Return of the Mac

Kris started recording some episodes of MacGuyver, and I am almost giddy with excitement watching my first episode in, heck, 15 years! I LOVED MacGuyver growing up, and secretly had a crush on the rogue hero with combat/karate/engineering/explosives /etc training. There is just something about a guy in high tops and tight-rolled pants that knows how to make explosives out of manure that just make a girl swoon. Ahhh, the memories!

Yesterday was a nice day. WE all actually made it to sacrament meeting ON TIME for a change! Man, that is a hard thing when most Sunday's we have to wake Marin up from her morning nap. Sunday's are hard for any family with kids, if it's not interrupting naptime, then it's right in the middle of lunchtime or even both! By the time we get home, Marin is starving and exhausted. But, all in all, it was a nice day :) Marin had lots of cute smiles for daddy and mommy and she helped me empty the dishwasher too! Well, she stood next to it and took the silverware out and set it on the floor and then picked it up and put it back in again, such a big helper!

Not much on the menu for today, we'll head to the gym this morning. I am still really having a lot of pains in my legs and I'm not sure if all this running is ripping me up! Ouch! I'll see how things go this week, but if it's not getting any better, I'll need to re-evaluate my half-marathon goal. We'll see :)

I am very excited, Marin and I have a ticket to NY for almost 2 weeks in October. Yay! I am very excited to see some green and colorful leaves and maybe some rain. It will be a fabulous change. Ok, have a geat day!

Tourist for a Day!

These last few Saturdays have been wonderful! Today I was called off from work and we got to spend the day together as a family, one of my favorite things :) One of the nice things about living in Las Vegas is all the tourist attractions (also could be considered annoying I guess), but today we took advantage of this and spent the day as tourists! We went to the Bellagio atrium to see their display. If you haven't been to the Bellagio before, they change up their atrium every 3 months or so, and every time, it is GORgeous! They have different themes every time, and this time around, it was still the summer theme. They had a giant ferris wheel and beautiful fresh flowers everywhere, some cool water displays and a live bird display, and the best part about it, is that it's FREE! Marin had lots of fun taking in the sights and looking pretty for the other vistors. We even had a couple request to take a shot with Marin in it!

Here are some pictures from our adventure today!

The entrance to the Atrium, that's the ferris wheel on the right, you can see the big hot air balloons in the background, and the roof of the bird display under them.

Believe it or not, what Marin is reaching for is not a metal bar, it's a stream of water! They shoot out in very solid, fluid spurts, almost looking like flying worms!

Marin and mommy looking at some giant watering cans sprinkling water into the flowers.

I love this picture, she is so cute!

Marin looking at at giant ladybug made of red carnations. She toddled all around next to the ladybug, she had some fun.

A close-up of some lovely blue hydrangeas on display.

Marin and daddy.

A great family photo, we had a great time :)

Daddy and Marin looking at some other birds at PetSmart, we looked at the kitties and fishies too!

Dirrrty Vegas

So, besides for the morally unclean paraphenalia that collects in the deespest, dingy-est corners of the trashiest side of town, I have figured out why they call it "Dirty Vegas". It's because it NEVER RAINS!! I was sitting eating lunch today looking outside at two drivers who passed evil stares and choice words with each other in passing, and realized that maybe the sunniest place in the USA may just be, well, too sunny! There is something so calming and cleansing about rain, and so many cities throughout the world participate in the ritualistic cleaning that old Mother Earth continues to give. Las Vegas seems to have been forgotten, however. The sunshine, as delicious as it is on most days, seems to max out on day 345 of 365 and almost has a. . . tense, caffeine-buzz, if you will, effect on people. Must do more, get more, drive faster, say meaner things, etc.. for the sun is out and we must get things DONE! We need a little rain to calm our poor souls down and just stay put and . . . breathe! We need a little more rain to make Dirty Vegas, maybe a little cleaner, you know, wash a bit of dust off of our withered and cracked cars, moisten our lungs and breathe some life into our. . . lives. Blast that sunshine. Long live rain!

