Week 3

So I have made it 2 full weeks of shakes for breakfasts and lunches (during the week) and getting to the gym at least 3 times a week. This week starts the real challenge, though, because softball season has started! I was able to go today easily because we had the day off from school and practice! :) I'm still doing very well with NO SODAS!! I was so very much tempted today. I could've easily had a Dr. Pepper and I wanted it so bad! I'm not sure why in the last couple of days I have been really craving a good Dr. Pepper or fountain Big Red.
The weight loss has not been great. I only lost .2 pounds this past week. I feel like I am working out hard and not seeing results in weight-loss. I know they say muscle weighs more than fat, but how long until I start seeing weight-loss results? I AM losing inches - - which is what I am more excited about, but it sure would be nice to lose pounds too. Joel keeps reminding me it has only been 2 weeks. I have to keep that into perspective...it seems a lot longer than that! I'm sticking to it, though. Even though I didn't lose much weight, I still lost a few inches in different places so that makes me feel good. Plus just working out alone makes me feel good each day. There is a half-marathon at the end of March I would like to attempt. I am going to try to see if I am able to train enough during softball season without losing too much time with Sawyer. We'll see how this goes. Even if I don't run the half-marathon, they also have a 5k I can do with a lot of my friends. We're all planning to do the race together anyways.
Saturday I went down to the canyon with Missy, her friend from back home, and Sawyer. We did the Lighthouse Trail in Palo Duro Canyon. It was pretty. The day was awesome and made it a very nice hike. Sawyer did well. She rode in the backpacking pack Jarrod and Michelle got us last summer. She sure has gotten heavier though!! I was worn out after we finished! Joel will have to get in good shape if we plan to do any hiking this summer!

This week begins the early mornings every single day. It shouldn't be too bad since it will be every day. That makes it a little bit easier to get out of bed that early. We're going to head to bed now since I have to get up so early!! Night everyone! Have a wonderful week!

Days 4-7 (I think)

Well, sorry for not posting EVERY DAY, but I don't have all that much to say and I was spending time with my family :) I made it through the first week of shakes for breakfast & lunch and no soda! YAY! I was getting frustrated throughout the week because I felt like I was working so hard and wasn't feeling any changes. I also kept my goal of 3 visits to the gym. Yesterday morning I weighed and measured. I've lost 2 pounds and an inch in each of the following..bust, waist, belly, & hips! That made me feel more successful and excited! It gave me motivation to keep going! I can do this!! Here we go week 2! Challenge this week is no tea (in addition to no soda)! Lets go!

Day 3 - Rest Day

Today for my workout is my day of rest..and boy did I need it!! I still did well as far as sticking to my shakes and NO SODA! :) I'm exhausted though. I don't think my body has quite adjusted to waking up so early again. I was ready for bed before 8! I had Cubbies tonight, which is always fun. It's nice playing with the little kids and seeing what I have to look forward go with Sawyer :)
Joel and I are watching our show - Chicago Fire! It's great! I'm going to go spend my time with him instead of this blog! ;) later everyone!

Day 2 - Success Feels SOOO Good!

Day 2 was mostly successful!! In my half-marathon training I was suppose to complete 3 miles! I honestly did not think I would make it or that I could do it. I completed the 3 miles in 40 minutes. I know that is probably a terrible time, but it was my first time and I feel so good for just making myself finish! I thought my legs were going to fall off at about 2.5 miles and wanted to quit, but I pushed to the finish! I did not run the entire time, but that is another goal for me. I know if I stick to this I'll be able to run that without stopping eventually! I did a little warm-up walk and then ran a nice, 10-minute mile. The rest of the time I would jog a good pace for about 2-3 minutes and then speed walk for 1-2 minutes, back and forth. I felt so good when I finally finished! I do belive this was a huge accomplishment for me to just dig deep and keep pushing myself to be better. It also helps to be surrounded by all these skinny, fit people because they are really good motivation to keep going!

I also drank only water today and a small cup of coffee. I met with some of my really good friends at a coffee place here in town tonight and felt like it was a good occassion for some coffee. I'm so blessed with the friends and people God has surrounded our family with here in Canyon. We have a wonderful "2nd family" who is always here for us and loves Sawyer just as much as we do. We also have a great group of friends from coaching and from church. I love spending time with any of them.

Joel gets home tonight from Tennessee! I'm excited to see him and I'm sure Sawyer will be too if she gets to see him in the morning before school. She always is excited to see her daddy. :)

That's all I've got for today! I'm heading to work on a very small, quick project before bed! 

Thank God for your blessings (big or small) tonight and remember all the good things in life. It takes on a whole new perspective when you remember what all you have and how good you really do have it when you think about all the blessings from above...then pray for miracles on the things out of your control. Trust in HIM. That's all we can do. He'll take care of us. :)

Night everyone!

Day 1 - Worn Out!!

Today went well! I was worried I would oversleep since we were going back to school, but I woke up just fine. It was hard to get out of bed though! The kids were pretty good today. I expected some craziness, but I guess they were just as sleepy as me!

I stuck to my plan! Day 1 = success! I drank my shakes, ate my snacks, and did not cheat! I did not drink any soda! Let me tell ya, though, I had a huge headache!! I don't know if it was caffiene withdrawals or just a headache from being tired. After school, I so did not want to go to the gym, but Dad gave me a little pep-talk and I made it there. I didn't make it in time for the class I had wanted to try so I did some weights and jogged on the treadmill for 15 minutes. Today was suppose to be "strength and stretch" day so I think I sort of did that. Tomorrow I'm suppose to do 3 miles! Yikes!! Hope I can do it! If you're doing this too, let me know how you're doing!! Have a great week!

