Our Saturday Morning Adventure

We are early risers and it is not uncommon for us all to be up by 5:30 on a Saturday...  We were all sitting there on the couch watching cartoons, Kyle and I with coffee and Blake and Luke with milk, and then Kyle looks over and says... lets go into the mountains and have breakfast and a bonfire... those of you who know my darling husbands character know that this is a little out of the ordinary for him to suggest, he is more of a planner, so I like to think that after 11 years, I have rubbed off on him a tiny bit!

I went and got all the kids clothes together and Kyle packed the truck with wood and chairs, and then we were off!!!  We told the kids that we were going on an adventure, and that special things were about to happen.  6:15 AM, we were off...

View from our driveway as we left on our adventure

We headed up into Greenwater and took Forest Road 75 up into the foothills (we are familiar with this area) and I say that we drove probably 5-8 miles on the bumpy forest road, and then something special happened... SNOW!!  They were so excited to see snow.  Luke has never really been in snow and Blake couldn't stop talking about it!  We got to our spot, built a fire, played in the snow, went on a walk about and really had a lot of fun.  Blake kept saying... "this adventure is AMAZING!!"

Off looking for Lions 

They can be so sweet

Kyle taught Blake how to make "yellow" snow and why we dont eat it :)  The boys dug in the snow, Luke was more interested in touching it and trying to figure out what it was, and Blake was running off into the woods looking for Lions... had to explain that different types of animals live in different types of forests HAHA... It was a really great morning... It only took us about a half hour to get up there and we were home by 10:20 AM HAHA  just in time for a good nap :)

He's An Old Soul...And A Wonderful Boy

He is different then other children, you can see it on his face and hear it in his words.  He is concerned and cautions, and is always looking out for others.  He worries about people, and he can read their emotions.

 Blake is special.  We all think our children are special, and they all are, in different ways.  Blake has this ability to look at someone and understand what their needs are.  He is very in-tuned with his feelings and the feelings of others. He asked me why this man was holding a sign and what it said... he cried when I explained to him what homeless meant and that their sign said that they were cold and hungry.  When we got home, he pulled out every sent of his piggy bank and asked me if we could give it to them.  

We went to the grocery store to buy food for the Holidays to donate to the Buckley Food Bank, and he kept asking if we could get more... then when we got home, he went into the pantry and started pulling food off the shelves and said "we don't need this as much as someone without any food does"  I almost scolded him to put the items back on the shelf, but something stopped me.  Who am I to stop him from giving...this is where his heart is and why should I redirect it?  I am going to encourage him, and mindfully guide him (he is only 4) to make the right decisions.  I am going to encourage him to feel for people, as I believe that there is not enough of that in this world.  I want him to be confident in his intuition and his ability to feel empathy and compassion.  

To me, he is an old soul, wise beyond his years with more love and grace in his heart then I have ever seen. I have learned something from my little one today, and I am so proud of him.  He is truly a gift to this world, and I believe that he is going to change many lives.  He is a giver...

Miss. Daisy

Daisy is our bunny... She was given to us when Luke was just a baby by my Uncle Darin and Aunt Tammy, and the kids absolutely love her.  She has a rabbit hutch outside but more often then not, she comes in the house, jumps on the furniture, hides under couches, eats out of the garbage cans, and gets lost in the Kid's stuffed animals. (you would think that shes a dog) She is so much fun for them and I am so glad that we have her... except when I have to cut her nails... she doesn't really like that!!

 I think that animals are a good thing for children to have... teaches them how to be gentile, how to care for others, and shes like another playmate :)  I grew up with Rabbits, cats, dogs, ducks... I loved it.  I hope our boys will have some of the same memories!

I'm On My Way...

So, it has been no secret that I have been struggling with my weight ever since Luke was born... Things just didn't bounce back as easily the second time, and I realized that I had to step up my game... And so, I have :). I am well on my way. I am down 15 Lbs so far, and I have about 25 more to go, but I have discovered something along this narrow and long path.  I have tried every diet out there... Atkins...South Beach... Weight Watchers (I don't have time to count points)... Nothing that I could stick to permanently   But... With age, comes wisdom.  There was also a little trial and error in there. :)

This is so cliche, but it is all about a lifestyle change.  If I deny myself something, I want it more and more until I binge on it... Not good!  I work out now, 3 times a week, and I walk on our treadmill at home when I can.  I have discovered that I need this for both my mental sanity, and for my physical health.  I realized that I needed the "me" time or I was going to murder someone haha!

