One step forward

Before my doctor said I could start exercising, I thought of all the things I wanted to do. When I was given the go, I told myself "you've got this...you can do it!!" So I set my goals and I have started down a path to reach them.

And here I go...

I ordered my AdvoCare cleanse and I start it on Monday! 10 day challenge - bring it on! I also started walking after work with my co-worker and friend. We walk a brisk, fast pace and complete 2 miles on average, three times a week. Go us!!

I am super excited to keep updating on my progress and I hope you will join me on my journey! My #1 ultimate goal is to get fit and be healthy for ME!! The rest, will all fall into place :)

CHEERS friends!

Photo- (http://fitgurl4life.tumblr.com/post/24168145327/myfitness-app-is-that-what-it-is)

Happy Memorial Day

To all the brave men and women who serve our country...
To all the brave souls who died in the line of duty...
To all the families of those who serve in the military...
I salute you!

Thank you for your bravery and your sacrifices. Thank you for our freedom!

Mrs. Maid

Laundry...check.
Dishes...check.
Clean bathroom...check.
Exhausted...double check!!

Sometimes the things we HAVE to do aren't so fun but it sure is nice having a clean house. If only there was money in the budget for a maid!! I know where I can find one for free...I guess it's one of the many "hats" I wear.

Keeping a house clean, especially one as small as ours, is quite a chore! I feel like I am constantly picking up toys and socks, or tripping over shoes in the doorway! I clean one thing only to turn around to something else being left out! I am forever finding my couch pillows on the floor or stuffed behind the couch, and the throw blankets thrown about. Oh man, these silly kids...but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the whole world!!

Starting today, however, I'm taking donations to hire a maid (or just pay myself!!)

Happy weekend friends!! I hope that you all are doing something more exciting than cleaning! ;)

Happy Notes!

Happy Friday friends! Helllllooooo 3 day weekend!

T's Happy Notes Part 3 -

Memorial Day weekend - Long weekends are definitely my favorite! I am so very excited for this weekend in particular because my hubby will home all weekend!! That means we get to spend 3 wonderful days together as family! Maybe we will even get to do something fun...farmers market, bowling, movie night, BBQ??? Hmm...so excited!

Summer Break - Friends, there are only TWO MORE MONDAYS of school left!!! This makes me so very happy because that means that Summer Break is in sight! I get to (hopefully) enjoy beautiful weather, hang out with my kids, take vacation, sleep in and be reminded of the many un-paid benefits of this wonderful job I have! The positives of working in a school. :)

Yellow Tail, Merlot - I ♥ you! Thank you for jumping off the shelf into my basket so that I could bring you home and enjoy your deliciousness! You make my long, stressful days SO MUCH better! In the short three days you have been with me, I thank you for my sanity. We shall meet again...tomorrow maybe? OK, yum!

Friends, I hope that you have an awesome Memorial Day weekend! Do something FUN and be safe.

CHEERS!

Unexpected surprises

Woke up at 6:15 a.m. to be to work early. Left the house late, hit every red light, got stuck behind two school buses and ended up arriving to work ON TIME. Boo.

Started my day off with a staff training (didn't go as bad as expected...) and it was go time until 4pm when I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Long day. Enough said. All I wanted to do was go home and relax (as much as I can with 3 young kids!). Stop #1- picking up M&M's and Almond Joy from daycare. Stop #2- picking up Kit Kat from after school care. Stop #3- home!!!! And then it all hit me like a ton of bricks... Oh wait, nothing at home to make for dinner!! Add grocery shopping. Oh man, I forgot it's Tuesday and that means Kit Kat has scouts tonight...add that in. Soccer practice?? YES! Oh boy, I'm going to go crazy...too much to do, so little time and all I want to do is go home and relax!!! *sigh*

As I am arriving to the grocery store , I get a call from the hubby. "Hey babe, no work tonight, I'm on my way home!" YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!! And as I am wandering the store I get a message "scouts cancelled for tonight, see you next week"....and I start silently cheering THANK GOODNESS!!! The next thing I know we are checking out and it's...oops, past soccer time. WHAT!?! Ahhh!! Then I thought, "hmm. I went from crazy busy to forgetful mom and it feels.....AMAZING!!!" It really did feel amazing.

