I'm not really a slacker

So while it may seem that I have been a slacker and totally bombed at my kitchen window series, rest assured that I have not. While I haven't posted anything for a couple of weeks, I have kept up with my photo series and haven't missed a day! It was pretty late one night when I remembered I hadn't taken a picture yet, but I still got it in before midnight! I won't bore you with all of the photos since I last left off, but I will post the ones from last night and today since they have snow in them. I particularly like the one from last night.

I took this around 10pm but the snow was reflecting the light of the moon and it looks much earlier than that. We got about 3 inches of snow that prompted an early dismissal - before even a flake had dropped. Whatever. Rachel and Eli headed outside to sled on the the little bit of snow/mostly grass this afternoon when I took today's picture.

So what has happened since I last wrote...I've been busy with work and doing a side project for Keystone Financial Associates. The kids have been doing a lot of swimming as usual. We had our last home meet last Saturday and I had fun taking pictures again. Here are a few from the meet:

Isaiah, Jackson & Max taking off in the 500 free

Isaiah pulls ahead of Jackson on the last lap of the 500

Isaiah, Jackson & Max after finishing the 500. Isaiah dropped 43 seconds and finished 2nd!

Rachel working hard in the 50 fly

Check out that form!

Wyatt and Eli's 25 back start.

I thought this was a cool one of Paige in the 100 free

And I liked the lighting on this one of Daniel in the 200IM

I got this one of Alex's backstroke start from behind the blocks

Kaylin coming into the wall after the back portion of the 200IM

Well, I'm gonna get going. We are headed to Rob & Niki's tonight and I can hardly wait! We had to reschedule when we got a nasty storm after Christmas. I've been waiting a whole month and can't wait to catch up!

Two-hour delay

So let's start with my photo from last night when we got home after swim practice:

This morning I got up bright and early to head to the Y to workout. When I got there and got on the treadmill I saw that we had a 2-hour delay. Talk about bad timing. But at least I got in a good workout before I came home, showered and took a nap :)

We got enough snow, sleet and rain to make a nice mess.

I was planning to take off this morning to do some work here at home and then go to the Y when Eli was at school. But I ended up being home all day because I think Eli ended up with a little touch of the stomach flu. To quote my favorite 5-year-old, "Momma, the poop just shot out my butt!" Only he can get excited about the velocity at which his diarrhea exits his body. Love that boy! Fortunately that was his last trip to the bathroom and has been feeling much better. Hopefully that will continue through the night so he doesn't have to miss Gym 'N Swim and school tomorrow.

Getting caught up

So I had a bit of a dilemma this weekend. We were going to Maryland for the weekend for the SPY Winterfest meet. So what could I do about my kitchen window photo series?!?! I figured I had three options - 1) ask someone to come into my house to take a picture out my kitchen window, 2) skip those days or 3) take a picture out some random window while I was away. I chose number 3.

So this is the view out our kitchen window on Friday morning. The clouds looked really cool. Rachel pointed them out while she was eating her breakfast.

And this was the view out Don and Kevin's dining room window on Saturday morning. We stayed at their house Friday night and then they went to the meet with us on Saturday. It was very nice to spend some time with them. And the bed Jeff and I slept in really made us realize how much we need a new mattress. I slept like a baby!

And this was the view out our hotel room on Sunday morning. It was an overcast, spritzy kind of morning. I've discovered that staying in a hotel is not as fun with kids. Well, at first it is because everything is new and fun and it's cool to see it all through their eyes. And then it's just annoying that all 5 of us are in the same room. Eli requires space to burn off his energy. When that is confined to a smaller space with 2 beds just far enough apart to launch himself back and forth, the whole hotel thing quickly loses its appeal.

So my photo series will have some blips in it when I put together the time lapse video at the end of the year. But I think it will be neat to see some different windows thrown in there to remind me of the time we spent away from home this year too.

So we were away from home for the SPY Winterfest meet. It is the largest closed YMCA swim meet on the east coast. Over 1,500 swimmers competed at the University of Maryland over the course of the weekend and Isaiah and Rachel were 2 of them! You have to qualify for the meet. Isaiah qualified in a couple of events 2 years ago so we had been there before. I think that helped both our kids coming into it this year. Rachel swam the 50 and 100 back and 50 and 100 free. Isaiah swam the 50 back and 50 and 100 free. Aside from Rachel's goggle malfunction in the 50 free, they both dropped time in all of their events. It was amazing to see them moving so fast. And Rachel would even tell you she wasn't very pleased with her turns in several of her races. So that shows she has more time to drop. I think they both do. I love watching my kids swim, but I get very nervous for them. I want them to breathe as little as possible so I try to breathe for them. I know it's ridiculous and makes no sense. But it's what this mother does to get through the meet.

This was the view out the window this morning after I successfully dragged everyone out of bed. We got home last night right in time for everyone to go to bed. Even though I pretty much sat all weekend - either in the car or on the bleachers - I still was exhausted. So needless to say, I did not make it into the Y this morning. But as long as the rain stops I do plan to walk in the morning with Randie.

