Adventures in Homeschool

We decided to homeschool Alexandra and officially started last week.  This is a new adventure for her and me...so keep posted as we blog about our learning fun.  Alexandra is very excited and is full of enthusiasm and has a natural love for learning.  My challenge will be to keep up with her...she's thinking of new things to learn and explore all the time.  She likes to look things up when she has questions and has a very inquisitive mind. 

We started another blog for Alexandra to share her homeschool experiences. http://alexandrahs.blogspot.com/

Fitness Challenge

I just started a 90 day fitness challenge this week.  I gained 8 lbs since moving to WI.  I am not sure why...but I need to lose it  and a few more and basically get in shape.  My energy levels tend to suffer and I feel so much better when I exercise.  Dale has been wanting to get fit as well.  A gal that I went to High School with is a Beach Body Coach and is always posting stuff on Facebook.  Since, I was already thinking I needed to do something...I decided to hop on board a fitness challenge that she posted up starting this past Monday.  I have been taking hour walks with Dexter this week.  On Wednesday I brought Alexandra and she was a trooper, despite all the complaints. :)  I also have done a  couple of workout DVD's too.  Dale and I actually went together yesterday.   I really enjoyed going with him....and we jogged a good portion of the way.  It's much easier not having to handle the dog the whole way and Dale is much better at keeping him in line. 

This is the Beach Body website for anybody interested:  http://teambeachbody.com/   I just am doing the free trial membership.  I've been logging my workouts and you can set goals etc.  I would love it if I had some personal friends to chat with this stuff about.  So, if you are working on your own goals, let me know! 

Vote for Dexter!

We entered Dexter in the Bissell MVP pet photo contest.  The Grand Prize Winner will be able to donate $10,000 to their favorite pet charity.  We decided that on behalf of Dexter that it should go to American Brittany Rescue...although Bengal Cat Rescue is near and dear to our hearts as well. We hope to gain enough votes and also get the perks of a pet shopping spree and a pet vacuum or deep cleaner.  :) 

http://www.bissell.com/mvp_PetDetail.aspx?id=8590087090

Dexter's entrant # is 0901600

Voting is until March 11th

Green Smoothies

I attended a Ladies Group in Provo in November and was introduced to Green Smoothies.  These are a yummy and healthy breakfast and also a way to get your kids to get some good nutrition.  I am hoping that it will help some other busy moms on the go. Ruth: hint hint  

Here is the recipe shared with us.

Simple Green Smoothie by Leslie Smoot

2 Big Handfuls of Organic Spinach

1 Organic Apple quartered

1 Banana frozen

1/2 cup Almond Milk or water

Agave Nectar to taste

Place your greens into a blender; add the apple, banana, liquid and blend.  Now add the ice and blend until smooth.  Taste your "very green" smoothie.  If you want to make it sweeter, add a little agave nectar.

Her note*  I could consume this  for breakfast day after day and never tire of it.  The smoothie will taste sweet because of the fruit, but the greens are the key ingredient.  Dark leafy greens give you so much energythat I often tell friends I work with that they can forget the coffee if they start drinking a green smoothie!  You can add other dark leafy greens such as beet greens, kale collard and more.  You can also substitute or add other fruits to this recipe-have fun and enjoy!

I've personally made this with pears which is also yummy and done a few different variations.  This is also a link they shared with us.

http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/

 

New Blog Template

So, I decided to try to find a new template for our blog. Let me know what you think....yes or no?

Why not?

I recently started reading a friends blog and decided it might be nice to start one. I have now moved many miles away from all my friends and family and think this will be a nice way for them to stay connected to the happenings in the Lake household.

We have moved to Verona, Wisconsin just outside of Madison. Yes, we did move in the middle of winter, but we didn't move from the tropics...so as Utahns I think we can handle it. Plus, as we know from our summer out here in 2008...there is nice weather coming. We are enjoying it out here and it is a very nice place to live. The ward out here has been great and we really had a great time staying with and getting to know the Husted family our first week out here.

Alexandra just turned 10 last week. It's amazing that our little girl has been with us a whole decade already. She has been such an amazing person right from the start and we feel so blessed to have her as a daughter. She's been anxiously waiting until her 10th birthday to get her ears pierced, so that's what we did on her birthday and after that we went out for Chinese food. We had a party for her at my sister's house about a month before her birthday so that she could celebrate it with her cousins before our big move.