Moon Mania

Trudi

2011-12-06T16:14:00.001-06:00

Macy has really pulled off the Swedish Music box Dancer. Her accent is so funny. And her costume was perfect. We are so proud of our actress and her future is looking so BRIGHT!

Rear view Mirror

2011-11-10T07:57:00.000-06:00

You know how it is when you are speeding down the highway and something on the side of the road catches your eye. Your going by so fast the only way you can really get a good look is to check the rear view mirror. That's been life at the Moon house lately.

The month of October was jam packed and November is proving to be just like it. Molly traveled with the SGA and also attended 6th grade camp. Molly's picture was in the local newspaper too. Logan and Macy had homecoming week. With Macy being a Freshman homecoming maid that meant a pageant, parade and presentation at the football game.During all this she landed the another community theater role which she plays a Swedish ice dancer toy in the production A Christmas Toyshop. Football season wrapped up and wrestling season is beginning within days of each other. Logan's 5th year wrestling and Macy's first year as a mat maid and trainer. Halloween quickly approached we did the normal trick or treating hoopla and all had a blast. Parker and Collin are just starting youth basketball and Brian is coaching the 5-6 year olds. Collin trectly had a special field trip to the Pumpkin Patch and a Thanksgiving feast at school.

Hudson doing well with preschool. I think we are over the initial germ shock since he has been well for a couple of weeks now (knock on wood). In the last couple of months I have seen my fair share of doctors, dentist and orthodontist. Right after Molly has a birthday and turned 12 years old. She had outpatient surgery for her ingrown toenails.The surgery was a huge success and she is doing so well now.

I am happy to say even with life on the fast track the kids all brought home outstanding report cards. I couldn't be any prouder. I give the kids all the credit. We do try to hold them to the fire and check up on things but with 5 in school they have to hold themselves accountable too. The last 2 months have been so very busy ones. The future is looking so bright for us all. We are looking forward to the Holiday season and new year.

Beautiful Inside and Out

2011-10-14T23:44:00.002-05:00

Thursday night I baked this celebration cake. We were celebrating Macy was chosen to be in the High School Homecoming court. She is one of 2 freshman picked. I am over the moon happy for her. Beauty from within shines so bright, I am so proud of her. Homecoming is Oct 28th so you bet you will be seeing lots of pictures.

On my soap box

2011-10-12T20:57:00.000-05:00

I hear a lot of women say they just can't lose weight and how they wish they could. Usually I try to encourage them with if the statement .If I can do it, anyone can and I really do believe that. Women seem to want a quick fix , a magic pill or surgery to just make it happen for them. Then if it fails they have something else to blame it on.

The show Biggest Loser has been preaching that majority weight loss surgery patients lose muscle along with fat. If they do gain back the weight they are even more unhealthy because of all the fat and having less muscle mass. Season after season they have people on the show who are weight loss surgery failures so there obviously must be a good number of these people in the US. I am not saying that there aren't people who take the opportunity to lose a good bit of weight and begin an exercise program and never look back. But truth be told you don't need surgery to get the same result.

People's excuses drive me crazy. I just want to shake them and say GET REAL! I restrain myself because you can't really do this to people but man it's what I am thinking. If you tell me you can't lose weight it's because you are not trying hard enough. Exercise, healthy food (veggies,fruit,lean meats ) and plenty of water everyday will lead to weight loss. It will not all fall of instantly but it will come off in time.

I do get defensive if people ask or assume I have had weightloss surgery. I am quick to correct them and let them know I worked for every single pound. Self discipline and sweat not surgery. My journey started on Nov. 1 2008 and I am closing in on 3 years. Sometimes it feels like longer but I am so glad I started when I did and there is no going back!

Here are the proof in pictures. Sometimes I forget where I started from. What a reminder!

I am still struggling with 20 pounds I want to lose. I inquired at the gym about the new weightloss group they started and the girl laughed at me. She said I would make the others feel bad if I went. I explained my struggle with the last bit of weight and she looked at me like I was crazy. She said I could teach the class, nice compliment.Most people don't get my desire to lose the next 20 but for me it's just finishing up what I started. It will help my running and future fitness goals.

I have realized that I am craving sugar at night. I am trying to break this bad habit or replace it with fruit, lower calorie options or distracting myself and not giving in. It's good be realistic with yourself why your not getting the results you want. I am trying to tweak my eating again. Reduce the carbs and sugars and be honest and own up to what I do eat. Back to tracking calories to keep me accountable. I really need to work on not going so long without food to, I get busy and forget then I am very hungry at meal time and eat a larger portion. Theses changes will help me to slowly get the ball rolling on the last twenty.

Focusing on diet is critical right now because I am injured. Over the weekend I shut my left foot in the car door and now I have a beautiful black boot to wear. I am hoping to only be limited for a few weeks but to have no cardio could be very bad. I did an upper body and ab workout yesterday and worked up quite the sweat. This won't hold me back for long I will just find ways to over come.

This is my little space in the cyber word. I write about things on my mind. It is CHANGING from being all about kids to be about WHATEVER I want to talk about. The kids are in school full time and things are just humming along. Nothing really to report right now but when there is I will do so don't worry they aren't forgotten about.

My favorite

2011-10-05T10:50:00.002-05:00

I want to introduce you to a blog that I always look forward to each post. Liz is my kind of girl and we think alot alike. She shops at all my favorite stores like Ross, Kirklands, Hobby Lobby and so on and buys all the things that I myself would be eyeballing.Good thing she is in Seattle or we'd be fist fighting over items in the decor aisle! The great thing about Liz is she buys things when they are marked down or on a good sale. She brings home all these fabulous treasures and makes them look like the expensive designer pieces just buy adding her own touches.

Now I will warn you I think she might have a team of maids that live in one of her closets in that gorgeous new house. My reasoning is with 4 beautiful daughters and Husband plus all that shopping and decorating she manages to keep her house magazine picture perfect all the time. I am not hating her I am just jealous. Haha.

I encourage you to follow her blog and comment that MOONMANIA sent you over. You must see her house turn into Christmas Wonderland! It should be on a home tour and in magazines for sure. I keep reading her blog post hoping maybe one day she introduces us to her personal cleaning crew . Even if she doesn't share her secret I am hooked on her ideas, style and love for all things Tuscan. Pop over and check it out yourself!

http://www.savvyseasons.com/

Iphone Photos

2011-10-04T02:46:00.003-05:00

I am getting to be one of those people who rarely has my good camera with me. Every night when I plug in my iphone it downloads whatever random pictures I have taken each day. Here are a few from the last few days.

Brian took it upon himself that he needed to correctly set up the checkerboard at Cracker Barrel as we were leaving. His random act of kindness or was it his touch of OCD ? He can always make me laugh.

This is Tony Hawk's replacement. I never dreamed that Collin would take to skateboarding like a fish to water. He practices every single day and has made great improvements. I am asked 1,000 times a day to come watch his latest trick.

By the 6th child you pick your battles with even less effort. Yes he is wearing long sleeves and shorts with crocs in October. He dressed himself and most likely his underwear is on backwards too. He prefers to be able to see the picture on the front and as long as the underwear are clean who does it hurt? Hudson may have eating 1/2 a box of animal crackers on the way home from the grocery store but he washed it all down with a bottle of water. Somewhat healthy, I guess. My younger self would have never let any of this happen but I live by "don't sweat the small stuff" motto now.

Despite being sore from my previous workouts I was determined to get in my 5 mile run Friday. I took some fast walk breaks but I pushed through even when my thighs were screaming STOP. Work outs have been fairly good lately. Some days are just long runs or spin class but it's a good sweat and great cardio. It's good for me to switch it up and keep it fresh.

More wreaths

2011-09-30T00:21:00.001-05:00

Here are some things I have been up to lately. The Wacky Witch wreath was created for my front door. And I just got started making up some Fabulous Fall creations. This one is gold with glittered leaves,berry, pumpkin and gourds. The plaid ribbon colors tie in all the all the great colors of the season.

My Thoughts

2011-09-27T23:24:00.001-05:00

This week has been a step in the right direction. I finally seem to have my head on straight ,with new goals mapped out I am looking forward to new things and reaching new milestones.

I have found myself missing being in group situation to workout. My Wednesday night spin class does help with that some. Since the Biggest Loser's newest season just started up it makes me miss that kind of workout intensity pretty bad. I think I will look for more classes to include in my weekly workouts.

The biggest light bulb moment I had this week was realizing I have been eating with entitlement. For instance training for the triathlon all summer lead to me eating without as much caution. I didn't focus as much on my portions and calories because I was working hard at the pool,on the bike and running. I figured I was entitled to brownies and cookies more often than I normally would. With all my training I didn't really lose any weight, I did change shape in some area. I have lost a couple inches on some places but as far as the scale number it has been within the same 5 pounds all summer long. I have read alot that being able to maintain for awhile after losing a decent amount of weight is good for your body. So maybe my body just needed that break too but Break time is OVER!

With the holidays fast approaching I must get this ball rolling now.I want that ball rolling downhill and see some payoff by time my birthday rolls around in January. I am being more aware of what goes in my mouth. I am cracking down on night time eating again (Man, I keep falling into that bad habit). Pushing water and pushing away bread (Again!). Loading up on veggies and trying hard to eat a protein filled breakfast everyday.

Also after doing some reading I am going to start limiting my running to 3-4 day max each week. The other days I will do spin class or work with weights and bootcamp exercises. I will do some running sprints on the track or running for a 10 minute warm up but running long distances will be saved for those running days each week.Oh I will continue doing the stair master too. My favorite new exercise.

I am trying to focus on other things other than the awful saggy skin that hangs and rubs on my arms. It is the biggest disappointment of my journey . When I run long distances it literally creates raw places so I run with my arms in such a way it makes my shoulders and back ache. I hate the skin, people notice it , clothes fit weird, and it is the one thing I seem to focus on in the mirror. It's hard for me to see the forest for the trees . I know I have some muscle in my arms but I don't notice it due to the flag waving on the underside of each arm, with my right side hanging even more than the left just to add insult to injury. But because I lost my weight with good ol' fashion diet and exercise insurance will pay nothing to correct this saggy baggy skin issue. Only thing to do right now is distract myself from thinking about it , experiment with tuck tape and find a winning lottery ticket. I am joking, I think.

To wrap up on a good note Brian got a bicycle. It is a pretty nice road bike and he is going to be riding with me. This is also a exercise he can do that doesn't hurt his knee that he had operated in the Spring. We went on an almost 3 mile ride last night and had a really nice ride. It is good for me to be able to ask him which gear I should be in if I am in doubt. I already learn some things and look forward to more rides in the future. Maybe we could even do a bike race together , I bet he would beat me!

Lesson to Learn

2011-09-24T18:00:00.003-05:00

This week a has been a bit of an off week for me. With the high of the triathlon behind me , with no training schedule popping up on my phone everyday I felt very out of sorts. I did go to the gym a few times. I went and introduced myself to the stair climber machine at the gym. I enjoyed it so much that I stuck it out a whole 30 minutes. Here is my stats after my first meeting with this machine 1891 steps with 126 flights of stairs.Woohoo!

I went to my usually Wednesday night spin class. The core group was there along with some new people. Really enjoy this class and look forward to it each week. But this week I didn't do any running at all. And felt pretty guilty about it.

Toward the middle of the week our child who rarely gets in trouble became grounded for a few days. The next day she spent a good bit of time deep cleaning the kitchen. I had been gone and came home and didn't really notice her hard work. It wasn't till she mentioned it that it dawned on me it did look alot better. Now if I had come home to it a mess I would have noticed right away and not been happy at all. I did thank her and apologize for not noticing because that happens to me all the time. I know how disheartening it can be.

This applies to more than just the kitchen. This applies to my "off" week too. I didn't really give myself credit for what I did right this week. I did just do a triathlon on Sunday, I kicked tail on the stair master and spin class. I made good food choices and drank plenty of water. I only focused on what I didn't do. I need to remember to not only see the bad but praise the good in many situations.

So with the triathlon behind me I need to find me something else to work on. I spent some time looking online and decided I wanted to do an 8k race. Right now I am thinking my next event will be the Run Away from Domestic Violence 8k on October 22. Great cause and great motivation to work on my running. This might seem like a step down from a triathlon but it is something I haven't done yet and it will help me build up for the bigger events I am planning for 2012.

In other family news. The 5 school kids had great A-B progress reports. Yippee! Molly was honored to be asked to be a school ambassador at the National SGA conference coming up in October . We are pleased with how well she has stepped up to becoming a leader in middle school and doing so well on her school work. Logan is ROCKING Spanish and really loves it. Parker's teachers raved on his great behavior and manners. Macy has several play auditions coming up this fall, one of which is private invitation audition. Collin loves school and is soaking it up like a sponge. Hudson is going to school 2 days a week and loves being with his cousin Blaze and Phoenix. We are starting to settle into the new routine and looking forward to the months ahead.

I have been using some of my free time making wreaths. Here are the 2 I made this week. I have alot of ideas and supplies for more Halloween, Fall/Harvest and Christmas wreaths.

I did it!

2011-09-19T12:15:00.001-05:00

If you would have told me 3 years ago I would be apart of a triathlon I would have busted out laughing. But yesterday I sprinted across the finish line of my very first one. I had a blast and really can't wait to do it again! Maybe that seems alittle crazy to immediately think that but it was the first thought I had.These were the thoughts running through my mind....Wow I did it!!!! Wow!!! It was so fun!! Man, it's already over?? I wonder when I can do another one?

Let's back up to getting there----

We left Birmingham a little after 10 with Mom and Dad in caravan behind us. Us being Brian,Logan,Macy and myself with my trusty bike on the back of Brian's car. With a stop for lunch and gas we made it into Knoxville, TN around 4 to pick up my race packet, just having my race number in hand started my excitement. It was off to the hotel to check in and we wasted no time checking out the location of the pool, the bike course and the run path. I really wanted to go see where all this would be happening. With the pool just 1 1/2 miles away and knowing I have not really exercised since Wednesday we decided to just walk over and check it out. Mom and Macy went along too. It was nice to stroll the campus and just get out and move after the long car ride. We made it to the pool area, we discussed the bike path but decided to come back and travel it by car later on the way to dinner. Time to head back to the hotel to cleaned up for dinner. On our way to the restaurant we traveled the bike course by car , and there it was the 2 dreaded hills at the end. I knew this would be the hardest part of the race for me but I knew I had it in me to overcome.

The morning of-----

I actually went to sleep pretty easily before everyone else. I had not slept well the night before and I made sure to have no caffeine so that I was not wired. With a prime rib and baked potato filling (pre race treat) my belly coupled being tired from traveling I was off to dreamland . I woke up to Logan's school alarm going off on his phone and laid there a minute. I was excited to get up and get this day started so I made my way to the shower. I thought the others would get moving as I showered but when I returned they were all still nestled in their beds. With 30 minutes till our set leave time I got everyone up and hurried them along. We got to the race area and unloaded and set up. Brian and I went over my bike making sure the air and gears were where I needed them. I had my things all laid out ready for a smooth transition. I was marked with my race number on my arms and my age on the back my right leg. My race anklet on my left leg and I was starting to get even more excited. I did get in the pool for some warm up. Brian and I discussed possibly doing a flip-turn lane change that I saw some other people practicing. I did a few laps and even practiced the flip-turn. I could do it but it did take more thought and breath. I decided to just do what felt right in the moment. Time passed quickly and before I knew it the racers were moving to the pool deck to begin.

*The start -Swim 12 laps with lane changes*

The staggered swim start seemed to take forever. Basically it was left to the racers to figure out who started where based on time. With over 200 people you just do the best you can and get into a jumbled line and hope for the best. While we waited I chit-chatted with another group of women who have each done several triathlons and road races . They all admitted biking was their strong point and swimming their least favorite. Out of the group I went first on the swim as it is a strong point for me. My nerves about the swim were calmed as I looked toward the pool I saw some people struggling with the swim. The swim that I considered easy. As I inched closer and closer to the start I was just excited and ready to get my race going. I gave my family one last thumbs up and it was RACE TIME!

You had to jump into the water feet first when you were told to start. I was in and swimming feeling great. I went with the lane change of touch and dip under the rope. It worked out just fine and I quickly found myself passing people. Passing people felt pretty weird but empowering too. Before I knew it I was on my last lap and swimming toward the pool exit. I did my swim in 6:01 which was better that we had thought I would do. Once you left the pool you ran up to the bike station.

