Life With My Girls

Please Poop

2011-07-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

Our poor little girl. Ever since she was an infant, we have had problems pooping. We have tried everything (well not literally). I am sure I've talked about this before.

Once of the issues is that our baby is a carnivore. She loves her meat and dairy products. We have been trying to feed her fruits, especially the watery type, prunes, water, juices. No matter what we do, every few weeks, we have an issue. It's so hard to see her hurt like that. I never thought I would say this, but every day I hope for poop. A Big Poop. I'd even take a lot of little poops.

Just like my friend C would say, we need a big dump. Any suggestions?

Kell Antigen and Antibodies

2011-07-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Prologue

It is hard for my to talk about this as I am a private person. It is easy to talk about and share with the world the happy, funny, positive moments in life. Not so easy to discuss the hard, not so fun moments. We are have them, those not so pretty parts, but we like to pretend we don't. However, as I thought about it, I realized that if I don't share it, my blog and my reasons for doing it, are not genuine. So here is an not so fun part of my life currently in progress.

Our Story

Have you ever gotten one of those phone calls from the doctor? The one saying "We just got back some of your test results, and we need to see you to discuss them." Well, I did on July 6th. The doctor wanted to see me the next day in regards to the recent pregnancy related blood tests they did.

With Kiera, a similar thing happened, and it was to tell me that I was not immune to Ruebella. Which meant I had to avoid anyone with the Measles. Since Measles and Ruebella have pretty much been eradicated in Canada and the US, it wasn't difficult. No cause for too much concern. Thinking this visit would turn out the same, Mike opted not to join me at the doctors office.

On July 7th, I sat down with the doctor, and was told I had developed K Antibodies since my last pregnancy. What does that mean? Well, as Dr. N explained, it means that my blood, as it passes into baby too, may be attacking baby's blood (* there is a more detailed description below). I am being referred to the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinc in Van and they can give me more details. I was sent for an ultrasound from the doctors office.

As I left the doctor's office, all I could think was that my body was killing our baby. How do I tell Mike? When I finally reached Mike, he was almost home from work. He turned around and met me at the ultrasound appointment. I tried to explain what was happening, but I couldn't. I didn't fully understand.

We did some research at home, and understand a little better what was going on. My body might be attacking the baby's red blood cells, causing anemia. The "might" is effected by Mike. He may be a carrier of what is called a Kell or K antigen. If he is negative, then baby too is negative, and everything is good. Even if Mike is positive, there is a 50% chance the baby is still negative. Still, what does it mean if he and the baby is positive?

Mike's blood test was arranged for the very next day. Dr. N isn't messing around. Now comes the hard part, the waiting. And waiting, and waiting. All we can do is talk about what if, and pray for the negative results.

July 19th is the day the ball starts rolling. First was a phone call from the Maternity Clinic in town. I had been referred to them before my original test results came in. They wanted to see me in 2 days. I explained to them what was going on. They still wanted to see me, and they might be able to give me some answers. A couple of hours later, Dr. N calls me. She has been on vacation and just got back. She wanted to know if I had heard from the clinic in Van. I told her no, and she said she would follow up and see why. She called back a couple of hours later, and told me the Van clinic should get a hold of me with in a week. She also let me know that Mike did test positive for the K Antigen, and that she has found me an on/gyn in town to see me.

Finally some answers. I think I slept better that night than I have the entire pregnancy so far. On the 21st, I see the Mat Clinic, and find out that I will be seeing those dr's as well as my ob/gyn. I will probably have blood tests done quite frequently, as well as a number of ultrasounds to check on baby's growth. May be it's a good thing I am not working. We also received word from Van that we need to see them on the 26th.

It sounds like we and baby are in good hands, so we are just taking it one day at a time. We should know more after our visit to Van.

So what does K mean? Here is my explanation, but I am including links in case you want more information.

K (Kell) Antigens and K Antibodies

Antigens are a substance/molecule, and in the case of the K Antigen, a protein that has attached to the person's blood cells. This occurs in about 10% of the population. Just like blood type, it is a genetic trait that can be passed down thru generations. It is not harmful to a person, just a genetic anomally.

Where is the harm comes in is when a woman, who is negative for this antigen, develops antibodies then carries a child that is positive for the antigen. There are 2 ways for a woman to develop the antibodies. Either thru a blood transfusion, or thru giving birth to a K positive baby. In our case, it is the latter. When Kiera was born, some of her blood mixed in with my blood. Since I am negative, my body saw this antigen as a bacteria, and created antibodies to get rid of it.

During pregnancy, mother's blood passes into baby, supplying the necessary nutrients for baby to grow. If the baby is positive for the K antigen, and the mother has the antibodies, the antibodies in the mothers blood will attack the baby's red blood cells. This will cause anemia in the baby, and will effect baby's growth and development.

The only way to know that the baby is positive is with amniocentesis. Unfortunately, there is a 1 in 200 risk of miscarriage associated with the test. The only other option is to proceed as though the baby is positive.

All we know about the treatment right now is that it means a lot of doctors, lot of tests and a lot of monitoring to make sure baby is developing normally. We don't know what happens if baby isn't Maybe that is something we will learn on the 26th.

For more information, check out these links:

Wikipedia - Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Baby Center - Personal Experiences

Baby Too - Our Story

2011-07-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

(note: I didn't take a picture of ours, so I "borrowed" this image from somewhere else)

As you know, Kiera took us 2 years to conceive. We even tried fertility treatments, although, in the end the old fashioned way worked. Since Mike is an only child, and he doesn’t want our daughter to grow up with out siblings. So we started again shortly after she was born. We had set a deadline of May 1^st, Mike’s 45^th birthday.

Over the past 6 months, we had come to the realization that we may not have a second. With the deadline looming, we came to feel blessed by our little girl, and accept that she will be our only child. We were determined to no let her feel alone, so we looked at different activities and ways to ensure she had interaction with other children.

May 1^st came and went without too much fanfare. I had noticed that my period had not come, but with PCOS, I don’t have a regular cycle. Two weeks later, May 14th, it still had not come, but there were no other pregnancy symptoms either. Mike suggested taking a test anyway, just in case. We picked one up on our way out of town to visit his mom.

We got to her place, visited with her, had lunch, and started packing to go, when I remembered the test. I had picked up one of those that tell you not only if you are pregnant, but approximately how far along you are (up to 5 weeks). I went into her washroom, did the test and waited. I nervously looked down and read the test. That can’t be right. I took the test out and showed my husband. His mom asked what was going on, and Mike turned to his mom and said “Gina’s Pregnant.” His mom’s reply was “I was going to ask about that. That thought that you should be having a 2^nd soon.”

Not only was I pregnant, but according to the stick, I was over 5 weeks along. How that for a birthday gift for my husband! I was in denial. It took another week to see the doctor, and since I don’t have a regular cycle, I was sent for an ultrasound to date the pregnancy before they could give me a due date.

On June 7^th, I got to see the baby, and that is when it became real. I also found out I was 9 ½ weeks at that point in time.

I saw my doctor again 2 weeks later, and she officially set the due date as January 5^th, 2012.

Life is full of Lemons... and Lemonade

2011-07-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Lets start with the Lemon's

After being very excited at my new job, they "terminated" my position. Basically, my position no longer exists; therefore, no job to go to.

Received confirmation that Mike's contract with the University will not be renewed as of September.

For this last one, I will go into details in another post, but let's just say we are having complications with this pregnancy, and are therefore considered High Risk.

After those big Lemons, the little lemons don't mean much, so I'm not going to share them.

This is where the lemonade comes in. I have always followed the philosophy "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Well I am making a whole lot of lemonade right now.

Glass 1: I get to spend time with Baby Girl, and I am enjoying it. Plus it is saving us money on child care.

Glass 2: Mike will qualify for Employment Insurance if he is unable to find a job right away.

Glass 3: I have realized how much I like my Dr. She and the rest of the team looking after me have inspired confidence, and I feel like no matter what, everything will be fine.

Glass 4: Due to the issues with the pregnancy, baby too may be here sooner rather than later. Maybe even before the end of 2011, which will help our taxes: :)

Despite everything, we are healthy. We are working on the happy, and we are definately not thirsty.

Glass of Lemonade anyone?

Countdown on for Relay for Life

2011-05-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Countdown on for Relay for Life City & Region Kamloops Daily News

Please, no autographs.

There's a Hole in my Bucket

2011-04-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Liza, Dear Liza

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

We decided to take an adventure with Kiera on Easter Weekend. Her sister's birthday was Easter Monday, and we wanted to take her out to dinner. For those who might not know this, it's a 5 hour drive each way, without children. Add a toddler to the mix, and it is 7.5 hours.

A long 7.5 hours.

Then Fix It, Dear Henry, Dear Henry

Then fix it, dear Henry, fix it.

Our adventure begins at 6:00 am Saturday morning. We had done all the packing and loaded the car the night previous, so all there was to do was last minute things. Which is good, because 6:00 am is not my best time. Last thing we did was get baby girl up and packed her straight into the car. We were on the road by 6:30. Unfortunately, there is where our first "misadventure" occured. We had gotten down the road, about 10 minutes, when we realized I had forgotten the iPod. Why is the iPod important? We had loaded it with Sing Along Toddler Music, just in case. We almost didn't go back for it. Thank goodnes it was almost. That iPod was a life saver.

With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza

With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what?

By the time we hit Timmies and Mickie D's, it was 7:30. A hour later than Mike had planned. He was already starting to panic. We made our first stop 2.5 hours later, after reaquainting ourselves with songs from our childhoods. Anyone remember "Do your Ears Hang Low"?

Did you know that there are a bunch of verses in that song?

With straw then, dear Henry, dear Henry

With straw then dear Henry, with straw.

Our idea was to stop along the way, and have a picnic. We had brought a BBQ, but we needed to pick up the essentials like hot dogs and buns. Since we all needed a break from the car, we went shopping. The shopping was uneventful. Daddy found a bubble gun and batteries for little one. The idea was that mommy could blow bubbles without twisting around.

I had my doubts.

The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza

The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long

We needed a Timmies, so we made our way to the next stop. During that time, I looked at the bubble gun, and realized we needed a screw driver to open the battery case. Luckily, we found a Zeller's near the Timmies.

Daddy drop us off, and went to find a screw driver.

So cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry

So cut it, dear Henry, cut it.

With coffee and a screw driver in hand, we continue our journey. Ten minutes later, Kiera was sound asleep. Ahhhhh, finally we can listen to "Adult" music. I open the screw driver, and try to loosen the screw on the battery case. Hmmmmm. No luck. Ok, we will try another bit. Again, no luck. All the bits are too big. Well, she's asleep, so we will just make a stop later and find the right sized screw driver.
The knife is too blunt, dear Liza, dear Liza.
The knife is too blunt, dear Liza, too blunt.

A quite two hours went by. Bliss. We make it to the next large town, when Kiera wakes up. Perfect timing. We stop for lunch, then buy the proper size screw driver. $30.00 and 3 hours later, and we finally get the batteries into the bubble gun.
Eureka!!!

Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry.
Then sharpen it, dear Henry, sharpen it.

Wait. No bubbles. Ok, lets look at this. Hmmmmmm. Nope. No bubbles.
Children's music it is, for 3 more hours. We decide to let Kiera run around for a bit before we checked into the hotel. We met Alexis and friends at a park. We learned a new word in the park - Rock.
The best part of any playground is the rocks.

The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza.
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

The rest of the evening was fun, if a little less eventful. There was swimming, and dinner, and Texas Hold'em, and The Big Bang Theory. There was also some jumping on the bed. Shhh, don't tell Sandman.
Time to say good night.

So wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry.
So wet it, dear Henry, wet it.

By now, I am sure you are wondering about the song playing in the background. This song played in my head all night long. I found myself singing it at 6:00 am as I was getting up.
I won't go into details about our drive back, which was 8 hours long. I will say, listening to 3 hours of Waybuloo playing behind your head can drive you insane.
But, it was worth it to see these two sisters bond.

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza.

