as is life..

well.. even though i should have kept up with Zumba better than this.. i'm glad i've at least done SOMETHING with it.

i'm still pretty proud of the pant size i lost.

i have some of my "muffin" back

which goes to prove the question i had.. if you don't keep up with working out and eating right, it DOES have a reverse effect.

ok

i feel like i'm starting from scratch.. but i'm gonna do it anyway..

measurements..

38" hips

32" waist

21.5" thigh

166 lbs?! wait WHAT?! :(

uhoh.

i have been eating more candy lately..

BAD CAMI

i HAVE to get myself back into activities and healthier.

and there really IS NO excuse.. i just haven't been making good choices, healthy wise, lately.

it doesn't help having a husband who doesn't eat fruits or veggies, and my kids don't like veggies either.

sounds much better!

well i was just informed by a good friend that the diet i chose, and the results i'm hoping for.. are not properly matched. i'm not going to completely scrap the diet.. i'm going to go with the general idea of it.. and ad to it.
i'm getting a headache.. which is not fun.
and i need to change my workout regime.. instead of just doing a 20 minute zumba, or 15 min on the treadmill.. i'll be adding jumping jacks and crunches :D
THANK YOU Kathleen Podgorniak McMahon for your advice!
BANANA time! :D

Day 2

i feel..

not "hungry".. just lacking.

i'm not weak.. just want to eat.

and i want sugar in my coffee! lol

i'm looking forward to wednesday morning.. when i can make scrambled eggs with sausage and hash browns.. and NORMAL coffee :)

i want to eat more.
i want chips and dip, i want sugar in my coffee, i want a banana with cream cheese
"i want a pony, so i can ride it twice and sell it to make glue" lol (from The Grinch)

my 3 day crash diet :)

i'm about to embark on this "mini" journey.

i've been working on toning my mucles, strengthening, stretching.. but the one thing that hasn't happened is losing what's on TOP of it.

I spoke with a friend of mine, Monique Doyle, about this (girl talk, lol) and she recommended this 3 day crash diet to me. :)

i went shopping for the groceries today, and i'm starting tomorrow morning :)

here is the menu, in case you either want to follow along or try it yourself!

she lost 30 lbs over all, and she did it for 4 weeks.

THREE DAY CRASH DIET

Super diet must be followed exactly. Lose 10 lbs in three days!

First Day:

Breakfast- ½ grapefruit

one slice toast

2 tbsp. Peanut butter

coffee or tea

Lunch- ½ cup tuna

one slice toast

coffee or tea

Dinner- two slices any type of meat (about 3oz)

one cup string beans

½ cup beets

one small apple

½ cup vanilla ice cream

Day Two:

Breakfast- one egg

one slice toast

½ banana

coffee or tea

Lunch- ½ cup cottage cheese

five saltine crackers

coffee or tea

Dinner- two hot dogs

1 cup broccoli

½ cup carrots

½ banana

½ cup vanilla ice cream

Third Day:

Breakfast- five saltine crackers

one slice cheddar cheese

one small apple

coffee or tea

Lunch- one hard boiled egg

one slice toast

coffee or tea

Dinner- ½ cup tuna

½ cup beets

one cup cauliflower

½ cantaloupe

1/ cup vanilla ice cream

Diet works on chemical breakdown and is proven. Do Not vary or substitute any of the above foods; salt and pepper may be used; but no other seasonings. Where no quantity is given, there are no restrictions other than common sense. This diet is to be used three days at a time.

In three days you will have lost 10 lbs. After three days of dieting you can eat your normal food, but do not over do it. After four days of normal eating, start back on your three-day diet. You can lose up to 40 lbs in a months time if you stick to this diet. It is a safe diet.

Remember, DO NOT “pick” in between meals.

feeling kind of awkward

you know.. now.. looking at those pics of me in a bikini is way better than i thought i would look.

it's kind of intimidating actually having my body change for the better (especially after having kids).

it's really emotional.. i'm actually in tears right now.. because.. i don't know.

it just feels awkward not being a size 12.

i changed out of these size 12 pants earlier cause they were too baggy on me.

and ironically put on another pair of size 12's.

these fit my legs really well, but the waist is just not comfortable.. it's not "baggy", just loose. and i have to wear a belt. even WITH a belt, i keep having to pull them up.

but the thing is, realistically, i can't afford to loose the weight i want to.. cause i can't afford new clothes.

sad.. i know.

i would feel really awkward putting on a pair of size 8/10 pants.. and having them fit perfect.

the odd thing about that is.. back in february, when i lost a pant size (down to an 8/10 from a 12), i was so excited about it.

