My New Yer's Resolution - In Writing

Well, I've been trying to kick this baby weight for far too long and have become frustrated. Then, I realized that I hadn't ever actually put my goals and the plan to reach those goals in writing. So, I decided that may be the key to my success and so today I sat down and penned the motivational words that are going to keep me on track. After I wrote them in red pen in my "notebook of all trades", I decided that posting them here on my blog would be a great idea because then my blogger friends (ho, Melissa!) could share in my journey and success. I will periodically, probably when I reach each milestone, let you know how I am doing and also record the frustrations that are sure to come along. I started this journey once before - about the same time of year 8 years ago. I had resolved that before my 20th birthday I wanted to lose weight and feel good about myself again. I did it. I lost about 70 pounds in 7 months and kept the weight off for about 5 years. Then, I let the exercise slip and the nutrition slip and then I got pregnant. That did not make for a recipe for success. So, here I am again - 8 years older and a little less spry - but willing to work hard to reach my goals.

1. I will keep a daily food journal for one month.

2. I will make a weekly meal plan.

3. I will exercise 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.

4. I will not eat candy or sweets Monday - Friday.

5. I will not eat french fries at all until March 21st.

6. I will not eat after The Boy goes to bed.


When I lose:

10 lbs - a movie date with mi esposo

20 lbs - pedicure

30 lbs - a new pair of pants

40 lbs - facial

50 lbs - use my gift certificate to the spa

What Christmas Treet Ornament Are You?

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Long Day

Today was a long day:) It was one of those day where I had a lot to do, but I didn't get it all done because JT was having a "mommy day". I did get some more laundry done and the bathroom scrubbed, but the kitchen is still a mess. We didn't have hot water until around 3:00 - due to the water heater breaking down yesterday - so my energy was spent by the time it came around. I did get in a good 3 mile run and we arrived at Mutual on time, but it was a long day. At Mutual JT wasn't up to having the YW hold him and he just cried for me. One of them asked, "Doesn't it make you feel good that he is crying for you?" On a long day - honestly - no. But I just smiled, because it was a cute question and I do love that little boy something awful.

Now it is 10:16 and JT has been in bed for about 30 minutes, I am watching Lost with JJ and then I think I am just going to go to bed. I still need to scrub down the kitchen, but it can wait until morning. I know that JT is going to wake me up around 7am and my parents won't get here until 8am, so I have time to get it in order before they come. We are leaving for Disneyland around 9am, so it's going to be another long day. However, I have a feeling that it's going to be fun in spite of it all.

Old Stomping Grounds

I recently went to Las Vegas with my parents so they could go with an old family friend to his temple sealing. We had some time to kill before the sealing, so we drove around Las Vegas visiting our old stomping grounds. We went to the house my mom lived in when she was in high school and the house my dad lived in as a kid and during part of his teenage years. We saw a couple of the old church buildings they attended and even their old high school. We also went to to my old neighborhood and saw the house I lived in when I was a little girl up until we moved to Iowa when I was 12 years old. As we drove down the street I was thinking to myself, "I'm so glad I didn't grow up here." The neighborhood wasn't that great anymore and the house I had loved so much was in disrepair. The pomegranite trees we had loved and harvested every year were overgrown and their rotting fruit lay strewn on the ground underneath. The grass was dead and the same old blinds hung in the windows. As we drove through Las Vegas and I saw how dirty and sad the city has become I thought on what I would have been or where I would be now if we had stayed in that same house and I had gone to high school at Eldorado. Scary!

I thought back to when my dad told us we would be moving to Iowa so that he could go back to school and what a terrible blow that was to me. I was so worried about leaving the only home I had ever known and going some place far away from everyone that I knew. It was uber-scary! Then I thought back on how wonderful Iowa was. I thought of all the wonderful people I met - the Halls, Baldwins, Bells, McFates, Naylors, Andreasens, and many, many more. I thought of the wonderful education I got. I thought of how my testimony grew due to the wonderful YW leaders I had. Many of the things that shaped my life happened in Iowa and I was suddenly so grateful to my parents to making a decision that I know was even harder for them.

My parents and I talked about how we were all grateful we had left almost 15 years ago. Then last night I was watching CSI with JJ and it was about these teenagers that participate in "fannysmackins" - which is when they beat up on people as a game. For those of you that don't know, CSI takes place in Las Vegas. They talked at the end of the show about how some of the kids were kids that had never caused any problems, but got caught up with the wrong crowd. It made me think a lot about my own Las Vegas roots and how my life is different because my parents listened to the still small voice that told them to move their family across the country. I text messaged my brother a few days later and we both agreed our lives are better for moving to Iowa. As Russell put it, "You've could have married a gang member."

Happy Reading

I stole this from my good friend Melissamerica and I thought it would be fun to share with those that might read my blog, however, I believe that Melissamerica is the only one that does!


1) One book that changed your life: Night by Elie Wiesel

2) One book that you have read more than once: The Ordinary Princess - an alltime favorite of mine and my 2nd grade classes.

3) One book you would want on a desert island: The Book of Mormon - maybe I'd receive some revelation on how to get off!

4) One book that made you laugh out loud: The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy - even though the real thing is no laughing matter!

5) One book that made you cry: Charlie by Jack Weyland - Oh the shame! But to my credit, it's not that hard to make me cry.

6) One book you wish had been written: I must go with Melissa, it's always been a dream to publish a bestselling children's picture book of my own.

