Today is the day before Tomorrow...

cabinest, washers and dryers were actually moved in the other day, this was the site on Thanksgiving-we were without the washer and dryer for 3 weeks straight. Thanks to my mom and two fun date nights at the laundry-mat we made it through just fine...

These silver shelves will line the wall of the new laundry room, housing food storage and dry goods like toilet paper and paper towells. A peek at the finished room will have to wait until next week-look for pics come Monday!

And tomorrow I get to fly with my love to New York City. And this is what my basement looks like. And I have babysitters coming (baby sister Jen and her lovely husband Josh) to care for the big graham 6 while I meander times square. And Baby sis just shouldn't have to live in a mess like that. So in the next 12 hours I've got to transform that mess into an organized laundry room (the paint is drying as I write-it will be move-in ready in 3 hours or less! Yippee for Jeff Shaw Construction! You did it by the deadline!) and a cleaned out basement.

Is it possible? With lots of deadline adrenaline and three little girls glued to PBS, I say it is! Wish me luck and have a great day!

Healthy Holidays to Us All...

these have been the crux of this month's work outs; a bosu ball, some free weights, resistance bands in various shapes and sizes, and a few exercise videos from Itunes. I've also been running a little, and have tried some Yoga too.

4 weeks of effort has lost me 4 lbs. (mostly in my bust to John's dismay) and 1 inch of gurth around my middle. Seems a small start, but it is indeed a start to what I hope is a healthy holiday season for me and for my family. As an aside, John has begun "dieting" and has lost 10 lbs. in 2 weeks. Doesn't seem real fair, but I'm happy for him and proud of his efforts to be healthy and sexy for his adoring wife.

So, the goals for the last 4 weeks have been;

*work out every day according to the "plan" laid out by the boy trainer at John's office gym. Kind of crazy to realize the kid graduated from Highschool like 18 years after I did and yet he is my authority on all things related to a tight core and a strong lean backside. I have not missed a work out excepting last Saturday-which I then made up for by doing a double work out yesterday. Pretty good progress on this one. The goal stays the same for December. I will take a rest day on Christmas, and I will walk my fanny off in New York but probably not get in full work outs while I'm there.

*Make half my plate full of vegatables at each meal, cut out refined foods like crackers chips etc. and no sugar (including cookies and brownies) accept for one day a week. Also, I've learned from "Mr. Zone" aka John, that it is important to pair proteins with good carbs (veggies mainly) so I've added that to the list. Also, eat all meals before 7 p.m. This has gone pretty well. I have had some hard days when it simply wasn't humanly possible to eat before 7 p.m., and on one or two occasions I have had a bite of treats when at a party etc., but I've found it surprisingly manageable. For December I'll continue to work on these, and I'll add the general concept that the one day a week that is "free" for sugar is not a license to binge on any sweet/savory/fatty treat I lay my eyes on. That alone will probably lose me an extra pound in December. To be frank, for this month I will be thrilled and satisfied to lose one more inch and just NOT GAIN ANYTHING - its' December people, and Ms. Minnie's (our new wonderful neighbor) home made caramels are already sitting on our counter :0) At least they aren't sitting on my hips!

*Drink 8 huge glasses of water each day. I measured the cup I've been drinking out of. It is 26 oz. or so, which means more than the recommended 64 oz. per day; but I am sticking with this goal because tho I have to use the powder room like a million times a day, I do think my skin, and my brain are more clear and happy. The more water the better they say.

New goals for December (Dare I add?)

* One "extra" work out a week. This will be a cardio work out in addition to the stuff Mr. Fitness boy has me doing. That's because I'd like to see myself training for triathlon again this summer, and in order to do that my heart needs to handle a lot of cardio. Better start getting it ready for long rides and underwater work outs.

*join a gym so I can spin and swim sometimes. I've been holding off on this, but the running in freezing cold weather is kind of the encouragement I need to want to mix it up and take a class or two. I've also done some yoga this month, and I'd really like to have an instructor give me pointers on my form so I can improve and enjoy the benefits of that "practice".

For January? Going to bed by 10 p.m.; I figure I better wait until the busy holidays are over to plant that one in my life. But it really needs to come; for the sake of my sanity, my sleepy driving, and my exasperated husband (who is good at shutting the world down before 10 and leaving it 'til the next morning)

what is one thing you'll do to keep the holidays healthy at your house? let me know, I could use as many ideas as I can get to keep the squishy off and put the healthy ON this year.

