If You're Happy & You Know it

100

2012-02-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

It is official! 100 is my new favorite number! Are you asking yourself, "why 100?" I am happy, proud, floored, ecstatic to announce that I have lost 100 lbs.. Can you believe that? I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. 100 lbs.!!! When I wrote that goal down, a little over a year ago, that number almost seemed unattainable. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it but I knew that I had the determination and drive to attempt it. Honestly, I was a little unsure of my lofty goal. Just a little over a year later, I am there. There have been MANY heart to heart talks with John about what I wanted to accomplish. There have been MANY "you can do this" statements from John. There have been MANY early mornings spent at Fitness MD. There have been MANY afternoons spent at Fitness MD. There have been MANY friends cheering me on. There have been MANY Weight Watchers meeting attended. There have been MANY Weight Watcher Points Plus counted. There have been MANY habits kicked to the curb. There have been MANY new,healthy habits formed. There have been MANY miles logged (outdoors and) on my treadmill. There have been MANY tears shed. There have been MANY smiles due to triumphs/victories on that darn scale. There have been MANY weekly weight goals set by David at Fitness MD. There have been MANY people who have cheered me on! To you, I say thank you for the bottom of my heart. It has been quite the journey. A journey I am so glad I decided to take. Not only am I 100 lbs. lighter but I feel great!

Today was the day I officially stepped on the scale and hit that 100 lb. loss! It was exciting and very satisfying. The Weight Watcher leaders were excited for me and made a big deal about it. I was even called to the front of the room so the rest of the members/group could ask questions about my journey. I spent about 15 minutes in front of the group, sharing my story and answering their questions! And seriously, had I known they were going to do that to me, I would have dressed a tad bit cuter-ha! I went in my workout clothes.

This is my cute WW leader, Jan! She has been so positive and so wonderful! She has cheered me on each week. It has meant the world to me.

When I got home from my weigh in, this is what greeted me in our garage. As soon as I had texted John telling him that I had nailed my 100 lb. loss, without me knowing, he ran to the party store and purchased supplies to decorate the wall in our garage. As soon as I saw it, I bawled.

Not only did he decorate the garage, I walked into the kitchen to find this. So fun!

I am so thankful to have John in my life. He has been so supportive and his love unconditional! I am so thankful to have that in my best friend, my partner in crime.

Now that I have hit my 100 lb. weight loss goal, friends and family are asking "now what?" Well, I have a few more lbs. that I want to lose and their are a few goals that are related to the gym that I want to kick some trash on. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds for me!

sneaky friends

2012-02-04T14:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Amanda and I have been talking about treating ourselves to a pedicure and dinner at Pluto's. Amanda and I workout every morning together & thought we would do this for every 5-10 lbs. that we lost. Well, we have been talking about this since the early Fall(2011) and have lost (several) 10 lbs. (over& over since then). We finally narrowed down a day and time to treat ourselves. Amanda picked me up and we headed to Island Nails. We enjoyed fabulous pedicures. You know the ones...where they dip your feet in the paraffin wax and rub hot rocks on your legs. It was heavenly!

After an hour of getting our feet pampered, we headed to Pluto's for dinner. Amanda and I walked into Pluto's and got into line to order our salads. As soon as we stood in line, I heard lots of clapping and cheering. I turned towards the dining area to see what all the commotion was about and started to recognize lots of familiar faces...sweet faces of some of my very favorite people in the world. It took a minute for me to register what was going on. My friends had been a little sneaky and had gathered together to help me celebrate my weight loss. It was such a BIG surprise and sooooooo unexpected. They had beautiful flowers and colorful balloons waiting for me. I received hugs from each and every one of them with lots of congratulations. I totally lost it and started to cry.

I was so overwhelmed(in a good way) and floored that they were able to pull this surprise off. After the hugs, they had me sit down and open a fun basket of goodies. This basket was filled with exercise items. There was a new water bottle, new sweat towels, rubber bands for my hair, Fiber One bars, Vitamin Water, a bunch of bananas, and a Fitness MD tank top with a note from the Fitness MD crew. It was so thoughtful and so much fun to open. Then they had me open the card. There was a HUGE list of names of friends who had contributed. Inside that card were two, $100 Visa cards with a note that read: "this is to buy some new, girly clothes for yourself." Oh my goodness! How fun is that?

I felt so loved and spoiled. I am very thankful for each one of those girlfriends. They have cheered me on from day one and helped me believe that I could do it and succeed! I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such amazing ladies who have BIG hearts. I am VERY lucky to call each one of them MY friend...sneaky or not :-)!

January 2012 by the numbers

2012-01-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

We had an eventful start to our New year. Nothing like a trip( a full day spent)to the ER :-). We are adjusting to life with Tanner in a full leg cast. Our errands, getting him to school and anything else that requires transporting him,takes a little bit longer to do :-). He has been a trooper.

Here we go. Our month by the numbers.
ONE book read (Worth Dying For by Lee Child)
TWO a. broken bones for Tanner(the Fibula and the Tibia-OUCH).
TWO b. date nights for John and I.
THREE Dr. appts. to the orthopedic surgeon for Tanner.
SIX scrapbook layouts created.
TWELVE basketball games attended/played by Carter, Garrett and Brody.
THIRTEEN candles on Tanner's birthday cake.
FOURTEEN new songs downloaded from itunes( the new Tim McGraw, Emotional Traffic album-LOVE it. I also bought the Jesse J. Domino song)!
SEVENTEEN days of the Cardio Blaster class were attended by my. This is a new class for me!
TWENTY SIX days of Fit Club classes were attended.
ONE HUNDRED,Fourteen miles were logged(lots of running and a little bit of walking).

our life...project life style

2012-01-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

I am recording our lives, one picture at a time. I have decided to continue on with Project Life. I have started capturing our world(2012) for the 3rd year in a row via Project Life. Here is a little glimpse of what we have been up to this week!

Saturday, January 21,2012
Moe tied the knot! She and Mr. Brown were beaming from ear to ear! We are so happy for them!

Sunday, January 22, 2012
The San Francisco 49er's made the playoffs. They played the New York Giants. We have four 49er loving little boys. I guess it is really 5...I should include John in that count. They wore their shirts to show their love. By the end of the night, I had 5 really bummed out boys! The 49ers were soooooo close to going to the Super Bowl. *Note to self: Don't try to take a picture of the boys as the doorbell rings. They all wanted to bolt(minus Tanner) to answer the door :-). Aunt Heidi and the girls came to watch the game with us and have dinner.

Monday, January 23, 2012I have been busy working on layouts for Green Tangerines. Today's project was the Feb. GT Kit Club sketch layout! You can check out the other design team members work here.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012Finally!!! A calm, down day at home. There were NO errands to be run and I loved it! Brody and I hung out at home. I was able to get some much needed cleaning done. Not my idea of a down day but the house looked great when I was done.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Carter earned the highest rank that he could as a Cub Scout! He received the Arrow of Light award tonight! We are so proud of him. Our good friend Jason made these Arrow of Light plaques for each of the boys. They turned out awesome! Thanks, Jason.

Thursday, January 26, 2012
GNO with friends! This month we went bowling! It was 80's themed...think BIG hair! It was optional to dress up and go all out with your hair. I didn't have good, big hair in the 80 's and I certainly don't have it in 2012 :-). I went as my current self. We all picked 80's names for our bowling screen names. I was Gem :-). I haven't decided what photo will actually represent the activity in our book so I am sharing both.

Friday, January 27, 2012
Our Friday night was filled with basketball games...3 of them, right in a row. The boys all played great. Carter was on FIRE tonight! He started the game out by laying this shot up...right into the basket. Look at the air he caught. This game came down to the wire. It was 27-30, we were trailing. With 10 seconds to go, our coach calls a time out. He tells the boys that there is enough time lefft to tie it up. Carter listened and delivered. Carter got the ball during the last 5 seconds of the game. He headed down the court and shot a 3 point basket right before the buzzer. The crowd went wild. It was a tied ball game. 30-30. We went into a 2 minute over time and Carter immediately nailed another 3. They boys were pumped up and weren't going down without a fight. They ended up winning 36-31. It was an awesome game to watch! Way to go team BOLTS!

Saturday, January 28, 2012
John and I were up at 5 am. Out the door by 6 am. Enjoying a session at the Sacramento Temple at 7 am. We were home by 9:45 am. We made a goal to attend the Temple at least once a month. Happy to have checked the first month off of the list. I am so thankful to have a Temple that is located so close to home. We are already setting our date for February!

Grandmas are the best

2012-01-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

Shortly after Tanner broke his leg, he received a package in mail. He opened the box to find this note and a pair of flannel jammie bottoms.

The left leg of the jammie bottoms had been cut off and hemmed to the perfect length for a boy who was sporting a new cast that went all the way up his thigh. Tanner laughed and then quickly put them on. We then decided that they were going to be his new church pants for the next couple of weeks. Flannel jammie bottoms and a white dress shirt, what's not to love? Thanks, Grandma Sandy!

celebrating 1 year

2012-01-11T16:59:00.001-08:00

So...I have gone back and forth a million times as to whether or not I would share this post, publicly! This is one of those posts that I knew I wanted to record and share at some point! As I looked at my before and after photos, I could not believe I was staring at the same lady. While my physical appearance has changed, my heart has remained the same. I am still the fun, life loving, happy person that I have always been. I have finally settled on sharing these photos via my blog in hopes that someone out there in blog land will be inspired...and simply for the fact that it is part of my story, my journey.

January 8, 2012 marked my 1 year anniversary with Fitness MD.I walked into Fitness MD on January 8,2011. My very first visit to Fitness MD consisted of participating in assessments. Every 6 weeks they assess your progress. I was starting from ground zero. They measured me, weighed me, pinched my fat and assessed what I was capable of doing(sit ups, timed 1.5 mile run, push ups,bench dips,pull ups, etc...). Honestly it was so humiliating and one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever done...for the simple fact that I was out of shape. The trainers in charge of the assessments were friendly and easy to work with. They weren't the problem. The main thing I learned about myself from that very first visit was that we all have to start somewhere. If I was going to make some BIG changes in my life, I would have to do things that pulled me out of my comfort zone and pushed to me to my limits...to places that I simply didn't want to go when I first started. I attended Fit Club(think Boot Camp/Biggest Loser style)Monday-Friday. The class is an hour long and I would walk out of there drenched in sweat. Some days, I would walk out of there, get into my car and cry! I am not gonna lie, it was hard! I was doing things that I never imagined myself doing in a million years. They were tears of joy, frustration, happiness, and pain. Knowing myself as I do, I knew that I had to give this 110 percent to make it work and happen for me. I committed myself to going 5 days a week and to NOT make ANY excuses as to why I could miss a day here or there. Again 110 percent. I am happy to report that 1 year later, I am still attending Fit Club 5 days a week(sometimes more). As of this week, I started attending the 1/2 hour Cardio Blaster class that is right before the Fit Club class that I attend. While I have not reached my final destination in the goal department, I am inching closer to it every day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the HUGE impact that Fitness MD has had on my life. It may sound silly to some but for me, it has been a big part of my world and success. I am thankful for those who have cheered me on from the start(John, family and friends) and continue to do so. I am thankful for David and the opportunity I had to give Fitness MD a try. I am thankful for the entire staff at Fitness MD. They have pushed me and encouraged me to try harder and to do more. A year later, I can honestly tell you that I now look forward to those assessments every 6 weeks. It has been FUN watching my #'s decrease(weight, inches, and timed runs).

So without further ado, I give you the before and after pictures of my journey so far. Again, I struggled with my decision to put these out here for the public to view. It is a very personal thing. If these photos can help motivate someone else to find their happy/healthy place/self then it is all worth it to me! If anyone is interested in checking out Fitness MD, you can get a free 10 day trial pass. Let me know if you are interested and I will meet you down there for a Fit Club class :-).

Before(1-7-2011)...

After(1-8-2012)...

One final note. I want to share ONE quote(of the many) that has inspired me along this journey. It reads:
"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses: only results."
Kenneth Blanchard

p.s. I if can do this...anyone can!

one little word

2012-01-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

I am not late in picking my one little word for 2012. I actually had my word picked out by the day after Christmas. I am just running a little behind with my blog posts. I feel like my entire world is off by an entire week...no bueno. I joined in with Ali Edwards and many other bloggers to pick my one little word for 2012.

My One Little Word for 2012 is CONTINUE.

con·tin·ue (kn-tny)
v. con·tin·ued, con·tin·u·ing, con·tin·ues
v.intr.
1. To go on with a particular action or in a particular condition; persist.
2. To exist over a prolonged period; last.
3. To remain in the same state, capacity, or place: She continued as mayor for a second term.
4. To go on after an interruption; resume: The negotiations continued after a break for lunch.
v.tr.
1. To carry forward; persist in: The police will continue their investigation.
2. To carry further in time, space, or development; extend.
3. To cause to remain or last; retain.
4. To carry on after an interruption; resume.
5. Law To postpone or adjourn.

I thought a lot about my one little word and what I would like to do and accomplish in 2012. I finally narrowed my word down to CONTINUE. 2011 was an amazing year for me, on a personal level. I set set physical, personal and spiritual goals for myself all in hopes of becoming a better, stronger me. I worked really hard on achieving most of the goals that I set for myself. I really feel like I am still on a roll and want to continue down that same path. So, as I experience 2012, my goal is to continue doing what I am doing(with a few tweaks) and make me an even better me!

For fun, I tracked down my one little word from the past two years! I sure love starting my year of with a new word to focus on each year!
2011 one little word Balance
2010 one little word Remember

What is your one little word for 2012?

Got Christmas photos?

2012-01-06T15:13:00.001-08:00

*Information via Green Tangerines
Got Christmas Photos??

We've got a solution!!

Join us Saturday, January 14th from 10am-1pm

for our annual Christmas Catch-up Event and make

4 double page Christmas layouts in 3 hours!!

Cost: $25

Space is limited call Green Tangerines at 916-771-8010 to reserve your spot today!

My friend, Kristen B. and I are teaching this class. We'd love for you to join us. Who doesn't love going home with completed pages?

