30 thankfuls day 2

Today, I am thankful for our business. It has, at times, been a nightmare. However, it has opened so many doors and hopefully will, someday, be the key to us having Woody home!!

30 days of thankful Day 1

30 days til Thanksgiving! Gosh, that happened fast!!!! Time for the annual thankful list!!

Day 1: today, I am thankful for my family. I am so blessed with an awesome husband and amazing, beautiful, healthy children.  They are my everything! I dare each of them!!

Time. Is. Flying.

I kinda wish it would slow down! This pregnancy seems to be really just passing me by.i am already nearly 23 weeks!! That means round 17 weeks left. (I suspect Addy wants to be a March baby, and of I am right, I have closer to 18 weeks left.) That is NOT much!! Especially since I am so not prepared for this baby girl. I am waiting until the end of November to buy the big stuff. Right before Thanksgiving, we are getting a 3d ultrasound and I just want one more confirmation that this is Adalyn I am carrying and not Declan.

In other news, Blayke is catching on to how to read!! Yay!! I tried a month or so ago, and he had no interest. Now, he is gettin' it!! So exciting!! Konnor is finally talking, however I think Blayke, Cierra and I are the only ones who understand him!! Cierra is awesome. She is such a great child. She does her chores without too much fuss, she is so helpful and she is so well behaved!

Woody has been in North Dakota for 2 weeks, and will be there for 1 more. Then home for a weekend and gone til Thanksgiving, when we head to Idaho. He is such an awesome husband. He works so hard, and while he is not without fault, he is, by far, the best husband I could ask for.m

Midwife update

Today was my monthly visit to my awesome, amazing, fabulous, kind, caring (insert any other positive adjectives here), midwife. My goodness, I love her.
I have been having trouble sleeping at night. I fall into my bed, exhausted, and am out almost immediately. However, between 1 & 2 in the morning, I wake up and am up for 3 or 4 hours, fall back asleep for an hour or 2 and am up with the kids for the day. It has been brutal, and today, I finally just cried about it. I decided to discuss it with my midwife, and she was awesome. When I cried, she was so kind. She gave me a few, pregnancy safe suggestions as well as reminding me that I have a lot going on, and it isn't surprising that I am having these issues.
I love the personal feel I have with my midwife. She even remembers what we plan to name the baby, and refers to her by name. She evens called another client who is LDS, and lives in this area to see if she could give me her number just to help me meet people. Yep, she is awesome!!
Now, onto the update on Miss Addy. She is laying sideways in my belly, head on my left, bum on the right. She is also high, laying right above my belly button. I am measuring 23 weeks, though my dates say I am just over 21 weeks. Addy's heartbeat was right around 150, but she was wiggling like crazy, so a good solid number couldn't be registered. Speaking of wiggling, she has become much stronger. Still not as active as the boys, but she is starting to really make her presence known. I can see my belly jump when she kicks.
The craziest thing? I am just now to the weight I have started my last 2 pregnancies at! (5, if you include miscarriages!)

This picture shows the difference between my pregnancy with Konnor and this one. Higher and smaller this go.

20 weeks!

Yesterday, I hit the halfway mark of this pregnancy!! My! How time flies!!! BabyAdalyn is still not as active as Konnor was.... But she is definitely getting stronger!! Woody and Cierra have felt her kick. We are all so excited for this baby!!! I do kinda wish it would slow down a bit. She will be here before we know it...and the she will be 2! At least, that is how it seems to happen!
There is so much I can't wait to experience again:  breast feeding, cloth diapering (already have a pretty good stash started!) baby-wearing, and breathing in the delicious smell of a newborn baby!! (Yes, I know it won't all be rainbows and roses, I have done this before!)
She already has gobs of clothes, (thanks mostly in part to a lot of clothes that I bought from Craigslist.) a playpen, (thanks to a thrift store here in Billings!) and diapers! We may be a bit excited for this Wee One!!! And, OH the flowers!! Lol!!girls are so much fun to shop for!!!!

Super cute lotj!

My cute kids

20 weeks 1 day!

If you take a husband..

If you take a husband to the zoo, he will want to see the turtles. If you take him to see the turtles, he'll decide he wants one, and you'll have to take him to the pet store. While at the pet store, he'll discover their turtles are a bit spendy, and your daughter will find the guinea pigs. Finding the guinea pigs will make him forget the turtle...and...you'll end up taking home a guinea pig and 2 beta fish...(the beta fish were the compromise for not getting 3 guinea pigs.) Upon arriving home, your husband will start reading about what social creatures guinea pigs are, and will want another.. And chances are...if he wants another...You'll have to take him back to the pet store. After naps of course!

