Beachbody Challenge Update #4 (Final)

Challenge is done.

But my work is far from over.

I was anxious to compare my before/after pictures and before/after measurements (which I totally took incorrectly the first time...).  While I feel a big sense of pride in myself for making a change/dent in those 30 days - I feel a little disappointment too.  Not a 'woe is me,' disappointment, but an, 'oh...' disappointment.  As if I was expecting more.

I know I am my own worst critic and am going to analyze (OK, over analyze) my bod and flaws more than anyone, but I guess I just "felt" better about my progress before comparing the pictures and measurements.  If that makes any sense at all.

What's important is that deep down, I know that I've worked really hard and did my best - so I need to cut myself some slack and be proud of what I have accomplished in these 30 days.  And I am proud!  I guess the feeling of slight disappointment is just fuel to motivate me to continue working and keep working harder.

I must have asked Ryan every day for the past month, "How am I looking?"  Poor guy.  I've never been that person either but I needed that encouragement that my hard work was noticeable.  Just the other night I asked and he said, "Definitely less jiggly."  Gotta love honesty.

I am thankful for this challenge and the opportunity to get my jiggle in gear.  When I get down on myself, I need to remember that I met both of the goals I set to achieve - lose a little bit of weight and tone up.  I did that! Today, I feel stronger, healthier, and happier then I did 30 days ago.

The work doesn't stop here!

Source

Take Luck,

LP

Beachbody Challenge Update #3

Three weeks down.

Getting my booty up and going on my workouts has been more of a challenge, as of late.  But, once I'm going - I'm golden.  And sweaty. 

Why I'm lacking motivation recently?  I really can't say because I have been really happy with the progress I've made in these three short weeks.  My goal had two parts - one, to lose the weight I was hanging onto, and two, to tone up.  I'm happy to say I've achieved both.  Although, I still have some work to do with the latter.  Baby steps, people.

I have never been (and will never be) a teeny-tiny-skinny-mini.  I'm just not built that way.  I have athletic meat on these bones that seems to be permanently affixed to the old bod.  Even though I still have work to do (and one more week of personal butt kicking before this challenge is over!), I feel comfortable in my skin again... My new mama skin.  The scale may say I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight - but my body is different.  And I'm OK with that.  I feel like I subconsciously had to be OK with it before I knew I was ready to become a mama.

Next week I'll share my before and after pictures.  It may take a cocktail (or two) before I get up the guts to publish that post - but I hope it will be proof and motivation for others that you can make the positive changes you want to see in your body.  The physical changes in my body are second to the changes in how I feel about myself.  I'm proud for accomplishing my workouts, feeling healthier, and feeling stronger.  Seeing my body change and bounce back is really just icing on the cake. 

The really good, cream cheese icing.

Source

Take Luck,

LP

More Lately

- After one particularly bad night's sleep, Ryan offered to exclusively get up with Camden the next night.  I really had to pee in the middle of this particular night, but refused to get out of bed purely based on principle.

- I've come to realize that the raging Downton Abbey is in fact Downton Abbey... And not Downtown Abbey.

- Am finding myself very amused by this "fashion" blog written as the voice of Suri Cruise. 

Source

- I revealed that when I think Camden is about to take his first steps - I'm going to push him down in hopes of discouraging his growing up.  Just kidding... Er, sort of.

- Am finding myself dreading Thursday's because of our evening women's softball league games.  I just want to come home and be home.  But, I really need to change my tude because we got alotta games left.     

- I had been waiting impatiently for the Fit Bit Flex to be released.  We ordered one and they've been sitting at Best Buy since Sunday.  So, seeing as it's Thursday... I am either really good at containing my excitement.  Or very lazy.  And if I'm lazy - I just paid $99 for a black wrist band to tell me so.

Take Luck,

LP

Beachbody Challenge Update #2

Two weeks down.

My biggest challenge is still carving out that time each day to dedicate to my workouts with Shaun T.  However, this week I realized that I need to stop stressing about getting the workouts done in one swoop.  Doing the workout with interruptions is better than not doing the workout at all.  Agreed?