We have a teenager in the house

2012-01-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Happy 13th Birthday to Tanner! We can't believe we have a teenager in the house! 13 years old! We tried to make his day special...from the couch :-). My friend, Michelle sent me a darling Happy Birthday banner that she made for my birthday! We hung it above the couch...his new bedroom. Tanner received lots of visits at the door, treats, balloons, presents, his favorite lunch and presents and a double Decker cake that his dad made for him. We decorated his door with fun little treats and trinkets.

The brothers are taking very good care of him...they were right there to help him open his gifts!

We figured that he might need a new game to play...Fifa 2012 made him smile!

Happy Birthday, Tanner. We love you and are so thankful that you are a part of our family! Thank you for blessing our lives with your kindness, love, laughter and humor!

The not so very good start to our 2012

2012-01-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Our 2012 did not start off as we had hoped or planned. Around 10 am this morning,I sent the boys off with our friends, the Harris' to hit the local skate park. At about 10:45 am I got a call from my friend Sarah telling me that she had just called an ambulance for Tanner. Mind you, I could hear him screaming and crying in the back ground. Long story short, Tanner was skateboarding down a hill. He decided to do it Goofy footed, not his strong foot. He felt like he was going to fall and ended up breaking his left leg in two places while trying to prevent that fall. He was rushed to our local hospital by ambulance. I met him there as they were unloading him. He was hysterical and kept asking me if he could have another hug. It broke my heart to see him like that...in so much pain.

They finally got him on some heavy medication for the pain. The specialist came in to talk to us to let us know that they were taking him in for surgery. At that point, we weren't sure if they were going to pin his bones or not. I am happy to report that they were able to fuse the bones without having to cut into his skin. Tanner broke the Tibia bone and the Fibula bone(big and little bones). He is in a cast from his toes to high thigh. His leg has to be elevated at all times and he can't put any pressure on that leg. We have ordered a wheelchair and he is learning how to navigate with crutches.

For a boy who is very active and loves to go-go-go, this is going to be a very long recovery! He is looking at about 3 months of casts, if all heals correctly. I think the biggest bummer for Tanner is that his 13th birthday is tomorrow and he will be missing the 2012 Hot Shots basketball season!

I am very grateful for my friend Stephanie who was so willing to watch my little boys on such short notice. I am grateful for her hubby, Gerald who works at the hospital.He checked in with us and he and John were able to give Tanner a blessing. At the end of a very long day, I was very thankful for wonderful friends and a great hospital staff who made our day/stay as comfortable as it possibly could have been. Wishing Tanner a very speedy recovery!

2011-Year in Review

2012-01-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

2011 Year In Review
I have completed this review for the last four years now & have decided to do it again. I am doing it mainly for myself :) & future posterity. It has been fun to look back & read what was important & fun in our lives. I usually work on this post for a day or two so I can sleep on my thoughts to each question. Let me know if you join in. I’d love to be in the know.

1.What did you do in 2011 that you have never done before?
I consistently went to the gym, 5 days a week. I only missed a total of 5 days during the entire year due to illness or out of town travels.

2. Did you keep your 2011 New Year's resolutions and will you make more for 2012?

I always make resolutions at the start of each New Year. I am happy to report that I did indeed keep a few of them this year. I am usually good for a week and then I forget about them. This year, I wanted to exercise 4 times a week. When I wrote this goal down, I had no idea how I was going to accomplish it. I hadn’t even heard of Fitness MD. My boss(and friend), Kelly asked if I wanted to attend Fitness MD with her. Mind you, when I said yes, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. A year later, I can honestly tell you that it was one of the best things I have EVER done for myself.
I also wanted to run my 1st 5k. Again, when I wrote this goal down, I had no idea had I would accomplish it. Actually, I laughed out loud when I wrote this down. I was not a runner and did not want to become one. With some determination and Fit Club workouts, I was able to check this goal off of my list. Carter and I accomplished that goal on Thanksgiving Day! We ran our 1st 5k during the Roseville Turkey Trot.
Another goal I wrote down was how I wanted to attend the Temple more often. I wasn’t able to attend as much as I would have liked but I attended the Temple more in 2011 than I did in 2010.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2011?
Yes. My sweet friend, Amy gave birth. Darling Lucy Marie joined their family in September. She is so cute! This girl has some seriously darling outfits.

My fun friend,Jen gave birth to a happy baby girl. Capri joined their family in the Spring of this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die in 2011?I feel very blessed to be able to answer no to this question, this year.

5. What countries did you visit this year?
None. Heck, I didn’t even leave the state of California this year. I am NOT the world traveler…maybe someday.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
New clothes…seriously. I am in serious need of some new clothes. As my body has become smaller, my wardrobe has become sparse. I haven’t wanted to run out and purchase a ton of new clothes yet. I am saving that for when I hit my goal weight. One of the 1st chores I will be tackling in the new year is my closet. I will be cleaning it out and getting rid of the items that don’t fit. Trust me when I say how thrilled I am to have lost weight but for a girl who loves shopping and clothes, this has been HARD!

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

July 10th and July 26th. These were both days that were filled with All Star baseball. Both dates were BIG wins for the Woodcreek All Star team. These were games that the other teams we played thought they had the wins in the bag. Our boys played their hearts out and ended up winning both games. The July 26th game was such an emotional one for me. Carter was the last batter of the game. They needed Carter to hit the ball. Carter had a walk off double to win the game. I was jumping up and down and crying and when I turned around to look at my family, my Dad was crying. He was so emotional that he couldn’t even talk. It was such a big, emotional moment for us baseball loving fans…proud Mommy moment for sure.

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
I have two biggest achievements this year. My 1st biggest achievement was getting my rear end to the gym every morning at 6:30 am. My 2nd achievement was dropping 87 lbs.(and counting) in one year.

9. What was your biggest struggle this year?
Learning to run at the gym when they would yell large lap. A large lap is a run around the perimeter of gym parking lot. It measures ½ mile in distance. I would literally shudder and cringe every time a trainer would yell "large lap." Again, it is that whole “I am not a runner” mentality. I am going to be honest, I still don’t love running but I am happy to report that I don’t cringe when they yell large lap. I just do it and get it over with.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2011?
Just one nasty cold and one round of the flu. I did pull my groin muscle. OWIE. That was painful. I could not run for about a month but I was still diligent about attending my Fit Club classes and doing what I could until it healed completely. Other than that, I was very healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought this year?

The Becky Higgins PROJECT LIFE kit. I absolutely loved recording some tidbit(with a photo)from our lives each and every day of this year. It kind of released me from feeling stressed about being able to scrapbook/record every single event in our lives. I also loved how I was able to capture and record the little things that are important to us. It's those little things that may have gotten lost in the shuffle of every day life. Now they are recorded and housed in our Project Life album. I will be tackling this project again in 2012. I am meeting up with some friends on a monthly basis to work on our Project Life albums. I think it will be fun to help keep each other on track and glean some creative inspiration from one another.

My Fitness MD membership was another fabulous purchase. Again, it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself, my health…and my family.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Garrett gets this one again. He has become quite the little reader. He has struggled with his reading during the last couple of years. With the help of some wonderful teachers, Ms. Debbie and John and I reading with him daily, he made huge strides. We are so proud of him. He also was picked for the basketball All Star team and had great seasons playing baseball and soccer.

Carter had another great school year. He made the Honor Roll(again), received a perfect attendance award and earned the Coyote of the Month from Ms. Harney.

Carter also had an amazing Summer filled with lots of All Star baseball. He tried out for the team and made both cuts. He was on cloud 9 and ready to bleach his hair(All Star tradition). Carter won a major game for his team with a walk off double. He also hit his very 1st home run(s)(two in the same game). His Woodcreek All Star team won the District, Section and the Northern California titles. It was a fun Summer for our entire family.

Tanner had a great school year, too. He pulled off another year with straight A’s. He was also enrolled in an advanced math class and passed it with flying colors. They had two days filled with math tests, 8 tests total. Tanner scored a perfect 800 out of 800. There were only 7 students(out of 350) to get a perfect score. He also played Flag Football for the Silverado team for the 1st time. He was the quarterback and received the MVP award. He threw lots of touchdowns and even scored a few touchdowns off of some interceptions. He was fun to watch.

Brody learned to ride a two-wheeler(in Jan.-seems so long ago) and he also learned to write his name. Big milestones for that sweet boy.

13. Whose behavior disappointed you?
Not going here on my blog this year. I am trying to keep all aspects of my life on a positive note.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Garrett had two surgeries this year. While we do have great medical insurance, there were some costs that were not covered. He gets the most money spent award on medical procedures! They were worth every penny!

15. What did you get really excited about this year?
I had many things to get excited about this year.
a. Scrapbook weekend @ the beach with favorite friends.

b. Lake Tahoe trips with family and friends.
c. Surprise Anniversary get away to see Maroon 5. We had 7th row tickets on the floor.
d. Weight loss.
e. Sugarland concert with favorite friends.

f. Journey concert with my sweetie.
g. Maroon 5 concert with my sweetie.

h. Train concert with my sweetie.
i. Taking the boys to a Giants game to watch the World Series Champs play.

j. Our friend Chris Tates Temple marriage. It was wonderful to be a part of his special day.

k. Girls Night Out(Bunko syle in our jammies)

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
I fell in love with a million new songs this year. I LOVE music. A few of my favorites in 2011 were:
1. Own It - The Black Eyed Peas
I heard this song for the 1st time during my 1st month at Fitness MD. It talks about following your dreams and owning your dreams. It kind of became my theme song for 2011. It still motivates me and makes me tear up. Who knew a Black Eyed Peas song was capable of that?
2.Fighter – Christina Aguilera.
My cousin, Kerstin reintroduced me to this song in November. I was looking for a good running song and this is the one. It has gotten me through my timed 1.5 mile runs. It just makes me run and work a little bit harder.
3. Words-TrainThis song talks about not letting other peoples words getting you down. My favorite part of the song is as follows “With or without words, we try to forgive. Words, they’ll try to shake you, don’t let them break you or stop your world from turning. When words keep you from feeling good, use them as firewood, and let em’ burn.”
4.Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
Just a fun song to sing along too! I have always loved Top 40/Pop and this song is the perfect example of that.
5. Honey bee – Blake Shelton
I love Blake Shelton and this cute, sweet, funny song. John laughs and rolls his eyes every time I play it. He still isn’t a country fan. Little does he know that that song makes me think of him(minus the whiskey part) every time I play/hear it. Love you, John boy.
6.I Love You This Big – Scotty McCreery

“I love you to the moon and back. I love you all of the time.” Enough said. This song speaks to me and the love I have for John and my boys.
7.We Found Love –Rihanna
8. Sara Bareilles - loving all of her albums/songs. I saw her open for Sugarland over the Summer and fell in love with her music. She is so talented.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, much nicer or richer?
I am happier for sure! I have really strived to help others this year. Whether it’s been a kind word, gesture, smile, or getting in and helping with manual labor, I have tried! When you serve others you will find a happiness like no other.

18. What do you wish you had done more of?

Reading. One of my goals was to read at least 2 books a month. I fell short on some months. I read when I get into bed. I was usually so tired that I would only last a page or two. It took me longer to get through some of the books. I am hoping to read 2 books a month this year. I am making time for this goal, this year.

19. What do you wish you had done less of?

Facebook for sure! While I do love Facebook and the ability to connect with friends and family that I don’t get to see very often, I don’t like how easily I can be sucked in. We call it time suck at our house. Less FB in 2012.

20. Did you fall in love this year?

Yes. Just when I don’t think I can love John or my boys any more that I already do, they do something wonderful and I can’t help but fall in love with them again…over and over again!

21. What was your favorite TV Program in 2011?
I don’t have the TV on during the day. We signed up for DVR(I know, we are behind the times) from our cable company this year and I love it so. I am able to record a few shows and then watch them while I log my miles on the treadmill. A few of my current favorite shows are Dr. Oz, Rachel Ray, The X Factor and The Voice.

22. What was the best book you read this year?I finally read Sarah’s Keys. I could not put this book down. It was a hard story to read but the author did a fantastic job telling the story. The characters were developed well and so was the story! This is a must read if you haven’t already done so.

23. What was your greatest musical discovery this past year?
Javier Colon from The Voice.

His voice is pure. When I first heard his cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, I got goose bumps up and down my arms. I was sold and became an instant fan.
Sara Bareilles was another favorite find. I had heard a few of her songs before but hadn’t given much thought to them. Like I stated above, I had the chance to see her perform live. I fell in love and instantly downloaded her albums. Her music makes me want to get up and dance around my family room. Let the Rain, Many the Miles, & Gravity are a few of my favorites.

24. What did you want and get this year?
A new, healthier ME. Can you tell it was my focus this year?

25. What was the best movie you saw this year?

(photo via Stephanie J., thanks Steph)
Hands down, it was The Help. I had read the book several years ago and was super excited when I heard they were making a movie out of the book. I loved the movie and thought they did a really good job keeping the movie as true as they could to the book. They did an superb job casting this movie…they played their roles to a T.

26. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?

I turned 37 this year. I am 3 years away from 40…eeeekkkkk! John sent me off to get a manicure and a pedicure…heaven. I was spoiled by friends and family. There were lots of visits on my porch with friends, phone calls, and FB messages. It was a wonderful day filled with the things and people I love the most.

27. What would have made your year more satisfying?
A longer weekend get away with John. We were better this year. We were able to escape to Lake Tahoe and San Diego this year, just the two of us. While both trips were awesome, we decided that we needed a longer escape than just a 2 day weekend. We have to have something to work towards, right?

28. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year?
Hello, workout clothes! I found myself spending a lot of time in dri fit workout pants/shirts and tennis shoes. I have always thought my boys produced a ton of dirty laundry….I was right there with them. My clothes are smaller and limited. I have two pairs of jeans that currently fit and 5 shirts. For a girl who loves clothes and shopping, it has been hard. I have decided to wait until I am at my goal weight before I shop till I drop.

