Dye Job

I now have a WHITE eyebrow hair.
Weird.
I suppose that is nature's funny way of welcoming me to my 30's???
I am now afraid to pluck.
Am I going to have to have to start dying my eyebrows too...
or could I pull this off?

Thoughts?

Have you ever seen a fully gray-haired 30-something?

On another note,
we got River enrolled in a Preschool for the Fall!

It will be 3 days a week, and I am so excited.
The funny part is that there was only 1 spot available for that class,
and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration began at 7:30am, and the director had told us that last year
a parent showed up at 2:30 am to grab the first spot in line.
(Think Black Friday at Wal-Mart)
We thought that was so crazy, but the more we thought about it
we didn't want to miss out on the only spot available....
SO, Justin headed over there after we put the kids to bed on Friday night @ 9:30 pm
and camped out all night.
The second craziest parents showed up at 11:30, so I am so thankful we are just a tad bit more ambitious than the next person!

 Thank you Justin...

And just for good measure,
here are some scenes from the weekend.

Bluebonnets

Bubbles

 More Bubbles

 

 

And the trees that cover our backyard....love them!
Although, we did have one heck of a storm last week
where I swore a branch was going to break off
and take out a window or something.
Yay for Tornado watches and warnings!

Lean and Green

A study of vegetables...By Paige Donovan

A good reminder...made by Paige Donovan



My food choices for the next 10 days.
Nothing from a box, nothing sugared
Nothing that resembles a cracker, or goldfish, or granola bar.
Only real, only from the earth,
only cooked by me, only made by me.

Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Fruits and Vegetables, Chicken and Fish, nuts and seeds.
Minimal Olive Oil, minimal dairy.
BOOM!



I will keep you updated as I go along...and let you know what I learn along the way.
I will say that this is not a huge departure from the way we normally eat. I am just taking out any dessert, any bread, and processed food for the next 10 days to see how we feel.
I predict that I feel less bloated, less grouchy, have more energy, and have less cravings for these types of foods.
I will be tracking my progress at MyFitnessPal.com
Game On!

We did a photo-booth this weekend...so funny!

My Birfday

So, for the BIG 3-0 I wanted to just party all night
dance on tables
get crazy
go to a rave (do people still do that??)



But none of that happened, so I had a glow stick party
in the bathroom with a 4, 5, and 6 year old!
Pretty much cooler than any table dancing I could have done.

AND, we got to hold a brand spanking new baby boy
It does NOT get any better than that!


Our sweet friends, the Seprish Family, invited us over to celebrate.
Mind you, Laura just birthed a baby, and was still down to host a party.
This woman is absolutely the best.
She is an amazing woman, mom, spouse, and friend.
And I am one lucky girl.
She even got me a Red Velvet cake...
from COSTCO.
Be still my Red Velvet loving heart.
It was worth every last bite!!!


So, it was the best kind of birthday,
surrounded by friends and my own little family..
Lots of sweet cards and thoughtful gifts,
I am so happy to kiss my 20's goodbye.
I will take a snuggle from my kids over a hangover any day.


I didn't do so hot on my 30 before 30 resolutions,
but what I am figuring out is enjoying the ride
is so much better than scheduling life to fit in to my
grand plans.

So here's to another year,
a few more gray hairs and wrinkles,
but an abundance to be grateful
and thankful for in my life.
xo, A

One Piece or Two?

Hi Gals! Just wanted to flashback to some videos I made from last year
about working out, setting goals, and staying motivated.
As bathing suit season approaches (yikes!) we all need a little reminder
or two
or three....
so here are a few tips from me from last year.

Also, remember that the most beautiful thing about yourself
is your confidence,
so don't be ashamed of your imperfections...own them.
Don't let them own you and rob you of a great time at the pool,
or a fun beach trip with friends and family.
Find a bathing suit that you feel confident enough in, and just go with it!

(FYI: for a good chunk of the country, bathing suit season isn't for quite some time, but for us Texans, it is knocking at our doorstep...time to hit the gym!)






Also, I would love to get back to regular posts about fitness related things, so if you guys have questions, let me know and I would be happy to address them in a video.

I think this is the kind of suit I am on the lookout for, since we have to hit up the neighborhood pool this year...
I may have to save my bikinis for the backyard now!
Any cute suits you have your eyes on??