So, yea... We have a guinea pig named Oreo. And Woody is going back to get another. Thank goodness I have a huge, tiled schoolroom! Here are a few pics of the zoo here in Montana (which I would not recommend!) and one of Oreo.. Who is kinda cute... Shhhh... Don't tell anyone I said anything!!

Even though I love it here...

Being without Woody has been tough. Even more so than I might have thought it would be. Mind you, I have several things playing against me:  hormones, a 2 1/2 year old who *still* won't sleep in his own bed all night, (he starts out there, then ends up in mine.. And I am too tired at 2 a.m. to get my hiney outta bed and put him in his own bed.) and a stomach bug that has caused my other son not to sleep well either. Plus.... I like my husband, and like having him around. Today, after a vomiting/not sleeping/wiggling around/ending up with 2 little boys in my bed fiasco, I have been in a particularly foul mood... So, I am trying to refocus on all that I am thankful for.. 

1. Church.. Even better church that is close. We went to our first Sunday this week. It was wonderful.  We have a nice little ward, and the kids loved their teachers!

2. My kids. I love these little people. They amaze me every day. They are smart, kind, funny and love me, their daddy and each other so much.

3. My home. We have so much more than so many. Our home is beautiful, warm and full of love.

4. Awesome neighbors. The people who live next to us are amazing. They are kind to me and my kids. They have one 8 year-old daughter, and her and Cierra became instant friends.

5. An amazing, hardworking husband. Nope, he is not perfect, but I adore him nonetheless.

6. A precious little girl growing inside of me. After 3 miscarriages, a healthy pregnancy is not something I am likely to take for granted ever again. I am feeling little nudges every day, and they never cease to make me smile. (By the way, her name is Adalyn MaKaye. We already call her Addy. Woody and I picked her first name, and Cierra picked her middle name.)

7. Prayer. Because I know my husband and I made the right decision, even though sometimes it is really tough!!!

8. Heavenly Father for listening to me whine, and always finding ways to remind me to be thankful because I am so very incredibly blessed!!!

9. Living in a regular city. I truly do love it here.

10. My phones navigation device... The only thing that allows me to venture out of The Heights. (The section of town I live in.. It is like its own little city.)

11. My phone. Seriously, when my Mother-in-law was visiting, she was telling me about my Father-in-law driving before cell phones...while raising 7 kids...5 of which were boys who were no strangers to the ER.   Talk about making ya thankful!!!!!!

What a blessed life I lead!!! I am so thankful!

Back to single parenting

The one downfall to moving to Billings was knowing that we would be without Woody for various periods of time, thus making me a single Mom. A pregnant single Mom. I am not, by any means, the only Mom I know who is doing this.
Woody wasn't supposed to leave until Monday, so he could go to Church with us once (we still weren't unpacked last week, so we were unable to go.) before he left... But as usual with the oil field, our plans were disrupted when the company we are leased to asked him to go back early because they are swamped and gave us the opportunity to run 2 trucks. (If you know anything about the oil field, this is not an opportunity you turn down!) so early Friday morning (like 2 a.m.) he left.
If you know me, you know I suffer from anxiety... Especially while pregnant.. To say the least, I was nervous about him leaving. However, we are surviving.. Even made a trip to the library,  (which is downtown, and you have to use parking meters... A first for this small town girl) and did grocery shopping... Small things that become huge when the idea of walking into a public building makes my chest tighten.
Anyway, even though we miss Woody, we don't regret this decision. Neither does he!

In other news, Cierra heads to Florida the 5th, and is sooo excited. (The girl is gonna be a professional fly-er by the time she is 10!) That weekend my midwife offers a weekend seminar full of birthing classes, and my Mother-in-law has agreed to come watch the boys during the day so I can attend. I am excited!!
We signed the older 2 up for tumbling/gymnastics and swimming lessons starting in November. Cierra is also going to do Girl Scouts, we are just waiting on the leaders to put troops together for this area.
I am learning the laws for homeschooling in MT, and they aren't awful. No standardized testing required, but I think starting this year, I will have her tested every couple of years to make sure we are on track.