Just 1 Word

2011-04-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Just 1 word to describe my Baby Girl

The Latest Jungle Gym

2011-04-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as Parental Abuse? I have the bruises to prove it.

Or does being a parent mean you are also a Jungle Gym.

Look whos Talking

2011-04-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

Baby's first words.....

You dream of hearing the word mama for the first time. She did say it once, many months ago, but not again.

The first word she used on a consistant basis was

BALL

Followed closely by

Apple

Banana

Meow

Along came Daddy, Duck, Puppy, Yup, No, Bubble and Up.

I started to think that my name was UP since that is all she would say to me, arms outstretched.

Wait....

Did you hear that?

I think she said "Maaaaa"

Close enough, I'll take it!!!!!

Kiera's Book Review

2011-04-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am an avid reader, and I have always wanted my children to be as well. Here are 2 books that not only will Kiera sit still for me to read them, she will actually pick them out her self from the mountain of books she has.

The first one is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. This was one of my favourite books as a child too.

Its the story of a Very Hungry Caterpillar, as you probably guessed. What Kiera and I like is the holes they have actually put in the food the caterpillar ate. I was never allowed to put holes in my books.

The other one she loves is "I Love You Through and Through" by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak.

This book is about what we love about our little ones. I had never read this book until we picked up for Kiera, but I love it now. It shows that no matter what, we will always love our baby girl.

"I love your happy side, your sad side, your silly side, your mad side....

I love you through and through...yesterday, today and tomorrow, too."

Texting Wonder of the World

2010-10-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

As we pulled into the Tim Horton's parking lot, I looked at the vehicle we were pulling in beside. In the driver's seat was a lady with a cell phone. She had the slide down keyboard type, and she appeared to be texting.

I took a second look and realized that the texter was in her late 70's or early 80's, and she was texting better than I can. Thats when I realized that Baby Girl will be so far ahead of me by the time she is 10 years old, that I only hope to understand enough to keep her out of trouble.

As for the older texter, I just tell myself she is a mature looking 16 year old.

Things you may not know about me

2010-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

Things you may not know about me

1. Tulips are my favourite flowers. Roses are a close second.

2. I played pool in a league, but I am far from a pool shark.

3. I had heart surgery at 21 years of age. I had a hole between my left and right atrium. Luckily it has been repaired.

4. One thing I cannot live without is my books.

5. I wanted to be a professional baseball player when I was younger.

6. I am a geek, a nerd, and any other term you can think of. Here is proof:

* I worked in the school library for grades 6 and 7.

* I wanted to be a computer programmer in grade 12, but changed to a BBA when I started University.

* I studied Japanese in High School with Sensei Hara. I still remember how to so “So Sorry to be Late”

* I competed in a Math Competition in grade 7 and a Public Speaking Competition in grade 8.
* I was a member of Counterattack from grade 8 to 12.

7. I took Drama as an elective in high school.

8. I hate confrontation.

9. I may not be religious but I am spiritual. I do believe in God.

10. I hate doing the dishes.

11. I am a Vehicle Rock Star. I love to sing in my car and I don't care who sees.

12. I suffer from a Mental Illness.

13. I love trivia tidbits. Especially useless bits that can be brought up in random conversation.

14. I love studying the history of the areas and cities I love in.

Favourite Quotes

2010-09-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

“When she smiles, she just melts my heart” ~ Michael Dillon (about Kiera)

The fundamental job of a toddler is to rule the universe

Never underestimate a child’s ability to get into more trouble

To the world you may be just one person; but to one person you may be the world.

Dance as though no one is watching you,

Love as though you have never been hurt before,

Sing as though no one can hear you,

Live as though Heaven is on Earth. ~ Souza

... the only difference bewteen me and the rest of the population is that I acknowledge how crazy I am and they're all in mind-numbing denial.

"Sanity is a cozy lie" ~ Susan Sontag

If everyone woke up tomorrow morning and said,

"It's possible; whatever it is, it's possible,"
and spent a whole day having an "it's possible" day,
then we would be going down the kind of road I'm interested in
because I do believe it is possible.

It is important to live each day with a positive perspective.
It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist,
but it is wise to look beyond the problem to the possibilities that are in it.
When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought,
"He's so big, we can never kill him."
But David looked at the same giant and thought,
"He's so big, I can't miss him."

My Promise to Kiera

2010-09-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

I Promise

To remember you are a gift

To help you know we are always together

To trust myself when caring for you

To dance, sing and play with you

To hold you but never hold on to you

To teach you by example, not just words

To inspire you to love yourself and your body

To try not to criticize you even if I disagree with your choices

To help you see that you are perfect just the way you are

To trust you to make your way through the world

To celebrate each milestone in your life

To support you as you take on new endeavours

To create a loving and enriching environment for you

To show you how to laugh at yourself

To teach you forgiveness

To show you life’s blessings

To help you see that happiness is not dependant on circumstances

To teach you not to take life too seriously

To empower you to trust yourself

To help you always reach for the stars

Things I Love

2010-09-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

The first sip of coffee in the morning

The sound of a cat purring

A child’s smile

The sound of a rainstorm

The smell of fresh peaches

The feeling of my husbands arms around me

Discovering something new

Receiving a card or letter in the mail (snail mail especially)

Listening to old stories

Laughing so hard that I cry – a family trait

The look of a fresh snowfall

Dancing in the rain

Mellow Times

2010-09-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Where does time go?

As a child, I prayed for time to speed up.

Now, all I can say is SLOW DOWN.

I miss sharing our lives with you. So much has happened since the last time I have blogged.

I have lost 40 pounds (well since May). Although, I am a little off track now.

I am back at work. Is it possible to love and hate something at the same time?

Kiera is 13 months. I think this is the hardest one for me. I am not ready for this.

So much to tell you about.

Later.

Tonight, I am in my hotel room at work, missing my family.

And thinking about life.

Get Grillin' (a not so subtle request for donations)

2010-07-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Get Grillin’ Fundraiser

It is summer, and what is better than having a couple of steaks grilling on the BBQ.

The Hula Hunnies just so happen to be selling steaks.

The money raised will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society at the Relay for Life next year.

8 oz. New York Steaks

24 pieces per case

Our price: $8.00 / lb (approx retail price $11.00 / lb)

Case Price: $96.00

6oz. Sirloin Steaks

24 pieces per case

Our Price: $5.50 / lb (approx retail price $7.00 / lb)

Case Price: $49.50

10oz. Sirloin Steaks

20 pieces per case

Our Price: $5.50 / lb (approx retail price $7.00 / lb)

Case Price: $68.75

Help us out and eat some yummy steaks at the same time. Contact me if you are interested.

Sale Ends July 31st, 2010

Life as Kiera Sees it: Some of My Accomplishments

2010-07-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Canada

2010-07-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

July 1st

143 years old

Man you're getting old.

Why I am proud to be Canadian:

1. We share a Birthday.

2. Free Healthcare (mostly).

3. Freedom: Freedom of speech, Freedom of religion, Freedom of choice, Freedom to complain about our government, and the weather.

4. Tim Horton's.

5. The Laidback, Poke Fun at Ourselves Attitude.

6. Rye.

7. Multiculturalism and Diversity.

. 8. The Beauty.

June Goal Update

2010-06-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Leisure Time

I will read 10 books per year, 2 of which must be nonfiction.

* I haven't completed any more books, but I do have 2 on the go. One non fiction, and one fiction.

Personal Growth

I will reconnect with my friends by the end of the year.

* Still planning a poker night in June. $5 buy in. Anyone interested? This didn't happen. Maybe July.

I will post to my blog 12 times per month.

* We know how this one went.

Health and Fitness

I will work out for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

* I have been working out about 6 times per week, at least 30 minutes per day.

* I have also been going for walks on occassion.

* I have lost over 20 lbs.

Learn to Ski by April 1st, 2011

* I will ski at least 10 days this coming ski season.

I will run in a 5 km run by July 15th, 2011

* I am going to start training after July 2nd. I haven't decided which 5 km yet - either Boogie the Bridge or Jo's Road Race.

Biggest Loser Update: Week 8

2010-06-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Have we reached the half way point already?
I am well on my way to losing 32 pounds in 16 weeks. It's time to up the ante.
My new goal is to lose 50 pounds in 16 weeks.
Is this do-able or am I setting myself up for failure?

Week 8

Since I don't really have any journal entries to share from the past 4 weeks, I thought I would share some of my experiences and impressions.

The Centre is a modern day torture chamber. Even just looking as some of the equipment, you know to be afraid, very afraid. However, it's the innocent looking objects that seem to cause the most pain.

Take these Gliding Discs for instance.

Which can be purchased here by the way.

Look like something that could be fun, kinda like a frisbee, right. WRONG! These things hurt. How you may ask. Here's how.

Get down on your hands and knees, place each toe onto a frisbee, raise up on your toes, slide your knees to your chest slowly, then slide them back out again. Repeat for 60 seconds or 1 minute.

I'll wait here while you do that.

(just another possible torture)

Done yet?
Hurts, don't it.

And that is one of many different possible tortures that these things are capable of.

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for...

2 month picture...

Weight: 245.8 lbs

Loss: 11.4 lbs
Total Lost: 24.8 lbs
Total Inches Lost: 12 inches
(arms, legs, bust, waist, hips)

Life as a Hula Hunnie: Relay for Life

2010-06-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

June 12th, 2010

A nearby riverside park

500 plus people

And I am dressed like this

Opps, I mean this...

Where am I?

Where else could I be but

The Relay for Life.

For anyone who doesn't know what Relay is, it is a 12 hour event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Basically, your team has to have someone on the track at all times during the 12 hours.

Our team, the Hula Hunnies, arrived early to set up.

We were a little late, but we did get there before it started. I was very impressed.

Once there, we set up camp,

Put on our sunscreen,

Put on our costumes,

This is my dad. We are so proud of him. :)

And had our coffee.

Then it was time for relay to start.

Between the rounds, there was a little fun to be had, visiting to do,

Water to drink,

And Hula Hooping to do.

All the wildlife came out to participate.

It was a fun day, but we were all there for a reason. To raise money to fight Cancer, to honour the survivors, and to remember the ones we have lost.

A lot of tears were shed, but it was the perfect ending to a fabulous day.

Biggest Loser Update: Week 5, 6 and 7

2010-06-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks have been up and down. The weight has been coming off, but it has slowed down. I have been having problems sleeping, so I have been going to my workouts feeling fatigued. Doesn't make for a great workout.

Any loss is a good loss though.

I am sure you are all dieing to hear my progress.

And you will...

Saturday.

I want to give kudo's to hubby. He started eating healthier with me.

As of June 12th, he has lost

18.6 lbs!

Yay him!!!!

Great job hunny. You keep me motivated.

In honour of his weight loss, here are some recipes.

Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes

4 medium sized tomatoes

16 oz of cubed cooked chicken

2 tablespoons chopped onion

Red and green pepper finely chopped

Crushed garlic cloves

1/8 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons no fat dressing

Salt and pepper

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the flesh. Remove the seeds and chop the pulp to equal one cup. Set aside. Place the tomatoes upside down to drain the excess liquid. Place the rest of the ingredients, except the paprika in a bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes. Mix well. Spoon into the tomatoes. Sprinkle top with paprika. You can eat it just like this or broil it in the oven or just microwave until warm. You can make this recipe with tuna as well.

Makes 4 servings.

300 cals, 20 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs

Fresh Tomato Salsa

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

½ cup sliced green onions

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

½ teaspoon salt

Zuchinni Salsa

1 large zucchini, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 garlic salt to taste

1 small can green chilies

Chopped jalapeno or hot pepper if heat is desired

Combine all in a sealable container. Chill. Serve with chicken

Apple Salsa

2 medium red apples

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ cup chopped orange segments

½ cup finely chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped green pepper

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Chocolate Loaf

½ cup quick cook oatmeal

2 cartons egg whites

1 cup pumpkin

8 packs of Sugar Twin (or to taste)

2 heaping tablespoons low fat cocoa

1 teaspoon extract (banana, coconut, peppermint are good choices)

Spray dish of loaf tin with non stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Mix ingredients together and cook in dish for 75 minutes. Drizzle with sugar free chocolate syrup for extra chocolaty flavor.

