Happy Mother's Day

This is just a quick post for my friends and family (and anyone else who is interested) to see pictures of us from today, Mother's Day.

We attend an incredible church, Church on the Move. They created adorable backdrops for family photo ops at church today. They also gave moms chocolate, shoulder massages, and foo foo coffee drinks. I love my church.

When Piper and Riley turned one, I made these pillowcase dresses for all three girls. I love how they can wear them for years as the dress becomes a top as they grow.

Judd snapped this picture of Piper and I just before we headed off to church.

Judd took us out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. The girls had never been there. Instead of eating lunch, I saved up my calories to split the chocolate Blackout Cake with Sophie. It was so rich, we were able to take half of it home. I think I hear it calling my name from the fridge.

Riley looks like she's being stubborn in this picture, but actually, she's just trying to pose like a model. Riley keeps us laughing all the time.

I am Mommy to our three precious girls and couldn't be more thankful.

Potato to 5k in Five Weeks

If you read my last post, you learned that I have slowly lost 54 pounds. Well, just a few weeks ago I decided to start the Couch to 5k running program. It trains you to go from a couch potato to running a 5k (3.1 miles) in 9 weeks.

Prior to starting the program, I improved my cardio stamina by using my elliptical machine for an hour three to four days a week for one month. That paid off. I went from not running at all to running a 5k in just over five weeks. If you are familiar with the program at all, you know week five plays a nasty, yet glorious trick on you. You begin week five by jogging for five minutes, then walking, then jogging five minutes again, etc., but by the end of week five the program jumps to twenty minutes of non-stop jogging! No more intervals of jogging and walking. Well, I figured, since I ran for twenty minutes and lived to tell about it, I might as well skip all the rest of the training weeks and go for the full 5k. It worked!

Tonight I ran around a local park with a registered 5k trail. I ran (well...jogged) the whole 3.1 miles without stopping. It was hard. It was brutal. I really wanted to stop several times. The trail has lots of unwelcome hills but plenty of people and things to look at to help pass the time.

And, since I promised a current photo, here is the picture my hubby took of me tonight as I finished my first 5k. If you haven't read my last post, go look at my "before" picture to see how much I've changed during my healthy transformation. I'd still like to lose eight more pounds so I can weigh what I did when I got married, but I'm not really hung up on the number on the scale. I just enjoy being healthy and am thrilled to be fit enough to complete a 5k.

54 Pounds Gone!

I have slowly reduced my weight by 54 pounds (and counting). I'm frequently asked how I am losing the weight. I started my journey when my twins were a year-and-a-half old. I only wore stretchy yoga pants (and no, I didn't do yoga), so I can only guess I was a size 16. My size 14 clothes were very, very, tight. Ugh! I had three significant surgeries during my twins' first year (a C-section, an emergency hysterectomy, and a repair surgery) each of these required 8 weeks of recovery. That was next to impossible when I had three children under the age of two. With very little sleep I survived on carbs, packaged foods, and coffee with lots of cream and sugar. I was exhausted and miserable.

This picture was taken in June of 2010. This was my "aha" moment. I had no idea I was this large until I saw this photo. When I finally weighed myself I was horrified to read 207 pounds! I'm 5'8" and medium-boned, so at my thinnest, I'd still weigh more than a fine-boned more petite woman. But, come on! 207 pounds? That's ridiculous...and gross. I was very unhappy. It was an unhealthy image to give my girls too. I determined to model a healthy lifestyle filled with good food and physical activity. On a humorous side-note,  those of you who know me, know I don't curse, smoke, drink, or chew. Because of my prudish lifestyle, I find it very humorous to use the "Damn I'm Good" mug my in-laws have in their cupboard when we visit them in Nebraska. It's out of character for me and it makes me laugh every time I see it.

It is important to note that I was not fat because I had 3 kids. I can't stand when moms use childbirth as an excuse to be overweight and out of shape. Years later, if I'm still carrying extra weight it isn't "baby" weight. I am not a victim. Let's be honest and call it was it is -- personal poor choices that I alone own.

I do not use pills, shots, or surgery. I don't starve myself. I don't live at the gym. I am reducing my weight and regaining my health the slow, old-fashioned way:

• reduce my calories (though I don't actually count them)
• eat and drink nutritious food (and write down in a journal everything that goes in my mouth)
• sleep 
• exercise 30-60 minutes 4-5 days a week 

In future posts I'll delve into more details about my weight loss, but today I'll share with you my typical daily salad.

I buy large bags of Taylor Organic Romain lettuce from Sam's Warehouse. I eat a salad every day for lunch or dinner (not both). I don't use traditional salad dressing. I only use organic cold-pressed olive oil (again, at Sam's for a great price) with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. There are tons of reasons why I use this as my salad dressing, but if you are interested, you could start by reading about the health benefits of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar here. The lettuce and dressing are my base salad to which I add all sorts of extras. I don't eat all of these at one time, but choose combinations of unsalted sunflower seeds, diced avocado, garbanzo beans (chick peas), red, yellow, orange, and green peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Every once in a blue moon I'll add some chicken breast or ground beef to it if I feel I need additional protein. I do not add cheese.