29. What kept you sane this year?
John. My Mom. My sister, Amber. Friends. Workouts. Walking/running.

30. What celebrity did you fancy the most?
Adam Levine!

The boy is cute and funny. I loved getting my weekly dose of him via The Voice. Seeing him live, in concert was just an extra bonus.

31. Who did you miss this past year?
I really thought about and missed my Grandma Davis this year. She was always so thoughtful with sending notes via snail mail. She would send me comics that made her think of me and my life with 4 boys. Sometimes she would send articles that she had read and thought that I might enjoy. Around my birthday(this year), I became very lonesome for her. I always looked forward to her birthday card each year. Her cute handwriting was always the first thing I noticed when I would pull the mail out of our box. She would put a little heart above each “i” in my name. It was so her and really all about the little things.

32. Who were the best new people you met this year?
First up, my sweet, sweet friend Amanda!
(photo via our Tacky Christmas sweater party...we don't really dress like this)

I met Amanda when she was called to serve in the young Woman’s program(where I was/am currently serving). Amanda showed up at Fitness MD one morning to check it out. After her 10 day trial, she joined. She and I have been hitting the 6:30 am class together every day and I am SO glad she is there to endure it each morning with me. Amanda is kind, funny and super talented. She is always ready and willing to help out with whatever. She is the Mama to 4 young children, two of which are 2 yr. old twin boys. This girl IS busy and yet she finds time to serve and share her talents with others. I love Amanda and am so lucky to count her as one of my dear friends.

Up next, my friend Doris. I met Doris at Fitness MD. Doris inspired me when I met her. She is 59 years old and has been attending Fitness MD for 3 years. On the days I felt like I wanted to give up and quit, I would look at Doris and tell myself that if Doris can do it, so can I. I am not sure if she is aware of how much she inspired me this year but she has. I am grateful for her friendship and kindness. ***I need to bring my camera with me to the gym so I can get a picture of Doris to share.

David is next.

*photo swiped off of the Fitness MD website :-)
I am going to be totally honest. David scared me for the first half of the year. David is one of the trainers at Fitness MD. I would listen to him yell/get on other members at the gym. I did not want to be yelled at. I just avoided eye contact at all costs-haha. In July, I met with David. He was the new trainer assigned to me. I was a little nervous at first…okay, I was plain scared. I was very afraid of what he had in store for me. 6 months later, I can honestly say it was the best thing ever. He has challenged me and set weekly goals for me. I have seen drastic changes in my weight loss and overall, physical self. He had me start running(yes, I said running) intervals at home and it is melting the fat away. He wants his clients to see the results and I am. I have learned to appreciate his yelling(in a nice way). As soon as I hear my name at the gym, I immediately know I am not giving it my all and then I push my self to work harder. I am grateful for David and the opportunity I was given to try Fitness MD out. What a difference a year has made in my world.

33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year:
I have learned that I can do hard things. With some determination and goals, I can achieve anything.
I have also learned that being totally honest with someone about the things that matter most and are important to you(that maybe have hurt your feelings)can put your relationship in jeopardy. Just so you know, this has nothing to do with John and I's relationship...we are totally fine. This is something that I have NEVER, EVER been comfortable with, in fact I have struggled my whole life with this. There were some things during this last year that needed to be said and I did it(in a nice,loving way). Lets just say that it didn't go over very well.

Whew...that was a lot for one post. It was fun to re-read my answers from last year. It is a great way to record my year, in one spot. Give it a try...you'll be happy to have it recorded…something to look back on & see where you have improved & where you might still need help! I hope each & every one of you have a Happy, Healthy, & Safe New Year. May 2012 bring you LOVE, HAPPINESS, & great JOY!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

We rang in the New Year at home. We had a little photo shoot with our 2012 glasses. We enjoyed some of our favorite appetizers and treats...cream cheese bean dip, Little Smokies wrapped in bacon(covered in brown sugar and honey), peppermint ice cream/Oreo dessert and homemade hot chocolate. We watched Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark ring in the year. We watched the ball drop at midnight in Time Square and the boys banged their pots in pans out front with the rest of the neighborhood.

We are excited for the thought of a new year, filled with new adventures and memories.

December by the numbers

2011-12-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

EEEEEEKKKKK! Here we are, at the end of another year! 2011 went by entirely too fast! Fast or not, it was a great year and so was our December 2011. Here is our December by the numbers.

ONE book read(Eleven Birthdays).
TWO A. visits with Santa.
TWO B. soccer tournaments were played(Tanner & Carter).
THREE holiday school parties were enjoyed by the boys.
FOUR excited boys who loved all of the fun and magic the month of December held.
SEVEN families enjoyed a fun FHE looking at Christmas lights in Rocklin. SO much FUN!
EIGHT A. layouts completed.
EIGHT B. blog posts recorded.
TEN lbs. lost during the month of December...1st time ever during the holidays :)
ELEVEN days of vacation for the boys. We loved not having to be up and ready for school.
TWELVE by the numbers posts have been recorded...I didn't miss a month.
FOURTEEN new songs downloaded. I purchased the Javier Colon(The Voice winner)album(Come Through For You).
EIGHTEEN high school basketball games were reffed by John.
TWENTY SIX Fit Club classes attended at Fitness MD.
FORTY THREE seconds shaved off of my timed 1.5 mile run(I did this today).
SEVENTY ONE miles logged(walking & intervals).
ONE HUNDRED,THIRTY ONE Christmas cards were mailed/delivered.
TWO HUNDRED,THIRTY NINE ornaments were hung/taken off of our Christmas tree.
THREE HUNDRED,SIXTY FIVE photos were taken this year for Project Life(a picture a day).

2011 was a great year for our family. We are so blessed to have great families and friends. We are looking forward to 2012 and all of the memories that are waiting for us to create. Have a happy and healthy 2012.

Weighing in

2011-12-22T13:09:00.001-08:00

I have a ton of December posts to catch up on...but I am really excited about this post. As of today(this morning),I have lost another child of mine :-). Carter was next in line:-). Carter weighs 81 lbs. and as of this morning, I am down 83 lbs.. I am so excited! What a ride and journey this has been! I feel better and stronger than I ever have and on most days, I feel like I can do anything! The picture of Carter on my back is to represent all of that extra weight I was carrying around and working out with! Holy cow! What a difference 80 something lbs. lost has made in my world.

Who's next, you ask? My oldest, my 1st born. We'll see if I can catch Tanner...he is a growing(almost)13 year old boy, who by the way has passed me up in the height department. Wish me luck!

holiday tunes

2011-12-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

Instead of making/baking a ton of Christmas candy and cookies this season, we decided to bake a little and listen to lots of Christmas music. While listening to tons of Christmas music, we decided to create a holiday CD. Our family picked out our top 18 favorite holiday songs(not necessarily new ones)and burned them to CD's. John created a cute label and then we tied cute Baker's Twine around them and shared them with family and neighbors.

I thought I'd share our favorite holiday songs in 2011.

We Need a Little Christmas - Glee Cast
The Happy Elf - Harry Connick, Jr.
Sleigh Ride - Johnny Mathis and Percy Faith
Last Christmas - Glee Cast
All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Babyface
Santa Claus is Comin' To Town - Faith Hill
Mistletoe - Justin Bieber
This Christmas - Elliot Yamin
Drummer Boy - Justin Bieber
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Glee Cast
Jingle Bells - Michael Buble
Marshmallow World - Dean Martin
Christmas Lights - Coldplay
My Only Wish - Jessica Simpson
Last Christmas - Taylor Swift
A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill
Auld Lang Syne(The Millennial Mix) - Kenny G.

What were you listening to this season?

Cold as ICE

2011-12-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

Brody and I enjoyed ice skating with friends from his preschool. Today's destination was the local ice rink. I was a little nervous, not sure how he would do with the cold(hey, we are from sunny California) and on ice skates. He instantly put me at ease...kind of. He was all over the place. Once he figured out the bucket crutch, he was off and skating. He even mastered it without the bucket...just ended up on his backside a little more often. I loved being able to spend some one on one time with him and that smile made the cold temps totally worth it.

F.H.E.- December style

2011-12-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

Our family enjoys doing a little something together each Monday night. It is called Family Home Evening. We set aside some time each week. On Monday nights, we gather together as a family. Sometimes we have lessons. Sometimes we play games. Sometimes we go to the movies. Sometimes we go out for treats. Sometimes we have a family council meeting. The point is, whatever we do, we do it together. Sometimes we get together with other families to enjoy F.H.E. with them. Tonight, we went to the Christmas light street(s)in Rocklin. This neighborhood is amazing! Each house has a theme(nativity, Cars,Calvin and Hobbs,snowmen, The Polar Express, etc...)set up in their yard. The street is totally decked out. We always check out this neighborhood display, from the comfort and warmth of our car. There is always hot chocolate in every one's hand and the heater is blasting. Each year, we say that we will walk the loop. Well, this year was the year. We met up with some of our favorite friends and walked the loop. We ooooooohed and awwwwwwed at the displays. I think the Christmas Vacation display took the 1st place prize this year. There was an actual RV in the yard with a life sized Chevy Chase cut out. It was funny. Between all of the families, we had 26 children in tow. That's a lot of kids. They sure had a great time.

I think we have a new Christmas tradition.

tacky at its finest

2011-12-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

My friend, Amanda hosted her 4th annual Tacky Christmas Sweater party tonight. You had to come dressed in your tackiest Christmas attire. So I don't own tacky Christmas attire. I knew I had to find something good to wear to the party. Can you believe that I didn't have any luck finding anything at Goodwill?? There wsa not a tacky sweater to be found in the entire store so I moved onto Wal*Mart. I scored big time at Wal*Mart. Not only did I find a sweater but I found a turtleneck, earrings, bracelet and socks :-). I think the $2.00 Christmas tree earrings were my favorite.

To add to the tackiness, the party was held at the mall food court. I am not sure what was harder, purchasing my tacky Christmas attire from Wal*Mart or walking through the mall in the above mentioned tacky attire to get to the food court. Our only goal once we hit the inside of the mall was to not make eye contact with anyone :-). It was a hoot to watch each of the tacky party go'ers arrive. Up first, Jurusha!

We had a fun gift exchange and the packages were even wrapped tacky. Duct tape, packing tape, newspaper...you name it. The gift that you brought had to be one that was re-gifted. We played the stealing game and I lost this Christmas tree to Jane.

This was such a fun evening out...once I got over being in public in my Christmas sweater. I am already dreaming of my outfit for next year!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

We look forward to this annual tradition. Our ward hosts a Christmas party of some kind. This year, we had breakfast with Santa, in our jammies. My favorite part of the morning(besides staying in my jammies), is checking out the decorations. Mindy Cabana always does a fabulous job. They are always so fun and so festive. She did not disappoint this year.

We enjoyed breakfast, musical #'s from the Primary children and some of our favorite adults. We loved that our friends, the Titlon's joined us again this year.

The most anticipated part of the morning is the arrival of the big guy, himself.

Everyone got a turn to sit on his lap.

We are so thankful friends who worked so hard to put on such a wonderful breakfast with Santa. It was such a fun way to kick off our December.

December 1st traditions

2011-12-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

We all look forward to the 1st day of December. Even the younger boys have caught on to the yearly traditions. On Dec. 1st, the boys know that they will get new Christmas jammies that they can wear all month long.

They also received their advent calendars. They love hunting for their daily piece of chocolate. We won't mention names, but one of them had too much fun and got ahead of himself in the candy department :-). According to his calendar, we are 3 days away from Christmas. Yikes :-). The boys each received an ornament to add to their own personal stash. We buy them a new ornament each year. The idea is that someday(in the far, far future) when they are ready to leave home, they will have ornaments for their own Christmas tree. This years ornaments represented their year in the world of sports. Tanner got a football to remember his 1st season of middle school flag football. He was the team captain and played quarterback. Carter got baseball to represent his awesome All Star season. Garrett got the soccer ball to represent his fun soccer season. Brody got the basketball to represent his 1st official sport. He is so excited to play. They loved their ornaments.

Our December is off to a great start. We can't wait to see what kind of magic the rest of the season holds. Happy December.

November by the Numbers

2011-11-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Oh my! I can't believe we are on the brink of the Christmas season! WOW! This will be the 11 month documented, by the numbers style. I love looking back at our month and jotting it down with numbers. Here is what we have been up to this month.

ONE a. One is for the 1st place title at Fitness MD for the November assessments. I lost 17 lbs. in the 6 wks. between assessments.
ONE b. book read(Lethal).
ONE c. minute and 26 seconds shaved off of my timed 1.5 mile run at Fitness MD.
TWO weddings/receptions attended/celebrated this month(Chris and Megan & Ashley & Brady). We are so happy for both couples.
THREE new Christmas Albums purchased(Michael Bubble, GLEE 2 and Justin Bieber)
THREE.ONE miles run during the Turkey Trot.
FOUR new songs purchased from itunes(Run and Come on get Higher by Sugarland and Matt Nathanson, We found Love by Rihanna and Fighter by Christina Aguilera).
FIVE days of Fall Vacation were enjoyed(John even had the week off)
EIGHT layouts completed.
EIGHT B. Tanner scored %100 on eight math tests that were taken in a 2 day period...so proud of him.
TEN blog posts recorded for the month of November.
ELEVEN months documented By The Numbers style.
FOURTEEN goals scored by Tanner during his league season(soccer). He was feeling very lucky since #14 is his jersey #.
SEVENTEEN family members celebrate Thanksgiving together.
TWENTY SEVEN Fit Club classes were attended at Fitness MD. I did a few double days this month.
FORTY EIGHT hour escape for John and I to San Diego.
SEVENTY SIX lbs. GONE!!!!
THREE HUNDRED,FORTY THIRD place is where I came in for the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot(Out of 997 runners).

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

After our turkey trotting, we headed up to Yuba City to spend Thanksgiving with John's side of the .family We enjoyed a yummy meal, board/card games, football games, a Wii Just Dance competition and Christmas music on the car ride home. I am very thankful for my family and for the blessings that they are in my life.

