Adventures of Z Man and Mark!

disgrace and grace....

2012-01-26T12:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it wasn't SO bad that I felt "disgraced" (just made a good blog title, lol), but bad enough where I sure felt crummy. Lately, I cannot seem to stay organized. We have more and more going on these days which leaves more opportunities for forgetfulness! I don't even consider myself a super busy person, but I guess when you add in 2 full time working parents, the occasional social event, and full time family...the calendar fills up!

In the last 4 days I have forgotten two big things. Although neither was life altering, it was definitely a "bad mommy/person" moment. The first one was on Sunday. I was due to bring a meal to a friend at church who's daughter recently had to have surgery. I had seen the email reminders sent to me, talked about it on Saturday...and then partially I think due to a rough morning Sunday, I just completely and TOTALLY forgot. Until about 5:45 when I started cooking my OWN children's meals and realized I was supposed to be supplying someone else's too..... I.FELT.AWFUL. I called her immediately and apologized profusely but I was still mortified. We are new to our little church circle still and I feel like I am still getting into the group and this was definitely not a great way to make a good impression. And to top it off, about an hour later, I checked my cell phone and noticed she had called me around 4 to see what time I was coming and give me directions. UGH. Thankfully, she is a very kind woman and mom and understands that these things happen but that surely did not lessen my embarrassment. I am making it up today by bringing TWO meals tonight. That helps, right?? :)

The second kicker was today when our nanny called to inform me that I had forgotten to send Zachary to school today with his favorite stuffed animal...and that he was the only one without one. Thankfully again, Maria is great and we don't live that far away, so she was able to go home and get Nemo...but man, in my mind I think, "of course the working mom forgets the stuffed animal.". Double Ugh.

And that's where Grace comes in....mercy, forgiveness, kindness, love. What in the world would we do without GRACE?? Thankful for friends who show grace when we goof up. Thankful for children who show grace by not remembering all the times Mommy has forgotten something or messed who knows what up. Thankful for husbands who hug us when we cry over said mess ups. Thankful for family who shows grace when they just sit and listen. And thankful for Jesus who gives me grace every single day, hour, and minute for all the times I do not do as I should.

One of our goals week from our church sermon was to slow down and be quiet. I must admit, I have not yet. A mini goal was for 5 minutes before getting out of bed and 5 minutes before going to bed, take some time to pray and write down things you are thankful for. I have overslept in the morning and fallen asleep on the couch before bed and it has not happened. But I am committing to do it tonight and for the rest of the week.

I also order a day planner today. You know, a real old fashioned paper one. That I can open any time and see things written down and carry with me at all times. Because clearly the fridge one and work computer calendar are not cutting it. Let's hope I survive the next 2 weeks before it arrives.

I am also going to more prayerful consider each obligation and event I take on. I don't enjoy the feeling of always being two steps behind. And maybe I am overbooking myself and/or my family? Definitely something to think about.

What do you to help stay organized and focused? Will the day planner and quiet time fix me up? :)

The Hunger Games

2012-01-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

My love and enthusiasm was reignited this past weekend. From lunch time Friday afternoon....to Monday afternoon, every free moment I was reading the Hunger Games trilogy! The Hunger Games was selected for our February Book Club book. I had heard a lot about it but based on the description and that it was in the Young Adult genre....I wasn't sure if it would be something I would like! I was thinking it would be a series like Twilight, totally different subject matter, just meaning so hyped up and one I never got into. But boy was I wrong.

I devoured the first one. The characters are so well written. Every chapter ends on a cliff hanger making you want to know more. And then, the book just ends. I don't know how people just read the first book and not finish the series.

And each book is just as good as the next. I cried when I finished the last one. Partly because of the story but also because I was sad it was over! It has been a long time since I have read like that.

Best thing about it? I remember how much I absolutely love to read. I used to be such a voracious reader, but once kids came along, I just read less and less. And then things like sleep, Pinterest, Facebook, tv take over too...and the time to read becomes less and less. But honestly, I didn't miss them all that much :)

So now onto the challenge of finding some more books that will keep me going. I have several on my Nook library that I have downloaded on not read yet so I may start there. I really enjoyed a series though so am pondering starting The Harry Potter series. I have never read any of them or seen the movies so maybe that would be a good place to start? Any suggestions are appreciated!

If you have NOT read The Hunger Games yet...go read it now. If you have...what did you think? Did you love it too?

january happenings

2012-01-20T12:43:00.000-06:00

Wow, it has really been a long time since we have caught up here, hasn't it people?? I guess since the holidays, we have been on auto-pilot and just trying to get back into the swing of things.

The biggest adventure we have had since the new year is Matt completed his first 1/2 Marathon last Sunday! It was so exciting and I was so very proud of him. He completed the race in 2 hrs 18 min which was under his goal so that was awesome too. My parents were kind enough to watch the boys Saturday night so I could go watch the race. He needed to be checked in by 6am so too early for the littles to be with me. I got caught up in the excitement and signed up for the 5K when we were picking up Matt's packet.

It actually worked out really well since it started 30 minutes after the marathon and half marathon...I was able to run, eat my free breakfast, and then head out back to the course so I could see my honey finish the race! I had a great spot about 1/4 mile from the finish and it was so fun to see matt closing in on the finish line. I think I gave him that extra boost! :) He looked really strong at the end and said he felt like he could have even gone a little longer! So very proud of him!

He has caught the racing bug now and wants to continue...and I want to do it now too...so we will be entering the 2012 1/2 marathon lottery as a pair! I hope we get picked! And as a nice surprise, our friends the Agnews even showed up to congratulate matt. He was definitely suprised to see them too and I know it meant a lot to see them there at the end as well.

Other than that, not too much to report. I am trying still to get back into the swing of things exercise-wise. Taking a break at the holidays has proved difficult to get back going. That is going to be my goal for next week. I completed the 5k in about 34 minutes still so after 2 weeks of not running at all, I felt good with that. But...I know it is good for me, so must get back into a routine!

Hope 2012 is treating you all well so far!

Cooking

2012-01-04T13:41:00.000-06:00

I have made a couple of new dishes lately and all have turned out pretty good so far. I am telling you, I am loving Pinterest for that!

The first one was a crockpot meal...Lemon Artichoke Chicken. I used canned mushrooms (cause that's what I had on hand) and forgot the dijon mustard...but it turned out delish. I liked this one too cause it cooked in like 3-4 hours so I could start it late and still have it ready for dinner. I think I only cooked for 3 hrs first and then maybe 30 minutes for the last part and my chicken was frozen too. Matt and I really enjoyed this one and it was requested to be made again!

Another tasty crockpot meal was Angel Chicken. It was very simple and very tasty. I happened to buy mushrooms when I went to the grocery store as I knew I wanted to make this one. The only other thing for this one I did not have on hand was the golden mushroom soup. Other than that and the mushrooms, pretty standard stuff!

This one I made last night. I modified it slightly by what I had on hand and it turned out just fine. It was a chicken and spinach baked ziti! One of our favorite meals is my friend, Roxanne's, Baked Ziti and this was a nice spin on the traditional beef one. I used canned chicken and frozen spinach and my pasta was a mix of penne and rotini. Based on how much was left...I think we both enjoyed it!

I even used Pinterest for my Christmas Book Club meal where I served Chicken Rollatini, salad, some yummy dinner rolls, and this delicious Chocolate Trifle! All were pretty simple and presented very well...and of course what matters most...tasted good!

Christmas Eve tradition is enchiladas for us. It is what Matt grew up having and we have adapted it to our own. I found this recipe for White Chicken Enchiladas ALL over Pinterest and decided it was a must try. It did not disappoint. I made a batch of these and a batch of chicken enchiladas with a more traditional red sauce as well. I need to find the recipe I used for that because the filling for it was soo good...it could almost be a dip!! Both were good but I was suprised that I enjoyed the white ones more. I cooked the chicken all day in the crockpot with a bottle of lime marinade. Delcious...and easy!

I will post all these in full form on my recipe blog. If you are on pinterest, have you tried any new yummy recipes to share??

I did it!!

2011-12-28T13:12:00.000-06:00

I lost that measley 0.2lbs and have officially reached my ww goal. You know me, I cried at the meeting! Just so very thankful for the encouragement of my family, friends, and my ww leader! I know that just by reaching goal does NOT mean that I have completed my journey. In fact, I think maintaining may be the hardest part yet. But I have worked too hard to go back to how I used to be...and my new goal is to keep that from happening ;-)

I am so looking forward to 2012 and all the new things I can accomplish! Here is to a wonderful new year with the new me!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T00:09:00.000-06:00

Hope you all had a very Merry and Blessed Christmas with your family and friends!!

48.8 down... 0.2 to go!

2011-12-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

It was a big day today...bigger than I figured but hey, I will take it. Lost 3.2lbs this week, am into a new number range (which is always fun...will add that to my thankful list!), and am now just a mere 0.2 lbs away from my goal. I joked with my leader that maybe I should have stripped down a little more or not had my morning coffee! I am beyond excited. And truly, still a little in disbelief that I have accomplished this much so far. I will totally reach my goal by the end of the year...and will be ringing in 2012 with a "new Lisa" for sure. I love Weight Watchers for giving me the gift of my health back!

Speaking of weight watchers...our leader told us today that WW will be revealing a new MALE spokesperson on Christmas...Charles Barkley! Campaign will be called "Lose Like A Man". I think that is so great and think it will attract more men. It is such a great program but I think some men think it is just for women but it's not.

The thing that I love about ww the most is that nothing is off limits. I love pizza. I love wine. I love cheese. I love ice cream. And I can still have all of those things, just in moderation. Every friday we order pizza. But now I plan for it. Eat lighter during the day. Get a workout in. And then my pizza...I get thin crust and veggies. And I love it just as much! And do not feel deprived. It works for me, and I am so happy I finally found something that does!

I still indulge. I still have weeks that I gain. I stil have days or weekends when I KNOW I eat way more than I should. The difference is that now I recognize that and make sure I don't do it every day. I am human after all, and no one can be good all the time. Everything in moderation! :)

Anyway, good day today. Got some other things in the works too and I am just really excited for 2012 and what all is in store!!

Thankful Tuesday

2011-12-13T13:52:00.000-06:00

I am reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts right now for our Book Club. I have heard nothing but great things about the book. Her writing style challenges me, but as I am getting deeper into the book, I am following along better. The premise of the book is about being Thankful in all that we do. Not a blanket, "Thank you Lord for all the blessings you give to me" but rather the tiny every day moments that build into a joyful life. I love this line in her book..."God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy."

So here are a few things I am thankful for today:
*My husband, my boys, my parents, my family...always at top of my list!
1) Listening to Christmas carols on the way to work...and loving verses that move me to tears. Thank you, Jesus for your gifts...
2) The sound of Christmas harp music being played when I walked into my lobby this morning.
3) Possibility of new opportunities.
4) For a friend who is pregnant having a watchful doctor and knowing that she is in His hands....and her doctor's hands.
5) For a friend from high school who is undergoing surgery today for cancer and so far a successful surgery.
6) Watching my boys enjoy the nature around us...who knew watching a bird dip his head into water and pulling out fish would entertain us for 30+ minutes!
7) Crock Pot. Nuff said.
8) Pinterest....for helping me find recipes for said above appliance.
9) Maria. Who is one of the only reasons I can get to work and not worry about my boys all day.
10) Anticipation...for book club this Friday and seeing my Dallas family this weekend!
11) Grace.
12) My youngest's snorts when he laughs...seriously, it's beautiful. He has the kind of infectious laugh that you cannot help but laugh too!
13) My oldest's sheer wonderment in everything Christmas.
14) A meal at Freebird's on Saturday night. I can't remember the last time we went out to eat (besides after church). And they both ate all their meals.
15) Christmas lights.

I could go on but I should be working..15 is a good start to 1000. And that's just for today.

Hope you all are enjoying this time as we approach Christmas. I am happy to say I am about 90% finished with everything and am not going to stress about the last 10%. The gift is most surely not in the gifts we will receive on Christmas day. May you enjoy this most blessed time of year!

A Prayer for December
Dearest God,
Please never let me
Crowd my life
Full to the brim.
So like the keeper of Bethlehem's Inn,
I find no room for Him.
Instead, let my heart's door
Be ever open,
Ready to welcome
The newborn King.
Let me offer the best I have
To Him
Who gives me everything.
-author unknown

weigh in

2011-12-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

Finally made it back to ww yesterday. My last weigh in was 11/16 which was the week before Thanksgiving. I had missed the last 2 Wednesday meetings. Happy to see I only gained .6lbs. Which means 3.4lbs to go. That is just over 1lb a week. I have a LOT of activities coming up this month with the holidays. But I would really like to reach my goal weight before the end of the year.

My plan of action?? WORK IT HARD during the week...so I can enjoy the weekends! I am really tracking again and going to try to get back into a more dedicated exercise routine again. I have been hit or miss and not in a really good schedule this last couple of weeks. But I am going to do it.

And thinking about running a half marathon again. After running 5 miles already...what's 8 more, right? ;-)

A year

2011-12-05T23:01:00.002-06:00

I haven't been weight watchering for a year....but I finally found a good picture for before and after.

The company Christmas Party.

I am still not at goal. That side ticker has not changed very much in the last month. Same 5lbs I am struggling with (darn.you.holidays.) But old Lisa would have said, to heck with it, I give up! I am just meant to be bigger. And I have not done that yet. And I will not. Even if it takes me SIX months to lose these last few pounds, I will do it. I do not want to go back. On Thanksgiving morning, I got up and ran 4 miles. Matt got up and trumped me with like 6 or something ;-) A couple days later I ran my personal best of five miles. FIVE MILES! Who are these people?? I am changing! Every day is still a struggle. I could easily sit and eat a whole bowl of ice cream or queso (and on occasion still do so). But the difference is I am not defined by that one bad day. I can now shake it off and move forward. Get back on plan. Live this life differently.

