Thanksgiving

Well, today is the big day! The one day of the year totally centered around eating! I would like to tell you that I was going to eat mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes but that is not the case. I figure that one day a year will not ruin me. I am going to get on the treadmill this morning to at least help counter balance the food and I am trying to have no seconds.

Today should be a fun day. There are about 30 of us getting together. I made 4 dishes. Sweet potato casserole, Raspberry Pretzel Jello salad, Broccoli/Cauliflower salad and green bean casserole. My sister-in-law, Kimmie, makes the best desserts and I have already read the long list of pies she is making. It will be so yummy! We could not do Thanksgiving with out the sacrifice of my brother/sister-in-law, Joel and Shelley, they are always willing to open their home up and host the family. They do have a great house for hosting but they always seem to draw the short straw...but I am so Thankful for them.

I thought I would focus on the just a few of the things I am thankful for....
A wonderful husband, who does way more than his share. He is such a hard worker and the best daddy. I am so proud of him. He lights up our children's eyes. I hear about these husbands that aren't great helpers. Well, Travis changes diapers, bathes kids, feeds kids, gets up in the night as well as going to work every day and keeping up with our huge yard. I am also thankful that he unloads the dishwasher (because I only like to load) and thankful for the cup of coffee that he brings to me each morning.

Thankful for a wonderful 3 year old son, Hudson. My life has been so much more fulfilled since having him. He is so much fun and his vocabulary never ceases to amaze me. He is smart, talented and funny and I love the joy he brings to our family. Thankful for my little princess, Reese. She is the sweetest little girl. It has been so fun to watch her grow this year and fun to dress/accessorize her. I am actually thankful for hair bows. :)

Thankful for my friends. I would not have made it this far down this journey without you all. Friends really are your chosen family. Even those of you who are far away, know that I love and miss you. I cherish the memories we have together and the impact that you have made in my life.

Thankful for my family. I have two grandparents that gave me a wonderful life. We made lots of fun memories going on trips and participating in all my extra curricular activities. Thankful for my mom and hoping that she is recovering from her surgery she had on Monday. She has been in a lot of pain the last 2 years and I am hoping this makes a big difference for her. Thankful for my in-laws; who have been my family for 14 years. Looking forward to a fun Thanksgiving with them this year.

Especially today thankful for a warm house. It is sub zero temps here in Idaho today. Brrr.. Last week a Facebook friend contacted me and said she was looking for 12 month-2T clothes for 2 kids who were found with their young mom living under a bridge in Knoxville. I hurried and gathered a big rubbermaid of clothes and toys for the kids. Breaks my heart. We really do take things for granted. The food we eat, the heat in our house, the air we breath, the clean water we drink. Thankful to be an American with the freedoms we have. So thankful that I do not have to live a life where I am persecuted every day for my sex, race or religion. Thankful for our military that keeps us safe and for the sacrifice they make. Especially thinking of my nephew who is in Kuwait this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Take time to remember what you are thankful for and never take for granted all that you have. Life is not perfect but there is SO much to be Thankful for!

188 and Smiling

Well, I made it to 188 before we left on vacation. I have a picture but havent had a chance to download it, I will add soon. Not quite the 185 I had hoped for but close enough to be proud. Now the trick will be to keep it off and not gain a Thanksgiving 5 pounds. I am actually about to get on the treadmill right now but it will be the first bit of exercise I have had since we left. The first day we spent the entire day in an airplane and/or car and didn't really get to move around at all. We arrived in the middle of a blizzard. It has been so cold and snowy and several family members have been snowed in and practically unable to see us yet. Maybe today we will see some of them.

Since it was cold we spent most of yesterday inside just visiting around the fire and watching TV. I guess I am not used to the TV. While it was really fun to watch some shows I can see how it is easy to get complacent and to just sit around watching TV and to neglect the treadmill. I recently read that the average american watches more than 4 hours per day and that the average home has more televisions in the house than people. My bodybugg will give you a rude awakening; sitting down watching TV burns a small 1-2 calories per minute (about the same amount as you burn when you sleep). Maybe that is the problem that is leading to obesity in America. At home, we very rarely watch TV as we don't have one on our main floor but we have been sucked into spending too much time reading iphones, playing on the laptop, etc. What is your vice? Do you play video games? Even reading is bad in regard to burning calories. Check out this very short article. The most amazing thing I read is that the average senior citizen spends an average of 207 hours a month in front of the television, which is about 7 hours per day.

Well, I better go get busy! I am setting a new goal to reduce the amount of time I spend sitting around reading my iphone, watching TV and playing on the macbook. I do love the ipad as it has allowed me to be active while watching TV. Now I can go watch an episode of 24 and get my workout done too!