Fair fun

Oh this year at the St. Croix county fair was FUN!!!!! To see it through the eyes of my daughter was the highlight! Everything was amazing. Everything was cool. She went from barn to barn looking at every animal. We of course had to stop at the horses first!

She went on her first Carousel and Ferris Wheel ride. She kept asking to go on the Tilt a Whirl, but we put our foot down. Maybe in another 3 or 4 years......



Isaac was very happy to hang out in his stroller for the most part, but when it came time to look at animals out he wanted to be! Pigs and horses were his thing.



All in all, I was so happy we were able to go this year. It makes me excited for next year.

Ms Black eye and Mr Fat Lip

Its murphy's law, I think, where if one child receives a traumatic bang, the other will soon follow. Such is the case for the two Marquand children.

The first Victim. Isaac. Now I did not see it happen. I was in the other room. But Kyla admits that she pushed her brother. Into what, I do not know. BUT the blood gushing from his lip and the cries were enough to send Kyla to the step for 15 minutes while I tried to stop the bleeding. Isaac was NOT happy and needless to say I got the bleeding to stop only to have him bump it 5 minutes later and reopen it. That was a lovely repeat.


Victim 2. Kyla. Now Kyla has no one but a cabinet door to blame for this lovely shiner. Dustin had taken the kids up the the local library to return some books and let the kids play. Kyla was trying to open a stuck cabinet door and had her face just a bit to close. She had a huge lump and bruise before she even got home....and we only live a block away...

I do not believe in Karma. Sorry I am not a new ager. But, I did find it a bit humorous that the lady who inflicted such a nasty fat lip gave herself a gorgeous shiner.

those last 5.......

me on July 18th 2011 (135)

I set a goal after having my son Isaac. I wanted to get healthy. I did not set an unrealistic goal either. Based on BMI i should weigh somewhere between 115-128. Thats a big range BUT i have never been under 130 for more than 2 weeks and not without the help of a diet pill. Those were the days of working at GNC and I was not doing it right. I lost all my Isaac baby weight and all my Kyla baby weight. I don't care who knows how much I weight! I want to get to 130.... I have 5 lbs to go. Honestly. 137 is my average and I sit at that weight easily.... So being 135 is smaller than my average and it makes it really hard to keep on going to my goal of 130.

BUT go on I am!!!!!

Every time I stop journaling my food and stop any type of exercise, I stop my weight loss. I have come a long way from 164 by doing those two things!!!

I have begun to journal and it helps! I am also doing Jillian Michaels Yoga meltdown, Ripped in 30 and 30 day shred( gotta keep it interesting). Bob Harper is amazing too and I am doing his Yoga Warrior( mostly the 15 minute ab workout).

So on this journey of the last 5 lbs(maybe more, we will see....), I will start using this blog a bit more to help keep me motivated. It helps knowing someone might read this or see the pictures.

I have to mention this. I am not doing this to be the skinny girl. I am doing this firstly to honor God. He calls me to live a self controlled life and that is one of the areas that I struggle the most. Also, the Bible says that we are to treat out bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, I did not grow up with healthy examples in my life. Both of my parents are obese and not very active. I want to be better for my kids. I want them to grow up making healthy food choices and active lives.... But that starts with me and my husband. If we aren't, they won't!


So here is to the last leg of my goal.....I can say this much, even when I hit my goal I am NEVER going to be done, it will just be the beginning of the new chapter... Maintaining and sustaining.

Kids room change up

Isaac is over 1 and Kyla 3.....ITs time..... The bedroom needs an update. IT was fun to decorate the kids room with owls and elephants. It was cute, it was baby.... Yup its time.

Since the kids share a room I know I am going to have some slight dilemma. How do I update their room to not look baby but gender neutral. So I have decided that keeping it simple is going to be the best. Kyla and Isaac both have loved horses. SO that is the route I am going. Here is my first update to the room and I am hoping to have more to come as I can afford to do them!
Here is the clock in their room. This was one of the first things I ever Mod Podged.


