Saturday, December 31, 2011

Saying Goodbye to a Great Year

2011... what a year it's been.
I'm excited to ring in the new year tonight,
but before I did that I thought I'd reflect on what all happened in 2011.

I learned that I could still be a great mom and work full time.
Going into 2011, this was the thing I was most scared of.  It's been tough, but God has given me the strength every day to focus on what is important in life.

Along with working full time, and being a new mom, I learned having a happy marriage was possible.
Based on horror stories I heard, I really thought this year would be terrible for our marriage.
Not so much, it's been great!  Of course not perfect, but overall fabulous!

I learned it's okay to not be perfect.
I fail all the time.  I fail my husband, I fail my daughter, friends, and family.
But this year, God taught me that I'm not to seek perfection, but Him.

I learned the importance of keeping my identity.  
I'm not just a mom and a wife, but I'm still me.  I'm still being called to make a difference in this world.

We found a wonderful church that I love being a part of.

We've made a lot of great friends, couple friends, and individual friends.

We watched our Little Miss grow up this year.
She's changed so much and we've enjoyed every second.

2011, Thanks for all the memories, growth, and blessings you've brought this year.
Take a minute, make a list of everything you are grateful for last year.  
It'll bring a smile to your face.

Happy New Year.


Friday, December 23, 2011

Yummy in my tummy

I find it very hard to believe that Christmas is the day after tomorrow.
Merry Christmas Eve's Eve.  :)

So this week has been a little hectic.

My mom and little brother will be here in T minus 2 hours and counting and I couldn't be more excited.
Well my husband might be..... he can not wait for Kade to get here so he'll have some one to play with.
You know guy play.... wrestling, punching, playing Xbox, that kind of stuff.
Poor guy, he is in a house full of girls.  It's just him and our lone ranger Mr. Zorro.

So to prepare for the holiday season, I baked! 
Yes weird I know, but I grew up loving this part of Christmas and I have to carry on the tradition.

So.... I spent all day Monday and Tuesday baking my brains out.
And then I got to do my favorite part, delivering my goodies to our friends and neighbors.

When I was younger, we used to bake with my mom and then fight over who got to take which plate to which friend/ neighbor.....  
So I thought I'd show you a quick little preview of what we did.
This year, I stuck to two things and made BIG batches of both.

First up, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls


Oh goodness gracious, these are amazing.  
Do yourself a favor and take a few hours and make these suckers.
They aren't hard at all.  A little time consuming but well worth it.

And then I took a break and took my kid to Chic Fil A.
What is it with kids and that place?
They love it!  And I kind of love it too.
So here is Little Miss being all independent and playing in their play area.


And then I spent the rest of the day making an army of Gingerbread men.
These little guys are amazing! (if I don't say so myself)
And here is a tip, to keep your gingerbread from getting crunchy.
Put a piece of bread in the container (separated by wax paper) to keep those suckers good and yummy


Well I'm off to pig out on my creations and enjoy the holidays with my family!
Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas!!!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tis the Season


Every time I see this picture I tear up.
I do!
It is the most beautiful thing I have seen.

Here is a little one, who probably has nothing.  Yet, she is praising God with everything in her!

This picture alone stirred something in me.   
It spoke to me enough that I asked for my Christmas present, that I wanted to sponsor a child.

We live in a world of wealth!  Yet, we still want more money, things, etc.  Most of us have enough money to put food on the table, and keep a roof over our heads and yet we still want more.
Americans will go into debt to give "stuff" for Christmas.  This isn't the way it should be.
We are so blessed and it is our responsibility to share it.

It's amazing that a picture can really make that big of an impact.

I know most of you have heard of Compassion International 
If you haven't check out this website.

And if you are looking for some Christmas gifts, why not agree to sponsor a child.
Not only do you give a small monthly amount to your child, but you also get to exchange letters, mail presents, and really begin a relationship with this kiddo.

Caleb picked our child for us, and I can't wait to meet him/her on Christmas day when I get to open my present and learn all about our child.

Teach your kids, it's not just about giving and getting presents.  (All though that is a ton of fun)
But it's also about showing God's love to others.

And while I'm at it, I thought I'd leave you with yet another beautiful picture and quote!  


"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."  
- Mother Theresa


Monday, December 12, 2011

The ever expanding butt!

So I've been slightly disturbed... has anyone seen this report?  

Our lovely rear ends can grow by sitting for to long!!!  
And not in the J-Lo, Beyonce grow kind of way, but more in the large unattractive kind of way!

I don't sit a lot as it is, hello... I have a 15 month old, and I work jobs that don't require sitting for long amounts of time, but this made me paranoid, and encouraged me to get my butt into gear. 

The holiday's are upon us and this what just what I needed to get my butt into gear.
I'm really working on making sure I get SOME kind of activity in every day.

Here are the latest workouts/fun filled activities that any busy working mom can do.


Workout while catching up on your latest TV shows



**This gal is all the rage in Hollywood and her DVD's are quite pricey, but never fear.....
Here is a workout that is FREE and you can do it while watching your favorite TV Show.


Clean your house!!!
This is a double whammie, not only do you get the heart racing but you get a clean house at the same time.  How is that for killing 2 birds with one stone?
Kiddo is down for a nap?  Pop in the iPod and really go for it.  Sweep, Mop, Vacuum, Dance through it all.  It'll be the best workout you've ever had.  And yes I have broken a sweat doing this!  :)

Take your kiddo on a walk/jog/run
Now if you really want the double whammie try taking a husky with you as you run.  You will get a killer upper body workout while you get your cardio in.  :)  
Don't have a husky, not a problem, adding another 20+ pounds to your run will REALLY get your heart going and get your booty shrinking.

Go get the mail

Ok you know I had to sneak in a pic of Little Miss.  :)
But yes, turn an every day activity into something fun for her and a great workout for you.  
Here in Colorado we have to walk a little ways to get our mail.  They have this whole community mailbox thing going.   Guess it's an easy way to meet the whole neighborhood.  
So I bundle up little Miss and trudge through the snow pulling her to the mailbox and then on a nice little walk.  She loved it (until I dumped her in the snow) and it was fun for me!

So bottom line (no pun intended) get creative with how you are going to target your booty!
It's hard to get to the gym but you live an active lifestyle will help keep those pounds at bay.  And I promise you will be a lot happier and a lot less stressed!

What other multi tasking workouts do you have?  I want to hear!

Bottoms up, everyone!  :)



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Dear Blogger, I'm BACK

My old blog bit the dust.  Due to technical difficulties I have abandoned my wordpress blog.
I've packed up my bags and moved back to Blogger.
Sorry for all the confusion.  
I promise to not move again... at least not for awhile.

Due to the craziness of life and the problems on my old blog, I've been pretty much non existent from the blog world.  I will remedy this and promise to bug you all with my pointless ramblings.

I've got months worth of stuff to catch up on.

Oh it's gonna be fun!  :)


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