January...One Eventful Month!!!


January has definitely been a busy month for the Arnold household. It started off with a cleaning frenzy to get the house ready for Grandma and Grandpa Reece...and Uncle Nathan...to visit. They made the flight out to share in one of our family's first milestone marks...Marley's baptism! We really enjoyed having them come visit...even though it was a VERY short visit. While they were visiting we took them around the city of Murfreesboro, TN (which just so happens to be where we live!). My dad is a big history buff so we took them around the Stones River National Monument, a big Civil War sight, and around the Downtown Square, and through Cannonsbourgh, the old State Capital of Tennessee. I had a handful of pictures of their visit...but darn it all! My camera's memory card was accidentally deleted, due to the help of some little fingers on mommy's camera! The weekend they came to visit, we also had a young couple move into the area, Eric and Stephanie Dunn, and wouldn't you know it? He grew up in my mom's ward! So that Sunday, we had a big dinner with everybody. It was really nice to sit and chat. It's amazing to find out just how small this world really is!


That next week, after things started getting back to normal, Mike and I took the sewing machine by the pedal/needle and made a High Chair cover. We had tons of pictures...drawing the pattern, cutting the pattern, laying out the fabric, cutting the fabric...alas...all those pictures were deleted too! sniff sniff sniff...I was really looking forward to showing them off! ...anyway... It turned out really cute!

We had a week or so after that before it got crazy again. I was helping in the classroom, and Marley's teacher asked me if I'd make some Valentines boxes for her.
Their school was doing a segment for a local cable tv program called Murfry's Burrow...It's a little rabbit puppet named Murfry and he interviews different people in the community with questions from kids, and is there to help kids understand more about their community. Anyway...Marley's class was asked to demonstrate some fun creative valentines boxes. I was asked to make some for her teacher, and can I just say...I had TONS of fun! I got to use some of my creative juices, and let the internet help me the rest of the way... I did a Lightning McQueen, from Cars...I did a Canister Bumble Bee, a mailbox type Whale, and a Shoebox Computer. Anyway...Marley got to showcase a couple of them for Murfry's Burrow on tv..It will be airing next Monday...I can't wait to record it!



This past weekend I had a big day!!! I signed up for the 5k run at the zoo. Believe me when you have 4 kids, getting training in is kind of difficult! I could get to the YMCA to run once or twice a week...3 times if I was lucky! Needless to say, the first time I ran 5k (3.1miles) was on the day of the run... not exactly the best idea. I kept track of my heart rate...my average was 168 bpm. I finished the run in 43 min. The pictures of me show 44 min...that's because I wasn't allowed to start until all the runners with timing chips had cleared the start point...I started my HR monitor just before I started so it shows my time. Mike predicted my run to take 45 minutes...and I just wanted to finish! :)

It was a fun run. I've decided I want to get myself to the point where I can do the 5k in about 30 minutes...faster by 5 min. if possible. I'm going to sign up for it again next year...and I'm going to do a few more through out the year. I'm also thinking I might be brave enough to ride in the Two County Metric (TCM) this spring.

This past weekend was also a special day because my newest little nephew was born!!! My brother Jared and his wife Emily had their fist baby...Joseph Michael Reece...born 5:40ish am January 27, 2007. He weighed 6 lbs 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. We're glad all went well, and that mom and baby are doing fine!

CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO!!!
he's adorable!