Lazy Sunday

Well, Sawyer woke up extra early this morning! I guess she knew I needed a practice run of early-rising before we go back to school tomorrow. We went to the early service at church. That was neat because it was the traditional service and we usually go to the contemporary service. It was nice to hear old hymns. We then came home and she took a nap while I looked up meal ideas and stuff (I'll share more later). I finished up my first little project for her!! It is the quiet book that teaches her to fasten things she'll be wearing. Here are the pictures I promised!

The cover: Close Your Clothes

Button your blouse!    Close your Snaps!       Zip your zipper!

Velcro your shoes!     Button your Jeans!     Tie your shoes!!

 

Close your belt!

 

Sorry they're sideways. I couldn't figure out how to rotate them in the blog page. Everything used in the book is stuff I had at home (except the belt). The clothes and items are things she wore when she was smaller. That makes it a little more fun too!

Alright, on to the workout/eat healthy challenge! YAY! I have my menu for the week set and my workout plan for the week set. I will be having my herbalife shake for breakfast and lunch every day. I have string cheese, lunch meat, apple slices, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs for snacks this week. I will have a morning snack and an afternoon snack. As far as dinner goes, I have to cook what we have so these options aren't the healthiest, but next time we get groceries I can plan a little better. Monday I'm having chicken enchiladas! They're delicious so I'm excited about that! Tuesday I'll be making mini pizzas for Sawyer and me. Wednesday we eat at church. I think it is meatloaf and potatoes this week. Thursday I will be having left-over chicken alfredo casserole. I made that tonight and it was amazing! I made the alfredo sauce from scratch. Friday we're making hamburgers. Saturday I'm making potato soup. Sunday will be a leftovers day. :)

I know this menu and plan isn't perfect yet, but I'm just beginning. I will get better as I get to do more research and plan better.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE:

   I have chosen my weekly challenge. I will be giving up dark sodas. I have been telling myself for a long time I was going to give them up completely. I think this is a good way to start. If I just really really need a soda for some reason, I will have a sprite. They're not my favorite so I will REALLY have to want one to get one. I think I can go completely without soda so if that happens - great! :)

 

I did get a picture of my workout schedule. I've decided to sign up and train for a half-marathon! I will be needing LOTS of encouragement! I know I can do this. It is something I've always wanted to do. Here is the workout plan I found at halhigdon.com

I am trying to find a half marathon around the beginning to middle of April to sign up for, so if you know of any or have any suggestions let me know! One in Amarillo or Lubbock area would be best so I don't have to travel far for my first one, but I'm willing to go as far as Dallas.

That's it for now. I'm off to bed. EARLY morning tomorrow!! I have to get back on my schedule!  Lots of prayers my way and yours if you're doing this with me. Our 30-day challenge starts tomorrow! Have a good one!

 

 

Today was nice. We got a little visit from The Lashley clan :) (Joel's aunt, uncle, and cousins). I always love getting a visit from them!! They're so fun! Sawyer loves Uncle Todd! She just played with him and didn't pay attention to anyone else the entire time! We got to have lunch together before they got back on the road home. Then Sawyer and I went to Amarillo with Katie and Molly (more of Sawyer's favorite people) and we spent most of the afternoon and evening up there shopping around and eating dinner at Sakura (Molly's favorite place, next to Rosa's). I really enjoyed it; especially because Monday starts the kickoff of my 30-day challenge (I'm hoping to extend it to 60 and then 90 days, but I want to set realistic goals for myself). My 30-day challenge is to stick to my Herbalife shakes. I LOVE them but it is hard to drink them for lunch when I see and smell warm food around me at school. I'm serious about this, though, and want to get back into shape and look and feel better.
My challenge is to drink a shake for breakfast (easiest part - I love having them for breakfast) and a shake at lunch (hard to stick to but easy during the week because it will be my only choice at school!) and then to eat a healthy, balanced dinner. The dinner shouldn't be too hard either because I usually cook dinner. I just have to make sure it is good for me and to always include good veggies and some fruit.
Along with the shakes, I'm going to challenge myself to give up one thing that is not good for me each week. This will be the hardest part. I'll post what I choose to give up as soon as I decide. I know what it should be (soda), but I'm having such a hard time parting with that!! I'm also going to be going to the gym and working hard to get fit and toned. My goal for the first 30 days is to get to the gym at least 3 times a week. If you want to join me I got my membership at the Town Club and plan to take some of the classes that focus on cardio and some weight lifting. I'll also most likely run on the treadmill if I can still move after the class. :) I like the Town Club because they have a daycare that only costs $1 for an hour and a half and it is pretty good size with toys and stuff to keep Sawyer busy, so once softball starts I'll still be able to go work out after practices!
I'm also going to weigh myself and measure my chest, waist, hips, biceps, and thighs each Monday morning and keep track of it in a journal so I can see my progress. If you want to do this challenge with me let me know! Maybe we can keep each other accountable! I could also sell you Herbalife shakes if you want to try them. I think they're delicious (especially the mint chocolate chip warmed up on these cold mornings - - - YUMMY!!) Wish me luck and prayers!!
Anyways, other things going on in the fam...
I have started some craft projects =  YAY! I saw on Pinterest a quiet book where you use old baby clothes to make a book to teach your kid how to work their clothes. Examples are buttoning a shirt, buttoning pants, tie their shoes, etc. I have almost completed it. I'm looking for a belt so she can practice closing a belt. I'll post pictures when I finish! It is looking cute and I think she'll really enjoy it, especially when she gets a little older. I also got materials at Hobby Lobby today to do a few projects for some gifts for friends. I'm really excited about these and will post pictures of them as well, after the friend gets the gifts of course!!

