January Round Up

Goodbye January. I know, it's the 9th of February, the month just really got away from me. This is more of a boring journal entry, so I won't feel bad if you don't care to read it.

Liz and I were able to get together to do some 'crafting'. We decided to make a birthday banner. We looked at several blogs where others had posted theirs and in fact, Liz has one that she made last summer in MO with Em and Cam. I sweet talked her into making one with me. :) It is made of greens and blues and it still isn't done. It is amazing how long things like this take when you have 9 children (hers + mine) pulling you in 9 different directions...yes, that is my excuse. We are getting together this weekend (Presidents weekend) to finish and maybe start something else that I have in mind.? Liz is the best!

So, I started WW with Liz too. I'm doing well, I should be slim/sleek by this summer! I did it about a year after Ren was born and it really helped keep me on track, but some of those pounds have creeped up on me again. Thus the rejoining. :) I just couldn't seem to get going on my own. I really like their program and it seems to work for me. I have been exercizing regularly for several years now, mostly walking. But this school year, I took up running. So, I was running with Cindy about 3 weeks ago, and we were on the home stretch with only about 1/4 of a mile left, of our 3 miles. My leg started to really hurt. Come to find out, Robb (Cindy's husband who is a doctor- examined my hairy leg, a little embarrasing) says I pulled a muscle in my calf. I would be out for a few weeks. Hum. I was so bummed. I just started running again last week, I seem to be healed. I will always stretch out really well before running, especially my calfs.

Rusty's brother, John came into town for some business. (He comes every Jan. for this convention in Long Beach.) We were lucky to get to spend some time with him, he lives in North Carolina. He always makes me laugh, he is such a funny guy. (Actually all the Marsh boys are pretty funny.) We went to this wonderful Italian restaurant in LA with Tony and Natalie. Delicious (definitly not part of the WW diet)! I look forward to the Marsh reunion this year so we can see all the NC relatives.

One thing I learned this month...UGGS are so awesome! Ok, not the cutest, but the warmth is worth the fashion error. I'm sure there are plenty of people who think Uggs are cute, I'm just one of them. But I have been converted! Chloe got a pair for Christmas. She has been asking for a pair for about 3 years. And we have bought knock offs through the years for her. But the real things are so expensive that I told her that when her feet reached my size, 8, I'd get her a pair. (That way she was either going to stop growing or I could wear them when she outgrew them, a little selfish, I know.) Anyway, her feet finally reached size 8, poor girl. And she got her longed for Uggs. Whoa, I had no idea how great they were! I love them, and wear them several times a week. Chloe laughs at me, and is nice to let me wear them. I love having warm feet. Now if I could just get my hands warm...

Speaking of warmth...I love the flannel jammies that Liz gave me. I used to always wear cotton pj bottoms and a t shirt to bed. But now I'm converted to flannel ones. It has made such a difference in how I sleep. I am never cold and it has changed my life. I know, a little dramatic, but what can I say. I'm serious!

My student piano recital was this month as well. It was so nice. I love all these kids. I really enjoy teaching them. I am lucky. All my children played too, except Ren. My home was full, about 30 people. And after all the performers tickled the ivory, we had gourmet cupcakes that I made from the cookbook that my mom-in-law gave me for my birthday. (They were delicious if I do say so myself, thanks, Mom.) I made the banana cream cupcakes, the key lime cupcakes and the pink lemonade cupcakes. I should have taken a photo, cause they were pretty too.

In closing, (does it sound like I'm giving a talk?) I am so lucky to be singing with the Orange County Mormon Chorale Organization this quarter. OCMCO for short. Chloe is singing with the Youth Chorus too. Brett Stewart is our director and he is so great. Very funny and serious at the same time. It is so exhilarating to sing with all these talented people. We rehearse every Thursday night for 2.5 hours and the time just flies by. I love it so much! We are doing an oratorio written by Brett all about the Book of Mormon. The music ranges from exciting, to reverent, and then to extremely moving at times. I am very excited about our concert coming up on March 31st.

The End...of January that is.