Valentine Countdown

 Most years, I do NOT like Valentines-not one thing about it.  I've always thought it was just a marketing ploy to get us to buy a bunch of crap we really don't need.  Call me scrooge, but that was my mentality.

This year, I've turned over a new leaf.  I think it's quite possibly becoming one of my favorite holidays!  I'm learning you can find very teachable moments in this "marketers dream."  Someone on our MOPS page, linked to Happy Home Fairy.  She has some amazing ideas that are mostly cheap, practical, and Biblical!  When I saw her free printable for Bible verses about Love, it got me in the Valentine's spirit!

I went to Dollar Tree and grabbed a little banner.  It has 14 letters, perfect for hanging our 14 verses on.  Then, the $1 bins at Target had these cute little mail boxes.  Once home we cut up a bunch of paper into heart (or almost heart shapes) and taped or suction cupped them onto the door.  (the hanging envelope has our verses in it!)  

I can't tell you how much the kids LOVE getting their mail. Usually just a note, maybe a treat, always their vitamins, a clementine, stickers, some change, etc. A different kid each day will find the verse in their box.  Elliot didn't understand why W and I didn't have mailboxes because she really wanted to make us mail!  So..... I splurged, spent 2 more dollars and we all have boxes now.  I get lots of mail everyday.  The kids are asking to keep their boxes all year.  HAHA!  We had a mailbox decorating party Sunday afternoon.  It was fun.  They are all a big mess now :-)

A few other things I got inspiration for from Happy Home Fairy are below.

Elliot's Valentines for her classmates: (in black & white because our printer is out of color ink!)

 Elliot's teacher Valentine's:

Bloodwork

We recently went to the doc to have bloodwork done.  We wanted to make sure this whole "Paleo" way of eating is working  for us.  As much as we've read and believe it's what's right for our family, bacon and eggs everyday just doesn't seem right.  HAHA.  (Even though this IS how my great grandparents ate on the farm everyday-and they kept ticking for a long time!  In fact, one of my great great Aunts is still alive and is 107 today!!  She lived independently until well over 100).  Not that I really want to live that long-but I do want a good quality of life for as long as the Lord wants me here.

Anyways, our bloodwork came back fantastic!  I had my Vitamin D level drawn back in August and it was low.  (29)  I have supplemented with 2000 IU of D3 the last few months and my level is now 58.  Perfect!

LDL Cholesterol: 97     (Normal <130)
HDL Cholesterol: 82     (Normal >40)
Triglycerides: 60           (Normal < 150)
Cholesterol Pattern Size: A  (This is one of the most important things when it comes to Cholesterol!  So excited about this!!)
C-Reactive Protein: <1 (Normal <8)  This tests for inflammation
Hemoglobin A1C: 5.1  (Normal <5.7)
Glucose: 83 (Normal: 65-99)

I'm not sure you care about all of those numbers, but the point is that this way of eating IS healthy-look at what my insides are saying :-)  Wes' insides are also screaming of happiness!

When you eat good, you feel good, you then have energy to workout and get strong!  It's amazing how all of this works together.  If your 1st priority is workout, but you eat crappy, you aren't doing yourself any favors-and won't see much in terms of results. Diet is the foundation (I learned that at my Crossfit intro!)

Garage Gym

 We are slowly getting our garage equipped with workout stuff.  We now have a pull up bar, rings, boxes, some dumbbells, ab mat, white board up, poles (for stretching), etc.  We have a few things to add, but they will come in time. I really need bands to work on pull ups, but I'll just get strong with the rings 1st.

Today Wes and I worked out together.  He wrote everything up on our white board.  It was cute :-)  The workout was called "Donkey Kong."   I should start with our warm up

10 pass throughs  (hold wooden pole, keep arms locked from front of body-overhead- to back of body)
10 whirly birds (like above but in circular motion)
10 overhead squats (ideally you would use a weight lifting bar, but I just practice with the wooden pole)
10 ab mat sit ups
(2 times)

For a skill, I learned how to do ring rows after the warm up.  Then, it was on to the hard stuff......

"Donkey Kong" is done for time.  21-15-9 (do 21 of each activity, then 15 of each, then 9 of each)

Burpees
Dumbbells swings/kettle ball swings
box jumps

It took me 11 min 10 sec.  Wes took 9 min 9 seconds.  I almost got lapped!....but I FINISHED!  It was hard.  My abs are killing me.

It has been SUPER FUN to see how kids really emulate what their parents are doing.  Elliot use to sit around in the afternoons inside.  Since I've been working out, she is outside, RIDING HER BIKE (she never did this before-her "legs hurt, " setting up obstacle courses in the driveway, climbing on our boxes, stretching (hilarious to watch!), hanging from rings and swinging, and the list goes on!  I can't tell you how much this has encouraged me to STAY ACTIVE!!

I was talking to W tonight about setting up a mini Crossfit Kids in our neighborhood one night/week.  Just to get kids out, playing, moving, and making friends!  We'll see what comes of it.  He wants to get qualified as a CF Kids Instructor first.