HOME

I HEART BILLINGS!!
We are all moved in, and loving it here! We have met quite a few neighbors, and always have extra kids playing in our yard. Love it. The house is wonderful, spacious and quiet!!  We all love it here! 
Pictures are included! (Sorry for the sideways ones, I am posting from my phone!)
I met with my midwife Monday.. Have I mentioned how awesome she is?! I love her! On Friday,  we got an elective ultrasound to ensure Woody would be here when I found out. Adalyn MaKaye is due February 21, 2013. (A fact that was confirmed at an anatomy scan Monday.) We are all thrilled to be welcoming a Baby Sister. She is already lovingly referred to as AddyMac. 

2 1/2 more days!!

Til I  am outta here!!!!! Woohoo! We will be heading to Billings first thing Thursday morning, and are thrilled! We have ordered the furniture we are replacing, (living toom.. Our current set is a nasty used set.. Perfect for the oilfield! Dining table.. We have out grown ours, and are fearful that it will not hold up for another move.. It is about 10 years old. We got it from my Mom who got it from my best friend...) super exciting stuff!! The kids and I have been counting down the days!!
In other news.. I am feeling the Wee One kicking more and more every day. I cannot wait to meet this baby, but at the same time, my pregnancy is going by much too quickly. 16 1/2 weeks today!!
Woody got more oil contracts, and while we are weary of the company, right now we aren't left with a lot of options. His dad, his mom, him and I have all been running around like chickens with our heads cut off to get all of the paperwork done, and training for our employees set up. (have I mentioned what a pain owning a business can be?? We are very blessed though!) with the new contracts, comes the need for more trucks.. Yay.
Well, for now, that is all there is.

Wowza!!

It has been sooo long since I updated this. My goodness!

Well, we have had a fun adventurous summer. We spent nearly 3 weeks in Idaho. We visited, we camped, we fished... We had a blast! And it was lovely to get away!!

The kids are doing well, and growing up so fast. Blayke turns 5 this month, and we are having a party for him and Woody. Cierra has been visiting her father in Florida regularly and loves it!! Konnor is no longer a baby... Every day he is more of a big kid.. Bittersweet for sure!

The business is doing very well. The only problem is, of course, housing. We have has our employees living in our basement. Now... This has created some issues, and has led Woody and I to an important decision. When you have a young, growing family, the last thing you want or need is 3 extra men living with you. The problem is, we need employees.. And if you are hire a driver, you have to have housing to go with it. Since there is nowhere here to put them, and Woody only works when his employees go on break, we have decided to turn this house into employee housing, and we are moving to Billings Mt. I am thrilled!! We found a nice house in a beautiful neighborhood! The best part?? Everything is right around the corner!! We move mid-September, and I cannot wait!

One of the things that is right around the corner is my midwife. I am 14 weeks pregnant tomorrow, and am so excited about this midwife! She is awesome. I met with her when we were traveling home from Idaho, and sh talked to me for 2 hours!! It wasn't an in and out rush.. I feel like she will get to know me. We talked some about what happens in case of emergency, and she said she is wry conservative, and will transport at the first sign of trouble. (which is good. I don't want a midwife who will risk me or my baby because she is too proud to admit danger.). We won't be finding out what the gender of this little one is, and I am pretty excited about that!  I am thrilled at the idea of another baby, and can't wait to hold the sweet little one in my arms!  

For now, I think that is all!!

To elaborate..Caution: Rant ahead!

