This week in the life of us

So, this week has been... different.  In a good way.  I have been on a health/wellness kick of late, and last Monday Tim and I have been doing a health cleanse.  It has been good for so many reasons.  First off, I was really nervous about it because I'm a snacky munchie person.  I am always eating.  Mostly sugar.  This cleanse has been about slashing our diet of sugar.  Added sugar, simple sugar, and even complex carbohydrates.  It has been a challenge, like I said, but I feel great.  Who knows, maybe it's placebo effect, but I've been feeling really good.  We have really had to think about what we are eating, and veggies are expensive! Especially when you eat so much.  No wonder so many people are unhealthy and overweight, it is super cheap and easy to eat poorly.  So, I want to brag about what Tim has been doing for us as far as cooking this week.  He really could open a restaurant.  Monday we ate grilled chicken with vegetables, no bbq sauce ( I know, Tim grilling without his sauce? CRAZY) but it was amazing.  Grilled veggies are awesome.  Breakfasts have been yummy omlettes packed with spinach and other veggies.  Lunch has been salads and lemon/olive oil dressing.  Tuesday grilled steak with grilled peppers, zuccini, eggplant, onions.  Wednesday grilled shrimp and asparagus. Thursday we had tuna lettuce wraps and huge cobb salad.  Friday was slow baked salmon with smashed cauliflower and green beans.  Saturday lettuce wrap tacos.  Sunday lunch was awesome chicken salad lettuce wraps and for dinner we had grilled chicken with bell peppers and green beans.  We have had some amazing food this week.  The kids have had all the same as us, only with rice added for filler.  I am so proud of Tim for doing so well with this, but he does everything so well.  I aspire to be as good a cook as him.  I acutally enjoyed cooking so much yesterday and today.  We planted some tomatoes in our garden (hopefully it's not too late) and we have harvested some peppers and eaten those this week.
   This diet has done wonders for my awareness of what I eat and what we feed our kids.  There is so much sugar and even added sugar in everything we eat.  Even peanut butter!  Added sugar. Seriously, peanuts are sweet ,don't add more. Also, this diet disallows carbohydrates over 50 per day.  That is a challenge.  I'm amazed though, how much reading labels makes a difference.  I have done research online for stuff too, and if nothing else from this cleanse, I have been reawakened to awareness about what I put in my body.  It has been a good lesson for my kids too.  We've been feeling pretty good, and I'm excited for this next week on the diet.  It is 2 full weeks then slowly start to add fruits and other complex carbs.  I have to admit, I am really excited to enjoy some homemade bread after next week, and some good chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!

On a spiritual note, I have been feeling aware of my spiritual wellness too.  Last week I had an opportunity to fast for my family and I did.  It felt good to put my temporal needs aside as I seek for spiritual strength.  That was a good kickoff for my cleanse.  This has been a spiritually uplifting experience this far too.  I am not very connected to the food I eat because Tim is so great about cooking and I thought I had so little time between coming home from work and bedtime.  I feel like I've been shaken awake.  I do enjoy cooking, as long as we have planned what to eat, and I feel so much healthier physically and spiritually.  I feel like it's helped me to remember what matters most and what's most important when it comes to how I spend my time and energy.

I have set some goals for myself and I am going to give it a few weeks for them to be set in place and be realized, so I'll keep updated here.

Pat's Run

On April 17th I ran Pat's run. It's a 4.2 mile run/walk for Pat Tillman Foundation.  I set the goal back in February and registered and made myself get ready for it on the treadmill.  I went and ran it in 44:14 which is about 11 min mile, and I ran the whole way.  I felt great the whole day until about 4 pm when all my muscles seized up.  I hadn't run outside for years.  I have only run on a treadmill, and only up to 4 miles.  After the race was said and done, I had to account for travel to and from the race start and my silliness getting off the light rail a mile early, and deciding to just run the mile to the truck.  In all I ran about 6 miles by 10 am, which I wasn't prepared for.  Now I'm running outside and I am ready for a 10K or two on my way to running a 1/2 marathon.  I never knew my knees could do this, but my heart and mind are so glad they can! 

Happy Birthday Audrey!!

Today Audrey is 4 years old. She is growing so much. She is just perfectly 4.  Some things I love about Audrey today is her spunky attitude.  She is fiercely loyal, fiercely distracted, fiercely in trouble, and fiercely sweet and caring.  She is so strong physically, she is like a little spider monkey; she'll crawl up on my back and I can barely tell she's there she's so light and strong.  I love the way she says "girl" it sounds like "doyle."  I love how she smiles by putting her fingers in her cheeks and pulling her mouth as wide as she can.  I love how you can't be upset with her long because she'll make you laugh or change the subject.  Her hair sweeps across her face like a movie star, and she makes me smile just thinking about her.  We had  a super fun luau yesterday for their double "two-fur" party.  Audrey has been wanting a scooter, not because she ever asked for one, but anytime we were anywhere and she saw one, she would ask if she could borrow it.  She isn't very shy, and it is fun. We love you Audrey, and are so glad you are part of our family.

