Fresh Beginnings

 This year brings fresh beginnings of all sorts for us!  In early November of last year Nick was offered a job with a company in York, Nebraska!  So on November 15th we signed a lease on an apartment here, and on the 18th we officially moved in!  I am so thankful for these new beginnings for our family, but they were not without heartache and growing pains.  

Our home in Plattsburg (which we have sold and are closing on in 8 days!) was such a comfortable and homey place, and it was extremely hard to move out, especially since we were moving into a 2 bedroom, 900 square foot apartment.   On the flipside, it is much quicker cleaning up around the apartment than it was the house since there is less space!  Also, I feel like with less space we are spending more quality family time together since we can't all spread out in our own spaces as easily.  The girls have done remarkably well with the move and transition and sharing of a bedroom.  It has been tricky for them when they DO need to have some space from each other and don't have a bedroom of their own to retreat to, but we have found solutions that work for us!

The girls loved playing in this tree in our front yard!

Olivia was so small here, about 6, I believe!  Posing on the front steps for homeschool pics!

Decorating the apartment for Christmas

All done!  Definitely the quickest we have ever decorated :)

Leaving one of our next-door neighbors in Plattsburg was another tough change.  The girls played with the neighbor kids frequently, and their folks were amazing, godly people!  Emma learned a lot about football (how to play, what different fouls are, rules) and she learned that doing something she loves in more important that doing what someone might expect of her since she is a girl!  Olivia was able to nurture her caretaker tendencies with their youngest and loved having someone her speed to play with and keep up with! I think this part of move was the hardest on all of us.  I pray that the person who has purchased our home has children of her own for them to play with!

It was also difficult leaving the dance studio where the girls had taken lesson from and performed with for the past several years.  Meri's Dance Studio in Cameron is top notch, and we highly recommend them if you're considering enrolling your kiddo in dance!  They are knowledgeable, kind, loving, patient, and understanding and I am so grateful that the girls were able to have a solid foundation of dancing techniques, skill, and confidence built by Meri, Julia, and Wendy.  The girls both had made some good friends there over the years, and so saying goodbye was hard there as well.  However, Tuesday we are beginning dance at a studio in York called the York Dance Center, and the girls are sooooo ready and excited!  The past month and a half since moving have felt and been extremely chaotic, and so we are all ready for things to settle down and settle into a familiar rhythm.  I am hoping dance can give us that.

Recital 2021

Recital 2021 (she LOVED this outfit...not really!)

Finally, since the move my healthy lifestyle plans have all but gone out the window :(  I have maintained an average weight of 171 pounds, which is 22 pounds down since I began in August.  With the move we were eating out more because we were up late packing, and I didn't want to waste that precious time cooking.  Then Thanksgiving came and Christmas, and my will power was ground down even further.  However, I am thankful that I didn't regain all of the weight I had been working so hard to lose (though I had gotten down to about 167 just before Nick got the job offer, I still count 171 as a win through all of the chaos.)   So now as I sit here, gazing out our patio door at a snow-covered field, and eating a brownie, I am also making a menu and a plan to get back on the healthy lifestyle plan I began a little over 4 months ago.  And boy, am I ready for that!  After having been doing so good for a few months, then going off the tracks for a few months I can definitely see how sugar affects my body through my energy levels, my skin breaking out and being red, and my mental clarity!  It's okay if you fall off the horse, just get back on!

I didn't realize until writing this how much we have grown in the past two months as opposed to the past two years!  I remember when Nick was talking about how much he wanted this job (did I mention that we live only an hour from his family?!) how I did not want to move because I knew all of the heartaches and headaches that it would bring.  And all of these feelings were borne out of selfishness.  I didn't want to move because of the hassle it would bring ME.  I didn't want to leave our friends because making friends is hard as an adult for ME.  I didn't want to find new doctors for Olivia because I was comfortable with her current ones and didn't want the headache of taking MY time to find new ones.  But when God revealed to me that I was looking at things all wrong, I began to have a change of heart.  I prayed, instead, that the Lord would give Nick this opportunity to put all of his hard-earned skills and certifications to use, and that He would allow me to sacrifice for Nick and he has sacrificed for us.  

And that, my friends, is what has made the whole process easier than I ever dreamed it would be!  Submitting to God's will and authority and knowing that He knows what we need before we even need it, this has been my new mindset and is serving me well.  Am I ready to get out of the apartment and into a home of our own?  You bet!  But instead of praying for us to find a home, now I pray for patience as we wait, because right now we are exactly where God wants us.  And where He wants us is where I want to be. 

