Puzzle complete

We did it! Thank you Bonnesons! I think this puzzle was the most fun one I've ever done. It was fun to just touch the wooden pieces! The shapes were so unique and the colors popped. Everyone had a hand in the construction... though we finished 1000 pieces quickly, many man hours went into it. We saved the last few pieces for Chad to complete when he got home from work. I may have had to slap a few hands to preserve its unfinished state. The thing was addicting. I wonder if more puzzles will be in our future? Everyone sure seemed to enjoy it. But not much else got done so...

100 days of school is coming up for the kindergarten. Jaedyn is preparing for McKinley's celebration. I think I have seen every single child of mine walking around the house with this gray wig, glasses, and cane... and it only just arrived yesterday! Many are claiming it for Halloween. I may have to get more to prevent fights... we'll all just be a bunch of grannies! Or maybe the girls can, Chad can dress up as a wolf, and I'll wear a red hood!

Jaedyn has recently been inspired by soccer and would like to play again. To prepare, she has started getting up in the mornings to exercise with Chad and I. That's 5:45 am most days. If that doesn't spell dedication, I don't know what does. In fact, she begged me to turn on the light and when that failed, she started begging me to physically drag her out of bed. It makes me so happy having those girls out there with me in the mornings. And in true Jaedyn fashion, she is helping us chronicle our everyday lives. Today she also snapped a few pix of breakfast. Does she have a future in photography? We will see...

Lilia also has been inspired by my offer to take her from school and adventure with her this spring if she can keep up hiking the hills. So, as I mentioned, she is working hard to train for a 5K to build up her leg strength and cardiovascular fitness. Here she is on the treadmill this morning, clearly thrilled to have her picture taken. She has come home several times in the last few weeks telling me about running during PE, or improvement in skills at gymnastics, or just mentioning it was a really good day. When I ask her why, she replies "I think it's the running. I just feel really good". And she is getting so excited in the improvement in her speed and distance. I love when hard work pays off. It's a valuable lesson for these girls to be learning.

One last thought. Often when I exercise, I listen to the podcast Follow Him. I don't know when else I would have the time as their weekly casts are 2 hours long! I've gained a lot of insights and really enjoy the personalities of the hosts. I think I will periodically share here some thoughts that have been shared and stuck with me. Recently, speaking of doing hard things, they were discussing the value of fasting and stated that "fasting helps discipline our bodies to do hard things". Isn't it interesting how the Lord asks us to do certain things and in doing them we are blessed in multiple ways? There is great power in fasting. And the blessings are so varied and numerous. But I had never really considered it to be a physical blessing. The Lord really does love us. 

The other great quote from recently, came from the discussion of the BeAttitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. When speaking of meekness. We may be tempted to associate that word with weakness due to the world's view of power. But we are to develop Christ-like attributes, and Christ was meek. So instead, they encouraged us to consider a truer definition of meekness that does not come from a worldly cultural belief. "Meekness is great power under complete control". Wow. Sure changes things, doesn't it? There really is great power in self mastery and I've loved the discussion this week in reference to telestial, terrestrial, and celestial laws and what it means to "become".