post-baby body check-in (diet & work-out included!)

i've received a handful of emails recently requesting healthy "non-boring" eating and workout advice. mostly from new mommies (i'm with ya ladies!).

i honestly didn't start seeing "real" results until i got "real" about the two dreaded C's:

1)cutting CALORIES
2) CARDIO.

i thought i was making progress. in my mind, i guess i was satisfied because i was getting to the gym most days of the week and, well, my maternity clothes were "way" too big and some of my bigger jeans were starting to fit loosely. and then, i got a wake-up call. pictures don't lie. my dad snapped this lovely photo of my siblings and i at my sister's graduation in early May. i didn't see it until he "tagged" me on facebook. as i sat there clicking (and "untagging") through those photos i was angry with myself. i'd reached the epitomy of a plateau and had been content with being complacent. complacent with my eating, my workouts and my body. i'd made some progress, but got comfortable along the way and let the intensity die. once i got over my little breakdown/tantrum over my reality check (thanks, dad) i obtained a copy of this picture and stuck it on my fridge. some people stick old "skinny" photos up as motivation...not me.

THIS was my motivation. i wanted to see a change. and i KNEW it had to start with my eating....

it was at THIS point that i realized sweating my booty off in the gym wasn't going to get me where i wanted to be unless i got serious about watching my eating. i wasn't eating horrible, but i was definitely not being disciplined with sugars, carbs and most of all, PORTION SIZE (motherhood makes you hungry!).

so with picture posted for strength on fridge, here's what i did:

1. i cut out "white" starches (breads, potatoes, rice, crackers, chips...)
2. i LIMIT dairy. i gave up my beloved cheese, yogurt, of course ice cream and even switched completely over to almond milk, which i now PREFER.
3. i eat breakfast EVERY DAY. either oatmeal or a flax/whole grain organic cereal with fresh fruit.
4. for a mid-morning post-workout snack i either make a shake or drink a muscle milk LIGHT ready-made shake.
5. for lunch and dinner, i focus on VEGGIES, VEGGIES and more VEGGIES. salads, stir-fry, soups paired with healthy whole grains like brown rice, black beans, nuts/seeds.
6. for dessert or extra snacks throughout the day= FRUIT!
7. i eat when i'm hungry, i just control my portions and make sure it's as pure and fresh as possible (not processed with a bunch of fake ingredients!)
8. i have healthy snacks on hand at all times (for me AND Kai!). this way i'm not tempted to sneak through the drive-through to satisfy my hunger! (I LOVE the south beach diet mixed nut packs! i mix em' with raisins and it's a great filling snack!)
9. i learn from Kai. i feed my baby natural, healthy, whole foods. why do we ever stop eating that way? i told my mom i was going to call my diet the "high chair" diet because i would often eat my lunch with him right off of his high chair (like chunks of avocados and cooked squash, sweet potato and asparagus!).
10. i treat myself. this one is key. i usually save my "treats" for social events. i'll have a yummy drink (or two!) or a piece of birthday cake or a cookie. this is neccesary and enjoyable.

my best friend when it came to finding healthy veggie or protein-packed recipes was the internet! seriously, if you have an internet connection you have all you need to whip up a healthy meal or come up with a good grocery list. plan for the week and sit down on sunday night and find a few meals you want to try...i will even make a bunch of brown rice and a big fat salad for the week on sunday night, that way half the battle is done!

on the WORK-OUT side things definitely shifted. i was no longer able to get to the gym 4-5 days a week for cardio and classes because G was gone in Vancouver for work and well, my Mom doesn't live at my house. i VOWED to make Kai's lovely long morning naptime my sacred workout time. NO EXCEPTIONS. and here's the kicker. i bought this dvd. at Walmart. for $10:

i followed this video religiously. i didn't cheat. i dripped sweat. i wanted to cry. i wanted to punch her in the face. but in all honestly, i started seeing results within weeks. i know i've blogged about it before, but seriously it's no joke. it's hard, and i LOVE it. it was just the "wake-up" call my body needed.

and for added cardio, i would throw Kai in the jogger and Honey on her leash and we would walk/jog for 40-60 minutes almost every evening. this is an enjoyable way that i can burn extra calories, get Kai outside and Honey some exercise. it's fun and something that i greatly MISS when life get's too full and we don't get to go.

and then, there is yoga. POWER yoga. i obviously do this every Thursday at the gym because i'm the instructor...but i like to throw it in the mix a couple of times a week as well.