For the record, Carter was the Just Dance champion...that boy has got some moves. I have till the end of the month to cross another New Years goal off of my list. Lets just say that I should be busting a move on the Wii while Carter is at school to get MY moves perfected.

checking it off the list

2011-11-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

At the start of the New Year{2011}, our family spent some time writing down some goals(both personal and family)for the new year. I casually wrote down "RUN my first 5k." I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this task since I was not a runner and for the simple fact that I didn't really have any desire to become one:-). Carter wrote down the very same goal for himself and so we decided that the Roseville Turkey Trot was the designated place for our very 1st 5k.

So on Thanksgiving morning, we headed over to the Turkey Trot with our family in tow. They came out to cheer us on. This is Carter and I before the race and before the rain started.

We met up with my some friends, Debby and Renae. It was Debby's 1st 5k, too! Renae was running the 10k.

Here we are (Carter, Deb and I)right before the race started. We are excited and ready to go. This is when it began to rain.

John and the boys walked down a ways so they could cheer us on and snap some photos as we started. Carter took off and I was a little bit behind him...only 11 minutes, but who's counting :-)? There were so many people, we had to maneuver our way through the crowd to set our own paces.

The only goal I had for myself was to finish the race without stopping. I wanted to run the entire 3.1 miles without stopping. I am happy to report that I achieved my goal. As I was nearing the finish line, there were little groups of people waiting for others. As they stood there, they cheered everyone who ran by, on. I got very emotional and a little choked up/teary eyed. This was such a BIG deal for me. One more major check mark for my life to-do list.

At the actual finish line, there stood my little family waiting for me.
Here are photos of Carter and I crossing the finish line...at different times of course. Mr. long legs had a very good run. I am so proud of him.

Carter has already asked(several times) if we can run another 5k...like now. I am still soaking this one in. I am pretty sure we will be running another race in the near future. As for right now. I am happy to have checked this one off of the list.

G.N.O.

2011-11-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

I was able to catch the newest Twilight movie with some girlfriends. No, I didn't see it at midnight on the opening day. In my 37th year of life, I have decided that I enjoy my sleep more than I ever have before. Seeing it at 7 pm, the following day was perfectly fine with me.

Out of all of the Twilight movies, this one is my favorite. I think they must have had an increase in their budget compared to the 1st movie. This movie was the raciest by far. Lets just say that my boys will not be seeing this one when it is released on DVD. I really liked how certain things that were described in the book came to life on the big screen(I won't spoil anything for anyone). It was fun to escape and relax with the girls tonight!

how fun is that?

2011-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

So I got home from the library with my boys to find this cute cupcake pinata sitting on my porch! There was a card sitting with the pinata and I instantly recognized the handwriting. There was a note on the envelope that read Happy Birthday...Happy Friend Day...Happy Thanksgiving. How fun is that? Then the note told me to gently shake my pinata over carpet so things wouldn't break. The boys had so much fun helping me get to the items in my pinata. I told them we had to eat our way to the good stuff because it WAS a cupcake!

The pinata was loaded with fun, girly things. The color theme was my favorite...RED. Most of the items in there were red. I loved it all. There was nail polish, gum, a notebook, cookies(choc. chip), a gift card for the movies, fun necklaces, lip gloss, movie tickets and fun socks(polka dot & argyle).

This seriously made me so happy and put the biggest smile on my face! Thank you for sharing your Happy with me, Miss Mer!

say what?

2011-11-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

Upon Brody's return from preschool, this is how our conversation went.

Me: How was school today?
Brody: Good.
Me: What did you do today?
Brody: I rode bikes and played with Johnny. Johnny was spider-man.
Me: Who were you?
Brody: Justin Bieber.
Me: Say what??? All while trying to hide my giggling.

I love Brody and his 4 year old little self. He makes me smile and giggle...alot.

p.s. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined that I would be posting about Justin Bieber on our family blog.

San Diego {2011}

2011-11-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

When we got word that John's best friend (Chris) was finally tying the knot,we knew we wouldn't miss his big day for anything. John and I hit the road at 3:45 am Saturday morning to ensure that we would make it to San Diego in time for their sealing in the San Diego Temple. I had never been to San Diego before. It was love at 1st sight for me. We stayed in Del Mar, right by Solana Beach. It was gorgeous, even in the rain.

Right as we were heading into the temple for their sealing, it started to rain. Boo that! When the bride and groom came out, it was pouring rain and the wind had picked up. It didn't dampen any ones spirits or Chris and Megan's love. The sealing was beautiful and the bride and groom looked wonderful. We are so happy for Chris and Megan.

After the sealing, we attended a hosted dinner at the Chart House. This restaurant was right on the shore. They had huge lights shining on the water. You could see the waves crashing in on the shore. It was awesome. We loved visiting with the Tates and the Yeamans. It has been way too long and we vowed to not let that much time pass before our next visit.

John and I headed back to the San Diego Temple so we could check it out in the sunshine. It was a beautiful morning...night and day from the evening before. I have a new favorite Temple. The San Diego Temple is absolutely breath taking...it looks like a castle. Who wouldn't wan to be married there?

The Tates hosted a breakfast at Chris's house on Sunday morning. It was so nice to have a few more hours to visit with friends before we hit the road to head home. John and Scott took Chris' M5 for a test drive...they both want new cars-haha. The boys had fun checking out all of the toys in the garage :-). Some things will never change.

We can't wait to head back to san Diego...with the boys in tow!

life

2011-11-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

With Halloween being a thing of the past, I am feeling the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holidays. I feel like I spend most days doing a ton of this...

RUNNING around.

I am not ignoring my blog. I am just having a hard time finding the time to slow down. The boys are happy and super busy. Can we say "School, soccer, scouts and homework!" John has a job. We are are always VERY grateful for that. I am just trying to stay two steps ahead of the boys, at all times :-). I continue to make time for Fit Club at Fitness MD. I am running/sprinting (intervals) from home 5 days a week. Life is good. Life is fun. Life is busy. Life is moving faster than my legs can run on most days.

for a GREAT cause

2011-11-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

As most of us know, our schools are loosing the important funding that they need to keep our schools up and running. The important, inspiring programs for our children are being cut and it really makes me so sad.

My cute friend, Kristina is trying to help her nieces school. Kelsie (her niece) is part of a rocket club(how cool is that?) at her school. They could really use some extra funding to keep this program up and running. Please see Kristina'a blog post here. Clorox is giving a grant away to the school who generates the most votes. Kristina is asking that we help with the votes. To sweeten the pot, if you leave Kristina a comment, for each day that you vote for Kelsie's school, you have the chance to win a predesigned blog/personalized banner from Kristina. Let me just tell you that Kristina is the one who designed my fun blog :-). What are you waiting for? Go vote now. Please tell her that I sent you :-).

October by the numbers

2011-11-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

ZERO pieces of Halloween candy consumed by me. Now my kids...that is another story.

TWO new songs downloaded...slow music month for me.(Let it Rain by Daivd Nail and These are My People by Rodney Atkins).

THREE a. books read (The Forgotten Garden, Happy Chaos and The Short 2nd Life of Bree Tanner).

THREE b.miles run by me(w/out stopping)...first time EVER.

FOUR Halloweeen costumes.

SIX pumpkins purchased and carved.

EIGHT layouts completed.

FOURTEEN soccer games.

FIFTEEN seconds shaved off of my timed 1.5 mile run at Fitness MD.

EIGHTEEN blog posts.

TWENTY ONE days of Fit Club at Fitness MD(didn't miss a workout).

THIRTY SEVEN candles on my birthday cake this month.

SIXTY a. lbs. shed...buh bye!

SIXTY b. dollar check from Grandma to celebrate those missing lbs..

SIXTY EIGHT lbs. GONE!!!

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY miles logged(walking and lots of running intervals this month).

simply the best

2011-10-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

She is the best! Meet my Grandma Shore. As many of you know, I adore my Grandma Shore. She is young at heart and always on the go. She is the one who invented Happy Monday's, Happy Wednesday's, Happy whatever. She would literally show up on your porch on a Wednesday, with some great item she had discovered. Well, she just couldn't buy one for herself, she'd buy you one too...making it a Happy Wednesday present. She is cute that way. When she had heard that I had dropped 60 lbs. (a few weeks ago) she sent me a very sweet note and a $60 check for the 60 lbs. I had lost. She figured I needed something new to wear. Boy was she right! It was so kind and so thoughtful. It was so very her. I have always been so grateful for her example, generosity and LOVE. She is simply the BEST!

sneak week

2011-10-26T19:55:00.001-07:00

It is sneak week over on the Green Tangerines Kit Club blog. My layout was highlighted today and I thought I would share it her, on my blog. The November kit(not yet released)is filled with yummy Fall colors. This is one kit that you don't want to miss out on. Here is my take on the sketch(it will be included with your kit). You can check out what the other PBD Girls have done here.

soccer

2011-10-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

He heads it into the net. It costs us ice cream (for the entire team) each time he does. He scores goals from half field. He is an awesome defensive player. He has taken on a new role this season. He hasn't been thrilled about it. He does it away. He plays with his heart and soul. He loves his new red/white jersey...this boy loves red like his Mama. He is one of the team captains. He loves the game.

We love to watch him do his thing!

a special day

2011-10-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a a very special day. My nephew, Jaedon, was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We were so thrilled that he called to invite us to be part of his special day. We drove down to the Bay Area and enjoyed a birthday dinner with the family. We celebrated Tyson's(my baby brother), Sommer's (my younger sister), Kiana's (my niece)and my birthday! It was so fun to be with my family.

After dinner, we headed over to the church for Jaedon's baptism. Here is Jaedon with his family and the missionaries who taught him the discussions.

Here is my family. We haven't had a big family photo taken in a long time. I think it turned out cute, considering all of the people we had to get to look at the camera at the same time!

And the Grand kids. It was such a great day, spent with the ones we love.

Uesugi Farms

2011-10-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

The October 2011 Green Tangerines Kit Club has been released. Grab your kit now :-). I love the colors in this kit. Perfect for Fall photos...perfect for Summer photos(I will share that one next). I created 4, double page layouts with my kit. I was even able to scrap photos from '04. Super excited to have some old school photos(that is baby Garrett in the photos) scrapped and in the family album. Looking at these photos makes me miss Uesugi farms in the Bay Area. It was our favorite Bay Area patch. There are yellow and orange marigolds everywhere with pumpkins sprinkled in. It is beautiful. These photos also made me miss our wonderful friends, the Deakins. My, how our children have grown!

37

2011-10-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sigh! It is true. I am another year older. Guess what??? I am so okay with that. I am embracing my 30's and coming to terms with the fact that I am not 27 years old anymore. At age 27, I simply stopped counting my birthdays and left my age at 27. As I have enjoyed the last year, filled with some major changes in my world. I am looking forward to the year(s) ahead and the life I get to live.

I am truly thankful for the friends and family who showered me with so much love on my special day. I received lots of phone calls, FB messages, visits on my porch and many thoughtful gifts. I am one lucky girl. 37 is off to a wonderful start and I am saying "bring it on!"

Daddy/Daughter Activity

2011-10-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Say what???? I know. I know. We still don't have any daughters! This is exactly why I love my calling(another name for our jobs at church). I am currently serving in the Young Woman's program and love doing so. I get to spend time with the amazing Young Women of our ward( another name for the boundaries in which we live in). We put on a Daddy/ Daughter activity and it was so much fun! It was Western themed and the girls and their Dads were asked to come in their best cowgirl/boy attire.

We called it Brinner. The girls wanted breakfast for dinner. Their wishes are our command :-). We served a breakfast casserole, waffles(with whip cream) bacon and fruit. The girls and their Dad's each had to fill out a questionnaire about how they thought the other would answer the question. There were some very funny answers. We had a pie eating contest. There was a pie tin with a ton of whip cream. Each Dad had to find a candy corn in his pile of whip cream. There were relays and a doughnut eating contest.

{My cute Laurels, another name for the 16-18 yr. old age groups}.

{the pie eating contest...so funny!}

{The doughnut eating contest. We did not skimp on the dessert. Those bad boys were Krispy Kreme doughnuts.}

We had the details of this activity in the works before we enjoyed/listened to General Conference(a weekend where we get to hear from our prophet and other leaders of our church). A woman by the name of Elaine S. Dalton gave a talk titled LOVE HER MOTHER. You can read the entire thing here. She asked the question "How can a father raise a happy, well adjusted daughter in today's increasingly toxic world"? Part of her answer is as follows, "The most important thing a father can do for his daughter is to love her mother. By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion and devotion." Tonight's activity was just another way those fathers showed their daughters tenderness, respect and devotion. I know the girls had a wonderful time, as did their fathers. Carving out time to spend the evening with their daughters/fathers...what a treat. I am so thankful to be part of a church that places so much value on family and our relationships.

Then and NOW

2011-10-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have thought alot about this post for the last year(exactly one year from today). I had always told myself that I would write/post it. Now that the day is here, I am having very mixed and very overwhelming emotions about this post. I have decided to write/blog it. Maybe it will inspire someone else??? It is coming straight from the heart, so please be gentle(typing that for myself). In October of 2010 we had the chance to meet up with the darling Janea Greene of Janea Greene photography. I had won a free photo shoot off of her FB/blog. I was super excited and very ready for some new family photos. We met her in downtown Roseville and I instantly knew it was going to be fun. I knew she was going to capture some amazing photos of our family and she did. When we got our CD of images from Janea, I was "ooohhhing" and "ahhhing" over each and over one. The lighting that day was perfect and the boys had instantly warmed up to her.

There was one photo that I was super excited about. She had the boys jump up on this teal-ish colored dumpster that happened to be behind one of the downtown stores. I was thinking, "The dumpster??? Okay. Lets go for it." As I was scrolling through our new family photos, I came upon the dumpster photo. The boys looked darling, John looked handsome and when I looked at myself, I literally lost it, tears and all. I exclaimed "Who is that girl? There is no way that that is me! No Way!" Let me just say, I am one who has a very upbeat, positive outlook on life. I am happy, I am not the woe is me type of person. But as I looked at that photo, I became very critical of myself and wondered how I had reached this point/weight in my life.