*The bike-7 miles with 2 hills to conquer twice*

I did my transition as quickly as I could and got on my bike and out on the course. I was feeling good and ready to get the dreaded bike part behind me. The start of the bike went well. It was fairly flat and I was doing just fine. I did good on the downhill portions , not feeling the need to brake too much on the turns all in all I was doing well feeling confident . The camelback water pack was a lifesaver and I was very happy I had it. I passed a few people and I was being passed too, by 1/2 way thru the first lap I was passed by some of the girls I had been talking with before the swim. Then came the big hill. I think I was in the wrong gears and I was really struggling. I was about half way up the hill when my left calve cramped up. I tried to keep peddling but it wasn't helping. I jumped off my bike and pushed it up the hill a few feet. I was talking to myself saying get the cramp out and get back on and ride it out! Before I crested the hill I got on and peddled to the top and the it was the smaller hill next. I made it up the smaller hill to complete my first lap. I saw and heard my family cheering me on and it gave me a bit of a boost.I knew the next few miles were the easy part of the bike so I relaxed alittle. I enjoyed this part of the ride. I knew I had lost some ground on that hill but I was just doing the best I could. I told myself this is about doing not winning, get your head right. I found myself smiling as I was riding past the river front and just feeling happy I really was half way done with my first triathlon! Before I knew it there was the dreaded hill AGAIN! I started up feeling better this time, probably in a better gear for a hill too. Around half way up I was struggling but digging deep. I put my foot down to the ground and pushed myself a for a few pushes. And I said aloud Okay, you are almost there DIG, come on almost done. And I did just that I peddled for all I had in me and I made it without getting off the bike at all. I took the smaller hill to the bike transition and then it was time to get running. My bike time was 38.13.

*The Run-3 miles with several hills*

After the bike I was almost thrilled to be running. I know running, running is familiar. I didn't have any fear about the run and needed it to stretch out the cramp I got on the bike. I threw on my running hat and grabbed my water and was on my way. I was jogging at first when I found my breathing too fast. I took a short walk break and calmed my breathing and took in some water. Then it was back to running. I passed a few people. I heard words of encouragement from other racers such as looking strong and doing good. I don't recall responding to any of these except with a smile or nod. I just keep running, I wish I had more indication of time or my distance. I felt alittle out of sorts just following the path signs with no idea where I was or what my pace was (it felt really slow to me). I did take a few small walk breaks but they were short and then I was off running again. When running I felt like I was running so very slow, when I wanted so badly to sprint but with no real idea how much further I didn't want to go all in too quickly. Then finally I heard someone say 1/2 a mile left . I was surrounded by a few people and we all turned it up a notch knowing the finish was closer. I ran as quickly as my tired jello legs would let me. I saw my kids on my right side and it was the push I needed to sprint up the small hill to the finish. My Dad was in sight when I made my way up the hill and it fueled me as I kept running all the way in to the finish line. I crossed the finish line and my name and my hometown was announced over a loud speaker. It was such a cool feeling almost surreal! My run time was 31.43.

I hugged my family, kissed my coach and downed a bottle of water. I had just done something that I at one point in my life I could not have done. I had stared down my fear (the bike), I had built up my endurance and rocked one portion (the swim) and I had pretty much just kept moving forward without too much thought on the last leg (the run). The event I had trained for and looked forward to for so long was over and done . Wow, what a great feeling!

I will do it again! I will become better at the bike. I want to do the same race next year and laugh at those hills as I soar up them on my bike. This was just a beginning and I think it was a GREAT beginning. I am happy with the fact I set my mind to it, I overcame obstacles and I completed it . I wasn't the fastest or the slowest. I wasn't the most in shape or the most out of shape competitor. I wasn't the best swimmer,biker or runner. But I am a TRIATHLETE and nothing or no one can take that away from me.

I encourage everyone to make a goal and work hard to achieve it. It is the best feeling in the world!

Thank you all for the encouragement, the love and support has been more than I could ever dream of. All of you who sent me a text , email and facebook comment helped fuel me when I had any small moment of doubt. I am so grateful for each and every one of you guys. I am so very blessed!

Birthday Boy turns 6

2011-09-14T13:25:00.000-05:00

Collin had his birthday yesterday and his party on Sunday. What a fun time we had going on a hike at Ruffner Mountain for his party. We are also shown and learned about some of the rescue animals. Collin got to hold a real live snake! I couldn't watch but Macy did get a good picture of him. If you are local and want to go on a adventure make sure you check out http://www.ruffnermountain.org/ they have recently renovated and it is SO nice. The trails are very well marked and good for beginner hikers and kids.There is no fee they just ask for donations to keep the place running. I really look forward to going back with the family.

His presents included a nerf fun, transformer toy, moon sand, skateboard and helmet, Lincoln logs , skateboard ramp, Alabama football, a scooter and some legos. He really racked up and loved it all!

We always let the birthday person pick a meal. Collin picked Japanese for dinner so we tried out a new place in town called Mizu. He had the best time and we sat with the nicest couple. The food was really good and we really enjoyed our family time.

It's hard to believe my baby boy is six years old. He is such a bright spot in my life. He is funny and helpful and so smart. I love to see his brain work, he is learning to read and you can see those light bulb moments in his eyes when he figures out a word, it's priceless. I couldn't be any prouder of him!

The Journey

2011-09-13T18:24:00.000-05:00

What a powerful statement in the picture. This really is what the kind of mentality I strive for. Do I succeed everyday? No I do not. As a person who has been overweight most of her life it's no secret emotional eating was just what I did and I still battle it everyday. Wow, so much to blog about today I will have to make it 2 post. My birthday boy deserves a post of his own to celebrate his 6th birthday. This post is about my journey and the upcoming big event, in just 5 days.

This weeks training schedule is ridiculously light such today's schedule is 15 minutes of running. That seems almost laughable and not worth the effort of getting dressed to go run. I am going to do that 15 minutes of running and then work on my lap swimming and changing lanes . My weekend workouts were non existent and I am missing my me/music/ sweating time. Yesterday I did chores at the house and just felt drained. I really had intended to make it to workout but it didn't happen so today it will happen.

As for the triathlon I feel ready. I have everything I need or what I think I need and I feel confident. This is a learning experience, and I am sure next week I will have learned even more about myself and how triathlons work. I will be able to review my training schedule and give it an honest look if I could have improved it. And share with you my next big goal.

Weight and fitness is such a weird thing. I always thought it only involved me . When I didn't take care of myself I was convinced then it was only hurting me and I was okay with that. When I started to improve my fitness and health it too only involved me. I was of the mindset my effort, my time, my sweat, my commitment. But that is untrue it effects those who are apart of your life too. There are good points and bad to both and that is tricky to deal with. I promise you I must have missed this message in every weight loss and fitness article I have ever read. I do try to be considerate of other people feelings and personal struggles. I do not want to come across braggy and a know it all . Having a hey, look at me I'm awesome attitude that people roll their eyes at. It's just not me. So I pretty much have done my thing. Not broadcasting it to the world not really feeling like it needed any attention still thinking my body, my sweat , my business. Sometimes people would ask and inquire and I'd share just enough to answer then drop the topic. Sometimes people would make comments in a negative tone about my change of priorities, jokes about me "being a runner" and that did sting a little. I'm still not sure how is the best way to handle this but I tried to do it as delicately as I could and it still hurt people I care about. Like I said it's tricky.

But there has been some great family support too. I am a lucky one that my Husband has been my #1 cheerleader. He has listen to my struggles , he has offered a shoulder to cry on and often practiced some tough love to push me. When I brought up the idea of triathlon he was willing to do whatever I needed . He has coached me , timed me, helped me order everything I have needed, and reassured me 1,000 times that I can do this. I am lucky to have him in my corner cheering me on and words can never express how grateful I am just knowing he is there.

I'm not an expert but I have learned alot. I do read a good bit on weight loss and fitness and try out different things myself. I have gone from an obese person to normal bmi. I have gone from huffing and puffing just walking 1 mile to attempting and God willing completing a triathlon . It's not a miracle, it's all about just making changes and goals that I can live with for the rest of my life. I still have things I want to work on , I still have things I do not like about my body that I want to tone up. There are goals I still want to reach for myself . I have accepted this journey never ends it will be this way for as long as I live.

My future plans involve helping others just like me. I have already been asked to make a video for my Boot camp with my before pictures and now wearing my old size 22 jeans. I have been contacted about possibility of leading a beginner boot camp for those just starting out .Also a small local gym has told me they would love to have me come train for them and to let them know when I am ready. I am looking into becoming a certified personal trainer . Not only will I have my own experience to help others but I will have book knowledge to back it up. This is all in addition to keeping up my own goals and workouts but things are starting to fall in place for this future career.

Exciting yet scary. I'm not a perfect person and I don't have every answer but I have a compassion for those who want to live a healthy life. Those people who see the big picture, the ones not about a number on the scale or dress size but those are great victories too . The people who get real and own up to their excuses and know that working hard does pay off. It won't be instant and there will be bad days but you pick yourself up and keep moving forward. All of it done with a pay it forward mentality. Anything worth having is worth working for!

"I choose to be healthy, to grow stronger, to be alive as long as I possibly can"

Brace Yourself

2011-09-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Today was the day Molly has been waiting for. The day she got her top braces put on. She is our 3rd child to go down the road of braces . The boys didn't seem to be all to thrilled with the braces but Molly has been counting down the days for awhile. We have learned a few tricks over the years and I made sure she went ahead and took some Tylenol before dropping her off at school after her appointment. Also I checked the pantry for chicken noodle soup and supplies for grill cheese for her dinner. Check Check!

This weeks workouts have been pretty good. I am feeling over all soreness which is reassuring that I am working hard. Next week will be an easy week to save my body for the big race on Sunday. I was eager to get back to the gym Tuesday. Taking those few days off were good for me to miss it and look forward my gym time. On Tuesday I ran a 5k on the treadmill with hill intervals in under 30 minutes. I then did a series of boot camp exercises with weights and then rode the bike on a high resistance for 3 miles. I woke up Wednesday very sore but I made it to spin class. This class is becoming a favorite, I am getting familiar with some of the regulars and with it being a small class it is very interactive which helps the hour pass quickly. Considering my thighs were already so sore from the day before the hills we did in spin class seemed like mountains but I pushed through . I was drenched with sweat and worn out but I made it and never quit. I might have moaned and groaned a good bit but everyone ones so I was with good company.

I was noticing last night just in the last few months since taking up cycling and spin class my legs have changed. The biggest difference is the bulge above my knee. I thought to myself what is that as I felt it. And it dawned on me its a MUSCLE! A muscle I never really knew I had till now. I tried to take a picture and this is the best I could do, you can kinda see the right above my knee.

Today's training is a 30 minute run and I plan on doing that in the neighborhood this afternoon. My eating this week had been perfect. I haven't been tempted and was happy to fill my grocery cart with lots of veggies and fruits this week. I have either had eggs or a Cliff protein bar every morning too. Just 10 days away till my big day and I feel excited and READY!

Same Place New Look

2011-09-06T01:21:00.001-05:00

I bet you are wondering what happen to the wild and crazy look of the blog. It was time for a big change and I was wanting to get away from using the trendy free backgrounds. A few months back I asked Brian what sort of layout he could make for me. He moaned and he groaned about how he is NOT a designer and basically put me off hoping I would give up on the idea. I think he had a memory lapse thinking I would ever give up. Yesterday Macy pointed out how old the pictures in my blog banner were and I recruited her on the task of getting Brian to get moving on my new look. So today he created me this and I like it , it still needs a few extra touches but I am getting used to it and will add some things as I go.

Our weekend was rather low key even sorta boring. I decided to take the whole weekend off from the gym . I needed a break I was feeling alittle burnt out . We had 2 more kids come down with the virus so we are still waiting to see who may be next. I am gearing up for my next 2 weeks devoted to my triathlon and I am very excited!! I already have my next event on my radar too. :)

We watched Alabama play some football on Saturday. It was just us at home but we had a great football feast. We had make your own subs . I offered ham,turkey,salami,meatball, chicken salad with a variety of cheeses. We had 2 different chips and dips, veggie tray,chili cheese fries, party nuts, and banana pudding. Everyone really enjoyed it. The boys watched about 12 hours of football on Saturday and I taught myself a new craft. In my boredom I started looking on the internet how to make these decorative yo-yo flowers and within the day I had created this embellished top for myself. I have lots of ideas of other things to do with them too.

Sunday we did some errands and visited with my Dad for his upcoming birthday. Monday was Labor Day and was pouring rain all day long thanks to the tropical storm. I did some cleaning and laundry most of the day. We worked on cleaning out a closet and piddle here at the house. With everyone being home there seemed to be one mess after another all day. But it was a good day to stay in with the weather being so nasty.

Both pics found on Pinterest both so true!

I am hoping the sickies are over and life can go back to normal. I am excited to get in some workout time tomorrow. I am going to be more mindful of my eating I feel like last week I slipped up a little too much for my liking.I didn't eat regularly then ended up very hungry and overeating at meal time. I needed to refocused and I am ready to tackle this coming week.

Hair Update: I am still not liking it one single bit. In this picture I have it in a tiny ponytail covered with a big flower. Yay it is growing ever so slowly but Boo that this color is just NOT me.

The week in review

2011-09-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

What a busy week it has been. But just like the picture of Woody below we are still hanging on by a string.I found this in Huddy's room this week and thought it was pretty cute.

On to the workouts on Monday I rested. I did not sleep well at all the night before so I took my off day on Monday rather than Tuesday . I just managed to do the chores I needed to do around here and called it an early night to get some better sleep.*Edit* I posted this and went on my way then it dawned on me. I didn't really REST Monday! I cleaned out the dining room top to bottom,rearranged the furniture,straightened the closet and cooked a big yummy meal of BBQ chicken,scallop cheesy potatoes, man n cheese, and beans and muffins to celebrate Molly being voted 6th grade Secretary. So not so much rest on Monday just no gym time.

Tuesday was another jam packed day. Hudson begged to go to the gym so I loaded him up and off we went. I had just gotten ready for my swim when the power at the gym went out . Gym rules are that you must leave the gym if the power is out so within 30 minutes we were headed back home. We stopped by the grocery store to get stuff for dinner. Three of the kids had dentist appointments after school so I knew if I precooked dinner the night would be less hectic. I decided to make both chili and crock pot potato soup with cornbread. By time I got all the cooking done it was a rush to the shower so I was ready when the kids came home on the bus. I wore my gym clothes to the dentist with the plan for Brian to meet me at the gym to get the school kids so I could get in my daily workout.

I made up for my Monday off with a hard workout Tuesday night. I did an 5k interval run where at some point I was running a 7.0 elevation on the treadmill. I finished my run in 29 minutes even with the hills. I did some strength exercise using kettle bells , crunches and squats. I then knocked out 3 miles on level 10 resistance on the bike. I was drench with sweat but it was nice to get in such a hard workout.

Wednesday night was spin class with Dee. This is becoming one of my favorite classes. I love this lady's attitude . She is a bigger girl but really has a great positive attitude . I pushed myself hard during class and my legs were screaming at me but I was able to finish strong and that felt great.

Thursday was my 2nd day off this week. I had a hair appointment and errands to run. For the hair I went with a dark blonde for fall no major cut just a trim as I am growing it out again. The color is a big change for me and I am not sure I like it yet. Maybe it will grow on my over time but for now I am not sure.

I won't be getting another day off this weekend since I already took these. Today (Fridays) workout will be a swim and run when the kids get home from school. Our day started early with Hudson getting sick in my bed . He's been feeling bad all day so we have been home hanging out . He hasn't thrown up again since this morning but has a upset tummy now. I hope this is something that ends quickly and doesn't spread. I don't want my weekend to be all about laundry and sick folks. Wish us luck. Oh and you can beat we will be saying ROLL TIDE on Saturday.:)

The Weekend

2011-08-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

On Saturday I was really feeling sore from my workouts from the week. I took my day off as the triathlon plan had me scheduled for and I didn't feel bad about it. I did alittle piddling around the house, went for a pedicure and picked up a few things at the grocery. Saturday night we had a get together with friends where we all brought some appetizers. I took my hot pizza dip and pigs n blanket. There was sausage cheese dip and chips ,chicken salad croissants and more . I ate a little of everything and felt no guilt because I knew it was a rare treat and I had worked very hard all week.

On Sunday I was slated a 1 hour bike ride. I had asked Brian during the week could we PLEASE make it to Oak Mountain State park so I could ride there. The roads are made for bikers there are no angry dogs to attack me and the speed limit is strictly enforced. I could bike safely without fear. I tried to talk myself out of going but Brian didn't let me and we loaded up and headed off. Once there we headed back to the fishing pond which is 7 miles from the entrance. We unloaded the bike and off I went. Oh Man the first part was hill after hill. At one point I got off my bike walked over to Brian's car as he followed behind me and said those dreaded words "I can't do this!" he asked me if I was just going to give up during my race . I answered NO and with attitude I started pushing my bike up the last of the steep hills all in a row. I pushed it about half way up, I caught my breath and jumped back on. It was HARD but I made it those 7 miles without getting off the bike again.