Toddle-Towne

We have reached a new level in the Lyman house, a toddling little girl. Marin has been very adventurous with her walking and every day it is more and more. Yesterday she went for a 4 foot stretch all by herself! I can't believe it. Yesterday I was sitting on the couch just watching her toddle all over the living room and it blew my mind that she was actually walking by herself! My guess is by the end of next week, she'll be 100% walking, right now she's 30% independent walk, 70% crawl. Wow, I can't believe I have a toddler. You will not believe the effect a child turning one has on other people reccomending you have another one. I have had 3 people make suggestions already! And it's only been a week! Ahhh no, we have a little time before that happens. I just got my body to myself and I would like to get rid of the rest of the weight before I become a temporary housing unit :)

Mairn has her one year check up today! I guess for her, it's not going to be very fun, she has to get some shots, but I get to see how big she is getting!

Yesterday we played with a toy grandpa Duane and grandma Sallie got for her, a little wood doggie with a pull string. Marin loved holding mommy's hand and walking the doggie, she thought that was pretty fun. The only problem was that she couldn't see the doggie, so she would try and turn around to see it and fall down.

Well, I have been running and running and running, and I don't feel like I am getting anywhere! I haven't lost any weight this past week, and my entire legs have been sore, and this morning my knees felt like they had been twisted around backwards. Blah. I am going to chalk it up to hormones. Those have been absolutely crazy and feel bad for Kris, poor guy.

Ok, picture time!

Daddy, can I have some of what YOU'RE having?

Daddy! Can I have some more? Let me just sit on your lap and help myself! Actually, it's really funny, but Marin is adament that if daddy is eating something, she wants to be right there in the middle of the action, she is so funny! So, this is what she does :)

Marin and Mollie with the little doggie. She actually has started to say doggie! And say the "g"! It's amazing the progress she is making!

Come on little doggie!

Maring got some little hair bands for her birthday and I put them in her hair so she looks like Pebbles from the Flinstones. It's so fun having a little girl :)

Have a great day everyone!

The Big Dipper

Image via Wikipedia

The nighttime weather has been mercifully cool here in Vegas now, and it is just delightful. Kris and I have gone out for a walk in our complex the last couple of nights, just for a few minutes of non-TV time together. Well, living in Las Vegas, you're not really standing a good chance of seeing the stars in their glory, only the brightest ones can shine through the glow of the city lights. So last night, as Kris and I were walking, I pointed out the Big Dipper. I take great pride in being able to find the Big Dipper as the Big Dipper is the only constellation that I can ever find. Kris has tried to point out where the Little Dipper is, and some of the other "characters" in the sky, and every time, I look up, staring at the mass of stars in the sky, and scrunch my face up in confusion. I can NEVER see anthything besides the Big Dipper. So, while picking out cconstellations is not my gift, by golly, my children will be able to find the Big Dipper, thanks to mommy :)

Birthday Weekend Fun

(Deep breath in. . .and out . . . ) ahhhhhhhh. :) What a weekend, phew! As fun as it was, I am glad that we can get back to our regular routine. I worked Wednesday (well, standby) and Thursday, and Friday was my prep day. I spent most of the day working on Marin's birthday cake, and that in itself was an adventure! I found a "healthier" first birthday cake (white) and made that, and then I made some chocolate cream cheese frosting (boy, was that good!) and then I made ended up decorating it with green vines, orange flowers and red ladybugs. It turned out sooooo cute! I amazed even myself! I am no professional when it comes to cakes, and although I couldn't make fancy flowers, the cake showed my creativity and looked like it came from a pastry shop! I did make a cake for everyone else too, but I ended up buying one anyway. I kept telling myself I should have used a box mix, but I made one from scratch in a hurry, and it showed. It was sooo dry, blech! Smith's to the rescue for that one! Friday night we had an impromptu guest, Kris's cousin Jeff drove down from Salt Lake to be with us and we had a late roasted chicken dinner at 9:30 Friday night (I was scrambling to throw something together). By the time we went to bed at 1am, I was stressed and not the best host, so Saturday morning Kris got up early and mopped the floors and took the dog to the daycare. I woke up at 8:30 and jumped out of bed, I didn't know it was so late!