As soon as I finished looking at all of our new darling photos, I immediately began looking for the soonest/closest Weight Watchers meeting. Mind you, the meeting that I attended was one day before my 36 birthday(exactly ONE year ago today). When I told John what was I was doing, he asked if i wanted to wait until after my birthday to join Weight Watchers so I could fully enjoy my birthday and the treats. I told him "No way! If I am going to do this, I am doing it right now. If I can make it through my birthday week, I can make it through anything." I told myself that I was just 4 years away from turning 40 and if it took me 4 years to get it all off then so be it. BUT there was no way I would enter into my 40's with that extra weight on me. And so the journey began. I will be totally honest. There have been a ton of tears(usually after insane workouts),hard work, bad habits kicked to the curb, early mornings at the gym, days where I didn't want to go to the gym, treats staring me down(hello National Chocolate Chip Cookie day), self doubt, discouragement, clothes that were still too tight and the list goes on! I decided to approach this journey, one day at a time and as a lifestyle change, not a diet.

With the combination of Weight Watchers, awesome WW leaders, Fitness MD, My encouraging(keep me on track/task, whose name I am most likely to curse on any given day)trainer(David), a supportive family, lots of self pep talks, and HUGE desire to do this...I have and I am continuing to do so each day.

Now this blog post, in a sense, is another pep talk and reminder to myself that I can anything I put my mind to. I think the thing that I wanted to share the most is that we can do hard things. With lots of work and determination, we can make things happen for ourselves.

Now that a full year has gone by, I can look at that photo above and be thankful that I had the inspiration to make some changes in my life. I certainly did not look at that photo last year with that same mind set. I wanted to light it on fire and pretend that it did not exist :-). I am super excited to see what my 37th year of life has in store for me...starting tomorrow.

p.s. As of today, I am down 65 lbs. and still going strong. What a difference a year has made.

project life photo 10.19.2011

2011-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

John and I had the chance to attend the Sacramento Temple with our ward family tonight. We rode over to the Temple with our friends, Patti and Greg. Riding to and from the Temple was such a treat. It was fun to visit. We attended the 8 pm session so we didn't get out of there until 10:15 pm. I knew I wanted a picture of the Temple all lit up as my picture of the day. Well, we had so much fun chatting and tailgating that as soon as I grabbed my camera, they started turning the lights off. Totally my luck. It is still gorgeous, minus a few of the lights.

We couldn't leave until we captured a self portrait. This one totally made me smile. I am so thankful that we were able to attend the Temple and I am really thankful for wonderful friends.

date night

2011-10-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

John had been talking about the Journey concert for months. They were scheduled to come out our way. I told him we should go. We would talk about it and then forget about it. Well, he decided the week of the concert that we needed to go. An evening spent listening to 80's music, I was totally on board. John found tickets for the lawn and we were good to go. This was the beautiful sky we enjoyed on our way out to the show.

This is the sunset we enjoyed while waiting for the show to start. Absolutely breath taking.

Up first, Night Ranger. They sounded great. John loved them. To be totally honest, I only knew one of their songs. John was flabbergasted that I only knew one song. Sister Christian was my song-haha. I will say (in my defense)that I AM the younger wife. While he was rocking out to Night Ranger, I was most likely b-bopping to New Edition :-). I had to laugh though, they still have their 80's rocker hair. Some things will never change.

Foreigner was up next. They got the crowd going. They sounded exactly like they did in the 80's. I knew most of their songs and happily sang along.

Journey finally took the stage at 9:30 pm. They played for a solid hour and a half. It had escaped my mind that the lead singers position had been filled with a guy they had found performing Journey songs via Karaoke. I thought the guy did a great job and sounded pretty darn good/close to the real thing. I loved singing along with the crowd to the old Journey favorites. I got major goosebumps when they sang Don't Stop Believing. Who doesn't love that song???

We have added another fabulous date night to the books. Thanks,honey!

family

2011-10-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

I often find dozens of these masterpieces throughout our home on any given day. It's a picture of our family. Can you see us? Our heads? Our eyes? Brody draws us daily and can tell you exactly who is who. I am just thankful that his 4 year old self sees me with long legs and not the tree stumps I was blessed with!
Happy Friday!

cute chicks

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Brody and his preschool friends have been watching and waiting for these baby chicks to hatch. Each year, the preschool gets a few eggs. It is very exciting for the little ones. Brody would give us an update upon returning from school each day. It finally happened, the baby chicks hatched. I stopped by the school on Friday to take a peek. They sure are cute.

2011-10-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

This is this weeks, Kit of the Week for Green Tangerines. It is My Little Bicycles new fall line. The colors are perfect for Fall...I am in love. When I was putting this layout together (late at night), I realized that I didn't have any recent photos printed in a 5X7 size. I started digging through my photo boxes and stumbled upon this photo from 2008. I got a little teary eyed...look how little my boys are!!! Brody looks so tiny. I will be using this layout as the title page, for our 2008 family album. At a quick glance, you can see and get a sense for how big/little the boys were. When the layout is returned to me, I will add the journaling with little snippets that will highlight our 2008. As usual, you can purchase this kit from Green Tangerines(916-771-8010) for $8.00. I have completed 37 Kit of the Weeks(so far) for 2011. Are you keeping up on your kits? If so, you should have 37 completed scrapbook pages. Not bad, one layout a week will get your year scrapped :-).

a-z of me

2011-10-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have seen this on a couple of blogs and thought I would play along. It has been awhile since I’ve done one of these and it is a great way to get to know bits and pieces about someone. Let me know if you play along!

{a} age :: 36...for 9 more days.
{b} bed size :: Queen...I know! I know! It is time for a bigger bed :-).
{c} chore you hate :: Putting laundry away. I don't mind the washing and folding.
{d} dogs :: None. I still haven't caved.
{e} essential start to your day :: Fitness MD (Fit Club workout).
{f} favorite color :: Red, but all of the colors come in a close 2nd. I love color.
{g} gold or silver :: Silver
{h} height :: 5’4 on a good shoe day.
{i} instruments you play :: I am so NOT musically gifted.
{j} job title :: Stay-at-Home Mama!
{k} kids :: Tanner(12), Carter(10), Garrett(7) and Brody(4),
{l} live :: Sunny California
{m} maiden name :: Davis
{n} nicknames :: Raim, honey
{o} overnight hospital stays :: Only overnight stays have been when I’ve had my babies.
{p} pet peeve :: Christmas lights that are left up all year long and tardiness.
{q} quote :: "Be SO happy that when others look at you, they become happy too!"
{r} righty or lefty :: Righty!
{s} siblings :: Two sisters and 2 brothers. I am the oldest.
{t} time you wake up :: 5:30 am
{u} university attended :: West Valley College in Saratoga, CA
{v} vegetables you dislike :: Celery and Brussel Sprouts-YUCK!
{w} what makes you run late :: I seriously try to be on time wherever I go.
{x} x-rays you’ve had :: Hand, arm, mouth
{y} yummy food :: Mexican food & Chocolate Chip Cookies
{z} zoo animal favorite :: Giraffe and monkey

I have officially lost...

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

another child.

So before the blogger police come after me(or worse,the real ones), I should clarify that I haven't really lost one of my children :-). I am happy to report that I am down 63 lbs.(as of this morning). As of this morning, Garrett weighed in at 59 lbs.. I have lost enough weight that amounts to a small 7 year old child...still totally mind blowing to me. I am continuing to work out. I am going to be totally honest. Some weeks/months have been slower than others in the weight loss department. I am proud/happy to report that I have stuck with it. I am continuing to work out. I attend Fit Club at Fitness MD 5 days a week and I am watching what I eat. The really fun part about the whole journey is that I am loving it! I really am. I feel strong and energized. I have picked up some new habits and have even left a few of the bad ones in the dust. I am doing things that I told myself I would NEVER, EVER do. Things like running, actually enjoying and looking forward to my workout time and looking forward to my assessments(every 6 weeks).

You may remember this post. I couldn't imagine doing my daily workouts with those extra 40 lbs.. Now, as I sit here typing, I can't imagine doing those workouts with those extra 63 lbs.. I am so happy that I have stuck with it and have continued on this journey. I will say that while the workouts have not changed(or become easier), I have become stronger and lighter :-).

I have been assigned a new trainer. When it came to setting new goals, he didn't waste a minute. I am super excited, and a little nervous to see what lies ahead of me. Wish me luck and maybe I will manage to lose another child :-).

Are you ready for some football?

2011-10-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

My boys are just checking one sport, right after another off of their lists. Tanner is loving 7th grade and the opportunity to play a few more sports this year. He just finished his 1st year/season of flag football. He was quickly recruited as the quarterback. He had a great time and had some amazing plays. There were a few interceptions, touchdowns and lots of flag pulling. It was fun to watch him do his thing. He was all over the place, making plays. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the season.

p.s. the beautiful thing about middle school sports is that the season is short and sweet :-).

September by the numbers

2011-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

ZERO books read/finished...boo that! I am still working on The Forgotten Garden. Must read before 11 pm!
ONE fun Maroon5 concert with John.
TWO new songs purchased(Modern Love and Come On get Higher by Matt Nathanson)
THREE A. trips to Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe.
THREE B. the number of teeth that Garrett lost...expensive tooth fairy month.
FIVE more Merit Badges(two were Eagle) earned by Tanner and received at the Court of Honor.
SIX touchdowns scored by Tanner. It is his 1st time playing football.
SEVEN layouts were created.
EIGHT blog posts for the month.
NINE days of interval training have been completed. I completed each day at the time/speed my trainer challenged me to do. It was killer but I DID IT!!!!!
ELEVEN soccer games attended.
TWELVE cards created for a service auction.
FIFTEEN years of wedded bliss were celebrated.
TWENTY TWO Fit Club workouts attended(didn't miss a single one this month).
EIGHTY THREE.TWENTY FIVE miles logged(walking,running, intervals)

Feeling very thankful for another wonderful, fun filled month. I am so excited for Fall/October...my favorite time of the year, for sure!

Fifteen

2011-09-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago, marks one of the happiest days of my life. I married my best friend, my everything. We were sealed in the Oakland (LDS) Temple for time and eternity. We were surrounded by family and friends. As I often think about the word eternity, it can sometimes feel very overwhelming. When I really stop and think about it, I am so thankful that I get to spend my life beyond this earthly life with John and the family we have created. What a blessing! Since that day, fifteen years ago, we have: laughed, cried, felt joy, mourned the loss of loved ones, witnessed the miracle of life(four times over), strengthened our marriage, grown(physically and spiritually),learned to be patient, tried to let go of those things that are just not that important, cheered each other on, made new friends, lost friends, tried new things, moved away from home, focused on careers while balancing home life, and have giggled ourselves silly with the inside jokes we share. Most of all(and most important), we have really enjoyed each other. I am looking forward to the next fifteen years + eternity. Happy Anniversary, my love!

spoiled rotten...

2011-09-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

is exactly how I feel. John was away on business, all week. I missed him. The boys missed him. The overgrown grass in our front yard missed him-ha(more on that later). John got home late on Thursday night. I was so happy to have him home. When I woke up on Friday morning, he said, "I am not sure what you have going on today but just make sure you are home, packed and ready to go by 2 pm." He tried to leave it at that. I convinced him otherwise. A girl needs to know what to pack so she can be dressed appropriately, right? He caved and then told me that we were headed to Reno to see Maroon5 and that we would be spending the night in Lake Tahoe. What?????? Really?????? It was an early anniversary surprise. I was so excited. We don't get to get away very often, just the two of us. It is hard to ask family/friends to watch our children and then once they say "Yes" hand over the laundry list of places that they need to be. My sister in law Heidi told John she would watch them and get them all to their various destinations. SCORE! She is a saint.

I have always loved Maroon5, especially Adam Lavine. It wasn't until we were on the road that John asked, "do you want to know where our seats are?". He found tickets for the 8th row, on the floor. Our seats were amazing! Honestly, at that point, I did not care where we were sitting! I was sold at Maroon5 and a night in Tahoe with my one and only.

We were close enough to see that one of his tattoo's read Mom-awwwwww :-)!

They opened the show with Moves Like Jagger and they shut it down with Hands All Over and an awesome rendition (with a ton of audience participation) of She Will be Loved. Again, it was an awesome show from start to finish. The entire crowd was on their feet for the entire show. I loved the pace of the show, they went from set to set and the energy was high. I also loved leaving the parking structure after the show, everyone had their windows down with their favorite Maroon5 song blasting from their ster-e-o.

We drove back towards Tahoe and spent the night in a little place right across from the lake.

We found a little cafe and enjoyed breakfast. We then enjoyed a beautiful drive around (part of) the lake. On our drive,we found our next home...until we saw the asking price. It was only 3.3 million-HA!

We spent the rest of the day lounging, reading, lunching and napping on Kings beach. It was a gorgeous Lake Tahoe day and it was just what we needed.

We came home to flowers,cards,a clean house(cleaner than I left it)and a front lawn that had been mowed in our absence. Even Aunt Heidi could tell that the yard had missed John while he was away on business :-).

p.s. I have decided that I am okay with the being spoiled rotten, every once in a while!

doing what I love

2011-09-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am still scrapbooking. I am thankful for this creative outlet and for the job that I have. I came home from Green Tangerines with another stack of completed layouts. I LOVE that. I love putting those completed pages into our family albums. Here are a few of my recent Kit of the Week layouts for Green Tangerines.

Coyote of the Week

2011-09-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Carter was selected to be the Coyote of the Week in his classroom. The parents are asked to write a letter that will be read to the class. We sent in photos of Carter from birth up until now, highlighting his life. He was able to sit in the soft, comfy chair all week. At the end of the week, each classmate was asked to write a personal letter to Carter. Those letters were complied into a book that he brought home. It has been fun reading the very thoughtful, kind and funny letters.
Here is the letter we shared with his class.

