Sunny Day in the Snow -- by Tiffani

On Monday we didn't have school so we went outside to enjoy the snowy weather one last time. The sky was soo vibrant blue and the snow glittered and sparkled in the sun. There was still a layer of ice over the powdery snow and in some places we could stand on the ice without breaking it! It was very magical.While we were sledding, a HUGE bird of prey soared really close overhead it was super duper awesome! Outside was very warm and the first thing I did when we got outside was take off my coat. I thought that it would be really fun to see if I could stand being outside for a while with my swimming suit on but my brothers chickened out as soon as I mentioned the idea. After we went back inside, I changed into my swimming suit and went back outside and my mom took some pictures of me. (shown above)

Early morning inspiration

It's a Monday.

My alarm went off at 5 o'clock this morning.   There are usually just three days during the week that my alarm is set for 5 o'clock:  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday -- so I can make it to the 5:30 classes at the gym.

Mondays I go to a later class, to give me a chance to ease into the new week.  But I decided to get a jump-start on things and go to the 5:30 BodyPump class at my favorite gym today.

I'm glad I did, because the instructor was late getting started, so I had a chance to talk to the lady standing next to me in class.  I have seen her at the gym regularly for the past few years.  But we've always just exchanged smiles and "good morning"s.

Today I found out she is 69 years old (I would have guessed early sixties)!  Her Mom passed away at age 64, so she has exceeded that lifespan; her grandparents lived until they were 99 years old.  She is determined to live at least that long.  She lifts weights, walks on the treadmill, works out on the elliptical, and attends "Boot Camp" at the gym twice a week.  She gets there every morning at 5.

I feel inspired by this amazing woman's dedication to good health and a long life.  I have a renewed determination to live a healthy lifestyle.  I want to be the 69-year-old lady at the gym someday!

I'm glad I set my alarm on this Monday morning :)