1 Month Down

 I am nearly a month into my new, healthier lifestyle, and I'm feeling great!  I have more energy to play football and basketball with my oldest, and find that it's not as uncomfortable to sit on the floor and play Playmobil with my youngest :)  Last blog I had decided to lock the scale in our safe to keep me from being tempted to think about weighing myself constantly, because let's be honest, that's not healthy on any level.  That lasted about a week, and then I left it out one morning, and have found that when I weigh myself daily, although weight can fluctuate from day to day, I am able to stay on track better and see how what I am eating affects me.  Surprisingly enough, I haven't felt like a slave to the scale, which has been nice.  Another thing I have found helpful has been to keep a food diary, for much the same reason that I weigh daily.  It helps to keep me accountable to myself, as well as lending insight if I'm having a stall in weight loss.

In fact, I feel less and less that food the same control over me that it used to, and that goes for drinking anything other than water, as well.  I'm also finding that my complexion has really cleared up once my diet did.  I think I have drank more water in the past month than in the last 5 years, which is really embarrassing to admit, but I was a big pop drinker and when I was thirsty that is what I typically reached for. 

So, at this point, almost a month in to the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) lifestyle, I am down almost 13 pounds. I know the weight loss will slow as my metabolism adjusts and such, but it is a good motivator to keep pushing, especially as those clothes that haven't fit well for quite some time begin to loosen a bit :)

My Wake-Up Call

It has been so long since I last wrote that I had forgotten my login creds!  I recently had a wake-up call in regards to my health, and this is my attempt to chronicle it.  I hope to be more consistent than I have been in the past, but make no promises :)  Also, fair warning, this could get lengthy as I like to be able to look back and have details, so if you make it to the end, I will be impressed!

I officially started on my journey to health a week ago on August 17th.  My starting weight was 193.4 lb, which is nearly the my heaviest weight ever (down a few pounds unbeknownst to me from May, so technically my heaviest is probably about 198.)  I found out a few years ago that my A1C was at a 5.9 and in the prediabetes range, but at that time, though I was discouraged, I didn’t feel the urgent need to get my act together.  About a week ago I went to the eye doctor, and the vision in my right eye had gone from a -1 script to a -.50, which means that my eye needed but half of the strength prescription from a year ago.  My eye doctor was concerned as she told me that at my age they wouldn’t expect my eyes to improve like that, and proceeded to ask me if I had had any health changes…any thyroid changes? Diabetes? Etc, and it got me thinking.

After reading up a bit on type 2 diabetes I became concerned that I had possibly progressed from prediabetes to full blown diabetes.  It had been almost 3 years from the last time my A1C was checked and it is typically thought that if a person has prediabetes that they will progress to type 2 within 5 years if they don’t make lifestyle changes, so I was understandably worried.  So on Friday the 20th I went to see my doctor for a physical and to get a full work up done.  I prayed and asked God to give me the opportunity to become a healthier mom and wife once more, without the diagnoses of diabetes.  I had known for a few years I was in the prediabetes level, but now I knew that I was ready and willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary if He would just give me the opportunity.  

When I woke up Saturday morning I saw that I had a new test result in my portal from the doctor, and you cannot imagine the relief I felt when I saw that my A1C was 5.8!  Yes, still in the prediabetic range, but better than three years ago by a tenth of a point.  God had answered my prayer and I was so thankful!  So, I began to research some groups on Facebook and found out about Trim Healthy Mama and saw that it is a sustainable way of eating and cooking for myself and my family, so I decided to give it a go.  As of today I have not had any soda in 5 days (not a long time, but when considering I was drinking upwards of 3 cans of Mtn. Dew per day, a pretty big deal for me!) and I have been eating healthier and more balanced meals for lunch, and healthier options at dinner and snacking.  

This past week I weighed myself daily and was thrilled to step on the scale this morning at 189.6.  I realized that this is mostly water weight and such that I am losing, but I am moving in the right direction and I don’t feel deprived or so restricted that I should not be successful.  So this afternoon I took the first round of photos of myself to compare against another set a month from now.  I chose a shirt and a dress that both fit snugly that I should be able to see results in as I continue on my path to health.  These pictures are hard to look at for me, and I’m trying to work up the courage to share them, but I’m not there yet.  I am embarrassed at how I have let myself go, and at the role model I have failed to be for my girls.  I don’t typically wear tight fitting clothing, for obvious reasons, and seeing myself looking 9 months pregnant in one of my favorite dresses was a wake up call.  As was the photo of my face with no visible definition from the side, and little from the front.  I believe it’s important to be kind to yourself and give yourself grace, but man, it’s hard when facing  the photos and the truth that I have not taken care of myself and hoping that I haven’t hurt my daughters in the process.

Today at lunch my youngest, 8, looked at my salad, grapes, and protein that I was having instead of sharing in the mac and cheese and hamburgers with them (not the healthiest, but I am working on changing their taste buds!), and she so innocently said, “Mom, I’m glad to see you eating healthy food.” Now if that’s not motivation to do my best everyday, then nothing is!  

Also, I have decided to put my scale away in our locked safe that way I’m not tempted to use it daily.  I’m shooting for twice a week, that way I can see if I am staying on track, and make corrections if needed :)  So, if you know me and see me out and about and I’m holding a pop or eating junk food (except for Tuesday, those are our dance/eat out nights! ) please remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing and encourage me to do better :)

A few pics so I can look back in a few months and see where I began and how things have changed.

