A Family Affair

Ruby at The Aspen

Spencer at The Aspen

Mom, Spencer, Ruby, and Lady on the way Home from the Aspen

The entire family made the walk to the aspen today, including lady our cat. This is turning into quite the family event. This weekly habit has to be the most successful of them all.

This week no new habit, but a quick update on how we are doing:

Take the Stairs Haven't missed yet!

Eat My Own Lunch Doing great

A Walk to the Aspen A family Affair!

Finish My Own Dinner Almost there. I have caught myself picking up one of the kids forks a time or two!

Floss the Chops Again almost there. I have been much better, but I have fallen asleep on the couch a couple of times before taking care of bussiness, and then just went to bed.

Photos Taken: July 2, 2007

The Pond

This pond is near the aspen that I walk to. There seems to be a miniature forest growing in the middle of it. Often we have seen Moose, Elk, and Deer near this pond from the back porch or out he kitchen window. Spring and Fall are usually the most active for the larger ungulates in this area.

Photo Taken: June 30, 2007

A Walk with Preston

Lost in Thought

Almost Home

Preston joined me for my walk to the aspen today. We talked about him starting school this fall, a frog he recently caught, and his choice to be happy or sad.

I have some great kids!

Photos Taken: June 30, 2007

Play with the Kids

Weekly Habit # 6

Play with the Kids

I spend a lot of time with my kids. But what I am talking about here is going out in the yard or to the park and getting physical. Playing ball, running threw the water, tag, and the like. Something that gets the blood pumping. At first my goal is once a week, and then we may try to increase it.

How are we doing?

#1 Take the Stairs - Habit! Pat myself on the back for this one.

#2 Eat my Own Lunch - Great the last couple of weeks.

#3 A Walk to the Aspen - Need to do a little better here. Not bad, but can improve.

#4 Finish My Own Dinner - Not to bad; Until last night. Oops. We will get better.

#5 Floss the Chops - Did a great job. I had to go to the dentist again today, and I was able to tell them that I have flossed every day since my cleaning.

Photo Taken; June 25, 2007

Floss the Chops

Weekly Habit # 5

Floss the Chops

I made one of my bi-yearly visits to the dental hygentist today for a teeth cleaning. So this is where I have drawn inspiration for my latest weekly habit!

Putting my dental hygiene habits on display for all the world to see, has taken some considerable thought on my part. It isn't that I am that bad at keeping my choppers clean, but there is always room for improvement. I do floss, but I must admit it hasn't been a 'daily' habit. So my habit this week is to floss the chops daily.

I have been very busy the last few weeks, so I did miss a week of posting a new habit. I thought about trying to catch up, but have decided instead to keep it to Mondays, and not worry to much if I miss a Monday now and then. I would rather work on quality, not quantity.

How are we doing?

#1 Take the Stairs - Habit!

#2 Eat My Own Lunch - Haven't reached perfection yet, but we have seen vast improvement!

# 3 A Walk to the Aspen - Doing good. If I haven't made it to the aspen, I have done exercise of equal value! The kids and cows joined me for this mornings walk!

Kids and Cows on the way there!

Kids and Cows on the way back!

It was really quite funny! The kids followed me and the cows followed the kids! All the way there and all the way back!

Some of the best moments I have with my kids is when I just listen to them. On our little hike today I was listening to the three of them talk. They had conversations about cows needing to learn to wipe their butts better and dry cow poop, wet cow poop, and shot at cow poop!

#4 Finish My Own Dinner - Again I am doing better, and again I haven't reached perfection. But I am happy, because it has been more forward than back!

Photos Taken: June 11, 2007

Finish My Own Dinner

Early Morning Doe

Weekly Habit # 4

Finish my own dinner, not everyone elses.

A theme is begining to develop here. I have a bad habit of finishing up what the kids have left on their plates. This weeks habit is to finish my own dinner then leave everyone elses alone.

The Update:

# 1 Take the Stairs Habit! I haven't taken the elevator yet!

#2 Eat My Own Lunch This one has been tougher; however this last week was better. 3 of 4 days I succeeded. This week we are going for 4 of 4.

#3 Walk to the Aspen I walked to the aspen only once; however I still consider this one a success. The idea of this habit is exercise, and this past week I have been sore! I have had more exercise than I have had in a year or better. Some of it was yard work, some was work for the Association, but I have been one busy puppy this past week, and this old body feels it!

