Some laughter and thought provoking quotes for you...

 

HAHAHA!

Some funnies! Cause what is life without laughter?!

 

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone!!! I am really excited about 2011. I think it's going to be a great year, I just feel it! We partied hard...till 8pm last night. I know, late huh? 

Emily, Avery and Madi bringing in the New Year with Style.

Family bringing in the New Year by playing Wii.

Spare! good job Madi!

Kisses all around

Yay for ice cream!

Emily takes eating her ice cream very seriously.

Everyone make a New Year's Resolution already??  So I gotta be honest here, I have never really gotten into the whole "New Year's resolutions", unless that means just the month of January, excluding weekends, holidays and "I'm too tired" days. haha!

Everyone has made New Year's goals through out their life some year or another, but not many people actually go a WHOLE year keeping that resolution. I would say it's pretty slim that most people do. I am not trying to be negative in saying that, just saying most people I know, including myself, set a New Year's resolution but seem to give up or stop for some reason, usually only a few weeks into January!

For example, if you have ever gone to the gym the first week of January, there are tons of people there, vigorously working out! However, by mid-Jan, not as many and by the end of January you wonder if there was a fire alarm, because you and the tough guy benching 350 lbs were the only ones not notified that the gym was closed. It's almost hysterical...and would be if I didn't find myself being one of the people quiting by the end of January. So why is that? Why do so many people make new "year" resolutions and only get through the first month?

I am also troubled that we seem to have to wait till New Year's to make these "life changing" commitments and promises to do better or to be a better friend, mom, dad, sister,wife, etc. Why do we wait till New Year's Day?

Many New Year's resolutions seem to be commitments of some sort to a diet plan, workout or exercise routine, which only last again through the first few weeks and they are right back where they started from. Discouraged and eating a box of chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate while watching the Biggest Loser...oh, wait, that's just me. :)

This post sounds so discouraging, doesn't it!!??

I am sorry, really I am. I will get off my soap box now.

This Year, I will be better, promise. =)

I have to say that my husband has made me a little more optimistic about conquering a New Year's Resolution than ever before. Why? Well this last year, as I have mentioned in a previous post, his goal was to not drink ANY pop/soda for an ENTIRE year. And he did it! I was so shocked. I honestly didn't think he could do it. For his love of pop is as great as my love for chocolate chip cookies! So in honor of my husband who stuck by his Resolution last year here he is drinking his first Root Beer in a year.

wait for it....

Happy New Year! chug, chug, chug...

   Ahhhh!

 His response, "It doesn't taste as good as I thought it was going to."

HUH?

Anyway, I know this post is long enough, but I wanted to share my resolution for this year...this may be easy for some of you but for me it's challenging...

Working out AT least three times a week. (or more if I feel so inclined). 

And my month of January resolution: I am giving up sweets for a month! 

What is your resolution?

We did it!

Emily and I in the hotel room before the race...ALL smiles. We were a little nervous and very excited! Or, maybe very nervous and a little excited... I can't quite remember. ;)

A few minutes before the race was about to start...STILL smiling. (We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into).And we're off!



Emily and I stayed together until about mile 6. I was the first to hit a "wall" and had to slow down. She kept going strong until mile 8 or 9 she said and hit her "wall".

(Our husbands found us around mile 10 and took these pictures.)
What was I thinking here?
Probably wondering if anyone had a coffin I could just lie down in.


I also remember thinking this around mile 7...


Emily crossing the finish line. She did it in 2 hours 17 minutes! Great job Emily!

Me about to cross the finish line, about 6 minutes after Emily...I could never catch back up to Emily after I lost her.

My first Half Marathon Medal!
Smiling even though my whole body hurt. BAD.
Ryan supported me through all my training and came to cheer me on. Thanks babe!
Emily and I exhausted yet so glad to have finished. We didn't finish in the time we wanted to, but we did pretty good considering the race course. We had no idea there were going to be so many hills! There was one hill that I am sure most people had to walk up because it was so steep and long. And my legs were burning after trying to run up it. Emily and I told somebody that this was our first half marathon and they told us that this course was one of the toughest. Oh?? Great.

And I am sorry for posting this nasty picture of my feet, but I just had to. Really. My poor feet took a beating and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts. Blistered, bruised, cracked, broken nails and dried blood. Nasty! It's hard to tell from this picture but my big toe on my left foot was so bruised deep inside that Ryan had to preform surgery. This was his first toe surgery so he got some hands on experience for the real world someday. (Your welcome honey). He had to use a paper clip, and heat to dig a whole through my nail to drain the blood and water from it. Yeah...it killed. And I screamed.