8 servings: 76 calories per serving : 34 calories carbs, 38 calories protein, 4 calories fat

Fast Chili Con Carne

1 lb minced beef, low fat

1 fresh chili

1 medium onion

1 clove of garlic

1 splash Tabasco sauce

½ cup tomato sauce

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin kidney beans

Cook meat. Drain any visible fat and then rinse with boiling water. Add onions in large pan with tomato sauce, garlic, chili and Tabasco. Add more of the latter if you want more zing.

When meat is browned and onions cooked through, add the last ingredients and simmer for 10-20 minutes.

Life as Kiera Sees It: 10 Months Old

2010-06-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am 10 months old!!!
Weight: 22 pounds 8 ounces
Height: 30.5 inches

I got my 4th and 5th teeth.
I stood up without any help.
I said Dada.
I walked 1 step on my own.

What I have learned from Kiera
~ by mommy
Families are important.

I want to have a closer relationship not only with my immediate family, but also with my extended family. I want Kiera to have a strong realtionship with family.

Have fun.

Even the smallest thing can be amusing. Baby girl laughs at the simpliest things. Life is hard, it is important to find joy everywhere you look.

Try new things.

As well get older, our tastes and interests change. You might be surprised by what you enjoy.

Persistance pays off.

Just because you can't do something today, doesn't mean you won't be able to do it tomorrow.

Trust yourself.

I have not been around infants much in my life, so I was terrified at the thought of trying to raise a child. Since everything I do, I do because I love her. I have to trust that I am doing the right thing.

A Little Girl Needs Daddy

2010-06-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Fathers and Daughters

A little girl needs Daddy

For many, many things:

Like holding her high off the ground

Where the sunlight sings!

Like being the deep music

That tells her all is right

When she awakens frantic with

The terrors of the night.

Like being the great mountain

That rises in her heart

And shows her how she might get home

When all else falls apart.

Like giving her the love

That is her sea and air,

So diving deep or soaring high
She’ll always find him there.

~ Author Unknown

Where in the World is Carmen San Diego.....

2010-06-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

Or me for that matter....

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted. Even I am asking myself why.

All I can say is that there have been sleeping issues - not related to Kiera. This leads to a lack of energy,which leads to....

Well, you get the picture.

This week, I am determined to post everyday. Ok, maybe not everyday, but at least every second day.

You can look forward to these upcoming posts:

Life with Kiera: 10 months

Hint - she's a mover and a shaker.

Biggest Loser Update

Hint: there is less of me to love.

Relay for Life

Home Hardware Contest Winner

More Father's Day

Goal Update

So Stay Tuned

Life with Alexis: Fathers Day

2010-06-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

To Dad

My father my father

I love he

My father my father

made me see

how beautiful i can be

My father my father

are you fourty three

My father my father

every summer he said to me

My daughter my daughter

come see me

My father my father

i can see my sister grow like a tree

my father my father

when it you and me

it can be fun, till three

my father my father

i love he

~ Alexis

May Goal Update

2010-05-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

Leisure Time

I will read 10 books per year, 2 of which must be nonfiction.

* I haven't completed any more books, but I do have 2 on the go. One non fiction, and one fiction.

Personal Growth

I will reconnect with my friends by the end of the year.

* Still planning a poker night in June. $5 buy in. Anyone interested?

I will post to my blog 12 times per month.

* Struggled at the beginning of May, but more than made up for it now.

Health and Fitness

I will work out for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

* I have been working out about 6 times per week, at least 30 minutes per day.

* I have also been going for walks on occassion.

* I have lost ### lbs.

New Goals
Health and Fitness
Learn to Ski by April 1st, 2011
* I will ski at least 10 days this coming ski season.

June Contest: Building of the Storage Shed

2010-05-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I have not posted in so long is that we have been building a large shed for storage. Rather, Mike has been building, and I have been keeping myself and Kiera out of the way. Mike had helper John (Nina's father) with him for support.

Hubby estimated 2 days max.

It took 4 days. In the sun and rain. Sometimes at the same time.

Day 1: Walls

Day 2: Trusses

Day 3: Trusses and Roof

(Break Time)

Day 4: Shingles

Day 5: Almost Finished Product

Still shelving, painting and the deck to finish. Then maybe I can tackle my spring cleaning. Actually summer cleaning.

So in honour of an Almost Finished Shed, we have another contest.

Prize: $25.00 at Home Hardware

Enter by June 12th.

One entry for a comment left on this post, and one additional entry if you become a follower between now and then.

PS: Anyone wanna help paint? Please?

PSS: April Winner - I have your GC still. I will give it to you on the 12th.

Biggest Loser Update: Week 4

2010-05-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been a week since my last post?

Four Weeks already. My how time is flying by.

We had 3 days off this week because of the long weekend. I wasn't sitting on my butt the whole 3 days, but I felt as though I was falling behind. I was actually happy to get back to working out on Tuesday. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like exercise, but I do like the results.

For those of you in your 30's try to lose weight, I think the notes from the IBTC Meeting are important for you to read.

Week 4

May 23rd
No work out today. Feeling really blah too. Guess my body needed to recover. Back to it tomorrow, and back to the gym on Tuesday.

I have to work on eating enough calories. I am barely eating the minimum.

May 27th
My husband has been so supportive so far, eating the same things as me. Even when it is his turn to cook, he is making healthy meals. Last night unfortunately, after spending all day building a storage shed, he ordered Chinese Food, including a couple of my favs. I couldn't have any of it. I had to make a meal for myself while smelling his dinner. The almond chicken was talking to me, and it was saying "Come on, bite me. One little piece won't hurt." I didn't give into the evil chicken though.
Today is even worse. I had to rush to find a babysitter this morning, so I didn't eat a large breakfast, and I didn't pack a big lunch. I am feeling very hungry, almost at the point of binge snacking. To top it off, I have nothing planned for dinner. So now I have to scrounge around and find something. I am so tempted to say forget it and order something in. Urgggggg.

Time for the 1 month picture. Can't see much change yet, but I feel better.

Weight: 257.2 lbs

Loss: 6.4 lbs

Total Lost: 13.2 lbs
Inches Lost: 7 inches
(arms, legs, bust, waist, hips)

Biggest Loser Update: Week 3

2010-05-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

I was really depressed at the beginning of the week. I have been working really hard, and it doesn't show yet. I know it will, but patience is not a virtue I am known for. I compared myself to others, and this reflected in my workouts. I didn't put my heart into them.

On Wednesday, I weighed myself on the Wii. I was only down 0.1 kg. (Side Note: I do not like the fact that it weighs in kg instead of pounds. I have to try to calculate it out every time. Nintendo, are you listening?). I was frustrated, so I did a Wii workout to encourage some of my fat to "get lost". As I worked out, I realized that my lack of weight loss is because I have been concentrating on what other people are doing and not on what I am doing.

That afternoon, while at the gym, I focused on myself. I weighed myself at the gym, and I was down a pound. Maybe all the concentration helped?

Another note, I am retaining water. I think.... I only made a couple of journal entries this week. I gotta work on that.

Week 3

May 16th

"I have really been struggling this past week, not physically just mentally. It is only week 2, and I have lost almost 6 pounds, but I don't see the changes. I don't feel the changes. Today is my day off, my recharge day, and all I feel is exhaustion.

It took me years to get to where I am, and I have no one to blaim but myself. I just keep hoping for a miracle that will magically melt the pounds away quickly. The questions is though, would I learn anything that way? "

May 19th

"I am weighing in today since the gym is closed Friday to Monday for the Victoria Long Weekend. I'm not down as much as I hoped, but then Mother Nature gave my the "gift" this week. To top it off, I have been a little depressed, so not working as hard as I should. Hopefully I can make it up over the next couple of days, and it will show next week."

Weight: 263.6

Down: 1.2 lbs

Total Lost: 7.0 lbs

Beauty is in the Taste of the Baby

2010-05-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Baby girl, like all baby's, will put anything and everything into her mouth.

Is she teething?

Is she learning about the world?

(yes she is sucking on the handle for the drawer)

Or is this her way of judging what she likes and doesn't like?

Apparently we made a good flooring choice.

Relay for Life

2010-05-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

The Relay for Life is less than a month away. In honour of the Relay, and as an unveiled plea for your donation, I want to share some information about the Relay for Life.

This is directly from the Relay for Life website:

"Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life changing fundraising event that gives you and your community the opportunity to Celebrate cancer survivors, Remember and honour loved ones lost to cancer, and Fight Back for a future without cancer.

Funds raised help the Canadian Cancer Society save lives by funding leading cancer research, offering support services to those in need and leading prevention initiatives.

During this non-competitive fun-filled event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps around the track. Each team is asked to at least have one member of your team on the track at all times throughout the event. "

I joined the Hula Hunnies for the relay. The rumor is that they are One Fun Team. I can't wait for the costumes. Our team hosted the Father Daughter Ball to raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society. And it was a smashing success.

"There was no shortage of tiaras, magic wands and pretty dresses to be seen at the Father Daughter Ball, held Saturday at Vittorio's Restaurant. The inaugrual fundraiser was organized by the Hula Hunnies, one of the teams in the Canadian Cancer Society's upcoming Relay for Life. The royal gala boasted numerous princesses and their dapper leading men."

~ Murray Mitchell/The Daily News

May 17, 2010

PS: There is a picture of my dad and my niece in the news paper. They look so cute.

Why am I doing the Relay?

I am doing it for my family who has been affected by cancer. My grandfather and my Uncle who died way too young. And for Mike's father who never got to meet his grandchildren.

I am doing this for my father. I am not ready to lose him.

I am doing this for my health. Walking this Relay is my way of starting to live a healthier life. I want to be around to see my baby girl grow up.

I am doing this for Kiera's future. I never want her to get sick

This is what just $100 can do:

* Pay for 2 nights accommodation at one of the Canadian Cancer Society's Residential Lodges located near major cancer treatment centres in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna.

* Can be used to match one person newly diagnosed with cancer with somneone who has survived the same disease thru the CancerConnections program.

* Pay for 4 patients to be transported at no cost to medical appointments. This program is offered by the Canadian Cancer Society Volunteer Drivers and the Freemason Cancer Car Project.

* Pay for 50 Thingamaboob Key Chains to remind women about breast health.

* Pay for 1 important chemical used in research experiments funded by the Canadian Cancer Society.

* Allow the Cancer Information Service to provide information to 2 clients.

What can you do?

Join a team.

Or support someone already on a team...

Like Me.

Please Donate.

Random Inspiration

2010-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

I want to go out and commit random acts of kindness. No, I am not crazy, I am inspired. Ok, I am crazy, but that is another topic.

What has so inspired me?

This post at What a Ride.

What Random Act of Kindness can you commit?

Who is this Monster?

2010-05-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Each day, I love watching baby girl grow, learn and change. Sometimes it surprises me how rapid the changes are. Her personality is starting to show. I think she is going to be a smart, laid back, funny little girl. She is going to be so fun to be around.

Unfortunately, some of the characteristics emerging I am not so fond of. She is stubborn, and has a little bit of a temper. She does not like to go to bed. Even now she cries as soon as we get close to her room. She slaps my face when she gets mad or frustrated.And she does not like to her the word "no." She will slap at you and give you this frowny face. It is sooo cute. It is hard not to laugh, but I don't want to encourage that behaviour.

I would like to say she takes after her father but...

PS: I miss my camera!!! We got it back but it wasn't fixed properly, so back to the shop it goes. No Kiera pictures. :(

What's for Dinner: Phunky Pho

2010-05-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from the Rachel Ray magazine. Hubby looooooves Pho, but there isn't a Vietnamese restaurant in our city. I bought the magazine for a different recipe, but I saw this one and just had to try it. Mike loved this soup. He says it was very close to the Pho restaurants.

