Friday Weigh-In Week 18

Well I didn't do everything that I promised to last week, but I did better.  I kept track of what I ate (most days), I felt more active (but I didn't really do any formal exercising).  But then at the end of the week I got a little stomach flu bug and didn't really feel like eating for a couple of days.  So therefore when I weighed this morning I have lost ....

2 lbs

Which makes my grand total 16.5 pounds lost so far.  Almost to the 20 lb mark!  I realize that some of the weightloss could be water due to being sick so I know I will need to be extra careful this week to not put any weight back on.  I'm happy however that I'm going in the right direction.  I have a busy and fun weekend and week ahead so I need to be vigilant with myself.  Tonight mom, Rachel, Amber, Char and I are going to "Breaking Dawn" - can't wait!!   Which I'm sure I'll follow up with a Turtles Cheesecake from Streatside.  Then Saturday we are spending the day dipping chocolates.  Good thing we always have so much fun talking so I'm sure I won't do to much damage to myself.

We'll see when I report back next Friday.  Hope you see less of me when you check in!

Still Needs Supervision

Every other Sunday Jason and I both attend a Ward Council meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the church.  So that we can both be there we bring the boys with us and put them in a nearby classroom with toys and snacks.  I got the boys up at about 6:50 a.m. to get ready to go to church. 

Apparently I should still supervise Ashton getting dressed for church.  I looked down at his feet during sacrament meeting today and noticed ...

One white sock - and one black sock!



He must have been tired getting dressed this morning.  What a silly boy!

Primary Worker Appreciation Luncheon

For the past two days in participation for a luncheon today mom came up to help me make chocolates as a gift for our primary workers.  We made fondant (flavors - peppermint, maple walnut, coconut and cherry) and then we spent Friday dipping.  I feeling much more confident in my chocolate making skills and really enjoy the process.  My dipping is getting better as well.  It will never be as good as my moms (who is the chocolate dipping queen), but I'm not embarrassed to give them to people. 

I bagged up 4 chocolates for each person, and still had lots left over to put on the table.

Today my presidency and I put on a primary worker appreciation luncheon.  We invited all the teachers, music leaders, nursery teachers, activity girl leaders, cub leader etc.  We invited about 20 people.  13 of us were able to come.  We had everyone over to my house at 1:00 p.m.  I made chicken salad croissants,  Dyane made a delicious fresh vegetable salad, and Stephanie brought yummy homemade chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate.

I think everyone had a good time and I hope they felt appreciated.  I am very grateful for wonderful counsellors who are so helpful to me and wonderful primary workers who do so much for our primary kids. 
First successful party of the Christmas season - check!

Friday Weigh-In - Week 17

So this post is better late than never!  I have a confession to make.  I did absolutely nothing I promised to in last week's blog.  I didn't start from scratch, I didn't keep track of what I ate, and I didn't exercise.  So not surprising this week I gained back that dreaded ...

.5 lbs

I'm committed to not giving up!  I will succeed!  I can do this!  I will try again this week.  I find I have the most success when I am keeping track of what I eat.  When I was doing that - I always felt satisfied and not deprived.  I have a few challenges this week - a busy schedule as per usual. Tomorrow I'm hosting a Primary Worker luncheon - which I made homemade chocolates for.  I'm going to try really hard to only have a couple and make sure I give the rest away to my guests.

See you back here in 7 days and I promise I'll have better news to report!

Friday Weigh-In - Week 16

So here we go again!  Are you getting as bored with this weekly update as I am.  I found this week tougher than I expected.  Too much halloween candy around - but I really did my best to stay out of it.  When I weighed this morning I found this week I've lost ...

.5 lbs

Which brings my grand total to date back to 14 lbs lost!  I'm happy it is at least going back in the right direction.  Although I've been dancing around the same weight for over a month now.  I really need to step it up.  I don't want to give up and the holiday season is just around the corner.  Today I should get plenty of exercise as I have tons of housework to do before 12 people come over tonight for a bishopric dinner.  We are cooking a 15 lb prime rib - wish me luck - I hope we don't end up ordering Chinese food!  My goals this week are to lose 1.5 - 2 lbs and to exercise a minimum of 3 times.  I'll report back next Friday!

Did you realize today is 11/11/11.  Plus of course it is remembrance day.  I am so grateful for the freedoms I enjoy and for the many brave men and women who have lost their lives defending them.  Bowen came home from school yesterday with this sweet little poem to recite to us:

Little Poppy

Little Poppy given to me

Help me keep Canada safe and free.



He said it so serious and slow and deliberate.  It was so sweet.  I think I've had him say it about 10 times!

LEST WE FORGET

Domestic Goddess

I was feeling very domestic yesterday.  This is not a feeling I get often - maybe I was just trying to avoid cleaning the house.  But I felt the need to do some baking and cooking for my family.  Actually I love to cook but with my schedule I've been finding it difficult to find the time.  So I decided to start early in the morning.  First I whipped up a batch of buns.

Ashton informed me, when he tried one after school, that they were "nearly" as good as Grandma's.  I'll take that - my mom makes the best buns on the planet.

