Ross

This week I hit a major milestone for myself, I'm now down to the last ten pounds of pregnancy weight I ever have to lose! So I've knocked off 43 pounds so far in the last 6 months since giving birth to Tyler. I've been feeling a lot of frustration and maybe a little bit of despair as I've been doing all I can to once again get down to 121 pounds. After doing this whole thing 4 times, it's just so old to me.
A year ago today I think I weighed about 120. I had lost about 5 pounds while going in and out of the hospital and dying of pneumonia, so by that time I was starting to gain it back. I was having lots of fun getting dressed and getting to put on all my skinny clothes. Well, that lasted just a few months until I started to pack the pounds on again with Ty.
I'm not worried about losing my enthusiasm for exercise and nutrition, but I'm done with being patient! I want to be skinny again now. Right now!
Logically I know that won't happen, so I'm trying my best to be patient by remembering it has always taken me a whole year to lose it each time, so why should it be any different this time around?
At this point I'm getting about 6 workouts in a week. I run, lift weights, ride bikes, do step aerobics, and boot camp classes. I think my biggest downfall is I feel like I'm starving half the time and eat way more than I should. If I could just kick my food addiction I'd be set.

So, to end, I'll put up a picture that will make you go "Awwwwwwww!" If it doesn't then I guess you must be a cold fish. I can't imagine anyone looking at a picture of a ducky and a baby cuddling and not get warm fuzzy feelings about them.

{freeze}




Between a million baseball games, ballet and tap dancing, running my kids around consumes my life. No wonder I can't seem to get any of my projects done around here. As a matter of fact, I don't even take the time to edit any of my pictures any more. Good enough is my policy lately.

I think it was National Buy Tons Of Candy And OD On Sugar Day.

(Nice Chase, I think he felt they needed some kind of bunny in the picture) Man that's a lot of red heads, and I'm the only unlucky one who doesn't get one.
No worries Griffy, as soon as that door opens, it's a free for all dash to the candy. We suggested to the kids that we let them out by size, starting with the smallest and going up. There was a massive groan with Lauren being one of the loudest, until she looked around realizing she'd be third in line and was suddenly all for it.


I don't know why I even try to take pictures of the older kids Easter egg hunt, all I ever get are blurry pictures of which ever child happens to fly past me.

Grandma Audrey made sure there were plenty of drugs around to keep us all in a sugar induced coma. The edges of my brain are still a bit fuzzy. Take note of the adorable little chocolate figures my mother-in-law made for all the kids. They were all so fun!

Yet despite all the sweet things laying about, we were still able to very much keep in mind the reason for the season. Eight hours of General Conference watching was sufficient to keep the savior in our minds and hearts(and dreams as I slept through 75% of the final session, I blame the sugar) and make our kids once again grateful for the mere one hour sacrament meeting they must sit(suffer) through before they can go to Primary on a normal Sunday. Count your blessings kids, count your blessings.

I encourage my kids to make snotty faces at people.


Oooh, I can feel the evil in this one.

Six months! It cannot possibly have been six months since you were born already.
You are the most happy, joyful little fellow I've ever met.

And your cute even when you stick your tongue out at me.

I'm sorry, I try, but to resist nibbling on those sweet little ears that stick out slightly is almost impossible.

Now speaking of your doctor, despite what his scale says, I think he's nuts for suggesting that you don't have enough chub on you. I kiss your chubby little arms/legs/neck/cheeks/hands/feet every single day. Lots of chub.
Now stop distracting me from folding the laundry by being cute and making me take your picture!

Here it is! I've been playing with the idea of cutting off a few inches. It's just that it's taken her hair five whole years to go down below her shoulders with her curls, but the split ends were making me sick. I was very pleased that I got it so evenly cut, even though the pictures don't look like it because the ends curled under a bit more in places.
Don't mind the red licking circle under her lips, I try to stop her.
So pretty! When I leave it curly it goes about an inch below her ears, and is still very cute. But man was I nervous cutting it. Hopefully it doesn't take another five years to go below the shoulders again.

Ethan turned 7, and Tyler turned 6 months old; however, the party was all about Ethan.

We started with baseball cakepops in his class at school and I took him a personal pan pizza for lunch. He thought is was awesome.

This cake has sentimental value. This comes from a cake book I grew up with that my mom gave to me a couple weeks ago. I made this same cake for myself when I was about 10 years old. I was so excited to make him the same mit and glove cake! The chocolate dipped strawberries were for me, I admit it.

Ethan with a couple of his boys.
This bottle has something like 78 different science projects you can do with it. It's so fun! We made quick sand out of corn starch and water last night. It was so fun to play with that we made it again today.

Ahhh! Bakugan! Woopty doo, or I mean, oh how fun!

I love this picture! You might notice Lily hugging him around the middle, this is the present she got to pick out for him. She insisted on Sponge Bob.
Lauren picked out this little magic kit for him. We got it from the dollar store but it's just perfect for him to do a few fun little tricks with. Good choice Lauren.

He has a doofy look on his face right here, but he really did love it. Why do kids have to go all cheesy when they see the camera?
If you look closely you might notice both of his two top teeth are missing. He had a great birthday I think. The whole last week he got to stay with my parents and play for Spring break. Then tonight his Ross grandparents picked him up for dinner and a trip to the hobby store for his birthday present. I love that my kids have such devoted, fun grandparents! It means so much to me to have my kids create strong relationships with both my parents and Brett's.

Anyway, happy birthday son! I love you so much and I'm so happy that I get to be your mother here on Earth! You are a great kid; loving, kind, clever and so inquisitive. And I can't believe I've been a mom now for 7 years and one day. That blows my mind.

Dog "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."
Ducky "Momma! Momma! Momma!"

Dog "Get lost you dumb duck."

And here is a bonus crazy duck. I thought the gloves were a nice choice, really put the whole outfit together.