2 Extra Hours!

What does 2 hours mean to you? 2 hours meant a lot to me today!

2 extra hours = 2 more precious hours with Alivia 2 extra hours = laying down in bed with Ben and Alivia a little longer before getting up for the day 2 extra hours = hearing smiles, coos, and squills in the early hours of the morning (I have a feeling she is going to be morning girl) 2 extra hours = holding Alivia's lovely little hands longer than usual 2 extra hours = 2 more diaper changes 2 extra hours = 1 extra breastfeeding memory for the day 2 extra hours = my special little girl falling asleep on my chest for her nap (before I went to work) 2 extra hours = doing the dishes 2 extra hours = shoveling the snow on our driveway

Thank you snowy weather for the work delay & 2 extra hours!!!

Perfect Walking Weather!

We went for a family walk the other day- including Sniffs, our cat. It was so nice out as it is the beginning of spring! We had fun walking around our neighborhood and enjoyed the wonderful weather. We decided to take it all in before snowfall would make it our way again! That's Colorado for you- sunny and spring like one day and snowy winter gloom the next day. I love my little family so much! Thanks God for my awesome family and for this beautiful weather!

PINK!

I plan to share my love for PINK with Alivia!!! My PINK outfit... My PINK shoes... My PINK accessories... Purse, phone, water bottle, Ipod, keychain Alivia's PINK outfit... Alivia's PINK shoes... Alivia's PINK accessories... Blanket, pacifier, rattle, singing elephant, toys How I love her... Darling baby girl... Like mother, like daughter...

St. Patrick's Day Photos!

Here are a few pictures of Alivia in her St. Patrick's Day Tutu that we won from Heather with http://snugglebugsandbows.blogspot.com/

Guess Who's Sleeping in the Crib!?!

It's not Alivia- she is still sleeping with us. But I found our curious little cat, Sniffs, in the crib when I got home from work on Tuesday... Too funny!

A New Perspective!

Ben's brother let us borrow Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" months ago and I put it in a pile of books since we were moving to our house at the time. After looking through the books that people have let us borrow over time, I realized we still had it and was about to give it back to him, but Ben's aunt recommended the book to us as well. We decided to give it a try- and so the reading began after 2 recommendations. Last week, we began the process of reading through "The Total Money Makeover." I love how this book goes over the common financial mistakes that people make and how to avoid them. I also like how he goes into detail on how to make the financial baby steps work to get out of debt. We have not finished the book yet, so we have not encountered all of the helpful information but what a great book and resource so far. We are excited that we stumbled over this book... And Ben and I are truly motivated to get out of debt and STAY out of debt.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. We don't want to feel the money burden anymore and want to live free of debt. We are taking on his motto of "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else!" Why not make the sacrifices now so that we can live without money worries later in life. We have started the baby steps and although we can see how this is going to be a difficult process, we realize that it will also be a very beneficial process when we are out of debt. We are very excited that we are starting this process at a young age, so that we can grow stronger as a family together- financially and emotionally and enjoy more of life. Our hope is to banish the burden and anxiety of our unnecessary bills, loans, and debt. What an exciting journey...

For more information about Dave Ramsey and his resources, visit http://www.daveramsey.com/

Alivia @ 10 Weeks Old!

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Darling Alivia!

Can you say "CUTE!" She is now 10 Weeks old and so darling. She loves to smile when we talk to her & I am able to capture some of her cute facial expressions as she is holding them a little longer. Look at her smiling face!

I just love her!!!

Beautiful Blue Eyes!

Alivia still has pretty, pretty blue eyes! Chances are they will stay blue...

One Fabulous Sunday!

Before becoming a parent, I was gearing up for the “no sleep” factor of parenthood. I knew it was going to be the hardest part for me, since I don’t function well without sleep. But, God is good (yes, I give all the credit to God J), because he made Alivia such a sweet, sweet baby- who happens to be a fabulous sleeper. Not only do I feel rested most days, but occasionally she will let us sleep in. One such day was yesterday. Ben and I both slept til 9:00 a.m. before waking up and preparing for the rest of our fabulous day! We went to church and got there early enough to find a seat in the back on the aisle… which if you have children, you know that is a must in church since you never know when you will have to leave to tend to the baby’s needs. Alivia does pretty well in church, but there has not been one Sunday yet where I have been able to stay in the through the entire service. I do not have a problem with this, but I do like to have that fabulous back, aisle seating, just In case… After church, we met up with Ben’s mom, grandma, and Ben’s mom’s new roommate from Mongolia at Texas Roadhouse. I had a kids meal and enjoyed the company of fabulous family! Next up on the agenda was to meet up with one of my oldest friends, Veronique, at Starbucks. It was fabulous to see her and catch up on what’s been going on in her life as she now lives in Denver.

"Old friends cannot be created out of hand. Nothing can match the treasure of common memories, of trials endured together, of quarrels and reconciliations and generous emotions. It is idle, having planted an acorn in the morning, to expect that afternoon to sit in the shade of the oak."

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Later that evening, Alivia was such a good little girl that she sat in her bouncy chair and watched Ben and I make dinner. We made a fabulous Chicken Pot Pie dinner to enjoy and made two extra for the freezer for future dinners. It was delicious. After dinner, I played with Alivia for a bit and then cuddled with her since she was getting sleepy. We then went to bed around 9:45 p.m. What a fabulous Sunday!

Thanks Alivia for letting Mommy sleep in, hang out with friends and family, and cook dinner!

A Little Depressing Story… With a Happy Outcome!

The other day- leaving work in the elevator, a lady says “it’s only Wednesday” and I respond with a simple “yeah!” sigh... She then continues and says “How much longer do you have” and I say “til Friday, like you!” She says “No, when are you due” and I say “I had my baby 2 months ago” EEK! I guess it’s time to turn down the chocolate and start the workout process!

I say this not for sympathy---although I did post this on Facebook and did get some very nice comments, much appreciated--- but I say this because it is my first motivator to start working out after having Alivia.

Issue #1: Finding or rather making time

I have found that it can be very hard to balance life when you are a mom, but I know that I can find time or more importantly “make” time for myself. I just have to wake up earlier or go to bed later, so that I can still spend the precious hours with Alivia but also work on getting back into shape or at least feeling good about my physique!

Issue #2: Finding a Workout Facility

Since working at the YMCA, I have not paid to workout anywhere. I am really having a tough time thinking about forking over hard working mulah to work out. I have looked into the YMCA several times but I squeal each time I look at the price. The other day a co-worker told me about this place called Westside Fitness off of 8th street, so I checked them out and they are so much more reasonable in price! I am going to go take a tour and ask more questions this week. It’s close to work, cheaper than the YMCA, and still has workout classes (HUGE!)- which brings me to another issue.

Issue #3: Finding the motivation

I used to be very motivated to workout and get great exercise, but these days my motivation is lacking… I know one fabulous way to kick up my “workout mood” is workout classes. I love classes because I feel like I am being trained by a personal trainer without the added expense. The classes go by quickly, it’s a tough workout that I can’t back out of, and it’s fun to work out with others.

With these 3 issues solved… I have no other excuses except get my butt into gear! :)

By the way, a friend from high school, Marlena, who recently had a baby told me that "it takes over 9 months to gain it, so shouldn't you have that much time to lose it." I will definitely keep this in mind as I start the workout process!