I still do not LOVE exercise. But here is what I DO love. I can run after my boys (and they run. A lot.)and not be winded. That I could race them and probably win ;-) The fact that I can indulge some and it not be the end of the world. That I am stronger! To know that my body can physically do things I have never done before (like run FIVE miles!). That is an empowering feeling.

I posted a pic from our party this year on fb, and ya'll, was blown away by the comments. In a good way. I was truly touched by how many people commented, and really proud of myself for the work I have done for the last 7 months. I think I could finally see what others have been seeing. A transformation, as my mother has said!

And so I decided to look at a pic from last year's party. I still see a pretty woman, but a self conscious one who was uncomfortable in her own skin. Content with the status quo of her body and rationalizing that I was just made this way. But this year, I see a stronger and more confident woman. And that makes me smile. My ww leader has been asking me for a picture for her success stories but I have hesitated because I want to be at goal when I make the book. But I think I may have found my pictures. What do you think? :)

2010

2011

Every day is still a part of the journey. I would still like to lose more. But in the end, I am happy and proud of what all I have accomplished so far. I will never be a size 2-4-6...but I will be happy where I am. And not hating the body I am trapped in. Cause it's the only one we get and it is no one else's responsibility but my own to make sure to keep it ticking! :)

Anyway, not sure where I was going with all this and it is more of a post I should be writing at goal, but hey, I am happy today. Thank you so much to my hubby, my family, and my friends who are supporting me on this road to a healthier Lisa! I am appreciative of the time matt has given me to exercise, to my friends and family for cheering me on (and not judging when I do eat that bowl of queso!)! And just thank you for reading along!

2011-12-04T22:38:00.001-06:00

Was blogging hopping today and came across one of those little posts about yourself on It's Almost Naptime and thought it sounded kinda fun...so here we go!

On my nightstand:
Along with a bunch of odds and ends, I always have a stack of books on nightstand begging to be read!
*My Bible
*My new ipad (I won it yesterday at my Christmas party! And it will now serve as my ereader too...which is a WHOLE OTHER list of books waiting to be read!)
*A bunch of parenting type books
*Daily Devotionals for Moms
Movies I've seen:
We never go to the theatre, but we do rent movies on-demand. Currently I am "watching" Captain America (not by choice, hubs rented it Friday night and fell asleep so he's finishing it.)
*Super 8- this was a pretty good flick actually. About these kids who are making a movie and the secret they uncover. I would give it a B+. It would have gotten an A until the end...which was just silly. Still a good flick though!
*Bridesmaids-we are very behind on movies, clearly, but I liked it, there were some definite funny parts!

TV:
*we have our set of 30 minute comedies we love...Modern Family, The Office, Big Bang Theory, The Middle, Up All Night, Parks & Rec, Last Man Standing, Two & a Half Men...They all make me chuckle and laugh out loud. We DVR them and fit them in when we can. They only end up being about 20 something minutes without the commercials! :) Lately I am really loving Parks & Rec (it is so darn funny) and The Middle (quirky and sweet family moments that make me smile.)
*I still try and watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy when I can. But they are harder to find time for!
*And some dramas we both watch together:
-Glee (I LOVED this last episode, so many great songs!)
-The Walking Dead (Yes, its a zombie show. I am NOT a zombie kinda girl, but this show is GREAT!)
-American Horror Story (this show is super weird. but if you can get past the first 2-3 episodes of some really freaky/scary stuff...it is kind of good. In a weird/scary/horror kind of way!)

In My Ears:
Depends on where I am!
*In the car...I listen to my XM. Wake Up with Taylor & Kenny in the morning (love them, I often catch myself laughing out loud while listening to them.) and Whatever with Jennifer Hutt in the afternoons. or KSBJ for music . Or Christmas carols. I have a long commute...
*In the gym or out running...whatever good pop song is out. Saturday I downloaded LMFAO's Party Rock and Sexy and I Know It, Britney's I Wanna Go, Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger, and Rhianna's We Found Love. It was fun to have some new tunes to jam out too and I ran 4.2 miles! :)
*At Home-We have been practicing Christmas songs for Z's Christmas program! And we sing a LOT of Twinkle Twinkle, ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider!

In My Kitchen:
*I cook about 2-3 times a week (and then we have leftovers) so I like trying out new things so we don't get bored. Pinterest has been AWESOME for food. No more sending links to myself and saving them in some email folder that never gets opened. Great to have pictures of things. I have been doing at least one crock pot meal a week and that has been nice. Most recently made this Balsamic Chicken and it was delish. Think I'll go find a good soup or chili to make tomorrow...supposed to be COLD! :)
*I will be doing some holiday baking. It may not be ww friendly, but hey, it's Christmas! Momma needs some cookies!

Looking Forward To:
*Dinner with a good friend this week. It has been way too long since I have seen her and I look forward to catching up!
*Christmas Book Club at my house! Always fun to have friends together. We do this one on a Friday so no one is rushed, ornament exchange, wine, food, and good friends. Can't beat that!
*Taking the week off before Christmas. I am planning to take the boys to Dallas. I MUST meet my cousin's beautiful baby girl before she gets too big! Really excited to spend time with family and hopefully see some of my Dallas friends too!
*And of course...all the fun and magic of this Christmas season!

Enough about Me...what's new with you?

Elfie Returns!

2011-11-29T23:07:00.000-06:00

Oh yes, our Elf on the Shelf has returned for another year with us! Zach definitely is more into it this year....and seeing his face when he found Elfie (yeah , he was very creative last year in his name, LOL!) for the first time...priceless. The magic of Christmas in a young child's eyes is amazing.

That's Elfie right there in the middle!

He made a sign to make sure we saw him!

Santa made Elfie a swing

The boys have been extra good since Elfie's arrival and are so interested in him. I can't wait to see where Elfie shows up next! :)

Do you have any Elves visiting your house right now?

Stationery card

2011-11-28T10:47:00.001-06:00

Flurry Of Snowflakes Holiday Card

Turn family photos into holiday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:59:00.002-06:00

Hope you have a wonderful day full of family, friends, fellowship, food, and football! :)

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the Countdown to Christmas

2011-11-22T22:29:00.000-06:00

One more day of work to go and then I am off for almost a week, YAY! I am looking forward to the time off with my family. It is my side's year for Thanksgiving so we are headed to my parents' house on Thursday. I can't even remember the last time we had Thanksgiving actually at their house so I am really looking forward to it (and not doing all the cooking too!!) :) Excited to have my bro and sister in law there too before they head to Tulsa for the big U of H game...GO COOGS!! When I was little, we always made construction paper pilgrim and indian hats (kinda like these)

and don't you know my mom and have been dying to make them again! We will see what the boys think of theirs... :)

Black Friday has been quite the controversy this year with the whole stores opening on Thanksgiving day or at midnight. I have never done the whole black Friday shopping thing before but I must say I am tempted to go...not necessarily for the deals, but for the fact that it would be a great time to get out of the house to go shopping without the boys! Are you going out? Do you have your stores mapped out??

31 days to Christmas. I have actually started my shopping, but I know time is about to start flying as soon as Thanksgiving is over so I need to step it up and get it done! We will get the decorations started this weekend and I cannot wait! I do love this time of year!! I got my Christmas Planner made too. I made one last year and it was great to have one place to keep track of everything. (it also served as a great pad of scratch paper for a certain 2 year old while we were grocery shopping on Monday, ahem..)...I call that double success!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great few days ahead of them, spent with family, friends, and any other type of loved ones! Let me know if you have any great tips for Black Friday shopping or other great holiday ideas!

christmas shopping started!

2011-11-13T09:11:00.001-06:00

I have started looking for presents for the boys and have a couple things in mind so far but am really trying to think purposefully about the toys I buy this year. We have so much at times it seems, yet they tend to play with the same things all the time...cars, trains, trucks, vehicles! :)

Have you bought any Plan Toys before? I was looking at the City Garage. It has good reviews and the boys love things to play with their cars on. It is a little pricey, but it could be Mark's big gift and I feel pretty confident it would get played with a lot.

And for Zach...he has been really interested in playing on my computer lately which I would really rather him not ;-) So been thinking about one of the educational handhelds. Leap Pad, V-Tech or Mobigo? Or something else? Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions on that! :)

Have you started your shopping yet? Any good finds or sales yet?

Christmas...already?

2011-11-09T15:57:00.000-06:00

It is not even Thanksgiving yet and I already feel myself getting stressed over Christmas. Anyone else feel like that? The stores have been carrying Christmas stuff since before Halloween....the catalogs are coming in the mail...and I am sure Christmas music will be playing soon!

I am starting a list of things I would like to have completed before Thanksgiving. Have you started working on your lists yet?

Order Christmas Cards
Address and Mail cards
Inventory Gift Wrapping Supplies
Schedule Outside Lights to be hung
Order all photo gifts (calendars, brag books...good stuff for the grandmas!)
Make and Post a December calendar for entire family to see!
Start making Christmas lists and watching sales

Anything I am leaving off that you like to tackle early? How do you stay sane during the holidays and keep your focus on the reason for the season?

Books

2011-11-08T21:46:00.001-06:00

I have ALWAYS been a reader. I love to read. I love getting lost in books, staying up way too late past my bedtime because I can't put a book down. But this last year...my reading has struggled. I am not sure if it is finding something I connect with or the simply the time, but I miss reading. And one of my "new year resolutions" is going to be start reading again. Which coincides great with forming our 2012 Book Club list!

It is getting close to that time when we figure out our books for the year. We need some killer ones that will get us reading, thinking, and discussing more! And that is where I come to you, dear readers! Anyone have some great books they have read recently that they would like to share? We read all different genres so definitely open to anything!

Here are a couple that I know I want to read:
Loving the Little Years- recommended to me by several good friends :)
The Night Circus- read an expert in a magazine while at the hairdresser....the reviews are ALL awesome!
Two Kisses for Maddie- followed Matt's blog from the beginning, would like to hear the rest of the story.
A Vintage Affair- Another one that has just been on my list and great reviews!
Have you read any must-read books lately?

I survived Halloween!

2011-11-02T22:12:00.001-05:00

Otherwise known as I have not DEVOURED the giant bowl of deliciousness the boys ended up with! :) I tell ya, for hitting only the houses in our little section, they ended up with more candy then they could ever need...I enjoyed a couple pieces the night of Halloween, and have decided at least half of what's left of it is going to the office tomorrow for OTHER people to enjoy! :)

Today was ww day, and happy to report that I lost 3.6 this week! That makes up for the 2lbs I gained last week. And leaves me with 4.8 to go to reach my goal. It is coming off slowly now, but the end is so in sight. I AM going to do it!! So I was thinking today...what would be something good to reward myself with when I reach my goal? My first thought is a fancy pair of jeans. Anyone have a suggestion on a good splurge pair? I am hoping I can reach goal by Thanksgiving and then somehow not gain the usual 10lbs of holiday weight, ha!

And here are a couple pics from Halloween...Mr. Particular decided he did not want to wear the Cars race car suit he picked out weeks ago, and I talked him out of wearing his super hero cape and lion mask, so he ended up being a football player like his younger brother.

5 years

2011-10-31T23:09:00.000-05:00

It has been 5 years since I last heard my friend Rachel's voice. She called me on my way home from work and we chatted briefly as I was headed out to pass out candy at a friend's house. I hardly remember what we talked about but I know we laughed and said I love you as we always did. So lucky to have had a girlfriend who was more like a sister...(and thankful to have many others like that too, so blessed). The next day, I got the worst call ever that she was gone. And now here it is, 5 years later. Seems like just yesterday and forever ago all at the same time.

I always think about Rachel, not a day goes by without some little thought. But today on my way home from work, I passed a funeral procession...and cried. I miss my friend so very much.

So tomorrow on All Saint's Day, I will remember as I always do....my funny, loving, amazing sisterfriend, Rachel. And praying peace and comfort for her parents, who undoubtably miss her in a million different ways than I do. I am thankful for faith that I know Rachel is in Heaven, but it will forever be one of things that I will never understand why it had to happen.

serious cuteness

2011-10-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

it definitely was not the most easy photo session and i wish there were some more family pics...but the pics of just the boys on their own.....oh.my.stars! SO ADORABLE!

Just precious. I have already forgotten how stressful the session was.......

almost ;-)

I think he liked his cupcake....

2011-10-25T22:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came and shared in our little guy's birthday. It was a small and simple gathering...and I think we all enjoyed it! Hope you all had a good weekend too! :)

My little Markey

2011-10-18T00:18:00.034-05:00

Two years ago today....in the same fashion that we found out I was pregnant, Markey came flying into this world! It is definitely a night I will never forget. Finally left our house about 10:30pm on a Saturday night (thanks to my mother's insistence to go to the hospital), checked in about 11:30pm, and Mark was born less than 45 minutes later! No drugs, no doctors there, just me, Matt, and the nurses! What a whirlwind. And then there he was, this precious baby boy with his dark brown hair. Another man in my life that stole my heart!

Mark is truly just such a sweet little fella. Whereas Zachary takes after his daddy's personality, I would say Markey favors me more. Go with the flow....until you REALLY tick him off ;-)

He amazes me daily with the things he says and does. I know every parent says it, but he is very bright! He has already been recognizing letters and numbers and been talking in sentences forever. He always has fun playing with his brother, but he is also just as happy to sit and play with his cars on his own!

He LOVES any type of vehicle...cars, trucks, trains, airplanes! He loves his loveys. His best friends are for sure his big brother and his Popsie (or Poppie as he calls him). But he still loves his momma best! I love that he still wants to sit and snuggle and cuddle with me.

Yet he is a daredevil too! You don't have to ask him twice to try anything, he will go for it. A lot of times even before his big brother!