Snowy Day

Well, I already missed a day of blogging!! Oh well :) Yesterday we had a lot of fun at our play-date! We went up to a church that has an indoor play area and it was FREE! It was really neat. There were plenty of things to play on and slides. Sawyer loved it! We will definitely be using that spot whenever we can!!
Here is a picture of her playing:



Today has been good so far. I got my gym membership! :) I don't think I will be able to move tomorrow, but I still plan to at least go walk and lift at the gym...or I might even test out a class. I ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes, did some leg weights, and ran another 10 minutes on the treadmill. It was nice, not too bad. My legs are already sore though!
We were suppose to go take family pictures this afternoon, but it is snowing :( I'm really bummed beacuse the chances of us finding a time to take FAMILY pictures in the next 3 weeks is slim to none. Hopefully we can figure something out. Nothing we can do about it now. I'm just glad I hadn't spent all that time curling my hair yet! It is really cold outside, and snowing, so I'm sure we will appreciate not sitting out in it for pictures, but I do think we could've managed. It is not icy and the road conditions aren't bad, and it isn't even really sticking yet.
Tonight we are going to some friends' to watch the Cotton Bowl. I'm not sure yet who I want to cheer for. I usually find myself cheering for whoever is on offense in games I don't have a team playing. I guess that comes because Joel coaches offense and I like it better! :) And I never lose that way! I don't know much else, so I'm going to head off now to get some things done! Have a good one!

Just another day....

Today was nice. Joel and I are just enjoying getting to spend time together. After we took Sawyer to daycare we came back to his office. I went to work out while he did some work. Then we came back home and put together Sawyer's slide/basketball hoop/soccer net from her Mamaw (my mom). It is funny how frustrated men get when building stuff over the littlest thing! I just tried to keep from laughing while I handed Joel materials. We got it built, though, and boy did she love it!! We picked her up from daycare and she put away the toys she was playing with before she let us take her home :) - - such a big girl! When we got home she LOVED what she saw sitting in the middle of the living room (her slide)! We're still teaching her how to climb up the side, but she's pretty good at going down the slide on her own. She was so excited and just laughed every time she went down. We then enjoyed chicken and dumplings from the crockpot! We had been smelling it all day and could hardly wait! It is one of Sawyer's favorite meals too. She ate two bowls full (her little kid bowl). We then played some more until it was time for her to go to bed. She's so much fun to play with. She makes the funniest faces and is just a happy little girl. You can't help but smile when you're around her!
Joel put her to bed and then we enjoyed watching some of the Sugar Bowl (Florida is getting their butts kicked!) and watched Chicago Fire - - one of "our shows" we watch together. I love it!
Tomorrow, Sawyer and I have a play-date with a friend from church and her twin girls! We can't wait!! I should have some pictures to post from the playing hopefully! That's it for tonight!! I'm off to surf pinterest for all sorts of little projects I want to do! :) If you don't have an account you should definitely get one! Be warned, though; it is addicting!

New Year 2013!!

Wow - - been over a year since we've posted here!! A lot has happened and a lot has changed! Sawyer is here (obviously!) and she has been a huge blessing in our lives! I hope to do a better job of sharing what's going on in our lives with you guys as well as try to come up with some fun/interesting posts. I'd like to be  "good" blogger! :) We'll see how it goes....

First I'm going to list some of the things I want to accomplish this year. Hopefully I can remember to come back here and post as I accomplish some of this stuff.

1. Work out more - I'm not saying an exact number of days or what exactly I want to do. I want to leave it open. My ultimate goal is to be in better shape and be more active. I plan to join a gym and give that a shot to see if it fits our schedule and doesn't take away too much time from Sawyer. Hopefully I can find a good balance. I like classes so I think if I can find a class I enjoy that fits my schedule, I'll be successful.

2. Eat healthier - Duh..probably on everyone's list. I don't eat horrible. We don't even eat out that much or eat a bunch of junk. I just know I could do better. I would like to give up sodas but I LOVE them! :) I think I'll start with limiting myself to 3 sodas a week. That way I only drink them when I seriously need one. Hopefully I'll wean myself back off of them and not "need" them anymore. (They just taste so darn good!)

3. Photoshoot with Sawyer - I've always wanted to do my own photo shoot. I have a nice camera and see great ideas all the time. I think it'd be fun to try my own shoot with Sawyer. I'd also like to take a photography class so I can learn different techniques and how to use photoshop to enhance pictures. Photography is something I've always been interested in learning more about so this would be a fun project.

4. Play/Story Time with Sawyer - I'd like to create a daily routine with Sawyer for each night. We've tried story time multiple times but she wants to just open and close the book. We'll keep trying and I'm sure one day she'll actually let me read her a story :)

5. Capture Sawyer's many facial expressions - I want to try and capture Sawyer's different expressions. She is hilarious and it'd be fun to make some sort of book or collage for her to look back at one day.

