Washington DC

We had a great time touring the nation's capitol with Gabe's 8th grade class. Can't wait to go back and spend some time at the Smithsonian and tour the Capitol building and the National Archives. We saw many of the monuments. Gabe's favorites werethe Washington Monument and loved Iwo Jima, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. Brought tears to your eyes, goosebumps on your arms.

We also spent time at Arlington National Cemetery and a few kids from his class helped lay a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Amazing. Best of all, we were there just before Memorial Day and all of the flags were flying high.

HEIDBREDER CHALLENGE

Anyone ready to shed a few pounds? Amy has come up with a Biggest Loser Challenge for the entire family. We will strive for a healthier life style and try and keep each other motivated on line and by weighing in each Monday night.

We also know that money is a motivator. Amy is putting together an outline for petty penalties. For example, if we don't work out three times a week for 20 minutes, we will owe $1 into the "kitty". When we all get together this summer, we will determine who lost the most and they will get the money we have all been putting into our penalty kitty.

Are you in?? I am going to see if this blog format will work for us to post pictures and progress, so bookmark this page and keep your eyes posted.

Stay tuned for Amy's outline!

Kelly Heidbreder is part of the NBC 24 Today morning team.
She is a hometown girl, growing up in Riga, Michigan, in Lenawee county just over the Ohio border. Kelly is an award winning journalist with a Broadcast Communication Degree from Western Michigan University.
Her career as a journalist began in the newspaper business. She was the co-owner of the Blissfield Advance for six years where she and her husband were the youngest newspaper publishers in the state of Michigan at the time. They sold the century old weekly newspaper which had been in her husband's family for over 20 years.
She began her career in television joining WTVG.as a producer. She moved to Bangor Maine as a reporter for WVII-ABC. Ask her about her interviews with well-known Mainer Stephen King and how to properly eat lob-stah!
Kelly made the move back to the midwest, reporting for WPTA, the number one station in Fort Wayne. She covered politics at the capitol, President George W. Bush in South Bend and chased tornadoes across central Indiana. A tremendous interest in weather has opened the door to pursue her meteorology degree. She will earn her second bachelor degree this summer from Mississippi State University .
Kelly moved back to her home town and began reporting for WTOL. But that was cut short because of major hip surgery last summer. Kelly had fully recovered after spending nine months learning to walk again.
Kelly is an Advanced Master Gardener and shares that experience with her audience. In Maine, she hosted a weekly home and garden show, Get Growing, featuring viewers and their gardens in the Augusta and Portland, Maine region. This also lead to a syndicated newspaper column with the same name. Kelly is also the home and garden writer for the Toledo Blade. Her column has been featured in Decatur Illinois, Fort Wayne Indiana, Monroe Michigan daily newspapers in addition to The Blade.
Kelly says she is so excited to share stories and weather with her friends and family here in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. She and her high school sweetheart live in Onsted. Her husband Paul is the publisher of the Adrian Daily Telegram. They have two children,two dogs, a cat and a turtle. If they have any time between school sports and dance practice, you can find them out weeding garden beds