I did not have my music on my ride but I was able to focus my thoughts by talking to my bike. Maybe that is weird but during this ride I began to think of my bike as my partner in this. Kinda like we are in this together good or bad and while I am in control of her she is also helping me reach the finish line. Maybe you have to do it to understand but it helped me get thru the miles without my music. Go ahead call me crazy , it's okay. :)

I was very hot, very thirsty and shaky once I reached the entrance that was our stopping point. I did manage to focus myself enough to make it there and I felt a sense of pride. I could see ways I could improve my ride. I MUST buy myself a camel back water pack. I just don't do well with the bike water bottle. It's hard for me to handle while riding and the water got very hot so it wasn't refreshing.

Once I finished my 7 mile bike we went straight to the lake. I had on my race outfit so I just threw on the swim cap and goggles and swam my way out past the people swimming at the beach. I swam straight across the shore line of the lake without stopping. I was slowed by the waves from the boats alittle, I occasionally looked forward to keep my end destination in sight but I did the swim in the lake with ease and could have went further. The swim felt really good after the heat of the bike ride. We loaded up and headed home while we talked over what I need to work on and when I would do the ride again for my practice.

I came home and crashed on the couch. I was worn out. We had dinner and I snoozed some more. I woke up and checked my phone. I pulled up my email and couldn't believe my eyes Komen Tri for a Cure CANCELLED! What! No Way!!!! I freaked out a little I felt kinda angry that with 3 weeks to go they cancelled it! Brian and I hoped on the computer and searched quickly for my next option. We found one in Knoxville , TN the very same day. It was still open to late registration. The swim is 300m in a pool(which is short and easy) the Bike is 7 miles (on a flat and just and out and back, and hey, I did 7 miles of HILLS today without dying, I got this!) the run is a 5k which is 3.1miles (I ran nearly 5 miles on Friday I can totally do this). So we changed our hotel to Knoxville we registered for the new triathlon the Anchor Splash Tri 2011 Sept 18th. And the training continues with the same date it works out perfect.

Maybe it is somehow meant to be. Maybe I need this somewhat easier start to my adventures as a Triathlete. I know this is JUST my beginning and I am already looking ahead at what event I want to do next. I plan to rock this sprint and keep up my training as if I was doing the more difficult race. Stay tuned this seems to be getting interesting.

Big Lessons Learned:
1. I CAN'T is not acceptable , there is more than one way to skin a cat and if I have to push my bike up Mt. Everest I can STILL reach the top in due time. Focus the attitude to reach my goal.
2. Nothing is set in stone , I have to roll with the punches. Cancel on me if you want but I will just replace you!

Wed-Fri Time Flies

2011-08-26T16:47:00.000-05:00

So I said I would post everyday but maybe that should have been I'd LIKE to post everyday. Some days it just doesn't happen but I am making note so I can update with what I have been up to.

On Wednesday , I had till 3 o'clock without children a first in forever. I got up and did my normal room cleaning,dishes, laundry duties and took the opportunity to go to Hobby Lobby all alone. A place where I love to browse which is totally boring to a little boy. I was home with the school kids and knew my training schedule still had me slated for a 45 minute bike ride. What better way to get that in than a 1 hour spin class. Molly,Parker and Collin went along and played basketball and ran the track. It was a hard spin class because it was an endurance ride.

Spin class was killer due to my very sore legs from the hard workout on Wednesday but I pushed myself hard and stuck it out the whole hour.

Thursday I had a rest day and spent some time doing a makeover on my old Valentine wreath to turn it into my new Bama wreath for football season. Speaking of football season, Logan (#50) had his first Varsity game of the season last night. Sadly it wasn't a win but it was a interesting game none the less.

Fridays training schedule listed a 45 minute run. Before I could get to that I had a lunch date with this little cutie.

I admit wasn't feeling too confident about the run today but I was going to give it my best. Recently I have been reading how for long races a consistent pace was the better way to go. I set the treadmill at 6.0 and got to running. Around the 22 minute mark I was thinking how it seemed to be dragging on. I reasoned with myself I had to at least get to the 30 minute point before slowing. When 30 minutes rolled around I could see and end in sight so I just kept running. Before I knew it I only had 5 minutes left so I increased the pace to 7.5 and ran out the last bit. I was pleased that yes I was sweating alot I wasn't in any pain and my breathing was just fine. I decided since I was feeling good I would hit the pool for a 20 lap swim. I did all freestyle nonstop and knocked out those 20 laps in about 11 minutes. Not bad after a 45 minute run! The training is really paying off for sure.

Monday-Tuesday Update

2011-08-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a day of rest from my training schedule. While I may have not hit the gym I did work all day long at the house. I totally cleared out,leaned and rearranged Collin and Hudson's room. Then I detailed all the floors upstairs on my hands and knees going around the baseboards. All of that was on top of the normal chores of dishes, laundry ,sweeping and picking up around here.

Today was back to the gym. My training schedule had me doing a 30 minute run. I knocked out a 5k on the treadmill in that 30 minutes then went over to do 5 miles on the bike. Then it was up to the kettle bells were I did some arm work, some squats, kettle bell swings,crunches, and a few other stomach exercises. It was a good workout and I felt great leaving the gym know what I had gotten accomplished.

Hudson wore underwear the whole time I was at the gym and stayed dry . He deserved a treat for that so we went to the store and did alittle shopping.

This morning I had some leftover grilled chicken and 2 fried eggs for bunch. And threw together some healthy soup of dinner in the crockpot. I am loving healthy soups lately. Its just so easy to threw abunch of veggies in and let it cook into something yummy.

Count down

2011-08-21T22:25:00.000-05:00

I am less than 1 month away from very first triathlon. There is still alot of training to do between now and then. All this training doesn't stop life from happening with the family either.

Just this past week we started the school year and things are starting to find a new groove. Hudson went to the dentist for the very first time. He has been wearing undies and going potty since Thursday. We have turned the corner and he is able to stay dry and clean all day the last 2 days. The days of diapers are ending and I couldn't be more thrilled.

I have decided from now until my Triathlon (September 18th) I will do my best to blog every day . I want to record this time to look back on. My blog will temporarily take a break from being mostly about family life and more about my journey for the next few weeks.

On Saturday I took off in my neighborhood on my bike. The bike portion is my weakest area, the run and swim I feel good about. I have very little experience on a road bike and I am abit afraid of it. Going to fast scares me, switching gears is alittle tricky and while I am in good shape for riding I lack the confidence. While on my ride I was chased by 2 angry dogs. These dogs barked , growled and jumped toward my handlebars trying to bite me for about 1/2 a mile. I pedaled quick as possible while yelling No! No! to get them away from me. One of the dogs managed to graze my hand with it's teeth but nothing serious. After getting past the dogs I decided to go a bit further and call Brian to meet me and drive me back home so I didn't have to encounter the dogs again. I did manage to get in 5 miles and I wasn't that worn out. Some way some how I have to get in more actual bike practice.

Today was a gym and swim day. The whole family went down to the YMCA for some recreation . Macy and I headed to spin class and it was with my favorite instructor. I love this instructor because she is a cyclist and she has a really hard class. The class was great and I was dripping sweat and feeling good about completing the 1 hour class strong.

After the class it was time to hit the pool for my swim. Brian counted my laps and watched my time. In the past I have done both freestyle and breaststroke during my swims. My freestyle is much faster but breaststroke allows me to catch my breath. As I started swimming today I was thinking I wanted to do my freestyle as long as I possibly could. When I got to 15 laps I felt encouraged to make it 20 and when 20 came easy I decided I would push myself to 30 laps. I DID IT! I did 30 laps in 15 minutes all freestyle and I felt amazing!

1st School Day

2011-08-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

It's that time again. New shoes, new backpacks and supplies galore x 5 this go around. Today was the first day of school and of course there were a few hiccups in the bus schedule.

There is no first day picture of Logan because his bus appeared at 6:40 this morning which is 20 minutes earlier than last year. I give that a BIG thumbs down. Macy and Molly rode to school with their friends today but they also will be catching the 6:40 bus each day . I can for see the girls primping on the school bus because they ran out of time.

Collin and Parker's bus came around 7:30 and they were both excited. Little did they know they wouldn't get home till 4:15 due to a bus mishap and a teacher not allowing them on the first load. The driver assured me tomorrow they will be home at 3.

With everyone off to school I did my normal chores. Laundry, dishes and picking up and straightening all the bedrooms. Man it was nice to get all that done in no time flat. I had Hud's up and we were headed to the gym so I could make the 8:45 spin class. Hudson loved playing with the kids there and I was able to get my swimming in today too. We came home for lunch, more chores and a quick nap. We will get into a new routine soon which will be so nice.

I have alot of blogging to catch up on so expect several post this week.

For the record this year Logan is in 10th grade @ the High School, Macy is in 9th grade @the High School, Molly is in 6th grade @ the Middle school, Parker is in 5th grade @ The Elementary school and Collin in Kindergarten @ The Elementary school.

Too Hot to think.

2011-08-02T20:02:00.000-05:00

The weather here has turn to that miserable part of summer . It's just too hot and humid to be outside any length of time. And getting in and out of the hot car can exhaust you. But today we had a special reason to be up and out!

Collin was up early today excited to put on his new outfit and go out the door to Kindergarten Kamp. Our school offers this optional trial run for the kindergartners to come and have a have a mock school day without all the other grades being there. Collin has the cutest young looking teacher named Mrs. Cisco. She seems super sweet and Collin really liked her. He told me they toured the school so he will know his way around. He also colored a picture of a bus and wrote his name on it. Collin informed me he was one of the good smart kids too. All in all he can't wait to go back!! Yippee.

Yesterday Molly was giving Huddy a massage. He laid there doing everything she instructed him to do. It was pretty cute.

I am going full force in my triathlon training. I thought my Mom would laugh at this picture thinking back to my old swim team days. I have my training all mapped out till the big day September 18th. I have certain things I am focusing on everyday, this was Sunday when I swam 20 minute straight then biked 5 miles on the gym exercise bike. Today was another hard workout of a 20 minute run then 1 hour of spin class. I was drenched and worn out but I know this training will pay off.

Training

2011-07-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

Today I nailed down the details for my upcoming Triathlon. I have been battling with the nagging stress of not having all my ducks in a row. Mainly the fact I didn't have a road bike or that I had zero road bike practice. I had not registered for the race I have had planned on doing . But the ball is rolling , my bike is on it's way via UPS. Perfect time for me to totally commit to my race that was just 20 days away. Well after logging in and looking around at the registration I discovered the race is FULL and that race would not be an option. Sheer disappointment is what I felt at first but then quickly Brian and I started looking for a similar race. I had to look outside the state and luckily found a similar one near Chattanooga, TN. It's September 18th which is good giving me more training time and time for cooler temps. But the swim is in a man made skiing lake and I had hoped for a pool. I am a firm believer in things happen for a reason and I am meant to do this race for a reason. I will have to do some fund raising and if you feel like helping me out and supporting awesome cause Komen Tri for a Cure I will be very grateful. The donation link is below and remember all donations really do add up!

https://www.edgereg.com/donation/view/755

After all this I decided I really needed to get out to get a run in today. The little boys begged to go with me and I figured why not. I tried to talk Collin out of it explaining he would have to walk/run the entire thing because I would be pushing the jogger with Hudson in it and I needed to go the 4 miles today. He said okay and off we went. I have to break in my new running shoes. This is my 3rd pair of Nike Air Max so needless to say I love this style shoe. They were pretty stiff today but should be just right by the big race day.

Collin and I did some sprints and fast walking on first part , we walked the big hill loop twice, and then back home again. Collin shocked me by keeping up the whole time! With me pushing the stroller it adds another element to my workout which is good for a changed plus made it easier for him to keep up with me. Collin talked the WHOLE 4 miles . As we passed house after house he analyzed everyone's basketball goals and which ones were like ours and which ones were broken or new . He talked about the litter along side the road, wondered aloud why people would throw this or that out the window. He asked if certain down trees were damaged during the recent tornado and he was convinced that is what happened no matter what I said. Collin pointed out clouds of strange shapes and recalled the time last Fall when we strolled up on a deer on a certain part of our path home.

It was a pretty good workout as you can see from the sweat below. I took a picture after we got back of the boys and Collin wanted to take mine too. I guess fair is fair even tho I didn't really want my picture taken.

Seeing the my usual running path through the eyes of a 5 year old was refreshing. Having him talking the entire time was nice distraction from my task at hand. Having him come to the conclusion on his own about his heart rate being elevated, about how his face sweating and how this exercise was good for his body. He noticed that his legs and feet were growing tired toward the home stretch so he should do it more often. He can't wait to go again and I actually wouldn't mind the company.

Beach 2011

2011-07-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

The vacation post can't wait much longer because things happen around here pretty quickly and it is soon to be old news. I had really wanted to have a cool slideshow to share but since that hasn't happened I will show you some highlights.

We took the gang plus one to Panama City Beach, Florida last week. The plus one was Macy's friend Stephanie. We have never taken an extra on such a long trip but it worked out pretty well giving Macy someone to pal around with.

We also have never taken 2 cars on vacation but that too worked out pretty well. We separated the two kids who are like oil and water. The 2 boys ( ones in the first picture below,in a rare moment of peace and harmony) who get annoyed with each other if the other breathes too loud or looks their direction. It made the drive a lot easier for everyone involved.

Much to our disappointment the seaweed arrived the week before we went down and the ocean was all yucky. It didn't stop sand castles from being built and playing in the sand still happen. But there were no days and days of walking the shoreline ,chasing waves or hours of body boarding . Something about the ocean that I love is to set up camp and watch the kids entertain themselves for hours playing in the tide and wearing themselves out.

The pool was our refuge from the heat and it was plenty hot. We tried to space out our activities to keep the vacation fun but reasonable. We mainly cooked our meals in our condo which worked out really well. I had planned easy to prepare meals and there were no complaints from the group. Eating out wasn't high on the MUST DO list for the kids so it made this vacation easier to not have that burden. Tables for 9 would take forever every night during prime dinner time anyways.

The night we did all go out to eat we planned ahead. We picked a reasonable touristy place (Pineapple Willies), we picked an early dinner time (5 o'clock) and we look forward to it and appreciated it all together.We turned our last night in into a special meal too. We grilled out steaks and had both shrimp cocktail and grilled shrimp out on the patio area of the condo and ate as the sunset. The kids all pitched in with helping prepare for the picnic style meal. Oh and the fresh grilled shrimp were AMAZING!

One night after our dinner in we walked down to get ice cream at a local shop. It was a good bit of ice cream for our $2-3 dollar a cone. So much so I tossed about 1/2 of mine in the trash because I was full. We spent an entire day at Shipwreck Island Water Park, the seaweed was to blame for this extra outing but we all longed for a little more activity than being pool side all day. After Molly and Collin brought back a handful of pamphlets from the lobby one day Brian and I researched mini golf in the area. There was one within walking distance that had rave reviews and a pretty reasonable price so another night of fun. Our last big to -do was take a boat ride out to see the dolphins and visit Shell Island. This took up a good portion of our last day and it was nice way to wrap up our trip together. We finally did get our time to play in the ocean as the seaweed at Shell Island wasn't bad at all.

The condo was our first vacation spot where I think we had enough room and comfortable fit for everyone. Plenty of bathrooms and beds is very important with a group our size. I liked to convenience of PCB because everything we needed was within a short walk or drive from the condo. Taking food and buying easy meals was a huge help which I will do again. But Brian has declared he is tired of the sun, heat,sand and sunscreen. He wants his next vacation to include snow. I told him I am willing to try it out. But trading sunscreen for snowsuits seems like alot of hassle too.Overall it was a nice trip! We came home with a few souvenirs, some sunburns and a lot of great memories. I love my family.

14 on 7/14

2011-07-25T11:49:00.000-05:00

Better late than never to post about Macy's 14th birthday. We have been a tad busy traveling and vacationing since her big day.

Macy decide for her special day she wanted to go see Rhianna in concert and take along her best friend Payton on the Monday before her birthday. The concert was a tornado benefit and it was a pretty good show that we all enjoyed.

On Thursday we celebrated with presents and Tiramasu (her favorite) at home. Macy received a new Coach purse, some clothes, bracelets, and a picture for her room. Payton gave her a Red Mango yogurt gift card which she went nuts over. The grandparents know what teenagers like most and gave her money!

We survived another year of July birthday month and it all turned out well. Everyone was excited about our upcoming beach trip and understood the simpleness of the birthdays this year. Stay tuned for vacation pictures.

Turning 10

2011-07-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

Parker celebrated the big 10 on Tuesday with friends at the movie. Brian took Parker, Logan,Collin, Nathan, and Sam to see Transformers 2. I had asked for just one picture of the group but he forgot. So you have to image they were all there surrounded around the birthday boy .Parker said they had a fun time. His birthday wish was for a Itouch and he is madly in love with it.He also received money from everyone else which totally made his day. He has been keeping up with how much and announcing his grand total each time. It was a Happy Birthday PJ!

