Till We Meet Again

Tonight I said a physical goodbye to a very, very good friend of mine! She is moving to UT for the military and such is a military life. Where friends come and go. But let me tell you about this wonderful lady. She changed my life. She is the one I met at my very first race ever! I was petrified. I didn't know what the heck to do. Or what to expect. All I knew is that I was going to walk it and that I needed to go to the back of the pack and be with the walkers. Honestly I was looking around for all the people my size because I figured they would be the slower ones. (sorry but true)

I happened to stand in the vicinity of lots of strollers. I had left Mason with a friend to meet me at the finish line so I was child free. But I was just kind of observing the people around me. I kind of listened in on the conversation in front of me and heard one of the ladies mention military. It was a race honoring the 4 The Wounded Warrior Project but she knew military stuff. So I pipped up and said HI! The lady not holding the stroller introduced herself to me and I told her it was my very first race and how scared I was. She mentioned that her friend had left her jogging stroller at home and they had to walk it and invited me to walk it with them.

Janet and I at the 4th of July 5k

We began talking and I learned that she was an officer with the Air Force and a SMART one at that! I told her about my miscarriage a few weeks prior and how I wanted to get back into running. She then talked up the Woman's 4 miler training program. And when I mean talk, she talked about it a lot! And insisted on me doing it and that it would be awesome and exactly what I needed. And the whole 3.1 miles that is what she talked about. By the end of the race I told her that I would look into it and would probably do it. She said that she would see me there on the first day. And we have been friends since. I did see her there and she always made a point to remember me, and talk to me. We ran the same race the next month and was cheering me at the finish line. She cheered for me at the finish line of the 4 miler. And I asked her to be one of my safety runners when I did my first 10k at 10 weeks pregnant. She has been here for me whenever I needed her. We have become great friends over the last 2 years. She also got me into coaching for Beachbody and I am so thankful she did because I am making a difference in other people's lives like she did for me. She changed my life. I am so sad to see her go but it happens. I am so thankful for Facebook and other modern conveniences we have to allow me to never lose touch with her because she truly is an amazing person.

Me, Jen and Janet, my safety runners to make sure I was ok for my first 10k at 10 weeks pregnant.

Moral of the story: You never know who might become your next greatest friend. When you go somewhere, to an event, church, reading time at the library, even the grocery store. Just say hi to someone. Introduce yourself to someone. Make an effort to get to know someone and listen to what they have to say. Be interested. It might be scary but sometimes you can walk away with a great friend who you will always remember and always want to keep in touch with. God places people in our lives for a reason. Don't deny yourself that next great friend.

Janet, I love you, and will miss getting to hang out with you this summer in training and for fun movie nights like last night! Can't wait till we can hang out again! Safe travels and Thank You for all of your service for our country. You are amazing!

Bye, Bye Gym

Well after much thought, discussions and prayer, yes, even prayer. We have decided to cancel my gym membership. Matt and I agreed that if I weren't going to the gym enough to justify the cost of it that we would cancel it. And folks, we have reached that point. It is hard with 2 kids to get to the gym. When one gets sick. I can't go. The the other gets sick. Still can't go. Than child #1 gets sick again and it is a constant battle. And I just can't justify spending the amount we were (and it wasn't cheap) only going to the gym 1 or twice a week. NO WAY!

So snip...there it goes. Thankfully I have been doing really well with my home workouts at night. Only skipping one night in the last week. AMAZING for me. And I am feeling so much better adding in strength training. It is making a huge difference.

So I said prayer earlier. I try not to get too preachy on here but I wanted to talk about the "response" I felt. So I started praying about canceling my membership. And I said something like, "I have 4 miler training coming up soon and I will need to run. I need to try and figure out a schedule with Matt on when I can run. Please help us be able to figure that out." And honest to goodness the answer I felt and felt many times was, "you can always go running at 5am when he is getting ready for work." So now I am like. "Okay, looks like if I want to go running 2 days a week in the morning I better wake my butt up at 5am and go running." And you all know I am not a morning person but it is going to have to be done and a way has been made for me to be able to get it done. So there you have it. Me getting a spiritual 2x4 to get my butt in gear and wake up early to do a little exercise.

So now it is...no gym, workout at home either with my 21 day fix or PiYo and running outside, hopefully 3 days a week, and when we save up enough money I will be getting a treadmill.

