tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80781079619343726942024-02-07T00:30:15.894-05:00MOM2DNA (Mom to Daniel, Nathan and Alexander)I'm a mom of boys that loves to stamp and craft for fun! I'd like to use this blog to share stories and events within our lives and I'll share some of my craft projects as I create them and share. Thanks for stopping by!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-2510863672062062672015-04-22T13:45:00.001-04:002015-04-22T15:26:20.922-04:00Back "In the Room"Today, I am getting back in the room. Today, I start my journey to lose the rest of my extra weight for good. I lost 40 pounds 2 years ago. I gained 17 of it back over the last year. UGH. Needless to say, this weight gain resulted in some depression and turned into a vicious cycle of depression and filling the sadness with food. It came back slowly and I started to work at getting it back off several times but none of those times lasted more than a week. Some things happened to derail me. I got sick; our 10 year old lab/shepherd mix, Kona, died suddenly; I had a horrible muscle spasm in my back or I just plain felt fat and unattractive and felt like "what's the point?".<br />
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I'm struggling with that last one all the time. I felt so great when I had lost that weight. I had a great motivator for that weight loss: once I reached my goal, we would adopt a new dog. I reached my goal and we adopted Phoebo in June of 2013. My husband and I celebrated our 9th anniversary that summer and I felt and looked the best I had in years. I'm not sure what happened. I do know that I got really tired of counting calories and not being able to allow myself to have something I really wanted. Anyone else ever go through that? I'm sure you do. So, this is not a diet. This is a permanent lifestyle change. PERMANENT. <br />
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The phrase "in the room" comes from discussions with my cousin. This was a term she came up with. You are either in the room or not. If you're in that room, you are ready and are going to do it. I spent a lot of time at the doorway but didn't step back in. It's not an easy room to step into or to stay in. Being disciplined and focused and motivated are the toughest parts of this process.<br />
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The last week, I have felt disgusted with myself and upset that a lot of my clothes don't fit anymore. I want to wear sweatpants all the time. I don't want to get dressed and go out. It feels like a chore because I don't enjoy it anymore. I just see the way I let myself down and let myself go. I'm just so disappointed in myself. Seeing my face get fatter again and shirts that were loose on me, either fit or are getting tight... all contribute to feeling ugly and fat. I know this all sounds terrible but it's true.<br />
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Most of this stems from self-esteem issues I have had most of my life. When I was 8, we moved to a new city in the middle of the school year. The kids were mean. I had a really difficult time making friends which was strange for me. At my old school, I had no problems at all. I constantly felt like I had to prove myself and kids picked on me a lot. One girl stole from me. I had rumors spread about me in middle school that followed me into adulthood that were so absurd, it made me even more upset that people were still asking me about it as an adult. People are just mean - especially kids. All throughout school, I had a new group of friends with every new school year. No lasting friends.<br />
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In 10th grade, a girl I was friends with begged me to try out for cheerleading with her. I really didn't want to because of all of the stereotypes I had heard. She convinced me to do it with her. I made the JV squad. Being a cheerleader was great. I loved it. I loved performing and competing. From day one, I never felt like I belonged though. I never felt like one of them. I always felt like the girl who crashed the party and wasn't really welcome. I cheered for 2 years. We even had a coed team senior year so I got to do partner stunts a lot with one off them. It was a lot of fun. Cheerleading helped a lot in high school. It gave me a place to be in school but I still never felt like I truly fit anywhere.<br />
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It all continued. Even now, I obsess about friendships and and whether or not someone likes me. A woman at my church has me baffled because I can't tell if she likes me or doesn't. It has caused me to change a lot of my involvement there. I think about this woman and I dissect our conversations a lot. It's so ridiculous. I know this. But I can't help myself because after having been through not having any real friends for most of my life, I just want everyone to like me. The reality of the situation is that she might not like me. I have to be ok with that. I have to let it go. It's just really hard for me.<br />
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I have been praying for God to give me that kick in the pants and make me do it this time. I just hope and pray that it lasts. I really need HIM to do this for me. I know I can't do it on my own. I know that. I'm afraid of how I'm going to do this time. I am having trouble trusting that it will work and that He has my back. Pray for me on that one.<br />
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The other major contributor to my weight gain is stress. We are planning to put our house on the market in April of next year. We have a million things that need to be fixed around here and most of the work or arranging of hiring of people to fix it, falls on me... on top of all of my other regular responsibilities. Here is our list of to do's:<br />
1. Get a new garage door.<br />
2. Get another person out to look at our roof and determine if we need to replace or repair it. Then hire someone to do it.<br />
3. Get new sod for our back yard as Phoebo tore out a LOT of our grass.<br />
4. Get our bathroom faucet fixed - it leaks and has no pressure. <br />
5. Get our basement bathroom faucet replaced by a pro.<br />
6. Get new tiles for the ceiling in the basement<br />
7. Get the 4 lights in the basement that don't work anymore, replaced and installed.<br />
8. Get the hall bathroom floor updated.<br />
9. Repair the wall in that bathroom, reinstall the towel bar and probably repaint in there again. <br />
10. Repair walls and paint the master bathroom.<br />
11. Get the ceiling in the master bathroom repaired after the roof leak is fixed.<br />
12. Replace the carpet in the master bedroom.<br />
13. Get new glass in my son's bedroom window.<br />
14. Get our sliding screen door replaced since Phoebo went through it last year.<br />
15. Go through stuff in the basement and either sell, donate or toss a lot.<br />
16. Declutter and pack.<br />
17. Refinish our media cabinet<br />
18. Repair walls<br />
19. Repaint trim<br />
20. Paint trim around windows in master bedroom.<br />
21. Get our french door finish repaired.<br />
... and more!<br />
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Is this enough yet? This is all on top of being a mom of 3, doing the laundry of 5 people, cooking daily, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, running the kids to the bus stop and preschool, volunteering at school, making sure homework gets done, packing lunches and snacks daily, paying the bills, teaching kids church, singing on the worship team at church, decorating the house, taking care of our dog and our neighbor's dog, bible study, taking kids to sports, etc.<br />
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I have already done a lot of painting. I repainted/ decorated both of the kids' bedrooms, the hallway, the family room and the trim in the dining room. I built a headboard for our king sized bed. I reupholstered our dining room chairs. We cleaned out our garage last weekend. I refinished 2 end tables in our family room too. A lot of the things on this list, are big and expensive. <br />
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Looking at this list or thinking about it makes me want to scream because it's all so overwhelming!!!! The overwhelmed feeling consumes me a lot and makes me want to eat or drink or just not do anything and hide in my bed.<br />
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I also struggle with not having my own identity anymore. My family is my whole life. I don't work outside the home. That also causes me to feel like I'm not worth as much nor do I feel I very appreciated in my house of boys for all of the things I do for them. I wish I could just leave them for a week and see how they do without me. Yeah right. LOL<br />
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Ok, thanks for listening. If you wouldn't mind, please keep me in your prayers.MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-61671410739737471202013-07-06T14:04:00.001-04:002013-07-06T14:04:37.101-04:00Goal Met!Hi readers! I know it has been a couple of weeks since my last posting. I wanted to share with all of you that I met my 25 weight loss goal as of July 4th! We got our new dog that I wanted - Phoebo, a little bit shy of my goal but I still made it! I am so happy with the progress I have made but I still have a ways to go before I'll be totally happy with my body. I am still over weight. I still have problem areas and areas that I just want to tighten up. I have to admit that I'm very happy and proud of my accomplishment. I feel good. After sharing a before and after with friends on Facebook, I had a LOT of positive comments and congratulations from several of my friends. I'll share the same before and after pics with you. <br />
Here is me BEFORE the transformation began. This was Easter of this year. My cousin took this picture. It's not a bad picture but it is a good sample of what I looked like before. <br />
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Here is me now - this was taken yesterday - July 5th. <br />
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As you can see, my Phoebo is behind me. He's my baby and follows me everywhere! This time of year has been tough for me. Keeping on track with all of the parties and bbq's, etc that we have been invited to have made it difficult to be good. I'm either maintaining or losing and not regaining so that's ok. I'm ok with that. I try to get a walk in with the dogs or on my own at least once a day and do lots of other physical activity- cleaning, dancing with my work out video, gardening, etc. every day. It's paying off. The change is drastic and hearing people tell me I look so skinny like my friend Eileen did this morning, has made it all worth it and then some! <br />
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Phoebo is another story. Acclimating him to being with us has been rough during this time of year because is absolutely PETRIFIED of fireworks and there has been an overabundance of them this year. People are setting them off well after midnight and not just little ones in the driveway - the huge ones that go BOOM. Really frustrating trying to take my terrified dog out to go potty when he's spending the entire time fighting me to go back inside. I'm always worried that he's going to go in the house again. He's been here for almost 2 weeks and we are still dealing with accidents in the house almost daily. Our training classes start on Wednesday with an orientation - no dogs that time and then next Wednesday, Phoebo starts learning. I'm really hoping this training class solves our issues with him. He's a bit of a strange duck. He won't just poop on the grass- he's particular. He prefers to go anywhere but- on top of a rock, in someone's ivy, tall grass, on mulch - anywhere BUT on the grass. I don't understand it but I'm hoping we can break him of that so we don't have to worry about him anymore. Well, I'm not going to go on and on about him now. I will say that he is a great addition to our family and we love him to pieces already. I love to snuggle with him and enjoy his hugs and kisses - yes he gives hugs! It's so cute!<br />
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Talk to you all soon!!! Thanks for sharing my story :) MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-18436958968637987162013-06-20T16:55:00.002-04:002013-06-20T16:55:39.708-04:00We Got Him!Hi friends! This posting will be short and sweet. I was so nervous and excited going into meeting Phoebo last night . I wasn't sure how it would go. I had a feeling we'd get along great and love him to bits (which we did) but we might not get him or we'd have to wait awhile for him to meet some other families before they would do a home visit and then decide if it was OK for us to have him. Long story short, about 30 to 40 minutes after Phoebo and Melanie left our visit (Melanie is his foster and our friend), Melanie called me to tell me that after talking with the head of the rescue, that we get first dibs on Phoebo and I said YES! So Phoebo is our dog now! He won't be coming to live with us until next week because I am going on a girls' weekend with my friend Melissa and Chris is a bit nervous about having all of the kids, Konie AND a new dog alone this weekend (wimp ;0) LOL) and Konie is having her surgery on Tuesday. We wanted Konie to have a chance to recover before we bring him home just in case he might get her excited and wanting to play or if he might lick at her stitches (she won't be able to). I'm not sure how long she'll have them but I think a couple of days should be enough to get her to a good enough place to bring him into the mix. So, between now and then, we'll be setting up the crate for him, getting him a bed, setting up a place to put his bed, new tags, collar, leash, harness for walking, etc. We already have extra dishes from when we had Buddy and we kept them so that's all good. I can't tell you how excited we are to call him ours. It's been a long wait for me ( over a year ) to get to the point where I had lost enough weight and that Chris would go along with getting another dog. I am SO HAPPY I could cry right now! Icing on the cake - I lost ANOTHER pound and am now down 23 pounds - only 2 shy of my goal for getting the dog and by next week when he comes home, I might be down those last 2! Woohoo! Thanks for reading and sharing in my story! MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-77224950412282209852013-06-18T11:37:00.001-04:002013-06-18T11:37:22.615-04:00Goal In Sight!Hey readers! So, I'm not even sure what week I'm on now.. is that bad? I was hoping by this week (the week of my girl's trip) to be down 20 pounds... I am down 22 as of this morning! Woohoo! I'm so excited! My goal of 25 is only 3 pounds away and we are meeting our potential new dog tomorrow night. I'm really hoping it works out for us and that we are allowed to adopt him and he gets along with Konie and the boys. His name is Phoebo and he's a lab/border collie mix. He's brown and white and just adorable! Our friends have been fostering him for a couple of weeks and I've been watching for the pictures and updates they share about him and I've been falling in love with him through those pictures. He is so cute! Here are a couple of pictures of him:<br />
