My husbands passion and some SNOW??

As we all know, my husband is IN love with hunting. I sometimes wonder if he loves it more than me! But he was practicing shooting his bow and arrow that he just got and I decided to capture something that he truly loves.

Of course he was proud of this shot....

Of course Madi has seen snow before, she lived in Alaska for 9 months. But this is the first time in TN!!

K so Madi has this inflatable raft that is for the swimming pool.. She grabs it, grabs her hat and says outside... Apparently she thought there was enough to take her sledding on this raft! It was pretty dang cute though (too bad I didnt get a good pic!!)

Im sorry we made her come in. Heaven forbid!!!!

"PHOTO SHOOT"

So we went to Manchester this weekend for Alyssa's birthday. I can't believe she is 4!! My mom and dad got them all matching outfits for Christmas so we had them all put them on and took pics. After we got done, Alyssa says "Lets go do another shoot"... I was laughing so hard. No one had evened mentioned a shoot, I just said hey lets go outside and take some pics!! haha Anyways here are some photos from it... And just so you all know I weighed in this morning and 3.8 pounds lighter then last Monday!! Yeah for me!!!

3 Days Down!

So this is day 3 and so far so good! I am doing great on this BFL (Body for Life)... But then again it only has been 3 days. I cut out chocolate and diet sodas (well all sodas) and those were my 2 biggest weeknesses.... So Im sitting in the break room today at lunch and a guy walks in (knowing I'm doing BFL) and goes to the snack machine and gets a snickers..... GRRRR!! I said now that is just not nice. He said oh this... don't worry its for the homeless guy laying outside in the cardboard box... I started laughing. I was like oh ok thanks! Then he walks out and is gone. So I finish my chicken salad sandwhich and walk out and there he is chowing down on it. I said hey wait a second, he said oh the homeless guy was asleep I didn't want to wake him.... WHATEVER!!!! Then he had the nerve to offer me some... PUTZZZ! But what a huge step for me I SAID NO!!! Chocolate is like my drug... SO all I have to do is SAY NO TO DRUGS RIGHT? So I started on Monday and I have lost 2 pounds already..... I have an obsession with the scale anyways. My morning routine, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, start the water to get it hot, get on the scale. In that order! It never fails. I know you shouldnt get on it everyday, but I just can't help it. Im surprised I havent put one in the bathroom at work! So here is to 3 more days, since with BFL you do this for 6 days then get a free day! Yeah for me!!

A new start

So everyone wants to start the new year off right, right?? Well my "new years resolution" this year is to lose 70 pounds. Thats right count them up. I have 70 pounds to lose. Sad I know. Some of you are probably thinking how could you let yourself get like that. I dont know what happened. Im sure I could make up every excuse in the world. But the fact of the matter is, I want to be healthy. I have a short term goal and long term goals. My first goal is to lose 32 pounds in 12 weeks. I think that is attainable. My husband leaves for Afghanistan beginning of March, and I want some GOOD family pics done before he leaves. I have always been bigger then him, and that is my long term goal.... To be smaller than him and be able to fit his jeans (even though I wouldn't wear them!!) He has less then 12 weeks, but that is a good place to start. I am going to try body for life..... We will see how it works out. So I might be posting everyday or less then that. This blog is going to start being my journal for weight loss. Of course I will still put other things up, but this is a HUGE part of my life right now and I want to keep track of it... So here are some before pics, that are HUGE motivation pics for me!!! If anyone has any suggestions, comments, advice I am open and listening!!!

Happy Birthday Madi!!

