No, we didn't die--our computer did

It seems like FOREVER since our last post. Our hard drive crashed, we had to order a new one, and I've been Internet-less for a week. And it felt like eternity. I had no idea what was going on in the world, and I had to call up Steve and have him read my emails over the phone. I guess I never realized how much we rely on our computer!

Thanksgiving was fun. We got to see Steve's aunt and Uncle from Utah, who we hadn't seen for 5 years, and got to see Heather and David too. In fact, Heather and I ran the Thanksgiving 5K! It was my first 5K in 10 years! I came in 16th out of 37 in my age division, and Heather came in 15th out of 37 in hers, and we came in at 28min, 27 seconds. Good thing for performance-enhancing drugs. I had a sinus infection and was on amoxicillian. It didn't really help with mile three much, unfortunately. I pretty much couldn't breathe at all at that point. It was 20F but 7 degrees with the windchill (that's -16C) that day, so I think the cold was our incentive to move fast!

Before the race

And after the race. Notice Whitney? She somehow made it in the picture, even though we told her the picture was just going to be Mommy and Heather

Ray and Julie Beck. It was so good to see them!

New Haircut, New Jeans, and the Yogis

I got my hair cut a week ago. I like it a lot. I really wanted it to look like Victoria Beckham's hair, but I just chicken out on how short her hair really is. I don't have a problem with short. I have a problem with yucky grow-out hair.

Back in July I bought a pair of jeans at target for $6.40. I LOVE them. The only problem is, they're about 4 inches--yes FOUR inches too long for me. So my awesome friend Emily(who is just 5 feet tall and EVERYTHING'S too long for her) showed me how to hem them up by keeping the store-bought hemmed look and not make them dorky looking. After we got my machine working (we have a love/hate relationship--the machine, not me and Emily) it only took about 5 minutes to do. Here's the final project:

It's amazing how Whitney wants to be a big girl in every aspect. Here she is doing early morning Yoga with me. She loves it, and she's so funny when she does it. She takes it SO seriously. Joshua's really likes doing Yoga too. I checked out a Yoga for kids DVD from the library and he's really starting to get into it. I'll have to take a picture of him doing it too and post it.

Tagged Times Two

This past week I've been tagged by my two friends Alyssa and April. I decided to do them both at the same time, so here they are:

Alyssa's tag:
Here are the rules which must be posted on your blog if you are tagged:
Link to your tagger and post these rules.
Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people and list their names (linking to them).
Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

1. Even though I seem to be a healthy 27 year old woman, I've had three surgeries in the past three years. I had appendicitis four months after my husband (just six weeks after I gave birth to Whitney). While they were taking out my appendix, they fixed a hernia I got from being pregnant with Whitney. I've had that hernia reparied again just last year. And to think, I'm in the prime of my life!!!
2. I have a political split personality. I'd have to consider myself as an American Democrat. I've hesitated coming out with this statement (I think I'd be shot by some people for saying this), but I'm afraid it's true. However, I'd consider myself as a Canadian conservative. The funny thing is, I've never really flip-flopped on my views, it's just that an American Democrat's views would be considered to be pretty conservative up in Canada, and I think most Canadians would have a stroke if they realized how much more conservative one can get being an American Republican. Nevertheless, I'm pretty stereotypical Canadian in my diplomacy, so you can have any political view you want and I'll still be your friend:)
3. Ever since I moved to college, I've never lived in the same place for more than three years.
4. I'm a closet writer. Not successful, that's why I don't really tell anyone about it. I've written one full novel and I'm close to finishing a second. I've submitted freelance pieces to newspapers, magazines, etc. but so far no luck.
5. I love Jane Austen, the Beatles, and Sarah Mclachlan
6. I hate it when radio stations play Christmas music on Halloween
7. I want to go back and get my Masters in Speech Language Pathology

April's tag:
8 Things you might not know about me

Well, I posted the first seven above :) and number 8 is...

I have gotten to the point where I prefer my own cooking to that of a restaurant's. It's become such a hobby of mine, that I prefer my Chicken Parmigana to any other Italian restaurant I go to. If only I could hire someone to bus tables for me :)

That's it! I tag...Heidi, Laura, Rachel, Robyn, Sarah Severson, Debbie, and Crystal

Happy Halloween!

Elizabeth Bennet with her trusty Unicorn and hockey player Ales Hemsky

Mr. Darcy is here to see you

Those goofy kids!

I must say the past two weeks (and especially yesterday) it's been so fun to be a mom. Both my kids were SO excited for Halloween. They were SO excited to go trick-or-treating, and they were both so wide-eyed and taking it all in. To be a kid again and to see the world like that :) I finished Steve's costume and was quite impressed with myself. When we went down Mass. Street tons of people commented on that costume, and I thought "I sewed that! ME. I don't sew!" I was quite excited too. Now we just have to deal with the Halloween detox.