Full sit ups and new pants

Full sit-ups - When I started the kickboxing program, for our first "test", we had to run a mile and do a minutes of push-ups and sit-ups. Doesn't sound to hard, right? Well, it was harder than I thought. I walked/ran the mile, did okay on the push-ups and did about 10 full sit ups. Someone had to hold our feet down and we had to grab our shirt and sit up all the way, like in gym when I was in school. So today, during our workout, we did rotating exercises and one of them was full sit-ups for about 30 seconds. I am proud to say that I did full sit-ups for the full 30sec.!!! I counted to 20 before I got distracted by listening to the next exercise to do. This proves something is happening!
New pants - For the last year I have been wearing the same 3 pairs of pants. The last few days I have noticed that I am constantly pulling them up and I could pull them down without unbuttoning/zipping them. So I tried on my pants, the ones I fit into before I got pregnant with Sarah. They don't fit. Yet. But I did have to go buy new pants yesterday, because I am a size in between what I was wearing to what I wore before Sarah! This is sooo exciting to me. I have not seen any difference in my actual weight, but obviously I am losing inches!
This is the 4th week since I started this program and I was starting to feel a little bored since I haven't seen any difference and these two things have given me new found commitment and excitement.
Since the weather has been nice too, we have been going outside a lot and either taking walks or practicing t-ball in the backyard. Megan and Joseph are becoming very good little baseball players and Sarah is enjoying walking around stealing all the balls! She especially likes the baseballs that Brent pitches to the kids. It has all been a lot of fun. If any of you have ever seen SpongeBob, my kids have been saying at the end of every day "This is the best day ever!" singing to the tune of that song.
Today, I sent Megan off to school for the first time this year in shorts! She was so excited, she asked me if it looked like she was "going out to summer". I also noticed yesterday that people our finally getting out to take down their christmas lights. Can you believe it?! It is the end of April and people are still needing to take them down, I saw 2 people yesterday doing this! Thanks heavens for nicer weather!

rain + rain + more rain = lots of worms

It has been raining for the last few days and I think the worms have come out in force. Last year Megan and Joseph would pick up the worms and move them back to the grass and "save them", this year Megan has learned all about germs and says we can't do that again because they have germs all over them. Joseph believes whatever Megan says so now he won't touch them either. Not that I want them playing with the worms. Last night I took the garbage can out to the street and had to tip toe all the way down so as not to step on one and I am sure the garbage can ran over about 20-30 of them, they were all over. It makes my stomach squirmish to step on any type of bug but especially worms! I should have taken a picture of it. The grass is turning a nice bright green so that is nice. It has been a really long winter here in Iowa so I think everyone here is sooo excited for spring.
My healthy eating is going well still. I am not a big fan of english muffins, but in eating healthy I can eat whole wheat english muffins. I have not wanted to try them, but the other day I bought some and thought I would give it a shot. So last night for dinner, I made myself a whole wheat english muffin (i toasted it), with mustard, turkey and tons of lettuce on it and it was Really good. And it has just the right amount of carbs for me. It was quick and very tasty. My friend also told me her new favorite healthy snack: canned peaches (in its own juice) with cinnamon warmed up with a healthy special K cereal on top. I am planning on trying this very soon.
Excersing is still working me good. I come home and all I want to do is go back to sleep, because I am so exhausted from my constant 45 minutes of moving! (and getting up so early) But I have my 1st meal, and then rest until it is time to get ready for the day. I wish I could sleep in tomorrow, but Megan has a game at 1:00 and I have a sharing time lesson to prepare for sunday, so it will be another busy day!
And in exciting news, my pants are starting to be more loose!

Joseph climbing the bleachers at Megans first baseball game.

Sarah wanting the camera

Megan up to bat.

Megan running to first base.

update

It has been awhile since I updated, so here goes. Exercising has still been intense, they work us good. I really like working out to music and with a group. It keeps me on track and pushes me harder than I ever would at a gym by my self. Eating is going good, I am getting my 6 small meals in a day. I do feel like my core is stronger than before. I did buy some protein shakes but I have been to afraid to try them! The last time I had a protein shake is before I was pregnant with Megan and they were horrible. Then I got pregnant and sick and just the thought of them made me throw up. So I have a bad memory of them. Brent tried one the other day though and said they weren't so bad, better than before. I think I will try mixing it with some strawberries and ice.
The kids are keeping me busy as always. I really haven't updated lately because Sarah is obsessed with anything electronic. The phone, remote, computers, radios, cameras, and anything like this. She goes nuts and if she can't have it she throws a fit. So it is hard do get on, she especially likes the computer. She has a little computer she can play with but that is not the same as the real one. Anyway, nothing to exciting lately and now Sarah has seen me so....Later.

Sore again

This week exercising has been just as intense as the first week and after a nice break on Sunday to recover from being so sore, now I am sore all over again. Eating has been going pretty good. I have been getting all my proteins and carbs in at each meal that I need and drinking lots of water. I sometimes feel like I am pregnant again, I go to the restroom so many times! Megan and Joseph are finally getting better and Megan was able to return to school. She really likes school but I think she is looking forward to summer, as am I! Last night for dinner I made enchiladas. This is one of our favorites, so you will have to try it sometime.