"I know I post a lot about fitness, and I have even been told it is 'annoying'.  But when someone tells me I have inspired them to start building a better lifestyle all of the jerky people who are annoyed go out the window.  I will annoy a million people if it means I inspire one person to change their life.  So if you are annoyed, delete me, and go for a  run.  Chances are,  you are mad becauseyou have yet to commit and know you need to."  This is my Facebook status from this morning.  In the last week, I have gotten 3 private messages. The first, someone told me I 'inspired them'. The third was asking for fitness tips.  The second...The second one made me want to scream, and did make me cry.  The person, who I will leave anonymous, told me that my constant fitness posts were annoying.  That they were "tired of hearing about it."  They even went so far as to ask me, "Don't you worry about the impact this obsession will have on your children, most especially your daughter?"  Are. You. Freaking. Kidding. Me?! 
Let me start with the first part, about being annoying.  Have you ever inspired someone to do something?  Because lemme tell you, it is an amazing feeling. It is part of what drives me so hard. Have you ever set a goal, and not only reached it, but CRUSHED it?!  Knocked it out of the park?! DEMOLISHED IT?! Because, my friends, if you haven't..I strongly recommend it as #1 on your bucket list.  Don't just set the goal....Reach it. Then crush it.   THAT has brought me a feeling of power, confidence and self-acceptance that is beyond how I look. (Even though that is a nice side effect). This morning when I did a stiff legged dead lift with 70 pounds on my bar, knowing I could barely do 15 when I started...That makes me feel like a rockstar.  I **WANT EVERYONE** to feel like that!! So, annoy you I will. But if I am annoying you, look at YOUR life, and figure out why.  And if you can't start out with a run. IT may help you get it!
Now onto the part that I am absolutely furious about.  I am not trying to be mean. But obesity is an EPIDEMIC in this country. Fitness is not.  I dare bet it is uncommon to ask a person who struggles with weight if they are worried about the impact that their lifestyle will have on their children. Seriously. It is politically incorrect.   Here is what my daughter sees:  Her mom putting HEALTHY food into her body, CONSTANTLY fueling.  Her mom working hard to acheive a goal. Her mom having confidence.  Her mom having energy. Her mom NEVER using the words "fat" or "thin". (I have in the past, but these words are outlawed in my home). Opting instead to teach about strength, building muscle and endurance.  Using food as a fuel.  Making sure she knows ALL food is not the enemy. But some are, if you can't use moderation. Making sure she knows how to derive pleasure from things other than food.  Do I want my family to be obese? Heck. NO! Because it "looks bad"? Nope. Because it will kill them. In the words of Jamie Eason, (One of my inspirations), "Most diseases are caused by environment, genetics, and/or an unhealthy lifestyle.  You only really have control of one of those things. Take it." 

I am taking control. I am not losing weight or gaining muscle in an unhealthy manner. I have revamped how I view food, to a less common view, as fuel. Not my source of pleasure. (Except my cheat meals.)  But I eat all. the. time. 5 or 6 times a day. Seriously.  Now, because I don't gorge myself on pizza, chips and soda, I must be a fanatic. No. I am just someone who truly views my body as a TEMPLE.  That means taking care of the insde, as well as the outside. I am someone who wants to know that if illness comes along, I have done all I can to help fight it.  Oh, I also don't smoke, drink, and I *usually* get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. (assuming kids cooperate.) Sheesh, I really AM crazy.  How dare I teach my children a healthy lifestyle....

Life.....So unpredictable!!!

I am going to start with what is going on with CBK trucking. (Our trucking business).  We have 2 employees, Woody's father and his uncle.  They live with us, and haul rock. We have had a third truck sitting dormant for months, along with a crude trailer.  Just sitting. Making nothing. Well, we were supposed to have a contract with the company Woody works for, but they put the kabosh on new contracts for the time being.  So, we have been diligently looking for another place to lease on to.  It finally happened!! YAY!!  A guy Woody knows through his current job offered to lease us on...Just in time for our truck to start doing crazy things like shooting flames out of the stack...In the words of one of our friends, "I'm no mechanic, but that can't be good!" So, now we are borrowing a truck so that Woody can haul crude.  What does this mean?  It means giving up a sure income, health insurance, (for now), having my sweetheart home at a decent hour, and several other things. So, why are we doing it?? Because it is the answer to our long term goals.  Short term, it actually kinda stinks....But Woody is basically stuck in a dead end job..Going nowhere, and not happy!  We prayed, fasted, prayed some more, fasted even more, and know that for whatever reason, this is the way to accomplish what we feel we need to for our family!

Now onto the other stuff!  I am starting an in-home daycare.  I already have the kids, just gotta get my licensing done. (Kinda doing it backwards, huh?)  But, when I called Social Services to find out what I need to do today, the lady SERIOUSLY seemed ecstatic that I was looking into doing it.  That has to be a good sign, right??  I want to help get some stuff paid for, but am not willing (or able, due to a lack of childcare in my area) to send my kids off.  I will still homeschool, and have already ordered my newest books. (Blayke's kindergarten, and C's next level.)  Will it be hard? Oh, probably. But it will be worth it.  I am also ordering stuff in 1.5 weeks to get my personal training certification, which I have already mentioned! However, I have started training a friend, and have decided to also get a nutrition coach certification.  I have never been good at anything. Never had a passion for anything.  I feel like, other than being a Mom, this is my "thing"! I am thrilled to learn, grow and become certified!!!

