Tumbling Camp

Kirstyn spent last week participating in a Tumbling and Dance Camp. She was so excited to wear a leotard and attend camp each day. After the first day she came home talking about snack time (we were told to send a healthy snack and bottle of water each day). She told me, "Mommy, ALL the girls had a healthy snack, no chips or candy or anything junk!" That made me very proud that she was happy and noticed that everyone around her was making good choices.

Then on Friday they had a big Olympic performance for the parents to attend and see all that they had spent the week learning. Kirstyn performed a jazz dance, a ballet dance and a gymnastics floor routine.


After their performance they were awarded a Gold Medal and a Super Camper Certificate.




She had a great week and is now campaigning to attend dance and tumbling there again this fall.



While Kirstyn was at camp, James took the opportunity to get some work done at the office!

A Little Trashy

Okay, so here's the deal. James LOVES to throw things away! He will put anything into the trash that he can pick up and carry there. If we are missing something we know that we should look in the trash to see if James was cleaning! Well, because of James' love of throwing things away, I bought this great new trash can that for over a month now has kept James completely out of the trash! Well, that honeymoon is over! Today James took his dirty diaper to the trash and threw it at the trash can. When the trash can didn't open for him as fast as he thought it should (aka - I wasn't right there to step on the foot pedal to make it open for him.), he decided to do some investigation and I grabbed my camera off of the counter to record him in action!


Okay, he's got it! He is stepping on the pedal. This took a few tries because he kept having his hand on top of the can thus preventing it from opening, but finally he lost his balance a little and got his fingers under the flaps! When he saw what he had done he immediately grabbed the two flaps with both hands and opened the trash can all the way!


And since this trash can closes slowly he was able to pick up his diaper that had started this adventure and get it into the trash can! He shoots....He scores!


And now I get to start checking the top of the trash can before I throw things away for any treasures that James may have disposed of for me!

Tell All Tuesday - Week 17

Okay, so today's weigh in is nothing to be bragging about because I was up 1.2. I think it is water and I will have an amazing number next week. See, anyone that has been doing WW for a while will tell you that there is always one week per month where you just go in not expecting anything great because it is that time of month! I know, you are thinking about my emotional eating...well, I stayed within my points anyway and I worked out 5 hours total last week so I am working the program and will continue to see change!

Now, I have also decided to set a goal for myself. I have 20 weigh in Tuesdays between today and my 30th Birthday (December 25th) so I am going to set a goal to reach before my birthday. I want to loose 20 lbs in the next 20 weeks. I think this is a reasonable goal considering I will also have Halloween, Kirstyn's Birthday, and Thanksgiving to enjoy along the way. Also, that 20 lbs will mean two things to me. First, it will put me one pound lighter than I was in the 5th grade (a number I will never forget since the nurse said it out loud in front of some other kids when she was lining us up and weighing and measuring us.)! The second thing that will do is it will leave me with only 30 pounds to lose on my 30th Birthday!

So, please plan to cheer me on for the next 20 weeks.... I know I will need the encouragement to make it to this goal! Chant with me... 20 lbs in 20 weeks, 20 lbs in 20 weeks!

Do you have a weight goal you want to reach before Christmas....it is only 20 weeks away!

Just one of those days...

Okay, so I am having one of THOSE days. Yes, you know the one...the one where you would really like to have a drink before noon but you have these little children following you around demanding things like food and water and clean diapers!

It started out bad cause over night we had one of those Texas summer storms that includes lots more thunder than rain. We really need the rain, not so much the thunder, but anyway, I didn't sleep well and neither did the kids. I might have slept better but my friend Tracy and I decided to try out a new class at the gym yesterday and my shoulder was so sore that every time I moved it woke me up. Anyway, I am sleep deprived and frustrated but I decided that I would get ready to go to the gym again anyway.

Well, I was ready and going to be early when I got a phone call from a friend wanting to talk about something I had said. Yes, my big mouth gets me in trouble a lot. We worked that out and she felt better and I am glad about that cause what I said was not meant to be hurtful in the first place. But well I don't really feel better. I feel like I hate that in order to not hurt peoples feelings that I have to camouflage the real me. You know, I guess it would be better to be opinion free or be unsure of my opinion so that more people would feel happy to be around me, but that is not me and will never be me. I have a genuine heart and love for others and I want people to tell me if I have hurt their feelings, I want to be approachable. I just often feel like I would have to do a lot of tiptoeing to keep from hurting anyone. And again, not really me. So, I spent a good part of my morning crying cause I felt bad and frustrated and a little bit helpless.

Then, I did finally make it to the gym, not early, but on time for my class. It was a totally new routine which would have been lots of fun if I hadn't had so much on my mind. Then ten minutes before my class ended, they came and got a couple of us saying that our babies were being fussy. Well, I think the truth was that they had a lot of kids in there and it is Friday for them too. Anyway, they got a couple of us that have very busy little boys and made their mornings better. So, I had to leave before getting to do any of the ab work or stretching. ugh. Two things I need the most.