I cannot believe that Madi is 2 today! Everyone told me when she was born to enjoy her being little while I could cuz it would not last. And man were they right! She has grown right before my eyes. She is a mama's girl. I think its the little bond we have, since Jason was gone the first 11 months of her life. And now that he is getting ready to deploy again, it makes me scared. He is going to miss another 15 months of her life. She is loving her daddy more and more everyday. We get home for the day and Jason is usually already home, and she just yells daddy daddy! It is so cute. They love to wrestle and play. Guess I'll have to pick up those pieces when he leaves. She is talking so much. Not really saying any full sentences yet, but last night I told Madi to ask Jason to get her ready for bed. And I would say daddy, then she says daddy, then I say will and she says will, I say you she says you, I say get she says get, and you get the point. So we REALLY have to watch what we say now!! She is learning to potty train. She loves to just go sit on the pot and make grunting noises (i think she gets that from her daddy) But it just makes me laugh so hard.... Anyways she is our little bundle of joy and she makes me so happy! I love her to death. So MADI HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!!

Daddy seeing Madi for the first time. She was 16 hours old. Scottsdale, AZ

2 months old. Cave Creek, AZ!

Talkin to daddy who was in Iraq!!

6 months Whale Watching in Anchorage, AK!
7 months Gardens in Fairbanks, AK11 months at Fort Wainwright, AK
16 months Nashville, TN!
19 months Fort Campbell, KY
I just realized this girls has been around the world!!!
She has also been to Grand Canyon, AZ (when she was only 4 days old!!!). Arizona, Alaska, California, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky!!! 10 States in 2 years!! HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!

Have you had enough yet?!?

I HAVEN'T!!! I could see Sugarland in concert every night and I would be happy! So here are the rest of the pics. I am not as happy about them as I thought I would be. Guess I'll have to go to another concert to get better pics!!! I need a GOOD digital camera! Maybe for my birthday next year. I wish I could have got it for Christmas, but I don't know what Jason has up his sleeve! Anyways hope you enjoy the pics!!!

Our Meet and Greet passes (on Jason's shirt) When they first came out! As you can see we were way close, that isn't zoomed in at all!!
I think this is my favorite pic! She is amazing! This is her singing Want To!

Sugarland singing Irreplacable by Beyonce, it was awesome!!

And what would one of my blogs be without Madi! She is so sick right now its sad..... But at least she looks cute right?!? Thanks to gramma and papa!!

SUGARLAND

So Jason and I drove down to Huntsville, AL last night to see Sugarland. The concert was amazing, of course. We had 10th row seats!! They are great entertainers. Jason kept laughing at her accent when she would talk..... It was great. We got to meet the lady who hooked us up with the tickets and she introduced us to Sugarland. As soon as she said Yo Gabba Gabba they got so excited. They said to tell Justin they are ready to go back whenever they want, and even started doing the Electric Eel (which is the Dancey Dance they did on YGG!) Here are a couple pics but I used my good film camera so I could get better pics, so as soon as I get those developed then I will put those up too!!! A HUGE HUGE THANK YOU TO JUSTIN FOR GETTING US THE TICKETS!!!! And a HUGE THANK YOU TO DAD TOO!!! And on the way back, we got snow!!! What a great night. Too bad none of it stuck!! It was fun to see it FINALLY though!!!

Jason and I on our way down to the concert. Yeah I am NOT EXCITED!!!!

Look how close we were!!!!

Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen all came out at the end and sang Life in a Northern Town and Pour Some Sugar on Me!!!

Stay tuned for more pics to come!!!!!

The Christmas Spirit

So as most of you know we just moved on post. We live in a house kind of like a town home. So its smaller then our other house, but hey its free!! So I didn't have much to work with this year as far as hanging lights, but I did it. This is my favorite time of year. I remember all the Christmas's in Idaho when Dad used to hang the lights. I always thought we had the coolest decorations. We even had a tree out front one year that had green lights and when you went across the street you could see a money sign! He even handmade a snowman, painted it and all, to hang up outside. I loved the luminaries. I love all the little village houses he has collected over the years. My parents always had the best decorations inside and out at Christmastime. Then we moved to Arizona, where it was a little harder to enjoy Christmas without any snow. I remember asking my mom if we were going to have a palm tree for our Christmas tree. But my dad still made the best of it. He still hung all the lights and did everything the same. But it was probably better for him cuz he didn't have to deal with the snow and the cold putting them up in Arizona! Well then I moved to Alaska and I lived in a town called North Pole. So there was Christmas 365 days a year. All the street lights were candy canes. Every store you went into had some kind of Christmas theme or decoration. They even had the Santa Claus house..... Here are a few pics from the Santa house last year.....

