New Years Resolutions

In 2012 I hope to learn what it means to:

-Be productive throughout my day

Exercise Self-Control

-Exercise PERIOD!

           &

 -Budget my money

                                                                                                

Lately I've been battling with myself on every one of those things >>

And I would just really like to master those weaknesses..

You know like, less computer time, more take care of what needs to be taken care of time..(like right now).

Sticking to a daily exercise routine..

And budgeting..oh budgeting.  I have bad spending habits I've realized.  It's a problem.

And it all goes back to self-control.  I don't have much of that..and especially lately.  So seriously, some major goals for myself are being set for this new year.  If anyone has mastered any of these weaknesses..your advice is very appreciated. Ha. Teach me your tricks.

   

Cade and I are SO excited to head to Boise in a couple days and spend New Years there.  I can't think of a better way to bring in the new year!  We can't wait to see our friends and family!  I'm already thinking about how hard it will be to leave Boise for Utah in a week.  I might throw a small fit.  It's very possible.  I shouldn't think about that part yet though..  And plus---we're moving back to Boise two months after visiting, so I should be ok. :)  

Posted on 12-22?..totally wrong date. More like 12-27.

  CHRISTMAS EVE PAJAMIES! :)

Cade does a dang good job picking out my PJ's.  I am impressed.  I think I did better this year for him than last year though.  Except for the shirt size...he said he was a large! ?

 We had a really good Christmas.  Woke up at 7 A.M.--(I did hold back the temptation to wake Cade up when I woke up at 3:45). Opened awesome gifts, made breakfast, went to church and then headed to Logan to spend the day with some of the Hansens.  Loved it all.   

And then last night Cade and I met up with my sister Stephanie and her husband Brandon for dinner.  They were in Utah for Christmas so I was happy that we were able to see them for a little bit.  P.S. Steph's hair is so cute. 

Steph and Brandon

Happy

I am happy this week.  Mostly.  I think.  It's been a good week.  I have surprisingly had a pretty good attitude for it being just a few days before Christmas and working in retail.  Maybe it's because I keep trying to tell myself this week, "Jesus loves this person...so I should too".  I think one time I thought about that a little too much and asked myself, "...Does he really?"  But anyways...that's a retail rant for another day :)

Something about this year has made for a really special Christmas season.  I don't really know what has made it feel so special but for the first time in a long time I have really felt the "Spirit of Christmas".  Maybe it's because I've put more thought into gifts for others?  Maybe it's because this is the first year I won't be "home" for Christmas but-- will be going home for New Years- (we're soooooo excited), so we will kind of be "home for the holidays" without the s..  Or maybe Utah is just good at putting out a Christmas feel.  I don't know.  I've enjoyed it though.

Sunday night

Two years ago

  My good mood for this week was probably set on Sunday though.  Cade took me for a drive to Salt Lake City to see the lights (again..) (& I would go a third time) and be surprised by my best friend Briceida and her husband James.  It was so fun to see them!  The last time I saw Bric was on her wedding day in May-- I have just missed her!  Her surprise meant so much to me.  It also made me think a lot about the last time we were in Salt Lake City at Temple Square together.  Probably two years ago..just a couple months after her baptism.  So special. 
 

And Cade and I outside--not the best picture but I like it still

And a couple quirky things about this week:

-Watched two little boys shatter a display at Hobby Lobby.

-Almost followed a man into the ladies restroom at work 

(I quickly pulled a u-turn when I realized he was not going to though).

Random thoughts going through my head:

-So excited that I can put my two weeks notice in at work in less than 7 weeks- Moving back to Boise in about 9-10 weeks. :)

-Finding the past three videos I posted on facebook very similar and special.  I didn't realize until this last one how they all related.   Three singers with very different styles- Alex Boye, Brandon Flowers and David Archuleta -in some form or another sharing the gospel.

-Feeling happy about lessons learned the past year

&

-Excited about a new year coming up

TWO posts in ONE--

HAIRCUT.  It only took like a week for me to post a picture.  I do not care to take pictures of myself though, especially when my nose looks really huge in all of them.  I took quite a few and this was the best one.  Is it possible that the shorter & bigger hair has brought out the hugeness of my nose?  Hahaha, ok, I'm probably being silly but.. just had to mention it.  I do like the crazy yucky split ends being gone though!  It's been a nice change.  Do I look older??  Ha.  










CHRISTMAS TREE. 
It's fun.  Had to post.  No star or angel up top.  I know.  Last year the star broke and we just never got one this year.

Loving Christmas time.

See my cute itty bitty manger scene?  I have been waiting a year to put that up.

Drum Roll....

THIRTEEN LBS!  Lupe weighed herself today and in just one week on the Take Shape for Life program has lost 13 lbs.  Unreal.  So happy for her!  She feels great, has great energy and says that the program is so easy for her.  She enjoys the Medifast Meals and really hasn't had any complaints.  She has been so motivated and happy through it all.  She has been so impressive to me.  I have a trip to Boise planned the end of December and am so excited to see her.  I can't wait to hear in upcoming weeks how much she continues to lose and how well she feels through it all.  (P.S. Lupe is not your average case.  Average results are usually 2-5 lbs a week).  Awesome job Lupe!  Keep going! :)   
     

A little from the website about Take Shape for Life:

How is Take Shape For Life different?