So, about 2 months later, after making a CONSCIOUS effort to eat RIGHT and shock the body with a new, consistent and CHALLENGING workout routine, here i am (sorry about the picture quality--it's just me and my blackberry!)....

may 4th 2011 - june 30, 2011



blurry, i know.
but look! i'm getting tank top shoulders back! (finally...)

dirty mirror & lost inches in waist & thighs.

 It's PROGRESS!

and progress sure don't come easy.

one of Jillian's key phrases that i've engraved in my mind when tempted to eat crap:

"remember, you can eat your way through any workout."

you can log hours upon hours in the gym, but if your eating sucks, so will your results!

{cheers} to hard work and healthy living!

My "favorites" of summer...

Favorite summertime.....

coffee:
Venti sugarfree hazlenut iced coffee w/a splash of soy. bomb diggity. and easy on the pocketbook.

"adult" drink:
i usually stick to a good red wine but in the summer i like to cool off with either a tall glass of skinnygirl margarita on the rocks or a spiked Arnold Palmer. {salivating}.

snack:

vegetable:
tomatoes (from my garden, of course), corn and CABBAGE! why cabbage, you ask??

well, the two BEST summer salads in the whole wide world just happen to be cabbage based. these salads are super duper easy AND healthy (cabbage is GOOOOOD for you!)

Sarah's addictingly delicious avocado-cabbage salad/dip/salsa, whatever you want to call it!:
ingredients: cabbage, avocados, tomoatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and/or packet of guacamole mix if desired.

finely chop all ingredients and throw in a pretty bowl. she likes to use more avocados than tomatoes, but play around with it! enjoy with chips, as a topping for fish or chicken tacos or honestly, just plain! SO GOOOOD!

ramen noodle cabbage salad:
this is a pretty well-known and popular picnic staple, but my Mom ROCKS it. here's her ingredients: 1 bag coleslaw mix, 1 cooked and chopped chicken breast, 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, 3/4 c. olive oil, 2-3 T. of sugar, 1/2 t. salt, 1 bunch of green onions chopped. sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, cranberries, 1 bag of crushed ramen noodles on top (crunchy). note: add ramen noodles just before the meal so they are crunchy and not soft!

bbq dish:
the cabbage salads listed above!

meat:
wait, i don't really eat much meat. well, it's not meat! these baby's are delish. on the grill or in the microwave!

ice cream:
you gotta splurge once in a great while, right? well, when i do i want to make it worth it and Fiesta Foods whips up THE MOST DELICIOUS pink "cupcake" ice cream. no lie, i almost fainted upon the first taste.

sunglasses:
anyone who knows me will tell you that i live in these. i have a pair in almost every color: {via}

pastime:

...and swimming/sunbathing (so sue me) and cool evening walks with Kai and Honey.

tops: breezy, light and hip. (most importantly, affordable!)

mode of transportation:

longboard.

flower:
the cheerful sunflower. i have hundreds popping up and can't wait to post photos of those big bright blooms!

ground cover:
i have this pouring out of one of my planters and it's beautiful!! and as an added bonus, it does EXCELLENT in "dry" climates.

moss rose!

means of exercise:
mowing the lawn. with kai on board (quite a workout!) AND anything in the water....(rafting, swimming, aerobics).

Hey Bloggy buddies! Re-post and showcase your summertime faves!!! :)

Yay for Summer!!!

An afternoon with Micah & Kai (and Honey & Mr. Turtle, of course)

 Kai: Mommy, look! We're picking up the living room! NOW can we go swimming??

Micah: (GASP!) Did you say SWIMMING??! Like a bath outside but with no stupid soap?

Kai: Sure did....

Kai: ok, Micah, it's kinda cold at first, but just at first...you just gotta tough it out.

Micah: Wait, isn't this turtle supposed to be filled with sand??

Micah: SAND, I said! Not balls!

I wan't this thing outta here, this turtle sandbox isn't big enough for the three of us!

 Kai: Alright buddy, the balls goin' out.

 {smack!}

 Micah: Ahhhh. Much better. So much room for activities!

Kai: Woah there, don't get ahead of yourself now.

I've slipped in here too many times to count.

Micah: Hey, what happened to the turtle's eye?

Kai (after Micah decided to take a crawling break): Time to sprawl out and stretch out my pirate feet. MA! WHERE'S MY BOTTLE?!

Micah: Pirate shmirate. I bet Kai doesn't even know how to hide under his slide....

