Vala's 2013

It is a tradition that we visit Vala's Pumpkin Patch this time of year. It was more complicated to get there this year with all the kids in school and Chris working a new job and unable to break away during the week. I snagged a 4 pack from a KETV deal and forked out the big bucks for an extra entry with only the $1 off coupon on website and we were off.

There should be a warning at Vala's: Visit here on weekends on your own risk.

Enough said.

We arrived at 9:30 on a Saturday morning a couple weeks ago and knew it was going to be bad. Police lined the parking lots and cars lined up behind us to get in. Really? This is crazy. The kids ran from fun thing to fun thing, the jumping pillows, the tractors, haunted houses, the new BIG slides. Before long, the crowd was almost too much. Okay, it was too much. We caught up with our friend Jill (so nice to see you!) and our friends Michael and Michelle. I do believe everyone we knew was there, but who would no it?! It was beyond crazy. There was a line at the jumping pillows and then the kids were limited in time how long they could jump. For real? And, we paid extra to come on a weekend?!

Going between all the people in the crowd got old. We ate our picnic that Chris ran to the car and got for us. It was nice to find a somewhat quiet spot and sit.

We left the wild place called Vala's just before 4. The line to get into the place was from the entrance all the way onto 370. Beyond nuts. We were tired, dirty, but had mostly fun getting that way.

We will go back next year (although Chris says he has had enough for his lifetime). But, we will not be going on a weekend!

PS There Kettle Corn is so good and worth the Paleo cheat. But, we will not be going through the upstairs of the Vala's store next year because Addison just can not take it. Enough said. :)

Picture Day 2013

Yesterday was picture day. This is a fun day to see personalities shine.

Alivia: "I want my hair curled today and I want to wear THESE earrings."
Addison: "Can I wear the new shift from Von Maur with my hair braided and I can put the braid over my shoulder?" Addison just happened to select the same shirt as Alivia. Alivia was not pleased but kept quiet about it to my surprise.
Asher: "Spike my hair this way." I asked, "What shirt do you want to wear?" His response, "What do you want me to wear?" Awwww....always a Mommy pleaser.

The results...

Work Out Like a Girl!

Getting my abs after 3 kids!

We are keeping up with the Paleo Life now, but I am also trying to keep my workouts fun, fresh and effective. So, what am I up to?

When I work, I am doing beachbody's T25. It is only 25 minutes and is a mix of strength and cardio. I may be really, really tired after working and barely sleeping, but I can do 25 minutes, right? Most days I try to pull it off. I like it as something added to my workout bag, but I would not be able to do just T25 I don't think. It is about the mix for me.

Next up, Hasfit.com. This is FREE! Yes, entirely free!!! Coach Kozak has 2 workouts that I like among many to chose from, his 90 day High Intensity or his 90 day warrior. The warrior was the first one I did, and he just added the high intensity one. The warrior workout plan is strength and cardio and high intensity interval training in one. They are short workouts for the most part with a 30 minute one thrown in there occasionally. The Intensity one I have not done in its entirety. I started and got side tracked (it has only been available a short time). I have done many of the workouts included in the plan already, though. The workouts may be longer as some days it is suggested to put in 60 minutes of cardio. With that said, I do 60 minutes total of whatever I am doing every day with the exception of my rest days and days where I worked and am too wiped out (which become my rest days).

And then there is Bodyrock.tv. I have been following them for a while. I go in spurts, doing their workouts for a while or through a challenge, then going back to Hasfit for strength. They are different but I find many of their moves are similar. Bodyrock does seem to need more equipment, but I get by with my weights and equalizer (well worth the investment I may add, although I got mine on Amazon.). They are now doing a 30 day challenge and I am loving it. The workouts are longer, but she jump ropes. I love jump roping. It is such a great workout! I worked out so hard last weekend I broke my beloved jump rope, so I am shopping for a speed rope so I can do double unders some day. :)

I also throw in Beachbody's Turbo Fire, but I do more of this during the winter.  This is more cardio for me.

My cardio rounds include any of the above (bodyrock jump ropes between workouts, so that's great cardio!), running (my route is almost 5 miles and I run 2-3 times a week, usually 2 now adays), biking (Chris got me into speed biking. I like biking, do it and get it done. I use different muscles for good cross training)), and jump roping. I often times bike or run, come home and jump rope until I crash (maybe a song!). I really love jump roping if you can not tell. Addison now wants a speed rope so she can jump fast with me. :)

As I mentioned, we are still mostly eating Paleo. I had not heard through my ongoing research that once you cut out sugar, you suffer horrible headaches when you do eat it. I made cookies, eating dough of course, and had to go to bed afterwards (it was 9 at night anyway, but still) because of the headache. I also had my beloved tea which is artificially sweetened and had a headache unlike any other AND my lips and the area around my lips became all swollen! I will no longer drink the tea, which makes Addison happy as she will drink the rest of my supply. Chris has had similar response to the sugar. We have both had dairy and have been okay. OMG, cheese never tastes so good! Now...back to moderation and mostly eating Paleo.

There you have it, work it 60 minutes 6 days a week, rest one (but keep it an active rest with a family activity that day at least), and eat clean. We have never felt better.

What do you to work it?

Got Abs there somewhere!

The Paleo Verdict

Today marks the final day of the Paleo Eating Challenge. Wow, we really made it. That totally amazes me.

Pros:
* Weight Loss * Lean muscle mass * Feel great * Healthy Eating * Great example for our kids * level energy levels

Cons:
* Shopping more (although I have gotten good at the shopping. It may take a month just to figure out where to shop! I love HyVee's health food area for almond meal, enjoy life baking chips (non dairy, no soy, no nuts and the occasional larabar if I am in a pinch and can't get them quick enough online)
* Meal Prep time
* Meal Clean up
* starting eating Paleo: Let's face it, the initial side effects and detox are awful!
* Rigid, difficult in social settings. Chris went to a family birthday party during this challenge and ate an apple. They had hotdogs, potato chips, cake and icecream. He felt left out and hungry. If going to a social setting, we have to learn to bring a Paleo dish that we and our friends can enjoy. Shoot, while we are at it, bring dessert, too!
* Cravings make eating Paleo difficult to follow
* EXPENSIVE: All the fresh fruits, vegetables, grass fed meat, and zero nitrates bacon come at a HIGH PRICE! You do not want to know my total for groceries in September!

Chris lost weight that he did not even realize he wanted to lose (but feels much better now that it is gone) and is leaner than he has been since college. He is now down to his college weight, if not just above his high school weight. He maintained his weight in the last week but also dropped his workouts substantially.

I am below my high school weight but not at my lowest adult weight by any stretch (that I was at while breastfeeding and working full time but I looked like crap, too). I finally achieved the 6 pack abs that I have been striving for, if only they were not under layers of clothing now for Nebraska autumn. I know they are there, and I am thrilled. Finally! After having 3 kids in a short period of time, I did not know my body was even capable anymore.

We both feel good physically. Mentally, we still miss our favorite foods. We will be going 80/20 for now. 80 % Paleo 20% non paleo. Non Paleo does not necessarily mean non healthy, either. Yes, Chris can't wait to have a Mamas's Cheese pizza with extra sauce. But, he also would like to have a turkey sandwich, pretzels and a Greek yogurt. We are going to not count Greet Yogurt as a cheat and have it on an occasional basis. We both need dairy if our body agrees after this month detox.

As for me, I have some tastefully simple pretzels that I have had for a few weeks that will be coming with me to work tonight (after midnight they are mine! :) ). But, really, I feel like I found my new way of healthy, clean eating. I can eat whatever I want and not feel guilty. I don't have to count calories, just eat. LOVE THAT!  I learned that a calorie is not a calorie anyway as I can eat a ton of veges, fruit and healthy meat and lose weight! That is crazy considering I know I was eating way more calories than I was accustomed to eating. But, my mind (and maybe my body, too) felt starved without my sugary treats and my carbs. The way I feel outweighs the cons to me, so far. I will try 80/20, but I may push towards all Paleo with 3 cheats a week. I am okay with that.

