Cassin's Homecoming

So I am a little behind in my blog update. I feel like I have been running nonstop since the middle of June and I am still running. But I need to say how HAPPY I am that Cassin made it home safe and sound after serving his mission in Tennessee for the past 2 years. He flew into Lethbridge at 4:00 and the weather was very cooperative and we had no delays. Everyone spent their time waiting for the plane in different ways.

 

The girls made welcome home posters

The swarm of hugs.

Everyone was so excited to see him after so long. 

A hug from a greatful DAD.

All Smiles

Hugs from Bailey

Boots carried all the way from Tennessee

Brothers

Hanging out with Grandma and Great Grandpa.

It was so nice to just have the whole family together again after 4 years. We all enjoyed soup, stories, and ice cream cake to celebrate Brandon's 17th Birthday.

He was so kind to share his birthday with a homecoming celebration.

We had such a wonderful weekend with family coming to visit and coming for Cassin's talk on sunday. He gave such a wonderful talk on the importance of the Book of Mormon in our lives. He has grown so much and has such a knowledge and spirit about him. We had about 50 people over to our home after for Cafe Rio and great visiting.

Biggest Loser Couples Competition

So back on January 3, 2011 at the start of the new year, Jeff and I joined a biggest loser couples competition here in our little town. 20 couples joined up and we all put $50 into the pot. It started with a weigh in at the gym and then we had 3 months to lose the weight any way we could. The results would be based on the couple combined percentage of weight loss. Sometimes it takes a group to motivate you to do something you've wanted to do for a long time. Jeff will probably shoot me but I will post our starting weights because, hey only really family and friends read my blog. So I weighed in at 152 lbs and Jeff was 244 lbs. We started off doing the Atkins diet for about 2 weeks. It was not bad but I wanted something that would be easy to maintain so we just started eating sensibly, cutting out the sweets, and watching our calorie intake. Oh ya, and EXERCIZING!!!!. We had a mid point weigh in but Jeff and I both skipped it because I knew there was no way we win that. They had an individual male and female winner at mid point and they were doing awsome. I just kept my eye on the april 1st deadline and that was my goal. Jeff was amazing and it was exciting to see the weight just start to drop off. Right before our eyes he was changing. I stuck to my slim in 6 videos and the 30 day shred video and started to see changes in my body. Jeff started lifting weights but then started to put on weight in muscle so he went back to just cardio. It's all about the weight loss in a competion. So we decided to plan a little trip for ourselves at the end of the competion to give us a little extra incentive to look good. Jeff and I did the final weigh in on March 30th, two days before everyone else. At that point it wasn't at all about winning the whole thing. It never really was about that for us. It was about getting healthy and getting back in the shape we knew we could be. At final weigh in for us, Jeff had lost 48 lbs!!!!! and I had lost 20 lbs!!! I was doing the crazy happy dance. It was more than I had expected and more than my scale had shown. NiCE SURPRIZE.   I will tell you that I did come home after the weigh in and treated myself to a cinnamon roll that Brandon had made the weekend before and I had put in the freezer to save. That was my reward.  We found out on Sunday that we had come in second place. That was a shocker. We never expected that and the nice little bonus we won a cash prize. YIPEEE! Now we just focus on keeping it up.

                                                                         BEFORE

This was our before picture because we never really took one

This was February 2010 and we only ever kept putting on the weight from there.

WEIGH IN DAY

This was after my happy dance around the room.

I love this picture.

What a stud!

The farther back I am the skinnier I feel.

I don't think I will ever like myself in pictures but there you have it, the thick and thin of it. The plus in all of this is that we've never been more ready for summer.

Now if summer would just decide to start showing up in this part of the country .

Fun at the Parent Link Center

So I thought I would show some of the cute kids that I watch at the Parent Link Center in Stirling. We have a fantastic program that has great classes for parents, and families. The class on this day was on Brain Developement, and they had a speaker from the University come out. We had about 11 moms attend, and Lisa and I had 17 kids from 2-5 that we were watching so the moms could enjoy the class. All in all with that many kids it went very smoothly. Hopefully next week we will have one more person to help us. Some of the other classes offered are an infant massage class, Baby and me, Family fun night, Daddy and Me, Teen night, and other parenting classes. It is great to have our own building in stirling and have all these great programs offered at no cost to the parents.  I ran the Daddy and Me class the other night, and it was great to see dad's bringing their kids to spend some play time together.
                                                             Such cute kids...