One thing I really like about this program (Insanity: Asylum) is that I don't dread any particular workout.  Sure, there are exercises that I enjoy (er, tolerate) more than others - but overall, it changes things up enough to keep things interesting (er, tolerable).

Eating has been somewhat of a challenge.  You'd think I meant that I'm struggling to make healthy food choices and eat less, but the funny thing is - I feel like I'm struggling to eat enough. Paleo eliminates a lot of foods I would normally eat (specifically processed foods and grains), which is good!  But I need to remember to replace those lost calories with the cleaner and healthier alternatives.  By no means did I intend for this to be an actual diet and substantially eliminate calories.

Marta, our challenge coach, encouraged us to weigh ourselves this weekend, and I was initially very nervous to do that.  Pre-pregnancy, I was never too worried about my weight - and by that I mean the actual number on the scale.  I always went by how I felt and how my clothes were fitting.  Just before getting pregnant, I kept an eye on my weight mostly because I wanted to 1) know what my baseline was, 2) track my weight gain through my pregnancy (even though that was super depressing...) and 3) make sure I got back to that baseline weight post-baby. 

Anyway, my concern was this: I'm feeling good - what if the scale tells me differently?  I didn't want to be discouraged and have the scale tell me that my hard work wasn't doing as much as I thought it was.  I voiced my concern to Marta, so she encouraged me to wait until the end to step on the scale.

So, what did I do?  Weighed myself (of course!) because curiosity got the best of me.  And ya know what, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for - but it gave me a boost of motivation to just keep working and keep working harder.

Afterall, I am the one that's in charge of this change.

Here's to another week of working my ass off.  Literally.

Source

Take Luck,
LP

Beachbody Challenge Update #1

As of yesterday, I completed the first week of Marta's Beachbody Challenge.

My biggest challenge hasn’t been the workouts themselves, but carving out 45-50 minutes of the afternoons/evenings to dedicate to the workouts.  Don't get me wrong - the workouts are definitely challenging.  But there's a young man in my life that just likes to interrupt me.  Apparently he likes my love handles.

The great news is - I am already seeing positive changes in my bod.  I'm not weighing myself until the end, so I'm purely going off of how I'm feeling about myself.  My momma told me on Saturday that she noticed my little tummy had gone down, and it totally encouraged me to bust it even harder during my workout on Sunday. 

Right before the start of this challenge, Ryan and I decided to start following a Paleo diet.  I guess I shouldn’t call it a diet, because I'm certainly not dieting - just trying to eat better.  Cleaner.  I will say that I find myself eating less because, well, there's less things that you can eat while eating Paleo.

If you don't know much about Paleo (Paleolithic Diet), it mimics the diets of our caveman ancestors and includes meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and nuts.  This means no grains, legumes, dairy, potatoes, refined sugars, salt, or processed foods.  My biggest challenge with this change in our eating is definitely the elimination of diary, grains, and processed foods.  Mama loves a bagel and/or a quick granola bar!  I'm not strictly following this diet, but trying to follow it as closely as possible.  I still have oatmeal for breakfast (good for breastmilk production) and Greek yogurt at lunch (good, quick source of protein).

So, between my Insanity: Asylum workouts, walking/jogging (OK, let's be honest - wogging), and eating Paleo - I am really happy with the changes so far and it's only been a week.  I feel less bloated (without even realizing that I felt bloated before), and may have a tiny increase in energy.  It's really hard for me to judge my energy levels right now as I'm still sleep deprived, but I am confident that it's not hurting me any!

Hopefully next week I'll have another good progress report to share.  

Source

Take Luck,

LP

Insanity

Getting my body back post-baby has been an interesting journey these past four months.  But I have to be honest and say that I haven't put forth a whole lot of effort.  I go in spurts of being good about walking/jogging - and those spurts are usually reflective of the weather and how busy I am with school.

Excuses, excuses.

While those are valid excuses, I'm tired of making them.  (And, by the way, in less than two weeks - one will no longer be an issue!)