 Kai: Well, I don't! It's scary and itchy under there. I like to stand on top of the slide. With no help. I HATE when my worry wart Mommy tries to help me, so. annoying. I'd rather fall off the back...ok, so I've done that and it kinda hurts but still, I don't like when she treats me like a baby.

All this chatter has got me all steamed up, lets get back in the pool!

Kai (behind true-to-life mischief look): I have an idea, lets bulldoze Honey!

 Kai: Micah, you want your head wet?! This is how Mommy does it in the tub..

Micah: Well, Kai, not really. But see those dry flowers over yonder?

...they look thirsty..

 Micah: Kai these are cool shoes. Ya mind if I pull this one off and give it a try?

Kai: Hey man, hands off the pirates. I need these guys for stompin bugs.

Lets shimmy ourselves outta here and play trucks!

{together ramming the turtle with anything and everything}

 and then, they napped.

~ THE END ~

when Kai met Seattle.

first, Kai wants to showcase a fun little trick he recently learned from daddy (volume needed!):

G also taught him how to head butt. yeah, like that one's NOT going to backfire down the road.

it's pretty cute right now though. perhaps i'll post proof of that soon?

Now for our wonderful little weekend escape to my favorite US city, SEATTLE :)

i love that i lived there for a few years as i feel that i am able to more fully experience the city in a shorter and more convenient amount of time as i know shortcuts and backroads and what's worth seeing/doing and what's not.

we got to see auntie beckyjo (and i HATE myself for not getting any pictures!!!!) which was long overdue and SO wonderful. we don't connect often by phone but it amazes me how we can just pick up right where we left off, like we have never moved apart. that's the mark of a best friend.

saturday was, unfortunately but not suprisingly wet and rainy. so we didn't brave the overcrowded and sloshy fremont festivities. instead we mall walked and celebrated with mommy when she bought jeans that were 4 SIZES SMALLER than the last shopping trip! yeah, i splurged a bit, but haven't done that in a LONNNNNG time. it feels good to have new, properly fitting clothes!

later we spent a few hours walking along the beach, docks and paths of Golden Gardens off of Shilshole bay. Kai loves being outside and really enjoyed crawling around in {more} sand and bird/people watching. we even enjoyed a nice light lunch at a little cafe by the bay.

then we made our way downtown to my parents hotel so Kai we could enjoy a refreshing dip in the beautiful top-floor pool at my parent's hotel (the Westin--i highly reccomend!)

once our little water bug was all tuckered out, my mom (nana) let us sneak away to our favorite Seattle dinner spot for a little Father's day/decrease in jeans size celebration (Chinooks!)

then on sunday, it was all about the mariner's game. which was perfect...

the weather AND the company.

there were several delicious meals, sights and sounds in between,

but here is a bit of what i captured from the good ol' blackberry....

golden gardens

 

waiting for some delicious hot clam chowder (he loved it!)

 

can you spot the little orange mohawk?

 

the. best. salad.
[ahi tuna, tomato, avocado, mango, papaya, sliced almonds and a sprinkle of wonton strips w/a basalmic vinegerette]

 

hit it here!



happy [father's day] to papa!



jude passed out on uncle G in Kai's backpack after the game... (Kai was stuck in her stroller!)

and now, i'll leave you with a little musical treat:

 a sweet vagabond singer who traded us a beer out of our cooler for a little jingle.

Kai was appreciative of the show....

this trip rekindled my desire to visit the city that still has so much of my heart.

there is still so much i want to introduce Kai to and do and see and taste and experience.

we are so grateful to have friends who generously open their homes to us

 (thanks to beckyjo & darrick and dallas & misty! you guys rock!)

our {jumping!} bean

our little mister is getting more fun with each day.

we recently snagged a yardsale jumperoo that Kai (obviously) enjoys, and we've been noticing how {{{crazy}}} he gets when he's in there and gets excited about something.

here's what it looks like...

(Mommy's playing "gonna GETchu!"--make sure your volume is turned up!)

...and a kiss to seal the deal.

i'm smitten :)

for the "Dads" in my life...

G has wanted to be a Daddy for a long time. i remember when his parents were badgering us about "having a baby" a couple years ago and his mom remarked to me how when Gary was like, 18 he told her he loved kids so much he was "ready to be a Daddy...just not a husband." haha. guess that explains why he was ready to get pregnant like, the day after we got married (i obviously bought myself some time).

i can remember the first time i saw him interacting with his nephews. i could tell right and there that he was going to be an awesome dad.