Happy 1st Birthday Collin Baby!

Here we are. 1 year old. My baby is 1 year old. So scary how fast this year has gone and how blessed we have been with this amazing year. Collin was our surprise baby. The one where I decided that it didn't matter if I sat on my butt or kept running. I had no control over if I miscarried or not. (I had 2 previous miscarriages just before him, and he stuck!) I still worried that what I was doing would make me miscarry but I put my faith in the Lord that if he was meant to be with our family he would be with our family. AND HE IS!

Collin is THE most laid back baby ever. He doesn't really fuss, doesn't really cry, doesn't really get mad. If he gets hurt he stops crying very quickly thanks to his 2 fingers that calm him down, and mommy of course. He is just a super observant baby and loves to watch his big brother do anything.

Collin loves to follow brother around too. Wherever brother goes, Collin is sure to follow because he doesn't want to miss out on any cool things. Or if dad is home Collin is always hanging out with daddy. Such a daddy's boy.

He is our little runt of the litter. He is still in 9 month old sized clothing. He is a little short but he will hit a growth spurt and get taller. He is also the healthiest eater in the house. His favorite meal of the day is breakfast that he inhales, actually he inhales everything he eats, all 2 cups worth of it! HE IS A BIG EATER. But check out what he loves for breakfast everyday: 1-2 eggs soft over easy cooked, 1 banana mashed, 2 teaspoons flaxseed, 1/4-1/2 cup oatmeal all mixed together. He loves it and is so sad when it is all gone. Healthy eater! He has his yearly check up on Wednesday so I will post his stats after to show he is growing and how much!

Here is a photo purge of some of the pictures I took at his Birthday Party this past Saturday!

~I made the comic book cover banner and we will be hanging it in the boy's room!~

 ~Sugar Coma~

Sizzlin' Summer Is HERE!

I don't know about where you live, but here in central VA, it is getting hot outside! To me, mid May is the beginning of summer. Being an Arizona girl born and raised mid May is when it is just plain hot out and it will only get hotter. Well now in VA this is when the humidity starts to sky rocket and doesn't let up until October. Yeah we get our nice day here and there of low humidity but for the most part it is going to be SIZZLIN' OUTSIDE!

So let's talk about this summer time. Summer time the dreaded time of year where it is swimsuit season. Time to hit up the pools, beaches and splash parks in our case to beat the heat. This year I want to feel comfortable in my own skin. I don't want to look back in my pictures and hate what I see. I am starting NOW to work on that and I wanted to invite you to join me in my next private accountability group that will begin JUNE 1st.

Something amazing happened this weekend. We had Collin's 1st birthday party and I for the life of me couldn't eat the cake. AT ALL. It tasted bland and just not satisfying. I mean it was good cake. Everyone said so and the place I got it from I have always enjoyed their products but it just didn't taste right to me. If you would have told me last July, when I joined my first challenge group, that sweets, junk food and fast food would not taste right to me, I wouldn't have believed you. I have made changes to my life that have helped me come this far. To not want to eat any of that stuff. Yeah, with the pregnancy I fell off the wagon. But I am human. We all make choices that we aren't happy with. That will not happen again! I assure you! I drink Shakeology now everyday and I know that this is what has helped me kick the sweets and to me, a person who is addicted to sweet, this drink is PRICELESS!

I promise you that I am changing my life. Making choices daily to better myself for me and my family. I have found through working out that I am happier. I have more energy and I want to do it more and more as each day passes. And I want to help you gain more energy, be happier and want to exercise. I want you to be comfortable in your own skin. Make goals and ACHIEVE them. And I know you can because you can do anything you put your mind to!

So Join me this JUNE for our challenge group to help you get started! Fill out the form below to let me know you are interested!

You will get:

One on one support from me to help you set and reach your goals.

Daily motivation.

Work with a program that is just right for you to fit your lifestyle.

Provide you with recipes and a meal guide

Daily dose of nutrition.

Plus you will be with other people just like you in our PRIVATE accountability group where you can ask questions and get real answers.

Our Motto for June is: It's not about being skinny. It's about gaining confidence, better health, more energy and HAPPINESS!

(Please do not apply if you are currently a Beachbody Coach, are already working with a Beachbody coach or are not willing to make a small investment in your health and wellness.)

