Introducing...

So. I REALLY need to upload Easter pictures. I have yet to do an Easter post. It is kind of late to be talking about bunnies and egg hunts huh? But You will be burdened with my Easter post... eventually. Not today. Cause I'm lazy - and I still haven't uploaded all the adorable pictures of Landon and his cousins from my camera. You still love me though. And now I've got you on pins and needles waiting for adorable pictures (Right? Right. Just humor me a little bit).

In other news, my niece, Lauren will be turning 4 years old soon. Now, just to get this out of the way: All of my nieces (and nephews!) are special, and beautiful, and wonderful - and I love them all equally. They all have so many unique characteristics that make them special to me. Lauren for instance has the biggest smile, gives the longest most snuggly hugs, and she has Down Syndrome. Here's the thing- Down Syndrome is just ONE aspect of her. It doesn't define who she is. I wanted to introduce her because I will most likely be talking more about her and what we are doing to change the world because of her. And because it isn't nice to introduce someone when you can't see them... I give you Lauren:

Isn't she beautiful? Stay tuned to future blog posts on how you can get involved to help our goal of making this a better world for her. Maybe I'm partial, but I think she deserves the world. :) I mean, check out that dimple (Pretty sure she gets that from me. I have one too when I smile)!!

Oh, and just because I haven't posted one in the last couple of posts... here is a picture of Landon...

How about that hair?!

FYI, the hair was all Aaron's idea. but it's growing on me. Aww man, I just realized I was going to make you wait on pins and needles for adorable pictures. Darn it! Umm... well... the Easter ones are just as cute if not cuter! 

INCHES!!!

That's right, I've lost inches!! Woohoo! I seem to be stuck at 11lbs of weight lost, but will hopefully overcome that little plateau soon.

Anywho, I've lost 3 inches in my waist, 4 inches in my hips, 1 in my chest, and 1.25 in my thighs. Color me ecstatic. I thought I was starting to notice a difference in how my clothes fit...but then thought...well, maybe they are just so stretched out. To find out for sure, I had my mom measure me this past weekend (before going shopping for an Easter dress). When she started telling me the numbers, I didn't believe her at first, and made her doublecheck everything!

Before my run last night

I've been doing the Couch to 5K program, and I HATE it. But only because I hate running...with a passion. The only thing I actually like about the program is that I feel great when I'm done. I have been taking it slow-- been doing it for almost 7 weeks, but I just finished Week 5 Day 2. Most weeks I have been going the minimal 3 days, but the last two weeks, I skipped day --either lack of motivation, or just because I was so busy that the thought of running made me want to curl up in a ball and cry. :)

I have repeated some days a few times, because I wanted to "master" it before moving on to the next set of walk/run intervals. Can I just say I think it is absolutely nuts that I ran for 8 minutes straight last night - not once, but twice?! I know to some of you that may sound like diddly squat --- but to me? HOLY SMOKES!! Granted, I am doing it on an elliptical on a lot of my runs, but that is mostly because Aaron is often at work when it is time for me to run. I do run outside sometimes, but I don't have a jogging stroller, and I can't leave Landon home alone... so I run after he goes to bed when Aaron is working, and I do the walking intervals in my living room. Some people consider it "cheating" --but you know what? I don't. This chubby girl is getting her heart rate up, burning calories, losing inches, and building endurance. Maybe eventually I'll be able to do it all outside and not keel over dead... :)

Oh, scary... my after-run "glow." ;o{

Anywho, for now, I'm just excited about the inches lost. I'm hoping to be down another size or two by summertime. I know if I can do that, I'll feel much more comfortable and less self conscious taking Landon swimming, and hanging out at the river this summer.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

UH OH! Guess who is back already? Okay, you can pick up your jaw now...

