Getting Healthy

I'm gonna be real here.  I've gained about 20 pounds since November.  I wasn't eating totally horrible or even over eating.  I also wasn't being intentional about eating healthy nor was I exercising.  I have all kinds of excuses:

Winter came and it was much too cold to go outside
Then there was the whole ice on the ground issue
I didn't have a workout buddy
We didn't have access to a gym (b/c the cost was outrageous for childcare)
I'm pretty sure out old house would have collapsed if I jumped indoors
I spent all my free time searching for a house and teaching kiddos
That whole moving thing happened
Camps and VBS zapped all my energy

But at the end of the day, ALL of those are excuses.

I have a good friend who is a homeschool mom and also a nutrition expert with a degree to back it.  She used to be my built in workout buddy at the YMCA in Florida...mostly b/c she taught the classes.  It was a given that I'd not only have a good workout, but that my buddy would always be there b/c she had to be.  This friend had a challenge with energy and weight loss in spite of teaching all those classes and being intentional about eating healthy and exercising.

About a year ago, said friend embarked on a journey with Advocare.  It radically changed her life.  She had energy and got very toned (though she was never fat at all).  Mostly, she felt like her energy level helped her get more out of her day with work, homeschooling, and being a mom.  As I've watched her journey, I have longed for that same energy.

Skeptically, I spoke with hubby about it.  Let's face it, he's a stud already.  He's skinny, very fit, and a hunk o burning love :)  After talking with my friend on speaker phone/Facetime, we decided BOTH to do what's called a 24 Day Challenge through Advocare together.

Day 1 of the challenge was yesterday, and it was a BREEZE.  You basically eat very healthy (similar to a paleo diet - or eating the way God made food without all the processed stuff) on a schedule (though the schedule is basically just making sure you get in all your protien and veggies) coupled with a vitamin regiment and a fiber drink.  You also have to drink tons of water.  The worst part of the whole day was that I used every restroom I passed b/c I drank so much stinkin water.

Day 2 is today.  Both hubby and myself have lost 8/10 of a pound already (how hubby had anything to lose is just beyond me).  He hopes to come out of this thing with a 6 pack.  I hope to shed this weight that I've accumulated, and it only helps that I started P90X in addition to my 24 Day Cleanse.

I'll spare you the before pics, but if this thing works, you better believe I'll post after pics :)

Summer 2014

 old house

 New house

red house (blue house)

painting with friends is always more fun

 look what we found when we unpacked

 at the new ESPN studio that hubby just launched

 At the top of a mtn overlooking Lake Placid

 I was scared

Can you tell?

That was a serious cliff and

the kids were having waaaaay too much fun on the edge

 The top of Whiteface Mountain - & hubby wore flip flops

 This is a must see farmer's market in Montreal

They have fresh produce, cooked food and lots of yummy samples

 This reminded me of the Epcot ball

 saw a lot of Olympic stuff

 We picnicked on Whiteface Mtn

 Oh yes we did...and I was so nervous I screamed at the kids the whole time.

That was one steep drop off on both sides.

 Montreal

 life long friends - er, almost

We've know one another for almost 20 years

They were both in our wedding

Now our kids are friends and nearly the age we were when we met

 Notre Dame

What have we NOT done this summer?  Well, I haven't blogged, but there has been plenty to blog about.  Here's the past few months in a not so complete list/random order:

*bought a house!
*wrapped up our school year early May complete with a CC Memory Master which is no small feat!
*packed up our West Hartford rental house
*painted almost the entire upstairs of our new house with friends
*moved over the course of 2 weekends to our new home close to hubby's work (which could not be done without the help of several amazing friends)
*my oldest has a piano recital - he was awesome
*we went to a wedding on Block Island
*hubby worked a lot and helped launch the new ESPN studio
*hubby traveled for work
*the dog got super sick, but she's still kicking - although barely
*fully unpacked
*had VBS at a church not so close to home but well worth it
*enjoyed 2 weeks of family who flew up to visit us/help us get our new house organized
*went to 2 weeks of sports camp with a local church (in the heat all day for 2 weeks straight)
*played with new neighbors (lots)
*went to Lake Placid and hiked
*drove on to Montreal to meet up with friends and explore this beautiful French city
*ate ice cream for dinner - twice!
*picked strawberries
*we were invited to a new Bible study group very close to home with awesome like minded people of various ages/stages of life.  It was awesome!
*had the tummy bug pass through our house
*went boating/swimming on the Hudson River with awesome friends/family

*planned for another awesome year of homeschooling
*the kids grew several inches and went through some very expensive shoe sizes!