6. Date Nights - I want to do a better job of creating time for Joel and me. We need to pick a night at least each month that is "our" night and create time for us. I've always been told to do this and we enjoy just hanging out together, so I think this can easily be accomplished :) We don't have to actually go and do anything but we can have fun just spending time together.

7. Picnic/Hike - I want to go on a picnic/hike in Palo Duro Canyon. I'd like to go on the Lighthouse trail. We have a carrier for Sawyer so this is very possible!

8. Pictures - I want to do a better job of sending pictures of Sawyer and family pictures to mine and Joel's grandparents. It helps them keep up with us and it is fun to send letters with them!

9. Letters - Speaking of mailing pictures, I'd like to handwrite at least 1 letter a month to someone...an old friend, family member, etc.

10. Little Projects - I hope to come up with little projects or things to create for the house or for Sawyer. I'd like to have at least 1 project per month. I'll post pictures as I go!

Hopefully I can keep up with this and do a better job posting!! :) Happy New Year!!

34 Weeks!

Man have things been busy!! We started volleyball August 1st. I've been blessed to have extra help from one of our middle school coaches, Branda, the last two weeks. I definitely would not have made it through 2-a-days and the past week without her!! To fill you in (in case you didn't know) I'm coaching both freshmen teams right now. Our other freshman coach, Miriam, had her little girl 2 weeks ago. She is beautiful and has a head full of hair!! We hope little Sawyer holds off until Miriam is ready to come back so that there will be someone to coach the teams. I do love my girls this year though! They really are a great group and already a lot of fun coaching. They are very athletic and I expect a lot more wins this season!
Now to Sawyer... :)  Today I am 34 weeks and 3 days.



I wake up a lot in the night..of course, and every time Sawyer wakes up too so it takes a while to fall back asleep. She moves like crazy! I can see my stomach move when she moves. Joel loves getting to feel her and see her too. The gestational diabetes thing is going well. My numbers are almost always good..the doctor says I'm doing perfect and he is very satisfied with how well I'm doing. My next appointment is August 24th. I get to get a sonogram. I start going every week at that point and we get a sonogram every single time! :) I'm pretty excited I get to see Sawyer every week until she is born! They say this is the "up-side" to having gestational diabetes...getting all of the sonograms. I guess I'm lucky in a sense that the doctor said I'm really just borderline and he wanted to put me on the diet and blood-sugar testing just as a precaution. It just stinks to prick my finger 4 times a day and to have to be so aware of what I'm eating and when all the time.
Joel started football last week. He has been so busy! The wives get to go eat with our husbands in the school cafeteria for dinner so we can at least see them for a bit each night. It also saves me from having to cook when I'm so exhausted from coaching too! :) He's already had his hands full with some of the guys but I think it will be a good season. He has some good guys working with him and helping him out and the players I've met seem to be good kids. Hopefully I make it out to watch a practice this week.
The next 5-6 weeks will be full of football, volleyball, and baby appointments!! I don't think things could get any busier or crazier than now! I am resting and taking naps every chance I get. I even slept for 4 hours yesterday afternoon after our volleyball tournament and was still able to go to bed around 10. I'll try to keep everyone updated when I get chances! Love you all!

Time is flying by!

Last week I went back to work. We started working on things for volleyball. 2-a-days start August 1st so we've been running around getting things organized and ready for these girls! It is definitely going to be a crazy, busy season! I also found out last week that I have gestational diabetes. :( I met with a dietitian to learn what to eat and what to lay off of a little more for the rest of my pregnancy. It kind of stinks to not be able to eat whatever you want anyways, but it stinks even more when you're pregnant!!! I do know it is important, though, so that Sawyer can be healthy and so I can be healthy as well. I also have to take my blood sugar 4 times a day. I've only been doing it for 5 days and my fingers are so sore. I meet with the dietitian again on Wednesday to find out how I am doing and ways to tweak what I'm eating.
On a positive side.... :)
Joel and I set up Sawyer's room last week too! It was a lot of work putting together the crib (Joel did such a great job!) and then I put up the decorations. :) Her room will also be the guest room, so things are a little tight in there.



On Friday Mamaw, Papa, and Addyson came up from Waco to visit for the weekend. I'm so glad they were able to make the drive up to see us! We were able to spend a lot of time together too. On Saturday, my good friend and co-worker, Amanda, threw me a baby shower. Mamaw and Addyson were able to come to the shower while Joel and Papa hung out.



The shower was so nice! Amanda did a great job! It was ice-cream themed. There was vanilla ice cream and all kinds of toppings to choose from! I'm lucky to have such a good friend. After the shower we went up to Mamaw's hotel and swam with Addyson. She is pretty scared of the water, but Joel and I worked with her and got her to be not quite as scared. Sunday I worked with her some more and got a her a little more confident in the water. I know she wants to learn to swim; she's just scared of going under right now. We also watched a couple of movies at the hotel and just relaxed. It was so nice seeing all of them for the weekend. I was pretty sad last night after leaving them.
Joel left for coaching school yesterday morning and it was back to work for me today. I can't believe things are getting started for us. Time is just flying by! Sawyer will be here in no time!
That's all for now...I'm sure I've left stuff out! I'm so scatter-brained lately! Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

ATX :)

I got to spend this week with Dad in Austin! :) I got there Monday afternoon. We grabbed lunch at the Posse before heading to my 3D/4D sonogram. Jenn came down for the sonogram too. It was pretty crazy getting to see what Sawyer is going to look like! I can't believe they have technology where you can actually see something like that. Here is one of the pictures from the sonogram:

