Sick Turkeys

What is worse than a sick husband?

Tell me... I bet you can't think of anything can you?  CAN YOU?  I sure can't.

I love my husband more than anything but man alive when he gets sick it wipes me out!

I did my whining on the blog about how sick my daughter and I got a couple of weeks ago with the nasty stomach flu.  I am not sure if I followed it up with the horrible sore throats, congestion, aching body that the kids and I got a few days after the flu.  I am pretty sure that I did mention that my darling husband happened to be out of town while all of this was going on.  Caught up?  Well... the husband came home from his business trip... and despite all of my praying, pleading, and begging... he got the sore throat, stuffy/runny nose, aching body, that we had already had.  UGH!  Those of you who don't have a husband... know this... when they get sick they are worse than the kids.  Those of you who do have a husband PLEASE tell me you know what I am talking about.  He is the biggest baby (again love you) EVER.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Ours was really good.  That morning I went to BodyCombat at the gym, they had a special 90 minute class.  We spent Thanksgiving day at my sisters house with half of my family.  The other half spent it at my mom's.  It wasn't supposed to be that way.  My mom just had knee surgery a couple of weeks prior so no one wanted her to have to cook, or entertain people for that matter. Well... apparently that isn't what happened.  My mom ended up having to cook and entertain anyways.  Not too happy about that but what can ya do?  We had a great time anyway, ate yummy food, had some delicious pies (my contributions were a Sour cream lemon pie, and Pumpkin Cheesecake), and played Just Dance 3 on the Wii with the kids.  Lots of laughs and fun times, as it always is when I am with my family.

Sunday we had Thanksgiving with my husbands side of the family.  More great food, and games to follow.  I feel like I did pretty good about my eating over the holiday.  I don't feel that I over indulged or went off the deep end at all.  Back to the gym Monday morning for two BodyCombat classes, and weights!  Heck ya!  Had to burn some extra calories ;)

I wish we had made our own Turkey so that we had a bunch leftover for sandwiches and stuff.  Next year for sure!

This week I started Jamie Eason's 12 week trainer.  I am not following it to a "T".... the diet I have is a little different so I am sticking with that for now and I am not cutting out my cardio completely the first four weeks because really I don't want to add muscle mass.  I will start prep for competitions right after Christmas so I don't want to burn out.  I will re-evaluate at that point and see what I need to do for comp prep and might start the whole trainer over again.  Who knows.  It feels good to be back in the weight room though.  I have not done weights in a long time (months).  I am SO SO SORE!

Two, zero, one, two...

Twenty Twelve.
Two thousand twelve.
However you want to word it, I have a feeling it will be a great year for me.
I can feel it in my bones ;)

Friday my husband and I spent the entire morning doing yard work together.  We raked up at least 10 bags of leaves, and drove them all to the landfill.  We spent our entire morning and into the afternoon in the car together which is sometimes where I feel we have our best chats.  That and in bed at night.  We got to talking about me and furthering my education, also about working and what my plans are for competing.  I thought that I would share those plans with you.

It was recently announced that Utah would hold 4 NPC competitions in 2012.  That is SUPER exciting to me.  The NPC card is so expensive and only good for one year so having the opportunity to compete more justifies the $100 for the card.  In California I was fortunate to pretty much be able to pick a month, any month and no doubt there would be a show.  So far there will be a show in March, June, October and the fourth has not been decided announced.

That brings me to my 2012 goals.  I want to compete in March and June here in Utah, get some more stage practice in and go to USA's in Vegas in July.  I want to see how I do in Bikini.  I learned when I went to USA's for Figure that I was way too small and would have to put on some more size, so I am hoping that with Bikini I can do a little better!  The girls at Nationals usually  have a bit more muscle than at the local shows (bonus for me), so we will see what happens.  I am hoping I can take one of these local events first.  I want it all baby!  ha ha ha!  I am going to spend the next couple of months focusing posing, practicing, coming up with my own "signature" routine, getting comfortable with the bikini poses so that I can just rock the heck out of the stage.  I am really excited.  Looking forward to 2012.