Dear Ms. H. and the entire class,

It with happiness and a BIG smile on our faces that we write this little note about Carter. Carter was born on March 11, 2001. He was born in San Jose, CA. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, a perfect day to be born. When Carter was born, he had a full head of really dark brown hair. We called him our little Monchhichi. Monchhichis' were these cute little monkeys from a cartoon in the 1980’s. His hair was wild and crazy and perfect for his sweet little face. Everyone was jealous of his hair and long eyelashes. He was a happy baby and so easy to love. He lived in Campbell/San Jose until he was just shy of 2 years of age. We moved to Roseville four days before his 2nd birthday and have lived here ever since.

Carter has 3 brothers, one older(Tanner) and two younger(Garrett and Brody). No sisters. His full name is Carter John Krupp. The John is after his Dad, John. When Carter was a little boy, he would tell everyone that he had the same name as his Daddy. He was so proud to have John as his middle name.

Carter is a good friend to all of those that he comes in contact with. He is kind, caring, friendly, loyal and very thoughtful. Carter loves to play outside. We hardly ever find him playing video games. He would rather be out front playing baseball, riding his bike, throwing a football with his brothers or playing catch. Carter loves dogs and babies. We don’t have any pets but I am guessing that he will have several of his own when he is an adult. Carter is a big helper around the house. Out of our 4 boys, he is the one who never complains and gets his chores done. We LOVE that about him.

Carter loves ALL sports and is very athletic. He loves to play baseball, basketball and soccer. He can give you the play by play details about any sporting event that he has watched. He loves the San Francisco Giants and was so happy when they won the World Series. Carter’s nickname on the baseball field is Coach Krupp or Kruppy. His All Star coach said he would be the 1st player/coach in Little League history. He likes to cheer/coach his teammates on. His nickname on the basketball court is Nas-Car because of his speed. Carter just finished the 9-10 year old baseball All Star season. He played shortstop and pitcher. Carter and his team won the Northern California State title. It was a very exciting season with some very BIG wins. Carter knocked two home runs out of the ballpark during their Championship Title game. It will go down as one of the highlights of our 2011 Summer.

We are so happy that Carter is a part of our family. He has a great smile and a twinkle in his eyes. We are thankful for the example he is to all of us. We hope you all get the chance to know him better this year.

We love you, Carter!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Finally...

2011-09-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

It is FINALLY Brody's turn to head back to school. It has been a long 3 weeks for this little boy...and for me. Ever since the big brothers returned to school, we have had the same daily conversation about when it would be HIS turn. The day has FINALLY arrived and he was all smiles.

Brody picked out a new pair of kicks, got a new haircut w/spikes, decorated his bucket(portable cubby/backpack) and dressed himself in one of his new outfits. He was ready to go.

The only thing left to do was wait for the 2 hours until school started -LOL! He was thrilled to see his favorites friends from the 3 year old class return to the 4 year old class. This may be or not be the girl he mentions every night during our happy and sads around the dinner table(part of his happy report,of course).

And we can't forget about his best buddy,Sam - aka Sambo.

We are excited for Brody and the opportunity he will have to learn and to grow this year. We know he will have an amazing year with his teachers and friends. As he tells us on a daily basis, "one more year of preschool and then it's off to kindergarten." This Momma is hoping that the year doesn't fly by...I am not ready for him to grow up. I am off to fill my 3 hours w/out kiddos with all things productive...do you think a nap falls under productive category:-)?

Labor Day 2011

2011-09-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

We decided that there would be no Labor going on at our house today. It was a nice relaxing day. We enjoyed a yummy Labor Day BBQ with fun friends. There were 5 families with 13 children between the 5 families. 11 boys. 2 girls. Lots of splashing. Lots of laughter and squeals. Lots of food. Lots of new memories were created that will last a lifetime.

Thank you to the Roberts Family for hosting a fun afternoon/evening.

lake day

2011-09-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite Summer activities is to head to Lake Tahoe. This Summer flew by and before we knew it, the boys had started school. We realized that we had not enjoyed a day of play on the lake. On a whim, we decided to head to the lake. We were thrilled to have our friends, the Pinney's join us. It was a perfect California day. We spent the day playing in the water, fishing for crayfish, soaking up the sun, building sand castles, eating, reading books and enjoying each other. Perfect day in my book.

August by the Numbers

2011-08-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

Another month down. Another month filled with life and memories...so much to be grateful for.

ONE book read (Fly Me Home - Jennifer Weiner)

TWO A. new albums purchased (Colbie Caillat and Marie Digby)

TWO B. concerts attended (Huey Lewis and the News and Sugarland)

THREE Back to School nights attended.

SIX sweet friends celebrate their birthdays. Lots to celebrate.

SEVEN A. layouts created.

SEVEN B. blog posts recorded.

FOURTEEN soccer games played(Tanner and Carter).

FIFTEEN days into the new school year.

TWENTY seconds shaved off of my timed 1.5 mile run at Fitness MD.

TWENTY TWO Fit Club classes attended(I only missed one) at Fitness MD.

SIXTY ONE.TWENTY FIVE miles walked/jogged this month.

Happy Birthday to You

2011-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest Green Tangerines Kit Club layout(you can find the other girls layouts here). Back in July, my sweet,sweet friend Meridee let us all know that she was coming to town. We jumped at the chance to have dinner with her. Knowing that her birthday was just a week away, we decided to make it a birthday dinner while we had her here. It was so very nice to see, hug and visit with her. She is just one of those good souls...such a wonderful friend!

My Happy List

2011-08-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to join in on the fun and create my "official" Happy List for a while now. I often blog about the things and people who make me happy on a regular basis.. Mamarazzi has been blogging her Happy List on Fridays for a while now. Her lists always make me smile and remember all that is happy in my own life. Okay, so I realize that I am a day late, but I am doing it.

The things that are making me happy this week are:
A really busy week. I know that may sound weird but being busy(for the most part) makes me happy! It means I am healthy and able. It means I have places and friends to see. It means I am out, enjoying this beautiful world.

I am happy that I enjoyed several fun activities this week.

(photo via Stephanie-thanks Steph!)

I saw The Help with about 16 girlfriends one night this week. Fabulous movie...run out and see it...NOW!I thought it did the book(which I loved/adored)justice. I know our world still has a ways to go but after seeing that movie, I am glad that we have come this far.

I enjoyed a fun activity night, Survival 101 with the Young Woman at church. For Morghan's Survival 101 class she taught us different ways to style our hair. So fun to see those girls doing each others hair and some of the leaders, mine included! They actually got my stick straight hair to curl and keep that curl.

I got to escape on Thursday night and see SUGARLAND and Sara Bareilles with fun friends at Raley Field. It was kind of a last minute thing for me and I am so glad it worked out and that they thought of me for that extra ticket(love you, girls). We had tickets for the floor. I have always been a SUGARLAND fan(sorry Laurie H.-LOL) and after seeing them live, I LOVE them even more. They put on a great show. I am still dancing and singing to their albums. Making me happy for sure!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how involved John is in our boys lives. He is such a great Daddy. He supports our boys in all they do. It makes my heart so HAPPY! I hope my boys know how lucky they are to have him in their lives. The basketball team for Garrett's age was in need of a coach. Mind you, Garrett was not even signed up to play for the summer session. The owner of the basketball league called John up and told him he needed him as a coach. John didn't hesitate and said "yes." Garrett was so pleased.

The gym makes My Happy List this week. Never in a million years would I ever have thought that would make any happy list of mine. The Fit Club classes at Fitness MD were hard this week. There was lots of running. I am still holding firm to the statement, "I am not a runner." I am not a runner but boy did we run this week. It was hard and I did it. That made me happy, after the fact :-).

I could seriously go on and on with MY Happy List! There are so many things that are making me happy. I will leave you with these few things that made the cut this week. I am pretty sure I will be back next Friday with a new list.

What would land on your Happy List this week?

back to school...back to reality

2011-08-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Summer has ended. I was(still am) in denial, big time. So the boys have been back in school for just about a week and a half now and I am just getting around to blogging about it. I was so sure that once they went back to school, I would have all of this free time. Who was I kidding :-)? I have felt 100 times busier(in a good, busy kind of way)this school year. The first day of school went off without a hitch. I attended the 5 am Fit Club class to ensure I didn't miss my workout. I came home and made German pancakes for everyone while the boys got ready. We had to take the traditional 1st day of school photos. I can't believe we have a 7th, 5th and a 2nd grader.

There were notes tucked into the lunch boxes/bags. There were new shoes/clothes/school supplies. There were flowers for the teachers. There were gifts for the teachers. There were happy boys, ready for a new year, with new teachers and friends!

We are looking forward to a wonderful year with lots of growth, new memories and fun adventures.

p.s. Just in case you are wondering, the scrapbook layout has already been created. Here is this weeks Kit of the Week for Green Tangerines. These kits are now available. You can call and purchase yours at 916-771-8010.

Recipe Share

2011-08-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is our new favorite way to grill our chicken. I tried it for the first time on Father's Day. We have made it several times since then. Just so you know, the left overs are perfect,chopped up and thrown in a salad for lunch on the following day. Enjoy!

Spicy Honey Chicken
by Our Best Bites

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (you could use breasts as well)
2 tsp vegetable oil

Rub:
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (it's there in the spice aisle...you just have to look hard. I found some at Target.)

Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.

If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Raimi's Notes:
- I have only used chicken breasts when making this recipe.
- I found the Chipotle Chili powder at Target...I did not know such a spice existed.
- I did not have Cider Vinegar on hand the 1st time we made this. I used regular vinegar and it tasted fine/the same.

first time memories

2011-08-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little weepy and sad this week. My family(parents,siblings,aunts,uncles, cousins,Grandma,nieces, nephews...the whole family) members are all headed to Hat Creek. It is the first family camping trip since Grandpa Shore passed away. Hat Creek was his favorite place to camp and fish. As I have read and seen my cousins FB statuses/updates/pictures from Hat Creek, I am feeling a little sad. Sad, that I took the responsible parent route this week. School starts tomorrow and I didn't feel like the boys could miss the first day/week of school. I know we are missing out on a great camping trip. After creating this layout for this weeks Kit of The Week for Green Tangerines, I am feeling a bit happier. I am remembering the fun memories I have of my Grandpa. These photos are of Garrett and my Grandparents, Aunt and cousin. We drove down to the Bay Area when he was just a week old so he could meet Grandpa and Grandma Shore. I am so glad I have these photos and I am even happier that they have now been scrapbooked.

kids {mine} say the cutest things

2011-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

While were having dinner with John's family the other night, we were filling them in on the upcoming surgeries that would be happening in our family. One of the Aunts wanted to know what tooth would be removed from Garrett's mouth. Garrett explained that he had three "teenager" teeth (referring to his top front teeth)instead of just two. We were laughing so hard. To this 7 year old, they are not adult teeth, they are known as "teenager" teeth. So funny!

July by the Numbers

2011-07-31T21:58:00.001-07:00

ONE Northern California State Title for the Woodcreek All Stars. Woot-Woot!

TWO home runs hit by Carter.

FOUR practices/basketball games for Garrett.

FIVE days of Scout camp for Tanner and friends(6 days for them, Tanner was picked up a day early to watch Carter's final game).

SEVEN girlfriends get together for a dinner/birthday celebration for my sweet friend, Meridee. She was visiting from Utah.

EIGHT layouts created(KOTW/GTKC).

TWELVE blog posts.

FIFTEEN A. All Star games played/attended.

FIFTEEN B. The # of times we got to hear the National Anthem sung live by Katie Martini(I got teary eyed each and every time...that's what I do).

NINETEEN Fit Club classes attended at Fitness MD( I missed two,one on the 4th of July, and one day to have breakfast and watch the sun rise with the YW at the Sacramento Temple).

TWENTY new songs purchased off of itunes...I love me some new, fun music.

FORTY NINE miles logged(some walked, some jogged).

SIXTY minutes spent listening to TRAIN live with my sweetie. They sounded awesome!Did I mention it was free?

Nor Cal State Champions

2011-07-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Belmont beat San Francisco. We played Belmont tonight. The deal was, if we lost, we would play them again on Saturday. If we won, we claimed that Nor Cal State Champions title. The boys were pumped up for this game. The parents were pumped and still on a high from Tuesday nights game/win. Carter is the lead off hitter for the team. We were the visiting team for the evening so we were up to bat first. Carter takes his place at the plate and the first ball crosses the plate. Strike one. The 2nd ball is thrown and Carter nails it, hitting a home run right over the center field fence. It was awesome! The crowd went wild. As the innings went on, our pitching was phenomenal. The bats were making contact with the ball. The boys were on F-I-R-E! Carter gets up to the bat during the 3rd inning and he hits another home run over that center field fence again. Two home runs in one game. It was simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Carter's pal, Daniel also hit a home run. The WOODCREEK (9-10 yr. old)ALL STARS win the California State Title. Out of the 350 teams in Nor Cal,they are the last team standing. That is something to be proud of.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from today's game/win! So proud and happy for Carter and his entire team. What a ride it has been.

State Games

2011-07-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

We have begun our All Star games at the state level. We are traveling to Danville to play against the top 6 teams(including our team) in Nor Cal.. Out of 350 Little League teams, we are down to the final 6 teams. That is something to be proud if. Our 1st game was against Hollister. We ended up winning the game but only by 1 run. Our boys played flat. We have no idea what happened but we needed the win and were super happy when they pulled it off. Up next, we played Fresno. We beat them 14-4. Right on! Those are the All Star boys we know and recognize.

Now we are up to speed/date. Today's game was against Belmont. We had heard from others that this was the team to beat. Let me just say, beat them we did but not without some serious excitement. This was seriously the most exciting game to date. By the time we entered the 5th inning, our team was down 11-1. Yes, you read that right. We were down 11-1. The boys were dropping balls out in the outfield due to the sun setting. They said they could not see the ball until the ball dropped. Belmont loaded their bases a few times due to the balls hit into the outfield. Our little All Stars rallied back and we cheered them on like crazy. By the time we hit the bottom of the 6th inning(our ups), the score was 10-11, we are still down by ONE run. With one out and 2 boys on base, Carter gets up to bat and hits a walk off double. We win the game by one run! Oh my! What a game.

Here is Carter receiving big hugs from Dad after hitting the walk off double.

