5 on Friday

I thought I would try 5 on Friday.  I think I have done it like once before on a week where I missed the 10 on Tuesday. lol

1. MOPS yesterday was sooooo awesome. It was more than we could have expected. So many people showed up. We had almost 50 people. That is a HUGE jump from last semester. We had an amazing speaker, Kim Songer. She just has so much experience in so many areas that she was so perfect for our group. She was so joyful and real. It was just the start we needed. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We played a silly dress up game with the mentor moms. So much fun!

2. The food was amazing at MOPS and I even lost from yesterday. MIRACLE! I'm almost down to my lowest weight ever (since losing). Just a few tenths of a pound to go.My stomach feels smaller. Love that feeling.

3. I'm still sick. I wish it would just go away already. I am feeling a little better though. The congestion isn't quite as bad. The aches aren't as bad either. But everything is there still enough to be annoying. Especially the cough when it starts. It sometimes makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. ewww

4. It hasn't happened much yet, but I'm waiting for it. One thing I have learned doing these challenges is that everyone has an excuse. The problem with that is that eventually you could come up with an excuse every week and never show any progress. There will always be a birthday party, a celebration, a holiday, or something else in our lives to challenge us in our weigh loss goals. It's up to us what we are going to do with those challenges. Are we going to succumb to the pressure of the temptation or are we going to rise above it and choose to change. Because after all, it is our choice. We have the power to pick the veggie platter over the chips and cookies. I'm not saying it's not hard. I'm only saying that you do have the power. And once you reclaim your power and start making those little changes, they can add up to big losses.

5. I'm so proud of Courtney's reading. She is doing so well. Learning new words every day. My mom gave her a book to read that she wanted to try to read. It's a chapter book from a High School Musical series. She needs help on lots of words, but she's trying it and not getting frustrated. My mother-in-law told me how I could figure out what grade level the book is at and it's a 5.1 (which means 5th grade reading level). I'm so proud of her for even trying it. With hard words like bureaucratic in it, there is no wonder she needs help on some words. Skyler is doing great too. She is starting to sound out some words and knows some too. I need to start the flash card words with her again.

Biggest Loser Challenge Week 1

The challenge first week with weigh in results started and I lost 5.2 pounds!!!!!!!!

I really am proud of that. However, other people started pulling in 9.2 and 11 pound weigh losses. arg!! Thankfully it's only the first week and anything can happen. As of right now I'm in a 3 way tie for 9th place. Everyone's really close, besides the top 3. Come on people, have a donut. lol I really do want them to do well, but I really want to win this time.

It has been hard to get workouts in because I'm sick. I can't stand excuses so I tried to do a couple workouts anyway. I walked to school a few times last week which was fine. Then I went for a run with my hubby for only 1.55 miles and it was hard. I was so tired. Then I tried to run at the gym one night. I ended up still doing a 5K, but it was rough. I ended up having to walk for the last half mile. That's when the aches started settling in. I was feeling so tired and exhausted and my cough had been there for almost 3 weeks. Monday it hit 3 weeks with this darn cough. I finally went to the doctor. I ended up having a fever when I was there. I have an infection, cough, sore throat occasionally (with a real hard cough), drainage...etc. Eww! Hopefully with all of the drugs he gave me I will get better.

I will try to workout a little this week when the aches are gone. Hopefully that will happen soon. In the meantime, I will keep track of what I eat and attempt to only drink water. (Minus the Sprite Zero that I just had.)

10 on Tuesday

1. Alright, alright. I know. It's Wednesday. Oh well. It's been so crazy here with all of the weigh ins that I didn't have time.

2. The Biggest Loser Challenge started. It has been a little insane with all of the weigh ins. I have 2 more coming right now and that will bring the total participants to 34. More keep calling or emailing me to join. There is still time to join. Just email or call me for rules/info/weigh in time. Feel free to join if you don't live near me. You can be in the no pay/no win group. You don't win anything, but maybe it's extra motivation knowing that someone will know how you did that week.

3. I have been doing really well so far with my eating. I have been walking to pick up Courtney from school so that's an extra mile every day. Other than that I haven't exercised though so I need to pick up that.

4. I have had a cough for over 2 weeks now. It's driving me nuts. I started taking Sudafed yesterday and I'm hoping that will help get rid of it.

5. A great quote from yesterday, "If you have 15 hours to spend on facebook, you can spend 15 minutes with God." One of our pastors, Sherry Mortenson said that yesterday at our bible study. How true. We waste time away like it's nothing on facebook or blogs or whatever else it is you do. So, I did it yesterday. I read the bible yesterday for 15 minutes while Courtney was doing her reading for school. I even kept reading after to finish the rest for the study. We were talking in our group about even 5 minutes. I then said "God will use whatever we have to give."