So, VEGAS. Yeah... We had an AWESOME time!! We left on a Friday morning, and headed to San Antonio to catch our flight. Landon got to stay the whole weekend with Nonna and Po, so I knew he was in good hands, and was able to relax the whole time (though I did call him at least once or twice a day!). Anywho, we got to San Antonio a little bit early and headed to the mall to do some shopping to kill time. We bought Landon a little something before we ever left Texas - go figure! Then, we met our friends Eddie and Amy at the airport and had lunch. The flight there was pretty uneventful - we flew Southwest. I've decided I'm not a huge fan of the whole open seating concept. I like knowing I'll for sure have a seat next to my husband, and anyone else we are traveling with if we so please. Thankfully, Aaron and I were able to get seats together a couple rows away from Eddie and Amy.

Flying over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam was great! So pretty, and I hope to visit both someday! So, we got to the airport at about 5:00 Vegas time, grabbed our bags, and caught a cab to our hotel: The Luxor. The drive was nice, and we were all taking pictures out the windows with our phones. However, none of mine turned out very spectacular :). The hotel was great though! Our room was nice and big, with a big ol' bathtub, and a big ol' shower, and a big ol' TV, and a big ol' bed. I wouldn't have any problem with staying there again.

We actually stayed in the tower to the right - cause the Pyramid rooms didn't have bathtubs



The "ceiling" on the inside of the Pyramid


After we got checked in and changed, we went to eat dinner at the hotel buffet. Not too shabby!  We did some gambling, and then decided to check out a few other hotels/casinos nearby. The Luxor is right next to Excalbur, so we went there first, gambled a little bit, and then moved on to the New York New York. We gambled there too, and then rode the roller coaster. Definitely not bad as far as roller coasters go, but it does kind of "beat up" your neck area.



Wearing boots + lots of walking = blisters :(

We pretty much only played BlackJack cause it wasn't too hard, and we could find tables with minimum bets we were comfortable with. I was a little nervous to try any other games... maybe if we ever go again, we'll "study up" on how to play the other games before we go. We figured we might play some Texas Hold 'Em, but never wanted to sit down at a table long enough to really get a game going. We stayed up until just after 2:00 Vegas time... which was really 4am to us.

Sooo many lights!

I love my goofball husband :)

The next morning, it was decided that maybe we should have turned it a little earlier the first night there hehe. Saturday was really fun as well! We started out pretty early with breakfast and then gambling. We decided it would be a great day to go down "The Strip" and check out more hotels/Casinos/shops/restaurants/etc. --but first, Amy and I got Swedish Massages at the hotel Spa! Talk about relaxing!! After our massages, we had lunch at a nice little burger joint --though the service could have been better.  Then began the trek down the strip. I took a bunch of pictures, but if you want to see them, you'll have to go friend me on Facebook.

A pretty fountain. :)

Amy and Eddie - our travel buddies





Posing with Buzz Lightyear and Woody, for Landon!



Playing the slots back at our hotel

 That evening, we went to the Criss Angel: Believe show at our hotel. This was included in our trip package, and we all enjoyed it. I don't know that I would have picked it over other shows, but it was still good. Of course, we were not allowed to take pictures or videos, but he did allow pictures right before he ran off the stage at the end:



We were obviously not sitting very close :)

After the show, more gambling! Oh, and as long as you are gambling, you get "free" drinks. I had a few yummy pineapple malibu's - but we all made sure not to overdo it. We all crashed kind of early on Saturday night - we were all just sooo tired!

On Sunday, after breakfast, Aaron and I caught a cab to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, which is from the show Pawn Stars on the History Channel. We were hoping they would be filming so we could see "famous people" - but alas, they weren't, so we settled for just walking through the shop instead. It seemed a lot smaller than they make it look on TV. At least, that's how I felt about it...



This is the side of the building that is always shown on TV

 

I tried to get Aaron to buy one of the "I <3 Chumlee" shirts...

