Monday, December 29, 2008

GetTinG REaDY 4 A NeW YeaR!!

Today is the last Monday of 2008! Hooray!!! I'm so excited for a new year and a new beginning. I am so glad that I can have a "fresh start" each year, to learn from my mistakes and challenges in the year past, and try to improve in the year ahead.

2009 is the year where I will truly learn what it means to be a "single mom." In years past, my ex husband was pretty consistent with taking the kids every other weekend and every other holiday. As hard as it was for me to have them gone, it was time I had to recharge my batteries get things done that I personally needed done in order to be the best mom I could be! I will no longer have the "breaks" (as I call them) and will be responsible for my children 24/7. There are blessings that come along with this challenge as well, which I'm sure you are well aware of.


I will also learn how to live within a tight budget. I will lose a great amount of income each month without child support. I know it can be done and I will make it work. I have a very strong testimony of Tithing and the blessings that come when paying a full tithe. I am sure the Lord will take care of me and my family.


I wish all of you a Happy New Year! And wonderful adventures in the New Year!


Thursday, November 13, 2008

Reflections Contest Winners!









Each Year the PTA sponsors a "reflections" contest where all of the students are invited to create original artwork of their own based upon a theme. This year's theme was "WOW". Garett entered the 3D art category and Megan entered the visual arts cagtegory.

Tonight they held a awards assemly and announced the winners for each category. Garett won with his big monster truck entry.

I have such talented kids! Way to GO!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Happy Halloween

Well... I had to get a post in about Halloween before Thanksgiving rolls around.

We had a great Halloween! The weather was perfect this year, as opposed to trick or treating in the freezing temperatures in years past. This year, Megan being 10 years old, went with her friends from school trick or treating in the neighborhood. She is growing up way to fast! I took Garett around with the neighbors, but he had a great time and was done after only going up and down a few streets. This year I noticed that there were a lot more of the older kids out than younger kids. I don't know if times have changed or what, but it used to be that once you hit junior high, you didn't trick or treat anymore.

Well here are a few cute pictures of the kids dressed up for Halloween... ENJOY!


Garett (Speed Racer) and his teacher (the ketchup)

Megan the Fairy Princess

Here He Comes, Here Comes Speed Racer

He's a Deamon on Wheels :)


Hello Beautiful Fairy

Monday, September 29, 2008

Time to Update The Blog

I guess after over two months of not posting anything, it's time I take a few minutes to update and let you all know what's going on in my life...




The beginning of September, we went and stayed at the most amazing cabin I have ever been to! It had the most spectacular views, had everything you could ever dream of having in a home, and had the most excellent company there to spend all of my time with! How grateful I am for my family. I wish it could have lasted forever. I didn't want to come home, and neither did my kids, especially Megan. She has such a tender heart and loves everyone. It was sad to have to come back home.
This is the view we had when we went river rafting. It was a cold day! My feet were so numb I couldn't even feel the air blowing on high from the heater inn the car when we got back inside the vehicles. But we created some wonderful memories :)


I love my family so very much! I don't know what I'd do without them! Thanks guys :) Love you!








Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Swimming in the Summer





Yesterday was my nephew Bradley's birthday. He turned 6 years old! He and Garett pal around together all the time. We went over to my sister's house last night for a party. The kids enjoyed pizza, swimming, cake and ice cream. It can't get any better than that!




Saturday, July 5, 2008

Happy 4th of July!!!

This has been such a fun and crazy weekend! I did a lot of work related activies with City events. I really enjoy my job and all of the fun activities I get to be a part of.

My Thursday started at the crack of dawn, 5:00 a.m. to be exact. (I haven't been up that early in ages!) I met my Women In Business group at the rodeo grounds to be part of Channel 4's Good Morning Utah! We were interviewed because we were having a booth at the Western Stampede and would be selling "Tough Enough To Wear Pink" apparel to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation. One of our primary goals is to raise awareness for breast cancer. My parents filmed the news for me, they are so sweet! And then called me later on and said "so how's the movie star?" lol... they are so fun! So if I somehow can get it figured out, I will put the video clip on here for you all so see me and my five seconds of fame :)
Then Thursday afternoon I spent in the 100 degree heat setting up our booth, but thanks to my great friend Joscie, I survived when she bought me a Route 66 size Strawberry Limeade at Sonic...mmmm.... very good thirst quencher on such a unberably hot day!

