Are you up for the challenge?

The 'group class' division of our gym is running a couple competitions right now and I am participating in one of them...Cross Train to Win. Very simple really ~ Whoever takes the most group classes between 11/15 and 1/15 wins the pot of money (It was $10 to join the competition). The catch is that you have to take at least 3 different types/genre's of classes each week or you are booted out of the competition. This was my week in summary:
Monday ~ 1 hr Body Sculpt & 1 hr Kickboxing
Tuesday ~ 1 hr Kickboxing
Wednesday ~ 45 min Body Sculpt & 45 min Step
Thursday ~ 1 hr Pilates
Friday ~ Everyone needs a day off, right?
Saturday ~ 1 hr Step
Sunday ~ 1 hr Beach Body Sculpt & 1 hr Step

So I'm off to a good start...hopefully I can maintain it for 2 months. My question to you is: What are you doing to stay active and healthy? I will admit that I probably don't have the best nutrition(although I have gotten A LOT better since living with Mike) but I do enjoy being active and taking on a challenge. My goal earlier this year was to complete a marathon and although I didn't run it, my goal of training for it was met. And my goal over the next two months is to win this competition...I could use some extra money!

I challenge all of you to GET ACTIVE! It doesn't matter if you're 500 lbs or 100 lbs...GET ACTIVE! Set a goal for yourself and after you reach that goal, set the next one...walk for 15 minutes over your lunch break, take a walk with your family every night, join a gym, get a personal trainer, join Jazzercise, find a partner to work out with, ride your bike for 30 minutes a day...just get moving. Start out slow and build up as you achieve your goals. We all hop on and off of the fitness bandwagon(including myself) but I encourage you to jump on and see how it makes you feel...you'll have more energy, you'll feel better about yourself, and maybe you'll lose those extra pounds you've been carrying.

Life is TOO short...do you want to make it even shorter because you're "too busy" to go on a 30 minute walk each day? GET ACTIVE people! Don't wait until 2010...start NOW! That's my challenge for you!

P.S. Mike says that if you're up for the challenge, please don't join our gym. :) Apparently he's anticipating an over crowding of gym equipment after the first of the year. :) (I'm sure he's joking!)

healthy skin

I went to the dermatologist today because I had some weird looking moles that I wanted checked out. The doctor gets to this new "mole"(not really a mole at all but some other type of "growth" she named off) on my knee and she asks me if I've ever had anything frozen off. I say no and she grabs this gun looking thing and proceeds to tell me that it will sting, etc, etc. I say, "You're going to do this now?" She's says yes and that it will just sting a little. :) I have a low tolerance for pain and typically my immediate reaction is tears and panic. If she would have compared my blood pressure when I got to the doctor's office versus at that moment, it definitely would have been elevated. This coming from the girl that cried the first time I had my blood taken out of a vein in my arm when I was 17 or 18.

But I just looked away and it really wasn't so bad...no tears shed. She zapped it a few times, check my entire body for irregular moles/spots, gave me a lecture about tanning in a tanning bed(which I officially swore off after the wedding due to this), zapped it a few more times, and I was on my way. I was in and out in about 15 minutes with no additional irregularities found!

family, family, and more family

I got back to Maryland yesterday to a freshly vacuumed home and a jumping bean of a Stuart.

It's nice to be back in MD but it's always bitter-sweet to leave family and friends.
Speaking of family and friends, I got to see both my dad's family AND mom's family on my trip to NE. Although the gathering together of my mom's family wasn't under the happiest circumstances, it was still fantastic to see them. We also had our annual family fall festival on my dad's side so I was able to see most of them as well. I did spend one evening out with some girlfriends and worked from the Lincoln office on Thursday and Friday so I was able to see some friends too.

While in NE, I also got my Christmas shopping done for my two nieces and two nephews. That was pretty impressive for me...usually I wait until closer to Christmas to do my shopping. But buying in NE saves on shipping costs. ;)

When I got home yesterday I asked Mike, "So can you live without me?" He shrugs his shoulders. I realize that men don't "get it" sometimes so I typically give Mike two chances to provide the "correct" answer. I say, "Let me try that again...did you realize over the last week that you can't live without me?" He says, "Well I can live without you but I wouldn't be happy." BINGO ~ Nice recovery Mike...dang he's good(even if it does take him two tries to get it right)!

Next on our agenda is a trip to Mexico with Mike's parents that Mike booked last week while I was gone. I'm feeling pretty blessed this holiday season...I was been able to see my side of the family last week and get to see Mike's parents in December.

A+ wife / backpacking trip

Not to toot my own horn or anything :) but I earned the "A+ wife award" yesterday!! Mike even said so! It started out that Mike texted me on Sunday that he was hungry for meatloaf. So I thought meatloaf is easy enough that I could do that for his lunch/dinner on Monday. When Mike wakes up at 3:30pm to get ready for work, I'm still at work but meatloaf is quick and easy to throw into the oven. So, he woke up to meatloaf for his lunch before he left for work at 4:30pm.
THEN, yesterday Mike said "We are having a food day at work tomorrow...could you make the pasta salad?" So I made that last night and I decided to throw in an Amaretto Bundt Cake that I've been wanting to make also.
All the above leading to my A+ Wife Award yesterday! YAY! (well I'd like to say I'm an A+ wife every day but Mike may have a different opinion :))

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We survived our overnight back-pack trip last weekend. We arrived on Friday evening to the A.T. It was pretty late, since I worked Friday and it was an hour's drive, but we were able to get in a pretty difficult 4 mile hike before it became too dark. Then we were grateful to get a shelter for the night...it was kind of rainy that night and I don't think I could have survived in a tent, especially if I would have been cold and wet.

We hiked to Annapolis Rock...pretty good view of the colors even though it was pretty foggy and getting dark out.

Here is the shelter we stayed at...whoever thought of the "shelter idea" is a genius! Now if they could install some cots to have a better night sleep, I would be in heaven.

Boulevard came with us and Stuart was boarded at the vet. We tied Boulevard into the shelter with us and he snuggled with Mike all night. At about 1:30am(while I'm trying to get some sleep on the uncomfortable hard floor), Boulevard let out a ferocious growl. My head was in the sleeping bag and I decided to leave it there and hope that whatever was out there would be scared of Boulevard. :) In the morning, Mike said that two hikers came near the shelter which caused Boulevard to growl...I felt kind of bad especially if they were wanting to share the shelter with us but grateful that Boulevard was ready to attack if he had too.

We left around 9am on Saurday morning.

What did I learn from this experience? 1) I need a lighter sleeping bag to carry, 2) I need a sleeping pad and a more supporting "pillow" to achieve a better sleeping experience, 3) I don't think I could survive overnight hiking without Mike.

Can you believe it's November already? I think it's about time to whip out the Christmas music!