april exercise overview & may goals

at the beginning of april, i wrote about my goals. i did ok. some weeks were great. some weren't. it is ok. life is tough right now, and quite frankly - i'm just proud of myself for not dipping my sorrows in double stufs everynight. i'm down inches and pounds [over 10!]. and there is always may.

i kept an exercise journal. indulge me while i share what/how i did:
4.1 - ML arms with 5 pound weights [until later when i specify that i changed to heavier weights], 30DSlevel2
4.2 - ML arms, 30DS level 2, 50 squats, 15 situps
4.3 - ML arms, 55 squats
4.4 - ML arms, 60 squats, 30DSlevel2
4.5 - ML arms, 70 squats, 30DSlevel2
4.6 - ML arms, 75 squats, c25kw1d1
4.7 - ML arms, 80 squats, 30DSlevel2
4.10 - ML arms, 105 squats, c25kw1d2,
4.11 - ML arms, 110 squats
4.12 - ML arms
4.13 - ML arms, 130 squats, c25kw1d3
4.14 - ML arms, 135 squats
4.15 - 140 squats, c25kw2d1
4.16 - ML arms  with 10 pound weights [from here on out!] 30DSlevel2
4.17 - ML arms, 150 squats, 30DSlevel3, c25kw2d2
4.19 - c25kw2d3
4.20 - ML arms, 160 squats
4.21 - ML arms, 165 squats, c25kw3d1
4.24 - 30DSlevel3, c25kw3d2
4.29 - c25kw3d3

as you can see, i tuckered out as the month went on.  i stopped doing arms and squats super regularly. that wasn't good. like i said though, i did better than i have in the past, and also - i could've done a lot worse.

as for eating and diet - the first two weeks, i did really good with my calorie counting... then i kind of just stopped, but maintained smaller portion control, less snacks/treats and cooking healthier.  i'm going to try to start the calorie counting again. i find it very useful. planning out meals and cooking better really helps too. basically - writing down everything i eat is beneficial just for the purpose of being aware.

here are my may goals:

• food & exercise journaling again.
• Ripped in 30 Days by Jillian Michaels - all 4 weeks, at least 3 days per level. i'd like to get 5 in, but if it only happens 3 times, i'll be satisfied.
• continue with my couch to 5k training. i'm a little behind this week, but i can get caught up.
• Mama Laughlin's arms. I really like this arm workout. every day. 
  
• these two challenges: 
  
  
  
  
  this way i'm still doing squats. and i like the plank part & push ups. [i do girlies] and my abs are so weak, after having 2 babies fairly close together c-section style. and the part about chuck. it'll help for sure.
  
  
  JOIN ME????!
  
  
  i plan on sharing at the end of may my success, too., 

their last few nights

this is the house i grew up in. this is where i was born and raised. this is where i had an ideal childhood, with amazing parents. they've sold it and are moving out to live very close to me in just a few days. 

it is a bittersweet moment in my life. i feel nostalgic to see that house go. to have it not be home anymore. but i'm so excited to have my parents close by. to be able to see them every day if i want to. to have my kids grow up having their grandma and grandpa very close by. [nana and papa are close by & we love that! two sets of grandparents? even better!]

my mom and i were just texting [talk about a modern day miracle - marleeny girl on an iphone!] about how this is one of their last few nights. my parents are exhausted from packing. for months, we've facetimed and they've asked if i want certain things; old toys mainly, some furniture. i've wanted to say yes to everything, but when my 1200 square foot house is pretty maxed out with 4 people in it, i've had to refrain. [don't worry, i've taken some things...] i can't wait til they're here and i can help them unpack and get settled. 

i grew up in this home where saturday mornings were cartoons, a fancy breakfast and then cleaning house. i grew up in this house cuddling my mom almost every morning until i started seminary. i grew up in this house sharing a room with my sisters. [i share with heather for most of my childhood, then a few years with holly] i grew up in this house being afraid of the basement. i grew up in this house with the most amazing, magical christmases you could imagine. i grew up in this house taking baths with my sister and being afraid of bats out side of windows. i grew up in this house having neighborhood wars with the neighborhood kids. i grew up in this house having family home evening - or S.A.M. as we called it. i grew up in this house where i was afraid of the step down living room when it was dark and i'd talk my dad into going upstairs with me when it was time to get ready for bed. i grew up in this house having my sister tell me stories to get me to go to sleep and sleeping sitting up when i was sick. i grew up in this house dusting, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms & re-doing it when i cut corners and my dad wasn't satisfied. i grew up in this house learning what "lengthen your stride" and "decide to decide" meant. i grew up in this house with an incredibly cheerful mom teaching seminary at a very early hour - wanting to hurt her for being too happy and loud when i was tired. i grew up in this house having family dinners where we talked about things and often i got told to not talk about bodily functions so much. i grew up in this house with parents who loved to high five each other, even when i was highly embarrassed, in fact - i'm pretty sure it was done to highly embarrass me. i grew up in this house where my mom made amazing cinnamon rolls. and gingerbread houses. and many other things. i grew up in this house lining up in the kitchen to kiss my dad when he got home. 

life was good on firestone drive. i'm so glad i had the childhood that i did, i was so blessed. i'm thankful for my parents - they're amazing people. i know they'll be missed. but they will be enjoyed out here, i promise. i think utah might finally start to feel like home to me now. so in the next few days, as i fight tears knowing that i will never go in that house again, i'll remember all of the wonderful things and smile. and then head over to my parents' new house and hug them. life will still be good, just on a different street.

this isn't my goodbye forever, chicago. 

