Tell All Tuesday - Week 29

Today I lost 0.2 but I will take it and be proud. See, because it is launch week at the gym and all of the classes are introducing new routines and I am so sore today I can barely walk! Usually that means a gain for me because of the water retention so I am proud of my tiny loss. The other factor is that I switched from weighing in wearing capris to wearing pants. I also went to Taste of Arlington last Tuesday night...so with all of those factors I am proud to have a loss.

Now, for something I am realizing about myself. I need to figure out how to not see the heavy version of myself when I look in the mirror. I mean, when I was looking through our pumpkin patch pictures yesterday to post, I saw this picture of me and my first though was, why would David take a picture of so and so's butt? See we had run into several people we knew while we were there and had walked around with them for a little while. Then my next thought was, holy crap, that is MY tiny butt!!! Then last night when I was walking into my Body Attack class, I saw a girl that was dressed really cute and thought, I can't wait until I look that skinny. Then we were beside each other and I noticed in the mirror that I am in fact smaller than her. Sheesh. So how do I get my brain to realize that I am not wearing a size 20 but in fact a size 10?

In case you are wondering....8 more weeks until Christmas. So, it is week 12 in my 20 lbs in 20 weeks quest and I am down 14.4.

Pumpkin Fun

Okay, well our playgroup had planned to go to the Dallas Arboretum today to take pictures in the pumpkins with the kids today. Then all of a sudden, Texas got a cold front and everyone decided to back out. (I know my Canadian friends are now laughing because us Texans call 60F cold!) Anyway, this morning after I told Kirstyn that we weren't going to go, I found this on my white board in my laundry room...

I'm pretty sure my hair looked like that this morning when I woke up! Anyway, I was a little sad too and the sun was coming out so I took the tags off of the kids jackets, packed our picnic lunch and loaded up in the car. Then I called David to see if he would want to take a long lunch and go with us on our picnic and he said sure! We had a great time even though we were not there very long. Oh and we even got a couple of family shots!

James and Kirstyn even were enjoying each others company rather than fighting. So that made the morning even more fun! Oh and Kirstyn made a friend at the petting zoo.
Oh and I really liked this picture of me and James! Check out his black eye. I guess he was due for another one since his last black eye just healed and I scheduled an appointment at Target to get the kids pictures made in their costumes!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Miracles Do Happen

I know because I got to go on TWO dates in ONE week! Yes, that's right. I got to go to my very first Dallas Mavs game tonight. See, David got a call this morning from our friend Aaron who had a couple of tickets that he wasn't going to use. David decided rather than invite a friend to go he would see if our sitter was available tonight again. A couple of text messages later, he called me with the surprise! The Mavs lost tonight but I still had a great time getting to go. Stop by and say hi to Aaron and his wife Kim who has recently entered the bloggy world!

Hope you have a great weekend! What do you have planned? We have a busy one scheduled. We will be attending a 2nd Birthday Party, going to Six Flags for Fright Fest, I have a MOPS Steering Meeting, and there is more I'm sure.

The Manager

The other day we were outside working in the yard. Kirstyn went into the garage, got me a rake, got James a broom, realized James' broom was too big for him, went back into the garage and got James a paint brush. David was using the weed eater. Then she said something like, okay, perfect, now we all can work. I looked at her, confused, and asked just what was she going to do while Daddy was weed eating, I was raking, and James was sweeping.

"Well", she said, "Mommy, I'm the manager."

Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize. Hey Kirstyn, Daddy is the one with the manager degree.

She laughed. "Daddy is not a girl." "Girls are the ones that know HOW to do everything".

Exactly, I said. Mommy has the engineering degree! Engineers have to know HOW to do stuff when the Managers realize that it needs to be done!

She didn't get it because she was busy using her hand as a megaphone and teaching James to use his paint brush broom...but one day she will! Oh and David and I had a good laugh. She does love math already and her favorite cartoon right now is Cyberchase. Maybe one day she will be an engineer too.

Date Night

Last night David and I got to go on our yearly outing to Taste of Arlington! We had so much fun wandering around in the convention center eating, drinking, collecting coupons, and visiting with friends. I think this was our fourth year to attend and we have learned that as we walk and eat, I take the sample made for one, take one bite, and then hand it to David for him to try. That way we can try everything without making ourselves miserable.

Yesterday after I picked Kirstyn up from pre-school I went shopping. Mimi had told me that the new Ross had opened and that it was still clean and organized and they had lots of cute shirts for under $7. Okay, that part got me interested. So I made a quick stop in there to see if maybe I could find a new outfit to wear on my date. I did! Actually I bought 5 tops and a pair of jeans and spent less than $50... now that is my kind of shopping! What do you think about my new outfit (oh and holy crap...those jeans are a size 10...too bad I didn't save any of my 18s to put on and show you!)?



