embrace the camera - sept 1

really? did i just write sept 1 for the date? wow. this year is flying by. the weeks are flying by, too, and i haven't had much time to blog. but i'm grateful for thursdays because it's embrace day. it helps me remember to take a moment and write a quick post, just so i don't forget the purpose of this blog. 

we spent last weekend in a cabin near yosemite with some good friends and our kiddos. it was definitely one wild and crazy adventure, but also soooo much fun and lots of great memories went down in the books.

 hopefully i'll have time to post the pictures from that trip after we get back from tahoe this weekend. but for now, here are our obligatory shots of posing in front of the yosemite sign. yay for tourists.

the three younger boys were asleep and we didn't want to disturb them for a picture. so in this picture, we only have one child. i don't even remember what it was like to have only one child.

  

here's one of me and my friend, lacy, at one of the first vista points upon entering yosemite. 

the views were absolutely breathtaking. i love being surrounded by the beauty of nature. the calm is incredibly refreshing. and it couldn't have come at a better time.

and here is crazy lacy diving off a cliff at rainbow pool.

and me and wyatt...on stable ground...watching her. 

call me crazy, but i prefer solid ground under my feet at all times. thanks.

embrace the camera - aug 25

it's been a long, tough week of therapy for my sweet liam. 

which is why it's been pretty quiet in our little corner of the blogosphere.

i'm just too tired to blog. perpetually exhausted.

lots of changes happening. transitions. lots of fighting. lots of tears. but also lots of progress.

and that's what keep us going.

things will get worse before they get better.

i get that.

in the meantime, i'll just embrace the camera with my sweet boy.

even though he's more interested in poking at the screen.

sorry, liam. the laptop isn't a touch screen.

 fine. don't give me a kiss. 

i'll just take one.

or maybe two. 

love you, little monster.

thanks for making me a better me.

school days

{2009}

mikey on his first-ever day of preschool. 

the beginning of his journey of learning.

 this day was a tear-jerker, for sure. 

look at him and his sippy cup...i die just looking at that picture again.

brothers on mikey's first day. 

aren't i awesome for cutting shawn out of that picture?

isaiah's first day of kindergarten

brothers and mommy on isaiah's big day.

 {2010} 

mikey's second year of preschool and he was soooo ready for it.

i'll never be as ready as he is each year.

brothers, on mikey's big day.

isaiah's first day of first grade. 

and no, it wasn't crazy hair day. 

i've learned to pick my battles with these boys, and the hairstyle they desire is not a battle i choose to take on.

brothers on isaiah's big day.

{2011}

mikey's third, and last, year of preschool before he goes off to kindergarten. 

i'm dyyyyyyyiiinnggg.

isaiah's first day of second grade.

 

please, help me, i'm hyperventilating.

brothers and mommy on their big day this year. 

our boys are growing up so fast. 

good thing we have two more to see off to school. you see, this is why we have so many children, or so we say. hahahaha

a sweaty mess

do you read the chronicles of ruthie hart? if you don't, you are really missing out! she's the cutest thing ever and i love how she posts about...well, everything. she's posted some awesome {and easy} recipes that i have yet to try, like sweet potato crackers and nutella chocolate chip cookies. seriously, right? nutella + chocolate chips...she's a girl after my own heart.

anyway, she posted about a walking treadmill workout created by courtney that i have been dying to try out. i recently injured my back, so i've slowly been getting back into high impact workouts again. the idea of running still scares me, so this "sweaty mess" workout sounded like a great alternative. ruthie also had me sold when she mentioned the booty workout she gets from this. i'm sure you've seen me complain about my shrinking butt. now, if someone could just tell me how to lose the weight in the places i want to {i.e. not my butt}, then i'll be all set.

i did this workout for the first time today, and i was definitely a sweaty mess. i felt more taxed than i do when i run. those inclines are no joke, people. i was panting like a freakin' dog. i think i need to tweek the speeds a little bit, though, because i found that i had to do a slow jog for 4.5 mph; it was just too fast for walking for me.

try it! you're gonna love it.

source

and when that starts to feel easy and you're feeling like superwoman, try the sweaty mess incline intervals for running.

source

just seeing that 9.0 mph at the end made me tired. maybe next week.....