Piano Lessons

I have awesome kids. I know everyone says that, but really, these guys are so great! E & C are giving me piano lessons. E is my piano teacher and C is my piano tutor. I have lessons 1x per week and tutor 2x a week. It is so much fun being the "student" and letting them take the lead and teach me. I think that this is one of the best things we have done together. Each of them has their own teaching style and the are really good at it. E is very patient, he watches me and shows me what the notes mean and where to place my fingers. C is so organized and has made me my own folder and helps me w/ my tempo. I get stickers from both of them, it is so cute! I am enjoying it so much and I'm learning something :). (I am able to play by ear and have never really been able to read music, so they are really helping me with that.) It's fun, it will definitely bring us closer. I really feel it is good for them to be able to share and teach me something, instead of it always being the other way around. Plus they get such a kick out of it! I need to find something that R can teach me so she doesn't feel left out.

A lot of rambling or ranting or babbling .:)

I worked out today w/ my 'new' trainer. It had been about 2+ months since I last worked out. My last trainer moved to FL to pursue a music career, I am actually glad about that, we had a language barrier; it was hard to talk to him. Anyhow, did a bell workout. I am suppose to be very sore tomorrow...I don't see it happening. I did not feel anywhere near as fatigued as after a work out on the weights. We shall see. In the past I would not be able to move my arms for a couple days after I worked out. So, I don't know. One thing I do know is that I really NEED to workout. I am much happier after a good sweat. Two months was too long. I am ready to break out of my "hermit" tendencies, at least to go to the gym. It probably isn't very healthy for me to confine myself to my house :).
It has been a weird couple of weeks. J decided we should start a couples devotional together, since we can't go to church w/ each other and to help us w/ our relationship. I am so blessed to have a man who takes that kind of initiative in my life. We started last Monday & it was good -But then we went on and fought the entire week. I'm talking mean, hateful fights. Why does that have to happen?
It all ended up fine and it was good to get some things out into the open, also a little hard. We just have to keep moving forward. I am so glad he loves me so much; I am not always very nice. I am so glad we have Christ as our Rock. I don't know how people can keep it together without Him.
(As I sit here, my lower back is starting to feel a little tight..hmmm..maybe, I will feel this workout)
I think I shall swim tomorrow. I'm getting a little bored w/ the elliptical. I am not a friend of the stair climber and the spin class is running too late. My kids are STARVING when we stay that late :) ! I just really need to get my surgery over with so I can run! I look on with envy at the people I see jogging along side the road. I want to do that! I have an awesome park I could run through, but I can't. One DAY...I will run again! :).
Calories, I do not like counting calories. It's been about 2 weeks.
I do however, like the 'new' food and have incorporated it back into all of our dinner meals- kids aren't always a fan of it. I just really want to eat a big huge juicy hamburger. I also would like a banana split, which sounds wonderful. I am not sure I will ever be the same; now that I am aware of my caloric need and how many calories my favorite foods have in them. I also had NO IDEA about portion sizes. I have been weighing our meat and boy have we been over doing it. I had to keep cutting down the size of our salmon; I couldn't believe how small it was when I was done. When we move I am going to buy new plates, and they will all be smaller. I do have a new favorite snack though.. Wasu cracker w/ Smart Balance Omega 3 creamy peanut butter..YUM! It's all-good though, I have lost 6 or seven more lbs. Hopefully, I will soon be at pre lil'c weight! My goodness, if I didn’t love food sooo much, I wouldn't have this problem :)! Really it is carbs, I am a carbaholic..I am, I crave carbs, esp. when I am pregnant and sick!
I think I am done..nothing else to say today.
Going to Home school day at the zoo this week, I am looking forward to that, even though I said I didn't think I'd go back to the zoo because I felt sorry for the elephants (and really all the animals). I am such a "big" talker, just this one last time....you know, for lil'c :) .

Evening Snow Fun!

J & the kids built a 2nd snowman in the front yard!



Looks like a happy snowman!

Snow Day!

What a morning we have had! Today we were awakened with Breakfast in Bed from the kids. C had planned the whole surprise for us, calling on Grandma Chewy to help her go shop for the things she needed. It was so incredibly sweet of her to want to do such a nice thing for us. They all worked together getting it ready and were able to pull it off w/o us even knowing! They also made us Valentines and read them to us while we ate our breakfast. After that, we headed outside to build a snowman and have a good old fashion snowball fight! This is the best snow! We must have spent an hour out there, even lil'c. Everyone had cold hands and wet clothes, so we had to warm up w/ some hot cocoa and marshmallows! YUMM what a completely great morning and what wonderful kids I have!

Making The Cut

I bought this book, by Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser) to help me get to my final weight goal (pre-Lil'c weight). I actually want to also be more toned and muscular than I was before I got pregnant with her. I plan on starting tomorrow and have been reading thru it. It is a 30day diet and fitness program. To "drop your last 10-20lbs once and for all" it claims. I really think she is pretty awesome, she seems to know what she is talking about and I love her on the Biggest Loser! This book cracks me up, the way she talks...so not like me. First off it is dedicated to the “Inner Bada** living inside of all of us”. Do "I" have one of those? LOL, I am so not like that! :) She also says stuff about getting "ripped" and how “H-E double hockey sticks, YES this book is for you”! Although I am a completely different woman than she is and I have slightly different goals, I think it will be a fun 30days and hopefully I will drop those last lbs!! I am not blessed unfortunately to just drop weight, I never had to be concerned about it before kids and well pregnancy is just not great for me, I gain like an elephant. So EVERY lb that I lose I have to work my butt off for and it is not easy or fast, but I learned to appreciate working hard for that and it feels good to accomplish it. So, I was reading over the physical test I am suppose to take to see if I am even ready to do her 30 day plan. One of the tests is to see how many push-ups you can do in a minute- I HATE push-ups, it was something I would always whine about under my breath when my trainer had me do it. It has been 2mos. since I worked out; I hope I can do at least one! Also, my trainer let me do 'girl' push-ups, but Jillian says "Girly push-ups? I don't want to even hear it-toughen up or go buy someone else’s book!" Yikes, she is all about kickin' your butt! - But I kind of like that… maybe I really do have an inner bada** in me! J/k. We shall see I guess, when in 30days I am RIPPED! (For real, I may have bought the wrong book)

It's Official!!

I just got the call -J is checked out!  YEA! Not that we didn't expect it, but you never know...He had to meet with the chief and get his final check ride.

 He Passed, I am so happy, relieved and proud; all rolled into one! It is a tough field to work in, I am just glad he is happy.  It is a little hard to believe that we have finally finished. :)

Photo Session

Most of you know I love photography, something I have always liked and really wish I hadn't dropped in college :). Today I had the privilege of shooting a good friend of mines newborn baby, one week old! I have never photographed a newborn, except my own and that is really not that fun because I am so tired and in pain. This was fun though and what a cute little baby! Makes me want another. Seems easy, someone else carries it for 9mos and then I can just love on it once it is here! Anyhow, I really enjoyed this! I had J climb up into the attic and get down all my stuff, I charged up my camera, set up my backdrops and crossed my fingers! My camera is 7yrs old and way behind the times, but it kept its act together and we made it thru the session. Here are some of the pictures.