I had the best birthday yesterday! Scott stayed home from work and we spent the day together. We went to a zoo that is close to our house. It is a small zoo and there were hardly any people there since school started and the weather is a little bit cooler. We practically had the whole place to ourselves.
They have a cute train that goes all around the zoo. Jeff was terrified of it until we went for a ride and then he was very upset that we had to leave because he wanted another ride. They have smaller animals that are low maintenance. The coolest animals to see were the spider monkeys and the cougars. The cages are so close that you almost feel like you get to interact with them. THE cougar seemed to think that Jeff and Nate looked like lunch.
Later that night we went to a sports store to get some things with my birthday money (form my in-laws). I got this cool gyro ball that you spin in your hand and it builds up your muscles in your arms. It is really cool and Scott and I spent the rest of the night playing with it. We also got another piece of climbing gear so now all we need is a rope and we are ready to go. I saved some of my money to put toward that purchase. Soon we'll be ready to go climbing outdoor with all our own stuff. I'm way excited about that.
When we got home we ate some homemade ice cream that I made earlier that day with my new machine that Scott got for me. I loved it and the ice cream was great!
All in all, a very happy birthday. Also thanks to all those that called/emailed/texted/etc. to wish me a happy birthday. It made my day!
9.26.2008
9.25.2008
26
Today is my birthday. The funny part is that I forgot. Thankfully other people reminded me. Is that a sign of old age or what?
9.23.2008
Berry picking
Today I went berry picking. In New Jersey berry picking entails driving and hour, getting car sick, paying $10 for two small cartons of raspberries you pick, driving another hour, getting even more car sick, and then being worn out when you get home.
All in all, it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it sure isn't like the days when I would pick raspberries with Grandma Cheney. She had a raspberry patch in her back yard and often times I would get recruited to go pick raspberries with her.
First we would get all the garb on. Long sleeve shirt (usually one of my grandpa's old shirts) rubber gloves (the cheap dish washing kind), a big straw hat, and the picking container. The picking container was either a gallon milk jug with the top cut off and a piece of fabric strung through the handle or a juice pitcher with the fabric strung through the handle.
I kind of felt like I was going on a jungle trek or something. Grandma always had a five gallon bucket for a stool and we would pick and pick and pick. When I was young and lazy, I hated it. I would pick for about three minutes and decide I was worn out. Looking back, I am so glad my grandma was insistent that I keep on working.
My Grandma Cheney passed away about a year and a half ago and I still remember the many things she taught me. In everything we did together on thing was a constant. Hard work. My favorite part about berry picking today was remembering those special times with grandma.
All in all, it isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but it sure isn't like the days when I would pick raspberries with Grandma Cheney. She had a raspberry patch in her back yard and often times I would get recruited to go pick raspberries with her.
First we would get all the garb on. Long sleeve shirt (usually one of my grandpa's old shirts) rubber gloves (the cheap dish washing kind), a big straw hat, and the picking container. The picking container was either a gallon milk jug with the top cut off and a piece of fabric strung through the handle or a juice pitcher with the fabric strung through the handle.
I kind of felt like I was going on a jungle trek or something. Grandma always had a five gallon bucket for a stool and we would pick and pick and pick. When I was young and lazy, I hated it. I would pick for about three minutes and decide I was worn out. Looking back, I am so glad my grandma was insistent that I keep on working.
My Grandma Cheney passed away about a year and a half ago and I still remember the many things she taught me. In everything we did together on thing was a constant. Hard work. My favorite part about berry picking today was remembering those special times with grandma.
9.19.2008
Tennis and blah blah blah
So I think my approach to fitness is to spend some time each day doing something. Yesterday it was playing tennis with my landlady. She's not your typical landlady. Her name is Karen. She lives above us with her husband and they don't have any kids of their own. She actually comes down almost every day at about five to take Jeff out to play.... for almost two hours.
Jeff loves it, I love it, and Karen loves it. For her, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. For me too.
So, lets get back to the tennis now... I lack tennis skills. Luckily Karen is a crazy athlete (almost went to the Olympics in team handball but the USA didn't go that year for political reasons) and a great teacher. She worked with me on not hitting the ball over the fence at the unsuspecting people walking on the track. I'm happy to report that I almost beat her at one game last night. Out of five, I almost beat her in one. I think we'll try to go once a week so. I'm really excited about it.
So, going back the whole budget thing. I got a cheap racket from K-mart for $13. Add in the three quarters to turn on your lights... I think I just discovered he cheapest date night imaginable. It practically pays for its self in the long run. Sure you have the initial investment for the racket and the balls, but after that you get a $.75 date night.