2 and a half years and 3 months... just a little late

technically it is a month past his 2.5 birthday... but that's how we roll these days - a little late with things. 

i've always enjoyed a mikey outtake. 

and here's henry's 3 month picture. this kid... he's wonderful thru and thru.

small successes

in just over a week, i am officially down over 10 pounds. this is very encouraging to me. and i need it right now.

today i need to do 135 squats. its a lot, but i will do it.

i can see a small difference in my arms. really need to get heavier weights.

i'm also really enjoying the couch to 5k training.

calorie counting is working. some days i eat super healthy. some days, like yesterday i ended up eating wendy's for lunch. and not salad wendy's. a jr. bacon cheeseburger kind of wendy's. but for the rest of the day, i made up for it and kept my calories in line. this is doable. sure, yesterday i could've made healthier choices at wendy's - but i still managed to keep in line.

i can feel a difference in my clothes. i can even see a small difference on my body & in my face. yay!

eating and workout rundown

so i know at the beginning of the year, i posted about wanting to lose weight. i've been trying. i've been eating healthier and exercising. i still have had the treats though. so i'm learning that no matter how many green smoothies i eat, no matter if i eat all of my fruits and veggies in a day, no matter if i'm sweating my butt off from some workout, if i'm still snacking on candy and chocolate - i'm not going to lose weight. its a bitter pill to swallow, but i want to stop being fat. i want to not have a fat face. i want to get into single digit pants again. i want my arms to not be the size of proper thighs.

i am starting a weight loss competition today. first prize will win over $800. that's motivating. think of what i could do with that much money. the competition is based on percentage lost, not pounds. i want to do it. i want to win. not just for the money, but i want to feel better about myself.  i want inches off. big time.

i'll be eating healthier. with the no treats part. well, i'm sure there will be an occasional treat. i'm still human. but i'm counting calories and will count those when i do have them.

i'll be continuing my exercising, which is more than i've done in a really long time.

here are some of my goals:

• couch to 5k training. this means getting on the treadmill 3 times a week and training. i loved it when i did it last year. i am certain that i can do it again. i'll be doing this in the evenings, after the kids are in bed. i think. maybe during nap time. but i've made up my mind that it'll probably be at night.
• walks as often as possible with the kids. on good weather days. in my new double jogger stroller that my incredibly generous sister gave us. 
• this arm routine. only i do 8 girlie pushups instead of walking ones. i'm not flexible enough and it hurts my back. so there. and i don't have all of those weights, so i'm using what i've got for now. we might look into getting heavier weights. everyday. 
  
• this squat challange for april: i'll do some other challange [maybe pushups or sit ups] in may. don't mind the crazy body builder girl in the middle. that's not me. obviously. i did 70 today. holy cow. i can't say i'm looking forward to the end of this month!
  
• some sort of workout dvd. 30 day shred, ripped, cardio max. i did the tracy anderson one - it gave me a tweaked neck. so i'm not doing that one for now. i think my abs aren't strong enough to do all of the crunches, etc. and i was pulling too much on my neck. whatever.  eventually i'd like to do it, because i know that's what i need the most help with. a workout video 5 times a week. 

any other suggestions? 

my school album

as some of you might know i'm on a project life craze right now. i've been using project life since mikey was born. this year, becky higgins has a bunch of new products out [and still coming out] and my sister and i have a sickness. i blame holly for this - she's the one that introduced me to project life. and i love her for it. when the mini albums came out, i loved them... but i know i'm a few years off from needing one for my boys. and then i had a thought about doing an album of my school years. i started gathering pictures. i picked the childhood mini album. i picked the mini album. i ordered. i printed pictures. then i put things together. LOVE. obsession. happiness. pretty much if you've come to my house since i finished the album, i've shoved it down your throat.

you should also know that i didn't post a lot of the pages here because i don't want to post pictures of my students. or former students. i put a heart over the one page that had a student. also, you should note that the mini albums are on sale this week. i've ordered one today for a little project i'm going to do this spring. like i said, i have a sickness. i love it though. i have class pictures. i wrote about the 3 principals i worked under, i wrote about big things and little things. this album was perfect. and i totally love it. 

and here is a link of where becky higgins shared it on her blog. i'm kind of a big deal! :)

goodnight my heart!

this kid. sometimes i want to eat him right up. my only regret is that i cut the video off too soon - he wasn't done.

a few insta shots

garrett was sick in the night on sunday and threw up monday morning. last night, mikey started puking around 9. every 20 minutes for at least the next 2 hours. then a few more times throughout the night. garrett slept on the floor with him and took care of it while i tried to rest. mikey screams every time he pukes, so i didn't sleep through it, but i know i rested better than him. today he didn't puke during the day [last time was around 4 a.m.] but he hasn't felt good. he has been ornery - punched me square in the eye at one point because he was mad i wasn't garrett. henry is fighting something... he's spitting up way more often than he normally does, pooping too & it stinks. i've been trying to get him to go to bed for almost 2 hours now, he can't fall asleep, he's uncomfortable... i don't know exactly what to do for him. i've nursed him 3 times. he's been pretty sweet all day, tonight during a diaper change, he was making the sweetest coos. garrett is in on the floor sleeping of mikey's room right now... mikey keeps waking up and fussing. poor kid, poor garrett. we all need rest. and no more puking. please bless. goodnight. [basically i wanted to blog to get mikey's finger off the top of my blog.]

gross...

5 days healing.  band aids off, to air out.  neither of us is happy about it. yuck. 

mustache pictures