Then, James fell asleep on the way home. That would have been great except that Kirstyn, after being told to be silent on her way in decided to scream and surprise my grandmother which woke up James! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I called David crying and he told me that they weren't busy at the office and that I should bring the kids to play with he and Mimi so that I could just sit for a minute. I thought that this might be more trouble than its worth but agreed. I talked to my mom on the way here and that made me feel better too. Then when we drove up at the office Kirstyn realized that the donut shop was still open! Mimi gave her a $5 bill to go over there by herself (it is right next door to our office and they know her). Anyway, she picked out a donut for each of us, even a little donut hole for James. What a kind little girl. So, I proceeded to EAT every. single. bite. of my glazed donut (bye bye 6 points) and enjoyed it immensely. Kirstyn was very proud of her 4 donuts and 2 donut holes and the fact that he gave her 3 monies back for her one! And James took a long nap! (Yes, Jennifer, the 6 point donut will be on my WW journal that I will be showing you on Tuesday...who knows, I may say bye bye to all of my flex points before the day is over...)

Guess the donut and this rant was just what I needed cause I feel better already! I probably would have kept all this stewing inside except that I felt inspired by my new bloggy friend Tara's honesty the other day so I gave this rant a try but I am too lazy to mix in cute kid pictures. Maybe this day will get better! I hope you aren't having 'One of these days'! TGIF!

Thursday Thirteen - 13th Edition

For my 13th Thursday Thirteen I thought I would list 13 reasons I am glad that I have lost 50 pounds!

1. I look better. I would not have said this until looking at these pictures, but I just appear to look more comfortable in my skin! I just wish my belly would shrink more. ugh.
   
2. Oh and the shirt I am wearing in the picture today is a size Large. This is the first time in my adult life that I have been able to wear a Large shirt.


3. Speaking of clothing sizes...I just realized that I am now TOO SMALL for stores like Lane Bryant and Avenue! I am no longer a PLUS size!


4. I have more self confidence.


5. I sleep better.


6. I have more energy.


7. I have less migranes.


8. I am off of all of my crohn's disease medications!


9. I don't get winded going upstairs in my own house!


10. David and I can now share a meal at a resturant and actually feel full and happy about it!


11. I now love to cook and try new and healthy recipes. I remember back when I started this process my dietician friend Ann told me that I could not live on just green beans and corn as the only veggies I was willing to eat. She made me promise to try one new vegetable or vegetable preparation per week. Now I actually enjoy lots of different veggies. THANKS ANN!


12. I have made lots and lots of friendships that I consider invaluable at Weight Watchers and in the gym.


13. I think I am finally helping to inspire others! (Hey, who knows, maybe one day I will be leading my own WW meeting!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Tell All Tuesday - Week 16

Okay, so now I know for sure that the two pounds I was up last week was due to having very sore muscles, because today I had a loss of 4.8 lbs! Did you see that! I said 4.8 lbs!

I was so excited that I finally bought myself the Weight Watchers Easy Serving Set of spoons so that I can actually measure my portions easier. I had been wanting them for a while but the old ones were plastic and I was resisting, but today, they had the new style in and they are stainless steel! I'll let you know if I like them.

Oh and just look at my ticker! I am finally past the half way point in my weight loss journey! Guess I will have to locate some "before" and now pictures to show off! I want to set some new long term goals for myself but I want them to be reasonable. What kind of long term weight loss goals have worked for you? Do you think it would be unreasonable for me to be at my goal by Christmas??? Be honest, let me know what you think...

Belated Bloggy Business!

Okay, so I am very behind on Bloggy Business! I have been awarded a couple of awards that I need to say thank you for and I need to ask you loyal readers a question....

First, Kami bestowed this wonderful award on me! I love your blog too Kami! Thanks a bunch!
Then, I got a nice comment from over at My Losing Motivation that said I deserved this nice award. Thanks!!!

Now, to find the time to get them put on my sidebar!

Oh, and in other bloggy business... I have had several people lately tell me that they stalk my blog... hummmm, Dear Stalkers, Please leave me a comment so that I know you are out there! After all, comments are a blogger's crack favorite thing! Comments on my Tell All Tuesday posts are a big part of what keeps me motivated to keep at this weight loss journey! Thanks to all of my loyal commenter's...I love you for that! And, my stalkers, well I am very glad that you read my ramblings but I would like to read some of yours too! (you don't know how to comment? oh well, if you don't have a login that you can use, I still allow anonymous comments so all you have to do is click by Anonymous and then type your comment, sign your name (so I know who you are) and then hit publish and there you have it!) Speaking of comments, if I left a comment on your blog yesterday as David, I'm sorry, I had no idea that while I was gone to a baby shower he had used my computer and taken over the blog to leave such nice words! Anyway, I am a little slow sometimes and didn't even notice that he was the one logged into blogger, after all, he always uses his office computer and not my laptop.

