Insanity

Some of you may have seen this infomercial and if you have, you probably asked yourself, "who in the world would do that?" Well, ME! I was up late the other night and was completely sucked in. I watched it over and over, finally deciding that this is what I wanted for my birthday, an early birthday, so I can be "in shape" before my actual birthday is here during pool season. My wonderful husband borrowed the first video from a friend and I tried it out yesterday...it lives up to its name! It is an amazing workout though and I would highly recommend it! I liked it so much that when the family tried it out last night, I did another half with them! As we all worked out together (which we often do in the evening), there were comments like "oh, my stomach" or "I think I am going to throw up" or "whoa, you are dripping sweat all over"... all great signs of a good, worthy of the Biggest Loser workout, right?

Well, there are 13 DVD's, each one a really tough 45 minutes, but completely worth it! Last week my workouts were sporadic including dvd's, walking, and biking. I did not keep track of each individual activity, but got in some kind of workout 5 out of 7 days. My weight loss total for two weeks is 5 lbs - now comes the hard part...getting past that point! Wish me luck!

Checking In

So, It's been a week and I am here to report the following: 3.5 (and yes, that .5 lbs counts for alot) of weight lost. 12 miles jogged/walked and 20 miles biked. I am going to try and do better this week by making that 45 minute playlist. I can usually drop and gain 3-5lbs pretty easily, its
keeping it off and continuing that is really difficult. But I guess you could say i'm off to a good start!

Drawings

This afternoon I was doing some homework, and as I was working, Alex was asking me how to spell some words. One of them being "Mexico". See, Brett is in Mexico this week, and anyone we encounter is sure to hear about it. Alex informs EVERYONE that, "I hate it when my dad goes to Mexico, but the more days that pass, the faster he comes home." They are two peas in a pod, Alex and dad - really good buddies (and plus, I don't know how to play Skylanders - so i'm pretty much out as far as really good playmates go).

He got a new drawing book and here is what he was working on...

Mom and dad when they went on their date - we are both really happy!
Dad in Mexico, with the hot sun, all of the buildings that dad will have meetings in (the squares), and the road to get there (the squiggly lines).
Hurry home dad, someone is missing his buddy really, terribly oh so much!

You're Fat...and lazy and full of excuses!

As I sat on the couch to settle in to my previously taped episode of TheVoice, my conscience told me that I should be riding the bike to my right or walking on the treadmill behind me - at the very least - doing some sit ups on the floor while I watched t.v.

See, at the beginning of 2012 I had a few personal goals, some of those being: Being more active, staying on the Weight Watchers plan (anyone seen Jennifer Hudson lately?), run a 10k this year, and a few more sporty related accomplishments. Yet, here I was, exercise equipment all around and the couch was the thing that won out.

I recently learned that my 89 year old grandfather (who still holds a full-time job working swing shift at a casino in Las Vegas mind you) just cut out and replaced his entire front yard. My father who is in his 60's was the manual sod cutter on this project, and my mom is preparing to complete a triathlon and ladies half marathon this Spring - these are the examples of fitness I have in my life - yet, here I sit!

So, I am going to keep myself honest in my goals by being accountable here - on my blog. I am going to keep a weekly weight lost and miles run or biked log. I know, boring, but I need someone to be accountable to...and it is you lucky guys that won out!:) Skip the posts in favor of the more family friendly ones if you want. I thought about making it really interesting and taking pics, but am just not that brave! So, here it goes...maybe some pictures will come later - when I look like Jillian Michaels!

Fun Idea for Valentines

I have 4 wonderful Valentines that I get to give some extra LOVE to on Tuesday. They do so much for me, and show me so much love that I decided to do a Special Valentines Menu.

Here is how we are starting the day...
(I have never make (Krispy Kreme) donuts from scratch before, so we shall see...They are my absolute weakness, so I will probably try a few just to make sure they will taste good!

Then I am going to follow this up with a surprise in the kids lunches. Not sure how this will go over (especially in Junior High: or how Brett will feel about his turkey sandwich being turned into a heart)!

And, to finish off the day, a little help from Papa Murphys.
I Love all of these guys so very much and am excited to provide this fun food on Valentines Day!
p.s. It is also Roxy's birthday, so we will be having a little celebration for her too!

SuperBowl Weekend

This weekend was pretty busy! We are back up and running with all of our activities and sports after a (nice) long break.

Every year (we have the big kids) for the superbowl, we book a huge booth at Iggy's, right in front of their bigscreen tv and watch the game. The kids are really excited for this event because we basically let them order whatever they want - and we have a meal of just appetizers! I know, healthy right?...This year McKaleigh and Colton shared the usual "tin lid", which is a garbage can lid filled with fried shrimp, egg rolls, chicken nuggets and wings, onion rings and straws etc..., chips and salsa, cheese fries and the like - NOW, our Alex also got to order what he wanted and he picked a large fruit salad - hold the dressing (what a health nut:)). We enjoyed the commercials, ate way too much and are looking forward to another year of it!

In other busy news...

McKaleigh is busy, once again, with karate and still loves every minute of it. She says that it is great to go and just let everything else in life fall by the wayside as she practices her techniques and stances. We are so glad that she has this and church sports as two activities - otherwise I think she would disappear into her Nook!

Basketball is going strong for Colton and we are signing up for his competitive baseball team this weekend - the two overlap just a bit. He really loves basketball, but we are unsure as to whether or not he will stick with baseball, I guess we will see. He is just about to get his Faith in God and Webelo award in cub scouts and we have an orientation for boy scouts this week (let the fun begin)!