Like I said, I am amazed we both completed the 30 days. We have learned a lot about healthy eating, reading labels, and the importance of what goes into our (and our kids') bodies. Our kids have benefited, too, eating a mostly Paleo dinner with us, and including some paleo snacks. It can only be a good thing. And, they all love cauliflower now!

Wanna join us? Have questions? Ask away! I don't have all the answers, but I can refer you to places that do. Happy clean Paleo eating. :)
Mark's Daily Apple
Nerd Fitness (has a great ap too where you type in the food and he says if it is Paleo or not!)
Robb Wolf
Everyday Paleo Great recipes
Paleo Porn Bad name but has some good recipes and tips

Paleo Challege Week 3

I know, I said I would not post an update until we were done. But, week 3 is the pivotal week. Mark's Daily Apple has only a 21 day challenge. It typically takes 21 days, they say, to create a habit. We are at day 21 today.

Results: Chris was down another 4lbs this week! He started his new job and had less access to snacking. Additionally, he did not eat much of the dinners that I spend 1 1/2 hours preparing alone. Yes, this bothered me big time. He said he was sick of my cooking after I spend most of the afternoon preparing it. I was done then. :) Chris is back to his college weight of 155lb, losing 10lbs total. He says his body feels much better but not his mind. I believe he is still craving all the foods he loves, like bread and pizza. Chris looks very lean. I can tell when I hug him that there is less of him there. He is very lean and muscular now. He has lost body fat and maintained his muscle growth. He looks great!

Me. I lost a pound this week. I worked 3 nights in a row and slept little, decreasing my appetite. With that said, I decreased my workouts a lot and still lost 1 lb. This week I only work one shift, so I'm sure I will level out. Oh, and this week, we received our shipment of Larabars from Amazon autoshipment. :) So exciting! FOOD! I can now see my 6 pack abs. I knew they were there somewhere! I feel very lean. I'm feeling much more confident.

I'm loving paleo now. This is why. I can eat whatever I want as long as it is paleo, and I never feel guilty about it. Before, I would eat too many cookies or pizza and feel horrible physically and mentally afterwards. Now, I do not feel guilty because what I am eating is all good for me. And, maybe I needed the extra helping of vegetables or shrimp. :) Yum, shrimp. I am also learning to love the cooking part, and I am learning more and more about paleo cooking. Chris still does a better job at the meat (shrimp or chicken). So far, Chris does not like Cod or Salmon, so we are very limited on meat. We will have breakfast for dinner at least once a week so we can break up the dinners a tad.

One week plus to go. We will finish up on the 30th I think. Chris says he is done next Sunday...so we will see what we do. But, I will continue to eat paleo with some greek yogurt and 3 cheat meals a week at least. I like the results, how my skin looks and feels. I just have to be careful to drink half my body weight in water at least and to eat plenty so I level out here soon (thinking this week). Chris should be careful as he loses weight quickly!

One week to go! Wish us luck. 

JOIN US!

Adjusting to Working Life

Today marks a month since we sent all three of our kiddos to school. Really, a month already?!

I have gotten very little of my to do list completed and I have yet to be bored. I have been working more to fill my time (so I sleep during the day if I work all night). One week I work 3 nights in a row (8 hr shifts) and then I try to pick up one shift on my off week. Looking ahead, my first week off will be the week of October 20 when I decided not to pick up on my week off. I really should sit back and catch up on stuff, right. Working all these nights is a killer as I still do not sleep well between shifts.

As it is now, I work either Monday-Wednesday nights (so I sleep through Thursday) or I work Sunday-Tuesday nights (sleeping through Wednesday). On the precious days I have off, I go to the grocery store and run errands one day and I frantically clean and do laudry on Fridays, leaving little time to sit down and breath. Even on my week "off" where I pick up the single shift, I stay busy. I nap the afternoon before my shift and I sleep the day after, so working one night takes up 2 days really. On the remaining 3 days, I run the errands one day and clean one day leaving only one day to catch up. Last week during that one day, I stained the playset. It looks so much better. I was happy to finally get to my neglected to do list. Next on the list, shopping for my Dad's birthday next month and Christmas shopping. I have already started Christmas shopping, getting my mom almost done and the kids and Chris started. It's a start anyway.

Meanwhile, Chris is now into day 3 at his new job. He feels like he is getting pulled in so many directions. Last night, for example, he raced into the door at 5:25 just to leave again to take Asher to soccer practice (he insisted I not go. Pretty sure he does not trust me to be good around his brother, Asher's soccer coach). After practice, he slammed down his dinner, waiting 20 minutes and went off to work out. He is crazy. I got the kids cleaned up and put in bed before I saw Chris again (and I was in bed by then, trying to nap again before work).

Quicking I am remembering what it is like to be a 2 person working household, and I am not even working full time. I HATE IT! It is so chaotic. Between my shifts, I am scrambling to make lunches, pack up the backpacks, help the kids with their homework, get the breakfast stuff ready for the morning to help Chris out, etc, etc, plus keep the house picked up and cleaned and the laundry caught up. I just want to step back and say, "Why are we doing this again?" Then I remember, I don't have to do this, so I will take the week off. :) So happy I am not commited yet as I am finding I am just not ready for the fast lane yet.

I am just not one of those super moms and I am proud to admit it.

Halfway Marker: Paleo 30 Day Challenge!

Stir fry vegetables...always with a meet and a little fruit.

Today is day 15. Wow. What do I say?! I can't believe I have gone 15 days without sugar, dairy, bread or grains! Amazing.

Results so far. Let's start with the positive.
Chris has lost 5 pounds and one spot on his belt inward without doing anything different except eating Paleo. Chris lost only a pound this last week, but this last week is when the belt went in a notch. He is beginning the training classes at crossfit, but they are not actual workouts. He is just learning proper form and stuff. So, his workouts are essentially the same (A mix of Hasfit, his personal weight training, a little light running and intense biking and an occasional Crossfit WOD with the neighbor). He feels the same, but I think he appears leaner. He is 5 ft 8 inches and now 160lbs. He was not out to lose any weight, mind you. He is muscle mass, not fat at all.

I have lost 2 1/2 pounds. I lost a 1/2 pound this week...so much better than the 2 lbs I lost last week. I feel my stomach is maybe a bit less full looking...? Everyone has their body dislike areas and mine is my lower abs. I can see my upper ab muscles, but my lower abs I have never liked. This may sound funny because I am such a small person, but I feel like I have lost my butt padding a little. I know, it is only 2 pounds. But, I did not have 2 extra pounds. I am 5'4' and 99 pounds now. I know, however, given one cheat day, I will be back to my 100-101 range. :) No worries. With that said, I do feel a bit learner, like more of my weight is muscle vs body fat. I don't know. I do know that I feel more confident wearing formed fitted things now versus before. I know, I am weird.

FEELING
I can't speak for Chris, but I am still exhausted. I have problems making it through my night shift without having to pace to stay awake. I have so little energy that I have had to scale back my 1 hr workouts (I typically work out for a hour, mixing up cardio and weight training, 5-6 times a week. When I work, my workouts our scaled back to a half hour if I can handle even that on 4 hours sleep). I usually run twice a week. On Saturday, my feet were moving, but I felt like my head had to will them to move. It was a weird sensation.
I feel anxious, like I am waiting for something, much of the time. I also feel energized (by starvation?) for some reason. I feel my house has not been cleaner in a while. Weird. Come 8:30 though, I am ready for bed. Kids in bed...and so am I! I just can't keep my eyes open another second. Sleep comes and goes...so I can't say that my sleep has improved (as many have reported on this diet). I have horrible cravings for things I never ate before. Get this, during Mass Saturday night (a good Homily at that), I was thinking about Cheetos and a chocolate shake! Seriously! I typically do not eat Cheetos or get chocolate shakes! What is going on with me!
There were a few days when Chris was getting up at midnight to eat because he woke up hungry. We have been so busy different activities, our dinner is 7 or later some nights. So, he has not had to wake up to eat (although I have to wake up to go to the bathroom and never return to sleep some nights!).
That is another thing. If you do not have access to a bathroom, do not go paleo. I don't know if I am still detoxing, it is all the water I am drinking (which is about 50 oz a day...still not enough) or the Paleo diet...but the restroom and I are close pals lately. It is easier to go, too. That is all I will say...enough said, too.

