24 Days

Holy cow.  I knew the half marathon was later this month.  We've been talking about that.  But, when I get an email and the subject line is 'Half Marathon - 24 Days Out' the anxiety hits.  Winter weather came late here, and with the abundance of snow days on top of sick kids, I'm so behind.  I've missed many training runs, and my longest run has only been 8 miles.  I have a lot of work to do.

I'm so worried that my legs are going to buckle under me while I'm running.  I'm worried about how my knees are going to handle the run because of some discomfort I've been having.  I'm worried about making it the entire run.  I'm worried about it taking forevvvver for me to finish. 

But then, when I'm out there running, I imagine how it will feel to cross that finish line.  I know in the moment, I won't care how long it takes me.  I know there will be this overwhelming push to keep going from the crowd and other runners.  And I know there will likely be tears.

So, please....let today and tomorrow be our last winter weather occurrences and let the weather take a turn for the better.  I will be spending the next three weeks running.  And running some more.  And the next three weekends running long runs, listening to podcasts, and logging the miles that will help me get to 13.1.  Thirteen point one.  What an accomplishment that will be!

 

Me...

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner blog this week.  I love reading her blog and I love how she does a link up each week.  I rarely participate, but this time around, she's helping bloggers connect with others in their same area, so I thought it would be worth my time!  I'd love to connect with other bloggers in this area. 

So, who am I?  I'm Jarrod's wife.  I'm Gavin and Riley's mommy.  I'm a daughter, a (older) sister, a niece, a friend.  I'm an Ohio native (Go Buckeyes!) that never thought I'd end up in Arkansas.  I grew up wanting two things...to be a mommy and to be a teacher.  For five wonderful years, I taught first grade and loved my job, but now I'm a stay-at-home-mommy and wouldn't trade that for anything.  I spend my days making memories with my son and daughter, all while transporting Gavin to and from preschool, cooking, cleaning, running errands, and trying to get Riley to take a nap!  I'm a Tastefully Simple leader and absolutely love that...doing parties, working with my team, connecting with clients...I love it all.  I love to blog, take photos, and organize things (weird, I know...)  Jarrod and I probably watch too much TV, and I can recite most lines from every episode of Friends.  If calories weren't an issue (darn baby weight!), I would eat ice cream every day.  Having close friendships is so important to me and I cherish my time spent with my friends (and on the phone with those far away!)  I'm attempting to teach myself how to use Photoshop, take better photos, and sew, all at the same time.  I'm busy.  I love it that way.  I love everything about my life!  It's definitely not how I thought it would be, but it's perfect to me.   

 

Operation Baby Weight!

It's time to get serious.  I have to get the baby weight off and my body back in shape! Jarrod and I are about 95% sure our family is complete...ok, honestly...Jarrod's 100% sure, I'm 95% sure.  So I figured there is no reason to be dragging my feet right now.  There's NO reason why Riley is going to be 8 weeks old tomorrow and I still wear maternity pants most days.  {Really there are two reasons...I can't fit into most of my pants yet and maternity pants are comfy!}  But, I'm motivated now.  I have to run with it.  It's time to get cracking!  


Weight is just a number to me.  It doesn't really bother me to share, and tracking my progress here proved to be really motivating last fall when I did so well losing some extra pounds I wanted to take off.  So, I'm doing it again.


When I got pregnant with Gavin, I weighed 132lbs.  My goal was to be at least to that weight again before getting pregnant again, but that didn't quite happen.  I was 138lbs when I got pregnant with Riley.  I gained 35lbs with her pregnancy, topping off at 173.  I lost 21lbs quickly, but then never lost much more...currently, I'm at 153.  My plan isn't to weigh myself weekly and post those numbers or anything.  I just am going to update periodically.  But my goal is to eventually get down another 28lbs and get to 125, which is closer to where I was when I got married.  


So, here's my plan of action.  Today, I'm going through my closet to get a lot of the maternity clothes out of there.  If I don't have much to wear, I feel like I'll stay motivated!  I plan to try to walk, do yoga, or do an Exercise On Demand workout everyday.  I'll do crunches with Jarrod at night before bed.  And, lastly, since it takes an insane amount of time for our water to get hot in our bathroom (which drives me crazy because of all the water we waste) I put a set of light weights in there and I'll do some basic biceps/triceps/back/shoulder exercises with them.  And somehow, I have to learn to control my sweet tooth...  That's going to be the tough part!


