Dear Diary,

This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

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MONDAY:Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit- ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week.
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TUESDAY:I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.
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WEDNESDAY:The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.My chest hurt when I go t on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair MONSTER. Why the h** would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other sh** too.
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THURSDAY:Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny b**** to find me.Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.
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FRIDAY:I hate that b**** Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the d*** barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

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SATURDAY:Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

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SUNDAY:I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little sh**) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Who wants a Present from me?

You KNOW you do!

I got this from somebody elses blog, but thought it sounded really fun! Sooo.... Here's the deal, 3 people that post a comment under this entry asking me a question that you don't already know the answer to and want to know about me, will get a Surprise from me. It'll be something that I will personally create just for you. I can't guarantee you'll love it, but it will be a one of kind! It could range from a Craft, to a treat, flowers, ANYTHING! Who knows, but that's the fun of it you have no idea what will show up on your doorstep.I will pick 3 people with the best questions! Oh yeah, and you have to post a picture of what you win on your blog as well. If this works it should be fun! Be creative with your questions. I swear to tell you the honest truth!! I don't care if I know you, or if you just follow my blog! Ask me a question!

February Loves

WARM WEATHER!

I cannot wait. I just want to lay out and Bask in the sun!

• Thai Food! Oh my goodness I love it! We just tried out a new place in our area Called Thai Spice. It's so good! My other favorite place is Bangkok Thai Talay, and Cafe Trangs. I'm so hungry for it right now!
• Going on walks with Seth and the kids. Which we can't do because there is snow. We did go on a walk after church on Sunday because the sun was out, and it was nice. I miss going on walks every Sunday.
• Going on Vacation! To take it a step further, I love going out for breakfast when we are traveling or on vacation.
• Being on Spiritual Highs! (Which I am on right now! I feel my saviors love so strong, and I am so full of Joy!)
• Pure Seduction Body wash and Lotion from VS that my friend Aimee gave me for Christmas! It smells so good!
• Hearing my kids say their prayers! Seriously the cutest thing EVER!

I LOVE U ALL!

Our Savior

Oh how I wish I could be perfect like him! I am so far from Perfect. I try so hard to be like Jesus. I fall short. That is why I am so thankful for Our Savior. Without him, I would be ruined.

Delicious

Black Bean Salsa
Courtesy of Candice and Dave with a few alterations.

1 can Black beans
Rinsed and drained
1 can corn
Drained
Cilantro
Chopped
Avacados
Cubed
Tomatoes
Diced
Juice from 1 lime

I just added enough of the Cilantro, Avacados, and tomatoes to make it an even amount of all things. Then I added garlic salt, onion salt and pepper to taste, It is yummy.

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing
Courtesy of Julene Judd

Pork Chops( I used 4)
Apple Pie Filling
Pork Stuffing

I cooked my pork chops in the crock pot all day because they are so thick. (The ones from Sams Club/Costco) I added Lipton onion soup mix with water

Cook Stuffing according to box directions.

Preheat oven to 375

Lay Pork chops in the pan and top with the apple pie filling.( I sliced my apples into small pieces)

Cover with Stuffing and bake until hot all the way through!

Letter P

I am teaching Letter P at school this week.

I was yelling up the staris to Seth telling him he was a "Pimp"

Mykelle was at the kitchen table finishing breakfast and said "Mommy, Mommy! P is for Pimp. P.p.p.p.p P-I-M-P "

It was Hilarious!

My Lover Boy

I know the picture is blurry, but it is my favorite of us 6 years ago! This was before we went to Rock the mic tour. He got me tickets for my birthday!

My significant other

Answer and post your own so I can learn more about you and your significant other! :)

What are your middle names? Thomas and Marie

How long have you been together? 6 years!

How long did you know each other before you started dating? About a month or two

Who asked who out? He asked Emily and I to come over and he would make us Strawberry shortcake, and we would watch the Jazz game. We have been together since. Our first date was to see X-men. I also think we ate at Barbacoa.

