Quick Catch Up and Odds and Ends

The girls making their new Christmas ornaments for the tree. It was a good fun time helping them make these. We  listened to new Christmas music, had treats, and helped each other make very cute ornaments.

The girls fell asleep one after noon watching a movie and fell asleep just like this. I love how Sadee still sleeps like a baby, with her harms up and fingers curled in.

Cabin trip for Thanksgiving!!! The ride on the way up...

.....the ride on the way back. Everyone was exhausted, we played hard all weekend long!

Our Primary Christmas party. My station was the sugar cookie decorating station. I took pictures of all the kids and saw some super cute decorating.  

These kids were great. Team spirit and rivalry all the way!

My favorite!

I will have tons of "AT cabin" pictures from Thanksgiving up soon. We have been having a wonderful winter so far and I know it's only going to get better. ;-)

Halloween Party and Trick or Treating

 This years Halloween was so great. We had our annual family party, this year it was at Kendall's sisters house and they went all out.

The theme was Harry Potter and the kids started the night out with making their very own wands. They painted them, put on the clay handle and then baked them. They were really cool. 

After that, everyone got to be sorted into their houses by the Sorting Hat. Once the Houses were determined it was time for a fun game of Quitage. It was a little chilly out but all the kids had SO much fun.

Once  the game was over it was time for Potions class. The kids made their own potions out of ever creepy slimy ingredient you could imagine in the Harry Potter movies. Of course they were really gummy worms, pop rocks and jelly beans :-) It was all very cool. Then we had a delicious chili dinner and tons of appetizers and desserts.

Soon after dinner the Halloween Fun House was ready to go down stairs. Sean spent so much time on the haunted house and it turned out great! You had to walk through a dark maze, dimly lit by hanging candles. The Harry Potter theme music was playing and around every corner was a cool fun trick and decoration. The Chamber of Secrets was especially cool and the kids thought it was WICKEDLY COOL! Thanks Shanda and Sean for such a great night.

Trick or Treating was fun but cold. Yes like a complete idiot I wore my costume the entire night out. Every inch of everyone was red and icy. The kids made a haul and had a great night. The girls kept running from house to house saying "This is the best neighborhood ever!" They made the night fun for me ;-)

Sadee was Pricess Aurora, Noelle a butterfly princess,Christian a monkey obviously, Dylan decided to be Dora next year and didn't dress up. He went with a couple of friends and come home loaded, he was a happy camper :) Kendall and I were Heracles and Aphrodite.

After we decided to call it quits for the night we headed home, checkout the loot, made some hot apple cider, and sat by the fire place.

It was a great night and another memorable Halloween. We're looking forward to next year already.

My Update

I was asked why I haven't posted updates on this blog about my weight loss. I actually have another blog specifically for my weight loss journey but I didn't really think to give it to others that see me all the time. My weight loss blog is really for my Medifast family and those who won't judge me and make fun of me lol! I have my before pictures and weight posted on there along with my weekly and monthly updates of weight and pictures. So as you can imagine that's something I don't want everyone and their dog looking at, sharing, and making fun of. It's easier when it's among those that have experienced it or are experiencing being very over weight. BUT as an update on THIS blog I can say that I have lost 63 lbs. 7 of those during the month before I started  Medifast and obviously the rest since I have done it in less than 6 months :) I have 15-25 more to go before I transition off of MF, once I get there then I will go to about 1200 calories and work out with my trainer to tone up and get to that lean size 4. I'm working out now but it is limited because of my calorie intake. Starting today I will be doing 6 work outs a week, 3 30 min. cardi and 3 40 min. weights. I'm really excited for these goals and am loving all this nutritional knowledge I have, I sure wish I had this back in school when I needed it.
I have had lots of people inspire me, family and friends who have lost weight and gained their lives back. My children help me keep going, I want to be as strong as I can be in every way for them. A big thank you to everyone that has encouraged me, complimented me, and who support me, it means more to me than you will ever know!

Freezing at Cornbelly's

I didn't take pictures all night because my hands were so cold then when I was getting food and hot chocolate for everyone Kendall helped me out and took some.

The girls were so cute all night, running around looking at everything and just having lots of fun and lots of SPACE, thank goodness.

D and Aimee  kinda did their own thing here and there through the night, must be getting to old and cool for everyone else ;-)

We get a pict on this chair every year, I seriously want one!

Man I need some makeup on! haha Oh...sorry. This is a pict you can see everyone's "cold". Sadee just wanted to go home after awhile, her and Christian's hands were ICE. So we decided to skip much of what we do at Cornbelly's every year and save our little fingers from frost bite :)
This year they had these huge play places made out of wood that they are going to sell once Cornbelly's closes up for the season. They had a huge ship, airplane, train and many more. And when I say huge I mean HUGE! My sister in-law is going to see how much they sell them for and try and get one, how cool!
We usually take the girls to the Princess dress up station, on the little cow cart ride, and the big slides but we'll just have to do more of that next year. We did go on the Hay ride and the big bouncy things they have up front and this area where you can build your own life sized lincon log cabin.
Next year we will come earlier when it's not so cold and do all our favorite things. ;-)

A Weekend of Do's, Don'ts, and NO Kids or Husbands!