After the pawn shop, we walked back towards the strip, and made it to the Stratosphere, where we were going to wait for Eddie and Amy to meet back up with us. My feet were killing me by this time - that's what I get for wearing boots the first night and then old tennis shoes the next day. If I ever go to Vegas again, I'm wearing flip flops the whole time! There was some confusion, and Aaron and I ended up walking to Circus Circus to meet them, and they ended up going to the Stratosphere. We ALL wanted to go to the top of it, so Aaron mentioned walking back (FYI, it looks a LOT closer than it is on a map when you have blisters on both feet) -- but then I think he saw that I was really close to crying at just the thought of more walking, and he got us a cab. Best Husband EVER! and I'm positive that was the best $7 spent :) -- getting me from point A to point B.  Anywho...back to the Stratosphere -- sooooo beautiful from up there! Though, there was a weird elevator operator... really kind of creepy. We bought some souvenirs while we were there and ate lunch, and then headed closer to where our show was going to be that night.



On the walk from the Pawn Shop



So prettyful! - A view from the top of the Stratosphere





Outside the Mirage



Umm... Hahaha? :)



  

We had some time to kill before going to our show, so we mostly just hung out and went to different casinos. We of course had to go to Margaritaville, where we had a great time at one of the BlackJack tables (even though Aaron and I didn't win ANY money there). Our dealer's name was Reggie, and he kept us laughing the whole time we were sitting there. We asked if we could sneak a quick picture with him, and he got permission...

We finally had to catch a cab down to the Monte Carlo, which is where we were seeing the Jabbwockeez perform. The show was soooo goood!!!! I would recommend it to anyone who likes to watch dance or listen to music. Seriously... I didn't think they guys would enjoy it, but they said it was great too. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures (boo, hiss, sad face).

We decided to check out the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner that night before heading back towards our hotel for more gambling...



Our waiter was kind enough to take a picture for us.

After some more gambling that night, we headed off to bed, cause we needed to get up pretty early for our flight the next morning - though we did stay in the casino until we were just flat-out exhausted. We had an early breakfast at the hotel and then headed to the airport. Now for the reason I'm not crazy about Southwest Airlines open seating: I had to sit between two men on the way home.  Thankfully they were normal, unfortunately, neither of them was my husband. Aaron ended up next to an older couple-- who made him sit in the window seat, and acted annoyed if he needed to get up to go use the restroom. Eddie and Amy were also seated with strangers. Lesson learned though, next time we fly Southwest, we will print our boarding passes when we buy our tickets!

Altogether though, our trip was a blast, and we can't wait to plan another trip - hopefully sooner rather than later!

Umm... Oops.

So, I apparently owe a few blog posts...I've been seriously neglecting this little space of mine. I need to talk on an on and on about what a blast Vegas was... I need to talk about the Kite festival in Austin... I need to talk about taking Landon to the zoo here in town... I need to talk about losing weight and doing the C25K program... and then after this weekend, I'll have a fun trip to San Antonio to talk about.

But... I'm so busy! lazy. You knew that already. Eventually I'll get around to all of that (well, maybe). Today? You get picture and video. Everybody now: "YAY!"

Really? Who names their product Gorilla boogers?! The gel works nicely in Landon's hair though. :)

Church wore him out that day! He fell asleep as soon as we got in the car...
and only woke up when we put him in a high chair for lunch.



Might be time for a purge...



Well... til next time! (maybe tomorrow...maybe a month from now...
I like to keep you guessing...hehe)

What happened to Customer Service?

Seriously, whatever happened to good ol' customer service? You know, with a smile?


Speaking of smiles!!

I've just noticed a lot lately that customer service really seems to be lacking. I called the Driver's License Office yesterday-- and after being put on hold for almost 45 minutes, (or what seemed like FOREVER!) I get someone on the line who is rude to me from the very start. I wasn't even being a smart alec like we all know I can be. It would be awesome if the representative could at least tell me politely that yes, even though it was their mistake, I will need to pay out of my pocket to fix it. I didn't even receive an apology. Hmph. See if I ever renew my license with them again!... oh, wait... I don't have a choice. God Bless America.  
Speaking of America. It's an election year! Do your research! (end Public Service Announcement)

Just a little FYI... I am still going strong on counting calories, and I am actually feeling great! My clothes are fitting a little looser (I said a LITTLE!) and I really feel like I have more energy. We'll see what the scale says on Monday.