Alex is busy with preschool, and it is amazing to see him try and spell, read, and sound out every word he comes across. He loves all things learning and is constantly asking me things like, "what does Agency mean" or "What is.... happened". He is excited to start swimming lessons in a few weeks and wants to play Spring soccer.

Brett and I spent a few hours this weekend shopping for new suits (we ended up buying 5). He really needed them, and it was amazing to see how differently they fit after his weight loss. I guess I did not realize just how ill-fitting his old ones were until I saw him in the new - He looks great in the new ones!

Life is good at the Cushing household and we are excited to see what 2012 brings!

Safety Advice

We recently attended the funeral of a friend who died of a heart attack. It was both shocking and tragic due to her age (she is a year younger then I am), and that she left behind 4 year old twin girls. This caused me to begin thinking, you can never be too prepared for an unexpected emergency.

You see, Alex and I spend all day together, and I am not sure he would know what to do if something tragic happened or there was a real emergency. I guess I just took it for granted that those kinds of accidents would not occur when it was just the two of us. The thoughts that run through a mind once it gets going about accidents, death, and strangers can make a person crazy, but I implore you to teach your little ones about safety in an emergency. Alex now knows if there is a fire, or mommy is "asleep" and doesn't wake up, or somebody he does not know comes into the house he is to call 911 and tell them "there is danger at my house." I know, sounds paranoid, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Resolutions

Every January, just after the holidays, our family sits down and we talk about goals. I guess about 3/4ths of the rest of the country are probably doing the same, but it is a great opportunity to really listen and challenge the children to come up with some "resolutions" of their own, family resolutions, and what we can do to help each other achieve our goals. We usually speak with the children the morning before we are going to make our "New Years Resolutions" and ask them to reflect on the changes they want, or need to make in their lives and our family life. I was really impressed with what they came up with this year! Then we post the goals up in our kitchen and review them periodically...to check and see how we are doing.

Here are a few from each of us: (the kids came up with theirs all on their own)

Dad: Ride bike to work more often, run more 5k's, and save more.

Mom: Improve healthy food options around the home - for everyone, do more deep cleaning and organizing.

McKaleigh: Get my YW ribbons, put money in my savings every month, be more active and healthy throughout the day.

Colton: Balance media time with active things, workout with dad, take veggies to school instead of unhealthy options.

Alex: Clean my room, be nice to Colton and McKaleigh, brush my teeth.

Family Goals: Keep yard and home clean (if you see it, pick it up), make dinner for mom once a month, make time for more bike rides, walks, tennis, basketball and other active things.

All in all it was a successful goal making night and I am hopeful we will be able to have fun while working on them together!~

Conversations with Alex

Today I had to run some errands - one of which was to look for a certain package of "Skylanders" for the boys new PS3 game. Brett had searched the internet and was coming up with either outrageous prices or unavailable characters due to their high demand, so I thought i'd try the local stores. After a morning of running in and out of stores - many many stores...I asked Alex a question and this is the conversation that followed:

Me: Alex, you have been such a great shopper today, what do you think about getting a Jamba Juice and your favorite hot dog for lunch?

Alex: Mom, that idea is just delightful

Me: Alex, you are just the most polite kid (after laughing about "delightful")

Alex: Then we can check one more store, O.K. - ToysRUs with the different colored letters and the star on the front of the store - I just know they will have the pack we need. OH, and when we get home you should switch your purse for a different one, because you have had that one out for a long time!

and you know what, they did, and I did!

Week 2 - Winter Break

O.K., so we did officially make it all the way through December and into January with NO snow. Its sad because its not ever really gotten to be winter yet - just dirty and chilly - I am so ready for snowy, sledding, firebuilding weather!

Here are the last shots we have of our 2011 Christmas break and some of the things that we did included:
Temple Square visits
TraxTrain rides
Basketball practices
Lunches with friends and family
Parties
Playdates
Figuring out of electronics for the kids high tech presents
Playstation
DS
Computer
WII
Gone With the Wind Marathon
Studying
Math Midterm - mom

Here are some of the pictures of our family out visiting Temple Square - in years past we breezed thorough the square because we were all so cold, but this year we took our time. They boys played and chased each other around the lights and we really enjoyed some of the nativities they had set up.
Mom and dad ready for a night out with the kids to see the lights and have family dinner downtown. McKaleigh and Colton picked "The Blue Lemon" O.K. for bigger kids and adults, but Alex was not really impressed!
Riding the train makes you really really sleepy -
Here we are waiting for the train - we missed the first one. While we were waiting the kids loved it when Brett quizzes them on train times and stops, and whether or not they could make it around on their own. I really think Colton could figure this out all by himself if he had to!
A final shot leaving the square - Dad and the kiddos- with out pink noses!

We always video record Christmas morning with the kids, but it is really hard to remember the camera and take lots of pictures of the event. This year Alex was the first one up and was really excited that he got to go and wake everyone else up. The bigger kids would have slept late if given the chance, but by 7:15 everyone was up and ready to open. We try to hand out one gift at a time to savor the moment and see what everyone has gotten under the tree! It always seems to go so fast, no matter the opening method!

They boys with the latest NERF gun. It is really powerful and has to sit on that stand type thing to shoot. They built all kinds of Lincoln Log towers to shoot down - I will seriously be finding darts in different parts of this house until I die!
Colton with some of his faves! Skullcandy headphones and a 3D-DS
McKaleigh picked out her faves! The Nook and a 100 piece makeup set.

After all of the festivities at our house, we got ready to go to Grandpa Rod's and Grandma Deb's for more fun, family and lunch. Here are the kids with cousin Tyler ready for another round. They really made out like little bandits with all of their loot from everyone!
Just before Christmas this year grandma had a knee replacement, here she is with her walker - and grandpa watching all of the kids open gifts.