I will warn ya as I found out the hard way: Sriracha is Powerful Stuff. I put less that a teaspoon in mine, and my mouth still burns.

Enjoy.

Phunky Pho

You can use Sriracha sauce or hoisin sauce for a little extra something.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 serving small yellow onion - quartered

4 servings angel hair pasta

4 servings bean sprouts

8 servings basil leaves

1 small red onion - quartered then sliced

8 oz boneless, cooked chicken breasts

1/2 cup mint leaves - torn

8 cups chicken stock

1 lime - cut into wedges, peel removed and sliced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves - torn

4 cloves garlic - sliced

1/4 cup slices fresh ginger - peeled and sliced thinly

Directions

1.In a medium skillet, combine the chicken, yellow onion and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and poach the chicken until the juices run clear, 12 to 15 minutes.

2.Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool; reserve the cooking liquid. Shred the meat.

3.While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pasta. Strain the reserved chicken cooking liquid into the water, then add the noodles. When al dente, drain and cool the noodles.

4.In a large pot, bring the chicken stock, ginger and garlic to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.

5.Place a serving of noodles in each bowl. Top each serving with the shredded chicken. Douse with the juice from a lime wedge.

6.Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the ginger and garlic from the broth, then ladle lots of the broth over the chicken and noodles.

7.Add in the bean sprouts, red onion, lime peel, mint, basil and cilantro as you like. Season with the Sriracha and Hoisin sauce as desired.

Biggest Loser Update: Week 1 and 2

2010-05-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to post my updates. I have been so focused on this journey, that I haven't had the energy to do much else. I have been tracking everything though. Mike found a wonderful website called Fat Secret. This site allows you to track calories consumed and calories burned during exercise, find recipes, chat with other people on a similar journey, chart your progress and journal about your thoughts and feelings. They even have a free app for the Blackberry.

As an update, I want to share some of my journal entries with you.

Week 1

May 1st

"First workout yesterday, uggggg. They are not going to ease us into it. It was 45 minutes of circuit training heck. I thought I was going to pass out at one point. I didn't though. I got through it and I am proud of my self. I might even be crazy enough to return."

May 3rd

"Core workout today. They are called crunches for a reason, I heard things crunch. Apparently my abs are slightly separated, what ever that means. Regular excercise will fix that tho. To top it all off, we have homework! Tomorrow we work on our legs. My husband has a wheel chair on stand by."

May 4th

"Didn't need the wheelchair. Not because they were easy on me, but because they worked my arms today. I had wobbly arms for the drive home. Feeling ok now, but we will see tonight. As long as hubby can put my baby girl in my arms, I am happy. Well, he might have to fed me too."

May 5th

"It feels wierd not to be working out today. I had wanted to go for a walk, but life intrudes. We had a leak in the baby's room that needed to be fixed. Oh well, it's ugly out anyway. Maybe hubby will let me play the Wii later."

May 6th

"Ouch. Hubby and I decided to go to East Side Mario's for a date. I looked up the menu online so I can plan what to have. I decided one of the healthiest choices would be the Steak with roasted potatoes and veggies. I added some roasted mushrooms since I never get mushrooms at home. Since it was an 8 oz steak, I cut it in half as soon as the dish came. I also put 1/2 the potatoes aside. We had garden salad to start. The salad was drenched in Italian dressing (the other dressing choices were ranch or blue cheese). The rest of the meal was swimming in oil. Even only eating 1/2 the steak and potatoes, the meal was over 900 calories. That doesn't include the bread they give you as well. Like I said, ouch!!! Never each at East Side Mario's if you are trying to lose weight. There goes the workout today. Wobbly, sore legs for nothing. I just hope I can walk tomorrow."

May 7th

"I guess I should have know since it was called 'Boot Camp', something was gonna hurt afterwards. I just didn't think it would be all of me. Circuit class will be interesting and painful tomorrow. Weigh in is tomorrow as well, so this had better be paying off."

May 8th - Weigh In Day

"Circuit today was killer after Boot Camp. At least it can only get easier from here. That's what I keep telling myself anyway."

Weight: 268.2

Down: 2.4 lbs

Week 2

May 9th

"Road Trip.... Today one of the most difficult days so far. We had to take my hubby's mom home today (she lives 2 hours away), then come home. We always have chips, candy and pop while on a road trip. Sometimes, we have ice cream and/or chocolate as well. It has become such a habit that as soon as I am in the vehicle for more than an hour, I get really bad cravings. It was difficuilt, but I resisted. Well, I did have a diet pepsi, but that doesn't count. I even had salad when we stopped for lunch at Subway."

May 12th

"All I can say today is ow ow ow ow. We worked our core today. It left me saying to my belly - "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" Of course, my belly is stubborn and it is still there. It is kinda like those house guests who come to visit and never leave. I will get you out belly. I swear I will. I'd laugh but it hurts too much."

May 15th

"I was hoping for more because I have been working my butt off. Literally. Any loss is good though, so I shouldn't be so hard on myself. And I need to work harder next week. ;)"

Weight: 264.8

Down: 3.4 lbs

Total Lost: 5.8 lbs

Comments and Thoughts

The second week was harder. Not physically but mentally. Especially after the weigh in on Saturday. I felt I should have lost more, I worked so hard, but it doesn't show. I was so discouraged, I almost cried. I did not put the effort in to the circuit and I felt ready to just quit. I am glad I have today off to recharge and reset myself. I have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and I weigh less than when I started. If I start setting my expectations too high, I will not be able to achieve them, and will only be disappointed.

I just need to concentrate on working hard, and giving 100 %. It will show. To that end, I have decided my goal is 2.5 lbs per week.

Here's too a new week...

Dazed and Confused

2010-05-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

and I am not talking about the movie.

This is how I have been feeling lately.

I am not sure why.

Perhaps all the concentration on getting fit. Maybe the early mornings.

It makes it difficult to blog.

I miss you all though, so I will be back soon

As soon as the fog clears.

And the sun comes out.

What's for Dinner: Savory Asian Turkey Patties

2010-05-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about trying to lose weight is the chance to try new recipes. This is a recipe I tried a few days ago, and I loved it. I made 4 patties. The first day, we made Asian Burgers by putting a little hoisin sauce on a bun with some lettuce. Please excuse the picture. We haven't gotten the good camera back, and I am just learning the art of food protraits.

I will say that this recipe is missing something. I added some ginger and garlic to the patties, which helped. I am open to other suggestions.

Savory Asian Turkey Patties

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 lb ground turkey or chicken

2 cloves garlic cloves - minced

4 stalks green onion - thinly sliced

8 water chestnuts - diced

Directions

1. Mix ingredients together, and shape into 4 patties.

2.In a non stick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patties over medium heat until cooked throughout.

Life as Kiera Sees It: Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

To Mom

Love Kiera

If I could talk, you know what I would say.

I love you mom with each and everyday.

Now as the stream of time does flow,

As I grow I will tell you how much I love you so.

For now when I close my eyes and rest my head,

On your shoulder like a bed,

There is no other place I would rather be.

You've unlocked my heart with your special loving key.

You are the only mom I have to hold.

The only mom that is truly gold.

Oh how I wish I could tell you on this Mother's Day

I love you mom, but wait I do so in my own little way.

You see, when I laugh, it's really what I say.

When I wave, it is what I am trying to convey.

How I jump and move in each and everyway,

It is the words "I love you" that I display.

(~ by My Hubby)

April Goal Update

2010-05-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Late again, but at least I am catching up. Hopefully the next one will be in May.

Leisure Time

I will get my motorcycle license by July 1, 2010.

* Completed!!! I passed the road test and officially have my class 6.

I will read 10 books per year, 2 of which must be nonfiction.

* I haven't completed any more books, but I do have 2 on the go. One non fiction, and one fiction.

Community Involvement

I will volunteer by March 31st, 2010.

* I have completed 2 days of training, and I have my first shift on May 18th. This goal is technically complete!!!

Personal Growth

I will reconnect with my friends by the end of the year.

* May is a busy month with the Father Daughter Ball, and the long weekend. I am planning a poker night in June. $5 buy in. Anyone interested?

I will post to my blog 12 times per month.

* I just made it for April. Gotta work on that for May.

Health and Fitness

I will work out for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

* I didn't do much on this one for April. However, I did start it on May 1st. With this program, I will be working out 4 times per week at least.

* Looking forward to the Relay for Life.

I managed to complete 2 of my goals. Yay me!!!

I will be looking at making a couple of more over the next month or 2. Maybe a goal involving photography? Hmmmm. Don't want to spread myself to thin, plus I have to start preparing to go back to work. Sad...

Sleep Training - An Update

2010-05-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a Sleep Training update.

It worked!!!

We have had some ups and downs, and some night wakings. Naps have been an issue.

But for the most part, she has been going to bed at 9:00 pm, and she sleeps until about 6:00 am. Even then, she wakes briefly, then doesn't wake again until 8:00 am.

I guess you could say she's "sleeping like a baby."

If only mommy could.

I Survived

2010-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

the first day...I think.

Poor husband. Today is his birthday, and I start my new diet and fitness routine. So he ends up with a sugar deprived, muscle aching, stinky wife for his birthday. Happy Birthday Hunny.

The Biggest Loser

Today is the day I start losing myself, and there is a lot of me to lose. We started the Biggest Loser Program. First day of a new meal plan, and first work out.

I will admit that I went into this with a number of assumptions.

The meal plan will be difficult to follow.

The workouts will be difficult but they will ease us into them.

I was right about one thing, the meal plan will be difficult to follow sometimes. I was way off base on everything else. Have I ever told you I hate exercise? Well, I do.

I arrived at the Fit Centre an hour early. Not completely my choice, but I made the best of it. I went for a walk to kill time and warm up. They are a little disorganized, so once I got back, I had a 1/2 hour to kill. And a 1/2 hour for the fear to start.

The machines looked like torture devices. I could feel tears in my eyes at the thought. Finally, the time arrives, as did the "long" walk to the circuit area. Lorilee, one of the trainers and co owner, started to explain what we are to do at each station. There were like 30 of them, and I got lost by the 5th or 6th one. I decided to follow a "pro" (which is simply someone who has done it before). There was confusion on the order of the stations, but we got started anyway.

My first station was push up bar. Oh good, thats a great way to start. I got through that, and continuted on my merry way. Here is where it gets fun. I get to my 5th station, and start doing the exercise. Mikki, another trainer and the other owner, comes to me to show me how to do it properly. Then she says that the weight was way too easy, so she replaced my 2 lb weight with a 10 lb weight. Ouch. It only gets worse.

The next station, I have to pick up two 5 gallon jerry cans filled with water, and run around the outside of the building twice in 60 seconds. I looked at the 20 gallon ones, but heck no. It definately took me longer than 60 seconds. So I only had to step up on the tractor tire (the following station) for about 30 seconds.

By the time I got 1/2 way (which is kicking the punching bag station, or was it the running up and down the flight of stairs station?), I am almost ready to pass out. Then a miracle happens, the next station is adominal twists with a medicine ball. I get to stand still!

I struggled through the next couple of stations, before I got to one I just couldn't do. I can't even remember what the station was. I just walked in place instead.

As we neared the end, the confusion regarding the order of the stations got to the point that people just started looking for a station they hadn't done before. The hula hoop was backed up, so I never did get a chance to do it. I did the motion anyway, and I am sure I looked very entertaining. I even got amcheer.

I think my favourite was the penguin walk. Even the name is fun. Fifty minutes later, the torture was over. Good thing too because I was starting to vomit a little in my mouth. Ewwww. We did 10 minutes of stretches before we were finally released. I must be a glutton for punishment, because I will be back there next Saturday for circuit.

Hubby picked Nina and I up bearing the gift of Timmies. I love that man. Nina and I are scheduled to return Monday for core work. Doesn't that sound like fun? Friday is boot camp. If circuit is considered the easy class, I am afraid...very afraid...of boot camp. Hopefully someone there knows CPR.