6. Someone on my facebook put that she thought I was going to say you can find 15 minutes to exercise. I believe that is true too. Most people think they don't have time to fit a workout in. But they usually are wasting time doing things that could be done another time or not at all. Even if you were to fit 10 minutes in here or there, you would still get the benefit of it.

7. We are deciding to not order soccer pictures for Skyler. That seems sad to me, but really, the picture is horrible. We get the team picture and one of the pictures of her already. So we will have a copy of it. But we are refusing to buy more. I got a much better picture of her outside anyway. So, if anyone wants a soccer picture of her I can email it to you and you can print it in whatever size you want. She had her first game last Saturday. She plays at 8am every Saturday if you want to come and watch.

Ok, really bad picture, but I am up there somewhere. This was in 2008.

8. Oh Candlelight. (I could only find the link for the one in Disney World.) For anyone who doesn't know I will explain. Disney does this huge musical presentation one weekend a year. It's pretty much the one time you will hear any kind of religious music or anything like it in Disneyland. It's always the first weekend of December. So, you have to try out to sing in the choir. I got the chance to do this one year with our choir from church. It was an amazing experience. I have the chance to do it again this year but now I can't. I am so bummed. I didn't realize how much I wanted to do it again until I realized I can't. I already have made a commitment on the same day as the performance. Many many choirs audition for it and about half of them don't make it in. You have to record your choir singing their songs and then they pick who gets in without knowing which groups they are when they are picking. There is a massive processional all the way down from Small World down Mainstreet. Until we get to the performance area on the backside of the train station. Oh the memories. I'm going to have to try to do it next year. I also have a blog about it from when I went if you want to read more.

9. The more and more broke we get, the more I think I'm just going to go for the photography business. I think I might ask a couple families to do a setting just for practice first. Then just go for it.

10. I'm so excited for MOPS to start next week. We have our "Meet Your Table" day tomorrow. Let the fun begin!

Weekend Review

Friday was the finale for our Biggest Loser Challenge. See next blog for more.

Saturday we started off early for an almost 2 hour trip to San Diego. We were going down there for a family reunion for my Dad's side of the family. This is the one time a year that we see the Arizona clan and the San Diego clan too. Lots-o-Cousins!! Really, the family is huge, and I'm still trying to figure out every name and how we are all related. It's a little insane. One of these years I'm going to take a picture of everyone and sorta catalog it. Put their name and how they are related to everyone. That sounds like a fun project. An extra bonus for the girls is that we let them use the DVD players on the way down because it's so far away. We only let them use them for long trips so this counted. They were excited.

 Jellyfish picture courtesy of Ingrid Stevens.

This one was off of Coronado Island, but is probably the same type that was sighted in Mission Bay. They saw several on the island and by the USS Midway.

The girls had a great time playing with their cousins and going in the water with ONLY their feet. We didn't bring swim suits on purpose because we didn't want them in that water. We had just seen on the news reports of jellyfish with 30 foot long tentacles in the bay there. CRAZY! Just 2 years ago they couldn't go in the water either because of jellyfish. Little ones ranging in size. Some only like 4 inches but all still sting. Lots of people that year were getting stung. Those ones were clear but were ALL OVER the beach and in the water. The reports this time showed the large jellyfish actually coming all the way up on shore. Scott didn't tell me that part until the kids were already in the water. Thankfully the lifeguard said he hadn't seen any that day, but warned everyone that that didn't mean they weren't there. These ones were brown.

We had a great time. It was such a new experience this year for me. Since last year several of us found each other on facebook. We have been getting to know each other better and knowing more about our lives. When you only see them one day a year, it's hard to really get to know people. This made me so much closer to a lot of my cousins.

This weekend left me with a warm fuzzy feeling about family. I loved it.

Wow, are these 2 related, or what? Cousins!

Sunday we had lots of plans and didn't do any of them. Scott and Courtney weren't feeling well so we all stayed home. I took some time to finish my book (Breaking Dawn, again). Man, it never gets old. I LOVE that book. And that whole series. It's amazing how much you forget and how reading it again is so much fun all over again. I saw Eclipse with my friend Kristy last Monday so that made me want to read what was next. And Breaking Dawn is my favorite of the 4 books. I mean, why not? Everything FINALLY happens. And it's so intense.

Great weekend!

A few more pics from San Diego for your viewing pleasure. :)

hahaha love the posing. You can tell Courtney knows how to work it. lol

awww so cute. Cousins (the next generation) We seriously have had a kid boom happen. So many kids.

I just love this one of Courtney.

Wow! What a beauty. This looks like a headshot to me.

