A command center

Over Christmas break we did some organizing. One thing I really wanted was a "command center". I've heard this term on organizing blogs as a place for the family to keep important items they can drop off as soon as they come through the door. We found this coat rack with 4 bins (no Erik doesn't get a command area - he was voted off) and below it we put a shoe rack. We put it in the play room which is on the right as soon as you come in the door. Now when we have visitors (because who doesn't want to come to our house to see the new coat rack!) they can hang up their coats!

Awesome organization!

 Since it is the new year, that means new years resolutions. Instead of joining a gym, we canceled our lifetime membership and transformed a storage room in the basement into a workout center. Erik mounted a TV and put puzzle mats on the floor for us to do workout videos. It is so awesome! We have been doing Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30. I really love this workout series since each workout is only 24 minutes long but is a great workout. Erik went from a 44" waist to a 39" waist weighing 208lbs and I'm down to 118lbs.

Our workout room - who needs a gym?

 The girls are still upset over losing Scruffles. At church today (in kidMax), each person could share what they wanted to pray for. Sarah's prayer request was for Scruffles to be raised from the dead. Jenna just drew these pictures too (below). The one on the left is God talking to Scruffles saying "What do you want?". Then Scruffles says "Where is my family?". This left me in tears.

Jenna misses Scruff still

 On a happier note, last night we were playing pinochle with the Masts. Jen and I were partners and we both had Aces around. This means each of us had one of every type of ace (meaning Erik and Tim had NO aces). Then we played our hands and shot them down. They didn't even take a trick. I had to put a picture here so we could remember it forever.

Aces around x2

My new semester has started and I'm teaching advanced C++ both online and onsite. I'm enjoying the class but felt my online students needed extra help. So I did an extra online live lecture through Adobe iConnect (kind of like webex). They really appreciated it.

And in the most important news, I got "A Memory of Light" by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson in the mail. This is the last book in the Wheel of Time series. Yipee!!

84 points on Quiddler today!