Within minuets I was home, making pasta, enjoying the unexpected company of my hubby. We all sat down together as a family, had a wonderful dinner (prepared by yours truly), and I sat back and enjoyed not one but TWO glasses of vino. As I sipped each wonderful drop from my glass, I thought to myself, "now this is the life!"

CHEERS friends!!

Crumbling

Have you ever had the feeling that the world was falling down around you? That no matter how hard you try to keep the peace and the balance, it's just not enough? Have you ever felt like you were swimming and swimming yet drowning at the same time? Like you are holding the world on your shoulders and waiting for one..more..thing...to come crumbling down on top of you?  Waiting and hoping it doesn't happen yet praying for strength in the event that it does. Tired. Exhausted. Broken.

I have so much to be thankful for in my life and I feel so blessed for everything and everyone who is a part of it. I have love, happiness, laughter, great friends and an awesome family. Anyone who knows me knows I would do anything for my loved ones...anything. I would make sure they were safe, protected, loved and important. I am fairly certain that they know that but if they don't, they should.

Lately, I have felt like I have been so busy and focused trying to help out certain people who need me that I have been neglecting other important relationships in my life. I've been putting their needs first and taking care of their "problems" and overlooking my own. That's what I do. When a family member needs me, I am there, whole hearted. Unfortunately, this time I feel like I can't help. The harder I try, the deeper I get and the more I realize, I am scared. I am scared of the unknown. I am scared at what I have discovered. I am scared of what the future holds and where the road is leading. I am scared to stop trying but I am also scared to keep going. I am frozen. I can feel the ground start crumbling underneath me...

My husband is my rock. He is there to save me from the dark hole and pull me back to reality. He is the one thing that I can count on to always be there, know no matter what. He will be there to rescue me. Hold me. Tell me he loves me and that it's all going to be ok. He is the man I cannot imagine my life without. Yet even with all his love and support, there is still that feeling of uncertainty from a not-so-far-away place...my "other" home.

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."     
~ unknown

Happiness is...

...a glass of wine after a long day.
...waking up to a little girls smile.
...listening to the imagination of little boys playing.
...a hot cup of coffee after a sleepless night.
...family.

We have had my nephew at our house this weekend for a sleepover and he and M&M's have had such a blast! They are the best of friends and I love watching them and listening to them play. Occasionally, like brothers, they fight and yell but for the most part, they get along great. I am so happy they are so close in age and have each other to entertain!

As I sit here and write, I look around at my house and wonder...WTH happened in here!?! Every Lego, puzzle, book, car, train, and toy is out of it's bucket and strewn from one end of the house to the other. There are Ninja Turtle guys without heads, Mr. Potato heads missing limbs and random pieces of hot wheels throughout the hall. The beds are bare from them trying to build forts and the clothes hampers and completely emptied. Most people would be quick to judge saying "Why aren't you supervising them? How could you let they make such a mess?"  Friends, it's simple...they are 3 yr old boys...and they are as happy as can be! Sure it will be a challenge later making them pick it all up, but as long as they are laughing, having fun and aren't fighting, then who am I to rush in and ruin their fun? Gosh, I love them SO MUCH!!

Happiness is a messy house and happy kids :)

CHEERS!

back to being ME

I am a fighter.
I am determined.
I am a survivor.
I am...ME.

Today was a milestone for me. I have been waiting for over 3 months for the "ALL CLEAR" sign. For the "you can get back to being you" sign. For the "congratulations you are healed" sign. For those three words that some take for granted...
You.
Can.
EXERCISE!!!

It felt amazing! I was grinning from ear to ear and so happy with excitement. I can't wait to get my body back...get back to being me. The me that can wear my old clothes. The me that felt "skinny". The me that was happy, confident and could wear my jeans without having a muffin top. I can't wait to feel that again. I can't wait to wear yoga pants in public (yes, I did that) and not feel like my butt jiggles. I can't wait to start running and feeling the wind blowing on my face. I can't wait to see the scale go down instead of up. I can't wait to wear a swim suit this summer...notice I didn't say bikini because lets be real, there is clearly not enough time for THAT! Ha! I. Cant. Wait!!!

