Weighing in - week 20

I DID IT! I made it through a holiday without letting food take control...I ate good stuff, I did some baking (which I love to do!), I even indulged in some of my favorite peanut butter cup pie...but I did it all in moderation. 


And dang it, I am so happy to say that holidays and all, I still lost.


As excited as I was for the weight loss part, I have struggled this week with one thing...the extra skin I have as a result. Honestly, from the outside, my body grosses me out! :) I wish I knew how to cope with that change, or how to make it go away--I wish I could just take the flab and cut it right off, so it would match the healthy, fit person I feel on the inside. But there it is, a sore reminder, every shower I take or every time I change my clothes. I am trying to just see my body for the miraculous things it does and is...just have some downer weeks in regards to my feelings about it--and it only looks worse the more I lose.


But tonight, I am not going to let that get me down...I am going to be happy for the one more little success that is adding to one great big accomplishment... :)


Week 1 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 2 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 3 - lost 2 pounds
Week 4 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 5 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 6 - lost .4 pounds
Week 7 - lost 3.8 pounds

Week 8 - lost 1.2 pounds

Week 9 - lost 1 pound

Week 10 - lost 2.4 pounds

Week 11 - lost 3.2 pounds

Week 12 - lost .8 pounds

Week 13 - lost 1.8 pounds

Week 14 - lost 3 pounds

Week 15 - lost 3.4 pounds

Week 16 - lost 3 pounds

Week 17 - lost .2 pounds

Week 18 - lost 2.6 pounds

Week 19 - lost 1.6 pounds

Week 20 - lost 2.6 pounds

Total lost to date: 43 pounds

7 pounds to go!

and counting...

Perhaps it's because I am going on 3 hours of sleep today...
or because it's a Monday...
or because I'm a female with hormones...
or because we are facing a mountain of student debt... :)
but Brandon printed off his paperwork for graduation today, and we conversed about that blessed event and what would take place and who would be there when he becomes a doctor...
and I got a little teary-eyed.


Maybe it's that feeling of pride in him and all he's accomplished--and that we've accomplished as a family. And maybe it's that release of emotion that we're almost at the end?
Probably both, really--but either way, it's 172 days and counting! :)

My heart made me do it! :)

The other day I realized that I just haven't taken many pictures lately...

...and I realized that I kind of missed it.

I went in the kitchen to take care of some stuff and saw Spencer sitting at the table eating a snack. I don't know why, but I wanted to freeze that very moment of little boyhood--he looked so grown up. I suppose it just caught me off guard and I found myself asking when that happened!?!

I hurried through the house to find the other kids and take a picture of them doing whatever they were doing right then....it suddenly felt THAT important to me. And it was actually a really good chance to really get down on their level, and lay there and watch them...playing, reading, eating...and to be reminded of what miracles they are in my life.

So this post is just a little compilation of THEM on that particular day, when my heart told my brain to get going and take more pictures, more often, of these little ones who are growing so very fast. :)

Weighing in - week 19

This week....well, feeling like there is nothing big to report...I've just mainly been thinking about nutrition and ways to tweak and improve our meals and food consumption as a family. Don't worry, we're not going extreme here! I just feel like there are some changes we can make. I definitely feel like there are benefits that come with making food from scratch--but I love certain foods that I buy already made or that help make a meal easier to put together... I guess I mainly feel like I could make some changes in the snack department (because we do cook meals a lot from scratch). I love having certain 100 calorie snacks around for the kids (and me!)--you know, cookies or crackers--little munchie things. But I would love to find some recipes to use on a snack overhaul in this house. :) If you  have one to share, PLEASE pass it on!


I've been asked by a surprising number of people if I am worried about Thanksgiving dinner. My answer is no. I'm not. Basically, to me, it's another day--another meal--another chance to make choices. I don't know that I have the stomach to load up my plate anymore--so really it comes down to just taking a little bit of the things I LOVE and being done with that--


My feeling is that I want to lose this weight so bad...and I don't want one meal to turn into one week of meals or a month of meals that all will end up keeping me from my goal. I truly feel that this is how I plan on eating for life--how I plan on our family eating for life--making healthier choices with correct portion sizes. Indulging here and there. But overall having a good grasp on what makes my body feel better, and choosing those things.