This was a huge hit of the day. Sky learned how to do this one time from Daddy and then just did it from then on. No fear from that child. All of the other kids learned and had a blast being "firemen". Now Courtney wants me to find a park in our area that has a pole to slide down. Any ideas?

This one my mom took. I love pictures of kids looking out to the water. Love it.

10 on Tuesday

1. We soooo need to go to the store.

2. Only a few more days until the pile up of donations will be out of here. We are still accepting donations for our yard sale. We also need shoppers 6am to 1pm on Saturday the 1st of May.

3. Ug I am sick today. I ran out of Zicam. I usually take it at the first sign of sickness. I couldn't this time and now I'm really feeling it. It's amazing how different a cold is without Zicam. I'm all achy and miserable today. Courtney's not feeling well either. She has a bad sounding cough, and has been more lethargic than normal. I kept her home from school today.

4. Don't know why I'm blogging and facebooking while I'm just wanting to lay down.

5. I had fun on Sunday stamping. It was so fun to be so crafty.

6. Needs to borrow lots of folding tables for Saturday. Do you have one we could borrow for the day? I will label it with masking tape on the bottom to be sure yours gets back to you.

7. Can you tell what's consuming my thoughts right now? So much about the sale...and other things too. Not enough energy for it all.

8. We are at 35 people in the challenge!!

9. What's up with T-Ball having playoffs?? I thought the point was not to point out who won or didn't win.

10. Loves our new table and chairs!!

Weekend Review

Our weekends usually start with Friday since Scott is off on Fridays. So, I will start there. Friday morning was started with a fun trip to Disney's California Adventure. Courtney wanted to ride the big roller coaster (California Screamin') again, so we went over there. Daddy and Courtney did that ride while Skyler and I did a few rides ourselves. We went on the Jellyfish ride and the Zephyr. Then we waited for them to walk over to Mulholland Madness. I decided to try Skyler out with the height measurement just to see if she was tall enough for it. She was so we waited for them to come over so we could do that ride. I personally, can not stand that ride. I went on it one time and hated it. No one else had ever ridden it, so we all went on it. The girls loved it, of course. Then we walked on over to the Grizzly River Run to make sure it was the same height requirement as Mulholland Madness and it was. She was tall enough, but the wait was too long. The fast pass was way too late. So we went to lunch and then headed out. I had to be at an eye apt by 2.

I am finally getting new glasses! I have needed them for a while, but haven't been able to get new ones because I usually need new contacts. Those are way more important to me. The vision in the glasses was really bad, plus, they were so scratched up that it was harder to see. When I do have to wear them, it was hard to see.

That night we went out to Chilli's for dinner with my parents. Ooh their chips and salsa is so good. And I tried a salad I hadn't ever had before too. We then went over to my parent's house to watch a movie with them and the girls ended up spending the night. I had to come early in the morning to bring Courtney some ear drops because she was complaining of ear pain. Poor thing.

Saturday morning Courtney had a softball game. I just love seeing her all suited up in catcher's gear.

The rest of the weekend was filled with sorting all of the stuff for the baby item exchange. I had taken over a car load to Candice's house only to be met with Dawn's car load waiting for me to sort all of that. :) It's wonderful we have so many donations. I just want to get it all out of my house!!!!!! Thankfully some of it will be gone on Thursday. Then not too much longer to wait until the yard sale on May 1st. It's been hurting my back a little by night time sitting and sorting and moving it all around and all of that. It will all be worth it in the end. I just can't wait for it to be over. lol

During Courtney's softball game, she started complaining of her ear hurting again. She didn't play the last half inning because it was hurting so bad. Then at home she started getting a fever. Scott took her to urgent care where we found out she had an ear infection and a throat infection. The doctor couldn't believe she wasn't complaining about her throat. She is now on medication for both.

Thankfully Sunday she didn't have any more ear pain and no more fever either. She's been on the antibiotics and ear drops and is doing much better.

I stayed home with Courtney during church so Scott and Skyler could go. Courtney was feeling great and wanted to take a walk. It then turned into a bike ride for her and I ran alongside of her. Well, I walked and jogged. I had to stop so many times, but it was fun doing that with her. We stayed on what little sidewalk there is near our house the whole time. Just going back and forth. Then we did the 30 Day Shred DVD for the first time. She did some of it with me. It was fun. I'm hearing it on right now ready to go, so off to do day 2.

Sickies, Camping, VBS, Good Book

All of the sicknesses can GO AWAY already. I'm so tired of it. It's so draining. Courtney started us all off with her cough starting about 2 weeks ago. Then Skyler got croup for all of one day. Then I got the flu. Then Scott got a lesser version of what I got. Then Courtney got a fever added to her cough 2 days ago. And now Skyler has a fever. Seriously!! This can end already.

