Hibernating!

It has been BITTERLY cold this January in Minnesota. I suppose it has been record setting in some way. And I suppose we have been kinda like bears, and been hibernating.

I am tired of games. I am tired of movies. We haven't done much, but here is a photo recap of January....

Mark and I did a ten day "transformation/cleanse". Unlike hibernating bears, my stored fat doesn't melt away as I sleep. So for ten days, we took vegan protein pills, drank some sort of vegan, nutrient rich liquid concoction, and repeated over and over per the schedule pictured above. We were never hungry, could "snack" on a small portion of fruit or vegetable three times a day, but had a HUGE DESIRE to chew real food. We powered through, felt great, gained energy, and lost ten pounds. We are each working to maintain our loss. I am continuing on with the "transformation" in a less intense form.

The kids did NOT go to school for an entire 5 day week the entire month of January. School was cancelled five days this past month due to what the school districts called "extreme and dangerous cold". And so I drove the kids to my Dad's in the DANGEROUS cold, Mark's parents drove down in the EXTREME cold, and Mark and I took turns working from home in the DANGEROUS, EXTREME cold, or the kids came with me to the office so that we could manage work and child care.

Funny how my parents managed to get me safely on the school bus down our long drive way in the country in the DANGEROUS and EXTREME cold when I was little. Funny how the elderly woman at church got to the one room school house pulled by a team of horses in the DANGEROUS and EXTREME cold in her day! (okay.... I will get off my soap box now!)

Marly probably took this photo above of Dean with the I pad while either Mark or I was ignoring them while we worked from the couch or kitchen.

One Saturday we battled cabin fever and checked out the History Museum in St. Paul.

Afterwords, we stopped at Candy Land. I swear, Mark and I BARELY cheated at ALL on the "cleanse". We might have ate like 4 jelly beans.... but it was JUST FOUR!

Dean competed in his first karate match. This was sponsored by PKS Studios. All the various franchise locations/kids could compete. Dean got Third Place in his age and belt level. There were three kids competing. (Lot of Love and Laughs) He forgot his moves/forms mid-way through the routine, and stopped dead! After a few LONG seconds, he picked up where he left off. Oh well... It was his first time!

Finally, this past Saturday, we went to check out the Winter Carnival ice sculptures in Rice Park and the snow sculptures at the State Fair grounds. We were joined by our friend Gavin, who we were baby sitting since his mom is a CPA and it's tax season, and his dad is an RN working his usual shift.