Cooperation....not Competition

It's not often that I come across a product that I love so much that I feel a need to share with others, but that is what I am doing here today!  Recently I applied with Tryazon to try out three new board games that encourage cooperative play rather than competitive play.  In our house we are big board game players, especially in the winter and at family gatherings, so the timing of it was actually impeccable!  The three games we were provided were Hoot Owl Hoot, Race to the Treasure!, and Sunny and Stormy Day.  Sunny and Stormy Day was a matching/memory type game that included a charming little book to read before playing to introduce players to the idea of high and low points during a day, and how you can always turn it around.  This was the game that Olivia was able to participate in most fully and really enjoyed playing with the little bag of "coins!"

Hoot Owl Hoot was an innovative new game where you're attempting to help little owls make it around the board and bag into their nest before the sun rises completely.  Each player starts with 3 cards which can have either a color on it (similar to Candyland) or a sun.  A color allows them to move to the next color on the card, whereas a sun card advances the sun a space, moving it closer to sunrise.  What was unique was the cooperative aspect where you were encouraged to move different owls each turn to help each other out in getting them back in the nest in time, instead of the typical scene where everyone has just one owl and is competing against each other to see whose can get to the finish first.  Emma and Olivia loved the anticipation of getting a new card and turning it over to reveal a color or the (GASP!) sun!

The third and final game was called Race to the Treasure!, and while Emma really was able to engage fully, Olivia was a little more of an observer rather than a player for this one because of the abstract and critical thinking that it required to manipulate the tiles into a path that would lead to three keys that were needing to be collected before the Ogre reached the finish line.  However, Olivia did contribute in an insanely cute way by calling the villain an "Ogurt" (i.e. yogurt!) which we all got a kick out of!  This game the board won on, as we were just one square away from the end, but I found it to be a good teaching moment for both girls.

Competitiveness is something that I think is healthy in older kids, but when you're 4 and 7 learning to cooperate and work together to solve problems is going to serve you much better than competing against each other.  These three games did a wonderful job in fostering that cooperation that I so desire for the girls to obtain and exercise throughout their lives.

Sunny and Stormy Day

Time for a tat!!!

More inking going on :)

Introducing Sunny and Stormy Day

Hoot Owl Hoot was a hoot to play!

The darn "Ogurt" just beat us in Race to the Treasure!

The Big 4

So I normally try to be more timely with these particular posts, but alas, time got away from me and I am 5 days late for my birthday post to Olivia. Not that she can read yet, so it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things :) Yet again we have been blessed with another year with our little lady, for which I am eternally grateful. The longer we know her, the more we can't help but love her and all of her little idiosyncrasies including: laughing at the silliest things, playing make believe with anything and everything (i.e. spoons and books), asking to "nuddle" (snuggle) when she's tired, and so many other cute things. This year in lieu of a lengthy post, I have decided to post some pictures chronicling her life this past year :) Enjoy!

Cujo Control Dog Training Collar Review

When Nick and I first got married we got a puppy pretty much right away.  He was a ten week old Siberian Husky we named Akiba, and was quite the handful :)  We still lived in the condo in Omaha, which was tiny, and Huskies can grow quite large.  Here's a visual:

After being married for 6 months we decided to start a family, and at this time, really decided that our home was going to be incredibly crowded with 3 humans and a dog, so we found him a good new home with a yard and room to run.  I was also working full time and didn't feel like it was fair for him to be kenneled all day, so as hard as it was, it was the right decision. 

When Emma turned 2 we decided we wanted to try the pet route again, but decided this time, as we were still living in the tiny condo, that we would get a cat.  Enter Jax.

He really was a great cat and all was going great with him, however, he began consistently urinating around the house, outside the litter box, the last time being while sitting on the couch right beside me.  As we had just found out that we were expecting baby number two, we once again had to make the hard decision to rehome him because of health risks associated with pregnant women and litter boxes. 

So, our history with pets is a less than stellar one to say the least.  However, last September we bought a house in northwest Missouri with an extremely expansive backyard, and much more indoor space, and after some mouse problems to begin with, Nick said that he thought having a cat around would be good.  So, we adopted a pair of brothers which I named Smokey, and Emma affectionately named the other Pom Pom (it was unknown at the time that Pom Poms favorite toys would actually be pom poms!!!) 

We were heartbroken when Smokey (the black one), met an untimely end with a car, but Pom Pom is still with us 11 months later, and we love him to pieces.  This is the longest that it has worked out for us with a pet, and it is a great feeling.  Now for more exciting news, we have a new addition to our family.....