Other than my legs feeling like Jello (I promise the Fat Free kind), I do feel better already. Or am I delirious from the lack of oxygen?

Now for the embarassing part. I will be posting a picture at the beginning of each month to chart my progress. As well, I will be sharing my, gasp, weight with you each week. I am using you to keep me on track.

Here goes...

Before Picture

271 pounds

Urban Barn Contest Winner

2010-05-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Time for the results from April's Contest.

The winner is...

Amanda

Congratulations.

Since this was spring cleaning month, Mike reorganized his office. Which means, everything landed in my living room. Therefore May is my spring cleaning month.

Anyway, Kiera wanted to help daddy fix his filing cabinet. He broke a caster wheeling into my living room. Serves him right.

I will announce May's contest at the end of the week. I am thinking more spring stuff.

Life as Kiera Sees It: I am 9 Months Old Today!

2010-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

I am 9 months today.

Weight: 22 pounds 8 ounces

Height: 30 inches

I got my 3rd tooth.

I can stand up and cruise on the furniture.

I got my bangs trimmed.

I said "Mama" though I haven't said it since.

My child you touched my soul right from the start and showed me how to love in a way I never knew. I know it was for you I have yearned all these years. In one moment my life was changed forever, and if I live forever, there can never be anyone who will fill my heart with such a joy and love. ~ La Tourelle

Sleep Training - Night 3

2010-04-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Third Night
Victory is Mine

Our poor little girl has lost her voice from cryng so much. She has a little squeaky voice now, and higher pitch whines. It has made her cries even harder to listen to.

She went to bed with out a problem at 9:00 pm. Not a peep. Things are getting better. Will tonight be the night? She was up at 9:40 pm for 10 minutes, then again at 10:30 pm for 5 minutes.

Glory Be! She didn't wake again until 8:00 this morning. Eureka, she's got it.

Baby girl is stubborn though. She takes after her father. She has taken the battle to her nap time now. She won't nap for more than 15 minutes until she is so tired that she collapses around dinner time. Even then, she only sleeps for an hour.

At least, I can deal with that.

Sleep Training - Night 2

2010-04-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Second Night - We caved.

Well, we modified our plan. We did the bed time routine and put her in her crib at 8:30 pm as planned. We knew what to expect, so it should be a little easier. As expected, she started crying the second we put her down. We managed to get through the alloted 5 minutes, then Mike went to comfort her. I promised Mike I would try again as well, but he took the first shift.

I played with my Blackberry as I waited for him. Hmmm, quiet, thats a good sign. Mike didn't return after the 2 minutes. He didn't return after 5 minutes. Whats going on? Finally, he comes out, tears in his eyes, feeling so dejected. Apparently he heard "Please daddy, pick me up. Don't leave me here!"

As we watched to clock count down the time until we can go back in, we talk about what to do. I know I was not strong enough to stick with it, and Mike didn't think he was either. However, if we stop now, we undo anything we might have accomplished, and it is doubtful we will go back to this if something else doesn't work.

We worked out a plan. We continue with a bedtime routine and quiet time after 8:00 pm, but we let her fall asleep when she wants. However, once she is in her crib, she stays there. Having decided this, we happily rescue our screaming child. I know we just postponed the drama, but I felt relief. Baby girl fell asleep and was put into her crib at 9:15 pm, without a peep.

In anticipation of a rough night, mommy tossed and turned. Baby girl on the otherhand, didn't anticipate a rough night. She slept peacefully until midnight. At midnight, she woke up, cried for a minute, then fell back to sleep.

She woke again at 2:30 pm. Daddy only had to get up once to comfort her before she fell back to sleep. It is so much easier to deal with her at 2:00 in the morning. She is only crying halfheartedly, and I think it is only to prove that she is the boss. She woke at 7:00 am.

Modifying the method has helped us relax about the process, which I think will make it easier to stick with. Besides, she's a smart girl. She should catch on soon. I hope.

Are the Electronic Gods Mad at Me?

2010-04-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

In the past week, we have lost 3 well used electronic pieces. I think I have upset the ruler of electronic things.

First was the camera. My beloved camera.

We were all outside enjoying the sun. Kiera and I were watching daddy remove a bush. As I came inside, the strap broke on the camera, and the camera landed on the floor. Camera's don't bounce and they don't like to hit the floor. It is currently at London Drugs, and we are awaiting the verdict. Please let it be alright.

A couple of days later, we were faced with the ring of death.

The ring of death occurs when you start the XBox, and you see a red ring instead of a green one. Ouch. I'll never see Mike now. He will be in his office playing his games.

Today, on my way to the Canadian Cancer Society, I climbed into the truck and noticed the glove box, ash tray and center console open.

There goes Mike's IPod, and about $3.00 change. There was no broken glass at least, so we don't have to worry about that getting fixed.

Where does one go to appease the electronic gods?

Sleep Training - Night 1

2010-04-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

First - thank you everyone for your comments and encouragement. This sleeping problem started almost 2 months ago because she was teething. It has continued, and gotten to the point where she is awake every 2 hours, and it was taking me up to an hour to get her back to sleep. It really has just become a habit of hers to have daddy or mommy hold her until she sleeps, so she doesn't know what to do when she wakes in the middle of the night. We are setting up a better bedtime routine, as well as making sure she is getting enough to eat during the day, and just before bedtime.

The First Night- Lots of Tears, Lots of Cuddles - and it wasn't just Kiera.

It was h e double hockey sticks. It is so hard to listen to baby girl cry, and not rush to her side to comfort her. At 8:30 pm, she was rubbing her eyese and cuddling, so I decided it was time to start the process. As soon as I put her in her crib, the crying started. Luckily, I only have to wait 3 mintues before I comfort her. How hard can that be? It was 3 very long minutes. Daddy took the first turn to comfort her.

He managed to quiet her down (though he took longer than the 2 minutes allowed). Yay, it worked already. Man, our child is brillant. Opps, nope. As soon as he closed the door, she starts crying again. This time we ahve to wait 5 minutes before we can go back in. This time, it's my turn.

I go in, rub her forehead, talk to her. Then she looks at me with these pleading eyes and she is crying so hard she was hyperventalating. All I here is "Please mommy, pick me up!" I couldn't take it, so I pick her up and cuddle her in the rocking chair. As I rocked her, my tears started. The first of many. Mike caught me, and reminded me we aren't supposed to hold her if we want this to work. At that point, we decided I just wasn't going to be able to do this. I know that this is for the best in the long run. We are teaching her how to put herself to sleep, but hearing her was hard enough.

Afgter 2 more trips to her room, she finally fell asleep at 9:15 pm. It only took 45 minutes. Wait a sec, it only took 45 minutes? It felt like hours. Of course, this was just the beginning of the night.

She woke at about 10:30 pm as we were going to bed ourselves. It only took Mike 2 trips to get her to go back to sleep. In between, he cuddle me as I cried. She woke again at 2:00 am, but she fell back to sleep on her own after crying for about 5 minutes. And again, more tears from me. Poor Mike.

She slept until 8:00 am. Well that wasn't so hard. She will be good tonight, right. Right?

April Contest Reminder

2010-04-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

There are only 2 more days to enter the April Contest.

Crazy Going Slowly Am I

2010-04-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

I am slowly going crazy, 1 2 3 4 5 6 switch.

Crazy going slowly am I, 6 5 4 3 2 1 switch.

This song is playing in my head right now. I feel like I am slowly going insane. This is the reason I haven't been posting as much this month. I brain moves like a slug, and writing skills (and speech skills) are casualties.

My little angel, who at 4 months was sleeping thru the night, has now decided that sleep is an option, not a necessity. I have tried to reason with her, and explain that mom needs her sleep. But the poor girl is waking every 2 to 3 hours, and it is taking us about an hour to get her back to sleep.

I know it is my fault somehow. The big question is "How do I fix it?"

Sleep Training might be the answer.

There are 2 different types of sleep training.

The No Tears Method
There are many variations that fall into this catagory. Most of them have you rock or feed the baby until they fall asleep, and you pick up to soothe the baby each time they wake up. The idea is to respond to them each time they cry (just not to every noise they make).

The Cry It Out Method
There are many variations to this method as well, but one main one that is employed. This is the Ferber Method. This method has you wait a predetermined amount of time before responding to the baby's cries. Each time you respond, the amount of time between is lengthened. As well, you limit how much time you spend soothing the baby.

You would think it would be easy for us to decide which method to use. Who likes to hear their baby crying? Without even knowing it, we have been using the No Tears Method already. And apparently, that is not working.

I have never wanted to use the Cry It Out method, but we need to do something.

Our first step will be moving her bedtime to 8:00 pm. That will take a couple of nights as her current bedtime is between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm. As well, we have to establish a consistant bedtime routine. Tonight, we will start with some energetic play at around 2 hours before bed to burn off any excess energy. Then an hour before bed, we will wash up or take a bath, put on a clean diaper and PJ's. This will be followed by the TV being turned off for a bottle, some quiet play and a bedtime story. Then into bed.

This is when Ferber's method comes into effect. According to his method, you say good night and leave the room. If baby cries, you wait the alloted amount of time, then go in and comfort the baby with out picking them up. After 2 minutes, you leave the room, even if the baby is still crying. You then wait a slightly longer amount of time before you go back in. You keep repeating this until they fall asleep. If they wake during the night, you start from the beginning.

Each following night, your initial waiting time is slightly longer. Within a week, baby should be sleeping through the night.

The hardest part will be listening to her cry. I don't know if I can do it, but I have to try.
Or I will go insane.

The Biggest Loser

2010-04-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

A local fitness centre is holding a Biggest Loser program (I call it a program since you actual pay them for it). I wrote a letter and submitted it. Within a couple of hours, I received a phone call saying I have been accepted. Wooohooo.

What is the Biggest Loser? Well, here you go.

"What is the Biggest Loser program?
- Sixteen week diet/exercise contest providing you the tools to eat properly and exercise regularly
- You will receive a customized diet program and receive the support you need to stick to it
- Participate in individual and group personal training sessions with certified and experienced personal trainers
- Enjoy group classes and challenges
- Unlimited access to cardio equipment
- Choose when and how often you workout (minimum of 3x/week )

How is the winner chosen?
- You need to complete the program and have lost the highest percentage of weight loss. By competing for % of body fat lost instead of lbs, it levels the playing field for those who have a moderate of weight to loss or those with a those that have a considerable amount to loss.

What will I WIN?
- A three month certificate for unlimited personal training and ongoing diet support from Kamloops Fit Centre or the chance to participate in the next Biggest Loser program free of charge.
- A free hair cut and style
- A 2lb tub of protein powder from Fuel Sports supplements
- Various other prizes depending on sponsors

How does the program work?
- We start with an initial consultation that includes a health and lifestyle questionnaire. In this first meeting we will take your blood pressure and resting heart rate and test your blood glucose levels – all numbers you should know. Your start weight will be recorded, measurements done and before photos taken will be taken. You will be asked to set some goals and together we will make a plan. From there , you can start making your appointments to meet with the trainers and start your exercise program. One of your first appointments will also be with one of the nutritionist to set up your diet.
- Your first few training sessions will be teaching sessions. You will be shown the proper way to work your core and abdominals. The trainers will show you how to execute the exercises properly and safely.
- Training sessions are about an hour long, with 30 minutes of resistance training or weight training and then followed by your cardio. You will be expected to do 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 4-5 days a week, preferably daily. Depending on your fitness level, you may need to work up to that level in a progressive manner.
- You are expected to arrive 10-15 minutes before your training session to allow for warm-up.
- Saturdays is the official weigh-in following by a circuit class. If you can not attend on Saturdays your last weigh in of the week will be used to calculate the weekly results. There are two other circuit classes during the week , you can also attend.
- You may be weight randomly throughout the week, to monitor your progress, with the goal being to have lost 1-2 lbs per week or more."

So last week, Nina (who is participating with me) head into the centre for our initial consultation. I nicely filled in my health and lifestyle questionaire on the computer, although I lied about how much coffee I drink. Oops. Hopefully neatness will make the trainers go a little easier on me.