Learned
 We have learned more about healthy eating, food prep, better cooking. We have to cook and prepare every meal. We made Lobster for Chris' last day. In the past, it would have been Mamas pizza. It is a toss up which is better. Right now, Mamas Pizza sounds amazing. Anyway, I have made the paleo chocolate chip cookies a few times. Chris loves them. I'm not set on them. I have it set up through Amazon to have our Paleo Larabars autoshipped to us once a month! I know, crazy! But, I was shopping all over the place for these things and they were so expensive! If you sign up to have them autoshipped, they are cheaper and I don't have to go hunting for them (like the hunters and gatherers!). Oh, and check out the ingredients on labels. Here is an example.

Larabar Label: See dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts and rasins. Thats it! All natural stuff.

Goldfish Ingredients. That is insane. Look at all that crap in there! Now, I won't buy them.

I had bought the kids snack cakes for 99Cents at HyVee on Sale for dessert and treats in their school lunches. I usually homemade a cookie or something, but I can't do that without eating some dough. Seriously, the smell of a brownie would be the end for me. I bought these snack cakes and Chris looked at the ingredients. We about died. It looked like I was feeding them poison. Maybe I am?! What is all that stuff in there?! Here, check it out.

What is all of that stuff?! If it has that many ingredients, I will not buy it anymore.

Negatives:
Cooking, constant chopping and food prep, and shopping at so many stores. I now know where to buy things. For example, Whole Foods (which is super far from us) and Bakers both carry almond flour/meal. Whole foods only carries the paleo chocolate chunks. Farmers markets are perfect to buy the veges (for now, but we only have that for a couple more weeks. BOO!). I buy a lot of fruit from HyVee or Walmart, but fish, not farmed, I can only find at whole foods or Hyvee. All of the fish at Costco was farmed. So annoying! Chicken and bacon that are Paleo are also difficult to find. The lack of energy is a big negative. And, the time spent shopping, meal prep and cooking is a huge negative. And, I am sure this is way more expensive. I'm not sure as I was spending a lot of money in the cereal aisle before, now we are eating eggs.

Challenge:
This week Chris returns to work away from home. He has been working from home, an easier environment to prepare meals in. This will be a bigger deal for him. I am thinking he may have a cheat day in there, too. Who knows? New job is always questionable. He will probably drop more weight this week I am thinking.

Next paleo update will be when we complete our challenge! Come joins us on the clean side of eating!

End of An Employment Era

Today was Chris' last day working at Northrup Grumman after 15 years! He got this job before he graduated from college (with his masters) and has only had one job. To say good bye was not difficult. It was a long time coming. Bur, for the weekend, he is unemployed. Funny, he said it feels good to be unemployed.

Monday is a new day. The new job is at a company near the Westroads. So, he will have to drive a long way compared to the 2 miles we are from this last job. Bummer! Also, for now anyway, he will not be working from home. I, for one, will totally miss having him around to talk to,eat lunch with, etc. No more Chris at home! NO! I will officially be home alone now. Really, there have been very few days that he has gone into work since the kids have gone back to school, so leaving will be a huge adjustment, too.

Congratulations Topher on the new job! Let's open the new chapter and see what is inside! :)

Asher In Soccer Take 3

Last summer (talking 2012), Asher signed up for soccer with Chris as the coach through the local YMCA. It was not pretty. Asher lost enthusiasm quickly. Again in the spring (now 2013), Asher signed up for soccer through our church. He liked it a little more and was slowly picking it up.

Fast forward to now and Chris signed up Asher to play soccer through Papillion Rec this time with the big boys, boys 6-7 years old! Dang, they are big! Asher is tiny anyway for his age, but looks quite tiny compared to those a year older. But, he is fast! He moves all over this big soccer field like a bullet, with good running form and some enthusiasm. New shoes, new jersey, new team, new coach. He may actually stick with it and be like his Daddy (maybe. Daddy rocked it in soccer from what I hear). He has practice twice a week and games on weekends. So far so good.

One tiny hiccup. Chris signed up Asher to be on the same team as his cousin Henry with his coach being Chris' brother, someone I have not spoke to for years and someone I have no desire to talk to...ever. Awkward. I know, life is too short, blah blah blah. I have heard it all. I shut my mouth with a pin and went to Asher's game because I wanted to watch him play.

I sat down, kept my pin in between my lips and watched, took pictures and watched. My sister in law, who I never thought I would have to see again let alone hear, talked to Chris right in front on me. Okay, majorly awkward as I am not going to be polite and speak to someone who nearly tore our family apart. Who knew...I'm still hurt? It was all I could do to sit there quietly when all I wanted to do was get up and run home as fast as I could.

That night, I expressed to Chris how I felt. In a sense, I felt like Chris and I went through an affair. However, neither of us had an affair per say. His brother and his witchy sister in law stepped between Chris and I ripping us apart just as an affair did. I would say I have the same feelings towards his sister in law as I would towards another woman if this were an actual affair situation. Seriously, there is no love.

Chris has not sent me the soccer schedule, so I do not know how many games we have left. Chris starts his new job next week leaving me to take Asher to his practices alone with the girls. I am completely dreading this already. And, I have a feeling Chris has a plan to continue to have the boys play together. I want Asher to love soccer, but of all the teams, can't he play on another one?

Otherwise, I better jump off the paleo diet and start drinking on Saturday mornings and twice a week before practices. Any suggestions? :)

Paleo 30 Day Challenge, 1 week In

Chris and I are a week into our 30 Day Paleo Diet Challenge. The first few days were brutal. We were weak, hungry, tired, and craving all of our favorite foods. As the week went on, things got better. We found more things to eat and try. I made some homemade paleo crackers that were a total bust, but found some Paleo Larabars that are quite amazing (totally recommend them, too!).

Breakfast usually consists of egg white omelet (we can have whole eggs and it is encouraged, but Chris and I like the whites better. We are about out of them so will be moving to whole eggs). We just eat the eggs whipped up plain right now. We tried putting peppers into them but found we liked the plain ones better. Chris usually has a couple pieces of bacon and we both have fruit, like watermelon or blueberries. Today I tried turkey bacon as I am so hungry and weak. It was okay but had to slam it down. Not something I would eat if I was not so hungry. It did help fill me up. I have also been making smoothies. Alivia likes to drink these with me. I make them with almond milk, strawberries, blueberries and a little banana. They are good and filling.

Lunch either a salad or, if we are on the run, a larabar and an apple. The later is not the best but it is all we could do on the run. The salad is 3-4 cups of Kale and Spinach, homemade dressing with veges on top like cucumber, carrots, olives, peppers, etc. I have been known to throw some fruit on mine. Chris eats an apple on or with his salad.

Afternoon snack is usually a Larabar or more fruit. I like apple slices with almond butter. I need protein for my ongoing weakness and hunger.

Dinner is some kind of chicken or shrimp with grilled veges. We do not eat red meat for the most part, so we are getting bored. The wild caught shrimp I bought from Hyvee tastes gross, so we are off to find something better this week. Chris does not like much for veges, so he is getting bored. We grill peppers, onions, zucchini and summer squash. I like steamed broccoli and cauliflower (my go to lunch for work) or steamed winter squash. I'm up for trying anything...I ate bacon for goodness sakes! Yuck! I just want to feel satisfied.

