I love this blog!

I have been a major slacker in writing our adventures on here. Tonight, me and the kids scrolled through old posts from when they were babies in North Carolina and I'm so glad I have them recorded! I love the stories about the funny things they did and said. Seeing pics of old friends and East coast adventures makes me long for NC again. I couldn't wait to get out of there, but now I would love to go back to visit. What a life. You live day to day without anything seemingly exciting happening, but when I was religiously keeping this thing alive I would look at everything as a new blog entry. I can't believe how exciting things were! Maybe I'll get back to it some day, but right now it's so hard to post pics on here (or at least I haven't figured out an easy way) since my app on my phone went the way of the buffalo. Instagram is my main source of journaling now, but the kids seem to like reading the stories. I'll have to do better.

Weight loss update :( I got up to 130.2 over Christmas. yikes. I was 129.6 this morning and did NOT take a cheat day or meal today. I know I can do this and get back to where I'm more comfortable and happy. Just taking it one day at a time, count calories, burn calories, repeat.

I guess it didn't really happen...

Maybe Thanksgiving was a fluke or the whole last 3 weeks have been a fluke because on weigh day, Sunday I was 127.2...WTH?!?!?! My week was not perfect, but at the very least should've just maintained, but no, BLAM I gained almost everything back and all hope is gone. My two year plateau seems to be the way I'm gonna live my dang life and I guess living at 127 is better than living at 157. This is annoying as heck.

And it really happened..

Still in shock at losing 1 pound over the Thanksgiving break. I am now down to 124.2!!!!!! I could add more exclamation points, but I'll leave it at that.

It is doable...I stuck with turkey and veggies mostly. I did have a roll and some stuffing. When it came to desserts I just had a few bites of the things that I really really wanted and you know what? That was enough, sweet tooth satisfied and no pain in the gut. Well, actually there was a little pain in the gut.

We had a fun Thanksgiving that started EARLY. Jeebs, Cagey and I got up to run a turkey trot down in Eagle Mountain. It was very low key and really fun. I'm making everybody do it next year. Then we raced through breakfast and getting ready for the day. We made it to South Jordan just after 11 for bowling with fam. It was fun, but wow, I am a terrible bowler. We were done bowling by around noon and headed to Tim and Sally's to smell food and play games. After the games were done, we just sat and smelled food while I contemplated eating my own young. I. Was. Starving. Maybe that's where the 1 pound fell off? I'll take it. Happy Thanksgiving! On to baking season and praying I don't eat any of it :)

TWO YEAR PLATEAU

BUSTED!! Finally saw 125 again, after 2 and a half years!! WOoT! 125.6 to be exact...and of course it's the week before Thanksgiving. Ahhhh the irony. Well, maybe I won't indulge too much...we'll see. Happy Thanksgiving!! I can't wait to put up my Christmas tree!!!

Back on the losing train, (I hope)

After Loo was born I pretty easily and quickly went back down to 5 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. I thought it was going to come off eventually, nursing...weaning...hormones, you know the drill. But, here we are 2 and a half years later and I was still hovering around 128, on a good week I'd go down to 126. SOOOOOOOOoooo after upping my workout routines lifting ALL THE WEIGHTS I HAD, nada. nothing. zilch. So, here I am trying to get back into losing mode, if only for a month or two to lose those dadgum pounds and maybe a few more just so my post-5 baby stomach doesn't drive me insane.

This past week I did pretty well. I went from 128.4 to 126.6 and I call that a win. So this week is the test. I really don't have any desire to cheat or eat treats or anything because my stomach has been giving me heck with all the little "tastes" I've had of the endless treats lately. I have found a secret new weapon. I LOVE hot chocolate and I HATE hot almond milk. It tastes like cardboard box. But, now I've figured out how to cover up the cardboard...Torani sugar free syrups!! The sugar free brown sugar cinnamon is my favorite, but we also have peppermint which is a close second. If you're looking for a good hot chocolate alternative...just try the syrups in your sugar free chocolate almond milk :) you're welcome

I'll report back next week to see if anything actually comes off this week. I haven't been below 126 in a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG time and it's so close I can taste it, (and it taste like starvation). 

Summer!!!

Summer is here and we survived another school year. We even made it through the crazy month of May! Hooray! Ezra got baptized and is obviously trying to be better and more helpful. He still slips up, but I can see him trying. The day after his baptism he offered to make my breakfast. I really need to get that kid to some cooking classes or something! Loo is still a handful, but she makes everybody laugh and adds so much joy to scripture reading time!

We don't have set plans for summer except girls camp AND scout camp. At least that starts next week and then in two weeks that craziness will be behind us. I get to go up to girls camp to help with dinner! I've NEVER been to girls camp. I listened to my mom and sister too much and decided to stay away from it all. Maybe some day I'll be cool enough to actuallly be called into young women's. For now I'll enjoy having one of the best callings ever...primary music leader!! My third time to have this calling and I'm still in awe of how these primary songs can teach such plain and precious truths in a way somebody as simple as I can understand. I love them! I love getting to feel the spirit as the kids learn and sing the songs with me!

For Ezra's baptism we were asked to do the special number. I asked ma to write a little interlude to combine the songs Faith and God's Love. Taylor, cagey and Mookie sang. They did good, but Jeebs said he could only hear Mookie. Great. We tried :)

It's been a little while

We are so close to the end of the school year and I can't wait! The kids are ready, I'm ready, errybody is ready! We had to wait so long for spring break that I think I wanna just throw in he towel. I need to register Taylor for high school. Yikes.

and...