3rd Birthday

2011-07-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

All Aboard the Birthday train! Hudson had a great 3rd birthday on Saturday. We had toyed with what to do for the July birthday mayhem this year. We knew we'd be taking our family beach trip in July this year so we decided to just let the kids celebrate their day with an event of their choice.

Of course I had to do the thinking for Hudson and the idea of a family outing to ride a train came to mind. He really loved the whole thing and the siblings were all good sports for his special day. He was excited and really enjoyed the ride.

After our hour long train ride we headed to eat Mexican for lunch . Of course we thought Huddy would like to wear the birthday hat and get a special dessert. After coming home and resting for a bit we had cake and he opened his presents. He really wanted a train cake and this big BLUE cake is what Publix had to offer. He was in love with it so even tho I don't like colored icing I let him have the cake.

He loved his basketball goal and cars set for the family. He was so excited when family and friends stopped by with gifts for him. He just adores his new trike from Maw and Das. Corey and Tara brought him the coolest Thomas train set that is all attached and folds up which is a feature I like.And Mimi and Popi won his heart with a Buzz Lightyear play tent.

Hudson is such a blessing to all of us. He is definitely the baby of our family forever. He loves his siblings so much and they love and spoil him. He is my sweetheart! These past 3 years have gone by so fast yet it feels like you have always been with us. Happy 3rd birthday to my little guy! Mommy loves you.

Only in the summer time

2011-07-08T23:07:00.000-05:00

Only in the summer time can you have a impromptu sleepover mid week. That was exactly what we did this week. My 2 nieces Hailey 10 and Sadie 5 came to spend the night while my brother had to have surgery to repair his shoulder(Ouch!).

The first night went down without a hitch so next day we ventured out to see the movie Monte Carlo and asked our friend Erin to go along . They were all great at the movie each enjoying their popcorn kids meals. Hudson was perfect for almost the whole time but right toward the end he got squirmy and got up and down in my lap a few time before he fell asleep.

After the movie it was sunny and hot out so we headed back to the house to get on our swimsuits and go for a swim over at Tara's. We were limited on time but they enjoyed the sliding,jumping and cooling off.

We got home and I made dinner and we started planning our night. The girls asked if Erin could sleepover too around this time Brian called to tell me he unexpectedly needed to stay overnight in Huntsville so I figured why not. Luckily for me Hudson was going to Mimi's and Parker and Logan were with Das overnight and Macy still away at the beach. They would not have enjoyed the talent show or the movie we watched at all. We started the night eating brownies and watching TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras where we cheered on our favorite pageant divas and laughed at the crazy Mommas. Next up was the girls talent show they put on for me and finally it was time to settle for bed. We turned Macy's room into sleepover head quarters and decide to watch the movie Racing Stripes . I was dozing off toward the end I bid the girls a goodnight and off Collin I went upstairs to sleep.

The next day everyone was happy and still getting along. With clean up done and breakfast in their bellies off we went to go swimming some more. I packed along their lunch (hot dogs, baked chips and sprite) and we stayed over most the afternoon. By 3 everyone was getting tired and we called it a day. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again before summer ends.

Our 4th

2011-07-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

Our July 4th wasn't really documented in pictures this year. I have less than a handful of photos of the whole day. We did have a TON of yummy food with friends. We had a variety of grilled and smoked meats that you could eat till you were stuffed and still have leftovers.

My love of side dishes was thrilled with the slaw,potato salad,baked beans,deviled eggs, mac n cheese. Then on to the 3 different dessert cupcakes that the girls made themselves, homemade ice cream both strawberry and chocolate, and a yummy fruit trifle a July 4th tradition of Tara's. I gave myself a day off calorie wise and enjoyed the food but in small amounts not to make myself sick. But still it was a big splurge day.

The company of good friends, good food and laughter took our minds off the rain that ruined the pool party we had planned. As darkness fell we finished up with meeting up with family and friends to watch our towns firework display. It did not disappoint again this year. I was again impressed.

I did own up to my sins and weigh in this morning. I am committing to the straight and narrow from now till the beach trip in 12 days. I had an eye opening moment today reading a weight loss blog. There have been some issues in parenting that we had creep up this summer. I have found myself having treats a little more sometimes even mindless eating at night before bedtime. Old ways of handling stress slowly started back and I am putting my foot down right now!
Eating will not change any of the issues so I am working toward nipping that in the bud right away. I have reached out to Brian to help me with this too. He loves me enough to give in to my cravings for buying sweets and I am asking him to help me stay away. I am sure he is worried about possibly losing life and limb over refusing to let me have something but I know he will help me through. :)

Living like a ROCK star!

2011-07-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

Not the sort of rock stars you might be thinking of. I had the opportunity to take Macy, Parker and Collin rock climbing last week. This is something the kids have done at camp or on a field trip but it was a first time for us to do this together. It was so much fun for us all. I was taught how to belay and the kids took turns cheering each other on as the took turns climbing. Our summer is going well but the days are busy. The laundry, dishes and general cleaning chores triple during the summer months. Trying to get in my workouts and keeping the kids entertained best I can is my current full time job.

Loving it!

2011-06-22T12:59:00.000-05:00

So do my co pilots!

16 years

2011-06-14T10:32:00.000-05:00

Last week Brian and I celebrated 16 years by going back to Cancun . It was absolutely beautiful and we were too busy relaxing to take many pictures. The food was really good and I did splurge a few times. I refuse to weigh till atleast this coming Sunday after a week of being back to normal.

But no worries about me moving to Mexico EVER because my hair does not like the climate there. Interesting how the nights felt hotter than the days. The resort was so gorgeous, always clean and the landscaping so lush. The iguanas on the rock walls were huge and just hung out soaking up the sun. One day I got really distracted by a worker clipping the grass edges by hand. You just don't see that around here.

Let's hope it doesn't take us 16 years to return again.

Family Pictures Update

2011-06-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

These are my favorite group shots of us. I love them and Christy Williamson did an awesome job. I love my wild and crazy bunch!! My kids will never been these ages again and year by year they change so much. I love having these images of our lives right now.

Graduating

2011-06-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

Last week Macy graduated the 8th grade and will move on to the High School next year. They have a graduation program complete with cap and gown where they give out all sorts of awards and diplomas for completing Middle School.

Macy got several different awards, Best Actor Award for the play, Student Athlete award for Cheerleading, Student Government Award, the surprise of the night was when she was awarded the Principal's Award . This award is given to 1 boy and 1 girl from the whole 8th grade that out 130-ish students. Macy given a plaque and Wii, we were so surprised we didn't even think to take a picture of her getting the award. We are very proud of her and her accomplishments.

Parker and Molly also have awards day. Both got awards for A-B honor roll all year. Parker received a metal for his SAT score too. Also Molly graduated from the D.A.R.E program. Logan completed his freshman year making all A and B's all year. Way to go guys! We are proud of you all!

With all this graduating going on it means that I am "graduating" too. Next year I will have a High School Freshman and Sophomore . A Middle School 6th grader. And at Margaret Elementary I will have a 5th grader and Kindergartner. Hudson will be a preschooler too. Times will be changing around here for sure.

Welcome Carter Jane

2011-05-31T10:45:00.000-05:00

This week our family welcomed a new member. Little Miss Carter Jane decided to make her on birthdate much like Hudson. My sister in law Kristi had been to the Doctor on Monday and was told she didn't look favorable for her Thursday induction so it was put on hold. I think that's what Carter needed to hear to get motivated. Around midnight Tuesday night the contractions started and by 4 am they were at the hospital.
I got the news around 8am so Macy and I got ready hoping we wouldn't miss the birth. We did make it and we anxiously hung out in the waiting room with the family. Finally we got the text that she was here and Mom and baby were doing well. She is a little peanut weight 5lbs 15 oz and so cute. Of course you can see that from these pictures.

Happy birthday baby Carter!

Brian and Robin Plus 6: Real Life With A Large Family

2011-05-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

Hi, this is Brian. I spoke at a local Ignite event called Ignite Birmingham a few weeks ago. I speak at these fairly often, but usually it is about something geeky. This time I talked about our family of 8. It was different for me, but everyone tells me I did a good job. Here is the video.

Family Pictures

2011-05-22T22:31:00.000-05:00

You would think this post would include pictures, wouldn't you? The pictures are in the hands of the photographer so she can work her magic on them. I was far too stressed out and frazzled to remember to take my own snapshots. Haha!

I love to have pictures of my kids. I love seeing them as a group at their various stages. I just don't love the prep and act of actually getting them ready. Oh yes, the picture taking of everyone is as fun as herding sheep at times.

Back on Mother's Day I asked my kids for a gift of family pictures. They groaned but agreed to do this for me. That day came this Saturday morning. I had been undecided what we would wear till Thursday and it all came together pretty easily. I went with a coral floral sundress. Brian already had a nice coral button down that would go. The boys shirts all coordinated well as did the girls outfits. Ta-da the decision of what to wear was solved quickly and painlessly.

I left the location of the pictures up to the photographer. Her first spot was an overgrown area where there was tall grass and some flying bugs which we tried to ignore. We did some there and some on a gravel road. The next location was in a industrial park area. She did both groups pictures, individuals of the kids and a few of Brian and I together.

Family pictures are now scratched off the to do list for another year. This year I have been reminded how life is such a gift. I am trying to enjoy the stages that each of my kids are in right now. I can't wait to see how they turn out. I am sure they will be great. I hope they show personality in the kids because that means everything.

Overall the whole photo shoot was pretty painless. There were no tears, minimal complaining and the bribing of a good meal to hungry children worked. Our photographer is just so sweet with the patience of an angel. She was able to keep the 2 year old attentive while also keeping it cool for the teens. I did my best to button my lip and let her do her thing. I pinky promise you all that I will share the results as soon as I get them. Can't wait!

Finishing what I started

2011-05-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

Who is that girl? Working out on vacation, your kidding?

I watched the Final four episode of The Biggest Loser last night. It was so inspiring to me and I could relate on many levels. For months I have been is a state of confusion over is where I am right now my goal. I have grown increasingly unhappy with calling this place "it" for me and as I watched the show last night it became clear to me I am not there yet.

2nd Place finish for 30-34 yr old females

I have become comfortable in my life now. My eating and my exercise are routine and familiar. It's going to take some extra dedication to get things moving again. There's going to have to be some close attention to calories,sodium,water intake and protein protein protein!

Protein powder is not as bad as I feared.And I am used to it now.

I know I will hear comments for others. I know I will have to defend myself . Yes, I have come a long way but I must cross the finish line. This is the time in my life where I must finish what I started so I can move forward with my other goals I have set for myself.

1st 5k in the freezing cold and snow flurries

Just like when I started this I given myself a date to get serious. A line drawn in the sand so to speak.I have several changes in the works for my workouts. I am dropping the Boot camp which have have done for 1 1/2 years. I am giving up my 24 hour gym membership but have joined the large YMCA with my family. I have the triathlon on schedule for August but will still do 5k races every month . I am ready for this challenge. I am not sure what I will do for my goal reward but I will have plenty of time to dream it up as I am running,biking and swimming in the coming months. It's amazing what all you can think about while your swimming 16 laps straight. There's not much sound and not much to look at it's just you and your thoughts.

12 miles on the bike in under an hour

Some people will call this obsessed but I am calling it driven. This journey has been a 2 1/2 year trial and error. It has been done slowly and with health being the #1 goal. Nothing has changed there. There is no end to this fight for me but the lifestyle changes that I have made make it doable for the rest of my days.

From the beginning July 2008

To now taken April 2011

I don't have the Biggest Loser $250,000 prize that depends on me getting to my goal but the gift of health I am giving myself and my family is priceless. I couldn't have done this journey without the love and support of these guys. They have been my encouragement and strength when I wanted to give up.

Collin's Angel

2011-05-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

Collin became fast friends with a little boy Grant in his preschool class last year. Collin talked about him all the time. We went to his awesome birthday party at the fire station last year. When we would see them out and about in town Collin would always be so excited he saw his buddy.

Around Christmas time we decided to part ways with preschool. Collin wasn't happy and I was tired of the fight. While Collin didn't miss school he did miss his friend. He would talk here and there about wanting to go back to see him.

Last Memorial Day his friend Grant passed away in a swimming accident. It was tragic,shocking and unimaginable. I got word of this and toyed with the idea on if telling my then 4 year old would be the right thing to do. I decided to not tell him as we didn't really have contact anymore.

But oddly enough in the last year Collin has not forgotten Grant one bit. He talks about him still. One day he asked me for a stamp and he was holding a few pieces of paper. I asked him what it was and he told me he was mailing Grant a letter and picture he drew of the 2 of them. Every time we pass the fire station he talks about that party and wonders how he is doing. Lately he talks and plays with an invisible friend and you guessed it he is named Grant.

For Christmas last year the kids made these pictures at preschool . I have it hanging in my bathroom and when I pass by it I always think of Grant and his angel picture. I think about his parents and how heartbroken they must be and say a quick prayer for his family. I know one day the time will come to talk to Collin about his friend but I am pretty sure Collin has a special angel with him everyday and it's his good pal Grant.

As the one year mark draws near I pray the Lord comfort this little boys family and gives them a sense of peace. I know that is something only God can provide.

Another Monday

2011-05-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

Today started the new week and the countdown to the last 2 weeks of school. Each Monday which is the hardest day of the week for the kids we talk about how many Monday mornings we have left till school is out for summer. Parker is already in summer mode and dreads each day which makes the morning time alot of fun.Not!

Yesterday I sat down and put some thought into dinners for the week. I am so bored with our typical meals so I am always on the look out for healthy, tasty yet easy to prepare meals . I came up with a few things and bought the ingredients I needed. This week we will have.

*A new Crock pot Chicken and Dumpling recipe
*Pancakes and turkey sausage
*A new Crock pot beef tips and rice recipe
*ground turkey pasta and garlic bread
*baked chicken fingers and mac n cheese or on salad

Tonight we are having the chicken and dumplings from this recipe. dumplings.http://cargilefamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/crock-pot-chicken-dumplings.html
I did add an extra can of the soups and extra chicken to feed the gang. So far it smells and looks great!

The YMCA is working out well for the family. We are really enjoying going together. The older teens are beginning to see that exercise can be fun and the middles are just being more active . Parker enjoys playing basketball every time and Molly likes walking and jogging the track. I started swimming laps and found out a 400 meter swim is 16 laps Wowzers, that a bunch. Last night I would say started my official training . I ran 1 mile on the treadmill,biked for 3 miles and swam 32 laps total. Sundays are usually my off day but I am eager to work on my swimming and try out my goggles so off I went. The goggles weren't the best but they didn't leak just fogged up really bad. I am working on a training schedule to build up for my August goal. My workouts for this week went like this.

Monday-boot camp morning / night YMCA 3.1 mile run ,6 mile bike
Tuesday- off... took the boys swimming
Wednesday- boot camp /3 mile run in the neighborhood
Thursday- off... due to Macy's play
Friday-YMCA run 2 miles,bike 6, and weights
Saturday-boot camp
Sunday-YMCA 1 mile run, 3 mile bike, 32 laps swim

I still have 10 pounds that I am working on losing. They are a very stubborn 10 pounds but I am staying focused. In the upcoming months I am changing up my workouts which may just help move things in the right direction. Changing my workout will also lead for me getting more sleep which also could help.

In other food news. I have found a new go to lunch item. It's a very yummy frozen turkey patties (Jenni-o frozen patty) cooked on the George Forman with a sprinkle one of the 4 Mrs.Dash flavors I have. I put this on a wheat bun and call it a McGobble double (get it Mc gobble? turkey burger? haha) . I use a little ketchup and 1 piece of 2% American which melts between the patties. It's awesome and so easy so I am hooked. I always feel full after my McGobble. It has been my lunch for the past 3 days.

The week is shaping up to be a pretty busy one. Brian will be traveling to NYC, Molly has a orthodontist appointment , Macy has a meeting at the school board tonight, Logan has football practice some this week also. I am thankful right now that I am caught up on laundry, now to get motivated to do some deep cleaning!

Macy as Tallulah

2011-05-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

Macy is such a great actress and we are so proud of her. She is a natural on stage no doubt. She loves all the performances , never seems nervous and is always excited to perform.

Macy will tell you she is NOT into musicals while she has a nice voice it is not her favorite. Her roles have ranged from The Cowardly Lion in the Magical Land of Oz, Wendy in Peter Pan, Mrs. Cratchit in Candy Cane Jury, Ernastine in Cheaper by the Dozen and Tallulah in Bugsy Malone Jr. . I know her future is looking so bright and we can't wait to see where this takes her.

Hump Day

2011-05-11T22:52:00.000-05:00

This little boy can be really cute in the mornings. Today his white hair was going 10 directions and he looked super adorable in his footie pajamas. I will keep him in footie pj's as long as I can because they make him look extra cute!

