We interrupt this family for baseball season!

Like many families this spring we were busy busy busy with baseball baseball baseball. Zachary got his first taste of team sports. He had a blast with his first season of t-ball playing on the Angels. It was a lot of fun to watch him. He bats right and throws left and has plenty of "lefty" to go around ;]

Christopher was such a joy to watch this season. He played on the NW8 Angels, it was "kid pitch" this year. We've got an athlete on our hands people. Everything about the game of baseball is like second nature to him. His favorite position is pitcher but as long as he's in the action he's happy. He also finished his third session of Hot Shots basketball. He really blossomed after the first session, it was so much fun to watch his confidence grow. He's quite the little baller on the court.

Miss Brooke didn't miss one second of the action. She hasn't entered into the world of sports yet but she was there cheering her brothers on and playing with the other kids there watching their brother or sister.

Chris has been busy at Extra Innings giving lots of lessons. Since it's still so new we're excited to see what the winter has in store for the business.

And I (Rachael) have been busy with the kids, lots of end of the year activities for school. I have some regular clients I'm training. I'm really enjoying it and hoping to get busier and take on more clients.

We're excited that it's finally summer, YAY sun! We also have an addition to our family...Buster. He's 3/4 Poodle and 1/4 Yorkie. We've had him since Saturday, so 4 days now, and Christopher has had NO allergic reaction to him. Poodles are hypoallergenic and I think Yorkies are too to some degree. He's going to stay pretty small too, not weighing any more than 10 lbs. He's kinda tall for being so small so he's not a tiny little "toy" dog but, for us, he's the perfect size. Everyone is in love with him and he's loving all the attention.

Until next time, we hope everyone has safe and fun-filled summer :-)

The Gissell Family

Christopher is 8!!!

Christopher is such an amazing little boy. So intelligent, such a kind heart. I can't believe he's 8 already.

We had such a fun day. It started with a surprise breakfast of scrambled eggs and Monkey Bread. One of our favorite treats passed down to us by Chris's mom.

Followed by a baseball game with cupcakes afterward while the team and parents

sang "Happy Birthday".

His party was immediately after his game at our house. Lots of kids, lots of laughter, lots of chaos - the good kind. During the gift opening there was a treasure hunt for the much anticipated plasma ball.

Christopher made a special request that he get a "giant cupcake" cake and that everyone else get a regular cupcake. It was a day full of smiles and lots of baked sugary goodness.

Green Goodness

I found this recipe at www.bodyrock.tv and HAD to share. It's a great way to get an amazing amount of nutrients into your body (especially if you're not a big fan of veggies) with minimal effort. You can enjoy this green awesomeness any time of day, breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.

Recipe:

4-5 kale leaves

4C (or 4 handfuls) baby spinach

1 Tbsp Flax oil

1C berries

1 banana

1 kiwi fruit

This recipe is not set in stone. You can use any fruit you like to suit your personal taste. I also like to add Advocare Muscle Gain in Vanilla. It helps sweeten the shake a bit but it also adds high quality protein. Adding the protein really does make this a complete meal.

I hope you like it as much as I do :]

Busy, busy, busy...

Well, there has been a lot going on with us, where do I start?...

Chris worked for UPS over the holidays and was offered a full time position. But Extra Innings Vancouver opened and we decided to decline the offer from UPS. Chris is now full time at Extra Innings helping to run the business and giving pitching lessons. He's MUCH happier there than delivering packages all day.

I am now a certified personal trainer, YAY!

We have turned the space above

our garage into a fitness studio (Studio 48). I am able to train clients there. It's a beautiful space. I love being up there helping people get in shape. Finally, at 34 yrs old, I found what I wanted to be when I grew up. Oh wait, I'm already grown up, haha.

The kids are growing like crazy. Christopher will be 8 next month. He plays basketball and baseball and is loving both sports. It's a little crazy keeping track of the practice and game schedules. Thank goodness for the iPhone :]

Zachary is really enjoying kindergarten, has lots of new friends and play dates.

He is playing t-ball this year. He's finally old enough to play something.

Needless to say he is ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT. Queen B (Brooke) is, well, how do I say it...She's definitely 2! She keeps everyone on their toes. She's potty trained. YAY, no more

diapers!!! She gets to start preschool next year. I am so excited for her. Like Zachary, she is very social. I am not worried at all though, she will thrive. Lastly, we are still growing our Advocare business. It's such an amazing company. Financially it really has helped keep us afloat since Chris retired last year. And as for the products, let me just say this...I was out of my pink lemonade park for about a month and was NOT happy :] The products will forever be a part of our lives.

On a rather sad note, we lost my Grandma early in the year. She lived a full life and was loved by all. She will be very missed.