We walked into the centre, and looked around. It didn't look like much, but it was definately functional. Everybody was busy, so we took a seat and watched. Hmmm....um, they aren't nice. Well, ok. That's what I need.

Lorilee, one of the owners and a trainer, finished up and came over to us. We went through my questionaire, discussed the program and my goals. My main goal is to lose 30 pounds at the end of this program. Lorilee feels that it is definately achievable, and perhaps I can lose 40 pounds.

The first scare - my stats. She checked my blood pressure, my measurements and my weight. I hadn't realized how much weight I had actually gained. Apparently I am 9 months pregnant again.

I will share my weight with you each week. I am hoping you all will be able to help me stay on track.

The second scare - the before pictures. She took 3 different angles, front, side and behind. I never see my behind, so I have a fanasty that I have a J-Lo booty. I haven't see the pictures yet, so I am still in that dream world. "I'm Real" is playing in my head right now.

The third scare - a grumpy trainer and program manager. Lorilee dropped a bombshell while she is doing Nina's stats. She will be working to get into shape to complete in a bodybuilder competition so she will be grumpy, to put it mildly. Oh goody. Can I quit now?

We are scheduled for our nutritional consultation this week. I know that I will be eating a lot of vegetables over the next 16 weeks, and not so much bread and pasta. And, gulp, Lorilee has said that alcohol is forbidden. Wine is made from grapes, so technically it is old grape juice.

On May 1st, I officially embark on this new journey.

A Day Off

2010-04-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Baby girl is changing so fast. We were just at Grandma Helen's a month ago, but she wasn't crawling yet. Hubby decided to take her to see Grandma Helen for the day. For reference, grandma lives 2 hours away. He asked if I wanted to come along on their little adventure. I hummed and hawwed for about 5 seconds, before I decided to decline. I wanted to give them a little daddy-daughter time. Aren't I generous.

Now for me to figure out what to do with 8 hours free time. First thing I did was start laundry and organizing the house. Heaven help me. I managed to pull myself away to update my facebook status, then I had a nice long relaxing shower. I decided my only plan for the day was to take the bike out for a ride.

Nina convinced me to come visit her. I hopped on my bike and headed on over. She surprised me at the door with a cup of coffee, then gave me a pedicure.

I love this colour.

After coffee and a pedicure, Nina, her mom, Boog and I got on the bus, and went to Mr. Mike's for lunch (mom was buying - thank you mom). I like their salad bar, though, I do think it is a little over priced. Yummy cooked mushrooms. I ordered a mushroom burger to go along with the salad since I never get mushrooms at home. It did not quite live up to my dreams. It was greasy, which defeated anything the salad was trying to do.

After lunch, we went to the grocery store. I had decided I was making a salad for dinner (still making up for the greasy burger). We had left over BBQ'd chicken at home, so I grabbed some lettuce, dried cranberries, pecan halves and herbed feta to go with it.

Oh look, there's a Starbucks. How convenient. Nina bought us coffee's to go. And when goes with coffee? A Book!!!! Well, everything goes with coffee, but I am using this as a transition to our next stop - the bookstore next to the grocery store.

Time to catch the bus back to Nina's. After packing all the groceries into my saddlebags (it was a tight fit), I got on my bike to come home. It took me longer to come home. I wasn't ready to get off my bike, so I took a little detour. I got home in time to make dinner, finish 3 loads of laundry, play on facebook and cuddle with the kitty.

It was a great day, but I sure missed my family.

Life with Alexis: Sweet Sixteen

2010-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

Happy 16th Birthday Alexis

You have grown into such a beautiful young woman. I am excited to see all the great things in your future. If I can give you any words of wisdom, I will tell you this

Do not worry about what others think. You don't see most of them after graduation.

You don't have to know what you want to do with your life right away.

Save, save, save, and don't go into debt.

Experience life now, travel if you want to; it gets harder to do later.

Never regret anything, you can't redo it. Learn from it and move on.

Stay close to your family.

Life is short, so have fun.

Reaching 16 is a milestone,

a happy point in life.

You've set your personality

and your tolerance for strife.

By now you know right from wrong

and how to influence friends.

It’s time to look down the road

at forks and around the bends.

The road ahead is wonderful,

some choices will be clear.

Your path depends on bravery

to push aside the fear.

When you chose this way or that,

slow choices or if snappy,

make the choices best for you,

the ones that make you happy.

by Michael Charles Messineo

We love you Alexis.

Spring and the April Contest

2010-04-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and the weather is gorgeous!

Spring means...

Sunny Weather

Motorcycle Rides

Shorts

Sandles (oops, need a pedicure)

Picnic's

Flowers

Water Parks

Sun Dresses

Taking Pictures

Fresh Air in the House

Yard Work (ewww)

Cleaning and Organizing

Making Room to Buy New Things

I have been dying to go into Urban Barn and do some shopping. They have some really cool stuff for the house. So in honour of cleaning, organizing and decorating the house, I am having a contest this month.

What

$25.00 Gift Certificate to the Urban Barn.

How

You get one entry if you reply to this post with what you would buy for your house, if you could buy anything.

You can get a second entry if you become a follower.

When

The contest closes midnight April 30th and the winner will be announced on May 1st.

Enjoy the Spring.

Ode to Timmy

2010-04-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Only glass separates you from your one true love. Electricity flows you in anticipation. All you have to do is open the door and walk thru, and he will be yours. He is not fancy, but he is strong, and his strength is what keeps you going.

Taking in a deep breath, you push yourself onward, through the portal to bliss. You pause, you dream of his warmth embracing you, filling your soul. You taste him on your lips. After waiting so long, you will finally together. How do you express your feelings, and how important he is? You say the first thing that comes to mind: "Can I have a Double Double please?"

Note: The cup was empty, I do not feed baby girl coffee. I do want her to sleep!

March Goal Review

2010-04-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

It's a little late. Over the past week or 2, I have been extremely tired. It is not Kiera as she has been sleeping mostly through the night. To tell you the truth, I am not sure what is causing the exhaustion. I suspect that it is depression rearing it's not so friendly head, trying one last attempt before summer comes and the sun is out.

Leisure Time

I will get my motorcycle license by July 1, 2010.

* We got our bike's insured and serviced. I started my couse, and have passed my MST (Motorcycle Skills Test). The MST is the 1st part. We started riding in the city yesterday. If anyone is interested, call John at Dallas Driving School.

my bike :)

I will read 10 books per year, 2 of which must be nonfiction.

* I have read 5 books so far, 3 of which were none fiction. I have reviewed 2 of the books in previous posts.

Community Involvement

I will volunteer by March 31st, 2010.

* I decided to volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society. I worked the table at Save On Foods, selling daffodil pins on March 28th. I did my volunteer orientation on April 9th - Daffodil Day, and I do my first training session on April 22nd. I am really excited to be doing this.

Personal Growth

I will reconnect with my friends by the end of the year.

* Our Earth Hour Murder Mystery went really well. I am hoping to plan something again next month. I do meet once a week for coffee with Nina, my BFF.

I will post to my blog 3 times per week.

* I changed this one to 12 times per month. I met that for March, but I am a little behind for April. Better get crack-a-lacking.

Health and Fitness

I will work out for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

* This goal has fallen short. I don't enjoy working out, so it is the most difficult one for me to accomplish. I have become a participant in the local Biggest Loser contest beginning May 1st. Ouch. I will keep you posted on how well all that works. I am hoping for Bob.

* I also joined the Hula Hunnies for the Relay for Life. We are hosting a Father Daughter Ball on May 15th. Let me know if you are interested.

Baby Girl and I are back in Mother Goose. She is going to have a lot more fun this time. Well, better go out and enjoy the sun!!

Sun, Grass and a Camera

2010-04-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Every week, Ree over at the Pioneer Woman site holds a photography contest. She names a topic, and anyone can sumbit a photo. The photo's submitted are amazing, and I am hoping one day to enter the contest. This weeks topic is Macro's. A Macro lens is soooo on my wishlist. The lens allows you to zoom so close to a subject that you can see the hair on a bug's legs, though I'm not sure I really need to see that. I love the idea of this type of picture.

We don't have a macro lens, but we do have a zoom lens. Hubby asked me to come outside for a second, so I grabbed baby and camera.

Here is what I captured.

Maintaining a Healthy Level of Insanity

2010-04-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is an email I received this morning. After a long night with baby girl (poor thing is teething), I needed this.

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!

3..Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana.

6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.

11.When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

Say Cheese.....

2010-04-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

A year ago I purchased the book "Complete Digital Photography" by Tom Ang for my husband. We had just purchased our new Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera in honour of our impending arrival, Kiera. The book has collected dust on the top of our fridge since it came into the house. As a side note, the camera is used almost every day. It is a great camera, and I haven't even used all the features yet.

Working on my blog has reawakened a passion for photography in me. I have been avidly snapping pictures for a couple of months now. Having an adorable little girl makes that easy. Well that and not having to pay for film. Yay technology.

I was taking photos with a friend's camera (that will teach her to leave it at my house), and I realized want to delve more into the artistic side of photography, and photographic effects. That is when the flash went off and I remembered the book on the fridge. I pulled it down, dusted it off and read it.

Let me first say that the edition I read was published in 2005, so the technology is already outdated. My other issue with the book is that it only had 1 chapter on actual photography. This would be a good book for anyone brand new to digital camera's and the technology associated. The book was not all bad. I did learn a couple of techniques I decided to try out and share with you.

Most digital camera's offer an auto focus when you press the button half way. The camera also reads the amount of light available to determine the proper exposure. Exposure is the amount of light to allowed to reach the image sensor. For example, an underexposed image will be dark as not enough light reaches the sensor.

Exposure

Sometimes you can use overexposing or underexposing to your advantage. With the right subject or image, the effects can change the feeling of the photo.

Original - just point and shoot.

Silhouette

Though you can't see a big change in the image, this effect is achieved by focusing the camera on the brightest or lightest part of the image. Before completely pressing the button, reposition the camera back to take the image you want. This will make dark areas darker. This works best with clearly defined forms.

High Key

High Key is created when you focus on the darkest part of the picture then reposition the camera to snap the shot. This is ideal to soften an image.

Exposure can be changed using software as well.

Original Image

Extra Exposure

Less Exposure

In this case, I much prefer the Less Exposed image. I find the colours richer. Again, using more exposure will lighten or soften the subject.

Contrast

Contrast is the difference in the brightness between the light and dark areas. Changing contrast can make an image more dramatic.

Original

Low Contrast

High Contrast

I am using extreme levels to show the differences. The high contrast image is more dramatic and artistic.

Saturation

Sometimes you may want to intensify just one colour in an image. To do this, you would change the saturation. Saturation measures the purity of a colour.

Original

Increase Master (all colours)

Increase Red Only

Increase Green Only

Increase Blue Only

Increasing the saturation can cause the colours to become too strong. However, it works well if we just increase the blues.

There are many more effects you can do when using photo editting software. Some are practical, some are purely for entertainment. As I explore, I would love to share my trials and errors with you. I am hoping I can keep you entertained as I explore the world through a camera lens.

Life as Kiera Sees It: 8 Months Old

2010-04-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's long over due, but here is Kiera at 8 months old.

Weight: 20 pounds

Height: 30 inches

In March, I

Learned to crawl

Got my bottom 2 teeth

Started sharing mommy and daddy's dinner

Here is the world from my point of view.

Easter Memories

2010-04-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

What to get an 8 month old for Easter?

As I thought about it, Easter memories from my childhood came to mind.

When I was young, every Easter Sunday we went to church then would head to my Grandma's house for huge family dinner; usually involving many cousins and a few aunts and uncles. (Sometimes I had a basket, but I never wore red). She made these "Bird's Nests" (uncooked Chow Mein Noodles, Marshmallows and Vanilla shaped like nests) and would fill them with chocolate eggs and marshmallow chicks. They looked like a bird's nest; hence the name, and they were surprisingly delicious. And there was always the Easter Egg hunt in the yard.

