Halloween pics - Yah, I know I'm late!

So it has taken me this long to finally download the pictures from my camera from Halloween and given that it is not quite Thanksgiving yet (I still have 5 days) I figured I can still share them and not run the risk of being TOO late and overlapping on holidays, Plus the pictures are too fun not to share, so enjoy!

A carved this pumpkin all by herself. She picked out the design and punched out the picture and carved it all by herself. I think she did an amazing job and she had so much fun. She even managed to make it through the "guts" part of the pumpkin.

The night before Halloween, we took the girls to Lagoon for the last time on our season passes (there was no way I was going to take them on the actual last day which was Halloween) for Frightmares. They had a blast going through the different Spook alleys and riding on their favorite rides one last time.

I have to admit some of the high school kids they had working there were more annoying than scary, but I guess that's what you get when 15 year olds run a theme park!

It was a little chilly for full costumes so we just painted faces and wore hats, but K was the best little witch and A was her trusty black cat. They loved the fact that they got their face painted (by yours truly) and they turned out looking pretty good, although I am really glad that K does not have those eyebrows in real life.

One of the spook houses ended up being a little more scary than we planned on (at one point I screamed like a little girl) and K was a trooper and just screamed right back at anything that jumped out at her that she did not like. Needless to say in the Haunted High School she did a lot of screaming at various and random creatures. I wish I could have had video of that as it was too funny. A just stayed really close and kept really quite, probably hoping that no one would notice her.

Calling all Princesses, Calling all Princesses - On Halloween Night we went to the little hot dog roast that a neighbor up the street hosts each year before heading out and trick-or-treating.

The girls pulled in some serious candy and this year we had to stop halfway and get a grocery bag from a friend to dump their pumpkins into as they (and the pockets on my jacket) were already overflowing and we were only about halfway around our neighborhood.

In case you can't tell, A was a Renaissance princess and K was a Parisian Princess and both looked beautiful. They loved that they got to wear mommy's make-up and have "sparkly" eyes (that was K's description of how she looked) A was especially proud of her gold sparkly shoes and dangly grown-up earrings.

By nights end they were both pretty tired, but you could tell they had a blast!! I think the picture of K and the smile on her face as she was trick or treating really says it all. She loved that she had a friend to go from house to house with, especially since her big sister keep taking off and leaving her in the dust (literally).

A loved that she got to spend the nights with her BFF M (the Zombie Bride) and J - the Egyptian Queen. They had so much fun just laughing and giggling and comparing what candy or treat each other got, it totally reminded me of the joys of just being a kid.

Hope your Halloween was as fun as ours was this year!! My girls will be eating candy until Christmas!!

US Virgin Island - St. Johns - January 2010

Duration - 7 days

Cost - **FREE** --> all expenses are going to be paid by A's company. we only have to bring our swimsuits and personal items, and maybe some $ for souvinours for the girls.

Why --> Because my husband ROCKS in a major way as he ended the year in the #3 position for sales in terms of $$$ sold in medical diagnostic equipment and reagents and they take the top 10 reps who each get to bring 1 guest on an absolutely incredible trip. Seriously, we are talking over 200 sales reps and he was #3. He ROCKS!!

I get to go along as his "+1" and I plan to fully enjoy my time there. I can't wait to walk on the white sandy beaches, swim in the turquoise blue ocean and bays and partake of all that St. John's has to offer during our stay!!

My mind is spinning with images of leisurely massages, snorkeling with shiny/colorful fishes and turtles, lounging by the pool, tons of great food and fabulous fruity concoctions, uninterrupted relaxation and oh so much more.

This is why I CrossFit

I am trying to improve myself in the following areas - Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, Accuracy. All the skill areas required for optimal physical competence.

I don't watch TV while I work out - it's a distraction.

I don't use treadmills and fancy big machines. - they are not functional.

What you will see everyday is a lot of sweat and you will use a lot of chalk.

My hands are no longer soft and wimpy, they are callused and torn up, but they are my battle wounds and I wear them with pride.

New friendships are made every day because you can only suffer alongside someone for so long without learning who they really are.