...and i've got preeeetty high standards because i had a darn good daddy myself.

i remember how even after a long day at work my dad would still take time to play with us kids when he got home. i can say that now, after working an "adult" job--especially a taxing one that calls for working with rowdy kiddos all day that most days you want to come home, kick your feet up and enjoy a beverage. he rebounded for me in our driveway basketball court, he got on the floor and played with my brother and often kept us kids entertained while mom made dinner. and {most} fridays, when we were young he brought us home what he called a "handshake surprise," which consisted of a tight handshake filled with candy he'd picked up on his way home from work. these "handshake surprises" we're AWESOME, we thought Fridays were the best...because we got a handshake surprise :)

my dad has been a lot of things to me. coach, teacher, counselor, co-worker, "boss"...but he was always "dad" first. i can remember the first varsity game i got in my freshman year...i needed to get his attention for some reason and kind of stopped short of shouting for him because i wasn't sure if i should yell "Dad" or "coach." well, i chose what i felt--which was always "Dad."

i can talk to my Dad. if i'm in a pickle, stuck or need some valued [honest] input about something, i go to him.

all of the above and much more have made me a very blessed daughter...and a better mom.

..............................

and the same selfless, unconditional love that was (and is) given to me by my own Dad, is the same love i see given from G to Kai day in and day out.

G is a "man's man." he's rough around the edges, he works hard, he gets dirty....but he's not to manly to sing his baby boy to sleep, or cradle him in his arms and whisper to him.

when we were told that Kai had been moved into recovery from his surgery we both hurried down the hall to him. immediately upon seeing our sweet four-month old baby, all swollen, stitched up and struggling to come out of anesthesia {we} cried bawled.

he gets down on the floor and plays trucks, catch and animals and will take him just about anywhere in the backpack or jogger.

he's an adventurous, fun-loving dad who wants to give Kai life-thriving experiences--and really teach him to love nature and new things.

he's always sending me texts while his away on jobs to "send me a picture of my baby boy..."

he changes stinky diapers, gives bubble baths, reads stories and sings songs...and is forever changed and still in awe at how much our precious baby boy has changed our lives and made our little family feel so {complete}.

i'm beginning to see more and more of G's expresions in Kai, and even sometimes see Kai reflected in G. my heart skips a beat each time i feel that intricate connection between two people i love so much. it's kind of like seeing your heart beat outside of your chest...

thank you Dad, and thank you G for being who you are.

for loving me, and for making life fun, exciting, adventurous and full of love...

just like good Dad's should.

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

~ Clarence Budington Kelland

happy father's day. everyday?

Happy (1st!) Father's Day, G.

(i have been investing in your gift all year long....)

*a [humourous] post in leiu of Father's Day that details just a few of the gifts that mommies give thier hubby's/baby-daddy's every day, all throughout the year....

1. i change things. every day. every night. lots of things. i change (too many!) diapers, i change wet, poopy, dirty clothes (mine AND Kai's) i change crib sheets, i change and change and change...(oh, and not to mention that something ELSE that has changed since i carried your son (like,{ahem}--my thighs...).

2. you, my dear get to pee in peace and quiet while you are away and working. i have had to learn to manage a child crawling on me and playing on and all around me while i take care of bathroom business. tricky and dangerous. no dignity in this parenting business.

3. my stay-at-home mommy middle-name is "laundry." i fold Kai's clothes (painfully large amounts), i fold YOUR clothes (even the socks when i'm in a good mood!) and most the time by the time i get around to folding (or washing) my clothes i'm so tired i just wad them up and shove them in a drawer. not a fan of folding clothes. but i fold yours with love, babe.

4. a break. yeah, that would be your job. where you get to pee in solitude and hear your own thoughts.

5. i get up every day with poopy/crying/singing/screaming/wet/puked-on baby. you complain when your alarm goes off? i forgot what mine even sounds like!

6. i give you groceries (shop at walmart during peak hours with a 10 month old who needs a nap much?) and dinner (cook with a 10 month old crawling up the back of your legs much?). then a clean kitchen. then a clean baby (bathtime). then a quiet house (bedtime) then a clean house and finally, a quiet evening (when your home). [when it's just me and baby boy the above is just slightly modified (ha!)]

7. a well-rounded, engaged, educated son. oh yes, and it's my pleasure. we sing, we play, we go on outings, we read, we listen to music, we dance and we even speak spanish. don't blame me if he's a bit different (a chip off the old block!), he's happy and well-learned :)

8. YOUR faves, fit to order. the bed made how you like it, your favorites in the fridge, the lawn mowed and flower beds weeded upon your return from out of town trips, the recycling taken (your worst chore) and the house vaccumed, swept and smelling fresh and welcoming (NOT like diapers or throw up).