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This is his profile pic on Facebook through the group's page. If you're interested in this group - check them out on facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/POETAnimalRescue/photos_stream" target="_blank">P.O.E.T. Animal Rescue</a> This is how they share their dogs and cats that need fosters or a family. I think this is a GREAT idea. This group is awesome though. They have a pretty extensive application and they do check with your vet and do a home visit before they will consider you. They want the best for all of their dogs and cats and I think that is awesome! When our kids are grown, I would love to able to provide fostering to many dogs - especially medical fosters - the dogs that require extra help and care after having surgery or recovering from an injury. I think that would be a perfect fit for me and my love of animals! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/POETAnimalRescue/photos_stream" target="_blank"></a><br />
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Isn't Phoebo gorgeous?!?!? I love his face! Look at this next one - this is where I really fell hard for him:<br />
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How sweet is this face?!?!? He rides so well in the car too which is great for us since we take the dogs with us on road trips to visit family in PA or Massachusetts. Can you tell how excited I am about this boy?!?<br />
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Here's one more that I thought was super adorable:<br />
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If it doesn't work out, I will be super bummed but we'll find another dog if it doesn't work with him. Something tells me it just might though. Something has been giving me a feeling about him. Maybe I'm creating that feeling... I don't know. We'll see! I hope and pray it works out!<br />
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We can't bring him home until after Kona is done and recovered from her surgery. She's having surgery on Tuesday to remove a lump from her chest. We don't know if it is cancerous or just fatty. I'm praying it is just fatty. She doesn't seem to be affected by it - she's still running around playing and loves going for walks just as much as ever so I'm hoping it's nothing. I'm also hoping it will be fast and easy recovery for her. The nice thing is that it is in a location that she can't reach to lick so she shouldn't need to wear the "cone of shame" afterward. I know that will be better for her. I can't stand the thought of losing her. Lately, she has really come out of her shyness shell and has been letting other people pet her more and is coming to me for pets more which really makes me happy. I love her to pieces and I THINK she's finally succumbing to my affections! Haha! We have been so blessed to have her in our lives for the past 9 years. Here's our beautiful girl:<br />
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I hope she and Phoebo will get along so they can have each other for company when we aren't home. I know Konie gets lonely when we aren't home because she's so used to use being home all the time. Now that summer is here, we'll be around even more since I don't have to cart kids to school every day!<br />
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So, 22 pounds gone and I'm loving it! I've been hearing all kinds of awesome feedback from people. My friends I haven't seen in months came back to Michigan after being in St. Louis for 4 years said "You're so small!" and "You look fantastic!" (Insert giant smiley here)! My neighbor's daughter (16 years old) said "I'm sorry, but I can't help but tell you that you look so good! I hope that's ok!" UH yeah! That's ok! Who doesn't love to hear that?!?!? Her mom said "So, you're back to high school weight! You look great!" That was super sweet but no I'm not back to high school weight. I have ways to go still. I'd like to lose 30 to 40 more but I might not since I've been building more muscle. I think my goal is to wear a size 4 to 6 again. I think that is attainable for me. I've already been able to buy medium sized tops and some larges in things instead of 1X or XL so that's awesome! Every store runs differently and I wear larger or smaller depending on the store and style of the clothes. I am excited to get a few more smaller things this weekend when we go shopping in the outlet mall on our trip! YAY!<br />
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I have to admit that with it being summer and holidays and celebrations it's hard to refuse sweet treats and to keep from having more than one small piece of chicken or making sure I have low-calorie cheese and whole wheat bun for my burger. Deprivation is tough sometimes. I know it's all about portion control and not eating too much but sometimes I just have to say NO so that I don't go over my calorie goal of 1200. I do go over a lot but I always have that extra cushion of exercise for the day in there that I'm allowed to use. The less I use though, the faster it seems that the weight should come off. I'm still super motivated and determined to do it since I have been doing it and it's working and not taking FOREVER like I thought it would. Losing 30 more pounds doesn't sound so scary or tough anymore. My total goal was to lose around 60 - but that might not be realistic with muscle. 50 is probably a better target - not that I'm setting my sights lower for myself. I know I can get back down to that size 4 to 6. I'll get there no matter now long it takes! <br />
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I'm going to be seeing a bunch of family that I haven't seen since I started losing weight tonight. I'm excited to show them how far I've come! It's a great feeling! Well, I better get back to cleaning my house - we have company coming tomorrow and I want it to look great here for Phoebo (more for Melanie) LOL! Have a great and blessed day/week all!<br />
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Oh, and Happy Belated Father's Day to all of the amazing dads out there!!!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-6895847441020779042013-06-04T15:33:00.000-04:002013-06-04T15:37:57.466-04:00Journey Update Week 8Hey readers! It's been a while since I last wrote. First thing is to update you on is my weight loss journey. I went through a short plateau last week that really frustrated me!!! I was stalled out and not moving and getting really upset about it. So, I learned that I had to drop my calories back down to 1200 and I did that for the last 2 days (not that I was crazy high or anything.. I was between 1300 and 1400 most days but under my calorie goal always). I lost 2 pounds in the last 2 days! So, I'm now down 18 pounds! 7 pounds to go until I can get my dog! I can't wait!!! I keep seeing postings on facebook for dogs that are available and I want to help them all!<br />
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Everyone has been noticing my weight loss too which has been awesome and I did a little shopping and got myself smaller sized jeans (1 pair) and 2 smaller shorts, 2 skirts and 4 tops. Not doing anymore shopping until my trip with my girls at the end of the month! I'm hoping I'll be at my 25 pound goal by then! Oh, I also chopped my hair off! It looks super different and is REALLY SHORT!<br />
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Hair Before: <br />
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Hair After:<br />
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This ending of the school year is a busy one! 3 events for the kids this week - Daniel had his very first Tee Ball game last night, tonight he has a school concert (his first ever) and then Thursday, Nathan has Donuts with Dad at school. I can't believe Nathan only has 3 days of school left! I can't wait for school to be over. I'm looking forward to being able to not worry about getting dirty after I have had my shower. I really like my new hair cut. If I do get dirty, it's a snap to dry and style :)<br />
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18 pounds being gone has made a big difference in how I feel. I'm feeling more confident but I still have most of my extra weight in my middle section. Some of it might be extra skin from having such big babies! I was HUGE by the end of each pregnancy and by huge I mean HUGE belly - not everywhere else. :) It has gotten smaller which is making me happy. When, not if, it goes away, I'll feel accomplished for sure. That is my most hated part of my body right now. Fortunately, I can hide it most of the time!<br />
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We are getting our deck done too... hopefully this week. Our contractor informed me that he is down a guy this week which he wasn't expecting so I don't know where that leaves us. I'm really hoping that we'll have a new deck by this weekend. I hope and pray! Our new patio table and chairs came on Friday and I want to get it all assembled but I'm not going to until we have a deck to put them on.<br />
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I think that is about it for me this time! Thanks for reading - I love to write! MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-62475381698534253372013-05-13T10:49:00.001-04:002013-05-13T10:59:43.454-04:00Weight Loss Week 5Hi there! Today starts week 6 and the end of week 5. I have lost a total of 12 pounds. This past week wasn't a huge weight loss but I still lost a pound. Not bad. I indulged a little bit since it was Mother's Day. I went out with my friend Jill Friday night to a really nice restaurant and has some absolutely fabulous food! No regrets... I worked out like mad that day! I burned over 800 calories exercising so I could eat what I wanted that night. I even had a delicious glass of wine! This journey has been so rewarding and life changing for me in such a positive way.<br />
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I'll be honest with you, this week was a major challenge for me. It was super stressful and irritating and emotional - all triggers for me to go comfort myself with some chocolate or cookies. I didn't do it. Instead, my instinct wasn't to go stuff my face. I wanted to go to the gym and sweat it out instead. That realization in itself was major for me. It kind of made the emotional ups and downs of the week worth it. I got mad a lot last week. One example of why - my 4 year old - Nathan. I found him and Xander in my newly remodeled master bathroom holding my new nail polish upside down and open and pouring it all over the floor, vanity, side of the toilet, granite counter top, his hands, feet and face. I think I had my first actual conniption. I was so angry I screamed at him and scared him. I don't think he'll ever do that again. HA! I apologized for yelling at him so much but he needed to learn that it's not ok to play with Mommy's nail polish - EVER. This was just one thing - one major thing that happened that made me really upset this past week. <br />
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An up from the week was that while I was looking at some old pictures on Facebook, I found one from my 33rd birthday that I thought was a pretty good picture of me. I saw the difference in my face between then and now. I was stunned. I didn't realize how pudgy my face was and how much thinner it is now! Here ya go... comparison:<br />
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Before: <br />
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After ^^^^ </div>
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Can you see the major difference? That was a huge moment for me. Seeing it there in photographs really made it real. Seeing the numbers on the scale helps and feeling my clothes getting looser helps too. I really wanted to SEE a difference in my face, abs, thighs, arms, etc. I can now. People are starting to notice. I got the best remarks from one of my pastors on Tuesday. I saw him in the morning while I was heading in to Nathan's preschool to pick him up and he was leaving. I hadn't seen him since I started losing and he noticed immediately. He told me that it's working, I look great and that Chris should lock me up so he doesn't lose me! HAH! That really made my day and probably my week since I'm still talking about it!<br />
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Below is a pic my friend, Meghan posted as a "throwback" photo. This is me and my fellow high school senior cheerleaders back in 1997 at our last basketball game of the year. I'm hoping to look this good again by next year! Do ya think I can? Or maybe get close... My belly will never look the same again no matter how much weight I lose. The stretch marks are bad. LOL! I'll never wear a bikini again but I'll rock my one piece or tankini hard when I get there. Even now I think I'll feel more confident than I did in my bathing suit.<br />
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I was so small back then! Even when I met my husband I wore between a size 2 and a size 4. Then my thyroid stopped working right and it all went downhill from there! I'm not going to let my thyroid get the best of me anymore! I even went to the gym on Mother's Day and did my longest stretch on the elliptical ever - 40 minutes! Woohoo!<br />
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I will keep going. I will lose this weight. I will get healthy. I will live a long life for my kids. I want to be around to see my grandkids grow up and their kids too. My grandma is still around at age 85 and still doing great! I hope and pray I have her longevity too! Other than the thyroid and the slightly high cholesterol, I'm super healthy! No high blood pressure - in fact the last time I went to the doctor my BP was almost too low.<br />
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I keep this scripture in my head all the time - especially now - "I can
do all things through Christ Jesus" and that God never gives us more
than we can handle. Keep that close to your heart, everyone! He gives me the strength to get through this!!!<br />
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Well, I need to get moving for today! Get my exercise in... I'm going to cut the grass for my main cardio work out. Did you know that counts as cardio? So does cooking! Who would have thought?!?!? <br />
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Have a great and super blessed week everyone! <br />
