The End Of June

So I had my niece here for a week which was fun. She is 12 years old and a mighty old 12 if you ask me. I definitely spoiled her rotten but she deserved it. She helped me take care of the kids while she was here so that was nice. I took her shopping, went to some nice restaurants and as sort of the grand finale, we took her to Serendipity. It is one of the best ice cream/dessert restaurants. A little pricey but thankfully the desserts are big enough to share with lots of people. The next week, we said goodbye to my niece Kailey and welcomed in my mom. She stayed for about two weeks. The first week I slept in a lot and got some good rest which was awesome. We did things here and there and I surprised her with a trip to the beach and Disneyland. I also took her to my new favorite restaurant which is located inside of a nice locals casino. They serve the most delicious meal I have ever tasted. In fact, it could easily be my last meal if I ever had to choose one. It is called the crab pan roast. It is a bowl filled with rice and literally drenched with a thick, buttery, saffrony, savory sauce and topped with the most delectable crab legs. They have the crab legs in the bowl for the presentation but the meat is already out and ready for you to devour! So we had a good remainder of our month of June. The kids enjoyed having grandma "Karen" in town.

Lost posts

Real quick I thought I would let anyone wondering know, I accidentqlly deleted a good portion of my blog posts. I've not been able to post new ones except on my phone so I tried deleting drafts and somehow deleted more than just drafts. I will be posting about our 4th and anything else as soon as I can get it all figured out again.

The King and Princess (Read post below)

On Mother's Day...

My kids have been the sweetest. On most days they have ups and downs of bickering and loving but today it was all love. As I was getting ready for church, I noticed Kingston brushing Kenna's hair and put a bow in it. He was carressing her cheeks and whispering, "kenna you are a princess". I am not exaggerating either! He also got into my jewelry box and pulled out her bracelet she wore when she was a couple months old for her Uncle Garrett's wedding. Once she was all dolled up, Kinsgton took her hands and started dancing with her. When he was done, he hugged her. It was so sweet to watch and a wonderful mothers day present. Later I asked Kingston, "is Kenna your princess?" He replied, "yes and I am her King". They are little buddies that will grow up together and have their ups and downs but have a great bond and love for each other. Happy Mother's Day!

Snippets from my books..

So my writings are all over. Mostly on my phone but some on my computer (I guess I am a geek haha). As I mentioned before, they are for my kids. Everyday it seems I learn a new life lesson. Rather than keep it as a mental note, I have began to record everything. So for today this is what I want to share: You will always come across people who are negative. It will seem impossible for these people to ever see happiness. They will teach you that yes in the real world, there are so many different types of people out there. Some are good, bad, ugly (mentally), pretty, cold, bright, happy, cheerful, depressed....The negative people will teach you that life is not a happy place when you dont see the positive side of things. These negative people, unless they change, will not go far in life and they will be sad inside. All people have the ability to change so keep being an example of light in life and it could wear off. Remember this- there will always be good times in life and bad. Just try to make sure to remember that there are almost always more good times than bad. The good times will get you through the bad. The bad times will be a tool in helping you learn if you overcome them and become stronger as a person. Strive for happiness and light. Life will seem so much brighter and you can accomplish anything.

NOT a New Years Resolution

So I am indifferent about New Year's resolutions. While I think they are good for people who want to refresh their lives for the new year, it is something I personally dont like to use as an excuse to diet or live healthier. I decided after Christmas when I was sick of getting sick easily, that I wanted to start exercising more and watching what I ate. I did not wait until the new year, I just went for it. I have been eating so well and exercising so much and I feel so much better than I have. I am actually excited to workout twice a day and excited to track my calories on my calorie counter. So far, most of the people I have told I am doing this, laugh at me and tell me I am silly for trying to lose weight. It is frustrating because these people are not trying to button my pants every morning, trying to walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, or going to bed every night and feeling bloated. These are things I have been struggling with. Yes, I do want to lose a few pounds, but my ultimate goal is to just feel healthy. I have two crazy kids I care for and I want to have energy to keep up with them. Another benefit for my eating healthy and working out, just happens to be losing a few pounds. I have been doing it for over a week now and I can see abs developing, biceps defining, and I have lost a couple of pounds. I feel great! Chez has also jumped on the healthy train with me and he has lost 9 pounds in a week. It is hard to believe but I think it's okay because we are not taking any diet supplements or doing anything unnatural. We are simply eating healthier, watching our portions, and working out daily. Cheers to living healthier!

Quick Christmas Recap

Christmas was fun as usual. We went to Seattle to be with my family. We took most of my family to Leavenworth, Washington which is a small Christmas town in the winter. It is so snowy and pretty and they decorate it so nicely. We went sledding and hung out in the condo. Christmas Eve was the best. I cooked with my mom all day and was able to show her a lot of my recipes which was fun. All of my siblings came over with their families and we just had a great time eating, playing games, and catching up. We opened presents Christmas morning and then flew home that night. I took home a nasty case of bronchitis but at least it had waited until after the trip. We opened presents at our house the day after we got home. The kids were done after opening probably two presents. Obviously I will not be wasting money on so many presents next year. We did keep the art board we bought the kids for Kingston's birthday. We did that a few years ago with a kitchen set we bought Kingston. New Years Eve was very low key. Chez went to bed at 10 and I struggled to stay awake. I made it to 11:45 when I just crashed. Fun holidays. Bring on the New year!