This made me so excited for her to get here!! I know everyone says to enjoy it while I can (without the baby and being able to sleep) but I just can't wait for Sawyer to get here! I even had my first dream about her that night. She had a dirty diaper and I was having the hardest time cleaning her up! She was rolling around and poop was everywhere! I didn't know what to do! Joel had to help me out. :) haha funny dream....
Tuesday, dad and I went down to San Marcos to the outlet mall. We both found some new clothes and got Joel some stuff too :) Wednesday we relaxed at the pool. It was so nice getting into a pool! We really need to invest in one some day! The water was cool and I got a little bit of a tan! After the pool, we went to the Posse for Trivia Night. Dad has to ask the questions and lots of people show up for it. They have teams and they compete for prizes. I played on the team with the bartenders. It was a lot of fun. The week went by too fast. It was nice spending time with my dad. I don't get to see him enough. I'm glad Jennifer was able to come down for a day too.
Today marks 10 weeks left in the pregnancy. It feels like so far away, but I know it is going to go so fast. We go back to work next week and volleyball starts August 1st so time will fly by.
I can't believe my summer is already coming to an end. I've been so blessed to have gotten to do so much this summer and to spend so much time with family and friends.
I hope everyone else has had a wonderful summer too!

4th of July in Gunnison

We spent the past week in Gunnison, Colorado with Joel's parents visiting Jarrod and Michelle. It was beautiful there! The weather was also perfect! I definitely liked the thought of it not ever really being very hot! We got there Sunday evening. Michelle made us a diaper cake!

We stayed at Three Rivers Resort in Almont. It was a nice cabin and I highly recommend it!



Monday we woke up and went for a 6 mile hike (3 in, 3 out) up to Lamphier Lake. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be but definitely worth the work! :) It was so nice and relaxing (when we took breaks) just being out in nature and enjoying life. We had to cross two small creeks along the way. The dogs did not like crossing on logs very much but we made it across! We stopped at a lower lake along the way to try some fishing. Jesse was the only one to hook into a cutthroat at that time. I just wondered around and relaxed and caught my breath from the hike up. We then continued on to the top, up to Lamphier Lake. It was beautiful up there. We got a little rain storm with some hail, but it did not last long. The boys did some more fishing but did not have much luck up there either. They caught a few. We then headed back down. We had to stop again at the lower lake for Jarrod and Joel to do some fishing. They ended up catching some really nice cutthroats. Jesse, Donna, the dogs, and I began to make our way down while the boys finished up fishing. They caught up to us pretty quickly anyways! It was a very nice hike. I can't wait to go back and do another hike to another beautiful place (when I'm not pregnant!!). This is our "family photo" at the top of the hike:

After the hike we headed back into town for dinner and the fireworks show! We went to a park in Gunnison. Michelle's EMS group was doing a cookout with the police and firefighters at the park for the fireworks. It was one of the best firework shows I've ever seen! We were really close to the fireworks. Ranger would bark at them at the beginning, but then he calmed down and started to enjoy it a little more. Zee was pretty scared and did not look at a single one! She just hid under Joel's legs the whole time. We really enjoyed the show, though.

Everyone was exhausted afterword! We went straight home, showered, and were all wiped out! Tuesday, Joel and Jesse went up to Blue Mesa to kayak and do some fishing. They did not have any luck at all! Donna and I walked around Gunnison checking out all of the little shops and just taking it easy. We then went up to Crested Butte to meet Michelle for an easy wildflower hike. It was a little rainy, but that made it kind of nice and cool for the hike. The flowers were very pretty. Wednesday we went to the Taylor River Reservoir just up the road from our cabin. I relaxed, enjoyed the scenery, and took pictures of Joel fishing and Jesse and Donna on their kayaks. Joel and Jesse both caught quite a few fish up there. I then took my turn out in the kayak. I was a little nervous about my balance and did not want to fall into the freezing water! I did good. I got out to where Jesse was and tossed my line in the water. I hooked a fish! I got so excited I couldn't decide whether to keep reeling it in or to get the camera out so I could get a picture and I lost the fish when he was a couple feet from my kayak! :( Then the wind and clouds rolled in and it got a little too choppy out there for us so Jesse and I headed in to shore. We then went below the dam to the catch-and-release area where the fish were huge! Joel and Jesse worked so hard to catch some of those fish! Jesse caught a couple of nice fish and after a lot of hours of work, Joel caught his nice brown trout too.

We then headed back to the cabin for spaghetti and Jarrod made homemade ice cream for dessert! Yum! :)

After dinner we went to Jarrod's slowpitch softball games. He hit a homerun on his first at-bat. I don't know if his team won either game, though. Thursday morning we woke up pretty early, got packed up, and headed back home to the Texas heat. We had such a wonderful time visiting Jarrod and Michelle. I wish we could get up there more to spend time with them. It is such a nice place. I always tell Joel he is more than welcome to find a good job in Colorado! :)