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, we spent Easter in Idaho with our extended family. The town was small, and it held a community easter egg hunt every year. I thought this was the most wonderfulest things in the world. Then I found out that some of the eggs were worth money, and it became the most wonderfulestest thing. Each age group had an area to search so that to older children weren't finding all the easy eggs. We searched for what seemed like hours, from hither and yon, until my little legs were falling off.

I think I found $0.75. My baby sister made over $2.00. She was so lucky. Think of all the candy she could buy. Because you know the Easter Bunny never left enough.

Then came the Fruity Years.

As we got older, and my parent no longer had benefits to cover our dental work, they had a little chat with the Easter Bunny. They must have had a great relationship with him because we started getting fruit in our baskets. To make it more appealing, they would be fruits like starfruit or dragonfruit, but we knew the score. In the bottom would be some chocolate and the big jelly bean eggs. My sisters and I would play poker with the jelly bean eggs.

I know that there are many Easter traditions I want to share with Kiera. Those shared traditions make me feel closer to my family, especially my sisters. That is what I want to give Kiera.

I suddenly have the urge to go the Casino.

The Secret of the Bitter Sweets

2010-03-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Secret of the Bitter Sweets

Starring

Georgina as

Georgette Luckless

Age 42, the producer of the television talk show “Can We Talk?” Having never graduated from charm school, she enjoys meeting men in the locker room, can go weeks without deodorant and has a five pack a day chewing tobacco habit.

Gina as

Jackie Hack

Age 28, the program scriptwriter for the television talk show “Can We Talk?” She was formerly head label writer for a highly respected canned vegetable company. She enjoys all types of wind related sports, and hold the record in the National Wind Breaking Championships – 158 decibels.

Jarrett as

Carson Douglas

Age forty five, the male cohost of the television talk show “Can We Talk?” Deeply tanned from hours at the artificial suntan clinic, he prefers the artificial outdoor life to the artificial Hollywood scene. His hobbies are collecting artificial limbs, dusting artificial plants and producing samples for artificial insemination banks.

Jeremiah as

Otto Klieglite

Also known as “Blotto,” age 66, the cameraman at KRUD television studios. He has recently returned from vacationing at Lucky Harry’s Drug and Alcohol Rehab Clinic in Tahiti, where he gave up his favourite libation – Scotch ‘n’ Gin Malts – but unfortunately developed a taste for night time cold medicine.

Kent as

Alfred Halfcocked

Age 39, the director of the television talk show “Can We Talk?” His face was hideously disfigured at birth when his mother diapered the wrong end. Somewhat of a recluse, he prefers to spend his time reading the backs of cereal boxes, taping his glasses back together, and plucking his nose hairs.

Kerri as

Phyllis Donahue

Fortyish, the female cohost of the television talk show “Can We Talk?” She grew up in the theatre, and won the audition at station KRUD with her portrayal of the chain saw in Oklahoma Chain Saw Massacre-The Sequel. Her varied experience includes announcer of the “Blue Light” specials at the Poughkeepsie Discount Mart, the Poster Girl for Dog World’s “Pet of the Month” contest, and the stand in for the pygmy contortionist in Bo-Lero, Part II in 3D.

Melissa as

Tangerine Lipgloss

Age twenty two, the makeup artist at KRUD studios. She has been happily married – and widowed – twice. She was formerly bulimic but are now comfortably anorexic. She enjoys cooking, eating, and sticking her finger down her throat, and she is the author of the best selling cookbook Eat Yourself into a Stupor and Lose a Pound a Day (Avarice Press, $29.95).

Michael as

Junior Milqtoast

Age 18, a part time gopher at the KRUD studios. He is a walking billboard for acne medicine, and he spends his time between work and computer camp collating and classifying his ballpoint pen collection.

Raquel Bust, star of stage, screen and the occasional trashy miniseries, as been found dead in her dressing room just moments before she was to appear on the television talk show “Can We Talk?” Who killer her?

This is what we set out to discover on Saturday evening. In honour of Earth Hour, I hosted a evening of mystery and murder. As each guest arrived, they were handed their initial clue, their prop packets and their instructions.

Props

After mingling, getting into character, we sat down and introduced ourselves. Then it was time to turn off the lights. From 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, we investigated the death of Raquel Bust by candle light, searching for clues.

* The clues were written on pieces of paper and hidden in the house. Guests walked around the house looking for them discreetly. If you were caught finding a clue, you had to share it with the person who caught you. The clues gave you information or directed you to look at something specific in the crime scene.

After the clues have been found, we shared our alibis for the time of the murder. Luckily, the “police” released the crime scene shortly after, so we could continue our investigation.

We thoroughly searched the scene laid out before us; looking for any indication as to which one of us was the murderer.

Once the crime scene was investigated, we met to learn some interesting secrets and discover some surprising relationships. Some pointed to the killer, some distracted from the killer.

We took a short break to ponder our discoveries, and then it was time to accuse the person we thought responsible for Raquel’s death.

Baby girl even arrived to put in her thoughts about the killer.

In the end, there were 2 amazing detectives in our group; Georgette Luckless and Otto Klieglite. They correctly dedueced who the murderer was. I also give kudos to Otto Klieglite for best costume and his presentation of a 66 year old German Rapper.

And the murderer was……

You’ll just have to play the game to find out.

Life with Alexis: Wanna Buy a Duck

2010-03-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

We were playing Scene It on teh XBox. Some of the questions refer to clips from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, an absolutely hilarious film.

Alexis thought these clips were 'rolling on the floor laughing' funny, so we decided to make her watch the movie.

There are way to many particularily humourous parts to mention, but dad got stuck on the haggling scene. Picture this: we are in our truck on the way to drop Alexis off at the bus station to go home. So, we have a 16 year old in the back and us in the front.

Dad: Hey Alexis, Wanna buy a duck?

Alexis: What?

Dad: Wanna buy a duck?

Alexis: No

5 minutes later...

Dad: Hey Alexis, Wanna buy a duck?

Alexis: No

Dad: Come on, you wanna buy a duck?

Me: Alexis, if you don't play, he will go on allllll day about this.

Alexis: Fine.

Dad: That will be $50

Alexis: Fine

Dad: No, you have to haggle.

Alexis: But I don't want a duck.

5 minutes later...

Dad: Hey Alexis, Wanna buy a duck?

Alexis: DAad.

Dad: Wanna buy a duck?

Alexis: Fine, $10

Dad: For this beautiful duck?

Now imagine 2 hours of this.

Earth Hour

2010-03-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Hour.

Remember to turn off your lights at 8:30 pm tonight for 1 hour.

In keeping with the Environmental Theme, here are a few things we are currently doing to reduce our environmental footprint and a few we are planning on doing this year.

Share your thoughts, feelings, etc.

Current

Recycling

Donate unused items

Using CFL Bulbs

Replaced the Windows

Washing clothes in cold

Shop with reusable bags

Turn of computer every night (well most nights)

E - Billing (Shaw, Rogers, Master Card)

Participate in Earth Hour

This Summer

Composting

Planting a garden (not sure what yet)

Use a rain barrel (if I can find one)

Draft proof the house

Buy low flow aerators and a showerhead

Change to Engery Star appliances as well replace them

Insulate the walls (as we put up new ones; we started with the nursery/den)

Insulate the main pipes coming into the house

Life with Alexis: Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

During Alexis' visit, we did a Girl's Night. So, we left daddy at home babysitting baby girl, and off to the movies we went. She wanted to see Alice in Wonderland. Since we both knew that her dad did not see it, that is where we headed.

It was a great night filled with girl talk. I have not had girl talk like that in, ummmm, many years. Of course, I will never disclose what was said. I know how to keep secrets. I had so much fun, and I feel closer to Alexis. Thank you Alexis for allowing me to spend time with you. I know I am not the greatest step parent in the world.

Anyway, the movie was very cool in 3D. I will even admit to jumping a few times as things seem to fly at me. If you are looking at this movie with a serious eye, there are a couple of holes in it. However, if you ignore the holes, the movie is highly entertaining.

The acting was awesome. I completely believed Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter (of course, I believe Johnny in every role he takes). The imagery was stunning. I usually find movies lacking if I have read the book first. I think my imagination is much better that the movie makers. Hmmm, career change perhaps. I digress. This movie lived up to the images I have in my head (and the voices). It makes me want to pull out the books and read them all over again. In fact, once I finish the 2 books I am currently read, perhaps I will.

I would recommend this movie to anyone wanting to be entertained!

The Shower

2010-03-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

With Earth Hour less than a week away, I have been focussing on what we can do to reduce our impact on the plant. One suggestion is to reduce the length of time you spend in the shower. I thought - I can do that.

Don't get me wrong, I like to be as clean as the next person but really, I have things to do and people to see. As I stood in my shower thinking about this, I realized that it was quiet enough for me to think. I have this time all to myself.

In my ideal world, everyone understood mommy time meant "don't distrub, no matter what I am doing."

Then I had a child, and my new realistic ideal world meant "don't disturb if the bathroom door is closed."

I am now reduced to "I pretend I can't hear you with the water running in the shower so there is no point trying to talk to me."

Baby girl is only 8 months old. It's only going to get worse. I am happy to say that hubby is smart enough not to come into the shower to tell me that baby girl has been crying for 5 minutes, she must be hungry, so I better stop what I am doing and feed her right now (this actually happened to a friend of mine).

This is my sanctuary. I can't reduce my shower time.

Sorry Planet.

Life with Alexis: The Walk

2010-03-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

One morning, we were having difficulty getting baby girl down for her nap, so I suggested a walk. It was beautiful out, and it seemed a shame to spend it inside. So we bundled up baby, and ourselves and drove to the park.

Within 5 minutes of getting to the park, baby girl was out cold. Just to make sure however, we decided to walk for about 20 minutes.

Along the way, we chatted.

Pretended to be walking the tight rope.

Saw the scenery.

And the local wildlife.

Finally, we decided to head back to the truck and go home.

Of course, guess who woke up.

We made a pitstop on the way home.

Unfortunately, I had an incident with an iced cap. I recommend holding the drink tray with both hands while the vehicle is moving (and ignore the camera). Tim Horton's saw us a second time in less than 5 minutes.

It's going to be a long day.

At last, we make it home, and I sit and enjoy breakfast.

We did not accomplish what we set out to do.

Baby girl was still awake, but Timmy's made it all better.

Life with Alexis

2010-03-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, hubby's daughter, Alexis, arrived. We weren't sure she was going to be able to come visit us during spring break due to work, but she managed to get the time off. Yay!!!!!

We drove 2 hours to the Greyhound Station. Why the station 2 hours away? Well, it is a long boring story but basically it is a 1/2 way point between us and Alexis.

Of course, Mike wants to make sure we are there on time, so we leave at 9:30 am for a 1:45 pm pickup. Needless to say, we arrived with plently of time to go shopping first! After spending some retail therapy, we are off the the bus station to wait for the bus.

And then it happens, the moment arrives and so does ALEXIS.

"We had Joy, We had Fun, We had Seasons in the Sun (Terry Jacks)."

We spent many hours playing Monopoly and Scene It on the XBox, and bowling on the Wii.

We played on the floor, we played by the door (my inner Dr. Seuss coming out).

Neeko came to visit us for a little bit.

We read a little. I read "Blogging for Dummies", and Alexis read "Dirty Little Secret".

We went for a walk (post about that will be up soon) and we went to the movies (a review of Alice in Wonderland will also be up soon). We took Kiera to her swimming lessons.

We went to see grandma for the night (another 2 hour drive each way).

We slept very little.

And then it was time for her to go home. So after a week and a day, we made the 2 hours trek back to the bus station. This time we left at 10:30 am for the 1:45 pm bus. We stopped for lunch at Subway.

Then it was time to say goodbye.

And Alexis was gone again as quickly as she came. We will miss her, and we await her return this summer.

Life as Kiera Sees It: Video Games

2010-03-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

My daddy spends many hours playing on the XBox 360, and I love sitting on his lap helping him. His current game is Saboteur (which is a violent game, probably not suitable for me). So naturally, I want to play it. I often tell daddy where the nazi outposts are and the best way to blow them up. Sometimes he lets me push the buttons on the controller.

