I am pretty sure I know how my mom felt when I was this age...this is gemma's what do you want? look...

dan took laken for professional haircut attempt #5 or 6??? it ended with laken getting so upset he got a bloody nose and some bad bangs....poor guy might always have a cost cutter phobia....

I love this smile

Gemma and I text each other all of the time--it is a form of communication that works--tonight I said "hi gemma" only to be texted back "mom not now--I'm doing my homework"
kinda funny

dan and my overnight stay was blissful. I had to work saturday--rush home, pack my bag, and we left for our night away around 5:30. the lodge was so rustic with a huge fireplace awaiting you as you walk in the door. Our room was amazing--we had a huge balcony that overlooked the beautiful snowfall we got while we were there. we had a wood burning fireplace and a 2 person spa in the room also. dan was in heaven watching his supercross race while wearing a super comfy robe provided by the hotel.

dinner was also pretty amazing--I had yummy trout pan fried with a yummy sauce and a twicebaked potato. dan had chicken wrapped around spinach and pine nuts with a marina sauce!! there was live music and snow falling outside---the whole night was just heavenly--it was also nice to know the kids were in reliable trustworthy care--thanks michelle

our balcony

painting their nails

the benefits of having an older sister--she can help you figure out what color to paint your nails....

friday are my super long days. I have to be at work at 8:30 and work until 7pm. when i get home the kids are so excited to see mommy it takes a good 1-2 hours to get them calm and ready for bed.
also tonight is yoga night--1 1/2 hours worth. I am beginning to look forward to my workouts--it only took me 25 days into it. they are an outlet for me after a long day...
dan and I are doing well--I am down 7 lbs and he has lost a little more. we can also tell that we are toning up and losing inches.
I am so excited for this weekend. dan and I are going to stay overnight at a place call Callahans near mt. ashland. I got a room with a fireplace and 2 person spa. this is my birthday present and a much needed night for dan and I to reconnect. my friend from work michelle is spending the night with the kids. thank goodness for her --she even volunteered to do it before I had asked. here is the link http://www.callahanslodge.com/

I came home to an automated message from costco last night--peanut butter cliff bars we had purchased from them were being recalled due to the salmonella found in the peanut butter.
not five minutes after I finished dinner I had horrible diarrhea --like everything I had eaten and drank came right back out into the toilet. for about 30 minutes i was back and forth to the toilet. my stomach kind of hurt but otherwise I felt fine. I even did our evening workout...
was it all in my head? did the thinking about salmonella give me diarrhea?
it's amazing how powerful the mind is...

sadie and laken are alway fighting--"laken hit me" followed by "sadie hit me" are common phrases heard at our house. there are definitely sharing issues involves in these confrontations--and a lot of time I rely on sadie to be the "bigger" person and share toys with her brother.
I know siblings are supposed to argue and not always get along--I remember my sister and I chasing each other around the house...but it seems to be constant here.
they still want to take baths together but someone always ends up crying... sometimes I wonder if it is because they are different sexes or their personalities are so different. dan tells me it will get better as they get older--I just don't know.
they do have their moments though like when sadie insists on giving laken a goodnight kiss, or laken gives sadie a cookie, or her blanket just because. I know they love each other--laken needs to know where sadie is every minute of the day--and sadie has to always open laken's door for him when we get in the truck. I just look forward to the day when they enjoy each others company more...

hormones

hormones are running high in this household---so gemma started her very first period on friday--mine came on strong saturday morning
I took the kids to see hotel for dogs today--there was a preview for a disney movie opening on earth day that follows three different families of animals--whales, polar bears, and elephants--I glance over at gemma and she is bawling like a baby. I said--"gem--what is wrong?" she states she will never see that movie because all of the animals are going to die--talk about hormones and drama
not to mention--I cry at any animal flick I see no matter what
we were quite the pair today
poor dan, brecken, and laken

I am exhausted. I know I don't get a good nights sleep every night. I am up at least 1-2 times letting the cats out or in--or peeing since I have been drinking a gallon of water every night.

plus--working 8 hours and then working out 1-2 hours a night probaly doesn't help matters. I thought I would have more energy from working out--I guess when you factor in the kids also...

I just want to sleep and sleep---maybe I have seasonal mood disorder--it has been foggy here for weeks and bitterly cold

my knee has been feeling better until tuesday night when we worked through the part where we do standing knee tucks forever----ouch--too bad i cancelled my ortho appt. the doctor would probaly want to know what i'm doing for my knee and then the truth would come out that I am doing nothing to help it..

you know you have been going to costco a lot when the first thing out of your 2 year olds mouth in the morning is--momma--are we going to costco????

gemma called me today at work--first of all this is unusual since she has had a cell phone since christmas and is a texting master---secondly she never calls me at work

she is what she said; "mom I have some news"--these are not exactly words you want to hear--but lots of things are flying through my head--like she likes a boy, or she broke my phone--on and on and on
" I started my period today" WHAT????
the last thing I expected to hear....gemma is 11 1/2 and not 100 lbs yet. she is too young to have to go through this every month but...guess her body figured it was about that time.
I feel horrible that I am not there with her--what a mom/daughter moment. she is coming tomorrow tho and we will get to spend the whole weekend together.
what is it about periods starting that makes people excited--I told a few friends at work and everyone was like ooohh and ahhhh
my baby is growing up.....
reminiscing--I started my period when I was 13--mom basically told us where she kept her sanitary napkins and that was it---no explanations, no advice, no mother/daughter talk. I don't blame my mom--she did the best she could and I sitll made it through
I just want to be very open and helpful for gemma at this time and always

about two weeks ago dan and I bought p90x workout dvds.

we decided that we needed to do something about the lack of fitness in out lives--we always talk about how much weight we've gained and how in shape we used to be but we have never done anything truly serious about getting back in shape

I have a hard time dieting if dan isn't on the wagon with me..
dan has amazed me these past 13 days--with his devotion to exercising, eating right, and not one drop of alcohol (we love our wine) he has been my rock in helping me stay motivated
it is a 90 day program and already we are seeing results on day 13..

it gets really exhausting sometimes--working all day and coming home, fixing dinner, putting the kids to bed, and then killing ourselves for 1 1/2 hours.
I am very excited about this process--and we are doing weekly pictures so I will post my transformation ...

laken's favorite phrase besides "no" of course

mommy--what sadie doing?----100 times a day I tell you....

brecken

I like this picture of brecken--he looks like his daddy --brecken has a wonderful smile and beautiful crystal blue eyes. he turned 8 on October 22nd.

bend winter pics