now.. it's almost like.. well.. i'm not dreading it..

it just feels.. awkward.. and i think the reality of it is just now hitting me.. that my goal to be more active and eat better.. IS actually effecting my body the way I was HOPING it would. I guess I just never thought it would really happen.. because i've been let down by these kind of things before.

well.. Cami.. get used to it.. looks like you're on the road to "hottie with a body"ness!

it may take a while for me emotionally to really grab onto this concept.. but my reality now is.. i'm getting thinner. IM GETTING THINNER!

never wore a bikini before.. maybe there's a reason HAHA

my take on bikini's?

you might as well wear panties and a bra to the beach. ;)

i got a free bikini the other day from a "Free garage sale" just because i've never worn one, and figured.. eh.. it's free.. why not, just to see.

BAHAHA

yeah right ;)

from the front.. not half bad

from the back.. i look pretty decent! (i like my butt, lol)

from the side?!

THIS is why people who have a gut shouldn't wear them.

it doesn't look good. lol

honestly.. it's not HORRIBLE horrible.. but it's not what I want to show the world.

(even posting it on here really isn't that bad.. not a ton of people read this blog anyway, lol)

i'm going to stick with my tankini :) the tank top covers it all :)

good thing we can laugh at ourselves :) and if nothing else, i can use it for a bra and panties! :D

my goodness.. what is wrong with me?

• why can't our bodies just naturally take care of itself?
• • why can't i just eat like adam and eve did.. strictly fruits and veggies.. all organic
    
    
    • it's actually a tad upsetting sometimes.. cause i don't know what a tomato is calorie wise, a banana, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.. ya know?
    • i can eat a whole yellow squash, fried in oil, with a chili dog on the side.. and then not eat again for 6 hours.
    • and i don't have a clue how much sugar/fat, etc i just ate
      
      
      • ya know?
      • it's aggravating
      • and that's only when i'm super hungry though
    
    
    ok.. this rarely happens.. but i actually feel like crying
    • i dont cry about myself very often
    • lol
    • *sigh
      • i'm generally a very happy, healthy person
      • i've never been a vain person.. so this feels very weird to me
      • and it kinda' feels wrong to feel this way
      • because i know i'm supposed to accept myself the way i am
      • and i do.. for the most part
      • man.. babies really do a lot to ya.. physically
      • and emotionally

well.. it's good to know i'm on the right track "diet" wise. i'm not ON a diet.. just changing the way I eat, and TRYING to be more physically active. now i just have to figure out how to balance out my calories, so i'm not under eating OR overeating. 
my goodness.. it was never this way in high school ;) lol. i'm definitely not a child anymore.

sore!

well, i'm sore from yesterday lol

i am actually sore on the SIDES of my abs. i dont think i've ever been sore in those spots! :D

i'm PRETTY SURE i just burnt off those 4 brownies ;)
HEY! they were Fiber One brownies! :)

just did some more running in place, crunches, squats, stretching, pushups, plank.. so a little something for my muscles to use ;)

what i do when i have no interruption..

9:53pm- 9:57 jogging in place

am i too energetic? lol.
i think energy is a think to be wanted, is it not? ;)

60 jumping jacks 9:59pm

50 squats 10:01pm

10 modified pushups 10:03 pm

plank 50 seconds 10:04-05 pm

15 variating leg lifts (abs tensed) 10:06pm

20 butterfly crunches 10:08pm

5 side plank trimming taps (holy crap that's hard!) 10:16 pm

3 reps whittling walk (yeah ab and bicep burner!) 10:18 pm

...
i just did 25 minutes of work out without thinking about it.
that felt good

:D

it was a good day :)

it started out bad. i had a HORRIBLE headache.. and i HAD to wake up early to get Jazmine on her bus at 8.
it took a few hours, but i finally got into sewing, etc, at 1:30 pm.
i finished up three customs, ready to ship.
and i got the precut fitteds for stock.. soakers sewn in, and edges serged. :) (this is including 1/2 hour of messing with a stupid serger thread that broke). by 5 pm, the kids were home, dinner time, etc.. i had all this done. :)

tomorrow i'm going to finish up these fitteds for stock, and cut out a few things.
AND if my oldest daughter is good during the day, she gets to come with me to shop for black fleece, 5t undershirts, and a "lunch box" for her snacks.

well.. workout stats
i'm still trying to get in ACTIVITY more than usual (hahahha).. notice the word.. trying.
i think i can label myself SLACKER!

i'm at:
21" thigh
37" hips
31" waist

so i went down 1" in my thighs, and up 1/2" each in my hips and waist. (oops?!)

so ALL IN ALL- since the start of this
i've lost 2.5" in my thighs, kept the same with my waist and lost 1" in my hips.

for some reason i've gone from 156 lbs to 160 lbs
i JUST weighed myself (stupid mistake.. NEVER weigh yourself at night after just eating/drinking) and i'm 163. YIPES!

but i've also been eating better and toning up.. so i'm wondering if the inches lost are being compensated with new lean muscle? (ie. the weight)
*shrugs

well IM HAPPY WITH IT
lost 2.5 inches AND A PANT SIZE i'm happy :D

my swimsuit :)

I haven't worn this suit since last year because I didn't think i looked good in it.