We loved having our family here to cheer Carter and his team on. Tonight, we had Grandpa Randy, Grandma Sandy, Uncle Brandon, and Uncle Tyson here.

This was such a BIG come back and a HUGE win for the boys. We headed back to the hotel so the boys could swim and enjoy a pizza party. The smiles said it all. Way to go WOODCREEK ALL STARS.

Now we just wait to see who wins the Belmont vs. San Francisco game. We will play the winner on Saturday...can't wait!!!

2011-07-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful Summer, filled with many adventures. I can't believe that school starts in about 2 weeks for our boys. It just doesn't seen right to have to start school in August, let alone the 2nd week of August. We are trying to cram as much as we can in, as our Summer is flying right on by. We are having so much fun and are not ready for it to end. My goal is to catch up on blogging all of our Summer adventures...stay tuned.

Section 4 champs

2011-07-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Woodcreek All Stars took one more title tonight. They are the Section 4 champions. They played the Tri-City team from Rocklin. Carter was put in as the relief pitcher during the 4th inning. He struck the batters out to get his team out of that inning. Carter then closed the top off the 5th off with another strike out. It was a good game but we clenched it in the end. Way to go boys. We are so proud of each and everyone of them. GO WOODCREEK!

On the lake

2011-07-16T23:05:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a fun outing to Camp Far West today. It was our first visit to this lake. We loved it! When we left at 7:45 in the morning, it was cold and dreary looking. As we made our way towards the lake, the clouds began to part and the sun decided to peek around the clouds. It ended up being a perfect day on the lake. Warm sunshine, with a cool breeze = perfection. It was a wonderful day with friends.

This cute little munch was happy to be the passenger on the boat. He wanted nothing to do with the tube rides.

These boys just wanted to be pulled and flung around the lake. They kept giving the thumbs up sign because they wanted to go faster. They had so much fun!

Sienna wasn't too sure about riding with the wild boys who just wanted to go fast:-).

Holden found the perfect seat on the boat, he crashed and took his nap right up next to Sandi!

Again, he was just happy to be on the boat...the one that was moving slowly!

Garrett, Tanner and I went out for one last run! We had a blast. We laughed the whole time as Jason zipped us all over the lake. We caught air and got wet!

A big thanks to the Packer's for a super fun day! We had a blast!

Our very own All*Star

2011-07-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

We have all been on a serious high since the Woodcreek 9-10 old Stars beat the El Dorado Team, to take the Section 54 title last weekend. I have sat on this post for a few days so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed when sitting down to record the memories. Well, here I sit and I still have a ton of emotions(all happy) that accompany this post. The 9-10 year old El Dorado Hills team was the team to beat in this series. We played them a total of 3 times. We lost the 1st game to them, but not by much. We played them a 2nd time and beat them, 13-6. Our boys were on fire when it was their turn to bat. One of the Uncles of a teammate heard one of the EDH's Moms say(when it was evident that we were beating them...bad)"What are we going to do with the 20 pizzas that we have waiting for the boys at the coaches house?" They were so sure and smug thinking they were going to beat us and take that District 54 title. By the end of the 2nd game, each team had 1 win. That allowed us to play them one more time. We came out swinging during the 1st inning of that 3rd game. We were ahead 3-0 by the end of the 1st inning. By the 6th inning, the score was 6-4 and we were losing. It was a good thing that we had the home team advantage. We had one more chance at bat. Our first batter struck out. Our second batter walked, taking 1st base. Our third batter got a base hit, sending runners to 1st and 2nd. Our 4th batter singled. Bases are loaded. It is now Carter's turn to bat. He has an awesome line drive that brought two runners home, making the score 6-6. Our 4th batter takes his stance on home plate and hits a double all the way out the right field fence. That double brings Carter across the home plate to WIN the game. All of the fans were on their feet cheering and yelling so loud. It was AMAZING. I still get goosebumps when I think about it.

I love this shot. Coaches picking up their players. Coaches picking up each other. Players dog piling Carter and Daniel(winning run and hitter of that winning run) at home plate = magic on the ball field.

Seriously, if this experience is even a tiny bit of a glimpse of what it is like to win the World Series, those SF Giants deserved all of the credit, cheers and hoopla that they got. This experience has been AMAZING and so much fun...I am not even a player, just the cheer leading Mom on the sidelines!

We have had a week off from games and will resume play next week. Sections, here we come! We will be back on our home field and are excited for what the week holds. GO WOODCREEK!

p.s. The boys even made the front page of the Roseville Press Tribune. There was a great photo of the boys at home plate, ready to high five their teammate who had just hit a home run. The reporter gives another boy credit for crossing home plate for the win but it really was Carter :-).

Cow Appreciation Day

2011-07-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a free lunch at Chick-Fil-A. It was cow appreciation day. If you dressed up to resemble a cow(in any way), you received a free meal. We made it simple and raided my scrap file and tore black spots to attach to our shirts. Carter had ears and Brody had a tail. Our whole family was able to score that free lunch. As were were sitting down to enjoy our lunch, Tanner reminded us that this was our 4th year attending and that we have sat at the same table each year :-). What can we say? We love traditions and creating silly memories.

colorful yumminess

2011-07-08T16:24:00.001-07:00

I have had this image saved/waiting on my computer for over a year now.

Just dreaming and waiting for the morning when we would have some extra time to make some of our own. My friend, Amy posted this recipe, with her version of these colorful pancakes. We decided to make them for dinner this week.The boys thought they were great and well, I love anything that is colorful.

Next on our "to make/create" list...

YUM!

Fun on the Fourth

2011-07-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous 4th of July. Forget the apple pie, the boys enjoyed their favorite All American treat...the Slurpee. We played in the water, enjoyed a yummy BBQ dinner, and the fireworks are always a hit. Brody is still not a fan of the loud noises that those fabulous fireworks produce but at least he wasn't holed up in the car watching them this year. We can't let this holiday(or any other day) pass by without expressing how very grateful we are for the men and women who serve our country on a daily basis. Their service allows us to live in this great land and to enjoy the many freedoms that we do. So very grateful and thankful.

This is this weeks Kit of the Week at Green Tangerines. I am happy to report that those are photos from this years 4th of July, all scrapped. Am I allowed to say "go me?"

There are kits available for this layout at Green Tangerines. All you have to do is provide your own photos and purchse the kit and you can get your 4th of July photos scrapped in a heartbeat.

Life with Boys

2011-07-06T17:51:00.001-07:00

One of the boys favorite activities is to pull the ramp out. Most people know that my boys have NO FEAR, none what so ever. Here is Garrett, showing his stuff. Notice how he just couldn't jump off the ramp? He had to add a few skateboards to jump over. I have learned to just shut my eyes and pray that I won't be spending the afternoon/evening in the ER.

Recipe Share

2011-07-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is another recipe that I made for John, on Father's Day. These potatoes were a BIG hit with the whole family. We enjoyed them with yummy spicy-honey chicken(I'll share that recipe soon) and a green salad.
The Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
Recipe found on allrecipes.com

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour. You can just microwave the potatoes instead because it is way faster and they taste just as good. About three minutes per potato, just check for tenderness. Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes with a fork before microwaving so that they don't explode.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh so the potato maintains it's shape; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 the green onions, and milk (start adding 1/2 cup of milk but you may not need to add it all depending on the consistency you want. You don't want them too runny). Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.

Bake for another 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!

Raimi's Notes:
* my family does not like green onions but I do. Loved that I could add them to my potato.
* I didn't use the microwave to bake the potatoes. I am kind of old fashion that way. Let me know if you try the microwave method.

June by the numbers

2011-06-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am honestly not sure if this month went by too fast or too slow...mixed emotions about June. There is one thing I do know for sure and that is that the month of June was packed with fun things for our family.

One funny, sweet man(James Lambert), married to an even sweeter lady,passed away this week.

Two weddings...happy for the happy couples (Williams and Holmes).

Three books read(Shanghai Girls, Every last One, Sing You Home). I love Summer and the opportunity to read a little bit more.

Four layouts created.

Five cards(graduation)created.

Seven birthday candles on Garrett's birthday cake.

Nine Summer to do activities have been checked off of our list.

Ten new songs downloaded from itunes.

Twelve(9-10 yr.old) bleach their hair in honor of carrying on an All Star tradition.

Fourteen blog posts recorded this month.

Twenty Three days/hours logged at Fitness MD...I did not miss a day(M-F, plus one Saturday).

Twenty Eight days of Summer vacation have been enjoyed thus far.

Thirty days captured Project Life style(a photo to represent each day).

Fifty One pounds down.

Fifty Six seconds shaved off of my 1.5 mile run at Fitness MD.

Fifty Seven.Seventy Five miles walked this month.

HaPpY SuMmEr

Tradition

2011-06-24T15:43:00.001-07:00

It is tradition that once you make the WLL All Star baseball team, you bleach your hair. We had fun attending the team hair bleaching party. Who knew there was such a thing? I had very mixed emotions about this bleaching of the hair. Carter, on the other hand was ready and excited. I should have known he would be all over this idea. The highlights he asked for back in March for his 10th birthday should have been my 1st clue.

Here he is as I am applying the first round of bleach.

(such a cute little face, with cute little freckles...sigh!)

While they were waiting for their hair to fall out, ummmmm I mean process, they enjoyed munching on fruit and pizza, all while quizzing each other on their signs.

We ended up having to apply 3 rounds of bleach to get his hair to the desired All Star color(Barbie blond/white). It is quite shocking and very bleached looking... exactly what they were looking for. His hair is still wet and combed funny, but you get the idea. I think his new hair color makes him look entirely too old. I am so happy that he is a boy. Once the season ends, we will just shave it right off. In the meantime, he is happy to be a part of the tradition that lives on.

I still need to get a group photo. The boys were coming and going during our little hair bleaching party. As if it wasn't already hard enough to tell them all apart in their baseball hats, out on the field. This ensures that will will get them confused, all of the time. Good luck to the 9-10 WLL All Star team.

Treats

2011-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post the recipes we made for John on Father's Day. They were all new brand new recipes that I had been collecting from various blogs over the last few months. I was a little nervous trying new dishes for John's big day...but I lucked out and they were all keepers.

Lets start with the treats! Who says you can't have your dessert first?
All I have to say is "Oh my"!!!!!!! These are a little spin off of the traditional Rice Krispie treat and they were tasty! This recipe is a keeper for sure.

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats
3 tbsp butter
6 cups rice krispies
1/3 cup yellow cake batter dry mix (unprepped)
1 bag – 10 oz mini marshmallows
1 jar (1.75 oz) multicolored sprinkles
In large saucepan, heat butter and marshmallows on low until melted.
Slowly add dry cake mix, one small scoop at a time, to melted marshmallow mixture.
In separate bowl, add 6 cups cereal.
Fold in marshmallow mixture and 1/2 jar of sprinkles
Press into any size baking dish.
Top with the remaining sprinkles.
Let sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

*I can't remember where I found this recipe. I wish I could so I could give credit where credit is due!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Our mission today was to spoil John rotten. We wanted the day to be all about him. We made him breakfast in bed. Spoiled him with handmade cards and fun gifts. We supplied him with his favorite beverage. We baked him yummy treats. We let him relax all day long...he didn't lift a finger. I was a a little nervous about the menu that I had planned for the day. All of the recipes/meals(from start to finish) were new to our family and I wasn't sure if that had been a good idea on my part. I am happy to report that everything was a hit. I will share those recipes over the next few days.

We are so thankful for John and the Daddy/Husband that he is. He is our provider. He is our comedian. He is our best friend. He is our rock. He is our protector. He is our cheer leader. He is our soft place to land at the end of our days. We are so lucky to have him in our lives.

Happy Father's Day, John. Thanks for all you do! We love you!

one more for the scrapbook

2011-06-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

We had heard that the Roseville Press Tribune had a little blurb about the boys, WLL Padres team and their BIG win last Saturday, in this weeks paper! I was able to track the paper down today. While we were happy to see this fun photo of the dog pile that happened after Carter caught that line drive and made a double play = 3 outs. Carter is on the bottom of the dog pile and you can see Tanner running in from the left to join them. The only bummer part of the article is that the photographer/staff writer gave Carter's teammate(the 3rd baseman) credit for the play and NOT Carter. Oh well, we are happy to have one more photo for the scrapbook from that exciting game/win. GOOOOOOOOO Padres.
p.s. Carter stayed up till midnight on Tuesday to wait and check the WLL site to see if he made the All Star team. He did indeed make it. He has been on cloud 9 since and we are thrilled for him. We hear that the All Star team tradition is for the entire team to bleach their hair blond! I will keep you posted.

For the Graduates

2011-06-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

We had a few friends and a family member graduate from high school this year. A few of those friends were some of the girls that I teach in the Young Woman's program at church. I wanted to buy/make them something but I knew I couldn't break the bank doing so(with multiple gifts to give). I found this cute Subway Art online and knew that I wanted to print and frame it for the girls. I printed the art at Costco and found cute, simple black frames at IKEA...I love IKEA. I tied a simple bow in their school colors and delivered them as is. I figured they could take it to college with them and glean inspiration from it. I also made them simple graduation cards and tucked cash/gift cards inside. I am so proud of the Class of 2011. Their futures are bright and wide open with possibilities.

2011-06-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Our Summer is off to a great start. They boys have been busy with baseball practices, All Star tryouts, movies, birthdays, soccer camps, a Summer job(for Tanner)...it is never too early to earn your own $. Our favorite activities thus far have included a little of this

and a little of that.

We have driven past this Shaved Ice shack several times this Summer. We finally stopped today and the boys were in heaven. So far, they have given the Root Beer and Pink Bubble Gum flavors two thumbs up.

What has made your Summer great so far?

Baby Brody

2011-06-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

Say what? I know! I know! Baby Brody isn't a baby anymore...but I am pretty sure he will always be my Baby! It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast. I took him to the Dr.'s yesterday, for his yearly check up. He was almost at the %100-tile for his height. The Dr. told me that he will be over 6 feet tall. That piece of information was music to his Dad's ears. John is hoping to get a basketball(his sport)player out of one of the four.

