Remembering 2011

It's that time again when we look back over the past year and try to remember the good and the bad, the growth and the challenges, and then decide how to make the next year even better. 
2011 was a good year for the Barnum family.  Some of the highlights included:

• Nate working his first full year for Verizon.  We're so grateful for a job that's keeping him indoors.  It has translated into fewer episodes of illness.  I think in 2011 we only had one bout with bronchitis and no pneumonia!  
• Jonah starting 2nd grade and Lilly starting Kindergarten.  They both love to learn and do so well in school.  They sure know how to make their Mama proud.  
• Ashley (me) taking up running and running in the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay.  Something I never in a million years thought I would do, but I really loved it.  I'm not doing so well keeping up with it so far this winter, but we're working on remedying that. 
• Jayne turned 3 and became fully potty trained.  Bye-bye diapers!
• Our Oregon vacation in August.  It was such a fun-filled, memory making adventure.  We can't wait to plan another one!
• Nate turned the big 3-0!  He says he feels like an old man.  
• We visited Zion's National Park.  It was the first time ever for me and the kids and it was breathtaking.  We didn't get to see as much as we would have liked, so we'll just have to go back.  
• We also did a family camping trip with my mom, sister, and brother at Payson Lakes.  It was beautiful and we had a great time.
• Lilly and Jonah took swimming lessons
• We visited Hogle Zoo and Tracy Aviary

I think that's about it for now.  I'm sure many more magical and eventful things happened in 2011, but my poor brain just isn't what it used to be.
So now we look forward to 2012.  It's going to be a fabulous year!  I can feel it in my bones.  I'll be graduating with my bachelor's degree in August.  It will feel so good to finally get that done!  Jonah will be turning 8 and getting baptized.  We're working on another family vacation or two.  And who knows what else?!  We'll take whatever life chooses to dish out!  Happy New Year!

"The Lost Camera Cord" and/or "My Endless List of Excuses"

I can't tell you how many times I have thought about updating this blog in the last few weeks.  Seriously, it's got to be in the thousands at least!  And then when I finally sat down to do it I couldn't find the cord that connects my camera to my computer.  So I figured I'd just wait until I found the cord because a blog post about our camping adventure or swimming lessons just isn't the same without pictures to go with it.  So, yeah, that was a week ago.  Other excuses for my recent lack of blogging include, but are not limited to:

• Trying to finish up the last few weeks of my semester one week early because we're going on vacation during finals week
• Reading and listening to way too much environmental chemistry
• Finishing all my statistics assignments for the entire semester(which I did on Monday, thank you very much!)
• Shuttling the kiddos to swim lessons
• Trying to have some fun outings with the kids while they're all on summer break
• Writing observation papers for middle childhood development
• Various cub scout activities
• Running
• Family get-togethers with the in-laws
• Losing that ridiculous cord that I only have one of!

Anyhoo, I just wanted to pop by and let the world (by that I mean my mother and the very few who like to read about our crazy life so that they can feel better about their own) know that we are still here and exciting adventures are occurring and as soon as I turn my house upside down and find that blasted tiny cord that I KNOW I put in a "special place"(which is code for a never ending abyss of blackness) I WILL post about them!

RAGNAR? Yikes!

I mentioned a while back that I've taken up running a little bit.  Well, I don't know if you could really call it running.  It's more like jogging at slightly more than a snail's pace compared to people who are real, true blue "runners".  I usually run 2 to 3 times a week and average between 2 and 4 miles per run.  
Well, a guy in our ward does quite a bit of running and put together a team for the Las Vegas RAGNAR relay race in October.  I think I must be crazy, because I decided to be on it!  This is where the "Yikes!" from the title comes in.  
So, what is a RAGNAR relay?  It's a very long relay race, 188 miles.  This one is from Lake Mead to Las Vegas.  Each team has 12 runners and each runner does 3 legs of the race.  When you're not running, you're in a van with your teammates.  I've been assured that there are legs of the race that are easy/moderate and between 5 to 8 miles that I can do.  If you want to learn more about the RAGNAR, you can go to the Las Vegas RAGNAR website. 
They have a suggested training schedule that I'm following and I'm excited about this adventure, but I have to admit that I'm a little freaked out.  I've never done anything like this before and I'm a bit surprised at myself for agreeing to it.  But there's no backing out now and I don't want to anyway. So wish me luck! 
 

Year Round School vs. Traditional: Which do you prefer?