Then I started on a homemade potato soup.  I thought if I made it up we could just grab a bowl around supper time.  I had to move a couple of my Wednesday students so I was teaching from 3:40 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. with only a half hour break.

I don't really have a potato soup recipe, but this is basically how I make it.

POTATO SOUP

1/2 of an onion diced

2 - 3 stocks of celery chopped

5 - 6 medium potatoes chopped bite size

3 tablespoons of butter

salt

pepper

cover with water and cook until tender

add 2 cups milk and 1/4 cup sour cream

bring to a boil and thicken with flour and water mixture

top with cooked and chopped bacon, chives and dollop of sour cream (optional)

It is so easy but very tasty.

I was pretty busy during the day as I was babysitting my little nephew Dane and was getting guitar lessons ready for the evening so I had some dough left over that I hadn't had time to make into buns yet.  As soon as Jason saw the leftover dough he asked if I could make some cinnamon buns with it.  I've never made cinnamon buns before but I decided to give it a go.

I rolled out the dough, brushed it with melted butter, sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.  Rolled up dough, sliced it, placed in a pan, let it rise for 30 minutes and baked for 18 minutes.  Voila - delicious cinnamon buns!  Ashton had one for breakfast this morning and when I asked him if he liked it, he replied "I don't like it - I LOVE it!

Enough avoiding the inevitable.  Today I must clean the house and do laundry!

Christmas Lists & New Bangs

The boys decided to make their wish lists to Santa the other day.  They picked up a flyer from toys r us and spent the afternoon cutting and pasting pictures of toys they would like.

Ashton's wish list is two pages double sided.

Now I'm just trying to convince them that it is a little too early to mail them!

On Saturday I went for a well deserved hair appointment.  It had been months since I'd had my hair done.  I decided to go back to having full bangs.  I'm still trying to get to used to them - but I think it was the right decision - what do you think?

Friday Weigh-In - Week 15

Not what I had in mind when I was hoping I would get past this plateau I've been having.  When I weighed this morning, this week I have gained ...

.5 lbs

So that brings my grand total lost back down to 13.5 lbs.  To be honest I'm not that surprised.  I haven't been keeping track of what I've been eating, I haven't been drinking enough water.  I probably had a few more halloween treats than I should have, and I haven't exercised - at all!  I'm actually relieved I didn't gain more!

I'm going to view this week as if I'm starting from scratch.  Be stricter with myself than I have been this past month and see what I can accomplish by next week.  I'd like to get another 5 - 10 lbs off before the Christmas season.  I sure hope I can report a good weightloss next week - or this is going to start to get embarrassing!

School Pictures

I know it is a racket, I know I should be smart like Char and just take my own, but I just can't resist their sweet little faces when they send home the pictures from school.  Of course they milk it even further and include the 8x10 portraits with the most expensive packages.  But I'm suckered in everytime.

But really, could you say no to these faces??

Kindergarten

Grade 2

Looking so grown up and handsome on our living room wall!

Early Christmas Present - to Myself!

As promised I thought I'd share pictures of another purchase I had no business making from Home Sense.  The other night as I was picking out new pillows for our family room I walked through the dish section on our way out.  Some dishes caught my eye and after getting home that night I couldn't get them out of my mind.  I've been wanting to purchase a new table setting since I replaced my dining room chairs.  The next morning we headed back to the store - much to my children's dismay!

I purchased large dinner plates ...

and a salad (or small course) size accent plate ...

Fell in love with the pattern - I just couldn't resist!

and together, I think it is stunning!!

Loving my new table setting, now I really need to sand and restain my table!

Halloween Fun

Our halloween festivities started with carving pumpkins on Sunday night.  Jason and the boys love this activity.  A couple nights before they had each picked out their pumpkins and had decided on a theme for this years pumpkins.



After helping the boys with their pumpkins, Jason finishing his up at 11:30 p.m.



Gru and his minions!

 We had a busy and fun halloween.  My day started with making sugar cookies for Bowen's kindergarten class.  Bowen's class had a little party and he was able to wear his costume to school.

After school, supper, finishing up costumes and teaching two students we were finally ready to go trick or treating.  We had been watching Dane so after his mom got off work they joined us to trick or treat for a few houses.  We're not sure if Dane liked wearing his costume or not!

My mom offered to come up this year and hand out candy, so I was able to join the boys trick or treating.  I was going to wear my gypsy outfit, but I was a party pooper - it was too cold!


Jason made Ashton a cool "ion blaster"



Dane with a full bucket ready to head home!

Candy bag getting super heavy

Trick or treating at our house too!

The boys collected a ridiculous amount of candy!!

As we were finishing up trick or treating and walking back to the house, Bowen says to me "Mom, can we have a treat before bed?"  I thought it was hilarious that he was carrying this huge bag of candy and thought I wouldn't let him eat any of it.  The boys had a few treats, okay maybe we all had a few treats and watched Walt Disney's Icabod Crane's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  We sent some very tired boys to bed and mom, Jason and I watched "Sleepy Hollow" with Johnny Depp.  We had a fun halloween.  I will not eat my children's candy,  I will not eat my children's candy ...  I guess we'll find out on Friday.