Sweet Markey, I love you so much and am so proud to be your mommy. Your daddy and I are beyond blessed to have been chosen to be your parents. Two years has gone by too fast already...I can't wait to see what else you will do in this next year and many years to come! You make every day better for our family and we love you oh so very much. Happy birthday, son! We love you!

trick or treat?

2011-10-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

I think Halloween costume shopping is just as bad or worse than bathing suit shopping...definitely a TRICK and not a TREAT!

we went Friday night after dinner to get costumes while the boys were at Kids Night Out at church...figuring it would be the ONLY time we would have to go and look without the boys with us.

Oh.My.Goodness. First off, I would day 85% of the costumes for women look like something someone dancing on a pole would wear...just sayin ;-) Some of them are very cute still, like this one pirate outfit I tried on. The top was good, but the skirt BARELY covered my tush! And as a 30-something mother of two...I am just not comfortable enough to go with that look, no matter how good I looked! (kidding...)

Anyway, I ended up finding a roman dress and it looks nice enough for the halloween bash! We won't be winning any creativity awards but they will do. Anyone else feel like halloween costume shopping is a similar h.e.double hockeysticks experience as swimsuit shopping or is it just me??

BOO'd!

2011-10-11T22:44:00.000-05:00

My little helper and I got busy during nap time on Monday. I had seen this "game" out in the blogosphere before and always thought it was cute so Z and I decided to get a chain started! It is kinda like May flower baskets as my mom reminded me. Basically, you drop and a little goodie bag off at your friend/neighbors, ring the bell...and RUN! Then those people continue the game on! :)

I found my printable here for the cute window sign and poem.

Next Zach and I baked up some yummy slice and bake cookies and some candy corn bark! Then we packaged it all up in a cute little container and bag!

Then we loaded up the car and headed out. Z LOVED ringin the doorbells and running...Mark did not care for sitting in the car. AND, it is hard to try to run away when you have to buckle a passenger back in their car seat! ;-)

Have you ever been BOO'd before or done the Booing?!? It was neat little activity and I hope my friends have fun passing along the Booing to others too! :)

breaking through

2011-10-05T19:43:00.001-05:00

see that little ticker on the right?? ----------------->

I finally busted through the plateau and now have less than 10lbs to go before my big goal weight. I truly cannot believe it! I set my "goal weight" at the highest end of my height's healthy range according to ww but I wouldn't mind losing another 15 lbs after that. But hey, if all I lose is my goal...losing 50lbs ain't too shabby.

In the last month or so, I would say people definitely started noticing the weight loss more. Some co-workers I don't see on a regular basis even have told me that they hardly recognize me. It is still strange to me, because although I was overweight, I never thought of myself as "fat". And looking at myself today, even several sizes smaller, I still think I look me! Weird, I know? Perhaps at goal weight I will take some pics to compare from start to goal!

In an effort to celebrate me finally reaching the 40lb mark....here are a couple of every day items that weigh 40lbs:
1) Zachary. Dang, he is heavy these days to carry around. That has definitely given me perspective to think I was carrying around that much extra weight on my body!

2) a 5-gallon bottle of water

3) According the American Kennel Society, a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier!

4) And speaking of dogs....a big old 40lb bag of dog food!

5) Two Tires

So there you have it. Losing 4.4lbs this week gave me the push and encouragement I needed...I WILL REACH MY GOAL! :)

Diaper Box turned storage box

2011-10-05T10:28:00.001-05:00

While perusing the bloggy world a couple weeks ago....I saw this. Turning diaper boxes into cute storage boxes! I have often used diaper boxes as storage, just never thought about cutesy-ing it up into something more permanent or using fabric.

Both boys decided to fall asleep today so I used that time to cover a diaper box! (Great use of time, right? All the cleaning was done already...) I had some fat quarters that needed to be used to I went digging through that. We have a little children's table cluttered with stuff on it in our living room and I thought it would be a great place for a cute box to keep all the boys crayons and paper in.

Enter your supplies: diaper box, fabric, mod podge, brush, and scissors.

I am not a precise/measuring type of girl...so I just went for it. Mod Podge one side of your box.

Lay your fabric on top and stretch and smooth out any wrinkles. Cut slightly larger than your box so you have some excess fabric to fold into and under the box.

Repeat on all 4 sides. I did my 2 long sides first, and then the short sides. On the short sides, I "hemmed" the fabric so it would it would appear cleaner. Then I took a strip and lined the inside top few inches...and mod podged that down too.

It was looking a little naked to me, so I decided to hot glue some ribbon around the outside, as well as to the bottom of the strip inside the box to cover up the edge of the fabric.

Pretty cute if I do say so myself, and much better than the stack of stuff on the desk before....

We will see how it holds up. But for $0 and about 30 minutes of time...not too shabby! What a great scrap buster project too! What do you think?

If the broom fits...

2011-10-04T20:25:00.002-05:00

FLY IT!

I saw this adorable sign on pinterest, and loved it so much I had to make my own! Lil Luna had a great tutorial so I just followed along.

I used my silhouette to cut out the letters and the witch silhouette. Being as I didn't feel like fussing with the sewing machine, I simply cut out triangles from some Halloween scrapbook paper I had and glued it along a line of twine! Walah!! A quick spray of clear shalacky stuff, and what an adorable little sign I have!

I love it so much and just what my crazy whimsical Halloween mantle needed! :)

Have you been making any cute Halloween crafts yet? I have been enjoying seeing all the great ides across the blogland and look forward to making a few more in the next couple of weeks!

Rocktober

2011-10-03T22:14:00.001-05:00

Well September has come and gone and here we are...already days in to October!

My 30 day challenge went pretty good. I made 24 out of 30 days. Not too shabby. More than I was exercising before for sure! I hope to keep the 5 days a week up!

I ran my first "official" 5k on Saturday for the Race for the Cure (and raised $750 so far...it's not too late to donate!). It was crazy running with that many people...but I did it!! Not sure exactly what my time was. We were in the middle of the pack so we started out several minutes after the timer started. The clock showed 35 minutes when I crossed but my cardio trainer I started when I actually crossed showed the starting line showed 3.6 miles (dont know why it would be longer either?!?!) in 32 minutes. I ran the first mile in 9:27, 2nd-9:48 and 3rd-9:29. Still the fastest I have ever run....but that ends up being like 30 minutes. So who knows. I am guessing the 30-32 minutes is right. Anyway, I am pleased and it was fun. Looking forward to doing it again...and soon! Time to find another race! :)

So, now into October we go and I have got to rock it. The holiday season is already among us (birthday parties, pumpkin patch, Mark's 2nd birthday, Fall Festivals, Halloween) and I know I need to stay strong somehow to reach my goal. I am really going to concentrate on tracking EVERYTHING and sticking to my workouts. A co-worker is going to get me on a strength training program as well so we shall see how that goes too. Hoping this week's weigh in is better than last...

What are you going to do to Rock October??

A bunch of randomness

2011-09-28T23:18:00.000-05:00

oh, where has the week gone already? A whole lot going on so I will just make a big list of random for you! Here we go!

1) Yesterday was Matt's birthday....the big 35! I was going to make a nice post about the 35 things I love about him...but I will leave you with just a couple instead. I love that he is my best friend. I love how he encourages me. I love how he plays with the boys and can get some of the biggest laughs out of them ever! And I love that he has a heart for the Lord and a great love for me and our family. We are so truly blessed. Happy Birthday, honey! Here's to hoping 35 is the best year yet!!

2) Monday was Esther day! E-day, as we call it, is the day we adopted Esther and we became her forever home. 7 years ago! She is truly the best dog evah!

3) Did you know it was fall already? One would not know it by the weather here in Texas...but I am a fall/winter kinda gal and really ready to start wearing sweaters and scarves and corduroy and boots!!

4) I have another blog. It's a recipe blog. It is nothing fancy. I don't know how to take good pictures of food. BUT, I have eaten every recipe on it and if it is on there, then we liked it. I started it as a place to be able to go find my recipes in one simple place. If you are in a cooking rut, go check it out. And leave a comment if you liked what you made!

5) Speaking of cooking. I HATE dealing with raw chicken, beef, pork, etc. It totally grosses me out. But, as the chef in the house, I must do it. I have no issues once the stuff is cooked...but touching it raw...EEEEEWWWW!!

6) And speaking of eating...I have hit the dreaded P word. PLATEAU. Ever since vacation back in August, the scale has been moving ever so slightly back and forth. I don't know if it because I have become more lax? Indulged in more celebrations? Had time off of exercising with being sick, other commitments, etc? I do not know. But i AM FRUSTRATED. But I am also committed and determined to lose this last 12lbs to get to my goal. Any suggestions out there for what to do when you have hit the virtual weight loss wall?

7) And Saturday...I run my first official 5k with Race for the Cure. I ran tonight, 3.5 miles in 39 minutes. Not the fastest (being sick last week and not running for nearly a week was NOT good for my stats) I am 100% sure I can complete it, but wishing I was a little faster. And if you want to donate for this great cause....go to my race page! Every dollar counts!

I think that is about it for now. Tomorrow is Thursday, almost through with the week. Hang in there, friends! :)

So Pinteresting!

2011-09-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, pinterest...I think you quite possibly have replaced facebook on levels of time lost on.... LOL. A couple of the girls were at the house over the weekend and I gave them a quick tutorial on "pinning". It is so fun and just full of great ideas and inspiration!

Over the weekend, I made this (pics coming, turned out ADORABLE!) and cooked this tonight (which was delish!) And tomorrow...will be cooking this for hubby's birthday dinner.

One of the best things for sure is that I no longer have to send links back to myself for things that I want to make or try or just like...you can just pin it in one place and go back to it when you are ready. Genius, I tell you!

Are you on Pinterest yet? If not, sign up or I will send you an invite. Especially great at this time of year. You WILL BE INSPIRED for Halloween/Fall/Thanksgiving/Christmas decor, gifts, crafts, etc!

Halloween Luminaries

2011-09-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

If you are on Pinterest at all...I am sure you have seen these cute halloween luminaries! They are very cute and cheap to make. My book club made them last week but I didn't attend...so Z and I set off to make them yesterday. I have been saving jars for who knows what so I didn't have to buy any. If you don't have any laying around, you can buy a 12 pack at Wal-Mart I hear!

First off, clean out your jars and remove labels.

Second, paint the jars with regular old craft paint. I actually painted the inside of mine. Then you don't have to worry about scratching or glazing at the end! It just gives it a little smoother look. One note, when painting glass, just try to do one line at a time. If you try to paint over while it is still wet, it kinda wipes off what you already painted.

The faces I painted on the outside. Another good thing about that is that you don't have to wait for the jars to dry to paint the faces! If you don't like the face you made....just wipe it off and start over. And it won't mess up your base paint! For the pumpkin, I had some foam pumpkin stickers left over from last year...Z used those to decorate the outside by himself. It was easier then painting for a preschooler!

That's it! We painted the lid too. Drop a little battery operated tea light, and you are set! Enjoy!

the tush....

2011-09-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

IT HURTS!!

Umm, yeah, I think that was me today. I have never taken a spin class before...and after my fitness assessment with one of the trainers today, she suggested I stay for her class. I couldn't really say no...right?

Wow, it was definitely a new kind of workout for me. I think I actually did pretty good, but holy heck, that bike seat HURTS! A little cushion on there wouldn't hurt??

It was a good workout though, and something new. I definitely be back again....even if I am not walking normally for the next couple days! ;-)

When life gives you mushy bananas....

2011-09-13T23:21:00.000-05:00

Make banana bread, of course!

Somehow at least ONE of the bananas always goes bad before it gets eaten....right?? Cause, ya know, you don't ALWAYS reach for the banana first when you need a snack! Well this time I had 4 bananas go bad. So banana bread just seemed like the right thing to do!

I did a little searching and came up with this recipe. I did not have 1 1/4c sugar so I made mine with 3/4c sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar. I also did not have any buttermilk on hand. But apparently, you can make your own! Just put 1 TBSP white vinegar or 1 TBSP lemon juice in a measuring cup and add milk to just about the 1 cup mark. Let sit for 5 minutes. Wala!! Then measure out and use desired amount. Excellent! Very cool when you only need a small amount (1/2c in this recipe)...saves a trip to the store and a few $$!

Anyway, I made my bread in a large meatloaf sized loaf pan and am counting it as 12 slices=6pts per slice. Not super low, but for a treat or breakfast, I can swing it.

Verdict from the family= delish!

Next time don't throw out those mushy bananas...go make some bread! :)

My Favorite Homemade Play dough

2011-09-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

What to do when you have a day with nothing to do...make play dough! :) Ours was getting a little old and hard so we decided to make a fresh homemade batch!

Enter the ingredients:

The recipe actually calls for cream of tartar (which I didn't have this time) so I did a quick google search and came up with baking powder as a substitute.

Have your helper mix together all the dry ingredients. Then add water, oil, and food coloring and stir over medium heat...

And keep stirring....it looks goopy but it will turn into something, I promise! :) When it stops seeming sticky, it is probably done. You can always add a little more flour to if it still feels sticky after cooking.

Then roll it into a nice big ball and pass along to your VERY happy 3 year old!

This stuff lasts for a long time and is so soft. Over the holidays, I like to add some scents to it (pumpkin=halloween, peppermint=christmas) for some fun holiday treats! Just store it in a tupperware container and enjoy!

My favorite Homemade Play Dough Recipe
1 cup flour
1/4 cup of salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 smidge of gel food coloring (or 2 teaspoons normal food coloring)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Exercise TV

2011-09-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

My friend Kathy who is doing the 30 day challenge with told me about exercise tv. Apparently there is a whole slew of videos you can do for free on demand! I have the day off today so after Mark went down for his nap...I decided to check it out. Holy moly, there are a lot of choices! From dancing, kick boxing, abs, barre work, belly dancing, total body, walking...you name it! I ended up doing a 30 minute shred with Jillian and a 10 min total body workout with weights. Who needs to buy exercise videos when you can do them for free!