I have sure made some great friendships through Women In Business. I appreciate them always being there for me and making everything so fun! Go WIB!!!


Selling shirts was fun, but just proved what I have thought all along, which is I am no saleswoman! I have no problem taking people's money if they want to purchase something, but I don't like to approach people to make a sale.. just part of my personality I suppose. But we were working the booth until 11:00 p.m. and had a great time. Then I went home and took a wonderful cold shower.


Friday Morning (Independence Day) I woke up at 9:00 and went to City Hall to be in the annual parade. That was a lot of fun too!! There was cloud cover, so it wasn't nearly as hot as it was the day before. We rode in a carriage that was pulled behind a horse. We had Craig (my boss) grandkids throwing candy along the parade route and Geoff (Rebecca's husband) was shouting int the bull horn at the crowd... it was great.



The rest of the day was spent with my family at Scott (my brother) house. We had such a delicious dinner. Scott made a smoked brisket in his smoker. I had never had it before, but when he told how it was made, it sounds like it's nothing to go into a 'meals in minutes' cookbook. It took time to marinate, smoke, and then rest before it could be eaten. But it was well worth the effort.. I even asked him if I could make reservations for next time he made it. We had fireworks and then watched the fireworks that were going off in the park from his backyard. It was such a nice day.


Today, Saturday, I went shopping with my mom to help her find different things to decorate her newly remodeled kitchen with. My parents have just given their house a nice new facelift and it's just gorgeous! We had a great time together and it made me wish I had a house to decorate, myself! There are so many fun things out there, no wonder people spend so much money decorating, it can be very contageous! But in about a year, I should be able to get my own little home and can start making it my own, but for now I'll just have to save every penny that I can.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Kung Fu Panda and Chocolate Shakes

The past weekend with the kids was a lot of fun! We went and saw the new movie "Kung Fu Panda" and then had chocolate shakes.. our weakness! It was a fun movie. Megan and Garett really enjoyed it. I'm sure glad they make such fun, family friendly movies!
I was going to take the kids swimming, but that was their dad's plan for their Father's Day activity, but summer is just barely getting underway... so i'm sure we'll have plenty of days at the pool or waterpark over the next few months.

The kids are going to be off track after next week... but they only will have three weeks of summer vacation and then they start back up again. Megan will be in 5th grade and Garett will be in 1st! It will be nice to have him in school all day (especially for my babysitting budget)

Not sure what I'm going to do this weekend without the kids... any ideas?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Time FLieS.... Are WE HaVing FuN?

Woweee!!! As a best friend of mine reminded me today.... I haven't blogged in FoREvER!! It's been almost a month! I guess time has way of creeping up on me.
Well the weather has finally started to get warm. I love this time of year! It's so nice to be able to walk outside without a jacket and/or bare feet. Me and the kids all have bikes and love to take them out for a ride. I sure hope that time slows down for a while so we can enjoy this season. I am afraid that it will pass by all too quickly and I will find myself bundled up in sweaters and boots before long. **sigh**


Well it's almost the weekend and there are a lot of fun activities in store for me and the kids! I have been looking online and have come up with quite a few activites that are sure to put a smile on our faces and memories to treasure. I will blog about those after and post pictures too.


Saturday, May 17, 2008

What a FABULOUS Saturday!

You may ask why this particular Saturday was deserving of the title "fabulous"... especially when it was pretty much an ordinary Saturday... but after having not spent a full day with Megan and Garett for 3 weeks, my kids came home last night! There were lots of hugs & kisses and "I missed you sooo much" repeated over and over again. I especially loved hearing phrases such as "you are the best mom in the whole wide world" and "I'm so glad to be home." I am so glad that my children feel so comfortable and loved living with me. It was a hard 3 weeks for both of them to be gone to their dad's house. I had many phone calls from Megan, espcially at night when it's the hardest being away from home, telling me how much she wanted to come home. She is able to recognize that there is a spirit in my home that does not exist in her dad's. That is the spirit which brings us peace, comfort, joy, and happiness.