<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-82168354860487590082013-05-05T17:05:00.000-04:002013-05-05T17:05:02.512-04:00Week 4 UpdateToday ends week four for me. I have officially lost 10 pounds in the last 4 weeks since I started my lifestyle change. I call it a lifestyle change because it's not a diet. This is not a temporary change. This is forever. Once I reach my goals, I'll be able to scale back a bit on the exercising and the calorie restriction but I'll continue to watch what I eat and work out regularly in some way. I'm looking around for dinner things to do for exercise because while using the elliptical is an awesome work out, it also becomes a bit redundant when it's all I get to do for cardio. So, now that the weather is warmer, I've been taking walks and I'll be running around playing with the kids more too. I took an hour long walk with Kona and while pushing Xander in the stroller. I'm hoping I can convince my husband to either purchase a new Wii or get a Wii U because our current Wii is broken. We can't play any games that use a disc - the disc reader doesn't work anymore. I don't know if he'll go for it or not. I really wanted to do my Zumba game for the Wii today but I couldn't because it's broken. I also like to use my Wii Fit and I can't use that either. Maybe that could be my Mother's Day gift... hee hee hee!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jmBRsJpzPLIo0mKgOTJpGG9xMk6UppJxJkhcdibyNH_jDFAgLvimumjGReui48-2V2PEUyOvbvGp-hSh9k2l4ISC7l6BRkAwKK6v6TjvNdijViITm20Go2NVdVQyT6QBQIp8730csp0q/s1600/2013-05-05+16.45.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jmBRsJpzPLIo0mKgOTJpGG9xMk6UppJxJkhcdibyNH_jDFAgLvimumjGReui48-2V2PEUyOvbvGp-hSh9k2l4ISC7l6BRkAwKK6v6TjvNdijViITm20Go2NVdVQyT6QBQIp8730csp0q/s400/2013-05-05+16.45.10.jpg" width="400" /></a>The best part is I'm starting to be able to actually SEE a difference and not just feel it. My clothes are getting a lot looser. I tried on some pants that have been tight since I bought them yesterday and they were loose!!! That was an awesome feeling! Also, 2 different people saw me and asked if I was losing weight because they could see a difference this week! YES! <br />
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The part I'm really waiting to see a difference in is my face. I'm sick of having a round face and 3 chins if I don't remember to stick my chin out. I hate having 3 chins in pictures. It drives me crazy! I'm starting to see a tiny difference. I can see my cheek bones a little bit more now which is great! Above the multiple chins. Below is me sticking my chin out to avoid the multiple chins. Haha!<br />
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Although some days are frustrating because there is no movement on the scale, I tell myself maybe it'll be tomorrow and be happy that it didn't go back up! I've been losing around 2 -3 pounds per week. I'm really happy with that! 10 pounds in 1 month is awesome! If only that momentum would keep going... I have a feeling it will slow down. I can't really cut my calories down much lower without not getting enough food and causing my body to go into starvation mode. Myfitnesspal yells at me if I don't have 1200 calories at least in a day. So, I usually will go have a small snack to get there if I need to. I don't want to go into starvation mode!!<br />
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This was me before I went out to a bachelorette party. Please disregard the messy kitchen in the background. This was on April 13 so about 3 weeks ago. Below is me today. I'm not sure how much of a difference you can even see because of the difference outfits. But here ya go anyway!<br />
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And so the journey continues! I thank all of my readers that are also my friends and/or family and have been encouraging me and cheering me on! It really helps to keep me going and stay accountable! Until next week... hoping I can tell you I lost 2 or 3 more! MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-25381857533262270382013-04-29T14:22:00.000-04:002013-04-29T14:22:03.479-04:00Week 3 Update!I know you're all holding on to your seats... hahhah! I have now lost 8 pounds as of a few days ago. I could be down more by tomorrow... here's hoping and praying!<br />
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I'm super proud of myself right this minute. I pushed myself and did 30 minutes on the elliptical at home. For some reason, our elliptical at home is harder than the one at Planet Fitness. That one was easy to do 30 minutes. At home, a little tougher but I think I'll be able to do more than that tomorrow or the next day. I feel stronger and like I have more stamina. When I started, I did 5 minutes and had to take a break and then 5 more and break and then 5 more. Being able to keep going and not feeling super hot or sweaty is awesome!!!!! I'm not trying to toot my own horn.. I'm just excited that I was able to meet that goal today : ) <br />
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In June, I'm going on a girls' weekend with 3 of my friends. I am really hoping to be negative 20 pounds by then.... Do you think I can do it? I really really really hope so! I'm hoping that over the summer, I'll reach my first goal of 25 pounds lost and I'll be able to get another dog! My real first goal is that 10 pound mark. I'm so close I can taste it. <br />
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I really hope that I'll be able to see the weight loss when I look in the mirror soon. I can feel it - my clothes are getting looser for sure. I had to go smaller on the bra back strap which is exciting! I want to go down a few sizes before our trip so I can do some shopping at the outlet mall with confidence! <br />
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The best part about all of this, is that I am at the point where I KNOW I can stick with this. I can do it. I'm working out in some for every day. My initial goal was 5 days a week but I'm doing it every day and I technically earn extra calories when I work out but I'm not really using them. It's nice to know that I have them to use if I really want something like some cake or chocolate or something. I have found some great recipes and low calorie snacks that are quite tasty so they are making it easier to stay on track for sure. YAY! I'm sharing them with friends and family too. I'm on a health crusade for myself. I know that I'm feeling strong in this because of God. He's keeping me focused and determined. I WILL DO IT! <br />
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Over the weekend, we went to Greenfield Village to take our boys to the Day Out With Thomas (the train). We had a fantastic time. We ate at the Eagle Tavern for lunch and had food from the 1850's. It was delicious and I was happy to find something that worked with my diet too!<br />
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This picture above is of my mother-in-law, Jocelyn with Nathan. Mom is suffering from some Lime Disease right now so we got her a wheel chair to make it easier on her for getting around the village. Nathan had a great time getting to ride on Grandma's lap. <br />
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Here's me and my Xander. He LOVED getting to ride on Thomas and I loved that he wanted to sit with me and we got to see Thomas when we leaned out the side a bit. That is how I got the below picture. I'm hoping that as the weight loss progresses, I won't be having to worry about having 3 chins in pictures anymore!<br />
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This was my meal at the Eagle Tavern - Corned Beef and Cabbage with roasted potatoes and carrots. Delish! I also had some Hot Mint Tea that was great too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf-hTHHYquLfftLPDHLbfUt1hlpoiaEb-FOa6UcxLsLgMkxrI7vdXW8MCXkHBc8yGBAZYk8oyjC67_MU6T5ohQsvB9NGWQ_u-VVH1paonNFFXJiCi7gEvZnv7u7Ng2FH-AB0i7aftWY19/s1600/2013-04-27+10.58.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgf-hTHHYquLfftLPDHLbfUt1hlpoiaEb-FOa6UcxLsLgMkxrI7vdXW8MCXkHBc8yGBAZYk8oyjC67_MU6T5ohQsvB9NGWQ_u-VVH1paonNFFXJiCi7gEvZnv7u7Ng2FH-AB0i7aftWY19/s640/2013-04-27+10.58.35.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is a picture of my father-in-law - Mark and Daniel on the train ride. Even at 6 years old, Daniel really enjoyed riding on Thomas. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thomas went by us at the main gate and we got to wave as he went by. Xander was so excited!!!!<br />
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I'm blessed also to have support from my family and friends. Even with eating out almost all weekend, I stayed on track! I'm enjoying sharing my journey with all of you. I hope you are all enjoying sharing it with me.<br />
<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-33635164218288137792013-04-21T16:33:00.003-04:002013-04-21T16:33:25.733-04:00Update!So, today ends week #2 of the weight loss reboot! I have successfully lost 6 pounds so far! This has been a MAJOR lifestyle change for me and when I say major I mean M.A.J.O.R.! Giving up eating what I want when I want has been tough as well as giving up some of my down time to exercise and/or go to the gym. I don't' have has much down time to watch my shows and relax in the evening and I'm not having a glass of wine as often as I'd like. I can't eat as much as I'd like to when it comes to pizza or cake BUT, I'm happy not to. The results are worth it to me! 6 pounds in 2 weeks is GREAT! If I keep up at this rate, I'll be down my 25 pounds in no time! How awesome would it be to be down that much before I go on my girls' weekend trip in June!?!? TOTALLY AWESOME!<br />
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Using <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/" target="_blank">My Fitness Pal</a> to keep me on track has been perfect for me! I have the app on my phone so I can see how many calories things are when I'm on the go and track my food then and there so I don't forgot how much I had. I highly recommend it and if any of my friends want to join me, I'd be happy to motivate you!<br />
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I have to give props to God here. I truly believe that with God, I can do anything. I prayed a lot about my weight and my struggle to change my lifestyle. I really really really want to be healthy and thin and happy. I want to be comfortable in my own skin and confident in my appearance and not have to be so self-conscious about how I look all the time. I'm on my way! God is giving me the determination to do this and the perseverance to see it through. I trust HIM! <br />
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Thank you to everyone that has been encouraging and for recipes and advice! You all help more than you know!<br />
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Today is a special day in our family - my son Nathan turns 4 today! He's having fun playing with his brothers and his daddy right now so I have a minute to write. I'm so proud of him. He's a really great little boy and while he has his faults (we all do), he's an amazing, sweet, smart, funny and adorable kid! I have been so blessed with my little boys! I wouldn't trade them for anything. My life is pretty darn sweet - my only real complaint about it is my weight. I can do something about that, so I am! <br />
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Once I reach my first goal of being -25 pounds, I can start looking for a new addition to our family. I can hardly wait to save a dog from a shelter or the pound and give him/her a family to love them and care for them. My heart breaks every day when I see posts on Facebook or Pinterest about dogs or cats that have been abused or abandoned. It's so WRONG! I have always been an animal love to the core and always will be. SO EXCITED!<br />
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Lastly, I want to talk about another truly awesome thing that happened today! My friend Katie got baptized today!!!!! I am so excited and happy for her! It was amazing to witness it and to see God's presence in her life and her heart! Her fiance and my old friend Ryan couldn't be happier about it. Truly a blessing to be a part of it!<br />
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OK, I'm done rambling now. Thanks for reading and sharing in my goings on! MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-80444273600384919522013-04-14T14:42:00.001-04:002013-04-14T14:42:39.211-04:00Weight Loss Re-Boot Week 1Well, they say getting started is the hard and sticking to it is harder. I have survived my first week into this journey to a thinner, healthier and stronger me. I can't wait to be that person! Up until yesterday, I stayed under my calorie goals. Last night, I went to a bachelorette party and went a little bit over! EEK! So, today, I was going to take as more of a rest day- mostly a day off but not happening. I know that I can't be perfect all of the time and I decided last night to cut myself some slack and enjoy myself. It's not every week that I go out to a bachelorette party. In fact, that is one of 3 (aside from my own) that I have ever been to and it's been 2 years since my last one. So, I'm not worried. I'm allowed a little bit of flexibility and fun as long as I don't take it too far! <br />
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I lost 3 pounds in my first week!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I have 22 left to lose to get my dog.... it's getting closer! According to the program I'm using that is much like Weight Watchers but is free and there's an app for it, I should be down 12 pounds total by mid May which means I'll be half way there in 1 month! How awesome is that?!?!? I'm pretty stoked and very motivated to do this. <br />
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I'm not doing it alone though. I have a great support system in my hubby, Chris and my mom (she's my workout buddy at the gym), and I have some supportive and motivational friends too! Encouragement and accountability are the best things for someone striving for a weight loss goal. My biggest supporter is GOD. I've been praying for a kick in the pants to make me get off my lazy butt and DO IT! He gave it to me with the news of my high cholesterol. I think I'll be bringing it down quickly with HIS help! I'm praying daily for his continued strength and support and for him to keep me motivated in this journey! I plan to build a healthy life style once I get to my ultimate weight loss goal, to maintain it and be comfortable in my own skin and confident again. <br />
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I used to get looks from guys all the time (not that I really noticed buy people would tell me). It's a bit disheartening when you're out with your friend who is the same age as you (a few weeks older in fact, and she gets carded when you're out and you don't.) That has been bothering me for years. Now, I really only get compliments on my hair - which is really nice but I want my old body back that I totally took for granted. My weight gain isn't entirely my fault - mostly yes but some no. Having the thyroid problem made me suddenly gain weight because it caused my metabolism to drop drastically. I'll be on medication for my thyroid for the rest of my life - BOO. There are worse things though! A pill every morning and a blood test every so often to monitor the levels isn't so bad. I'm very blessed that I have such an awesome husband that loves me and still finds me sexy even in this bulky and lumpy body. I can't wait to FEEL sexy again. It's been a very long time since then. I'm going to get there!<br />