The last thing is that recently, our ward split, and Woody got called to be the 1st Counselor in the Young Men's presidency.  I was blessed enough to get my same calling, and get to continue teaching the 5 year-old class. I LOVE IT!  I am sooo thrilled for my husband. I know that it will be interesting, with all the time we will be putting into everything.

I am thankful for all of the WONDERFUL people in my life who are supporting my husband and I in our goals. I am thankful for the opportunity to get on my knees, and empty my worries, give my thanks, and just talk to my Heavenly Father. I am thankful for all of the wonderful opportunities Watford City has given my family, the growth that has happened here!  I love my life. I love my Family. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior.  I am so blessed!

HAPPY EASTER!

Today,(every day, actually...But today, I am acutely aware of it) I am so thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For the knowledge that He lives and that He loves me, imperfect as I am.  I am thankful for His sacrifice for me and my eternal salvation!  What a blessing for me.  There have been times in my life I didn't know this, and let me tell you, knowing it makes rough times oh so much easier. I feel like I have someone rooting for me no matter what.  And for that, I am thankful.  I hope on this Sunday morning, amidst the  chocolate, the bunnies and the food, you remember WHY we celebrate.  Celebrate because HE LIVES!  Turn your hearts to him, now and always.

I am also thankful for my family. For the opportunity we had a year ago *almost* to be sealed for eternity.  I am thankful for my loving, kind and faithful husband.  I love him so much!! I am thankful for each one of my children. They are so amazing, and without them, I don't know what I would do!!

Today, we are celebrating Easter. Not with baskets and eggs. We did that yesterday. But with extra Scripture study, reverence, and Church attendance. I love my Savior, and am thankful for this Easter Sunday...An extra chance to reflect on His life, death and mostly His resurrection, and what each means to me and my family!!  What a blessing indeed!!

The Haps.

Here is what we have been up to!
1. Enjoying lotsa sunshine and 65+ temps! It is only March, and we have been to the park 4 or 5 times.
2. Lotsa stomach bugs. It seems to be just hanging out. We all get it. We all get better. We all get it again.
3. 2 trips to Minneapolis in 1 week! OYE! Cierra flew out of Minneapolis to Florida to spend time with her Father. She had a wonderful trip. Lots of beach time, they visited an aquarium in Atlanta, and her favorite part: She has a new stepsister! Very exciting for her! The night we took her, was AWFUL. I cried and cried. I ate a bucket of popcorn at the movie theater. (We took the boys to Mall of America to watch The Lorax.)
4. Deciding what to do with our business. We have 3 trucks. 2 are running, hauling scoria rock. 1 is sitting. It is set up for oil, but getting a contract seems to be more difficult than we had hoped. Woody is back and forth between quitting his job and hauling, and staying where he is at. I can't decide what I want him to do either.
5. We finally got internet...and cable....I was so glad to get rid of it, and I was so hesitant to get it back. But...The hubby won that battle. **Sigh** All things in moderation, I suppose. I am glad to have the internet again, finally though. Now maybe I can remove the Christmas layout....
6. Getting ready for Cierra's birthday and baptism. We are going to have visitors for the next 10 days. I think we will have a combined little family party for Cierra, Grandpa Howard, and Konnor. Then on the 13th, We have C's real party. We are going all out. I am excited!! Sleepover, manicures...All kinds of fun stuff. I am going to make her peace sign (She is obsessed with them) cupcakes. I am excited. Then in May, we are headed to Idaho for hers and her cousin's baptism. She is so excited!! (She has her interview with the Bishop tonight.)
7. Deciding what I want to be when I grow up! I am excited to announce that in 3 weeks, I will be buying the materials to start my personal training certification. Then, when life (kids, finances etc.) permit, I will go to school for nutrition and dietetics. I have spent my whole life figuring out what I want to be, other than a mom, of course. What did I want to do when my kids grew up. I knew I wanted something that I could maintain my first priority, which is being a mom to my children and a wife to my husband. I love fitness, and want to help everyone. Now, I am going to get the knowledge so I can! I am thrilled. It will be work, but, hey, I am good for it!
8. Getting to know our Missionaries. We split wards a few weeks ago, and now have missionaries here in Watford City. It is such a blessing to have them in our home. We try to feed them often, and it is a wonderful opportunity to discuss our missionary opportunities. Plus, I imagine of all the people we have in our home (Seems like we are always having someone over for dinner), having the missionaries is a good thing for my kids.