Today I weigh 153 pounds (and still losing). I went from an XL top to a Small (I'm pear shaped, so my top half is smaller than my bottom half). My pant size went from a super tight 14 to a baggy 10. I'm probably an 8. I've lost 30 inches from my chest, waist, hips, and thighs (so far). Sorry, I don't have a current full-body picture. I'll get one and post it soon. This picture was taken a little while ago and I'm down eight more pounds now. Those jeans are too big now and I've completely changed my hair. Oh well, this will have to do.

Stay tuned for more details. Next, I'll post my breakfast shake recipe I use every single morning.

Family Portraits

Alaina is an adorable barista I befriended at the nearby Rocket Brothers Coffee spot. Alaina also is a photographer. A few weeks ago she simply volunteered to photograph my family. How amazing is that?!

Alaina took us to a very old abandoned shop whose layers of chipped paint revealed transformations long forgotten. Time left its mark on this textured building, and so this location was perfect.

Here are just a few of my favorite shots Alaina took.

Visit Alaina's site for more examples of her beautiful work.

http://inspiredlifephotos.wordpress.com/

Piper and Riley Turn Three

My twin girls, who were this tiny what seemed like just yesterday, celebrated their third birthday.

Piper and Riley awoke to find their bedroom filled with balloons.

Still in their pajamas, Judd and I took them to a local donut shop for breakfast. This is a rare treat. I think they've only been to the donut shop one or two other times. We save it for a tradition to do on birthdays. We learned a few things at the donut shop. Pink milk is pretty to look at, but does not taste good. Chocolate icing can get in your nose and ear. It is donut h-o-l-e, not donut w-h-o-l-e...please do not shove the whole donut hole in your tiny little mouth. And finally, cake donuts with icing and sprinkles are what the girls will order, but plain old glazed donuts or donut holes are what they will actually eat.


The girls opened their presents, dressed as princesses, of course.

Later, we went bowling and ate dinner at Fudruckers because that's their favorite cheeseburger dive. Then, we came home to enjoy homemade strawberry cupcakes with pink icing.

Piper loves shoes, especially if they are sparkly, high heeled, or far too big for her to safely wear without tripping. Piper likes structure and order and dislikes change. She has an iron will and I'm pretty sure her heels are made of steel as she is very good at digging them in when she disagrees...which is often. Piper also loves to cuddle and have books read to her. She is a beautiful person.

Riley loves everything pink. She fully embraces life. She sings at the top of her lungs, loves to twirl and dance, could play outside 24 hours a day, and has such a tender, sweet heart toward others. She is a performer and comedian. She keeps us laughing every day with her silliness. Riley is a beautiful person.

Happy third birthday, Piper and Riley! We love you so very much!

Priceless Treasure Found in My Attic

Shredded and twisted Christmas paper had been hauled off in bags to the curb. Extended family members returned to their homes after gathering for food, gifts, and games. The decorations were taken down and Judd returned the stuffed tubs and totes to their spaces up in our attic. While rummaging around he spied a box, untouched since it was placed there eight years earlier when we moved in.

Curious, Judd carefully slit open the yellowed-with-age packing tape and peered inside. A smile upon his face he quickly grabbed the box and called to me as he descended down the dusty attic ladder.

From within the box he first removed our black college graduation gowns and honor cords (Judd's honor cords -- I didn't earn mine because one math teacher decided that in order to earn an 'A' in her class one needed a 94%. I earned a 93%, and that one grade, in that one course, kept me from graduating with honors -- but I digress -- and I'm not bitter -- anymore).

Next from the box Judd pulled out his gray ski bibs. "That's where those things have been!" he declared as if he'd just seen an old friend. And finally, and most importantly, Judd gingerly revealed priceless treasure -- three baby dresses with sales tags dangling, a decade old and never worn. We stared at each other and could not contain our joyful laughter.

Sophie, Piper, and Riley were intrigued to say the least. They did not know the sacredness of the dresses. They did not understand why Mommy and Daddy were smiling and giggling.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Flashback to 1997…after two years of marriage Judd and I were told we had fertility issues and would require medical intervention just to have a chance at having our own biological children. We believed God wanted us to have a family. We found several bible verses about having babies and absorbed those scriptures deeply into our hearts and minds. We put action to our belief and purchased some baby clothes.

As the years passed, and we still had no baby, we clung to God's promises and trusted in His faithful love toward us. I whittled the baby clothes down to three items, the three little dresses we loved the most. We hung those dresses in our master bedroom where we could easily see them. We thanked God for giving us a baby who would wear those dresses.

More years ticked by. Judd and I built a home. We moved in just days before Christmas 2003. We volunteered to host Christmas for my entire extended family five days after we moved in. What were we thinking? We were in a hurry to unpack. The precious dresses were in the bottom of a box labeled, "miscellaneous" which was thrown in our attic and forgotten.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
With God's wisdom and grace and the help of fertility doctors, we had our first baby girl in 2007 and twin daughters in 2009. Sophie, our now four year old, and Piper and Riley, our almost three year old twins, wanted to hold the dresses. It was only then that Judd and I realized how precisely God answered our prayers. When we had prayed for God to give us a child to wear those dresses, we were only thinking of one baby. When you are starting at zero babies, you tend to focus on only getting the miracle of one baby. God filled all three dresses by giving us three daughters.