I did actually sweat...and my arms are feeling a little jell-o like....but I don't have that satisfied feeling like after a run. I guess with a run...I KNOW exactly what I did and calories burned. But as the gym guy told me, building muscle is better for you then all cardio, so I guess I did good today ;-)

Anyway, just thought I would share. For those of you that don't like the gym, don't want to run or walk outside....here is something you can do at your own convenience in your own home! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

1.4

2011-09-07T22:30:00.001-05:00

ARGH.

Somehow after upping my exercise up this past week, I managed to gain 1.4lbs....I guess I indulged a little more than I thought over the holiday weekend? To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. I feel like this last bit of weight is going very slowly. The month of August was a definite slump....I have only lost 3.4lbs in the last 4 weeks and only tracked 14 of those days (vacation...oops!). I really felt like I was back on track this past week and when reviewing my journals, I only had 1 day that I even went over my points. It is the first gain I have had in 6 weeks but still very frustrating....

So, this week I will vow to continue my 30 day challenge and I will track everything I eat! I am moving forward and not letting this get me down. I WILL REACH MY GOAL! I WILL NOT GET DISCOURAGED! Ya hear me, self?? ;-) I went back to my old ww meetings today. I missed my leader and all the encouragement she gave me. She is big on setting mini goals...and our next one is Oct 31st. My goal, is to be at or below my goal by then. That gives me 7 weeks to lose 14lbs. That is going to be tough...but I am going to push forward and give it my all!

I do want to give a shout out to all my friends and family who are following me on this journey....the encouragement, positive feedback, and stories that I am encouraging you...is what is keeping me going. I am sticking to that this is a lifestyle change for Lisa...not just a diet. I didn't gain the weight overnight, and it won't come off overnight either! And I am going to be one good looking momma by Christmas time...right?? :)

Hope you all are having a good week, half way there. Make the rest of it a good one too!

picture post!

2011-09-06T00:03:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope you had a great weekend with friends and family. We did a LOT of cleaning out around the house...mixed in with an Astros game Friday night and watching the Aggies BTHO of SMU on Sunday! :) Here are a couple of pics from the last few days...

Enjoying some cotton candy!

Mark thought Z was hilarious!

with Mickey!

and just being silly...they had come inside from running through the sprinklers!

Hope I can snag some pics of the boys from Sunday from someone, they looked so cute in the Aggie gear! We made a trip after church to Academy and got the whole family decked out!

I was good for my activity except for Sunday. We were busy before and after church and then headed to the Aday's. I guess my activity for that day will have to be the hour Zach and I grocery shopped!

And for a final funny shot...today I cleaned out my closet. Got rid of a ton of clothes that were either a) old or b) too big. Also found some clothes that I can now wear again which is fun! But I had Matt take my pic in a pair of jeans I was wearing at the beginning of this year....pardon the no make up and hair!

Now if that's not motivation for me, I don't know what is! :) I don't think the picture even really does it justice. I can pull them on and off without even unbuttoning. And even better, I found a pair of jeans I had saved from when I lived overseas after college just for posterity....they now fit again! I think I will wear them to work on Friday and take a pic!

Hope everyone has a great week! Stay active! :)

DAY 2-CHECK!

2011-09-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

Well I really did not want to go....tried to find someone to have lunch with, thinking about other things I could....but finally just said, "quit the excuses and just GO!" So I did! Gym was fairly empty too which was nice. I am a creature of habit so I went back to the exact same treadmill...and 40 minutes later, all done.

The Food Network was on again today which I find to be a completely ironic channel to be watching in the gym...picture Paula Dean slathering butter ALL over delicious things and baking delicious sweets. All the while the sweat is dripping off your brow and I am thinking how all that butter and sugar got me to this point in the FIRST PLACE! #must learn other things to do in the gym besides the treadmill....

On a more interesting note, the fam is going to an Astros game tonight! Matt got tickets from a vendor awhile back so we decided to take the boys. They are great seats (front row on 1st baseline) so hopefully keeps the boys interested. We figured if they are bad and we need to go....at least we didn't pay for the tickets! This will be Mark's first game! On a related note....I have had this Astros shirt in my closet for about a year and a half....tags still on. I grabbed it one day at Target assuming it would fit. Got home and it looked HORRIBLE so there it sat in my closet...never worn. Tried it on last night, and what do you know, it is almost BIG now! Whoopideedoo to that! :)

Have a great weekend everyone and stay active! We can do this!

observations from the gym

2011-09-01T22:56:00.002-05:00

I started my challenge off right by heading to the gym for lunch, a first on many levels. I managed to get in 3.5 miles in 40 minutes. day 1-complete!

I totally need a lesson on machines...I am clueless. I could barely figure out how to work the treadmill so just did the "quick start" to go! And I realized I definitely like running outside better! Am going to need to figure out different things to do so I don't burn out on the treadmill!

I am not the biggest person in the gym. Big change from probably 4 months ago! And helped with the whole "gym intimidation" factor...

I made it back to ww today after skipping 2 weeks due to vacation....and had lost 4.8lbs! I now have about 12lbs to go before the first big goal. I can do this!!

I need to bring make-up remover with me. Raccoon eyes is not a good look for going back to work.

I wish the towels were softer. And bigger.

Some people have no modesty! Even in small spaces...grab a towel, people! ;-)

Apparently my hair looked good with the very rough dry I did after work out. A co-worker complimented my new hair-do, ha ha!

But all and all, it wasn't too bad. I wasn't totally scared being there...and it felt good to get the exercise DONE for the day.

How did you do on your first day of the challenge??

30 Day Challenge

2011-08-31T00:00:00.017-05:00

**Update...thanks to Kathy's question, I did a quick online search for an activity tracker...and wouldn't you know it, there is one! I started a group at the President's Fitness Challenge (remember those from way back in elementary school??) I guess now they are expanded to get ALL ages moving! **

Go to the below link:
https://www.presidentschallenge.org/activity/index.php. Create a FREE account. Then you should be able to go to Groups and do a search for : 30 Day Challenge. I tried it and it brought it up. From there, I think you can join the group! You should be able to track what you are doing as wel as see what else the group is doing! Seems pretty cool!
*******************************************************************************
Ok, September 1st is just 1 day away...and I am ready to get down to business and see what all we can do in 30 days! I think I am about to bite the bullet and join a gym. With working downtown now and Bible study every Thursday night, I am struggling to get my workouts in and I am certain that the exercising is definitely what has been helping me lose the weight. I have about 15lbs to go (need to get to a meeting this week to confirm!!) before I hit the top range of my "healthy weight" according to ww and this will be a great boost for me.

So, consider me a soon-to-be (gasp!!) gym person now.....The gym I visited today is fairly small, not a bunch of scary hard bodies or hotties, and hopefully that will keep me from being TOTALLY intimated at first. I will probably stick to the treadmills as I am getting acquainted with this new routine....but am considering using a personal trainer for a couple weeks just to learn what else I can do.

If you are with me in joining the challenge, I would love to have some accountability partners!

Grab the button code on the right if you want to share on your blog too! :)

You spend WHAT on groceries?

2011-08-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

The church Matt and I attend have a campaign of sorts going on right now....a Quest if you will, to seek God in all different aspects of life. The clergy have made a whole slew of different Bible Study and groups available to all members in hopes that people will find something to connect to and engage them to seek God and strengthen their faith. Matt and I stopped and talked with our pastor a couple of Sundays ago at the info table and he asked us what we were going to join? (We honestly had not decided on anything but caught on the spot now!). With two small boys and both working, it was hard to find a time that was agreeable to our schedules. Thankfully, as we learned, they provide free childcare! ;-) Anyway, he told us about how he and his wife had gone though Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey a few sessions ago and how much they got out of it and maybe that would be a good one for us to try. We had discussed it before...but were never really sure that it was something we NEEDED as we only have mortgage and car payments as far as debt goes. Was this something that we could benefit from?

Well, after some prayerful consideration, we decided we would give it a go. We attended our first class last week, and interestingly enough, the majority of the class were people like us in similar situations. Not necessarily debt to deal with, but lack of an actual budget on things above and beyond savings and bills. And a desire to have a greater knowledge of their personal finances and take the stress out of dealing with money.

Are you still with me?? I know this is a round about way to get where I am going with the groceries! :)

Our first assignment is to complete a high level budget. Matt had one he had done about a year ago for us so that is getting us started. He printed it out for me and we will go over it some more before Thursday. One of the major things that sticks out to me, besides childcare which is not negotiable at this point...is GROCERIES! Holy HECK! Now, one thing about that, is to us, groceries isn't just food....its beauty and cleaning products, toiletries, diapers etc. All things that you would pick up at Kroger's or the occasional Target trip. Regardless, it is a huge chunk of our monthly bills and seems to be way too much for 2 adults and 2 small boys to be spending!

I cook meals for our family prob 3-4 times a week, and not extravagant ones. None of the beauty or cleaning products I buy are outrageous or top of the line. So why are we spending this much? I am SO very curious to hear what other people in our class have down in that category.

After all that, my question to you is....are you on a Grocery Budget? How do you save money at the store? Any tips to get started? Would love to hear some people's suggestions on how they save money on the basic food/cleaning/beauty necessities they use for their families!

The honeymoon is over

2011-08-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

Vacation has ended and my recover period of readjusting to normal life definitely had to be over too. Oddly enough, I think I am ready. While I totally enjoyed eating whatever I wanted, when I wanted...and indulging in more wine than normal, I knew it wasn't helping my cause and it has felt good to get back in a routine these last couple of days. Hardest part, I am totally out of habit it now with tracking and regularly exercising. Soooo....you gotta start somewhere, right?

Yesterday morning, I tracked my breakfast, ~~nearly killed myself~~ ran for 30 minutes, went back out for a jog walk with boys, and then tracked my lunch. Logged about 4 miles today so not a bad way to get back into the swing of things! Am anxious to get to a ww meeting and see what the scale shows. I was NOT good for dinner last night, but hey, that's what the extra points are for, right? :) And it was worth it to catch up with an old friend! Have to be able to live a little or else this will be something I will not be able to stick to.

Which has me thinking, how do you ensure this you are making a lifestyle change, and not just a "diet" to drop the pounds? I mean, after all, about 8 years ago, I did ww and lost a lot of weight, but somehow never actually hit goal and became lifetime. And obviously gained all the weight back AND THEN SOME (ahem...). I think I am about 12lbs away from what would be the top of the range for my healthy weight. Although probably not my ultimate goal, I think it would be the safest place for me to set my lifetime weight at in order to stick to it. I definitely think exercising is helping me this time, something I have NEVER done regularly since drill team in high school!! While I still do not necessarily "enjoy" exercising, I do like two main things from it: 1) the fact that I can actually RUN and be active without dieing and 2) that it is undoubtedly helping me lose the weight.

I think for September, I am going to have 30 day challenge, would love for you to join me. All it is going to be is to commit to be active for 30 consecutive days. That doesn't have to mean having an official workout every day (although that would be awesome!), but rather just committing to do SOMETHING. That can be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther out in the parking lot, walking the dog, the kids, yourself, whatever you can fit in to do! Hoping to see some good results that will push me through that last 10-15 lbs over the next month or so! I will post what I am doing and would love to hear what you are doing too! We can do it, Good luck!

These are a few of my Favorite Things....

2011-08-22T23:39:00.002-05:00

What a great week at the beach! Loved spending time with my hubby, my boys, and my parents and thankful for the time we spent together. Already looking forward to next year! :)

A Kid in the Candy Shop

2011-08-22T23:39:00.001-05:00

If you are ever in Galveston and want to make your kids' day....head to The Strand and stop in La Kings Confectionary. I remember going there as a kid, and it looks just the same. To see the boys' eyes light up as they walked past rows and rows of goodies...it was priceless.

Mark made quite an impression on one little girl as she was ordering her candy, he was standing next to her and would say"I want that tooooo". We were all giggling. We moved on down the line to wait our turn and a few minutes later, that sweet girl walked up to Mark and gave him a bag of a couple little gummies. Too cute.

And, they have old $0.50 ride on machines....the boys enjoyed it...I think Daddy did too! :)

A Last little hurrah!

2011-08-22T23:38:00.000-05:00

We had a nice mid-week visit by my friend Becky and my god-daughter Katie. They will be headed to Dallas in a few short weeks and I so enjoyed this time spent with both mommy & daughter! Z and K have always gotten along and were so cute to see pal around. It was great to have them there with us and we will miss them when they move but know we will still see them too! :)

conversations with boys

2011-08-09T22:19:00.001-05:00

Oh my, it has started already....I really thought it would take longer....but lately, anything toot, burp, spitting or some other lovely bodily function has been the butt of all jokes (ha, pun intended!) :)

Today's conversation went something like this:

Zach- excuse me, i tooted. (laughs hysterically)

Mark- NO, MARKEY tooted (which he did not, he was sitting on my lap and is now getting upset cause he wanted to toot???)

Zach- no markey, you didn't toot, I tooted!

Mark- NO, MARKEY TOOTED!!

Zach- (still laughing)

Mark- (clenching stomach until a toot DOES come out and big grin emerges) Markey tooted, yay!

Ahhhhh....life with boys! :)

Kids Night Out

2011-08-07T09:34:00.000-05:00

Which really means...Parents Night Out...woohoo! :)

For the first time since Mark has been born (read:nearly two years), Matt and I went out on a date withOUT my parents watching the boys. I know they love their grandsons, but I am sure they need a break too. Our last date night was my birthday back in June and before then, I can't even remember....