I can't imagine spending this time, losing the weight, and then having it all put back on---I just can't. And I can't imagine feeling good eating the way I used to. Not now...not after seeing such a big difference and feeling such a big change. 


So this week--that's mainly what was on my mind--I feel good about where I was with regards to my eating, I threw in some workouts here and there when I was able to make the time, and overall I am okay with things.


Counting down to reaching my goal...and oh so excited about it. :)




Week 1 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 2 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 3 - lost 2 pounds
Week 4 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 5 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 6 - lost .4 pounds
Week 7 - lost 3.8 pounds

Week 8 - lost 1.2 pounds

Week 9 - lost 1 pound

Week 10 - lost 2.4 pounds

Week 11 - lost 3.2 pounds

Week 12 - lost .8 pounds

Week 13 - lost 1.8 pounds

Week 14 - lost 3 pounds

Week 15 - lost 3.4 pounds

Week 16 - lost 3 pounds

Week 17 - lost .2 pounds

Week 18 - lost 2.6 pounds

Week 19 - lost 1.6 pounds

Total lost to date: 40.4 pounds

9.6 pounds to go!

Funk with a capital F

Feeling in a major funk lately...

Anxious about things I have seemed to forget lately--things I SHOULDN'T forget. And about things I need to do.

Feeling embarrassed when people come to my house...because when nobody else it around, it seems like an okay place to live, and I am content with what we've made of our circumstances--but when someone else walks through the door, I feel so very self-conscious about how they see it--and how they see me. I am not worried about having the latest and greatest or all new furniture or anything of a sort. But knowing that the moms of my children's friends are all in a very different stage in life, makes me feel EXTREMELY self-conscious about my makeshift set of bunk beds and secondhand mishmash of furniture, and the little rental house that as a family we have filled to the brim...

Feeling tired. Some nights, like tonight, 4 p.m. feels like it should be 7 p.m. and bedtime just can't come soon enough!

Feeling frazzled about the holidays. Am excited they are coming up, absolutely. But I am resisting the urge to buy anything else for the kids--shopping is done. The wallet is closed. And I just really, really hope they have a happy day. I feel overwhelmed with all the GIMMIE-SYDNROME that has been going around. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking that's okay...and I just hope that we are doing something right to teach them that it's not...that Christmas is not just about the presents we unwrap...

And ya know...I'm kinda feeling lonely. Like, everyone seems to have a someone...just guess I am feeling on my own little island lately.

I am sure this is just a temporary thing--it's not that I am wallowing in some major depression. Just having a funky kind of day...or days. :)

Deep breath. Moving on now...

First bite...

I had originally planned on holding off on the first foods for a little while longer--but the Dr. confirmed my fears that my milk supply is dwindling enough to not give this little guy the calories he needs to grow. (I've had this same problem with each baby... :(   So she said the foods were a good place to start supplementing and see if we can get Carter's weight up some.

Pulled out the goods...and here's how it went...

Weighing in - week 18

This week--whew! I got back on track with my eating--it feels SO much better to have more control again. 


Though, I did battle with two things this week: munching and Twizzlers. The Twizzlers were something that Brandon got for a quick road trip he had to go on this week--man I love those things. They're the kind of snack, however, that just aren't worth the points to me (almost 1 point per twizzler!)...and they leave me wanting more and more (probably because in the past I could down half a bag just snacking and not thinking.) So, having them around was kind of a struggle, mainly because I don't WANT to want those things! :) They're gone now--thankfully. Good riddance! :)


 And the munching...I have been pretty good about not just taking bites here and there if I open a package of something or see food sitting out after dinner...but this week I caught myself nibbling occasionally. I don't really know why...I just did. And I am not beating myself up over it, but it was definitely an eye-opener and wake up call, because it's that kind of habit that got me where I was in the first place. :)


I really felt like I would have another slow week this week. In fact, I had to do a double take when I saw my final weight for the week--because it far surpassed what I thought I would lose. I was really hoping for a good week again...just thought it was going to have to be NEXT week. Pleasantly surprised... :) And now I'm feeling revved up again to lose this darn weight! :)


Here's to a new week...with new choices and new opportunities to be better than I was this week.