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So, I made it to the gym 4 times this week and exercised every day whether at the gym or at home. I've been eating healthier and found some awesome healthier snack and meal alternatives and I'm already feeling a bit thinner in the middle and stronger in my core! I worked on my abs for 6 days straight! I'm taking a day off today to let them rest... maybe. That could change later though! <br />
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Hope you all have an awesome day and if you're looking for motivation to get started, pray about it. I needed it and I got it. Ask you and shall receive! I'll be glad to encourage you if you'll encourage me! Until next time.... <br />
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<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-29548012605493074832013-04-08T09:41:00.000-04:002013-04-08T09:41:07.830-04:00Weight Loss Re-BootAs some of my readers know, last year I embarked on a weight loss journey. I did ok and lost 10 pounds. I have kept those 10 pounds off but I have had a hard time losing anymore. My schedule now that school is in, makes it more difficult. I had no problem getting my exercises in and making myself healthier meals because we didn't have to get up and go anywhere in the morning during the summer months. I made myself egg white omelets with fresh ingredients and turkey bacon with fruit a lot. I don't have that kind of time before we head for the bus stop on weekdays. I usually don't eat before we leave. <br />
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The reason for this weight loss re-boot is that I finally got my cholesterol checked again and it went back up to 214. The doctor wants me to get it back down under 200. I don't need to go on medication. Just need to change my diet and exercise. So, I plan to do it! It's kind of the kick in the pants I needed to get off my butt and make it work. I have a hard time giving up my relaxing time in the evening after the kids go to bed but I'm going to give up an hour of it to go work out 5 days a week if I can. I could work out in the morning before they get up but I need the sleep too much. I have Hypo-Thyroid-ism which causes me have a slower metabolism and require more sleep than the average person. Chris most nights comes to bed after I'm asleep and gets up before me and he's fine. I fall asleep watching tv a lot. It's not normal. Unfortunately, this disease also makes it a lot harder to lose weight. I'm praying I can do it!<br />
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Chris and I had a talk about my joining a gym. I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it because we own an elliptical. I like it but there's no really going slow on that thing and I need to get my joints strong again. I tore my meniscus in my right knee when Daniel was a baby and if I over-use my knees, they get really sore. I also tore some ligaments in my shoulders and have had tennis elbow in my right arm. I'm contending with Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot right now too. Every time I get up after sitting for any length of time, my foot hurts badly. I'm doing exercises to help it heal but it's still sore for now. Needless to say, the elliptical causes my body to hurt too quickly and I need to do more than 10 to 15 minutes of exercise. I've started taking walks. Its getting nicer outside so walking is doable and nice because I can get our dog, Konie out for a walk too. After talking about it, Chris agreed to the gym.<br />
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I like the idea of joining the gym, not only for the exercise but for the chance to have some me-time away from the kids and to spend some time with my mom. She is already a member at the gym so we can go together and keep each other going. :) <br />
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My total weight loss goal is 60 pounds. I'm not aiming for that right now though. I'm aiming at more attainable goals so I will stay motivated. So, I'm aiming for 10 pounds, then 25. At 25, my reward is getting another dog. I've been bugging Chris for another dog for a year now and he kept saying no because we don't have the space in our car for another big dog. He asked me if I wanted motivation for this weight loss. I said YES! He said, when you lose X amount of weight, you can get a dog. We then discussed the amount and agreed on 25 pounds. I think after that point, I will be addicted to working out and I'll keep going and maybe by this time next year, I'll be down the 60. Here's hoping and praying I can keep it up and do it! <br />
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I'm really excited and I think Chris having that idea to motivate me was the perfect plan. I really really really want another dog - not just to have one but because I'm passionate about rescuing dogs that would otherwise end up euthanized. Dogs that have been abused (like Konie was), just need a home and someone to love them. I believe every dog deserves a family. My boys also want another dog and I believe Kona has been lonely since we lost our other dog, Buddy. He's been gone for 4 1/2 years. I also had a cat for 18 years and she died a year ago. I'm an animal lover through and through. I need to love them! I know that probably sounds funny to some of you but I've always been that mothering type. ALWAYS. I've always needed to have a pet too. I've only been without a furry pet for 2 years in my life and those were the worst 2 years! We had fish. Fish are NOT pets. You cannot PET a fish therefore they are not PETS in my opinion. HA! This is just my opinion. I would love to get another cat but both Chris and I are allergic to them. I wasn't allergic to my cat for a long time but developed an allergy after we got married. Weird but true. So, no more cats for us. <br />
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Anyway, that is where I'm at right now. Today is officially day 1. I tried to start Saturday but things didn't work out that well. We did eat a healthy dinner though and I got to go for a walk with Nathan and Konie but I ate cheeseburgers for lunch (I didn't have breakfast and we were out all morning and afternoon so it was a convenience and desperation thing!). Yesterday, we had a big Sunday Dinner at my mom and dad's including spaghetti, ribs, 3 different kids of dessert, green beans and baked potatoes. It was delicious and I tried not to eat too much but I did anyway. So, it begins today. So far, I've had coffee. That's it. I'm hoping Mom will go with me to the gym tonight. <br />
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Prayers for me and my journey would be awesome! I mostly want to get healthy so I can be around a long time for my kids and just so I can feel better in my body and about my body. Thanks for reading!<br />
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<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-6004293931178459492013-03-25T17:18:00.000-04:002013-03-25T17:18:23.832-04:00School Lunches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you that read my blog are friends of mine on Facebook and you know that I have been looking for new ideas for Daniel's lunch that he takes to school. He was taking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with 2 fruit/vegetable snacks, and a dessert. He recently asked me: "Mom, why do you always pack peanut butter and jelly for me?" and I replied "Because that is what you told me you wanted." This short conversation started a whole big search for school lunch ideas and my asking friends on Facebook what kinds of things they pack for their kids. I got a few ideas from friends but mostly, I found some sites through Pinterest that offered up many suggestions for school lunches. A LOT of them included a bento box of some sort. So, I started looking for something like that. I found these boxes made by a mom for packing lunches called Easy Lunchboxes from <a href="http://www.easylunchboxes.com/" target="_blank">www.easylunchboxes.com </a> . I am in love with these boxes! They have made packing lunches for him a breeze. This is a short week of school this week - only Monday through Wednesday but I got his lunch packed for all three days last night. I didn't get a picture of today's lunch (SORRY). I did get the tomorrow and Wednesday's lunches though. I love how easy they are to use. Here is tomorrow's lunch:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLHumoRNwFI0U9ISi51JfydC-0vOUwPgKlq6pqPKPXrWSqZjuqC_VJulnfb8dIQ-HmZG49lCAAZUZYbnEGjq0bjTQYC5im_4qu31y88LON6uQBLc0BhnUEO0d3Cgj1Ob__wg75UHR4FuA/s1600/2013-03-25+09.35.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLHumoRNwFI0U9ISi51JfydC-0vOUwPgKlq6pqPKPXrWSqZjuqC_VJulnfb8dIQ-HmZG49lCAAZUZYbnEGjq0bjTQYC5im_4qu31y88LON6uQBLc0BhnUEO0d3Cgj1Ob__wg75UHR4FuA/s640/2013-03-25+09.35.49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
He has a morning snack - the fruit, an afternoon snack - the celery (or vice-versa), a Dole Fruit Squish 'ems apple sauce, goldfish crackers, a roast beef and cheese roll-up sandwich, a fun sized Hershey bar for dessert and a Capri-Sun Super V juice box. The goldfish crackers are in one of their little containers that you can get - they come in a pack of 8 for $7.95 called Mini Dippers and the large containers come in packs of 4 in all different colors for $13.95. I bought 2 sets of 4 in the 2 color collections and 1 set of the mini dippers. They are great! They are not leak-proof (the mini dippers are though) so don't put loose yogurt in them unless you get their cooler bag they sell to put them in and that will keep them upright. Daniel has a pottery barn lunch box and it stands up in his back pack so I won't be putting a yogurt parfait in there but for something like the above lunch - PERFECT and yes a sandwich does fit!<br />
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Here is a view of it closed up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI8xvLIi4F-jzpludqf437aREEwDTsEaAXTiPBLyQgX3wvTQONP6DJPN3p9Vz0B86x80nIsBoiNuh9Xe5knoFljdjiIh0BekXZ-8-DZsLyk2MgVtD63X9b46R9HBdZXTZApZFjsSVH8y4/s1600/2013-03-25+09.36.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCI8xvLIi4F-jzpludqf437aREEwDTsEaAXTiPBLyQgX3wvTQONP6DJPN3p9Vz0B86x80nIsBoiNuh9Xe5knoFljdjiIh0BekXZ-8-DZsLyk2MgVtD63X9b46R9HBdZXTZApZFjsSVH8y4/s640/2013-03-25+09.36.17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Daniel's favorite color is purple so we used that one first. <br />
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Here is Wednesday's lunch:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9naK1J5kJWD6TIybZ3Cp5dtGoNk_UgSKUeGDDpdSV5ESS-xILhCmMOiVQwdnXcmw0PC0KjNpEbSngvxUoO44B20IJEJ8hBAsRK3AZhoz7Skvua7h_HxnTOFnyv0uzCSwTnq8_JatOk2U/s1600/2013-03-25+09.35.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9naK1J5kJWD6TIybZ3Cp5dtGoNk_UgSKUeGDDpdSV5ESS-xILhCmMOiVQwdnXcmw0PC0KjNpEbSngvxUoO44B20IJEJ8hBAsRK3AZhoz7Skvua7h_HxnTOFnyv0uzCSwTnq8_JatOk2U/s640/2013-03-25+09.35.15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
For Wednesday, he's getting a ham and cheese roll up, mixed berries for snack, celery for snack, a frozen Go-gurt that should be thawed by lunch time, goldfish crackers, a Meijer Naturals fruit twist and 3 York Peppermint Patty minis along with his juice box. He gets plenty to eat this way and he can open it by himself which is great! <br />
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I'm kind of obsessed with these boxes. I'm a dork, I know. I can't explain it but the organization of it, just makes me happy! I love having things organized. LOVE it! Being able to get all of his lunches done for the week Sunday night makes me happy and relaxed because I'm not having to do it every night anymore. <br />
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We can also use them for our road trips to visit Chris's family that live out of state. I can pack a lunch for each person and pull it out of the cooler and each person has their meal all neatly packed. It almost makes me excited for the next 9 hour drive! LOL We can use these for picnics over the summer or if we have someone that doesn't like having their foods touch. Chris can also use these for work and then in the fall, I can use them to pack lunches for Daniel and Nathan who will be taking his lunch 4 days a week too. YAY! They also stack nicely. Here are the above 2 stacked in my fridge (please disregard the burnt out light bulb!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM09tJGalZpC-ZJ52TvCfwRFTjbm7kA8vFiI6mDDoZ3tqJz9wNaSfbB9QCCHox8FKHRdWLKnBbq6PqfrMDkkUAqPvxKYQCPAyTzOF4a1MQNYuZKyg_SxJjY4RkV4sG22mLGdtAdNvnvJh/s1600/2013-03-25+09.37.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM09tJGalZpC-ZJ52TvCfwRFTjbm7kA8vFiI6mDDoZ3tqJz9wNaSfbB9QCCHox8FKHRdWLKnBbq6PqfrMDkkUAqPvxKYQCPAyTzOF4a1MQNYuZKyg_SxJjY4RkV4sG22mLGdtAdNvnvJh/s640/2013-03-25+09.37.43.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom expressed concern with things not staying fresh being packed in there all week. I found that the berries kept better in these containers that in their original packaging and everything else kept great too! I just wanted to share my latest find with you! Hope you enjoyed!<br />
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<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-23774202744465182752013-03-10T15:17:00.002-04:002013-03-10T15:17:33.755-04:00First Tooth Loss!No, I didn't lose a tooth but my big boy son, Daniel did! Friday night, 10 minutes after his dad left to go out with his friends, he came running out of his bedroom with his tooth in his hand. "Mommy! My tooth came out!!" <br />
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Daniel just turned 6 in February. He's in Kindergarten. A lot of his friends have already lost some of their teeth. This was making me wonder why he hadn't lost one yet. One his top front teeth has been a little bit loose for a while now but hasn't gotten much looser since I noticed it was loose a couple weeks ago. Tuesday, Daniel was playing outside on recess. It was a nice day - meaning not snowing or raining and the sun was out. While playing outside on his first recess, he fell off of the play scape and hit his mouth on a bar on the way down to the ground. The school called me and told me what happened and that Daniel was OK and went back to class but that I might want to check on his teeth. Sure enough, his bottom 2 front teeth were super loose! One was downright crooked. It made me think that he would lose that one at any minute. So, when he came out and showed me it was the other tooth, I was surprised. That crooked one's roots are still holding on! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVS5YHp4MYzX3LPq1gOqBKi1roB4VbtlvJzHLag-E7vAPiU2V9rFjzxn60yAL8aCe6gT5u7hWv8BWuA1EQ5Br1KqDLzVBhcAuuSygB6qWIu8Ikv-2iR4Vp2SbL7CF_-zumE14dVkuvMNv/s1600/Daniel's+first+tooth+loss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVS5YHp4MYzX3LPq1gOqBKi1roB4VbtlvJzHLag-E7vAPiU2V9rFjzxn60yAL8aCe6gT5u7hWv8BWuA1EQ5Br1KqDLzVBhcAuuSygB6qWIu8Ikv-2iR4Vp2SbL7CF_-zumE14dVkuvMNv/s640/Daniel's+first+tooth+loss.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