As far as food goes, I think that I will always struggle.  But I have a good feeling about it right now, and I am in a good place.  I don't buy potato chips at all anymore because I have no control over them. The bag looks at me and begs me to eat them...ALL!  I eat on smaller plates, try to load up on fruits and veggies and lean proteins. We don't have bread with dinner anymore, and I add as many veggies that I can without making our food look "vegetarian" ... this is a must since I married a meat and potatos kind of guy :) Sunflower seeds are my go-to choice for a quick snack if I need something salty, and the boys love them too... I buy them already peeled :).

So, I have a long way to go, but for now, I am going to celebrate a little bit of my success.  I am pretty proud of myself, not just because of the weight loss, but because I have taken the time to do something that is just or ME... And my workout gives me the ability to check-out for about an hour and I needed that.  I kind of think that we all do...

I am so motivated to keep this going... I desperately want to wear a pair of skinny jeans this winter with some tall boots and a cute sweater, and feel good about it :)
Much like this outfit... 

My Dirty Little Secrets...

Confession time... I need to get some stuff off my chest HAHA... 


I ate most of the kids Halloween candy, and I don't feel bad about it...

After I put the kids down for a nap, I will sometimes nap too!!!

I hate watching football... Yes, I like the Hawks, but I have too many other things on my mind to sit there and watch a game that... I will confess... I have no clue what the rules are.

I secretly hope that my kids wont ever play soccer because I see all those moms sitting outside in the rain and wind... not my cup of tea!

I know every word of " You've Got Mail" and I watch it when Kyle has a game later at night... almost weekly.

I own 6 pairs of black yoga pants (all different fits and lengths), 1 pair of grey ones, and I hate jeans.

My boys can drive me to the point of tears at times with their pushing, hitting, and attitudes.

My boys also also make me laugh so hard that I cry... hey are funny little buggers!!

Sometimes I cant sleep at night because I am worrying about something, and then the next day, I cant remember what I was worrying about... weird.

I drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day.

If there are chips in the house then I will eat them... so I only buy the spicy ones that Kyle likes so that I don't eat them.

I have gone all day and then realized that I hadn't brushed my teeth... YUCK!

I sometimes miss the freedom that we had before we had kids...

I still rock Luke to sleep and feed him a bottle... yes, he is a year and a half... so what!

I check on Blake at night before I go to bed just to watch him sleep for a few seconds.  He is so peaceful...

I hate diet food, but have tried it all.

LOVE Zumba with C&C Zumba Studio.  I shake it ghetto fabulous style... but I am still shaking it, and thats what matters!

I know that I talk to much sometimes... I catch myself doing it, and sometimes, I just cant stop!  Whoops :)

I have a sewing machine that I got for Christmas last year, and haven't ever used it.  I want to so badly, but just haven't.

I really want to be one of those crazy "preppers" for the end of the world.  

I wish I would have gone to college.

I worry about my parents a lot... health, happiness... 

I miss my Grandpa Jump so much... I really wish he could have met Luke.

If I ever had a girl, I wanted to name her Ginger after my Grandpa's sister... I love Aunt Ginger!  She is a very special lady that always knows the right thing to say.  Love her!

I am writing this right now instead of figuring out what we are going to have for dinner... oops!!

My boys are my world ... but thats no secret :)

Well, that feels good... get some stuff off my chest!  HAHA Maybe it will help with the insomnia that I have had lately??   HAHA...Guessing not :)

Glad its almost Friday!!!

If Shoes Could Talk...

They have taken him everywhere... he has had them over a year and they are his first choice everyday.  They have been to the beach, to the mountains and seen many days in our back yard.  They were there when he learned how to ride his bike, and when he fell off it.  They have seen hockey pucks, and kicked rocks, and jumped in puddles of water.  They are covered in in his blood, sweat and tears.

I have tried to throw them out, and they always find their way back into our house.  I have tried to buy new ones, but they just aren't the same.  He calls them his "Church shoes" because someone has made a joke that they are "holy"  They are so much more then a shoe... to him, they are comfort, and something that he loves.  Someday he will outgrow them to the point that they hurt, and he will chose not to wear them, but for now, he can wear them as much as he wants... although, there might not be anything left of them soon...

He is always in them...