About half of the 27 pounds I gained during my pregnancy came off pretty quickly after giving birth, but I was still hanging onto 10 or so pounds.  I know that breastfeeding helped, but I was sort of at a standstill.  Since returning to work (and running around like a crazy person), another 4 or 5 pounds have come off, leaving me with 5 or so pounds left to drop.

A couple of ladies I work with have told me that they are jealous of how quickly my body "bounced back."  I laugh, thank them for being too kind, and quickly retort, "You wouldn't be saying that if you saw me naked."

In all seriousness, even when I do get back to my pre-baby weight, I know my body isn't going to look the same as it did once upon a time.  And I struggle with that.  But I also look at my baby boy and know it was all worth it.

I have always been pretty fit and (overall) happy with my body, so seeing myself the way I do has been hard.  But again, I haven't taken it all super seriously, so it's up to me to make the changes necessary to see the results I want.

With that said, I'm getting ready to start a Beachbody Challenge that I'm doing with Haus of Girls.

With Marta as my coach, I purchased a Beachbody Challenge pack that included a Beachbody workout program (I chose Insanity: Asylum), 30 days worth of Shakeology, and her support.

We haven't started yet but this challenge is already motivating me to get my body back and into shape.  I say "already," and I mean that I got excited when a big box was delivered to our doorstep this morning.

I just finished my "Pre-Athletic Assessment" and it took about one minute for me to realize just how out of shape I am.  It also gave me frightening flashbacks of our strength training/conditioning practices with Mista Coach Klein in college.  I never want to hear or see the letters GPP together again.

Anyway, I took some "before" pictures last night and am eager to share my progress once this 30 day challenge is over - just in time for Memorial Day.

Here's to yelling at the TV, and telling Shaun T. that I hate his guts.

Wish me luck!

Take Luck,

LP 

10 on 10: January 2013

10 on 10: 10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!

Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!

 We'll call this: 10 on 10 - the Camden edition.

[1] Good morning, Mama!  A happy boy in his swing.

[2] Morning milk coma.  One of several for the day.

 [3] Walk/jog time.  Today there may have even been more jogging than walking?

 [4] My walk/jog buddy.  He's the strong, silent type - not much in the motivator department.

[5] Hard to believe I will be opening this package tomorrow for a little 1 month photo shoot.

[6] Mama and baby snuggles were plentiful today.  My kind of day.

[7] Nakey baby.

[8] I am a sucker for clothes with animal faces on the feet or butt.

[9] Another milk coma for the wild man.

[10]  This lady gave me an interesting afternoon.  I swear she and Brock schemed up a little diversion project to get my attention.  My mom stopped by and Brock got so excited he flew through the house and knocked over a full bowl of water.  While Mom and I were distracted, Sonny escaped out the front door.  It took us several minutes to even realize she was gone and several more minutes to locate her.  I was the crazy lady running up and down our street, shaking her treats, and shouting her name.  Dogs.

Take Luck,
LP

This Weekend...

Linking up with Sar and Syndal for This Weekend I...

This weekend I spent several hours working on my financial homework.  I felt a little head rest itself on my shoulder and a little cold nose nudge my neck.  I think she was hoping I would stop and pay attention to her.

This weekend I was reminded how weird (and sometimes human-like) dogs are.

This weekend I watched as my hubby spent time with one of his oldest and best friends.  Hubby was happy.  Be still my heart.

This weekend I showed our out-of-town guests around Port Townsend and Fort Warden State Park.  The sun flare was just a bonus.  And now I really want to watch An Officer and A Gentleman.

This weekend I officially failed at Haus of Girls' #44milesinSeptember challenge.  Our Florida vacay killed it... But I'm not complaining.  It was worth it.

This weekend I hit my 29th week of pregnancy.  And was reminded by my OB that I am now one week away from the 10-week countdown.  Holy shiza.

And now, I'm trying to drown my sore throat and congestion in lemon ginger tea.  Awesome.

Take Luck,

LP

This Weekend...

This weekend I...

Linking up with Sar and Syndal for This Weekend I...

