Stumped

I am making Mollie a video every 2 months until she turns a year old. She will be 8 months old on Friday, and I cannot come up with an idea for her video!

Please leave me a comment with an idea.

Arms of Steel

I used to do arm weights so my arms would be nice and firm. I was preparing for my wedding day and had a strapless dress to wear.

I'm not planning on wearing anything strapless ever again, but I would like to have arms that don't flap in the wind.

Here are mine now (I think the 9lbs. I have left to lose are all stored there).


Here are my arms in 2 years if I don't take action now.


I just finished my old weight routine from a few years ago. My arms are still feeling like noodles and lifting Mollie was almost the death of me.

Not My Best

Usually I am a master of the self-timed shot. My new camera is a little more tricky, I guess, because these pictures I took (or tried to take) this morning before church are just bad.






Happy Sunday.

Just the Girls

Mollie and I are having a girls' only night for the 3rd time in a month.


Devin took Sam to a church Fathers and Sons camping trip this weekend. He also took him last weekend (ward hopping), and on a non-church campout 2 weekends before that.
Right before they left this afternoon



What can I say? These boys love outside and they love each other.



Me and Mollie love inside.



And each other too.

I Could Get Used to This

This was the scene in our house yesterday afternoon:



This was one of the first times Sam and Mollie have played together in harmony. Usually Sam gets territorial if Mollie lays one chubby finger his toys. Not yesterday. He played quietly to himself, making "choo choo" noises. Every so often he would glance over at Mollie, not even seeming to notice that she was gnawing on his beloved train tracks.

Good boy, Sam. I am glad that you are becoming such a nice brother.

2 1/2

Our special boy is 2 1/2 today. I know that the world does not typically celebrate half birthdays, but looking back on the past 6 months, Sam has grown up so much. I just can't pass up the opportunity to celebrate him.

at 2 1/2, Sam:
-Loves his daddy. I get a little jealous of this sometimes, but at the same time I am glad that they are BFF.
-loves me too. He comes to me over Devin when he is hurt (typical mom role), sad, or tired. He goes to Devin for fun or when I say no to junk food.
-finally loves his sister! This has been a huge answer to prayer. I don't know if it's the sticker chart or growing up or the grace of God that has made Sam stop being violent. He even asks to hold Mollie almost daily and asks her if she's ok when she coughs or sneezes.
-loves outside. He asks to go in the backyard almost immediately after waking up. I don't know what we're going to do once it hits 100 degress.
-loves TV. I hate that he has already become an addict. I try to limit his TV watching during the day. Some days are successful and some days aren't.
-would rather play with other kids' toys rather than other kids.
-would rather wander around the landscaping of the park rather than play on the equipment.
-loves to hear stories about himself.
-loves to watch videos of "baby Sam."
-hates to take naps.
-loves to go camping

Sam is the greatest.

Diet Inception

I am on a diet within a diet.

I am still on the Maker's diet (all-natural foods, nothing processed), and this week Becca and I are doing a raw-food challenge. Last night I was STARVING. I had eaten probably 25 different pieces of fruit and vegetables throughout the day (seriously), and I felt like it didn't even make a dent in my hunger.

After 2 full days of being a raw foodist (that's a real term I saw on TV once haha), I am calling it quits! I am tired of feeling faint and dizzy. Why go through morning sickness voluntarily without a baby in your stomach?

Here's to my all-natural whole wheat waffle breakfast. Raw food stinks.



p.s.
I did lose 2 lbs. by doing this, but still it was torture.

A Friend Indeed

Not many people would send a text that says, "Want me to come over and do yard work tomorrow?"

Not many people except this girl.


Leigh Ann taught me how to use an electric trimmer. I even trimmed one bush into a sad-looking heart.



The Finished Product. This was a surprise for Devin. When he got home he said we did a "dang good job."


Today probably wasn't the best day for me to exert myself out in the heat because of the raw diet. I was feeling a little faint by the end so Leigh Ann got stuck with most of the cleanup work. She is all professional though and used a blower and everything, even spraying my weeds. What a gal!

Raw for a Week

I was over at my sister Becca's house yesterday and we got to talking about our post-baby bodies (we're girls. When 2 or more are gathered body issues are discussed). Becca has been at a weight-loss plateau for a couple of months (her baby is only 4 months old, mind you). I was telling her about how when I lost weight back in college it was a result of having jaw surgery and not being able to eat solid foods for 10 days. Then I just started exercising regularly and became a skinny gal until I was pregnant with Sam.

We both came to the conclusion that maybe her body needs a jumpstart much like a liquid fast in order to start losing weight again. We decided that she should go raw for a week. Since I still have 10 lingering Mollie pounds myself, I am doing it with her.



Day one was filled with mangoes, celery, and bananas.

I am hungry.

Do The Roar!

Sam has a signature noise that he makes about 150 times per day at least. It's his dinosaur roar.

Although I am used to it, it still makes me jump from time to time. It sent chills up my Maw-Maw's spine and caused her eye to twitch when she was visiting. It is a terrible, terrible noise.

Sam does this noise in the grocery store, to the other kids at the park, and up and down our hallways and backyard. Our very first Sunday in our new ward, Sam screamed his roar right after the opening hymn. Yes we got looks and as Devin reports a few laughs. I was too embarrassed to notice.

Every time he does his noise I can't help but picturing the gross kid from Shrek saying, "Do the roar!"