And, just so ya'll know, I think we will splurge this year for the pumpkins. Oh, and another cool thing. A girl in my ward who live close by (less than 30 minutes unlike everyone else) needs help getting home from volleyball practice. So, (once we get a second car) I will pick her up from practice and she will come watch the boys for an hour while I go run, and then I'll take her home. And this wonderful service is provided by this girl FOR FREE!!! I offered to pay her as per mamabear's insightful comment on my running blog, but she refused. Sheesh, I have all the luck.
I realize I just covered about thirty topics in one post... I'm feeling a little scattered today. :) To add to the randomness, here's a picture of my adorable little brother Brett who gets home from his mission in a month. This was taken on my wedding day... not in my wedding dress.
Jeff loves it, I love it, and Karen loves it. For her, it is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. For me too.
So, lets get back to the tennis now... I lack tennis skills. Luckily Karen is a crazy athlete (almost went to the Olympics in team handball but the USA didn't go that year for political reasons) and a great teacher. She worked with me on not hitting the ball over the fence at the unsuspecting people walking on the track. I'm happy to report that I almost beat her at one game last night. Out of five, I almost beat her in one. I think we'll try to go once a week so. I'm really excited about it.
So, going back the whole budget thing. I got a cheap racket from K-mart for $13. Add in the three quarters to turn on your lights... I think I just discovered he cheapest date night imaginable. It practically pays for its self in the long run. Sure you have the initial investment for the racket and the balls, but after that you get a $.75 date night.
And, just so ya'll know, I think we will splurge this year for the pumpkins. Oh, and another cool thing. A girl in my ward who live close by (less than 30 minutes unlike everyone else) needs help getting home from volleyball practice. So, (once we get a second car) I will pick her up from practice and she will come watch the boys for an hour while I go run, and then I'll take her home. And this wonderful service is provided by this girl FOR FREE!!! I offered to pay her as per mamabear's insightful comment on my running blog, but she refused. Sheesh, I have all the luck.
I realize I just covered about thirty topics in one post... I'm feeling a little scattered today. :) To add to the randomness, here's a picture of my adorable little brother Brett who gets home from his mission in a month. This was taken on my wedding day... not in my wedding dress.
9.15.2008
The Budget
I'm pretty fanatical about our budget. I have a great program that I love (you can read all about it on ynab.com) and I am addicted to keeping it up to date and watching every dime that enters/exits our bank accounts online.
When Scott and I first moved here we knew we would have to be pretty careful with our expenditures because things would be tight for a while. We were so incredibly frugal/cheap that when Scott mentioned getting pumpkins to carve for family night I took one look at the budget and told him it just wasn't going to happen. Scott still wont let me live this one down.
Over the past year we have be blessed to have received a few raises that have made us feel like we didn't' have to worry so much about keeping to our budget as strictly. In short, we got lazy and started spending more and more money.
Well, Saturday morning I started telling Scott about all the fun things I wanted to buy and he promptly said we should go over our budget in our Sunday meeting. Ironically at Church that night (we had Stake Conference) or Stake President challenged us to do a few things, one of which was to set a date to be debt free and if we were already debt free to build up our savings. I knew for sure at this point that I probably wasn't going to get a new wardrobe or a super-nice minivan.
We went over the budget last night and we decided to cinch up our belts and work on living below our means. Our goal: to save up for a down payment on a house. Scott knows how to get me on the bandwagon. There isn't much I am more motivated to save for than a house. Except for perhaps enough land that we can get a horse to go with our house.
So, I'm still not sure if we will be getting pumpkins this year to carve or if we will look at the budget and decide it just isn't worth it to make memories with our family when we could put that $3.75 into our "house savings account".
What ways have you found to cut costs without cutting out the fun.
When Scott and I first moved here we knew we would have to be pretty careful with our expenditures because things would be tight for a while. We were so incredibly frugal/cheap that when Scott mentioned getting pumpkins to carve for family night I took one look at the budget and told him it just wasn't going to happen. Scott still wont let me live this one down.
Over the past year we have be blessed to have received a few raises that have made us feel like we didn't' have to worry so much about keeping to our budget as strictly. In short, we got lazy and started spending more and more money.
Well, Saturday morning I started telling Scott about all the fun things I wanted to buy and he promptly said we should go over our budget in our Sunday meeting. Ironically at Church that night (we had Stake Conference) or Stake President challenged us to do a few things, one of which was to set a date to be debt free and if we were already debt free to build up our savings. I knew for sure at this point that I probably wasn't going to get a new wardrobe or a super-nice minivan.
We went over the budget last night and we decided to cinch up our belts and work on living below our means. Our goal: to save up for a down payment on a house. Scott knows how to get me on the bandwagon. There isn't much I am more motivated to save for than a house. Except for perhaps enough land that we can get a horse to go with our house.