How old were each of you when you met? 18 and 24.

How old are each of you now? 24 and 29.

How tall are each of you? 5'4" and 6’0

Whose siblings do/did you see the most? We see both equally

Do you have any children together? Mykelle 4 ½ and Trey 2

What about pets? 1. A guniea pig

Did you go to the same school? not even close.

Are you from the same hometown? No

Who is the smartest? Well.....I have more wisdom and logic. He's definantly more intelligent.

Who is the most sensitive? I’d have to say me. I do get to see his sensitive side though.

Where do you eat out most as a couple? Everywhere. We love to eat out together. It is so relaxing.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas 2005

Who has the worst temper? Neither of us have a bad temper. If I were to choose one of us though, it would be me.

Who does/did the cooking? I do about 99% of the cooking. Seth makes the BEST! I meant the BEST French toast. MMM….now I’m hungry!

Who is more social? Me for sure!

Who is the neat-freak? Me, but Seth is pretty clean

Who hogs the bed? Our bed is to big to hog! I like to cuddle with Seth when I sleep though!

Who wakes up earlier? Me! I get up before the world, and I love it!

Who has the bigger family? Seth. Six other siblings!

How do you spend the holidays? With both families

Who is more jealous? That is tough. Neither really. It would be equal!

Do you have little pet names for each other? I make up names all the time to be a dork. But in all seriousness, I call him my lover boy!

How long did it take to get serious? About 3 months. I was so in love with him, while he “didn’t want to date serious”

Who eats more? Seth. But trust me, I can eat like nobody’s business!

Who sings better? No question. That’s me! NOT! I suck. Seth teases me all the time that I should go on American Idol. So he can laugh at me. Brat!

Who’s older? Sethy poo

Who does the dishes? Mostly me, but Seth almost always unloads

Who snores? Neither of us!! Yet.

Who’s better with the computer? Lover boy himself. He is really good with computers.

Who drives when you are together? Lover boy

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? Seth is.

Who kissed who first? It was mutual. And dang, he was a good kisser! Do you remember that night Emily and Mindy? I ran out to the car bragging about his kissing skills, and was so happy when we finally kissed!

Who has more tattoos? Neither one of us has tattoos.

Who eats more sweets? ME!!!

Are you two still a couple? Forever and ever. And soon to be eternity!
June 2008 in Las Vegas

I am Crazy about u Lover Boy!

Water and Protein

Water

I have never really loved to drink water until last year. Actually while studying for Personal Training. I realized I need to drink more water! Now, I love it. By drinking water (Even when you don't love it) Your natural thirst will return, and you will crave water! This is true, and I know because now, I LOVE water.( and ice. I crunch ice regulary. I know, I know. Its really bad for my teeth. But I love it. And No, I don't have low iron. I just like it!) Here are the main facts about water and why it is so important for the functioning of a healthy body!

• Fluid retention is alleviated!
• Liver functions imrove, increasing the percentage of fat used for energy
• Natural thirst returns!
• Appetite decreases significantly
• Metabolic functions improve!
• Nutrients are distributed through the body
• Blood volume is maintained
• Body temp. is regulated

I always drink a full glass of water before I eat. Sometimes your body will feel hungry when really it is thirsty. This helps you eat less and give your body what it really needs!

Protein

For those of you that drink Protein Shakes daily and get so sick of the taste....

ADD RASPBERRY EXTRACT!

It gets rid of that nasty after taste, and actually tastes delicious! My kids ask for this every morning. They think they are real shakes! You can also add a drop of peppermint too! It takes the after taste away as well, but doesn't taste as good as raspberry! If you want to know all the benefits of protein, leave me a comment and I will tell you all that I have learned while studying! It is crucial if you are trying to lose weight, or working out!