I'm getting really excited about our trip to Vegas! Looking forward to some time to just hang out with Aaron -- although I know we will both miss Landon (how could we not! He's just too cute!). We are planning to be very busy the whole time we are there -- we have a lot to cram into a short amount of time. We are for sure going to a Criss Angel show (fingers crossed that it is good!--hey, it came "free" with our trip package!) and are wanting to go to one of Emeril's restaurants to eat--and maybe if we have time, go to the pawn shop from the show Pawn Stars. Eeek! Landon will get to have some good bonding time with Nonna and Po while we are gone. And hopefully they will be kind enough to text me videos of my little bug while we are away.

Who needs an aquarium when you can just go to Wal-mart and look in the fish tanks?

Landon is getting so "grown up" it seems like. He feels so long (tall) when I carry him up the stairs when he is sleeping. I have to turn sideways to avoid his feet or his head hitting the door frame now. He is talking like crazy and I would guess he is right around 22 lbs or so. He LOVES to climb the stairs, but is smart enough to only do it when someone is behind him (just in case!). We don't even have the baby gate up. His favorite toys at the moment are all of his matchbox cars. --And anything having to do with Buzz Lightyear. He is still really liking obsessed with Jake Owen's song "Barefoot Bluejean Night" -- and asks for it by saying "Whoa-oh." Needless to say, both Aaron and I have downloaded it on our phones so we can have it ready to go quickly in an emergency (i.e. if he is getting loud in a restaurant). It never fails to calm him right down.

He is starting to say a lot of names now, will look at someone when you ask where they are. He acts a little shy about talking in front of people he isn't around all the time though. He will wait until they walk away or turn around and then he'll wave and say "bye-bye." Little stinker!

He also really likes to help by throwing things away... only sometimes, it isn't trash. I've had to dig a few socks out of the trash can as our washer and dryer are in the closet right next to where it sits! Bathtime is always a blast. Until it is time to get out. He loves to pour water out of cups and get squirted or splashed. He gets upset when it it time to get out though.



Someone needs a haircut!

I just can't believe how fast he is growing. I want to savor every moment! I wish I didn't work all day, cause I just know it would be so much more fun to stay home with him and play, and watch him learn and grow. Oh well... someday!!
 

My happy boy!

New Year! New... nope, same old me. :)

Okay, so obviously it is the same old me or I would have updated a long time ago. Sometimes new years come in with a bang, but this year has just kind of snuck in quietly. Aaron was working on New Year's morning, so he went to bed early on New Year's Eve. I stayed up doing random things around the house, just to say I "rang in" the New Year. I gave Aaron a kiss, looked in on my sweet sleeping boy and then hit the hay myself. Exciting, right?

Well, not really, but it was perfect if you ask me. Anywho, since I know Landon with his adorable face is probably the only reason anyone reads this blog anyway, I'll deliver, with pictures and video! (You can thank me with a comment hehe).



"Awake" and ready for daycare. Poor kiddo was still sleepy!



Took this picture with the Instagram App on my iPhone. One of my most favorite pictures of him!





Just in case you missed this one on FaceBook - This boy can put down some donuts!
(also taken with the Instagram App)

He was NOT a happy camper. I had to walk backwards in a circle the whole time he was on this thing. Note to self: Don't wear flip flops to Chuck E. Cheese.

Wheeeee! At least he isn't scared of the slide!

Yummy for my tummy. Yes, that is a corn dog. He LOVES them. And he will EAT them. 'Nuff said.



Buzz!