7) One book you wish had never been written: House of Stairs - truly awful.

8) One book you are currently reading: Goose Girl and rereading Night for book club.

9) On book you have been meaning to read: Anna Karenina - I started it 2 summers ago and only got to page 331 before the school year started again and I had to abandon all pleasure reading for planning and grading papers. Maybe one day I will read the other 500 pages, but I fear that by the time I have time to read it again I will have forgotten what happened in the first 331 pages and I will have to start all over again!

He's Back!

Well, Morgan Spurlock is finally back with his new editions of "30 Days" and I am very excited. I watched the first episode today and was very moved by the content. They paired a border patrolling minuteman with a family of illegal immigrants. The minuteman was, himself, an immigrant from Cuba, however he came over legally. I understand both sides of the debate and I feel the emotion from both sides. The family shares their sadness with him about not being able to return to Mexico to visit family, so Frank goes to visit where they lived. It is nothing more than a shack and the well where they draw their water a swamp hole. They came for a better life and by the end of the 30 days Frank can't blame them. I can't either. This was an excellent pairing for the first episode and it really made me think. I wish there was a good solution for both sides.

It's Official

I love staying home! It has only been 2 weeks, but so far it is great. I feel like I get things done and I still get to play with my little guy. While I was working I worried that I had so many things to do around the house, for church and for work that I didn't have enough time to just enjoy him. That has all changed. He is probably getting tired of me hanging around and I know that he misses hanging out with his grandma and grandpa, but he is stuck with me. Being the over zealous person that I am, I've created a cleaning schedule for myself. It will give me something to accomplish each day - much like I had at school. I'm trying not to get to fanatical abou it, because I do that sometimes and then fizzle out when it becomes too much. However, things are great and I look forward to many mommy adventures.

What the Heck?

Can someone please explain to me what is up with men and killing their wives? It seems like it is the new trend. I don't like what you have to say, I'm done being married, or I've been living a lie all these years and bam - the wife is dead. First there was Scott Peterson who murdered his pregnant wife because he found a new woman and thought Laci was weighing him down. Then, Mark Hacking, who obviously had a mental disorder, murders his wife(who was also pregnant) because she found out that he had been lying about everything in his life. Now it is Jeremias Bins of Boston that killed his wife and her son because he didn't want her to be LDS. Hello? Men, are you listening? If you don't want to be married anymore - leave, go. There is no need to murder your wife. I told my husband that if he wants a new life or doesn't like what I have to say, please just walk away. He can even take everything we own. I'll just move home with my parents and start over. I know, I know, but it's the middle of nowhere. Hey, at least I'll be alive.

Whatever Happened . . .?

I was just thinking today about whatever happened to Morgan Spurlock and his show "30 Days". I looked forward to watching him try to live some sort of extreme situation or find some crazy person to live in a lifestyle that is totally opposite of their belief system. You had the ultra-christian that lived as a muslim in a predominantly muslim town. Or a NRA card totin' homophobic live in the Castro District of San Francisco with a gay man. I especially liked when Morgan tried to support himself and his girlfriend on nothing but minimum wage - OUCH! The one that I didn't get at all was the mother that wanted to teach her binge drinking daughter a lesson by becoming a binge drinker herself. That didn't make much sense to me at all. I wondered what I would be like if I lived in any of those situations. I don't think I would have a problem living as a muslim. I've always found other religions interesting and I like to learn about the beliefs of others - coming from a religion that has had its own share of persecution due to ignorance. I know what it is like to live on minimum wage because I was a college student and I ate my share of noodles and baked potatoes. Binge drinking? Just not going to happen. I also wondered if a reality show were to try and put me in a lifestyle that was the polar opposite to my own, what would it be like? Would I get all hot and bothered like the people on "Wife Swap" and "30 Days"? Or would I realize that I am only living this way for 14 or 30 days and what does it really matter? Why do I care what these people think? It's an interesting experiment with human emotions and behavior. Why do people get so vested in short-term situations that they know were contrived to get their goats? I don't know. Whatever the reasons may be, I look forward to another season of "30 Days" so I can watch another handful of people go nuts when they knowingly try to live in a Bizarro World of their own.

So Tired

Can I tell you how tired I am? I am tired of work. I am tired of juggling. I'm just tired. I think school has made me the most tired. I have a wild mix of kids this year and they are just wearing me out. Everyday it is something new. Everyday someone (try five or six someones) is telling on someone else and they want me to solve it. He called me lover boy . . . she looked at me funny . . . he's standing too close to me. Guess what? I just don't care! And when did 2nd graders start knowing what a lover boy is? I might go mad by the end of the year if I don't find some way to diffuse this ticking bomb in my head. Each morning I say my prayers that I will have patience with the little boy who never seems to hear the directions the first time they are given. Or I pray that I'll find restraint when another little boy blatantly disregards my instructions and doodles all over his State Test booklet. AHHHHH! Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. I know that I will make it and I will look back on the year and laugh, but right now I just don't find it very funny.

My Very Own

I decided I needed a blog of my own and I needed to claim this url before my sister tries to:) We have the ongoing battle for this name. It was originally hers, but I liked it so much that I've claimed it as my own. She beat me to it on Gmail, but I won this battle. I don't know what I will post here, maybe some tirades on social injustice, or maybe I'll just complain about frivilous injustices that occur in my daily life. I can see this being something that I become addicted to.