Just because

I think anybody who reads this also reads my facebook. But, just so it is recorded here too...

That's right. I'm going to have a fourth child. Some days I think that I must be insane... other days I am so excited! I LOVE babies! (it is the older kids I am struggling to LOVE so much.)

Pushing through it

This week had a few ups and downs.

Early in the week it was all a mental game for me. I was not motivated and just did NOT want to do any training. Good thing I already had the kids scheduled to be in the gym daycare on Tuesday, or I would have skipped. As it was I swam very few laps. Mostly I just lounged in the water and enjoyed my quiet time away from the kids. I know, however, that just going was important to keep my in the habit.

Wednesday I spent some time on the elliptical. It was fine.

Thursday I was back at the pool. I felt very heavy in the water. My whole workout was slow and sluggish, but I did it and it felt good to have done it. I think I need to focus on getting better high energy food in me before I work out.

Today I did the elliptical again. It felt good to push through and go harder and longer than last time.

A regular schedule

I was watching a clip on Ellen the other day and Terry Crews said "The trick is. Treat it like the spa. Ok. Go the the gym, read a magazine, and go home. Because the habit of working out is more important that the workout." I realized if I want to get where I want to be fitness wise, I just have to go, make it a habit first, then work hard. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxGhK5NOK5w start at 1:10)

So, I think I have a working schedule to keep me going to the gym.
Tueday/Thursday afternoon- Orem gym, SWIM
Wednesday/Friday morning- SF gym walk/run or spin
Monday/Saturday home- strength or kickboxing

My friend also asked if I would run/jog with her on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so I think since that is my swim day, I will do that too. That way I can get practice running outside.

So, the schedule is in place, now I need to make it a habit and work hard to get fit!

I swam, I ran, I hurt

This May Robby is doing an Ironman 70.3. He is amazing and inspiring to me.
Two of his sisters and I are doing it too... as a relay.
I get the swim, Jenny is doing the biking, and Kathy is running.
Jenny has to bike 56 miles, That is unreal to me. She is awesome!
Kathy is amazing, she just had a baby at the beginning of the year and she has now started her training for the half marathon portion of the race. She only has 3 months to do that. Amazing.
On our family blog she has encouraged us to keep tabs on our progress as we train and to motivate each other to get through it. I decided that I should also put my training on my blog. So, here it is.

I have slowly been getting back into working out regularly. It can be such a hassle because I have to put the kids in the daycare when I go to the gym. They have been sick and so I haven't been able to go. Now that they are better I really don't want them getting sick again because they spent time at a crowded daycare. BUT, I must train for this race, so I HAVE to go workout.

I have tried to find the times that are the slowest at the gym day care and take the kids then. I also found that I have to schedule them ahead of time and then I have an appointment to keep and I will go.
Yesterday afternoon I went and swam. It was awesome! Lately, when I have had the chance to swim I would take it easy and skip a lot of the workout. But I was dedicated and motivated to do it. And I did. It renewed in me my love for swimming, I swam 2000 yds and felt great afterwards.
This morning, I hurt. my arms and shoulders and neck are sore... but I know it will get better.

Today I went to spend some time on the treadmill. Lately I have just been doing some high intensity walking (the "fat-burn"setting), but I hadn't ventured into running yet... until today. It was hard, but I did it. I ran a whole MILE!

I am excited to keep working hard and getting better and improve my endurance. 1.2 miles of swimming is going to be hard, but I can do hard things.

My next challenge will be to keep my eating on track.
Hooray for getting fit, setting goals, and improving yourself!

Christmas

Christmas Eve we had a Family Home Evening lesson on the Nativity. We set up the figurines on the piano, because there was no room for them anywhere else, I think it was perfect.

After the kids were in bed we filled stockings and then Santa came. 

 Kids eating their Christmas morning cereal.

 Timothy happily took the camera and made sure there were pictures of his

 name on the present from Santa. Then they worked together to open it.

 They both had asked Santa for a "Nerf Bullet gun with Nerf Bullets"

He was happy to accommodate their wishes!

What a cutie with her mouth full of candy.

 We got her this cute little stuffed doggy. It was the first thing she saw 

when she went into the living room. 

From our room we heard, " A Dah, A Dah, A Dah. Woo, Woo, Woo!"

 We all got WONDERFUL present.
Lots of games and books...

 AND Walkie Talkies! They were SO excited about these!

Everybody got some clothes...

That is a jammer for the up coming triathlete
(He also got new gym clothes)

 A Handsome Suit coat for the Handsome Boy!

 He got a few pairs of pants and long sleeve shirts
(He gets cold all the time)

 She got 3 new pairs of pajamas!

I got a new scarf and a beautiful skirt and some awesome undershirts!

  And the most wonderful present of all?

 A White Christmas! 

Absent

I have been very absent from my blog. Sorry if you try to keep up with us and have had nothing new to see.

We are all well! The kids are growing too fast, but that is to be expected.
Check out the side bar for updated pictures of them.

Hopefully I will add some more new stuff soon.
I think I will put my Family Newsletter here, since I didn't print one to accompany our Christmas cards.

Another Birthday... mine!

My birthday was April 11th. Thanks to awesome friends and family, I got to celebrate for 3 days in a row!

Because Robby was going to be gone the evening (Friday) of my Birthday (He "had" to go to a Jazz game with clients), we went out on Thursday night. We went to dinner at La Casita in Springville. It was quite yummy Mexican food. Then we came home for a few minutes so I could nurse and put Katelyn down for the night. Then we went out for more!! We went to "Color Me Mine" and had a blast creating fun dishes. I made a birthday plate (to use on future birthdays) and Robby made a fun cereal bowl. Then we went to "Ike's Ice Cream" and got shakes! They were delicious! Thanks so much Ilene for babysitting.

Friday, my actual birthday, I was planning on not doing anything because Robby was gone all day. BUT, Ilene being the amazing friend that she is would have none of that (being alone on you birthday is TABOO in her book!) so she came bearing Balloons, Subway sandwiches, and mini birthday Cupcakes! We ate, then let the kids play and we visited! It was great!
That evening, just before bedtime, Timothy cut his toe. There was a big flap of skin and I was not sure the extent of the medical care needed. So with Timothy screaming in the background while I was trying to rinse/clean the wound, I called my big brother Thomas, who happens to be in medical school to become a foot doctor, to see what I should do. After trying to get a good picture sent to him and chatting about it for a while, we decided that just trying to clean it as best I could and bandaging it, then giving him some meds, we should be good. I was so glad I didn't have to take him to afterhours or ER.
(Because I know you all want to see it) I know it doesn't look bad, but I was mostly worried because of the gray coloring under the skin... I didn't know if it was super dirty, or if it was just the wound...

Robby came home that night to quite the story... which resulted in quite the apology for being gone. He also brought a most delicious candy apple. YUM!

The next day, we celebrated as a family. I had bought some amazing carrot cupcakes from Costco (on sale!) and we put candles in them and sang! Then we went to the "beach" and Robby fished with the boys while I chilled on the sand with baby girl. It was a wonderful relaxing day spent with the people I love most in this world. (I'm sure we did much more, but since I took so long to document, I don't remember what else we did.)