You can see how crooked the remaining tooth is after his fall and the spot where the other tooth was. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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He was very excited to come out and show me his tooth. He asked me to take a picture and send it to Daddy. We did and then we called his grandparents (both sets) so he could tell them himself. Everyone was very excited for him. :) Of course, the Tooth Fairy came and brought him a prize too! The following night, we had a new babysitter coming to watch the boys for us so we could go to a wine tasting fundraiser. She is the daughter of Nathan's preschool teacher (she was also Daniel's teacher too) - Mrs. Sweet. We have a magnetic calendar in the hallway for them to look at and we have a magnet for lost a tooth so I put it on Friday for him to see. When Mrs. Sweet and Danielle came over for Danielle to babysit, he had to take Mrs.Sweet and show her the magnet on the calendar. He's very proud!<br />
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I can't believe we are at that stage already. Time really does fly by. I still remember back when we were trying so hard to have our first child and how excited I was when we finally conceived Daniel. Now, he's 6 and such a big boy. I'm so proud of him and the great person he's becoming. Love him to pieces! Thanks for reading :)MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-15587211816299526482013-03-03T14:03:00.000-05:002013-03-03T14:03:52.476-05:00Thank You Notes for a TeacherToday, I'm sharing the thank you notes I made for my friend Tabatha Whittaker who is a teacher in Tennessee. She asked me to make 20 for her. I came up with 6 different cards. She chose 3 of them. Here the lucky 3 she chose:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxf4ONGaTpQjkJWdp6ykmpxuwpZCtsk0-sGh1SPEZtn1iM3LtNAiLKt1m6NgSHvav7Mage58TKhV1iVibgghgY4BaFIzb5XezPO0vKNzHvQQQom74Id41Jt7q4bEINIDuUp8KvDK68Qw9X/s1600/Swinging+Thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxf4ONGaTpQjkJWdp6ykmpxuwpZCtsk0-sGh1SPEZtn1iM3LtNAiLKt1m6NgSHvav7Mage58TKhV1iVibgghgY4BaFIzb5XezPO0vKNzHvQQQom74Id41Jt7q4bEINIDuUp8KvDK68Qw9X/s640/Swinging+Thanks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTgBpt9pFnG7ArGvZM-eR2Emtg9izD1CgV3KLo2J1hMeuQ_hygmCKPZZmn0AWRo10FF8HJrcjOhb3jgdDZQv2414AP8wqQI9Rp5S0MKrx-dv808xb_NOCunptodJ54UVjsOeCOwu_aIMD/s1600/Jump+Rope+Thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTgBpt9pFnG7ArGvZM-eR2Emtg9izD1CgV3KLo2J1hMeuQ_hygmCKPZZmn0AWRo10FF8HJrcjOhb3jgdDZQv2414AP8wqQI9Rp5S0MKrx-dv808xb_NOCunptodJ54UVjsOeCOwu_aIMD/s640/Jump+Rope+Thanks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHt2uq5jy1WwkReqeTiB32NH1Zrr36iu4SdX9U6mxIF0hBuMbY99YlcMMVbgg-bmGW8dqDRsiWxdNyjFlESZ90RL6UDE1HTXqPDat0-s9-0DwEM_Af0ZUlffy6p1XN7yUuEEE6XcXMZ-Fz/s1600/Hula+Hoop+Thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHt2uq5jy1WwkReqeTiB32NH1Zrr36iu4SdX9U6mxIF0hBuMbY99YlcMMVbgg-bmGW8dqDRsiWxdNyjFlESZ90RL6UDE1HTXqPDat0-s9-0DwEM_Af0ZUlffy6p1XN7yUuEEE6XcXMZ-Fz/s640/Hula+Hoop+Thanks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
These are small 3X3 note card thank you's for her to send her students for little gifts they give her (at least this is the impression I got from her.. LOL) I used a stamp set I bought a while ago for scrapbooking the kids' school years. It's called Recess.(All products used are Stampin' Up!) I used one other set called Sprinkled Expressions for the "thanks" sentiment. The card stock used on the one with the girl is Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, and Melon Mambo. I used my chevron embossing folder to give the light pink layer some texture and then punched out a large scalloped circle in the melon mambo and added some doodle dots with my white gel pen. I used Stampin' Up markers to color the image and black Staz-On to stamp the image. The image is on a 2 1/2" circle punch. The "thanks" is stamped in melon mambo and cut out, attached with a silver mini brad. I used dimensionals to give it dimension (haha! I'm so clever right?)<br />
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For the boy versions, I used Whisper White again for the card bases, Real Red and Midnight Muse card stock. Same gel pen with the doodle dots. The inks used were Real Red and Midnight Muse for the "thanks sentiments". The images again were stamped in black Staz-On ink and I used the same mini brads to attach the little flags. I used the stripes and woodgrain embossing folders for their color layers. <br />
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Ok... enough of the run down... I think these cards came out pretty cute and I think I just MIGHT make more of them for Nathan's preschool teacher as a thank you gift for her and I also just MIGHT make some to sell in my Etsy store. I will share a link to my etsy store as soon as I get it up and running! In case you were wondering what the "rejected" samples were, I'll share those too. I think I might make some of these to sell too. I think they are cute and would be cute for kids to give their friends and also for some adults to send for a little thank you note. Here they are!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJbD6uEAQPiMqQhONR7Y5GqanyFDxBeupCBUzfJdc1qoIEVDMobsHrMPrz_VGY-EL7__jEBd5rdYyZiw2wurh7rcJPRr9AiH_qMN542KDIFLqaqkwdZ3WlWH2C5M-kOrsWreVJy1l5BJA/s1600/Build+a+Robat+Girl+thank+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJbD6uEAQPiMqQhONR7Y5GqanyFDxBeupCBUzfJdc1qoIEVDMobsHrMPrz_VGY-EL7__jEBd5rdYyZiw2wurh7rcJPRr9AiH_qMN542KDIFLqaqkwdZ3WlWH2C5M-kOrsWreVJy1l5BJA/s640/Build+a+Robat+Girl+thank+you.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I thought this would be cute to give a girl. It's certainly cute for a kid and fun with the "thank you, human" sentiment! I used a set called Best Bots Forever for these 2 cards. I also added some bling with the rhinestone... what girl doesn't like a bit of sparkle? The girl card is all Whisper White and Melon Mambo.<br />
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The boy robot card is in Whisper White and Midnight Muse (one of my new favorite Stampin' Up colors!) I used the Word Window punch for the sentiment for this one because this robot turned out a lot taller than the girl one... had to improvise and I like how it turned out. :) Somtimes an oops turns into a great thing, I think! The background embossing folder is the honeycomb - another new favorite of mine!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52zCIBaMZEILi6eNNU7w8TO54MP5lT5wWpv-J18qOFt549nWxJ5j2JifSlzqeg12CY83F8ELrPGlRNb-omxuM4QdlRa6ttqmmGebunLK6k-SxPps54JE4od08c4KBK4SdhUdS48Az3u_k/s1600/Patterned+Occasions+mini+thank+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52zCIBaMZEILi6eNNU7w8TO54MP5lT5wWpv-J18qOFt549nWxJ5j2JifSlzqeg12CY83F8ELrPGlRNb-omxuM4QdlRa6ttqmmGebunLK6k-SxPps54JE4od08c4KBK4SdhUdS48Az3u_k/s640/Patterned+Occasions+mini+thank+you.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This one is super cute for anyone! Whisper White and Midnight Muse with a touch of Tangerine Tango card stock on the flower. The inks used were Pool Party and Old Olive. I also used that pesky white gel pen again and a rhinestone for some of that sparkle again. The embossing folder used on this is a new one that is available as a freebee in the Sale-a-bration catalog. If you spend $50, you can get it free! It's called Vine Street and it coordinates awesomely with the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper, ribbon and buttons. The paper and the ribbons and buttons are all available as sale-a-bration items for free. YAY! If anyone is intersted in any of these items to make your own cards, you can leave a comment. If you'd like to order anything you've seen, leave a comment... or you can wait for the etsy store to be up!I can and will do custom orders for anyone too! Thanks for reading!!!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-68013167527815019262013-03-02T12:08:00.001-05:002013-03-02T12:08:19.397-05:00My New Recipe CompilationHi friends! It's been a while since I last posted on here. Sorry about that! I've been keeping busy with the kids, the house, the activities, working on starting an etsy shop and my new love- cooking. I used to absolutely HATE cooking. I dreaded making dinner and I used to make Chris do most of it. He enjoyed cooking all along and he's a great cook. He's more of the experimental type of cook where I am all about the recipe. That is why I always loved baking - there's no guesswork or estimating. There are absolute rules about how much vanilla extract or baking powder to use.<br />
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I joined Pinterest a while ago and started pinning recipe ideas on a few different boards. That made me start thinking about cooking some of those recipes. There were a lot of them piling up in there. The main thing I always dreaded about making dinner every night was that I never had a plan and I would stress about it all day until I figured something out. UGH - not fun! So, I decided to start making a weekly menu. I choose 6 or 7 recipes for dinners for the week, figure out what we don't already have and then make a list, send Chris shopping (hee hee!) and then I'm prepared for the week. We can choose which thing we want for that night and then I'm set to go. This method of planning has worked out GREAT for us. We also don't buy too much fresh ingredients that often anymore and things don't go bad as much. Another win! <br />
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I compiled quite the list of recipes on pinterest and decided I should print them out so that I don't have to have my computer in the kitchen with me all the time when I cook. For Christmas, I got an amazon.com gift certificate from my in-laws so I decided to use it toward making my own recipe compilation of my favorite things to make. Recipes we really like make it into the book. I just got this stuff a couple weeks ago because it took me a long time to decide on the book and style I liked best. Here is the one I chose:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZW9SeBmoZbXijnztkodhCkwtsKG3M8N-jJqsHRt23U0o5zcTJBb4Hhbe4wW40Yx5yZucI1m0c70O5nvudzsjmL-UJzEpRNq56f1nb-8uphp9B47tBSAIQEGvL41cf4p-zKXcJNwggQsvE/s1600/2013-03-02+11.33.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZW9SeBmoZbXijnztkodhCkwtsKG3M8N-jJqsHRt23U0o5zcTJBb4Hhbe4wW40Yx5yZucI1m0c70O5nvudzsjmL-UJzEpRNq56f1nb-8uphp9B47tBSAIQEGvL41cf4p-zKXcJNwggQsvE/s640/2013-03-02+11.33.47.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's called the: "<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">Create Your Own Collected Recipes Cookbook - Turquoise & Gray" It comes i<span style="font-size: small;">n other col<span style="font-size: small;">ors but I have turqu<span style="font-size: small;">oise in my house and it's one of my favorite colors. :) <span style="font-size: small;">I liked that it came with the dividers and that I <span style="font-size: small;">could <span style="font-size: small;">cho<span style="font-size: small;">ose the <span style="font-size: small;">labels for the tabs that <span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to use and there were some that were <span style="font-size: small;">blank for custom sections. I had to purchase the page protectors <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">separately</span> but that's ok. I can get more if<span style="font-size: small;">/ when I outgrow<span style="font-size: small;"> the initial 2 pac<span style="font-size: small;">kages I bought. I like using the page protectors beca<span style="font-size: small;">u<span style="font-size: small;">se they are <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">wipe-able</span> <span style="font-size: small;">i</span>f somet<span style="font-size: small;">hing spills or splatters on them! H<span style="font-size: small;">ere's a shot of <span style="font-size: small;">a few of the <span style="font-size: small;">tabs:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrp0Yn4WBKeMRyXdj2sElxtu3axzFc2eBABzzzb2beympIwG6do-Nk9XB4k8Z_L5n0O2SLH3QL3cVUfYX8Dmp1Wlf6GkywRTojcJrnRAE8sJvmtMqnvfxeRIPWXrJOiyks0rssIPYV12C/s1600/2013-03-02+11.35.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrp0Yn4WBKeMRyXdj2sElxtu3axzFc2eBABzzzb2beympIwG6do-Nk9XB4k8Z_L5n0O2SLH3QL3cVUfYX8Dmp1Wlf6GkywRTojcJrnRAE8sJvmtMqnvfxeRIPWXrJOiyks0rssIPYV12C/s640/2013-03-02+11.35.09.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Building this book has been a decently long process and it's still ongoing. I find new recipes to add to it a lot. I wanted to find a cool font to use in it so I did a <span style="font-size: small;">few searches for free fonts <span style="font-size: small;">and fou<span style="font-size: small;">nd some really cute ones. I <span style="font-size: small;">ended up goi<span style="font-size: small;">ng with one called KG Strawberry Limeade. It's got some cute c<span style="font-size: small;">urls and it's fun but still easy to read for me. I cop<span style="font-size: small;">ied some of the re<span style="font-size: small;">c<span style="font-size: small;">ipes straight from the internet and when I pasted them <span style="font-size: small;">I had the program change the<span style="font-size: small;">m into my format so it was quite easy. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm sorry th<span style="font-size: small;">ese pictures aren't the best but here's a sample:</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm8tLLFrO-amJhMRj5BPVz4Z17xbY6bx6sToTmyBeN1jFrumOKfzn9vn0bOzBguZKmsxHh-PUHpjeu6uREFJfZUzwpbDH2zeCpqxHWWc96aMS0g-D6-amfMBjcWsQsTpT40Afg7SZAbNX/s1600/2013-03-02+11.35.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm8tLLFrO-amJhMRj5BPVz4Z17xbY6bx6sToTmyBeN1jFrumOKfzn9vn0bOzBguZKmsxHh-PUHpjeu6uREFJfZUzwpbDH2zeCpqxHWWc96aMS0g-D6-amfMBjcWsQsTpT40Afg7SZAbNX/s640/2013-03-02+11.35.34.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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I also like having the freedom of being able to spread a recipe over 2 pages and not having to cram into a small space like I was trying to do with another program I have. I like this too because I can just keep adding more until the book is full. The above recipe is one I have made a few times by the Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond. I've kind of become obsessed with her cooking. I even bought her cook book with that amazon.com gift certificate too! <br />