The party was a really fun success, we had about 8 people come with their kiddo's and it was the perfect amount of time for first birthday party, from 11-1. I made my great chicken sandwiches and some caprese crostini and everyone brought a little dish to pass (SUCH a good idea!). We ate and then opened gifts and then Marin dove into her carefully made cake, suprisingly very daintily at first. She started by picking off the ladybugs and flowers and eating those first. So funny. Everyone went home except for uncle bunny (BJ!) and cassie and jeff, and we hung out and played games while Marin napped. After she woke up we went to dinner and it was just a great weekend, very wonderful.

As a quick side-note, Marin is weaned, and I have been an absolute mess. I told Kris that it has been like dying a slow death. Not just because of the physical discomfort, but the emotional aspect has been horrendous. I have cried so many times these last few days, I feel so bad for Kris. He has been a great support to me, and I couldn't do this without him!

So today, we need to head off and buy more fruits and veggies, we really fly through them now, and a few other things. Well, I hope every has had a great weekend, I've posted a slideshow because there we so many photos. A lot of them sadly turned out fuzzy, and arent' the most flattering of myself. Oh well. Oh! And I have lost a solid 5 pounds, plus the 2 or 3 wishy washy pounds! The other Sunday, I fit into one of my pre-pregnancy dresses and I felt like I was on top of the world, sooo nice. It's been tough, but worth it! Yay!

Isn't She Lovely?

Happy Birthday Marin! Our little girl is one year old this morning and I cannot believe it! What a wonderful year it has been, full of laughter and tears and smiles and aches and pains and kisses and snuggles. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have loved every minute of being a mother, and I know now why it's the best job ever (next to being a wife). Today is going to be a busy day though! Once Marin wakes up from her nap, we'll be heading to the gym so mama can pound out her (now) 2.75 miles! (I am sooo proud of myself!). Then we come home, shower, lunch, make birthday cakes for the party tomorrow and buy sandwich stuff and get it all ready before daddy comes home from work. I have been debating about how to (try to) decorate Marin's cake, and I think I'll just put some ladybugs on it :) That's her theme anyway, so we might as well stick with it!

I posted some pics from my phone from when Marin was born through today, kind of a little recap through the year. I'll be posting some pics from her party tomorrow soon enough. I know not everyone can make it, but we know you are here in heart! And we miss you! Marin has lots of kisses for you all!


(top) Marin's very first photo in the hospital after she was born. This was the announcement photo we text to our family and friends. Her little pajama outfit I had been waiting sooo long to put on!

(bottom) A few weeks old and taking a nap in mommy and daddy's bed, she looked so sweet!

3 or 4 months old, sporting her sunglasses.

6 months old in the cutest dress ever, I loved this dress, but she could only wear it for a few weeks before she grew out if it! :( And look at how bald she is! I guess blonde babies look even balder when they lose their hair.

7 months old at the park with mommy, I love this pic.

10 months old at the LensCrafters picking out some glasses with mommy. Marin tried on some glasses too, and these ones are the Harry Potter-ish frames, she thought it was funny.

Last Saturday, I was on standby for work and we all went rock climbing at Mt. Charleston with some friends. Marin was EX-hausted and she fell asleep in the carrier on the hike down, it was soo funny, her head was bobbing all over the place. Actually, we have since bought a new child carrier for her, she has waaaay outgrown this one.

And, this morning, her birthday. My sweet baby with her bedhead hair. 1 year old!

And, some fun news! For an anniversary gift, I bought a ticket to NY! I will heading out for almost 2 weeks in October, and it will be so great! I haven't been back since May 2008, and that time of year will be perfect! I'll get a nice break from the dry desert air. Kris, during that time, has Jeep trip with his dad, and I know he is really excited about it. Marin is still a bit too small to go, maybe next year though :) Plus, I am old enough to rent my very own car now! Yessss! who knew there were perks to being 25!

