The news called it Snow-ma-gedon! I called it a Blizzard. Molly called it a “Lizzard”!

We made a gingerbread village.

Peter taught Ryan a new computer game.

Peter made a huge fort with Molly and Ryan. The white glow from the living room windows was from all the blowing snow!

I made a pie.

What do you do when you are home-bound with your family? I hope you find something fun!

Love,

Jess

Peter’s Uncle hosted Thanksgiving at his new farm house in the country. We enjoyed pumpkin pie made with pumpkins from their garden and a roasted hog from one of their pigs. So we said Oink! Oink! instead of Gobble! Gobble!

I was glad that I was still in maternity pants so I could treat myself to all the yummy treats. The kids played in the hay loft collecting guinea hen eggs. Peter swung from a huge rope swing proving he still has cool moves!

Hope everyone enjoys their leftovers!

Love,

Jess

P.S. I just had to include Pete’s hay bail jump. Crazy guy, I love him.

Family Portrait Summer 2009

Lately

Summer has been so fun! Many fun “nesting” projects, swim outings and outdoor adventures have been happening around here.

The twins are healthy and growing (currently at 29 weeks). Only 9 weeks to go before baby girl A and baby girl B arrive.

I have posts and photos in mind, of our room changes, craft projects and belly growth. But for now I’m just popping in to say HI!

You see, it is summer…I’m out there, living in the moment.

• Molly loves to play with her “guys” and “babies” (fisher price little people) in the doll house.
• Sample day at the local membership mega-mart. Molly struggles to stay awake to eat her chip crumb snack from the sample lady that thought salsa would be too spicy for her to eat. Ryan chilled in the freezer department using the ledge as a bench to scarf down blueberries in a cup.
• Neat Pete blew out candles to his double-decker chocolate chip cookie and frosting 29th Birthday cake. The treat was created by my personal baker Sam. (We went to visit “him” at the membership mega-mart.)

Happy Birthday Peter!

You are finally as old and as wise as I.

You are many things, but one thing you are not, is lame. In other words, you are super awesome.

Together Till the End

Though you annoy me, on certain crabby days

I count you as a blessing in many fantastic ways

As glimpses of time crease around your eyes

Your appeal increases, its really no surprise

Your loving manner shines in every phase

Bringing you joy and honor, really pays

I’ll stick with you until your last breath sighs

Cause no one else remembers my killer thighs

Love You!

Us circa 1999 (Yes, those were the killer thigh days...*sigh*)

The Conquest

Peter and I drove past the Apple Valley ATT store around 5:30 a.m. or so to check out the line. We found a sidewalk flowing with camping chairs and umbrellas. However, the line was minimal so we went to workout at the YMCA in the neighboring town. (I think we planned it this way so we could tell ourselves this was the real reason we woke up so early.)

Upon arriving at the ATT store at 7 a.m. to meet our friend Jon (an hour before the store opened) we found out that they were already “sold out”. Meaning they only had, get this, 20 iPhones! The first 20 folks already had their “I-get-a-iPhone-and-you-don’t papers” from the store in their hands!

We carpooled up to the Mall of America to see if we would have a better chance. We did! I was number 40 in line at the MOA ATT store. Not bad considering the Apple Store had over 300 people by 8 a.m.

The Hiccup

We bought 8 gig models instead of 16 gig. Due to bad storms the delivery planes were delayed and the store was missing it’s entire planned shipment of iPhones. That is what they told us to explain why the store ran out of the 16 gig iPhones.  As if to pour salt into our wound, like most of the nation, we were unable to activate our service until 5 or 6 hours later. Oye!  I wasn’t too deflated because I didn’t really need my phone for the afternoon. Peter thought driving around without a phone made him feel naked.  I thought it was a breath of fresh air to be in existence with no “lifeline” of cell service for a few hours.

The Happy Ending

All in all, I am in love with Apple and the new iPhone 3G. I bought it a new outfit today, pink leather with brown piping.  Why have I adopted this gadget device as my third child?  A sick obsession with a trend or keeping up with the Jones’?  No.

Instead, the iPhone apps have already opened my eyes and ears to “Me”. The iPhone shows life is complex yet comprehensible, corporate yet causal, confidential yet connected. I am finding myself again with a cell phone! To be infused with my favorite songs, photos of my kids, dynamic do to lists, the Bible, facebook, games…so many apps that help me do my day-to-day with ease and entertainment.

I am happy with the purchase and do not regret the investment at all. Giddy maybe but not in love with…well that’s debatable too.

Here I am almost a year later and I’m still going!  3 days a week, every week…I’m actually quite proud of that accomplishment.  Anyways, I’ve also been spending a little time here and there researching different excerise regiments and continually trying to refine my workouts.  The main thing I have discovered over the last year is that I’m a big fan of exercise: you can do anywhere, is free/cheap, and is very effective.

One such exercise is the good old-fashioned pushup.  I have always kind of liked pushups and have been working them into my workouts for awhile now.  Lately, I have read some things that have suggested that high-rep pushup workouts are just about the best upper-body workout you can do – much better for you than the famous bench press.

On to the point – in my daily browsing of the web, blogs, and articles I go through due to my work, I came across a post by a fellow PHP programmer for the one hundred pushup training program.  I found via Facebook that a bunch of PHP programmers around the globe were taking on the challenge so I decided to join in.

The goal is work through a 6-week program to build your strength so that at the end you would be able to do one hundred consecutive pushups!  I think what makes this program so appealing is that anyone can do it, it’s free, and only takes at most 30 min. a week.  There is a routine for any age and ability.  To further illustrate how appealing this is, I have already recruited a number of people to join me.  My wife, my good friends the Donovans, my parents, and a few others are all going to try it.

For all those that are looking for a quick, fairly easy, free way to jump start your push to better health, give the one hundred pushups challenge a try!