Isn't he handsome?!  A blue merle Miniature Australian Shepherd.  We decided that since we have a large yard and I stay home with the girls because of homeschooling, that this is the right time for us to add a puppy to our family.  However, I didn't want to build a fence out back because I love the view of the treeline at the back of our property, and didn't want to lose that.  Therefore, I began researching wireless fences, but every one I found would only emit the signal in a round shape, which meant that there was less of the back yard to be used because the signal would run right through the middle.  My Dad mentioned training collars, which are more convenient and you can use them and take them anywhere, so you aren't limited to just having the control at home, but can take it anywhere.  I found one such collar called the Cujo Control Dog Training Collar, and was thrilled when given the opportunity to offer an honest review in exchange for a free product. 

So, now about the collar.  It is extremely convenient as the collar is fully adjustable and has two size prongs to use with it, which we use the small ones.  Another feature that I love is that it isn't just a static collar, but rather, offers the option to use vibration or sound in order to correct the dog's behavior.  I plan to use the static feature as a last resort, as tone and vibration is much preferred to me.  The collar/receiver works up to 300 yards apart, which is more than enough to give him free range of the back yard without me having to worry.  I think that one of my favorite features so far is the fact that I can take it with us so that when we are traveling to see our family and taking the pup with us, we can still let him go outside with us, off leash, but he's learning that when he hears to beep or feels the vibration, that he's wandering too far and needs to return.  I am anxious to see as he ages, how he remembers the boundaries of the yard, and am hopeful that eventually we only need it on special occasions.  I am so glad not to have had to build a fence in order to make our dreams of successful dog ownership a possibility, and it's all thanks to Cujo!  You can check them out: http://Go2Azon.com/g/B01JS4AJAO-DTC   #cujocontrol

Big Decision

There is something that Nick and I have talked about before. Something that would be life altering for us. It would take a lot of hard work, dedication, and self-sacrifice to accomplish. It's something that many people won't agree with, but that's only because they aren't aware of the resources and support out there for it. So, what am I talking about? Homeschooling. One word which has many negative connotations attached to it. "Weird." "Anti-social." "Neglect." However, those misconceptions overshadow the positive aspects to is, such as, individualized attention, spiritual growth, and great support communities.

Homeschooling is and idea that Nick and I have toyed with in the past, but never seriously considered until now because Emma is preparing to start Kindergarten, and when she attended their Summer School program here, we saw and heard some thing that we were not happy about, and thought that if we could afford to lose my income so that I could homeschool, then it would be selfish and greedy not to, especially since I have a teaching certificate and feel as though this is why God pushed me to get it in the first place.  Our school year will be starting October 3rd, instead of mid August, because we need my job for a few more months in order to save the money needed for a building here at our house for storage.  Our finished basement will be our school room/canvas, and I have begun acquiring the supplies necessary, including a curriculum from the accredited school Our Lady of Victory.  It is a predominately Catholic curriculum that covers every area done in a public school setting, which I will be supplementing with my own art, music, library, and technology classes once a week, along with daily physical education time, and a time each day where I teach the girls how to perform a new thing around the house including dusting, loading/unloading a dishwasher, feeding the cat, etc. 

I am fortunate to have a great support community here in Plattsburg and north Kansas City, called Saint Margaret's.  I have recently learned that most of the families in our parish homeschool and the church is having a "Back to School Night" on August 27th with a special mass, as well as a potluck dinner afterwards, which will allow us to meet all of the other families we have been conversing with via email.  Something else exciting that we learned was that this school year many activities and parties and such will take place here at our church, St. Ann's!  This co-op group gets together for holiday parties, field days, and other times throughout the year, which I think is really going to benefit us.

I know that we will face criticism, questions, and negativity in this endeavor.  However, we know that it is the right thing for our family, and by keeping that at the forefront of our thought, we will be able to focus on all of the positive aspects!  I also know that there will be days that are H.A.R.D., but isn't that the way it is with any job?  Speaking of jobs...I think I am going to find it hard to leave the preschool scene that I have been a part of for the past four years.  This group that I am teaching now is especially dear to me, as I have been with them for quite a while.  It will also be hard leaving my coworkers, especially the woman that I work with 10 hours a day, 4 days a week!  We have really developed a great friendship and it will be strange not seeing and talking with her on a daily basis.  Therefore, I think a few lunch dates each month will be in order!  Overall,  I am extremely excited to begin this new chapter in my life!  Prayers for us (and my sanity!) are much appreciated :)

Not a Toddler Anymore!

