, wrote so many essays, and oh the TESTS (any of you who had her can remember the TESTS). Through all the reading, writing, and studying my brains out I got to be in the presence of this great woman and I learned just a little more about the person I wanted to become. I learned so much from her that has nothing to do with English but everything to do with life. She cared about every simple little thing that was going on in my life when I thought it was important but now can see she must have been laughing inside at the things that I thought were critical. I live far away now and haven't seen her in quite some time, but just the fact that when I go home I will not bump into her in the store or pass her on the street is heart breaking to me. When we were in her class a few of us talked about how she seemed super-human somehow, like the need to eat, drink, or sleep didn't exist for her as it did for mere mortals. The fact that she passed away so early in her life brings those thoughts flooding back. She touched so many lives and she will be missed. Good bye to a great teacher, mentor, and friend.