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Sierra’s Journal

I took Sierra to The Christmas tree shops where we spent a good part of the morning. they had soooo much to look at. I let her get a packet of stickers and she wanted to get one for Hailey too. She picked flowers for herself and beach stuff for Hailey. She then said she wanted to make a flower garden on a colorful piece of paper and she wanted to go home and do it right then. However I had a lot on my ” whatever I want day” agenda. So I told her we would have to look for something in the store. After picking up some super cute white wicker easter baskets(lined with ginham cloth) for each of the kids 3.99 each. we hunted down some colored paper. we coulnd’ find any we were near teh stationary section and I pointed out a couple notpads. We spent a mere 1.99 on ther hardcover/Journal notepad with a flowerpot on the front. Since then she has faithfully been recording her thoughts askign me how to spell everything and making flower gardens. She will also take a sticker adn have me spell what it is so she can write it. Her hand writing is getting very good. One of her journal entries is

the DaDa heLPeD
Mespellthe

The. Dad helped me spell the. (is what she meant)

Sierra was thrilled when Nathan taught her how to spell “The” so she wrote that in her journal. She has drawn her own picture of our amarylis that is growing SOOO fast. She’s ready for kindergarten. she’s reading a few words, but still doesn’t quite grasp the sounding it out concept.

The girls have been so happy with their PAPER KITES.

1 piece of notebook paper – decorated(stickers, colors)
1 length of yarn
1 Straw 1/2
2 pieces of tape

It makes a COLD winter day FUN! if there is no snow to play in and there’s a breeze. it’s been about 24 degrees out here but they still want to fly their kites.

Napoleon Dynamite fans with thouroughly enjoy this.
MaryAnne, Kim and Amber especially.

http://www.flashplayer.com/music/napoleonnumadance.html

This is only impressive to me.

So I just finished ready a book an ACTUAL BOOK!! My nose is in parenting magazines, newspaper ads, church magazines, but books. . .other than all the kids books I have not read a book for myself in years. But I went Visiting teacing on Valentines day and was offered “Running With Angels” by Pamela Hansen. It was motivating and VERY inspirational to me. She spends most of her married life overweight buy a good 100 pounds. She finally was able to shed the pounds and changed her lifestyle Though VERY HARD and eventually runs a Salt Lake City Marathon. In the process she mentioned ways she motivated herself and one was to try on smaller clothes. SO today because I had a day to do WHATEVER I WANTED I headed to target to return some items. While there I took Sierra to get a big pretzel and and icee and then the thougt. . .~~I’ll try on some smaller clothes~~ So I grabbed what a size 4. Why I do not know, then I grabbed a Three and a 9. Ididn’t even try on the 9 I was to shocked and thrilled that I could relativly easily BUTTON a FOUR!!!! Not that they looked good on me with the extra belly tissue from the pregnancy BUT CAN YOU BUTTON a 4??? I have not doen that since HIGH SCHOOL when I was in a 3. SO I tried on a 3 um. . .it barely made it over my hips but it did come up. and one of the 4’s I grabbed was Accidently a size 1 so I thought I’d JUST SEE, that was a LAUGH! I got them up 1/2 my thighs and right back down.

That’s all.

Headed out to pick Hailey up fromm Brownie Girl Scouts at the Pet store, Pick up free toothbrushed with coupons at a store and head home for dinner and go out with the LDS missionaries to have Family Home Evening with a less active sister and her family. (After I take care of Zach’s immidiate needs)

I also became more grateful for my friends this week. I got to see 2 of them at the gym and I got to speak so much that my voice became hoarse.

Sierra and I went to The Christmas Tree Shops, Target, The Pepperidge Farm “Goldfish Store, ran to Mc Ds for Potty break, Got Gas and finally made it home.

I didn’t mean it like THAT guys!

From the responses I got to my Sleepy post it makes it look like Nathan isn’t helping.

That really hurt his feelings that he is being percieved that way.

I didn’t mean in any way to make it look like Nathan doesn’t help at night or any other time. I just try not to make him help because he already does so much other stuff. If I let him help anymore than he already does well. . .then . . .there is no point in having ME around.

Nathan does a million more things for this family than any other Father/Husband I know. He’s Brilliant, He’s An extremly hard worker(he was doing GE a service the other night in his free time when he could have been doing soemthing else. He is Selfless. Which for many men I must say is a hard attribute to find. The only attention he needs is a tickle on his back once in a while. He’s PERFECT to me!

He DOES help out at night. That night when Sierra was up with a sore stomach he got out of bed and came to her room to see if there was anything I needed. I gave him the story and told him nothing was working and sent him back to bed. He changes wet sheets(sierra will on rare occasion not make it in time) and He’s right there with me trying to get the job done FASTER. He does WAY more housework than any Man I know, He provides A WONDERFUL lifestyle for all of us. He cares so deeply for his children as far as to give them everything they need and MORE he looks out for their best interests and is looking into their future(which I have a hard time doing). We decided when Hailey was born that I’d be up in the night with the babies – and so it should be or Men would produce MILK. So just to get things straight I’m up with the babies and most occasions the kids but what other mother isn’t.