So here I am, 25 years later, hanging lights outside for the first time. When I get home from work its already dark outside and the minute I get Madi out of the car she says PITTY (that means pretty to her!!!) MOMMY.... So those 2 little words make it worth it to me. She gets so excited to see those lights. She wants to point to every bulb and say pitty!! We haven't taken her to see Santa yet, but hopefully this weekend!

Also I found this poem that I would like to share. It tells the true meaning of Christmas. I don't remember what site I found it on, but it is worth the read.

Not Only Christmas Day

Lord, this is my prayer Not only on Christmas Day But until I see You face to face May I live my life this way: Just like the baby Jesus I ever hope to be, Resting in Your loving arms Trusting in Your sovereignty. And like the growing Christ child In wisdom daily learning, May I ever seek to know You With my mind and spirit yearning. Like the Son so faithful Let me follow in Your light, Meek and bold, humble and strong Not afraid to face the night. Nor cowardly to suffer And stand for truth alone, Knowing that Your kingdom Awaits my going home. Not afraid to sacrifice Though great may be the cost, Mindful how You rescued me From broken-hearted loss. Like my risen Savior The babe, the child, the Son, May my life forever speak Of who You are and all You've done. So while this world rejoices And celebrates Your birth, I treasure You, the greatest gift Unequaled in Your worth. I long to hear the same words That welcomed home Your Son, "Come, good and faithful servant," Your Master says, "Well done." And may heaven welcome others Who will join with me in praise Because I lived for Jesus Christ Not only Christmas Day -- Mary Fairchild


Merry Christmas to all.....

So my brother produced a new kids TV show called Yo Gabba Gabba. As a star guest they were able to get a group called Sugarland. Well for ANY of you who don't know(shame on you) I am a huge fan of Sugarland. I saw them in concert up in Alaska. They were amazing entertainers. I liked them before I saw them in concert, but after I saw them, I LOVED them, well their music. You get the jist. So then in April I won tickets off their fan website to go to the CMT Music Awards. Well then I got to go to Cali (happened to be there the same time they filmed!! haha) I got to meet Sugarland on the set of Yo Gabba Gabba. It was so much fun to watch them film this 2 min take that took like 5 hours to film! It was AWESOME!!! Then in July I won tickets off the radio to go to the 2007 CMA Music Festival. For those of you that don't know what that is, its 4 straight days of country music from 8am-midnight. So the night I won tickets HAPPENED to be the night that Sugarland was there... Well then I WON TICKETS AGAIN off the radio to go to the CMA Awards in Oct (see previous post for pics) and of course Sugarland won Duo of the Year, which was awesome because Brooks and Dunn have won the award the last 15 years (except in 2000 when Montgomery Gentry won.) So it was a BIG DEAL!!! SO NOW!!!!! My brother, the amazing brother that he is, has done it once again! I get to go see SUGARLAND headline their own tour for the first time in their career on their last tour date in Huntsville, AL this Sat night!!!!! He hooked me up with tickets and meet and greet passes! Man I am so excited. My parents say don't you know their are laws against stalking people like this! But I just call it luck! Seems the only time luck comes my way is when Sugarland is involved, so why not take advantage!!! So a HUGE THANK YOU TO MY BROTHER JUSTIN!!

A New Hobby!!

So I have finally figured out how to make my own blog pages. It is quite fun once you learn. But that first time you make one is a pain in the butt. I am up for making anyone a page if you tell me what you want as far as colors and designs. Or if you find paper you like off of a scrapbook site or something, I can make it for you! Or if anyone needs any help on learning how to make them I can definatly help!!