Our elementary school is on a year round track schedule.  With Jonah being in 1st grade, this is our second year with this type of schedule and it seems that with every track break, I despise it even more.  I've heard people claim that year round school is supposed to increase retention and that the more frequent breaks are supposed to be beneficial, but I'm not seeing it.  I feel like the three week breaks interrupt their learning a bit too much.  For example, Jonah's track only went to school for two weeks after Christmas break before having a three week track break.  It felt like those two weeks were pointless.  His teacher didn't send home the usual homework sheets or mark in their planners or anything. 
I don't know about other people's children, but Jonah really hates changes in his schedule.  It feels like as soon as we get into the swing of things with school, he goes on another break and then we have to kind of start over again.  He went back on track today and when he got home, I could tell he was exhausted and emotional. It's usually like that for the first few days that he's back in school. 
They're building a new elementary school in our neighborhood which I hear is going to be on a traditional schedule.  Alas, we're about six houses north of the border for the new school. I've heard rumors that they might switch our school to traditional since the number of students should be down, but nothing is for certain.  So, I guess I'm wondering how others feel about it.  Year round or traditional?  I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

The Smaller Picture

Lately I have found myself in a funk.  It's a familiar one where I keep getting hung up on the "if only" and the "what if" and the "why".  I feel stuck as though no matter how hard I try, my life will never become what I once thought it would be or even what I now feel it should be.  I keep comparing myself to others and seeing how green the grass looks on the other side. 
You know how people tell you to look at the "big picture"? Well, I discovered that the only way to give myself the proverbial kick in the pants and get out of my funk was to do the opposite.  I decided to look at the "smaller picture". 
The smaller picture is more individual.  It's different for everyone.  For me, it is three beautiful children who are intelligent, kind, and funny as all get out.  It's a hard working, loving husband who supports me everyday and believes in me even when I'm in my aforementioned funk.  My smaller picture is a roof over our heads, clothing on our backs, and food on our table.  It's me progressing in my education.  It's cuddling up on the couch at the end of the day with my favorite person in the world and dozing off to some action movie that I've already seen fifty times.  It's a healthy family. 
No matter what is going on in the rest of the world or what outside influences are getting me down, I can look at my smaller picture and be reminded of what really matters. 

So long funk.  I'm in my happy place. 

There's something about holding a baby....

...that just makes everything feel right in the world.  A friend of mine just dropped by with her two month old baby girl. I could have held her forever!  Don't start getting any ideas(Mom).  I'm done having babies.  As wonderful as it would be to have a sweet little baby to cuddle and feed and rock to sleep, I have to remind myself that they don't stay babies for very long.  Soon, they turn into toddlers.  Precocious, adventurous, can't-keep-up-with-them-for-anything toddlers.  And those beautiful little creatures require a whole lot of time and care and money.  Plus, I already have three to keep up with, throwing another one in the mix wouldn't bode well for my sanity. 
It was great to just sit and reminisce with my friend about being a new mother and  remember all my sweet little babies.  I'm grateful that now that mine are growing, I still get to hold other mothers' babies and feel that amazing warmth and spirit of a new child. 
Motherhood definitely is the greatest and most challenging adventure I've ever undertaken, but it offers such amazing rewards! 

I miss my body

I am nowhere near old.  I'm not exactly a young filly anymore either.   In my last post I mentioned a few things that no one ever tells you about growing up and becoming a parent.  Today, thanks to my adventure in running this morning(yes, running), I am reminded of one thing that nobody ever tells you about pregnancy and childbirth:  During pregnancy your body changes in ways you never thought imaginable and some of those ways NEVER GO BACK TO NORMAL!!!  So young women beware! 
A few of the doozies include, but are not limited to...