First week results.
Chris lost 4lbs! I could tell right away that he had lost weight. He can't see or feel a difference.
I, without trying, lost 2 lbs. Considering I am not in a position to lose any weight, this loss was obvious to Chris by Thursday. I had lost more on Thursday, but managed to gain it back by the Sunday check point. And, I never weigh myself. But, in order to make sure I am not losing a ton, I am monitoring myself closely. I do feel my abs are showing through more, but Chris thinks my arms appear weaker. Maybe bacon will help.

And finally, I guess the Paleo diet is a good way to pick up men (and I am not looking). I had a guy hit on me while buying only bacon and my paleo larabars saying I was, "a women after his own heart," and "Enjoy your bacon and larabars," along with other small talk. I believe he was a crossfitter. I think I will leave all of this freaking shopping to Chris! Since the first of the month,  I went to the store 10! times, Costco, Walmart, HyVee, Bakers, Trader Joes and Whole Foods...all for this diet! Processed foods sure make life easier!

1 week down, 3 weeks to go. Still waiting to feel amazing!

Paleo Day 2

No, I am not going to update this every day on the Paleo challenge. I'll be brain dead in a few days on this diet anyway.

Really, there are side effects to eating Paleo that we did not fully appreciate before giving up the foods we love (dairy, chocolate, sugar, processed foods, grains, etc). We are feeling sluggish and lethargic,headache, sore joints, shaky, have a little memory loss, and HUNGRY with serious cravings! I guess this is to be expected as our bodies are adapting to using fatty acids as a source of fuel as opposed to glucose (carbohydrates). This stage is to move forward and then we will feel amazing, supposedly. It is like we are in detox, detox from our rich and yummy diets. :)

Day 2.
Breakfast: Eggs whites whipped with a handful of red pepper.
blueberries

Worked out: Turbo Fire 60, Hasfit 10 (with Chris) and abdominal burn (Hasfit again) with Chris, followed by an intense bike ride (with Chris). Chris wore me out. I would have been fine with the turbo fire 60. :) But it felt good when I was done.

Lunch:
Kale/spinach salad with veges and homemade paleo dressing
watermelon
homemade almonds

Tried to nap (because I work tonight) but I was too hungry to sleep.

Snack
Apple, grapes and more almonds

Dinner
Fresh Caught Shrimp and vege (peppers, onion and zucchini) stir fry.

After dinner (while the kids had popcorn): Grapes and a few more almonds

I miss EVERYTHING. I miss drinking my Lipton Green Tea. It was so yummy just a little slushy out of the freezer. Slushy water just is not the same. We both miss our Greek Yogurt with blueberries. It is so good! I just got Chris to start eating it, too. We both miss cereal. I ate Kashi Go Lean Crunch for breakfast (dry) and a couple times a day sometimes for snack. I miss it! We miss FROYO. Yummy! We may have rode our bikes to Orange Leaf today and gotten some, if only we were not being all Paleo.

Oh, and get this. Yesterday, while I was starving my butt off, Chris ate many chocolate cookies out of the freezer. I'm sure he thought I would never know, but I made those and froze them for the kids' lunch. I KNEW! He admitted it. NO FAIR! I want chocolate!! But, I'm being good. Chris claims this was his only cheat. So far, I have not had a cheat. I can only dream.

Getting through night shifts is really difficult on this diet. Tonight I brought grapes, an apple, and squash. I wanted to bring leftover dinner, but there was not any dinner leftover!  Let's hope we begin to see a difference real soon or I am running back to my old ways. Shoot, I felt pretty healthy before. Now I feel like crap. :)

The Paleo Challenge

September 1, 2013.
Just another day, right? Oh no, not just another day.
Today is the day Chris and I have started the Paleo Challenge.
What is Paleo you might ask? Please do because I have been researching and nothing has prepared me for today like living it has.
It is a healthy diet focused on lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. The idea is that we are eating similar to what the caveman ate...but not really. All the food we eat today is nothing like it was then. The cave man could not have a banana (without a bunch of seeds in it) and fish in the same day, more than likely, because the caveman had to hunt and gather and that does not include grocery shopping at the local Whole Foods Market (and what a joke that place is! For another post maybe).

What is okay to eat? Fruits, veges, lean meats, healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, fats from fish), seafood and nuts and seeds. We have to avoid all grains, dairy, processed foods and sugars, legumes, starches, and alcohol. We eat three meals and a snack or 2, whatever we are hungry for. No measuring, no calorie counting, just eat Paleo. Easy right? Um, think again!

Shopping to eat Paleo seems easy at first, just stick to the outside of the store, right? Then I set out to buy the ingredients. Where is the coconut flour? almond meal? and finding natural almond butter (like peanut butter but with almonds) sure did feel like I was hunting! (HyVee health foods area has the almond butter. It has to be pure almond butter without vegetable oil. A rare thing I guess).

Today, day one, we started off good. I ran, biked and did a 10 minute HASFIT workout (yes, I need to blog about HASFIT because it is amazing). I was ready to eat! Chris and I had been preparing, so Chris had already made a couple of good omelets with onions and peppers in it. I had intended on having that this morning, but was too sick to eat it by the time we got around to breakfast. I had watermelon.

By lunch, we were hungry. Lunch was a Kale salad with homemade dressing and chunks of apple. The dressing looked awful but tasted wonderful. Who knew, we can make our own salad dressing. We did not measure our salads and they were not big enough. And, we were missing protein. We were starving by 1pm. Chris and I also always have a little treat after our meals (bad, I know). Something small usually, like a Werther or a Dove Chocolate. So, right away, we were missing something sweet to top our meal. Remember, no sugar.

By 2, I needed to go to the store to get ingredients for our planned meals for the week (yes, this diet calls for more shopping! I HATE SHOPPING!). I could not find anything. I was standing in the check out line on the verge of tears because I was hungry, tired, and I just wanted a freaking piece of chocolate! :) I went to one more store before coming home to find Chris dragging like I was from lack of food.

Chris and I spent longer in the kitchen preparing our fresh dinner. I created another Kale Salad to go with our new Chicken Recipe, Balsamic Glazed Chicken drumsticks from the Paleo go to site, Mark's Daily Apple. The sauce, again, looked awful, kinda like tar, but it was very good. I had baked squash with olive oil to go with my salad and had a little chicken. I have not had chicken legs since I was pregnant with Addison (long story), but this chicken was very good. The recipe was good, but the organic chicken tasted better, too! Finally, Chris and I were full. He had 5 chicken legs! and his salad.The kids had hamburgers by their choice. :)

For a small dessert, I made Paleo spiced almonds. They are very good, too, and will be a great snack for us. So, already today I have made three new successful recipes. I would have made more if I could only find the ingredients!

Day one has been tough to say the least. We spend most of the day hungry, tired and hunting for food...like a caveman maybe? :) We were so hungry that plain natural nuts were eaten like candy when I found them in the pantry. As the month goes one, we will find new snacks, new meals and get used to this new lifestyle.

As for the kids, they are eating dinner with us but will continue to eat cereal and waffles for breakfast and whatever they want for lunch. Alivia said there is no way she will give up candy for a day (or a month!). I don't blame her at all.

This idea came to Chris as he starts his new workout routine, at Crossfit Omaha. He went with our neighbor after much encouragement from me. He needs it for his mind, body, confidence and a social place without me. He needs it. And, after one hard core workout, Chris agreed. His one on one starts on September 10, so we have a few days to get this eating thing down so he can make it through their brutal work outs (where their mascot is Pukie the Clown because one works out so hard they "Pukie." Nice, huh?

Why am I doing it? In my research, I found this Doctor presenting in Iowa City. It may be a long video, but watch it when you get a chance. It convinced me to try it, at least for 30 days. That is all I am giving it for now.

Tomorrow is off to day 2 where I will try my first ever omelet. I will miss my Kashi go lean crunch and my oatmeal, but I will give this a go. We already miss our Greek yogurt with blueberries, too, but I have eaten my fair share of frozen fresh blueberries today as I didn't know what else was "paleo."

