Off Topic

Totally off topic today. 
Sorry.


Today is opening day. The first day of baseball season. Which means that until October, there will be a lot of baseball talk around this house. A LOT. Husband can hardly wait to get home from work so that he can watch the game I taped. The 2 year old is already asking to go to a game with Daddy. It's going to be another long 7 months.




This guy?

Yummy.
So. Stinking. Yummy.
I am so in love with him. Every minute. Of every day.




This?

Love. 
Husband has been working SO hard around here lately. And yes, my family room pretty much always lives in a state of disaster. I'm trying to be over it.




And I would totally post a picture of the 2 year old in nothing but a diaper and flip flops with his goggles on and a toy power tool in his hand, but I'm not that mean. Just picture it in your head. Loving every minute of this kid thing. ( Except the 6am wake up thing. That's totally not working for me.)




And if you haven't checked out Husband yet as he tries to train for a triathlon in the middle of working full time, taking care of our family, and being just overall AMAZING, check him out.


That is all. 


Have a great weekend!

Light as a Feather

I always forget how the gym makes me feel.
Because I dread going.
And then I do, and I feel so much better.


I sucked it up today and paid the ridiculous amount of money to put all three kids in the childcare at the gym. 


I did a BodyPump class and then ran a mile on the treadmill when it was all done.
I left sweaty and tired, and feeling light as a feather.
I know that I should remember this and make the sacrifice more often.


But I'm really struggling with taking the kids to the gym every day, when it is me that should be watching them. 
And playing with them.
And teaching them.
Not shoving them in to some room with 5 other kids to run wild while Snow White plays in the background.

How do you find the balance between taking care of yourself and taking care of your kids?

Snacks

I went away for the weekend.
Just me. No husband, no kids.


The women's retreat for our church was at this amazing resort type place in Murrieta. Hot springs and all.


And then, there was the food.
I'm giving them grace, because I know that cooking for 700 women can't be easy.
But because of the food this weekend, I lived on snacks.

Snacks that were illegally stored in our room because the resort had a "no food in the room" policy.
Snacks that consisted of Chex Mix, and Bugles, and M & M's.
And chocolate chip cookies with Rolo's inside.


We occasionally darted out for some fast food rescue (think late night Del Taco runs).


Needless to say, I feel like dirt.


And I gained 2 pounds.


Fun.

Friend Makin' Mondays

Linking up again over at All the Weigh. I took a little vacay over the weekend and I'm still catching up!

FMM: A Few More Gender-Friendly Questions

1) What is your favorite physical feature?  
My eyes. Hands down.

2) List three adjectives that describe you. 
Sassy, Dependable, Loyal.

3) How old were you when you had your first kiss? 
Um, what' s 8th grade? 12? 13? Somewhere in there.

4) Do you believe in God? 
YES!!! And I am so grateful that I live with His grace.

5) How often do you watch the news?
 Never. Unless someone else has it on. I know I'm ignorant. And totally not proud. But that is the state of my life right now. 2 year olds prefer to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Time

I think that whoever decided that there are only 24 hours in a day, obviously did not have 3 small children, a husband, a home to take care of, a part time job, the need to lose weight, and the need for sleep.


Either that, or I have horrible time management.


I'm actually going for the latter.
I can not get my stuff together. 
I keep making excuses.
For not choosing the right food.
For not getting the workout in.
I'm talking the talk, but totally not walking the walk.
I know all of these things about me.
And yet I can not seem to straighten things out.


All that I am doing right now is treading water.


At least I'm doing that?
Totally the wrong attitude.


I should be setting goals.
Making time.
Eating right.
Working out.
But I'm totally not. (unless working out twice a week counts, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't)


I am totally blaming this on bootcamp, and how hard I was working.
Telling myself that I just need a little break.
That I didn't see any results on the scale, even working as hard as I did.


And then I am reminded that losing weight is 90% diet. And so I am reminded of why this weight will not come off. I can not stop shoving food in my pie hole!
And I have zero will power when it comes to certain foods. 
I recently spent a week without going out to eat. Diligently tracking, drinking only water. Making good food choices. 
And guess what? I lost 2.4 pounds that week.
Only to gain it back the next week when my choices weren't as good. And I wasn't quite as diligent.


This is not my first rodeo, people. I have been here already.
And every time I keep gaining the weight back.
Granted, I had 3 kids in 4 years, but still.. totally not an excuse.


I have got to get my head around all of this.
I have got to start making good choices.
I have got to get this weight off!!!

Magic Shoes

Husband and I recently went and bought new shoes.
It was a lot of money all at once, but I finally went to a running store and got properly fitted.
Yesterday, I desperately needed to get out of my house. My boys had been up since 3 am (which of course meant that I had too), and although they napped well in the afternoon, my patience was pretty much spent.
So after the kids were in bed, I decided that I would go for a walk. 
I had just had dinner, so I didn't know if my stomach could handle running, but I knew that I had to get out and do something.
I left with the intention of walking to my mom's house which is about 2 miles away, and then having her drive me home, because I'm totally afraid of running in the dark, and it was already dusk.
So off I went. Walking in my new shoes with my worship music playing in my ears.
The next thing I knew, I was running. And then before I knew it, I was at my mom's house. My almost 2 mile walk turned in to a 20 minute run!

It felt so good to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and spend some time by myself with Jesus. The running was just an added bonus.
The only bummer is that I'm having a hard time getting my Nike+ to work now that it's in the little pouch on top of my shoe.
I'm calling my new shoes magic.
I'm wondering if I can get a magic scale somewhere too.

Friend Makin' Mondays

I'm linking up with Kenz today for a little Friend Makin' Monday. 

You should join the fun too, and Give the Boys a Chance.