How is it that three year's time can go by so quickly, but so slowly at the same time? As I sit here looking at my "not quite a baby anymore, but still a baby to me," Olivia, I can't begin to fathom that as of 7:00 a.m. she was no longer an ornery 2 year old toddler, but an ornery 3 year old child. T.H.R.E.E. It almost makes me sick to my stomach to know that she is already this old, but then again I am glad as well because that means that God has given me three amazing years with this little girl, and hopefully a lifetime more! Now, enough of the sappy stuff. Here's what has been going on with her over the last year, since keeping up the blog has more than been put on the back-burner. I believe that it wasn't too long after her second birthday that she was diagnosed with epilepsy. We had been noticing some strange things with her such as muscle jerks and eye fluttering, and upon having an EEG, I was devastated to get the phone call saying that she has generalized epilepsy. She currently takes two medications, Keppra and Topomax, which seem to be managing the seizures well, and we have only noticed breakthrough seizures once or twice since adding the second medicine about four months ago. One of my main concerns with the epilepsy is whether or not it has caused any delays or such, since we don't know how long the seizures had been going on for, but know that it had at least been 6 months at the time of diagnosis. We hope that she can live as "normal" of a life as possibly with minimal interference from this disease, and have faith in God to help her through it. Potty training. The most dreaded two words in our vocabulary right now. Or should I say, a lack of potty training. And let me make it clear, that it's not for lack of trying. She sits on the toilet every 1.5-2 hours at school and, for the most part, the same here at home; however, some times she wants to sit on it and other time she doesn't. When she doesn't I don't press the issue, but am ready for this diaper phase to be over. If I can get her to sit on it first thing in the morning right after she wakes up she will usually go, but then throughout the day, she won't tell me if she has to go. When I take her to the potty sometimes her pullup/diaper is wet and sometimes dry. We rehearse the "where do we go potty?" phrase and I emphasize keeping her pull-up dry, and she seems to understand the concept that she is supposed to do her stuff in the toilet, but she doesn't initiate it ever. Although I know that all kids do this at their own speed, it does make it difficult knowing that there are two kids who are younger than her in her class at school who are already trained and have transitioned up to my room, and that she seems to be lagging behind. She also struggles with pulling her pants up and down by herself. Maybe this is just Olivia and she needs some extra time to get there, but I instinctually wonder if any of this could be epilepsy-related, as in if there has been a delay that is prolonging the diaper phase. There are many things that Olivia does and does not love right now and here are just the ones I can think of... Olivia LOVES: * Swinging! Almost every time we go outside this is the first thing she wants to do! * Baby dolls. Holding them, rocking them, putting them to bed..... * Looking at books. One of her current favorites is our Disney World Planning 2016 book! She loves to look at all of the characters and rides! * EMMA!!!! Olivia loves to copy Emma and do whatever big sis is doing, which is sometimes good and sometimes not-so-good. * Nutrigrain breakfast bars :P Every morning for breakfast she asks for a "bar." I seriously think she has an obsession! Olivia Dislikes: * Having her hair brushed. Nearly 9 times out of 10 she throws a hissy fit when I brush her hair, even though she still has so little that it only takes about 4 pass-throughs of the brush to get it all! * Having her hair washed. Are we noticing a theme when it comes to her hair?! Washing, similarly to brushing takes about 15 seconds from start to finish, but she fights me every second of it! * Riding in the car. She has gotten really tough to travel with the past few months. I think it is due in part to her new found independence. Every day she is teaching me more about patience, love, and what it means to be a mother. I hope I can raise her to love God, family, and the importance of being herself.

Review of "The Sorcery Code" by Dima Zales

Recently I was approached by a company to read and review a new fantasy novel, in exchange for receiving it for free.  You can imagine my excitement as I am an avid reader, especially of this genre.  As I settled in and began to read "The Sorcery Code" by Dima Zales, the first thing that really caught my attention was the writing style.  The long and short of it was that I was not impressed.  It seemed immature in the complexity of the sentences, as well as the subject matter for the first hundred pages or so.  It was incredibly hard for me to get past the fact that every time we read a chapter from Blaise, that his thoughts eventually turn to Gala's beauty, and how he just can't believe how stunning she is. Likewise, Gala's innocence is a little too exaggerated and childlike for my taste.  Each chapter being devoted to a single character's POV was interesting, however, it is something that I have seen done more successfully in other novels.  Overall I feel like this book has potential, but is was potential never fully realized.  #SorceryCode

Home is Where the Heart Is

Guess what.  We are homeowners once again!  It has been such since late September, but settling in has taken quite some time since we both work full time, have two kids, and now, two cats!  I believe it was in July that our condo in Omaha sold, and the whole process was pretty painless, which was a great relief.  So, we then decided to start looking for a place to buy as our rental was growing smaller and smaller by the day.  Our agent, Micki Trotter with Woodward Real Estate, was wonderful.  She was available almost any time we asked, even taking time on the weekends to show us properties.  I believe we physically saw maybe 5 or 6 houses, the one we purchasing being probably the 4th.  I remember when we pulled into the driveway thinking "This has to be way over our budget!"  The space we needed was there, but we didn't realize it until asking to view it a second time, when we were thinking of making an offer on it.  It is 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, has a formal living room, kitchen and dining room combined, a family room, a partial basement with a safe room, and a two car garage.  Oh, did I mention that the back yard is probably 75-100 yards long?!  We are planning to fence it in the future.

