IG Photo Collage 6.6.14

I feel like Instagram has hijacked my blog, so this is an attempt to integrate them.

These pictures have been our week so far!  I feel like they describe our summer to a T.  Lots of chalkboard drawing, Target shopping, bike riding, backyard picnics, climbing on the table, and pretending to be super heroes.  There is definitely never a dull moment around here, but I'm enjoying every minute.  Almost - unless Jaxton is screaming at someone.  The toddler has spoken.

Day 95

These were our nighttime oils tonight.  Seems like so much, but for 3 kids it covered all of our ailments - tummy ache, runny nose, allergies, sleep (x3). 

Day 76 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Day 67

It's my biggest fear

{Heads up.  This is some rambling with no pictures!}

We all have fears in life.  The fear of heights and snakes are two real fears that come to mind.  I'd have to list snakes as one of my top fears and have often said that "the only good snake is a dead one", I would say that snakes are not my number one fear.  You probably wouldn't guess what is either.

My biggest fear right now is that my children will be overweight.  True story.  I actually fear that my children will know what it is like to be obese.  And it's up to me to make that NOT be a reality.  You see, my husband grew up overweight.  It's something that he has struggled with for so many years and is finally facing his weight and punching it in the face.  I'm so proud of him.  He was raised on fast food though.  Raised by two obese parents and never taught the importance of eating healthy.  I wasn't overweight until I was married, pregnant and in control over my own eating.  I literally went crazy on the fast food and eating out.

I won't quote any statistics about childhood obesity, but both of my daughters have shown that if they do not learn right now the importance of eating healthy and exercising, they could be overweight at some point.  Now, don't go thinking that I'm one of those moms who already has their daughters on diets and focuses on their weight.  I absolutely never mention the word "fat" in front of them.  We have weighed them once, just so I could see their BMI, but we just made it a game to see their "number".  We ALWAYS talk about healthy eating and how important it is for our bodies.  We talk constantly about how mommy hasn't always been healthy, but how I'm working hard to be healthy so I can have energy to play with them.

Now.  BMIs.  Mykah is actually "at risk for being overweight".  Karsyn is "a healthy weight".  Mykah only weighs about 5 lbs less than Karsyn and they are 2 years apart.  I used to worry about Karsyn until she started school and she stayed even more active/busy and grew taller.  I do worry about Mykah because she is my child who fights me every chance she gets when it comes to eating fruits & veggies.  She also is my lazy child who hates any form of exercise.  Her actually enjoying soccer was a big shock to us because she has never had an interest in moving in any way.

Sadly, it's only been in the last year that we have actually eaten healthy.  Before then, we did feed our family fast food, cookies, chips, sodas, and whatever else we had that was convenient, full of sugar, and who knows what else.  In all of my pregnant years, I kept my toddlers happy with snacks.  All day.  And movies.  All day.  I could go on and on about the regrets I have for not showing my family how to be healthy from day 1, but the important thing is that we are fighting to be as healthy as we can right now.

What do my kids eat?  We do still eat some processed foods.  If you look in their lunchboxes, you will see frozen Smucker's PBJ sandwiches, but you'll also see organic apple slices, whole grain crackers, and several other healthier options.  Karsyn prefers to take a package of pretzels for snack and actually eats lunch in the school cafeteria almost everyday.  We do get Little Ceasar's pizza every once in a while and eat out more on the weekends than we should.  We are trying.  It's a process.  Tonight for dinner, we did have grilled chicken, asparagus spears, and seasoned brown rice.  The kids eat frozen waffles many mornings for breakfast, paired with some sort of fresh fruit.  We also dig Tyson chicken nuggets.

Bottom line is, I have chosen to let my kids be kids, but doing so in a way that is as healthy as I can make it at this time.  Conveniences is huge.  Price is huge.  And getting them to actually eat is huge. 

It's a process, like I said.  And I'm so thankful we have chosen this path right now and for the rest of our lives.  I feel like I'm giving my children the tools they need to lead a healthy life and to make the right choices later on.  My children being overweight is definitely my biggest fear, but it's a fear that I feel I can now face because of the tools I have to teach them and keep them as healthy as I can.

My Reasons

Everyone has a reason for starting their journey.  No matter what the journey, actually, there is always some sort of of motivation that sets the journey into play.  No matter how long the journey takes, the reason is always there.  Here are my reasons ...

Aren't they the perfect reason?

I could so very easily dwell on the fact that for the past 8 years I have not taken very good care of myself.  I could dwell on all of the fast food I've consumed, soda I've downed, and lack of exercise.  I could.  But I choose to focus on moving forward for my reasons.  They are more than worth it.

I constantly tell myself, as well as anyone else I have a chance to tell, that the most important part is picking back up and moving forward.  So you have a bad meal, drink a soda, eat bad all weekend, have a bad week eating, have 2 bad weeks.  It's okay!  Pick yourself back up and get back on it.  Giving up completely shouldn't be an option.  Being healthy is a journey.  It's a lifestyle that should never end.  I'm not on a diet, I'm on a journey.  And I'm not quitting now!!

typical morning

These children of mine want to eat as soon as their eyes open each day.  They do NOT get that from me.  They also LOVE breakfast and don't get that from me either.  The one thing they do get from me is that they love (and thrive) on their routine.  They like the same.  They like familiarity, right down to the cups they use for milk to the plates they eat their waffles on.  The same.  Every single day. 

