Family Update

So school has started back for me and this semester I will only be going on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which I'm EXCITED about! Courtney goes to preschool on both of those days while I'm in class and she really loves going to school and interacting with the other children. Philip now just works two extra nights a week, so we get to see him a lot more! Philip is such a hard worker and provider, and Courtney and I are so lucky to have him. We're in the process of planning our 8 day vacation to Savannah, GA in May. We can't wait to go to the beach and scope some neighborhoods we might possibly move to some day. Daphne and Phoebe continue to be best friends and we're excited that we added another mini schnauzer to our home. Daphne will be having her ear cropping surgery on February 4, so she will be looking quite different next time I post pictures of her on our blog. I recently joined the "Y" (birthday present from my wonderful husband) and have started working out 4-5 times a week. I usually workout on Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat. and Courtney gets to go with me and use the "nursery gym" while I workout. I officially started my healthy lifestyle change last week and so far I've lost 6 pounds! I'm reluctant to call it a "diet", so I'm calling it a healthy lifestyle change. I take 4 aerobic classes a week and lift weights 3 times a week. I already have more energy and overall feel better about myself. I have a ways to go, but it's a start! Things are going well with us, but we continue to be very BUSY!!! We also are getting started on redoing Courtney's bed room theme. Her nursery was done in honey bees, but now we have purchased lavender dragonfly toddler bedding and are ready to get painting. We will probably wait to start painting when it warms up a bit, but we already have started purchasing items for her room. I was able to locate a kids lavender chandelier for her room and it's adorable. I will have to take a picture of it and post on here. Courtney's vocabulary continues to grow by the day and now she even helps put on her shoes and socks. She's hasn't mastered it yet, but she tries. We are getting ready for Courtney's big 2ND birthday party next Saturday and ELMO will even be making an appearance. We have rented a ELMO costume and Uncle Chris (my brother) has graciously offered to wear it. It should be very comical to witness and we are wondering what Courtney's reaction will be. We plan to take plenty of pictures of Courtney's big day and we will post them on here as soon as we can. On Courtney's official birthday (Jan. 30) which is this Friday, Philip and I are taking Courtney to Build-a-Bear and letting her "make" her very own stuffed "friend". After that we plan on taking her to eat at Rain Forest Cafe or the Aquarium Restaurant at Opry Mills so she can see all the fish. She loves fish and we thought this would be a fun ending to her special day. Anyway, off to studying I go and I do apologize that I haven't been updating the blog as often as I should. Since school has started back my time has been focused on school and my family as it should be. Look for pics to be posted soon!