THANKFUL

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

I am thankful for SO many things, not just today but everyday.  I am blessed with an amazing husband, two incredible children, a beautiful home to call our own, friends... oh my friends are just the most amazing friends in the entire world, the most wonderful family, I am just the luckiest lady alive!

I hope you all enjoy your day with loved ones.

This is one of the FEW Thanksgiving's we have spent with our immediate family because we have been away for so long, I am looking forward to spending the day at my sisters house with my family.  We will celebrate Thanksgiving with the in laws on Sunday.  What a great week.

Now I better get this bootay to the gym, they are having a "special" Body combat class for NINETY minutes that I would be crazy to miss.  Have to burn some extra calories so I can eat more food :)

Photo Shoot....

Here are some of the pictures that were taken backstage at the NGA competition.  I have never done anything like this before, it was so fun!

My favorite photo was missing from the CD :(  I ended up ordering all of them anyway so when I get the rest of them I might post more!  This came at a great time, its my reminder of what I need to start working towards AGAIN ;)  MY little jump start (after Thanksgiving of course ha ha ha).

Lists....

Have you made you Christmas lists?

Here are a few things that I would not be disappointed if they made their way under my tree....

Kitchenaid stand mixer.  I want one.  So bad.

I would also be thrilled with a bread machine.  I am not picky on the brand ;)

Gift cards are always great!

We could really use some new pans too!

Funny how most of my list is cooking/kitchen related.  I feel like now that I eat "cleaner" I spend a lot more time in my kitchen.  Prepping food, baking rather than buying goodies, etc... 

I told my husband that getting me a new mixer is WAY different than the sham-wow he got me (HIM) a couple of years ago.  I won't be mad this time because it is something I actually want.  Ha ha ha!

What is the worst gift you have ever received?  The best? 

What the heck have I been doing?

I haven't talked a lot (or at all) about fitness... or what I have been up to for a while.  Mostly just because its pretty boring.  Same old thing.  Since I am not prepping for a show I feel like what I do at the gym is just not worthy.  That is silly, of course it is.  I am still working hard, and TRYING to watch what I eat.  I still have goals, and a passion for what I do so here is a little update.

I am still trying to force my way back into the weight room.  I pretty much gave up lifting a few weeks before my comp because I didn't want to come in too "muscular" and it has been really hard to make myself start them up again, even though I love lifting and prefer it over cardio any day.  I have been trying to maintain my 4-5 (sometimes 6) days a week workout schedule and for the most part I have nailed it.  Last week I missed a couple of days because we were sick and Monday my son called me just as I was walking in to the gym to come pick him up from school (thirty minutes after dropping him off) so I didn't get my workout in.  Tuesday I tried to talk myself out of going.  I had a list of all the other things I should do, but I told myself to shut the crap up and went anyway.  I did HIIT for about 20 minutes and the eliptical for another 20.  No weights.  Wasn't in the mood dude.  Today I went to Bodycombat. Tomorrow and Saturday I will go to Combat and Friday I will do HIIT of some sort.

As far as my nutrition is concerned I have started a new meal plan.  I met Todd a few years ago when I was first thinking of competing.  He was the first person to tell me that if I wanted to compete I would have to gain about 15 lbs.  I wanted to kick him where it counts.  I refrained.  I trained with him for a few months and then we moved to California.  We kept in touch, he kept up with my competing and since we are now living in Utah again I have been able to see him on his own journey to compete!  We both competed in the NGA show in September.  I have been able to talk with him a lot about nutrition. I have talked with him about how frustrating it is that even though I seem to eat pretty clean most of the time my body holds on to everything and I can't seem to get to where I want to be, where I used to be.  Before competing.  He created a meal plan, that is designed just for me to help get my hormones under control.  He believes that a hormonal imbalance could be to blame for my frustrations with my weight.  I couldn't agree more.  He is really incredible and I would recommend him to anyone.  Guy knows his stuff!  Plus, he is super funny and easy to talk to.  Click here for more information!

