Friday, June 24, 2016

what do they see

Recently I've wondered what little kids and babies see in people. I'm sure they see things differently then adults, they've seen Heavenly Father more recently then us.

I always wondered why certain little ones preferred certain people over others.
Some you can totally wonder why because 1 person is kind and nice and clean. But sometimes its someone who isn't nice and may be dirty.

I was thinking that maybe when its an unlikely person its because they can see that persons heart and know they are better then they portray on the outside. Or maybe they sense that person needs love or a simple smile from someone.

And just because they might not like you doesn't mean your a bad person. I've been in both situations. And sometimes the days little ones love me it's when I've needed that for whatever reason.

But if you think about it as adults there are times we feel a certain way about a complete stranger, good feeling or bad feeling. And the way react about that feeling is on us.

Babies especially those that can't talk yet probably have a lot more going on in their heads then we think. I wish I knew what they were thinking in those situations and my own children's thoughts lol

But I don't even understand my own thoughts that go through my head. They go ALL over and never at rest lol

The Lord, without equivocation, has declared, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (D&C 93:40).

May I return again to the words of Brigham Young: “Let it be your constant care that the children that God has so kindly given you are taught in their early youth the importance of the oracles of God, and the beauty of the principles of our holy religion, that when they grow to the years of man and womanhood they may always cherish a tender regard for them and never forsake the truth.” 4 

Monday, June 6, 2016

change your point of view


Let's be honest any one who's a stay at home mom has probably said once "I need a vacation from my vacation." Once you become a parent especially one that stays one your going on vacation with your job (watching and taking care of your kids which only is harder because their schedules are off and your in a new place)

It's hard to be excited for a vacation sometimes for the following reasons:

Less sleep either because of the children or because it's just not the same bed
Cranky children & let's be honest sometimes the adults too
Eating habits are messed up
Exercise is messed up
Too cold/too hot
Drama
Changes in plans
Sicknesses
Miscommunication
Owies

Sometimes I think about all of these things and want a vacation with Spencer, a friend, or alone but forget about all the wonderful things to vacations with your family and little kids

Lots of laughter
Tan lines
Family bonding time
Seeing new places
Cuddling with my kids at night which I never do (because they don't sleep well in a bed with us but it's sweet moments I get with them)
Lots of fun pictures
Spending time with new friends or family they don't see often anymore

Our drive to Utah was not too bad, the kids actually did really well. The hotel stay to break up the drive was a bit rough. The hotel didn't have pack n plays like I thought and our kids especially Jackson don't sleep well with us (outside of a crib like bed) so we didn't get to bed until midnight or later but from that I got the sweetest picture of our boys sleeping side by side and we slept in a bed together as a family. Spencer and I also got to know a little more about our boys. Jackson's is a squirmer (maybe not as much if he is in j is own bed) Isaac is a noise maker (not a ton but says maybe a word or two, and will sometimes yell or cry in his sleep)
Thankfully none of them snored =)

In Utah we packed plans in to see friends and family and it was crazy but so worth it! We took one day were we changed plans to stay in town more and that was perfect and needed.
Isaac had his "I scared" moments because we were in a new place and it didn't matter if he was exhausted.
So through that we helped him with learning to Pray to Heavenly Father to send angels to watch over and protect, we got him a glowstick and a big chase(from paw patrol) stuffed animal.
And Jackson we thought was getting a cold but realized he has allergies in Utah so medicine and oils helped him sleep through the night most times and his eczema came back right away (we love Oregon for taking this away)
We flipped Jackson forward facing and he seems to love it (now I can see if he is getting into trouble )

I had some relaxing times like the Spa with my sister, and got to see my whole family. I don't remember all the funny moments or things they said but I know we had a great time.
It's funny because I felt like we never left. I love friends and family that live there but I don't ever want to move back. Oregon became my home very quickly and I don't want to leave it.

We then arrived in Idaho and celebrated more birthdays (we did in Utah too). We met up with Spencer's dad and the tour group he was busing around. It was a group of Chinese people and they gawk at kids they love them so much. I felt like my kids were celebrities it was funny.