So, I'm still not sure if we will be getting pumpkins this year to carve or if we will look at the budget and decide it just isn't worth it to make memories with our family when we could put that $3.75 into our "house savings account".
What ways have you found to cut costs without cutting out the fun.
9.12.2008
Something
Scott said that our plain 'ol black background was just not good enough. He said we need to have something a little more something. So, you may not recognize this blog at first, but it is still us. We are still the same people wearing the same clothes eating the same things for dinner. We just decided that something in our lives needed to change and I guess the blog got it. Let me know if you can't read it well with the new colors so I can change anything that needs it.
You know how if you say a word over and over again and look at it and then say it a few more times it doesn't' even seem to be English anymore. I think I just did that with the word something. What a weird word.
You know how if you say a word over and over again and look at it and then say it a few more times it doesn't' even seem to be English anymore. I think I just did that with the word something. What a weird word.
9.09.2008
Running
I know most of you couldn't care less about my running schedule, but I am just so happy about my small steps of progress that I have to report about it. Plus, I feel like if I am announcing to everyone that I am running, then I will feel a stronger obligation to actually get out and do it.
I also thought, that if any of you out there are trying to start running (either again, or for the first time) you can know that you are not the only one out there that is struggling with it. I am by no means writing this post as a brag about my mad running skills, quite the contrary. I am writing this post to give others hope (an mostly myself motivation).
So, on Saturday I went out and ran for the second time since (I am sad to report) a few months before I found out I was expecting Nathan. So, that would make it well over a year since I have really done any consistent running. One of the biggest struggles to date has been finding a time when I can get out. Having two young children makes this feat a little tough. I run (no pun intended) into the problem that when Scott is home and able to take care of the boys, I want to be spending that time with him. I have decided that I can spare half an hour three or four times a week to get out.
I started my run at about 10 a.m. in 98% humidity. Wow, I was feeling like I had worked really hard because I was sweating so much. I ran a whole mile and a quarter. I ran on the track and that was nice because everything else here is a hill. It was hard. I was tired, and I got discouraged when old people kept passing me. But, I put my pride aside and lumbered around the track 5 times. I kind of wished I could have worn a sign on my back that said, "I just had a baby two and half months ago," just so people would know a little background story to why I was breathing so hard while going so slow.
On Monday, I went out and ran again. It was awesome! I went in the evening. It was a beautiful cool night and just barely dark. I ran a mile and a half. With my ipod turned up and the dark settling in, it seemed like the laps just flew by. I totally recommend running at night (but not too late, cause the Boogy Man will get you).
So, that's my running blog. Sorry if you actually read this whole thing. It really is for me. I hope you will forgive me for the wordy post about my struggle to fitness success. But, just to make things fair, what things have you done when you start up a new regime of exercise to keep it going. Oh, yeah, and tell me your struggles too, just so I know I'm not alone. :)
I also thought, that if any of you out there are trying to start running (either again, or for the first time) you can know that you are not the only one out there that is struggling with it. I am by no means writing this post as a brag about my mad running skills, quite the contrary. I am writing this post to give others hope (an mostly myself motivation).
So, on Saturday I went out and ran for the second time since (I am sad to report) a few months before I found out I was expecting Nathan. So, that would make it well over a year since I have really done any consistent running. One of the biggest struggles to date has been finding a time when I can get out. Having two young children makes this feat a little tough. I run (no pun intended) into the problem that when Scott is home and able to take care of the boys, I want to be spending that time with him. I have decided that I can spare half an hour three or four times a week to get out.
I started my run at about 10 a.m. in 98% humidity. Wow, I was feeling like I had worked really hard because I was sweating so much. I ran a whole mile and a quarter. I ran on the track and that was nice because everything else here is a hill. It was hard. I was tired, and I got discouraged when old people kept passing me. But, I put my pride aside and lumbered around the track 5 times. I kind of wished I could have worn a sign on my back that said, "I just had a baby two and half months ago," just so people would know a little background story to why I was breathing so hard while going so slow.
On Monday, I went out and ran again. It was awesome! I went in the evening. It was a beautiful cool night and just barely dark. I ran a mile and a half. With my ipod turned up and the dark settling in, it seemed like the laps just flew by. I totally recommend running at night (but not too late, cause the Boogy Man will get you).
So, that's my running blog. Sorry if you actually read this whole thing. It really is for me. I hope you will forgive me for the wordy post about my struggle to fitness success. But, just to make things fair, what things have you done when you start up a new regime of exercise to keep it going. Oh, yeah, and tell me your struggles too, just so I know I'm not alone. :)
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