On a side note. It is 8:40 am and James is still in his bed and still asleep! When we win the lottery Tawney will be coming over at least twice per week to put him to bed! He is always awake by 7 am just like Kirstyn! Tawney even said she put him to bed a few minutes early (bedtime is at 8 pm for him) because he was carrying around Ricky and laying his head on the couch. I guess the little guy needed some extra sleep. Too bad I am now going to miss my morning step class after I ate all of that yummy food last night! (Don't worry, there is another class I can and will go to tonight!)

Oh and it looks like this post qualifies as Wordful Wednesday!

Tell All Tuesday - Week 28

For those of you waiting anxiously for my weigh in results.... DOWN 1.2! Yeah! I have entered a new decade of weight (barely) but still, I'll take it. Of course that means I loose another flex point but at least it is worth it!

Today after WW, I went to Costco to grab some necessary items for the house and stumbled across some very cute jeans and khaki pants. I used to not stop and look at these items because at Costco they usually don't carry anything larger than a 16 much less the 18 or 20 that I needed. Well, today I bought 12's and the khakis are a little big!

Today, someone in the meeting mentioned that in most 12 step programs there is a step called HALT. He said that you have to watch yourself when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. So true. The point is, you will always have these situations but you have to have a plan. Before, if I was one of these things I would bake. Well, now if I wanted to bake it would require a trip to the store or I would have to bake some whole wheat muffins or something because I don't keep butter, white flower, or brownie mixes on hand at the house. I also know that I can go to the gym even when I don't feel like it and afterwards I will be glad I did rather than regretting something that I ate.

Whether you are on a weight journey or not.... What is something you do that makes you feel better when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired?

We ended the meeting with a quote that I really liked, "If hunger is not the problem, then food won't fix it."

SDWSC!

At the end of this post you will understand what the letters SDWSC mean.... promise.


A couple of weeks ago I got to attend the MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, leadership convention at the Gaylord Texan. It was a great time of spiritual renewal for me. I was challenged and refreshed in my role as a wife and mother. There were some fabulous speakers and some very exciting Christian musical artists in concert over the course of the weekend. One of the speakers, though, did a talk that I NEEDED to hear. You know what I mean? It was like God told her to prepare that specific talk because Natalie would be sitting on the second row listening.


The scripture was Mark 14:1-9
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."


The words, She Did What She Could jumped off of the screen and hit me up side the head! There are so many days that I fall asleep thinking, "I should have spent more time working with Kirstyn on her sight words", "I should have spent more time playing basketball with James", "I should have brushed my hair one more time before David walked in the door from work"...I should have... I know that all moms know what I mean. Some days we just feel like we didn't measure up to THE standard... whatever that is for us.

Read that passage again. She was a busy woman. I can just picture her looking around her house at her stained rugs, undone laundry, dusty furniture, and thinking about her limited resources, and wondering what she could do to show Jesus that she loved him. I wonder if she was thinking that she should bake him her favorite casserole or dessert only to then take it to him and apologize that she couldn't do more. Then, picture her eyes lighting up as she remembers the expensive jar of perfume. She Did What She Could.

I have a friend, Jessica, that is the strongest person I know. She loves Jesus and her family and her friends, and everyone that encounters her knows it. She is in a place right now that is hard to fathom. It is frustrating at times for me, sitting by, waiting on an update on her blog, wishing that there was more that I could do for her than just pray. Did you hear what I just said... JUST PRAY. See, every time I even think that, God seems to slap me and say... JUST PRAY! Well, I am learning that it is okay to be who I am and where I am and to realize that today 'I did what I could' and made Jessica's blog pretty. Jessica and I have been emailing back and forth for over a month now and hopefully I have created a space that is representative of "The Kaylor Jorney". Stop by and JUST PRAY!

MOM

Check out my new coffee cup!
Kirstyn and Mimi went shopping the other day and brought back all kids of noisy crap Halloween decorations. While they were at the store, Kirstyn found this great coffee cup for me. She asked MiMi if she could get it for me and MiMi told her yes but she should get the one with the N on it over there. Kirstyn informed MiMi that Mommy starts with an M and she is not allowed to call me Natalie so she couldn't possibly buy me an N cup! MiMi agreed that Kirstyn had presented a very smart argument and I got an M cup!

On a side note, Kirstyn's new favorite Go Fish song is the Mom Song and I love it too! Listen...

Thursday Thirteen - 16th Edition

LOOK!

TRACTORS!

This past weekend, James really started talking more. He is now constantly saying LOOK! He started it because my Dad spent time showing James fun things like tractors and cows and telling him, "James, LOOK!"

