Five Pound February

I am on a mission. I've rounded up some of the most motivating women I know, and challenged them to a loss of five pounds in February. Of course we kicked it off after the Super Bowl. Don't get me started on that game. Anyway, We've tried to figure out a way to keep up the conversation without being overwhelmed with a billion group texts a day. I thought I'd try to blog regularly about the challenge for motivation and invite the chicas to check in and comment if desired. This is the start for several pounds for me and many of the others, but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

There are no rules on this challenge, just a focus of kicking off a weight loss goal that we are all striving for. Comment if you like!

Tonight's dinner was a 4 oz. Pork Tenderloin chop wrapped in a slice of bacon. Served along side mashed cauliflower, and sauteed spinach with a touch of lemon juice. It was nomnoms!

 

My First True Love

So 15 years ago today at 1:27 pm I gave birth to the most precious baby boy! I can't believe how time flies. It seems I was just doing squats while holding him in his favorite position to calm his colic. I was just showering with him in a hot steamy shower to help his ugly cough. I was just thinking that "first smiles/laughs/words/scooting/crawling/standing/walking etc. is my favorite stage". I was just walking into his room early in the morning with both of our faces lit with the biggest smiles to see each other. I was just cuddling with him on Saturday mornings. I was just teaching him to ride a bike and swim. I was just doing all those things, and now....I have an almost man living in my house. A funny, smart, extremely handsome, caring, helpful young man here. I did this.

At the same time I realize in three and a half years he will be on his own. Well you know not exactly on his on. But....He will be starting his adulthood. Have I guided or taught him enough? Have I shown him enough love? Have I taught him respect, loyalty, honor? And while teaching him these things, have I shown him in my own actions? Have I shown him what hard work is and why it's so important? Have I stressed how important it is to love love love? Love your family, love your girl, love your friends, love your life, love your work, and mostly love your Lord? 

I know he still has so much to learn, but he's such a great kid. I watch him with little kids and he's so good with them. They just love him. It really warms my heart.  And he seems to enjoy them. I watch him with his friends and he is a fun happy guy. I hope he always keeps such good friends and they guide each other to make strong choices. I hope they stay connected for decades. I watch him with elderly strangers offering help to an older lady with her bags. It warms my heart.

Mason, I wish you the most amazing life. I wish you love in all areas.  I wish you health for a long life. And I hope you live a life filled with gratitude. I want you to appreciate everything you have been blessed with and have worked for. I pray that God has amazing things in store for you. You are the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. I love you more and more every day.  

Love you to the moon, 

Momma

P.s. Here are a few I found from then til now. 

Bucket List or Something Like That

A few weeks before we went to Italy, the hubs and I began a bucket list. We are not on our death bed, but we I thought it would be fun to put it all down. It's kind of hard to just think of a ton of things all at once. Of course there are things we knew right away that would be on the list, but then we wanted to really reach. So we borrowed some ideas by searching other bucket lists. When I was in my mid 20's a friend suggested I make a list of 100 things I wanted to see, have, be, or do in my life. So I did. I wish I could find that list now. I'd love to see how many I've accomplished, or changed my mind on. So we add to the list when we think of new things or read about a place that inspires us. I just wanted to share the list as it reads so far. I've crossed out the things we've done. We have a lot of work to do! And I'm sure the list will continue to grow!
I included a few pics of the ones we've done!
 Life list. 

Started 4-6-13

1.  See the northern lights

2. See Haley's comet LBB 83 tab 88 yrs old

3. Canadian tundra

4. Learn to sail

5 take a sailing trip

6. Go deep sea fishing 

7 learn a foreign language conversationally 

8 see an opera at the met

9 see a ballet at a famous stage

10 see a pro football game Oct 6 2013 Dallas vs Denver. With ghs friends. In a suite!

11 scuba dive in I the Great Barrier Reef 

12 walk on the Great Wall of china

13 ride in a hot air balloon

14 travel to the moon on virgin galactic

15 swim with dolphins

16 whale watching

17 hike the Grand Canyon

18 see the sequoia red woods

19 statues of Easter island

20 see the pyramids in Egypt

21 see Stonehenge 

22 see Rome/Vatican 2013

23 cross the equator on boat

24 see the coliseum may 2013

25 make a wish in Trevi fountain may 2013

26 go to Venice2013

27 wine taste in Tuscany 2013

28 kiss my husband at the top of the Eiffel Tower

29 see the sunrise at Taj Mahal

30 go to the top of the Statue of Liberty

31 go to the Coney Island boardwalk

32 ride a cable car in San Francisco

33 go to Oktoberfest in Germany

34. Create enough passive income so that you don't have to work another day in your life.

35. Own a beach house

36. Own a yacht or sailboat

37. Own a ranch with horse stables

38. Write a book. 

39. Know more about our family history

40. See the lighting of the Rockefeller tree

41 ice skate at Rockefeller center

42 live abroad

43. Live a year or more in France

44. Stay in a hut over the water. 

45. Own a villa in Tuscany. 

46 ski in the alps

47 ride a horse on the beach

48 Go to Niagara  falls

49 wine taste in Napa

50 Learn to surf

51 go to Ireland. 