Wish me luck!
 

My Life Right Now

It's a September Saturday.  That means Jarrod's watching football.

Gavin's running in circles shouting, "Ride like the wind, Bullseye!"

I'm typing one handed while bouncing with a 10 pound bundle of cuteness known as Riley on my knee.


Shirley's sitting at the door, waiting to be let in.


I'm craving chocolate.  Lots of chocolate!


Life is great!


 

A-Z

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a great idea, so I'm borrowing it.  It's giving me something to do while I lay here during naptime, wishing I could breath through my nose so I could sleep comfortably while the kiddos nap...Oh well...that's what coffee's for, huh?

a {age} 29

b {bed size} queen

c {chore you hate} folding laundry

d {dogs} one needy lab, Shirley

e {essential start to your day} coffee and a little computer time

f {favorite color} so many...really liking pink at the moment

g {gold or silver} definitely silver...or white gold

h {height} 5'3"

i {instrument you play} played clarinet for a year, wish i knew how to play the piano

j {job title} mommy and wife...aka financial planner, house cleaner, nurse, teacher, chef, cheerleader, chauffeur, etc., etc., etc...  And also a proud Tastefully Simple Team Leader!

k {kids} two, Gavin and Riley

l {live} NW Arkansas

m {maiden name} Peters

n {nicknames} don't really have any...Linds calls me AJ, Sara calls me JP sometimes, Jarrod likes to call me Fun Cop to annoy me...

o {overnight hospital stays} only when having my babies

p {pet peeve} oh so many...

q {quote} 'Bloom where you are planted' because it's what helped me adjust to the idea of moving away from our families, and 'Dream it. Believe it. Work it.' [among others!]

r {righty or lefty} righty

s {siblings} Megan, Tyler and Briana

t {time you wake up} sometime between 5:30 and 6:30am

u {university attended} University of Toledo and University of Dayton

v {vegetable you hate} celery, but there are many others I say I hate because I don't want to try them

w {what makes you run late} potty breaks and diaper changes

x {xrays you've had} dental xrays, when I broke my ankle, and probably when I broke my thumb but I don't remember that

y {yummy food} chocolate, pasta, bacon, grilled pizza...so many!

z {zoo animal favorites} monkeys and polar bears

If you steal this idea, comment so I can check your blog out, too!

Thirteen Thursday

I'm starting to get the calls and emails...what do I want for my birthday?  Hmm...  I've had to spend some time thinking about it, but thought I'd just try to make a list for everyone here. 

1. Money which will help us buy Gavin's new bedroom furniture
2. Gift cards for Walmart, Target, or Sam's Club.
3. Restaurant gift cards - Chick Fil A, Outback, Red Lobster...trying to think of places that are both here and in Ohio...we may be able to add Chipotle to that list!  Rumor has it one is coming to Fayetteville!
4. Taylor Swift's new CD
5. Amazon gift cards to go toward my new camera lens
6. New gloves - the kind that are fingerless gloves with the mitten that go over top - kinda like these: http://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Thinsulate-Glomitt-Fingerless-Gloves/dp/B004B1F4TQ/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1295530183&sr=8-25
7. Subscription to All You magazine
8. Sonoline B doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat (but I've only seen them on ebay.)
9. Wii Fit
10. Wheel of Fortune or other game shows for Wii
11. Gift card for Blog2Print to turn my blog into a book (available at www.blog2print.com)
12. To be debt free
13. A promotion to Team Leader, which means I just need one more team member.  :) Who wants to join me?

Goals for 2011

Recently, I was promoted to Sr. Consultant with Tastefully Simple and as a gift, I received CEO Jill Blashack-Strahan's book, Simply Shine, in the mail and couldn't put it down.  It was basically a compilations of stories that tell about Jill's life and all the things that happened to her that ultimately led to her owning a multi-million dollar company.  It was so inspiring to read, and pushed me to dream a little more.  One of her big points throughout the book was that you have to set goals and WRITE THEM DOWN in order for them to happen.  And according to Jill, "if a goal doesn't come to fruition, then it wasn't for your ultimate good."  


So, I'm not really making 'resolutions' this year, but goals.  I'm writing them down, getting it out there, and I'm going to make it happen!  