Ok, off to get the day moving! Have a good one!

WoHooo!

Yessssss! Clean Sheet Day! I LOVE clean sheet day! And, up until now, it has also come with it's disadvantages. We have only one set of king size sheets for our king size bed and when we would wash them, and go to put them on, it was an absolute nightmare, such a production. Pulling and stretching and watching the corners pop off that you just pulled on. It took Kris and I at least 10 minutes and 500 calories to get the job done! So last night, we had had enough. We marched off to our closest Home Goods store in search of some sheets! And, I know I have said it before, but if you have never been to a Home Goods store, you HAVE to go check one out. They have EVERYTHING and they have it for soooo much cheaper than other stores, and it's nice stuff! I will frequently go and check out their cooking aisle :) Anyway, we found some sheets, 410 thread count, king size sheets for 40 bucks (yeah, put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!). We took them home, washed and dried them, and hesitantly stood by the bed, anticipating the worst. But one corner slipped on, and then the next, and the next, and the last one, it was a bedsheet miracle! We never knew putting on sheets could be so. . . . easy! Afterwards, we got to thinking about why it was so hard to put on our other sheets, and I have a feeling that although we purchased them in a king size package, they may have been queen size sheets instead. So, for all you clean sheet day lovers out there, I'm right there with you, I LOVE clean sheet day too :)

Ahhh, my little girl is in bed (thank goodness) and the house is a WRECK. I am sitting for just a few minutes before I get cracking on the mess. I am working tomorrow and Thursday so I can have Friday and Saturday off for my little Marin monkey's birthday. Have a great few days!

Saying Goodbye

Image via Wikipedia

Friday is my baby girls first birthday, and that means (among other things), closing some chapters in our life. The one thing on the forefront of my thoughts for this week is tossing out my nursing bra's. I realize this may not be the thing many people blog about, but I need to be able to have some closure on this subject. Although nursing exclusively has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, it has also been one of the most rewarding. I know I have done the very best I could, and have given my daughter the best thing possible to start her life. I have such a sense of accomplishment knowing that. I have developed a wonderful bond with her, and even during those moments when I am so frustrated with her, I can only stay mad for so long when I'm nursing my baby. I have loved every minute of it, and while I am happy to be done, it's bittersweet. I have two more evenings with my little girl, and then she is on to bigger and better things! Today I will finish packing up my breastpump and all the supplies and store them away for the next time around. I realize I could continue (and some people do) for however long, but to me, it just gets harder to stop the longer you wait after a year.



And, because it's my blog, and I can write what I want, here is a list of things that I have learned or found extremely helpful in breastfeeding, should any of my readers need some insight for the future. . . .

*Make the decision NOW. Don't hem and haw about it, you need to know where you stand!
*Buy some cheap nursing bra's in different sizes first. Don't spend any money on good nursing bra's right away. You won't be going out in public for a little while anyway.
*If your baby isn't latching on right, you may have flat or inverted nipples (apparently, lots of people do). Don't feel bad, or think you can't nurse. Try a nipple shield! They should have them at the hospital, and they were a LIFESAVER for me. You won't need to use it forever!
*Some people think that because they are allergic to milk, their baby will be allergic to milk and therefore can't breastfeed. WOW! Sooooo not true. You are not producing cow's milk! Human milk is NOT cow's milk! Besides, regular formula's are cow's milk based, so that would increase the chance of an allergy, if anything would. (I actually had a fellow nurse think this!)
*Be persistent! It DOES take a lot of work! You should be nursing every 2 hours for your milk to come in. Your milk should be in within 5 days of delivery. You do not need to give formula in the meantime, baby's body was built to hang in there! They have a layer of brown fat which will give them the calories they need until your milk comes in.
*Breastfed babies need to eat every 2 hours, formula fed babies only need to eat every 3 hours. Although breastmilk and regular formula are both 20cal/ounce, formula is thicker and sticks around longer (I once had a mexican family who, on admission, stated they were feeding their 3 month old 8oz ever 2 hours! Holy cow! NOT healthy! I had to give them some instruction. . )
*If you aren't sure if you are making enough milk, as long as your baby is gaining weight, things are good. If you still want to check things out, invest in a breastpump. We bought ours off of Craigslist for about 100 bucks. Best investment EVER! Although baby's suckling is the best, a pump with get the job done!
*There are tons of herbal supplements out there that can help you make more milk. Lactacte Support, Fenugreek, Mother's Milk Tea, just to name a few. I got them at a Whole Foods Market.
*And, believe it or not, you can actually purchase breasmilk. Don't scrunch your face and go "Ewwww!". Although I never purchased any, my friend donated her milk. They screen it to make sure everything is clean and safe. I figure, if you can get a blood transfusion, or someone else's organs, or even drink milk from an animal that craps where it wants and chews cud, why not buy breastmilk?