And, on to my question. I saw that my friend Elaine had left a comment on Kami's blog that said something like "I was excited to see you had a new post in my reader"... I said to myself, "self, you need a reader so you don't have to check these blogs over and over when there might not be a new post to read". So, please tell me... Do you use a blog reader? Which one? Do you like it? I need your help!

If you are still alert and reading...bless you! Leave a comment and let me know you survived my ramblings!

My wonderful wife...

Okay, so my wife has NO IDEA what I am doing right now. I know that most of you who read this on a consistent basis know of me, so this will be my first entry that I am actually talking to you!

I just wanted everyone to know that my wife is a very awesome lady (although some of you already knew that). She is a loving wife, a great mother, and a loyal friend. This year will be 10 years since we have been together, and my life has never been more complete, more fulfilling, then since I have known her and been a part of her life. She is exceptional at everything she does, or sets her mind to. Even when we have had hard times, we have been able to work together and make it through. Other than Jesus, she is the most important aspect of my life. Without her, I would not be the person I am today - and that is a fact.

Anyway, because of this, I wanted to take a few seconds and tell everyone how much I love her and that she is the love of my life. I will always be grateful to the Lord for putting her in my life.

I am glad that each of you get to share a part of our lives, by reading our blogs, and it's only fitting that I tell you how much she means to me. I love you, Natalie! Always, and forever...Thank you for loving me and being a part of my life.

I hope each of you have a wonderful day, and may the Lord bless you this week.


~ David ~

Six Flags with Maddie

Well, David's brother Russell came to town last week from Colorado for their dad's heart surgery and his youngest daughter Madelynn was able to come with him. So, instead of Maddie having to spend all day Saturday at the hospital we decided to take her to Six Flags for some fun. Kirstyn was so excited to get to hang out with her and we enjoyed getting to know her better. After all, this was the last time the girls were together!

I have been saying that I am going to learn to digital scrapbook so I decided to finally give it a try. I have always enjoyed scrapbooking with real paper and supplies but I have always dreaded the clean up process! I think I am really going to love the scrapbooking without the mess! What do you think?

Tell All Tuesday - Week 15

Well, I weighed in today. I was expecting the scale to be up because I upped my workouts this week and this morning I was so sore that I could barely walk! I know my muscles are hanging on to tons of water right now trying to recover. I am planning to stay for yoga again tomorrow after step aerobics so maybe I can stretch out some of this soreness! Anyway, I was up 2 lbs but I am expecting that to fall right off for next week plus some. I did great on my eating this week and earned lots of activity points!

So, I was feeling pretty good about myself today when Kirstyn and I went up to the hospital to take Grandpa his present we made him when this happened:

(nice little hospital volunteer lady slowly walking past me)

Lady: "Whew, much too hot to be pregnant!"

Me (with a forced smile on my face): "You're right you poor thing!"

(old bag gave me a look like I was the crazy one not even realizing that she was the one with her foot hanging out of her mouth!)

Guess it is a good thing I am still motivated to do Weight Watchers and work out regularly seeing as how I apparently still look pregnant after loosing 40 lbs since giving birth and my baby is now 14 months old!

Oh and if you are wondering about Grandpa (aka David's Dad), he had heart surgery last Thursday and is doing well. Check out the really cute candy bouquet we made for him to share with all of his nurses!


Oh and I just noticed I need to fix the date on my little camera! I took this picture today. :-)

Our Vacation - Part 1

Well, I've decided to tell you all about our vacation in 3 separate posts so that I don't loose all of my readers!

We left Arlington on July 3rd bound for San Antonio. We had a great trip down and both kids even went to sleep at the same time in the car! We even got to make a quick stop at the San Marcos outlet malls, specifically the Disney Store Outlet where Santa was able to grab a couple of stocking stuffers and they each got some new pjs to wear on vacation and a small toy to play with in the car. This is a tradition for us on the way to the beach every year...it is a great place to get out and stretch and I usually find some great deals!

When we checked in our hotel we were all starving and I asked the guys at the front desk for a restaurant recommendation. He suggested we order from this mexican food restaurant that was right next door and he told me there was a menu in our room and that they would deliver for free. Perfect! I ordered while the kids checked out the new place and David unloaded the car. When we sat down for dinner Kirstyn said she wasn't hungry anymore and that she was cold. When I touched her I knew what was wrong...I took her temp and it was 102! Great! So much for the plan to go to Fiesta Texas for the evening for the Laser Light and Fireworks show. So we gave her a big dose of ibuprofen and put her to bed to watch a cartoon while the rest of us ate what turned out to be some wonderful food and decided it would be better to get a good night of rest and head to Fiesta Texas the next day. Her fever broke during the night and she was back to her self the next morning.

