Emma: Age 3

This is a little questionaire that I plan on doing with my kids every year on their birthday starting when they turn 3.
1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? Bat (hitting the ball off the "T")
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples
4. What is your favorite TV show? Super Why
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut butter and honey sandwich
6. What is your favorite outift? Butterfly shirt and pink leggings
7. What is your favorite game? Baseball
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit snakcs
9. What is your favorite animal? Kitty
10. What is your favorite song? Elmo song (Elmo's World)
11. What is your favorite book? Snow White
12. Who is your best friend? Briggs
13. What is your favorite cereal? "Circles!" (Cheerios)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride bike
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? "I like the hearts one" (Valentine's Day)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Blankie
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Spaghetti
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A mom.
21. What is your favorite movie? Snow White
22. Favorite movie character? Ariel
23. What is your favorite scripture story? Baby Jesus
24. What is your favorite primary song? "I am Like a Star"
25. Where is your favorite place to go? "Grandma's!"

Proud to be nerdy

Found the girls reading while they ate their lunch today. Flashback to my childhood. My mom used to make us all put our books down so we could eat as a family. Love that the girls just did this on their own. We come by our nerdiness quite naturally, I think!

3 Years Ago

Exactly now... I was holding you in my arms for the first time. It was only for a second, but when our eyes met I really did change. I felt so blessed! I remember thinking you were a little piece of Heaven. That you could see right into my soul. And you loved me anyway.

Now you're 3! You bring me even more joy than you did in that moment, which I didn't think was possible. I love your smiles and giggles, the kisses and hugs you so willingly give me. I love how sweet and gentle you are with Briggs, and how silly and thoughtful you are with Maddie. Your singing, dancing, teasing and the funny things you say brighten my day.

I still feel overwhelmingly blessed when I look at you. I know you were sent to our family straight from Heaven. Thanks for loving me so unconditionally. I hope to be more like you someday.

Happy Birthday, Emma!!

Loves Lately

Sleep! We moved Briggs to his own room this week... guess who sleeps 12 hours a night now? It's heaven!
Costco. Our membership was through Jared's job in Twin, so when we moved our membership effectively expired. I tried to convince myself that I didn't miss it, but we ended up renewing last month. As someone who used to say "it doesn't REALLY save me money", IT DOES. Usually just a little bit at a time, and I don't buy everything from there, but it is great!
Brown Rice. With THIS recipe, our family is happily eating brown rice more regularly. I actually enjoy brown rice more than white rice now.
Pinterest. It took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon, but I have gotten so many very practical ideas from there! Along with a lot of fattening dessert recipes and lists of things I want to change about my house, of course.:)
P90X. We finished up Insanity and started P90X again. I am really, really enjoying it this time around. Probably because I'm in decent shape instead of doing it to GET in shape.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning. Such clean, simple flavor, and I bake several chicken breasts seasoned with it for salads, chicken wraps, or even as the main dish. Yum!
Bunk Beds. We were given some bunk beds and we set them up, crossing our fingers that the girls would do well with them. They are already sleeping so much better! And so proud of the "up and down beds!" Also saves a lot of space in their room!

For the Rough Days

I don't know if it is the cold weather, let down from holidays, potty training, sick kids, baby blues or what... but I've noticed myself feeling a little down and frustrated more often that normal lately. My cousin shared this and I love it. I'm guessing that I'm not the only one so I thought I'd share! Hope it brings you the calm and peace that you need today. CLICK HERE.

My Heart Is Full

My heart is full. That's the only way I can describe it. My Mom came to help out Monday night. She cooked us meals, cleaned, held babies, took shifts during the night and helped me so much emotionally. Jared's mom stopped and took all our laundry to her house and brought it back cleaned and folded. Our neighbors stopped by. Jared's dad brought the girls Valentine's Day gifts. So many supportive texts, phone calls and messages. Woke up to find flowers and a gift from Jared on my kitchen table.

I have had so many tender mercies in the last week that I can't even begin to list them. Everything from a phone call at 10 PM offering to assist Jared in giving a Priesthood Blessing to Briggs exactly when it was needed... to a friend who happened to check their cell phone at church and stepped in to teach our primary class at literally the last second... to a calm coming over me even as he was struggling to breath in the middle of the night... to being guided to read the exact verse of scripture I needed.

Heavenly Father is aware of us. EVERY day, EVERY minute. He is looking for ways to bless us and sometimes it takes being humbled to recognize His hand in the little things.

I've been reading in 1 Kings and just read in chapter 19 when the Lord is speaking to Elijah. The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in a still small voice. I am SO grateful for that still small voice and how often it has been there just when I need it the most.

