Climb Every Mountain

The moment you realize that you are fat is not a happy one. You may know that you have a few pounds to shed, you may know that sure you don't fit into the same jeans you did when you got married, but the actual realization that you can't remember the last picture you took when you actually felt good about yourself is a sad sad one. And sadly to say I have discovered that this past year. The good thing? I am finally motivated to do something about it.

The thing is, I don't run. I have my reason. I see friends and neighbors who are awesome inspiring women that run like crazy and I just can't do it. Also, I don't do the gym. I am too self conscious. I did great in the water aerobics when I was pregnant with L because I was the youngest one there and I was pregnant, it was okay to be fat. But going in my fat sweats as everyone else walks by in their little tight pants all perky and happy, is not my idea of motivation.

So in an effort to help me get in shape D went out and bought me a Wii Fit. Which I had been doing at a friends house and really enjoying. But my husband doesn't do things half way. He also go me a program called Wii Active, which I love. Bob Greene (Oprah's Trainer) put it together. The best part is the 30 day challenge. You get a different workout each day tartgeting different areas, unlike the Wii Fit (which I still love for the Jackknife challenge, balance games and yoga) You don't have to stop in between each exercise and pick a new one. You can choose your intensity and then you get a 20-30 minute workout that targets strength and aerobics together.

I have been enjoying it, and while the scale has not decreased (thanks stupid Wii Fit scale and your "That's Overweight" sayings) I can tell it is making a difference. The jeans are comfortable, not tight. I can chase the kids around the block and not get tired. I can walk my stairs a million times a day and be fine. But I always like a challenge and so when my sister suggested a join her for her early morning trail hikes, I thought I would give it a chance.

The picture above is why I love it. I take M with me and it is so fun to see her discover nature (she can run up a mountain, that girl is so fit, but she stops and rests when mom needs too). We do about a 3 mile round trip hike in the mornings. M thinks our goal should be to climb to the glacier by the end of summer. I smiled and said "We'll See". But if I can go with my girl it would be worth it. This morning she discovered some squirrels which she fed a cracker to. The look on their faces was like they had hit a jackpot and the look on M's face made the pain in my bottom half worth it! I really need to take my camera with me.

So it looks as if this is going to be a regular thing. We have a great trail, and as long as M wakes up at 5 with a smile on her face, we will continue to climb every mountain as part of our fitness routine. But don't worry Wii Active, I have not forgotten you. I'll be back, but sorry, the TV screen can't compare to nature!

Freedom

I wanted to make a great and wonderful post on freedom, but I didn't want to debate the current problems with our government and so I decided to post M's reflections essay that actually says a lot.

My Grandma's life is WOW! by M age 8

When my grandma was little she lived in Berlin. When the Russian army marched into Berlin she had to hide in the cellar with her mom for 10 days and 10 nights. They had only a few potatoes to eat. Every day her mom would cook one and she would eat the skin while my grandma would eat the middle.
One night their neighborhood was bombed and many people died. My grandma and her mom lived But lost everything, except my Great Grandma threw a feather bed out of the window while the house was burning. She had put her favorite china plate inside it and it did not break. My Grandma still has the plate and I love to look at it.
After the war was over my Grandma live in East Berlin. One day her dad decided it was bad to live in a communist land and he told my grandma that they would have to flee East Berlin at night. They had to sneak out at night and coulden't take anything with them. They had to leave their house and all their things behind. My Grandma then lived in West Berlin and on August 13, 1961 the Russians built a wall dividing West Berlin from East Berlin
I am glad my Grandma was in the west at that time or she would not have been able to move to America and become my Grandma. She has touched my life, and taught me about freedom.
WOW what a life.



Hope everyone has a happy INDEPENDENCE Day. Remember our blessings and lets not take them for granted!

Family Movie Review

Tonight we watched WHAT'S UP DOC for family movie night. I loved that show when I was younger, and for me the appeal was still there. I laughed so much. But don't take my word for it. Take these:
M (age 8): Thought it was very funny, especially the car chase. She loved that. She also liked how they switched up the bags. Would watch it again. She also loved when they stole the "Just Married" car

L (age 4): He liked the part when the hotel room caught fire. He also liked the mixed up suitcases. Would watch it again, but not till morning! :)

C (age 6): Liked the whole show, but her favoritest part was the car chase. Liked how they ended the car chase (I won't give that part away). Would watch it again.

WHAT'S UP DOC stars Ryan O'Neal and Barbara Streisand. It is the story of a plaid bag (or 4 bags) that get hilariously mixed up, no thanks to a wildly eccentric young lady, a jewel thief, a government agent, and all their wacky accomplices. Our family gives it an A.

Buffy and Edward?

Okay, so here is another Vampire post. You all know I love Buffy and Twilight. Here is a look at what would happen if Buffy from Sunnydale High had a run in with Edward from Forks High. *Giggle*

Sorry, when I checked it out it doesn't look as if you are getting the full effect so you can go here to see the full thing!