So after making a concerted effort this summer to make going to church every Sunday a priority, the consistency paid off. The boys happily walked into the nursery room, backpacks filled with jammies and pillow and blanket in tow...ready for their party at church! :)

Matt and I were almost giddy. It was really weird to be out on a Saturday night! We took the suggestion of some friends and tried out a sushi restaurant. We wanted to go somewhere that we could not a) go with the boys or b) get take out from. Toro was tasty, fresh, and we had a nice waiter too. We will be back! One nice thing about going out to eat at 6pm, is that it wasn't too busy and we were finished around 7:30...still 2 1/2 hours before we had to get the boys! We headed to a little wine bar, The Cork Cafe and it did not disappoint either. Cozy, romantic, and tasty wines. We each tried a wine flight and a cheese plate. YUM-O! I definitely used all my ww points but it was totally worth it!

We headed to pick the boys up a little early as I was anxious to see how they did. Sweetest sight ever...we walked in and peeked in before they saw us, the lights were out and all the kids were snuggled up on the floor together watching a movie in their jammies....
Z and M were curled up together = adorable. They were happy and sleepy and got great reports, made a momma smile. We were home before 10pm and the boys went right to bed, no fuss.

All in all, it was a great experience. Matt and I got a much needed night out together, boys had fun...it was a win win for sure! Feeling very thankful for a warm and friendly church who puts this on so parents can have a little time to reconnect. We will be doing this again for sure!! :)

Countdown

2011-08-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

12 days until vacation! We have the countdown calendar going on at home and Zachary reminds me every day to "change the number" :) I think we are all ready!

And that gives me 12 days to really stick to ww. I think I have been in a slump this past week and a half and time to get refocused. I have been on program for 12 weeks now and I think I hit a mini plateau. It is hard sometimes to stay motivated when you think about how much more you need to lose...but I am still proud of what I have done so far!

Not much else going on....this is my last week in my building before we move downtown this weekend. I have worked in the galleria area for 10 years, it will be weird to be back downtown. Only part of it I am looking forward to is going to the gym. I ran tonight after a week off and too darn hot heat...BRUTAL. Working out in a nice air conditioned gym could be nice....

That's all new with me, what is new with you? :)

Updates

2011-07-20T22:46:00.000-05:00

I feel better today. Thank you all for indulging my vent and for those of you that commented. It is always nice to know that other people have crappy days too. I kid, I kid...kinda ;-)

I had an especially good lunch today. I got my 25lbs charm today at weight watchers. Made me smile. About 1/2 way to go now, and somehow that doesn't seem as impossible as it did a few weeks ago. I love emailing Matt and calling my mom after every weigh in. They have been SO supportive and I appreciate all their encouragement. Thinking I can definitely hit 30lbs before I go to the beach. Just hope I don't do too much damage with a week of vacation but luckily I will have mom there with me to keep me on track!

I ended up ordering 2 bathing suits from Lime Ricki. (Rachel, that is where the one you liked is from and one of the ones I ordered. Ill post how it is when it comes in!) They had free shipping on Tuesday and I found a 10% off coupon online so I just went for it.

And after a week off of running due to Matt working late and his guys' trip, I am back on track. I went Monday and today and getting back in the groove. I ran 3.2 tonight in 35min. Slower than I have been but DANG, it is still HOT OUTSIDE. I have book club tomorrow so perhaps I will get up in the morning. It always just looks so dark outside....and the bed is SO comfy!

Hope every one's hump day was good today. I am moving on and looking forward to Thursday!

The Cluster

2011-07-20T14:21:00.000-05:00

I should have KNOWN it was going to be one of those days after leaving my cell phone in Z's room from a 4am sheet changing (I use it as a flashlight so I don't have to turn the light on), my wake up call being Zachary bringing me said blaring cell phone (it's my alarm) and then proceeding to step in cat barf as I was getting dressed (thanks max!)!

I thought I had all the plans worked out to make it to my god-daughter's birthday party at Chucky Cheese from 4-6pm. Maria would put the boys down for an early nap so they could be there around 4. My dad would meet them there so that Maria could leave to get to work on time after. I would meet my dad and boys there on the way home from work and all would be glorious as the boys ran themselves wild and wore themselves out! Go, Supermom....I CAN do it all!! Right??

Maria called me at 4 to say they were there but couldn't find the party..but would just play until my dad got there and helped. I was still busy at work so didn't think much of the conversation. I texted Becky to see if she was running late? Dad called at 4:30 to say he was there at the party...but where were the boys?? WTH??? Where is everyone?? After several frantic phone calls, I figured out....they were at two.entirely.different.locations. I managed to figure out where to go to meet boys and Maria....but once I got them and headed back to where we SHOULD have been all along....we ended up going home as we would have MAYBE been at Chucky for 15 minutes, if that. Drats! I bartered with the boys by telling them we would just go to Katie's house for "the real party" and that seem to pacify them as I listened to them chanting "K-T's-House, K-T's House" all the way home.....

We stayed for the cake and ice cream and let the boys run wild at Becky's house instead for about an hour. I think I was honestly too frazzled from the whole thing and driving all over town to totally relax. Although Miss K definitely put a smile on my face with our Littlest Pet Shop gift being the chosen present for the day ;-)

It was definitely a Supermom FAIL moment. Trying to do it all....and failing miserably. Or at least in my mind I did. I mean, who doesn't make sure everyone is going to the same place? And then of course I was thinking, what if something had happened at a previous outing...I would have had no idea where the boys were. All this time I thought they were had been going to the Chucky closest to our house....

We got home in time to put PJs on the boys and head to bed. Z has been a bit challenging these last couple weeks and I think that has been weighing on me too. Tell me people, is it just being THREE or something else to it. Discipline, attitudes, etc....that's topic for another post all together. It has been on my mind so perhaps I will write it all out soon. This sister needs some ENCOURAGEMENT there. I told my friend, Amy, this morning, I just feel so defeated by it sometimes. Sigh. Parenting is not for the weak at heart!

After the house was quiet, I mellowed out for a bit over dinner....and thought about this:

I have so very much to be thankful for. And it really puts so much into perspective. Husband, boys, family, friends, health, home, job, etc....So I went to bed and vowed to make today a better day! :) Thank you Jesus for the grace you give us to get through these moments that drive us mad!

What do you do when you have one of those days and get over the emotional funk they can sometimes put you in to??

yummy lasagna

2011-07-19T14:58:00.000-05:00

Been awhile since I made a new recipe...decided to try out this weight watchers lasagna....and it did not disappoint. With using the no-boil noodles, this was a breeze to make. And it made a ton, plenty of leftovers for this busy week!

Here goes:
1lb lean ground beef (I used 94/6)
1 small onion(s), chopped
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
15 oz canned tomato sauce
2 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (I used one plain and one Italian seasoned)
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided
1 c low-fat ricotta cheese
1 package frozen spinach (defrosted)
6 item(s) dry lasagna noodles, no-cook
1/2 cup(s) shredded parmesan cheese

*Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes (I didn't have any so left them out); simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
*Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, spinach and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
*Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 13x9 dish. Lay 3 lasagna sheets over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. *Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.
*Cook at 350 for 50 minutes.
*In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving=10 points

I served with a side of broccoli and carrots medley and it was a good sized meal! Quick, easy, and delish that does not taste like diet. Can't beat that!

Rainy day cure

2011-07-18T17:08:00.001-05:00

What will chase the rainy day blues away?? Why, some little rainbow cupcakes!! :) I recently pinned a similar type of these cheery treats and I the boys haven't been able to stop thinking about them since!

I didn't really have a plan, so we just colored our batter and spooned it in layer upon layer. Since cupcakes are fairly small, they didn't come out in even layers, but they still look great! It was a great activity for Z and I to do during quiet time while Mark is napping. You be the judge...but I think he enjoyed it!

So go on, make some rainbow cupcakes. Your kids will think you are super cool! And don't worry, Markey will get to enjoy his later too! :)

American Tail?

2011-07-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

Anyone remember if this is a good movie? It's showing free this week at a movie theatre by us and wondering if the boys would like it....it is rated G.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I kept the boys very busy while Matt was out of town on his guys trip! :) We played with Katie, hit the bounce house and Mickey D's, hung out with Grammy and popsie, walks, swim lessons, etc! Made for some tired boys and mommy! :)

And it is officially less than a month away to the beach house trip, yippee!!

Swim Suits

2011-07-16T10:46:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple I have found so far...what do you think? Granted I don't have the cute figures the models do but I think they are all something that could work??

bathing suit Shopping....

2011-07-15T10:45:00.002-05:00

I had a good weigh this week, somehow managed to lose 4lbs (gained 1 lb last week so I am sure that was part of it). On ww I have now lost 24lbs and total about 29lbs now! In the last couple weeks, a few people at work have either just noticed or just now decided to say something. Probably because I work with mostly men and maybe it's weird for them to mention it? But a couple of my closer friends have said something now so that was nice! :) I think part of it was last week I finally broke down and bought some new pants.... Wearing pants 2 sizes too big isn't really a great way to show off your weight loss ;-) The final straw was I wore flats to work and was tripping over myself all day (not cool)!

Anyway, our family beach vaca is coming up in ONE MONTH and I need a new swimsuit. A lot seem to be on sale now too which is good! Unless you are a VS model, I don't think bathing suit shopping is fun for ANYONE! One of my problems too is so many suits are so low cut and when you are holding a grabby toddler, it can be a wee bit too showy. I also have a longer torso so I want something that covers nicely too! So...I am turning to online shopping. Have you done this before for a swim suit? I figured I can always return it. Been looking at Lands End. They are cute, age appropriate, and inexpensive. Score. A lot of the sizes are sold out but there are a few still I found so I think I will give it a shot!

Hope everyone has had a good week. Heading to the bounce house to wear these boys out! :)

free fun

2011-07-11T22:56:00.000-05:00

did a little research, found a little park, had a picnic lunch...and had 3 sleeping little boys on the way home! love that! although we need to go earlier the next time, the slides in the playground were all too hot to go down! darn houston heat!!

All was well until it was diaper changing time....the poor little one has got this diaper rash/chaffing going on?? It was some awful crying going on. I am not sure how to get rid of it? It really looks more like chaffing now than diaper rash. Anyone ever dealt with this before?? Help!

1 lb

2011-07-06T13:32:00.002-05:00

well, it's not HORRIBLE......but I will admit even though it's exactly what I thought it would be, I am disappointed in myself. Oh well, not going to beat myself up about it and have already moved on....and I DID enjoy the pizza, popcorn, mexican food, hamburger, cake, and wine I enjoyed this weekend with my family! ;-)

Back to Life...

2011-07-05T22:10:00.001-05:00

Back to reality! Nothing like a little En Vouge on a Tuesday to get ya going. As my friend, Theresa said, back to the grind! I enjoyed my holiday weekend. I had mexican food, pizza, cake, and wine....and I let myself enjoy it. But the difference between making a lifestyle change and a diet, is that it was a temporary indulgence. Not letting it derail my efforts, it's back on the wagon today. Tracked my points, drank my water, and ran my 3.1 miles. whew. We will see the true damage on the scale tomorrow at ww! ;-)

And summer tv....man, there is not a lot on to watch. We are watching Friday Night Lights as the season comes to a close, the train wreck called The Bachelorette, giving Combat Hospital a try (China Beach is one of my all time fav shows so hoping maybe it will be good! I still love Diana Ross's Reflections because of that show!), and of course...Big Brother starts Thursday! Anyone else watching a new show or an old show we should give a try over the summer?

Can you believe we are already a third of the way through summer???

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend.....friends, family, and lots of fun. So good to see some friends we don't get to see near often enough, and we have our Dallas crew in town for the first time in years. It was great!! Wish we got to see all of them...the friends and the family....much more often!

runners runners everywhere!

2011-06-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I am officially a c25k graduate...a couple weeks ago, technically, but nevertheless, just now posting about it! I have said it before, but I still truly can't believe I can now run 3 miles in just over 30 minutes!

Just two months ago, I thought I may die when I was running for 60 seconds. I must say, almost as much as the running itself feels awesome, the even better part is that somehow I am inspiring other to join in too?? I think what's the most baffling and humbling of that is I was so out of shape, the LAST person to want to exercise, and certainly never one to enjoy it....but maybe that's why people have been encouraged by me? Who knows. Anyway, it truly warms my heart and makes me excited to know at least 3 or 4 people I know are now starting c25k too or are in the process since I have started. All I have to say is, If I can do it....YOU CAN TOO! Get moving! :) Looking forward to running with some of you at the Race for the Cure in October!

I think I will start the Bridge to 10k tomorrow. What do I have to lose, right?

Oh...and Matt got picked in the lotto so he has a spot in the half marathon in January. Go Matt!! :)

Let's....Go to....The Mooovies...

2011-06-23T14:33:00.000-05:00

Let's go see....the Staaaa-aaarss!

If you haven't heard...Cars 2 comes out on Friday. We have been talking about this in our house for months now...with the promise that a certain little 3 yr old would get to go on a date by himself with mommy and daddy for his first trip to the "movie center." Gotta find time for Grammy and popsie to watch Markey so we can go to the movies! I must say, I am quite excited. The last movie Matt and I saw in the theatre was Couples Retreat the week before Mark was born. It's about darn time to go again! ;-)

Anyone have tips for the first time you take your kiddo the movies??

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful father's day with their dads, hubbies, sons, father in laws, etc!!

Matt had his dream day....golf with his sons....

I love my friends

2011-06-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

sometimes they just really make me smile and it reminds me how blessed I am to have such a great group of women in my life. we are all different and unique, but we truly LOVE each other, quirkiness and all...and that is pretty cool.

we had book club last night, more people didn't read the book than did (oops...we used to be SO much better!). Life has gotten busy as we have all become wives and mothers, etc. We so very are thankful to our husbands or siblings or parents who watch our children so we can get together one night a month to just be together. As much as I love all of our children, it is nice to be able to actually hold a conversation with one another without a million interruptions and distractions.