Along with my new meal plan, I am also thinking of doing Jamie Eason's 12 week trainer.  I have seen and heard nothing but great stuff about it.  Friends of mine have had SHOCKING results.  My only worry is that I really can't afford to put on much more muscle for Bikini.  I think I will do it, and see what happens and afterwards I can figure out what I need to do for comp prep which will begin in late December.  Whoop!

Not quite like I planned...

Story of my life.

First TOM has to show up, throwing me all out of whack and then this.....

I went to bed Thursday night with a plan for Friday.  Gym, cleaning, a little baking, babysitting and woke up Friday morning to another story.  Around 5 am my stomach was in knots.  I felt a little "off" but I managed to sleep a little longer.  At 7 my daughter was complaining that her stomach was hurting too.  She started the puking a few minutes later and didn't stop until Friday evening.  I on the other hand never puked, just felt like I was on the verge of doing so.  I even ran to the toilet multiple times ready to do so.  Every time I stood up, the room spun.  I was weak and dizzy and my stomach was a mess.  We both wound up in my bed, ALL DAY LONG.  I kid you not I slept off and on the entire day and so did Pajha.  I think I spent a total of 2 hours out of my bed.  That was little bits here and there throughout the day.  Pajha was sound asleep for the night at 8 and I was shortly after that. 

I am SO thankful for Peyton.  When I need him to be my big helper HE IS!  He is pretty independent anyway, but Friday he was AMAZING.  He made himself all three meals and never complained to me that he was bored or needed me.  He checked in on Pajha and I throughout the day to see if we were okay and needed anything.  He cleaned up after himself, and just let us sleep.  I feel really guilty that he was basically alone all day (my husband OF COURSE is out of town) and I apologized to him over and over and he would just say "its okay mom, I know you don't feel good".  What a kid!

So, after literally spending 24 hours IN BED and mostly sleeping the entire time we were in said bed I woke up at 3 am on Saturday morning and STILL felt a little queezy so I was nervous that Saturday was going to be another "sick day".  Thank GOODNESS Pajha and I woke up around 8 am feeling SO much better.  We got up, showered, finally ate some breakfast (our meals Friday consisted of a piece or two of bread, and a few sips of water) and we were on our way to my sisters house for a day of crafting.  Little did I know that it would literally take an entire day.  This is what I have been trying to tell my crafty sisters.  I just don't have it.  I mean, yes... I left with some DANG cute stuff, I didn't finish all of my projects and I was there until MIDNIGHT so I ended up having to leave one (the cutest one by far just wait until you see it) behind for my sister to finish for me.  Shoot.  ha ha ha  Here is what I did finish (with a little help!)

My Thanksgiving blocks... the coolest part about these is I turn them over, rearrange a little and get this....

 Love these so much.  

My little block Christmas Tree... I can make the blocks messy or straight, so fun!

My little snowman family... how cute are these?  Yes... the Daddy and the child are still missing arms... I am waiting for some twigs to dry since it snowed last night and I could only find enough dry twigs to finish the mom :)

I just love them.  I think they turned out really cute!

Good, bad... and ugly!

I am not really sure what I want to write about (which explains the lack of posts the last few days).  I have a lot on my mind, but not a lot that I really feel like writing about.  Make sense?

This week has been good, bad and ugly.

The Good:
I had a date with my husband.  FINALLY.  Funny thing living here in Utah we really expected to be able to date each other for the first time really in our entire marriage.  I mean, we have never lived close to family AKA babysitters.  I thought for sure that coming here weekly date nights would be easy.  NOT. THE. CASE.  Finding a babysitter is just as hard.  Everyone is so busy, its nearly impossible.  So when we do sucker someone in to watching the kids we take it!  Last night we went to the Puscifer concert.  My husband is a HUGE fan of Maynard.  I actually enjoyed the concert.  It was not as wild as I was expecting it to be.  In fact, it was very calm, and I loved the opening band.

