Biggest Loser workshop

This past weekend I went to my biggest loser workshop.  It was down in Buda (about 45 minutes South) and started at 7:30 am.  I didn't want to be late, so I was out of the house at 6:30!

It started with a VIP reception with some of the contestants.  2 were from season 2 (before I watched - ryan and pete), one from season 4 (david), 2 from season 7 (sione and filipe), and 3 from season 8 (liz, dena and tracey).  The stuck together for a bit, but eventually walked around to meet us fans.  A few I wasn't really a fan of during the show, and didn't really want to meet them.  I think my perceptions of them were right too... I met sione and filipe - who were great!  Just like the show!  There were my favorites.

I also met Dena, and we discussed the hardships of the contestants being away from their families.

There were fitness workshops - bootcamp, towelmoves, yogalates, skinny mini, and zumba.  There were also cooking, roll away pain and fat myth workshops too.  We only got to pick 5, so I did the bootcamp, towelmoves, cooking, skinny mini and roll away pain.

The workshops were good, and there was a variety of people there - from the super fit to those getting started with their fitness goals.  I feel that in all I probably worked out hard core for 1 1/2 hours!

The best part was talking to the contestants (most did fit my preconception of them) and the panel they had at lunch.  People asked them everything from how long they worked-out a day (4 hours with trainer, 2-4 hours of homework a day), did they do their own cooking (yes), did they get paid ($50/day for earlier seasons, $100/day for later ones), and how they felt about the show (positive how it helped them).  Being on the show did affect their families (how they changed their way of eating, etc.) and they did have a hard time returning back home (no clothes fit, dropped by the show - no trainers, $$, etc.).

It was a great day.  I returned home just in time to head back out to pick up Tessa from the airport at 5:30. We got home, Ry made a super dinner of white chili, and I fell dead asleep at 8 pm!  And didn't get up until 8:30 am on Sunday.  Seriously, it has been since way before Nate was born that I have been able to sleep 12 1/2 hours!

Now to figure out how to work out this week!!

20 lbs!

I did it!  I have finally lost 20 lbs since I started Weight Watchers last April.  About 10 months.  The first couple months were great, since I was breast-feeding and all.  But through weaning, 2 miscarriages, the holidays, finding time to work out, etc. that last 5 has taken awhile.  But I did it!  I'm now almost 10 pounds under when I got pregnant with Nate!

To celebrate I'm going to the Biggest Loser workshop tomorrow.  Pictures to come!  A whole day, alone, to discuss nutrition and fitness, as well as see some of my favorite contestants.  I'm sure blessed with a husband who encouraged me to go and will  be home with Nate for this day-long event!

19 months...

Well, the teen months are over.  And to celebrate that Nate has really started communicating.  His current spoke words include mom/ma, dad, football, yes, no, nana, teda (tessa), papa, juice, wawa, tuto (pacifier) and night night.  His signed words include all done, more, touchdown, baby, ball, dad, eat, dog, thank you, snow, rain, water, dance/music, sleep, cat, happy, please, tuto, I'm sorry, milk, book, bread, toast, and drink.

We are in amazement of it.  He really like to tell us stuff, sometimes using made up words, but often some signing or real words come through.

Football is almost coming to an end.  Nate has been watching many a game with me...I hope the Olympics will fill our sports void next month!

It is super cute when he wants to play - he signs "more" in the living room and wants us to chase him.  He's even learning how to chase us!

What have we done?  We celebrated Ry's birthday, got to meet Thomas' new sister Helen, played with friends - especially our neighbors!

Here are a few of our favorite pics!

Small Successes - February 11

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph.  


1.  Finally put away last week's laundry and have this week's done and put away!  Seriously, this is quite a feat for me!!


2.  Was able to make some important phone calls regarding financial issues (homeowner stuff and life insurance) that has been on my list for weeks.


3.  Met with a friend this week who shared her struggle with infertility with me.  Figured out that I don't have to fight with the devil, just need to work at pushing him back.  And found a great article on one woman's fertility that truly gave me hope!  

The Biggest Loser

For the last few years, I have loved watching the Biggest Loser.  I love to see people change their lives, and that of their friends and community.

I got an email from groupon today.  The Biggest Loser is coming to Buda for their Work Out Like a Loser workshop and I got a VIP ticket for the price of a regular ticket.  A day-long workshop, and chance to meet the contestants, VIP seating, VIP parking, etc.  I can't wait!

Can I brag on my husband?

Today, Ry was my knight.  He was getting ready to go to work, and noticed my tire had a flat (I've been having issues for awhile).  He pumped it up, took it to Discount Tire, got it fixed (it had 2 nails and a screw in it), came home and THEN went to work!  What an amazing guy!!  We had only a little playdate scheduled for today, but he knows how these escapes keep my sanity through the day.

Thank you Ryan!  You are the best!  I am soooo lucky!!

photo session!

Last December, one of Tessa's friends Abbey went out with us for a photo session.  We went to Mayfield Park and had a blast taking a couple hundred pictures (including a few with my brother and Tessa).  Here are a few of our favorites!  If you want to have photos done, she is your girl!  Great price, digital copy, and she's planning to go to UT for photography in the fall.  She is also a nanny, so does super well with kids.  I think we have our photographer set for the next few years!