By the end of September, I hope to have this Paleo thing all figured out and look glowing. :)

Our 14th Wedding Anniversary

Most of our friends and family predicted our marriage will never last. A few times, I'll admit, I was not so sure, either. But, here we are, 14! year later. Amazing.

To celebrate, Chris booked a trip for us in Estes Park at the Deercrest Resort where he stayed in July on his trip with his Dad, brother and nephew. I really had no idea what to expect, but I was excited to get away together for our now annual anniversary trip.

We took the kids to school on Friday morning, August 23, and set off on the 9-10 hour trip to Estes Park. The drive is one of the longest drives. Nebraska is so boring to drive through. But, Chris and I were able to talk, uninterrupted, which may not happen again until our next anniversary. :)

We arrived to Estes Park around 4. The resort sits right on the Fall River and our room was right by the waterfall. It was beautiful. The room was older, I will say that, but we did not care. The scenery was fabulous, the resort is adult only and non smoking. Perfect. :) The air smelled so fresh. It was cooler there, too. It was not cold, just cooler, in the 70s.

Friday night we walked around Estes park and did a little shopping before stopping at Poppy's Pizza for dinner. Believe it or not, we did not order pizza. I had a very good raspberry salad and Chris had a Chicken sandwich. It was good and fun to eat local. We chilled the rest of the night and prepared for our hike the next day.

Saturday morning started very early, too early for me. :) We were awake at 5:15 to slam down some Greek Yogurt before hitting the trails. We set out to the Rocky Mountain National Park Entrance and then to the Bear Lake Trail head. Chris had been there the month prior, but we set out to see even more, hiking a total of 10 some odd miles in all. It was beautiful, but it was effort. We did a little climbing up and a little climbing down to see pretty lakes and waterfalls. It was gorgeous.

After our hiking, we got in the car and drove Trail Ridge Road up to the Alpine Visitors Center and hiked up the many stairs to the top for an amazing view. I am not a fan of driving on roads that have cliff drops on either side. Chris sure had fun making fun of me and trying to scare me more than I already was. Anyway, after a day of hiking, we were exhausted. Time for some pizza! We stopped at Picnic in the Park for some wood fired pizza. I was AMAZING! We ate the entire thing. Mind you, we only had trail mix, apples and cereal all day through our hiking. It was a fun day.

Longs Peak Trail

Sunday was our last day there. We slept in and walked to Big Horn Restaurant for some home cooked breakfast. This was Chris' favorite. Our walk to and from the restaurant helped relieve our achy bodies from our hiking. We thought we were in shape, too! We jumped into the car and set out to the Longs Peak Trail head. Chris has it in his mind that he wants to summit Longs Peak. We will see about that. The place was really crowded as we got there mid morning not anticipating hiking much after our big day on Saturday. We got there and decided to hike the trail a bit (good thing we came prepared with our packs!). The trail was STRAIGHT UP over boulders. It was crazy! It was not busy on the trail like it was the previous days as you have to be in amazing shape to set up on this trail. We hiked up about 3 miles and then we could see Longs Peak. The view was beautiful as well as the view of the Rocky Mountain National Park. We were above the treeline at almost 11000 feet. We could have set up farther, but we were not equipped to summit (which is 6 hours up and 6 hours back I believe). So, we set back down. At least it gave Chris an idea of the terrain if he ever does return. This hike was beautiful, too. But, the trail did us in.

We relaxed at the resort until it was time to leave the next morning.

We had a wonderful anniversary trip. The kids had a blast with my parents, too, going to Shelby Fun Days, eating out two times and playing with their dog Kota. So, we all had a little vacation!

Until next year...

Answered Prayers

A couple months ago, Chris Googled (yes, he googled), "Why prayers go unanswered."

The reasons, according to google (and the website he found) were
1. Sin
``But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear'' (Isaiah 59:2 NIV)
2. Unforgiveness
"If you have unforgiveness in your heart then God cannot answer your prayers. "
3. Lack of persistence
"The best gifts of heaven are reserved for those who persist in prayer."
4. Doubt
"Many others ask but doubt while asking. Such doubts destroy your ability to receive answers to prayer. "
5. Wrong Motives
"God searches the heart². He understands every motive behind our thoughts. Therefore He refuses to answer prayers that have wrong motives. "
6. Not Praying According to God's Will
"Therefore seek to pray according to God's will. If there comes a struggle between your desires and God's will ask God to give you grace to accept His will. Then pray for His will to be done"
7. Not Listening to Godly Counsel
"You also need to note that disobedience to God is a direct result of not listening to Him. Therefore check your life to find out if there is any disobedience in your life. If you find it, confess it and come back to the path of obedience"

Chris has been struggling with his unhappiness with his job for nearly 4 years, worsening in the last year and a half, getting to its worst point this spring to summer when he bailed from the Florida contract (and he bailed WAY too late!). He applied to many jobs and had a handful of interviews, often times getting to the third and final interview, all to miss the opportunity to another "more suitable" candidate. What does that mean anyway?

Growing in frustration and becoming more depressed about his situation, pressure mounting, Chris googled why God was not listening. I don't believe Google helped Chris, as one really never knows why prayers go unanswered. Perhaps Chris was not knocking on His door enough (not persistent) or Chris had the wrong motives. Who knows. As the Garth Brooks song goes, "Some of God's Greatest Gifts are unanswered prayers." Sometimes.

Last week, Chris finally got his prayer answered. He was offered a job at a new company in Omaha. His new title will be a UX designer (the title Chris wanted), a change over the software engineer title he had had since college (although he did many things outside of that title). He is beyond thrilled with a little apprehension since his job now has been his only job since college. But, it is not in Des Moines or in Florida. We do not have to move (boo hoo on the Florida move though. But, I could live without sink holes I suppose).

We are thankful that this prayer was answered, however long we had to wait. :) On September 16, I will be praying for Chris as he leaves for his first day of work. Good luck!

Home Alone

The kids have been in school a week now.

It is quiet at home. WAY TOO QUIET.

It is just Pippa and I most days. I do not like Pippa (she STILL poops in our house at least once a week!).

I have kept busy, don't get me wrong, but it is not fun busy. I have been cleaning, trying to keep up on laundry, and trying to show Chris that I am not just sitting around all day eating bonbons. I have a list of to do's that I have been putting off for the day when our babies were all in school, that day I have been dreading for years. That day is now...so the list should probably be looked at. Things like restain the playset (I just did this a year ago spring and it looks like crap already!), restain the outdoor shutters, organize the kids rooms, touch up interior paint, etc, etc).

This week I worked Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights (meaning I slept Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until I had to wake to pick up the kids from school). Chris and I are adjusting to me not working weekends anymore and working strictly during the week. Chris, for the first time EVER (And Alivia is in the fourth grade), had to get the kids up and ready for school as well as get himself ready for work. I do not like not being the one to take them to school. I feel like I hardly see them. Chris said this morning he about had a heart attack getting everything and everyone ready to go (and then forgot about the dog and she pooped inside!). So, needless to say, we are all adjusting and not really liking it. We will get used to it as my new schedule is either Monday-Wednesday nights every other week and I will pick up one night MAYBE on the off week or Sunday-Tuesday night every other week. I'm scheduled for 6 shift a month right now (8 hour shifts) with an extra thrown in there for the time being. Chris is not going to be available to watch the kids in the morning times in about a month, so I probably won't be picking up too many extra shifts. We will see, though.

On the days I am not working, I try to stay busy and my mind focused on other things so I am not all tearful about missing them. I miss Asher mostly since he is the one that did everything with me last year. I am no longer going to the zoo or the children's museum. I am going to Target, but nobody is with me to ask if they can go to the Bakery for the free cookie. I go to Costco, but Asher is not there to get a hotdog or share a lemonade with me. There is no hand to hold as I walk away from taking the kids to school in the mornings, or give hugs to all day long. I tried to catch up on the photo book for 2012 (yep, I am that behind), but I was in tears so stopped. I was sobbing I missed the kids so much. In the book, Asher was not even in preschool yet. Where does the time go? I want to go back and hug him even more.

