New Blog is up and running.... sort of

I am a little heavy hearted leaving this blog.  It's been a part of my life for so long.  I have so much on here that I want to take with me :)

After working for a week trying to build a website that I purchased and failing, calling customer service, realizing that what I purchased was not going to do what I wanted it to do, they recommended I use wordpress.  So.....

drum roll please....

Introducing my new blog

BikiniBodMama

I am still working on it, it is still in a very very basic stage so please don't judge me on its first appearance.  It needs some work.  I literally picked a template, posted a blog, and told you about it.  I just wanted to get it up so that I could end the stuff that was going on over here and apologize if anyone has been redirected to some sites that they weren't wanting to go to!  I don't know what is happening!

Moving on.....

I wanted to post a quick update.  I have not been forgetting about my blog.  In fact quite the opposite.  I have actually been working on a new one.  I am leaving blogger, I have been getting SO MUCH SPAM lately that I have decided it was time to buy my own site so I have been busy trying to get it up and running.  I promise that I have a TON to say about my busy month of compeitions and I am working hard to get it up and running and hopefully by tonight I can at least have it up ;)

I will keep you posted....

Hopefully I haven't lost you all!

ALLMAX Video

So fun, I just found this from the ALLMAX Sponsorship Contest I did at the Arnold, thought I'd share. I will be posting about my California competition soon, promise. I am just waiting for my feedback from the judges!

Arnold Classic

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?  Well let me just tell you how crazy that last week has turned out to be.  So just to back it up a week or two.. I found out about a sponsorship that ALLMAX was doing on facebook a few weeks ago.  I knew the deadline was Feb 24th and I knew that I needed to email my bio and a few photos in by then so I had plenty of time.  Well... on Feb 21 I remembered and realized that I was running out of time, so I quickly wrote up my bio and attached a few of my favorite photos and sent it off.  The next day I got an email from them saying something along the lines of "if you are picked can you be in Ohio on March 1st to compete for the sponsorship".  Say what?  So after a few phone calls just to make sure that if there is that one in a million chance I am chosen I am in fact able to be in Ohio that day.  No sweat because I will not be chosen.  I went on with my weekend as usual.  Didn't really mention this to anyone because honestly what are the odds of me getting picked.

Monday came and almost went.  I didn't get an email.  Or did I?  I checked for the millionth time.  Nope.  Then I checked my spam folder.  There it was....

Congratulations! You have been selected as one of 10 finalists in the ALLMAX Bikini Challenge set to take place this Friday, March 1^st,  at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH.

Incredible.  I couldn't believe it.  What an absolute honor.  The official announcement for ALLMAX can be found on their website here.  So last week was spent booking flights, hotels and prepping for a competition that I wasn't planning for but what a great experience it was.  AND to top it off I got to go to the Arnold Festival.  Never imagined that would ever be something I would get to attend.  I have had so much fun.  Tonight is my last night here in Ohio, I head home tomorrow morning.  I am anxious to get back home to my kids and my last week of prep before my competition in California next weekend but this experience has been amazing.  Arnold himself actually walked right past us (well him and about 30 of his very own bodyguards) and a billion photographers.  We also saw Matt Hughs, and my husband met and got his picture taken with Jamal Lewis (he was very excited).  I met a blogger that I love Kari Keenan from  Figure Girl World which was so fun, she is gorgeous!

Okay so now on to the Contest itself.  It was fun, I didn't win :(  Bummer.  I did however make the top 4.  They didn't actually place us.  They just called out the top 4, did a final comparison round and then picked their final winner from that round.  It was just an honor to have been picked to be here to begin with.  The girl who won was Meaghan Terzis (the beautiful blonde).  Congrats to her, she was stunning!  Anyway, here are some photos from the day (some of them are blurry), and I guess my 1 week out progress to Cali where I plan to KILL it :)

Back to the grind I go.  One week out and ready to rock it in Cali next week.  I cannot wait to hit the stage, and be warm.  Ohio is even colder than SLC.  Brrrrr.... 

Four planes

I don't talk about my kids a ton on here.  Even though they are pretty dang awesome!  I think I am pretty blessed if I do say so myself (and I do!).  There is a story that I just have to share, mainly because it was HILARIOUS.  So a little background first.  My kids are polar opposites.  My son (the oldest) is 12.  He is reserved, routined (I see that isn't a word, its giving me the squiggly red line but its a word in my mind so I am leaving it), stubborn (dare I say), matter of fact, a bit quiet, neat and tidy, and very VERY literal.  My daughter on the other hand, who is 9 is extremely (EXTREMELY) outgoing, which for this reserved mama can be a bit uncomfortable at times ;),  bubbly, a bit (ahem) untidy, she is your fly by the seat of her pants kind of girl, very spontaneous, though she has a temper if you tick her off (TRUST me), she is very easy going and pleasant, happy and eager to please.