FMM: Giving the Boys A Chance

1. Who is your pick for the Final Four? 

 Um, I don't know about the Final Four, and I actually have a really strong hatred dislike for college basketball, but, because I am an alum... San Diego State! Aztecs fight!

2. What is your favorite workout/fitness activity? 

Running. Me, my music, my running shoes and the pavement. The only real alone time that I get these days. I'm not super great at it, but I don't care.

3. Do you have a favorite healthy snack? Something that REALLY hits the

spot? 

Bananas. And I recently discovered almonds. I know I'm kind of late, but YUM!

4. What is your dream car? 

I could care less about cars. As long as it gets me from here to there dependably it doesn't matter. Thus the reason that I drive a minivan. I promised myself that I never would, but it's the best choice for my family right now.

5. Have you set any goals for yourself this month? What are they? 

Maybe that's my problem. I haven't set an actual goal for myself in a while.

One

This guy is one today.

One reason to stay healthy.
One reason to keep setting a good example.
One reason to continue trying, despite the discouraging outcomes.
One reason why my life is so full of joy.
One.
Wow.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday.
I'm taking a little bloggy break and making me some Diet Coke chicken.
I'll let you all know how it turns out!

Spring Forward

I have heard so many complaints about the time change over the past couple of days.
Me?
Loving it.

• The kids sleep in until at least 7, because the sun is not out yet. (And really, is sleeping in until 7 that much to ask anyway?)
• I can shut the garage door from inside the car using the garage door opener instead of having to cast a shadow on the sensor by standing on the driveway. (I know, simple pleasures.)
• I can run when Husband gets home.

The last one is the one I am most excited about.
No more crazy childcare fees at the gym every. single. day.
No more rushing around every morning in an effort to actually get to bootcamp on time.
Just me, and my music, and my running shoes.
I CAN'T WAIT!!
Tonight's the night, friends.
When I will be reacquainted with good old running.
What a great day-before-my-birthday gift.

Monday Motivation

Birthdays.

My birthday is one week from yesterday.
And the baby? One year old in one week.
I promised myself I would be healthier by now.
I promised myself I would be lighter by now.
And while I can run faster, and longer, and lift more, I still keep wondering if I've really changed.
Because I can't wait until the birthday party so that I can have a cupcake.
And I still crave diet coke on a hourly daily basis.
And I would love to make my family some of this for dinner tonight.
So am I really healthier?
Yes, I have lost almost 30 pounds. (like, really, almost.)
And I can fit in to smaller clothes.
And I am more fit in general than I was when I started this journey.
But all of those cravings, and wants?
Those haven't changed.
I promised myself to be a better version of me by this time next week.
And I'm just not sure if I've accomplished that or not.

So Proud

I have an amazing Husband.
He works hard every day to provide for our family.
He gets out of bed early every day to work out and take care of himself.
And most recently, he decided he's going to do a triathlon.
I have never really had any desire to do one, so my knowledge of training, preparing, etc. is um, none.
So if you have been there, and done that, or are in the process of doing so, can you help a guy out?
He's pretty awesome.
And he could use your help.
Go visit him here.
Thanks!!

A Glimpse of Hope

We all know that I haven't really lost any weight since November. Ugh.
Yes, a pound or so here, but then I just gain back that same pound a couple of weeks later.
This past week I saw the biggest loss I've seen in a while.
Thus showing me the lowest number on the scale since before kid #1.
A little glimmer of hope in what seems to have been the longest four months ever, in the weight loss world.
So thank you scale, for showing me that -2.8 this week.
Now next week, if I could just get down another 0.2, I will have officially lost 30 pounds.
Let's work on that!!

Monday Motivation

Evil

I know that evil comes in many forms.
I also know that this is one of them.

source

I have somehow managed to keep the Girl Scout cookies out of my house this year.
It's totally a God thing.
I was experiencing a moment of weakness the other day and reached in to my pocket to get the $4 I had just received as change so that I could by a box of mouth watering "Tagalongs" (at least that's what they used to be called). 
The money was not there. 
Somehow, this I-always-keep-money-in-my-pocket-and-never-put-it-in-my-wallet mommy had managed to secure the money in her wallet, where it actually belongs.
So because I'm too lazy to haul three small children to the other end of a parking lot and back just for a box of cookies, we are still cookie free.
It's kind of a miracle considering how often the darn things have frequented our house in the past. 
I'm hoping that they will just go away.
But even just looking at that picture? 
Evil. That is all I see.
And don't even get me started on the Thin Mint ice cream. And they at least make a lower fat version of that.
I will not buy Girl Scout cookies.
I will not buy Girl Scout cookies.
I will not buy Girl Scout cookies.
Maybe if I say it enough it will actually come true.


Have you stayed cookie free this Girl Scout cookie season?

Life is good.

Just 6 weeks after our first baby was born, Husband went on a ski trip with some co-workers to Whistler. ( I know I'm pretty awesome for "letting him" go)
He brought me back a pair of "Life is good" flannel pants to let me know that he was thinking of me.
But they didn't fit.
I blamed it on the baby weight, and once that was gone I randomly tried to squeeze myself in to them every once in a while, to no avail.
Until Friday night.
I got home from work at 1245am and it was arctic cold in our house.
I usually sleep in regular pajama pants with a long sleeve shirt over my tank top (because I know you totally care what I wear to bed), but I knew that I was still going to be cold.
So I pulled out the flannel pants. Knowing that he was asleep and that he wouldn't see if they didn't fit, I slipped them on.
And they totally fit!! Not just in the "I'm going to make these work" kind of way, but truly, legitimately fit.
So for the first time in 4 years, I get to snuggle down to bed in yummy flannel pants.
I can't wait to go to bed tonight!