Workout For Kids

Kids need exercise! I know that but I had no idea that Mason has actually been watching what I do, but he sure has. The other day he picked up my weights and said, "Look how strong I am mom!" He was so proud of himself that he was doing it and he wanted to do it. So yesterday I tried to help him with his "form" yeah that was real fun. But now I am going to try and make a little workout plan for him and me together here at the house. WHY NOT! If he wants to, right?!?

I will say last night though we did some stretching before bed. To the song: HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES and TOES. It was the cutest thing ever. I would hold the word head and have him reach his hands WAY above his head or toes and he would stretch the whole time reaching to his toes. Then I had him sit down and have him stretch to his toes and hold it with legs straight in front, straddle and butterfly. Kid is flexible!

AND IT WAS FUN! He loved it! I LOVE IT! And it was a great bonding exercise. He then proclaimed, "WHEW! I'm tired. Time for bed!" And he climbed right in, no fuss or muss.

I love that he is such a copy cat sponge! He just wants to do what everyone else is doing and will absorb it in and want to do it ALL THE TIME! So proud of him. Now to get a little routine going and I will share it with you when WE figure it all out!

Oh, this isn't the first time I have done this. At the gym, I sometimes pull Mason out of the kids zone and we go run around the little track they have inside. He holds my hand the whole time and he runs as fast as he can. I do this on the lighter patron days (Tuesday and Thursday) and when there is really no one there or on the track. And I have taught Mason that this is for exercise even though it is fun. Once we are done with the track and running we have to get off. He loves it and it is fun to see all the people smiling at him. We get lots of ooo's and ahhhh's and "how cute!" from the older patrons! Now we will just take his exercise to the next level.

Do you workout with your kids? What exercises do you do.

To Gym or No Gym

I currently have a gym membership. We love our gym because they have a great kid care there for the kids. Mason has tons of fun and they have a whole BUCKET of dinosaurs that he requests the moment he walks in the door. He wears himself out and gets to socialize with the other kids.

The down side to the gym is that it is EXPENSIVE! Matt and I agreed that as long as the gym was being used a sufficient amount of time each week that we could continue with the gym memberships. Lately, since I had Collin really, the gym hasn't been used all that often. Our poor kids keep getting sick. They have the no green booger rule so anytime we have green boogies we can't go. And when one gets sick the other gets sick, then the first gets sick and so forth. IT HAS BEEN AWFUL! So right now I am debating on, do we keep the gym membership?

Oh this is so hard for me, especially when I know I have the 4 miler training program coming up, the 4 miler race, and then wanting to do a half marathon this fall. I do most of my training on the treadmill at the gym. But I haven't been as diligent about going, even today Collin is still sick with something so again we can't go.

I have been really good about doing at home workouts which have been kicking my butt and getting me super sore. And I have been really enjoying them! (currently loving 21 day fix!) And with such great workouts available why not just work out at home. I could get better results because of the type of workouts I do that would work different areas and truly customize it. Do yo really need a gym membership when you can do everything at home? (running on the street maybe not in the morning but at another time during the day?) But I could just get a treadmill at home. Right?

So you see I have been going back and forth. Just getting to the gym with 2 kids has been hard. Oh and Mason will be going to school this September so it would just be one kid to take to the gym again at that point so maybe suspend it until September? UGH! See my dilemma? I really love my gym BUT, the is a big BUT. I hate wasting money and I just can't get out as often as I need to justify the amount of money we are paying!

What do you prefer, gym working out or at home workouts? Would you buy a treadmill for home and forgo your gym membership?

Summer Movies

I am so excited for a couple of movies coming out this summer! Are you? I don't go to the theaters that much so when I go it is for something I REALLY want to see! Here are my top picks:

Perfect Pitch 2! Already I have a girls night out planned for this one with my amazing friend J!

Jurassic World: I am going to drag Matt to this. I totally want to see it in the theater to see him squirm! And I saw the original Jurassic Park in the theater so this is totally nostalgic! 

Minions: Thinking about taking Mason to this but after last time he was in a theater...still debating! 

Fantastic 4: I think Matt might be dragging me to this one! 

What movies are you wanting to see this summer??? Comment below! 

