Saturday Afternoon Bike Ride

Last June, we got a hitch put on our new van in order to put a bike rack on the back and cart our bikes with us to the beach when we camped. Not only did we do it for that reason, but we also wanted to be able to take our bikes somewhere and bike ride in places other than the bike trail that we can catch directly behind our housing tract. When we went camping last July was the only time we've actually loaded our bikes onto the rack, until today!

Last night on my Facebook page, I asked for suggestions as to where we could go and several people suggested the Yorba Linda Regional Park, so that's where we went! We rode through the park and then hit the Santa Ana River Bike Trail that parallels the Santa Ana River. We rode on the trail about 5 miles before stopping for a rest and a snack. And then we turned around and headed back.

We had to travel across the Santa Ana River on this beautiful wooden bridge.
Rachel was very leery of this and decided it was best to actually walk her bike across. 

Riding back to Yorba Linda Regional Park. That is the 91 freeway on the right side of the picture. 

We rode 10.5 miles. It was a beautiful day to be outside and exercising. I loved loading up the bikes and going to someplace new to ride and enjoy. I'm hoping that we can get down to the beach one of these coming weekends and ride the board walk, etc. 

We were pretty quick on loading the bikes back on to the rack and had them hanging back up in the garage and the bike rack put away in no time. With more practice, more frequently, we'll only get quicker!

Back to Routine

It was Back to School today for our household! 

Having been out since December 19th, we've had three weeks of no homework, no regular bed time, and lots of relaxing, lots of movies, and of course the holidays thrown in there. 

The first day is always the hardest. But so far so good! The girls all got up without too much trouble and drama. We got lunches packed, breakfast eaten, and to school on time. From there I hit a Jazzercise class and just kinda did a few odds and ends around here until it was time to dawn my Taxi Cab hat and head out for school pick up. Homework has been relatively easy as well! 

As much as I do love having the girls off from school, I very much enjoy the routine that being on track has for our household, especially our evening routine. It's dinner, dishes, maybe Just Dance on the Wii, showers, snack, and bedtime. The girls have set bed times and after 8:00, it's mine and Steven's time to watch TV together, and have our time. 

Being back on routine also helps me get my exercise in. I usually do it right after I drop the girls off at school, whether it's walking or an 8:00 Jazzercise class. I like exercising in the morning as it gives me a boost of energy for the remainder of the day and of course because then it's done and behind me! 

The routine won't last for too long, we have a three day weekend coming up!! I think that calls for a trip to Disneyland! 

Two Books in Four Days

Hannah has been a HUGE Hunger Games fanatic since she first saw the movie in June 2012. She's read the trilogy two times and has started them a third time. Steven has also read the trilogy twice.

For over a year, the two of them have been telling me I should read the books! Last Spring I was just too busy with PTA duties, etc. When summer came, I was reading other books and kinda wasn't interested in reading the trilogy.

I've seen the movie, Catching Fire, three times and was not at all happy with how it left you hanging when it ended. On Monday, I decided I simply cannot wait until November when the first part of the third book comes out in movie form at the theaters. I simply would have to read the books to see where MockingJay picks up!

So I convinced Hannah to let me read her brand spanking new hardcover books she got for Christmas and in in four days, I've read two of the three books!! Tuesday evening upon finishing The Hunger Games, I watched the movie. I finished Catching Fire this evening about 8:30, so my plan, to hit the 10:05 movie tomorrow morning! And then tomorrow afternoon, I'll start MockingJay.

And then I too will be anxiously awaiting for November 21 of this year. When MockingJay is released to the theaters!

SICK?? Then STAY Home!!!!

Tis the season for cold, upper respiratory infections, stomach bugs, you name it!!!

I know many a people who've been struck with the nasty 24 hour stomach bug going around. I also have heard via my Mom that my brother and his family have been hit hard with the upper respiratory stuff, aka influenza. Thankfully, our house has escaped all the above mentioned thus far and have only dealt with a simple head cold, despite all the masses of refined sugar and immune system weakening food we've eaten in the last few weeks. We are thankful to be healthy.

But what kills me, what really chaps my hide, are the people who post on Facebook how sick they are, how they are fighting a sore throat, or fighting off this cold. The people who update their status when they've coughed up a lung, etc. It's not the posting of their sickness on Facebook that I despise, it's when they have been complaining all week how poorly they've felt and then come out in public!!! Or in a particular instance, they come to church on Sunday!!

The past couple of weeks, I've had several different people at church tell me how sick they've been, or even gone as far as telling me they still have diarrhea (which by the way, it TMI!!!), etc, etc, and they are at church!! Contagious. Spreading the unwanted love of their germs and illness!!

Our family has been blessed with good health this holiday/cold/flu season. We don't want to get sick!!

Please, please, please, if you're sick, STAY HOME!! It not only helps the spread of the viruses, but your own body needs the rest to get better. By going out in public - shopping, church, or even to work, you only prolong your body getting better. So do us all a favor, stay home if you're sick!!!!!

Blogging from The Happiest Place on Earth

It's still Christmastime at The Happiest Place on Earth for a few more days. 

With the girls out of school, we decided to make our first trip of 2014!! I think everyone else in Southern California, Northern California, the entire West Coast had the same idea!! But that's okay, we've been catching shows and shopping. We are currently sitting and waiting for the 8:45 showing of The World of Color. There's a special Frozen segment and Olaf is the host!! We love the movie and had to see this before the holiday/winter festivities end for this season. 

All Set for Success!

Tomorrow is January 2nd and that means back to closely counting calories and exercising!! And the house is all set for success!

The cupboards have been gone through, purging all the little baggies of leftover junk. Boxes of Special K Cracker Crisps and Multigrain Crackers from Trader Joes have been measured out on our Weight Watchers food scale and put into ziploc bags in individual servings for easy portion control. This makes for easy grabbing when you're on the go or really hungry. This has always proved to be a HUGE factor in helping me be successful when seriously dieting.

The refrigerator has been purged of all the leftovers, all the jars of things I bought for special holiday recipes, etc. Made it a lot easier with tomorrow being trash day!

My menu for the next two weeks has been thought out, planned out, and from that I made my grocery list and got major groceries yesterday. I will need to get some more fresh produce in a couple of days, but for now, dinners for the next two weeks are planned out. This is also another huge help in being successful when dieting/counting calories.

I'm ready! Ready to hit it strong like I did last January 2nd. I was very successful the first few months of the year, and I'm hoping these few first months of 2014 will hold the same for me. Tomorrow I will weigh in and make a few adjustments on Sparkpeople as to my goal and then it's all steam ahead!!!