Christmas!

Okay, I"m only like 1 month late, right? We had a great Christmas - travelled between Ft. Worth and Waco and even go to have some snow. With Stephen from Chile, and Ted and Mama from New Mexico, our family was all together! Nate sure loved opening presents - I think he's getting the hang of it now! And we saw some friend that we hadn't seen since their wedding several years ago!

Here are a few of our favorite photos!

Doing his chores, washing dishes

Christmas day, in the snow!
Nate and Dad
my siblings with Nate
Ribbon boy!
Nate and Dedimama (my grandmother)
pose with Dad
Nana hugs
Dedimama and her boys
us girls, after our makeovers!!
like father, like son
Nate and his uncles
helping Papa
Ry and his college buddies and their kiddos
the entire family!
my absolute favorite photo! Can he get any cuter?

Dawn Elizabeth

You would think this could get easier. But it doesn't. And here I go again, sharing the news that heaven welcomed another beautiful soul. This past week, I miscarried our 5th child. I was early on, but both Ry and I had strong feelings it was a girl. We named her Dawn after my friend who passed away 2 years ago.

At least we know the reason, due to my genetic make-up, my chromosomal abnormality. The doctor and counselor told us that we would have to go through more miscarriages if we desired more children. And we have. But it is still hard.

People look at me. "you only have one child?" they ask. If they only knew. I have a large family in heaven! Only another reason to work harder to get there and be with them some day.

Little Dawn, we will already miss you! At least you are comforted in heaven with your siblings and those miscarried babies of our friends and family.

Philip Gabriel, pray for us.

Mary Isabelle, pray for us.

Lucy Grace, pray for us.

Luke David, pray for us.

Dawn Elizabeth, pray for us.

Marriage Encounter...

3 years ago Ryan and I made a marriage encounter. We went up to Ft. Worth, and spent an entire weekend focusing on us, our marriage, and where we were going. 2007 was quite a year for us already, as I was recovering from my d&c after our 2nd miscarriage in January. So, when my parents offered for us to go as a gift, we readily went in February. It was wonderful. That year had many challenges (friends living with us, our 3rd miscarriage, medical issues, and finally our successful pregnancy with Nate), and I truly believe our time spent that weekend helped prepare us for it.

If you are interested in the program, you can find more about it through the National Marriage Encounter of North Texas. And if you decide to go, maybe we will see you up there...

another blog...

So, I've decided to start another blog to share some of the things we cook at our house. I'll also add some tips and tricks that makes our budget go farther,as well as anything else cooking related I can think of.

So, click here and let me know what you think!

Happy Birthday, dear husband...

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday dear Ryan

Happy Birthday to you!

You are my best friend, my knight in shining armor.

You hold me when I cry, and can always make me laugh.

You are the love of my life, and I can't imagine spending it with anyone else.

Happy Birthday, to all that is to come this year!

I wonder...

When I was single, and then when I got married, I had many chores to do. But, at the end of the day, I seemed to get most things done. Now with a toddler, my life has changed.

I wonder if I will ever have a house

without laundry to do,

dishes to wash,

emails to respond to,

blog posts to write,

photos to get printed,

gifts to wrap,

thank-you notes to write,

clutter to remove,

rooms to pick up,

diapers to change,

clothes to put away,

vacuuming,

sweeping,

dusting,

ugh!

I guess it is one of those days, when it seems like my to-do list keeps getting longer and longer and longer. I thought I was finally getting on top of things, doing only 2 loads of laundry (easy enough to put away right), when I realize that I didn't put away the last load, and then Nate falls and gets a bloody lip and bleeds all over my shirt. More laundry!!

I like following FlyLady but even doing that seems overwhelming at times. For those experienced wives and mommas out there, what do you do to keep yourself sane when the list seems endless?

1.5 years (aka, 18 months)

Well, the teen months are drawing to a close. And with them, many changes to our little one. In the last couple weeks, he has started talking, to the amazement of us all. We counted 10 words he can say so far: mama, dada, teda (for Tessa neni), nana, dog, ball, papa, all done, mo (for more) .... and his first word was football!

He's also signing lots more. He knows more, all done, milk, water, tuto (for his pacifier), cheese, noodle, banana, bye, and touchdown.

We've done lots of stuff - Stephen bacsi visited for a week (hadn't seen Nate since the summer) and my cousin Monica came to visit too! We also celebrated Papa's birthday.

We had lots of fun over Christmas, and Nate loved being the center of attention at both grandparents homes. We found out he likes Hershey kisses, and being held by both grandpas. He goes straight for them.

His hand/eye coordination is improving - stacking legos together, putting people in his cars, climbing on the table! He still loves music - especially songs from the Nutcracker. Another fun thing - putting boxes on our head and walking around!

Here are a few pics, and then I'll post some from Christmas.

Snow, with our neighbors in Austin

at the park with Stephen bacsi
Santa came for a visit
Tessa neni and Stephen bacsi got to meet him too!
nose!
Papa's birthday (see Nate using his spoon)
sporting Stephen bacsi's sunglasses
the cousins
box-walking!
at Tessa neni's work
messy dinner!!