We support each other, encourage each other, listen, advise, hug cry, and laugh. Such a special bond! Love you friends!!! You are the sisters I never had

And make NKOTB shirts for concerts...good times ladies, good times! :)

rise and shine

2011-06-15T14:49:00.001-05:00

I guess posting it on the blog does make me a little more accountable. I stumbled out of bed for my 30 minute run and was home the same time I normally am crawling out of bed. Not too bad. Was a little nervous being out in the dark, but I saw one other person and a few cars...had my cell phone in case of a crazy! :)

Got me to thinking, this isn't so bad! I have had more energy than I think I normally do during the day. Workout is over. It is DEFINITELY less hot. And now I won't have to worry about leaving the boys for an hour at night to get it done. May have to try this out again.

So I am coming to the end of my c25k program. Am finishing week 8 tomorrow out of the 9 weeks. I really want to find a race to do to commemorate but there are not too many options. In my hunting around today....I found there is a 1/2 marathon at the end of October....would I be crazy to try?? I have been pestering my friend Jenny about it today, to see if she thinks I could be ready by then. I have found a 12 week training program. If I started that at the beginning of August, 12 weeks would get me to the race. Would I be ready?? I really didn't think I would be running 3.1 miles in 9 weeks....so maybe I could be running 13.1 miles in 12 weeks?

Any advice on taking the plunge to try a half? I would love to be one of those cool people driving around with a "13.1" sticker on my car :)

in the morning

2011-06-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

worked late, had to go to grocery store for food, missed the boys a lot, said youngest child has extreme separation anxiety these days= first missed tuesday workout in 9 weeks (except for bon jovi night)

think I will call it a night and maybe, JUST MAYBE, get up and run in the morning...my head needs it! :)

They say Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

2011-06-13T13:59:00.002-05:00

7 years

2011-06-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary to my hubby....my best friend, great daddy, wonderful husband....we may not be perfect but we are perfect for each other! :)

Couldn't ask for a better person to go through this journey called life with. You encourage me, challenge me, inspire me, and love me for who I am.

Love you so much honey, looking forward to many many more years to come!!

June 11, 2011

June 12, 2004

I did it!!

2011-06-11T16:37:00.000-05:00

8 weeks ago...the mere THOUGHT of running 3.1 miles at one time....without stopping...made me wince. There is NO way I could do that...I am "not a runner"!! But I decided to give the couch to 5k program a try anyway. If nothing else, for the first time I can remember, I would have a set exercise program and a goal to get there. So, I dug out the running shoes I bought probably 6 years ago that had been worn MAYBE a handful of times, bought a couple new sports bras and shirts and downloaded some crazy app that was going to turn me into a runner...and off I went.

The first week you don't jog more than 60 seconds at a time, and that was actually very challenging. You think to yourself, no WAY I can improve in 9 weeks to run for 30 minutes at a time!! But each time, it felt a little better. Matt showed me a path in our neighborhood that from our house to the opposite pool and back was 3.1 miles. Sometimes I just do the time it takes to get it all done, sometimes I push it further to get in the mileage. After recovering from memorial weekend I repeated 2 days to get back into the swing of things. Before, I would have just given up. But that bad run just made me more determined to get back into it.

Well, this morning....all dressed up in my new gear, I headed out for w8d1...the 28 minute run. I put myself on course to do the 3.1 miles, even if I had to walk after the 28 minutes ended. As the bell rang to indicate I ~~survived~~ completed the 28 minutes, I thought about walking the rest of the way home...and Eminem's Collapse came on...

'Cause sometimes you feel tired,

feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.

But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength

and just pull that $hit out of you and get that motivation to not give up

and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.

How can you quit when that comes on? ;-) (another one of my push through songs is Brittany's Stronger...yeah, I am cool) I felt good, and just kept going. And I completed my first 5k.

It wasn't on an official race, no fan fare, just me pumping my fists and grinning ear to ear in my neighborhood. And I still can't believe I did it. I love what it is doing for my health, my body, my energy, my relationship with my hubby (its encouraging him too and helps us both to be better!) and I find myself keeping up with my boys better.

I am really excited about running my first race here soon. I will probably cry when I cross the finish line. I really hope this is just the beginning of my new relationship with exercise and running...and excited to see what else this old body can do!! :)

If you have EVER thought about learning to run, you can do it. Give it a try, stick with it...and before you know it, you will be fist pumping in your neighborhood too!

Meal Planning

2011-06-11T10:16:00.001-05:00

I usually cook about 3-4 times a week. The other 3-4 nights we eat our leftovers and Fridays...well, that's pizza night! I have a pretty good selection of go-to meals, but eventually, those get old too.

I got an email today from a Groupon type service and today's buy was 50% off a meal planning service. It was about $20 for 6 months of the service. Every Thursday you would get a list of meals that you could chose from. After selecting your meals, you get a print out of the grocery list, recipe, etc. It is supposed to cut down on the guess work of meals, costs, time, etc.

Do you or anyone you know use this kind of service? Does it really help you with your grocery costs and meal planning? I am kind of interested since it is only $20 but curious how it actually works!

If the Academy dressing rooms had video cameras....

2011-06-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

they MAY have seen me do a happy dance in front of the mirror!

I popped in for some new running pants. It is TOO.DANG.HOT. to be running in long pants in this Texas summer heat and as Zachary so nicely pointed out, the one pair of capris I have has a hole in them...in a not very good spot!

I bought 2 new pairs of pants and a couple of dry-fit shirts at the beginning of April when I started my exercising, both in XL. I was happily suprised when today...I bought all Larges. Yes, it is a BIG non-scale victory for me today people!! Perhaps Ill even grace you with a picture of me modeling new said L pants :)

Happy Friday everyone!

About the Boys

2011-06-09T23:10:00.002-05:00

Mark, aka Markey:

beautiful big brown eyes

NO FEAR

~~obsessed~~ loves matchbox cars :)

great sleeper

easy going go with the flow kinda fella

great independent player....very content to sit and play with ALL his cars

favorite books are Good Night Moon and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

favorite snack is goldfish

favorite show is Curious George

enjoys coloring

favorite dance move is spinning in circles till he falls over dizzy

infectious laugh!

ladies man...he loves to flirt and bat those big brown eyes!

can count to 20, knows his ABCs, loves to say his animal sounds, and sing tons of songs!

another favorite toy is the old cell phone....he has imaginary conversations all the time

a little fishie in the water

Esther(our dog) is one of his BEST buddies

loves to do what big brother does

TOTAL mommy's boy right now

learning to exert his...ahem....personality!

and still loves to snuggle with his mommy in his chair every night before bed <3

Zachary, aka The Z Man:

sweetest little freckled face evah

shy at first around new people and situations

~~obsessed~~ loves matchbox cars :)

my happy early riser

favorite book is the A&M picture finding book

fav bedtime activity is watching basketball trick shots on Daddy's phone

favorite snack is superman fruit snacks

favorite show is Little Einsteins

enjoys play dough

favorite dance moves are splits, leaps, jumps, kicks, everything!!

has a memory like an elephant...if you say it, better be prepared to do it

can count and say his colors in spanish, recite the pledge, and sing tons of songs!

another favorite toy is ANY ball, this kid loves any and ALL sports!

can run super fast and loves to race...around the house, to the bathroom, to finish eating...

always wants to be the "winner"

equally loves mommy and daddy these days

loves his little brother, they are very good buds

enjoys racing around the house on his motorcycle, prob the longest lasting loved toy *thanks Simonds!*

LOVES hiding in his Cars tent with Mark and whatever else they can fit in it!!

and gives great hugs, kisses, and "I love yous" that can melt any heart

That was more for me than anyone else....I want to remember these times because I know before we know it, they will be gone! Love these boys!!

Comfort Food

2011-06-08T23:03:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just want some meat and potatoes after a hard day at work! ;-)

I found a ww recipe online for a meatloaf and decided to give it a try tonight! I remember growing up and thinking meatloaf was yucky, but for some reason now that I am older....I like it?? Weird, I know.

It was super easy, I had all the ingredients on hand, and was very tasty. Another success!! I served it with some instant potatoes and brussel sprouts for 10.5 points (6pts-1/4 meatloaf, 3pts-1/2c potatoes, 1.5pt- brussel sprouts in butter sauce). Delicious!

WW BBQ meatloaf
1lb 93/7% ground beef
1/3 seasoned bread crumbs
1/4c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4c minced onion
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp spicy brown mustard

Mix all ingredients for meatloaf together in a bowl, combine with hands. Shape into a loaf (About 8x4) and place in a baking dish. (It called for loaf pan but I didn't have one and this worked just fine). Bake uncovered for 35 minutes @ 350 F. Mix together sauce ingredients. Cover meatloaf with sauce and bake another 5-7 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes and then serve!

Hair Fashion

2011-06-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

I had to post this link because over our Memorial Weekend trip...I was informed that feather hair extensions are the new "it" fashion accessory....Ladies, you failed to mention they are fish bait!! I am SO glad I am not hip! ;-)

High fashion or bait? Fly ties now hair extensions

You say it's your birthday....

2011-06-07T22:52:00.001-05:00

Well, it's my birthday too (on Sunday that is...taken me 3 days to finish the darn post...ahem)...

So Sunday I turned 33 (although when discussing it my husband the night before he argued that I was turning 34, LOL!)...I had a delightful day of church, lunch with dad, pedicure and grocery shopping alone! (ahhhh...I think I heard angels singing as I walked the aisle in a NON-CAR cart NOT running over people, picking up and reading labels, etc...good times people, good times) I have never been too bothered by age. Perhaps because I am younger than most of my friends. heehee! Having a summer birthday does have SOME advantages once you are past the 16, 18 and 21 milestones! :)

My friend Theresa shared a post on her blog this week by Pretty in Orange. I have never read Angela's blog before but I enjoyed reading the post and some of her thoughts on getting older. It started an email chain among my friends about how hip or not hip we are at our mid 30s, who felt old...and who didn't, what the young people who may babysit think of us, etc. Generally speaking, I am not bothered by aging at all (except for when the checker at Kroger's when he saw my reusable A&M grocery bags asked if I had a son or daughter that goes to A&M....OUCH!) But when not being carded for beer, being called ma'am, or other general things that prove I am not in my 20s anymore occur, I really don't care. I guess having small children still, I just don't FEEL old. I look at my friends who are in the later 30s or some of my younger co-workers and still think we are all about the same age. Maybe I am just oblivious ~~in denial~~ but I still feel young and always subscribe to the belief that you are only as young as you feel!! :) I am choosing to feel young still!! 40 is the new 30 and that's still a long way away!

So...tell me, do you feel old, feel your age? Do birthdays bother you or do you agree with me...birthdays are like wine, they only get better with time!

*On a workout aside....I ran 2.7miles tonight in 30 minutes. It is by far the best run I have had yet. It may sound silly but I think I....dare I say it....I may have found that runner's high!! Hoping for a loss tomorrow on the scale and that the good runs continue, even in the 95 degree heat! Time to wake up early instead??

Back in the saddle again....

2011-06-01T23:02:00.000-05:00

That's what I have been singing to myself all this week! After a long kid-less weekend of adult fun at the beach, a really crappy run on Tuesday after 4 days off, and gaining 0.8lbs this week, I am fully back on track. Times before I would have let a small setback like that really get me down. But not this time. Celebrations and setbacks are just a part of life. And since I am not just "dieting" this time and really wanting to make a lifestyle change, I have to learn to get through weeks like this.

Am I bummed that I totally failed my run for the first time in nearly 7 weeks and that I had a gain this week? Of course!! But did I totally have a great weekend with my friends, managed to make some good choices in a house full of bad snacks and food, and ONLY gain 0.8lbs after 4 days at the beach and no exercising?? FOR SURE!!

I hope all of you out in bloggyland had a fabulous Memorial weekend. I am thankful to my parents who watched the boys ALL WEEKEND and survived (although I don't think they will be beating down my door to babysit that long anytime again soon!). We really are so lucky to have such great parents in our lives who give up their holiday weekend so we could have fun with our friends. And of course thankful for all the men and women who serve in our military who allow us to enjoy all the freedoms we have!

We are working on de-programming the boys from their weekend away from home too. Z seems to have recovered quickly (which the irony is not lost on since he was the more....challenging one shall we say??) but Mark is taking a bit longer. My usually very easy going boy has been VERY clingy and a real bear to put to bed. I am praying it is just a phase...please Lord just be a short phase! ;-)

And of course, a couple of recent pictures of the stinkers princes!! Craziness and all, I sure did miss them after 3 nights away and was glad to have them back home in my arms! :)

Sucked in

2011-05-23T22:22:00.002-05:00

to another season of The Bachelorette. I know, it's so silly...but there is nothing else on now that summer is here and well, I can't resist the drama. It's one of the few reality tv shows we watch and yes, we watch it together, LOL.

Matt and I both agreed, the beginning with the guys is way worse. They all seem like such dufuses with their introductions!! As Matt says, it's the unintentional comedy that comes from it all that makes us keep watching.

So far, mask guy and the bad guy, Bentley, are already annoying...and the previews, oh lordie, should be an interesting season.

Matt and I thought wine guy should win for best introduction. He seemed genuine and was able to tell something about himself without being totally cheesy about it.

And we liked Matt too...another seemingly normal dude, although the very staged phone call to his mom was a little cheesy.