Writing this blog is giving me a huge lump in my throat!

It's quiet. Too quiet. I am not sure I want to adjust to this. But, with time, I am sure I will (maybe).

First Day of School 2013 & Asher goes to Kindergarten!

On August 13, 2013, all of our babies went to Elementary school. It was a big day!

Alivia started in the 4th grade with Ms. Allen as her teacher. Alivia was pleased with her teacher assignment. There are 3 fourth grade classes this year. Alivia knew just a couple girls in her class, but she did not seem to mind at all. On the first day, she wore a orange butterfly outfit and new pink shoes. She looked for cute shoes at a reasonable price on Zappos. So funny. Oh, and she wore contacts for the first time! We just got them the week before school and she was so excited. Alivia is so sensitive about having to wear glasses, so Chris caved. I'm still not sure about it, but so far it is working out.

Addison is in the 2nd grade with Ms. Erickson as her teacher. Ms. Erickson was Addison's teacher last year. Alivia had her for a 1st grade teacher followed by Addison now for 2 years. We love her. Addison asked to have her again. Addison is in a class with all new students, at least new to her. Although she was upset by this at first, she already made new friends, Avery and Megan. New friends are always good, right? There are 4!! second grade classes this year. Addison wore a purple butterfly dress and her new Keens from Zappos (and I think they were the most expensive shoe in her size!).

Now for Asher. It makes me sad just to write that he is in school now. Our baby Asher :) is now a big Kindergartener with Ms. McMains as his teacher. He has friends he already knows in his class, Henry, Cameron, and Will. So, at least Asher has some familiar faces. Asher had a difficult time deciding what to wear. He knew what shoes to wear, but he asked to be picked up and held as we looked for the perfect shirt to wear from Gymboree. Needless to say, we left the store without a shift and he selected a t-shirt from his closet.

Yesterday Chris worked from home so he could join me to walk them to school (last year he was in Florida). Asher selected an airplane t-shirt, navy blue shorts, new sneakers and his airplane backpack for his big day. We walked them up and got each of them placed in their grade line. All the other parents appeared to go in with their Kindergartener. But Asher, he said he could do it. I wanted to, but I didn't as I knew I would cry. Asher knew I was sad and did not need me balling down the hallway. :) And, Chris was nowhere in sight and was not going to go with me. Now, a day later, I wish I would have gone in and snapped a picture and then left.

The first morning went by quickly at home. I walked the dog, caught up on bills, went and grabbed subway for the kids for lunch and picked up pictures for Asher for a school project he had already (from open house). By then, it was 11:40 and time to pick them up. They said they had a good day. Asher may or may not have got left on the playground (really!?!) but he did not seem too upset by it.

Today, day 2, is a whole other story. I was alone when I said my goodbyes. Asher, again, did not want me to stay. There are SO MANY people everywhere it is overwhelming. There is not really a place to stand. I put Asher in line, gave him and hug and wondered, "Where do I go? Where do I stand? I need a hand to hold!" They all went inside without a problem. I walked home in tears.

Being a stay at home mom with kids was my life. I would not trade it for the world. But, now alone at home, I miss them. I miss Asher's hugs, his little conversations with me, cartoons on as background noise, giggles, play dates, laughter, tears and boo boos to kiss. Now, all of those things have to wait until 3pm each day. Time with the kids at home with me went by so fast, too fast!

So far, the dental assistant already asked, "Do you not work or anything or do you just have the day off?" on day 2 of the kids being in school. I almost went off on her saying my kids just went back to school yesterday! But, I didn't and said I work on call as a nurse at night (Well, I do!). Then, a friend of Addison's who works full time as a nurse asked me the same thing, "What do you do here all day without kids?!" Um, it was like she did not have a home. There is a ton to do! Mow the lawn, clean this freaking house, grocery shop, etc. And I DO WORK! I will figure out what I will do. It will come and I am not going to stress about it. For now, I am just going to catch up on all the things I let slide while I watched my babies grow up. 

And, I think I want to home school. :)

Numbered Days

I have been a stay at home mom for 5 1/2 years, starting right after Asher was born. In a meer 10 days, all 3 of my babies will be in elementary school. It is an end of an era, one that I am not exactly ready to end.

When I started staying home, Alivia was 3 1/2, Addison 15m and Asher a baby. It is hard to believe they are all old enough to be in school. I will miss getting hugs all day long, playing with them all day long, going to the zoo, museums, etc, etc, all day long with them while they are in school. I am dreading sending them all to school.

I know Asher is ready. But, I am not.

I know I would never be ready.

I don't know what the next step is for me. I decided that I wanted to enjoy this time with them at home and not focus on what happens next until the time came. I still have a few more days until I really should give it some thought. Until then, I have some hugs to give all day long.

I'm off to soak up the summer sun with my 3 beautiful babies.

To the Lake AGAIN!

Last week, I loaded the kiddos in the van along with a few supplies and set off for a mini vacation to my parents lake home. Chris had taken a vacation the week before with his Dad to Estes park, leaving us at home. I wanted to go back to the lake that week, but my parents had guests at the lake (and they were not even there!). So, last week was better than nothing, making it our second trip yet this month.

The drive took 5 hr and 15 minute with one brief restroom stop. I amazed myself. I was about to jump out of my own skin after driving that far alone, but was happy I could do it without a navigator. Within minutes of our arrival, we were in the water. It was so warm compared to our visit earlier in the month. All the kids were jumping in the water, going down the slide and having a blast. My hesitation about going to the lake alone was gone. This is why I stay home!

While at the lake, we visited the Lake of the Ozarks Beach in Osage Beach where the kids played with 2 little girls their age for about 6 hours. They had a blast. The kids got comfortable swimming without their life jackets in the lake as I stayed just inside what they found to be deeper water to keep them at bay. It was a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time jumping off of my parents dock and just swimming around. We went out to Papa Chubbys for pizza one night and the kids swam on the beach there. On our last day there, last Friday, it rained most of the day. So, we loaded up and went shopping at the outlets, school shopping and ended (somehow) at the candy store. We love the candy store. :) After the rain, Asher climbed up Grandma and Grandpa's slide, laid down head first and face up and went down the slide! What a crazy, brave boy!

Last Saturday, we climbed in the van at 750am and make it home within 5 hours without stopping so Alivia could make a birthday party that afternoon. It was an amazingly fun trip that I would do again this week if I could. Shoot, what do we have going on this week, hummm...

Addison's 7th Birthday!

On Friday, our little girl Addison turned 7 years old. She wanted to celebrate in style and had a whole day planned. But, if you know our Addison, her plans are never concrete.

Addison woke up to excitement for her big day. After a brief breakfast, she opened her glow pet that she has been asking for since well before Alivia's birthday. We have heard so much about this glow pet that we did not want to wait any longer to give it to her. She was, of course, thrilled!

Our day started early, with a 9am hair cut appointment in northwest Omaha. We left our home at 8:45 (ooops). Clearly, 9am was a bit too early for us. Addison wanted to donate her hair to pantene hair donation on her birthday. But, once she arrived to Concepts Salon, Addison only wanted a few inches cut off. Really Addison?!

Addison did get 4-5 inches cut off of her long locks, just not the 8-10 that she had planned. She always had her hair styled and her nails painted, but she skipped the make up. Alivia also got all dolled up.

They looked so cute!
 

Next up, Addison wanted her ears pierced. Alivia had hers pierced on her 6th birthday. Although Alivia was scared, she thought it was something she was supposed to do. Addison, on the other hand, has been really hesitant. We arrived to Claires (where else do you go for this anymore?!). Addison picked out a $55!!! earring piercing package (unbelievable!), had her ears marked. The gun came out of the box and Addison was out of there. That was that. She was not having her ears pierced. Maybe next year, she said. See what I mean about plans? :)

Our next plan was to play at the park with friends before library picnic story time (after the story, each kiddo gets to select a new book to keep). The kids played at the park, had their picnic and selected a book. However, our friends were sick and could not make it.