This weekend I watched my niece Kennedy play soccer.  She spent more time watching the spectators (to make sure we were watching her) than she did the ball.  But, Kenny was totally adorable.  She wears the same colors that Rachel and I did growing up - a lovely combo of orange and black. #nostalgic

This weekend we started mounting some of the wall decor in the nursery.  All of these little things and baby steps make this baby thing feel like it's really real.

This weekend the morning light coming out of the nursery (and into the hallway) caught my eye.  And I am so happy it did.

This weekend Brock, Sonny, and I met up with my girlfriend, Jessica, and her dogs Maggie and Scout for a walk.  It's safe to say that Brock and I may have experienced our last walk together until this pregnancy is complete.  I pulled a muscle in my quad/groin trying to wrangle him, and I'm pretty sure my left arm is now an inch (or six) longer than my right.

This weekend I officially reached the third trimester and this baby boy is the size of an eggplant.  My mother-in-law gave me props for coordinating my fleece and the produce.

This weekend Ryan and I were watching Jurassic Park and got into a discussion about our favorite dinosaurs.  Uh, what? #weirdos

Take Luck,

LP

Lately

Ohhh, lately.  A lot has been going on lately.

Lately, a successful night's sleep is one where I don't get up to use the bathroom.  Some nights, I'm even happy if I only get up once.

Lately, a successful grocery shopping experience is one where I don't start sweating profusely and almost pass out.

And lately, I've noticed more people's (both men and women) eyes traveling south to my tummy region while in conversation.  For the first time in my life, I feel like I somewhat know how women with big(ger) chests might feel.  Only I think some of these folks are wondering if I'm pregnant or just packing on pounds.  I like to let them ponder.

Other than the extreme funk that lasted somewhere between weeks six and seven, and the fatigue that just won't leave - this pregnancy has been easier than I imagined, and perhaps, dare I say, enjoyable.

From day one, it was important to me to take care of myself.  I know that sounds silly, but it's true.  I exercise (OK, brisk walk!) everyday and don't over-indulge.  Don't get me wrong -  I eat all day long (literally) and allow myself to indulge when I really have a hankering for something indulgent, but I am not just "eating whatever I want" "because I can."

At our 20 week appointment, the nurse even told me that I have a runner's blood pressure.  Holler.

I'm trying to be disciplined for a few reasons.

[1] I'm convinced that exercising is helping my fatigue.  I can't imagine how I would feel if I wasn't walking everyday.

[2] I've read and been told that staying healthy and "fit" will make for an easier labor and delivery.

and [3] I'm hoping that staying healthy and "fit" will make for a smoother transition post-baby.

I feel so grateful and fortunate to have felt as good as I have during this pregnancy, because I know that a lot of women really struggle with prolonged or excessive morning sickness, high blood pressure, fatigue, and other fun symptoms that come along with pregnancy.

Today, at the realization that as of tomorrow, we will be 4 months away from our due date - I had a minor "What the hell are we doing?" freakout.

Thankfully, it quickly passed and I realized we know exactly what we're doing.  Well, that's not true at all - but you know what I mean.

I'm sure this is the first of several minor-holy-crap-we're-having-a-baby-freakout moments.

The last (and most major) of which will surely take place when that baby boy gets placed in my arms.

What?  Now I'm responsible for this little life?!  Gah!

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

Linking up for Dear Monday with Megan!

Dear Monday, Totally could have used another day off of work to recuperate from my trip last week.  Alas, I had to get my booty outta bed.

Dear Prenatal Yoga, Yesterday was one of those "how embarrassing" moments that now sits on top of my embarrassing moments list.  We were discussing pregnancy things and I was stretching out my calves and hamstrings.  Then it happened - I tooted.  Out loud.  I have read and read about this "problem" in my pregnancy books/weekly updates, and the public escape finally happened.  Ugh.

Dear 22 Weeks, Hello belly explosion.  I have never been so happy to take my pants off... And it's only going to get worse.

Dear Beck, You, my favorite artsy-farsty queen, are putting together baby's nursery wall.  I cannot wait to see your vision turn into reality.

Dear Tiffer, You, my favorite new seamstress are going to make baby's crib skirts.  Between the many maxi skirts you've sent me (hello, lifesavers) and this - I feel very spoiled by your talents.