Well, since then, i've lost a couple inches. Had my husband take new photos of me in it today :) He was like "why didn't you wear THAT suit on vacation?!" lol. :)

It does look much better now!

*forgive the odd expression on my face.. not sure what that's about HAHA*


wanna know the funny thing about this suit?
the bottom is an XL, the top is a M! lol

i didn't think i was THAT pear shaped?! oh well.. if it fits, and looks good.. i'm game!

hmmm... i like this

this pic was taken friday while we were at Cedar Point with the two older kids.

my belly actually looks flatter than i thought it was.
and oddly enough, i'm getting more male interest lately too. lol.

older gentlemen are flirting with me at work HAHAHA
and the college guys (i live in a college town- 2 colleges) are giving me looks

....
gives me something to think about ;)

now if i could just be a little more active, i'm sure i could think of myself that way, too

my little sweetie

well, today Zoe is going back in diapers.

she's been in pullups for 2 months now.. and hasn't really done anything.

she was showing some signs of being ready.. but it's just not that time yet.

Jazmine was inSANEley HORRIBLE to train.
Alivia trained herself within 2 months of turning 3.

And Zoe doesn't turn 3 until Dec 12.

I'm sure, in due time, she'll get it. :)

i'm completely fine keeping her in fluff for a bit longer. this is the last time i get to use them..

it's a GOOD day

got up at 7:20 without an alarm, went downstairs, got a cup of coffee.. sat down with my laptop.. enjoyed being alone :)

It's an amazing feeling when there is quiet and peace in your home. You can just close your eyes and feel God's presence.. He is so amazing. His blessings are abundant. Such a great way to praise Him in every little aspect of your life.

Then while the kids were playing in their room, i got some sewing done before their breakfast! :D

And it's so beautiful outside.. God's creation is just amazing.

And i walked on my treadmill for 10 minutes.. sure that might not be much.. but even just that gives a feeling of accomplishment and really wakes up your body. :)

Looking forward to finishing some orders today to mail tomorrow before our vacation :D

couldn't think of a title ;)

going to start making it a priority to "work out" everyday.

whether i walk on the treadmill for 1/2 hr, do 15 min of yoga, 1 round of zumba, play follow the leader outside with the kids, dance to 4 silly songs..
i want to be more active. :)

since i've lost the pant size (in january with zumba), i've been more happy with myself. i've been eating mre veggies, more lean meats here and there.

odd thing is i've actually gained a couple pounds. LOL
LEAN MASS :)
that's what i'll call it.

when we got married, i was 135. (gained 5 lbs since high school)
when i first got pregnant, i was 145.
gained 45 with Jazmine from all the water weight (pregnancy induced hypertension PIH).
when i got pregnant with Alivia, Jaz was 6 mths old, i was 150.
YAY FOR BREASTFEEDING!
i went down to 155 after that.

then i got pregnant with Zoe, had a hard time gaining weight (they prescribed me carnation instant breakfast to drink EVERY MORNING). i had no complaints :)
after her (she's 3), i'm between 155 and 160
159 at the moment (yes i weighed myself just to make sure HAHA).

I need to remeasure my BMI and body fat.

I am very happy with where I am. :)
Now let's see about being more active.! :D

Today after dinner (which i should be making now).. i think we'll play simon says in the living room :D simon says DO JUMPING JACKS!

Go! Do it! Now! :D

my daughters bedtime problem

ok.. well.. first of all, she was HORRIBLE to potty train.. and i didn't know at the time that she had the same problem i did when i was little.

so, wednesday we (me and her) went to the dr and had a good talk with him.

what she has is Nocturnal Enuresis.

it's pretty much an immature bladder.. the same thing i had when i was little. so until it's mature enough to function properly on it's own, she will be peeing at night.. a little or a lot, that will differ.

they can't give medication until she's at least 6 years old, and even then, there's only 20% chance it will work

so yes, she will have to pee everything out before bed, she can only have up to 2oz of water at 7 pm. and i get her up to potty when i go to bed, too.

but with the rate of success for the medicine, it might not work anyway.

if she gets to 8 years old still wetting at night, then i'll try the medicine

brian asked me last night if i would consider disposable pullups for her for night time.. i cringed at the thought.

they don't work much better for her than cloth.. she's just a heavy wetter and a heavy sleeper.

we'll see.

yes, i scream at my kids.. and i spank too.