52 go to England where Travis lived

53 go to Sweden to see Anna. 

54 see the fjords in Norway

Venice

Wine Tasting in Tuscany (we did a lot of tasting wine, but this was the only official tasting)

Wish at Trevi Fountain

ROMA!

Pro Football Game! Broncos Vs. Cowboys

Tomatoes IN YOUR FACE!

As some of you know, my husband and I went to Italy this past summer with another fabulous couple. It was amazing. This is just a quick post to share how I fell in love with YES to tomatoes facial wipes. They are a long flight life saver. I always can't wait to do three things after a long flight, brush my teeth, wash my face, and change my undies (why yes, I said that!)  These wipes just felt so refreshing. Even our men used them on the flight! The tomato wipes are for oily or blemish prone skin, and I think they make a world of difference for travel. Oh, and also on those nights that you really don't feel like washing your face before bed, I just grab one of these babies and take it to bed with me and scrub a dub while I'm laying in bed. Anyway, they also make a cucumber one that my dear friend Sara at Sara Goes West introduced me to. They are both great, but I've stuck with the tomato version of the product. So, I thought I'd share with my faithful followers! (right?)
Yes to Tomatoes

Dry Shampoo

So I have the oiliest hair and skin ever! I always washed my hair EVERYDAY! A few dear friends (Sara and Cori) turned me on to the idea of using dry shampoo. Now I'm sold! I use the cheapest thing out there. Why yes, it has horrible ingredients listed (butane, and propane) on the can, but I can't seem to find any I like that don't have those ingredients. I use Suave, with the yellow cap. It's for blondes, and I just love it. It has a fresh scent, it gives me the most amazing body I've ever had. The only negative is that a few times I think it gave me a few dry spots on my scalp, just really flaky dime size areas that kind of itched. That sucks right? Well I found that I get those in the oiliest parts of my "spray zone." It seems to happen when I try to go three or four days without washing. So I try to just do an every other day wash now. Anyway, I started this post a few months ago, and haven't gotten around to finishing it. I just wanted to share for any of you gals that are blessed with the natural oils that I am so over!
Suave Dry Shampoo

Oh my word.. Joanie's biscuits!

Just saying this woman's biscuits are the shiz!!! I need another lesson before I blog althe how to. Maybe soon to come! 

Girls trip in 5 days!

Hello World! Aka, my 3 random readers,
In five days I will be flying to Panama City Beach to meet some of the best chics around! Erin, Kerri, and Valerie! We went to High School together soooo long ago! Last year we took our first actual girl's trip to Dallas. We stayed in the swanky W hotel, shopped, went to the Ghost Bar, a dueling piano bar, layed in the sun, ordered room service at the pool, ate great food at Del Frisco's and laughed our a double s's off!

We meet again this coming Friday at the beach! I am ready! We've all been working on our bikini bods. Though none of us are at our desired end point, we have all been working hard to improve our already awesome selves! (ha) Thanks Val and Steph for the PUSH! We will miss our 5th member, Stephani, this year! It won't be the same without her!  

Here is a fun collage I made into postcards for these girls a few weeks ago to pump them up, (like we needed that!)

These women are spectacular! We have all been through so much. The strength of this group astounds me! So many blessings and trials in each of our lives. The support system we have is amazing. Most of us live far apart so this can be the only time we get to spend together each year. Our men understand the need for this time of relaxing and fellowship. The faith shown by these ladies is also just incredible! 

We have 14 amazing children between us! Yes, 14! That keeps us all super busy! We love our babies, but appreciate this time to recharge those momma batteries! 

We have been there for each other going on 20 years! (wow, that makes us sound too old!) I'm so thankful that God put these girls in my path when we moved to NM way back in the day! They are a part of me, they inspire me, they have supported me in my low times, and laughed with me almost all of the other times! These women are so full of love and life and I'm proud to call them my GiRlZ!