I heart apple orchards!

This weeks theme at I heart Faces is "In the Orchard." 

We haven't been to an apple orchard this year so this is a picture from our last visit.  Skylar loved eating apples right from the tree.  Just looking at the photos from our trip made me realize how much she has grown!
Go to I Heart Faces and check out all the other "Orchard" pictures!

Friday Funnies

This week has been a rough one.  I'm even more thankful for the joy and laughs my girls bring. I hope you enjoy our Friday Funnies this week!

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I took Reagan on a "date" the other day and while we were sitting and enjoying our slushies, we started talking about heaven.  She asked two questions that I thought were cute.  

Reagan: "Mommy, can we call people once they go to heaven?"

Me: "No baby, we don't get to hear them again until we get to heaven ourselves."

Reagan: "That's too bad. I would call Papa Great (awwwww...) and then ask him to put Abby on the phone." 

Ha! Abby was my mom and dad's dog that was put to sleep two years ago.  

Later....

Reagan: "Mommy, do you think there will be Starbucks in heaven?"

Me: "ABSOLUTELY!"

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While driving the other day, Skylar noticed the bowling alley out the window but didn't remember what it was called.  She said, "Hey mommy! That's the place where we play with our balls!"

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Reagan and Skylar were playing last night and Reagan said, "Skylar, you're being kind of bossy." She could see that it had hurt Skylar's feelings so she tried to recover by saying, "...but in an adorable sister kind of way..." :D

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We were at Starbucks on Wednesday and Bailey noticed the Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake. She said, "There's PINK cake!" Skylar said, "I know why they have pink cake today mommy! It's for breast cancer awareness!" (That one's for you Christine!)

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We had just returned from getting Reagan at school and Bailey had fallen asleep (yes, in the two minute car ride home...of course).  So, I got her out of her carseat and said, "Skylar, can you please pick up Baileys shoe and take it inside?" She gave me a VERY grumpy look and bent down to pick it up.  I said, "And with a joyful heart please..." She answered with a gruff, "I do have a joyful heart. I just have a grumpy face."

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I tried to wear my hair curly this week.  As we were getting ready to go get Reagan from school Skylar says, "Mommy, your hair is crazy! Do you want me to get your hat for you before we get Reagan?" I thought it was funny until my husband came home and said, "Hey Crazy Hair!" :D I'm guessing the curls are a little out of control with the new haircut....

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I can't wait to read your "funnies" from this week.  If you don't blog them, you can always leave them in the comments. Have a blessed weekend!

Lookalikes

I was in desperate need of a hair cut.  Now that it's short, I am finding that I can't go six months without a trim.  So, my wonderful mom offered to buy me a haircut last week (you KNOW it's bad when your mom offers to pay!!).  I decided to go with the "Friday Funnies" logo look.  What do you think? Was I successful? :)

I run.

Last week I went for a run around the neighborhood.  I went my normal route which is just over 2 miles.  When I hit the corner of my street I started walking as a cool down.  One of my neighbors stopped me and said "wow, I didn't know you were a runner." I was quick to answer, "Oh, I'm not." Her next statement has stayed with me: "Well, if you have babies you're a mother, and if you run, you're a runner."

I guess I am.
I'm a runner.
But how did I get here? Well, let me share with you a bit about the journey.

I would call us a healthy family.  We eat organic food as much as possible (especially when it really matters with the "top" fruit and veggies), we don't eat a lot of processed foods or sugary snacks, we take vitamins, we don't drink soda, and we stay active.  But being "active" did not interpret into consistent "exercise" for me.  Sure, I chase the kids around the yard, I run up and down the stairs a bazillion times a day, and take the girls on walks pretty frequently (especially during the school year).  So you can imagine my shock when my doctor told me, "Your weight is perfect but that doesn't mean you are in shape." Um, ouch.

TMI alert!
I was in the doctors office because I was consistently having intense shooting pain every time I ovulated.  It was debilitating and obviously painful. I was relieved to hear that it wasn't anything serious, but what my doctor did tell me surprised me.  Apparently I'm prone to ovarian cysts.  While they are not uncommon, the fact that I have them so frequently, they are so large and rupture, is uncommon (thus the pain).