I LOVE staying at home with Gavin (and future Baby Hamm) but it's not always easy for us financially.  There have been many times where I've contemplated going back to work just to help us in that matter, but then the thought of day care costs and being away from the kids kind of gets in the way.  So, I have to make what we have available work for us.  A lot of my goals this year revolve around that...I do not want to go back to work full time, but I also don't want to feel stressed about money anymore.


So, my first goal is to get back into my couponing and really cut down our spending at Walmart.  I was doing so well over the summer, and then the weather changed, the holidays were among us, I found out I was pregnant, and I slacked.  I didn't take the time to check the coupon blogs and make my lists, etc.  For this year, I'm getting back in the game and I'm going to cut down our spending.  I got started off right by buying two papers on Sunday...there were 4 inserts in each paper!


Second, I want to make use of the money that will be coming our way in the spring to really pay off the debt we've accumulated and haven't been able to pay off.  On top of our tax return, we'll also get Jarrod bonus plus his annual raise, our health insurance cost went down so we'll see a difference in his checks from that, and our rent drops in April.  I dream about the day when I don't have any credit card payments to make!  I mean, like...you know how people dream about living on an island or winning the lottery...I literally dream about not having bills to pay (aside from the daily bills that come along with just living...I'm talking credit card bills and car payments.)


Next, my goal has to do with Tastefully Simple.  I already make good money from the parties I do with TS, but my goal is to make more income this year.  I'm planning to do that by holding more parties, but by also promoting to Team Leader and growing my team.  Last quarter, I welcomed two team members to Simply Ambitious, so this year my goal is to add three more each quarter, or 12 for the whole year.  If I continue to have a consistent party schedule and welcome new team members, I know I can earn the Cancun trip for Jarrod and me.  I never thought Tastefully Simple would become such a huge part of my life, but I'm so thankful I decided to give it a try.  


Lastly, my goal is to remember how lucky I am, even when I'm feeling stressed or like we'll never get where we want to be.  I know that's not true, and I know that as bad as I think we have it, there are other people that are worse off than we are.  We're so lucky to have each other and such an amazing little boy to love.  We live in a great home in a great location and have families that love us.  Despite the distance between us, I have friends that I love and cherish.  I'm going to be more grateful for all we do have this year.  


Happy New Year, everyone!  What are your goals this year?

Wordless Wednesday

Rummy!

Fun shots courtesy of a few drinks and a self-timer!

Is it time?

Oh, scrapbooking - once my 'drug of choice.'  I started scrapbooking about 10 years ago.  I love it.  I love the way the pages tell a story and the chance to journal to get all my memories down.  But, I'm so far behind.  I made it a resolution this year to get caught up.  I was doing so well, but then the move happened.  I packed everything up, and then unpacked it into my 'craft closet' and haven't scrapped since.  The last pages I did were of Gavin at about 2 months old I think.  I told you.  So behind.  I even have a wedding scrapbook, and TONS of pink and green materials, and I've only done a handful of pages.  Will I ever get caught up?  Or is it time to 'retire'?  In all honestly, I feel like this blog has become my new scrapbook.  I document everything here.  And my plan is to turn it into a book each year.  {I really have to get started on that since I'm approaching the 2 year mark of this blog and haven't done it yet - but it's yet another expense that I can't justify until we pay off some debt!}  I know most of the stuff I have I will use.  For my Journal Jars, for crafts with Gavin, for cards....  But will I really ever finish my scrapbooks?  Is it bad that I started some pages for Gavin and then just quit?  Will our next child feel left out that I don't make pages documenting my pregnancy and his/her birth like I did Gavin's?  And what exactly will I do with all this pink and green wedding stuff???  I'm thinking it's time to sell some of the stuff that I haven't used in years.  Like my QuicKutz.  I loved that thing - was soooo excited to get it for a graduation gift from my co-workers at The Scrapbook Place.  But, I can't remember the last time I used it for a page.  {Oooh, an idea - maybe I can sell some of my stuff and use that money to make my first blog book}  I don't know.  I'm torn.  I don't know how to go from being a scrapbooker to not being a scrapbooker.  Though technically I'm not a scrapbooker if I don't actually use the stuff, huh?  Hmmm.... tough choices! 