Week 1 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 2 - lost 2.2 pounds
Week 3 - lost 2 pounds
Week 4 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 5 - lost 2.8 pounds
Week 6 - lost .4 pounds
Week 7 - lost 3.8 pounds

Week 8 - lost 1.2 pounds

Week 9 - lost 1 pound

Week 10 - lost 2.4 pounds

Week 11 - lost 3.2 pounds

Week 12 - lost .8 pounds

Week 13 - lost 1.8 pounds

Week 14 - lost 3 pounds

Week 15 - lost 3.4 pounds

Week 16 - lost 3 pounds

Week 17 - lost .2 pounds

Week 18 - lost 2.6 pounds

Total lost to date: 38.8 pounds

12.2 pounds to go!

Next year, I'm getting real family pictures taken!

I asked my mom what they wanted for Christmas.

The only thing she could think of were FAMILY PICTURES.

To be honest I wasn't sure that would even happen this year, since Brandon was gone during the changing of the leaves and warmer weather. But this weekend was too nice not to try to get something taken of our family--to fulfill the Christmas wishlist. It was such late notice to try to get a photographer...so we just used my camera, got everything set up, and had Jenny snap some quick pics of us.

Last year we had my friend Randee snap a few pics of us--but it was super low key, quick and staged so we could get everyone looking--since that was the goal first and foremost. Just needed a picture for the frame to go on the wall. :)

The year before, we had a different friend snap a few--literally a FEW pictures. It happened to be the same time that one of the kids sat in dog poop hidden beneath the leaves. The whole experience was bad... :(

Our first year here we got studio pics--the photographer was, well....a generic cheapo studio photographer (you KNOW what I am talkin' about!).

Next year....next year it will be different. I just want some fun, candid family pictures--where we can all look happy without necessarily looking AT the camera--and where we can have a couple pictures looking at the camera and being in the right placement--not too heavy on one side of the picture, or too cluttered...I want someone else to be in charge, and have their eye making sure things are right...

{big sigh}

But for this year, this is pretty much the best we got (out of the hundred or so that were taken! dang kids!! lol). Am grateful to Jenny for snapping these for us--it was incredibly hectic and rushed... :)

 And getting 4 kids to look in the same direction is ridiculously hard! :)

I did a second attempt at individual pictures with the kids--wondering if I could get anything better than our last time

Kaden and Jenna were troopers...

Spencer still has a ways to go in this department...

Take 3 coming soon....

Running Dates...

Saturday. If all days were like Saturday, the whole world would pack up and move to Ohio. :)

Hello GORGEOUS DAY! Gorgeous weather! {insert deep sigh}. I know it won't last for much longer...so it was such a treat while it was here! :)

We did a babysitting swap with Travis and Jenny this weekend, so Saturday was our day to get out. I have felt like we often just end up going out to eat when we get the chance to go out--and honestly I was ready for a change. While I LOVE eating out, I don't always want to do that--especially while I am trying to lose the weight and be healthier. Gotta admit that a restaurant isn't the world's healthiest place to hang out! :)

So on Saturday morning Brandon and I went running together at one of our local fitness trails. It's a beautiful path that winds through the trees, is full of steep hills, and has exercise pit stops along the way. :) There is so much of me that is self-conscious about running with Brandon...take for example the fact that earlier that morning he ran 18 MILES alone...so our measly one mile run was NOTHIN' for him. :) I know I am slow--and I know I don't go far (yet). But I appreciated so much his willingness to go with me and go at my pace--it gave us such a nice chance to visit and experience something other than sitting in front of a plate full of food with loud music blaring.