Then that night Jackson woke up throwing up. It was sad but he cuddled a lot...so we had to do a lot of laundry. And he was loving on daddy so daddy got a nice bonding time with him. Sunday evening he is doing better. He slept better got water sickish because he gags on mucous like his daddy always struggled with. Jackson is always exhausted and me too! I've constantly felt each night I've taken a sleeping pill because I just want to pass out a few mins after waking up. It's from all these nights with waking up in the middle of the night a lot. Lol and just traveling in general with children is exhausting. But it's been great to see family and friends and have a good time together, change up the routine again.
I'm very proud of my boys they've been fairly well behaved!
Tonight if Jackson is still feeling better Spencer and I were going to celebrate our soon to be 5th wedding anniversary! (June 18th) I'm excited because we've been so busy on the trip it will be nice to have a little down time with no kids to worry about (let's me honest I will still be doing some worrying, I can't help it)

I haven't been exercising like I had planned to, and scripture reading has been sparse and of course eating hasn't been the best but it's okay because when we get home I will be right back to it. Right now is family time which has been needed.
So I've changed my point of view

Sunday, May 29, 2016

I knew you could!

This post will be a book I've read recently, and I love it! Everyone should read it, its a bit long but beautifully written.

I knew you could! A book for all the stops in your life By: Craig Dorfman

I knew you could! And you knew it, too---
That you'd come out on top after all you've been through.
And from here you'll go farther and see brand-new sights.
You'll face brand-new hills that rise to new heights.

I wish I could show you the stops that you'll visit,
But that isn't my choice to make for you, is it?
Instead, I can tell you some lessons and tales
That I've learned and relearned in my time on the rails.

First of all, you must find your own track,
So you can start right away and not be held back.
But which track is yours? Well, that all depends
On which you it's going and where it might end.

Different tracks wind around,
over, under, and through,
So pick out the one
that works best for you.
Though the track you start out on
will feel like "the one,"
You might take a few more before you are done.
And now, with your eyes on your new destination,
Start up your wheels and roll out of the station.

On your new trip, you'll make plenty of stops,
In deep river valleys and on high mountaintops.
Some will surprise you and some will be planned,
And you'll roll through each one saying, "I think I can!"

You'll go through tunnels, surrounded by dark,
And you'll wish for a light or even a spark.
You might get scared or a little bit sad,
Wondering if maybe your track has gone bad.

So here's some advice to help ease your doubt:
The track you took in must also go out.
So steady yourself and just keep on going--
Before you know it, some light will be showing.
And then you'll be out, heading to a new place.
You'll be ready for the next tunnel you face.

Sometimes you'll look up and see planes in the sky,
And you'll think to yourself, "I wish I could fly."
The cars on the roads will seem quick and free--
You'll feel stuck on your track and think, "I wish that was me."

But the plane might wish he could get out of the air,
Saying, "I wish I could travel like that train down there."
The cars will watch as you seep right along,
And they'll say to each other,
"Look how fast and how strong!"
Don't worry about not being a car or a plane,
Just enjoy the trip you'll take as a train.

Don't be afraid to toot your own horn,
If you need to be heard or there are people to warn.
Or if being yourself just makes you so proud,
That you want to share it and sing it out loud.

You'll follow your track
through twists and through bends,
And stop at new stops and pick up new friends.
They'll all come aboard with smiles and greetings.
You'll have such great times
with the people you're meeting.

On the days when you're sad and feel you can't go,
Speak up and ask a friend for a tow.
That's what friends do, so don't be afraid.
You'd do the same if your friend needed aid.

You might stop at some stops that you never have toured,
And look for new friends, but they won't come aboard.
So you'll have to head out with a creak and a groan,
Setting out once again on your track, all alone.

Try to remember that the world is so wide,
Full of all kinds of people with their own trains to ride.
Just stay true to yourself as you travel your track,
With no second-guessing and no looking back.

Once you're on the right track, you'll probably say,
"This one is mine-- I'm here to stay."
Try to enjoy the track that you choose--
Stop now and then to take in the views.

If you rush forward, as a general rule,
Before you arrive, you could run out of fuel.
Don't overwork, but save up some strength.
That way, every day, you can travel great lengths.

You'll need all that strength on the days when you're stuck,
Or tired, or sad, or just out of luck.

When your belief in yourself doesn't feel quite so pure,
And your "I think I can" doesn't sound quite so sure.

That's when to push and to strive and to strain,
To show the world you're not a giving-up train.
And you're wise if you know that doing your best
Means that sometimes you should just slow down and rest.