We then came home to prepare for Addison's big 7th birthday party. For Addison's birthday, she asked for an inground pool. She had a friend come for a play date early in the summer. Maybe 15 minutes after arriving, this friends' mom came and picked them up because their neighbor invited them over to play in their inground pool. The little girl said she would come back to play when Addison had an inground pool. Are you kidding me?! I was not sure whose behavior was more shocking, the girl's or her mothers. I mean really, the girl left before her mom picked her up to go to a better play date. The whole thing is shocking. I told Addison, one, the girl is not a true friend if she means what she said. Two, pools cost as much as 2-4 cars (and our cars are old and have 100,000 miles on them, so mabe 10 of our cars. :) ), and three, that little girl would never be invited to play in the pool if we did get one! With my explanation, Addison still beleived she would be getting a pool (like we could sneak one in the ground over night while she slept of something). Well, to make her somewhat happy, but knowing we would probably get one of Addison's worst stink eyes anyway, we bought her a blow up pool slide from blast zone. The thing cost a small fortune, but not as much as an in ground version would have set us back. In the end, Addison was quite thrilled with the slide. We got out her new slide, the blow up pool and a bunch of pool toys and that she celebrated turning 7 with a splash with her friends.

She got some nice journals from Justice and a bag full of art supplies. She was excited by all the attention and presents.

Next up, the dinner party with her Grandparents. We grilled hotdogs and hamburgers and celerbated some more. She received a much desired fur real horse from Chris' parents and a new bike from my parents. Both gifts have been used a lot already since Friday's party.

Our little Addison is growing up. She is tall for us (50%) and skinny, which is typical for us, but healthy. Addison, even at 7, is always seeking our attention. She likes to read, draw, play with her millions of puppies, is usually walking around with a stuffed dog, likes a few close friend opposed to having many not so close friends, likes the color purple and is a healthy eater. Addison is, by far, our biggest challenge. She whines more than any child her age I am sure of it. She typically whines and whines. If you cave and give it to her, she still whines (so we never cave because we can never win). She is an award winning stink eye giver and gives us looks that could do serious harm. But, she has an amazing and beautiful smile, if you are lucky enough to get to see it. Chris and I would have our lives too easy if we did not have Addison, so we will keep her. :) She keeps us on our toes, that is for sure.

Now for her birthday questions, favorites:
Fav color: Purple
Toy: Horse and glow pet and new dog from grandma Bet
Fav fruit: Apples, grapes
fav thing to eat for lunch. Watermelon (or a chips and cheese lunchable that I will not buy her :) ).
Fav game: Baking games, Animal Jam
Fav snack: Pringle sticks
Fav Song: Puff the magic dragon (ask Chris about this one!).
Fav book: Elephant and Piggy
Best Friends: Kate, Haley and Kaityln
Fav cereal: chocolate mini wheats, cocoa puffs
fav thing to do outside: ride in the jeep, scooters, swim
Fav drink; COKE! (Ask Daddy again! She never gets coke).
Fav Holiday: Christmas
What do you take to bed with you at night: Glow pet, stuffed dog
Fav thing to eat at breakfast: Mini donuts, waffles, bacon
What to eat for your birthday? Hamburgers
What do you want to be when you grow up? A vet or a teacher.

Addison said she had a great birthday! Happy Birthday little Addison! You continue to amaze us everyday. We love you!

Lake of the Ozarks Vaca 2013

This year we visited my parents home at the Lake of the Ozarks Friday, June 28 through Friday, July 5. Asher stayed until Sunday, July 7 with my parents.
We arrived to dropping temperatures. It was 80 at 8pm when we pulled up to my parents home. I thought it was weird that it was warmer at home. Little did we know that 80 would be the warmest we would see it until the end of our trip. The first couple days we just chilled by the dock. The first morning it was 67 degrees. I went running and was shocked to not get hot (but I saw a deer and my first ever armadillo!).  Anyway, even with the cool temperatures, the kids jumped right in, going down the slide. Chris got in, too, God bless him, as I sure was not getting into the cold water. The kids played in the water on and off during Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday night, my parents arrived. We then got out the jet skis and took many rides, the boat for scenic rides as well as to go tubing. All the kids love to go tubing (with Daddy) but my body just can not hack the jarring of tubing. I'm a nervous wreck just watching the kids tubing. Addison and Asher liked to go on canoe rides with Chris and I, seeing deer, big bullfrogs and water snakes. Addison was so mad I could not catch this huge frog the size of a raccoon. Honestly, I did not want to be anywhere near it, let alone catch the thing in the net! Asher liked to go in circles really fast on the jet ski with Daddy or Grandpa (Mommy was too slow), Addison liked to go slow on the jet ski, and Alivia drove the jet ski like a mad woman. She did slow down (under 60mph) after I told her 40 mph should be her limit. Gees! I was glad she went speedy with speedy Grandpa and not with me.
We took the short drive over to Osage Beach to go to the Outlets and to Grandma's Candy Store. We learned after this trip to make the shopping trip to the candy store late in the trip (so you only CAN go once) and leave the kids at home with Grandma and Grandpa when going to the outlets. Gees! I at least got a nice new yellow nike hat that I have already gotten my money's worth out of and Chris got some new Nike t-shirts. The girls, of course, loaded up at the Justice outlet (sigh!).
This was our first Fourth of July at the Lake. My parents' neighbor took us out in his beautiful new pontoon boat to see the show on the water at Tantara resort. It was fabulous! It was cool to see all the boats floating in the water waiting for the show, too. Amazing show.
It was a wonderful trip to the Lake, as usual. Now...for the list of family favorites.
Alivia: Learning to control the jet ski (with assistance), swimming, tubing, going down the slide, oreos, hot chocolate for breakfast, and Grandpa's home made ice cream.
Addison: Canoe rides, slow jet ski rides, the slide, eating candy, slow tubing, and sleeping next to Mommy and Daddy most of the nights at the lake.
Asher: Canoe rides, fast jet ski rides, tubing, Grandpa's Huge hamburgers with a slice of bacon on them, and getting to stay later with Grandma and Grandpa. Oh, and Asher loves candy legos and gummy worms from the candy store.
Chris: sleeping in, not working (although he did work anyway), canoe rides, jet ski rides, time with the family, shopping with me (love the metal store! Next year I am buying me something there!), and maybe a little tubing.
Me: Canoe rides, quiet runs in the mornings with my parents' dog Kota (but with brown bears in the area, running may not be very smart), jet ski rides, grandma's swing over the water, Grandpa's state of the art new dock.

Dislikes: the brown recluse spiders we saw. I hope the spray man gets these things before our return. YIKES! We had one crawling up behind our bed as we were about to crawl into it late on the 4th of July. Chris and I had insomnia that night! I wonder why?!

With that said, I am tempted to make a return trip to the lake. Seriously. I have not said anything to anyone, but I like the chill environment of the lake. It is so laid back and nice. I miss that when I get home, to reality. I need to take a piece of that laid back life back to Nebraska...and I think I left it all at the lake. I must return to get it. :)

4th of July 2013.

June 2013 in Review

What a crazy month June was! We kicked off summer with Catholic Education for 2 weeks, then swimming lessons for 2 weeks, ending June by going to the Lake of the Ozarks (which will be in July's pictures). We visited the Omaha Children's Museum, Durham Museum, Gene Leahy Mall and went to the pool. The kids had many play dates, too. Asher, at 5 1/2, lost his first tooth and then his second tooth a day later. We celebrated Father's Day, Alivia ran her 2nd 5K run in Shelby, Iowa, Daddy continued his hunt for his next perfect job (still hunting). The month went by too quickly, though. In less than a month, all of our kids will be in elementary school! Gotta run...time is running out to enjoy the rest of the summer! 

 JUNE PICTURES

Asher's 1st Lost Tooth!

