happy birthday

Today, we celebrated Cheyenne's 4th birthday.




I'll post more pictures soon.

My Week in Photos

Here is a look at Trey's home office space. He has always used the office, but since he got his promotion - he's been using it often.

I'm looking forward to holding her all weekend.

And hopefully watching the Cowboys win, again on Sunday. Last week, we watched the game at Nate And Breanna's house. Before last week, every time we'd watch the game, we'd watch it at our place and the Cowboys would always lose. Since they actually won this last game we have a new rule: When watching the game with Nate and Breanna, we must watch it at their place. It's mandatory!

Who taught this girl how to pose? I don't do the the "hip pose" Where did she learn that?

Now, I'll take credit for showing her this. She looks like a bird. Ha!

Do you have any plans this weekend? We'll be celebrating Cheyenne's 4th birthday, tomorrow.

Personal Cheerleader

Dakota cheered me on, as I ran 5 miles.

Bottle Holder

With her hands placed - just right, Dakota can hold her own bottle. It's like she doesn't need me anymore. It's amazing and scary to think about how much little people rely on us, big people. I make sure to give her and Chey all my attention and love.

Dakota looks content, considering it was 5:50 am. We are early risers, around here.

Everything a Girl Could Ask For

Someone has a birthday party coming up! This year, Chey's 4h birthday, falls on Thanksgiving day. We wanted to have a celebration at home, to make her birthday feel special, but I think we are also going to have cake for her on Thanksgiving Day. Two Birthday's, not bad! It looks like this is actually working in her favor.

Cheyenne's birthday is Princess Theme, so all the girls will be dressed up in play clothes. I'm thinking about wearing a princess dress, myself.

Here is the invitation, with my address and number blotched out.

Things I did Today That Made Me Happy

1. Waking up sore, from a long run. 

2. Only having to do one load of laundry and not the usual 50.

3. Seeing my sister and niece.

4. Ladies Night - spending time with my friends and meeting some new ones. 

5. Eating Chocolate. 

6. The best part of all was spending time with my girls. 

I pulled my hair back in a bun and it looks like I got a face-lift (77 year old version of me, take note!)

Today, was the first day Chey really played with Dakota. Chey told me, her and Dakota were going to act like babies and I was going to act like the momma. We were playing "pretend" --- okay....
Chey was also feeding her pretend food. I had to keep telling her, to not stick the play fork in her mouth.

I only have a few more weeks, until Dallas half marathon.

It was a sleeping mess this weekend. I was so tired. Saturday and Sunday morning, I wanted to sleep-in and I did. If I don't get out of bed and running at a certain point - my runs don't happen. I simply talk myself out of them and that's what happened. I was determined not to let a weekend go by - and miss a long run. So, I made plans to run late Sunday. At 8:50 pm I started my long run and by 10:30 pm, I was wrapping it up. 10 miles suck it!

Next week, I will do my best to not put off my long run. I am a morning runner. Late night running is not for me. 

Meow! And Putting Things Off

Yesterday, we went to a birthday party and Cheyenne got her face painted like a kitty-cat.

I keep putting off my 10 mile run. What is wrong with me? I only have a few more weeks until the race, so I suppose I'm just ready to run 13.1, not 10 miles of training. It's already 8 am, so my LR that was originally scheduled for Saturday morning was moved to Sunday morning and now it's been moved, once again to tonight. I will be shocked if it actually happens.

Only One Picture to Wrap Up my Week

I only have one photo to share --- a screen shot of my editing program.

Editing this project is a time consuming process, but I'm loving it because I'm getting to play with Final Cut ProX. My ultimate dream job is to work at home editing all day long. Don't get me wrong, I love recording video and taking pictures, but editing is where the party is at.

Guess what I have planned for the weekend? I'll be editing and running, but not at the same time. I think my training program says 10 miles. That number kind of scares me. I better get my rest, while I can.

Dakota is 5 Months Old

Well, Dakota is a few days shy of being 5 months old, it's more like 4.8 months old 
(thanks for that info google).


Lately, Dakota is highly distracted when I feed her -- For example, if Cheyenne and Dakota are in the same room, I guarantee you that Dakota will be latching off and on the entire time. She's at the age, where she is interested in movement. Her head shifts and follows everything! 

She's not sitting up yet, but if she's in her carseat, sometimes, she'll stick her neck out like a bird. That's her way of saying, get me out of here! 

What do you think of Dakota's baby fashion statement? My new blog friend, Julie made them for her. She has an etsy shop and you should check it out. If you don't see something in her shop, she might be able to make a custom order for you. Nifty!

Baby Weight - 5 Months Postpartum

This is me today, actually this picture was taken last week. *details....

When I think about running, fitness, losing "the baby weight" - It's nice to remind myself  -- where I was 5 months ago.