Collin had fun today in the YMCA Childcare Playroom. left him for just 1 hour because he was so mad about going but I was happy to see him playing when I went back to get him. Hudson's adores going and says he can't wait to see his friends again. Hudson cried because I came to get him.Talk about 2 different personalities!

Logan was so pleased to get his Wrestling State Champs ring today at the awards day. He also got an award for JROTC. My Dad joked with him that it was an Elvis ring because it is large and blingy!

I made Chicken Enchiladas the other night and they were great. Early that morning I threw some frozen boneless/skinless chicken breast in the crockpot . I dumped in some salsa and spices then let it cook. By early afternoon I easily shredded the chicken with a fork and left it to go to play practice. When I came home I filled burrito tortillas with the chicken/salsa mixture and rolled them up. Covered it with canned Enchilada sauce and cheese then baked them till bubbly. It was so easy and so good! It made alot and they were good leftover too.

I did boot camp this morning then a run in the neighborhood tonight. I am whipped and will have a long day tomorrow with Macy's play Bugsy Malone Jr. There will be 3 shows tomorrow and more Friday. I will post some pictures of the beautiful Tallulah played by Macy Moon. I just love her character and her solo!!!

Weekend Recap

2011-05-08T23:29:00.000-05:00

On Friday I woke up nice and early not to go to Bootcamp but to board a bus. A bus that was headed to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center along Parker for his class field trip. I am not much on museums and such so I probably should have passed this trip on to Brian but overall it was a good trip. It did make for a long day and coming home the bus was really hot and the traffic was bad going through Downtown at rush hour on a Friday.

On Saturday I spent the day out shopping with Macy. We had a salad at Zaxby's then headed to a few of our favorite stores. We got her a couple of shirts and me a dress. We found Brian a bathing suit on sale at Penny's because I despise the two old man suits he bought himself some time ago. Then we decided to was such a pretty day we should go tryout the YMCA pool. A phone call to Brian and he and the boys were headed home to go with us. The pool was nice and felt really good. I took time to swim laps which I haven't done in a full size pool since my swim team days. I didn't have decent goggles but I did my best. I did about 12 laps and I could feel it in my muscles and felt winded. I can't wait to get some nice goggles and get back in there for some laps. This is exactly what I need to be working on for my Sprint triathlon that is in August.

Today was Mother's Day . The kids got me a gift card to the Nike Store and another running hat. I had already asked for us to have family pictures done as a part of my gift and we will do that in a few weeks. The kids pitched in and helped get the house .laundry and yard work done. It will be so nice to start Monday not far behind on house work.
We visited with my Mom and Dad and the kids went for a swim. The water is still far too cold for sensible people to swim in but you know kids they don't care.
After dinner of grilled pork chops and homemade scallop potatoes we went over and visited with Brian's Mom and Dad.

Brian and I had a discussion on gift buying. He thinks I am impossible to buy for and says he has the hardest time. I am thinking on this and trying to come up with a good solution for us both. He is not into gifts ever and really doesn't care about getting gifts for himself so it's an odd situation. I don't want to buy my own gifts, and I want our sons to learn how to be toward their own future wives when it comes to special occasions. Maybe we can come up with a good solution for both of us , we have tossed around a few ideas.

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day and a great week ahead!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T10:58:00.000-05:00

One day last week I looked out my bathroom window to see this little boy in this BIG ol' hat jumping on the trampoline. It was a sight. He had come in to the kitchen to get himself some water when I was able to get this picture. Collin claimed this hat which we have used for costumes and projects was keeping the sun out of his eyes. I couldn't help but laugh at that one!

I have really been trying to find some variety in healthy food lately. After 2 1/2 years on my journey to health I am growing bored with things I would eat all the time, day in and day out. Here are a few pictures of some new likes. First is a ground turkey lettuce wrap, it has a Asian taste to it and is good in either lettuce leaves or cabbage. Second is something I made for breakfast a toasted wheat sandwich thin and two chopped boiled eggs with light mayo, a little mustard and pickle relish. So good and so filling. Lastly, pan roasted brussels sprouts. I cooked them in the toaster oven with some olive oil and salt and pepper. These are a new addition to my veggies and lucky for me no one else here eats them so I don't have to share!

The quality of these pictures are not the best but they are some pretty great photos Macy took. Last week I spent alot of time cleaning my closet out which explains the mess on the floor. These are jeans I used to wear. Three years ago they fit comfortably. Now I could get both my legs in 1 pant leg! I don't always see the difference because I am in this body day in and day out. I have looked at myself everyday and it's been a very slow progress through my eyes. So many ways I feel the same as I always have. But these jeans are my reminder of where I was when this all started.

One thing about changing my lifestyle is that my entire family have had some lifestyle changes too. Because I am the Mom, the cook, the grocery shopper, the food in our house is overall healthier now. My kids have adjusted well without too much complaint. We hardly buy soda now, we reduced the sugar in the tea by a whole cup, we have wheat breads and pastas. There is a gray area in parenting about dealing with children and talking about weight. While you don't want them to obsess over it you also want them to be aware of it. I am proud to say we are all becoming more active. We recently decided to join the YMCA so the whole family can get moving together.

I was proud to have Macy and friend Kayla (aka Noodle) join me for my 5k last Saturday. I look forward to more runs with my children. The run was in honor of Carroll Crane the Mother of our friend Stephen who is in the blue shirt. It was great to run for a great cause!

My blogging as been on the back burner lately. Not because I don't have pictures to share or something funny or eventful wasn't happening around here but because I had grown bored with it. I have taken time off to think about where I want my little piece of cyber space to go. This is my story, my account of my day to day life and sometimes I shy away from posting things that may only be interesting to me or a handful of people. Weight loss, food and exercise don't interest everyone but it's important to me and I really enjoy and learn from reading other blogs about this sort of thing. Sometimes there are things going on my my kids I can't share online and it's frustrating to act like life is a bed of roses. The kids have a right to some privacy too so I must respect that. With that said my blog is going to be changing. It's going to be real life and my thoughts not just the milestones and occasions. I am going into a new season of my life and I want the blog to come along with me. Be on the look out for a new look and new style and as I said my blog my way! There is no suggestion box for complaints but I am considering opening comments on each post.

15? Already?

2011-04-25T23:57:00.000-05:00

Fifteen years ago I was way too excited to sleep. The uncertainty of when Logan would be born was over and I knew April 26,1996 would be his birthday.

Logan's pregnancy was difficult for me. I was so sick that ever meal was met with nausea and "tossing of cookies". I had bad headaches, high blood pressure, and fainting spells from the blood pressure going from high to low. I was dehydrated to the point my lips were severely chapped and cracked .I also suffered from a bleeding esophagus . My Doctor was not taking anything about my case serious and I was one sick puppy to say the least.

I wasn't scared of life with a baby because life with Logan inside of me had been scary enough. Knowing that an end was insight was such a relief.

My labor was induced early that morning but after being in labor all day I had not really progressed at all. The doctor had already told our families that I was looking like a C section case. Brian and I were to the point we didn't care as long as he was born safe. Around 5 pm the doctor made the call and it was off to the operating room we went. I remember hearing Logan cry that first cry. After seeing his perfect round little face I immediately knew that he was worth all the suffering I had endured.

The last 15 years have been a learning experience to say the least. With your first born you read all the books and just sort of wing your way through hoping you don't mess up too much along the way.

You hold your breath as you let go of them to take their first step with your arms out in case they fall. You run along side a bicycle as you coach them to pedal and let go hoping for the best. Before you know it you are talking about ACT scores and driving permit test. You wonder how it all went by so fast.

To my oldest Son,

I love you so much. You are so smart and witty. You also have your own special knack of driving me crazy. I think back to all the last minute late night school projects we have shared. All the soccer, football, wrestling and play performances I have watched. The many times you have made me laugh, shown me your compassion for others and wowed me with your intelligence. I am so proud to be your Mom!

Happy birthday 15th birthday Logan!

Update

2011-03-30T23:24:00.000-05:00

Brian's surgery last Thursday went great. The Doctor did a procedure called micro-fracture surgery to the knee cap and removed allot of damage cartilage. He has been doing his physical therapy and is walking around now without his crutches. Things are looking good! Below are a link to pictures .

Click for a slide show

Other than that things are just moving right along. The kids are wrapping up SAT testing at school. Macy has started play practice for the school play and working on her school scrapbook for SGA. Logan has been having play practice and was told his solo will be the song Love Shack. We still don't know when the actual are plays yet.

Hudson and Collin have been fine and both recovered from the virus they had . No more episode with Hudson.

Here are 2 recent recipes I made that turned out really well. Both from Prevention magazine. I guess it might mean I am getting old but I really found the 2 issues I had interesting and helpful. Both soups super easy and contain 4 basic ingredients.

Beef Vegetable
1 package beef stir fry strips
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 bag Simply Potatoes cubed with Onions
1 bag Birds Eye frozen soup vegetables

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in bottom of soup pot. Add beef strips and cover with 1 tablespoon flour and brown meat. Once browned add Chicken Broth and 2 cups water, scrap down bottom of pot and boil. Add veggies and potatoes, salt ,pepper and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce . Very yummy!

Spinach and Cheese Tortellini Soup
4 cups Chicken broth
1 9oz package of refrigerated cheese filled tortellinis
3 cups fresh spinach
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Boil chicken broth and 1 cup water. Once boiling add tortellinis and boil 9 minutes. Once done add spinach and stir as it wilts. Salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh cheese to top before serving. VERY easy and GOOD!

Eventful

2011-03-23T17:53:00.000-05:00

Time really just got away from me the last few weeks. We have been so busy with Macy's play Cheaper By The Dozen and Spring break that it seems we have been running non stop.

Macy did awesome in all 6 performances! Her role was the second oldest daughter Ernastine who narrated the story along with her brother Frank. It was a big role with alot of lines and Macy did an amazing job! She was born to be an Actress and we are so proud of her. Macy has now started practice for her school play Bugsy Malone Jr. where she will play the role of Talula.

To kick off Spring Break we had Ice cream for dinner. We are going to start doing this on occasion because we really don't need a full meal and then a rich dessert. We all enjoyed our treats even tho a few questioned when we were having a "real" dinner . Some of us aren't big on change but I sure enjoyed my peanut buster parfait I haven't had one of those in ages. I do really like the local yogurt bars and the healthier options they provide like sugar free yogurt and fresh fruit toppings. Next time we will plan better and go to one of those.

On Monday- Thursday the girls and I packed up and headed to the beach for a few days of sun,sand and surf. It was fabulous weather and a nice time. Molly had Erin to play in the ocean and sand with, Macy had Payton to walk the beach and giggle with and I got to relax on a comfy lounge chair and flip through magazines with Tara. The boys back home went bowling and lounged around probably not doing any cleaning till Thursday morning but I came home to a house in one piece so all worked out well.

On Saturday afternoon we had a HUGE scare. We had spent the day outside in the yard cleaning out flower beds and mowing. The kids played with balls and bikes most of the day. Around 4 o'clock Hudson went in for a shower because he was dirty and tired. He had his bath then was sitting on the couch watching tv with Molly. Somewhere around 5:10 pm he fell over on Molly and began to have seizure. I had been standing in the driveway talking to Brian when I heard her screaming HELP HELP! I darted inside to see what was going on. Molly had run into Macy's room to get her and I was trying to figure out what was happening. Molly yelled something about Hudson and he was laying face down on the couch seizing. As I turned him over he was blue around the mouth my first thought was he was choking. I reacted as if he was choking trying to clear his throat with my finger (ouch, he bit me good), hitting him on the back and even an attempt at the Heimlich .

I was screaming for Brian who was in the basement to help me. Brian called 911 as Hudson was still seizing but he was breathing in a distressed fashion.I was seriously terrified my baby would die in my arms and the feeling of being totally helpless was awful. The ambulance arrived right as he stopped seizing but his eyes were still rolled back and he was floppy and breathing odd. He continued in this trance state most of the ambulance ride , not crying or talking.

By time we reached Children's hospital Downtown he was crying for Mommy but confused and very upset. He did not recognize me as Mommy for a few hours he kept asking me for his Mommy. It was a very scary experience! The Emergency Room diagnosed him as having a Febrile Seizure due to a sudden fever. He had been fine all day but had a fever of 102 at the ER. Mortin and Tylenol got the fever under control and after 3 hour Hudson was acting like his normal self and we were released to take him home and follow up with our Doctor on Monday.

On Monday I called first thing to get Huddy in to see Dr. Barron. I explained the events of Saturday night and we talked over everything. He agreed with it sounded like a Febrile Seizure and it's a wait and see if he has any more in a short time period. While it was very scary to watch it isn't something Doctors find life threatening. For now we will be very careful with future fevers and treat them right away.

Continuing the Doctor talk, Brian will be having knee surgery tomorrow. We decided to reschedule due to Spring Break. We have to be at the hospital at 5:45 with surgery at 7:30. Here's hoping this gets him out of pain and feeling good again.

Collin @ 5

2011-03-04T21:34:00.000-06:00

Collin after his major haircut that I gave him today. He looks so cute but my bathroom looked like I had sheered a blond sheep!

Below is a video of Collin is showing off his special hidden talent. He can roll his belly and I can't help but giggle it looks so weird! Check it out.

The Actress and the Patient

2011-02-28T23:11:00.000-06:00

The Actress in The Leeds Newspaper

Macy's play is approaching very quickly. For the next 2 weeks every night/day she will have several hours of play practice. I know it will all come together when the time comes and I keep reassuring Macy of that too. I have to get cracking on her 2 costumes. Hopefully tomorrow I will get that knocked out because she need to have them approved by the director soon.

The Patient waiting to see the Orthopedic Doctor

Brian is having knee surgery on March 10th. Last time he had surgery he was just a baby so I think he has made out pretty well thus far. Brian injured his knee a few months ago , test confirmed what the Doctor figured it was. All this happen around the time of my surgery so the doctor injected the knee to give him some temporary relief and told him come back when he was ready to repair it. Well the time has come and I am sure once it's behind him he will be glad he did the surgery.

Parker James

2011-02-24T10:47:00.000-06:00

4th grade St Clair County History Fair Project -The John Looney House

I will admit to you this was pretty much a family project. I put anyone old enough to help working on different pieces of this thing. Parker of course wrote the report and helped assemble the cabin. We have done this history fair in 4th grade several times over already and I am betting we have 2 more to go. I have considering getting a rubbermaid container to save this cabin and revamp it a little in about 5 years for Collin. Hard to believe it's been 5 years since working with Logan on this very same project.

Parker wanted to make sure I got a picture of his teeth. He got his braces off on Monday and they look nice. This most likely will not be his final go around with braces but it is a huge improvement in a short amount of time.

The school year is chugging right along and I am happy to say Parker has continued to make A-B honor roll. He was also awarded the Mustang of the Month award this month which is based on citizenship and academics. Parker is very excited about starting back to guitar lessons this Spring and it is nice that he seems calmer and happy.

I know that 9 year old boy silliness is not my favorite stage but luckily it's short lived and I should have a huge tolerance built up by the time the next 2 reach this age. Parker is a unique soul and I can see he has talents in areas of the arts. His love for music and drawing are something special to be cherished .

Papaw's rocks

2011-02-18T22:41:00.000-06:00

Hudson toted one by one a collection of Papaw's rocks into my room today .He was fascinated with the textures and pretty colors of each one. He knows these are special and he knows they were Papaw's but he will only remember what a special man his Papaw was from the stories we tell him. Maybe Hudson will be our future rock hound just like his Papaw Dewey.

Keeping it Real

2011-02-17T12:16:00.000-06:00

This is a post in which I complain. I do try not to do it often but this is about my real life and I want to be able to look back and remember these crazy days too.

There is the saying about how you can't make everyone happy all of the time and that's exactly where I am right now. Taking control of my health and taking care of the responsibility of my family takes up most of my time and sucks out much of my energy. Some priorities had to shift when I set out on this journey and that has cause myself some strife.

One thing I had not wavered from has been letting the kids be involved in extra curricular activities. I strongly believe that this is good for them and will help them in the future. Having the sense of team and belonging to a group is important for self esteem. Filling their spare time with practice and structure is good for growing preteens and teens in my opinion , too much spare time leads to boredom and trouble. Giving the kids opportunity to explore their own interest now could help direct their futures. When else in life will they have the chance to find their passion other than when they have the most free time? Luckily for me the kids have been understanding on taking turns on who is involved in what and when. I have had to call in favors at times from the grandparents to get certain kids to and from practice but it works out and I know this is the right thing to do . I have no regrets there.