Oh, and I mentioned two cats, didn't I?  Yessir we now are proud owners to two crazy 5 month old kittens!  The first one is black and white and Emma named him Pom-Pom!  Coincidentally enough his favorite toys are pom poms!  The other is mainly black with a little white on his stomach and we named his Smokey, or "Mokey" as Olivia likes to call him!  They are brothers and are absolutely crazy during the evenings.  I think the girls play with them more than they do the toys the got for Christmas!  I was nervous that for a week or so that Nick was starting to develop an allergy to them, but it turned out to be just a cold.  The are doing great using the litter box and just all around. 

Soon I will take a minute to take some pictures of the house and kittens to post here! 

TWO!!!!!

My Little Miss Olivia,

How in the world are you already two years old?!?!  In the past year your little personality has really blossomed, and you're a spunky, loud, and generally even-tempered little girl.  It's amazing how different you are from Emma, yet how similar you can be at times!  For example, you are usually really laid back, but if something doesn't go "just right", then you can totally come unglued!  Like the other night...There was a baby in a bag of mine that you were trying to get out, and when you couldn't, you ran with the bag, screaming into the kitchen, throwing a fit because the babydoll's leg was stuck in the strap of the bag.  It is almost comical at times!

Some of your favorite things to do right now are:
Looking at/Reading books.  I think you would do this all of the time if we let you!

Playing with baby dolls.  This is one that really has been a favorite for a long time :)

Bath time, until it is time to wash/wet your hair!

OUTSIDE!!!!!!  I think we could put your crib outside and let you live out there!

Grandma's and Grandpa's.  I can't even begin to describe how excited you get when you see them!

Deer Hunting Shows.  We love watching you squeal with delight whenever Nick puts in a hunting show and you just go NUTS when you see a deer!!!!

Some things you are not so fond of:
Lawnmowers/Weedeaters.  Any time we fire either up while you're outside, you immediately grab the parent's legs who isn't using the lawn machine!  I think it's the noise.

Bedtime.  Lately you are having a tough time when it's time to wind down and hit the hay.

Brushing/Flossing your teeth.  If a stranger were to come to our door while we were doing your oral hygiene they might think we were beating you by the sounds of your screams.

Giving hugs and kisses.  I ask every day for a hug or kiss, and almost every time you will politely decline with a "No, Mommy."  I think I have gotten 2 kisses in the 2 years you have been with us!


We are so in love with you, our little Goober!!!!  Even though this is a few weeks late, I want you to know that it's not because we love you any less than Emma, it's because we're all too busy having fun together and making memories :)  Happy Belated 2nd Birthday!

Love Always & Forever,

Mommy

Update #2

As of yesterday morning I weighed at 155.0!!!!  So I am officially down 10.4 pounds, which is such a big thing for me!  Some shirts that were too tight a few weeks ago are now fitting better especially in the stomach area.  I didn't take my measurements when I first started back at the beginning of March (I think it was), but my measurements haven't changed but maybe by an inch down at the narrowest part of my waist.  My goal for the rest of the month of April is to be down to 150 by the last day of the month.  I am hoping that with our trip to Florida coming next week, and all of the outdoor activities I am planning (kayaking, snorkeling, etc) that I will be able to keep my weight loss on the right track.

I realize that this doesn't cross many people's eyes, but feel that publicly posting my progress/failures helps to keep me accountable!  Hoping for more progress before leaving on a jet plane next Monday :)

Weight Loss Update

Since the last time I posted, I am down to 157.0!!  Whoooo Hoooo!  Granted, my official weigh-in on Monday was 158.4, but over the last few days it has been steadily declining.  I am only about 1.6 lb. away from being down 10 lbs!  I can tell that my pants and shirts are beginning to fit differently, and think my stomach looks a little smaller too.  I am hoping to fit back into my old size 12 jeans soon, which would mean I had lost a whole pant size!  I decided that it would probably be a good idea for me to measure myself as well, that way I can check my measurements the weeks that my weight loss slows, like it did a week ago.  So, I was 35 1/2 inches at the very smallest part of my waist, and 40 inches right around my bellybutton.  I know that those are pretty bad numbers, but at least I am on the right track to getting healthy and seeing them go down.

Only 18 days until Nick and I fly out for St. Petersburg, Florida, and my goal is to be at 153-154 by that time (allowing myself a little less weight loss as "woman issues" will fall somewhere between now and them :P ).  I guess it would be a good idea for me to publicly post my ultimate goal, although I'm not sure who is interested in hearing about it other than my family!  So, the goal is to get down to 133 pounds by Emma's birthday in August.  I think that is ample time, but don't want to be overly ambitious only to be discouraged.  Here's to staying on track!