So... now that you've had your fix of Landon... guess what?! I've lost weight! (Okay, don't get too excited yet...) I refuse to tell my starting weight just yet, cause I am still mortifiied and not comfortable sharing it. Just know that it is too much. I am working on counting calories (I suck at it) and just having more self control when it comes to eating sweets. I think I got more than one sweet tooth when they were handing them out. Anyway... I've lost (drumroll please) 8lbs so far. It's been about 3-4 months, but I would lose 2 lbs, gain it back... lose 3 lbs, gain 2 back, lose another 2, gain 1...so yeah. It is slow going...but I'm "winning" the war on fat. :) My clothes are getting loose already, and now that I will have fitness release time from work (2 hours a week, woohoo!) I'll have no excuse for not getting at least a little bit of exercise in!

I'm not drinking caffeine -- and also no carbonation. In fact about 90% of the time, I am just drinking water. I don't even miss coke (and by coke, I mean Dr. Pepper). I do have an occasional glass of juice with dinner, and I do love a nice tall glass of skim milk every now and then. So maybe I am a little bit of a "New Me." -- I'm just not quite the new me I wanna be yet.

In other news -- planning a trip to Vegas!! So excited, and can't wait to share pictures (although, with my track record and sharing pictures in a timely manner.... we all know how that goes)! Anywho...  that's all for now. I'll be back... soon-ish. :) Oh, and have a Spectacular 2012!!!

Thinking about Christmas Traditions...

So, reading another blog got me thinking about Christmas Traditions, and what our little family might start to do to make Christmas a more memorable and happy time than it already is.

There are lots of things I remember from childhood about what made Christmas great. First off was all the time spent with family. We would spend Christmas Eve at my Grandma and Papa's house, and then Christmas morning at our own home before heading over to my Gigi (Granny) and Papa's house for presents and Christmas Day lunch.

At my Grandma's house, we always read the Christmas story straight out of the Bible. Once the grandkids were old enough to read, we each read a portion of it. I can't wait until my nieces and nephews are old enough to read so we can implement that tradition again (We no longer live close enough to go to my grandparents houses, so we have had to start new Christmas traditions within my side of the family as well). Then we'd open all of our presents and see what everyone got. Many times, we'd all pile into cars and go look at Christmas lights together. Then it would be back to Grandma's house to play board games and/or watch movies until our parents felt it was time for us to get to bed so Santa could come.

On Christmas morning, we always woke up bright and early (well, usually I was dragged out of bed by my older sister telling me what I got from Santa) and headed into the living room to see what Santa left by our pair of shoes that had been set out the night before. I love going back and looking at pictures of those Christmas mornings. Santa never wrapped our gifts. I remember one year, my sister got a Barbie House. It was all set up with the furniture inside of it... We played with that house A LOT. My brother got this awesome GI Joe tank looking headquarters thingy... we played with that too! (Yes, girls can play with GI Joe!)- Oh, and there was the year that I got a whole stack of Nancy Drew books- I was in bookworm heaven! We would get in trouble if we woke our parents up too early, so we would look and play and talk in excited whispers until they came in the living room. I'm sure they were tired from the night before... cause, you know, they had to stay up to make sure us kids didn't try to catch Santa in the act of leaving our presents... :)

At Gigi and Papa's house, we opened presents pretty early, and then played or whatever until lunch was ready. And we always ran down the street to my Aunt Kay's house to see what my cousins Dani and Rachel got from Santa. They usually had gotten a really fun new board game to play, and we would take it back down to Gigi's house to play it. If it wasn't too cold, sometimes a trip to the park nearby was in order.

One year, as we got older, we started the tradition of going to a movie on Christmas Day. It was pretty much the only thing that was open... I wanna say the first one we went to was Little Women, but that was a while ago, so I could be wrong. We sometimes keep up that tradition, but it is harder now that I have a husband who works shiftwork, and isn't always off for Christmas (and of course, we all have kiddos, not all of whom are ready to go sit in a theater for the length of a movie). That tradition might have to wait a few years.

Anywho, all this to say, I want to start creating traditions with and for my kiddo and future kiddos (whenever that may be)... I just gotta decide which ones are important I guess. What are some of the traditions you do with your family? Leave me a comment with some of your favorite (past or present) traditions!


Landon is not a fan of Santa just yet. :)



Last year he didn't mind so much though...