Some updates

Happy Monday!  We had a great weekend.  It's HOT and HUMID here.  I can't remember when we last saw a day that wasn't in the 90s, so a forecast of 87 tomorrow sounds heavenly!  We spent time this weekend playing in the pool - you know, Gavin's blow up pool.  :)  You do what you can!  :)

I've been asked how Gavin's potty training is going.  Well, it's not really going anywhere.  We had a few good days, but now the only real time he's interested in using the potty is right before his bath.  He now has 9 pair of underwear, but when I show them to him and tell him we're going to wear them, he throws a fit.  So, we're just waiting for now.  I did get an eBook this weekend called 3 Day Potty Training.  It's interesting....I'm trying to decide if I want to try it or not.  The author swears if I follow her technique, he'll be fully potty trained in 3 days.  Hmmm....

As for me, remember a while back how I talked about how I was going to come here and lose all this weight?  Well, it hasn't happened.  Unfortunately, when I started watching Gracie, I stopped going to the rec like I should.  They have strange child care hours, so that also makes it difficult.  Plus, since I hurt my back again, it's not fun to work out.  I decided I had to get back on track so I signed up for Spark People.  It's like Weight Watchers and you track your food intake and exercise, but it's free.  Well, I put in my height and weight, and it came back with me in the overweight category.  Nice....  There's a 34 lb range of "average" weights for my height, and I'm not even in that average.  I really have to get serious! It's time for a change.  Let's hope I can stay motivated. 

Thirteen Thursday

13 things that drive me CRAZY!!!

1. Hearing Gavin scream 'MINE!' or 'No, Sir!' 37,000 times a day when Gracie's here. (Yes, he now calls people 'sir' no matter their gender.)
2. When the UPS man rings the doorbell during naptime, making Shirley bark like we're being attacked, only to find out the package is for the neighbor.
3. Having plans change - I like to know what's going on....don't change things at the last minute, it annoys me.
4. People who are so much "busier" than me.  Seriously...we all have a lot going on.  Just because I am a SAHM does not mean I'm not busy.
5. This pain in my lower back and hip that's been there since Gavin was born and will likely never go away...it drives me crazy!!!  Just when I thought it was all better, it's back.
6. When the book I'm reading doesn't end the way I was hoping it would.
7. Having the customer service rep tell me they can't talk to me because Jarrod's name is on the account as the primary.  Grrrrr!
8. Waiting until 'tomorrow' to get gas and then the prices go up. 
9. My favorite creamer flavors not being available in 'Skinny' or 'Sugar Free.'
10. People who don't take care of things that aren't theirs - like our house!
11. Having no willpower - I want to lose weight so bad, but I like food too much! 
12. Cutting open an avocado and finding it's bad.
13. Hearing Gavin scream 'MINE!' or 'No, Sir!' 37,000 times a day when Gracie's here.  Oh, wait....I already said that one.  Can you tell what kind of day we're having????

How we spent Father's Day

Gavin woke us up around 6, as usual, on Father's Day. I went in to get him and got the gifts that had been hiding under Gavin's bed for the past couple weeks. He carried one into Jarrod and said, "Here you go, Daddy." I told him to tell Jarrod "Happy Father's Day," but he ended up spending the day saying, "Birthday to you, Daddy."

I made breakfast for Jarrod - biscuits and gravy with sausage and coffee. Then we headed to Walmart for some groceries and spent the rest of the day at the house.

It's HOT here in NW Arkansas - temperatures have been in the 90s and are expected to continue to be around 95 for the next 10 days with little chance of rain. So, after Gavin woke up from his nap, we headed out to keep cool in the new pool Mimi and Beepa bought for Gavin.

Shirley has her own pool so her claws don't puncture the inflatable one. :)

After the pool, we grilled out steaks, baked potatoes and corn on the cob and spent some more time playing in the front yard. Gavin and Daddy golfed while I read my book. Then, it was ice cream sandwich time and into the tub for Gavin.

I think we had a great day, and I hope Jarrod thinks so, too. :) Happy Father's Day!

25 Things You May Not Know About Me

I've seen several magazines lately with this feature, and I thought it would be fun to do here on my blog. Have a blog? Do one for yourself and post it! :)

1. My middle name is Nicole.

2. I'm an aquarius.

3. I constantly worry about disappointing people. (Partly the reason for the knots in my back, huh Meg?)

4. I wake up every morning and make Jarrod coffee before he goes to work. (But, I must admit, this only started once we got here....I think it was the time change, and now it's just my normal wake-up time.) And I drink more coffee now than ever before.