See what I mean?  POLAR opposites.  They couldn't be more different if they tried. But they are great friends, and they truly get along well.  Opposites attract?

Anyway, back to my story.  Its about my son.  I was at parent/teacher conferences a few weeks ago and his teacher and I were talking about how literal he can be.  He and Pajha were sitting there listening to us visit.  His teacher just adores him.  She reminds me of Pajha actually. which is maybe why they are so great together.  Anyway, she got side tracked and said to me "Oh my gosh... I had no idea you guys used to live in Cyprus... that is amazing!  How did you guys get there!?!"

Peyton looks at her... and says in his matter of fact voice "well... we took like FOUR planes.  It was EXHAUSTING!"

We both just kind of sat there for a few seconds looking at him, waiting to see if he was joking.  Nope.  No joking going on there.  He was dead serious.  We both just started laughing.  He looked at us confused, and said "what?!?  We did... it took forever!" that did it.  We were DYING.

I still giggle every time I think about it.  However my sweet literal 12 year old taught me a valuable lesson that day.

When I wonder how I got here.  This moment.  Whatever moment it may be in life.  I took four planes. :)  Love my kids!

Thank you!

First off, thank you all SO much for the support.  You have NO idea how much it means to me to know that I have support in the blog world :)  I love hearing from you guys!  Thanks so much!!!

Its crunch time.  THREE weeks out.  I am so excited.  As always at this point I start getting nervous.  I start doubting myself just a bit.  The "what if's" start nagging at me.  Truth is, all I can do is my best.  I know that I have lost a bit of muscle, which may or may not be a good thing.  I'm just not sure anymore.  I think with this sport you just never really know what the judges want and it differs from state to state... actually it differs from show to show.  I have been looking at recent results and I am feeling a bit anxious about how I am coming in.  Gah!  Not much I can do at this point unfortunately.

I will do some progress pics next weekend at two weeks out.

Here is what I am most excited for, besides the fact that I am competing my best friend Teresa is coming with me... we are making it a mini girls trip :)  We are staying until late Sunday night so that we can spend all day Sunday (hopefully it will be warm) at the beach relaxing.  We very rarely get any alone time without 5 kids (her 3, and my 2) tagging along so this is just going to be amazing.... I am so excited.  PLUS... she will get to meet some of my Cali friends and I cannot wait to see them as well!

Change of plans....

I'm not a very spontaneous person.  In fact, I am quite the opposite.  I like routines.  I like plans.  I do not like things getting in the way of said routines, or plans.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that I needed to get my body fat tested.  I have in the past had it checked at the gym using the pinch method when I was prepping for shows and in high school (years ago, we won't get into exactly how many year ago this was) I had it done a more effective way and I believe it was on the pretty low end back then for a female (in the 18-20 % range).  Anyway my friend and co worker Janetha has been trying to convince me to go to the University and get the Bodpod test done for a while now.  I have been terrified of this.  I don't weigh myself regularly.  I don't really like knowing my numbers.  It scares me but I do know that I have lost a bit of weight over the last few months and though it might be a good reference point so I went.  I was pretty surprised.  Pleasantly surprised actually.  I am glad I went and glad to have an idea as to where my body is right now.  Time to buckle down!

Now... I was planning on competing March 30th here in Utah, but as time is ticking (or not ticking) I am feeling like I am just ready... I started looking into some other shows and have decided that I am going to do a show in 4 weeks :)  March 9th! NPC Musclecontest 2013 here I come.  This has come up for a few different reasons.  One reason (not gonna lie) is because I'm freezing my butt off here (literally).  I am craving warmth, and something familiar, and honestly... I really miss California.  Plus its my favorite competition.  Its my favorite because it was my very first competition EVER back in 2009, and then it was one year later in 2010 that I came back and took the over all win for Figure and got my sword.  And if those aren't good enough reasons for you... I'm just ready you guys.  I'm leaning out faster than expected, and I am ready to kill it.  I have my suit (which is gorgeous!), I have my new heels, I have all the tanner I need.  The only thing missing is a plane ticket, someone to paint me and someone to stop me!

So.. what the heck am I waiting for???  California... here I come!

4 weeks out!  Whoop!

I'm still competing March 30th here in Utah too... I want all the stage time I can get this year in preparation for USA's (in hopes that I can get the nerves to go this year).