How Was Yours?

Our kitchen has a fireplace, right on the wall. No way to sit around it, with a massive mantle like its a centerpiece when it isn't even centered in the room...this is what I've taken to using it for; holiday decorating

Hope you enjoyed a Happy and Thanks-filled weekend! Here is what we did in a nutshell;

-John takes oldest 2 on their first snowboarding trip. Mason, brave as he is, cried as he fell for the hundredth time. He came home and told me it was awesome. Then the next morning when I made him go running with me he said he couldn't because "everything hurts". I told him to lace up the runners or forget playing rugby because one day with those Highland boys will be a heck of a lot harder than a morning on the board. He ran 4 miles, no complaint ;)

-John cooks the turkey (for a little while) on his brand new TEXAS SMOKER. Our resident chef has wanted a TEXAS SMOKER for a very long time. New house calls for new toys I say (bring on the Madsen bike ;) so he's got an awesome black barrel looking thing out on the covered porch. Unfortunately, said TEXAS SMOKER blew a fuse due to a faulty fan in hour 4 of the 12 hour cooking process, so we ate oven roasted/smoke fusion turkey for dinner. VERY YUMMY. the candied yams and Brussels sprouts were delicious and my rolls were phenomenal.

-We played games with cousins til midnight at my mom and dad's house. It was awesome. John and I ate like pigs (at least I ate like a pig) since this was the only day off we were taking from our new healthy eating lifestyle (you could call it a diet, by why?).

-We worked on our basement, tons. The construction is so close to finished, and our basement is a wreck. Because of an upcoming trip to NYC (can't wait, please comment and tell me what to do while John goes to his fancy big meetings and I have a DAY to MYSELF in the city!) we felt we should kick it into gear and try to make order out of chaos. It didn't work. Still living in Chaos (which I think has very little to do with the basement being under construction)...

-We enjoyed a great dinner with the Malens. Love you guys. Please come often. We kept the Malen boys out late; which Pete and Annette I'm sure did not appreciate. This is a family that shuts down at 9 p.m. and starts up again at 5. Annette and I used to run together when we lived in Utah before, and often when we met at 5.30a.m. she had already cleaned all the bathrooms in her house. Wish being around them made me an early to bed early to rise type of person, it mostly just makes me jealous ;)

-John went to the BYU/UTAH football game on Saturday. Hope he had fun even though he sat with the BYU fans and the team of choice (can you say UTAH RED RUNNIN' UTES?) lost in overtime. Hope it counts for something that he got to hang out doing "guy stuff" for an entire day. He felt sheepishly guilty. Guess he doesn't know that I"m going to ask him to let me take lots more than one day away "girl weekend" away from home with my sisters this February (don't feel guilty any more, k honey?)

-Took the big 3 to see "the BLINDSIDE". Great film. PG13, and that means the previews before the film began were not for young eyes (especially not MY eyes). Scary movies are coming out soon, that's all I can say. But the movie itself was great. Wishing I could get away with the strong southern woman persona, but I just seem bossy when I try to pour it on. Wanting to be a more giving, less judgemental person after seeing the redemption of a child all because he was given love and support in a family. See the film, you'll be glad you did (just close your eyes for the previews)

-We (mostly) decked our halls at the Spruces. Still sans Christmas trees, and we need some garland and stuff here and there, but all the nick naks are out. wow, surprised at how fast that goes when you have as many helpers as I did (2 items broke in the move, thanks super glue for coming to our rescue!)

-Katie got to sing the Messiah along with a thousand other people and the Utah Symphony last night to usher in the holiday season and make me wildly happy I can read music and keep a melody line. Thanks Mom Graham for bringing me along, it is always a pleasure spending time with you and especially fun to sing with you the words of scripture which prophecy, lament and rejoice in the reality of Jesus Christ, whose birth we now celebrate all the rest of the year!

Thanks to all those who have responded to the holiday cards. We are glad you now know where we live and so thankful our lives are filled with memories of you all and the times we have shared with you!

Not to be Trite, but What are you Thankful For?

Lucy and I pause and overlook downtown Boise. One of 4 states we've lived in and loved

I saw this little clip Thursday night and it really made me think. So many thankful thoughts I was smiling as I sat alone, late at night at the computer (John has been away and it is so hard for me to go to bed on time when he's not waiting for me there...)