Haphazard Facts

Another word for random; Unsystematic. Chance. Casual. Slapdash. Disorganized. Jumbled. Unselective. Chaotic.( It was rather Chaotic when I sat down to post/comment. The kids jumping on my bed, running around, trying to get my attention. DANG! Just give me 5 minutes. I know..... Do you guys want marshmallows? Silence.) So here I am...gaining new Vocabulary. Since I am posting Sladdash facts, I thought I would post Unselective pictures. (What is a post without pictures. Boring? Also meaning, lackluster, tedious,dreary etc.

Zions National Park- March 2008
Girl's Night with Seth. We went to dinner and Laser tag.

I can't wait to be able to pull my hair back again!

We ran into the Jorgenson family at Silver Lake one Sunday, and they took our picture since we forgot our camera!

Our Honeymoon in Vegas at a Magic show. Pretty cool I thought. Check out my nose piercing! Man I kind of miss that.

Our Honeymoon again. We were at Shark Reef. To me, I look so young, even though it seems not too long ago.

Here are the Jumbled facts:

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.

“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)

The words “racecar”, “kayak”, and “level” are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes). (Yep, I knew you were going to 'do' this one.)

There are only four words in the English language which end in 'dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. (Some days that's about what my memory span is.)

A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

Leonardo DaVinci invented the scissors

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Women blink twice as often as men.

Beautiful Beings

This was when they were having a sleepover and were so excited, they wouldn't stop hugging each other!

Sometimes Mykelle is so serious when I take pictures of her! I wanted to take pictures of her in this freakin' cute hat, and she wanted to be serious. She is so stunning sometimes that I have to just stare at her and think "Is this really my daughter!?" She is so beautiful. And yes, I am terrified of what is going to happen when she is a teenager. I hope she stays sassy!

A day in the snow last week! We had so much fun! Trey is so cute and playful! ( Yes, he is wearing pink and brown snow pants. His are broken. He is wearing Bri pies.)

SCENTSY SALE

The warmer of the month is Symphony, and the scent of the month is Taracco Mint. It smells so fresh!

Scentsy is having a sale on all Fall/Winter catalog stuff! Everythign will be 10% off for the month of February! I will be doing a big Open House in March too when the new catalog comes out and just an FYI the cutest warmers ever, and some really good scents too! They will have a Safari collection with this new catalog, along with lots of other cute warmers!

Slow-Dancing

We just came in from a cold day in the snow! The kids had a blast outside. 30 minutes is plenty of time in 27 degrees weather. Mykelle, Taylor, and Trey sitting at the table drinking hot cocoa and cutting out hearts to decorate the kitchen with..Listening to Mindy's wedding Cd (which is such a good Country mix BTW) Trey wants me to hold him so I take him to the living room and begin slow dancing with him (Which he loves) Today for some reason, I am flooded with happiness, the kind the makes you tear up. I think as I hold Trey's little hand, how much he has grown up, and that I don't want him to grow up so fast. He has the cutest personality, and always makes everyone laugh! He is so cuddly, so he laid on my shoulder the whole time while I slow danced with him to "Good Morning Beautiful" He danced with me for the whole song while I thought about how today was such a good day although I'm really tired and kind of lazy. He looks up at me when the song is over and gives me that smile that just melts everyones heart. Yep, today is a GREAT day!

He has always had the best smile! I miss when he was this small!

If Seth were home...

They would be in BIG trouble! He hates when they take the cushions off the couch! They were having a BLAST!

Noomer

is her nickname! I don't know how it came about, but thats what we call her! She is a good sister! Sometimes she is a brat and can have an attitude. Most of the time,she is so much fun and I love her to death!

Respect

Quote of the Day: "The sooner you treat your son as a man, the sooner he will be one."
— John Dryden, English dramatist (1631-1700)

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!


Hal's Take: Earl Woods, Tiger Woods’ beloved dad, said repeatedly that the parent-child relationship is one built on respect. Most parents readily agree with that sentiment thinking primarily how kids need to respect their parents. But Mr. Woods didn’t mean it that way at all. He believed that it is our job as parents to earn the respect of our kids by how well we recognize them as individuals, as separate persons in their own right. Individuals with not only a mind of their own, but a life of their own. Given the success of his son, as both an athlete and a man, I’d say Earl Woods was on to something.