• wider hips---I knew they'd spread a bit to make room for the babies, but I honestly didn't realize that they would spread more each time and then stay that way.  We're talking the bones people, not just fat.  
• forgetfulness---when you're pregnant some hormone or something causes the neurons in your brain to be a little farther apart which causes the whole absentmindedness thing and no, they don't go back either.  
• loose joints---over the course of three pregnancies, I became so good at dropping things that I am now not to be trusted with anything of value that may break upon impact with the ground.  Also, my hip joints are much more loose and are aching like crazy right now.  Yes, they were my inspiration for this enlightening post.  
• saggy breasts---I had to say this one.  Sure, they get all full and nice while you're pregnant and during breastfeeding.  But beware the deflation!  It will happen as soon as that milk dries up.  Oh, and the deflation times 3?!  Yeah, my ladies look a bit tired.  Thank goodness for the miracles they can work with bras nowadays. 
• skin---skin changes in weird ways when you have kids.  I have three times as many freckles now as I did before venturing into motherhood and a lovely(feel the sarcasm?) mole on my chin that appeared while pregnant with Jonah and only increased in size with Lilly and Jayne.  I'm saving some pennies to get the sucker lopped off one of these days when I don't have more important things to spend the money on.  
• You grow hair in places you  never thought it possible---Yes, I'll admit it.  I never had to pluck ANYTHING before having babies.  Now I get these annoying black hairs on the sides of my face and sometimes my chin that I have to yank out on a very regular basis.  
• Battle Scars----Thanks to the lack of elasticity of my skin and the wonderful weight gain of pregnancy, no amount of lotions or creams could prevent the gigantic stretch marks that now decorate my body.  They may fade, but those puppies don't go away.....ever. 

 I could probably go on some more, but you get the idea.  I miss my pre-baby body.  But I must admit, those three cute little creatures that are now my world were worth the sacrifice.  

So I will take my achy hips, stretch marks, and saggy breasts and slip into a hot bath....if I can remember where I put the bubbles. 

Changing Your Dreams

It's funny how the things you want most can change over time.  Growing up, we may have had dreams of being professional athletes or musicians or changing the world.  When you're young, everyone encourages you to choose a "dream" that you want to work to achieve.  The sad reality is that most of those aspirations are exactly what they are named, dreams.  They almost never come to fruition in the ways we imagine.  
When I was a girl, my friends and I would play that M.A.S.H. game.  Don't pretend you didn't play it too.  You would write down your top four choices for things like who you would marry, how many children you'd have, what job you would have, where you would live, what kind of car you would drive,....the list could be endless.  Then through random counting and crossing out and circling, you would arrive at your destiny---Married to a movie star, driving a brand new convertible, working as a professional singer, living on the beach, and raising eight beautiful children. 
No one tells you about the realities of life.  No one tells you that your chances of being rich and famous and never having to have a "real" job are slim to none.  No one tells you how hard it is to raise one child, let alone the numbers on your little M.A.S.H paper.  No one tells you that once you have those children, you're going to have to rearrange every priority in your life and more than likely, your "dreams" will change in the blink of an eye.  
Before I got married and had my first child, I was a music major, vocal performance to be exact.  I don't mind saying that I was pretty good, and getting better thanks to amazing professors.  I had my little dreams about auditioning for opera companies, even if I was just in the chorus, and eventually having my own studio.  I loved to perform.  
Enter marriage.  I still was going to school.  I was a bit distracted, but still focused on my dream.  
Enter baby.  Jonah was born in January.  I attended full time at college the semester before he was born.  Even performing in several concerts, recitals, and juries in December.  My pregnant belly would bounce with my breathing and I had a very hard time with the long phrases.  I looked pretty silly, but sounded pretty good.  
After Jonah was born, reality sunk in.  Going to school full time and taking care of a new baby while your husband also goes to school full time and works full time is no easy task.  So I "took a break".  This is where the dreams begin to change.  
All of a sudden I'm thinking more about financial aspects of my chosen path.  Music isn't exactly a sure thing business to get into and I want to be able to contribute to our family if I need to.  We'd decided that I would be a stay at home mom, but I wanted to be prepared should the situation change.  We found that both of us going to school full time and Nate working full time wasn't working out, so I stopped going to school.  Not before I'd taken some family studies courses and gotten interested. 
It took five years before I was able to continue my education.  I'm so grateful for online degree programs.  But now, my dream has changed from being a performer to being a good mom.  I love my major, family life studies, because it applies directly to my life.  When I'm finished, depending on our situation at the time, I'd like to pursue a masters degree, possibly in marriage and family therapy.  
It's funny how my dreams have changed to much simpler things...healthy, happy kids, a good marriage, a career helping others.  These are my new dreams.  My wonderful, attainable, fulfilling dreams.  
I know this post is incredibly long, and I didn't initially mean for it to be.  It was inspired my recent events in our home.  Nate has changed his dreams.  He always dreamed of working in law enforcement.  He loved the idea of chasing down the bad guy, driving the police car, and carrying his gun everyday.  He's worked toward this for a long time.  He finally finished his B.A. and recently he applied for border patrol.  It was his "dream".  He could use his Spanish, carry his firearm, and have exciting work days.  He passed his test and was given a tentative offer of employment.  We filled out all the paperwork and he passed the next hiring phase.  Then he got his job with Verizon, which has been going really well.  When the cards came for us to get his fingerprints done and mailed in and to schedule his interview, he made the hard decision.  He said, "Border patrol may be perfect for me, but it's not perfect for our family."  I'm so proud of him for putting our family first. He recognized that it would mean a lot more time apart, dangerous work, and a drastic lifestyle change for our family.  While we mourn the loss of Nate's dream, we rejoice in the blessings we have.  His new job is working out wonderfully so far and shows lots of promise.  

