Why We're Moving

Okay, so many of you asked about our reasons for moving. Sorry, I didn't mean to be mysterious in my previous post. We are just switching apartments within the same complex. Why? Well, because our lease came due and each time that happens apartment complexes try to raise your rent. A lot. I guess that moving is such a pain and can be really expensive (if you change complexes) so most people will just pay the new, higher rent. Well, we really couldn't afford the new higher rent. Not to mention that we got an excellent deal when we moved in last year and have been living in a three bedroom/two bath/laundry room apartment that was almost as many finished square feet as our old home. So, we are downsizing to a smaller apartment. In some ways, it's a bummer. We will be moving tomorrow to a two-bedroom/one bath/laundry-room-is-a-hallway-closet type of apartment. But we'll survive, and we are a little family so we don't really need more. And at least every apartment in this complex has an attached garage, so our garage will just become our storage room for the many things that won't fit in our apartment. :) And we'll be paying a somewhat smaller rent this upcoming year than we did this past year, which will be good for the pocketbook. So, there you have it! Our reasons for moving. Thanks for asking!

What We've Been Up To Lately . . .

Having Fun . . .

at the ward Pioneer Day Celebration Breakfast.

Cleaning . . .

pen ink off our car seats and arm rest.

(We got it all off the seats, but anyone know how to get it completely off a plastic door handle like this?)

Packing boxes . . .

'cause we're moving. Yup. Again. Moving is no fun ... we move this Saturday, so life is a bit crazy right now.

And that's why life is busy, as usual!

A Child's View of Home

For Katelee's birthday in March we gave her a Fisher Price camera. She loves to take pictures! Yesterday, for the first time ever, we downloaded the pictures she had taken onto our computer. It was actually really impressive to see all her photos, and a bit eye-opening. It was like a little window into the world as Katelee sees it. I loved looking through the pictures and wanted to record some of them here.

Don't all these pictures just look like an Eye Spy Game? Just for fun, see if you can find the following: Katelee's bedroom rug, a spider trapped under a bowl, dancing scarves littering a floor, library books, a stuffed puppy, a dollhouse window, green sprinkles, a baby chick, and a self portrait. :)

Katelee's 1st Primary Talk

Today Katelee gave her very first talk in Primary! We were very proud parents! She did a great job. Her talk was about following the example of Jesus. She gave her talk almost all by herself with only a few prompts from mom. This is a video of Katelee practicing her talk at home this morning before church. We broke up the clip into very short segments, which is why there are four clips. :)

We are so proud of the wonderful girl Katelee is becoming.

An amazing video - please watch!

What IF? A Portrait of Infertility from Keiko Zoll on Vimeo.

I'm too emotional to say much more about this, but to find out more about the creator of this movie and what you can do to raise awareness about infertility, please visit www.HannahWeptSarahLaughed.com.

Biggest Loser!

So, the big news in my life these days is that I'm eating much healthier and I'm losing weight. And I'm excited about it!

I joined a 'Biggest Loser' competition with some family members and friends. Basically we all paid 50 bucks to be in. We weighed in last week and we will weigh in again November 1. Whoever has lost the most weight (in % of total body weight lost) will be the biggest loser! $250 to the first place winner, $100 to the second, and $50 to the third.

I'm determined to win!

Or at least do my very best to be healthier.

I'm using the spark people website I told you about last December (click here) and loving it. I find it so useful!

I haven't had to make too many lifestyle changes or feel hungry at all; I'm just trying to make smarter choices.

And so far I've lost 5 lbs.

The #1 change I've made? I cut out breakfast cereal from my life.

I love love love cereal. As you know, it's one of my favorite foods. But even the extremely healthy brands that I always buy are loaded with too many calories and do not keep me full.

So I decided I no longer had room in my life for breakfast cereal. Sad!

But by cutting that out I have cut many calories a day from my daily diet and I actually stay full MUCH longer!

One of my biggest obstacles when it comes to weight loss tends to be coming up with substitute foods that are still easy and I still like to eat. So, I've spent a lot of time scouring cookbooks and websites for good ideas. And I have come up with three breakfasts that I really enjoy that are also healthy. I thought I'd share for anyone looking for a quick and healthy breakfast idea!

Breakfast #1: Fruit/Protein Smoothie

This recipe comes from my good friend Laurie. Gerald and I both LOVE this. I love the way I feel throughout my day when I've had it for breakfast. I love the way it tastes. I love how easy it is to make and how easy it is to drink while getting my routine morning things done. We have this for breakfast now probably 5 or 6 times a week.