In general, life is good. Kids are good. Business....Well...it is better. (After paying 1600 dollars in fines...Not our fault. total misunderstanding...EXPENSIVE misunderstanding, and having our guys not run for 3 weeks) Woody and I are WONDERFUL! Have I mentioned lately how blessed I am to have this man as an eternal companion?? Seriously, nobody else would understand, put up with and reciprocate my sense of humor. He is supportive of all of my goals, and does his best to ensure I can achieve each of them, no matter how hard they may seem. He works hard to make sure he provides for us, and still makes the time to be home with the family. Every single day. I can't wait until August, when I get to spend 10 days, kid free, with this wonderful man!! Life is good!! I am so blessed!!

More fitness stuff"!

Fitness....I post a lot about it, and sometimes I feel bad...Like maybe I post TOO much...But this morning it dawned on me, IT IS MY BLOG...I can post what I want. (NANANANANAAA! ;) )

So, here it is...A new fitness post. 1 year ago, I started this journey. I started out of shape, and heavier than I had ever been! At 5'2" I was weighing in right around 160-165. I saw a pic on someones blog, and thought, "THIS ISN'T ME!!" While I had never been a 'workout person', I was blessed with decent genes, and weight wasn't a big issue. 3 kids later, it had changed. (I maintain that North Dakota makes you gain weight. Most everyone I know has put on lotsa weight living here... =) ) I started with cardio. I loved the elliptical and the bike. I did strength training, but I did it very casually. I decided to join the bootcamp class at the gym. It was fun, and I liked it, but it wasn't what I wanted. I kept up with the cardio, and the casual strength.
Then I got pregnant again, lost the pregnancy, and in that time gained 7 pounds...None of it muscle. I decided I was done with that. It was time to get muscle. I was "thin enough", but somehow, I still wasn't really in shape. I could go 5 miles easily on the elliptical, but I couldn't do 10 pushups in a row.
On top of that, I was hitting burnout with the gym cardio. I was to the point I didn't really try anymore, because I grew to loathe the bike, elliptical and treadmill. (Gimme a break..I'd been doing one or the other everyday for a year!) So, I started researching. I learned some stuff.... Mostly that lifting 5 pound dumbbells was NOT going to get me to my goals. I also learned that if I lifted heavy, odds of me looking "manly" were slim to none. Then there was the realization that I needed to even eat HEALTHIER than I was. There is a saying I read a lot that says, "Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym". Huh.
So, what am I doing about these things?? Well, as mentioned previously, I found some new Zumba classes to go to, and am able to do 3-4 a week. We also got our punching bag hung, and on non-Zumba days, I go out and do a 20 minute routine mixing that with a high intensity plyo mix thing I put together. I love that punching bag. And if you think 20 minutes is nothing, I dare you to go hit one around, mix in some jumping jacks, burpees, squat jumps etc. I tell you what. I did it this morning, and it was MAYBE 20 degrees in my garage, by the end of it I was SWEATING! (Fun with gloves on!) Cardio...CHECK. (Plus I save money on gym fees!) I started a new routine in February, and have steadily increased my weight on most of my exercises. I make sure to push myself. I have mentioned my love of lifting before, and it is just growing. I no longer dread my workouts. (There are certain exercises I dread...Hello push-up position row.) I love love love lifting weights. There is not a thing that feels better than feeling strong!! The food thing is still a work in progress, but I am getting there. I am starting my progress pics again, so I can see the changes. I know that more often than not, these changes will not be reflected in the scale, and I will not be discouraged!!

My goals are lofty, but doable. Why not shoot for the stars, right?? If you haven't done a workout today, I strongly recommend fitting one in. You will NOT regret it!

Spontaneity ..Good in moderation!!