Oh I almost forgot!!! This afternoon Eli and I came home for a few minutes between dropping off Isaiah at the Y and picking up Rachel at school. I was getting a drink of water and noticed birds sitting on the deck railing by the bird feeder. And then they started eating!!! I don't know if the word spread while we were gone over the weekend or if this was the first time they were there. But I was ecstatic to see the little guys and girls snacking away. I grabbed my camera and quickly took some shots so I wouldn't be too late picking up Rachel. This one of all 3 of the birds that visited is my favorite.

I hope this is just the beginning of our backyard visitors!

Backyard visitor

So I finally got something interested in the bird feeder. Too bad it wasn't actually a bird. While I did see some huge black birds in the yard this morning, the animal I found peering at the bird seed was a squirrel.

In our 7 years in this house I have never seen a squirrel on our deck. We are guessing this guy got a taste of the spilled bird seed on the ground and ventured upward to see if he could find more. He looked longingly through the rungs of the deck right by the feeder for awhile and must have read the "squirrel proof" sticker right by the lid. Then he sat on the railing sunning himself for a few minutes before heading back to the ground.

This is the picture I took right before I noticed the non-bird visitor.

No birds

The bird feeder is a little frosty in this picture because it was again a really frigid day here. I'm convinced the bird seed level has not changed one bit since Jeff picked it up off the ground when the wind knocked it down the day after he put it up. But I haven't really seen any birds on the deck either. I don't know if I need to send a bird e-vite or what. Maybe it's too cold for them to be out? Hopefully some day I'll get to see birds hanging out and snacking at the feeder Isaiah got me for Christmas.

Baby it's cold outside

It's a good thing I usually do my blog posts at night. If I had attempted to type this post this morning after walking with Randie, it would have been ugly. We met at 5:15am and it was a chilly 24 degrees. It proceeded to get even colder while we walked - or at least that's what accuweather.com says happened. I eventually was able to bend my fingers again, but I'm not sure I ever really got warm in my core today. But all coldness aside, I'm still really glad we went. If I have to do this morning exercise routine, at least I have some really great people with whom to do it!

So since it was so cold today, I decided to post some snow photos from the Christmas break. I took these with my awesome new zoom lens.

Eli trudging up the hill while Rachel takes a break.

Isaiah walking with Caleb and catching a snowflake on his tongue.

Rachel borrowed Caleb's snowboard and gave that a shot.

Eli loved the snow. He would stay out until his face and hands were pretty much raw and loved every minute of it!

I was home for about 3 minutes this afternoon after picking up the boys from school and snapped this picture out the kitchen window:

Mornings might not be so bad

Morning is not one of my favorite parts of the day. In fact, it's in the running for my least favorite part of the day. I have been a night owl for as long as I can remember. It's not uncommon for me to start a project at 9pm that will certainly take several hours to complete. Even though it's not something new, I think the reason behind staying up late has changed over the years. As a wife and mother of 3 kids, the main reason I stay up now is because it's quiet. I think I suddenly get a burst of energy once it isn't being sapped by constant chatter and questions. I don't know how accurate this is, but it's my theory anyway.

But I digress... So mornings = bad in my book. But what I also have discovered as a mother of 3 active kids is that if I don't get up early to exercise, it's just not going to happen. It really was a sad day when this knowledge kicked in a few months ago. So basically I'm a night owl by nature, but an early bird by necessity.

So this morning - the morning of my mom's 61st birthday - I was up by 4:45am and on a treadmill at the Y by 5:10am. I was back home an hour later sitting at the dining room table reading "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. After I wrapped up my reading and woke up Isaiah for school, I glanced out the sliding glass doors to our deck. Light was slowly creeping into the sky that had been pitch black just minutes earlier. I grabbed my camera and shot this photo out my kitchen window.

I stood there and watched a tiny glimpse of yellow turn into a glowing ball in the sky right outside my window. I know it's something that happens every day, but that doesn't change the fact that it's simply amazing to watch. I am thankful I was up early and wasn't too rushed to take in one of God's beautiful works of art.

Milkshakes & Potato Donuts

This afternoon we picked up Jeff's little brother Steven and made the trek to Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Farm Show. So basically we checked out some tractors, cows and chickens and then got to eat some yummy food. The potato donuts are my personal favorite. I don't know exactly how they make them and I don't really care because they are just that good. Add in a thick & creamy chocolate milkshake and there you have the dinner of champions. It's a really good thing I went for a 5-mile walk earlier in the day and that I'm getting back into my workout routine this week! It was a lot of fun and very cool to get to spend the afternoon with Steven. We are enjoying getting to know him better and I was glad he said he had fun - even though he had to see a cow poop :)

This was the view out the window when we got home from church. I think the bird seed level is ever so slightly lower than it was when Jeff hung in out there, so it is possible some birds have discovered the treasure in the Bell backyard. But I still haven't actually seen any birds out there. I'm hoping this will be the week!