These picture were taken in June, a few hours before I went into labor. Look at my cute chubby face!
The next day I had Dakota. I was just practicing with Cheyenne's baby doll. 
After I had Dakota, the weight didn't fall off as fast as it did, after I had Cheyenne. At the moment, I'm hanging onto about 5 extra pounds or I should say - it's hanging onto me. It's so strange because on any given day, my weight fluctuates 1 - 5 pounds. I'm not even kidding. I'm sure lactating plays a huge role in the roller-coaster scale. These days, I'm ignoring the scale and focusing on how I feel and how my clothes fit. I refuse to buy new clothes, so as of a month ago, I finally stopped wearing maternity pants. I feel like it's a waste of money to buy work pants, that will just be loose, in a matter of weeks. I'm stubborn about stupid stuff like that. Good news, though: Last week, I fit back into my skinny jeans and today, I tried on my old work pants and they fit!!!! If I loose 5 pounds, I might be able to breathe in them, haha! I'm kidding. It's not the weight that is a huge issue, it is waiting for my hips to go back to where they were. I can loose the tummy weight all day - everyday, but if my hip bones are wide, what's the use? My hips are finally starting to shift back, to where they were. Is that science, or is it all in my head????

So, that's where I am - 5 months after having a baby. My main focus now,is to get my eating habits back in-check. To help with my metabolism and to go along with my half marathon training, I've started eating more of a Zone like diet. I'm including some grains, dairy, and treats, but it's a heavy protein, veggies, fruit and healthy fat - diet. I started it on Sunday and so, far I feel good, not deprived. I think the reason why I like the Zone is because if I choose to eat more on the healthy side, the portions are huge and when it comes to food, I honestly love a big bowl/plate/glass of food. :) You try eating 3 ounces of meat, 2 cups of broccoli and a cup of carrots. Would you still be hungry, after that? Also, I like the flexibility of eating treats too.

Is it Time, Yet? & Video of What Almost Gave Me a Heart Attack

Fa-La-La

I have Christmas fever. This morning as I was getting ready for the day, I kept thinking: I should really start making my Christmas list and I hope Trey doesn't take my Christmas joy, again by buying his own gift, like he did last year. I know it's too early to start decorating, but I'm just excited -- that's all - nothing more.

Video Work

In completely unrealated news, this is a clip from the conference I shot this past weekend. I had no idea the speaker was going to free-fall off the stage! It almost gave me a heart attack. 

I captured so many hours of footage, so this week my blog post may be picture heavy. 

When I'm not working at my day job, I'll be at home in the evenings editing this kind of stuff. 

To watch the video in HD, hit the play button and then the settings button "round knob/wheel" and select 720 HD. 

The Last Bit

We are making our way through the last bit of Halloween candy.

My Favorite GPS, The Best Investment, & an Eating Strike

The last two days have been exciting. I've been recording a video conference for Elevation Health. I could try to explain what it is and what the doctors do, but it saves us both the time and energy, if you check out their website. I really enjoyed working with this team and I hope I have a chance to work with them again.

The conference was in Colleyville and I was extremely paranoid about not being able to find the place, so I made sure I had triple coverage: SYNC, Google maps and my favorite GPS ---> TREY. I have trust issues, when it comes to GPS services. It's not them, it's me. Sometimes they can be quirky or they will lead me on a route that I would rather not take because of road construction or just preference. By the way, I like my Ford SYNC and I use it. It actually helped me last month, find UPS, when my iPhone map failed me, so thank you SYNC!

I'm using my personal gear and I love the freedom of it. It has been the best investment I've made all year.

While I've been working, Dakota has been on an on and off again feeding strike. I fed her this morning at 6 am. Trey is texting me, even as I write this post at 2:30 pm -- she still has not had anything to eat. She's not fussy, but she's not on her normal feeding schedule of every 3 hours. She did the same thing yesterday, but as soon as I got home, she was ready to eat. I guess, she just wants momma, it's flattering, but it's flattery that I can do without.

My Week in Photos

Every Monday, I get ready for the week - laundry, cleaning, paying bills, shopping - it's just a regular routine.

My Food Prep Station

Earlier this week, the girls went with me to the Ford house. I had to get the car serviced for the first time. Just a routine oil change and all that jazz. They are great kids, to take out in public. They played for almost two hours, in the waiting room.

I spy with my little eye, Dakota.

She was giving me those innocent eyes, but what she's not saying is:
"I'm sorry I popped and spit-up on you."
That's ok, I forgive you!


Everyone have a great weekend! Somehow, I'm suppose to run 9 miles. We'll see how that goes. I'll be optimistic and say, it's gonna happen. (this is me convincing myself).

Halloween 2012

Our Halloween looked a little something like this...

I had the privilege of taking two princesses trick or treating. I had baby Cinderella and big girl Cinderella.

In our neighborhood, some people hand out full size candy bars. This year, one family handed out hot dogs and drinks. How do you feel about that? I'll take fresh prepared food from my neighbors. I mean, I kind of know them....

I feel like the secret is out about how great our neighborhood is because this year, there was more foot traffic. Lots of preteens, but our friends recognized Cheyenne and made sure she got plenty of goodies.


