it's official.... July will be my FIRST olympic distance triathlon...

I've been talking about signing up for a longer triathlon for years... and I made mention that I think I am ready... so Scott signed me up for the NJ State Olympic Triathlon yesterday. I've done MANY sprint triathlons... but this will be MUCH longer and involve MUCH more training. But I think I'm up for the challenge!!! So, in July both Scott and I will be competing... and hopefully both feeling proud after we cross the finish line!! We'll keep everyone updated on our progress!!!

feeling at home at "monkey joes"...

So, this past weekend (yes, I'm a bit slow posting the pics and story) the girls spent with my parents. They of course had a GREAT time (as always)... but this time they checked out "monkey joes", an indoor bounce facility!! They ALL had a great time!! Even Aunt Erin enjoyed the bouncies!! And little miss Elyse was told that she probably wouldn't be able to do everything... but she showed them!!! She was on ALL pieces of equipment... and LOVING it!! So, here are some pics of their fun....

Angela's first snowman...

And by first snowman, we mean the first one she's pretty much done on her own!!! She was sooo excited to get him dressed and then Elyse was trying to knock him down... so nothing different than usual in our household!! But here are a few pics of the kiddos enjoying the snow!!!

Give us a Shout Out!!!

I copied this off of another blog I read and thought it would be a great idea to do on our family blog, as well. I often wonder how many people look at our blog on a daily or weekly basis and now is my chance to find out. If you come onto our blog to read our updates, just post a comment underneath this thread. Even if you happened to stumble upon us by accident, just leave a note. I would love to know who reads about us and who stays up to date on the Reedells. We appreciate it more than you will ever know.....so, give us a shout out...I know you are out there!

And then the fire alarms go off....

so I didn't put this into my "story about our vacation"... but this definately made it "interesting". So, we were staying on the 24th floor of the building. It was sunday afternoon, the girls didn't get to take a nap becasue we got back tooo late... and so we were "just hanging out" in the condo. The next thing we know, the fire alarms start going off and across the loudspeaker it says "a fire emergency has been reported. Please remain calm and wait for further information". So, we figured it was "just a drill" or a "false alarm". Well, after a few minutes, we see the firetrucks pull up to the front of the building (we could see it from our balcony). At that point, the announcement went to "please evacute the building. Do not take the elevators." So, we all threw our shoes and coats on, I grabbed the girls blankies and cups, my purse and started down the 24 flights of stairs. As we were going down the steps we could see some smoke on one of the floors... so we knew we had to keep on going. As we got to the lobby, the firemen were walking through with all of their tools... and it was a surreal situation. A few mintues later, they gave the all clear. It turned out that someone had burned food in their kitchen (all of the condos had full kitchens) and instead of opening the door to the balcony, they opened the one to the hallway, hence the smoke. So, there was "no real danger"... but boy was it "exciting". But on the bright side, at least we didn't have to climb 24 flights of stairs with the kiddos in our arms!!!!

back from our winter vacation....

So, happy february everyone!!! We just got back from a nice trip to the Jersey shore. And before you ask... what is there to do at the shore in the winter... all I can say is PLENTY!!!

We stayed in Atlantic City, at the Wyndham Skyline Tower... and it was beautiful. I LOVED having my car valet parked each time we pulled up to the builiding, the views from our balcony was breathtaking

... and we had a jacuzzi tub... which the girls used EVERY single night! The girls even sang in a Karaoke party they had at the resort too... it was the ABC song... and they were just tooo cute for words (Angela sang and Elyse licked the microphone!!). And the real reason we stayed at this condo was that they had a NICE indoor pool. Even when it was snowing like crazy the pool was NICE AND WARM... and our two little fishes spent MUCH time with HUGE smiles on their faces while swimming.

But just to list a few of the things we went and did, we went to the Rainforest Cafe (with Aunt Erin... ), to the Pier at Ceasars to play on the indoor beach and watch the water show, to visit Aunt Gerry and then she stayed overnight at our condo (so Scott and I could get out and enjoy some "alone time", went to the Cape May Zoo and Park (the girls LOVED seeing all the animals and playing on their HUGE playground), went to Harrah's Casino and enjoyed their pool and different "water views", went to Ocean City (NJ) and walked on the boardwalk (and the girls collected shells for Bob... my 13 year old hermit crab....), and then we got to enjoy the BEAUTY of the NJ shore with snow!! I went out for a morning run on wednesday and had to take my camera... it was unbelievable. I've seen pics on tv of the shore with snow... but it pales in comparison to the "real thing". It was sooo beautiful!!!!

So, as you can tell, we were NICE and busy while being away... and enjoyed EVERY single second of it!!! Hope you had a wonderful week... and talk to you all soon!!!

Behold the spinning class...