Dear Hubby, This morning you asked me to print off one of baby's ultrasound photos to put in your apprenticeship portfolio - under accomplishments.  Enter heart melting and misty eyes here.

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

Linking up with Megan for Dear Monday!

Dear Monday, Funky butt-loving, what a day.  I got tasked out the wazzu and am looking forward to the challenges this job will hold.

Dear #40milesinJune, I have been lacking in the energy department for the last several weeks but decided to hop on the bandwagon, anyway.  Better late than never, right?!

Dear Bills, The fact that you are coming in and are due in the month of July really blows my mind.  How is it already mid-June?

Dear Baby News, I am happy I finally put you out on the blogosphere.  I have been pretty firm on my decision to wait to share our news, and I am happy I did.  Of course I've been slowly telling my "people" since we found out but I have been anti-social media distribution until now.  Hooray for pregnancy blogs and stories!

 Dear Tile Backsplash, It's been three months since our countertops were installed and I am overjoyed to say that we are finally making some progress.  And I mean we are making progress as in, Ryan and Frank are making progress.

Dear Sar, Thank you for the sweetest shout out on your blog today.  It warms my heart greatly to have a friend like you.  Come to think of it, the next time you see me - I'll be toting a baby!  P.S. Ryan loved his Father's Day card. 

Dear Hubby, I didn't know you were up to such shenanigans when you went to Lowe's on Sunday morning and came home with "belated Mother's Day gifts."  The best part was when you said, "They didn't have any Mother's Day cards!!" and seemed genuinely annoyed by this.  Normally, when a holiday such as Mother's Day is a month overdue, they put away those greeting cards.  You are the best ever. Thank you for making me laugh... And laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

Take Luck,

LP

Fill in the Blank Friday

Happy Friday, all!  Filling in some health-themed blanks with Lauren.  This is entirely appropriate since I feel like da-doo-doo.

[1] On a scale from 1-10 the frequency with which I get sick is a 6 or 7.  I have a really lame immune system and catch lots of sickness.  This sickness I have now is courtesy of my favorite husband.

[2] The last time I felt sick was .... Oh, yeah!  Today!!  The crud started yesterday and is rolling right along with no regard for the lovely, lovely weather we are having.

[3] The worst part about being sick is feeling totally drained of energy because all I want to do is lay on the couch, cover myself with a blanket, and sleep it all off.

[4] When I am sick I like to be taken care of by being brought warm bowls of soup, juice, and any other random thing I might ask for.  Hugs and love pats from Ryan are always welcome, too.

[5] Something I do to keep myself healthy is eat pretty well, drink lots of water, exercise, and get lots of rest.

[6] A secret remedy I use when I'm sick is to sleep as much as possible, drink fluids, eat whatever sounds/tastes good, and hot showers.  I try not to take over-the-counter medicine unless I'm really, really struggling.

[7] One thing that always makes me feel better when I'm sick is chicken noodle soup.

Not only do I feel like da-doo-doo today, but I also have my six month dental cleaning/check-up today.  Can the day get any better?

Take Luck,

LP

Thursday Thoughts

It is appropriate that today is Thursday.  And since I have some thoughts to share - I only seems more appropriate to link up with Sar for Thursday Thoughts!

[1] I need to mentally prepare myself for the next seven months.  Baseball season is officially here.  How do I know that?  Because not only is audio coverage of Cardinal Spring Training blasting from Ryan's laptop, but MLB Baseball is constantly on TV.  Muted.  Don't want to miss any action, now!  Lord, help me.

[2] We recently watched True Grit (Cohen brothers) for the third or fourth time and it is easily becoming one of my favorites.  It wasn't until this latest time that we realized the cast does not speak using any contractions in their grammar during the entire film.  During the film, Mattie Ross falls down a hole where there are rattle snakes (and yes,when I first typed this - I wrote snacks).  When the Marshal calls down asking if she can climb out, she replies, "I cannot!  There are snakes!"  

So now, if Ryan asks me to do something, I put on my wise-ass hat and say, "I cannot!  There are snakes!"  Thanks for the ammo, Cohen brothers.