I was never a big Ashley fan from the previous season, she was a little whiny....but I always hope it works out for them in the end. (Although I think Bachelor Pad may have more successes than the original shows!) :)

So....anyone else out there watching??

holy crap

2011-05-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

I just ran 2.25 miles without walking! I can't believe that 5 weeks ago I could barely run for a minute at a time. I am more than halfway through the couch to 5k program and every workout surprised by what the old body can actually do. I am still slow....but I am getting better. Will I really be able to run for 3.1 miles in 4 more weeks?? :)

A little shout out to my friend Kerri today too....her little princess turns 1 today!! We are looking forward to celebrating with them at the big birthday this afternoon! The boys are ready for the bounce house! :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

pizza love

2011-05-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

Friday nights are pizza nights here in our household....but pizza can be a tough one when ww is involved! I have been guesstimating what our local pizza place points should be but tonight I decided to switch it up a bit. After some online research (thankfully it seems all chains these days have nutritional info online somewhere), I ended on Domino's. We ordered the large thin crust Pacific Veggie pizza for 6 points a slice. Not bad for pizza and it was very tasty too! I made a salad and had 2 slices of pizza...and still a few points to spare for the day! yay! So don't be afraid of pizza...just plan it out first!

A little nervous about my morning jog tomorrow.....I am on w5d3 of the couch to 5k program which means a 20 minute jog. Should be interesting. I will let you know how it goes!

Hope everyone has a good weekend planned!

New Dinner...Success!

2011-05-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today I was on the quest for a new chicken recipe. I get so tired of making the same ones OVER and OVER.....and I ended up finding several that seem both quick and easy...and ww friendly. Ended up deciding on Caribbean Chicken and Pineapple Salsa to try out first. I feel like I am always making mexican or italian type stuff so this was a good change in pace. AND, only 7 Points Plus points!! I heated a can of black beans and the cilantro lime Rotel together for our side. 10 points for the whole meal, and really filling!

It passed the husband test too. He said it reminded him of a Cafe Red Onion dish and after finishing it, said that was definitely going into the rotation! Success! I love when a new recipe works out! Thanks Betty Crocker!

Chicken:
1 1/4 c Fiber One original bran cereal
2 tsp jerk seasonings (dry)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c buttermilk (I just used plain milk)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1.2 tsp red pepper sauce

Pineapple Salsa:
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/4c chopped red bell pepper
1/4c chopped apricot
1/4c chopped cilantro
1 tsp sugar
1/2 lemon, squeezed

1. Heat oven to 400F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place cereal in bag and finely crush or chop in food processor. Place cereal in shallow dish and mix with jerk seasoning.
2. In large plastic bag, place chicken, milk, mustard, and pepper sauce. Seal and shake well. Remove chicken from bag; coat with cereal mixture. Place on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until juice runs clear when center of thickest part is cut. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix salsa ingredients. Cover, refrigerate until serving. Serve chicken with salsa.

My mom, my best friend

2011-05-19T12:38:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, my mom had another birthday. She is 30 years older than me, and might I say, looks pretty darn good! She was actually part of my motivation to go back to ww (we joined together last year....she stuck with it and did awesome....and here I am trying again).

But anyway, that's a very little part about mom, but I am just so proud and impressed by that so I thought I would throw it out there. I hope when I am in my 60s...I look and act as young as my mom does!

So, besides all that, what makes my mom so cool? Well, she truly is my best friend first of all. Besides a short stint my senior year in high school (that she so kindly never reminds me about), it has always been that way as long as I can remember. We call each other every day. We have a lot of the same interests. I know I can talk to her about anything and that she always loves and supports me no matter what, and that means the world to me.

She is very involved in our lives, but only because we want her to be. She never makes me feel pressured to do this or that with my parents, but we do because we truly have fun when we are all together. And of course the boys L.O.V.E. their Grammy (Z actually woke up crying Wednesday morning after seeing that she wasn't here!). She is just a great mom, mother-in-law, and grandma. She is self-less and does so much to help us out, we are so thankful to have her nearby....and always without a complaint. What would we do without her??

I aspire to be the kind of mom and wife that I have seen my mom be through the years. She is just such an amazing woman and I am so proud to call her my mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you and are so blessed to have you in our lives!!

2011-05-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Going out on a Tuesday night is TOUGH! Man was I tired today, and feeling my age a bit for sure. My funny commentary from the concert was that Matt made some remark about where all the young people were?? I replied that most people under 20 probably hardly even knew who Bon Jovi was unless their PARENTS listened to them ;-)

Nonetheless, it was a fun time and I enjoyed our floor seats and standing and screaming and singing along for 2+ hours! Thanks again honey for the fab Valentine's present! More than anything I enjoyed our rare kid-free night out with my man, we need to do that more often. Many thanks to the parents for stepping in and babysitting...and on my mom's birthday! (I owe her a birthday post still...)

And although I missed my first Tuesday exercise for the first time in over 2 months, I caught up tonight and survived. I was tired and it started off rough, but I can actually tell it is getting easier. I need some good running songs though. Listening to Pandora isn't dependable enough and I can really tell what a catchy fast song does to my pace. Any suggestions??

2011-05-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

BON JOVI TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just sayin!! :)

Perfect Zoo Day

2011-05-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

Guess the rest of Houston thought so too...it was PACKED today! We actually had to park at the museum, it was THAT crowded! Once we were inside though it wasn't too bad and we had a really good time, crowded and all :) The monkeys were a big hit today with the boys and oddly not crowded so we had several up close views of them. We got a carousel ride in too and just enjoyed the lovely spring weather before the boys were reaching their melting points and we headed home :)

We also enjoyed a very rare kid-free afternoon on Saturday. My mom was very kind and came and watched the boys for a couple hours while we met some good friends at the Gingerman. It was a great day for a couple beers on the patio and the boys had a fun time with their Grammy!

Hope you had a good weekend too!

w4d3

2011-05-14T10:27:00.001-05:00

Today I completed the 4th week of the couch to 5k program. I have never been a "runner". I have been a mean power walker in the past...but never a runner. But as I am out there going through the neighborhood and passing other people, I think to myself, WOW, I am doing this! I am still very self conscious as I am out there...thinking people see the big girl running or when the "real" runners zoom past me....but then I have to remind myself.....out of the 6 or 7 other people I even see out there exercising, who cares how I rank up against them because at least I am out there doing it.

Now I am sure this may seem very silly to some people, but to me, what I have completed so far is already an accomplishment. I am still totally amazed at the difference between week 1 and week 4. I am changing up the program a little bit as I go longer than what you have to do. We have a course mapped out from our house to the other park and it is exactly 3.1miles. So after the program completes, I just keep going until I get home. Today after the last 5 minute jog, I decided to just keep running to see how long I could go. I ran for over 13 minutes without stopping, took a short walk by the pond, and ran another 5 minutes until I got home and then some. Completing a 5k in about 41 minutes. What a difference a month makes.

For anyone out there thinking about starting a diet or exercise program, I know how daunting it can seem in the beginning, but you have to start somewhere. I have started and stopped SO many times. But this time I am just thinking, I only wish I had started sooner...where would I be by now?! I am finally seeing the weight come off, the body changing and definitely the endurance picking up! So just remember, we all have to start somewhere!

Anyway, just had to get that out. I came in the front door smiling a little bigger today. One foot in front of the other, one minute at a time, one mile after another....

It doesn't matter how slowly you go so long you do not stop. ~Confucius

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:03:00.002-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful mother's day and weekend! We woke up today to sneezing every few minutes, too much snot and a very puny little boy....was very bummed to miss church but little M was just not well enough for nursery. So we hunkered down and played around the house and little guy actually fell asleep on the couch before noon (usually naps at 2!). My mom came over for the afternoon to just relax and play. We pumped up the pirate pool and the boys played a good 2 hours with it which was a nice break for mom and me! :)

By the end of the day though....all 3 of my boys are congested, tired, and feeling very puny. Ain't that how it usually works? Thankfully I am feeling well so I can take care of everyone else! I got them to bed earlier and took the E dog out for a nice long walk.

All and all though, it was a nice and relaxing day. My men got me a beautiful new necklace from James Avery, made breakfast and Z made sure to repeatedly wish me a happy mother's day! I was thankful to spend it with my mommy, my best friend! She is the best and I am beyond blessed to have such a great mom and role model. And the boys are pretty lucky for that too!

Hope you and yours all had a good mother's day weekend!

2011-05-07T14:47:00.001-05:00

Just popping in to say he got in the water today!! we were a little worried when class started since he was already crying....but we had a nice girl name Shauna who seems to have won z over. Matt could see a lot more since he was in the viewing room, but once Z got over the 5 minutes of crying....he relaxed and had FUN! By the end, he was hugging coach Shauna and high fiveing and smiling. WHEW. I think we are going to be okay. Shauna said that she planned to be his coach for the new few weeks as he got more comfortable and that she was surprised how good he actually was in the water! Maybe next week we will have no crying at all! (too much to ask for??) :)

Mark had a great time again too. This kid has no fear. His biggest challenge was having to wait till 3 to jump in the water!

All in all, leaps and bounds better than last week. Since we bribed the boys with getting a prize if they did better today, we may a quick stop at Walmart and let them pick out a new car.

This day just keeps getting better! :)

early morning

2011-05-07T09:42:00.002-05:00

the alarm went off this morning at 6:30...and I was out of bed and out the door by 6:45am...on a SATURDAY, for the 2nd week in a row, to exercise....Whhaaaattt? It's quiet out there. I saw some of the same people. And I liked it. When it happened last weekend, my hubby actually said, "who are you??" HA!

Who am I? Good question! Cause the me from a month or so ago had not exercised regularly in YEARS. Seriously, years...The me from a couple weeks ago would have surely consumed several slices of pizza and a few glasses of wine on our regular Friday night instead of just 2 slices and 1 beer. They say it takes about 4 weeks to make a habit...so I think I am comfortable enough now to admit...I am trying to get more healthy!

Whew, there, I said it. Why is it so scary to put that out there? For me...I think it is the fear of people seeing me fail cause I have so many times. Or judging me when I indulge. Or simply just to admit that I, ahem, need to lose weight.

I have a long way to go, but with exercising and ww-ing, I think I am on the right track. I am becoming accountable for every nibble, taste, and snack. I am doing the Couch to 5k schedule for exercising (and surprisingly ENJOYING it). I came home today from my 45 minutes realizing that I jogged more than I walked...and I didn't die! Something I surely couldn't have done before. I am noticing slowly that REALLY playing with my very active boys is getting less tiring. It is getting easier, both the exercise and the will power with food and that makes me excited. I love ww because really nothing is off limits but you cannot have it all ALL THE TIME.

Anyway, I am proud of me so far and sometimes it just feels good to say out loud. So don't judge me if I taste a piece of chocolate or eat some french fries...I will make up for it later. And hopefully you will see a smaller and healthier me over the next few months! :)

Happy Saturday!!

lesson learned

2011-05-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

If you are going to go out to lunch....PLAN BEFORE YOU GO!!

We went to Chili's for lunch. I remembered from ww-ing long ago, that the black bean patty on a wheat bun was always a good option so I opted for that with some steamed veggies. Go me, right??

Um, WRONG. I looked up the nutrition when I got back and then wheat bun has TEN points plus! Yes, 10!! And the patty was five...so that was 15 pts for an okay lunch. Very disappointed by that! Calorie-wise the burger was only 560 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 10 grams of fiber...so not terrible but the carbs on the bun killed all that. OUCH.

Their grilled menu w/o sides would have been a much better option. I could have had a sirloin or fried shrimp and veggies for 10.5, margarita grilled chicken for 6.5 or the spicy garlic & lime grilled shrimp for 4. And just added the steamed veggies for 0...

Oh well, live and learn, right? I wrote it all down and will just have a salad for dinner or use some weekly points!

And the next time I go to chili's....I am having the steak! ;-)

Thursday readings

2011-05-05T08:00:00.021-05:00

Clearly I need a more clever title, HA!

Some fun linky love....articles I have enjoyed reading lately!

Lysa Terkeurst is one of my fav Christian authors. She writes some really great daily devotionals for Proverbs31. I like this one on expectations and being a good wife.

I really like this one on Answered prayers...

A good article on why to include fruit in your daily routine....dieting or not! (its a free points food now in ww too!)

I've never been a regular at the gym...but I could relate to this article about feeling too out of shape to even know where to get started again...but I finally have gotten started!

Need some inspiration to get moving? Check out this video of Ben's weight loss journey. His blog is pretty good too!

What I will be doing Father's Day weekend....I CAN do it! Matt and I are going to do it together and I can't wait to see him waiting there at the finish line for me! :) (cause you know...he is WAY faster than me!!)

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope you have a great day....1 day closer to the weekend!

Phone insurance

2011-05-04T23:06:00.001-05:00

I had never bought phone insurance before... (although those that really know me are probably wondering why the heck not! back in college I had several cell phone incidents...one in the toilet and one left at tropical isle in new orleans...just to name couple) :) but thankfully when we got our phones a year or two ago, we opted for the insurance. Within 2 months, I have now made 2 claims! YIKES! The first was for a dead phone. It MAY have been dropped one too many times but I don't think it was my totally fault...little fingers like to grab my phone too!

BUT THIS LAST TIME HAS STUMPED ME! We went to my parents' house on Sunday for lunch and for the boys to try of their new vehicles from Popsie and as we were packing up....I realized I couldn't find my phone. It only took 2 calls to realize it was still on silent from church. DOH! WE.LOOKED.EVERYWHERE. For like 2 hours. And no phone. Mom and I did take the boys to the elementary school's playground but I really don't think I took the phone with me. I put a hold on it in case that was it's untimely fate but who knows.....Thankfully when I went to the phone store, they reminded me that insurance covers loss as well so for $40, I get a new phone. I made a claim yesterday and it was on my doorstep today. Now that's service! I am glad to have a new phone, but I didn't realize how much STUFF I had on my phone and how much I relied on the stupid thing. Pictures and videos mainly are what I am the most upset with losing.... :( but also texts, apps I use, and of course all my contact info! I am still hoping maybe eventually Mark (poor kid...i am blaming him, ha!) will remember where he walked off with it eventually and I will get all that back!

swimming lessons

2011-04-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

today was our first swimming lesson for the boys. I took z to mommy and me lessons when he was younger but this was the first real lesson on his own.