I love you Nate.  Thank you for being such an amazing husband, father, friend, and example.  

Arctic Circle's Halloween Horror

Last Friday, Jonah received a certificate from school for a free ice cream cone from Arctic Circle. I decided to take the kids over that day after a trip to the park.
We went inside because three young children with ice cream cones inside a moving vehicle is a disaster in the making. As soon as we walked in the door, I wanted to walk right back out again. There were bloodied knives and bones hanging from the ceiling. The entire place was draped in black plastic. They had a large skeleton along with a display of various body parts in jars. Oh, and there was also plenty of gory looking fake blood on the walls and ceiling. Jonah called it Halloween Horror and I must say that I agree. We ate our ice cream cones as quickly as possible and I was sure to try to keep the kids' eyes on anything but the decor. Is it just me, or does this type of gory, violent decoration not belong in a family friendly fast food restaurant?
Am I the only one who is disturbed by the way Halloween keeps leaning more and more to the violent, bloody, and almost satanic? I was on my morning walk around the neighborhood with Jayne this morning and I made it a point to notice the Halloween decorations on people's homes. Most had the murderer from Scream on their front door holding a bloody kitchen knife. Several had body parts and fake blood plastered across their windows. And, of course, we had plenty of the scary skeletons dressed as brides or waiters or whatever. What happened to cute Halloween decorations? Trick-or-treating children don't need to be greeted by severed heads and bloody weapons in their faces. Come on People! On Halloween night there will be cute little kids dressed as fairies and firemen coming to the door and your "cool" decorations just might give them nightmares or scar them for life. Think about it before you hang up your next dangling body part by the front door.

On My Own

Nate has been in Denver for his training for an entire week now. It feels like an eternity! He calls home at least once a day. The kids love talking to him on the phone, especially Jayne. Whenever I'm on the phone now, she'll look up at me and say, "Daddy?" and if I say yes, then she starts pulling on me and yelling, "I talk, I talk, I talk!" She's a real chatterbox with him.
The kids are really starting to miss him a lot. Of course, they missed him right from the get-go, but now they're starting to ask more often when he's going to be home.

I'm trying to keep myself productive to help the time pass quicker, but I don't think it's working.
I've cleaned out the basement bedroom so the landlord can rip out the carpet and the baseboards and clean up the mold. Yeah, that's a whole other post just waiting for me to write it.
I've gotten ahead on my school work by an entire week.
I've been walking with Jayne almost every morning.
I cleaned the entire house. Not that it stayed clean very long. Three kids have a tendency to create clutter.
We put out the Halloween decorations, meager as they may be.
Went to Relief Society volleyball and I'll go again this week. It's a lot of fun. Thank goodness for Ciera, who lives two houses down and comes to stay with my kids so I can go play at 9:00 at night.
Went to cub scouts last week and am working on planning out this month's activities including one for this Wednesday. Yep, some major procrastinating went into that one.
Rented a couple movies and discovered that they're not as fun to watch by yourself.
Took the kids to the library.

I never realized how much I depend on Nate. He saves my sanity on a daily basis by making me laugh and giving me a precious bit of time to myself. He has a way with the kids that makes them happy and fun to be around. Not to mention, he makes a perfect bed buddy. Pillows just aren't the same.

I definitely wasn't made for this. I could never be a military wife. I don't know how you wonderful, strong, amazing women do this for such extended periods of time. You are my heroes!

He gets to come home this weekend, then he'll fly back to Denver for another week of training. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this Friday at 10:05pm. Not so much looking forward to this Sunday at 5:07pm and I am really, really, really, REALLY looking forward to Friday the 15th at 10:05pm.

I'm such a wimp.
The End.