The Bad:
Mentally, I don't feel great.  I will just leave it at that.  I started a new meal plan this week though so I am hoping that I can get this body back in the shape I want it in.  Those shapes do not include... circle, square or triangle.

The Ugly:
My TOM decided to show its ugly face for the first time in MONTHS.  It has not been pretty.  At. All.  I have been so bloated, so emotional, and honestly I wish it would go away and never come back again.  I know, probably TMI but that is my week folks.

I am looking forward to this weekend.  I have my hands full of kids literally all week, babysitting almost every day for someone in the family (ahem... your next suckers). Saturday I am looking forward to getting my craft on with my sisters.  All day long.  Much needed fun time.  I will post about our crafts later this weekend.  I am anxious to get some Christmas stuff made for my house.

Now if you will excuse me... I have decided that today I am going to go tanning.  I hardly ever go and when I do I cover my face with a towel but something about this 30 degree weather has my dying to go lay in a warm bed...............

Bath-tism

We have had such a fabulous weekend.  My daughter was Baptized on Saturday.  All week she has been saying "I can't wait until my Bath-tism!"  Ha ha ha.. she is crazy!  Those in my family who did come all went to my in laws house for dinner afterwards.  We had Chili, Broccoli & Cheese soup, cookies, I made these, bread sticks, rolls, jello salad... it was YUMMY!  My Chili (well my good friend Michelle's recipe) was a big hit.  So big in fact that there was none left and my husband made me make it again today for dinner!

Michelle's Best Darn Chili ever....

1 lb extra lean ground Turkey
1 lb lean spicy ground turkey sausage (I squeezed it out of the casing)
1 can Chili beans, undrained
1 can Kidney beans, undrained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 package Chili seasoning
Optional:
Medium onion, diced
Jalepeno, diced

I omitted the optional items this time around.  Not everyone likes that extra kick like me :)  Throw it all in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Devour.  Its that good.

We got hit with our first snow fall over the weekend too.  I have to admit, waking up to a white world is a beautiful thing.  Walking out into it... not so much.  It is COLD.  Its going to be a really long winter for us.  Its been way too long since we have had to deal with an ENTIRE winter.  Not. Looking. Forward. To. It.

In other news, I had a job interview on Friday, and I have another tomorrow.  I am excited about both of them, they each have their pro's and con's like anything else but I am really really hoping that I get the one tomorrow.  I will tell you more about it when I know more!

Pajha in her new dress!

Getting ready to head to the church

Pajha and Daddy!

Our little princess!

Look at his face.  Seriously.  My husband is a nut!

So proud of her.  She is such a beautiful little girl inside and out. 

The Greats!

Sooooo... Halloween is FINALLY over.  Boy am I glad although now we have TWO huge bowls full of candy that the kids got from trick or treating.  It hasn't been easy to stay out of it.  In fact it has been down right hard.  I finally put the bowls up in a cupboard out of sight.  

Last week (besides all the Halloween stuff) we had a really great week.  Remember them?  Aren't they the CUTEST?  As my son says "They are such a cute happy little couple!" HA ha!

I was SO jealous that my husband got to visit with them a few weeks ago in Cali.  Well... turns out they missed me SO much that they drove all the way down here just to see me ;)  Okay... not really... but they did come for a visit.  We had a great time with them.  They are extending their stay a bit so that they can be here for my daughters Baptism on Saturday, Whoop!  

Great Grandpa and the kids!

HEY... matching jackets... too funny!

They took us bowling!  

When else do you get to throw a ball inside?

And wear THE COOLEST shoes?

My happy girl!

The Greats and the kids!  Love them so much!