Week 1 update

Let me begin by saying that I'm not going to do these updates to toot my own horn but to keep me accountable. I figure if I know that I have to log on each week and say how I'm doing then maybe I'll stay on track!!

So for week 1: I did my workout 4 out 7 days. Jeremy worked lots of overtime (PTL!!!) so by the time he got home I was just too tired to think about it. As for diet, I haven't had a coke or french fries in a week although I did get a Chick-Fil-A butter biscuit one morning and I have eaten some (ok alot) of Easter candy. And for weight...I have lost almost 2 pounds!! I'm very happy with those results. My goal for next week is 3 pounds to put me back in line with my overall goal of 10 pounds!

Support the family of Brian Denning

I wanted to make sure everyone knew of 3 important dates coming up in the next week in which you can help support the family of Brian Denning, former Sumner County Sheriff officer and friend to many. Each of these days the restaurant will give a portion of the sales to the family so that they can attend the Police Memorial in Washington D.C in May.

The first day is tomorrow Tuesday April 21; the Chili's in Gallatin (this location ONLY). In order for your sales to qualify you need to either have a flier or tell your server that you are there to support the Denning family.

The next dates are the nights of APRIL 23RD, 2009 AND APRIL 28TH, 2009 from 5 to 8 PM at the Chick Fil A in Gallatin (this location ONLY).

I hope you are able to make it to at least one of these events!!

Mommy to Mommy

As I mentioned in my last post we're going to Florida in a month and we haven't been since Gracie was a baby so I have no idea how to pack. I was hoping that my blog buddies could help me out! Let me give you a little background so you know what I have to work with. First of all my kids are ages 4, 2 1/2, and Harrison will be a year old when we leave and we're going with Jeremy's parents (Thank you Harold and Cindy!!!!). We're staying at a resort that is on the beach with a mini water park on location, bunk beds for the girls, and a washer and dryer.

I have a tendency to over pack but I'm really hoping to cut down on some of that this time so we don't look like Shriner clowns going on vacation. :) This is where I need your help

1.how many swimsuits/towels for a 1 week trip? I was thinking 2-3 per kid
2.traditional lotion or the spray kind?
3. floaties or life jackets?
4.pool shoes or just flip flops/Crocs?
5.take your own sand toys or buy them there?

Is there something that you feel is a Must Have for the beach? Is there anything that you thought you'd use and didn't or vice versa? Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

Let the workout begin!!

I am so excited I can hardly stand it...I just found out yesterday that we're going to the beach in 4 weeks!!!! However this also means that the workout is officially in high gear along with the need to tan, making lists of what to take, and all the other stuff that comes with going on vacation. We haven't been to the beach since Gracie was 3 months old. trust me ladies this was not a good idea on my part, I've very surprised that ORRCA wasn't called out! :) So here we are literally 31 days from departure and my goal is to lose 10 pounds...that's doable, right?!? I've had several people ask me what I'm doing so here it is:




This is one of the trainers, Jillian, from The Biggest Loser. I have LOVED this workout! It is a 20 minute workout consisting of a warm-up, (3) 6 minute circuits (3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs), and a cool down but let me tell you she gets you sweating. I have been saying for awhile now that I wanted to join a local gym but with 3 kids it just seemed ridiculous to get everyone dressed, loaded, unloaded, to their room just so I can workout. I CAN find 20 minutes in my day and the girls love doing it with me. As far as diet my plan is very simple...cut out cokes and french fries and drink more water. I just don't see the point in changing all of my eating habits. I mean if you have to go completely away from what you know what happens when the diet stops? Back in January when I first started, I only made it 2 weeks b/c of sickness and other stuff, I lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks and have managed to keep it off. I will keep you posted on how this goes!!!

Hi my name is Sarah....

...and when it comes to makeup I have No idea what I'm doing. Ok there, I said it. *sigh* For what ever reason I guess I just thought that once I got older it would just come to me but it just hasn't (sorry mom but this is one area you never taught me). I feel like I have the basics and know where everything goes, I just don't feel like I'm able to apply it correctly and/or pick the right colors and/or the right products. So here's my question to you...what's your secret? Is there a brand you just LOVE? How did you decide on your "shade"? Come on ladies, help a girl out!!! :)

Tire swing

It just doesn't get much more American than a tire swing. For what seems like forever now Jeremy has wanted to put a tire swing for the kids. A buddy at work gave him this HUGE tire and some repelling rope so this last week he put it up. It's in the very back of our yard on this REALLY tall tree and let me tell you this thing can fly! The girls love it and can't wait for their friends to join them.

