Challenger Space Center

We took a group field trip to the Challenger Space Center in North Phoenix in January to do a Space Mission. We had a blast! What an experience. Our large group was split into two groups...one group performing the tasks of Ground Control, and the other becoming the Space Shuttle Team tasked to rendezvous with a comet to gather specimens. Every individual was given a *job* to do...communications, labs, medical, data collecting, etc. Individuals on board the shuttle and in Ground Control needed to communicate effectively with their counterparts to get their jobs done on time. About half way through their mission the groups switched roles, so everyone was able to experience both Ground control and space travel. : ) Very interesting and exciting! The boys are looking forward to doing another mission soon!

Happy Birthday Nathan!!!

Nathan turned 14 on the 17th! He is almost as tall as Justin and we say he looks the most like Justin did as a teen. ; ) Tall, blonde, handsome, dashing blue eyes. ; ) We'll be celebrating his birthday with him this weekend. Updated photos of him to follow. they are hard to come by. He starts off his year on the Wrestling team at his Junior High and enjoys skiing as a favorite hobby. He graduates junior high this May...it seems like just yesterday he was toddling around at age 2 and singing Christmas songs in his own toddler renditions, tugging at my wedding dress and Justin's tux, to be picked up as we stood at the altar on our wedding day, loving the thrill of riding in the back of a limo for the first time. The years fly by and before you know it they are teenagers. Sometimes I want to yell, STOP THE TRAIN...it's all going too fast. The trip from toddler to teen at lightning speed. We have gone from kindergarten meet the teacher to graduation year in the blink of an eye. Hope you have a year full of blessings and adventure, Nathan!

Bulldog Bark Zazzle...

Here is a link to our Bulldog Bark Online Store with Zazzle. All proceeds from sales of Bulldog Baseball paraphrenalia supports Nevan's Bulldog Baseball Team. Need a tshirt? ; )

http://www.zazzle.com/bulldogbark

our little Lunita

Lunita has been adopted by another loving homeschooling family. 3 cats was proving to be too much for our household and we are grateful for our friend's willingness to share their home with Lunita. We miss her and Luci and Batman miss her too. Batman waits by the front door waiting for her to come home, probably thinking that she has just gone out for a walk. Breaks my heart, but we know that this was a good decision. Spirit was guiding us that she needed to be an only child/cat in her living space. In our home, there are just too many people, kids, and other animals. She is the quiet one...the one who needs a more tranquil environment. She was starting to run and hide when she heard us walking through the room or if we got too close to her. I think she was on sensory overload. She is was kitten #5 to find a new loving family. Batman remains and will remain with us forever and ever. : ) he's a mama's boy.

Happy Birthday Nevan!!!

11 years old....I can hardly believe so many years have gone by. He is almost as tall as I am and is wearing a size 7 shoe...that's men's size 7! He is becoming quite the comedian and athlete. He starts off his new year playing the part of Marcus in the Homeschool Family Theater production of Cinderella. Marcus is one of Cinderella's closest friends. Next week he is going to audition for a part in the AZ Homeschool Theater production of Peter Pan. His baseball season with the Bulldogs also begins this weekend with his first Spring practice. HIs baseball season runs from now until May. With concurrent rehearsals and practices all Spring, it is going to be busy busy for him from now until May. With theater practice on MOndays and Wednesdays and baseball practices on Mon/Wed/Fridays and home educ. classes on T/Th...we are gearing up for a very full Spring. I am going to have to get creative with family dinners...cooking more on the weekends to freeze for the week and reading up on crock pot menus so dinner is done by the time we get home. I am grateful for his enthusiasm and dedication to his chosen activities. We pray that he is always fulfilled in his endeavors. I am finding that he says YES to more than he used to...he is willing to try just about anything at least once, and has a wonderful attitude when it comes to competition. He engages in activities for the sake of having fun and he rarely approaches even competitive events with a competitive attitude. There is a difference between being enthusiastic and competitive...and he has shown us a very caring sportsmanlike attitude.

Funny story: I was driving Nevan in for his classes one day and had remembered that the program was running a Spelling Bee for the kids and I thought it was going to be held within the next few weeks. So I asked Nevan if he wanted to participate. He said sure. Before classes started we went into the office to sign him up and get the list of words, etc. and the secretary informs us that the Spelling Bee was actually that same afternoon. Oops! I asked Nevan if he still wanted to participate in the Spelling Bee since he had not had a chance to practice words or prepare. He said sure! Alrighty then. We signed him up, but I was not sure how that was going to go...this was his 1st Spelling Bee and he was going in cold. He didn't seem to mind. I think I was a bit more nervous than he was, more concerned about how he would take it if he didn't do well. When the Spelling Bee started I could tell that he really had no concern for whether he was going to spell everything *correctly*. He was doing this to have fun and he did! He came in 4th place in a multi age group...2-8th grade. He was pretty pleased with himself and I thought...how gutsy of him to walk into an academic event with no preparation and get up in front of an audience of people to spell words that he may not know. The highlight of the evening was that they spelled his name incorrectly on his name tag and on his participation certificate. yes...you heard me...his name was spelled incorrectly at the Spelling Bee...ironic, isn't it?? Ahhh...we had a good laugh.

Health and Fitness 2010...it's part of the plan...