Don't Knock on My Door

I've finally decided I need to invest in a "No Soliciting" sign for our front door, although our neighbor says they usually just ignore hers and knock anyway.
We get lots of people selling things door to door around here, we've even had a few who straight out ask you for money. If you are ever trying to sell something door to door, here are some tips, from me to you....

• Don't do some cute little knock that requires you to bang out a long rhythm on my door. Two knocks will do, more than that just annoys me.
• Look professional. You can start by combing your hair and wearing appropriate clothing. If you're knocking on my front door in your booty shorts and tank top trying to tell me that you're a straight A student selling magazines for extra money for your education, I'm going to close that door right in your face. A straight A student would know better.
• Which brings me to my second point. Don't lie to me. Like this man today, he comes to my door with messy hair, wearing a wife beater, an open front short sleeve shirt and khaki shorts and flip flops and tries to tell me that he's just finishing up his degree in communications and has a 4.0 GPA and that he's been offered a six week internship with the BBC in London and he's selling magazines to earn his airfare and hotel expenses. Do I have stupid written on my forehead?! I've taken a few communications classes myself and I know that they teach you about appearance and body language. From your appearance and the way you won't look me directly in the eye when you're telling me about your college conquests, I'm gonna say you're not on the level.
• If you're handing me a pamphlet, don't keep it folded up in your back pocket. If you want me to purchase something from you, you've got to be professional about it.
  
• Don't ask me for dirt on my neighbors
• Don't tell me that you still live with your mom, especially when you're obviously in your late 20's, early 30's.
  
• And last, but not least.....just don't knock on my door.

While I was reading one of my friends' blogs, I noticed that it's been two weeks since I posted anything. I think I've just been feeling anti-everything lately, anti-blogging, anti-laundry, anti-cooking, etc.
So, I'm sure you've all just been salivating over your keyboards waiting to see what incredibly exciting things are going on at the Barnum house that would keep me from posting on the blog for two whole weeks! The answer is....not that much.
I finished my summer semester with A's in my two classes. I'm enjoying my little break from school until the 30th when I'll start my two fall classes. I was going to be ambitious and try for three classes during fall semester, but then I looked back on how tricky it's been to juggle the two classes with full-time
mommy-and-wife-dom and realized that there is a thin line between ambition and insanity. So, two classes it is! I'll be taking "child guidance" and "abuse and neglect in the family".
Nate has been work, work, working. Yeah, what else is new?
The kids have been up to their usual....digging in the dirt, playing games, swimming, and going to the park. Jonah starts first grade on Monday. He's super excited to get to stay all day and eat lunch at school.
Lilly doesn't start preschool until after Labor Day. She's a bit jealous that Jonah gets to go back so much sooner than she does.
So, that's about it. Just thought I'd let cyberspace know that I'm still around.

Release

On Sunday I was released from my calling as 1st counselor in the primary presidency of our ward. I'd served in that calling for 2 years and 5 months. It was my first church calling that wasn't related to leading the music or playing the piano.
When I was first called to the primary, I wasn't too excited about it. I really had never been comfortable around children, except my own, and I had no idea what I was doing. But it didn't take long for the kids to make me feel right at home and touch my heart forever. I've had so many amazing experiences serving in this calling. I'm grateful for the things the children taught me through their faith and their innocence and the things I learned through trial and error. I'd like to share a bit of what I learned....

• Children believe what you tell them, so you'd better make sure it's correct
• Children are quick to love and never hesitate in showing that love. We should all be more like them in accepting others and not being afraid to give a hug and say "I love you"
• No matter how much you prepare and study, the kids will always come up with a question or comment that you didn't see coming. Good luck with that.
  
• Patience....I got to practice a whole lot of patience
  
• Children are always watching. So many Sundays a child would come up to me and say that they saw me at the store or at the school. They pay attention to what we say and what we do, even when we don't realize they are. Our actions speak louder than words.
• Yes, your kids will always rat you out in primary. They love to tell us what happens at home. =)
• Good teachers and leaders are in all of us. So many of the teachers we'd call would say they didn't think they were good at teaching primary, but they all did such a great job and the kids love them.
  
• Keep it simple.
  
• Every child needs you to tell them and show them how special they are. In today's world, so many of the children are suffering because of circumstances beyond their control. A simple smile and a compliment can have a lasting impression.
  

