Oh, Sweet Baby!

This is so much fun!  I will gladly be a 'Grandma'.   Bry is doing so well, sore all over, but still healing at a fairly quick pace.  She and Korbin were in the hospital until Friday.  She went in Tuesday evening to be induced, had Korbin 5 1/2 hours later (unusually fast) and finally released Friday afternoon.  It took several doctors to release them both and getting all that together was a miracle in itself.

Bry made his little lemon-grass colored hat in the hospital because all the others were too big.  The nurses loved his hat so much that Bry is making more like it to send up for other babies with tiny heads.  He is tiny all over, not just his head.  :)   Such a sweet little man.  He definitely has the little old man look until he fills out.

Here is the proud 'papa'.  Mark is so happy and excited to be a 'Dad'.  Mark loves to hold him, feed him and just plain marvel at the miracle of it all.

Here is Korbin all dressed and ready to go - just waiting for the nurse to take us all down to the car.

Finally get some posed pics of this little cutie!  He was pleasantly awake on Saturday - just before he was hungry enough to do anything about it.  Definitely dark hair.  No hint of red highlights anywhere.

Cute little wrinkly forehead and the blue eyes.

He likes his hat to keep his head warm.

These are Dad's hands and Korbin is trying to focus on Dad's face.  He recognizes the voice and wants to put a face to it now.  :)

It is a joy to just hold this little boy and be here to help the new parents.  All those years of experience can be put to very good use.  Loving every minute of this trip!

Love ya,

Bren

On My Way!!!

  Such great news! Korbin was born 1:21am MST on Nov. 9th.   He was 5# 12 oz and 20" long.  A little guy, but doing well.  Mom is also doing well and Dad is great.   Now I am officially a 'grandma'.  Seems a little odd, but I am sure that soon enough it will seem just the way it should be.  :)  I fly out this morning and will try to post a pic or two here.  Bry has put quite a few pics on facebook, but I won't go there.  It's hard enough for me to update this once a week.          I know I will cry.  I remember that special feeling when each of my own 6 children were born.  There is just such a closeness to Heavenly Father when they are so new.  A feeling that is very difficult to put into words, almost a love beyond measure; like there are angels very near.  Those watchful guardians have been watching over Bry her whole life.

  Well, I think I have everything ready to go, but not entirely sure.  There will be things I forget, but I can either do without or get them in Utah.  No point stressing over it.  I look forward to the trip and spending time with them.

Have a great day and look for the good - you will find it!  :)

Love ya,
Bren

Work pays off :)

I know,  long time since my last post.  I wish time would slow down just a bit - no such luck.  I've kept at the P90X as best as I can.  Missed a day here or there, but not two in a row.  Some days there just isn't time.  I did try to get it in much later in the day - about 8pm.  But I was up quite awake until after 11pm.  That would be fine in the summer, but I teach an early morning Seminary class in my kitchen every day the high school kids have school.  That means that I am up at 5 am every school day.  This is not a complaint - I absolutely love teaching the class.  There are no grades. I do have to teach a lesson, however, I have a great teacher's manual and the scriptures to use.  It is an absolutely amazing way to start each day.  I hope the kids get as much out of it as I do. 

Back to the workouts.  It is official, I am down two sizes.  Boy! Does that feel good or what?!!!  I have not felt this good in about 10 years or this strong in almost 30!  The flexibility I lost a year and a half ago is back.  I was having trouble opening jars, not any more.  For anyone not feeling good - get up off the backside and move.  It doesn't matter what - just begin.  Begin slowly, at your own pace, but do it.  I still do not complete the workouts.  I do keep track of what I am able to do by writing it all down in their workout logs.  Then I can easily see if I have done more reps or worked out for a longer time than I did the last time I did that particular workout.  When I began, I could hardly do 25 sit-ups (this is taking the total of all the kinds situps in the ABs workout).  Now I can almost do 200 total of the different kinds.  The goal is 300, but even if I never make that - I feel I have improved greatly.  I am not competing against anyone but me.  So. . . .  walk, bike, do aerobics, kenpo, taibo, pilates, swimming, anything.  Begin and do a little more each day.