The kids are not the only ones enjoying the great outdoors and benefit marathons this year....Mom participated in the PF Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon on Sunday, in honor of Sally Loughrige, a friend's mom who died of pancreatic cancer in 2006. The family started a team called Sal's Pals and they walk/run the marathon every year. This was my first time in a *marathon*...which is a little different than a *walkathon*. LOL! There are some serious runners in the marathon. : ) there were over 32,000 participants. We started in downtown Phoenix and the finish line was at Sun Devil Stadium at ASU, Tempe. The Half Marathon is 13.1 miles long. I walked about 6 miles, to the 10 K marker and then decided that if I wanted to walk the next day, I should stop while I was ahead. : ) It felt wonderful to walk that long distance, though. After my car accident and subsequent broken leg, my level of physical fitness seems to have declined. It has been more challenging for me to do the types of physical exercise that I was doing before. And I am not happy about that. I walk, sporadically, in the mornings, but it certainly has not been a regular thing. Until now. My 2010 plan is to focus on my personal health and fitness! My goal is to get back into shape...and feel good all the time. This marathon was my kickstart....my personal benchmark. If I could do 6 miles without any training at all...imagine what I could do if I actually trained and had a consistent exercise regime! By next year, we are planning for our family to do the Rock and Roll Marathon together...whoever is old enough, that is. ; ) there are age requirements. I plan on crossing that finish line having put 13.1 miles under my feet. In the picture is: Gina Loughrige, Me, Heather Cates, Christine Hunter, Barb Mulvany and Gina's two little girls Willow and Sofie. : ) It was another beautiful day!!! Thank you ladies!!

Kids Rock!

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, January 16th...Nevan and Silvio participated in the Kids Rock Marathon to benefit the Phoenix Children's Hospital. The boys were up at the crack of dawn to prepare themselves for their run. It was a One Mile Run...over 4,300 kids participated. The crowds at Sun Devil Stadium were amazing! I don't think we have ever seen so many participants in a benefit marathon. Wow!


It was great to see all the kids lined up at the Start Line. : ) And all the energy swirling about as they lifted the start rope and the kids pushed forward on their run. It was a wave start, meaning that they had categories of kids starting at different times. This race was age waved...so Nevan ran first with others in the 5th grade category and Silvio ran later with the 3rd grade category...including our friends Donovan and Reese! : )

Nevan came in about 7th place among hundreds of 5th graders... and Silvio has come a long way since his double serial casting in August...he ran a spectacular race, crossing the finish line in a steady pace, not even breaking a sweat! : ) His feet are a little sore now, but he's holding his own. After the Lungevity Walk he did, he said that one mile was a piece of cake! In August he could not put his feet down flat on the ground due to his short achilles tendons...and by January he is able to run marathons. ; ) We are most grateful for his physical therapist... for his insight, suggestions and dedication to Silvio's progress!

Peace, Peace, and more Peace in 2010

All we are saying....is give Peace a chance....
all we are saying...is give Peace a chance...
all we are saying...is give Peace a chance...

Movies in my head...

conversation with Silvio this morning...
Mom, sometimes I'll be sitting around not really doing anything but I'm *thinking*. You might think I'm not doing anything, but I'm seeing things and thinking of things and even though it does not seem like I am *doing* anything, I like thinking about stuff...it's like watching movies in my head. Silvio, age 9.

Once in a Blue Moon...

This December 31, 2009, New Year's Eve, was also a Blue Moon...December's 2nd Full Moon for the month. Here she is in all her glory. : ) What a beautiful night!!
Our New Year's Eve dessert spread...fresh fruit, homemade Italian Rainbow cookies, Tiramisu, Pannetone, Apple Pie, homemade Torrone, Brownies, Dates, and more!!
Justin fills the cannoli...

Happy Festa della Befana!!!

la befana vien di notte......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDUbEVmiGoY&NR=1

Happy 2010!!! We rang in the new year surrounded by beautiful family and friends, laughing children, a delicious array of foods and homemade desserts, and the conviction that 2010 is going to be head over heels better than 2009! We have the power to create a year full of inspired dreams...the power to manifest all that we desire. Love your life! And live your loves!

Whitney is heading into her last few months of high school...2010 is Graduation Year for her...then off to college. Nathan has found a new love of sports and has joined his school wrestling team. Nevan is jumping into the Arts by adding new theatre groups to his activities this year (that would make 3), organizing his own *basement band*, creating his own website, and diving into his love of baseball with the new Spring Bulldog Season. Silvio is picking up a new sport this year too! He starts off the new year with a new set of golf clubs and is ready to begin!

Liz has yoga and exercise on her 2010 plan. ; ) Sprinkle a little more travel...a little gardening...and we have the makings of a wonderfully spectacular healthy year. Fresh food, global treks, and fresh air. Ahhhhh.....

Justin has a new job and can share more about his desires for 2010 as soon as he gets a chance! New job is having him travel more. Now if we can figure out a way that we can ALL go with him when he does...that would be nice!

We are looking forward to fulfilling all our passions this year...one practice, one rehearsal, one yoga move, and one frequent flyer mile at a time. : )

Reiki On!

I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to receive my Reiki 2 Attunement tonight. Even though I have been a practitioner of energetic medicine for a few years now...Reiki attunements seem to take my energy practice to another level. I am thrilled to be on this path towards becoming a Reiki Master. ; ) I have my dear Reiki Master to thank for this opportunity. And I also have to thank my mom. One day my mother walked into my room when I was a teenager and taped a sheet of paper to the inside of my bedroom door. She said, "Read this every day". and didn't say too much more about it. I noticed that my brother had one taped to the inside of his bedroom door too. Right on top of one of his girlie posters. Heather Locklear maybe? ; ) I read those words every now and then...certainly not every day...and thought to myself how the message was so simple. It was too simple...and easy to take for granted. I didn't truly appreciate the message and truly internalize it until later in life. When I saw those words again I remembered. That little piece of paper my mother taped to the inside of my bedroom door over 25 years ago read...

1. Just for today, I will not be angry.
2. Just for today, I will not worry.
3. Just for today, I will be grateful.
4. Just for today, I will do my work honestly.
5. Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.

These are the 5 Principles of Usui Reiki. The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So, Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

More on Reiki tomorrow....