Mother's Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! I sadly spent mine sick as a dog with an upset stomach. The cramps were the worst part though. I almost felt like I was going through the miscarriage again which was not fun. But I'm doing better now and just relaxing this day away!

I wanted to share some pix we took over the weekend. Mason was the big man this weekend. Helping dad out with some very "manly" chores. Mason helped dad mow the lawn for the first time and LOVED IT! It was all he talked about the rest of the day. He came in all sweating from the work he put into it. Matt said that Mason was pretty much doing it all excpet for some parts as it goes up hill and Mason needed the extra push. But he was so proud of what he did! In a few years this is going to be Mason's chore so why not start him young! But what a great sight it was to watch how much fun Mason was having with Daddy.

Poor Collin was looking on wanting to go play. He does not like being left out and will whine about it. But we got to spend some fun time together watch brother and dad do the work.

I made a cake for Mother's Day to practice for the cake I was (notice the past tense there) going to make for Collin's birthday party this coming Saturday. The cake turned out ok. But it was a lot of work and I don't think I will have that much time to actually do it. So I am calling the bakery today to order a cake. Collin's smash cake is already ordered I just need cake for everyone else.

Matt had drill for the military so it was me and the boys during the day and we enjoyed playing on the floor with Mason's dinosaurs and watching Jurassic Park! Mason's favorite show as he now proclaims. He doesn't think it is scary at all. He loves it! He has seen it so many times that he knows what is happening and he will tell me that if it is too scary to cover my eyes. Kid always trying to protect mom! That was our weekend in a nut shell. What did you do?

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day today and that you all have a marvelous day today!

I know and understand that this day can be hard for some of you. Maybe you haven't had kids yet (been there!), or are estranged from your kids or they have passed on. But today is a celebration of womanhood to celebrate all women. A day celebrate how amazing you are! So I hope you have a wonderful day!

Mother's Day 2015- Last Minute Gift Ideas

Can you believe that Mother's Day is SUNDAY!?! This year I was a little late to get the gifts sent out to my mom and mother-in-law, sorry mom! Because the past few weeks just got away from me. But I feel like I am back in the game now and in control of what is going on.

I wanted to share some awesome gifts for any mom out there in case you were a little "behind" like I was!

~Breakfast in Bed: What better way to help mom feel super special to wake up early and fix her breakfast and bring it right to her bed! And the kids love to help with this. It doesn't matter if it is Lucky Charms cereal, or an extravagant omelet. Any mom is going to appreciate not having to make breakfast the day of.

~Homemade cards by the kiddos: Kids love to color. So dad's get them coloring! Let them draw a picture of their mommy and see what they do. Write a nice little letter and try to have them sign their name. Mom's can tuck this away to bring out and show future girlfriends so this is an awesome idea!

~Chocolate Covered Fruit: One of my favs! And super easy to do. Dad's just melt the chocolate in the microwave, 30 second then stir, and so forth until it is all melted. But chocolate covered strawberries, pineapple, apples or anything is YUMMY! (edible arrangements has them too if you want to go that route!)

~Flowers: Always a good choice. Try to go with something more fragrant so that every time she walks in the room she can smell the beautiful flowers. Or get a new flower that you can plant outside together so that when you see it for the rest of the season you can remember Mother's Day. That is a gift that keeps on giving right there!

~Clean house: My dream, waking up to the house that is clean so that I don't have to do it. Or better yet... House clean for the whole weekend. Saturday and Sunday. Give me 2 days off. No dishes, no vacuum, no tripped over dinosaurs. No having to clean. I am off duty for that. (without it just piling up so that I don't have to clean it all on Monday anyways.) Ah that would be nice!

To all of you Grandmothers, moms, moms to be, fur mommy's and future moms, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I hope each and every one of you have an amazing day filled with laughter and love. You are amazing. You are super. You are the best thing in this world. Know how important you are to your little ones (future little ones too). You are their example, their super hero. They look up to you and love you, because you are MOM no matter how old they are! What a beautiful blessing you are to them. I truly hope you have an amazing Mother's Day!

Thanks to my mom for being such an awesome friend and amazing mother to me. Your example and steadfastness in life has been such a great inspiration to me and I am so proud to call you my mom!

Check out this video on how amazing you are MOMS! Let me know what you think because I was crying just watching this. I can totally relate and I love being a MOM!