Don't forget to cut out the junk - there is more junk for food than you might think.  Read labels, know what you are eating.  You sabotage your physical efforts if you don't combine it with more disciplined eating.  Do not starve, we need food to move, but what you do eat - make it work with your efforts.  Vegetables, meats, dairy - you can go low fat.  Cut down carbs - but don't eliminate completely.  You will feel tons better when you eat better.

This is keeping me occupied while we wait for little Korbin to arrive.  Bry will be induced on the evening of Nov. 8th.  With any luck, he will be born on the 9th. I fly out to Utah on the 10th.  This will be an awesome trip.   And yes, taking my workouts with me.  I just feel so much better when I workout.

Have a great weekend!!!!  Plan to start your feeling better today!!!
Love Ya,
Bren

Progress and Plans!!!

Another busy week and I have finally made it through week 4 of the P90X.  I did the weight and measurement re-check.  I've lost 9 pounds.  I was hoping for a bigger number here because I feel like I've lost more.  Here's the tricky thing with weight loss and working out - Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue because it is much, much denser - more compact and useful.  So I work out to build up muscle tissue, which increases metabolism, burns off the fat tissue faster, but does not accruately reflect the difference in body weight.  I have lost inches, though, and that shows up in how my clothes fit.  This is pretty sweet!  I have gone down almost 2 complete sizes.  :)  Oh, Happy Day!  I have been able to wear pants that I haven't gotten into in over a year.  This feels really good.  I know I have a ways to go, but feel possitive about the results so far.  At the start, just going by pounds, 35 was the goal.  However, if I can get into all those old sizes again, I am not real concerned what the number is on the scale.  Being female - that's how we need to look at it.  

For example: When I graduated high school - at the peak of my physical fitness, I weighed almost 150#, but wore size 7.  That's the old really skinny size 7, not the enlarged size 7 of today. In case you haven't noticed that about our clothes sizes.  They have shifted the smaller number to a larger measurement.  I know - sucks and keep us complacent.  Rotten scoundrels.  :(

Well, we are one week closer to that gand-baby arriving. Bry has her inducement orders for Nov 8th.  Not sure if she'll make it to that exact date, that will depend on her body and the strain of pregnancy on her heart.  If the body feels it is too much, labor will begin.  So far she is doing prett well.  Baby is doing great.  They are so excited for Korbin to arrive and finally get to hold him as they have been seeing ultrasounds of him for months.

OH, more excitement on the horizon!  Me, my sis, and cousins Lynn & Cindy are taking a carribean cruise next October!!!!  It will be so much fun and this is going to make 2012 a very long year.  Between now and then I will become a grandma, Alexa will graduate and be off at college, Scott will become an Eagle Scout, Meg will get her driver's license, then there's youth conference, girls' camp, high adventure, and possibly two scout camps and the holidays to get through.  I guess it will go faster than I think and I will really need that break.

If you don't have anything exciting in your future - plan it!  Fun doesn't usually happen by chance - we need to plan that too!!! Have fun planning!

Love ya,
Bren

October - Flying by!!!!

Sorry,  didn't realize it had been so long since I last posted.  I have made it through 3 weeks of the P90X.  Still hyped to continue.  I worecapris that I haven't worn since the summer of 2010, whoo hoo!!!!  I won't get on a scale until after completing week 4, though.  I still don't want to be discouraged if it isn't as low as I think/feel it should be.  However, good news to report in addition to being able to wear the capris.  I went shopping yesterday for a shirt to wear under a sweater and trying on the clothes - larges were too big.  Sweet!!!!  I know my arms are much smaller and show some definition.  It hasn't been hard to refuse donuts or other sweets, either.  When you work so hard at something you don't want to screw it up and defeat what work has been done.

Scott is finishing up Cross Country, Alexa is done with Football Cheerleading.  Of course, they are both getting ready for the basketball season - which isn't too long for Scott being in the middle school, but cheering for basketball is really a nightmare.  They cheer not only for the boys' home games, but the girls'.  So it is double duty and that can be 3 or more games in a week.  Hopefully, most weeks are only 2 games.  We don't have enough cheerleaders to do split sqauds, so they all do both.

I'm also waiting for Bry to have that baby.  I will fly out to help her for about 10 days.  Sometime after 10/24 with the latest date being 11/7.  It depends on her body, if it feels taxed by the preganancy before the 7th, it will begin labor and the docs will let it go.  Which isn't an entirely bad thing - the baby won't be as big as he would be if she went all 40 weeks.  So far, Mom and baby are doing great.