Does the title of this shock you?

If my kids don't listen to me and i've tried every "trick" i can think of, and my husband isn't around to set them straight.. yes I get angry enough to scream at them.
I think i probably scream at my oldest the most often.. cause she is just a HUGE handful for me.. half the time i don't know what to do with her.. and she is rebellious..
.. well, as much as a 5 year old can be. (though she does have a VERY SWEET heart, and a compassionate soul).

Zoe is 2.5 and she doesn't seem to want to listen either, unless i make it into a game.
Which, of course, i can't do all the time.

And Alivia will make a big mess playing with all of her toys, then almost refuse to clean it up.

So yes.. I get very angry sometimes.. and I can scream quite loud.

.......

my form of punishment?
depends on the offense, and the severity of it. but yes.. if needed, i will get out the paddle.

my husband can tell them to go in the corner, or give them a time out.
if i do that, it's slothish movement, goofing around, "but mommmm!"

so yeah.. for me.. the paddle works best.

and there is NOTHING wrong with using the paddle. i was paddled as a child.. I was not afraid of my parents.. but i sure as heck respected them. that's what it's about. it's not about abuse, or hurting them in any way.. it's about making them realize "hey! i better straighten up!"

i do not use my hand unless i am nowhere near the paddle.. i use a pingpong paddle. a little bit of cushion, so i'm not whipping their bare butts with raw wood.

sometimes i have to do it a couple times. YES i will smack my child on their bare butt more than once!
I live in a Christian home, i'm not a psycho, and i am not an abuser.

I simply have my own house rules. I am an adult, after all. ;)

withdrawal? or just changing lanes?

ugh

i'm going through fabric withdrawal

lol

i haven't made any real "good" purchases in a little while now

i got the flower fleece from the remnants.. but i was in there to get the JD

so i only got two things

i was "being good"

lol

it feels weird to not have fluff mail

HAHA

so i've resorted to buying supplies.. and some earrings on sale from other WAHMS

and a new pair of sandals

i'm just so used to puting all my extra money into buying fabric, cause up til now.. i was still building my "store" ya know?

now that everything is pretty much the way i like it, and the way it needs to be.. i'm bringing in EXTRA money

that feels good

but at the same time i don't know what to do with the extra money

HAHA

how to measure..

just a little fun with me :)

and figuring out how to measure yourself so you can kind of follow how you're body is changing when you eat different, or are more active

my body really isn't much different than it used to be. sure 10 years ago, i was a senior in high school, cheerleader.. so i was 20 lbs lighter than i am now.. but my body shape itself has changed, not just weight gain. i used to be a small hourglass, now i'm more of a pear.


waist- 30.5"
hips- 36.5"
thigh- 22"

work out videos

YAY i have a treadmill :)




zumba #1



zumba #2

it's a.. new day!

it's always a good thing to wake up and, after a few days of feeling tired and pooey, having a fresh take on "life". :)

i feel energy.. i feel like taking the kids outside for lunch.. i feel like really making some progress.. but i'm not doing any more until i open my Bible :)

God is so good!
NEVER have a day without Him. believe me.. after these last couple days of being in a "stupor".. it feels so refreshing to sit down with my coffee and read His word.

a great weekend for family

friday night i worked at kohls

sat we had some fun with the kids in the morning (aka.. they baraged our bed.. and we were giggling for a bit) lol.
brian went and got three of his cousins (guys) and as soon as he got home, all us girls piled in the car and headed toward my moms house :). dropped off the recycling, stopped at a friends garage sale (got 2 shirts, a swimsuit, a book, a play kitchen, a play car port, and a dinosaur flashlight for $7.50) then headed to my moms house. :) played outside for a bit, fed the dogs, picked flowers, had dinner, watched a movie, gave them baths. when we got home, Brian put them to bed.. they were out like a light. lol :)

this morning we had a great message at church, then went straight to brian's aunts house to drop off the guys.
came home.. chilled.. napped.. played.. rearranged the kids room/toys a bit..

zoe went on the potty by herself! :D i got her undressed to change for bed.. she wanted to go potty.. so little naked tooshie waddled to the potty lol. :) she sat on it while i was helping livy get some jammies.. when i came back in the bathroom, jazmine said zoe had just peed! i checked her and sure enough, she had!