Sliders and Soccer

Soccer camp has been occupying most of our mornings this June. I know they do it early so it isn't so hot, but 8 am everyday? Come on people. It is Summer!!!! I can hardly wait for July! M tried out for competition soccer in May and made a cool team called Lightning FC. She stated 3 v 3 scrimmages this month with her team. They do them twice a week. She is really liking it. On her first day, she came up to me and said, "Mom, I don't just run the whole field with the ball, I actually have to pass. We have positions!" I was laughing so hard. I love the program here, but wish they played a little more seriously at first. We don't even do goalies until U-10. Luckily, M is fast and a great kicker. Her coach has her practicing at home everyday. She has different drills to do. Mostly juggling and working on using her left foot. I bought her some cones and she goes out and practices. Now I think I need to get her a goal.
In July she has a team camp and at the end of July she will be playing in the Strikerfest and then straight into August for the Sparta Cup. Competition for fall starts the end of August so with all the practices, and tournaments she is going to be one very busy little girl for the next few months (she also is still doing piano and rocking at it!!!)

C and L are both doing soccer as well. L is so cute out there in the morning in his orange shorts and bright yellow shirt and socks! I can't miss him. I tried to have him use the girls old cleats, but he is just so much smaller than they were at this age so we had to go buy him some new ones. He loves running and explains to me all the time that right now there are girls on his team (for camp) but when he plays games it is boys only.

C is fast. Last year the thing I noticed about her the most is that she was really good at standing back when all the girls are huddled around kicking at the ball in one group, C just waits and when the ball comes out she is there to take it downfield to the goal. She gets more of the strategy then M did, but wasn't as fast. At least that is what I thought until I saw her this morning. She passed about 12 kids all running pretty fast, just to get in line for her treat at the end. SO I guess if I hang a laffy taffy from the goal post I will have a winner on my hands!!! She is also doing piano and is excited for her first recital. She will be playing Minuet in G.

So last night after M's soccer game, I just didn't have energy to go to book club. Sorry girls. I was so tired. I had a bad case of food poisoning all last week and it really took it out of me. Then I had to get my book ready to give to my mom because I have a June 25th deadline to send it in to a contest and wanted her grammar edits. So I have been up past midnight all week. I just dropped. But on the way home we had to grab something to eat (too tired for BC=too tired to cook). We stopped at Marley's (the restaurant attached to the Harley store). A bit pricey, but the food was good, and the kids had a blast reading all the bottle caps pushed into the tables. They service was super nice though. We got 3 combo meals, but instead of giving us one big drink for the one the kids were sharing, the guy gave us three smaller ones so they wouldn't have to share. He did it without asking, just being aware of our needs. I swear you don't get that much anymore, especially at a burger place.

The kids loved the shoestring fries and the sliders. They were pretty good, and really filling considering their size. I would go again just for the service we had though. It is fun, if you are ever in Lindon you should check it out!

Boldly Continuing On....

Growing up our family had very different schedules, so FHE didn't always occur on Monday night. In fact it didn't always start with a prayer, or have a song, scripture, lesson and treat. But my parents always made sure that we did have one night together as a family. And a lot of times this meant a weekend night. As I got older it became harder to give up my weekends. I wanted to go out with my friends. I can think of several nights that I hated the fact that I was missing a party or a date. But it seems that without fail, the times I HAD to do a family activity and miss something that I thought was "important" I always ended up the evening glad I had stayed with my family.
Our usual night together quickly became known as Family Movie Night (my dad loved movies, plays, concerts, musicals). And I found some great shows that way. Thinking back now, I wonder if I really loved the shows as much or the time I got to spend with my family. I kicked and screamed to have to miss swimming with my friends to go with my dad to see La Bamba. I ended up seeing that one in the movie theater 7 times I loved it so much. Or there was the New Years Eve of 9th grade when I had been invited to my first big party only to have to spend the evening seeing Dances With Wolves. Yep, you guessed it, another favorite! One night in high school I had to turn down a date. I tried to scowl, but our family night movie ended up being The Party with Peter Sellers, I thought I was going to lose a kidney I was laughing so hard. I have not seen any of those shows for so long, if I watched them again, on my own would they be as fun? It doesn't seem like it, but I have a way to ensure I would enjoy each of them again: watch them with my own family!
And so we have started movie night. And the kids moan and groan about the shows mom and dad sometimes pick, but they always end up liking them. So tonight we boldly took them down memory lane and watched the first episode of the Original Star Trek. L was fascinated with the shape shifting alien. M was glad to discover that in the future Spock uses a "bluetooth" and C was happy to realize that the ship looked just like the one she had gotten in her kids meal last week. D and I just laughed at everything, but with my little Pooh Bear snuggled in my lap, my squishsquish holding my hand, and my minchkin asking a million how come questions I figured out why mom and dad made us watch all those shows-and I am sure glad they did!

It's Okay!

Just want to state for the record that sometimes it is okay to lie in your bed with an entire carton of ice cream and watch Hulu.