We spent much time this weekend on tractors. At the HooRah Days festival we went to they had a section of antique tractors for the kids to check out. Then, my Dad was putting hay in the barn from the pasture right by the house so all of the kids got turns riding with him and "helping". So, in conclusion, for my Thursday Thirteen, here are 13 tractor pictures!














I think you can "hear" James making his tractor noises in that first picture! You should also know that now that Kirstyn knows that a tractor can be painted pink she is on a campaign for Pappy to paint one of his tractors pink. Daddy said it was pretty hard to drive the tractor on the ride that James and Bryton took together. He said those boys were focused and determined to touch every single leaver and button inside the tractor. I can't believe that was the best picture I got of Carter and Austin (my cousin's boys) on the tractor. I am just glad that Austin finally agreed to go on the ride with his brother.

So, what about you... do you have any fun childhood farm memories to share with me?

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

Night Night

The other night when driving home from the gym I noticed all of the colors in the sky. I of course did not have my camera when I needed it. As soon as I got home, I grabbed my camera and jogged to the end of the street to snap a picture before all of the colors were gone for the night. I guess I don't usually notice the sky at dusk because we are inside the house busy with bath and bedtime routine. This view reminded me that I need to slow down more often and take in more of nature. I just wish nature wasn't so hard to notice in the big city...



Oh and while we are on the subject of bedtime..... James is sleeping in his own bed! Yes, I know that he is 16 months old but he is my baby and well, he didn't like his bed (and did I mention that he is my baby?). So, he has always slept in his playpen in the living room (he likes to fall asleep watching me blog). He sleeps so heavily that I could even vacuum during naptime so I didn't really see it as a problem. If we tried to lay him in his bed, even asleep, he acted as if we had thrown him into a bucket of ice water, so we just let him sleep peacefully in his playpen (because he is my baby). Anyway, every now and then we David would try his bed and he would freak out and we I would put him back down stairs. Well, finally last week we tried his bed and he didn't seem to mind as long as he had his "Ricky" blanket buddy and his pacifier. So, I am proud to announce that James has been sleeping in his own bed now for over two weeks. I can't believe how big he is getting...



So, now tell me, what do you or did you let your "baby" get away with?

Comment Love..

Well, since I am all about getting and giving comment love, I am off to party with these ladies:

See you there! (Oh and all day today they are giving away some very cool prizes!)
Check back because I am also supposed to link to 5 new blogs that I have found through this blog party that I just know I am going to love... anyway, I am off to make some new bloggy friends!

I could win...

IF you will go VOTE for me!

Go on over to We are THAT Family and vote for my saying that sums up my house! What is it you ask? Well, a while back my friend Claudia gave me a sign to hang in my kitchen that is perfect for me... it says: "If at first you don't succeed, do it the way your wife told you." Funny, huh...well and it really is perfect for me!

Tell All Tuesday - Week 27

Well, it turned out to be a good week after all... I weighed in this morning down 2.4 pounds! Yeah!!! That puts me down 13 in the last 10 weeks! 20 pounds in 20 weeks, HERE I COME! I know the next 10 weeks are going to be hard to maintain my focus...what with Taste of Arlington, Halloween, Kirstyn's Birthday, Thanksgiving, and David's Birthday also all in the next 10 weeks. I really want this and I know that if I keep focused I can do this... I just have to stay focused!

You know what the best part will be? It will be the fact that after I loose this next 7 lbs, I will weigh less than I did in the 5th grade and come January 1st, I may not be at my WW goal weight BUT I also for the first time in my life will not even need to consider making a New Year's Resolution to lose weight because this is my lifestyle! Wow! I get teary eyed just thinking about it!

Okay, I'm ready for you to shower on me some COMMENT LOVE because I will need encouragement to maintain my focus over the next 10 weeks!

Matching...

You can't see it very well in this picture, but James and I have matching black right eyes! Ouch!!! They happened on two different days and I'm pretty sure mine is bothering me more than his is bothering him.

First, James' injury occurred on Thursday afternoon. We were all playing outside on the swing set when Kirstyn asked for a drink and James started echoing her with "dink, dink, dink!" so I ran inside to get them both some water. Well, before I even got three steps in the house James was screaming and laying on the ground. I went back outside to see what had happened and when I said, "Kirstyn, what happened?" This was our conversation:

Kirstyn: "Well.... I get in more trouble for lying than for an accident, right?" (I could tell this was going to be interesting...)

Me: "Yes, lying does get you in more trouble..."

Kirstyn: "Well... then.... It was an accident on purpose..."

Me: "What?"

Kirstyn: "Well, it was on purpose that I pushed him because he was bothering me on my swing, but it was an accident that he got hurt."

Me: (that makes sense to me...the little bugger was probably trying to push her out of the swing and she was just defending her spot on the playground) "Okay, thank you for telling Mommy the truth, but since you pushed your brother rather than using your words you can't play on the swing anymore this afternoon..."