On The Road To a New Me

It's no secret, especially to those who know me...I have a sweet tooth and am a late night snacker.  I guess I could blame it on genetics, but that's not entirely fair or accurate :)  The fact is, I am overweight and I need to do something about it. if not for me, than for my girls.  I am 29 years old, 5 feet and 1 inch tall, and my starting weight three weeks ago was 165.4 lbs.  Yikes.  That is right about how much I weighed when I gave birth to Olivia almost two years ago!  No, I didn't just not lose the weight....on the contrary...I lost almost every bit of the 20 pounds I had gained within about 2 months, however, that can't be expected to continue especially when the weight loss was at such a high rate.

Over the next year and a half, my weight steadily began to creep upwards.  When I hit 159, I told myself that I would NOT let it go any higher, and yet, it did... Candy bars, pop, and just overeating pushed me up and over the top to my highest weight to date, 165.4.  I tried dieting pills (yes, I know they aren't good for you, but I was curious), but couldn't stick with them.  I looked into "fad" diets...not for me.  Then, I remembered seeing an ad for Slim Fast.  Meal replacement intrigued me because it made it so much easier to know what I was going to take for breakfast and lunch to work, that I didn't even give myself the chance to try and decide on the spur of the moment.  So, three weeks ago I committed myself to getting healthier and began reducing my calories, and using my rowing machine at least 5 days a week.

I typically do my "official" weigh in on Monday morning, but like to weigh each morning just to make sure I am still on track, especially if I cheated the day before.  Some might say that weighing daily is unhealthy, but I just see it as a way to monitor myself and stay motivated.  As of this morning, I was down to 159.4, which is down 6 pounds in 3 weeks.  I hope to continue to progress until I hit my goal weight of 133, but until then, every pound, every pant size, is a victory!

A Look Back at 2014 in the Spotanski House

Wow, 2014, what a year you were for us!  A quick recap:

We began our year in Omaha, Nebraska, living in our condo, with dreams of selling it.  These felt like pipe dreams, as we had thought about and discussed it for the last several years.  Who wants to raise two kids in a house that has no yard?  Olivia's crib was moved from our bedroom to the frontroom, because we were keeping each other awake at night.  We knew that the sleeping situation couldn't continue with Olivia's bedroom being our main living quarters, so towards the end of January we began to look for apartments to rent with three bedrooms, as we were seriously talking about fixing our condo up to list on the market.

February saw us living in a three bedroom apartment a little farther east in Omaha, around the 90th and Dodge area.  This put Nick about a mile from Harbor Freight, a tool store that he has a secret love for, and quite a bit closer to his job with Con Agra downtown.  We lived on the third floor and the girls only had a small concrete balcony to "play" on.

March began with us beginning to work on the condo to get it show-room ready.  The girls went to spend a little time with my parents in Missouri so we could focus our efforts at the condo.

In April Nick, Emma, and I took our vacation early and spent a week in Branson, Missouri.  Emma got to experience Silver Dollar City, the Dixie Stampede, and the Branson Belle, with the Dixie Stampede being her favorite.  I think Nick and I came home more worn out than when we initially left for vacation!

May was more working on condo and meeting with a Realtor who really didn't give us the reaction we were hoping for about the house.  At the end of May we decided to rent out the condo instead of selling it because it was going to be a lot of money out of pocket to settle up on the loan even after selling.  Renters were found quickly much to our relief.

Olivia had a big month in June, with turning one and all :)  She was still not walking or showing any interest in it.

July was an uneventful month with just celebrating the 4th back in Missouri.  Ethan left for Toledo, Ohio for a residency.

August brought Emma's 4th birthday, which of course had to be a Frozen theme!  Nick interviewed with a construction company in Missouri, as the itch to get out of the city was getting worse than ever.  August 29th, Nick got a phone call from Heico, offering him a job!

September was a busy month for us.  The first week, a wonderful former coworker was taken home to be with the Lord very suddenly.  I attended her funeral in the same church where Nick and I got married years earlier, definitely a sobering last memory of Omaha.  The 12th was both mine and Nick's last days of work as we left for Missouri the following day!  The hunt to find a place to live in the area we needed was quite an interesting one, but ended with us choosing a house in Trimble, a budding metropolis of 650 people :)  Nick began his new job with apprehensions as to whether or not he could perform well in his new role.

October I received a job offer with a daycare in Gower.  The girls got excited for Halloween as Emma dressed as Elsa and Olivia was a giraffe!  Nick turned 34.  Emma diagnosed with Asthma.

November was a month with lot of food, family, and traveling.  We had Thanksgiving with my family the weekend before the actual date, and got to see Ethan for the first time in over six months!  My mother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, but given a good prognosis.  We then made a 5 1/2 hour drive to Dannebrog, Ne to spend a long Thanksgiving weekend with Nick's family.

On the 4th of December Mollie had surgery to remove the cancer, and on the 15th we learned that the surgery had successfully gotten all of it.  We drove back to Dannebrog again for Christmas with the family, then spent Christmas Eve at our own house, instead of at Gma and Gpa's house.  It was the first time ever that I had not been at their house overnight on Christmas Eve, so it was different for everyone, but we enjoyed ourselves, in spite of the fact that Olivia contracted Croup and a sinus/ear infection :(  She was so miserable on Christmas, which was a bummer.  We went to church on Christmas Eve, which was the first time in months that we had been, which I am ashamed to admit.  Made a vow to go to church more regularly so that the girls can be raised in the way that the Lord wants, as well as us wanting it too.  Realized that 2014 had really blessed us in so many ways, and began looking forward to how 2015 will top it!