I'm sure I've left off a lot of the excitement, but that's the last few months in a nutshell.  We have been busy, but we are thoroughly enjoying life in our new home.  We have lots of plans on the horizon especially with the onset of school...starting this Wednesday!  Eyeyey...I'm really excited about school starting, but the idea of starting a routine each day seems overwhelming with all that's going on right now.  It is a much needed routine. 

And as if that weren't enough, we started a much needed cleanse today.  I'll write more about that later, but for now, I just wanted to give a quick update on what our family has been doing.  It's been a very exciting, fun-packed summer!

2 Years Ago...and Moving Again

It's hard to imagine that this was two years ago...

Andrew was just learning how to ride a bike with little sister running behind.

 Then we hopped on an airplane and moved to Connecticut.

With high hopes of making a life long home in this great state.

It is with great excitement that I can share...we are moving!  Yep, again!  However, this time we aren't moving across the country.  Our new home is only 15(ish) minutes from our current home, and it will be ours!  It is also only a few short minutes from my husband's job and right off a major highway.

We have high hopes that we will be able to make this our final move...at least until we get old and gray and need the nursing home.  We also hope that many of you will feel welcome in our new home.  We would love to host you and your family so please stop by or invite yourself and your families for a few hours or a few days.  We'd love to have ya!

Born to Sew

 I made this quilt for my sister's wedding gift.  It was my hardest one yet, and that border proved to be a nightmare - mainly b/c I hate measuring.  This pic is before I quilted it.  I love how the kids helped me.  They pressed out the wrinkles and helped me pin the binding to the backing.  They also helped hand me pieces I needed, and Little Missy stayed with me almost the entire time I was sewing.

 I pieced the backing together with scraps left over from the front adding red to this LOVE quilt.  The kids are quite proud of their work.

 It was by far the biggest quilt I think I could make doing the quilting at home without sending it out.  It fits a double bed...the kids are laying on it to show you the size.

 It is LONG too.  I had to cram this into the neck of the sewing machine to make it all fit.

 And here are the 3 quilts I've made so far:

 This one was for a dear friend I've known since 7th grade.  She just had a baby girl.  I'm in love with these colors, and I think they worked perfectly together.  I quilted this one in a zig zag pattern - that was HARD and took forever.

 I had this backing in mind, but I gave it a little flare by adding left over pieces from the front to incorporate the colors to the back.  I can't believe it turned out straight.  This was my first every quilt.

 I have another friend that I have known since she was teeny tiny.  This friend just had a baby boy so I thought I'd make another quilt for her son.  I added flannel to this quilt, and it is so incredibly soft.  I love how this one could be fore a boy or a girl with the reds and blues.

 I quilted this one in tiny squares, and it was much easier than the first quilt.

 Here is the completed, quilted and freshly washed Paris Love Quilt for my sisters wedding gift.  I didn't want to give it away, and many of my friends who saw it wanted to keep this one too.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It is just beautiful!

 Notice the binding on this one.  It is pieces of leftover scraps that I sewed together.  I think it adds a lot of character in such a simple way - plus I love using up my scraps instead of throwing them away.

 Here is a close up pic so you can see the material I used better, and you can see how I quilted this one with X's.  It was difficult b/c the quilt was so large, but I think it was the easiest way I could have quilted it.  It also looks amazing.  I think I used gray thread.  Below is the back where you can see the criss-cross quilting better.

 I have always wanted to make dresses for my little girl.  I bought 2 shirts a while back on clearance with this dress in mind.  My daughter has a dress with an embroidered cupcake on the front, and she used to wear it to every single birthday party.  She has outgrown that dress, and I needed to make her a new "birthday party dress."  This is what I had in mind.

 I had a goal to finish this dress by a certain little girl's birthday, and I did it.  I made the dress for the birthday girl first, and my daughter nearly cried b/c she wanted it.  I had already planned to make them matching dresses, and my daughter was estatic to have her own.

 I used the bottom scrap of the shirt to make a pinwheel bow for the shoulder.

Little Missy couldn't stand it.  She had to wear it today, and she looks darlin!