And while I have so far to go, it feels good to (little by little) get stronger...My goal is to be able to run a 5k by my birthday in March...and am hoping that some running dates with my hubby help me get there. :)

Leaves...lots and lots of leaves

The weather this week = DIVINE. :) The skies have been blue, the sun shining, and wonderful temps.

So we tried to tackle some of our leaves. I had great help at first...until the kids realized we were making a giant pile. Then I was left to gather as many leaves as I could for their jumping pleasure. :)

Ironically, after all the jumping and playing that took place, the pile is much smaller--not due to scattering, but due to crunching and smashing them into small pieces. :)

But we've still got another half a yard to rake...and I suspect we will have some more leaf jumping fun.

...and because he's a cute bystander...here's the little man. :)

Whirlwind weekend to Idaho

I just needed to sit down and record our little trip to Idaho, or I will completely forget! I didn't take nearly the amount of pictures I thought I had--or probably SHOULD have--but it is what it is at this point! :)

It was Carter's first flight--and he did a pretty good job. It's never easy to sit for THAT long of a time, so I have to give credit to the little guy. :)

My mom met us in Utah and picked up my sisters who had also flown in. We made the drive up to Idaho, and got in at almost 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night. With the long day flying, and time change, I WAS BEAT! 

The next day we just bummed around the house for a bit while my sisters ran errands. We were able to meet up with Abby (who is in school still) and we all had lunch at home--loved having some Chinese takeout, since we have yet to find a yummy place here! That afternoon we spent shopping the secondhand stores for some clothes...found a couple things. :) And after getting home and feeding Carter, Brandon's parents picked us up and took us to dinner at Mongolian grill.

It was fun to see Chelsi's little girls (Chelsi = Brandon's sister, and her little girls = my cute nieces!) :) and also  Tia (sister) and Tyler (brother) who met up with us and brought a "friend". (when you are single and of marrying age, any accompanying person of the opposite sex is just referred to as "friend". lol. Though, she was super cute and really nice...wink, wink.)

It was a full crowd--with yummy food! :)

And I was really glad that the grandparent's could see Carter. He has changed so much since they saw him only a couple months ago!

Tia giving a little smacker to the wee one...

That night I started feeling so sick. The chills...aches...I was really worried I would end up in bed all the next day. But an early bedtime and some airborne, and I seemed to be much better the next day. It was a GORGEOUS weekend-- (meanwhile Cleveland was getting hit with a little snow and cold!). We all headed over to the temple to attend my brother's wedding...

He and Kaci seem really happy--and combining their boys makes for one fun little family.

It was a super low-key wedding. No reception. No fancy shmancy anything really...just a little lunch after the wedding. I was glad to have that time to visit with my Grandma and Grandpa Danes--it's been a while since we've seen them, and i was SO glad to have the chance to introduce Carter to them.

When we got home that afternoon, we visited with my aunts (Kathy and Karen) who had been visiting from Utah, as well as my Uncle Bill (not pictured). Loved seeing them again--and having time to chat. :)

When they took off back to Utah, my sisters (Sarah and Esther) and I, along with my mom, went to see my sister Abby debate. I've got to be honest--never been to a debate...had no idea what to expect. And while it was totally different from my attempts to envision it, I was seriously impressed! It made my 30 year old mom self feel like a complete dummy though! :) Such big words, and fast talking, and going back and forth over big topics! lol. It gave me such a great appreciation for Abby and all she does with it--I feel like don't know her very well since there is a big age difference between us, but I loved having this glimpse into who she is and what her passions are. She's a beautiful girl, and I felt so proud of her!

My sisters and I did some more shopping that evening. Got some rockin' clearance stuff--and headed home for bed! Sunday was really low key. Went to church, people napped, ate lunch, worked on dinner--I made carne asada (my mom always requests this when we're together! It's SO delicious!!) and had a great big family dinner with my brother (Adam) and his kids, my sisters, mom and dad, etc.