Not how I wanted to spend my day

The kids got colds a couple of week ago and lingering coughs to go with them. Briggs has especially struggled. For a week he has coughed really hard at night. In the middle of the night I spend almost an hour in the steam-filled bathroom trying to help him breath more easily. I have tried everything possible for him! Vicks, steam, cool humidifier, vapor bath, nasal aspirator, chest rub, sleeping slightly upright, etc. For the last two nights, it has gotten worse. He stops breathing for a second here and there during the night because he is gasping for air.

So this morning we went to urgent care to have him looked at. The PA thought it was mild RSV, and was going to send us home. He finally decided to take some chest x-rays and discovered pneumonia. He called to consult the on-call pediatrician at the hospital and together they decided to admit him.


After admitting him and having him checked out some more, we had a chance to sit down with the pediactrician and discuss treatment. He thinks there is RSV or whooping cough on top of the pneumonia, so they ran some tests to see. But the lab takes 24 hours, so we won't know right away.

It is viral, though, so there is nothing they can do for him at the moment, unless it gets worse. No medication, no breathing treatments, etc. His little body is just fighting it on its own. So we are home, hoping for an improvement. We left this little nightgown and are hoping not to dress him in it again...

Fitness: Inspiration

As many excuses as I have NOT to get fit, I have more reasons TO do it.

To feel better about myself.
To have more energy.
To teach my children how to eat good foods.
To want to take pictures of myself.
To truly obey the Word of Wisdom.
To teach my children to love exercise.
To fit into my old clothes and not have to spend money on new ones.
To eat more cleanly.
To be there for my kids and grandkids.
To save money.
To build muscle.
To help Jared eat healthy so we can grow old together.
To better care for the body Heavenly Father entrusted to me.
To be able to chase, wrestle, lift, carry and play with my kids easily.
To help prevent disease and sickness in my family.
To simplify my life.
To have a healthy body.

Fitness: Excuses

You name 'em! I have probably used every one in the book. These are my usuals...

It is expensive to eat healthy.
I can't afford a gym membership.
I'm tired.
I don't want to take time away from my family.
I have 3 kids under 3.
I don't want to be a size 0.
It's just my genetics, I can't help it.
I love food too much to diet.
I don't have time to make everything from scratch.
My family wouldn't eat that way if I tried.
My body isn't really that bad- I'm healthy enough.

"Look, Mom!"

"She work out!"

Water baby

He wasn't sure the first couple of weeks, but now he can't get enough of the water. He thinks it is hilarious to splash us and his arms and legs never stop moving.

Chores

I have a couple of very busy little toddlers. And I can distract them with lots of things- TV, books, etc. But if I really want to make them happy, I have learned I just need to give them a job. Weird, right? Emma takes pride in making her bed, sweeping, wiping down cupboards, doing the dishes, and cleaning off the kitchen table. On days when she is being whiney or especially needy, if I give her something productive to do she is HAPPY! And I'm grateful that it is something she enjoys. I'll be sure and remind her when she is a teenager how much she loves chores!

What? It makes it soft and shiny!

I found Emma in the bath tub with a container of yogurt in her hair. Apparently she thinks it is shampoo. I googled it and yogurt is actually supposed to help your hair be softer and replenish shine and moisture. Who knew?!

Fitness: It's kind of personal

I have been a little out of the blogging world lately. I think that is in large part because (other than kids, husband, house, etc.) my life has been pretty consumed with a personal health reform. And, although most people struggle with weight, eating healthy, exercising enough, etc., it sometimes seems like a taboo subject to talk about. And I wasn't feeling like putting myself out there and sharing how it was going for me.

Maybe because I've tried and failed before.

Maybe because I didn't want to be held accountable.

Maybe I wanted to pretend like it was easy.

Maybe I felt like the only person struggling with it.

But I have decided I'm NOT failing this time, and I want to be held accountable to my goals. More than anything, I want to make it clear that it is not EASY, it is a process, but it is POSSIBLE. Maybe I can help someone by writing about my fitness journey. Even if it helps one person, it will be worth it. If nothing else, I'm going to be glad I wrote it down for ME.

I didn't take care very good care of my body during my pregnancy with Briggs. I did at first, but then I had a million excuses why it didn't really matter what I ate or how active I was. With both girls I was running and doing yoga most of the pregnancy. But right before I had Briggs, my wake-up call was coming within a couple of pounds of Jared's weight. That might sound silly, but Jared is 5 inches taller than me! With a much larger frame!

So I made a plan that was to start when Briggs was 2 weeks old... (to be continued...)

Encouragement for the Week

"The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." -Benjamin E. Mays