Now for my black eye story.

Friday morning while I was waiting on my coffee to make I crawled back into my bed and covered up. David, who was already dressed to leave for work laid down beside me to talk about whether or not we were going to go to Arkansas for the weekend. Of course since we were trying to talk both kids decided to join us in the middle of our bed. James snuggled up beside me and gave me a kiss and then sat up with his back to me watching Kirstyn who was sitting beside her Daddy. Anyway, all. of. a. sudden. James leaned back really hard and slammed the back of his head into my cheek.

David didn't see what had happened, but just said, what did he just break? I was still holding my breath and tasting blood in my mouth. David then clued in and realized that he should get the kids into the other room before I started using my words again because they might not be rated G! (by the way...I did good...) He brought me back an ice pack and I iced my face and my teeth have tightened back up but my face still really hurts. It hurts to smile, it hurts to lay on that side of my face on my pillow. Ouch. It seems to be getting worse still rather than better. This picture was taken tonight. Ouch.

Well, at least we match!

P.S. We went to De Queen this weekend for my Dad's birthday and when we went to the HooRah Days festival at the park there were many jokes made at my expense when passing by the domestic abuse stand. James and I really were quite the pair!

Oh and extra bonus.... when we got home tonight, we took Kirstyn to the doctor and she has an upper respiratory infection and pink eye! How was your weekend?

Happy Birthday Pappy!

Today is my Daddy's birthday. He turned 58.

Last weekend when mom and dad were in town helping David with the kids while I was at the MOPS convention we celebrated Dad's birthday a little early. Kirstyn has an obsession with cookie cakes right now so she just had to make sure Pappy got one for his birthday. We sang and had some yummy chocolate chip cookie with icing. Even James enjoyed some icing. He kept offering Pappy a "bite!" from his finger.



So, Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you!!!

Soup #1

Okay, so I created a new soup for my family this week. My recipe is a result of hearing about several other recipes and reading several others but ultimately as far as I know, this creation is mine.

Potato Secret Soup
(Kirstyn thought this was a great name since we were hiding a 'secret' vegetable in our soup.)

you will need:
5 medium red potatoes
1 head of cauliflower
1 box low sodium chicken stock (or 2-3 cans)
1 package of Fat Free Pioneer Gravy Mix
olive oil cooking spray
salt, pepper, garlic, onion

Heat oven to 425, chop cauliflower, spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower on cookie sheet until it starts to brown. (This makes a yummy side dish by the way!)
Chop potatoes (leave skin on) and put into pot with chicken stock. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are soft.
Add roasted cauliflower to potatoes and stock.
Add garlic and onion to taste (I use dried because I don't have time to chop!)
Blend with immersion blender (or in your blender...just be very careful!)
Stir in FF Gravy Mix to thicken. Mine was VERY thick and I think I could have added up to 4 more cups of water to thin the soup and make more servings.

I put this into the recipe builder on the WW site and this was 2 pts for 6 servings. (It made about 8 cups!) You could thin out and make into 12, 1pt servings! I mean really, this soup was so thick that James ate it like he eats mashed potatoes.

My entire family LOVED this soup. It was a huge hit! I hope you try it and let me know if you like it too! You could put 2% cheese and bacon crumbles on top and have some very yummy baked potato soup! Oh and by the way, in the future I plan to make this soup as a way to use up leftovers. Like one night we will have roasted cauliflower and then the next night have oven roasted potatoes, or crock pot roast with extra potatoes, or I will boil extras when making mashed potatoes....anyway, you get the idea! I am all for cooking once and then pretending it is new the next time I serve it disguised. Do you 'morf' your leftovers into something new?

Tell All Tuesday - Week 26

I'm back...again. It has already been a week again since I posted anything. Wow. Thanks to those of you that emailed me to check on me...I'm still here, just busy. I have lots of posts floating around in my head so maybe this week I will get it together and have some new posts before next Tuesday.

Today's weigh in was nothing too exciting but I wasn't disappointed with myself either. I was up 0.4. I think that is great given I spent the weekend (Thurs-Sat night) at the Gaylord Texan for the MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) leadership convention. Every meal (8 of them) were eaten away from home and somewhat out of my usual 'control'. Oh and 2 of them were at Mexican food restaurants (my favorite) and one was a box lunch. So all in all I am pretty proud of my results.

Today at our meeting, Suzy talked about soups and how having some on hand will help us make sure we get our servings of vegetables and will help with our weight loss. I am trying to get in a soup mood but it has been in the 90s (F) here, so I have a hard time eating soup when sweating! Anyway, we got some rain and had a cold (relative, I know) front and the high today is supposed to be in the 80s so I am going to try and meet her challenge of soup for at least 2 meals this week. I'll report back.