In the beginning....

Sometimes I feel like I might be fighting a losing battle... I don't have "lucky genes" like my husband and his skinny family! I will admit, I am a bit jealous of his sisters and their skinny little legs! My legs are anything but skinny! When I get on the topic of my legs I usually find myself grabbing a big handful of thigh saying, "Yep,,, I'm a beefcake!!" And who wants to be a "beefcake??"
My metabolism was only helpful in high school and it's been all down hill after my first year of college. I was a happy size 1 or 3 and a minimal 112-116 pounds all through high school, but I gave the "Freshman 15" a new name.... "Freshman 35!" Yeah, apparently the bagels with CheezWiz and wine coolers messed up my unrealistic dream of being a size 3 forever. Actually I didn't even know that I had gotten so big, or I didn't care until I went to try on wedding dresses in the Fall of 1998. They ordered me a size 16 but said I was probably a size 14~ oh my gosh! (I need to borrow a scanner and show you those scary pictures!)
So, I went to Weight Watchers and lost 39.5 pounds in a little less than 6 months! I hit my goal weight of 120 the week before our wedding! I did awesome! Just after our July 1999 wedding I got down to 112 pounds but maintained around 118! THEN,,, two little boys came along and changed my body FOREVER!!! But again weight watchers came to the rescue after both of them! I kept off the weight and staying around 125 for several years.
Now jump ahead to the summer of 2009, I was pretty happy with my 127 pound body before I got pregnant with my daughter (in July 2009). I actually took measurements and pictures and prayed I could "at least" get back to that after having her! I gained over 60 pounds with her pregnancy and it wasn't easy getting it off. It took OVER a year!!! I started working out, walking and a little cardio when she was only 2 weeks old. Which at this point I weighed 160 pounds but mentally felt about 200 pounds, (Either way, that's a lot of weight on a 5ft. 2in. frame!) When Tenley was 8 weeks old, my friend Tina, drug my 150 pound butt to an intense workout class, called Barefoot Fitness. It was sooo hard at first and in front of the other people and the mirrors I often left in tears, feeling like a fatso and frustrated with being so heavy! However, I do believe it did something for my confidence, when I could see my substantial progress. For example, I started out doing assisted pull-ups with this HUGE gray band. I really felt embarrassed but it wasn't long and I was able to switch to the orange band that Tina used! Now, I look back on that and think "WHO CARES!, why did I care??!" HEY people,,, I was there busting my butt, trying,,, more than most people would do! I also learned a LOT from the trainer and even though I don't go to that class anymore (conflict of interest with the physco, bi-polar trainer) I still use a lot of their workouts, exercises and warm-ups to this day! So, thanks BFF!!! :)

I continued to workout all winter long in my garage and at the Rec Center! Now, let me just say that the extra weight came off very slowly, like only a 5 pound loss every two months. I tried to watch what I ate but I wasn't on any "plan" until the end of May (I weighed 133) when my friend Tina got me motivated to a whole new level! Also, I knew I was going to have to push myself with my workouts and eating if I was ever going to get back to my pre-Tenley weight and most importantly, back in my pre-Tenley cloths!! I wanted to get in my old cloths pretty bad! I mean, I love shopping as much as the next girl, but I wasn't going to go buy the next size up just to have an excuse to by clothes! No, I just made due and I kept telling myself, "Stace, can reward yourself with new cloths when you are back in "your Size!"
to be continued....

Where have I been???

Well, I know I've chose to NOT write in my blog for almost a year... but where I've been is a good question... Just at work,,, home, the gym and running the kids here and there!!! Same ol' same ol'!!!
Here's the family update!

Tenley greatly enjoyed Jayne's and I think Jayne fell in love with Tenley, "Miss T!" We are blessed to have her! Even though she won't take the boys this fall on Friday's we are still staying with her because that will be best for Tenley!
Jett... he is 9.5, just finished his 3rd grade year and is trying so hard to be a big boy but yet he is still such a little kid! He is taking better care of his "pets" the Salamander and now he has a beta fish! He hopes to show us enough responsibility to get chickens next spring! Daddy needs to get working on that coop! Jett also has braces top and bottom which is changing the look of his face so much! I can't believe how grown up he looks and yes, very handsome!
Oakley,(7) almost 8 in Oct, who is ready for 2nd grade is however, not interested in being a big boy yet. He likes being a kid and is in no hurry to grow up! He's stinking cute but as always for him, a bit naughty! Speaking of braces, he starts the whole process with spreading his top jaw in September! yeah,,, another bill!

Tenley is a 14 month old, walking, talking wild maniac monkey girl! That pretty much sums it up for her! Oh, did I mention she is stinking cute like her brothers!?

Cory has been busy with work. He just returned from an 18 day work get-away in NV. He hopes to get out one more time before summer is over to get some extra money in the savings!

And now to ME!!! I am not doing any of my regular hobbies,,, NO time to read, scrapbook or nap... NOPE! Instead I just WORKOUT!!! oh yeah! Insanely, usually 2 sometimes 3 times a day! I have been working very hard on getting myself in shape and back into my pre-Tenley cloths!!! I guess you could say I am there but not ready to stop! Even though it has been a lot of hard work and I know maintaining this size will be tough I am ready to see where I can go with this. So, I am about to dedicate this blog, starting tomorrow, to my Fitness goals! So, tune in tomorrow for the whole story!!!
ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL SUMMER LOVVEEEE!!!!