Nathan isn’t the person the replies make him out to be. He’s the Best Husband any woman could DREAM about having and I’m GRATEFULL each and Everyday for his love, commitment, concern, selflesness, hard work and comfort he provides. And motivation It’s because of him I have had the motivation to drop those 20 pounds in 7 weeks. He’s the BEST and I don’t want ANYONE thinking any differently!!!!!

Nathan I love you, and I’m sorry if what I was saying didn’t go where I intended it to. I’m really bad at that(but you already knew that). You really are the love of my life and I’m blessed to have you beyond ANYONE ELSES understandings. You mean the world and ETERNITY to me.. And I’d like to keep it that way, Thank You Very Much.

We need to UPHOLD what we hold DEAR. We need to love and be loved. And we need to be able to speak in a Christlike manner and hold strong to our values. PEACE OUT!

Thanks for all the compliments! They inspire me more!

to tired to write any more. Good luck Big Loser Challengers! until tomorrow.

Lay Family Reunion. . .
Let me know when you are free this summer maybe we can come up with something where we can all be together we need another one of those funny looking cousin pictures and I’d love some family group pictures for the nieces and nephews to look at. I miss you all. call, email comment etc. let’s figure somehting out and start now. We are in school until June 21st and go back Around Sept 1st. we are free anytime then. I’m thinking a trip to NV where the folks and 3 siblings already reside. Are there any waterparks in NV yet?? anything fun to do besides circus circus? Let’s all save up$ and prepare. Sounds like MaryAnne and Janika are already planning a trip that way so I will too. Kim? that leaves you. Will you come? by then LeeJoe should be able to hear right? Your Daughter’s nose will be picture perfect and that gives as all many months to lose those dreaded pounds. Oh, that reminds me. . .It’s also my 10 Year HS reunion year – Not that any of us planned anything. Maybe I can make that happen too.

We are growing a white Amaryllis it’s getting tall fast it should bloom this week. here’s the BEFORE:

I’m laying it out on the table for everyone to see. . .And so when I get pregnant again and go through the weight challenge again I will be reminded of this day!

I didn’t think this day would ever come back to me. I have struggled to get to 130 lbs and before Zach that was the lowest the scale would show me. Even at 23% fat. Now at between 27 and 29% – Depending on the person measuring it I have seen the scale work a mighty miracle! There is HOPE after all. I was 119 when I got Married almost 8 years ago. 8 Years and 3 kids later. . .I just hit 128 which is a RECORD in the past 7 years. My size 8 Petite pants are the ones sliding down. The after Baby pants are extinct. I can’t believe my eyes, however I still have baby weight that can come off(how is that?) . According to the BOOKs I am supposed to be between 101 and 136. I’ve had to change my goal several times since I have Broken it so many times. People are noticing my cheek bones. mmmm I remember those! Glad to see they are back!

I’ve been going to the gym more too so that should help. And I’m able to read a good Book called “Running with Angels” about one lady’s(same religion) weight loss challenge It’s very encouraging and a Breath of Fresh air to be able to do something for myself.

And it is all. . . Thanks to my Sweet Husband who put together a Family Weight Loss Challenge between the 2 of us we have lost 38 pounds in 1 1/2 months. I’m trying very hard to do the challenges on the website and that’s helping too. What great motivation! I have lost 44 pounds in 3 1/2 months and only 7lb.5oz was baby Zach. AMAZING! I feel great. We are eating right both at 1100 calorie diet. And we splurge once a week- for a WHOLE day! I love my Husband he’s awesome – and he’s looking Hotter every week!

Zach had his check up for the 3 mo mark. He also got 4 shots. To go with is RSV. SO we have been battling fever and cough for 2 1/2 weeks now. He seems to be happy though. Sometimes it’s pretty rough.

He’s dropped form the 50th% to the 25th% so it kills me when people say he’s a big boy. He’s not really. He weighs 13 pounds and is 23 3/4 inches tall ALMOST 2 FEET! I can still put him in a size 1 diaper I prefer a size 2 but at night I put him in a 3. He still hates taking a bath. He loves riding in the car so we take a lot of trips. He loves riding in a shopping cart but when we stop that’s a whole other ball game some days. He gets rice cereal in his bottles because it helps the crying hunger and discomfort to go away.

People are starting to say he looks a lot more like Nathan and he is starting to get a cute look of his own. He gets Oohed and Awed over almost as much as the girls did. (not fully yet) His eyes are going to stay blue =) according to the Dr. I don’t have any really good eye pictures of him because the flash just makes red eyes on him. I’ve used the Red Eye flash and it does OK. I’ll try to get a good one or maybe Chris can take one for me at Ben’s Birthday party.

Anyways Zach is a Joy and a pleasure to have in our house. I love cuddling with him and holding him while he sleeps(when I get a chance).