So, what ARE you thankful for? Me? Shall I do it by the numbers? Or with the ABC's? Not to be trite, but here goes:

8 grahams (yes, including me, I'm thankful I'm one of them) who I live with, fret over and love every day
13 permanent addresses, which have brought me wonderful relationships and experiences (a few of those addresses were from my childhood, and some addresses John and I have shared are not listed because they were only months long internships...)
8 hadfields, who made me the person I was when I became a Graham
4 parents, 2 who raised me, and 2 who raised my love. All of whom I am grateful for, and humbled to call my family.
31 A's on smart kids' report cards
4 States in which we've lived and made friends who feel like family
3 countries where we've called home, and 1 we adopt because it is the mother country of one of our own Grahams; these with their cultures, differences and people have helped make us more than we'd be with just one...
1 John. With infinite number of reasons why I can be thankful for him
1 healthy body
1 set of standards, commandments and expectations to live up to-which help us as a family see that everything good in the life of this family comes from a loving God.
5 bedrooms, nestled inside one ample cottage, whose windows today glow with the reflection of the sun on the new fallen snow.

Of course, I could go on. And I will, hopefully through out this week of Gratitude and beyond. I challenge you on turkey day to find yourself on your knees before your day begins. Offer thanks, and thanks alone-and see what the Lord has done for you. Thanksgiving is only a really good meal unless accompanied with a reflective sense of blessings granted.

Go Here...

HERE

once upon a time a handsome college boy gave a smitten college girl a ride from the Institute building on campus to her class in President's circle.

She fell in love with him on the short drive, and as he dropped her off to class she thought
"oh my gosh, I love that guy"

(It was the Monday before Thanksgiving by the way, 17 years ago next week)

He didn't know it for months and months
but she thought about him every time she walked up the steps to that building
where he drove her to class.

We took our family to the place where it began.
Logan from Sprout photo came along
She captured the Grahams years after that little drive
look what we've become!

Giving the sign of the Scout

self portrait, taken Saturday Afternoon when Porter just couldn't help but get into uniform

Nothing in Porter's boy(!) life is organized or kept tidy, save the uniform

Porter has been waiting for this day for about 4 years. Back then his mom was asked to be a den leader for a bunch of darling 8 year old boys. They came to our house every week, and I struggled to teach them to tie knots and "do a good turn daily". I loved those boys through 2 years of cub scouting-having never appreciated before then all that other den mothers had done for my then Boy Scout Mason. Porter was right at my side every single week, asking when he would be a scout from the very first den meeting.

And now the time has come. He has learned the scout motto, and the scout law. He knows what it means to follow Akela and he literally needled me incessantly until I put his pack number on the side of his shirt, so he would be "official".

His big brother is coming to the end of the trail to Eagle, just as he sets his foot on the same path. This time, I will be stronger and better and helping my son appreciate the values espoused in Scouting (How could you not want your kid to internalize "I , Porter Graham promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my Country, to help other people and obey ...."?).

Welcome to the pack Porter Graham. I hope you will become one who does do a good turn daily, who honors God and those who represent him, and who will fulfill the duty we all have to the country in which we live.

Once Upon a Time

We fed them University of Utah Pizza from the Pie, just so they'd know where our loyalties are...

A heated game, just like those of long ago, between good men and boys at our house on Friday night.

These boyish men were once little boys, 12 and 13 years old to be exact. And John (along with some other amazing men)was their scout leader. He led them in lessons on Sunday about honoring God and placing trust in the atonement in Jesus Christ. He led them on weekends, in snow caves in winter and sliding on ice blocks in summer. He led them 50 miles into the Idaho Wilderness, twice, and led them back home again.

And he loved them.

And they, in turn, loved him back. Game nights in Boise when these boys were 12 was like a planned tornado. I lost a screen door due to their running through it. Our kids were kept awake late into the night for their screaming and shouting at each other (and at John) in the middle of exciting games.

And I loved them too.

They grew up. And now they all attend BYU, just south of the Spruces by less than an hour. So on Friday they came. They ate our food and made loud noises and played games ALL NIGHT LONG (John came to bed around 2:30 a.m., and they guys had only left because some of them had sporting events to participate in the next morning...)

And John and I loved it. Every single minute. We will invite them again and again. Because, thanks to their parents (and maybe a tiny tiny bit thanks to John too) these men are good men. Strong men. Happy men. Who are preparing to become missionaries and who live the lessons John led them in many years ago.