I really didn't think that being released would affect me much. I've been feeling a bit tired and burned out lately by the responsibilities of my calling. But on Sunday I found myself fighting back tears all through our meetings. I'll miss being with the kids every Sunday and hearing about their week and visiting them in their homes and doing activities with them and watching them learn and grow and being a part of their lives that way.

Thank you children of the Parkside Ward. You have touched my life and helped grow my testimony in ways that you will probably never even realize.

My AMAZING Body! (and YOURS too!)

In case you were wondering----No, I haven't lost any weight since before Christmas. I came to the conclusion that Christmas just isn't Christmas without dessert.
So I relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed my holiday without worrying about the scale. I must say, it was an absolutely delicious one!

It seems that we're always focused on the negative things about ourselves, especially when it comes to our physical appearance. I know I'm always seeing what is wrong and never what is wonderful about my own body. So I've compiled a list of things I like about my body and why it is so amazing just the way it is.

1. I love my hair and I'm always getting compliments on it, whether it's the color or the style. I personally love it in the summer, when it's blond and the sun really shines off of it.

2. I love that I don't get sick very often. I have a great immune system!

3. I love that my body has given me 3 beautiful and healthy children with no major complications during pregnancies.

4. I love my arms for carrying sleeping children to their beds, comforting crying babies, and holding tight to my husband.

5. I love my legs for being able to make the gazillion trips up and down the stairs in my house everyday. I love how strong they feel when I exercise.

6. I love the shape of my calves! Nate does too.=)

7. I love my fingers for moving lithely over piano keys and for typing the many, many, many school assignments over the years.

8. I love my blue eyes. One of the first things Nate ever complimented me on was my blue eyes.

9. I love my heart for pumping strong and keeping me going. I love feeling my heartbeat get faster when I run or play with the kids.

10. I even love my tushie for the extra padding it gives me.

11. I love the curve of my hips.

12. I love my body just the way it is!!!

I hope you'll all take a minute to think of a few things you love about your body. Our bodies are amazing gifts from God. They are capable of astounding things! Who cares if I'm hanging on to a few extra pounds? My body is beautiful and so is yours!

Blessings in Disguise

I'm usually a pretty optimistic person, but when Nate was laid off on December 17th, all I could focus on was the negative of our situation.
He starts work again next Monday, so lately I've been thinking about the many blessings that this 5 week layoff has actually given us and the small ways the Lord was looking out for us in the process. Want to know what I've come up with? Too bad, you get to anyway. =)

• The Timing--- Nate's layoff actually came at a good time. Since his boss had made it clear that everyone would have to take a turn being laid off sometime this winter, Nate's turn being when it was worked out for several reasons.....the most important being that we had his student loan money coming in the next week and the amount was enough to cover our expenses during the layoff

Just a side note, if Nate hadn't decided to go to school this semester there's no way we would have survived this little financial storm without being late on payments and going without since unemployment only pays about half of his regular income. Also, when we were working out his financial aid, we weren't sure about accepting the loan on top of the grant. I just felt that we should get it 'just in case'. Inspiration? I think so!

• It gave us lots of family time during the holidays, including the ability to go visit Nate's family in Las Vegas for an entire week.
• Nate has asthma and about a gazillion allergies. His job is all outdoors and very physically demanding. When the air is as bad as it has been lately, he gets really, really, really sick from working in it. We're talking puking, coughing, fevers, passing out kind of sick. It happens around this time every winter, so maybe this layoff has helped us avoid it this year.
  
• Nate has loved spending so much time with the kids. He keeps telling me that he feels spoiled and it's going to be hard to go back to work.
  
• I've enjoyed spending time with Nate. We've been able to do some projects around the house and just relax together a lot.
  
• I've had more time to do things that I want to do. Nate's been really supportive of letting me get my workouts in and giving me time to myself if I need it.
• It gave Nate two weeks of classes to focus on just school before he heads back to work and has to be working full time and going to school full time. I think it's making the transition a little smoother for him.
  

All in all, the pros definitely outweigh the cons of our situation and it's made me reflect on how truly blessed we really are. So there you have it, the silver lining.

Laundry Squats

There are always days when a formal workout is just impossible. Well, I had one of those days this week. I love my workouts! They keep me sane and make me feel strong and active, so I hate days when I don't get to do them.
Well, one of the things on my to-do list that day was laundry, lots and lots of laundry! So, I made an exercise out of folding my laundry and I'm going to call them my 'laundry squats'.