Cutie patootie Evrett

Callan was looking sick from all the playdough spaghetti he was making.

The sand pit is the big hit. Trouble is keeping the sand inside.

Everyone was playing together really well that day.There are some days when we get them chasing each other down because they want what the other has. I couldn't do it without Lisa's help.

With so much to choose from they can usually find something they like to do

Max was hanging out all by himself.

Becca used to cry everytime her mom came but now she has a smile on her face, and is used to all the other kids. She is such a petite little thing. She makes me smile all the time.

These two munchkins just keep me hopping. Libby has to help aunt Tricia with snack time and Finn just wants to play dress up with all the big kids and half the time they won't let him play. Darn it! He was happy digging in the sand this time.

All in all I really enjoy doing the child care for the Center. It is fun when the kids see me in Church and point and say "Hey You!" Like I know you. You play with me all the time. They put a smile on my face, and make my day.

                                          

School Ski and Snowboard Day

January 26th was the school trip to Castle Mountain. This is the first year that they invited the whole school, elementary and High School. The only stipulation was that the elementary students had to have parents accompany them. So it was a family affair, minus dad who had to stay and hold down the fort at school. We had a great day. I did not ski or snowboard but helped with the putting on and taking off of the equipement and taking pictures and READING a book. (didn't get a lot of reading done though). Everyone had to take a lesson to begin with much to some teenagers chagrin(they probably don't even know what that word means) but they all did it. They then had free reign to go and do. I was amazed when Kaitlin just jumped on the chair lift by herself after her lesson was done and off she went. WOW! Everyone had a great day even with the stinging snow from the wind. It was fun to just watch everyone. I think next time I may ski myself. It's been 25 years but everyone says it's like riding a bike (Minus the wheels of course) I'll drag Jeff along too as I think we've only ski'd once together but I can't even really remember.

Getting ready to head out to the hill

getting ready for our lesson with teacher Chris

Lesson time

Kaitlin

Maddi

Kaitlin, Madison, and Maddi

Waiting for their lesson

Brandon

Slade the skier

Jody and Shanna ditching their kids in lessons

All the teachers heading to the lift

We found Mitch working the lifts at Castle.

Kaitlin getting ready for the chair lift

Off she goes

Coming in for lunch

Nice Hair!

Getting ready for the second half of the day

Awesome snowboarders

getting ready to head up Huckleberry

Kaitlin and Madison went up with Mr Dixon but Maddi decided to stay back

When Kaitlin got back from the run she said "My favorite run was the apple berry pie run"

Checking out and.....

Heading home. Once we find the boys that is.

The Beginning of a New Year

Well we are 10 days into the new year. I am really enjoying the relaxing feeling of not having anything pressing to do. I will start back to work with the parent link center this week and I really need to start making some watch bands but right now I am feeling no pressure.  AHHHH BliSS! We need to enjoy these rare moments in our life when they happen. It has been really cold and snowy here and so I try to stay inside for the most part, other than driving boys to seminary and kids to and from school. Jeff tried to get out of the driveway this morning and the truck slid into the pole and smashed the passenger side mirror all up. The truck is still stuck next to the pole. Jeff and I have entered a couples Biggest Loser contest here in town. I think there are about 20 couples in it. We started on the 3rd and it goes till April 1. We are getting healthy and in shape. I might just post our before and after pics if they aren't too scary ( the before of course). Wish us luck. Although to be honest I'm not in it to win it as long as we both get in shape. Not that we won't try our best. (I am planning on sending cookies to all the other contestants to be a good friend. HA ha Ha HA!!!) Dustin has moved to Utah and started at Ameritec College. First day today and he said he enjoyed it a lot. We will miss him around here but it does seem like less to pick up since he moved out. HMMM.  We are looking forward to 2011 with a positive and upbeat attitude. This is going to be the best year yet!