Home for the Holidays



 Christmas 2016 did not dissapoint
 Grandma and Grandpa came.
 There were books to be read.
 Gingerbread men to be baked
Muffins post a cold muffin run
 Christmas Program !
 Christmas dress that just so happens to match the angel on top of the tree!
 Snowboarding in the front yard!
 Skiing at Marquette Mtn. No... you need not be capable of saying your own name to score a pair of skis in this town. You better bet it was 100% advised by at Issac's 18 month check up.
Teaching is the highest form of learning, so may as well save money on ski school and put the 5 year old to work teaching ski lessons rights. I promise Mom is not checking Facebook or sipping Bailey's at this moment.
 Sledding. Sort of like the U.P. 200 sled dog race only Mama Jen Jen is the musher.
 YMCA fun ..the Mom's run. The kids craft and play. Can you beat it? Doubt it

 Christmas Eve Ski session. You have to be super cool or super geeky to wear goggle/glasses like that. ...and yes ..they are awesome!

 Candy on the jersey! Don't forget the gingerbread house!
 It was a team effort. Constructed and consumed by all.
 We so advanced from last years near disaster and didn't even need to utilize bbq skewers for extra support

 Santa delivered!
 A clubhouse and a bike!
 Seat dropper!!!!!
Party in the house!
 
The only way to keep Isaac out of trouble.

Time for Mom to step it up a notch. "Plank with no legs" as ordered by Annika. I double dog dare you to try this move. 
Plastic skis for an evening yard ski session. 

Gymnastics showcase!

Issac's first time wearing a chef's cap

He loves to cook.

and helping make dessert

and maybe his last?

Who can say no to a face like that? .... I don't know...maybe the person cleaning the mess



 Take it back outside....First day of Ski Cats. kid nordic ski program.


 Issac tags along.

Issac is technically too young for the official program

He feels he is the exact right size for the donut table.

Let's be 100% honest right here and right now. There is no child on this earth who will choose to nordic ski over alpine. Nordic skiing is about patience and grit. Alpine is about speed! However, nordic skiing is a great lifelong sport and bribes of donuts are acceptable and appropriate if we hope to keep the sport alive and well in future generations.

Let the record state Annika would like to try ski jumping. I mean it looks so easy on tv in real life. Can you spot the figure flying through the air? For the records ...we offer no bribes to encourage ski jumping in this family. 


How's the Boston training going? Well, the only injury to report around here would be a stress fracture to the treadmill deck. Just imagine being in the final minute of your last 5K  paced interval and hearing a crack.... as Annika said "Wow Mom, I'm glad that wasn't your leg." Yeah, me too.  It seems ironic that for years I would go so much longer in terms or time and distance just to avoid the intensity and fear of interval training only to come to a place of understanding and enjoying the need for intervals to break my treadmill...Ironic because the one thing more important that intensity is  consitency..and when you are a Mom of small children who nap and get sick....the easiest way to  maintain consistency is utilizing a treadmill.  After multiple knees scopes and hip replacements..my husband performed a deck replacement on the treadmill ...only the treadmill then needed a cardiologist accumulating static electricity and delivering shocks to the runner. I'm competitive and I love to run....but we all have our limits. I'd rather loose fitness and have to walk the Boston marathon than be repetitively shocked while training.  

 Let's be honest when it comes to the Boston marathon...I'm not really looking at a podium spot. I think what I have done over a lifetime and what I am doing will trump a few workouts missed due to not having a treadmill. OK and new treadmill is on the way
It's been a strange winter. It should really be called a Sprinter for half Spring half winter. It was above freezing all week , rained, then was beautiful for the kids race . 
And then dumped fresh ungroomed snow on to the race course and proceed to blizzard throughout the entire race.  I have been told that "I'm scary." Apparently racer #556 heard this rumor.
That's right. I'm coming for you!!!!!
In all honestly ...I passed racer number 556 at some point and then he edged past me entering the finishing chute. I was so tired from heaving myself through ungroomed snow for the entire race that I thought if I fell I would never get up. Experts say....The difference between me and really good female nordic skiers is they do "40 dips " in the weight room without a struggle and NOT baby dips....to think my strength regime consists of carrying a baby.

Tim won the Fatbike race at the Noque the day after the nordic race. He's not sure if he was the fastest or most skilled but he was the smartest and did not skip half the course like most of the field.


Sometimes it doesn't pay to go with the flow.
Pre race excitement. 
Catholic schools week....St.Elizabeth of Hungary for the win. You see when your veil gets tangled in the basket you are carrying ...the basket that really is a bit too big and heavy. It's full of bread to feed to poor ...and you almost fall over but persevere...there is no costume that can outshine your heart!