Friends, today is a glorious day! Here is to the beginning of my journey to getting skinny!! CHEERS!

Happy Mother's Day

What an amazing weekend! I have been spoiled...with love!

Saturday began with a wonderful surprise at Kit Kat's soccer game. My parents and my cousin from Washington showed up!! We all enjoyed the game and cheering Kit Kat and his team on. After the game, they left and we went home for lunch. We hung out, napped, and had a nice afternoon at home before getting ready for a fun filled evening. My parents built an outdoor movie theatre (think of a drive-in movei theatre except on the lawn in chairs instead of cars) and they invited us over for movies at dark. We had a nice family dinner at Red Robin before heading over there. When we got there, I had a wonderful surprise...my bestest friend was there!! I haven't seen her in way too long and it brought a huge smile to my face!! There was also a lot more family there...grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...its was truely a fun filled evening!! 

Sunday, we were up bright and early to meet the rest of the family for Mother's Day breakfast. I got to see my cousin again before she headed back home and even my uncle joined us! (Happy Mother's Day to him!!) Breakfast was nice and my wonderful kids gave me a beautiful mothers necklace (with special thanks to Nana and Papa)!! After we left breakfast, we stopped and picked up some beautiful flowers and a sweet card for my sister-in-law and surprised her at work to deliver them. She is an amazing mom and we wanted her to know how special is!! She loved it. :)  Once we got home my wonderful husband let me take a nap...a 3 hr nap...and it felt AMAZING!! He also made me a wonderful dinner (which he does most everynight anyways!).  I feel so loved...and so incredibly lucky!

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you had a wonderful day full of love and happiness :)

Mother's Day picture made by M&M's

one UN-happy camper

One of the toughest things for me as a mom is seeing and hearing my kids in pain. It makes me feel so helpless and sad. My little Almond Joy is cutting teeth again and she has been so grouchy and miserable. Poor girl has been running a mild fever, crying and not sleeping a wink. She want to cuddle but then doesn't, she falls asleep then wakes up, and she just wont stop crying or being fussy. I wish I could make her pain go away and make her feel better! I know it will all be over soon but it just breaks my heart! She is growing up too fast!!

Here is to tooth #3...cheers. :(

Picture Time

Went to get the kids' pictures taken yesterday without much success at a good group photo. I think my husband was so frustrated at the thought of not getting one good one, that he stepped in (which is a BIG deal because he is anti-family picture man) with the kids. Ironically, that's the only one of all the kids that turned out decent. There were several great individual ones of the kids so we called it a day. I had purchased two Groupons, so I scheduled another appointment to return Sunday.

Pictures round two went a lot better! This time we got a handful of great group shots of the kids and a great one of the kids and myself. Everyone was in a much better mood and we got some more great individual shots as well! Almond Joy's pictures turned out SO CUTE!

I love getting pictures done of the kids! Thank you husband for my wonderful Mother's Day present and letting me buy the picture CD and some prints to put in the frames on the wall :)  I am one happy momma!!

TGIF!!

Holy moly...we made it to Friday! This week was a rough one for sure. You can tell that the end of the school year is near. The kids are hyped up, the teachers are pulling their hair out and I am swamped!! It's a good thing that I love my job :).

Even though it was a stressful week, I am super excited and looking forward to an awesome weekend! Big plans include coffee date with a girlfriend (a much needed coffee date I might add), Kit Kat's soccer game, kids' photo session and fun family time! Ah, yes, I love weekends!!

What are your plans this weekend??

 Hope you have a super fun weekend friends :)

FREE is an excellent price

Happy May day! I can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. I also can't believe this amazing, gorgeous weather we are having...so unusual but oh so lovely!!

Today I have to share with you a great photo that one of my bestest friends sent to me.  It made me smile! It has been a very trying week so far at work, and this made everything better! There are very few things in life that are free but those that are, are simply priceless.
Friendship.
Love.
Smiles.
Happiness.
and sweet, sweet, Lemonade.

CHEERS!