But all of that takes up time as does my spending time at the gym, at boot camp or running. Those are things I now place great importance on for my own future and health. I see a healthy me is also an investment not only me but the future of my family and kids. Every day I do pretty much the same chores. Most days start with going through every room upstairs and tossing down laundry, collecting any dishes and trash from each room and doing basic tiding up. Once that is done it's on to down stairs do the same. Time to start some laundry,dishes and sweep up . I usually repeat this order several times during the day as there is plenty of laundry and dishes to do. Having 2 little boys home with me means more dishes and crumbs on the floor all day long. By early afternoon I am thinking about what to make for dinner and start preparing. The afternoons are a rush and if I don't start early I won't get it all in. Afternoons are usually snack time, some outside play time, dinner, homework, clean up,showers, all of this in between taking people here and there and sometimes bootcamp for me. It is a pretty full day and I haven't touched on doing anything extra like cleaning out the little boys closet which is mostly full of out grown clothes or included vacuuming and mopping after a certain 2 year old emptied out an entire bottle of baby powder or spilled windex.

It's just plan busy and it's the job I have right now. I am not super woman , I can't do everything I'd like to do at once. Things fall by the wayside. I need rest and sleep, I need a break from the daily chores too. They are still here waiting on me when I get home from a pedicure or lunch with a friend. The kids do pitch in but not usually without being reminded by me . But we couldn't do all we do without their help for sure and they do far more then the average kids their age.

I was interrupted about 10 times to write this post no news there. And Hudson just left a pile of cracker crumbs on my bed which I must clean it up or be reminded of them come 11 o'clock when I fall into bed and wonder what those crumbs under me could be. This is my life right now and I can't make everyone happy all the time, I can't get everything in this house in order at the same time. But I can do my best to the tread water and weather the storms holding tight to an umbrella just large enough to cover those closest to me. This time will be a fleeting memory soon I just know it. We are embarking on having 5 kids in school full time, 1 child driving, no one in diapers . But for now I am just doing the best I can and I have to remind myself that has to be good enough.

I didn't write this post earlier today directed at anyone but maybe myself. This was just what was on my mind today. I know I will look back at this post in years to come and remember the organized chaos that my life is right now. When you are going through a hectic time you have to believe this will not be forever and with growing children I know its temporary. Trying to enjoy this moment in time but also looking forward to the future.

Picture of each from last week

2011-02-15T16:20:00.000-06:00

Macy had the Queen of Hearts pageant last Saturday. It wasn't our best but she is looking forward to doing it again for the upcoming OMS pageant in April. You win some you lose some , so the next one could be a win for her.

On Sunday Collin learned to ride without training wheels. He looks like he's been riding for ages like an old pro. He is so proud!

Logan and Parker both enjoying an early Valentine's cupcake and showing off their new haircut.

Messy Hudson really liked the cupcake too.

Last but not least I told Molly she is the only 11 year old I know that wants to spend her money on buying rubber gloves to wash dishes in. She really does like them and there is not as much whining about chores.

Too fast

2011-02-10T15:30:00.000-06:00

It wasn't that long ago this was Collin. Wasn't he so cute! Now he is so big and smart. He talks alot and is very interested in the world around him. Collin will be going to public school Kindergarten next year and we often do some workbooks to help him get ready. He asked me today if Logan did this when he was 5 years old and he sure did. It really wasn't that long ago was it?

This was Logan the day after he turned 7 years old. Wow time is going fast. Weren't we just doing workbooks and practicing holding a pencil properly?

Now we are busy with things like preparing for the ACT test in the Spring and he is really enjoying his JROTC class this semester. He is learning so much and really thriving in that environment. Time goes by so fast but the future is looking bright.

Another day in Paradise

2011-02-08T23:58:00.000-06:00

I recently downloaded the free iphone app ShakeitPhoto and it is just awesome. It gives each picture the old Polaroid look and the kids love it as much as I do. I was testing it out when 4 of the 6 Moon kids visited the dentist this week. All of the kids had great dental reports and that is off the to-do list for another 6 months. Whew!

You don't have to wonder too long about where I get my silly side from. Mom and I were able to have dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and swing by Walmart while we waited on Macy who was at play practice. I thought this hat was cute and Mom decided to model it for me. We both decided to just wasn't for us after all but it sure does make a statement.

My new splurge. Since I have been super duper cold this winter I have found myself longing for hot drinks all the time. Starbucks Venti Non fat hot chocolate with no whip cream not only warms me up but cures my sweet tooth. It is well worth it's calories on a cold day.

Very First 5k

2011-02-06T22:54:00.000-06:00

Before the race at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Bow Wow Bash 5K

Saturday I ran my very first 5k race in Huntsville. Lucky for me there were some familiar amongst the runners as some Dealnews employees joined me to do the race. It was such a cold day and I wasn't really prepared for the freezing weather and snowflakes. In hindsight I would have taken some gloves because my hands were frozen and numb by the end of the run.

When the run started it was very interesting how running with a crowd at the start. This was a small-ish race probably 200-250 people total so the start of the race was not too bad but pretty soon I found a good pace and was toward the middle of the pack of runners and it wasn't too crowded there so I felt good in that spot.

The first lap was the longer lap than the next 2. My first time was 10 minutes something but it was longer than a mile and when I first saw the clock I was thinking Oh No I have a 10 minute mile till I remembered it was the longer course that lap. I did well with the hills and was able to pass people while going up hill each time. That is where my bootcamp training came in handy. It was nice to see Brian on the sideline as I passed by each lap, on mile 2 he moved spots so I never saw him but there were a lot of people standing around so it was hard to tell as ran by.

At the end of mile 2 the emotions kinda hit me I was really doing this and I was thinking about my journey to get to where I am now. I noticed the clock as I passed by was 19 minutes and some odd seconds. I felt good going into mile 3 knowing my time was on mark for where I wanted it to be. My hands were awful cold but I was happy I had toted my water bottle the whole time. The cold air was burning my throat and small sips along the way sure helped.

On mile 3 I passed one clock that said 23 minutes before I took on the uphill portion. I was happy and it gave me the extra drive to get this race over and hopefully under the 30 minute mark like I was aiming for. I was thrilled to cross the finish line with the time of 28.34. I was sweating and tired but felt great. I am really looking forward to the one next month. I think I am hooked and this is just another adventure on my journey.

The start of the race

Mile 1 competed

Mile 2- I was very focused and never saw Brian take this

The finish line clock and me right behind it coming across

I DID IT! Feeling great ! Can't wait for the next race.

Nothing surprises me

2011-02-02T23:27:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had a lunch date at Chick fil a with these two handsome guys. They did really well and it was pretty cute that they decided to sit together across from me. They enjoyed their chicken and never once asked to go in the playground that I had already told them we did not have time for today. Maybe I did bribe them with a stop at the Dollar Tree to pick out a prize or two if all went well. We also stopped by Aldi and loaded up the cart with stuff to get us through the week. I was pleased with the amount of fresh veggies and fruit I was able to get there today (broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, tomatoes, celery, onions, pineapple,tangerines).

When I got home from the store I had just enough time to unload the groceries before heading to pick up Molly and Parker from school choir practice. When I went to unload the frozen items I opened the freezer and discovered a pair of clean socks on the upper shelf. Who puts socks in the freezer? But nothing surprises me around here , there was once a tennis shoe found in the freezer and NOBODY put it there. Just a mystery that lives on at our house. I do promise you the sock was folded and clean but it was definitely cold!

Day 31

2011-01-31T22:36:00.000-06:00

I made it an entire month with some sort of picture from each day this month. There were times it wasn't as easy and it was probably a little boring but I have been told it was kinda fun to keep up with too. Today was a pretty drab day. I was up at 4am to make it to bootcamp and I really gave it my all today and it felt great. I left there totally sweaty and tired out.

By time I got home the kids were in the process of getting ready for school.

It was raining and cooler today so it wasn't hard at all to climb back into bed after my shower. I really had no energy today, maybe it was the weather or just being a Monday after a busy weekend. I did manage to get some laundry and dishes done but other than that the boys and I just hung out around here.

Brian made a really good dinner tonight. The kids had hamburgers and baked chips and I had a lettuce wrapped turkey cheese burger, sauteed asparagus, and some low fat cottage cheese. It was so yummy and hit the spot with me. This is a meal that I have learned to love in the last 2 years but it is a favorite for me now. I actually prefer a lettuce wrapped burger over a bun. I will eat the asparagus anytime it is made , I love the crispness of it. And cottage cheese is something I try to have more of because of the high amount of protein it contains.

Logan told us tonight he landed a lead role in the High School Spring Play. It is based on the 80's and he will have a solo. He will begin practice for that soon. Macy's play schedule is M-T-TH-F nights and some Saturdays till mid March. Parker and Molly are all pumped about starting school choir practice on Tuesdays after school. So we will be getting into a new schedule soon at least wrestling is winding down for the year. I am longing for warmer days and sunshine already! My very first 5k is Saturday and I am excited yet nervous because I have never run with a group. But I am sure it will be alot of fun too.

Day 29 & 30

2011-01-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

On Saturday Parker attended a skate party for his friend Madison. Parker got the hang of skating after awhile there was plenty of falling down at first. He had a great time even though the place was an absolute ZOO! I left with the biggest headache but it was worth it for him to have so much fun.

Tonight Hudson really enjoyed his roasted marshmallow at Maw and Das's house. He doesn't normally go around shirtless but he spilled his brothers soda all down his shirt.

Tonight we celebrated and belated Christmas and birthday with Grandmother Jane. She spent her whole Christmas sick with a stomach bug followed by a flu type virus. This was a sad thing for not just her but the whole family. Grandmother absolutely loves the holidays. She is a treat to watch as she admires the decorations, the wrapping paper, she takes interest in everyone's gifts and she gets giddy over the holiday spread of food.

We had also missed grandmother 80th birthday in December . It dawned on me today that we needed to get Grandmother a birthday cake. The kids love for people to have birthday cake and they love to sing Happy Birthday to them . Grandmother deserves to be celebrated she is a very special woman to all of us. The whole gang gathered around her with 8 lit candles on her cake and we sang to her. I wish we could do more but I hope she felt loved and appreciated tonight because that is really what is in our hearts.

The weekend flew by so fast I just hope the work week does too! I have a date with the laundry tomorrow, Lucky me!

Day 28

2011-01-28T15:22:00.000-06:00

Can you believe these two kids went to school looking like this today? Oh they were excited to go show off their 80's look for Decade Day. Parker and his sisters decided on his outfit last night and I think they hit the nail on the head. Molly looks like she is right out of a 80's rock video for sure. It's always nice to see the kids excited about going to school. Their Principal came up with all these fun themed days for Fridays when they do review and studying for the annual standardized testing that is coming up in the Spring. I told him last year that it was a brilliant idea because it really helps the kids not dread the review days but look forward to them.

Here is Logan after last night wrestling match. He was not happy I was wanting his picture but I told I really needed one and this is the best I got. He was worn out, hungry and lets not forget grouchy. The season is winding down and Logan has made some great improvements over the year. He has won some matches recently too. Several people have commented to Brian how much Logan has improved his skill. He is very dedicated and gives it his all. Good Luck Logan on your last few matches of the season!

Day 27

2011-01-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

These are a few of my favorite things.

If you have a iphone you must go to the app store and download Words with Friends game. It's scrabble that you can play people you know or a random person. You play at your own leisure which is so nice. I find myself playing while waiting for appointments and waiting on kids at practice . I love it so if you have it please challenge me to a game my user name is Moonmamma. This screen shot was take of my 83 point word, don't let that scare you it was pure luck.

I tried a new pizza and man was it good. Kashi Trio with Spinach and Mushrooms. This pizza has a thin crispy crust which I liked alot. I found it in the freezer section at Publix near the other large frozen pizzas. The price was $5.99 and the calories pretty reasonable at 250 for 1/3 the pizza. I was low on my calories and really hungry so I ate half of it. I enjoyed every single crispy bite. I liked the spinach and mushroom but plan to try the other varieties too.

Day 26

2011-01-26T21:49:00.000-06:00

Look who was awake when i came in from boot camp early this morning. He was so jazzed knowing I bought cereal the day before he was begging for a bowl. He cried when the kids boarded the bus and insisted he needed on the bus too! Luckily he took a nap soon after the bus pulled away. Collin and Hudson had a playdate with Mimi today. That had a blast! Thanks Mimi.

Parker had to finish his Alabama History map tonight. Of course he forgot his book so his friend Erin saved the day by loaning her's to him overnight. Let's hope this last minute stuff isn't a trend with him.

Day 24 and 25

2011-01-25T22:53:00.000-06:00

M I C K E Y M O U S E ! He loves wearing these around the house.

This is the BEST soup and so easy!

Tara's Corn AND Shrimp Chowder ( I can't take credit for it)

1lb Shrimp (1 bag of the small frozen with no tails in freezer section)

2 cans Cream of Potato Soup

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can whole kernel corn with juice

1 can mild Rotel tomatoes

1 pkg cream cheese

1 pint half and half

1 bunch green onions chopped

Saute shrimp until pink, then add all cans into the pot. Mix well, and add cream cheese and half

and half. Make sure all the cream cheese is melted and add the onions. Simmer for 10 minutes and

enjoy! Calories are 270 a bowl. It's so yummy!

Day 23

2011-01-23T21:26:00.000-06:00

I am still learning how to style my new hair style but I still love it. I have found some easy ways to fix it for workouts. Change is good!

Day 21

2011-01-22T17:02:00.000-06:00

Here is the wreath I made to hang on my front door for Valentine's Day. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Day 20

2011-01-21T00:11:00.000-06:00

Here are my hair before and after pictures of my new hair do. I had it in a clip in the before because I was in a rush. I love the new cut. It's short but very girly and sassy. It will take a little getting used to styling but it should save me a ton of time. I was so unhappy with how it was getting so thin before so I am so happy I took the plunge to try something totally different. These were just pictures from my phone I will get some better ones over the weekend.

Collin and Hudson were thrilled to get to Das's (Brian's Dads) house today while I got my hair done. They were woke up excited to go. They had some fun with lunch Subway and a trip to the Dollar Store. They brought home a bag full of goodies from Dollar Tree. I am thankful they get to hang out with Das so much because they really enjoy it!

Day 19

2011-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

What 34 looks like!

On January 8th I turned 34 years old. I noticed today last year I did a post similar to this and I really liked looking back at it. This year my birthday kind of threw me for a loop. There were several life circumstances that made me wish I could just postpone my birthday all together.

But of course people who love you would not hear of such a pity party and they did everything they could to brighten my day. I am not usually one to get the blahs and let it get me down but they had a hold of me and I was giving in to the idea to just skip the whole celebrating thing. I guess this could be a post hysterectomy roller coaster ride that I need to watch out for.

The year has been a good year for me and I have worked on so many goals. I am stronger than I have been in my life. I am healthier than I have ever been too. I am a whole year into boot camp and I love it. Life has been good to me and I am thankful for another year of it!

I am continuing on with my goals and setting new ones. I am opening my mind up to some changes in the coming year also. I am going to put my new love for running to the test and start running 5k races starting in February. I am going to chop off my hair tomorrow because I am unhappy with it and ready for a change there too. My drastic diet change over the last 2 years has left my hair thin and brittle. I take a handful of vitamins everyday but I think my hair must have thrived on potato chips and french fries. I am accepting that having luscious long locks is not in the cards for me so short & sassy here I come!

Day 18

2011-01-18T23:43:00.000-06:00

I spent the day stalking Macy's email. I kept her laptop close by and waited and hoped for her email with the cast list. It's after 11:30 pm and it's still not sent out but she did get an email saying it would be later tonight. I'm on pins and needles to say the least!!!

*Update* at 12:30 she got the email that she landed the role as Ernestine the 2nd oldest sister and a main character. I am dying to call everybody and tell them but I don't think ya'll would like me waking you right now to fill you in. See how nice I am? Haha. I am so excited for Macy but Gee whiz this stage mom stuff is STRESSFUL! Now I have to try to sleep for 3 little hours before I get up for bootcamp. The fun never ends! :)

Parker seems to have some sort of virus. The school nurse called to say he had a rash on his face. He's had a upset stomach and low grade fever too. He slept all afternoon but was acting normal tonight. Let's hope it's not something he will share with the rest of us.

Hudson said the funniest thing today. He was watching me put on my makeup and he came up and stood next to me and asked if I would paint him too. Notice his Buzz Lightyear shirt he had a cow wanting it at Walmart yesterday. I referred to him as my Space Ranger all day. He is getting so big but he still has us all wrapped around his little finger. He will always be our baby.

Major Congrats to Logan for winning his wrestling match tonight against Clay-Chalkville. Logan won by pinning the boy in the first round. Way to go Son!!!Awesome job and let's repeat it again on Saturday for the big tournament!

