Merry Christmas!



First Photo with New Camera of Cathy's Tree

Wow! I realized it's been a while since I posted. December just flew by...I had a crazy busy month with working at Harrington, tutoring like a mad woman, finishing up teaching the tots art class and Christmas shopping. It was nuts...and now it's almost over! I can't believe Christmas came and went already! This year I just couldn't believe it was Christmas time and now it's done! Geez, time flies!

We just got back from a nice week in Omaha for Christmas. We stayed with my sister at her new house. Her house is really nice! It was also super nice to have a place to stay with our own room and bathroom..oh and a garage spot! We had fun shopping one day and getting our nails done too!

 We spent Christmas Eve with my Mom and Cathy in Omaha, doing our usual routine of eating at Biaggi's and opening gifts at Cathy's. This year we went and saw a movie too, Little Fockers, which wasn't that great, but it was fun anyway.  We spent Christmas Day with Joe's family and extended family in South Dakota. We also had another "Christmas Eve" with Joe's parents the day before Christmas Eve. We went out to Big Fred's for pizza with some friends had lots of fun. It was nice visiting family and friends, but the time always goes so fast. So many people to see and things to do. We did get some time to just hang out and relax, which was nice.

Frosty Morning in Flandreau, SD - 12/26/10

We got some great gifts for Christmas this year! I was super surprised to receive the Cannon DSLR camera that I put on my "wish list" thinking I would never get that in a million years. Joe's parent's always spoil us. I still can't believe I got it. They are WAY too good to us. I have been playing with it ever since I got it and I took lots of pictures in South Dakota. I think I want to take a class or get a book on it so that I can learn all of the fancy tricks to taking good photos. We'll see. I will be sure to post some pictures.

Joe got all of the toys he asked for to go with his new guitar. Now he should have everything he needs! We always get so much nice stuff for Christmas, from all of our family. I feel guilty coming home with a trunk full of new toys, but it sure is fun playing with everything this week!

More soon and more pics, I'm sure!

Here is the slideshow of some of the photos I took. Hover  below and click on the play button to play on this blog.
Or view full size on my picasa page here: http://picasaweb.google.com/116844502255534108940/Christmas2010NewCameraPics?authkey=Gv1sRgCKmwss_TqLuQwAE&feat=directlink

Random Thoughts

I'm on the way home from PiYo class right now (pilates/yoga). It was harder than I thought, but a nice change from Turbokick (no jumping around)... I'll definitely be sore tomorrow.
I feel fat and old today. I noticed wrinkles under my eyes last night. Boo!
It was really cold today and I have decided its time to bust out the heavy winter coat.

Starting Today...

Starting today I am getting back on track with my diet and exercise!! I am making myself go to Turbo Kick tonight, no matter how tired I am.

Ever since my foot pain got really bad a month or so ago I have been bad about going to classes as much as I used to. I have kind of fallen off of the wagon and I am not happy with how I feel lately. I need to get back on track with working out and watching calories. I really want to keep losing. I have been so busy lately that I have put myself on the back burner. I swear I am the busiest unemployed (under employed) person you will ever meet. I need to remember to make time for myself.

My damn feet! My foot pain would make me so angry because every time I went to class my foot would kill me. Then when started feeling a little better my right knee started shooting pain during a class one day and it got worse and worse every time I went. So I took it easy for a couple of weeks, not going as often and things kind of feel a little better in the knee and foot department, but now I feel like a lazy blob.  :-(

I think it's time for a change anyway...there is a new gym opening up near our place in early 2011. I am thinking about joining there and quitting the place I go now to give myself a little more variety in my workouts. As much as I love Turbo Kick, I think I am hurting my body doing it so often. Its very high impact and its too much of the same thing. I am proud that for once in my life I have stuck with something exercise related for over a year. I'm glad found something I love, but I think I am ready to mix up my workouts. I think I have to do that to keep seeing changes in my body. I want to be able to do weight training and other types of cardio and still take classes. My little studio just doesn't offer all of that, its just classes. 

At my last doctor visit, he told me that I have lost 16% of my body weight and that on average people only lose 6% or something like that doing an at home diet and exercise plan. He said that I should be proud of myself because its very hard for people to lose that much on their own. He also said that it will most likely be very difficult to keep losing. I just have to keep at it and try to keep going in the right direction.

I am also going to be better about my diet again. I am always conscious of what I am eating, be it good or bad, but when I get busy I also get lazy with what I eat. I eat to fill up quickly or because I am craving something bad. I have to remember that when I eat bad, I usually feel bad.  All things in moderation I guess.

Wrestlemania: Chloe vs. Louie

Typical weekend evening at our house.  :-)  Play time for the doggies.

Dream Land

Yesterday I taught my first little kids art class. It went OK for a first day...but that's another story.... Right now I want to write about my drive to and from the class.  

Even though I was in a mad rush (in voting day traffic) driving to and from the class yesterday, I couldn't help but be in awe of the amazing surroundings I was driving through. The Village of Winnetka is where the class is held. It's a small suburb only a few miles north of the city, but yet it is this whole separate amazing world that I never really knew existed. I have heard about the beautiful homes and picturesque streets of Chicago's North Shore, and I have driven on the expressway that Joe takes to work up north in another suburb, but haven't seen anything like this before. The route I took yesterday had me driving through the winding roads right through Winnetka on a perfect sunny Fall day. It was enough to make anyone swoon. Hey, I finally found a suburb I could live in! Ha-ha...only if someone has a cool 3 million to loan me! :-) 

The homes in Winnetka are huge, unique, some old, some new, beautiful mansions with huge lots and beautifully landscaped properties. I was in complete awe of the wide range of architectural styles, from traditional to modern, they all had their own unique character. They were nothing like the McMansions of most American suburbs, each home was one of a kind, but they all worked together beautifully to create this perfect looking little place. I couldn't believe the beautiful tree lined streets, flanked by the gorgeous homes...many of which back up right to Lake Michigan and have their own private beaches (pretty much looks like ocean front property). It reminded me of the main neighborhood streets of Beverly Hills, but without the palm trees. I cannot get over it, it was SO amazing!! I don't think I have ever seen a more perfect, picturesque little town. By doing a little Googling I found out that Winnetka was named number 4 on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and one of the best places to live by CNN Money in 2009.  I can totally see why. How perfect to live there, in what feels like another world, and still have the city of Chicago just a stones throw away. The median home value is 1.5 million! Holy crap, these are some rich people!

Home Alone House

Another great and interesting factoid... this is also the place where they filmed Home Alone, only my all time favorite childhood Holiday movie. My next big mission is to take a scenic drive through Winnetka to take it all in when I am not rushing through. I also plan to find the Home Alone house and take a picture of me in front of it. The Home Alone house doesn't even compare to the homes I saw driving through. Its pretty generic, but still neat. I will go see it and report back.

Seriously, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. *Sigh*