she was "whimpering" like she was upset and i handed her a piece of toilet paper and she got to wipe herself, i was giggling and clapping like an idiot.. and i kept kissing her and saying "yay!" she finally was smiling and i was like "you get a sticker!" so when she said goodnight to daddy, he helped her put a sticker on her potty paper. :) i'm so geeked! it's been 2 weeks now since we started.. and this is only her 3rd sticker. i'm so excited. :)

well.. i gotta get to bed.. i'm tired.. it's after 12.. and i have to get up at 7 to go back to kohls. later ladies. :)

looking forward to walking on my treadmill sometime tomorrow! :D

YAY! peepee time :D

we've been potty training since monday.
tuesday she pooped in her trainer, and when i went and dumped it in the toilet and sat her on it, she pooped more in the potty! :D she got a big sticker on her page :D

and today when she woke up from her nap (she doesn't really "take a nap", but sometimes she crashes) she was dry (i had a piddle pad on her bed, just in case).. so i took her to the potty and she peed! so she got a little sticker on her page :D

YAY!
she likes to tell me she wants to go to the potty like all the time. lol. she's becoming very independant, she'll turn the light on herself, put up the toilet lid, get the stool, sometimes she'll even pull down her own pullup, though she still says "help peese" to pull it up. :)

YAY! this child is super easy so far!
i'm using a couple of the pullups that i made for livy to use when she trained, and about 6 that i made for when i knew zoe would be ready. the two from livy are a tad big on her, so we do get pee down the leg, if she pees too much in those two. *oops.
but for the most part.. YAY!

she'll be done before i know it! *sniff.
very emotional at times.. my last little baby is almost out of diapers (she IS out of diapers during the DAY!). wow.

i feel so lost

i feel so odd today

like i can't function properly

it's because all " my things" are not in my work area

my sewing room is freakin naked

and i can't put anything back yet

and some of the things i want to do in there.. need to be in the commercial

so i can't touch those things either

i'm going stir crazy

i want my room back

HAHA

shooting the action shots tomorrow morning, then i can reclaim my space
can't wait :D

thank you BDC Productions and Jely Productions for helping me with this project!

finally some decent weather

for the past two days, it's been pretty decent outside..

so Tuesday we went out in the patio, got the kids pool out, sprayed a bunch of water around.. had some good fun. :)

and then yesterday we went to the fair.. good week for it!
saw almost all the animals, walked around, bought a sugar covered pretzel, had ice cream, let the kids on 1 ride (taking jaz and livy to cedar point in a mth)

today is just kinda' off/relaxing.. not doing much. not cause i dont want to.. i want to get into my sewing room and work on stuff.. but it's all "clean" right now.. very "businessy" cause we're shooting a commercial. i'm not allowed to "mess it up" yet :) lol. you guys wanna see a pic of it so "clean" and "empty"?

baby junk

my stomach is squishy
lol

there's prob a good 2 inches of yuck just stuck to my muscle under this floppy skin

lol

why must baby junk haunt me?

even standing up, i can grab a handful on each side.

will it every go away? *sigh

*-'^~ wishful thinking ~*`-+*

you know.. it would prob help if i worked out more than 1 a week.
i've been slacking REAL bad.
i'm just glad i got rid of my bigger pants when i lost the pant size in january. i have nothing bigger to fit into. i HAVE to wear my 8's. and i DONT like muffin top.

i think my main battle with it is the fact that i used to be a cheerleader.
i had strong arms, long lean legs, and a 6 pack abs.

and now.. *sigh

i KNOW it comes with living.. i've been married for a while.. i've got 3 kids.. sometime i should just tell my brain to shut up. lol.

yeah right..
it doesn't help that yesterday my husband told me i looked like i was a couple mths pregnant. i was just wearing a summer dress.

i feel like burning the dress and crying on it. :(
he didn't mean anything by it.. but it hurt
he knows i try

whose in your family tree? what's your lineage?

i have been looking through the old testament this morning.. just flipping through.. and noticing all the lists of people's names, you know, how the start chapters sometimes.. "this man, son of this man, some of this man, who was such and a such"

it made me think of my heritage, and how important my ancestors were.. maybe not to other people, but definitely to me.

my grandma Bakker, for instance, was a FANTASTIC woman of God. she always started her day with a cup of hot tea (a little milk for creamer) and her Bible. she played the piano in her church, he brought up her children to fear the Lord.. all the while being a single mother. her ex-husband (my beloved grandfather) sired 5 children by her, all while being away from home 90% of the time, being married 5 times..