Day 17

2011-01-17T23:04:00.000-06:00

Tonight Macy and I returned to the Leeds Arts Council for her call back for the part in Cheaper By The Dozen. Macy seemed less nervous and better prepared this go around. She was called up to read about 5 different times and she did awesome! There are 3 spots and it is narrowed down to 8 girls. I think she has a good chance of landing a role but we will know for sure tomorrow. I will tell you, I was a nervous wreck the whole time she was reading. I am so proud of her regardless. Cross your fingers that she made the cut!

Day 16

2011-01-17T00:19:00.000-06:00

Brian made us a steak tonight before he heads to California for a few days. Here is a picture of my plate and it was so good. I also had a toss salad with Light Italian dressing. I am making a conscious effort to cut back on my carb in take. It is a little blurry but here is a shot of the crew about to chow down.

My dessert and a precious memory of my Ninny Ann (grandmother on my Mom's side). My Ninny would eat cottage cheese and fruit as a dessert or snack. I never took her up on her offer to make me some because I knew my Papaw would be having his nightly ice cream and I was sure to get some. My Ninny was always a very healthy eater and a thin woman. But she was the only female I knew who wore a girdle all the time. My grandmother was sporting Spanx before Spanx were cool!

I have some many good memories of her and staying with them at their house. Memories of her reading me the comics or making shadow puppets on her bedroom wall as we went to sleep at night. She would often talk to herself while she cleaned around the house or cooked dinner and I would constantly be thinking she was talking to me.
'
She read the newspaper everyday and we always watched the nightly news. My Ninny liked television gameshows like The Price is Right, $10,000 Pyramid and Wheel of Fortune. She was fun loving and kind. She would do anything for us grandkids .

I can close my eyes and remember all the details of spending the night with them. I can hear their voices and their laughter . Around the time I got married Alzheimer's had begin to slowly change my Ninny. It may have changed her personality but I remember how she really was and I love that I was able to spend so much time with her then. It was a slow sad process but Ninny passed away after a couple of years of being in a nursing home. I couldn't help but to feel relieved that she was out of pain and reunited with my Papaw in heaven. It's funny how a simple bowl of cottage cheese and fruit can remind me of so much.

Day 15

2011-01-16T00:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got the pleasure of taking this little cutie with me to Aldi to buy some groceries. It was a first for me to have Hudson with me alone in this sort of situation. I had to get him out of the cart and let him stand along side while I bagged my own groceries. He did excellent and people kept commenting on how well he listened and stood there like I asked. It took me a bit to sack the whole cart and he was a angel the whole time. It's nice he is at the age I am able to depend on him more to act so well in public because next year he will be flying solo with Collin going to school. Collin is normally my right hand man when it comes to entertaining Hudson or holding his hand while I am unable to like in the sacking groceries situation.

Speaking of Aldi for groceries you can save some money shopping there. It's not brand name stuff but we have found we like alot of what they offer. The eggs,milk,cheeses are always the lowest price around. You take you own bags and sack it yourself. A shopping cart is a quarter deposit that you get back when you return the cart to the front of the store. The produce can be hit or miss but the prices make it worth seeing whats available that day.It is not your one stop grocery store but you can get good prices on some of the stuff on your shopping list.

Day 14

2011-01-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

"I have wanted to quit but never more than I wanted to succeed." - Unknown

I am still on my journey to health and fitness. It's a every single day commitment for me for the rest of my life. When one goals is reach you set another. The goals change from numbers on the scale to building endurance. I haven't done anything at all remarkable. I see it as I am just now finding importance in something I should have found more important a long time ago. I am learning about myself, my strength, and how to fuel my body, and how to push myself.

Day 13

2011-01-13T10:51:00.000-06:00

Brothers for life!

Day Twelve

2011-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

Tonight was a big night for Macy. Her heart and soul is in acting and considering she landed the lead role in her first grade production way back when I shouldn't be too surprised. Tonight she auditioned for a role in Cheaper by the Dozen for the Leeds Arts Council . We have never experience this sort of audition. Macy and I looked up how to prepare a theatrical resume and over the weekend we took her head shot.

Everyone went into a small theater and the director called up people by random to read certain roles. Macy was called up twice and she did pretty good. I was happy I got to watch she was a bit nervous but never really stumbled. There were more girls Macy's age group than any other age so we will just cross our fingers for now. I think Macy's strong points were her voice projection , how clearly she spoke and her appearance.The play is based off the novel not the movie but it was still pretty funny no matter if she gets a part we will go see it in March.

I am proud of her for taking a risk and doing something she's never done before. I know this is her dream and I will support her all the way. Good Luck to you Macy!

Day Eleven

2011-01-12T00:14:00.000-06:00

I couldn't take cabin fever any longer and I had to get out of the house. The roads were clear but the grassy areas still covered . I headed to Walmart to get more groceries. We got the call this afternoon school will be closed yet again tomorrow. :(

Hudson was being a monkey tonight and crawling around the house with my tennis shoes on his hands. Silly boy!

My yummy dinner: Grilled Hamburger steak with swiss, grilled portabello mushrooms, cottage cheese, 1 red potato , and cucumber slices. It was Awesome and I got full before I ate all the potatoes so I left some behind.

I tell you this picture every single day thing isn't as easy as you think but I am enjoying doing something different.

Day ten

2011-01-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

The sleet came down most of the night and left most of Alabama covered. The sleet is awesome for sledding but it's not good for snowmen and snowballs. But the kids have been having a ball anyways. School was closed today and I am betting on tomorrow too. It has melted some but with the temp dropping it will all turn back into ice overnight. Brian decided to shovel the driveway and move our cars across the street after Hudson was sledding down the hill alone and almost went up under neath the car! That was enough excitement for me I decided to come in and get warm. As you can see below here we had some fun taking pictures in the white stuff.

Macy's head shot for her theater audition.

Three years ago today we were spending the night in the ICU waiting room waiting for my Mother to wake up from brain surgery. The fears of how this would change our lives forever. Wondering if my Mom would be severely handicapped or survive was on our minds . We were lucky to have the best possible out come and we are reminded that everyday is a precious gift. I will never forget that time in my life and the feelings that I felt. It made me see what real fear was and that I needed to get control over my own health. Mom, you might forget where you put things and you get things confused sometimes but I am just glad your still here with us to laugh about it. We love you!

Day Nine

2011-01-09T18:45:00.000-06:00

What a perfect meal for a overcast cold day. This is Brian's Grandmother Jane's vegetable beef soup. Man, was it good. It's so easy and so delicious. We are expecting snow and ice tonight. School is already canceled for tomorrow. The sleet started coming down around 4 o'clock. Fingers crossed we keep our power.

Recipe for Grandmother Jane's Soup

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
handful of baby carrots sliced
5 small potatoes quartered and sliced
1/2 celery stalk sliced thin
1 can of corn and juice
1 can green beans and juice
2 cans pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans Campbell's Tomato soup
Black pepper to taste
4 cups Vegetable or Beef stock

Brown ground beef in the bottom of your soup pot. Push meat aside and saute onions . Add the stock, carrots,potatoes and celery. Add water to cover if the stock doesn't cover it all. Cook on high till vegetables are tender. Add in the green beans, pintos, corn, diced tomatoes, pepper and turn down heat to low and let it cook for 10 minutes. Add tomato soup at the end and stir well to blend. Let it cook for a few minutes then serve. Enjoy it's awesome!

Oh and this recipe is for the soup we made today thats is in the picture above. Grandmother would have used some other ingredients like frozen lima beans and canned english peas but we used the things listed above because that is what was in the pantry.

Day Eight

2011-01-08T17:37:00.000-06:00

Day seven

2011-01-07T11:11:00.000-06:00

This is new. The reactions have been mixed. I didn't do it for reactions and opinions . I did it for the meaning to me. I'm happy with how it turned out. Six jewels for my 6 amazing children.

Day six

2011-01-06T20:34:00.000-06:00

Collin played like he was running a store today. Of course he needed a sign to say that he was Open so he made one. The store game lasted long enough for him to make a huge mess but he got it put away after some reminding. Excuse the hair do we were just bumming around the house today.

Another awesome Amazon shipment arrived today. I am loving this buying in bulk at a really good price stuff. Now we have 300 something trash bags and 40 rolls of toilet paper. We are going to need to add some more shelving in the basement but it is so nice to have a good supply on hand of the things we go through so quickly. We are still looking for good prices on other necessities as well. Wish we had done this sooner!

Here is Macy tonight after cheering for a basketball game. Isn't she lovely?

Day five

2011-01-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

My cell phone took a dip in water today and it is recovering in a bag of uncooked rice. So far it is working. What a day!

Day four

2011-01-04T22:49:00.000-06:00

I spent some time today working on those resolution I had posted about earlier this week. I cleaned out and reorganized my collection of shoes. I really did get rid of about 10 pair that I no longer care for. There is a system to this mess but it probably only makes sense to me. Brian was sure I could only possibly need 15-20 pairs . Haha he must be joking right? I did a little Googling and informed him the average woman my age has 40-60 pairs of shoes. I think I fall into the average because I have some more shoes in the bottom of the tv cabinet in our bedroom. While I was moving things around I dusted and vacuumed our room too. It was nice to check one thing off the to do list.

Hudson was about to dig in to his dinner. I am happy that he ate the chicken and the broccoli. He left most of the mac and cheese but I can't fuss because I'd rather him eat his veggies. He is talking so much lately. He understands things pretty well too. It's nice he is reaching the age where he can be reasoned with. He loves to go and if someones leaving the house he always wants to go too. This causes some tears so we often have to get crafty about slipping out while he is occupied. We are talking about the potty with him. He is scared of it and even the little potty. It will happen in time and I just hope its a smooth process. Collin seemed to take forever and I do not want to go down that path this time. Brian pointed out the other day how much Hudson talks about his self in 3rd person. He will say " Is this Huddy's plate?" so I am trying to make myself aware of this and correct him. It is kinda cute but I can see where it could start a bad habit for the future. I still get tickled when he ask to "Get his dress on" when he wants to get dressed. That's one of those saying I will have to remember to tell him about when he's a big kid.

Day three

2011-01-03T19:19:00.000-06:00

Little boys in rain boots make me smile!

Tomorrow the school kids are headed back. Yippee Skippy! I am ready to get life back into a routine again. I think the kids are secretly ready to go back too. Or at least get a break from their siblings for awhile each day.

Today I returned to Bootcamp , well it was a modified version since I did no abdominal work. It felt great to get back to it but 4:15 in the morning sure came early. It feels great to get back to working out , I really missed it!

Day two

2011-01-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

Sunday brunch at The Moon's. You should have been here it was delicious! This sort of meal reminds me of Brian's grandaddy Dewey. He loved a good breakfast and the spread of food he would serve was always awesome. If he wasn't in the kitchen cooking when you woke up you could bet your last dollar he was taking you out to one of his favorite places to enjoy some good food. I could feel him smiling down on us today as we enjoyed our meal together.

1/1/11

2011-01-01T23:09:00.000-06:00

In 2010 I learned a lot, I made some mistakes, I reached some goals , I loved, I laughed, I cried, and I have no regrets. The new year is full of promise and opportunity and I welcome it with open arms.

Today I went back and read my goals from last year. Here they are below. I think I did pretty good working on some of these.

*Spend more meaningful time with my family. I want to be mindful that it doesn't take alot of money or some far away destination to make memories together.

My reflection on this :We did some day trips, did a beach trip on a budget, all girls weekend trip, watched movies together, played games together. And got back to eating dinner in the dining room together.

*Take more pictures of the older kids.

My reflection on this: I did a little better but I still have room for improvement. I feel like this year I took less pictures in general.

*Work on projects at the house. We have been in our house going on 6 years this June. There are things that need repairing and sprucing up.

My reflection on this: We painted all the boys bedrooms, hall bath, kitchen, dining room, guest bath. We replaced the old stove and microwave.

*Continuing my fitness and weightloss goals.

My reflection: I rocked this! Exercise is apart of my life now. I love my runs and going to boot camp. I am stronger and healthier than I have ever been.

I am still thinking on my goals for 2011. These things on my mind right now .

*Start to buy more natural foods and prepare more from scratch meals. Experiment with new healthy recipes for the family.

*Continue on my fitness journey. Push myself and become stronger. Use my experience to help others.

*Declutter and organize. We have some drawers and closets that need some serious work.

Just for something different. I am going to attempt to post 1 picture everyday for the month of January. These will just be random things some will be from my iphone because sometimes it's what I have handy. I hope to make it through the first month of 2011 and repeat it in December too. So here is today's pictures. For lunch we made homemade marinara sauce and used the pasta and Parmesan cheese Brian got as a Christmas gift from a salesman at work. The next picture is a apple pie before going in the oven. I made it from things we already had. It tasted pretty good with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Think on this

2010-12-30T07:02:00.000-06:00

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Smart woman that Mrs. Roosevelt. As the new year is approaching ponder those wise words. I couldn't have summed it up better myself but it really is the type of thinking that started my journey. Always believe in yourself!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T00:20:00.000-06:00

Christmas was excellent ! Kids were happy and thankful with the gifts. Santa's sleigh brought in some snow for us on Christmas Day. It was enough for snowballs and snowmen. In the first picture I rushed the kids outside as soon as I noticed the snow flakes flying. It was the first white Christmas I can remember. The pictures of the kids in the snow were later in the day on Christmas Day.

On to the excitement on Christmas morning!!

Hudson was cute with his gifts and walking around stealing everyone's loot. He would say "This is Huddy's" and start to walk off with it . He loved his Power Wheels jeep, Toy Story Jessie doll, and guitar from Santa. He loved the toys from Mom and Daddy too.

Collin was thrilled with his remote control truck, his wii game, and is in love with his Paper Jamz Guitar and Drum set from Santa.

Parker was the happiest I have ever seen him on Christmas. He got a super neat remote control car, new bedding, new wii remote and game and a book he's been begging for all just from Santa.

Molly got alot of stuff for her room like a lamp and picture. She got a wii game called U draw and Fur real Panda bear. Plus lots of other stuff from Mom and Dad.

Macy racked up with a 32" flat screen tv! Santa knew she had been really good this year . She got new bedding and curtains for her room. Lots of makeup and some clothes too.

Logan got some new games for his xbox and alot of clothes. He got a really nice watch and wallet too. His tv will have a HD cable box added to it too. Santa was really good to the Moon kids.

There were too many gifts to list as this didn't include all the things they got from Brian and I. What a wonderful Christmas it was for them!

Christmas Eve was spent with my family and while Macy and I were feeling sickly we still had a really nice time. It seemed to be very calm considering there were 9 kids involved. We had a good meal and enjoyed each person opening their gifts. Collin was the lucky Moon to get the box of Moon Pies from Aunt Kristi and Uncle Randy.

Christmas night we shared with Brian's parents and brother and his family. We had a great spread of appetizers and dips. There was shrimp cocktail and crab legs too! The cookies , candies and cakes were yummy too. I wish I had a picture of it all.

There was a snag in a few presents and I felt bad since I picked them all out but it's nothing we can't get straightened out. We are blessed to be living close to our families that we can spend time with them on the holidays but also be home . We did miss both our Grandmothers this year as they were both at their homes because they were sick. Here is a picture of Molly and Hudson playing with glasses at Maw and Das's house.

Last night and today I spent cleaning, laundry and putting things away. The kids have been very busy playing and spending time with friends. Christmas seemed to get here really fast this year. I am not even rushing to take down my tree. Probably by Tuesday or Wednesday I will get to it.
I look forward to the coming year and getting back to my work outs again. Life will be really back to normal then.

The pressure is on

2010-12-24T03:50:00.000-06:00

Here we are down to the wire and I am tossing and turning hoping I have what I should for everyone little Moon child to be happy on Christmas morning. This is one of the stresses of having the above average family that you just don't think about.

I know I put the stress on myself but no one wants a disappointed kid on Christmas. But each kid is different some of them are easy to please and others disappoint easily. This week certain kids have been very trying and I wonder why is it I am so concerned over toys for them when they are acting out so much. What happen to you better watch out you better not cry,you better not pout I am telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town?

It's what I consider a boring Christmas of sorts . There are no great surprise presents, like last years puppy. The gifts are pretty much what they asked for from their list and I don't think we over did it . I hope to see some smiles come Christmas morning. I have to admit it warms my heart on Christmas morning that my kids take turns opening presents. They go youngest to oldest and they enjoy seeing what each other received. They can be sweet and kind and loving to each other sometimes. I love my children so much and kids make Christmas so exciting!

Today after running some errands I came in and as I walked by a red glittered feather on a present caught my eye. I wondered to myself why that was there (around here things end up in odd places often) but with my hands full I kept on walking to the kitchen. Molly questioned me if I saw the package and showed me the gift they had wrapped. It was the cutest package with little decorations on it that they each made. I love it , it's beautiful and gaudy and made with love.

I doubt I will be blogging again until after the big day. So I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours! I will make sure to post lots of pictures from our holiday once I get all the wrapping paper and bows put away.