Took off the decals and took off some of the old paper

I found a pretty cool pattern paper that i thought would be a great backdrop for the picture. I did all my photo editing using GIMP and printed out the picture of scrapbook paper.Mod Podged it to the clock and added the other paper accents too.

The clock is hung. :)

cell phone woes......

I know I know...... I should be grateful to have a working cell phone. I know that to get a new phone means choosing between a phone that requires me to upgrade to a data package or choose a very chintzy phone that looks like it will break with the first slip of my fingers. The phone I have has never made me happy and maybe that is why it makes it so hard to not upgrade.

You can barely tell in the photo but I have white tape holding the slider part of the phone shut. It broke after being dropped for the umpteenth time. The battery has never held a charge overnight and it just hasn't been my favorite...... BUT to upgrade my phone to something new and less fragile (lets face it, they make ALL phones fragile these days) would require forking over money and upgrading to a web package.... Two things I don't want to do.....So I am following my amazing husbands lead(His phone is even worse off than mine) and making due with the phone I have. IT makes calls and I can text. Its all I really need a phone to do. So why can't I just be happy!?!?!?????

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!!!


Its the forth of July. Such a great day in our nations history. WE have all the freedoms and rights that we have today because there were men and women who fought for our freedom. What a blessing to live in the land of the free. In honor of the Red White and Blue I put a festive flower arrangement together from my garden.
America, I love you. I really am proud to be an American and I pray that God would find favor on our country again. I honor and pray for those still fighting on our behalf and I pray that today would be a day of celebration for all.


the arrangement is made up of Hydrangea, Bachelor Buttons and single Rose

The days of Fruit Pizza

I am a lover of all things sweet. I can honestly say I am a sugar candy addict. I have been sober now for a year. I will only eat chocolate because I don't gorge on it like I do Skittles, Starburst, gummy bears, gummy worms, candy corn, candy hearts, circus peanuts( yes those squishy orange peanut shaped sugar. I can eat a bag in a day if given. and I am talking the BIG bags).etc and etc..... I hope you get the pictures.

Even though I have given up candy it has in no way changed my love of things sweet. I have just been more healthy about it. I adore fresh berries. This is one of my favorite times of year since they are so bountiful. I also adore fruit pizza. I mean sugar cookie crust, cream cheese frosting, fresh berries and a bit of drizzle! A past candy addict is in sugar heaven!

Well, I am being Ms healthy and I found a recipe that is great and half the calories!!! So for 170 calories w/ 16 servings give this one a try!

Fruit Pizza MadeOVer
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
Combine flower and sugar. Cut in butter til crumbly. Press onto and ungreased 12 pizza pan(or a 9x13)
Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes until VERY lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack

Frosting:
1( 8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/3 sugar
1 tsp vanilla
beat together and spread onto cooled crust

Toppings
3 cups of fresh berries( any you really like, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, straweberries)
1 can (11 oz) mandrian oranges, drained

Glaze
5 tsp Cornstarch
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1 tsp lemon juice
In a small saucepan combine cornstarch, pineapple juice and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring for 2 min until thickened. Cool slightly and pour over fruit. Refrigerate until chilled.

flowers arranging take 3

First of all. I never considered myself a green thumb in any way!!!!! I have evolved my thinking a lot since having kids and staying home. It also helps that I have two green thumb in laws who have helped me along the way. I don't know if I would enjoy gardening if it weren't for Jonica and Tammy. They both have a way of making beauty in their backyards.But now I am certifiably crazy about gardening and now I have found a new joy... Flower arranging. I am just getting started and am in no way an expert, but I am really enjoying the process of growing these beautiful blooms and then bringing them indoors. Their scent, their color, their presence makes my home feel that much more cozy. I wonder what my next attempt will look like.

The flowers in this arrangement are: Pansy's, petunia,corepsis, delphinium, bachelor buttons, red Valerian, poppy and hosta for greenery