February is almost over. It's still snowing and that's ok. Tomorrow will be March and I'll be sick of it, but for today...I'll allow it.

We've had puke after puke and cold after cold. I would say that pretty much sums up February. I guess i need to get out and find an adventure. Every day I think we should go do something exciting and then every day the laundry, the solitude of my house and the struggle that is getting loo to stay asleep all night calls me back to reality.

Also, what should we do for spring break? I'm thinking...nothing.

thankfully January is over!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, January is the Monday of the year! But, it's over! I didn't blog a single time...that has to be a record since I started blogging. It was cold and snowy and just as January should be. I just wish we could push christmas back to the end of January to help get us through!

We did celebrate Yang's birthday with not one, but two cakes.  

Taylor likes to post with both babies...

and... I got a shiplap wall...but that was this month, not last :)

Again...so romantical

Chubby's even had our license plates so close- only thing separating us was...Utah.

Christmas!!! and 15 years

Our Christmas was wonderfully relaxing and calm. I decided I wouldn't stress about everything being perfect for my kids and just try and enjoy myself. If I hadn't felt so bad it would've worked like a charm. Everybody has been sick and after taking care of sick kids, cleaning up vomit and getting to bed late so many nights my body started sinking. I think it has all come to a head today. My throat was hurting last night and all I could think about was that annoying commercial with the sleeping little girl thinking to herself "it'll hurt if I swallow, it'll hurt if I swallow, it'll hurt if I, MOMMY!"

But here are the pics of Christmas that didn't make the instagram cut:

Mookie came in before everybody else while we were getting clothes on...side eye. She's been sick for a while so we'll forgive her this time.

Ezra got so many legos...he loves them, but it makes me want to cry. I hate legos so much!

This is just too cute not to share again. I love them looking at each other. Loo got a new stroller and baby doll to push around. Annnndd new shoes and clothes because she loves shoes.

Cindy Loo trying to fit in this car just like the Grinch. And Mooks looking a little too much like her momma...I know you're all thinking it.

And this is kind of backwards, but we have a new Christmas Eve tradition...CHUBBY'S!! I don't love Chubby's, but my kids do and now they're in Saratoga Springs!! Just so nice to have something new :) Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! 

OH and Jeebs and I have been married for 15 freakin' years now. Weird. 

Hello December, I'm not ready

Santa Claus can come now :) We have our fireplace!! Hopefully the drywall guys will come finish it by Friday.

It's now December and I am still recovering from Thanksgiving. I only took a few pics...I was too worn out from cooking every food in the land!!

Loo has slipped back into not sleeping through the night...so the recovery process is slower. I love Christmas, but I'm not really ready for all the work of decorating and shopping. I just want to enjoy the season because it is the best time of the year and it always go by way too fast.

And lastly...muscles. It's my blog and I'll flex if I want to, flex if I want to. You would flex too if you had muscles on you :) (gotta sing it) Now I've got to go make Christmas treats.

OCTOBER!! and baking BABIES

Baking BAby! 

Let's just skip September because that's a stupid month and nobody needs it...except, Red, that's her birthday month so she can keep it. October was Halloweeeeeeeeeeen!! We raced around celebrating birthdays and making costumes all month. AHHHHH glad that ones over too, but I still love it!

We now have a 14 year old! and a 38 year old!Taylor had a low key birthday party with a few friends and a movie AND a platter O Chick-fil-a nuggets!! AND 2 TRAYS of french fries- oh my holy french fry heaven.

And just so I have big pics of each cute costume and each cute kid...

Say it ain't so...

Was there even a summer break? It feels like it never happened at all and now we're back at the daily grind. Yuck. Not a fan. Ezra is going to school this year and I think he's going to like it. He asked if they were going to school for 6 and a half hours when were they going to be able to enjoy the day. I don't know buddy, I don't know. 

Celebrating our last night of freedom at Olive Garden and nobody puked! #winning

Hoooooooottttt!

It's the end of July! Say it ain't so!!! We have mostly done nothing. Nothing. I'm going crazy, but not crazy enough to plan anything to do I guess. Me and planning aren't really simpatico. Soooo here are a few pics from July that didn't make the Instagram cut. 

And this yummy bun was sitting outside at the park today. 

Ahhhhhh summer

I am so sunburned I could puke, but I guess that's how it goes when you do stupid things. My thighs haven't seen the light of day in a couple of years and now they're fried. Here's a little of June that didn't make the Instagram cut :)

Happy summer 2016!!!

Last summer we had a baby and then sold out house and moved and it ended up being the summer vacation that never was. Sooooooo this summer we are gonna get out there! (I hope) 

First day of break... Badminton! 

We made it to the Friday of the year!

May! May is the Friday of months. It's the last month of school and birthday month to over half of our family. I love it! I wish it were warmer and less rainy, but I'll take it any way I can get it. It means summer is almost freaking here. Things are crazy...and I'm all tapped out keeping up with the Loo. She climbs everything and sleeps very little. She takes little steps from the couch to the hope chest in the middle of the family room. I'm still working on getting her to say momma, but she will say hi and wave like a champ. She also knows where her nose is. She makes everybody happy and smiles at everybody when it works for her. We love our Loo! 

And because you can't unsee this...

Annnnd we have grass! Glorious, green, wonderful grass!

Everywhere you go it's Loo

We have a climber

And a yellow belt...