Park City is so beautiful this time of year.

After we shopped for hours we grabbed a bite to eat at a delicious sandwich shop and headed on over to get our much anticipated pedicures. Can I just say RELAXING! Our feet and legs were massaged and pampered for an hour, the gal doing mine kept looking at me smiling and asking me "Is it good?" Heck yes it was!

Our beautiful toe shot with much beautiful art, especially Tiffany's toes!


We finished off this day with more shopping, dinner at a Sushi house, hot tubing, talking, and a cute girly movie.

The next morning mom and little sister Aimee joined us for breakfast and the days activities. We started out shopping (big surprise there ;-) then jumped on the trolley and headed back to the hotel. We piled in our cars and headed to lunch, and I must say I was SOOOO jealous of all the yummy Mexican food that surrounded me!

Most of all the pictures were taken by the ever so talented Brittany, the babe above eating the most cheesiest thing I have ever seen. She put some of the picts in these cute collages and I made them extra large so everyone can see the great picts in all their glory ;-) 

A red head, blond, and brunette....come on, does it get ANY better than this?! lol

After the delish Mexican we headed for the COASTER. It was a blast! Tiffany had been on it before and informed me to NOT pull on the break, ride it all the way down at full speed.....and I did! So fun, so fast, and SOOO doing it again.

See? See the adrenaline rush and pure joy on mom's face? This pretty much explains it ;-)

"Sisters Grove"
I think this has got to be my favorite picture of all. We were walking back to our cars when one of the sisters saw this cute little patch of scenery and suggested we take a few photos here. I'm so glad we did. This is just beautiful to me, look at MY family, yes they are mine! I never had a sister only brothers and these ladies filled every void with fun, laughter, joy, and pure love. To answer my question above. No, it doesn't get any better than this.

Look how talented Brittany is, she took 99% of these pictures (we obviously had to take the ones of her ;-) put them into this beautiful collage and gave us great keepsakes. I can't wait to get them all on cd. Thanks again Britt!


We shopped a bit more after the coaster then headed back to get ready for our big dinner at the J&G Grill.

Here is a shot from the funicular we had to ride to get up to the restaurant. 

It was a fabulous view, especially coming back down at the end of the night with all the stars.

Thanks to the great waitress we got this great pic. Dinner was divine and dessert was even better. We started off with a truffle pizza and ended with a salted caramel ice cream with nuts and popcorn. Jealous? You should be! lol

Britt on the left and Tiffany on the right with their ever so new HOT heels. I still need to get the black version of the leopards, so hot right now, so hot ;-) I'm wondering now if other people in the restaurant were confused why the gorgeous tall red head kept ducking under the table....of course WE know why. heehee

posing with a cool hand painted dog out side the restaurant.

Waiting for the valet and got some super cute pictures in. I am a shrimp to say the least next to these ladies!

And the night ended with me hearing a roar of laughter while I was in the other room. I came out to hear something about strawberries and flatulence and all my sisters in tears!

The last morning there we decided to go for a walk. Right out side our hotel room window is tress full of shoes. People throw their old, and some times pretty new, shoes in these trees and the Marriott people get them down after a while and donate them. Down and around the way was a little bridge that we took our very last sister's pic of the vacation, I can't wait to get that one and add it.
This weekend was full of  Do's and Don'ts. DO laugh more, love more, cry more, talk more, and experience more together. DON'T hesitate to bond, don't pass up on opportunities to let loose, don't take each other for granted, and DON'T forget your sisters and the blessings they bring into your life! Thank you for making this happen, for giving me these memories, and for giving me sisters I have never had! I love you all to pieces.

Today, I'm Listening.

Today has been a really nice positive day. As I was cleaning my kitchen I started to worry, about anything and everything. If you know me than you know that I am a high stesser with anxiety. Then I was hit with another tender mercy and something that a wonderful man once said echoed through my mind. "The thoughts that you have, when you're not thinking of anything, tells you what kind of person you are." I was doubting, getting angry and sad, feeling overwhelmed and that is NOT the kind of person I want to be, it's not who I REALLY am. So I was brought back down out of the clouds of crap and just stopped. I instantly heard my girls giggling out in the back yard, Christian's little feet running across the floor, and smelt the sweet smell of Ember. The adversary will always play on your weaknesses but that will never compare to that still small voice, as long as you stop to listen to it. Today, I am listening.

Vlogging

I am here to announce that I am going to join the world of vlogging and I hope I don't regret it! lol