Engagement Photo Story

This photo is the one we sent out with our wedding announcements. There is a story behind this photo. My sister-in-law was taking our engagement pictures. We decided to go to a park with a small waterfall. It was very picturesque. We took a bunch of nicely posed pictures there. When we were leaving we drove passed and decided to stop at The Flower Fields, in Carlsbad. I wanted to see the flowers up close. The flowers that they plant are called Ranuculas. The plant rows and rows of the flowers on the hill, and they plant them by color. If you ever have the chance, you should go visit. It is very beautiful.
While we were there my sister-in-law said squat down by the flowers and I will take some pictures, so we did. I had taken off my shoes, because heals don't work to well in loose dirt. I was squatting with my dress hiked up to my mid thigh. Brian squatted down behind me, we smiled and Vicki snapped a few pictures; then we left.
This was in the days before instant digital photography. We had to wait a few hours for the picture to be developed so we would know if they had turned out. As we looked thru them, I was kind of disappointed. The pictures didn't seem very flattering to Brian or me. I was thinking, we are going to have to take more pictures, not very fun. Then we came to the pictures from the flower fields. They were great! We were very relieved that we had pictures we could use to send out with our announcements. We both looked great in the pictures.
This picture has always been a reminder that things aren't always as they seem. It wasn't very comfortable getting this picture taken. If you could see our legs you would laugh at how we were squatting. That is just how life is sometimes, we can't always see the big picture. Sometimes things are hard and uncomfortable, but they are going to turn out beautiful in the end. Sometimes we look at others and their lives seem perfect from the outside looking in. We can't always see the trials they are going thru. Brian and I have been married almost 20 years and there have been trials and hardships, but our lives are beautiful.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

I love to swim! I love it so much I was certified to teach swim lessons after I had my first baby. Over the years I have gone in spurts with my swimming. My ankle bothers me so much these days that I have been swimming 2-3 times a week for my cardio exercise. I love that it is January and I am swimming outside at this beautiful pool. It was closed for two weeks at Christmas time for maintenance. I didn't swim that whole time. I was swimming 2300 yards each time I went before christmas, but I have only been doing between 1650 and 2000 since I started back after the holidays. Today I decided to step it up. I swam 2500 yards. If felt great while I was doing it. Now I am just exhausted! I am only awake because my kids are still up. Zeke had to watch Akeelah and the Bee for homework so he can answer questions about it. The kids are watching it, and I am trying to stay awake. So I decided to write about my wonderful swim. Exercise is my zen time. It helps me think and work out problems. It helps me calm down when I am angry. I wish I would have understood these things when I was younger. All I could think about was the discomfort. I do feel discomfort sometimes now, but I know it won't last forever, and I will feel so much better when I am done. Now I need to get a tire pump so I can start logging some miles on my bike. I haven't been on it since we moved to CA. Friends it is time for me to go to bed! Have a great evening! Love ya
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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Did you get signed up? I did! It was pretty depressing getting on the scale yesterday. I haven't weighed this much for a few years, like after my last baby was born. Not that I didn't know I was gaining weight. I can't wear any of my jeans, except for the super stretchy ones. My bell has just grown. It is super uncomfortable. I have been avoiding doing my toe nails for that reason. Yesterday was a good day though. Exercise isn't ever a problem for me, I always do that. It is the eating that is usually a problem. I did it though. I kept to my calories! Every time I went to the bathroom (which was a lot) I knew that I was peeing that fat out!
This is a picture of my belly today. It is going to shrink! I am going to keep up with this program until I reach my goal weight, so you will be hearing lots from me about this. Next year I am going to Hawaii with my husband, and Jamberry is going to pay for it. I am super excited about it, and I am going to look good in my swimsuit!
The addiction I am giving up is diet coke/soda. I did this last year, and I lasted until out move to CA, and it has gotten bad again, so I am off the coke.
My 8 week goal is to follow my fly lady plan. I need to keep on top of my house! That is hard, when you would rather do other things. I did all my dishes last night. That was a start!

P.S. I know I look mad in this picture, I'm not mad, just looking down at the phone. As you can tell I am not good at taking selfies.
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Saturday, January 3, 2015

The party starts monday! That is how I think of it, an 8 week party to improve your life. It is a lost and found party. Lose those extra pounds you have found and Find more time for yourself and your family! Have you joined the party? There is a cover charge, it is $20, but it will be well spent. How often do you spend $20 on a meal, and not even think about it? I truly believe that money can be a motivation factor here. If it was all free, would you see any value in the program. I personally think that this program is worth more then $20, but it is affordable, so just about everybody can participate. I hope to see you on the team that starts Monday! Space is limited, so get to the website and sign up now!
One thing I struggle with is meal planning. I know I need to do it, but it isn't my favorite thing to do. A few months ago, I started making a list of meals that our family likes to eat for dinner. I have compiled almost 30 meals. The other day I put them all on a paper calendar. Today I put them all into icalendar. I am printing it out, and I will put it on the fridge for the whole family to see. I also added all of my family members that have phones to the calendar program. I will be sharing these meals with you as we eat them, so be on the look out for some recipes.
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Thursday, January 1, 2015

I needed to get some exercise in today, and I wanted to get the kids out doing something too. We decided to go for a walk on the San Clemente Beach Trail. In the top picture you can see Lilly on her bike up in the pink. That is Oliver's head in the front bottom of the picture. This was before his legs "got tired". Lucky for him his cousin Ben gave him a piggy back ride for half of the walk. Of course his legs weren't too tired to play at the park after our walk. Emma and Zeke were there too, they just didn't make it into the pictures. I just can't get enough of living by the beach! I love watching the sun set over the water! What a great way to start the New Year.


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Happy New Year!

Can you believe it is 2015? What did you do for NYE last night? I took my daughter and her cousin to a dance. After I came home from dropping them off I did my nails while my hubby and kids played games and watched a movie. Then we counted down to the new year. Of course we ate some junk food. Have you made your New Years resolutions? I bet weight loss is on that list. It sure is on mine. I need to lose the 15 pounds I have gained since we moved here. I exercise consistently 5-6 days a week for an hour each day. It isn't about the exercise, it's about the food you put into your mouth!
Almost everybody's clothes get a little tighter over the holidays. Now is the time to get back into those jeans! The next round of the "Feel Great in 8" program starts Monday. That is in 4 days! Make the commitment! It is only $20, but if you win the "pot", you could win big! Even if you don't win the money, you will be a winner when you start losing the weight, and creating new physical, spiritual, and mental habits. Here is a video that explains a little more about the program

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