Something exciting happened today as well... Garett learned to ride a two-wheeler! He decided that today was the day to take the training wheels off and head for the hills. And sure enough he did... no sooner did the training wheels come off that he was off..down the sidewalk, just a pedaling and steering... it surely amazed me. I expected to be spending the afternoon holding on to the back of the seat and picking him up after falling... but I was surprisingly wrong. What a stud! I don't know how else to put it. And his comments to me were "mom.. aren't you so proud of me?" "I think I need a new bike now that I can ride a two-wheeler" But that will have to wait until his next birthday in April.

The day wound down with us all enjoying an oreo fudge shake and falling asleep on the couch while watching the news. Just an ordinary day with extrordinary experiences that I will never forget... good night :)

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

After A Week and A HalF...

I have not had any sodas, worked out six times, and cut out snacks & junk food... and I have lost a total of... drum roll... 5 pounds! Not quite the numbers they pull on "Biggest Loser." And I have to admit, I am a little disappointed in myself. I thought for sure it'd be somewhere around 10. Now that would have made me feel good and that giving up the things I love most was worth it. So I am frustrated, but I am not giving up. This just means I have to work harder. I still have another week and a half until my three week experiment is up.

On another note, it has been hard for me to not see my kids. I miss them so very much! I know I should be enjoying this time with them gone and the freedom I get along with it, but it's just not the same around here. It's too quiet. Maybe things would be different if I had a date every night of the week, but that's not happening either. Oh well, that's just life and that's why we're here to have trials and learn from them. So I will keep looking for the silver lining in all of my life experiences.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Healing Fields



On Saturday I took the kids to the Healing Field. This is an annual event to raise awareness of child abuse. There were 1400 American flags posted at the Veterans Memorial Park, each flag represented a child who has died at the hands of abuse. It was a very sobering event. There were bagpipers playing "Amazing Grace" as 41 flags were posted for the children who died in Utah over the past 3 years.


There were over 50 bikers from BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) who rode into the park. One of the bikers is my boss at work.


This event really put it into perspective for me about how real child abuse is and it happens way too much! There is no excuse for child abuse!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

More than JusT the Physical to getting FiT

In thinking about my blogspot name.. Tryin2GetFit...I realize that there are many more areas in my life to be fit in other than just the physical. I am working towards being fit spiritually and mentally as well.

Today marks 3 days in a row that I have worked out and done away with drinking sodas. Just lots and lots of water, skim milk, yogurt, salads, and fruit. I am actually having more energy at the end of the day now instead of being tired. I find myself looking forward to getting done with work and heading to the gym.

I have also been dedicated to my scripture reading and prayers as well. It has been promised that if you put the most important things first in your life then there will be room for everything else. By doing the things the Lord has asked of me, I will be able to accomplish the other things in my life that I never seem to be able to find time to do.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Everyone Needs A Fresh Start...

And Today is Mine! :) Well.. really it was yesterday but it was today that I decided to hop on the blogging bandwagon and start my own blogspot... finally!

I have this past season become a fan of the "Biggest Loser" TV show. It has inspired me to take control of my life and get my body fit. I have always had an excuse for not going to the gym, the biggest one of all being that I am a single mom of two great kids and never had time to go work out. Now that they're visiting with their dad for 3 weeks, I have no excuse! Especially because my work pays for my gym membership. So yesterday I went to the gym and sweated it out for the first time in so long that I can't remember. It FeLt GreaT! I am going to go again in just a few minutes.

My goal is to lose 50 lbs. I don't know how long that is going to take me, but I am determined and dedicated to become as beautiful on my outside as I am on the inside :)

Along with working out everyday for the next three weeks, I am going to watch what I eat, which is a huge weakness of mine! I know I'm not going to lose the 50 lbs. in the next 3 weeks, but I have that much time to get a great start on living a better lifestyle.