I spent most of the evening packing--while Adam walked around holding Carter--who fell fast asleep cuddled up to him. :)

Morning came WAAAAAAY too early--like, 2 a.m. too early. Carter decided he was up and there was nothing I could do about it. So he and I made a grocery store run to pick up a couple things we needed for our trip home, and then got ready to go. My sister Sarah and I boarded a shuttle shortly after 5:30 a.m. to head back for the SLC airport, and 4 1/2 hours later we were there and checking in on our respective airlines. We said goodbye outside of security.... :(

And after we parted ways, one of my companions from the mission met me at the airport to visit for a bit. I kicked myself afterwards because I realized there was no picture with her! dang it! But I loved passing the time with her and realized all too soon that it was time to go!

I'll spare the details on the way home--but I was SO GLAD to get in my house and not be traveling anymore! I loved seeing the fam, and spending a little bit of time back at the old stomping grounds! :) It was quick--but good.

Carter -4 months

I'll bypass the "I can't believe it's already been ___ many months!" line I am so often found saying...let's just consider it a given! :) Because it's true...every time I say it. :)

Let's see...Carter at 4 months. He's usually a pretty content little guy...when he is being held. Okay, kidding, kidding...though he DOES love to be held...and often. We've struggled with bad sleep and sickness and such the past month, so I think it's probably heightened my frustration with what may appear to others as normal baby issues. :) We set up his crib the night before we left...and even just since coming home last night, he SLEPT so much better in a crib, and took a couple great naps today--all in the crib. So I think that finally setting that bad boy up and getting him sleeping in there will solve some of our issues.

He's quite a smiley little guy...which I LOOOOVE. :)

And his favorite new trick is the insta-roll. Won't lay on his back anymore--at least 90% of the time. We lay him down and he flips over almost immediately. It's pretty cute to watch.

Still loving this little guy...and all the fun things he brings to our family.

Weighing in - week 17

I'm back from Idaho--it was a whirlwind weekend and while it was a lot of fun, I am glad to be home!

This weekend made me realize a couple things about myself...

1- I really do like keeping track of what I eat during the day...and being outside of my normal routine and environment made that really difficult.

2- That my body feels SO MUCH BETTER when I am consistently eating healthier foods and smaller portions.

3- This is probably the most important thing I learned...that IT IS OKAY to let go of the control once in a while. There were so many things that were eaten this weekend that I couldn't begin to track points or even GUESS the nutritional values since I wasn't sure of all the ingredients or portion size. At first, I panicked. I like the security of knowing what I've eaten--I happen to like writing it down and being able to look back and account for it. But the mandarin chicken we ordered one day, and the Mongolian food eaten another, and the other misc. little scoop of ice cream here, or brownie with homemade caramel sauce drizzled over it were all parts of such uncharted territory (although worth every bite! :).

And after a couple days, I was able to just let it go. This didn't mean I went crazy--it just means I tried to make any kind of healthy choice when eating whatever I was eating. We split our Chinese lunch special 4 ways--and when I went out to Mongolian Grill with my in-laws I got a much smaller portion than normal, and only ate half (and took half home, since that's really when I was full anyway!) And I only had one small scoop of ice cream at my brother's wedding luncheon (and not later when it was brought out for a second round). It wasn't that I ate perfect, but I am okay with the choices I did make...I enjoyed some of my favorite places and foods that I normally don't feel are worth using my daily points on, without feeling like I overindulged. I think it was good for me to see that a weekend like that once in a while is a-okay.

However, that being said, I was SO HAPPY to be home today and able to get back on track. My body felt sluggish and blah when I stepped off the plane last night (much in part to the icky airport food I ended up getting at the end of the day)--I am definitely seeing how much food can affect you! I kept everything pretty light today (yogurt and toast for breakfast, and a spicy shredded chicken salad for lunch) with lots of water and took myself on a mile run (first time I've been able to get running again since Brandon left, and it felt FABULOUS!) I feel revived again and ready to tackle these pounds! :)

And really, while I only lost .02 pounds, I am so happy to say I didn't gain! .2 is still .2...and it's .2 pounds closer to my goal. :)