Speeding through your whole trip will bring only sorrow,
So slow down today to be happy tomorrow.

There's more about life that you'll learn as you go,
Because figuring things out on your own helps you grow.
Just trust in yourself, and you'll climb every hill.
Say, "I think I can!" and you know what?
You will!


LOVE IT!!!! <3 I believe in all of you and hope you believe in yourselves too


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Catching up

Okay so I have had a few things I've wanted to blog about abut all very little so i'm just going to mix them all on here.

1. I always thought Before and After work out progress pictures weren't fully true because you always look like a mess in the before picture and your smiling in the after. But your smiling because you are feeling different and accomplishing things, your so proud of yourself. In before pictures you usually don't feel at your best so it's understandable you look like a mess. Just a random thing I used to think.

2. About a week ago I went to the dentist. I almost always get semi bad news. first they took my blood pressure which I thought was weird since it was just a normal cleaning appointment. It was 97/52 which is low! But I feel fine, its just because I work out a lot more then I used to. I was always low on the normal scale now i'm high on the low scale =] But anyways to the bad news.... I have 13 cavities, only 2 bad enough to fix. But OMG I almost cried I've never had that much bad news before. But they gave me things to work on.
My morning routine is regular toothpaste, mouth wash, and prescription toothpaste
My night routine is floss, regular toothpaste, mouth wash, and prescription toothpaste
And I fully believe if I ALWAYS follow this routine that my cavities will go away. And I have been. The toughest was regular floss (not the pick kind) because its SO hard to get to my back teeth but i'm getting better at it.

3. So my eating hasn't been amazing, mixed with partly because we've been trying to eat all of our food before we leave on vacation we haven't wanted to buy other little things. But also it's a lot of work. So after vacation I WILL focus on food prepping better! It really helped my mood because I've been feeling emotional lately because i'm not eating enough or eating the wrong foods. But i'm also loving food more then I used to so we are slowly fixing things =]

4. Because we this last week before leaving on vacation has been crazy I decided to do 5AM work outs at the gym to get that out of the way so I didn't miss evening classes. It's actually been pretty amazing because it's done and then I have more time with my family in the evenings. Now I don't love it, and I struggle more to want to work out because it's morning but each time i'm glad it's done. I've been working on the importance of being together as a family more and by doing morning workouts I have that. So after vacation I may still keep it up. We will see but then I am ready for the boys. I have been super tired though by 6:30-7:00 and going to bed earlier but sometimes I sleep better at night because of it. One of the hard parts is I feel cold in the morning so leaving to go somewhere is killer so sometimes I sneak in the sauna for a minute to warm myself up before warming up during a workout.

5. Blessings! On Friday the 3 diamonds that are connected together on my wedding ring were gone! I had been a few places so and it was small enough that I didn't think I would EVER find it because it could be anywhere! I skimmed the house a bit and cried and knelt down and prayed. If anyone could help me find it, it would be Heavenly Father. But I had my doubtful moments still because I'm like there is just no way, its so small. And I've heard of miracles similar that they found the little things. And I hate to admit I still doubted and I prayed to help my unbelief and my doubt because this ring was cherished, and was a reminder of the love Spencer and I have. We still have the love without the ring but I loved it. Days went by and I just thought about it but doubted I would find it now. But here's my miracle. Tuesday night we knelt as a family on our living room floor for nightly prayer like we always do. And it was my turn to say the prayer, as I was praying I peeked my eyes open because the children don't always sit still (of course lol) and there was a little something that caught my eye as I was ending my prayer I reached for it just to see if maybe it was my diamonds.....and my last few words of prayer escalated in excitement of oh my gosh!!! and ended the prayer and said OH MY GOSH I found it I found the diamonds!!! I still am in shock and feel so blest that I was able to have this little but amazing miracle and I knelt down and thanked God for helping me see and find it.
The funny thing is I am positive we vacuumed the carpet but somehow it was still there. Had it been in that spot the whole time? I have no idea but am so thankful!