[3] I work in a male-dominated environment, and its something I've gotten used to over the last three years.  However, I have never been more grateful than I was today to work with some seriously ball-busting-hard-ass-no-nonsense-women. 

[4] My sweet niece, Kennedy will be four years old tomorrow.  Four going on 27.  Some days I wish she was still unable to say Lauren correctly.  I liked when she could only say Nonen.

This past weekend she found a video of Brock on my phone.  It was a video of him crying/whining for no reason.  Our conversation went like this:

Kennedy: Why is Rocky crying?

Me: Because is a big, silly baby.

Kennedy: You need to love him.

She said it so straight-faced and matter-of-factly, I didn't have the heart to say anything more.

[5] I hate how I feel so very motivated to work out/exercise while I'm at work - but when I get home... All motivation has gone out the door.  What up with that?

Take Luck,

LP

Thursday Thoughts

Whattdya know?  I was able to spit out some thoughts on this lovely Thursday.

Linking up with my dearest Sar for Thursday Thoughts.

[1] I find it oddly coincidental (and not funny) that Sports Illustrated sends out their swimsuit edition the day after Valentine's Day.  That's like saying, "OK, boys!  Love your women today so you can fantasize about other, sexier women tomorrow!"

[2] Today, my co-worker Peggy said her ear was ringing.  I said, "Answer it, then!"

[3] There is something special about eating a warm bowl of oatmeal with a hot cup of tea after a brisk walk during a cold and windy lunch break.

[4] Is is just me or do everyone's co-workers' tempers and patience run shorter and lower as we get closer to the weekend.

[5] When I Zumba, I feel like Ben Stiller's character Ruben from Along Came Polly when he's learning how to salsa from Polly's salsa partner, Javier.

[6] Today is my Friday, and that makes me a very happy girl!

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

Another Monday, and I'm enjoying being at home.  Hooray!

Here are some Monday letters with Megan.

Dear Monday, I thoroughly enjoy spending you with my bum on the couch and watching snow fall outside... Versus sitting on my bum at work and wanting to rip my hair out.

Dear Snow, I love you.  You make my heart very happy.  Now enough with the flurries and dusting.  I want some accumulation!

Dear Chocolate Covered Pomegranates, You are delicious.  And may prove to be the death of my waistline.

Dear Crock Pot, I made chili in you last night and it reminded me that I don't use you and your glorious-ness nearly enough.

Dear Fellow Dog Walkers at Lions Park, I know you feel sorry for me when you see me walking our crazy pups.  But, if I hear "Who's walking who?" "You sure are getting your exercise!" or "Boy, he looks strong!" one more time... I'll probably just keep smiling and laughing with you.  Geesh.

Dear Hubby, You had to work 10's this whole weekend.  I am so proud of you for working so hard and doing it without complaining (or whining like a little girl).  You are superman!

 Happy Monday, folks!

Take Luck,

LP

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Even now that it's here - I am still having a hard time grasping the fact that it is now 2012.

Ca-razy.

We didn't get too wild last night.  Shocking, I know.

We had a nice dinner with friends, and then welcomed the new year at our house with games and lots of belly laughter.

Ringing in the New Year - Peters style

So, I've come up with a list of New Year's Resolutions and New Year's Goals.  And I thought if I wrote them out like this (versus just keeping them as a note in my iPhone) I may hold myself a little more accountable.

I made them two separate lists because I feel that while all resolutions are goals, not all goals are resolutions.  Hopefully that makes the same sense to you as it does me.  If not, whatev.

2012 New Year's Resolutions

- Walk the puppies at least 4 days per week

- Drink more water

- Drink less soda

- Attend newlife church services as regularly as possible

- Plan meals for each week prior to grocery shopping on Sundays

- Take more photographs/pictures

- Take advantage of hiking in the area

- Take vitamins everyday

- Paint fingernails

(I painted my nails red (Ruby Ruby) last night for NYE and loved/love it.  I can't help but feel a little sassy with red fingernails!)