Family pics

We had these taken just before Thanksgiving at Moss Wright Park. Thanks again Miriam!!! :)

Family of 5

I LOVE this picture of my boys. Pretty sure this is going in my house somewhere.

AWWWWWW! :)

Us with Jeremy's parents and brother. Pop and Ninnie with the grandkids

Jeremy and his brother 3 generations.

Harrison's 9 month photo shoot

Once again Miriam came through strong! He wasn't as cooperative as he normally is but I think she did a great job capturing his personality.





Miriam also got a couple of GREAT shots of my sassy girl!

Potty training

Oh how excited I am to share this post with you!! As some of you know I AM a Nazi mom and it's my policy that I don't allow my kids to go to "school" aka MDO until they're potty trained. This started with Gracie because she was so close to "getting it" and kept asking to go to school like her friends that I finally told her that she couldn't go until she was wearing big girl panties. Well as you know once you start something like this it's only fair that you carry it out for all of your kids thus it also became the policy for Carleigh.

Carleigh loves taking Gracie to school and will often times ask when she gets to go as well as demand that she also take her backpack and lunchbox when we go to drop Gracie off. She is such a funny girl! I could tell she too was getting close to "getting it" so I had planned on during Spring Break to go into hunker down mode, turn EVERYTHING off, and have a potty training bootcamp. Well to my surprise Carleigh decided that she's ready for big girl panties THIS week!! We went all day yesterday in big girl panties with NO accidents (this included a trip to and from Lafayette) and so far today the same thing. I do have to remind her that she needs to go in there and she is wearing a diaper at night but I am so proud of my little girl.

She couldn't have picked a better time though because this morning I went and registered her for school!! (she got the last spot for the 3 day young 3s class). It was funny because when I came home and told her she was getting to go to school she thought I meant today. She went to the landing, got her shoes, put them on and said "I go to school!"..mind you she was also in her jammies! :) Sweet girl, not today but in a couple of months.

Soccer!!

This is Gracie's first experience with an organized sport (well as organized as 4 year olds will let it be) and she's doing well. The pictures are from her first practice and at first she was REALLY shy but once she learned everyones names and got warmed up she did great. We've had 3 games so far and although she hasn't scored a goal yet she's doing better about getting on the field and she's having a blast~ which is the most important thing!

Little man

So many times I have pictures of the girls on here I wanted to give my little guy a post all to himself. He is growing up so fast and is just so stinkin' C-U-T-E!!

Kids being kids!

This is what you do sometimes to get them to sleep in THEIR room!

Look they can all play nice together.

He was 8 months old in the picture and yes he's climbing up the gate!

I love this picture. He crawled under our stool, stood up, and couldn't figure out how to get out.

Rub a dub dub 3 kids in a tub. They love taking baths together and it makes it easier getting them all done at once. ** and please excuse the PEACH tile, it was cool in 1987!...can't wait to re-tile the bathrooms!!!!

Christmas

Holy cow I just realized I never put on here the fun things we did at Christmas. The girls are in AWANA on Wednesday nights at a church down the road. Every year they have a Christmas party at the local skating rink so the girls were able to skate for the first time. It was lots of fun for them and for mom and dad! :)

We also made a gingerbread house for the first time. Yes I'm a horrible mother that doesn't let my kids do anything. Honestly I just don't think about because it's not stuff that I did growing up. It was fun and a tradition I hope to continue.



And last but not least we baked and decorated out yearly Christmas cookies. This is something we always did growing up and it's tons of fun. The day we did the cookies I was watching my friend Laura's little boy so he joined in too!

Uppercase Living..the reveal!

This post has probably been in my head the longest. I know several months ago(ok so maybe almost a year) I told you about how I love UL and had ordered a couple of things. I've had them up now for several months but wanted to show you how great they turned out. The pictures were taken by my friend Miriam..she's great, you should call her!
The first picture is in the girls' bedroom and the other is in our den hanging over our couch.