Now on to some pictures...

First, you gotta see some of the family shots. Notice we are all wearing the same 4th of July shirt in different colors. Kirstyn was excited for us all to be matching!

One of the highlights for Kirstyn was finally getting to meet Shaggy! They also have a Scooby Doo ride at Fiesta Texas that is a lot like the rides at Disney World. James was able to ride it too and everyone got to hold a "laser gun" to help Scooby fight off the ghosts! It was really cute and James even seemed to love it! Kirstyn also just had to have her picture made with the Daphne picture that was up in the line we were waiting in for the Scooby ride.

Then we got a Texas rain shower. See, it went from hot and sunny to suddenly cloudy and then it rained about an inch in 45 minutes and then it went back to being hot and sunny with lots of humidity! Everyone found spots under shelter and my kids had a blast splashing in the puddles and playing in the rain! Then right after the rain, the characters did a show in the square where they danced and interacted with the kids! We had a great time watching that!


Then Kirstyn "won" a very fun Scooby Doo hat and James enjoyed a roasted corn snack! James really loves corn on the cob...he is very serious about it and barely takes a breath until it is all gone!

Oh and check out this video of David and Kirstyn riding the new Tony Hawk Big Spin roller coaster! Kirstyn loved it! I still can't believe that she is so brave. I think James is going to be just as fearless!


The next morning before breakfast we were able to capture this very special moment. Kirstyn was watching cartoons while David and I got dressed and James got up, got his "Ricky" blanket and went and sat down in Kirstyn's lap.

We also went to the Children's Museum in San Antonio and to the River Walk. I will have to add those pictures later as I am out of time right now.

Stay tuned for all of the fun we had at the beach and at my aunt's house!

Tell All Tuesday - Week 14

Yahoo! I LOST ON VACATION! (or I lost before vacation and maintained on vacation...either way, I am very excited to be writing this!) I weighed in this morning down 1.2 lbs (that was a 2 week weigh in)! Oh and just look at my ticker... Look how close I am to being down 50 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight with Kirstyn. Oh and when I loose 20 more pounds I will weigh what I weighed in the 5th grade! I am at my lowest weight in my adult life!

This week at our WW meeting we talked about what foods we crave and what foods really satisfy us. We are supposed to monitor our journals and see when and how often we eat foods that are sweet, salty, creamy, chocolate, and crunchy. I am actually interested to see what I learn about myself! I know for a fact that I have a weakness for hot and cold together...like I love to eat a hot brownie with ice cream on top and I really love hot fresh tortilla chips and a big bowl of salsa. Do you have any healthy suggestions for my need for hot and cold together???

And a Safe Return...

We made it home last night exhausted from our long trip and very fun vacation! I will be posting lots of pictures as soon as I download my cameras. I actually didn't take as many beach pictures this year as I usually do because I was busy making sure my fearless little James didn't wash away in the waves! Oh and just wait until you see all of the great sea shells we found this year!

We have a very busy week this week too. My father in law is having major heart surgery on Thursday morning and will be in ICU for 4 to 5 days. My mom and grandma are coming down to help me with the kids so I can work at the office with David.

Happy 4th of July!

We hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday! Happy Birthday America!

I didn't get a great picture of them together yet...but look at what a difference this year made! I expected to see the major difference in how much James has grown up but I have to admit I was a little surprised to see just how much Miss Kirstyn has changed!

Well, and since I was looking back at past 4th of July pictures, I realized that Kirstyn has had a 'theme' outfit every year and I have gotten a pretty good picture every year. Wow, my baby is really growing up! I have a 4th picture from 2004 also but I didn't have it on my blog to pull into this post. I will have to do some looking for that one. Here is Kirstyn in '06 and '05.

Are you wondering why I am more consistent with my 4th of July pictures than with other holidays? Well, the 4th of July has always been a big and fun holiday with my family. We used to do family reunions every summer on the farm and have a blast cooking catfish and making homemade ice cream! I have a lot of really great memories from the 4th and I guess I just want it to be a fun holiday for my kids. We usually go to the Arlington Parade and to the Texas Ranger's Ballpark for fireworks but this year we are at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio! Watch for updates!!!

Does your family have any 4th of July traditions?

Making SMOKE!

I finally captured pictures of Kirstyn and Mimi playing with Dry Ice at the office. See, this is a pretty common occurrence because Grandpa often orders food from Omaha Steaks and it comes packaged in an ice chest with dry ice. Mimi always dumps it into the sink and lets Kirstyn spray it with water to make SMOKE!

Exciting times...