Swimming Lesson:0 Zach:1

My headstrong son refused to get into the water. He isn't afraid of water, in fact ever since he first got into the pool at about 4 months old, he has LOVED water. He does not however, like strangers sometimes. We have talked about lessons since we signed up, boasting how some of his friends are swimming across the pool, also taking lessons, what fun things we could do after lessons and just generally pumping up swimming. But clearly that did not help.

There wasn't much I could do either as I was in the pool with Mark for his Mommy & Me lesson....so I watched from across the pool as Z sat pouting on the bench next to dad while all the other kids were swimming. And other parents were looking on at the poor kiddo who wouldn't get in the water. Ugh. (Mark cried for a few minutes when we first got in but after he warmed up, he loved it and didn't want out!)

So....what do you do? The lessons we signed up were for 4 weeks. The plan is to go back next week and try again! Hubs was frustrated sitting there for 30 minutes in the warm pool room. Afterwards I was trying to stay positive and reassure Z and talking up trying again next week. I think learning to swim is really important as I want him to be able to be safe...but is sitting on a bench counterproductive with him possibly feeling our frustration with him not participating? I am hoping that as he gets more familiar with the process/teacher/place....perhaps he will warm up to the idea? My other thought is to finish the 4 weeks and then maybe sign up for some private lessons at our neighborhood pool as that would be more familiar? Anyone else out there have issues with things like this? Z is really outgoing and friendly once he "knows" people, but definitely can be very withdrawn and stubborn when he is not in the mood for things. Any suggestions appreciated!

Update on the sleeping issue....it got better in the middle of the week. I have started leaving the door open upon suggestion from several people and that has seemed to help. (Although it did allow him to be up and awake at 6 am this morning...YAWN! (I took it as an opportunity to get my hiney in gear and finished my workout before 8am! WOOHOO!)

monday fun

2011-04-25T16:10:00.000-05:00

went exploring again today and had a great time! since monday is my one day off with the boys, I try to make sure we do something fun and out of the house especially if its a day we don't have any doctors appointments or major errands to do. after the hustle and bustle of the weekend, we decided to hit up a new park today! if you have ever met my boys....they enjoy nothing more than being outside!! last week we wandered over to a little park near the house and had such a nice time and picnic lunch. today i pulled up the harris county park website and let zach pick which one he wanted to go to based on playground pictures. He of course picked the one with the biggest and tallest slide!! So off we went!

We headed to Collins park which is just off Cypresswood Drive and Steubner Airline. It's been there for years and I had never been before. We will definitely go back another time with daddy to do more exploring. They have two big playgrounds, one with stuff for older kids although my boys didn't let that stop them and another for kids under 5. The boys totally enjoyed them both. The bigger one got my exercise in for the day as Mark needed a little more supervision so I was climbing the 2 flights of ladders for the giant slide over and over again too ;-) I love exploring new parks and places as it keeps the boys and me entertained and always fun to find a new place to go! Parks are always fun too because the boys seem to find little friends to play with and I love watching that.

yawn.....

2011-04-25T15:49:00.001-05:00

took a bit of a bloggy break there, didn't I? Sometimes that just happens when life gets busy!

this last week was full of preparing for Easter, book club, family, and a stint of BAD sleeping for Zach! I tell ya, I totally do NOT understand his sleeping. We haven't had issues like this in almost a year I would guess. Talking about fussing about going to bed, whining/crying/screaming after leaving him when finished putting to bed, waking up in the middle of the night and getting up early in the morning. No issues during the day, but nighttime has been a battle making for a very worn down daddy and mommy at the end of the night. Anyone else ever go through phases like this? I am hoping that is all that it is and we can be done with it soon. It is one thing to be woken up in the middle of the night on the weekend, but during the week ain't gonna cut it for this working momma! It makes me very irritable too because the reasonings are so irrational and i lose patience quickly. I wish I knew what the real issue is so I could fix it! Fingers crossed to better sleeping tonight...we all need it.

despite the bad sleeping of Z....we had a really nice long Easter weekend. We spent a lot of time outdoors as usual and had fun dying eggs, making a bunny cake, and attending Church together and celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus and egg hunting! Here are a few pics from our weekend. I hope you had a great Easter weekend with your family/friends as well! Be blessed, He is Risen, Hallelujah!

These were the best 2 I got of the boys together....they were WAY too interested in other things going on! And I totally forgot to even get a picture of the 4 of us....oops!

(the Easter bunny brought the boys a pirate ship pool...needless to say, it was a big hit!) :-)

18 months

2011-04-18T12:10:00.000-05:00

we survived another well visit today for mr. markey's 18 month check up. the thing I found so funny today was Zach (the one who was TERRIFIED of the doc @ his 3yr check up) was ALL about Markey being a big boy, hugging and kissing him and telling him it would be okay. It was very very sweet....but of course I was thinking, why weren't you like this 2 months ago at YOUR visit?? I think Mark may have remembered Z being so scared last time because he was actually shaking at one point! Thankfully he mellows out very quickly and was barely a sniffle by the time we were out of our room. So, in honor of Mark's 18 months on this earth today....here are 18 wonderful things about Mark! :)

1. He now weighs almost 26lbs and is 2'10" tall. 50th percent for weight and 95th for height ;-)
2. His vocabulary is great for his age. I can't get over the difference between him and big brother at this age. He says more words than I can even count, is already putting several words together, and can sing ABCs (although not always in order) and Rain, rain, go away!
3. One of his fav things to do is bring or hand me things repeatdely and say "here Mama". It makes me laugh every time!
4. I love his curly locks. They have come back after being chopped twice so maybe he will be a curly head.
5. He is so independent. He is more than content to just sit and play with his cars on his own.
6. He is totally meat and potatoes kid. Z is practically a vegetarian I think at times and Mark on the other hand will rarely eat his frutis and veggies.
7. We finally got off the bottle. He was fine....mommy hard the harder time.
8. He is still a great sleeper. Takes a 2-3 hour nap and sleeps 12-13 hrs at night.
9. He is a bit of a momma's boy. Which although is very sweet and endearing at times, can make things difficult to get accomplished. It also makes for a very sad mommy when I drop him at nursery at church :(
10. He is a cool dancer, I love his bounce and squat move!
11. His fav thing is definitely CARS!!! He lines them up, moves them back and forth, piles them up, whatever!!
12. He loves his big brother, despite the fact that sometimes big brother loves to mess with him for no other reason than messing with him....Zach can make him laugh and smile like no one else!
14. He has the best facial expressions....adorable!
15. He is a big boy....people often cant believe he is only 18 months!
16. His loveys are his next fav thing to cars....a must for getting a good sleep in.
17. He is a reader. He doesn't try to just grab and rip the pages, he actually likes to hear the story!!
18. He loves to snuggle still....making this mommy a very happy mommy!!

I love this little guy so much and am forever grateful that God brought him into this family! He is such a joy and a big part of this family. I cannot imagine life without him! Funny to think if we were on the same track as before...I would be having another baby in 2 months! Yowsers! :)

Happy 18 months sweet Markey, you will always be my baby boy!!

CANDY

2011-04-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy day today starting with an Easter egg hunt at Zachary's school! It was very well organized and there were a TON OF EGGS! More than enough for all the kids to fill their baskets and then some! I didn't realize just how much loot we had until I was emptying out all the candy from the eggs. I swear, we have more candy than we did after trick or treating! I think I will have to take it to work since we still have another Easter egg hunt at our church next week before the bunny comes on Sunday! The boys had fun playing on the inflatables, riding the train, and Z even rode the little ferris wheel!

My friend Kerri and her daughter Madeline had met us up at church for the egg hunt and we all headed up to Lupe's for lunch. The boys played some MORE in the sandbox while we ate and then Mark and Maddie did a lot of flirting ;-) Z was feeding her goldfish and then giving each other little kisses. It was SO cute and sweet!!

After some naps, we headed over to the Bloch's for a crab leg dinner. It was DELISH!! I think Lilly and Dylan had fun with the wild boys that came over to play with them! :) They just got a cool new swing set and I think the boys helped them fully break it in. The slide was definitely the highlight as they were flying off the end. I wish I had gotten it on video!

All in all, a very good and busy day. I hope everyone sleeps well tonight. We have another busy day tomorrow with a carnival after church and then celebrating Popsie's birthday for dinner! What a weekend!

For the "girls"

2011-04-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

Since I assume not many men read this besides my husband....I feel okay to discuss "the girls". The other day my underwire was poking me in the ribs from one of my regular bras....a few days later, the strap completely popped off another one. I took it as a sign from the undergarment gods that it was clearly times for some new ones!

I decided to treat myself and headed to Nordstrom's one lunch hour. I had tons of gift certificates to the spa there but since i haven't seem to make it there in like 2 years, this seemed like the better use of them.

Have you ever been properly fitted for a brassiere? It is definitely not for the modest, but the woman I had helping me was very professional and made me not feel too uncomfortable about disrobing before some stranger! And I was very glad I did it. I was wearing the wrong size! She brought me in about 20 different ones to try and I finally settled on 4 that were comfy yet pretty and feminie too.

I also got a lesson in bra handling. ABSOLUTELY no tide or woolite or basically any of your regular detergents. Too harsh on the fibers. Best is either Dreft or handwash with baby shampoo. And if machine wash, use the bag. Also, you want to have about 4-5 to rotate between. The daily wear of your favorites is what breaks them down and stretches them out faster. Also, don't fold them by the cups either, if room permits, lay them out flat. I can't recall the issue with that, but it does something not good to them ;-)

That was my lesson in bras. I must say, not only do I feel better and more comfortable, but I think they look better too! :) So there, go get fitted for a new bra and doing something good for your "girls"! :)

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-04-14T23:03:00.000-05:00

Today my dad turned 65! I can't believe it, 65?

Unfortunately he had to head out of town for a job today so we will be doing all of the celebrations on Sunday at my parents' house. He bought himself some new grill piece for his birthday so I think that means we will be the lucky recipients of a Popsie cooked meal....winning! ;-)

What to say about my dad besides, well, he is the best!! I count my self as one of the lucky ones who grew up as daddy's girl. He spoiled me but not in the way of being a brat and getting whatever I wanted, more of just doing things for me and taking care of me. His Love Language must surely be Acts of Service! If you ever need anything at all, my dad would be there to run an errand, help out with a chore, wait for a repairman, get my gas tank filled, you name it! And all without a grumble. All of my friends always loved my dad growing up cause he is just a sweet dad!

Now as a parent myself, I enjoy watching him with my children. He is so good with the boys and they surely love their Popsie. My dad still spoils me...coming to watch the boys if I have to work late, helping out with something for the house...and getting my oil changed and gas tank filled on occasion too ;-)

But not only is my dad a good dad...my parents are also a testament in of themselves, being married for over 40 years! I grew up seeing what a good and healthy marriage is. And when I was looking for someone to marry, I wanted someone that was as awesome as my dad. And lucky for me I found him!

I am so thankful to have such a great relationship with my dad and also grateful the boys get to grow up with such a super cool Grandpa!

Happy Birthday, Dad!! We love you!!

sneaking in

2011-04-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

it's one of my fav things to do before I go to bed....go take a peek and re-cover my sleeping little M. With Zach, I had to stop doing that at like a year old. The boy has bat ears or something but just the tee tiniest screech of the door would wake him up. He wasn't the best sleeper at that age and we ALL have learned the lesson....NEVER.WAKE.A.SLEEPING.BABY!! He just gets a kiss blown at his door now ;-)

Mark sleeps like a log so I have made sure to take the opportunity every night so go in for one last look. He always amazes me because everything is totally disheveled and reorganized or even thrown out of the crib when I go back in. Whenever I lay him down to sleep, he rolls onto his tummy and assumes the hiney in the air position (by FAR the cutest way babies sleep!) and acts like he is going to sleep. I never got one of the fancy video monitors so I truly have no clue what goes on in there after I leave but clearly it sometimes include ridding the crib of things that bother him by throwing out of crib, playing with his stuffed animals, and reading books. I would love to see what goes on....

So anyway, the whole point if this is, I love to go in, straighten him out, pull the book out from under his face, recover him up, stroke his hair and face, whisper my good nights....and marvel at the wonders and preciousness of a sleeping child. No matter how much they may test you during the day, there is nothing more sweet than that sight.

Do you still do this with your little ones? How long can it last before he starts waking up and telling old mom to get out of his room? Not sure I want to be the old lady in the Love you forever book rocking my grown son....but I can see how I may want to! ;-)

Earth Day at the Arboretum

2011-04-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

When pondering what to do today...Matt busted out with why not go to the arboretum? We were a little curious if maybe there would be some bluebonnets on Memorial this year and figured if not, well then we had an alternative plan! What a fun day it ended up being! They were celebrating Earth Day today and had a whole circuit set up of activities for the kiddos to do. We headed out on the trails, armed with our map and let the adventure begin! I must say, I have lived in Houston forever and don't recall ever actually going before? It was definitely fun!

At each station you had to complete a task and then you would get the coveted stamp! Fill in all stamps...get a prize! Woohoo! Say prize and you have Zach's attention. We spotted squirrels, birds, butterflies, turtles and lots of friendly people walking dogs who let me dog lovin' boys love on their pups!

Here are a few pics of our fun day! And on a side note....we got asked if the boys were twins no less than 5 or 6 times! Guess they are starting to look alike!

THIS is the face of one happy adventurer!

We topped off our fun afternoon in the city with a stop at the most delicious Greek place evah....Niko Niko's!! YUM-O!!

What a great day exploring our fun city!!