Week 1 - lost 2.2 pounds

Week 2 - lost 2.2 pounds

Week 3 - lost 2 pounds

Week 4 - lost 2.8 pounds

Week 5 - lost 2.8 pounds

Week 6 - lost .4 pounds

Week 7 - lost 3.8 pounds

Week 8 - lost 1.2 pounds

Week 9 - lost 1 pound

Week 10 - lost 2.4 pounds

Week 11 - lost 3.2 pounds

Week 12 - lost .8 pounds

Week 13 - lost 1.8 pounds

Week 14 - lost 3 pounds

Week 15 - lost 3.4 pounds

Week 16 - lost 3 pounds

Week 17 - lost .2 pounds

Total lost to date: 36.2 pounds

13.8 pounds to go!

hello from Idaho.

Very strange to say that, really. But true. :)

Yesterday the Carter man and I boarded a plane or two, made one too many stops (did we really need to go to Pheonix on the way!?!? lol) and landed in Salt Lake City at the end of the day. We met up with my sisters, who also flew in from their respective cities, and made the few hour drive back up to Idaho.

It's just a quick trip, really. My brother is gettin' married on Saturday, and we ended up moving our sister's meetup in Cleveland (that would have happened when my mom was visiting) to Idaho so we could all be here for my brother and see lots of family too--which I am very excited about.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (okay, not literally, but it just sounds so darn fun to say!) Brandon is watching the troops. I've got to say, it crossed my mind that this weekend away could give him a little taste of what I went through all month. But then it occurred to me that 1-he will be sleeping at night since I have the wee one with me. And 2-it feels like he is a better "mom" most days than I am! lol. I am sure I will go home to a clean house with the kids slumbering peaceful in their beds with a table full of fun crafts they have done while I was away. And he will not bat an eye at the running kids here and there to school and back, or packing lunches, or doing homework, or keeping people on track. He's just really good about handling things like that... :) Sometimes I am jealous of this. lol

But today, I am going to take myself shopping and hopefully pick up a couple things that I don't feel completely frumpy in--and I am going to enjoy chatting with my sisters and going to dinner with my in-laws, and seeing family members start to trickle in before my brother's big day.

Hoping for a good (although quick) weekend!

Weighing in - week 16

The big 16....can't believe 16 weeks have passed already! This week was kind of discouraging...mainly because I really thought the chances of it being a lower number week were pretty good (since I lost 2 weeks of good numbers in a row). And I was okay with that--except that when it came down to it, I became frustrated that the number wouldn't budge when I weighed myself each day...

I had to give myself a pep talk...it went something like this...

"Look at how far you have come! Look at each of those little numbers--they all add up! They make the BIG PICTURE! And this week, if it's a little number, it will add to that big picture too...

Numbers aren't everything! Your body is shrinking and changing and the numbers will often show up different on the tape measure instead of the scale. Most importantly, the changes you are making with regards to eating and physical activity are the absolute most precious gift you can give yourself and your family...the weight loss and body changes are just a bonus!!"

Why are pep talks easier to give to others instead of yourself?? lol ;)

So when I weighed in tonight, I WAS STUNNED at the number! 3 more pounds!? SHOCKED!

Regardless of whether it was a big number or not, I know I did my best this week. I have no regrets. When the halloween candy came home, I treated myself to a couple pieces and was done (all of which I wrote down in my food tracker). That's it. IT FELT SO GOOD to just put it away--be done with it--and not sit there eating myself sick over it or sneaking little bits every day.

And when Brandon came home from his month away, we had a sitter arranged so we could go out to dinner when the kids were in bed. I had planned all day to allow for the points to splurge wherever we went. We ended up going to Texas Roadhouse (I know, we've been there before recently--but gotta say it's one of our faves!) Brandon and I split our entree--and even then, I ended up only being able to eat HALF of that! And even though I had ALLOWED for myself to eat 2 rolls, I ended up only being able to eat one. I totally enjoyed my meal--it was SO good and a definite treat--