9. even when i'm tired... (from doing all of the above) i "stay up late" with you (hehe).

10. my love: a relieved, genuine, "glad to see you" smile when you walk through the door, a tight "man-it's-been-a-long-day hug, and a kiss that says "you make this all worth it."

and with a tired smile i wake up and do it all over again...and even though i whine and sometimes whimper, i really wouldn't want it any other way.

so don't ever say i didn't get you anything for Father's Day...

;)

my fave summer use for wine bottles and my LEAST fave mommy duty....

ok. i'll get the bad one out of the way.

this whole mommy business has been all-in-all, life changing-ly wonderful.

however, there are a few not-so-wonderful things that i managaged to skip over in the fine print of mommyhood that have taken me by surprise.

poopy diaper explosions? expected. eating dirt? expected. licking the floor? expected. putting everthing into mouth? expected. peeing all over the place for the .5 seconds that diaper is off? expected.

cleaning up recreational throw-up from gagging fascination? no so much.

i don't know if he does this for attention or what but I'M SICK (literally) of it!!

he's shoved his finger down his throat and kind of enjoyed his bodies response (the gag) for awhile now....but recently (like just this week) he has taken it to a whole new level.

the first time it happened he was playing with his toys after breakfast. i was in the kitchen flinging chunks of his leftovers onto the floor for Honey to eat (ha!) when i heard it. the gag. i peeked my head around the corner just in time to see him empty his stomach projectile-style. all over his toys, clothes and floor. gross.

thankfully, that one was an easy clean up (this is where wood floors come in quite handy!)

#2 SAME DAY. it was bedtime and I. WAS. EXHAUSTED. Kai was clean and in his jammies and we were all snuggled up in his rocker under one of his soft blankies. i went to put the bottle in his mouth an somehow he slipped a finger in ahead of the nipple and yep, you know what happened next. all over him. all over me. all over the rocker. all over the blankie. ALL OVER THE DANG CARPET. this one was the worst. dinner was broccoli and beef (kill me). i was so tired and wanted to just shut his bedroom door and have him sleep with me and pretend like it never happened (it's moments like this that i despise my husband's job and kind of despise him for never being around to deal with self-inflicted chunky puke). poor Kai. i know, he did it to himself...but he looked so pitiful and sad all covered in his own throwup...and still so cute. i awkwardly maneuvered him to the bathtub where i stripped off his soiled pjs. all the while i'm trying to brainstorm how i'm going to undertake the massive clean up effort that awaits in his room...with OUT him crawling all up in it. i decided to only let the bath fill up slightly and went and grabbed a random handful of his "non-bath" toys and chucked them in the water. he thought that was fun and while he was driving his cars under water and playing soccer with his hands i was frantically scrubbing the chair and floor, airing out the room, starting the laundry while, of course popping my head in the bathroom every chance i could get to ensure the safety of my little red rebel. soon everything was clean (but me, of course) and we were fast asleep.

as i type this blog Kai is napping. in puke. yep, that's right. call me the world's worst mommy but i'm not waking him up from his sound sleep just so i can rip the sheets off and then put fresh ones on and go through the whole naptime routine again...only to have him NO longer want a nap. he was in there singing his sleepy song and i'll admit, i heard a gag/cough which does happen without vomit most the time. AND, it's been a few days since the horrible day aforementioned so i assumed i was safe. nope. i went in to check on him and my optimism was defeated by the damp puddle of breakfast at the foot of his crib (sorry). you think i'm cruel to leave it? and him? well, here's my defense: he wasn't sleeping in it, it wasn't on him (just a little on his foot), and like a smart boy he was sleeping at the complete opposite end of the crib. i'll assess the damage and begin the clean-up effort when he wakes up.

this gagging business has got to stop. like every question i have without an answer, i conducted a google search in hopes of an explanation or at least other mommies with similar struggles and thanks to a handful of mommy discussion boards, i now know that i am not alone.

one mom suggested dipping babies fingers in apple cider vinegar in effort to keep his fingers from the back of his throat. bleh! i'm not that desperate yet. one curious trend i did note in my research (google research!) was that it was mainly BOYS that were practicing the "gag for fun" game. weird. many Moms also noted that their Dr.'s said it was a boredom/curiosity/self-stimulation fixation that they would eventually grow out of.