Friday I spent most of the day just relaxing and catching up from the trip. I had my maternaty-leave meeting at school to find out how much money I will lose for being out once my days are up :( = not fun at all! I know God will take care of us and provide, though, so we are just trusting in Him through it all! Last night for dinner I made mom's crab-crusted tilapia recipe using some of our trout from Roaring River. It was delicious! Joel was very impressed with the feast we had last night! This morning I went to a breastfeeding class. I learned a lot about it and what things you need or don't really need at all. It definitely made me feel a little more confident about breastfeeding once Sawyer gets here. Speaking of Sawyer, she is definitely growing and taking up lots of room in there! I'm getting bigger every day and getting more and more ready for her to get here! She moves like crazy all throughout the day and night. It is one of the weirdest feelings to have something moving around inside of you like that! I heard some of the women talking this morning about how they only got 2 or 3 hours of sleep because their baby was moving so much...I'm not looking forward to that!! I love my sleep! Tonight we're going to have dinner with some good friends, Omar and Miriam. Miriam is due July 26th so I'm interested to see how she is doing! I haven't seen her since the first week of June. Monday I leave for Austin to see dad and to get a 3D/4D sonogram. I'm pretty excited. Joel won't be able to make the trip because he has to work, but it will be nice to spend some time with dad. :) I'm very excited to see Dad and to get to spend some time with him. This summer has been so much fun and full of adventures. I hate to see it coming to an end. I know we have a lot of other, different adventures ahead of us with Sawyer on the way too!

Here is a link to the rest of the photos from our Gunnison vacation on Joel's facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100129414723743.2449613.9205307&l=bc92272deb

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Love yall!

Vacation time!

Since the last time I wrote I've been out of town in Waco and Missouri for a baby shower, a wedding, and a fishing trip! We've been so busy! I'm loving this time off and not wanting it to end at all! My trip started off with a girls' night out (after a delayed flight) and then my baby shower the next day! :)
I met Jenn, Brooke, and Steph at George's when I finally got into Waco. We then went to some new place downtown to hang out. Some guy hit on me while we were there! haha I thought it was pretty funny because I'm pregnant, not to mention had a ring on my finger! I really thought he was looking at Brooke but when we got up to leave he stopped us. You should've seen his face when Brooke told him I was married and pregnant! I was in shock that he was hitting on me and Brooke just answered faster than I could! We had fun though and stayed up way later than I've stayed up in a LONG time!

Jennifer, Tara, Therese, Brooke, & Danielle threw me a baby shower the next day. It was perfect! We even had ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins! :) It was so good to see lots of family and friends. I got so many cute outfits and fun things for Sawyer!

After the shower, Jennifer and I drove down to Houston to see Grandmother and Grandpa and dad for Grandpa's birthday and Father's Day. I was so excited to get to see them! I miss getting to see my grandparents and my dad whenever I want. Grandmother and Grandpa were doing so good! They both seemed so happy and in great moods! Grandmother stayed awake the entire time we were there and Grandpa was in a good mood the whole time! I'm so glad they're doing so well. It was also good seeing dad. I'm glad I get to go spend a few days with him in a couple of weeks.

After lunch on Father's Day, Jenn and I headed back to Waco. I had to get back to meet some of my girls at Baylor. We had a few kids sign up for softball camp at Baylor. Throughout the week I watched them learn new drills and play in scrimmages. They all had a great time and said they really learned a lot! Hopefully next year we can get more girls to go!

I was also able to spend a lot of time with mom throughout the week! It was great! Monday I met Mom, Mamaw, Aunt Cynthia, Tara, and Jennifer for lunch at Chuy's. Then Tara and I went out to Mom's to lay in the pool. It felt so nice being in the water and cooling off! Tuesday, Mom and I went to Practically Pikasso and made a couple things for the baby room :) I made a piggy bank and mom made a little monkey. We then also made a mosaic bear with a BU on it. This picture was before we finished the bear and before the monkey and piggy bank were put in the fire.

We had a good time, but it took us a long time to do these! For dinner we went to mom's and made homemade pizza! Wednesday we went back and finished the bear, then shopped around at the Baylor book store and Spice downtown. Then Danielle came into town to start getting ready for her wedding!

We ate at Shoguns. I love that place! :) Thursday Danielle and I got pampered! We had facials at Facelogic and then massages, pedicures, and manicures! It was awesome! All were so relaxing! The prenatal massage also felt so good and made my back feel and legs feel so much better! It was the perfect gift from a good friend! :) After the manicures and pedicures, all the girls went out to La Fiesta for dinner and then back to Jennifer's house to celebrate Danielle getting married! We had a lot a fun! We then went to the midnight showing of Bad Teacher. It was pretty funny. Friday we went out to the wedding site to clean and decorate. We then had the rehearsal and dinner later that night. The ranch was very cute and a neat place for a wedding. Danielle seemed so excited and happy to be getting married to William. I'm glad they found each other. The dinner was at Lake Brazos Steakhouse.

Saturday was wedding day! :) Danielle looked beautiful! It was very hot, but the ceremony was nice and the reception was a lot of fun! Joel also made it in for the wedding. I hadn't seen him in over a week so I was very ready to see him!! I was also glad my dress fit! It was a little snug, but I'm glad it zipped! I couldn't even wear it the entire night, though.