5. I swore I'd never live anywhere but Ohio.

6. I was Tastefully Simple's top seller for my team last year. :)

7. I always wanted to have my kids close together....until I had Gavin!

8. I always wanted to be a teacher. Dreamt about it since I was a little girl. Got both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in education. Taught 1st grade for 5 years and loved every bit of it. And now.....I spend my days with my bug and can't bring myself to think about the day I'll have to go back to being a teacher.

9. I'm so much like my mom it's scary. (Isn't that right, dad?)

10. Going to Bingo with my grandma was one of my favorite things to do. (And I won a lot, too!)

11. When I get worried or nervous, my stomach hurts! I get a "nervous belly." It's been that way since I was in elementary school.


12. I love to find ways to save money. I get a high from it. :) (Like today - I called the cable company to see if they had anything that could lower our bill, and we got $23 knocked off monthly!) I've become slightly obsessed with some new blogs I found, too. Hip2Save and Money Saving Mom are my new best friends!

13. I'm semi-addicted to the show 'Intervention.' Kinda ironic, huh?

14. I enjoy filling out paperwork and making spreadsheets and lists - I'm a dork!

15. I've slept in the following states: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, Alaska, Washington....I think that's all, but more may come to me.


16. I'm going to start watching a little girl part-time and thinking about maybe looking for one more. We'll see how I handle two toddlers first! :)

17. I love "hosting." Having company over, preparing foods, etc. We don't do it nearly enough though.

18. The first time I was ever on an airplane was for a trip to Florida that was our high school graduation gift from Jackie.


19. I have a tiny scar on my lip from when I had chicken pox as a kid.


20. I still remember all my teacher's names and room numbers from elementary school. (Mrs. Burroughs/24, Mrs. DuPree/5, Mrs. Pasterick/8, Mrs. Kavanaugh/13, Mrs. Neblett/11, Mrs. Bruening/21, Mrs. Freeman/23).


21. I recently started seeing a chiropractor. I was so nervous about going, and still cringe every time I hear my neck and back cracking, but my back is feeling so much better!

22. When I was in high school, I taught a sex education class to middle schoolers.

23. I've had terrible seasonal allergies since I was 14 and I hate them!

24. I lived in an all-girls dorm during my freshman and sophomore years of college. When I found out I was placed there, I cried. In the end, I loved it there and probably wouldn't have ever met Angie or Heidi had I not been placed there. (I know Lauren and I would have met thanks to the College of Education!)

25. Before getting my Highlander in 2008, I drove a 14 year old Honda that ran great! But....the doors didn't lock, my driver's side window constantly got off track, and the CD player/radio didn't work. It was nice to get a new car! :)

Happy Anniversary to Us!

4 years ago it was a gorgeous day in Cincinnati for a wedding! We had a fabulous time celebrating with our families and friends. I wish we could go back and relive that day. :) The past four years have been full of memories, both happy and sad. We've purchased our first home, moved to two states, lost my wonderful grandparents, spent 9 long months apart due to Jarrod's job, and welcomed our amazing son into our lives. Every event has made us a stronger family. I love you very much, Jarrod. Thanks for everything!

A visit from the family

Jackie, Grandma and Aunt Pat made the drive up on Thursday from Ohio to spend a few days with us. Aunt Pat was visiting from Florida for Grandma's birthday, so they combined the trips. We had a very busy few days. Jarrod had to work most of the time they were here since it was a holiday weekend, but we made do without him :) We visited the American side of Niagara Falls, went shopping, hung out at the apartment, visited Ontario Beach, and had some cake for grandma's birthday. Here are some of the pictures we took.

Gavin and Grandma The gang in front of the American Falls
Gavin and Grandma again

And again...

Gavin and his Great Grandma :)

Aunt Pat and Gavin

Gavin doesn't need help anymore with the walking thing!

Gigi, Gavin, and the cake

4 Generations - at breakfast before they had to make the drive back home

Springdale Farms

Yesterday was Jarrod's day off, so it was family day for us! We checked out Springdale Farms for the first time, and really liked it. It was free to get in, and we paid $1 to go into the petting zoo. Gavin thought the goats were so funny!

Smelling the stroller...we always put a snack in that little tray, so I think the goats could smell the grapes :)

This feels funny!

Come here, little goat!

I'm ready to drive!

I'm a pro now, mom. Just let go of my hands!

Flashback Friday

I've been scrapbooking this week pictures from my pregnancy, and it's so fun looking back! Here are a few for you :)