So, since I fell off the "workout wagon" for a few months between getting the house ready for sale, packing, moving, unpacking, then the holidays... I decided the month of january was going to be "my big month". So, I've been working out at least once a day and most days it's two good workouts (either runs, rides on our bike trainer, or on-demand workouts... or combinations of several) . And my "new workouts" have been a spinning class... but it's at 5:45am on tuesdays and thursdays!! Although it's sort of hard to get out of bed at that time, I LOVE this class!! It really works you harder than any other class out there... and I think I've done them all!!! So, if you are looking for somethng a little different, give a spin class a try... it's lots of fun... and LOTS of sweating too!!!!

31 years ago today....

I came into this world... and from what I heard, it was a nice snowy day like today (of course it was the blizzard of 78... so there was MUCH more snow at the time)!!! Each year my dad "blames" the "bad weather" on it being my birthday... and maybe this is why I am a "snow lover" at heart!!!
I was delighted when we finally got some snow... more than a trace!! We've had many "little bits of snow" in the last few months, but this time we actually had a whole day of snow (monday, january 19th) and now the ground is TOTALLY white and beautiful. And best of all, now we have PLENTY of room for the girls to fly down the hill on their sled. I just can't get over how beautiful the view is out over the backyard from our sunroom... and here are some pics to prove it.... just breathtaking!!! Have a great day all!!!

BRRRRR....

So, suposedly tomorrow will be the COLDEST day in 5 years... and boy is it going to be cold!!! sounds like it will be a high of 18 tomorrow... feels more like Alaska than Pennsylvania... Yipes... Make sure you stay nice and warm during this cold snap... and always feel free to warm up with our frequently updated blog!!!!

feeling even MORE like winter now...

So, we had some more snow on saturday (not MUCH at all... but enough to make the ground white and look all "winter like") but now we are in beginning of a deep freeze. From what we've been hearing on the news, the highs will be in the teens by this weekend... yipes... hope everyone stays NICE and WARM during these REALLY cold time!!!!! Oh, and this will be the "last picture" of our house with holiday decorations on it... they are coming down today... so goodbye till next year....

and here is Elyse "making her mark" on our sliding glass door the backyard... there are ALWAYS lip and nose prints... gotta love toddlers....

E-A-G-L-E-S....

So, although we do have a GIANTS fan (Scott) who lives here, Angela was "cheering" for the Eagles. At school on friday they had a Pep Rally... and it was sooo cute. They were asked to wear Eagles wear (which isn't allowed in this house....) or at least green to school. They made eagles hats, signs, and of course learned "fly eagles fly"... It was tooo cute!!!! Here are some pics of the group and of Angela. I also sent them into our local news station, so if you are in the area, and watch channel 6 (abc) news, The Cornwells Christian Day School picture could be on there!!!!

and Angela... she does this "I'm in pain smile now"... so please ignore that....

Housewarming Party...

Wow... what a weekend. So, we had planned a housewarming party for saturday night... and of course it decided to snow!! We still had it, but sadly some of our family and friends couldn't make it due to the weather, but it was a GREAT time!! We had somewhere around 40 adults and 24 (I think) here at one time. Thanks to everyone who made the trekk out in the BAD weather... and I believe the party was a HUGE success!!!!

our trip up north...

We just got back from spending part of the weekend in Scranton (acutally in Clarks Summit...) with my Aunt Alison, Uncle Bob, and cousins Avery and Jerimiah and their dog Rox (which LOVED Elyse since she was right at his level and she liked to feed him!). We had a GREAT time. And Angela was "chef Angela" this weekend. She helped make dinner and breakfast.. and both were VERY yummy. She was VERY proud to be wearing an apron and her chef hat... and too cute to even put into words. We were all (the adults of course) enjoying our "wine before dinner" and we poured Angela a glass of applejuice in a white wine glass... so she was "a big girl drinking her wine" too.

The girls even got to try out a good sledding hill in the front yard... and had a blast... too bad it was REALLY cold, but they were ALL smiles during the whole time.

And Miss Elyse, well, she has mastered steps now, going up and down, up and down, tooo many times to count just with holding onto the railing ... she's growing up sooo quickly. Now if she would just get some teeth... hopefully by the time she goes to kindergarten... but only time will tell!!

A GREAT way to start 2009!!!

First of all.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We had the pleasure again of rining in the new year in New York City... just NOT in Times Square. We ran in the Annual Midnight Run in Central Park. It was a GREAT time... eventhough it was around 15 degrees with a windchill of -5!! This year we figured out EXACTLY where to park, picked up our numbers and shirts, then headed to a bar to warm up before we would freeze during the race. And this was a great idea... after a few drinks we were ALL READY TO RUN! We met up with another runner at the bar and gabbed for a while and then headed out to the race area. We got our "free nuts" since Emerald Nuts was the sponsor this year, and then made our way to the start line. We all did a countdown to new years along with the rest of NYC, then got to watch the fireworks (the pics are a bit blurry since I was walking....) as we were walking to the start line. The "champagne toast" at the 2 mile mark was "refreshing" since it was more of a slushy due to the temps... but it's a GREAT way to start 2009 in a NICE and HEALTHY way!!! If you are ever in the NYC area for new years, check into this race... it's a blast!!! Here are some pics of our night....

fun times at home...