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Here's the recipe I made for dinner last night. Sorry the picture quality isn't great! It's Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups. I like the pattern on the dividers too. Cute stock pots, right? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tja7DKXfpdJX-aQnp-a5rxDALjMtWkp0L-6WS9QyJ5_aPFuzkFoyrcM3XBVZ5drLjpW4AYpBQrOoPjmH3epsqN3M1ot65eUQJPzsP2qKO0Ot__7LMTw4PzSvOjt8R2S6psh_k1nm48Qm/s1600/2013-03-02+11.36.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tja7DKXfpdJX-aQnp-a5rxDALjMtWkp0L-6WS9QyJ5_aPFuzkFoyrcM3XBVZ5drLjpW4AYpBQrOoPjmH3epsqN3M1ot65eUQJPzsP2qKO0Ot__7LMTw4PzSvOjt8R2S6psh_k1nm48Qm/s640/2013-03-02+11.36.25.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Over all, I'm super excited about this recipe book and the convenience it will provide me in finding favorites and having them within arms reach. Chris is pretty psyched about it too and wants me to put some of his favorites in there as well. <br />
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This morning, I found a new recipe on Pinterest on my Breakfast recipe board called Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Ring. Here is the link to it if you'd like to try it:<br />
http://www.navywifecook.com/2012/01/bacon-egg-and-cheese-ring.html<br />
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Here are some pictures of it. It came out pretty awesome!<br />
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Above: Just out of the oven.<br />
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A cross-section view<br />
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And my lovely (yet slightly blurry (SORRY)) paper plate with yummy breakfast goodness on it. mmmMMmm This was a great recipe and not hard to make at all. I think total it took me about half an hour to make it and that included cooking the eggs and bacon, shredding cheese and baking it for 16 minutes. Not bad! We happened to have all of the ingredients for it and I was hungry so I decided to go for it. It paid off! Thanks for reading and happy cooking!!!<br />
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<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-90580141757937246762012-10-12T09:50:00.001-04:002012-10-12T09:50:10.042-04:00BullyingAbout 2 weeks or so ago, Daniel got off the bus upset. He didn't say anything but I could tell something was wrong. I tried to cheer him up and told him we were going to his Dika's (Grandma) to get his hair cut. He was really in need of a hair cut. He didn't cheer up at all. When we got to my mom's for the hair cuts, he still seemed down so I asked him how school was and he said it wasn't good. He didn't want to elaborate though. I had to pry it out of him and he told me what happened. First, a boy from his class poked him in his mouth with the pointy end of a stick. The teacher talked to that boy and everything was fine there but on the playground, Daniel was playing on the play scape bridge and a boy came up and pushed him from behind causing Daniel to flip over the side and fall, landing on the top of his head. I was outraged that no one would call me when he fell on the top of his head like that. Apparently, no one saw this. He didn't tell anyone either. I was very upset and concerned for him and poor Daniel was crying about it for a while that evening because he was scared to go to school the next day. I emailed his teacher and she said she wasn't aware of it and would bring up at the staff meeting that morning that that area needs to be watched more closely and that she would have Daniel show her who the boy was that pushed him so he could be dealt with. I couldn't believe that my son, only 3 weeks into Kindergarten, could be going through his first bullying experience. After talking about this with a friend, she made me realize that it probably seemed very deliberate to Daniel and by all means scared him but that boy probably didn't hurt him on purpose. It was probably an accident but the boy didn't know he knocked Daniel down... he was probably just pushing him out of his way while he was running across the bridge. Never the less, the boy should be talked to about the proper way to play.<br />
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I received a lot of feedback about this topic on Facebook. Many friends said I should speak with the boys' parents. Some said I should march into the principle's office and demand something be done, etc, etc... I chose to talk to his teacher (via email and in person) and ask her to keep an eye on Daniel to make sure nothing like this happens again. I chose not to go in to the principle's office this time because his teacher told me she would handle it. I trust that she will. This was a one time thing as of this point. The boy that poked him in the mouth was from his class. Daniel came home a couple days later with a card from him that said "I'm sorry Daniel". That was really nice of him to do that. (I'm sure his mother made him though, ha ha) The boy that pushed him was a first grader that Daniel didn't know.<br />
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This whole thing really hit home for me because I was bullied as a child too. Although mine wasn't physical bullying, it made me dread going to school too so I completely understood how Daniel was feeling. I had low self esteem for a very long time because of my bullying experiences. Kids can really be very mean. I really hope and pray that we can be the generation that teaches our kids NOT to be that way.<br />
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One thing I realized as I was going through how bad I felt for Daniel and how upset he was, was that the boy that bullied him (if he was intentionally bullying him) is probably being bullied at home or by someone else in his life. He needs to be shown love and acceptance to encourage him to stop being a bully. So, I plan to build Daniel up as much as we can and tell him what an amazing kid he is and not to worry about bullies. They only do that stuff to try to make themselves look or feel better because they don't feel good about themselves. So, in closing, I pray for those bullies that someone will love them and show them acceptance, build them up and make them feel worth while so the bullying will stop.<br />
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Thanks for reading. Comments are appreciated.MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-61841108537022583682012-08-02T10:30:00.000-04:002012-08-02T10:30:01.016-04:00Weight Loss Journey UpdateHey friends! It's been a while since I shared on my blog what's going on.... Sooo a bunch has happened since I last wrote. Let me start by saying that I have officially lost 8 pounds so far, several inches and 2 dress sizes! I also went down drastically in bra size which I know for some might seem sad but for me it was fantastic! My back pain is almost gone now compared to where it was before. HUGE difference! I'm doing pretty well so far. I had a little time in there where I wasn't able to work out or didn't have the drive for it so I wasn't as good for a bit. I'm getting back into it though. <br />
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Earlier this month, Chris had a business trip to Las Vegas for a week which meant I'd be home alone with the boys for a week straight - no break or help. Normally, my mom would help me out or at least keep me company. My parents happened to be in Italy at the same time and when they got home, they had to move! So, she was not available - needless to say. Chris's mom asked if the boys and I would like to come out stay with them for the week. After thinking about it and contacting her best friend, Mary (who lives in Garden City, MI) and asking her if she'd like to drive out with me, we decided to go. There was no way I was driving 9 hours with the kids alone. I'd be insane! They need way too much attention and help in the back of the car to not have an adult back there with them. It worked out really well having here with us. I love Mary to death! She's awesome!<br />
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On our way out, while Mary was driving ( she took over for me after I drove for about 5 hours), we ran out of gas. She had forgotten to pay attention to the gas gauge since she was driving my car and she's not used to it. HA! Amazingly, God was watching out for us and we ran out of gas right in front of a house (in the middle of the sticks in PA). We pulled into the driveway coasting and the nice man that lived there named Ed told us he had just filled up his 5 gallon gas can the day before. He offered us the gas. We were so grateful for this! We took his gas can, after putting the 5 gallons in the van's tank and went up to the gas station that was another 4 1/2 miles away and filled up the van and his gas can and returned it to him. Praise God that He was watching over us that day. That situation could have been so much worse and set us back hours on our drive time. Instead, we got in at the expected time!<br />
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So, while we were visiting, I kind of slacked off on the working out. I was on vacation! I still ate pretty much according to my diet and ended up losing 1/2 pound that week which was amazing since the day before we came home, I had pizza twice. <br />
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After we got home, things went sort of back to normal. My parents were moving so we were helping them a bit and there was one thing after another. I had to get my birth control shot and for some reason the nurse put it in my butt instead of my hip. My butt was sore for 3 days! I also aggravated my tear in my left shoulder again and strained my tennis elbow helping my parents move. So, I was kind of out of commission for working out for a few days. Then, I had a night where I only got 3 hours of sleep because stupidly, I took a Claritin D in the evening and it gave me insomnia. UGH<br />
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This past week, I lost another 1/2 pound even though I didn't do much working out at all. So, I'm relieved. This week, I'm back at it! I did time on my elliptical running at full tilt and I'm getting back into doing my Zumba for Wii video. Nathan wants to do it with me. <br />
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I have to say it's a great feeling when I have to roll the tops of my shorts because they are close to falling off of me! Clothes I haven't been able to wear in a long time fit me again too. <br />
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This weekend I'll be on a break though. We are going out to Massachusetts because Chris's aunt Danielle passed away from pancreatic cancer. We are going to the funeral. My parents are keeping the boys for us. I'm so glad about that because they would be super bored and wouldn't really understand what's going on at the funeral home. I'm also looking forward to a brief break from being "Mommy"... A LOT.<br />
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We are really sad about losing Auntie. She was always so sweet and welcoming to me. I met his whole family after we'd been together only a few months ( I met his mom at the same time). I have to say they are the most wonderful group of people I could ever ask for in a family. Auntie treated me like I was her own niece and after we had the boys, she would always send them presents for Christmas. So nice of her! I know this weekend will be hard and sad and tough to say good bye. I feel so horrible for her kids. Losing an aunt is nothing compared to losing your mom. I am blessed to still have my mom and Chris's mom still around and in good health. I would be devastated if I lost my mom. She is my best friend. I can only imagine how Andrea and B.J. feel and the imagination is bad enough. I wish there was something I could do to comfort them more. I've been praying for them and asking my bible study group to pray for them. I hope the Lord gives them comfort in knowing she is in Heaven with Him now... no longer in pain and happier than we could ever imagine being. <br />
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Well, I'm starting to cry, so I'm going to leave it here. May God bless you today and every day.<br />
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Hugs,<br />
Lyndsey<br />
<br />MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-64535110043112249072012-07-09T10:42:00.000-04:002012-07-09T10:42:52.138-04:00Weight Loss Journey UpdateSo, I've been on the Weight Watchers plan for a week and a half so far. I weighed in this morning and I've lost 5 pound so far and I've lost an inch from my arms, thighs, waist, hips and 2 inches from my bust! I'm so happy about all of this! The best part is how I've been FEELING since I started this journey. The only one I can give credit to is God for giving me the strength and determination to stick with this and achieve my goals. <br />
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He's given me the drive I need for sure! I made the decision to start doing this and I have found it pretty easy to stick to. I'm not saying it's been effortless. There have been times when I really just want a snack and after waiting for as long as I can, I break down and have a small snack even if I am going over my points target for the day. The good thing is that I haven't once touched my activity points . Only the weekly flex points they give me to use. I still had 30 of those left at the end of the week out of 45. I also earned about 40 activity points throughout the week. I'm finding a lot of different ways to earn activity points. I love that housework counts! I do a lot of that so I can earn points just doing what I normally do and then I get more when I actually specifically exercise. I got a bunch of points for going for a long walk with my husband and kids last night. I walked fast the whole time and half of the time I pulled the wagon with at least Xander in it and part of the time I had both him and Daniel in it. <br />
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I'm feeling more confident and better about myself. I have been feeling pretty down for a long time about how I looked and felt. It was hard to look in the mirror. I really didn't like what I saw. My stretched out belly from having 3 big babies doesn't help. I'm really targeting that area hard because I want to be able to wear whatever I want like I used to be able to when Chris and I first met. I used to be a size 2. Right now, I'm between a 16 and a 14. I'm not proud of this one bit. I can't believe I let it get that bad. <br />
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I do have a struggle with stress eating. Yesterday I slipped up and snacked a lot because I was having a bad day. I was mad at myself even more for that which only made it worse. I had a tough morning trying out something new. It didn't go as I thought it would. I had a challenge that made me really upset. I won't go into what that was but I will say it was tough. I also had a harder time because I couldn't talk to my mom about it and we are super close. She was on a plane to Italy with my dad. It's hard not getting to talk to her. We talk almost every day normally.<br />