my mom grew up knowing how to do things for herself, learning how to make do with what she had, and all the while being grateful for everything she owned/possesed, because no matter how hard she had it (dirt poor), there was always someone worse off than her. and she always praised God for the blessings she had.. her siblings, her mother, a car, a roof over her head, food on the table, and a church family.

my grandfather Bakker was also a great man. he may have been on the road a lot, but all 5 of his children he loved very much. he settled down with his 5th wife, gave us grandchildren all the love he could, had a WONDERFUL heart.. and taught me that no matter what you do with your life, whether you mess it up or not, God can change anyone. i have no idea if my grandfather was a Christian at the end of his life (i believe so), but i do know he had definitely changed from the way he used to live.

my grandma TenCate (bless her heart) passed away when i was about 8 years old.. but what i will remember always from her is that she was SUCH a warm person, never judged anyone, made the most FANTASTIC sweet potatos at thanksgiving, and always gave of herself. i miss her.

all these and more made an impact on my life. and i'm proud of my lineage and heritage.

my grandma and grandpa Bakker came over from Holland when they were very young (before they even knew each other) and i'm proud to be a little Dutch girl. i have had the privilege of visiting Holland, Germany, Belgium, France and Denmark while I was on a missions trip in 2000.. and I gotta tell you, it's BEAUTIFUL over there.

thank you God for the fantastic people you have put in my life to raise me.
And for showing me that no matter what we do, you can always change a life. :)

skinny- i think not

why does everyone feel a need to be skinny? can't you just be happy with being healthy?!
i admit, i sometimes wish i could get rid of jiggle.. but that's just leftover baby junk.
i'll stick with my size 8, thank you. if i happen to lose fat or weight, it's be pure coincidence.. i will not push myself to be something i'm not meant to be.
my BMI is 24.3.. i weight 160 lbs.. i'm healthy.

the perfect night?

zumba and moose tracks ice cream.. do they cancel each other out? :)

also.. i had a fantastic cutting/sewing day :) tomorrow i'll put snaps on these 5 diapers and mail them w/ the rest of the shipping items. and FINALLY sold the Autism os aio. :) YAY!

Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his might heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
PRAISE THE LORD."

------------
this is not a suggestion.

this is a command.

If you are a follower of Christ, you are to be praising the Lord with everything you have, in everything you do.
There are MANY ways to praise.. also put into song by Carmen, on the CD R.I.O.T (righteous invasion of truth).
7 ways to praise- towdah= sacrifice, yadah= lift your hands, barouch= to bow, shabach= the shout, zamar= to play an instrument, halell= rave and boast.

so you see.. no matter your circumstances, no matter your strenth or weakness, you can glorify and praise the Lord.

and my prayer is that, in everything I do, I am praising Him.
doing what He would do
being who He wants me to be.
Because that is what I was created for.

Christian: a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ.

If I am not following His word, what good is my faith?

a workout ;)

my oldest and my youngest found me jogging and stretching in my sewing room, and decided to join me and create a workout :) and this actually felt REALLY good! :) have your kids help you sometime, you might be surprised! :D

youtube w/ me and the kids

my faith

i had to share this today

When I say "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect; my flaws are way too visible, but God believes I am worth it. When I say "I am a Christian," I am not holier than thou~I am just a sinner who received God's grace somehow.~Maya Angelou

fat

it's one of those days where you think everyone else looks awesome, and you look blah.
:(

i need a pick me up.. like.. a homemade chocolate shake. mmmmm

we went out to the lake with some friends last night.. and she looks freakin awesome in a two piece (Zonya from Zonya Healthy International) and even though she said i looked great.. i didn't feel like it.

one of my other friends has the same age children as my two youngest.. and she looks awesome too.

i KNOW i need to remember that I AM HEALTHY FOR ME. and that EVERY body is different.

but for today.. i'll just try and make myself feel good about me.
hug me, Brian. I need it.

just my view

it's funny.. i get emails about staying healthy and different diets, and "get slim in 6 weeks" stuff.

funny thing is? some i delete, some i actually look at.. why? because i'm human, and i really do want to look my best!

God's view of it?
keep your body healthy, yes, but that doesn't mean you need to go to extremes to find that.
your goal shouldn't be to look a certain way, or be a certain way..

you need to be fit and healthy.. not look like Kim Kardashian.. why? Cause you're not Kim Kardashian.

you have YOUR body, not someone else's.
i find that i am the most happy and healthy, when i just eat the way i like to eat (a daily diet full of veggies, meats, milk, water and fruit) and keep active with my kids. :)

and now that i'm making myself a daily schedule (just what i want to get done during that day), i can throw in little things in between.

it's not about losing a bunch of weight, or wearing a certain dress or pant size. it's about being HEALTHY and making sure you are YOU.