There are TONS of resources to get help, and you can always ask me, I've been there! It's been a crazy ride, but I am glad I am done :)

Dinner Date, a toast to the next 3 years!

Monday is our 3 year anniversary! Unbelievable! I can't believe that it has been 3 years already! I remember listening to my friend in New York tell me how she had been married for 3 years and thinking to myself "Man! That is a LONG time in the future!" (this was right after Kris and I got married). And now. . . here we are. I look at all the ways Kris and I have grown and how much more I love him now. I fall in love with him more and more everyday. I look at how dedicated he is to making our family work, and making his girls happy, those little things he does that lets me know how much he cares, it all blows me away. I wouldn't trade him for the world, and I can't wait for the next 3 years, and for the rest of forever to spend laughing and crying with my best friend.

Over the past 3 years (I know, compared to some, 3 years is a drop in the bucket), I have learned so much about what it takes to make a happy home. I've learned that a husband does not need much to be happy. Love, encouragement, . . . ahem. . . , and a good homecooked meal. As a female, I know that women can get crazy sometimes, and I have had to let go of a lot of my "feminist" mindframes I didn't even know I had. I have learned a lot, and I still have a lot to learn.

So. . . to celebrate our 3 years, Kris and I had a wonderful dinner date on Thursday night. We went to an Italian restaurant at Red Rock Casino, in part, it was an evening away from my daily salad routine, and I got to eat bread and pasta! I was loving it! Mmmmm, so good. After dinner, we went out to the car, and it was our favorite part of the evening. . .dusk. So, we just hung around and had a little impromtu photo shoot. It was so fun! I felt like a I was dating again! It felt really good to just be able to laugh and be silly with Kris, we never get to do that anymore.

And now, for the pictures. . .

Awwwww! Aren't we a cute couple?!

We are just a riot aren't we? I have no idea what we're doing here.

Shocked? So were we!

The happy couple. Love the sunset in the background :)

Oh! And, last week, my shins were KILLING me! I got on the treadmill and had gone for about a mile and a half, and my shins started throbbing, I was actually limping while I was running. I didn't think that I should continue doing that, so I got off and rubbed the daylights out of my shin bones. OUCH! I was out for the rest of the week pretty much, but I'm hoping that I can start back up tomorrow, perhaps with the help of my new running sneakers :)

Have a good night!

Hello, my name is Samantha, and I am a try-to-have-curly-hair-sometimes-aholic.

I have stick straight hair. Growing up, it was even worse, it hung on my head without a single kink or wisp of volume in it to be had. I would try to curl it, but the curls would fall flat after about 20 minutes. Now, although it will hold curl if I curl it and spray the daylights out of it with hairspray, it is still. . . .straight. No natural curl here. I admit it though, I try to make my hair find some natural curl sometimes. I wet it and mousse it and blowdry it and spray it, all in hopes that miraculously, I will flip my head back over to find a luscious plume of naturally wavy, sexy hair. And every time, it flops. I flip my head over to find a fluffy, and curly in all the wrong places mass of hair. Ahhh well, straight hair is nice I suppose. I once tried a perm, boy was THAT a bad idea, blech! It was a permanent version of what I tried to do this morning.