Then throw the holidays into the mix and lots of things are happening in the next couple of months.

Did I ever say there was a 'dull' moment - didn't think so.  Keeps me busy, happy and out of trouble, which I was usually good at finding when I was in my teens.  :)

Have a great day and keep looking for the good things in life - you will find them and they will make you smile - lots!!!!

Love Ya,
Bren

Homecoming week is done!

  This is always such a crazy week.  If regular school weeks weren't bad enough with homework, sports and everyoe else's schedules - throw homecoming in there and you just go nuts.  Alexa made the Homecoming Court, that made her happy.  It also drove her crazy.  Not only was there Vocal Jazz practice one morning, but they had to practice dancing with other members of the court one morning.  She was also in the Powder Puff football game that had practice before school 3 days.  This game is a tradition in our school where the Junior and Senior Girls face off in a flag football game.  Sounds not too bad, but Gwen had her shorts ripped off when she was a Senior - thank goodness she was wearing leggings underneath!  Underwear these days doesn't have much cloth to them.  Anyway, the game can be pretty rough, I think they maybe should wear the regular football gear.  Often lots of bruises on the girls when they're done.

Our team did win their football game last night.  Not sure the last time they actually won their homecoming game - quite a few years ago.  Now today is the dance.  Alexa, on court, can't figure out how to do her hair - yes this afternoon just 2 hours before she has to leave.  Well, that went over with me real well.  I am such a girly-girl and knew just how to help her.  NOT!  I tried to think of some type of suggestion, but none worth actually doing.  She was mad at me and stomped off to her bathroom.  20 min later I figured I had better go in to see if she was coping.  Her hair was looking really cute and I was able to help her curl the back.  She had it pulled up and away from her face with bobby pins and long curls draping down the back.  Nothing I could have given her direction on.

This is Meg on the left in her $15 dress from Goodwill.  She shortened it and wears a black t-shirt underneath so it is more than just spaghetti strap.  Alexa is on the right in her $36 JC Penney dress.  We added the red layer to the bottom as a peek-a-boo skirt and she is wearing a black shrug underneath to make it modest.  There really isn't a good choice out there this year for dresses.  All are short in length and low-cut on top. 

Something called 'NORMAL' returns next week.  So looking forward to it.  :)

I did pretty well starting back on the P90X.  I missed yesterday's workout and today's.  But will go again with it on Monday.  I might stretch out tomorrow.  I still feel better on the program and will keep at it.

Have a great rest of the weekend!  Go Pack Go!!!!

Love ya,
Ben

Ready to try again!

I had been thinking that I would give the everlasting 'cold' two weeks after Bry & Mark left to go away enough before beginning the P90X - again.  I really felt a lot better at the end of last week, so I started on Monday the 26th.  I feel great!  With the candy-type protein bars and the whey powder shakes of chocolate, I don't feel like I am giving anything up.  That's amazing!  I am not hungry and eat right when I do eat.  One of the main requirements to the program is to eat - I can do that no problem.  I am a little sore with beginning the workouts, but otherwise, feel good physically.  My struggle is endurance, but that will begin improving as I stick with the program.  Today was a Yoga day and I felt rejuvenated when I was done. 

All I have to do is think of my 'before' pictures and motivation isn't a problem.  I see a difference already and am excited to see how much of a change it will be when the complete program is finished.

Next week I begin my 4-day work weeks.  I chose to reduce my hours at work for a couple of reasons.  1) I could really use another day in a week to get stuff done at home that I really never have time to do {like the book work for Fred's offices and cleaning}  2) the school district needs to cut expenses wherever they can and with most purchasing put on hold, there goes most of my job.  I pay all the bills for the district, so if they aren't buying things then there aren't bills that need to be paid.  I also have stream-lined a lot of what I do to be more efficient. 

Now that we have a full month of school done, I am finally settling into a grove.  It takes a while.  When school starts, so does the early morning seminary class I teach to youth from church who attend our school district.  5 am comes awfully early each day, but it's a great way to begin a day.  Then I started the exercising and time goes quickly.  Lots on my plate or should I say 'plates' and it takes a little time to adapt to it all and have it run smoothly.  I'll be very glad when this homecoming week is done, too!

May everyone have success in accomplishing all that they need to do!

Love ya,
Bren