• 1 c. frozen blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1/3 c. fresh spinach leaves (I really just throw in a handful)
• 1/4 c. plain low fat yogurt (Just a big scoop or so...)
• 1/2 a scoop of Designer Whey All Natural French Vanilla protein powder
• 1 T. ground flax seed
• pomegranate juice - I buy the frozen concentrate pomegranate-blueberry and just scoop a large spoonful of the frozen concentrate right in.

Mix well in your blender or food processor. It will be thick, so add water until it's the consistency you want. This recipe is for TWO servings, so pour into two separate glasses and enjoy! Calorie count for one serving: only 184! Both Gerald and I agree that this keeps us full until lunch - something that cereal doesn't usually do. And it's so yummy!

Breakfast #2: Oatmeal

Another quick breakfast idea that I love is a bowl of oatmeal. This is also one of Katelee's favorite breakfasts lately. I buy the plain quick oats and prepare in the microwave with water according to the package directions. Then I eat:

• 1 c. cooked oatmeal
• 1 T. agave
• 1/4 c. blueberries

Yummy. Filling. Easy. And only 218 calories.

Breakfast #3: Scrambled Eggs

I like eggs in the morning, too. One thing I've been doing is scrambling 1 egg white with 1 whole egg. I like the taste a bit better than only egg whites, but it's still healthier. I've also tried adding in veggies and a little cheese and thought it was yummy!

• 1 large egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 c. diced tomato
• 1/8 c. diced green pepper
• 1/4 c. diced mushrooms
• 1/8 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, fat free

Scrambled and cook all together. Yum! If you serve this in a whole wheat tortilla, that would also be really yummy. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow. :) Total calories, with the tortilla: 255.

So, PLEASE SHARE! Do you have any easy breakfast ideas that I could try. These three are good, but sometimes I just need more variety. You don't have to know how many calories they are or anything, but I would LOVE some more ideas!

What a Difference Two Years Makes

There's just something about Katelee in these pictures we took on July 5th . . . she looks so BIG! So grown-up! She's such a little girl, with few signs of baby-ness about her anymore.

Sigh.




Compare those pictures to these ones taken exactly two years previously.

What a difference two years can make!

I love my big, smart, funny, independent, gorgeous girl, who is so proud of all the grown-up things she is learning! She can (usually) buckle her own car seat buckles, pour her own milk and cereal, use the TV remote, and so much more. And I am so proud of her.

But sometimes I feel like I miss her. The little version of her.

Anyone else ever feel this way?

Happy Birthday, America!

Yes, this post is a week late! Sorry! We were traveling on the 4th of July and so expected to miss the fireworks here in Denver, but a huge rain storm hit the night of the 4th. So, the fireworks show was postponed to the 5th, which turned out to be lucky for us! We took a picnic dinner to the park, where Katelee played in the water and on the playground while we enjoyed the gorgeous weather. Then we met up with some friends for the fireworks. We had great seats, and had a really fun time! Happy Birthday, America! We feel so blessed to live in this wonderful country!

Sick Day

Katelee has been sick with a mild fever, so she had to stay home from church today while Gerald and I took turns going for half of the time each.

Katelee and I had a nice morning playing games on the Children's Friend website (one of our all-time favorite Sunday activities), listening to church music, coloring pictures and relaxing. At one point, Katelee found some craft popsicle sticks, and yelled for me to come see what she had made.

"Look, mom! I made chicken feet!"

I thought that was very creative. And accurate. And very funny!

Travelogue Day 1

On the road!

Today we left for a 10-day summer family vacation! We are so excited about all the plans we have and all the family we are going to see! I am determined to get all of this written down on my blog today, while it's still fresh in my mind!

Today, the first day of our trip, we spent mostly traveling to Nevada to stay at Grandma and Grandpa Thurston's house. Aunt Melissa, Uncle JD and their kids are staying there tonight, too, and we are excited to meet them all for dinner and a fun evening!

It is an 11-hour drive, but Katelee is a FANTASTIC traveler. She does so well in the car. On our drive, we stopped at a gas station we often stop at, and Katelee noticed this huge chair for the first time ever. You should have seen how wide her eyes were and how excited she was to sit in it!

Travelogue Day 2

Grandma and Grandpa Thurston's house!

We spent all day today hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's house today with Melissa, JD, Wyatt and Madi. Katelee sure loves her cousins! They really get along well and enjoy being together. It was such a nice day. My parents made a nice barbecue meal for all of us to enjoy. We swam in the pool in the backyard off and on all day, played the Wii, ate delicious food, visited, watched movies and relaxed all day. We had a wonderful time being together!