i'm honestly not worried about Kai. he'll kick it eventually.  i just don't want to clean up any more messes like that...but it's inevitable, there will be more puke in my future, self-induced or not. and if there is such a thing as karma, i'm screwed because i was the kind of puker that never made it to the toilet. i just leaned over the bed and yelled for mom (she reminded me of this yesterday. dangit.).

so yes, this is one part of parenthood that stinks. literally.

now on to something to refresh our minds and cleanse our senses...

 i have a ton of rosebushes on the side of my house that quite frankly, often go unnoticed. they yield the most vibrant, beautiful blooms that just burst and fade to the ground without anyone to enjoy them. not this year.
i've vowed to visit my side rosebushes a few times a week to trim them down and extract the rose buds that have bloomed and keep them in my house!

 and there is no better home for a beautiful rose than a colorfully labeled (empty) wine bottle....

good thing my house smells like roses. i have a mess to clean up...

my life in 10 (clearing out the blackberry)

1. goats. oh my gosh, i LOVE goats! i keep telling Gary how much i want goats when we buy our next house "with land" like we always say. they are too cute. kind of like a cross between cows and dogs. these goats live just down the street from us and i have made it a habit to walk by them every time Kai, Honey and i are out for walks. Kai laughs at them and Honey barks at them and i feed them!

seriously, how cute are they???

 look at the little babies!

2. cards & letters addressed to Kai! Kai has gotten several items in the mail over this last year. we usually walk out to get the mail together and i always make a big deal if there is something in there for him. we go inside, i help him open it and read it to him (a few times) and then i let him play with it. and it's SO cute, because he holds onto it and plays with it like he knows it's just for him.

this is a postcard from his cousin Spencer who lives in Gig Harbor.

we are going to write him back!

3. strawberries. but not just ANY strawberries, strawberries from MY GARDEN! i probably only got a handful of berries from my plants last year. this year i'm getting handFULLS every day....and a certain little red-haired boy has learned that the red berries hanging from the green plants outlining mommy's garden taste YUMMMMY!

i love having fresh, home-grown berries for my morning oatmeal...

4. dirt. Kai is a magnet to dirt. this is good and bad. i like that he is easily (and cheaply!) entertained. i do NOT like that it usually ends up in his mouth and/or all over my floor.

 the aftermath...(this plant has been relocated)

5. ants on a log! this has been my healthy alternative go-to snack as of late. celery with a schmear of almond butter and a sprinkle of raisins. YUM. i use the same toppings on bananers as well and it's even better!

6. watching Kai morph into a socialite. i could watch him interact with friends and cousins all day. it cracks me up! he is learning so much and growing into such a little man...sigh. almost one!

7. if there is water around, he's in it. even if he has no change of clothes or swim diaper handy. this is the birdbath/fountain in the garden at Grandma G's house that he HAD to be in.

i {love} that cute little bum!

8. workin' it out from home. because G's been over on the westside for work and will be for most likely the remainder of the summer (sad, but at least he gets weekends off which is more than i can say when he was workin' offshore!!) i have not had convenient childcare to get to the gym. which sucks. but has forced me to adapt and take full advantage of Kai's long morning naptime (which ranges from 1.5-3 hours). i am kind of a workout video snob. if it doesn't really challenge me and make me sweat i feel ripped of. well this dvd kicks my a-double-s...and i'm sick and twisted and LOVE IT. i'm just getting into week 2 and can't wait to see the results at the end of 4!

9. picture mail. i love getting picture texts. it's like getting the gift of a shared moment. this particular picture message was sent to me by my lovely sister Kelley Jayde who has recently graduated from a very vigorous nursing program (woo hoo!) and just took an exam she has spent hundreds of hours studying for. here was the adorable text accompanying the picture:

homemade spring rolls and wine...waiting for my test results to show up online...

you send pics of your child and i sent you pics of food :)

um, yum. the girl sure can cook.

(i unfortunately did not inherit that gene).

10. my job. i've spent the year serving as the GED testing coordinator for BMCC- Hermiston. i love this job. like school counseling, it is busy, sometimes stressfull, fast-paced, unpredictable and allows me to work with and get to know a very diverse group of people. all things i thrive for within an occupation.

here is a young gentleman who has come in for testing several times this spring.

he didn't get all five exams taken in time to walk at his graduation, but he came prepared with cap and gown to "walk home" should he reach that goal, and tonight he did.

this was a proud moment.

we had a little celebration for him in the testing room and he's now en route to the Art Institute of Portland. 

*picture publishised w/permission, of course! :)

and that, my friends, is my life in 10.