Major update!

Its been 2 months since my last post. I left off before Christmas in the middle of a ton of crafting, so I'll take off from there.

I made a ton of stuff! Pajamas for Marty, Mackenzie and Cameron.

I also made name plates for 3 girls on my moms part of the family.

I sewed Carol a casserole carrier from a pattern I found on Pinterest.

And finally, Danielle's tshirt blanket.

A little update on me. I've lost 60 lbs!!! No updated picture though, there's a slight difference but it's only noticeable on the scale and my clothing size right now. I have dropped 4 pant sizes in almost a year. Also, I'm in my 3rd week of school. I was able to get all 4 online classes this year so I could be home with the kids. I have to say, I'm enjoying the classes and learning a lot. I have history, government, humanities and child psychology. I haven't had a few of these classes in years, I took a lot of science last time doing the nursing prerequisites. Anyways, I figured these would be easy. I was wrong. All of my grades have been really good, but it requires a ton of time. I don't mind all of the reading and note taking, it's just very time consuming. Still trying to work on my time management. I've been up late working, so in exhausted. I'm not a big nap person, and I took a long nap today. Good thing Cameron is with Marty in the truck :/

Mackenzie went back to dance class and Sunday school class after Christmas. Her dance class is now on Thursday nights instead of Friday morning. That is making a huge difference for her. She likes to take her time in the mornings and not rush around and get to dance. I think I'm going to have a problem when it comes to getting up for school next year. There's nothing new to report on Cameron. He's just his normal little boy, rambunctious self. Marty has decided to go back over the road. This week was his first week doing it. I saw him a total of 2 hours since Sunday. Mackenzie was able to go with him to Chicago yesterday. Today we traded kids. I have Mackenzie and she has dance class this afternoon, and Cameron gets to spend the day going to Chicago with his dad. They miss him when he's gone all week. He would have been home more, but the weather has not been helping at all. It took him 5.5 hours for a 3 hour trip last night.

Also, her teeth are great! Except her teeth are crowded and her adult ones will probably come in crooked and she'll probably need braces. But they love going to the dentist and brushing their teeth!

Weight loss, Christmas decorations and sewing!

First off, an update and new picture on my weight loss. I have, so far, lost just over 55 lbs. and keeping it off, even over Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas and new year! I have 26 lbs left to go before I hit my first goal. And another 20 to go after that.

I have lost another 1.2 lbs after this picture was taken.

Onto Christmas decorations. We don't usually go black Friday shopping (except the little bit that I got online this  year) so, Friday is the day we usually decorate for Christmas.

 She is always in her princess dress up clothes, why change to decorate for Christmas?

We, of course have our stockings hung, a hanger on the front door and back door, and as they come in, all of our holiday cards are getting posted on the mirror in the living room.

And with Christmas coming, comes some sewing for me, for gifts. Not everyone wanted something hand made, understandably, but I am able make some things for some people. A reader of mine knows what she is getting, but I won't post the picture until after Christmas, since I want her to see it in person first. However, I've finished with a couple things so far, and they receivers are not readers of mine, yet.

This is a little travel "case" that holds 5 hot wheels cars. I have made 6 for 6 little boys in the family who love hot wheels and will be making a 7th today for Marty's mom to give as a gift as well.

The blog this pattern came from said this was a kids messenger bag, however, it's big enough to hold textbooks and binders. Anyways, this is for an 11 year old girl that I know :) I liked this bag so much, making it and the final results, I want to make more!

I still have a couple more things to sew before Christmas. And I will post those pictures after Christmas, as those recipients have a tendency to read this :)

Wish me luck that everything is done on time and to my liking! These few weeks before Christmas are always hectic for me with my projects!

What are you thankful for? Thanksgiving 2013

This year I am thankful for the family that always fights, wasn't fighting this year. And we were comfortable enough to take the kids to that dinner!

Every year we are crazy busy on Thanksgiving anyways because we have so many different families to visit.

We start Thanksgiving off at Marty's moms house at noon. The entire family packs into her little house. But there's a ton of yummy food and football, along with visiting with everyone, so it's worth it!

This year, after Shelly's house, we stopped in at my grandmas so see my moms family. My mom, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins all gather. And of course, now, the house is really filling up with all of our kids playing all over the place. But more yummy food and family, and this year, no fighting, makes it worth it.

Finally, every year we finish the day, able to fully relax, at Carol's brother, Uncle Doug and Aunt Leslie's house. A ton of food, a ton of family and friends, a few drinks, football. It is my favorite stop on Thanksgiving. And the food is usually the best as well. There's more space there, than anywhere else and the kids still have someone else to play with a different toys.

On 2 side notes, I, amazingly enough, didn't gain any weight yesterday!!! And the Lions killed the Packers, 40-10! Now that made for a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Mackenzie is 4!!! And we've hit the 6 year mark!

On November 23rd Mackenzie turned 4 years old. I can't believe it, my little girl is 4!

Anyways, we had a busy 4 days around here. Friday, the 22nd the kids spent the night at Marty's moms house and spent Saturday morning over there as well. When we picked up the kids, we went to Red Robin for lunch with GG, Aunt Taylor and Aunt Ney Ney and Dave. As always, we each get to pick our dinner on our birthdays. Mackenzie decided she wanted to go to Pizza Hut (we usually have them deliver) and have cupcakes for dessert ( I usually make everyone a cake). So that's what we did for her birthday dinner. Of course, she also got her gifts from us. She's really into any princess right now, and she loves to watch Sofia the First on the Disney channel. We got her a Sofia the First outfit and the Sofia the First dress up dress and jewelry! Of course, like most little girls, she loves to dress up and her favorite characters!

 Like I said, she loves princesses!