It's things like eating out there this weekend, and looking back on how I would have eaten out there a year ago, that make me see how far I have come. It also makes me see so clearly how much PORTION CONTROL has to do with weight loss. People often ask me what I am eating (or not eating) to lose weight...And I respond with things like, pumpkin pancakes, breakfast pizza, chicken cordon bleu, baked ziti, tilapia and roasted potatoes, beef and broccoli, hot fudge pudding cake, and homemade pizza every Friday. :) Obviously just a tidbit of what we eat, but important to note that I don't live on salad all day. I eat regular meals, most of them made homemade so I can cut back on some of the fat and calories, combined with the correct portion size, and paired with lots of fruits and veggies (whether as a side, or sneaked in to my dish).

It truly feels GOOD to make these changes--to eat good food, and to ENJOY good food--and to do it the healthy way.

Big numbers or not, I feel great about the direction I am heading...and that's what counts this week. ;)

Week 1 - lost 2.2 pounds

Week 2 - lost 2.2 pounds

Week 3 - lost 2 pounds

Week 4 - lost 2.8 pounds

Week 5 - lost 2.8 pounds

Week 6 - lost .4 pounds

Week 7 - lost 3.8 pounds

Week 8 - lost 1.2 pounds

Week 9 - lost 1 pound

Week 10 - lost 2.4 pounds

Week 11 - lost 3.2 pounds

Week 12 - lost .8 pounds

Week 13 - lost 1.8 pounds

Week 14 - lost 3 pounds

Week 15 - lost 3.4 pounds

Week 16 - lost 3 pounds!

Total lost to date: 36 pounds (as of today, I have lost an entire Kaden or Spencer--since they weigh the same. :) That's a really crazy thought!)

14 more pounds to go!

Halloween 2010--the year of the garage sale!

Halloween. Where to start?

Ya know--we were seriously pretty low key this year--no major partying or big events, aside from the brief trunk-or-treating at our church building. And ya know what? I AM SOOOOOO good with that. It was how we needed things to be. :)

Along with our incredibly low key celebration, were our INCREDIBLY low maintenance Halloween costumes. While all of you are posting cute pictures of your amazing homemade costumes, I will be posting pictures of my randomly selected garage sale finds. :) I had to do some convincing this this year as to what the kids would be--when I found their costumes at garage sales, I got them home and then made a big deal about how awesome it would be. Took some persuasion, but eventually their costumes won them over! :) I spent less than $9 on everyone's stuff this year--and while I feel kind of lame for not having the cute homemade costume, I absolutely don't regret the decision to go simple and stress-free this year. :)

Carter had a tiger costume--but I wasn't able to get a picture of him in it. So this will have to do for now...every single one of our kids have worn this same outfit at Halloween. It's been passed down...and it's so fun to look back and see each of them in it. :) So a picture was a must!

As for the halloween candy--I finally found something that works for us...so I wanted to share!

After our celebrating was done, we dumped all the candy into a big pile. We made it a game and

matched candies up in sets of 3, one for each kiddo (so if there were 3 snickers bars, or 3 twizzlers, 3 m&m

packs, etc) they went in a special "dessert bag" for nights we have a sweet treat, or if we

pack lunches for a picnic, etc. Then everyone gets the same thing--no fighting involved!

With the remaining unmatched candy, I let the kids each pick 5 of their favorite treats

to put in a special bag set aside for each of them.

The treats that were set aside for each, could be eaten as quickly or slowly as they

want. When it's gone, it's gone. Spencer ate his bag in like 30 seconds. :) Jenna chose

to have hers last longer...

The remaining goodies (what didn't make the 3 candy match and wasn't chosen as

one of the 5 piece faves) were sent to school with Jenna today for her teacher to use in

her classroom treat bin. That way the kids have a little splurge with their special bag, we have

dessert and lunch treats set aside for future use, and the teacher gets restocked!

While I know this may not be for everyone, I really am so pleased with how it has gone for us

(and that I don't have a bunch of junk sitting around tempting me!)

Anyway, there you have our super simple Halloween... :)

Looking so forward to the upcoming holidays...and shocked that it's already NOVEMBER!