*was i on a soap box? if so, i'm stepping down now ;)

oi oi oi

omgosh..
what a morning so far..

i woke up just fine.. pretty tired still.. but hey.. *shrugs
had some coffee
fried up some hashbrowns with onion.. shared one of my hubby's egg and burger burritos..

got an email from Checks Unlimited saying they needed more info for our order, so we figured out how to scan in a check, and email it to them.
apparently they aren't allowed to open attachments.. so i called them instead.. got it figured out.. yay.. new checks are on the way :)

then my brain decided to go into overload.. all the stuff i have to get done.. and not having enough time to do it all.. ya know.. i got snappy and emotional.. ugh.. i hate feeling that way

so FINALLY i made a list of things i have to do.. knocked out a couple of them (put away the diapers, change jazmine's bed, pick up their room)

i'm going to HAVE to get rid of some of their toys.. whether they like it or not they have WAY too much stuff in their room.
they WILL be upset with me.. i guarantee it.. but i won't take away the things they love the most.. and these will go to the consignment store for other kids who don't have toys ;) my girls usually love to help as long as they know it's going to help another child :) which i think is SOO sweet..

so today.. i'm going to sew until Stephanie comes (50 minutes or so).. then lunch.. then hoping to sew some more until the babysitter comes to take zoe..


me, daddy, jazmine and alivia are going on a date :) going to see Cars 2 and mcd's :) and i'm buying :) i feel excited about that :) YAY! :)

makes me feel good when i can pay for little things :)
the bills are paid and i have extra cash.. thank you God for making all this possible!

cause without Him? i'm SURE my life would be a chaotic mess..
He's amazing

humph.. the weather, etc

well the last two days have been busy with our ever changing errands/schedules/weather.. so i haven't been able to go on my walk.. today i decided i was going to Zumba instead.

my two older girls, Jazmine and Alivia did it with me ;) lol. it was too funny trying to watch them while i was trying to not STEP on them, while i'm trying to concentrate AHAHA. but it was fun. :)

gotta keep trying to be more active! :)

oh.. and i have ICE WATER right now, instead of ice tea, or coffee (both of which would go right through me). need to make sure i always have a glass of water handy.. cause i get thirsty a lot..

BUSY MAMA :D


ALSO!
on the business side of things.. i'm doing my elastic different in my diapers now! i'm encasing it, instead of stitching it down! so much easier.. and i LOVE it. :D

it feels nice to kind of "streamline" my store..

i am loving having my business finally REALLY coming together
i love my labeling system

i am loving the new elastic casing
i've gotten rid of a couple things over the past few months, and really am creating a "store"

i like it a lot

day 2 :)

walked 2 miles in roughly 40 minutes (38 i think), came home stretched, did the splits :) now i have a fried chicken sandwich, baked lays and ice tea :) mmm... i feel good

now i'm going go get my snap and cut on ;) see what i can prep to sew tomorrow. i have a LOT of sewing to do. after these customs are finished, i still have lots to stock AND lots to get ready for the craft show.

taking a different angle..

well.. i lost a pant size in a mth with zumba.. and now i'm not doing it very often..

and today just looked SO perfect outside for a walk.. so as soon as my husband was home from the studio (videographer), i put on some "exercise clothes" and went out for a walk . :) i jogged some of it, but mostly just speed walked.. it felt SO good. i haven't done that in like 6 years. literally. since we moved out of our first apartment.. which was just before i got preg with jaz.. so 6 years ago.

it took me roughly 20 minutes to walk/jog just over a mile.
is that good? lol

my weight right now 158
30" waist
37.5"" hips
21"thighs

i'm loving being outside by myself :) it reminded me of when i ran track.. ahh.. fresh air.. :)
i will definitely be doing that again!

yyyeeaaahhhh...

wow.. it's been a while since i've done this. lol. i DID (in my defense) do zumba 2 days ago..
HAHAHA
after HOW long?!
exactly.

and i'm starting to feel like i'm a muffin top.. ugh.
i hate feeling that jiggle when i walk. need to get back up to speed on this!