The girls have been enjoying their MANY gifts (thanks to everyone by the way!) from the holidays... and here are a few pics of them having fun.....

the girls got personalized bean bag chairs from our realtor... and they LOVE them... and yes, Angela is a ham...

and Elyse is all about comfort... especially with blankie!!!and the girls playing on the sit and spin, the zebra... having too much fun to desribe...

Yes, it's a few days early... but....

HAPPY NEW YEARS from Angela and Elyse!!!

We made the mistake of buying "the horns" and letting them see them... and the poor people near us at the mall knew where we were at all times. Angela figured out how to make noise RIGHT AWAY... it took Elyse a minute or two... and then we had to "mad trumpeters" all through the mall. We will be spending new years in NYC (sands kids... they'll be staying with mom-mom and pop-pop... thanks mom and dad!). I think this is our 5th or 6th year of doing the Midnight Run in Central Park. It starts at the stroke of midnight, you run through central park, amidst all of the fireworks... a GREAT way to start out 2009!!!

Hope your whole 2009 is DEVINE!!!

The Rolling Reedells!!!

So, finally we found some time to get ourselves to our local roller skating rink. I've been sooo excited to put both of the girls on skates for a LONG time... and we did yesterday (December 27th). We went to "the Palace Roller Skating Center" for the 10 years and under skating session. It was GREAT!! Both girls were VERY excited to get their skates on, and off they went. Angela needed little assistance and began to skate like a champ. Elyse also did VERY well. Her skates were laced up and away she went. Elyse got MANY comments from parents holding up their MUCH larger children about how well she was doing... and I must say, I was VERY proud of both of my girls!! Maybe there is roller skating in their futures?? Ha-ha... I guess only time will tell!!!!

A Christmas to Remember!!!

Wow... can you believe that christmas is all over with? Whew... it really flew by... but we ALL had a great few days!!! Our "family time" actually started early since we had some ice on wednesday so Scott stayed home from work.... yeah for 5 day weekends!!! We did go to our candlelight church service on christmas eve, and the girls did GREAT. They were dressed in christmas dresses with their formal black jackets.. too cute for words!! Then we came home and put out the "magical reindeer food", milk and cookies for Santa, then it was off to bed. Angela was sooo excited for the morning to come, but Elyse still had no clue.

So, the next morning, the girls were up and they tore into their stockings and presents with MANY smiles! It was sooo much fun to see the excitement on their faces. I can only imagine what next year will bring! Here are some pics from christmas morning at our house!

Then it was off for an early nap, since we still had to go to the "big family get together" at Aunt Carla's House. That party started around 3pm... and Angela and Elyse loved seeing all of their family members. And of course getting even MORE presents. It was just soooo cute how happy they were!!And a nice present to us was that my cousin Katie asked for Angela to stay over night at mom-mom and pop-pop's house (they were staying over while they were visiting), and of course everyone said yes, so we were down to one kiddo!! We came home, enjoyed a late dinner, just the three of us, and then it was off to bed for Miss Elyse.

Then it was friday, also known as Boxing Day. Since my mom had to work on christmas day (we did see her for a bit) we had planned a small get together for my parents, Scott's parents, and my sister at our house. So, besides seeing grandparents and aunt Erin, they were even more excited to see MORE presents. And we are still crossing our fingers that Dad Reedell continues on his recovery from his most recent surgery. We are hoping that 2009 brings only GOOD THINGS to him! Oh, and here are some pics....

Whew... that was ALOT in a few days... but it was LOTS of fun!!! Thanks to everyone for all of the new toys, clothes, etc, for the girls... we are VERY lucky to have such wonderful families!!! Hope your Holidays continue to be fabulous into 2009!!!!

Angela's Christmas Show at School...

Angela has worked VERY hard on learning MANY new songs for the christmas show... and she did VERY well!! On monday, everyone got to show off their singing talents... some more than others, but it was sooo cute. All of the kiddos were in their little santa hats with bells on them, then we had a VERY nice lunch at the school. Now they are off until the new year... so great job to all the teachers and kiddos at Cornwells Christian Day School!!!

ah the smell of a fresh cut christmas tree!!

As soon as we bought this house Scott says "I really want a real christmas tree"... so on saturday night we loaded the girls up and bought our first real christmas tree. It was a nice having the immediate smell of fresh pine in the house. We put it up in our sunroom and put some lights on it. We wanted to keep it simple with just white lights and a few red bows... it looks very nice, especially at night when it's all dark in there, we can see it from our family room and kitchen... just feels like the holidays!!! And of course the cats LOVE having another source of "fresh water" in the tree stand... so they want it to stay... silly kitties....