Yesterday, June 15, our 5 1/2 year old Asher lost his first tooth, a primary front tooth on the bottom. Today, he lost his second tooth, one right next to it! The permanent teeth are already there right behind them ready to slip into place.

Asher's teeth have been loose for a few weeks now. He hasn't been able to bite into an apple for at least a couple weeks. He said yesterday he would allow Daddy to take a look at them and pull them. Asher waited until 8pm to ask Daddy. Gees! Give the tooth fairy a little notice. :)

I, of course, should have been prepared but wasn't. But, the Tooth Fairy came through with a little, superman cup and a requested Superman t-shirt, $5 for the first tooth, and a cute little letter. Asher was so excited he woke up the entire house at 5:50 AM to tell us what the tooth fairy had brought him. Too cute!

Asher's tooth fairy, named Spider Sliversnap, better save her energy as she needs to return tonight.

We definitely do not have any more babies in our house...

Alivia's 2nd 5K Run

Last weekend, Alivia ran her second 5k in my hometown of Shelby, Iowa. We drove out the night before and stayed with my parents in their home that is the midst of a total renovation. It was bananas there. I was so tired (as I worked Thursday night, stayed up all day Friday and then drive to Iowa to stay with my parents Friday night) that I could have slept on a rock and would have not known the difference.

Anyway, we woke on Saturday morning to a chilly one. Alivia was nervous. Funny, when I run with Alivia, the pressure is off of me. :) We had to ride to the starting line and just froze. They then went back to get more people and we froze some more. The race started 15-20 minutes late. Alivia and I were so cold!

The run itself was more of a challenge this time as Alivia has not been running as much as she should have been. The run was on a beautiful trail through town unlike anything we have here to run on. It was so pretty. As we approached the big hill at the end, I told Alivia to empty her tank. She just took off passing people up the hill. She finished in 28.50! Impressive for a 9 year old little girl. She did amazing.

For now, Alivia is taking a break. She loves to run, and vows to keep on running.

Father's Day 2013

Happy Father's Day!
Today started off early in the Austin Household I got up 10 minutes earlier than my normal 5:45 workout time so that I could get in my workout and still be on time for today's activities. As I reached the basement to begin my HASFIT, I heard little feet running upstairs. I laughed as I imagined Chris getting woke up so early on Father's Day.
Sure enough, at 5:50 AM, Asher woke up Daddy to inform him what the tooth fairy brought Asher for losing his first tooth. Asher was so excited to run down the stairs to find me (after waking up Daddy and his sisters first). Kinda funny.
At 7, a little bit more reasonable hour, the kids ran in to officially wake Daddy with their hugs, kisses and Father's Day surprises. Each kiddo brought Daddy a  special gift bag. Asher gave Daddy a Super Dad t-shirt, a book, and little forms about Daddy filled out by each of the kids. Addison brought in Daddy a Pinterest Special, a bag full of POP and Daddy things (POPcorn, blowPOPs, POProcks, POPsickles, Sugar Daddys - from me of course ;), etc. Alivia gave Daddy a framed letter to Daddy that turned out pretty cute, too.
We were on the road to the flight breakfast in Iowa by 7:30, visiting my Dad. By lunch, we were back at home and walked over to visit Chris' Dad, Aunt and Uncle and Grandparents at Chris' parents house down the street. We felt like we were crashing the party there as we were not really invited and Chris' brother was on his way...so we split for home. We spent the afternoon swimming in our little pool under the sun, finally.

It was a nice, peaceful Father's Day. With that said, I told Chris that we are going to start a new tradition for Father's Day. Everyone has family to go to, and well, we don't really.  My Dad is busy at the air show and his parents are busy with, well, their family. So, it is time we make our own traditions. We will start that next year. I have a whole year to plan something fun!

I am lucky. I have an amazing Dad that I can call on for advise, to help me fix something, help me trade stocks, etc. My Dad is the most independent smart man I know. Then I have my amazing husband and Daddy to our 3 kiddos. He is always active with the kids, playing baseball, water fights, sledding, and usually blends right in with all the kids' activities (he looks like one of them!). Chris walks into the door and the kids run from all directions to give him a hug. He works all hours just to keep this big roof over our heads and us happy. What a Dad!
On the kids' surveys, they thought Chris was his age of 41, but thought he was 41 pounds, born in 1984, favorite saying was, "dong diggity" from Big Bang Theory". They thought Daddy's favorite food was pizza or shrimp (which was right on).  It was fun to see how the kids filled them out.
Happy Father's Day! Shouldn't Every Day be Mother's and Father's Day?!

May in Review, Finally

The month started with May Day, visiting Grandma Marci. The weather has been weird, even snowing in MAY!! We went to the zoo with Addison's 2nd grade class, Asher graduated from preschool and finished up his Monday preschool, we celebrated Alivia's 9th birthday and Mother's Day. We had to say good-bye to our Grandma Marci. I'm so very thankful that Asher and I started out month visiting her...

MAY PICTURES

Alivia's 9th Birthday

I am not doing so good on keeping up this blog. I'm not sure how the time gets away from me, but it just does.
Last Saturday, Alivia celebrated her 9th Birthday. Only one more year until she is in the double digits! Craziness. Where does the time go? Our little girl is growing up.
Alivia celebrated with her friends after the last day of school on Friday, having 5 girls over for a sleepover. They played spin the body on the bottle was nail polish. Pretty fun and cute game. They played twister, made friendship bracelets, before watching a movie. In the morning (after a long night I may add), they made sun catchers. They all had a good time.
We celebrated with Chris' parents, my parents, and Alivia's Great Grandma Patricia by having a little BBQ at our home. Turns out, Alivia no longer wanted a hotdog or hamburger! She is quite selective with her eating lately, liking something one day and not the next! I have a feeling this may get worse before it gets better. Alivia received Lego friends from her grandparents, clothes and money. She was thrilled. She had large lego friends pieces to put together, and she loved doing that over the next few rainy days (and we have had our share of those!).
From us, Alivia received an iPad mini with a pink little case. Now, I know, she is only 9! But, she was already using Chris' so much that he never saw it. Alivia only asked for a mini, so when I saw them go on price drop at Walmart, Chris insisted I jump on it. After opening it, Addison and Asher were not happy. But, they are used to the idea now. Addison and Asher have iPod touches, but they do not use them much except when we are traveling.
Alivia is growing up. Her tastes are changing. She likes technology, but she still likes art. She now likes to run, which we are pleased to see her take an interest in. Alivia likes to spend a lot of time with her friends, with Elizabeth taking up most of her time. Alivia likes to ride her scooter, roller blade, and break away and play animal jam on the computer (when Mom breaks down and allows her to play). Alivia has such a big heart and is quite thoughtful. She likes to talk and can talk for a great length of time without taking a breath. Humm...could that be her age? :) And, this year she claimed to have a little boyfriend named Caleb all year. Insane, am I right?!

Here are her questions answered for Age 9
1. Favorite color: Light blue and pink.
2. Favorite Toy: ipad that she got for her birthday/animal jam
3. Favorite Fruit: Strawberries
4. Favorite TV show: Zak and Cody or Jessie
5. Favorite thing to eat for lunch: Roast beef and cheese sandwich (Although she never eats it! She is a greek yogurt n fruit kind of girl. She loves her salads, too!).
6. Favorite outfit: Monkey shirt from Justice
7. Favorite Game: Animal Jam.
8. Favorite snack: popsickle
9. Favorite animal: Kittens, puppies
10. Favorite song: Taylor Swift: Never Getting Back Together
11. Favorite book: Bad Kitty
12. Best Friend: Elizabeth
13. Favorite Cereal: Chocolate Chex
14. Favorite Thing to do outside: Run around, basketball
15. Favorite drink: Lemonade
16. Favorite Holiday: Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Stuffed dog
18. Favorite thing for breakfast? Chocolate chex (Alivia does not like eggs, bacon, waffles, or donuts!).
19. Favorite restaurant? McDonalds?! ?!
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A vet and a singer.