- Make the most of each day

- Be thankful/grateful every day

- Make sure Ryan feels loved and appreciated each day

2012 New Year's Goals

- Start a family

- Complete two semesters (three classes) of graduate program so I will then be 90% finished

- Put a certain (to be determined) amount of moo-la each month into savings

- Accomplish a major-ish renovation on our house (i.e. new roof, new counter-tops and cabinets)

We'll see how these all pan out.

At church this morning, while writing out our prayer requests on our information card, I was a little stumped.  So, I wrote out some brief (and broad) statements:

- Start our family

- Make smart financial decisions

- Love and respect each other

- Health and safety of us and family/friends

Ryan whispered that he had a "good" one to write down.  He doesn't usually write anything down so I was very curious what this request may be.  I half expected him to write down, "I pray that Albert Pujols will be the worst mistake the Anaheim Angels ever made!"  But, when he gave me back the card, it said:

"I need to make eye contact with my Wife when we are having discussions."

How sweet and honest was that?  More honest than sweet, but still!

Before putting our card in the bucket, I wrote (Amen!) after Ryan's addition.

******

Did you make any New Years resolutions or goals this year?

Take Luck,

LP

Fill in the Blank Friday

The last Friday of 2011!  Time to fill in some New Year blanks with Lauren.

[1] New Years is refreshing.  A new year, with new resolutions to keep (or try!), and new things to look forward to.

[2] One of my New Year's resolutions will be to walk the dogs more consistently.  At least four times a week.

[3] A New Year's resolution that I've made in the past was to order water instead of soda when dining out.  It didn't work out all that well.  I'll try again this year!

[4] The most time consuming resolution I ever made was obediently following Tony Horton and the P90x workout.  I hate you, Tony.

[5] This year I will be spending New Year's Eve with my favorite Hubby, and our friends Matt and Jessica.  Gonna get all gussied up, have dinner and then play some games.  We're wiiiild.

[6] If I could wish one thing for the new year it would be to make the most of each day.

[7] 2012 is going to be the end of my internship, another year closer to graduate school graduation, and full of other (hopefully) great things!!

Happy (almost) New Year, everyone!!

Take Luck,

LP 

Dear Monday

Another Monday is here.  Time for Dear Monday with Megan.

Dear Monday, Does it seem counter-productive that I write this at the end of the day... Instead of at the beginning?  Nah.

Dear Presentation, Please pass smoothly and quickly tomorrow, and with no questions asked.

Dear Exercise, Even though I feel more motivated to partake in you when I am otherwise indisposed (ahem, at work), I am always happy when we've finished our time together.

Dear Sonny, This morning I was convinced that you were on crack.  Tearing through the house at 4:00am is not cool.

Dear Christmas Music, You brighten any mood.

Dear 11/22/63, I am hooked on you.  I am even dragging out my reading so I can keep reading your goodness!  Well done, Stephen King.  Well done.

Dear Hubby, Last night I opened our "junk" drawer to find that you had unwrapped a new pack of gum.  How did I know this?  Because you left the empty wrapper in the drawer.  When I pointed this out to you, you tried to blame it on Brock and said that he has bad breath and needed a piece of gum.  You are so silly.  And unbelievable.

Take Luck,

LP

Dear Monday

It's Monday!  Time to link up with Megan for another Dear Monday

Dear Monday, You weren't so bad for a Monday.  After getting the bizerk-o monster puppies home from the kennel, you were quite pleasant.

Dear Dexter, Your episode last night scared the crap out of me, and the twist kinda blew my mind.  Ca-razyness!

Dear Weather Forecast, I love what you are forecasting.  Sunshine and cold temperatures for the foreseeable future.

Dear Christmas Shopping,  I am totally kicking your ask.

Dear Fall Semester, You are coming to a close and I have completed all of your requirements ahead of schedule.  Booya.

Dear December, I will only spend eight of your days in the office.  Hallelujah.

Dear Zumba, I love shaking my groove thang for an hour.  Even if I look ridiculous.

Dear Hubby, Thank you for being utterly useless while trying to put together our Christmas wish-lists for your parents.  Sometimes you are incredibly irritating, but it makes me love you more.

Take Luck,

LP