Hal Runkel, LMFT, author of ScreamFree Parenting:Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool.

Cookie Dough

So I don't LOVE cookie dough, but when I made these MOST DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookies, I tasted the dough, and it was delish! I could have eaten the whole bowl. But, since I'm trying to eat healthy and all, I only ate half the bowl. :)

Forget the cookies, eat the....

COOKIE DOUGH

1 C. Butter
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
Cream Together
Add:
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 C. Flour
2 1/2 C. Blended oatmeal (blend it til it looks like flour)
1/2 t. salt (don't add if you use salted butter)
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
12 oz bag of Milk Chocolate chips (sometimes I will add more because I like lots of chocolate chips)
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Splendid

Splendid Image

So far the New year has been SPLENDID!

Synonyms- splendid , resplendent , gorgeous , glorious , sublime , superb ;meaning extraordinarily or transcendently impressive.

I have finished two books this month! Well, I read the rest of Secret Life of Bees, and I read a book called Irresistible. ( A total romance novel) I loved every minute of it. I am now finishing Putting on the armour of god, and then The voice of Knowledge. I start to many books at once. I just can't wait to dive into them!

Eating Healthy is going pretty good! I still have a few snacks here and there and don't really care. I like eating for PLEASURE dangit! I have leaned out alot, and like those results alot :)

Seth and I bought 2 journals this last weekend. One for Mykelle, and one for Trey. We BOTH wrote in them on Sunday, as well as my mom! I'm way excited that we will be doing this! Candice broke in the red plate as we celebrated her birthday on Sunday. We enjoyed disaster cake that evening as well! It was good! Dave of course made fun of my red plate all night! He won't be using it on his birthday. He's what you would call a DEBBIE DOWNER. hehe I continue to leave notes and Thank yous for Seth around the house. Sometimes I like to take them away when he is being a brat. But, I always give them back. Eventually.

We are still trying to get out of debt. Sigh...

We went to the Draper Temple on Tuesday with the kids. Including my adopted daughters Taylor and Bripie. It was Phenomenal . The chandeliers are breath taking! It made me so excited to get back there soon. The most Splendid thing of all is that Seth said he can't wait either. Speechless!

Parenting Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day: "No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal."
— Bill Cosby, U.S. comedian (1937- )


Hal's Take: Referees have thankless jobs. Think about it: someone is always upset with them. If you find yourself at the center of sibling controversy, parenting can sometimes feel the same way. Be assured, though, there is no need to wear the stripes and blow the whistle. When we step in and try to make sure everyone plays fair and equality prevails, we are usually the losers. Have you ever really listened to yourself when you jump into a heated exchange with your kids? You end up tangled in their twisted, childish logic worse than they do – and you’re supposed to be the adult! Instead, allow them the space to work things out amongst themselves and model calm for them. Ultimately, the skills they’ll develop in doing this are far more important than who got to sit in the front seat yesterday. They’ll learn more about themselves and others in the process and you just might be surprised by their creativity and compassion.

Hal Runkel, LMFT, author of ScreamFree Parenting:Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool.

I REALLY NEED TO DO THIS MORE! MY KIDS REALLY CAN WORK THINGS OUT ON THERE OWN MOST OF THE TIME!

Martin Luther King Jr.

These are a few of my favorite quotes by him. What a GREAT man.

If it weren't for him, Seth and I would not be allowed to be together. My whole world would be different!

THANK YOU MLK!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

The time is always right to do what is right.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

My Favorite part of his speech...

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

PuRe JoY

JOY
–noun
1.the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

2.a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.

3.the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4.a state of happiness or felicity.–verb (used without object)

5.to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.–verb (used with object)

6.Obsolete. to gladden

They make my heart overflow with happiness and JOY...Oh how I love them!