6. Serving others! I so easily get worked up about myself and my problems. I get down and grumpy and moody and beat myself up over so many things. But when I drop that to the side and think of my dear friends and the strangers I come in contact with i'm blest with love! You can do the simplest thing to be kind to others and it almost always seems to make their whole day! And then your filled with love and happiness which makes anyone feel better.
It's funny because whenever I pray to be selfless and try my best to think of others is when strangers and friends seem to say the sweetest thing to me or do the smallest gesture which warms my heart.
It shouldn't be so surprisingly when someone does the littlest act of kindness but in this world even the smallest thing like opening a door for someone rarely ever happens. I am filled with gratitude when someone just holds the door open for me usually because I have two little kids with me and only so many hands to carry other things. I just always prepare to do things myself because I know not everyone will just offer to help but I need to work on being humble enough to ask for help when I do truly need it. The smallest note or letter, or a smile, any little thing makes a persons day. But I could say thank you more to even the littlest things in my daily life as a mom and wife.

It's been a crazy week, i've been stretched some days trying to get things done while trying not to let it out on my body or my children or husband. There are days I feel terrible that it doesn't look like I did anything but then I step back and remind myself that with two little kids sometimes the smallest errand takes double the effort because like I said I only have so many hands ;) But I can work harder, I can be better and just remember that I might have set backs and bad days but that doesn't mean it needs to effect the whole day or that it will never get better.

We are leaving on Friday to see family, it's almost been a year since we moved here. I am filled with excitement because I miss having family right there. But Oregon has become my home where I've grown and become a person I always hoped for but never thought I would become. And I hate to leave it even for 2 weeks lol I hate to leave the people I see almost daily that i've grown to love and care for so much! They've become my Oregon family. Thank heavens for technology! And lets me honest i'm not looking forward to saying goodbyes to my family again, it's always so hard!

Much love to my small list of readers!

I-want-to-succeed-Motivational-Quotes:      Mormon = LDS = Christian:     :  When we get stressed or tired or sad, our mind convinces us that junk food will cure it all! Your body, in turn, suffers for the lie that your mind has been telling you! Take control of your thoughts and you take control of your life!:

Friday, May 6, 2016

Seca Scan 2

Results are in for me!
Last time I posted pictures, this time i'm just going to type out the information!

Weight: THEN 124.78 NOW 122.47
Fat mass: THEN 29.1% NOW 27.2%
Waist Circumference: THEN 32 inches NOW 30 inches
Whole Muscle Mass: THEN 37.8 NOW 40.1

^ this one in more detail

Left arm: THEN 2.29 NOW 2.45
Right arm: THEN 2.31 NOW 2.46
Left leg: THEN 9.04 NOW 9.69
Right leg: THEN 9.23 NOW 9.65
Torso: THEN 14.9 NOW 15.9 (this one I wanted to get a bit higher and I did just a tad lol

I could have pushed and worked harder but being the first time that I ever did a HUGE challenge like this I did pretty awesome! I will continue a good chunk of the new eating and work even harder.
I had an awesome coach and teammates, we always gave each other support and encouraged each other!

Sadly the next few weeks are going to be a bit tough. Adjusting to not being given a meal plan so now I have to come up with a plan which might change things because I may not weight everything and all of that but I will still be good at less sugar and eating more healthier things.

Then in a few weeks we go on vacation for 2 weeks so I've got to tell myself to keep eating well and set aside at least 30 minutes of cardio or some type of excersing so I don't fall too far behind.

I did take comparison pictures but I don't see much of a difference: lighting isn't always great and blah blah blah But the numbers show progress. I wish I had one of these done when I first started working out to see those numbers =]

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Zults War Week 6

Last week of Zults, Week 5 of Meal Plan

This last week of very very little prep! Loving that because Sunday became a fairly busy day.

Breakfast: Peach Smoothie Bowl
It's very delicious, but doesn't always feel me up for very long.

AM Snack: 2 cheese sticks & 1 Apple
It seems like a lot but it does the job and I can grab and eat in the car

Lunch: Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich
It's okay, it's weird and I struggled to eat it. It took me like 30 minutes or so to eat it but its not terrible

GO Snack: 2 Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter and Jelly Spread on it
Seems like a lot but it's actually pretty good

Dinner: Caprese Chicken Skillet w. Couscous and Asparagus
NO way this was going to happen so I decided to do a dinner from a few weeks ago.

PM Snack: No Bake Dessert
It's like a ball of peanut butter, oats, honey, and protein powder. Not too bad

I substitute somethings but veggie is still that hard one. I just have to make sure I'm eating at least some veggies throughout the day.