 Dressed up in her Sofia the First dress up outfit (she already had the crown and shoes)

 Sofia the First outfit

Sunday we had her birthday party. This year she decided she wanted to have a gymnastics party, so we took them to branch gymnastics and had her party. They all had a ball and Taylor now wants to do gymnastics!

 Cameron did not want to do anything she said :)

 Taylor summer-salts

 Mackenzie

 Cameron

 Taylor and Cameron loved the foam pit

 She liked the bars, but has no upper body strength

 Taylor had a lot of fun flipping on the bars and jumping into the foam pit

 Of course, the trampoline!

 She loved her Sofia cake! Cutest smile ever award goes to Mackenzie!

 And her Sofia towel from Aunt Danielle

 That frosting dyed your tongue (and teeth, for some) all sorts of crazy colors

The kids got sent home with grandma Teresa for the night so Marty and I could go out for our anniversary dinner. He owed me a sushi dinner, he promised he take me for sushi once i had lost 50 lbs. No problem! And we both like to have it on special occasions anyways. We usually go to sushiya, because they have amazing sushi. However, for some reason they are not open on Sundays so we had to try a new place. We are hesitant, to say the least, of trying a new sushi place, because some just are not good. Anyways, I checked the reviews and ratings for Sakura Hibachi and Sushi, 4.5 stars and all good ratings, so we figured we would give it a shot. It was just as good as Sushiya!

I had to take a picture of my sushi, it was just so yummy

Monday was our actual anniversary. We exchanged our gifts then. The only thing Marty wanted (and he's had to shop for most of the time) was a new pair of dickies for work. Yay! I gave him a few ideas, because he likes to make sure I have no idea what I'm getting. It's more fun for him that way. Anyways, for some reason he went crazy shopping for me. I now have a new wand curling iron, which actually curls my hair amazingly, a new picture frame (he hates one of the ones I have), a new pair of workout pants, a new Detroit Lions tshirt and a "gift card" (money) to Joanns so I can sew!! He's spoils me like crazy.

I'm a huge slacker!

Obviously I am since it's been a month since my last post.

Anyways, Halloween for us was wet and chilly, but as always the kids were loaded with candy. And for the first time, they were interested in helping me pass out candy after we went trick or treating. It was hilarious to watch them get startled when they would see someone dressed up in a scary mask or just odd consume. And they were of course the cutest kids in town!

Pretty pink princess Mackenzie 

Cameron was Cowboy Woody from Toy Story

Taylor had a very cool costume as Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games

And I love the fun of getting dressed up so I was a witch this year!

Now that it's November, the rest of our year is very busy. Happy birthday Aunt Jo on Thursday! Friday Taylor will be 11. Sometimes it's crazy to think she's that old. Even though she's my sister, I feel so old! And to make me feel older, Mackenzie will be 4 Saturday! She's have a Sofia the First themed gymnastics party on Sunday, and she just can't wait for it! 

After her party, the kids are staying the night at grandmas so Marty and I can have our anniversary date night. Our anniversary is Monday, 6 years! We are planning on going for sushi, and like Mackenzie, I just can't wait! 

Thursday, of course, is thanksgiving, which is always busy and crazy for us. The joys of having multiple families we have to see. Planning on at least 2 thanksgivings and possibly 3 depending on what time the other dinner is.

And coming up, my favorite time of year right after all of this fun, Christmas!!!

Update on the fitness front:

I've hit the 50 lb mark and still working on it. I of course knew it was going to be a slow process, but sometimes it's just too long. Back on track again. I was pushed off track for a bit with my diet. My self control was gone and I wasn't counting my calories. I didn't gain anything back, except the normal fluctuations in my weight, but I didn't lose anything either. Oh well. I'm back to Zumba! I haven't been often because Marty has been working and we don't have sitters around  town, so I've been working out at home, which can get really boring. Last night I decided to try to take the kids to Zumba with me. They have a kids room at the gym filled with a bunch of toys. They were amazing! I was such a proud momma. And they had fun and asked to go again! Ok, no problem! By the way, a non scale victory yesterday, I bought a pair of workout shorts in the spring that turned out to be too small. I haven't wore them until yesterday, and now they're too big!

I'll try to keep this better updated so you don't have to read a book every time you check out my posts :)

CCD and Halloween costumes

It has been a long time since I've last posted. Oops! Sorry to those few readers. I'll try to be better.

Anyways, a little update. Mackenzie has started CCD classes at church. It's like Sunday school for preschool to 5th grade. She loves it! And that makes me happy. She has missed a month, because she just got registered a few weeks ago and it started the first Sunday of September. They learn about everything. Last week was all about Mary. She's only in preschool so they didn't focus on the details, obviously. But she knows the basics about Mary. This week they made spiders made out of pumpkins and pipe cleaners and put a candle in them. The teacher said, you light the candle, says a prayer and blow out your candle. The smoke takes your prayer to heaven. Mackenzie thought that was a great idea!

Her and her spider pumpkin!

I have also registered for my classes! Back to school I go! I'm actually really excited about going back. Even though this whole semester I have online classes. At least I can do it all around my own schedule with the kids. I'm taking : American government, American history to 1877, child psychology, and modern culture & the arts. It's a full load, but I'm determined to finish my AA within 2 years, so I will also go at least one summer semester. I start those Jan 6!

Finally, the kids have decided on their Halloween costumes. Mackenzie will be a pretty pink princess. Sometimes she called herself aurora. But we will find out what her actual name will be on Halloween. But she has a pink princess dress and her dress up crown to wear. Cameron is going to be Woody, the cowboy from Toy Story. I already have his costume, I just have to find him a cowboy that will fit his head. All of them I've found are adults. I'm also dressing up this year with the kids. Mackenzie decided that I will be a witch. We don't have any pictures yet, but after Halloween, I will post those.

Have a great week!