Chicken/turkey/beef enchiladas
You can use any of these ground meats - 1 lb of ground meat
1 big can of enchilada sauce
1 cup of salsa - more or less as you like it
soft tortilla shells - I used mutli-grain for me and used just the plain flour for Brents (my kids won't eat these)
1/2-1 cup cheese

brown the meat, drain, add about 1/4-1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and add salsa to meat
simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until it is not so runny
warm torilla shells and put meat mixture onto shells, roll shells and put in pan with some enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan. when pan is full of rolled shells, pour the rest (or as much as you would like) of the enchilada sauce over them, top with cheese and cook at 325 for about 15 minutes. Yum!
serve with salad and/or rice

1 week down, 9 to go!

I have completed my first week of the extreme kick boxing workout, and let me tell you it has been extreme! Half this week I have been barely able to walk down stairs or my abs have hurt everytime I move or my arms hurt I can barely lift them to wash my hair, so yesterday at class I was saying "I think I am getting this". I wasn't so sore, I could walk more normally, I thought things were looking up, then we did the cardio/kickboxing yesterday, and I am sore in my legs so bad now it hurts to go from sitting to standing and standing to sitting. But I am feeling a difference at the workouts already in that I can do more sets or go for a longer time doing pushup and other excersies.
I am also very tired, getting up at 4:45am is not fun. I don't think I have been this tired since I was getting up with Sarah when she was an infant. Some of you might think I am crazy, but I actually enjoy getting up and working out so hard. It brings a sense of gratification and self worth that I am getting into better shape and I get me time, which is something a mom doesn't get to much of and don't they say early to bed early to rise...
This morning though I thought I was going to be able to sleep in at least until 5:30am to go at 6:00 (on saturdays, I can go at 6, 8:15 or 9:15, so I will probably always go at 6) but Megan, who has been sick, got up at 4:25 and didn't feel good. I was able to go back to bed for about 40 minutes, though.
Anyway, I am still positive after the first week so I think that is a good sign. Sundays are our "fun days" to eat whatever we want (and sleep in, at least until 7-8!). I will probably eat about the same as I have been, but I have to make cookies for Brent to take to a get together before the preisthood session tonight, so I will most likely have one or two cookies tomorrow! My cookie recipe is awesome, sooo delicious! I will post it sometime and you will have to try it. Thats all for now!

Joseph and Sarah eating goldfish, Sarah just got up from a nap and her hair was sticking out. :)

A picture of me and my shorter hair next to my motivational picture. I cut about 4-5 inches off!
My before picture, I don't have the one they took at kick boxing so I took my own.

I chose to put up a motivational picture and this is the one I picked, I put it on our pantry doors to help me see it. Megan says it doesn't look like me! Hopefully I can get that waist back somewhat!

Joseph's monster truck birthday cake that we made.

Singing happy birthday to Joseph! Sarah was taking pictures too!

catch me up

It has been a few days, so I will catch you up. The kick boxing has still been pretty tough and very tiring, but I do enjoy it and once I get all the moves down I think it will get a little easier. The stength training is with bands and those are tough right now, we have started out just doing 2 sets of 16, but will move up to 3 sets of 16 with the middle set being quick. The arms were definitely harder than the legs in my opinion. It is all a very good work out and I get my heart rate up, and I always feel really good afterwards. I do, however, need a nap for a little while everyday, because getting up at 4:30am can be terrible if I don't. I find that more sleep gives me more patience and I know my kids like that.

The diet part is good. My favorite things for breakfast is 2 eggs, a piece of whole wheat toast, with a banana, or a whole wheat bagel with peanut butter on it, yum! Lunches are usually salad unless I have leftovers from the night before, which I have done a couple of times. And dinners this week have been salmon, pita with turkey and lettuce, whole wheat bread with turkey and lettuce and grapes and snacks have been either pudding, nuts, string cheese, or a protein bar (which are not my favorite) Tonight I had the pita bread with turkey and lettuce warmed up, with grapes, which was really good. I made homemade chicken noodle soup for everybody else. My kids would never eat what I had.

Yesterday was Joseph's 4th birthday so that was a fun filled day. We went to the mall and played, came home had lunch, made his birthday cake and cleaned, picked up Megan, went to Megan's first baseball practice, came home had a quick dinner so he could open presents, had cake and went to bed. I will post pictures tomorrow. I can't believe 4 years ago I was in the hospital with him! He was such an adorable baby and still is as a boy. Life has changed so much. We moved into our house when he was 2 weeks old, Joseph grew so fast, walking and talking, and growing tall, and Megan was 2 1/2 and now she is in kindergarten and now we have little Sarah. We have been sooooo blessed!

Today Megan was sick and stayed home, but Joseph still went to preschool. Between taking care of Megan, Sarah always wanting attention and doing loads of laundry, today has been a busy day.... so my head needs to hit the pillow! Look for pictures tomorrow.

Recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup
1 bag of Homemade frozen noodles
1 can chicken breast
celery cut up (add as much or as little as you like of this and the following)
carrots cut up (my family doesn't like to many of these)
onions cut up
salt & pepper
chicken boullion

add everything to a pot and slowly boil for about 25 minutes. Add whole wheat frozen rolls and this is a great meal!