I actually really like seeing what each of my children like.  Their little quirks.  Like Mykah has to have a different utensil for every food on her plate.  So if she has chicken, rice, green beans, and mandarin oranges ... she uses 4 forks.  Seriously.  Both girls like everything on their plate separated where nothing touches (they get that from me too).  Mykah likes her chocolate milk in her nalgene cup.  Mykah also prefers her cup, plate, and fork (if she has only 1) to ALL be pink. 

And now I realize that my children are, indeed, high maintenance.

Anyhow, this is what my kitchen counter looks like each and every morning.  

The girls have gotten into a waffle kick.  They want to eat waffles for breakfast every single day.  They get that from their father.  He could eat the same thing daily without getting tired of it.  And Mykah has to have her chocolate milk every morning.  Now, I know Nesquik isn't the healthiest thing.  I know that.  But she only has 1 cup each morning and it's the only way I can get her to drink milk.  So we go with it.  This particular kind is strawberry, which she calls her "pink chocolate milk."  That's one of those things I'll miss when she starts correcting me and calling it strawberry milk for real. 

And Jaxton ... he likes his bottle when he first wakes up.  Right now, he's chugging 7 oz when he first wakes up, then the amount he drinks varies all day long.  He wants his bottle every 3 hours without fail. 

Karsyn likes her waffle (always with fruit on the side for both girls) and water.  She's simple.  Sometimes she wants syrup.  Sometimes she's a butter girl.  Sometimes she likes just a plain ol' waffle.  And those are our mornings ...

mmm ... bluebell

We went to Bluebell today!!  Going to visit the creamery in Brenham has become a summer tradition now and this year two of our little friends joined us.  Treyson and Tyler are our new buddies and we had a blast with all 5 kids.  Poor Jaxton didn't make any pictures because he was happy in his stroller while we chased 4 others around everywhere. 

I think that no matter how many times you do the tour at Bluebell, you can always come back and do it again.  Of course our favorite part was the ice cream at the end.  Try getting 4 kids, 2 adults, and a baby all ice cream.  Jaxton LOVES ice cream and didn't care who else had any as long as he did. 

The kids were all so good!  It was a fun (but hot) day.  I'm very thankful the tour is all indoors because it wouldn't be a summer tradition if it wasn't.

And all but 1 kid had a nap on the way home.  It was PERFECT. 

155/365

i'd say it was a successful vacation ...

147/365

This has quickly become the favorite place to be.  I admit that I love our pile-up, snuggles in mommy and daddy's bed.  This picture makes me laugh because it's a very good illustration of our life right now.  It's crazy busy, hysterical, and full of laughs.  I'm loving {most} every minute of it.

124/365

this texas weather is for the birds.  i still can't believe that we're wearing jackets in may.  who knew?!  we have enjoyed it though.  i'm pretty sure may is typically 100 degrees.  so 60's, even low 80's is NICE.  we've spent lots of time enjoying it too.  lots of swinging, soccer, volleyball, and walks.  taking it all in before it's way too hot to even be out there.

i cheated today and picked 3 pictures to share.  i couldn't help it.

i have been making myself try my hardest to slow down lately and enjoy these times.  look at those faces?!?!  tomorrow they'll look different.  they'll be a day older.  it sounds silly.  but time truly does go by so fast and i don't want to miss anything.  how can karsyn even be ending her kindergarten year already?  and she has grown more than i ever imagined.  mykah will start preschool and desperately needs that time.  she's too smart for her own good.  and jaxton?  look at that squinty nose!  he's beyond cute and if i could put him in a bottle and keep him little, i would do it in a heartbeat.  he's stolen my heart.  big time.  they all have.  so i will enjoy these times. 

part of that time outside today was packing up more stuff into the POD.  who knew we had so much stuff?!?!  we're excited about this new season.

easter pictures

i decided to attempt easter pictures this year.  and i'm so glad i did.  how cute are they?!?!  the girls are actually big into posing for me lately, so i'm trying to take every advantage that i can.  we made new friends at karsyn's school this year and they just happen to live on a farm.  and just happened to have some new baby chicks this week.  we caught them at the right time.  baby chicks only stay cute for a few days, you know.

healthy home

one of my goals for the year was to make our entire house healthy.  to declutter the home.  to get our bodies moving.  to fill us with healthy foods.  and to make God the head of our household even more, by praying more, reading our Bibles more, and simply talking more about God and what He has done for us. 

we have definitely been eating healthier.  and we spend TONS of time outside moving instead of inside sitting.  our new favorite thing is to load up and find a new walking trail around town.  we are lucky enough to live in a community that loves being active.  running mainly, but getting families active seems to be a big priority these days.  so we have walking trails all over.  and they are trails that we have never been on, just driven by, so it's been fun to explore.