Joel and I were able to get a couple hours of sleep before leaving for Missouri for our fishing trip! We left around 3:30 AM to head to Roaring River. Joel drove the entire way, while I slept. :) He's such a good husband. We did a lot of fishing and caught a lot of good fish! We also got to spend time with Jesse and Donna; Amy, Joey, Chase, & Kamryn; Grandma and Granpa Hinton; Roy & Coleen (grandpa's brother); and Alan, Sandy, and Justin (Jesse's brother). I wish we could've spent more time there. One day Amy, Kamryn, Donna, Chase, Justin, and I rode the water slide for about an hour. It is a fun slide but you have to climb up a very steep hill every time to ride again! It wore me out! We then got ice cream :) I didn't catch as many fish this year as usual, but I think it is because I spent a lot of time cooling off in the car! I guess being pregnant had a little bit to do with it! We did catch our limits every day and brought home quite a bit of fish to eat throughout the year! I know Joel was not ready to leave. He loves it there. I didn't take as many pictures as usualy, but here are a few from the fishing trip:

Justin with his first catch ever at Roaring River!

We got back late last night after spending almost 10 hours on the road! Even the dogs were worn out! They've slept all day! We get a few days to recharge and then it is time for Colorado and to see Jarrod and Michelle! I can't wait to get up there and see them!

That's all for now! It is definitely bed time!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! It is ending way too fast!

Let the good times roll! :)

Ok, so maybe I haven't posted as much as I said I would! :) Other things come up. We've been fairly busy since I last posted. Two weekends ago Joel's mom & dad and grandma & grandpa came up to visit for the weekend! It was so nice to see them and to get to spend a few days with them just hanging out. We really enjoyed spending the weekend with them! They were able to go see the Texas Musical and said they had a good time seeing that too. They also brought us our high chair for the baby!! Just getting a gift made me so excited to start preparing her room and to get things ready for her! I can't wait to start putting everything together for her! :)
Last week we had volleyball camp. It was a very long week! We had camp every day from 1 to 4 and 5 to 7. We had over 70 kids attend camp! They definitely kept us busy! Thursday morning, Joel and I left for SAN DIEGO!! :)
We went to San Diego to spend the weekend with Dad, Justin, Leslie, and Jennifer. Dad had this convention for a national gaming association he is in. He was the president this past year so he was in charge and got recognized at this reception on that Thursday night.

We went to the reception by the pool at our hotel. We also got to stay in the presidential suite with him!! It was HUGE! We stayed at Loew's Coronado Bay Resort. It was awesome and beautiful! The weather was so nice and cool the whole time we were there too! The sun didn't come out much, but it was still very nice!

This is us after dad got his award.

Friday morning we woke up and had breakfast in the hot tub and by the pool while dad had one last meeting :) We then went to the San Diego Zoo! We spent about 6 hours at the zoo! It was a blast and we got to see all the cool animals! My favorite were the pandas :) There was the mom and dad who were both 19 years old, and their baby, who was 22 months old. They all had their own little areas because pandas like to be alone. This is the baby panda. I can't remember their names though.

Joel's favorite were the koala bears. By the time we got to them, at the end, they were all sleeping. They were adorable too!

We had a great time at the zoo. It will definitely put any other zoo we go to to shame! We walked over 5 1/2 miles that day while at the zoo seeing all of the animals. We really wanted to see the gorillas but they were hidden when we got to them. We did see them a little bit when we took the little sky train across the zoo. There was a little bitty baby one too. I was sad we didn't get to see them up close. Here are a couple more pictures from the zoo :)

After the zoo we went down to the Gaslamp district for dinner. We ate at this restaurant and ordered only appetizers. It was weird. I've never done that before, but I believe we had every single one of their appetizers! Everything was yummy! After our appetizer dinner, we walked across to Ghirardelli for dessert! As soon as we walked in and smelled all of the chocolate and ice cream, the baby started kicking! I guess she got excited about the treats too! :) We all ordered and when our desserts came out they were huge!! I wasn't expecting sooo much ice cream! Here is Joel's banana sundae! He ate every bit of it too!

We were worn out after our long day! We spent the rest of the night at the pool and hot tub again. Saturday morning we got up early to catch a trolley around San Diego. We went to the Air & Space museum, Little Italy, Old Town, and the USS Midway. Little Italy was really neat because there was Farmer's Market that morning. We got to try all sorts of cheeses, breads, and other things. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town that was delicious too!

Then we spent the rest of the afternoon at USS Midway. There was a self-guided audio tour so we were able to go at our own pace. It was pretty neat.

We then spent the rest of the night at the pool and hot tub again, watching the family movie for the night at the pool! It was Despicable Me :) I really like that movie! Sunday morning Joel and I went for a walk around the resort and down to the beach. I told him he HAD to put his feet in the Pacific just so he could say he had been in the Pacific Ocean before :) It was a little chilly of course, but not too bad! We found a couple to take our picture on the beach.

After that we headed back to the room to pack and then to the airport with everyone. It was a great weekend. We're so blessed to be able to do things like this. Dad really takes care of his and we wouldn't have been able to do this trip without him! We definitely want to go back to San Diego when we can spend a week just hanging out. There was so much to see and do that we could not fit everything into a couple of days. If you ever get to go to San Diego, you should definitely go!