Her solution?
Either take birth control or run.  That's it.  Either take a medication that I have not had good experience with (if there was a side effect, I had it on birth control),  or run twice a week for 15 minutes.  It seemed like a no-brainer for me.  So I started running.  The whole idea is to hit the anaerobic state of breathing and then keep it there for at least five minutes.  Your body releases a whole mess of Seratonin and adrenaline when that happens and both helps prevent cysts from forming.

I wish I could say it was easy and I just put my shoes on twice a week and went for a leisurely jog.  But it wasn't easy.  The first day I felt like my body was ready to give out after about 30 seconds of running. I learned how to pace myself (and kept repeating "it's just 15 minutes").  Then the weirdest thing happened....I started to like it.  I didn't have weight to lose, but my clothes started fitting better.  I had more energy.  I was in a better mood.  The most amazing part? The first month I started running, I didn't develop any cysts.  I thought it might have been a fluke, but then the second month rolled around and I didn't develop any cysts.  It was working!!  Another way I know it was working? When I got sick with Labyrinthitis I didn't run for almost 6 weeks and my cysts returned.  It was a painful reminder of how consistent I have to be.

Running has to be part of my routine, as much as brushing my teeth and doing laundry.  If something is important, we just make time for it.  (This can translate to reading our Bible, etc. etc. etc.).

Our families have been plagued with medical challenges in the last few years.  The unfortunate part is that most of the medical challenges are ones that are avoidable.  High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes....all complications of obesity and a lack of diet and exercise.  We've learned that it's a choice.  You can choose to exercise or not.  You can choose to eat the right foods.

We choose to eat right (most of the time...we're not perfect).
We choose to exercise.

We choose to help our bodies perform to the best of their ability.

We choose to model healthy living for our kids.
We choose to try and be around for them as long as possible.

I'm not saying we are going to be marathon runners *there's actually evidence that TOO much running is bad also*.  But 15 minutes  a few times a week? I can do that.  I will do that.  I choose to.

Friday Funnies

Oy. I wasn't very good at writing down the funnies this week.  Hopefully you all did a much better job.

Here are the few I managed to eek out:

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A couple of my favorite "Bailey phrases" lately:

It's right by-hind (behind) us!

We're out of Pullyups!

I want to play Yittle Bill on the 'puter!

(I'm realizing now that she adds "y" to a lot of words!!)

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One day Bailey and Skylar were playing and I asked what they were doing.  Skylar answered: "We are being secret agent, finding the bad guys.  Now stop talking to us or you'll blow our cover!" 

Thank you Phineas and Ferb and Backyardigans for that one!

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Skylar and Reagan were playing with their walkie talkies one day. Reagan was upstairs and Skylar was downstairs.  They weren't working very well apparently because I heard Skylar say "Can you hear me NOW?!" After hearing no response from Reagan, she threw her walkie talkie on the couch and said, "Piece of junk!" 

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Baby Sis

Bailey has been busy the last few weeks too.

You may remember that she has been finding new things to do with her pull ups:

Trying to be like her big sister

She didn't get to actually dance at ballet class, but she was certainly dressed the part.  

Down to the shoes.

She's been teaching  Nana Great how to do the "Wheels on the Bus"

 Raiding the pantry....

And quite possibly eating her cupcake off the ground at her cousin's birthday party

It sure is a good thing she's so cute!! :)

Middle Sis

All three of our girls are SO different.  Reagan has always been girly, but not into baby dolls.  She loves animals, reading quietly, not getting dirty, and wearing dresses.  Skylar loves her baby dolls, but also loves to get dirty and wrestle with daddy.  She's pretty athletic and has some pretty amazing hand/eye coordination.  As much as I try to "figure her out" I think she's just one of those kids that likes everything.

Lately she's been playing baseball outside with daddy.

And actually hitting it!

Don't you just love that little face?! (I know I do!)

She's also been taking ballet.  And loving it!

Her last class was "Princess Ballet Day" so she wore a princess gown. The girls were SO cute!

She is definitely showing us that she's one of those kids that just can't be labeled.  

She's just a superstar! :)