What a Wild Ride!

I have been absent from the blogging world for nearly three months now, and for good reason....

We are now residents of Trimble, Missouri!!!!  Back on August 29th Nick was offered a job with Heico Construction Group in north Kansas City, around KCI, and on September 13th we bid a final farewell (and almost a good riddance!) to Omaha!  Something that we never really thought would happen for us, actually did, and we were able to move out of the city closer to family :)  Needless to say, the past few months have been incredibly busy, but in a good way.  Trimble is a little town of 650 people about 6 miles north of Smithville and about an hour from Mom and Dad's.  There is a lovely little restaurant, bank, gas station, post office, and car wash.  Basically everything we could need except a grocery store, but that's a mere 5 miles away in Smithville.

I cannot begin to describe how amazing it is to be back in God's County away from the hustle and bustle of the city.  I was excited to move to the city when we got married 5 years ago, but it quickly lost it's lure for me, and especially since having Emma, I ached to get closer to family, whether it be to his family or mine.  He applied in both Grand Island and Kansas City, and had interviews both places, but the companies in Grand Island never pulled the trigger, and so now here we are, residents of Missouri (again for me!)  I know Nick's family was disappointed when we told them we were moving farther away, as we're now 5-5 1/2 hours from then in Dannebrog, but it's mostly interstate driving for when we go up there, and it goes quickly.  We have been back once since moving and I think it helped set their minds at ease that they will still see us and such.  I don't blame them...I know my parents would have felt the same if things had worked out that we'd moved farther West.

Moving from Omaha was something that we had talked about for years, and never actually thought it would happen.  When Nick called to tell me that he had been offered a job in Missouri, I was over-the-moon excited to be finally rid of city living, but it wasn't without a bit of sadness and apprehension.  Small Miracle Preschool and Child Care was a place that I absolutely LOVED working, and it was really hard to leave them.  I had some of the best parents and kiddos there, and saying goodbye to them was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Also, having only two weeks, 4 days (two weekends,) to find a place to live wasn't exactly peachy, considering the lack of properties available to rent in Platte City and Smithville, that was within our price range.  So, when Nick saw this place on Craigslist, we were anxious to check it out, as we had just missed out on one place, and didn't have many other leads.  

As you can see, for the first time since we have been married, we now live in a H.O.U.S.E.!!!!!!  With a YARD!!!!!!!  It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice big kitchen, big frontroom, and a HUGE garage with a huge workbench and tons of built in cabinets!  Also, it had a shed that works perfectly for storage!  Immediately after finding this place, we bought the girls a wooden swingset for the back yard, and it has been a huge hit!  Every day that it is nice enough, we spend lots of time swinging, sliding, and just enjoying the outdoors.  

Nick is liking his job pretty well, although he is incredibly busy right now with budgets, month-end close, software testing, and who knows what else.  He generally gets home around 6:15-6:30 each night, which doesn't leave a lot of time to play with the girls, especially Olivia since she goes to bed around 7 p.m.  However, this busy time will pass and hopefully he'll be able to get home at a more normal hour soon.  On the job front for me, I have been offered and accepted a position with The Learning Tree Preschool and Daycare in Gower, Missouri.  They are working on getting a new facility opened in Plattsburg, which is about 15-20 minutes from us, so not a bad drive.  I will be teaching 2-3 year olds, which will be a change from the infants, but one I am ready to tackle!  Olivia and Emma will both be able to attend school there, and tuition is free for employees, which is huge for us!  

Also, not relating to moving, Olivia started walking towards the end of August, and hasn't slowed down since!  She's a real handful always pulling stuff out of cabinets and climbing inside, and she's trying to climb onto and into EVERYTHING right now!!!!  She loves to follow Emma around, and almost every night while Nick and I are eating supper in the kitchen, she's chasing Emma around and Emma is LOVING it :)  As far as things go for Emma, she's growing a bit....still a shrimp though ;)  Also, she was recently diagnosed with mild asthma, to our dismay.  We're in the process of getting financial aid set up for her monthly inhaler, as it's $177 per month.  Not like we couldn't afford it if there weren't financial aid options available, but that a lot of money per month, and when Nick's insurance kicks in on December 1st, there will be no prescription coverage until our deductible is met, which is $2000 per person :(   So I am very thankful that there will be some assistance, as the medicine is necessary, especially with winter coming on quickly.  

So, that's what we have been up to the past three months!  Moving, new jobs, lots of paperwork and such, and a whole bunch more that I can't even remember :)  A whirlwind Fall if you ask me!