Annual Girls Christmas

2010-12-22T11:19:00.000-06:00

About 6 year ago we started a tradition of getting together during December to go to eat and see The Nutcracker ballet. This year we decided to do something different . We went to Olive Garden as usual and then went to the beautiful Alabama Theater to see the move Elf. It was fun to change it up a bit , the girls still enjoyed our outing like they normally do. Mimi gave them their ornament as it is part of the tradition too. This was Sadie's first year to join us . She sat by me during the movie and she would let me know when her favorite parts were about to happen , it was cute. I think a fun night was had by all. I know I really enjoy it!

Mom's Birthday

2010-12-20T02:12:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrated Mom's birthday here at my house. I took the easiest way out and ordered a variety of pizzas. I figured it was win win for me less mess and everyone (the kids) enjoyed it . I did make a big salad and cheese sticks to go with it. It was a nice smooth party and Dad brought a really good red velvet cake for dessert.

Sadie my niece spent the night with us tonight.I had promised they could make gingerbread house earlier in the day. I had bought a new kit that was a little village . Boy was I surprised when I opened it up to realize I had to put it together and make the icing myself.I have been spoiled to the already assembled kind with the icing packet. That icing was a huge mess it was as thick as toothpaste. With a 4 and 5 year eager to get going I sort of just slapped the pieces together.

I might not have done it correctly but they didn't seem to care or notice. I nicknamed the houses the Gingerbread Projects because of there poor construction and horrible paint job on the icing. But the decorating was done by true artist I tell you! They had a ball and we made a major mess. Of course Collin was mad we only did one house each but I was worn out for having to use a death grip to get any of the icing out. Sadie proclaimed "Gingerbread houses are the mostest fun ever" but was fine with just making one and then watching The Grinch movie.

Collin's on the left Sadie's on the right

The kids were pretty excited they ran around laughing for awhile. Finally I got everything cleaned up and got them settled in the bedroom. They were still alittle wild so I told them to plug up the Christmas tree and turn out the rest of the lights. The calmed right down and started to sing Christmas songs together. It was priceless to hear the singing of their little voices coming down the hallway. After a few songs they were quiet for the night.

Less than a week now

2010-12-19T00:38:00.000-06:00

Our week started on a sad note last week as a local High School boy passed away in a car accident. It was a shock to our whole community. Macy is good friends with his little sister and their Mom had helped coach Macy's softball team her last season. So it really hit home with us and our hearts go out to this family. It's so unthinkable a young life ending at 16 years old.

This was the kids last week of school before Christmas break. Macy was out sick one day with what I am pretty sure was food poisoning. No one else got sick at all and she was in so much pain and so sick for about 8 hours. I was thankful it wasn't a virus that would have us all sick leading up till Christmas.

I was able to get the shopping done for the girls and I to do our holiday baking this week. We will be doing gingerbread houses very soon too. I have all of that ready to go! On Friday night Molly , Erin and I had a great time making sugar cookies. These two girls love doing this and they have gotten so good at it. We baked them and they decorated them. I wish i had taken more up close pictures of them decorated because they were so cute and each cookie had so much personality . Tara came over and decorated a sugar cookie man and he was so adorable! I think he looks like Uncle Sam in his red, white and blue.

I got busy wrapping presents and boy there are alot of them. There are a few others to wrap but my part is done. I told Brian we might need to add another tree in the coming years because our tree doesn't have room for more gifts. I guess thats NOT a problem really, we are very blessed!

The highlight of the day today was Hudson hitting his eyebrow on the edge of the table when we were having lunch today. I tell you this little boy is accident prone. He has a small gash on his eyebrow which probably could have used a few stitches but since he's a rough and tumble boy it will just be another battle scar.

Tomorrow the whole family is coming over for Mimi's Birthday!! I am keeping it super easy and ordering pizza and making a salad to go with it. Dad is bringing the cake . I figure everyone likes pizza and there won't be a huge mess like with cooking. I will post some pictures soon.

What's on tap for this week . Logan will have a wrestling tournament all day Monday and Macy is babysitting Monday and Tuesday. And for the rest of us we will just be hanging out at home . Hopefully there will be no making huge messes and making Mom crazy. Brian says after Monday he will be taking a 1/2 day off work each day it will be nice to have him around too.

Visiting Santa

2010-12-13T01:27:00.000-06:00

Tonight we did our annual trip to the mall to see Santa at the mall. It was one of the easiest times we had had yet. The kids seemed to be excited and looking forward to the outing. Collin shed a few tears wanting to wear his suit he had last year which he refers to as his tuxedo. I explained to him his dress shoes and suit are both two sizes too small this year. He settled for the plaid shirt I had laid out for him.

We did our usual tradition of listening to Christmas music on the drive to the mall. But this was the very first year we have had snow flurries on the way to see Santa. While it melted as soon as it hit the ground it was still kinda neat.

The mall wasn't busy at all as we arrived an hour before closing. We walked right up to see Santa and the kids did a great job. While Hudson didn't cry he was scared and refused to sit on Santa's lap but he allowed Macy to hold him for the picture. Hudson wouldn't talk to Santa but just said Yes when Santa asked he he wanted him to bring him toys. Collin wasn't afraid and told Santa exactly what he'd like for him to bring.

We were in and out of the mall within 30 minutes and we headed to dinner. The kids cheered when we said we were going to Macaroni Grille. Dinner was very good but Macy started feeling bad . She didn't eat her dinner at all. I had the waitress box it up and Macy sat there feeling sick to her stomach with a headache too. What a good evening! I joked with Logan that when he goes off to college we will have to all meet up at the closet mall each year for our picture. I am lucky the older ones are such good sports and humoring me to still go see Santa. The photo with Santa was just my snapshot ,we bought a much better one for our photo book.

Brian and I had a couples Christmas dinner to attend on Saturday night here we were in front of the restaurant Christmas tree. Next event the kids are looking forward to is our Gingerbread houses. They are all excited this is the last week of school before Christmas break. Yippee!

The goings on

2010-12-10T01:29:00.000-06:00

It was back by popular demand! The kids just love appetizer night. I made a few of our favorites and we called it dinner. There was hot spinach and artichoke dip , pizza dip, pigs in a blanket, veggies and ranch along with sliced bakery bread and tortilla chips. For me to cut back on calories I like using carrot sticks or celery sticks for the dips. Try it sometime it's pretty good! We all missed having my potato skins and the kids missed mozzarella sticks so I promised we will do this again soon.

What you see here is a bad iphone photo of Logan in his Christmas play. I totally forgot my camera at home so this was the best I could do. His final exam in drama was being part of this play called A Modern Christmas Carol. Logan played the part of Scoorge and of course he did a great job. It wasn't a big production but I still loved seeing him on stage acting. He is SUCH a natural! Good job son!

Two weeks till Christmas? Man, December is flying by. I feel good about all I have gotten done so far , but I do need to make a list and check it twice just to make sure.

Definite Housewife

2010-12-07T23:32:00.000-06:00

I am definitely a housewife based on how excited I was to see these boxes arrive today. Dealnews.com (the company Brian works for) had posted a awesome deal through Amazon on Tide laundry detergent. Four of the large bottles for a really low price like $30 with free shipping. Here at the Moon house we wash alot of clothes. So we jumped on this deal and I was all excited to have a stock pile of detergent for the next month or so. Later that day there was also a great deal on Cascade dishwasher detergent so how could I resist? If a box shows up every couple of months with the household supplies I seem to be constantly buying each week and it saves me time and money that is something to get excited about! I plan on finding the right deal on paper products too and getting that on the Amazon subscribe and save program also. This is the coolest thing since slice bread !

Here are some pictures of Collin and Hudson from today! For some reason they both asked for something to eat every 2 minutes today. I guess it was boredom but man it gets old quick. They are so excited about Christmas. Maybe all the Christmas stuff makes them want to eat !?! They are cute and I love them even if they can eat a whole bag of animal cookies in one sitting. Lil stinkers!

That time again

2010-12-05T23:37:00.000-06:00

The decorations are up with alot of help from the kids. I still have a bunch of things to wrap and that's on the to do list for tomorrow between loads of laundry. I am very happy with my new Christmas tree this year. My old one was a cheapy and the lights had gone out in spots so replacing it was easier than trying to rescue it. The color scheme is lime green, red and white and I love it. It's fun and whimsical and really brightens up the house.

Over the weekend we have the last annual Dealnews Christmas party. It was so much fun seeing everyone. It was decorated so pretty and the food was good. I had the spinach salad with cranberries,walnuts with small amount of honey balsamic dressing and a piece of prime rib. I didn't have any of the large amounts of appetizers (cheeses,salami,crab cakes,sausage pinwheels and so much more) and I skipped the grits bar that had every topping you could want. The dessert table hosted a large variety of cheesecakes. I had thought of getting a small sliver of something chocolaty but the chocolate was already gone so it was easy for me to pass up the rest. Seeing old friends and meet new was the highlight of the party. I understand the need to move the gathering away from Christmas because of it being their busiest time of year. They are talking about hosting a Halloween party instead which sounds fun too.

December is just flying by so fast. We have several more Christmas gatherings and have to get to the mall for Santa pictures very soon. The girls are already talking about our Christmas baking. We still have the gingerbread houses to make and the list goes on. We have watched as a family a handful of our favorite Christmas movies and tonight play a Christmas game after dinner as we sat around the dining room table. I can't believe school will be out on break in just 2 weeks!

Thanksgiving in pictures

2010-11-27T16:03:00.000-06:00

We have so much to be thankful for!

As you can see we had a very nice Thanksgiving. The food was awesome as usual! The kids were out of school all week and what a nice break they had. Brian's Grandmother Jane was down visiting all week so the kids took turns staying over to see her. Logan had wrestling camp 2 full days and while he learned alot he was worn slap out each day.

Having the older ones home was helpful for me with the little boys and it allowed Brian to focus more on work during the most critical week of the year. My recovery is going awesome. I feel really well and am able to pretty much be back to somewhat a normal life. While I am limited on heavy lift, pushing and pulling I can do the things I need to do pretty easily. The girls and I made a pecan pie , pumpkin cream pie and a German chocolate cake to take over on Thanksgiving.

The doctor cleared me last Wednesday to get back to walking as exercise. So on Thursday morning I was happy to go out with my ipod and walk the neighborhood. I took it slow and stayed away from the steep hills. Exercising has become apart of my life now and the 2 weeks without it was really bringing me down. It's not just good for my body but for my mental health as well.

I did not go out to the stores on Black Friday but instead shopped online. Brian and I sat in our jammies with our laptops and shopped the deals posted on Dealnews.com (the company Brian has worked for 12 years now). We put a large dent in our Christmas shopping all from the comfort of home. Not only were the prices great the free shipping made it super sweet. The website handled the large amount of traffic well and the coverage of the deals was top notch. I feel very proud that we have been apart of the company from the ground up.

Of course on Friday we also watched the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs Auburn) and it was a painful game to endure. Congrats goes to all our Auburn family and friends on the win. What a game!

Over the weekend we started decorating for Christmas. The tree is up, the front door decorated but I plan to finish up tomorrow when I have less people underfoot. With everyone home we stayed busy just keeping on top of dishes and laundry. Brian did get the carpet upstairs cleaned and they look so much better.

I am happy tomorrow life will go back to normal and we can move forward with Christmas. I love this time of year! But I have noticed since the weightloss and surgery I have never been so cold in all my life. I see flannel in my near future!

1 week down

2010-11-18T12:16:00.000-06:00

A week has passed since I had my partial hysterectomy and abdominoplasty surgery done. These pictures are from yesterday when I was heading to the Doctor. It felt nice to be able to put clothes ,jewelry and makeup on but boy was just getting ready exhausting!

I honestly can't tell you what the pain from the hysterectomy feels like because the tummy tuck pain has been intense! But I am so very thankful to be able to have it done. After the 6 c section and losing 120 pounds I had a serious problem with my abdominal skin. The before and after pictures are amazing already.

I am forced to take the sideline of life for the next 6-8 weeks. It's not my nature to just sit around. I am usually doing 2 things at once. I do certain chores every single day sometimes several times a day. Things that keep the family running smooth that no one usually notices. Sweeping, dishes, washing counters, picking up after people, gathering and washing laundry and cooking. All these things are in my usually daily task. So it is hard to turn off the desire to do those thing but when you need help just making your way to the bathroom so its impossible to do chores right now.

Today I was able to get a real shower. It was exhausting and I needed help but it felt nice. I now understand the need for soap on a rope because I kept dropping it and Brian had to get it for me each time. This is a slow process but I am doing really well. My scar looks great an is healing well. I am resting alot and taking my medicine. The kids are home all next week and I look forward to the company.

I love this picture! Molly caught Hudson mid laugh in this photo. It's so him. I laugh each time I look at it.

On the mend

2010-11-14T08:20:00.000-06:00

After having surgery on Wednesday and coming home from the hospital on Friday things are settling down alittle. We are finding a new routine around changing bandages,taking meds, helping me get up and down and fetching me drink or food. The boredom is sinking in alittle but I remind myself how important it is to rest and recover now. I am sure will have plenty of time to blog in the weeks to come.

Thanks to my Sister in law Kristi for the yummy meal last night. The Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Oriental slaw and homemde mac n cheese was so good. Everyone loved it here and I even had alittle bit of slaw for breakfast today. I know I am weird but I love that stuff. My family has been so very helpful this week and I am really greatful. It helps put my mind as ease so I can heal . I love you all.

Molly Ann turns 11

2010-11-09T14:00:00.000-06:00

Molly will be 11 on Thursday! We celebrated on Sunday with a bowling party and Monday night with a dinner at the house with the grandparents. Molly got some awesome gifts and had a blast with her people.

Happy birthday to Molly! Mommy loves you so much! I had surgery on Wednesday and wanted Molly's birthday to be special ,lucky for her it's turned into a week long celebration. She has a shopping trip planned with Maw on her birthday.

Beautiful Girl

2010-11-08T13:22:00.000-06:00

At 13 years old your life is consumed with friends, texting, homework and cheerleading. Your like me that you could shop everyday. You like your multiple bracelets and your silly glasses. Most days are spent wearing blue jeans and you wear a tank top under everything! You are funny, kind, you always love and support those close to you. You love music and I smile when I hear you sing. We often belt out a song together and sometimes Logan will even join in. Macy, my wish for you is that you always do your best, laugh often even at yourself, and always remember we love you and are proud of you!

A snipit of life

2010-11-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

Living life in fast forward pretty much wraps up how things are around here. I do love my large family and I am blessed with the life long dream of having a bunch of kids.

We have the teenagers, Logan and Macy. Both smart kids both into sports and school clubs like Freshman Class President and Middle school Historian and Photographer. There are lots of invites for birthday parties and going places with friends. I try to get their attention long enough every few days to discuss school work, test scores , homework,upcoming projects and basically touch base on how things at school is going.Remembering who as practice or games , when and what time can be a full time job. There are times I am in the car most the afternoon. Both kids have chores which seems unheard of in this day and age. They still manage to have plenty of time for facebook ,texting and video games. Sometimes it dawns on me how big they are now and how quickly the years are passing.

Then we have the Middles, Molly and Parker. They are at the age where they need alot of help with school work still. There are papers to be signed and homework to go over. The school still wants the parents to come help with events and encourages interaction with the teachers. Both kids are good students but sometimes struggle with mastering new skills. In the afternoon playing outside is still important along with an after school snack. They both enjoy spending time with friends and watching their favorite tv shows. Parker is in the doesn't think he should have to bathe EVERY SINGLE DAY!! stage and Molly likes to takes a 45 minute shower. They have chores but have to be reminded constantly. I remember these days from when Logan and Macy were in this stage.

And lastly the Littles, Collin and Hudson. I refer to them as my little bosses. They are both home with me this year. They get along pretty well and do well entertaining each other. Collin helps alot with Hudson during the day. Both boys like the same tv shows, they like playing with trucks and cars. Both boys make sure there are no meals skipped around here. Breakfast must be eaten within 15 minutes of waking up no matter the time.They can't read a clock they have a knack for knowing when the clock strikes 12 it's lunch time! The Littles are usually in the car for the pick up of the bigger kids from practice, sometimes it takes some bribery with M&M's to get them to go willingly. They look forward to the big school bus pulling up in front of the house to bring home new people to play with by afternoon they are tired of each other . These simple days are numbered and pass quickly. Next year Collin will head off to school and life as we know it will change once again.

Somedays are so busy they are a blur. The noise level and chaos could push some people to run from the house screaming. This is our crazy life right now and I know in just one year from now things will be so different. I try to take a moment to soak it in. I love my kids, I love how they are all unique and special. When I dreamed for a large family so many years ago I didn't have clue what all that would involve. In my mind I just saw some Kodak moment of a pretty family picture with a Mom and Dad surrounded by kids of all ages, smiling happily at the camera. Boy was I wrong but I wouldn't change it for the world!