I am a schedule, order, routine, planning FREAK!! I love to know what I will be doing, and when I will be doing it! I can't help it! I am a bit rigid when it comes to this!!
Well.. With all of my goals this year, one was to be more flexible.. Sometimes... So, on Friday, when a friend showed up unexpectedly with a sitter so that I could go out to lunch, I figured it would be a good chance to start practicing!! (Funny, spontaneity is one of my harder goals this year!)
I got to go to lunch with the girls, and had a LOT of fun!! And...the world didn't fall apart...And...I got everything done. Amazing!! ;)
Then on Saturday, we ditched our normal routine of grocery shopping to take the kids ice skating. Woody was the only one of us who had ever been on the ice before, and now, we have a whole family of ice lovers!! Even Konnor, who couldn't get on skates loves it. His dad would hold him by the hands, and fly across the ice, and K would just kick his little feet like he was running, giggling the whole time. Everytime we would try to get him off of the ice, he would run back out there! He LOVED IT! Cierra was very hesitant at first, but she got out there too! They give you a chair to push around when you are first starting out, and she pushed that thing all over the place. She says when we go back, she doesn't want to use the chair. ATTA GIRL!! Blayke was hilarious. He would go with the chair, then he would try without, fall, cry, and make me push him around on the chair. Then he would want to try it himself. He wants to learn to play hockey. We will likely be signing Cierra up for figure skating and Blayke up for hockey this fall.
I also liked skating, and had I not been responsible for pushing Sir Blayke around on the chair the whole time, I probably would have gotten pretty alright.
We are going back tomorrow, and all of us are excited!
In other news. My 10 year high school reunion is coming in June, and we are going to Idaho in May for Cierra's baptism. We are trying to decide if the kids and I should just stay or if we should come home with Woody, and I should just fly out for the reunion OR if I should just bag it. Decisions, decisions!!

The proof is in my blog layout!!

Seriously...It is still Christmas themed....Wow...That is how insanely busy I feel. I don't know that I can say that I have been busy, I mean, I can't tell you WHAT I do, exactly, but I FEEL insanely busy all of the time!!! Every day, all day. Up, workout, laundry, breakfast, kids ready, school, lunch, house, kids, dinner, bed. Probably the same as most of you!!

I don't have friends anymore, cause I don't have time to maintain relationships with people I don't live with. In the past, this would have REALLY bothered me. Not so much nowadays. I don't have *TIME* to think about it much. I feel bad for those who I have neglected *You all know who you are, and let me take a moment to appologize!* To be honest, though, it is so crazy that I don't remember the last time I actually watched a whole.entire.movie. Started, caught some in the middle, and ended lotsandlots of movies..... Fell asleep during the previews of even more... Finished...NONE!! Kinda nuts. I love movies. Just don't got time for 'em.

In family news:

Cierra is getting ready for BAPTISM!! HOLY MOLY!! How did that happen?! We are hoping to be able to baptise her in May in Idaho...Yep, we are Idaho bound first week of May! YAY! If we can work it out, she will be baptized same day as her cousin, Hayley. Which, of course, makes her BEYOND excited. I still can't believe I will have an 8 year-old!!

Blayke. This kid is surprising me daily. I bought some flash cards with the dolch sight words on them to start him out with for reading, thinking I would introduce them, and let him become familiar with them...Within a week, he could tell me the first 7 cards, AND put them into sentences. (Sure, the sentences didn't always make sense, but they do show he knows what the word means!!)

Konnor is going to be 2 in just 2 months!! AGAIN: HOLY MOLY! Seriously, how does this happen?! He is so fun. And still VERY much the baby...Which is good, cause it's gonna be a long wait for #4. (Holding out hope there will BE a #4..and 5.) He is Daddy's boy, and every single morning, first thing, finds his daddy and snuggles him to wake up. It is very sweet!!


I **AM** exercising like a madwoman to get in shape for our VERY FIRST CRUISE in August! I am SOOOOOOO beyond excited. In attempting to reach my goals, I have developed a love affair with strength training. I even like *gasp* push-ups...And can knock out 25 in a row no prob. I got to order a punching bag and pink boxing gloves for Valentines day (SUPER romantic, right?? But I am excited...And I got flowers too!) I even have a girl who is a fitness competitor that I know who has offered to teach me how to use it. I found some new Zumba classes in town too..More Latin focused...The Zumba I love... (That is how I met the aforementioned fitness chic.) Anything to mix it up. The best part about being fit?? When someone tells me I inspire them. WOW! I don't know of ever having inspired ANYONE in my life, and it is a cool feeling. I do not, however, want to inspire someone to be thin. I want to inspire them to be HEALTHY. There is a huge difference (DUH). So, I used inspiring others to work to inspire myself. I am eating "clean". Well, as clean as I can with my limited knowledge and resources. But I can FEEL the difference.

Ok, enough of that fitness stuff. Sorry about that. I could talk about that kinda stuff all day long!

Hope all is well with everyone, we love and miss all of our Idaho friends and fam, can't wait to see you all in MAY!!

Well, off to ZUMBA I go! YAY!!

What's new with us, you ask...