You can see the rest of my pictures from San Diego at this link

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.978881127303.2443797.9203333&l=0fb4520723

This week I'm working up at the weight room at school. Joel has a coaches clinic in San Angelo. I can't wait for this weekend, though, because I get to go home to Waco!! I have a baby shower this weekend and then I get to see Grandmother and Grandpa and dad for Grandpa's birthday and father's day! I can't wait to see them! Grandmother and Grandpa have not gotten to see me since before I knew I was pregnant. I wish I could see them more often. Next week I'll be in Waco all week. We have some girls going to the Baylor Softball Camp so I will be around at that watching them and hopefully learning some new drills! The next weekend is Danielle's wedding!!! :) I can't wait to see her get married and be a part of that special day for her!! I'll write more about all of these events as they happen this next week, though! :)

It is time for me to go start working on dinner. Joel is having some coaching buddies over tonight and we're cooking out on the grill. I'm making these yummy potatoes that Michelle taught me to make! Joel loves them and anytime we make them people always seem to enjoy them too! Thanks Michelle! ;) Summer is going fast, but we're having fun and getting to see lots of family! We'll also get to spend some time fishing in Missouri and a week visiting Jarrod and Michelle (can't wait!).

That's all for now! Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Hit The Ground Running!

I'm trying to post more often to keep you guys updated and to be a better "blogger" :) so make sure you keep checking back!
This past weekend was a blast!! We had planned to just kick back, relax, and take it easy because our summer is going to be so crazy and full of adventures! Friday night started off a little slow, as planned. We were so BORED!! haha Guess we didn't realize how much we just sit around and watch TV when there is nothing else to do. A couple weeks ago we decided to go ahead and turn in the cable box. We're finding ways to cut back on spending and figured cable was not a must and that we would be fine without it! It is definitely going to take some getting use to though! We get 3 channels through atenna so our shows are limited. Friday night was the first time we didn't really have a lot going on. Joel worked on the yard some and then we ended up staying up late and playing Wii MarioCart for about 4 hours! It was actually pretty fun. We hadn't played it in awhile.
Saturday we were sitting around in our pajamas still when we got a call from Jenn. She and Danielle had extra tickets to the Rangers game and a hotel room already booked! After our "awesome" fun-filled Saturday night, we weren't sure about driving all the way to Dallas....yeah right! :) We jumped up so fast and were out of here on our way to Dallas! The game was for Danielle and William's bachelor/bachelorette/engagement type party! There were tons of people going and the tickets were on the party patio with free food and stuff. The game was a lot of fun and it was good to see some old friends I hadn't seen in awhile! Joel also ran into Sean and Katy so we got to see them for a couple innings too!



Saturday we went to the Byron Nelson PGA Tournament! I'm not going to lie...I wasn't really looking forward to this part of the trip because I think golf can be boring to watch. Joel was given tickets to the tournament from a friend back in Kerrville, Allison, for FREE! :) What a great, FREE weekend! Duncan was able to meet us there too! We hadn't seen him since he moved away! I was shocked that the tournament was actually a lot of fun! It was hot..but Allison also gave us passes for the Grand Stands at hole 18 so we got free drinks too! :) A guy from Amarillo, Ryan Palmer, was the very last golfer to finish and made the tying shot to go into a playoff! It was pretty exciting! He didn't end up winning, but it was a lot of fun to watch. We got pretty sunburned and had to drive home after the tournament. We were worn out when we got home, but it was all worth it!!

Yesterday we stayed a little low key. We spent a lot of time cleaning house and doing laundry. Joel's parents and grandma and grandpa are coming to visit this weekend! (Can't wait!) He helped the whole time and did A LOT of cleaning! I'm so blessed to have him around and to have such a helpful husband! We then went to Babies R Us to hit up a sale and use some coupons! :) It was tough to not just go crazy and buy out the whole store! We cooked some venison on the grill with carrots and mashed potatoes for dinner. It was yummy and a good Memorial Day for us.
Today, softball camp started at Caprock. We actually had about 18 kids 3rd-6th grade and 12 7th-9th grade show up! We weren't sure how many to expect, but  I think that was a pretty good turnout. Hopefully they bring some friends tomorrow too! Camp went well and the kids seemed to have fun. Of course, every kid had a story today on what they already knew or what someone else had taught them with every little thing I said! Tomorrow I'll be teaching them how to pitch :) This will be interesting.
That's it for now...love yall!

23 Weeks!

Here she is! She weighed in at 1 pound 5 ounces today. She was wide awake throughout the entire sonogram! She was wiggling and moving all over the place the whole time. The nurse loved it! She said we were the best baby she's seen in a long time. We checked her brain and she had all the parts and looked good there. She has all 4 chambers of her heart and it was beating loud and fast! She also got the hiccups while we were watching her. We could see and hear her hiccup! She has all her organs and a good-looking spine. The nurse said we've done a great job! :) She had a full tummy too so we know she's eating! At one point, she was moving her mouth open and shut and it was fun to watch. We didn't get the camera on fast enough, though, so no video of that. We got to watch her for about 30-45 minutes! We did not want to leave. The nurse said to get a good pair of running shoes before she's up and moving around because we're going to have to keep up with her the way she was moving around in there!
The first picture is her profile. I think she looks beautiful!! Her little face looks perfect! :) The second picture is from the front. You can see her eye sockets, nose, chin, chest, and part of her tummy.
Tomorrow is our last day of school! FINALLY! I'm so ready for a break from the classroom! We start softball camp next week, Joel's parents & grandma and grandpa come visit, volleyball camp the week after that, and then we go see Dad, Jenn, Justin, and Leslie in San Diego! It will be a busy next couple of weeks!! After that I have my first baby shower! I can't wait! I have a feeling our summer is going to fly by! Joel has already started his summer. They have been playing golf ALL week!! I'm glad he's finally getting to play. They've been wanting to play all spring.
That's about all that has been going on here. We'll try to keep y'all updated a little better now that summer is here!! Have a good Friday!