We came home from camping yesterday with all 4 of us still sick in some way. Scott is the healthiest of us all and he just got over his. We took Courtney to the doctor this morning because she started having a fever and her coughing was getting worse. Plus it had already been 2 weeks. And now she was coughing up green. Not a good sign. So, we find out she has double ear infections. She also has post nasal drip which is causing her to cough it all up. Plus she has asthma. We thought she had out grown it. We and her doctor thought that. Nope. Darn. I was hoping to not have to deal with that anymore. She was wheezing and had to have a breathing treatment. She's back on her inhaler 3 times a day for right now until she is better. Then down to 2 times a day. Plus, now she is on an antibiotic. Poor thing. At least Scott has the rest of the week off.

We went camping in Shaver Lake. Oh....I miss it already. We only had one day at the lake. And I'm sorry but that wasn't enough. Even if I was exhausted from coughing a lung. lol We had a great time at the lake and camping with family and friends. But I'm glad we are home to relax a bit. It seemed a little weird though because a lot of the regulars weren't there. I really missed seeing a lot of my cousins who have since gotten married. It doesn't always fit into everyone's schedule anymore. Plus our site was away from everyone else. That just sucked. We had to pack up all of our stuff just to go over to the other sites for dinner and campfire. We need to get them all together next time. That's much more fun that way.

Today for some reason I'm still not feeling well. I've been coughing a lot and I think it's wearing on me. I feel like I need to lay down. Or be resting at the very least.

The girls had their first VBS experience at our church last week. They had a blast. They couldn't stop talking about it. They loved it and didn't want it to end. I felt so bad I couldn't volunteer because I just got sick the night before the first day with the flu. I tried on Thursday to go in to help but I could barely make it to the playground to drop off the kids. I was so weak still from being so dehydrated. Thankfully they understood and had counted me out for the whole week. I felt so bad that I couldn't be there helping.

On the way to camping and home from camping I read a book titled "Multiple Blessings" by the Gosselins. I got the book as a gift and I wasn't sure what to expect from the book. I hadn't really known much of the family and had just been curious in weeks past to watch their show. I now have a new understanding and appreciation for them and all they had been through up to that point of publishing the book. I've since watched a few more episodes too (of "Jon and Kate Plus 8"). The book was really good. It was nice to have so many bible verses quoted in there too.

Summer would be so much better without us all being sick. Don't the germs realize it's SUMMER? :)

Fever Update, Twilight, Alone, Preschool

I wanted to write and let you know of the fever updates. Courtney's fever remained at 103 the next day and got up to 104.5 again. But then headed down. So, thankfully she is done with it. She was negative for strep, but they sent it to be cultured anyway. She thought it was a virus, but her tonsils were covered in white patches. Eww! So, she was put on antibiotics just incase it was something more making her fever go up so high. But, I'm sure some of you guessed it, Skyler got it too. Thankfully her fever only got to the 103s and is on it's way down too. What an exhausting week. Especially since I got sick right after Court and before Sky. Not fun.

Since I wasn't feeling so well anyway, I was pretty much on the couch at night after the kids were in bed, which was a great excuse to get some reading in. I started the 2nd book in the Twilight Series, "New Moon". I started it on Tuesday night and finished it Wednesday night. I never knew I had it in me to read a book in that quick of a time. This one wasn't as great as the first. Mainly because of a serious plot departure...however I knew things would get better so I kept reading. It was always a good read, but it was a little depressing. Very good ending though. So, this morning I was feeling much better as was most of us. So, I decided to do some cleaning since we seriously needed it after 3 sickies.

Tonight we are just 3. We took Scott to the airport tonight to meet his friend, Eric there. They are flying to Boston tonight on the red eye. Not exactly the best flight plan in my mind, but whatever. I guess that's what they get for waiting so long. :) So, I'm just feeling like this is a business trip. A little bit longer but still. We really don't even have much planned besides hanging out. It will be nice though to just be able to do whatever. I have to remind myself that this was my idea. Since I had a girls vacation, I figured Scott should have a guys trip. Scott and Eric are meeting their friend Micah over in Boston. Baseball, macho men hangout, seriously bad jokes...etc I'm sure many stories will be told. I can't wait to hear all about it.

Tomorrow Courtney has "Meet Your Teacher Day" at preschool (Whittier Christian Preschool). Her new teacher is Ms. Hare. Thankfully she already pretty much knows her from school last year and it's just right next door from her class last year with Mrs. Zulueta. Her cousin Joshua will be in her class again, so she is very excited about that. We are excited too. And glad that at least one of her buds will be in her class this year. We find out who is in her class tomorrow too. Hopefully her friend Charis will be in the same room. Those 2 were so close.

Wow, that was a lot all wrapped into one blog.