I'm feeling pretty good there is still things I have to work on to make sure i'm less sleepy and make sure I eat and drink enough to not be dizzy or nauseous and every day is different depending on how busy I am. I feel that i'm looking pretty good too! I still have some areas I want to work on more and will continue to do so after the challenge is over.

I've had some food slip ups which is easier to do when there is bad food in the house =] but I use to be a lot worse and I always get back on track so it's a win!

The frustrating thing is if you do eat something bad your body is like AHH and your face then sometimes breaks out, you feel like you gained 5 lbs and feel yucky.

Friday I get my SECA Scan! I'm really excited and really nervous. Even if it isn't a big difference I know I've accomplished a lot more then I ever thought I would. I may be sad but I will try to stay positive.
I don't weigh myself and if I do its usually been the same number for forever (maybe my scale is broken?), its a good number but it doesn't mean much anymore.

I think I deserve a new beautiful dress, an new every day outfit, new workout clothes (because less fit now) and new running shoes. Just because i'm awesome and have come so far in more then just exercise/food wise. But there is always more to grow and change for the better. "Always a work in progress"

I hope everyone has a beautiful Tuesday and go ahead and leave a guess if you haven't on my new SECA Scan Score. The first scan was 29.1% fat so we want that number to be less.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Zults War Week 5

Now in Week 4 of the eating plan! It's going by so fast! I may repeat a few thoughts so sorry ahead of time.

Breakfast: Avocado Scramble w/ toast
I took out the avocado and mushroom and haven't replaced it like I should.... it isn't terrible but could do without the kale too but I have to keep something healthy in there.

AM Snack: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
It looks more like cake, and it's kind of dry but not terrible

Lunch: Chicken Strawberry wrap w/ poppy seed dressing
I only left off the dressing and this is actually pretty good!

Go Snack: Trail Mix
It's not your typical trail mix but its okay, somehow the cheerios are stale and I sealed them all up nicely. Whatever lol

Dinner: BBQ Bacon Burger w/ sweet potatoes
I took off tomato, onion, and BBQ sauce and doing regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Now here comes a rant.... the list said to buy sweet potatoes and so I followed the signs at the store but it's really Yams that people are talking about SO LIST THE RIGHT NAME. STOP CALLING YAMS SWEET POTATOES GET IT RIGHT PEOPLE!!! How did this terrible trend of mixed names start, fix it! Because if your someone who doesn't know these things you are messing this person up!
Ugh this oddly enough drives me NUTS! Call it what it is labeled at the store, its true name!
This burger (turkey burger) isn't too bad, it looks funny but it's pretty decent!

PM Snack: Blueberry Banana Dessert
Not too bad, could of been mixed better if I still had our big blender but I made due with what I had.

Okay now update, I don't weight myself its kind of pointless really because I know i'm making muscle so why even stress over that. I know i'm gaining more muscle, I feel it when I work out. I've been uping weights and doing amazing! I'm pretty proud of myself, never thought i'd be here ever!
I am seeing a difference too in the areas i'm trying to make more tone.
When people talk to me about it though they usually say i'm seeing it in your face. Which is sweet but I wasn't aiming for a compliment on my face. And every so often I think my face is chubby so i'm like was it chubbier a few months ago!!! yuck lol

I didn't freak out much at all with this meal plan, i'm learning to just change things or do things different. I am freaking out about when this is over and i'm going to have to try to come up with plans on my own. I don't want to fall back into old ways so i'm going to have to really work at it and plan better.

I really should video tape myself when i'm doing classes because I feel that I look amazing! I should of done before and after things. I have been getting compliments though like my squats are A LOT better then they were, I have great form when i'm running, etc.

Now one downside that I feel is just always going to be a struggle for me until I figure things out or adjust things better. Lately I feel nauseous every so often just through out the day (maybe a sign I need food even though I am eating every 2-3 hrs) and if I really work up my heart rate I feel dizzy and nauseous. It's really annoying but i'm eating great and drinking great so my only thought is that maybe i'm still not eating enough which is very possible. But for someone who does not LOVE food I really don't want to have to eat even more lol
I am starting to love food a bit more though :)


In a week and a 1/2 I will be taking a new set of progress pictures, the last time I took pictures was about 2 months ago and I KNOW i'm going to see a big difference!
Just loving the bonding i'm having with my team and the things i'm learning.