Hearing the sweet story, the girls asked to wear their dresses. Although the garments were intended for infants, I decided it couldn't hurt anything to let them try to put them on and wear them as shirts. And they fit -- as shirts -- beautifully. Nothing about the creation of our family has been normal, so why should the timing and manner in which the girls wear these outfits be any different?

I'm not sure how to describe the supernatural joy that filled our home. It was a tangible realization of God's goodness. It was a beautiful gift He revealed to each of us, together, as a family. We had hidden treasure, stored up in our attic for eight years, waiting for just the right moment to be discovered. The treasure is the dresses. The treasure is our girls. The treasure is our family. The treasure is our joy. The treasure is our loving and faithful Father God. Christmas may be over for now, but God's goodness endures.

DIY Initial t-shirt

Two years ago I began a little Christmas tradition. I made my 3 little chicks matching t-shirts with their initials on them. My inspiration was this adorable shirt which came from frogsandfairydreams.com

I love the items they sell. I wanted three long sleeved shirts, but that would have cost me $90+. So...I decided to do it myself -- with a few alterations. I created a similar look on my computer simply using my inexpensive printshop software (my hubby helped me tweak the design) and we printed it onto transfer (iron on) paper which I bought at Hobby Lobby using my 40% off coupon.

I followed the directions and ironed the designs onto white long sleeved shirts the girls already owned. Each year I can tweak the design, color, font, etc. and can easily make new matching t-shirts. I chose pink and green so the girls could continue to wear them long after Christmas is over.

I may embellish each shirt this year with a bow. If I do, I'll attach the bow with a snap so it can be removed when the shirt is washed.

The total for all three shirts was only $7.

Simple. Frugal. Fun.

Pumpkin, Moss, and Burlap Wreath

Weeks ago I fell in love with this wreath I found on Pinterest

Coupon in hand, my 3 little chicks and I headed to our local Hobby Lobby to buy our supplies.


Supplies:
1 large bag Spanish Moss - $3 (it was 50% off $6)
5 mini pumpkins - $3 total (they were 80% off)
Wooden floral picks - $1.80 (were $3 but I use my 40% off coupon)
18"  of 45" wide burlap ($2)
Wreath - free (left over from a previous project)
Hot glue gun and several glue sticks (already owned)

Total: $10

Sophie helped me make our wreath while the twins napped. I worked in small sections applying lots of hot glue. Sophie laid the moss on top of the glue and I smashed it down (burning my fingers countless times). After we covered all but the very back of the wreath with moss, it was time to add the pumpkins. I hot glued a wooden floral pick to the bottom of each mini pumpkin. Then, I simply jabbed the pumpkin pick into the wreath creating a cluster with the pumpkins rather than spreading them apart.

I'm not thrilled with my burlap bow. There's probably a better way to make it. I cut a 6" by 20" section of burlap, made a large loop around the top of the wreath and hot glued the two overlapping burlap ends together. Then I took a 6" by 45" section of burlap to create the bow part. I attached the bow to the loop with a little floral wire. My burlap is fraying, so there must be some secret to keeping it intact. I kind of like the fraying though since this is sort of a rustic wreath.

I'm sorry about the poor picture quality. In reality, my wreath does look quite similar to the original. My moss looks Christmas tree green in the picture, but it's not. The pumpkins on my wreath were the "sugared" kind which look goofy in this picture. With so many beautiful finds on Pinterest, I'm glad I finally got around to actually making something I pinned and loved.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Jennifer

Pumpkin Patch 2011

This autumn Piper and Riley are old enough to enjoy fall festivities like their older sister Sophie. Their Grandma Cole joined us at the local pumpkin patch to capture the experience.

Grandma took over 200 pictures. Many of them look something like this...Riley being silly, falling off a pumpkin.

But Grandma just kept snapping away knowing that she just might catch this...



Sophie's Date Night With Daddy

One of the many great things about the two-day-a-week preschool Sophie attends is the way they include family members in special ways. Tonight Sophie and Judd went on a special date together at the preschool. Sophie adores her daddy and daily asks him to marry her (which means they dress up as a prince and princess and dance together). She carefully picked out her outfit tonight, made sure her teeth were sparkling clean (princesses want fresh breath and clean teeth), put on her lip gloss (ChapStick) and brushed her hair a million times. She even wore Mommy's best perfume too.

At school tonight they ate football shaped cookies, gave tours of the classroom, and completed some fun activities. Sophie's teacher sat down with her to have her answers questions like:

How tall is your daddy?  - 3 feet

How old is your daddy? - 12

... and so forth. All her answers were written on a little keepsake certificate for her scrapbook.

Daddy and daughter both had a wonderful evening. I know Judd continues to set the dating bar very high for any future boys who want to date Sophie (years and years from now). And that's one more reason I love him!