Picture Time!


Last night Marin was clinging to my legs as I was trying to cook dinner, so I sat her down with an empty jam jar and some limes and she sat there for 20 minutes just putting them in and putting the lid on, then taking the lid off and pulling them out. It was GREAT!
Putting it back in!

Such a good time guys!

Step Lightly Before Running, My Love.

It's official! Marin has taken her first solo steps! Last night Kris and I were enticing her with. . . of all things. . . a dog toy, and after she realized mommy wouldn't let her sit down and crawl over to it, she took 4 steps all by herself before landing on her bum. Ahhh! I can't believe it! She is growing up so fast! Pretty soon she'll be racing around the house and demanding pretty new shoes! One step at a time, right? She has been growing each day and has some fun new skills: She can stack one block on top of another block, she likes to throw a ball to daddy and have him roll it back to her, she likes to put shapes into matching cutouts (with a little help), she likes to read to mommy from her books, she also can throw temper tantrums and toss her head back and go limp when she doesn't want to do something. Such a big girl.

Our home is just as busy as ever. Kristoffer is still plugging away with work and school. They have been implementing some stuff at work, and he has been having to go in on some Saturdays now, which makes one un-happy, over stressed husband, a ticked off and angry (at work) wife, and a scramble to find someone to watch Marin. There has to be some kind of law against that. . . Anyway, school for him is going, and going and going. He is finishing up his business law class and BOTH of us are so releived. It has been a crazy class and Kris has been stuck in the spare bedroom doing homework ALL the time. I miss my husband :( But, one more week, and it'll be on to the next class.

Running has now become PAINFUL! Ouch! I think I have shin splints, or something of that nature. I know it't not my muscles that hurt, they have gotten used to the running, but there is some pain that's just not going away in my lower legs. But, I am up to 2.5 miles now!

Ok, Marin is up and we need to head to the gym!


Marin grabbing at kitty this morning.

Here she comes!

Off to find the dog water.

Ah HA! There's the kitty, let's go get her!

On a mission!

Happy Baby :)

HAve a good one!

This Little Piggy. . .

Oy Vey. Marin's lower teeth are coming in and she is just. . . . GRRRRRR! She is a sweet girl, but then she changes over into Dr. Jeckle and gets clingy and whiney and she now screams shrill, piercing screams (because she can). Blah. She earned herself some tyelnol during dinner tonight for being such a pill.

Ok, moving onto the happier stuff! Growing up when I was a kid, I had a Gund teddy bear named Fred, he was white and I loved him (LOVE him still!). Well, Marin's little pink piggy is ALSO a Gund animal, and she loves him so much! When we go to get her in the morning, she is standing up in her crib hanging onto piggy by the leg. The last few days when I pick her up and tell her to drop piggy back in the crib, she holds him out, and looks at me and pulls piggy in for a snuggle and won't let me put him back in the crib. Such a sweetie, she loves that little piggy.

I have been to the gym every day so far (minus Sunday) and my runs are actually getting. . . . enjoyable! I had no idea it could get this easy! Even when I was single and running, it wasn't this nice. Tueday was a really rough day on the treadmill, I struggled the whole time to get my lungs in sync with my body's demands. I almost didn't go on Wednesday because I had such a hard time Tuesday, but I went, and it felt a lot easier, and then today. . . .even better! 2.5 miles and I didn't have a hard time catching my breath once, it was my knees that I felt first. I CAN do this! Cool!

Ok, my little girl is being a pill, so picture time really fast.

Marin with piggy.


With her fun ball popper. . .

Ooops, one rolled under the couch.

I think I can reach it. . . .

Almost got it mom!

Off to work tomorrow, have a great weekend!

Kiwi, Anyone?