Now, who wants to do a FULL marathon with me?!

Anyone?

Hello??

Ahhh....don't let the description and picture of my feet scare you.
haha! :)

Back on the Scale, Again.

I am a BIG fan of the show, The Biggest Loser.

I love it. I love the contestants. I love the trainers. I love the drama and the intensity of the workouts. It inspires me to work out harder. It challenges me to not give up so easily. It motivates me to work a little harder; to run a little farther, to be a little better.

The final four contestants ran a marathon. That has always been one of my goals, to be able to run a marathon. And if they could do it, so can I.

I was able to lose 25 pounds after the twins were born and I was really proud of myself. However, (and I am not proud to say this) I have already gained back 10 pounds!


And even though I have been training for a half marathon, I still have not lost a single pound. In fact, I have GAINED a few besides the 10. I am pretty sure I have gained some muscle mass, which we all know weighs more than fat. Yet I don't want to blame gaining weight on gaining muscle weight. What a lame excuse that would be. Plus, that doesn't make me feel any better to see that awful number on the dreaded scale.

Someday I want to be able to do this...

Instead of this...

So, once again I am committing now to work hard at losing the weight for good and KEEPING it off. For some reason it is easier for me to make weight loss goals by telling people. Weird, I know. It's probably just because if I have to report to someone it makes me do it. So that is what I am going to do on this blog, report every week to YOU.

Keeping the weight off is going to be a life long battle, I am sure. But I can't give up and throw in the towel now or ever. I am going to start counting those calories again and working harder than ever. So please, pray for me. haha!

No. I'm serious.


My mom has inspired me lately. She has lost 22 pounds as of last week and I am so proud of her. She looks great! She wants to lose another 17 pounds to reach her goal and be that "sexy lady". I think she already is! Good job mom!

My goals: To lose 15 pounds in three months...by August 19th. And to run a marathon this summer.



Isn't that the truth??

It's ALL in the Numbers

Weeks.


Two weeks is a pretty short amount of time if you think about it. I mean doesn't it feel like Christmas was just a two weeks ago? Yet, it's already March! Ok, maybe not Christmas. How about Valentines' Day? Well, Valentines' Day WAS just two weeks ago. Usually I would say that two weeks flies by without much notice but the last two weeks have been pretty long for me!

My better half has been gone since Valentines Day. Ryan left for St. George, Utah for a pediatrics rotation and won't be home until this Thursday. So it's been a long two weeks (and counting) without him. And I feel like such a wimp for saying that, as I think of so many mothers(or fathers) out there where their spouse is gone for months or even years over seas or for their jobs. How miserable that would be, but they make the best of it. So go ahead. Say it.

I am a WIMP.

I am at the beck and call of my three little ones, who "need" more like, want something every other minute...it makes for a long two weeks. Actually, I shouldn't complain at all because it's been better than what I originally imagined. So thank goodness for my wild imagination, as it's been nothing like what I thought. Not that I want to do it ever again if I had to, but really it hasn't been too bad. There have just been those 'moments' where all three girls are needing my attention at the exact same time and I feel as if my head is going to exploded. Like yesterday for example; Madisen was yelling for me to help her with this part on a computer game, Avery was calling me to help her wipe her bum, and Emily was screaming her head off because she was more than ready to eat. And yet, all I wanted to do was curl up in Ryan's arms on the couch and just sleep. *sigh*

Those moments are always a little chaotic, and I find myself wishing I had octopus arms during those moments. Can you picture it??

...Children running this way and that, noses' and bums needing to be wiped, dishes needing to be done, bills needing to be paid, spills needing to be cleaned up, hugs needed to be given and having arms extended around the house doing it all at the same time in a matter of minutes!!!



That would be nice.

We, mothers, are already the best multitasking creatures to ever live so we can do all that and much more, but not in a matter of minutes, all at the same time...(well, maybe some of you).

If only we had eight arms.

Of course, eight arms has it's disadvantages too...

The last two weeks when I have been in a situation that I find myself getting upset with my girls, I have tried to think of this:

How simply cute they are during these moments...

So really, how long could I be upset?


Two weeks??

Nah.

More like MINUTES.