I would have a lot more fun if daddy wasn't greedy and let me push more buttons. On days he is being particularily greedy, I turn my attention to the TV remote. If I have the remote, then I can show him that I have the POWER.

Unfortunately, he just takes that away from me as well. Mean Daddy.

One day I will get that remote, and I will yell...

"Victory is Mine!"

* Mommy's note: I have to stop letting Kiera playing/watching Saboteur, I just love that daddy and baby girl are spending time together.

Blogging for Dummies

2010-03-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have been going through a blogging crisis over the past couple of weeks. I am creatively challenged, so writing posts is not an easy task for me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to carry on my endevour. Sometimes it feels like I am talking to myself. I already do that enough in my everyday life so I don't need to write it too. Let me just say however; I do realize I have readers out there, and I love you all for visiting and reading my attempts at humour.

Then it happens. We are wandering through one of my favourite stores, Chapters, and like a shining beacon it calls to me...

It took me just 3 days to read it from cover to cover (well, I did skip a couple of chapters, but I read most of it). For anyone interested in trying their hand at blogging, I would highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The chapters are setup well and progressively make sense. You don't feel as though you are jumping from topic to topic, or that the topics are unrelated. Chapters 1 to 3 start with the basic of idea of what a blog is and how they work.

Chapter 4 specifically discusses Blogger (the host of this blog) and how to setup a blog here. The thing that sets a blog apart from a website is that people can leave their comments (which I love to read - hint hinit nudge nudge). Chapter 8 and 9 are about how to encourage comments from your readers. You will see some of their advice put into practise in the near future.

I enjoy taking pictures, and I like that I can display them here. Chapter 10 talks about working with photos in your blog. They compare the different types of cameras. Once you are posting on your blog, chapters 14 and 15 shows you have to connect it with other social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Each time I post here, it updates both my Twitter account and Facebook account.

I have to say that this book saves the best to last. My favourite chapter, Chapter 20, gives you tricks for pimping out your blog with widgets and such.

If you are a tech savy person or if you are looking to blog professionally, then this is not the book for you. But if you are like me, and are just looking for a blogger block breakthru, then this is the book for you.

For more information, check out the Dummies website.

Earth Hour

2010-03-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

On March 27th at 8:30 pm, the world will be turning out their lights for Earth Hour. What is Earth Hour you might ask. I know I did the first time I heard about it. Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia 3 years ago when the city decided to take a stand on climate change. Over 2 million homes and business turned their light off for 1 hour. Since then, it has grown to a global phenomenon. Last year over 4000 cities in 88 countries participated. I have decided to host a murder mystery party. Candles will light our house, and the TV and computers will be off. We will be able to spend our time with our friends. I am really looking forward to it. If you would like to join us, please let me know. Are you going to participate? If so, what are your plans? Share some of your ideas. If you are looking for ideas, check out the Earth Hour website for some great ideas. As well, join the Earth Hour Canada blog and share your plans there.

What ever you do, don't sleep!!

2010-03-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Why do Children hate sleep?

After being sent to bed at the designated bed time predetermined by my parents (how did they decide on the time anyway), I would sneak to the top of the stairs where I could stack out the living room below to see what parents did when children were in bed. I would listen and watch, so afraid I was going to miss something important.

If I stayed really, really quiet, my parents wouldn't notice me, and I could stay up as long as I wanted. Of course, my parents always knew I was there, but generally would leave me there as long as I didn't disturb them.

Oh the things I would witness.

When it got late, they would "suddenly" notice me, and send me to bed. By that time, I would happily go thinking I had pulled the wool over my parent’s eyes. I was so proud of myself. I hadn't learnt anything except that my parents were boring, but I'd be out there the next night.

Because that is the night that something exciting will happen.

Finding a New Balance

2010-03-13T00:34:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this post by saying it is currently after 11:00 pm, and my mind is a whirling dervish. I apologize in advance for the verbal jumble about to ensue.

Before Kiera, when I thought about having children, I thought I had a clear idea of how it would go. Little did I know that there are so much to teach, that it is not possible to have all the answers in the beginning. It really is about making it up as you go along.

Thinking about what I want Kiera to learn has made me think about my life and the role model I will be to her. It has made me change my priorities, and made me realize that there are things I want to improve.

Life Balance - isn't that the ultimate goal. How does one find the perfect balance between work, home, partner, children, family and friends, and myself? I am not sure that it is attainable. I do know that I generally put myself last. Actually, to be honest, the house comes last, but that's a whole other topic.

Although I do not want Kiera to be selfish, I do want her to know that it is alright to take care of herself. By taking care of herself, she will be better equipped to take care of others. To teach her, I need to work on finding balance in my life. It may never be perfect, but by making the effort, I showing her I value myself.

So how do I find balance? Any suggestions?

We Celebrate Your Life

2010-03-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

We Celebrate Your Life

Of all the men in the whole wide world,

Whose praises are sung out loud,

There is no man whom I respect more,

Or of whom I am more proud.

Throughout the years, you’ve worked so hard

To provide us a happy life;

You’ve been there to help and give advice,

And you did it all without strife.

That is why on this day each year,

I pray all your wishes come true;

Today we celebrate your life,

So Dad, Happy Birthday to you.

By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

It was my dad's 60th birthday on March 3rd, so this weekend we treked down to the Lower Mainland to celebrate with him. There was a wonderful party held had the clubhouse in his community. Most of his biggest fans were there to share the momentous occasion. He shared the day with his younger brother who's 50th birthday was just before his.

It is hard to believe that he is 60 already. When did my parents start to age? My dad has always been my role model. He is the reason I am interested in business, he taught me to play pool and he encouraged me to be independant. I may not look like him, but apparently, we get the same look on our face when we concentrate. I can't imagine life without him.

In Kiera, a little part him will always be with me. I am thrilled that she is going to know her granddad, and I hope they have a close relationship. When he looks at her, you can see how much he loves his grandchildren. I only hope that I can teach her as much as he has taught me.

Happy Birthday Dad, I love you!

Mother Goose

2010-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a sad day.

Mother Goose has ended.

For those who might not know, Mother Goose is a Parent-Child Group where you spend an hour singing songs with your child. But it is so much more than that. Baby Girl is able to interact with other children. She is better able to understand language and sounds, and she responds to her favourite songs. I am able to meet other mothers with children close to her age, and I learn another way to dealing with stressful situations with Kiera.

Already the some of the songs we have learnt have come in handy. There are many a time where I have sung "Roly Poly" and "The Wheels on the Bus" while in the car to calm Baby down. I am sure that I have entertained many people at stop lights.

Everyday, Kiera and I sit on the couch and sing at least one of her favourite songs, like "What Do We Do with a Tiny Baby." I love to tickle her and hear her laugh. One of the best things in the world is the sound of a child's laughter.

I absolutely love this program and would strongly recommend it to any parent. I can't wait until it starts again in April.

Check out Mother Goose for more information on the program and check out KELLI - Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative for the schedule and other programs.

Our Little Hockey Fan

2010-03-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

First of all...

OUR BABY GIRL IS 7 MONTHS

20 lbs

28 1/2 ozs

Now about our Little Hockey Fan.

Ever since her birth, Daddy has been working extremely hard to ensure his baby girl is a hockey fan. And not just a hockey fan, but a Canuck's fan.

Every televised Canuck game, there is Daddy, in his jersey, sitting in the big brown comfy chair, a diet cola and the remote on the table beside him, and our little bundle of joy on his lap in her little pink Canucks jersey. Lately, of course, it's more of a juggling act for him as she can't sit still for too long.

With the Olympics taking over the airwaves over the past 2 weeks, their attentions turned to the Canadian Olympic Team. They watched all the games, cheering on their loved players.

Given their devotion to the game, you can imagine where they were at noon on February 28th. Kiera in her Canada shrit, and Daddy in his Canucks jersey in support of Luongo.

It was a great game. Either team could have taken the gold, but early on it looked like Canada had it. That is until the third period when the US tied the game. From then on they were on the edge of their seats.

Canada fought hard but was unable to score. The game goes into overtime. From then on, it was a nail biter. Any goal would determine a winner.

Then it happens...

GOAL!

Sydney Crosby scores the game winnner.

Canada gets the Gold!!!

There was a party in our house after the game and as we watched the closing ceremonies. I know baby girl won't remember this, but I hope we have begun to install pride in our great nation. I do know that as we get back to the regular hockey season, the bond between Mike and Kiera will continue to grow.

I swear Kiera's first word will be "LOUUUUUUUUUUU."

Relay for Life

2010-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

WE ARE ALIVE!!!

We have all been battling the flu since Thursday. I swear it was hit or miss whether we would all survive, but we all made it. Except poor hubby, he's still feeling the effects.

I just wanted to post and say I did it. I signed up for the Relay for Life!!!

Check out our Team - The Hula Hunnies. We will be doing fun activities to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Cancer has affected both Mike and my families. I have lost my grandfather and my Uncle Roger, who at 34 succumbed to cancer. Mike lost his father 20 years ago this April, just after his 68th birthday. We have a Tribute to him on our website.

I am very excited to be doing this relay, for myself, and for Kiera. I want to make sure that I am around to watch her grow up.

Working Out is Fun - Right?

2010-02-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

As I said in my goals review post, I haven't really been accomplishing this goal. I did manage to work out with Amanda last week on Wednesday. I am sure that Jillian Michaels is a very nice person; however, I don't like the video version of her. Give me the flamboyant Richard Simmons anyday.

The fitness guru's say to find something you enjoy, that way you will stick with it. I am not coordinated. I do not like exercise. There, I said it. I'd much rather be sitting with a book, or on my computer blogging, rather than dripping sweat and feeling the jiggly parts move more than I am.

I know that I need to exercise, that I need to lose weight, and live a more healthy lifestyle. I just wish chocolate was an entire food group and that typing on the keyboard could reduce my underarm wave. Alas, it is not so, so I continue looking for that one exercise that will make me jump for joy, and say I can do this.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Until I find THE ONE, I will continue to struggle with exercising. Sometimes I will win and sometimes I will lose. I am just hoping that the wins will outnumber the losses.

My Goals Review

2010-02-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

As we come to the end of the month, it is time to review what I have accomplished towards my goals.

Leisure Time

I will get my motorcycle license by July 1, 2010.

* I have registered for a course which begins on March 25th. I do my road test on April 21st.

I will read 10 books per year, 2 of which must be nonfiction.

* I haven't done anything towards this goal. :(

Community Involvement

I will volunteer by March 31st, 2010.

* Michael and I met with Volunteer Kamloops, and I have a list of organizations. I have narrowed it down to Family Tree Drop-in Centre working with children 6 years and under or the Heart and Stroke Foundation doing office work. Maybe I will try and find time to do both. Especially I can take Kiera to the Family Tree Drop-in Centre.

Personal Growth

I will reconnect with my friends by the end of the year.

* I had lunch with Kerri yesterday. It was nice to catch up with her. I am also working on a gathering for March.

I will post to my blog 3 times per week.

* I have been posting every second day. :)

Health and Fitness

I will work out for 30 minutes, 3 times per week.

* Sad to say that I have not been keeping up with this one. Bad me. I have modified this to 3 days a week. I have decided to make this a little more specific. I want to participate in the Relay for Life on June 12th. Now I just have to find a team.

Well there is the update on my goals. This has been a busy week. Mike's job interview went well and he is job shadowing for a couple of days next week. I am so happy for him because he really likes the company and is interested in the type of work they do. I think he will fit in well and I am confident he will get the job.

Mike is currently working on the laundry room again. I will update you on this process. It must be going ok because the swearing has been minimal.

Little miss is sick. She started vomitting last night. She hasn't yet today, thank goodness, and she has been sleeping a lot today. My heart is breaking for her. It is the worse feeling in the world to know that your child is not feeling well or in pain, and you can't do anything to fix it.