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So, today, I'm back on it and I'm planning to do my new pilates DVD. Or I might pull out the Wii fit and do some yoga or step aerobics. I like having variation to my work outs and ways to fit it in throughout the day around my chores and taking care of my kids.<br />
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My kids are the main reason I'm doing all of this. I want to be healthier and stronger so I'm not tired and wanting to just sit on my butt watching them play. I want to play WITH them and enjoy it. I also don't want them to be embarrassed because their mom is fat or ask me why I have a big belly any more. I also want to be sexy for my husband again and for me. I want to feel pretty and sexy again. I'm really looking forward to that and I already feel better with only 5 pounds lost. I still have a long way to go but I'm half way to my first goal of 10 pounds lost so that is awesome!<br />
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If you're in a similar situation where you're struggling with your weight and how you feel about yourself, Weight Watchers is a great plan for anyone. It's easy to keep up with and very flexible. I started right around the July 4 holiday which was hard. The food offerings at the party we went to was hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken legs with chips and watermelon. Moderation was HUGE for me. I also made some flag cupcakes because we had the mix and it was great place to use those up (or so I thought). We ended up bringing most of them back home and they've been calling to me - "Eat me! I'm so yummy!" I gave in a couple of times. I want them to get eaten and not wasted. My kids would rather eat cookies. HA! Oh well. There are only 2 of those tempting little cupcakes left. <br />
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My best advice is to ask GOD to help you and TRUST in HIM. This was really very hard for me to really place my trust in HIM. I did that after discussing it and praying about it with my bible study group. It's working! I'm enjoying working out and loving feeling the burn from exercise! I don't mind at all being sore from working out. I hated feeling sore from doing nothing. That is going away so I am THRILLED!!!!!! God is working in me and my life is getting so much better for it! <br />
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May God bless you on your journey - whatever it might be! MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-71361109320840574452012-06-28T16:48:00.003-04:002012-06-28T16:48:49.979-04:00My Weight Loss Journey Begins!So, after a long time of feeling pretty upset about my body and how I looked, I have finally decided to do something about it for real. I signed up for Weight Watchers Points Plus Online. Yesterday was my first day on it. Tuesday was our anniversary so we went out to dinner at the Melting Pot. For those of you who don't know what the Melting Pot is - its a Fondu restaurant. It was delicious but there was SO MUCH food and we had drinks too. I knew starting on Tuesday was a bad idea. Ha! So, this is day 2. I'm doing well so far. I've been making sure to get work outs in and I've been better today than I was yesterday as far as my points used. I was just down right hungry yesterday! Today, I did much better so far. I still have 14 points left for the day which means I SHOULD be able to have a dessert of some kind tonight and stay within my points! Whoo hoo!<br />
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I think this time around will be different for me. I REALLY want this and I'm really feeling motivated. I mostly want to get in shape and be healthy. I don't want my boys to have an overweight and unhealthy mom. I want to be able to run around with them outside and keep up and not feel winded right away. I'm done making excuses because of injuries and my thyroid disease. Yes, thyroid disease will probably make it harder for me to lose weight... hopefully not too much harder! I'm at a point where this is a great time to do this. It's summer vacation so I don't have to get up with the alarm and rush around to get the kids off to school. I have time to work out, get sweaty and THEN shower. So today, I did 10 minutes on my elliptical (I'm going to work toward more time), 10 minutes of squats and 10 minutes of crunches. Then I took the kids to Target and was speed walking through the store while pushing the cart as it got fuller and fuller. So, I got a decent amount of activity points for the day. I'm feeling the burn in my legs and abs which is awesome. I could possibly get addicted to that feeling!<br />
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I've set a small goal. I'm working toward losing 10 pounds first and I'm probably going to go for 10 pounds, each time until I'm done. The total weight loss goal is 65 pounds. That number is really daunting so I'm keeping it to smaller goals to feel more attainable and I'll feel like I'm accomplishing more. This works well for me with doing chores too. I make a very LONG list of chores but that's because I break each chore down into steps so I can keep checking things off. It keeps me motivated.<br />
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So, prayers would be LOVED and ADORED and APPRECIATED greatly that I can do this. I've prayed about it hard and I believe that God is going to get me through this. I'm puttig my will power in His hands and I believe He will pull me through! With God, all things are possible!!!!! I'll post with an update soon - I loved that this morning, I already felt a bit lighter. :0)MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-61767446208105795182012-06-19T11:16:00.001-04:002012-06-19T11:16:47.081-04:00Hand Stamped Tile Coasters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I recently discovered that you can use rubber stamps on tiles to make really beautiful and unique coasters! I decided I would try this out to make a cool and unique gift for Daniel's preschool teachers as a thank you gift. I made 2 sets. I posted pictures of them on Facebook and got a great response. I can't take the credit for this idea at all. It's not mine at all. I saw several videos and tutorials on how to do it on YouTube. Here is one that I watched:<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SCgjr4o_4U" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SCgjr4o_4U</a> It seems to be the easiest way to go. There's no heat setting or spray fixatives needed. Here is the set I made for Daniel's main teacher, Mrs. Sweet: <br />
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All of the stamps I used are from Stampin' Up! Some of them are still available but some are discontinued. I used the following stamp(s) sets: Inspired by Nature, Medallion, Wonderful Favorites, Family Reunion, French Flair, Damask, Baroque Motifs, and Elements of Style. I had a really good time playing around with this and I'll be honest - I had a few that came out looking TERRIBLE! <br />
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The best thing about this is how easy this is really to do. I bought the tiles at Lowe's but you can get them at any big home improvement store. They are tumbled MARBLE. If you want to make these yourself, don't get the tumbled TRAVERTINE as they are far too smooth and won't accept the ink well at all. I made this mistake myself and it looked awful. They are quite affordable to buy at about $4 for a box of 9. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0j6UYoVRztc14yEhzqm0zKtDPSX89Wtp6C8MaDJnHqu7qjKrYDOietY-pPpAFKjOyRKZwjNDBwwAk5aOZD2b1rCOhkIylMgye2lp71gcic0Tjf4nRrbIT1Pw7VRVi2cmkxAmDPtvEW8NR/s1600/Whimsical+Bird+Coaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0j6UYoVRztc14yEhzqm0zKtDPSX89Wtp6C8MaDJnHqu7qjKrYDOietY-pPpAFKjOyRKZwjNDBwwAk5aOZD2b1rCOhkIylMgye2lp71gcic0Tjf4nRrbIT1Pw7VRVi2cmkxAmDPtvEW8NR/s640/Whimsical+Bird+Coaster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The inks I used were mostly StazOn inks. I would have used all StazOn because that was what was recommended in that video I shared above but the variety of colors available at my local Michael's store was limited and seemed like someone had been there and bought a lot of the colors out. I supplemented with a few by Color Box that were PERMANENT inks. I also tested the color fastness on the back of a tile before using it. The purple color and the khaki green color are both by Color Box. The black, red, blue, and brown are by StazOn. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzujTTfrZmOgWVfoPOvcP1RYYNrBXRT7ume_P6q1HCyYezEIMJI1EEmR0aLTNb7pH-YXvgnovmey_hkx5KVIJAvyJN5ohbm_bYrp2srC-R9wEWz4_GgfGJz3w5sf-g1WKHq2o3GBRQ42tt/s1600/Completed+Purple+Coaster+Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzujTTfrZmOgWVfoPOvcP1RYYNrBXRT7ume_P6q1HCyYezEIMJI1EEmR0aLTNb7pH-YXvgnovmey_hkx5KVIJAvyJN5ohbm_bYrp2srC-R9wEWz4_GgfGJz3w5sf-g1WKHq2o3GBRQ42tt/s640/Completed+Purple+Coaster+Set.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When they were all stamped and I liked my collection of coasters, I added some felt tab feet to the bottoms of them to keep them from scratching the tables they sat on. You get several to a package and they are also available at Lowe's and Home Depot. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmji87uEB4JAM_nNBtjc71uGk_cGnlp8K3ZyYssDBldPdH6K3UB_Hm-KdXyG8ZrhYfIPdIjzEsFe9r48SP2QbDZiFXzi8_LMbRB7iVYskHkOicfC8mLQV2JTGsk1-CRssWBrzXSUMWKTa/s1600/Completed+Red+Ribbon+Coaster+Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmji87uEB4JAM_nNBtjc71uGk_cGnlp8K3ZyYssDBldPdH6K3UB_Hm-KdXyG8ZrhYfIPdIjzEsFe9r48SP2QbDZiFXzi8_LMbRB7iVYskHkOicfC8mLQV2JTGsk1-CRssWBrzXSUMWKTa/s640/Completed+Red+Ribbon+Coaster+Set.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I then, used some of my Stampin' Up! striped grosgrain ribbon (discontinued) to tie them up and make a gift package. They were a hit with the teachers and the other moms at preschool. :) They are a fun gift to make or for your own home. I did make some for myself too. I'll keep experimenting and I'll share more photos when I have more. Thanks for looking!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-56479215552858391112012-05-27T14:57:00.000-04:002012-05-27T14:57:00.716-04:00Sympathy Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiingNdUGA2jrTCz7r68B6KXEOXahWm0Q_Sp1wvT-RLKlRR-WvGp0bTJUgrdJOxOJl-d15_nCMavun3e5WoiRNIw8SnjlosYxxMvZdXb55tueRm1y_NXD_Hp-gzopDZhV99uK9PvAduXrfo/s1600/Riker+Sympathy+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiingNdUGA2jrTCz7r68B6KXEOXahWm0Q_Sp1wvT-RLKlRR-WvGp0bTJUgrdJOxOJl-d15_nCMavun3e5WoiRNIw8SnjlosYxxMvZdXb55tueRm1y_NXD_Hp-gzopDZhV99uK9PvAduXrfo/s320/Riker+Sympathy+Card.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
A few weeks ago, my dear friends' grandma passed away. She was a sweet woman was loved by many. I created a couple of sympathy cards to give to my friends. Here they are:<br />
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This card I made my friends - Mike and Leah. I saw a card similar to this one on <a href="http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/">www.splitcoaststampers.com</a> made by Mary Fish - a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Her care was more square and used different papers and few a different embellishments but I found it so striking that I had to try my hand at making my own version. I used Crumb Cake card stock for the base, Whisper White as the main layer. Other card stock used was Pool Party and Pumpkin Pie. I used the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper set to determine my color combinations. For the die cut image in the back, I used the Top Note die for the Big Shot and cut the piece twice to create the new shape. The flower was made using the Build - a - Flower punch. I also used the scallop circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch for punching out my sentiment on the front. The sentiment comes from the Petite Pairs stamp set. To make this card into an easel card which is why its stands up, I cut the card stock to 4 1/4" by 11". I then scored it using my scoring board at 5 1/2" and 8" to creat the easel. I then cut another piece of Crumb Cake card stock at 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" to make the front of the card. To keep it standing up, I created a stopper band with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch and to keep from showing any adhesives on the card, I folded it behind my white layer and glued it down to the back of the white card stock. The ribbon on the card is 5/8" whisper white satin ribbon. I also used 2 brads to decorate the card - both from the Everyday Enchantment set. The ink I used was Soft Suede Classic Ink. I also used my bone folder to curl the petals on the flower up.<br />
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I chose to show it to you at different angles so you can see how it's made. Below is a straight front view.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iYDIN-EAleN_Hr_cgrMFyiwlL4K5z1faqrF4StZIzb1NgIdV75YbZOguBFF7O_SzKHRZEpdHCcCxEHdwtkTAJqCJtxTStf_uS27jZF1qeVVj15vN85SvhyphenhyphenElInY05LpSFWXdjEcd2QHy/s1600/Rich+Riker+Sympathy+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iYDIN-EAleN_Hr_cgrMFyiwlL4K5z1faqrF4StZIzb1NgIdV75YbZOguBFF7O_SzKHRZEpdHCcCxEHdwtkTAJqCJtxTStf_uS27jZF1qeVVj15vN85SvhyphenhyphenElInY05LpSFWXdjEcd2QHy/s640/Rich+Riker+Sympathy+Card.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
This card above was one that I created for a gift set. I loved it so I made another one for this occasion. It's also not the easiest card to get made. It caused me some grief trying to line up the dies in the right places and keeping the card stock from shifting. I learned that I needed to use some kind of repositionable adhesive. I ended up using post it's to keep my edgelit dies in place and the card stock when cutting the large flower. So the main card is made of Pool Party card stock cut at 4 1/4" by 11" and scored at 5 1/2". The patterned paper is also from the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper pack and it is cut at 4 1/8" by 5 3/8". I then used the scalloped edgelits die to create the cut edge at the bottom and then used the adorning accents embossing folder that coordinated with it to make the embossed image directly above it. The large flower is from the Fun Flowers Bigz die. I cut it off the edge and then popped the whole layer up on dimensionals after stamping my greeting from the Petite Pairs stamp set and tying my Soft Suede polka dot ribbon around it. I used the back side of the ribbon because I didn't want the polka dots for this card. To create the center of the flower, I cut a 1 3/8" circle with the Pool Party card stock, a 1 1/4" circle in the Everyday Enchantment DSP and then I used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch with an Everyday Enchantment designer brad in the center. I love how this one turned out :) Thanks for checking my projects out!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-90361150919999966702012-03-13T10:30:00.000-04:002012-03-13T10:30:00.655-04:00Sleep, Precious Sleep!I know that every mom complains for their lack of sleep. As a mom of 3 boys, I am one of them. I have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now. That's a LONG time. I am awakened each and every night to tend to Xander. He has not slept through the night once since he was born... until last night! He slept in his crib until 6:30! That's a full night! I would love it if he'd go to 7:00am but 6:30 is great. <br />