Marin has found that she loooooves kiwi. In fact, it's really funny to watch her take the first bite, because it does pack a bit of zing, she kind of puckers up her face, it's pretty cute. Here she is enjoying the seedy green zinger fruit.

Ooh Ahh, just a little bit!

It starts with just a little bit! Of weight! I am down almost 2 pounds since last Saturday and it is sooo encouraging! I have been trying so hard to be good and get to the gym every day and I can't tell you how great it is to see some results on the scale. I have been experimenting a bit in the kitchen to try and find some tasty and different healthy options, and I made the most delicious meal with lentils the other day. I know you won't believe me, those poor little lentils have such a bad rap and no one wants to experiment with the sad bean, but he can really be yummy. Plus, they are packed with fiber and vitamins, and they will fill you until dinnertime, guaranteed! Just look on the sidebar for my recipe :)

Well, I have a policy meeting tonight, so I can't stay long and chat. I need to type up an agenda and then I need to find someone to watch the little girl for Friday and half of Saturday. Our usual babysitters are out of town and unfortunately, Kris has to work half a day on Saturday (don't start). I think maybe I can snag one of the young women to watch Marin for a few hours on Saturday, but Friday I still don't know.

As much as I love my job, I know that my place is at home with my little girl. Especially now that Kris is hardly ever home, I really would like to be able to spend that little time that he does have, with him and our little girl. I struggle with still wanting to contribute to our family financially and having that responsibility, and also feeling a little guilty about leaving our little girl with someone else, even if it is just once a week. I DO think it's good for her to be with someone else and then to have her daddy day. I guess I'm just jabbering here. I love my family and I want the best for them, as every mommy does :)

100 Dollar Buy-In

100 dollars can buy you a lot. Some great shoes, a lot of gumballs, a couple of massages. 100 dollars can also buy you some incentive and a shot at a ticket to Par-eeeee (Paris!). Let me 'splain! At work, a bunch of us decided to lose some weight, and if you wanted to participate, the buy in was 100 dollars. At the end of 12 weeks, we all weigh in, and whoever loses the most percentage of weight, takes the pot, that's right, the whole thing! And considering there are at least 5 or 6 people partcipating, that's 5 or 600 dollars! Sweet! My goal is 25 pounds, and since I know I am not the largest in the group, I do have a slight advantage. I have 11 and 5/7 weeks and 24 pounds to go! It will be GREAT incentive to not only lose the weight, but to get that money for our Paris trip! Every time I see something that I shouldn't eat, I think to myself, "Do I want to eat it, or do I want to go to Paris?" Paris wins every time so far :) So, I will be updating you all periodically on what I've lost, and I am determined to WIN! Let's do it!

Ahh, my little Marin is napping and she was really needing that nap. She just keeps going and going and going and going, geez louise! I have a hard time keeping up! Marin has just barely started to put words together, she only does a couple, but it is the sweetest thing. The cat was sitting on the floor the other day and she crawled over and put her cheek on the floor to look at the cat with her bum in the air and said "Hi Keeey!" (Hi kitty), it was the sweetest thing! After we say family prayer in her room at night, daddy leaves and Marin waves and says "Hi Daaa!". Such a sweet girl, I can't believe how fast she is growing. She also has learned to find mommy's nose! I'll ask her where mommy's nose is and she points and touches my nose, such a smart girl. We also have been working on farm animals, I'll hold and say the name of two toy animals and set them down and ask her to find the *blank* and she picks it up to give it to mommy. She helps mommy put the mail key in the bowl and likes to put nesting boxes together (with some help). She will one in a few weeks and we need to get ready for her party! I've mailed the invitations out and now I need to find some decorations, plan the food and figure out how to decorate a birthday cake, oh! and get some decorating stuff for it.

Ok, I need a shower, I am still sweaty from the gym. 2 miles with a 0.15 mile warm up at 5.0 mph with interval increases up to 6.0 mph, done in 23 minutes. TOUGH! But, getting there! 'll try and load some pics later :)