ALSO i have my 10 year high school reunion coming up in october! wanna make sure i look "svelt" ;) hehehe.

gonna take my old bridesmaid dresses, and revamp them into evening gowns :) special occasion dresses :)

weight 156.5 lbs
waist 30 inches
hips 37 inches
thighs 20.5 inches

somehow i lost 1 lb and another half inch off my thighs..
lol
well COOL
i thought i had back slidden!!
*nods
*shrugs
well that makes me feel a tad better HAHA

well..

now i know why people still work out after already being in shape.

it's been prob 1.5 weeks since i last zumba'd and i can feel like some of the jiggle is coming back.
so yeah..

my weight has been fluctuating the usual 5 lbs.. sucks cause sometimes i'll weigh 153 and be like YAY! then i'll weight like 157.5 and i'll be like DANG IT!

but yeah.. measurements?
waist- 30" (same)
hips- 37" (same)
thighs- 21" (another half inch off) :D

so even though i haven't really done anything.. because i've already got a good start, and i'm keeping busy.. my legs are definitely getting a work out. :) (prob doesn't help that i recently binged on chocolate) HAHAHA

HEY i'm allowed (looks around) right?
progress pics

still workin on that midsection.. but i'm bound to poofy at some time every month ;) lol
hmm.. maybe if i tense my abs and take another pic? would it look better? :D

yup.. i am a big dork :D oh well.. see you again! hopefully sooner than this last gap in blog postings! *oops

hi *blush

it's been 3 days since i zumba'd last. lol. i always feel fat when i dont do it for more than 2 days.
but how can i feel fat when i'm getting rid of 2 pair of jeans that are too big? :D hehehehe.

then again it's been like 2 weeks since i wrote last *hides

my measurements now are
30" waist
37" hips
21.25" thighs :D
so another 1.25 inches gone in my thighs!! DANG! no wonder my pants are feeling a tad baggy around my legs.

WOW results :D YAY!

well.. i had to post this today.. i'm having a fat day.. lol.

but wait!! look at my new measurements!!
waist- 30"
hips 37" (1 inch less!)
thighs 22.5" (1/2 inch less!)

YAY! not THAT's a fat day booster. :)

ALSO! since my pants have been getting kinda loose.. i was at goodwill a couple days ago looking for some business stuff.. and OMGOSH they must have just put out new stuff. in my SIZE! :D

i got like 5 tops size M (not L!) and 4 pairs of pants size 8 (not 10-12!)
i'm SO EXCITED! :D

am i losing inches?

well i already know i lost a half inch around my thighs, and my pants are loser in that area.. but check this out :)

i haven't measured it yet, but my pants are starting to fold under the belt, and my belt is on the last hole.

today today

well, i worked 4 hours this morning, grocery shopped for 1.5 hours, swam for 1.5 hours.. then sat for a WHILE!
lol

and i plan on being on my feet a lot tomorrow too.. i think it's ok to miss zumba on days like this.
right?

*whew

well i had to tighten my belt an extra hole yesterday :)

i have been SO tired today. i'm glad i'm getting results just doing this every other day.. cause i'm pooped.

i've been doing just the 20 minute workout, so i dont feel like a blob.
i'm hoping to do the 45 minute one tonight.. but at the rate i'm feeling, the 20 minute one looks like it's going to happen.

i'm just glad i'm keeping on keeping on. :) i love doing it. :)

what a day

very random day.. lol.

my 2 year old and 3.5 year old are both sick
Zoe is teething, and Livy is hacking up a lung.. poor thing. just bought her Robitussin.

only got one dose in her before bed, but seems to be working already. this stupid "cough syrup" isn't working worth poo.

well.. i got in about 10 minutes worth of Zumba.. at least that helped me from feeling lazy.. though i did get 5 diapers made today.

well.. now i'm eating chocolate peanut butter ice cream.. does that cancel out my workout? HAHAHA

had a great time tonight with my fans/customers.. did a fun question game, gave away mama cloth and a discount code, and a $5 credit.

oh well.. i still feel good though.. so my day was fine ;)
and God is still amazing

some new pics.. "before"

this is me in my first week of zumba. the extra babyness i want to get rid of.. pretty much a layer of fat under the loose skin.
This one is my abs tensed/contracted. I can kind of see the beginning of my 6 pack coming back. :) But the bottom "belly button around" definitely needs some toning.

I'll retate my measurements and weight tonight and post that too.

here they are
weight 156
waist 30 inches
hips 38 inches
thighs 23 inches.. i've actually lost a half inch in my thighs :) YES!! progress!

keep on keeping on

gotta do what i gotta do.. didn't get a workout last night
so this morning (after cleaning up a small pee mess- oops) i did a 20 minutes Zumba workout
then got coffee.. cause i was like half sleep dancing lol

me doing my thing

finally got the Zumba fitness package.. i've been doing it on and off for about a week or so now. i love it :)

here's a video of me doing it.. obviously not the best.. but.. hey.. i'm working on it :D
granted it's the entire workout.. in fast forward haha.. just wanted to show you.. i may not be blogging a whole lot.. but at least i'm working on it

note.. my dorky husband enters the picture.. silly man