Back in the running!

We located Eli's tooth when we went to bed last night and for the record it was Jeff - not me - who moved it from the counter. So luckily I am back in the running for Mother of the Year. Whew!

Today was a busy but good day. It started early since the kids had to be at the Y before 8 for a swim meet. I snapped my window picture before we left but then realized it was a little blurry. Oh well, here it is anyway.

The kids all did great at the swim meet this morning. Lots of PRs for all the Bells! I love watching them in the water and seeing how far each of them has come since they started swimming. Here are a few pix I took during the meet.

Sierra helping Isaiah into the pool

Sienna, Paige, Rachel and Delaney being goofy

Eli on the block at the start of the 25 free

Isaiah at the start of the medley relay

Rachel swimming the 50 fly

Eli swimming the 25 back

Then in the evening Jeff's staff came over for our annual Christmas party. He really is blessed to have a really great staff. I enjoy getting together with them. As was the case last year, it turned into a dance party after dinner and everyone had a lot of fun.

Losing Teeth

Here is the picture I took this morning...

...right after this happened...

I thought for sure Eli's tooth would fall out last night. We put in a valiant effort, but it just wasn't meant to be. It was hanging on with all its might. So right before lunch time today, Eli decided to get serious. He was twisting and turning and wouldn't give up until that little sucker popped out. He was very excited to show everyone we encountered the rest of the day. Then at bedtime he came searching for the tooth to put it under his pillow. While I don't know for sure what happened to it, I'm assuming this mother-of-the-year candidate threw it away while I was wiping down the kitchen counters to prepare for Jeff's staff coming over tomorrow night. Oops. I guess that knocks me out of the running yet again...and only 4 days into the new year. I guess I'll give it another shot in 2014!

Dirty Window

So as I was taking the third photo for my series I discovered that my camera can really capture every streak and speck of dust on my windows. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea... Oh well, I guess another benefit of the whole project will be that I clean my kitchen window more often than I ever have before. Below is the view out the window right before Eli and I headed to the Y this morning. We didn't rush out the door as soon as Rachel got on the bus like we often do. It was nice to have a more leisurely morning.

Eli has a loose tooth. I'm not really a fan of loose teeth. I mean, I get that it's a natural process and all, but if I had my choice I'd rather not see teeth hanging by what seems like a thread. Eli also can be a teensy bit dramatic. So you would think that he is the first person on the face of the earth to lose a tooth. I was really, really hoping it would be gone before he headed to bed, but it just didn't happen. I still have my fingers crossed that it will fall out before we leave in the morning.

So Far So Good!

Well, I've managed to keep my resolution for at least 2 days! This was the view this afternoon when I stopped at home between dropping off Isaiah and picking up Rachel for swim practice. You can see the bird feeder I got for Christmas hanging off the deck. So far I haven't caught any birds snacking. I don't know if the word just hasn't spread that we've got free food out there or if we need to change the setup. I'm not 100% sold on the hanging off the side of the deck setup we have going right now, but we'll give it some more time and see what happens.

Everyone was back to school and work today. We had a really, really nice Christmas/New Year's break. Often I am ready for everyone to go back and restore some order in the house, but it was bittersweet this year. I wasn't quite ready for the break to be over.

Since I'm going to be on here more often (I hope), I do plan to put up some more pictures besides the kitchen window shots. I have lots of stuff from California that I can't wait to go through. And the stuff I just shot with my new zoom lens during our recent snow storm is pretty cool.

Happy New Year!

Can we all just pretend I'm writing this post just a few days after my last one?!?! OK good.

So it's 2013 -- woohoo!! I've always been a fan of the number 13. It was even my volleyball number in high school. So I'm going to assume that means good things are in store for this year :) I'm not usually a big New Year's resolution kind of person, but I decided to make a few this year.

First of all, I want to finish a Tough Mudder race. I'm registered for the one in the Pittsburgh area at the end of August and I'm really pumped about it. So assuming I can keep this resolution in mind all year long and actually do some training, this one should actually come to fruition. If the training and exercise also lead to some weight loss and added strength I'll consider that a bonus.

My second resolution is more of a stretch for me -- especially if you really check out the last time I posted on here. But a few years ago a friend of mine did a photo series on her blog. I don't remember the exact title, but the gist was that she took a picture out her kitchen window every day. At the end of the year she put all 365 photos into a slide show and it was really pretty cool. So I'm going to give this a shot. I really am hoping to do this every day, but I'm also realistic and know I'm bound to miss a day here and there. But I'm really going to resolve to stay on top of this because I think it will be something really neat to look back on at the end of 2013. So below is the first installment in the "Picture Out My Kitchen Window" series. I took it this afternoon right after we enjoyed our traditional pork and sauerkraut meal.

I love that we are starting the year off with snow in the picture. Last year was a bit of a letdown when it comes to winter. I figure if I have to live somewhere where it gets cold, we might as well have some snow.

So day 1 is in the books...hopefully I'll be back here again soon! Happy New Year!