It is hard to believe that this cute little munch was once a baby and this little. This is another layout that I created using the June Green Tangerines Kit Club. Once again, I loved that the pattern papers in this months kit were perfect for these photos and I REALLY loved that this layout only took me 25 minutes to create, from start to finish. Another layout for the 2007 album. Hurray!

WLL Major Champs

2011-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

{Tanner is the 2nd one from the left and Carter is being held up by his teammates}

Tanner and Carter have had a blast playing on the WLL Padres(Majors)team this season. They were drafted by Coach Nick and were thrilled to be playing for him again. We came in 2nd place during the 1st half of the season and 1st place during the 2nd half of the season, meaning we were then tied with the Giants. We played them again on Saturday to determine who would be the 1st place team(team A) for the TOC tournament. We won, 4-2.

I love this(above) picture. Carter is the player being held up/carried by his teammates. It was the bottom of the 6th inning(they only play 6 innings) and the score was 4-2. The Giants were up at bat with only 1 out and the bases loaded. Their biggest hitter comes up to bat and hits a hard, fast ball right towards Carter. Carter literally caught the ball 2 inches before it would have hit the ground. He was full on, laid out on the ground to catch this one. He caught it, creating the 2nd out. He stood up fast and tags the runner out at 2nd base. Double play, baby, making that 3 outs! Game over. Padres win! It was Awesome. Congrats to the entire WLL Padres team. Way to be awesome!

p.s. Carter is over at the ball fields trying out for the All Star team as I type this. He made it pass the first cuts(last night). He has one more round of tryouts tonight, with the All Star team members being posted (tonight) at 9 pm. I have butterflies for him. Wishing him good luck!

Happy Birthday

2011-06-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Another birthday to celebrate at our house. Garrett is now 7. He reminded us several times a day, weeks leading up to his big day that all he wanted was a SF Giants jersey, a MLB SF Giants baseball hat and doughnuts. He was surprised to find his bedroom door wrapped with wrapping paper and presents attached to it. He tore it down before I could snap a photo of it, in fear of Brody snatching the candy and inhaling it. We hung it back up, hence the wrinkled wrap paper. I promise it looked nice when he woke up!

Garrett's wishes were granted. We kind of threw him off by wrapping his presents(like the hat) in different boxes(like shoe boxes). He also received a Slip n' Slide, clothes, gift cards and cash. His birthday landed on a very busy Saturday(the older boys had a playoff game, team party and Mom had a wedding to attend). We made his morning fun and he ended his day with pizza,cake and ice cream. He loved the birthday phone calls from family and the Happy Birthday snail mail. What a great day! Happy Birthday, cute Garrett. We sure do love you!

lunch, anyone?

2011-06-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Brody informed me that he was ready for a sandwich. He then proceeded to tell me that he had everything out on the counter and ready for me. This is what I found on the counter.I am happy to report that he didn't even notice that I forgot to put the grape jelly on his turkey sandwich(wink- wink). There is never dull moment or bland taste buds with this little boy in the house.

to do list - Summer 2011

2011-06-05T18:31:00.001-07:00

After brainstorming for a bit and trying to do anything to will the warmer weather to join us, this is what our family decided we would like to do this Summer. I should mention, this list is in no particular order.

* cement slides
* scout Camp
* Lake Tahoe
* B&N reading club
* Farmers Market
* Twilight Camp
* Baker Beach
* Ride bikes from the Golden Gate Bridge down to Pier 39
* Folsom Lake
* bowling
* soccer camps
* go camping at Memorial Park
* Drive In movies
* make homemade lemonade
* water Park
* celebrate Garrett's birthday
* All Star games
* Six Flags
* picnic in the park
* Aunt Raimi Camp - cousins over to stay for a few days
* Read. Read. Read.
* find the Shaved Ice Shack and enjoy the different flavors
* keep journals
* teach the boys to cook
* science Experiments
* F.H.E. in the park with friends
* slip n' slide
* soccer tournaments
* berry picking
* Sacramento Temple at sunrise for a devotional
* swim days at the A.C.
* swim lessons
* water balloons
* Santa Cruz(Friday night concert on the beach)
* make rainbow pancakes
* family bike rides
* water fights
* Concert @ Sleep Train
* Sunsplash
* make fried green tomatoes

We realize our list is lofty. We are really hoping to put a big dent in our list by Summer's end. We will keep you posted. Bring on the SUN.

June sneak

2011-06-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

My June assignments for the Green Tangerines Kit Club kit are complete. I had fun playing with this months kit. There are lots of letter stickers for titles, sub titles and journaling. I loved the options. The color combos are playful and were easy to create with. Here is a look at my take on this months sketch(included in this months kit).

You can see what the other talented ladies created (using the same exact sketch) here.
I will post the rest of my creations in a few day. What I loved most about this June kit was that it inspired me to scrap some old photos...photos that had been saved for the perfect paper or inspiration. I used photos from 2004 for 2 of the layouts and photos from 2007 for the other. It feels so good to have those layouts created and better yet, have to those memories recorded and ready for our family albums.

School is out for the Summer

2011-06-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have finished another school year. It didn't feel like the last day of school today...it is a little chilly!

This is what the boys took to their teachers as their last day of school present. Tanner asked me last night(at 9 pm) if we could make a few more for his teachers. He has 7 teachers. I told him he had to pick his two favorite teachers. :-) I have to thank my friend, Denise Z. for sending the idea my way. It was perfect. We found the cute plastic cups, filled them with Crystal Light packets, created the cute flags. tied a fun, colorful bows and they were complete. Easy Peasy!

I threw my last party as Room Mom this school year. We decided to make it simple and had an ice cream party. Lots of ice cream with all sorts of toppings = happiness. It was fun getting to know all of these cute kiddos this year...very well behaved children with big hearts.

I am so proud of my boys. They had a wonderful school year. They had amazing teachers who put their hearts and souls into their jobs. Tanner maintained his 4.0 GPA the entire school year. 6th grade was an interesting year but he pulled it off with a smile and good grades. Woot-Woot. Carter had a great school year too. All A's and one B. Awesome! Garrett had a super year and improved academically(across the board). He worked so hard and had a super teacher who worked with him. He finished with flying colors.

We are looking forward to a fun filled Summer!

May by the numbers

2011-05-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! I know I say this every month...but really, where did the month go?
We have enjoyed lots of activities as a family and as individuals. Here it goes, our month by the numbers.

Zero books read. I am still working on Shanghai Girls and liking it...just having a hard time finding the time to read.

One minute shaved off of my 1.5 mile run for my Fitness MD assessment.

One.five miles were run(by me)without stopping...this was HUGE for me. Still not a fan of running :-).

Two baby birds born in the tree in our front yard...so sweet.

Three merit badges earned/received by Tanner at this months Court of Honor. Two of them count towards his Eagle. YAY!

Four the # of candles on Brody's birthday cake.

Four b. the # of days John spent in Arizona on business.

Six layouts created.

Seven pounds lost.

Eight blog posts for the month of May.

Eleven baseball games played by the boys.

Twelve friends get together for a fun night of good eats and Bunco.

Twenty Two days/hours spent working out.

Seventy Five miles logged on my treadmill.

Another great month! I am looking forward to June and maybe some warmer weather.

project life

2011-05-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

This little calendar is what will represent May 31, 2011 in my Project Life album.

I am still going strong with my daily workouts. I did not miss a single workout this month(I go M-F). I am attending Fit Club at Fitness MD each morning. I love that it has become a habit, part of my daily routine. I may not love how I feel during some of my workouts but I definitely love how I feel after I have completed my workout. My clothes are baggy and I am discovering new muscles that I never knew existed on my body. There are some days on this calendar that I thought I should have given myself two gold stars...just for simply showing up and completing the workout. Some days are harder than others but I am sticking with it and getting it done.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

As if my 1.5 hour workout at Fitness MD this morning wasn't enough(lots of running/weights), we decided to go on a family hike. It was a nice little jaunt to the Hidden Falls waterfall. It was the perfect day for a hike. We had promised ourselves (last year) that we would not be staying home for one more Memorial Day.

We enjoyed all of the wildflowers along the trail.

Some of us(ugh-ummmmm...Brody) definitely enjoyed the creepy crawly things a little more than others. We had to stop and look at each bug that he found along the way.

The waterfall was beautiful and peaceful. We wish we had packed a picnic lunch to enjoy at this spot. We will be prepared next time!

Brody did an amazing job on the hike. We were a little worried and wondered if his little legs could keep up. Happy to report that he did keep up with everyone and was excited about everything.

We were able to snap our 6 people, 12 times photo(May) in the nick of time. Nothing like one day to go. We always take this monthly photo with the timer. Today's backdrop was the beautiful stream on our hike. The boys loved skipping rocks and wading in the water.

We are now home. We have a Tri-Tip on the BBQ, corn(sweet)on the cob boiling on the stove, watermelon sliced and the makings for a green salad all ready to assemble. We haven't let this day pass without pausing to remember and thank all of the men and women who have served and who are currently serving our country. We appreciate all of their hard work so that we can enjoy our freedom on a daily basis. We are very humbled when we stop and really think about what it means to be an American and to live in this great country.

p.s. I am trying to decide if I will get on my treadmill or not tonight. I think I am a glutton for punishment today!

signs of a great time

2011-05-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

I hosted this months Bunco night. It is always a fun night out when you get to spend it with favorite friends. We enjoyed yummy food, dice rolling, Morty tossing...okay, it is more like throwing :-), yummy desserts, the summer themed Morty basket, great conversation, creative prizes(thank you,Amy), and lots of Buncos!!!

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

2011-05-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there was such a holiday? I am pretty sure my boys totally thought I was joking when I exclaimed "Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day". Any excuse to bake cookies is a happy day at our house!

We couldn't let this day slip by without paying tribute to this national holiday. Now, if you really know me, you know that I LOVE chocolate chip cookies. They are my all time favorite cookie/treat. Now, they just can't be any chocolate chip cookie...they have to be homemade. They also need to be warm, right out of the oven(with a glass of ice cold milk). I also like them the day after, after they have been wrapped in saran wrap. Weird , I know!!!

I am always on the hunt for the best recipes for the things our family loves. I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for years. That problem was solved when my darling friend, Patti showed up to a girls weekend with these.

Patti's Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2tsp. hot water
1tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. of flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts (optional)

Add all sugar, cream together with shortening. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add hot water and vanilla, then add flour, and soda mixture. Add chips and nuts.

Drop on cookie sheet
Bake at 350* for 8 - 10 minutes.
*Don't triple batch

Raimi's Notes
- I don't ever add nuts...my kids wouldn't eat them :-).
- I always use semi sweet chocolate chips.
- I usually bake mine for 10 minutes. Do a test batch in your oven to gauge baking time.

ENJOY!!!!

Right before my eyes

2011-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

My Baby, my caboose is another year older. Right before my eyes, we have hit 4 years of age. I spent alot of my day (yesterday), soaking in his 3 year old goodness. I received lots of hugs and "I love You's" from him. He would ask "Do you need another hug"? Of course I did! As long as he was willing, I took each and every one of them.

Here are a few things that we love about Brody.
- Each and every morning, he wakes up with the biggest head of Bed Head. He asks us every morning if he looks like Brian Wilson. We thought Brian Wilson was known for his beard...not sure where the bed head came from -LOL!

- There is not a day goes by that he does not pull out his baseball glove that Grandpa Randy bought for him. He asks us what the glove says. It is made by Wilson and hence he thinks it is Brian Wilson's actual glove.

- He has the catchers stance down. He puts his glove on, squats, and puts his hand behind his back and is always ready to give the pitcher his signs.

- Do I even need to say it? This boy loves baseball.

- We are amazed at his ability to memorize. He walks around singing his favorites songs. A few of his current faves are I am a Child of God, Misery, Soul Sister, Why Georgia, and The House that Built Me.

- If you ask him how old he is, he will hold up 4 fingers, smirk and then tell you that he is 7. He wants to be just like Garrett.

- He says the sweetest little prayers each night.

Happy 4th Birthday, sweet boy. We are so lucky to have you as our son, our caboose. You make our family complete. We can't wait to see what your 4th year of life brings you!

Sneaks

2011-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been playing catch up...ever since the boys enjoyed their 2 week Spring Break.

The sneak peeks for the May Green Tangerines Kit Club have been up over on the GTKC site. You can check them out and see what the other designers did here.

This is my version of this months sketch.
These are the beautiful girls that I get to work with at church. Being a Mama to all boys, I consider myself over the top lucky to rub shoulders with these girls.I think they are absolutely amazing. I am so proud of the Young Women that the are. They are smart, talented, kind, athletic, thoughtful, service oriented, beautiful and FUN!

The Green Tangerines May kit is full of yummy goodness. Lots of fun pattern papers, cardstock, Alpha stickers, and embellishments(and custom embellies). If you are interested in this kit, you can call Green Tangerines at 916-771-8010 to get your hands on yours.

box dinners

2011-05-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

The young men and young women in our ward had a super fun activity last week. The boys had to provide some sort of table for the girls, out of cardboard. The girls brought dinner. The boys set up their tables without the girls knowing which table was theirs. While the boys waited in one room, the girls went to check out the tables and then picked where they wanted to sit for the evening. Tanner and his friend Dallin were paired up for this event. After talking to them, we decided that I would help them create an all pink table because girls love pink, right??? Tanner and Dallin met at our house and we worked on cutting out the flowers, wrapping water bottles, wrapping the utensils and even wrapping See's chocolate bars for the girls. Other tables were decked out as Hawaiian, Under the Sea, camping and even a fun Monopoly table. They were all very creative.

Tanner and Dallin got to eat with these cute girls(S&A). These girls went all out for dinner. While the other boys were eating LC pizza, KFC and McDonald's, these girls brought tri-tip, potatoes, fruit salad and rolls. YUM!!!

Everyone agreed that it was such a fun evening. It was fun to see what the boys came up with and created. It was fun to watch them interact with different friends. They ended the evening with some hilarious games and ice cream Sunday's.