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I know most people will scoff at this but as a mom of a child that is going to be a year old in just a few days and FINALLY slept through the night for the first time, I'm rejoicing right now!!! He even came in bed with me and went back to sleep until after 8:00am! If I get to sleep until 8:00, it's a miracle.<br />
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This whole sleep situation with Xander has been a sore spot for us for a while. I never intended for him to become addicted to sleeping with me. I just brought him in bed with us so that I could get enough sleep to function and take care of all 3 kids all day. I kept justifying it and putting off making the transition. We are doing it and he's acclimating surprisingly well and quickly. It's only been a week or so and each night, he seems to be doing better. He woke up earlier twice but he only had 1 bad night ( of course the night we had to "Spring Ahead!" for Daylight Savings Time and I had to get up for church at 6:45 which was like 5:45 on my body. Oh well. It turned out ok. I got a nap that day and spent some one on one quality time with Daniel which was so nice. :)<br />
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I'm probably rambling on. I know I'm not the best writer but I like to share and also keep a record of our lives.<br />
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My prayer for this week is that I can get it all done. There is so much to do before Saturday, I'm a bit overwhelmed. I have made a list and a schedule for when I'm going to do everything but that doesn't mean it will all get done. Yesterday, I got all of our clothes washed, did dishes, made dinner, ran Daniel to and from school, addressed and put the invitations in the mailbox, took out the trash, cleaned the litter box out, and did all of the regular stuff on top of giving the boys a bath by myself and straightening the whole main floor over and over. <br />
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Today, I'm washing the bedding for all of our beds, and towels, straightening in the basement (and upstairs), making a card for my Mother-in-Law's birthday. The basement is a BIG job. There are toys and mess EVERYWHERE! Tomorrow will by my running around day and getting errands done - finishing shopping for Xander's presents, getting food ordered, the cake ordered, and getting stuff for the goody bags. The fun never ends! Haha<br />
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Lord, I pray that you give me the energy and time I need to fit it all in and the patience I need to care for the kids on my own for 2 more days. I pray for my friend Kari who needs comfort and support in her health crisis, my friend Leah who lost a friend this week to cancer, my friend Eileen who suffers with depression, and safe travel for Chris while he's on his business trip. I ask that you bless my mom-in-law Jocelyn on her birthday today and that she know how loved and special she is. Also watch over their travel this weekend as they come to see us. Please be with Jason and Julie as they mourn the loss of Jason's dad and struggle with not knowing if he knew You and believed in You. Also be with Diane and her family as they mourn her aunt. I lift all of these people up and trust in You that you will be with them and carry them through. I also ask that you continue to grow my faith and my relationship with You and help me to be an example to those that I know and love that I might inspire them to open their hearts to You and let you in. Amen.MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-68975003417348318572012-03-10T09:50:00.000-05:002012-03-10T09:50:17.667-05:00Daniel's Immunization DebacleSo, Tuesday, I took all 3 boys in for well-child visits to see how much they weigh, how tall they are and if they needed any shots. Well, Xander and Daniel did need shots. Xander got 4 and Daniel had to get 2. Poor Xander didn't know what was coming and was crying pretty hard but was able to be comforted pretty easily. Thank GOD my mom came with us. I would not have able to handle all of it on my own.<br />
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Daniel knew what was coming and so he was hiding under the chair in the room. I had to pick the chair up and move it across the room to get him out from under it. Then he wrestled with me really hard to get his pants down so they could give him his shots. He had the last rounds of DTaP and Polio vaccines - 1 in each leg. The doctor had a little bit of difficulty with his shot because Daniel wiggled a bit and the needle's plunger had a problem. After he got the shots, he, of course, cried but he was back to himself pretty quickly. When the doctor told him he was all done with his shots till he was 11, he was really happy. No more shots for 6 years is good news!<br />
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Fast forward to Thursday morning. We are up and getting ready to go to open gymnastics for the kids to play with our friends. Daniel is itching himself- down there- so I asked him if he needed to go potty. He said no, his leg was itchy. So, I asked him if it was where he had his shot and he said yeah. So, I had him pull his pants down and a huge red blotch ( the size of my fist) was there. It was swollen and hard and hot to the touch and if I pushed on it, it hurt him. I immediately called the doctor's office to see if we needed to bring him in or if I needed to worry about it. I took 3 1/2 hours for the doctor to call me back. When he did, he asked me to bring him in. <br />
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After the doctor looked at his leg, he asked some questions and said he didn't think it could be an allergic reaction because he had already had the same shots 3 or 4 times before and had no reaction. So, we believed it was an infection. The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic for him and told me to give him some Benadryl too just for good measure. So, we did. Last night during their bath, I looked at Daniel's leg again and it really looked weird to me. The spot looked like it had gotten larger and grown down his leg and it was changing to a purplish color. So, I called the doctor's after hours line and waited for a call back. That doctor told me to take Daniel to the ER and that he probably needed IV antibiotics. "Great." I thought. "He's going to HATE this." <br />
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So, I called my mom and she came over to stay with the younger 2 kids ( Nathan was in bed already and Xander was about to go to sleep). We got up to the hospital around 9:45pm. We didn't have to wait too long - a decent wait but not terrible. We brought the DS so Daniel could play games and our Kindles so we could read if we had to be there for a long time. Once we got to the bed, the doctor was there within minutes and took a look and of course asked more questions. He and another doctor he called over to look at it, determined that since Daniel was jumping around and not having trouble with it, it was probably just bruised under the surface. He drew a line around Daniel's spot with a black permanent marker and told us that if it grows anymore to bring him back. So, praise GOD, he didn't need an IV or anymore shots. He was quite brave for a 5 year old having to go to the hospital and I'm very proud of how well he did. <br />
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That was not fun but I do believe that all of the prayers he received from all of our wonderful friends <span style="background-color: white;">and </span>family, made a big difference. Thanks to all of you who prayed and most of all, thank you, Lord for my son and for him being ok. MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-59899850414388977952012-03-08T21:31:00.000-05:002012-03-08T21:31:41.734-05:00Photos from our Disney Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeqm_29DaqicyoWQcX3dF9fCBoLyHAxmVfgKAEekkmJUgDIGMD4Jp0xAZEGFNJumB_4e5TpJDNNxQYughcKVdiBKwdhDvzQsozDa8ekF1pmhMtcorKvqHhYDEP1VQctW56MWzeuutW-sk/s1600/Disney+Days+5+and+6+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifeqm_29DaqicyoWQcX3dF9fCBoLyHAxmVfgKAEekkmJUgDIGMD4Jp0xAZEGFNJumB_4e5TpJDNNxQYughcKVdiBKwdhDvzQsozDa8ekF1pmhMtcorKvqHhYDEP1VQctW56MWzeuutW-sk/s400/Disney+Days+5+and+6+010.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUJ9xA5DGn4tvzOIbQ7eXAapL58j5vL06T0OvPgfMP6fvcCpdpXwJDkE8k4RoJiyu0QoiJfi-4OrPqzNYIcUMp9zbYxTfbhWm1DMSVAr4RxWbT2LaHfotXiDTkRMu1XkcEV1fbf2DpgqS/s1600/Disney+Day+1+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUJ9xA5DGn4tvzOIbQ7eXAapL58j5vL06T0OvPgfMP6fvcCpdpXwJDkE8k4RoJiyu0QoiJfi-4OrPqzNYIcUMp9zbYxTfbhWm1DMSVAr4RxWbT2LaHfotXiDTkRMu1XkcEV1fbf2DpgqS/s400/Disney+Day+1+087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8078107961934372694.post-16640406000799821302012-03-08T20:27:00.000-05:002012-03-08T20:27:46.186-05:00Wow! It's Been a While!So, I haven't written in quite a while. I got pretty busy and honestly, a bit uninspired to keep this up. I'm going to try to get back into it. I'm going to be posting about various things. Of course, my kids will be #1 on my list of things to blog about but also I'll be posting about my crafting and my new interest: COOKING! <br />
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I never thought I'd like cooking but I'm growing quite fond of trying out new recipes on my family. I think Chris is really enjoying it too because he doesn't have to cook most of the time - unless he wants to. The catalyst was getting my cousin Vicki's cookbook in the mail. She is a mom and loves to cook so she put together a book full of her favorite recipes and offered it to us to purchase for only $10. So worth it! I spent a couple of weeks trying out some of her recipes. All of them were good! Some were better received than others but Chris and I liked all of them. The boys are harder to please. Xander, however, LOVES to eat whatever we are eating and eats like a champ - for now. From Vicki's cookbook I made her Chicken Rollatini, Chicken Marsala, Stuffed Eggplant, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops, Shepherd's Pie, Turkey Noodle Bake, Gnocchi with Zucchini & Tomatoes and others. I'd have to ask Vicki for her permission before I could share her recipes on my blog. I'm not sure if she'd go for that - since I think she wants to sell more books. Who wouldn't, right?<br />
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Tonight, I made Oven Baked Fish 'n' Chips (a recipe from my Taste of Home Cookbook). It came out great and since I got Daniel to help me cook, he WANTED to eat it (that's the biggest thing) and then LOVED it and asked if we could have it again. He also had seconds - which he never does unless it's pizza. He's been on an "I don't like it. I'm not going to eat it." kick. It has been quite frustrating. Tonight, I think we may have turned a small corner. Not only did he help me cook, but when I told him I needed to take a break from cutting the potatoes into fries because my shoulder was hurting, he rubbed it for me. How sweet is that? I love my Daniel. He can be so sweet when he wants to be. <br />
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Speaking of Daniel: We had a little bit of a health scare with him today. I took the boys in to have their "well child" check ups including any vaccinations they needed. Only Nathan escaped unscathed. Poor Daniel had to get 2 shots and Xander had to get 4! Fortunately for Xander, he won't remember it and probably forgot already. Daniel was scared to death and hid under the chair in the exam room. After I moved the chair off of him, he wrestled with me to get his pants down so they could do his shots. They did them both at the same time so he'd only go through it once. Poor guy has what seems to be an infection now where he had one of them. His leg has a BIG red swollen spot. It's hot to the touch, was itchy for him and hurt him if anyone touched it. I called the doctor when I found the spot this morning. They called me back 3 1/2 hours later and asked me to bring him up to the office. Doctor said it's probably not a reaction to the shot itself because he'd had that shot 4 other times (this was his last dose) and never had a reaction before. Probably got some bacteria in it and it got infected. So, he's on an antibiotic and some Benadryl just to be on the safe side. Hopefully, it clears up in a day or 2. <br />
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Xander achieved a long-awaited milestone today! He finally learned how to get down the step down into our family room! He's been crawling for months, cruising the furniture for quite a while and when distracted can stand up on his own. We are looking forward to his first steps... hopefully coming soon! He's a really good baby although he's been a bit spoiled. We have been holding him for his naps because he wouldn't let us put him down and stay asleep and has yet to have fallen asleep entirely on his own. We are working on this. He was sleeping in our bedroom until this past Monday. We bit the bullet and put him in his crib at night. He has slept in there 3 nights so far and tonight will be his 4th. The pack'n'play came down on Monday. We are not going back to that. He is doing better with sleeping longer into the night before waking and wanting to nurse. I'm hoping we are just about done with that. He only nurses at night now and gets 1 bottle of formula in the evening before bed. He mostly eats solid foods and is drinking whole milk now. He also likes water. He still needs some training with sippy cups though. He does great with the one with a straw but we only have 1 cup like that. <br />
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I'm ready for sleep again. I really have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now. I miss it SO MUCH! I have come to the realization that XanderHaha. <br />
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All in all in closing for today's post: I love being a mommy to my 3 little munchkins. They are my heart. They drive me crazy all the time and make my house a constant mess but I can't imagine not having them in my life anymore. They are forever going to be a part of me - the best part. I also need to give credit to my wonderful hubby Chris. He's absolutely my partner and the best daddy I could ever ask for to our kids. <br />
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Have a blessed day or night and thanks for reading!!!MOM2DNAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02679446365791780678noreply@blogger.com0