Red Suit
xo

The Dirty 30

Hi! Happy Love Day.
Just wanted to share some "stuff".
Nothing earth shattering,
but I have missed you!



Products:
Olay Professional Advanced Cleaning System
Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
Goody Spin Pin
It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Product
Alterna Kendi Oil Dry Oil Mist
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe-35

Happy 2012

How we spent our New Years Eve...
Sunny and 70 degrees out.
Thank You Texas!
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Paige
She's a STAR!
Readying the Rocket Launcher...
FIRE!

Party Pants on and ready to go...
Happy New Year everyone!


If you want to see how our Christmas Day went down,
hop on over to my other blog!

Monday Motivation

To keep me focused this week:

Every time I feel like being lazy,
I will watch this...
and put my running shoes on.

Have a great, productive, active week!
xo, A

Sunday Sermon #2

“We all pretend for a while or for a lifetime. But pretending is not living...I believe that God meant for life to take our breath away, sometimes because of the sheer joy of it all and sometimes because of the severe pain. To choose living over pretending means that we will know both.”
― Angela Thomas

Being thankful for my friends is easy....
telling them how much they mean to me is a bit trickier.
Here goes nothing...

I have so many wonderful friends.
I have a few hard-core sister/friends who have stuck by me
through years, COUNTLESS moves, time apart, arguments,
skinny, not-so-skinny, good, bad, and ugly.
There is something scary about letting someone in to your life,
so closely that there is no pretending.
And we all know how great girls are at pretending.
We spend our whole childhood doing it, and mastering it.
Heck, we pretended EVERYTHING.

Then we grow older, and realize that pretending takes a lot of work.
Figuring out who you really are takes a lot of hard work,
and can get a little messy in the friend department.

Being lucky enough to have friends next to you
when you come out the other side is a gift that cannot be described.

To those friends:

Lindsay
Cory
Sarah Jane
Jamie
Kacie
Laura

I appreciate you for loving me, and supporting me.



There are many honorary mentions from Spokane who know who they are...
(ok..want me to name names?? cindi, julie, melissa, ashley, jessica, sian, jacquie, lauren, jana, kelly, rachel, and more...)
They kept me company for weeks and weeks,
They shared their children, and their recipes, and their talents,
They took care of me when I was sick, sad, and post partum,
They taught me so much about what it means to me a military spouse.

I appreciate you for loving your spouses, and supporting me and mine.
I appreciate you for treating me like family, even when we were strangers.

Thank you for loving the pretend me,
AND the real me....
I am forever grateful for your love.

What would the world be without friendship?
xo, Ariel

Living in a shipping container?

Lots to think about here...
if you have a few minutes, check it out.
I think this idea of being owned by our things
is so true, and good to be aware of.

Only in California, right?!
I love it.


Thoughts?

xo, A

girl power....

and boy power too I suppose.

This subject has been on my mind and heart so much lately,
as our girl has been struggling with how people perceive her...
people making fun of her clothes, hair, mole, etc.
and how do we teach her

she IS good enough
she IS smart enough
she IS perfect to us

and GOD made her this way.

It is a battle I did not know I would face so early on,
but Paige is struggling at 5 tiny years of age with all of this.

As girls, I think we have had it so much harder in this way,
living up to this perfection in our minds,
and the perfection we perceive from others.
I was so blessed to be raised by a Mother that fought so hard to
build us up
when the whole world tried to tear us down.
I am trying so hard to be that Mother for my daughter,
but it is hard.

I want her to know she can do ANYTHING
I want her to know she can be ANYTHING
and that we will love her all the way.

If Justin and I can do nothing else but build our daughter up
and raise our son up right,
then we will feel accomplished in life.
I want our kids to be strong and kind.
I want our kids to be gentle and confident.
I want our kids to be hard working and generous.
It is a tall order, I know.
But it begins now.

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
HELEN KELLER



You may notice a few faces in this video if you read this...
I love the message she shares, and the Mother she is.

Oh, and Justin signed up for another (and hopefully his last for a while)
100 mile race in February.
We will all be going....camping....freezing....
I will be documenting....
and as much as I hold my breath anxiously while he does these things,
there is much for me to learn from him
and his determination and drive.
He may be crazy, but I guess I love crazy.
This story drives him...moves him .
He watches it often, and I see that twinkle in his eye.
He wants to live a life worth living.
I know I have shared this before, but it is worth watching again,
and again.

xo