Somewhat chilly morning, a little bit of misty rain. Went really SLLLOOOWWWLY along the canal. I think I'm catching Dan's cold. :( Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 0 ft Location: Sun Lakes, AZ Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 12/06/09 Up/Downhill: [+0/-0] Time: 06:45 AM Difficulty: 0 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   43 F temp; 76% humidity   43 F heat index; winds NE 6 Performance Distance: 5.61 miles Time: 1:04:17 Speed: 5.2 mph Pace: 11' 27 /mi Heart Rate: 154 bpm (Avg) Calories: 608 179 bpm (Peak)   Elevation (ft)

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December 3rd

Three Christmas activities... with time at an all time low for the next few weeks and the pressures of work not letting up anytime in the foreseeable future, Christmas this year is getting some skimps.

For instance... I've had to bow out of our annual cookie baking jamboree with my work gal pals. However I DID get Otis Spunkmeyer's premade cookies. In fact, I baked a batch tonight for my boys. Peanut butter and Carnival (or M&M). Joe and Dan seemed please even if they weren't from scratch!

I STILL need to hang up the Christmas lights, write out annual Christmas letter and finish shopping for gifts. Those are my three priorities for the week (or weekend!).

The clock is rapidly ticking towards Christmas. I feel completely ill-prepared! :)

A chilly morning and I felt GREAT did the 1st full mile (after warm up) is 9:45... a good time! :) Hip is still bugging a bit, need to have Dr. Sue fix me up. Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1274 ft Location: Chandler Heights, AZ Elev. Gain: -4 ft Date: 12/03/09 Up/Downhill: [+22/-26] Time: 06:00 AM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0   Weather: Clear   37 F temp; 69% humidity   37 F heat index; winds NE 7 Performance Distance: 4.30 miles Time: 0:45:10 Speed: 5.7 mph Pace: 10' 30 /mi Heart Rate: 155 bpm (Avg) Calories: 508 182 bpm (Peak)   Elevation (ft)

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December 2nd

My friend Traci shared this song with me again today and it's totally in my head and I LOVE IT!!!! So, I thought I'd share with you all as well. :)

Christmas Weather: Phoenix, Arizona doesn't get snow... well not very often anyway. I don't mind visiting the snow but I don't think I EVER want to live in snow again. Carrying a coat every where is just tiresome, shoveling snow is only fun when you are someplace for a visit I think everyday it would just be tiresome (our landscape is desert for a reason! LOW MAINTENANCE!), snow tires, driving on ice? Yes I do NOT have those mad skills.

I like our heat and warmth. It's still cool enough to make me miss the heat of summer and want a fire. Thanksgiving in Michigan every other year is when I want my snow... just for the weekend, just for a visit. Yup, that works perfectly for me.

I DO think I am solar powered!

December 1st

WOW!!! Where has this year GONE?? IT has FLOWN by!

Last year, I took Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas... I took the pictures, wrote some words but somehow never created the book. I think that, in part, was due to a project I made for a gift exchange... I made HER the book I was planning to use!

However THIS is a brand new year and I am ready to rock and roll. Joe helped me created a special journal from a moleskin book, we have inked and stamped the pages thus far. I plan to write in it as many days as I can as I enjoyed the experience last year and when I run across the journaling and pictures it makes me smile. Eventually maybe I'll have one full album for Christmas... or at least a Moleskin notebook!

December 1st, 2009 finds me in Santa Clara for a face-to-face meeting with our smaller EMM team and then, tomorrow, our larger CED team. The past few weeks have been stressful at work with lots of crazy spare parts related issues. Today was no exception and the next wave comes tomorrow.

I'm also having HUGE success with the photography business. I'm SO blessed with all the people contacting me to have images taken and I LOVE THAT JOB! I get to meet new people, play with adorable children for an hour, give them a sugary lollipop for a job well done and then send them home with their parents just as they are getting bored and on a sugar high! I LOVE capturing images of people being real, trying to draw them out and recognize WHO they are through the lens. Each person is so unique and beautiful. A true treasure to be cherished and enjoyed. Have I mentioned I LOVE MY JOB???!!!!

Okay, off to bed for this evening, I can't believe Christmas is just 24 short days away! UGHHH!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1222 ft Location: Sun Lakes, AZ Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 11/26/09 Up/Downhill: [+6/-6] Time: 07:15 AM Difficulty: 2.2 / 5.0   Weather: A Few Clouds   45 F temp; 33% humidity   45 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 6.00 miles Time: 1:08:41 Speed: 5.2 mph Pace: 11' 26 /mi Heart Rate: 164 bpm (Avg) Calories: 650 174 bpm (Peak) Notes Started off chilly but was a GORGEOUS sunrise! Susan was there leading the way as I struggle with my pulled serratus which makes it very difficult to breath (especially when running!). Susan was a trooper who dealt encouragingly with my side pain and sore booty (from the P.T.'s work out yesterday). We made a little over 6 miles (and would have gone all the way to McQueen had construction not stopped us. A good slow run and the calorie burn I need for our scrumptious Thanksgiving meal later today. Map   Elevation (ft)

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I ♥ Faces: Sun Flare

Throwing my image into that hat again! :)

I love this picture because the kids were just being kids, taking a break from the photo session we were having. The sunset was gorgeous and they were just playing in the grass with twigs and pine cones. Utterly ADORABLE!