The CrossFit Mindset:
1 - I will promise to do my best. My best will vary from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. But in that minute, I will do the very best that I can.
2 - If I can run, I run. If I can walk, I walk. If I must crawl, I crawl. And when I make it, I will rest. And live to fight another day.
3 - I fear no man, but I fear my workout. If I don't fear my workout, it isn't hard enough.
4 - I may puke. I may cry. But I will not quit...Ever!
5 - I will not cheat. There is no honor in cheating. I will call out cheater when I see them, as they have no place in my gym.
6 - If you see someone puking or passed out, they are merely resting.
(the above points were written by author unknown, but he/she really nailed what is at the heart of a crossfitter mind and put it down better then I ever could)

Makes you want to run right out and join a CrossFit Gym in your area, right?

Just my thought for today!

I don't know who originally wrote this, so I can't really give the proper credit to the right person, but whoever you are, we could be friends, because you get me - thanks for putting this down into words I can share. (my own commentary added just because!!)
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I'm impatient (oh yes, yes I am)
and a little insecure (especially under my brave outer shell)
I make mistakes (oh so many mistakes, I have stopped trying to count)
I'm out of control (if you knew what really goes through my head sometimes, you might think i was a little crazy)
and sometimes a little hard to handle (especially if you mess with someone I love and care about)

But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you absolutely don't deserve me at my best.
(the last statement is truth, pure truth!)
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Thanks for listening!

Remember when...

I was really good about writing on my blog and posting pictures of the latest and greatest going ons with my family and telling you all about our grand adventures in life as well as sharing my own thoughts on many various topics???

well - I haven't been doing that as much lately....(duh, as if you haven't noticed)

and I find myself wondering when I am going to get my act back together and start sharing again (hey, doesn't this post count?)

seriously, i don't mean to be so remise...

just promise you will keep checking up on me and mine to see what we are up too and I promise to try and start posting again.

Promise!!

BTW - this is my 100th post. I know I should do something cool like give something away or promise the 1st person to comment a million dollars or something, but let's face it...I don't have a million dollars and if I did I would probably be paying someone to remind me to write on my blog so you wouldn't have to wait so long to hear what we have been up too. That's really why you check my blog in the first place, right?

Monster Mash

DANGER!!

DO NOT ENTER!!

BEWARE!!

(seriously, just click HERE already!!)

Monster Mash Up Fun

(thanks CeeCee for sending the link - it was too much fun)

Florida & all that is Disney!!

Since it has been almost 3 months since we went on our family vacation to Florida and because I REALLY don't want another month to go by before I share the pictures from the trip, I am taking a minute while the girls are all playing really nicely together upstairs and before I begin making dinner to get these pictures out into cyberspace so that you, my dearest friends and family can all enjoy them and see the good times that can be had in Florida.

Quick trip highlights:
- getting to go up and inside the huge silver orb that is Epcot Center and being treated like 1st class superstars. We got to hang out in a pretty cool super technical lobby and were then escorted to the front of the line like rockstars (and saving ourselves about an hour wait) for the ride that is in the globe. (1st class treatment courtesy of the company Aaron works for -> sometimes it pays to take advantage of employee benefits -> so thanks Siemens)
- K calling Donald Duck "my duck" Every time we saw him she would go - look mom, my duck!! I loved it!!
- A taking on every single roller coaster and not being scared of any of them. I love that she now loves Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain.
- running through the Swiss Family Robinson's Tree house and having both girls ask if we could build a house just like that one. I'm game!
-For K thinking the world was her stage and taking every minute to entertain everyone!!
- Realizing that the best day was spent at Epcot, when we really thought it would be the lamest!! Thanks Germany and Italy, France for making Epcot so much fun! And until we can get there in person, the Epcot version will do just fine.

Things to remember for next time or anyone else wanting to go in the near future:
- take rain ponchos - you'll use them!!
- make reservation at least 3 months in advance if you want to have lunch with the princesses in the castle. Do this especially if you don't want to be given a dirty look or mocked unceasingly behind your back by the hostess at the princess castle by thinking you can walk up and get in that day without a reservation. Note: the lady we asked did not do any of the above, but I am sure it used up all her energy not too.
- same thing is true for if you want to swim with dolphins. You will need to make reservations at least 2 month in advance to have that aquatic experience.

Now on to the pictures - There are a lot of them, so no worries if you need to speed up the slide show to get through them all. Enjoy!!