Well...To be honest, not much!
But, for the sake of killing some time, I will post somethin'!
We have recently employed Woody's uncle to haul rock for us. He is living in our basement. In our other spare bedroom. (In case I hadn't mentioned it before, Woody's dad lives in the other) The "pink room", as we so lovingly call it, (It looks like a pink milkshake threw up!) has had about 45 possible inhabitants, and none have worked out for one reason or another. I am thankful to have this particular person inhabiting it. Woody's uncle and dad are so laid back and easy going. They demand and expect NOTHING! It is nice! The only downfall is the constant "oil-field" talk. Seriously. I hear it in my sleep. It. Makes. Me. Crazy. But, alas, this is our bread-n-butter, so I best not complain to loud, eh? (Like the North Dakotan accent in my writing?! When I start using oof-dah, you will know for sure I have "TURNED".)
Woody is still at his "day job"...Which is kinda a love-hate thing. He isn't the biggest fan of some of the people he works with, and his job is super frustrating, but we both feel strongly that he needs to stay put for the time being. We are looking into a third..YES THIRD...Truck...oye. This one will be for our oil hauler...At least that is the plan this week. It changes regularly, so I am never for sure that this is THE plan until it is set in stone!!

I am not up to much..Yet, somehow, I go nonstop...Funny how that works. I am loving having a house to clean. No, seriously. Nothing relaxes me more than getting my house all nice and clean and smelling good. I realized last week that I still have some emotional healing to do from the last pregnancy loss. A lady in our ward asked if she'd heard right, that I was part of "the pregnant-lady club" (SERIOUSLY. Like, 3/4 of our ward is pregnant!) It felt like someone socked me right in the gut. She was well meaning enough, of course, but that did little to squelch the urge to burst out in tears right there. I calmly said, "not anymore", walked around the corner, and cried. We have decided to give it until August to try again. It sseems it was a wise decision!

The kids are doing well. Cierra is like a 14 year-old trapped in a 7 year-old body. She has been talking a lot about baptism, and can't wait to turn 8! (April 1! HOW did that happen?!) She also gets to go to Florida and spend a week with her father. She is ecstatic. I am happy for her, sad for me. I am, however, glad he is finally taking an interest!! Blayke is...Blayke. Still crazy. Still busy. Still says random, off the wall stuff. (During sacrament, "MOM! Can I smell your armpits?!" After learning to pedal his bike with training wheels, "MOM! look, I'm a human!") He makes me laugh, and can be the sweetest kid! Konnor is SOO almost 2! (AGAIN, how did that happen?!) He has learned that this is survival of the fittest, and if he is going to survive HIS two older siblings, he better learn to defend himself. Unfortunately, that self-defense has come in the form of BITING! The other night, he bit Blayke so hard, he left a bruise, and a bump!! NAUGHTY!! He still doesn't talk much, but he likes to "read" when we do Scriptures and "pray" at dinner time. Maybe I should be more excited about him learning to talk...But I already have 2 that never stop....Sheesh! ;)

Well, that is all. I have to go get ready for our weekly grocery shopping adventure! Have a fab day!

Christmas...Idaho...New Years...

Holy SMOKES! Am I GLAD the holidays are OVER for another year. November and December were NON stop for us!!
We had our Christmas on the 21. The kids got spoiled, and it was fun. Woody went to work that day, and I lounged around while my sweet kids played with their new toys. We have even had such wonderful weather, that I am so close to setting up their swing set their Grandma got them!!
On the 22nd, we headed to Idaho. SUUUUCHH a looooooooooong drive. We got there late that night, and had a nice visit. The next day was mine and Woody's anniversary. To celebrate, we went to lunch, just us, and to finish the Christmas shopping.
We started Christmas morning at my moms. It was a BLAST...She decided that since the kids had nothing to unwrap there (because of the swingset) she would buy them ANOTHER Christmas...So..they had sooo much stuff. We ended the day with Woody's family. It was WONDERFUL! EVERYONE was there. It was fun-madness! We headed home the day after Christmas, stayed a night in Bozeman, and got home Wednesday evening. I spent the next two days preparing for my New Years Eve party.
I was sooooo excited to finally be somewhere big enough to actually have people come over!! I went all out!
We ended up with LOADS of food, and quite a good turn out. The kids ransacked..er...I mean played downstairs, while the adults visited upstairs. We gathered in the living room right before midnight for cider and the countdown. The kids **LOVED** the blow horn things. They went crazy....And drove us crazy!! I think it was a successful night, and that good times were had by all!!