I usually fold my laundry on the kitchen table. So, I placed my basket on the floor and did a squat to pick up the next piece of clothing that I was going to fold. My rule was that I was only allowed to pick up one item at a time, no handfuls of socks or anything like that.

Anyhoo...I definitely felt a bit sore in my legs and derriere the next day. I read somewhere that doing small intervals of exercises throughout the day can be just as effective as doing an hour long workout all at once. So next time you're doing some laundry, try some laundry squats! Your hips and buns and thighs will thank you!

Weight Loss or the Lack Thereof

I haven't really posted anything on my weight loss for a long time, mostly because I haven't been losing any!
I went through a plateau period where I was working out and watching my diet, but was not losing any weight. Then I got lazy and started eating a bit of junk, then a bit more, and then I was having chocolate for breakfast, but amazingly......I didn't gain any weight. I didn't lose any, obviously, but I didn't gain either and I got really comfortable with that. But, I'm back to feeling uncomfortable with it and I really want to get rid of these last 10 or 15 pounds!

So I've been upping my water consumption, doing my workouts more frequently(at least 4 times a week), and I'm trying to get back into my better eating habits. For a woman who L-O-V-E-S food, that is by far the biggest challenge. I picked a great time to do it too, Christmas....when all I want to do is bake treats and eat them!
So here are a few things I'm planning to do to get through the holidays without gaining, and while hopefully losing, some poundage:

• When baking, I've found that if I chew on some minty sugar-free gum I don't taste the treats as I'm making them.
  
• I plan to give away any goodies I make before I eat them all
  
• Keep exercising
• Drink my 64 oz mug of water before I allow myself any diet soda during the day
• Practice moderation at all parties that include yummy goodies by using a small plate or just a napkin and by filling up on veggie trays if they're available
  

I hope everyone else is having a great holiday season! May your days be Merry & "Lite"!

"Twilight".......I just don't get it

I honest to goodness do not understand the screaming, swooning, Edward vs. Jacob obsession of the Twilight series. Yes, I have read the books. When they first started coming out, I kept hearing how awesome they were and that I just had to read them. I really had no interest in it at all.

Then, about a year and a half ago, when all the books had come out my sister brought them all over to me and said I should read them. So I did, mostly out of curiosity. I really wanted to know what was so great that it had grown women doodling "Edward" on their grocery lists.

As soon as I started the books I was a bit annoyed with Stephanie Meyer's style of writing. I mostly skimmed the pages to catch the major dialogue and plot. I will admit, I find the story intriguing. I like the plot and I like the action mixed in with the romance. But in the end, I still didn't get it. I didn't feel any different. I wasn't passionate about it at all.

So then the first movie came out. Again...not really interested. I eventually ended up borrowing the DVD from my sister. I liked the movie alright. I hear the second one is much better and I do plan on seeing it....eventually. But I'll say it again....I just don't get it.

Nate has watched the first movie with me and he was constantly asking questions about all the vampires and about the rest of the story. So I thought maybe we'd read the second book together before we ever watched the second movie and then his questions would be answered.
So I borrowed the book from a friend and we started reading it last night. We didn't even make it through the first chapter! We just can't stand they way Stephanie Meyer writes. I guess his questions will just have to wait until we see the movie. After trying to read the book again, I've decided I like the movies better.

I was watching the news last night and they had a segment on the opening of "New Moon". They talked about a group of 30 and 40 somethings who had gotten together and had a huge party and then gone to the movie together. I think it's great that women have something like this that they bond over, but when you start asking your husband if you can call him 'Edward', as one woman on the program said she did(oh, and her husband let her. He must really love her.) then I think maybe the obsession has gone a little too far.

Anyway, in the midst of all this hype for the "New Moon" movie coming out, I just thought I'd share my thoughts on the matter. I understand that most of my wonderful friends will totally disagree with me, and that's okay. But as far as this whole Twilight phenomenon goes.....I just....don't....get it.

Sweater Weather...is Anything Better?

Oh my sweaters, how I love thee!

I'm so sorry that I had to pack you up for so many months, but you're free now!
Free to envelop me in your cozy warmth.
Free to look fabulous!
Free to make me want to drink hot chocolate and stare into a glowing fire.
Free to fend off the chill of a brisk fall day.
How I look forward to wearing you for the next few months before our love affair is put on hold by the harsh heat of summer!
Oh my sweaters, how I love thee!