Two week step summary

Well - it's harder than I thought. I told you I'd be honest, so here it goes...my average daily number of steps for the first two weeks was 7,392. (And for those of you who want the specifics...5914, 8395, 8257, 5166, 1945, 7527, 3934, 6487, 10716, 10587, 8521, 8235, 10641, 7164.) I'll admit, I was a bit frustrated at the beginning because I didn't think my pedometer was working correctly. I was more than willing to accept the fact that I may not reach the 10K mark daily, but by golly, I wanted credit for the steps I was taking. Nevertheless, I worked out the kinks and will strive to reach 10K daily steps and increase my daily average during the month of March. Stay tuned!

21 pounds 13 ounces

So those are the numbers Thompson is posting these days. Of course, we were curious what he weighed and found out this morning when we took him to his pediatrician to see if the snotty nose and cough he's had for the past eight days was developing into something more serious. Good news - no, bad news - double ear infection. Needless to say, we were quite surprised. Not to worry though, nothing gets Thompson down these days. I just considered him blessed to have made it 14 1/2 months without an ear infection.

Cleaning...

It's a tough job, but someone around here has to do it, so why shouldn't it be me!? With the two middle sections of the Swiffer removed, it fits me perfectly. I think mommy and daddy would be proud!

10,000 Steps

As you may (or may not) be aware, it is recommended we take 10,000 steps a day in an effort to reduce our risk for disease (especially heart disease) and lead longer, healthier lives. Who knew something as simple as walking could have such a dramatic impact on our health!? For Bobby's employer The Cliffs Communities, wellness is an integral component of their mission, and as such, they are encouraging their employees to wear pedometers and track their daily number of steps. To this end, The Cliffs hopes entire families will join in the effort and take the "10,000 Steps a Day" challenge.

With this said, Bobby and I are participating and we encourage you - our family and friends - to join us. Our desire for each of you is that you live the healthiest life you can and take "steps" that will reduce your risk for heart disease, etc. Let us know if you are up for the challenge. I'll be honest and keep you posted on my progress as I am sure some days will be more eye-opening than others. I've listed a couple websites below that you can reference if you've got questions, need more information, or are just wondering, where and how do I begin?

http://www.pbs.org/americaswalking/health/health20percentboost.html
http://www.shapeup.org/shape/steps.php
http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html

Happy Walking!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Thompson and Ma-mere

Busy Bees

The first full week of February found the Joneses busy little bees. Bobby went to Jacksonville, FL the first part of the week for ACES,a professional development conference he attends annually. He was able to join up with Rachel and Rodney van Buren, dear friends that we met during our short stint in West Virginia. And while there would have been plenty for Thompson and Avery to do at home, they decided to hit the road as well and headed to Atlanta. They stayed with Avery's college roommate Catherine and were able to catch up with college friend Jeanne and camp friend Lauren. Thompson was excited to meet Jeanne's son Sam for the very first time and looks forward to seeing Lauren's son Sam very soon! The Joneses returned home safely Wednesday night and spent the remainder of the week catching up. Avery enjoyed a girls night out Thursday evening. Thompson enjoyed a birthday-playdate Friday afternoon. On Friday evening, Avery's mom arrived for the weekend. Thompson loved visiting with his Ma-Mere! As a bonus, mommy and daddy were able to enjoy an early Valentine's dinner Saturday night at Fijores. Yummy! (Did you know that our first date was February 15, 1998? Where does the time go!?) And so concludes this week for the busy bees...

Look Outside Mom

After lunch, Thompson wanted to make certain I saw the same snowflakes he did. What better way to discover the world again, than through the eyes of a child! We love it!

You'll also notice Thompson's new "kicks" which he wore yesterday for the first time without tripping over himself.

What are you watching?

Have you ever wondered what people have scheduled to record on their DVRs/TiVos? If you are wondering about us, here's our list...

1. 24
2. Lost
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. The Unit
5. CSI: Crime Scene Invesigators (the original)
6. Criminal Minds
7. Ghost Whisperer
8. Survivor
9. The Amazing Race
10. American Idol
11. Law & Order: SVU
12. Law & Order: CI
13. Friday Night Lights
14. Fly-Fishing the World
15. Fly-Fishing America
16. Best Places to Find Cash and Treasure
17. History's Detectives
18. NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball and NFL (as needed in season)

What's on yours?

Catching Up

Well, it's been a while since I found the time to sit down and post on our blog. (Not that I haven't been at the computer, just not in "blog-mode"!) Anyways, Thompson is always on the move these days, which makes it increasingly difficult to capture a picture of him. I'll try to get a few up soon. It was a busy January, and February appears to be getting off to a similar start. Fortunately, the ice and snow dodged Asheville, which actually made me happy as I'd rather have a "big" snow than a dusting of ice that is a bugga-bear with which to deal.