I’ve been doing pretty good on my fitness challenge. I managed to lose 2 lbs over the holidays so that brings my total up to 16 lost. Only 9 more to meet my goal.

After being sick for a week, I’m so tired and ready to be healthy again. Work doesn’t stop for sickness… especially in January and not only do I have projects to wrap up but also a presentation in Australia to finalize and practice. But I like being busy. Unfortunately last week Megan was sick too so WE and I got to remember exactly how much she does for WEjr and for the general flow of our household. We were glad to have her back this week! Now WE is starting to feel sick so I’m afraid the sickness will never end…

But on to some more exciting news – I drove the Honda (stick shift) to AND from work today without killing it once!!!! That’s a first. So hopefully that means I’m getting the hang of it. Even though I didn’t kill it I did get honked at once for being slow off the start…so I guess there’s always something to work on. Thanks Dad for taking me out on Christmas Eve to learn how to drive it. I think WE is in heaven getting to drive his new car finally.

I coached our first YW basketball game of the season on Saturday. We lost but the girls are already starting out better than last year. I’m excited for the team and hope that we can win enough games to make it to the tournament. Also, on the church front WE is feverishly working on a technical solution to be able to webcast our next stake conference. He’s buying all kinds of video, mixing, and broadcasting equipment and weighing options on quality and cost to try and get a great, sustainable solution within budget. So he’s been scouting out the church attic on Saturdays while we play bball. Lastly, in a couple Sundays I’m going to be conducting a Youth Choir for sacrament meeting. They will be singing Hark All Ye Nations. I’m hoping it all comes together nicely and will be a simple, but powerful addition to the spirit of the meeting.

Well, that’s about all from this little corner of the world.

Well, posting my food intake on my blog wasn’t really working out for me. As you  probably noticed since I haven’t posted in a week.

But don’t think that I’ve given up on my fitness challenge. In fact, I stepped up the ante. I bit the bullet and joined Weight Watchers. I’ve been to my first weigh-in/meeting and gotten my daily points allotment. So now every Thursday (weigh-ins) I’ll be wearing the lightest clothes I can find in my closet! I think I have about 13 more to lose to meet my goal and my plan is to do it by April 1. If I meet my goal with WW and I maintain within 2 lbs for 6 weeks, then I get to be a ‘lifetimer’ and I will get to use all the WW tools for free!

I’ve been sick this week, so my exercise has suffered and I feel weak. But I’m drinking lots of fluids and staying under my daily WW points (I get a few extra since I’m breastfeeding). But that won’t last long as my plan is to be completely weaned by Christmas.

Well, as I’m losing – WEjr is growing! I can’t believe how big he is. He loves to try to stand on his own, check himself out in the mirror, babble (mostly ‘da-da’ right now), bang on the piano, and get into the cupboards. He has 4 teeth already and has bit me a couple times. We put the living room furniture as a barrier around the Christmas tree and so far he hasn’t figured out how to break the barrier. He’s got a Christmas countdown in teething rings and can’t wait to see his cousins on Christmas day.

WE and I went to a Kristin Chenoweth ’concert’ this week at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Turns out it was not a concert (she didn’t sing) but rather a KERA interview. It was very interesting and quite the quaint setting (probably less than 150 people there). She talked about her childhood, career, life philosophy, etc. I learned that she is adopted, part native american, trained in classic opera, and grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She even told about a time when her dad took her to Woolaroc in Bartlesville and how the only thing to do as a kid growing up was go to Sonic!

Mango Greek yogurt

Spinach Salad with various veggies, feta, and balsamic vinaigrette

Slice of bread with pesto

Popcorn

Homemade pepperoni pizza (2 slices)

V8 splash veggie & fruit juice

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Ricks family! I loved being there with WE’s family. Highlights included Thai food with the A siblings/adults, racquetball, cafe rio, turkey dinner, thankful video, tricks and popcorn, pie, cheese platter, volleyball, and the warm St George sunshine!

WEjr got to meet his cousin R – who is only 2 months older than him and it was funny to watch R’s drive-by binkie swiping. He’d snatch WEjr’s pacifier right out of WEjr’s mouth and off he went with it. They seemed to enjoy each other though and I’m really happy that WEjr will have a boy cousin just older and just younger than him so that those boys will be able to team up against the rest of the older, crazy girls in the family:

Boy Cousin younger than WEjr will be born in Feb 2012

Here’s WEjr with Grape (Great Gpa and patriarch of the family):

Chillin' with Grape

And with Grandpa A:

Bald Eagles - Soaring Above the Rest

Big Blue Eyes

I’m so thankful for my beautiful blue eyed, white eyebrow-ed  boys! I am so blessed to have such a sweet and loving husband. His family is pretty dang awesome too. I’ve got a roof over my head, food to eat, a job that I love, and a life that anyone could only ever hope for! Life is so incredible and I am grateful for it!

I entered a contest at work today for the month of December. I will have a weigh-in this Thursday. Then I will have another weigh-in on the first week of January. If I have maintained or lost weight during the holidays, then I will be entered in for a chance to win $50!

Wish me luck!

Blueberry Greek Yogurt

Turkey sandwich on Ciabatta roll (with mozzarella and mayo)

Half a grapefruit

3 Chicken Fajitas (chicken, cheese, salsa on a tortilla)

Pomegranate greek yogurt

Lemon Pepper Grilled Halibut

Foccacia bread with balsamic vinegar & oil

2 slices of fresh mozzarella

Couscous

Cooked veggies (Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)

1 slice lemon meringue pie

2 pancakes with syrup

3 pieces of bacon

orange juice

spaghetti with 1 meatball and marinara sauce

half a breadstick

caesar salad

pretzels

apple juice

In-n-Out hamburger

5 fries

Yogurt

Cup of Peaches

Half a Red Lobster cheesy biscuit

Canjun spiced grilled Salmon

Mashed potatoes

Garden Salad with Balsamic vinegrette

Roll with Turkey and mayo

Slice of apple pie

Sliver of cake with white frosting

Oatmeal raisin cookie

Raisin Bran with 2% milk

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes with gravy

Roll with jam

Yams with walnuts and brown sugar

Spinach Salad

Celery sticks

Stuffing

Cranberry sauce

Sliver of blueberry meringue, coconut cream, and apple pies

Popcorn