one evening we just went for a long walk, then ended up at the playground close to where we walked.  another night we ate a light dinner at a picnic table, then walked on the trail by where we were.  mykah is the one that is hard to get on board with our plans to be healthy.  she likes to eat and she does not like to walk.  but we're getting there with her.  she knows the importance of being healthy because we talk about it constantly, but her little legs seem to get tired quickly.  until you mention ice cream or playground, then she gets rolling. 

we have LOVED doing this.  the weather has been perfect.  jaxton has done great in the stroller.  and we feel so good afterwards.  on the nights where we don't really want to leave the house, we put jaxton in the stroller and walk the neighborhood.  it's definitely been a good change for our family.

soon i'll post about how we are becoming spiritually healthy in our home.  we KNOW we are blessed and we are doing what we can to make sure God knows how thankful we are for what He has provided us.

76/365

 

happy st. patty's day.

david thinks we went a little overboard on the green.  i think i like it.

houston zoo

our spring break consisted of doctor appointments, dentist appointments, and our sweet boy getting tubes in his ears and his tongue clipped.  those were the first few days.  we tried to make the most of the break and we ended up having a wonderful week.  i was actually sad for it to be over with!  after the business of the first few days with appointments, we decided to make the other half a lot of fun.

we did a quick, random trip to lake bryan.  and then friday we decided to load up and head to the houston zoo.  we haven't been before and we love going to zoos.  we had everything ready the night before so that we could just get up in the morning and head out.  we had to park and walk forever because there was so many people there, but it was way worth it. 

we started the visit off with a train ride, which was awesome.  we got to do a little sight seeing through hermann park and to see some of memorial hermann hospital.  i absolutely loved the park.  it was so neat and perfect weather.  tons of other people had the same idea though.

jaxton wasn't so sure of the train.  i had him in the carrier on my chest, but he cried immediately, so i had to take him out.  everytime the whistle would blow, he'd stick out his bottom lip and scream.  it was so sad, but hysterical at the same time.  the people behind us kept watching and laughing too.  he finally got used to the sound, then came a tunnel.  he most certainly didn't like that. 

the girls were extremely excited, if you can't tell.  they love going to the zoo too, so to be at one that we have never been to before was even more exciting.  the train ride was about 20 minutes long, then we headed straight to the zoo.

ready to drop some bucks?  the zoo is NOT cheap.  at all.  but of course we didn't plan THAT well and everyone was ready to eat lunch right when we got there.  then, it's not a trip to the zoo without cotton candy apparently.  the girls HAD to have it, so that was their special treat for the day.  they knew they wouldn't get anything else, so they were very smart and snacked on their cotton candy all day long.  

jaxton did SO good.  seriously.  he was happy most of the day.  if he wasn't happy, he was ready for a nap.  he napped a little while in the carrier on my chest and again later in the stroller.  i was so very proud of him and how he made it through the day. 

it was a FUN time.  they even had a huge carousel at the end of the zoo, plus a kiddie park with playgrounds and a petting zoo.  our favorite parts were the elephants because we got to watch a mama elephant and a baby elephant really interacting.  i'm pretty sure the mama was trying to teach the baby things because she would do something, then nudge the baby until he did it too.  it was so neat.  i could have watched it all day long.

another favorite was the monkeys.  the one in this picture was hysterical.  he just sat there.  but he kept holding out a hand to us.  almost like he wanted something.  the other monkeys were just as funny.  one picked up a mouse and carried it with it's fingers by the tail.  then played with it, batting it around like a toy.  another one was walking around with a towel over his shoulders.  too funny.

mykah's favorite part was the carousel.  karsyn's was just seeing all the animals.

it was a GREAT trip.  everyone was well behaved, which makes it even better.  i don't know that the houston zoo was our favorite.  it was definitely more spread out than others we've been too.  it had lots of shade, but lots of people.  we'd probably go back sometime, but we'll have to save up some money.  it seemed expensive!

after the zoo, we made the long trek back to our car and realized it was 4:55 on a friday afternoon in downtown houston.  not the best plans.  but it gave the kids a nice chance to rest while we headed to the downtown aquarium for dinner.

68/365

what a week it has been, but i think that we are all healthy at this moment.  we had to postpone the kids trip to see nana and papa for a day so we could make sure everyone was feeling well.  karsyn and mykah have stopped throwing up and jaxton is on more antibiotics, so he seems better as well.  mykah also ended up with an ear infection, so she's on antibiotics too.  good luck to nana and papa!

my little valentine's

yes. i. did.

45/365

we love you.

44/365

nothing beats a game of hungry hungry hippo, right?  even jaxton got in on the fun.  playing games is definitely daddy's thing.  i'm not a game player.  i'm way too competitive and so are my kids.  i have seriously played mykah in candy land 10 times in one day just so i could beat her once.  just once.

34/365

the weather has been SO very nice lately.  and we've taken full advantage because here in texas, you never know what the weather will do.  my heart absolutely loves looking on the back porch to see this.  this mama's cup is running over.  plus, i still can't believe i have three kids.