Take Shape For Life starts with making the decision to get healthy—now.
Achieving a healthy weight is the first step along the path to Optimal Health. The Take Shape For Life program offers you a free personal Health Coach who will guide you as you lose weight on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan®, by using the clinically proven, doctor-recommended, portion-controlled nutrition of Medifast Meals. Along the way, your Health Coach will share with you the Habits of Health that can help you to make the choices that will allow you take charge of your health for the long term.
Reaching a healthy weight is just the beginning—there is much more to come.

Stoked for Miss Lupe

Day 3 for Lupe- Almost at the end of the hardest part!
Lupe started the Medifast 5&1 plan on Monday the 5th instead of the 4th--I with my business coach (my dad) have been calling her the past two days to check in and see how she has been doing.  I am so amazed at how well she has been doing.  Yesterday, only her second day, she already noticed more energy.  Totally impressed.  She has so much motivation and has been very positive so far.  The first 3-5 days are the hardest and she is making it look easy.  WAY TO GO LUPE!  Keep it up!    I'm excited for her first week weigh in just so that she can see how her motivation and dedication is going to pay off.

Right now since Lupe is just starting on the program her main focus is putting energy into using self-control, also learning and understanding how eating six small low-fat/good-for-you meals a day helps with losing weight (in a healthy and safe way).  Soon she'll learn how maintaining a good healthy weight still involves eating 5-6 small low-fat meals a day but that will be by transitioning other healthy choices into her diet...(That we won't go further into though, she's not in the maintaining or transitioning phase yet).

Last night my Dad and I talked to her about how to have a successful attitude.  If you really want to be healthy, you need to change from having an attitude of "Living to Eat" to "Eating to Live".  I think honestly that is the only way you will be successful with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.  Hard.  I'm still working on that attitude but it's possible for sure.

A little of our week so far..

Tuesday: I needed a date night.  Not just a go out to dinner date night or watch a movie-- but something "FUN" kind of date.  So Cade skipped school and we decided on Boondocks :)  (A plus to Cade having a needy wife- he gets to skip school :))  On our way to Boondocks  we headed to Kaysville to drop off a little load of laundry at my Grandma's house first.  Driving there we noticed an awesome light show in the park and had to go check it out.  It was really neat.
Totally loved feeling the Christmas spirit.
So fun.












Continue to Grandma's house---and hello ambulance/firetrucks/landing helicopter....we had to stop and check out the action in Grandma's neighborhood.  It would have been kind of weird of us to stop and snoop if we were the only ones doing it...everyone in the neighborhood was out.  It was kind of fun to see the action of life flight but I also felt sadness for the family who had the accident.  We still don't know what happened, hopefully all is well.

 AND then our date. :)

...Just the two of us.  Yes, that's right- we don't have married friends.  Nine months in Utah and we still don't have friends.  Bummer...I was counting on Cade to bring the "makes friends easily" quality to this marriage.  Hoping that would be one of his strengths to make up for my weakness--Because I have found out in my life that that is not something I am good at, making friends.  I think I can be a good friend....I just don't make friends easily.  ...Shoot, oh well.  Hey, even if we had friends in Utah, haha-it was a Tuesday night...who has date nights on week days?  Answer: US & Quite often actually.

ANYWAYS- It was a super nice, spontaneous and fun night with my husband.  Much needed.   

So..bowling and a few games.  Holy cow.  I am the worlds worst bowler!  Kind of funny but kind of annoying and embarrassing.  Poor Cade, we'll say that my bad bowling rubbed off on him.  Haha.  He didn't play his best either. 

Game One.....oh man.  Hahaha.  Cade won but I got one strike!

Game two---A little better... :)

Already bored with it.  Dang it!

After our bowling we played a few games, won a few tickets and since there really isn't much you can get with 150 tickets--- a prize for our puppy is what we traded our tickets in for.
























Thursday: East winds through Utah.  My Grandma warned me about these winds but I didn't really take her warning serious because the last time she told me we were going to have East winds they were pretty wimpy.  She had reason to warn though--Winds were clocked at 102 MPH is what I heard.  Here in Clearfield it didn't feel too bad, just felt like a windy day.  Walking into work in Layton I noticed a harder wind.  Kind of made me laugh at how funny I probably looked pushing against the breeze.  Cade had class cancelled because of power outage in Kaysville.  We wanted to see what damage had been done so we drove that way after I got off work and the winds had calmed down.  This morning I went back and took a few pictures.  CRAZY. 

I don't remember the Davis Elementary sign looking that cheap....

Grandma's neighbor's house (behind the tree)

Same tree....completely uprooted.

Grandma tree down One

Two

Three

Four

Still Four--trying to leave Grandma's yard for the neighbors.

And number Five

Four and five again