Snavley Freebirds

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while! I don't have a lot of time for computer stuff lately. I don't see my kids as much as I would like, due to the yoga teacher training that I'm doing, so when I'm home I'm either cleaning house or being with my kids. The one thing that is keeping me going is knowing that it is short-lived. I actually am only three weeks away from being certified, yay!! I've been teaching four classes a week and Georgia just gave me another class to teach.

I'm enjoying teaching Ashtanga the most, I think in part because it is my own practice; the glove just fits better for me. It has been so rewarding to see people come into my class that are tight and unsure and just completely open up, and sometimes in just a few short weeks. Heather and I are also working on a Kids Yoga Camp, putting together games and activities and somewhat of an outline. We will be doing the camp over the Christmas Holidays. The City of Palmer also puts on a gingerbread house contest for local businesses to participate in. We decided to participate so we will be getting together next weekend to build it. We are making a yoga studio and Martha (Martin's sister) agreed to make us clay figures for it. She makes these clay figures and makes them into pins and magnets. The local stores buy them to sell to the tourists and she also does quite a few bazaars over the holidays. So she is making us figures of people doing yoga!!

I have also been dealing with a neck issue that I have been trying to ignore and it finally kicked my butt. I injured it several months ago, which usually causes major problems because I've not had any curvature in my neck for quite some time. I just kept working through it, expecting yoga to eventually "fix" it. I teach my students to honor their bodies and here I am COMPLETELY ignoring my own. So I went to see a chiropractor this week. I don't like the ones that just pop and crack you because all that is doing is releasing the gas in your joint; I want someone who is going to actually line me back up. So I got some recommendations and ended up at Dr. DeSalvo's office. Great choice!! He has done two adjustments and I'm feeling 70% better. I have another adjustment on Tues. morning and as soon as I am mostly pain free he is going to put me on a Posture Pump, a piece of machinery that will put the curvature back in my neck. We are pretty sure that the curvature problem stems from a bad car accident that I was in about 18 years ago. I should have had this taken care of years ago!!

So most of you know that my family spends a lot of time dreaming and planning our dreams; sometimes we actually live them and sometimes not. Usually when we don't it's either because our dreams have changed or the Universe didn't see fit to give them to us for whatever reason. My sister's husband, Bleu, refers to our dreams as the fruit-of-the-month because they are always changing and revolving. So MY latest dream that I have started actively planning is a two month trip to India to practice my Ashtanga with Masterji Viswanatha. Viswanatha is the nephew of Patabhi Jois, Guru of Ashtanga yoga who studied with Krishnamacharya,. Viswanatha studied with Patabhi for 15 years and now has his own studio in Bangalore. I may change my mind and actually go study with Patabhi, who actually has pretty much turned everything over to his grandson who has studied with him most of his life, but for whatever reasons I seem to be more drawn towards Viswanatha. The goal is to go within the next two years. It is a very family-friendly place and they welcome families to join. I will actually be going to get certified in Ashtanga yoga. My goal before I leave is to get to Series II. Ashtanga is split up into series and you master one series before moving to the next. Most people practice each series for a couple of years or more before moving on. I have practiced Primary Series for almost one year and I expect that within one more year I will have it somewhat mastered. I have two workshops/conferences planned over the next year so that will help in my goal also.

So what's happening in my normal day-to-day? Not much out of the ordinary. Kids always in and out of our house, which I love!! The other night a group came over with a Risk game with the goal of staying up all night and finishing a game. I went and got them a bunch of food and Rockstars and that is exactly what they did. I think the last one to go down fell asleep around 4:30 or 5:00. I love it that there are kids that still like to have good, "clean" fun. And the funny thing is that if you judged some of them by their looks a lot of adults would think they were just "punk" kids. I think it is time that our society started honoring these teens because they are incredible human beings with so much to offer the world!! Calista has found Club Penguin and has been playing it non-stop for the last week. Rylee and Hailey are also on the game so they call each other and play, while they are talking on the phone...............for hours! Tristan is doing a trial month of X Box Live so he is on another gaming spurt too.

Tonight will be another night of a house full of friends and food! We have been having friends over quite often to eat and play! I love having a lively house with great energy in it!! We have been trying to do some crafty things to make gifts for the holidays. We made bath salts a couple of weeks ago and then Debbie bought the stuff to make candles.

The weather has also been terrific!! I usually have a very difficult time during these long, dark winters. For at least a week now we have had 45-49 degree weather and quite a bit of rain. Actually I don't think we have dropped below 25 degrees but once this entire winter. It feels like fall to me! We got a little bit of snow but that has all melted now. It is going to make this winter extremely short. I'm still planning on taking the motorhome out in the spring, or possibly the fall, it kind of depends on Kev's schedule. It is looking like he might not return to public school next semester so we may be able to leave whenever. He really wants to continue with the Japanese at the school so we have to look into his options. He feels that school is wasting his time on meaningless busy work and that he could be doing better things with his time. He has also struggled with the immaturity of so many of the kids and the basic "teenage drama" that goes on. Of course, most of it is due to teens that aren't being honored and trusted but that is beyond our help.