My neice, Angelica also joined us.
She got a bucket and a bag full of sweets.

Dakota stayed warm in her blanket, while we went door to door.
Spooky!

So, how was your night? Did you dress up? I think next year, I'm going to dress up in costume to work because everyone gets into it. I'm always the photographer, so here is a picture of my work crew if you're interested. Click here to see the picture.

Words of Wisdom from Tony Horton

For a while I've been wanting to do a post about losing the baby weight and my progress. I'll get to that post soon (I hope), but first read this. The below statement was published by Tony Horton on his FaceBook page and it really spoke to me. In case you don't know, Tony Horton is the P90X guy. He's over 50 years old and he's a BA like chuck norris!

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Do You Believe In The Truth?

The truth is that thing that is happening to you right now, not that enhanced fantasy version you use to protect your vulnerabilities. People can't move forward in life because they hold too tightly to the past. We also get lost in concepts and beliefs that might have worked for our parents and friends but don't apply to us anymore; which can make it confusing when it

 comes to making decisions to improve our lives.

If you look closely at my first 30 to 35 years on earth you would have bet big bucks on a inept outcome. Bad student, bad athlete, no discipline, poor confidence, lousy work ethic, speech impediment, low self esteem and the biggest procrastinator on earth. What changed?

I began excepting reality. I stopped lying to myself and the people around me. I searched for second and third opinions. I stopped hanging around people with bad attitudes and no ambition. I stopped using the word "party" as a verb and grew up. I signed up for seminars and yoga retreats and saved up for ski camps, so that I could meet people who were curious, outside of my circle and who were kicking ass.

My persona to the world as a young man was just big talk and hyperbole because I didn't have the guts to get in the game and step up to the plate. It was a safe and easy way to exist but it made me sick. I slowly began to force myself to do things that scared the hell out of me. Every single experience built my confidence and improved my life, so I kept going no matter how many times I fell flat on my face.

If you want to believe in the truth then you need to follow some simple life altering steps. Exercise 5 to 6 days a week for the rest of your life. Eat whole foods more often than not, for the rest of your life. Allow your mind, body and spirit to heal with patience, curiosity and plenty of rock solid sleep. Figure out what you love and put as much time and energy as you can, into that. Then share what you've learned with people who ask for your help.

Dakota is 20 Weeks

Dakota is 20 weeks and adorable, now you must sit and watch this video of her giggling. 

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Running last week was tough, I mean it really took everything in me to make myself run. I fell short 2 miles - not terrible considering I didn't feel like running the majority of the time.

Is This an Accident Waiting to Happen?

Instead of asking for help, Cheyenne prefers to climb her bookcase to get what she wants. She wanted a puzzle. And Dakota was in her own little world. She was busy watching Happy Feet.

After being away from Cheyenne for two days, it was wonderful seeing her sweet face again.

One-on-One with Dakota

Yesterday, I went to abilene for a short day trip. One reason, I went was to see my Mom, tomorrow is her birthday and I wanted to wish her an early birthday.

Trey and I took seperate vehicles, so he could stay longer and I could leave early. Trey kept Cheyenne and I took Dakota. I've been loving all the one-on-one I'm getting with her. We went to church this morning. I took her to Sunday school and the sanctuary with me. She's so portable, I love it!

You know, she's loving all the attention.
Cheyenne has been enjoying herself too. Trey and his mom went clothes shopping for her. Oh and DJ and her went trick or treating at a church event.
 

My Week in Photos

The last bit of San Antonio pictures, actually I think Trey has a few more, but this is it for now...

While we were in San Antonio, Trey and Cheyenne experienced the mirror maze.

According to Trey, the maze is not as easy as you might think. It took him several minutes to find his way to the exit. At one point, he ended up back at the beginning. He thought he had reached the end. I explained to him, NO -- you are right where you started. Chey enjoyed the first minute of the maze and then she got scared. Trey finished by himself. I'm so proud of him!!! Haha!

They had to wear gloves, so their filthy hands wouldn't mess up the mirrors.

I had low expectations of Rainforest Cafe, but I was surprised, how good my dinner was! Cheyenne loved it too. I got a burger and kettle chips.

Walking somewhere downtown.

Sweet Dakota is a great traveler. Trey's pretty good too. I like how he drives when we travel and he has a great sense of direction. I on the other hand, get lost or off route even when I use my Ford GPS unit.

Here is a picture of the hotel gym. I used the gym one day, during our two night visit. I used the bike and then did some freestyle stuff without the machines. It took me two days to recover from doing over 50 lunges and 50 squats.

One of the patios at Rita's. Not much action, for a Sunday night.

We made a pit stop in Waco and Cheyenne harassed me with a knife. Something about giving her lifetime of candy or else.

Have a great weekend! I have a 10K to run, sometime this weekend. It's not a race, per say -- just a simulated one. It's on my training program.
So instead of trying to find a 10K and spend $25 - $35 for an overpriced run, I'm just going to pretend like my next run is a race.