Photo Taken: May 10, 2007

A Walk to the Aspen

Weekly Habit # 3

Weekly habit 3 is to walk to the aspen behind our house at least 3 times a week! You can see the aspen grove in the photo to the right.



We had our first Barbaque of the year last week! During the summer we barbaque outside more than we cook inside.





The follow up:

When I started the weekly habit my brother Jared sent me an e-mail. He said "After 52 weeks of good habits you should be pretty healthy". That had to make me laugh. The goal for now is to get healthier. But in a month or two the main goal will change. It might have to do with finances, family, or a number of other such areas a guy like me needs a lot of improvement in.


Weekly Habit 1: Take the Stairs; Doing great with this one. Still have not used the elevator!

Weekly Habit 2: Eat My Own Lunch; Well not so good here. Last Tuesday I didn't take a lunch. The Safety Committee was having a barbaque. Ribeye steaks and all the fixins, including a cobbler to die for. Chef Verlen Andrews did it right! I wasn't going to count that against myself since I didn't take a lunch, but I ate way to much! And then Wednesday there was left over cobbler and ice cream. We're going down hill here aren't we. Thursday was a lunch for who knows what reason. Well there were lots of hot wings. Dang I love hot wings. Anyway by now you have the point, I failed miserably. But I haven't given up either. This week will be better. Can't get any worse.

Photos taken: May 7, 2007

Eat My Own Lunch

Weekly Habit Number 2

Everyday that I go to work, I take my own lunch. Angela usually makes it for me, from last nights leftovers, or maybe a sandwich. She always includes a piece of fruit or two. Anyway the point being, she makes me a very good sufficiently satisfying lunch.

What happens on a very regualar basis, is that vendors show up. Vendors are always trying to sweeten you up. They bring donuts, chocolates and every other imaginable type of goody. Cookies, candies, brownies, and the like are always around for the taking.

Also what happens quite often is that lunch is bought! If someone from corporate is coming, or if there are visitors of any kind, or any off the wall excuss someone can come up with, we send someone to town to buy lunch! Pizza, Deep fryed fish, Subway, Barbaques of hamburgers, etc. Always lots of extra food around.

Now being somewhat normal, (I did say somewhat), I tend to indulge in all the extra food lying around. So this weeks habit, "Eat My Own Lunch". My goal is if I didn't bring it in my pail, I won't eat it!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Now for last weeks habit: "Take the Stairs". I am happy to say that I did not use the elevator, not even once last week. On at least two occasions I had climbed in hit button 3, and then remember my 'habit' and quickly jumped out and raced the elevator up. I can beat the elevator. Its is actually quicker taking the stairs! I wouldn't say it is a 'habit' yet, but I am on my way! Can we make it two weeks?

Photo taken: May 3, 2007

Take the Stairs!

I have decided to start a new tradition on this here blog. Now first off I must confess that I have stolen this idea from a fellow blogger. She has a great blog and I enjoy it very much. She and her family are also some of my old Nevada friends.

I have followed her blog the last few weeks as she has been participating in "Smart Habits Saturday". To find out about "Smart Habits Saturday" you can go to the Beehive Academy and check out Montserrat's blog.

Now I have checked out how to join the group and get in on the fun, and have thought about it a time or two. The only problem I have had is that I noticed that the entire group is made up of women. Now don't get me wrong I like women. Heck I'm married to one. But anyway joining kinda felt like being the only man at a Tupperware party. It just didn't fit. My wife use to sell Mary Kay. I was dang good at finding things to do when she was having one of her "lets all get pretty" parties.

But I still think the idea is great! So each week I am going to try and start a new 'good' habit! Now to start, my habits are all aimed toward a goal. The goal is to improve my health. So each week I'll try to begin a new habit to help with my main goal.

This week my goal is to take the stairs. You see my office, at work, is on the 3rd mezzanine of the building. There is an elevator that I have been in the habit of taking to reach the floor of my office; however there are stairs! 72 of them! So my habit, which I started today, is to use the stairwell to get to and from my office. I made the trip up twice today. My knees hurt and I am out of breath by the time I hit the top. But if I keep the habit it should get much easier, and improve my health along the way. My job is sitting at a computer about 99% of the time, so I do not get much exercise at work.

Next week I'll will let you know how it's going, and hopefully start a new habit!

My office is the small middle window at the top right side of the building.

The Stairwell!

Photos taken: April 30, 2007