Luau Birthday Party Pictures

Butterflies

For Christmas we got butterfly larvae we watched grow, chrysalis, and turn into butterflies. We let them go on Easter Sunday at Gaga Harper's house. They were pretty happy. So were our girls. The sound in the background is the dog Bruiser breathing. Thanks for watching.

Happy Birthday Kennedy!

Now she's 2.  My baby is 2!  I can't believe it.  Things I love about Kennedy today are that she can talk pretty well, well enough to have a conversation.  Mostly she says "Audrey" and she just started pronouncing the "r" in her name and it is so cute!  I ask her who her sisters are and she says, "Memma and Audgree."  Then I ask her what her name is, and she says, "me".  She's smart.  I love that she gives love and kisses and hugs whenever you ask for them.  She loves to dress up in her princess dress and sing in princess fashion.  She has to do everything on her own.  No help.  If we help her, it's an all out tantrum, then start over to do it herself.  She picks out her clothes everyday.  She asks for "doke peez" (milk please) and when I come in the door whether I've been gone 8 hours or 8 seconds, she comes running  to kiss and hug me like she missed me more than anything.  She gives great zerberts/raspberries kisses.  When her sisters are sad, she will give them toys, blankies, sippees, kisses, hugs or whatever it takes to get them happy.  She is so sensitive, yet she knows mischief like a pro.  On Easter, she got a little Tootsie Roll bank, and she came into our room with it and said, "no nandy (candy), no nandy, no nandy."  She knew she wasn't allowed to eat them yet.  Then she walked out.  Tim and I followed her where she slowly went into her bedroom, slowly closed the door so it wouldn't click, then we peeked in on her about 20 seconds later,  She was sitting on the floor between the beds with 5 tootsies in her mouth.  Busted.  She is a smart tootsie.  I could go on and on, but I will stop there.  I have lots of other things to write about this week. Here's the short list: General Conference, Easter, Butterflies, Botanical garden, Birthday presents, barbies, Pats Run, and Audrey's birthday (next week). Stay tuned!

I don't usually do forwards...

But this was worth it...

Love, Kellie

 

 

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says ~~ "Oh Crap, She's up!"   (I love this!!)

Sister Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Love the ones who don't just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason.   If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Kiss slowly. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy. He just promised it would be worth it. Today is sister's day, send this to all your sisters, mothers, daughters, girlfriends even me if I am like one. you are loved. Happy Sister's Day! I LOVE YA SISTA'!!! :-) Girlfriend and Sister's Week I am only as strong as the chocolate I eat, the hair spray I use and the friends I have. To the cool women that have touched my life. Here's to you! National Girlfriends Day What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants and shopping, lunching, and traveling girls? Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake! TO MY GIRLFRIENDS! If you get this twice you know you have more than one girlfriend... Be Happy! It is good to be a woman!!

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Kellie

So amazed...

On Saturday during General Conference, my sweet Aunt Rosemary was made Primary General President.  Just as exciting is the fact that 2nd counselor is an "Asay" which is Tim's family from Lovell, Wyoming.  Yay! Good roots!

Primary General Presidency

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom

Sister Rosemary M. Wixom was raised in Salt Lake City and attended Utah State University where she graduated in elementary education. She and her husband, B. Jackson Wixom, are the parents of six children and have six grandchildren.

She has served on the Primary General Board, the Young Women General Board and with her husband as he served as president of the Washington, D.C. South Mission. She loves her grandchildren and considers Sunday family dinners the highlight of her week.

Sister Jean A. Stevens

Sister Jean A. Stevens was born and raised in Salt Lake City where she graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a teaching certificate. She has served as a member of the Primary General Board and as a ward Relief Society president, counselor in a ward Primary presidency and as a gospel doctrine teacher. Sister Stevens and her husband, Mark, are the parents of five children and have seven grandchildren.

Sister Cheryl A. Esplin

Sister Cheryl A. Esplin was born and raised in Lovell, Wyoming. She graduated fromBrigham YoungUniversity in elementary education. She and her husband, Max Esplin, are the parents of four sons and one daughter and the grandparents of 19 grandchildren.

She has served in Relief Society, Young Women and Primary, most recently having served on the Primary General Board. Sister Esplin served with her husband when he was president of the North Carolina Raleigh Mission.