End of the 5th week of school 2010-2011

It has been a long 5 weeks! I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. I wish I could say everything is going so well that I am loving my job again but not so true.
However, God is showing me I will survive and he is in total control... I just need to sit back and deal with this life he's given me. I am working on not being selfish! I have to tell myself, I can't just quit working to stay home with my baby just because I WANT TO! So here's what God's doing....
After the first few rough weeks of Tenley at a daycare that just wasn't settling with me, we finally found the answer to my prayers. I have to wonder why I didn't call Jayne when I got her number, from a friend, the week before school. I guess I figured we already had a daycare and I thought it would work. When it wasn't "working" I asked around wanting to use word of mouth to find a better daycare situation for Tenley. In the meantime, I was taking afternoons off for almost 2 weeks to take Tenley home to feed her and let her get a good nap!
During this time I had a few leads but they both fell through. Then I had another situation, a friend whom I really trust, offer to keep Tenley. I really didn't know what to do,,, feeling unsettled about making a decision I prayed!! I finally started to really put my trust in the Lord and give this up to him. I quit worrying and took a leap of faith and gave my two weeks notice at the BIG nasty daycare and that very same day, Jayne's number fell into my hands once again!! We talked for 5o minutes and agreed to meet because we both thought the other was the answer to our prayers! (Yes, I do believe God brought us together!) Jayne is an almost 60 year old grandma who quit her job of 25 years at the bank to stay home and watch "teachers kids!" She only watches one other little boy, (15 months old) and her 3 year old grandson 2 afternoons a week. She was praying about wanting one more to watch, preferably a baby! I was praying for a grandma that would love my baby girl like her own grand daugther and be able to give her the attention she deserves,,, without a bus load of other kids running around, trompling on her. So far, Tenley spent 4 days with Jayne and I think it went great! I am very pleased with the new daycare situation God has worked out for us. I pray we can all continue to bond and Jayne and Tenley can continue to "fall in love!" The ONLY bad thing is that she lives all the way across town but I know she is worth the drive. Oh, wait, there is one other bummer thing,,, I still miss my baby girl like crazy!!! I don't get to see her/feed her at lunch, which I did when she was at the old daycare center! BUT, I know,,, I know. This is all God's plan and I have to learn to give, stop being selfish and just be thankful we now have Jayne!

Back to school! Do I really have to go?

Back in April, shortly after I had the baby I though I would be ready to go back to work in 4 months. That's a third of a year! At the time that seemed like a long time, longer than what everyone else gets for maternity leave. So why can't I be happy with the long 4 months I had with my baby!?! Why is leaving my baby at the daycare so hard? My baby is a third of a year old! That's old enough to go to Daycare. I had to take Jett to daycare when he was 3 months old and he survived!
I don't want to work this year. I don't want to be away from my baby! I don't love my job this year! Okay, I don't "hate my job" but I don't love it! I'm sure I would if I didn't have a new baby that I would rather be with. I'm sorry but my baby comes before my students!
So, now I ask myself, "Stacey, why didn't you figure this out 4 months ago, before you signed your contract?"
I know we cannot afford for me to stay home! Well, maybe we could make ends meet and it would be tight, if we didn't send the boys to a private christian school! Life decisions like this are such a give and take!
So, she goes to daycare! Midway through the summer I called 24 day cares, I interview 4 of them, and made several visits, even unannounced! I finally decided on the larger center type daycare! I just felt it was the right place for Tenley.
So, is Tenley were she's supposed to be? Is this God's plan? I'm doubting it all right now! I almost feel sick about leaving Tenley at this daycare and I know the fact that she was only there 2 days and then got VERY sick isn't helping my doubt!
I don't know what to do other than push my sad feelings of leaving her to the side, toughen up and PRAY!
AND pray some more because I'm pretty sure my only support right now is coming from God!

Is summer really over???

WHERE DID IT GO??? Where did my summer go? AND where have I been!??? not on my blog that's for sure! I guess you could say I took a little blogging break! Don't ask me why because I've had plenty of time but I guess I just wasn't into it! BUT, now I'm back!!!

AND now summer is about over!
The boys and I will now brainstorm for you all of our previous summer activities,,, here goes,,,

*weekend in Burke last part of May
*Swimming lessons x2
*A 5 night trip to Cheyenne and Wellington,CO in June to see Cheyenne friends and the French family
*waterpark x3
*Jett went to grandmas to play with the chickens while Otto got in trouble at Aunt San's
*mommy's "cousins weekend" 3 families stayed with us, we went to Rapid- Story Book Island
*the culverts at the creek x2
*The 4th of July Belle Fourche Parade (Brrrr,,, got rained on!!)
*movie nights at home x2o or so
*rode the 4-wheeler and went with dad on his new 4-wheeler
*went to Hills Alive, enjoyed the concerts from the back with sissy and took boys on kyaks
*playing with babysister and making her laugh x200, give or take 50
*playdates with the neighbor kids x 15
*bike riding at the park
*painted our living room, kitchen and sissy's room
*cousins Audri and Whitney came to stay a week, on two different occasions
*water skiing @ Keyhole with Trevor Hill
*camping at Iron Creek Lake in a cabin with Dad and Sissy, 2 nights for dad's birthday
* hosted the"Summer's Over" neighborhood picnic

OHHH, Brother!

Jett and Oakley became big brothers on April 20th, 2010, when their little sister, Tenley Hope came into this world. As you can see her brothers are in love with her, can't get enough baby kisses and are ready to protect their baby sister at any given moment! Here they are enjoying their big brother status!

Kisses from Jett

kisses from Oakley

Two protectors watching as daddy dresses
her after her washcloth bath

Oakley thinks his "sissy" is pretty special

Jett is awe of his super cute sister

Easter Egg Need Color

We had a great time dying Easter Eggs the day before Easter! The boys were very efficient this year. The whole thing only lasted about 25 minutes! Gee, and dad was too scared to join us!!