My man...

...better remember our anniversary that is coming up exactly one month from today! For the majority of our almost 9 years as a blissfully married couple, Mark has exceeded any anniversary expectation I might have squeezed into my small conceptualized idea store of what anniversaries should be; HOWEVER, (and noticed the boldness of that word) Mark regretfully forgot or anniversary on one particular year...(tsk, tsk, tsk)...And that year he paid dearly, in the form of a shiny black Kitchen Aid. Although I do not condone missing an anniversary, I do love my Kitchen Aid, and my Man!

Oh Deer!

The other day, I came home and stood downstairs in my 'pink' room picking out fabric to make a quilt. My friend glanced out the window and noticed something very furry laying down right by my window. I couldn't believe how close the deer was to my house. I ran upstairs as quick as I could to grab my camera when I noticed 5 more deer laying down in the back corner of my yard! Apparently, the deer like me...from now on, you can refer to me as your 'deer' friend. hahahaha

Monday's Fit Tip Mania

Did you watch the super bowl and gorge on a football-watching feast? If you are like 90% of all other American's I am sure, like me, you popped one too many potato chips smothered in dip into your mouth. Celebration days are always more trying, and most of the time after all is said and done, you wish you just hadn't had so much.
Don't feel Down! Today is Monday, the first day of the week, the first day to rejuvenate your healthy habits. Today focus on replenishing your body with 8-10 glasses of water and a lean healthy diet. We tend to feel hungry and/or lethargic when our bodies reach dehydration, and the sure sign of dehydration is feeling thirsty. So before your body starts calling out for water, drink a glass of H2O. Just making the mental choice to be healthier in what you bring into your body, will help you feel rejuvenated towards your fitness goals. This week focus on drinking enough water.
It's as easy as:
1. Take 2 water bottles with you when you are driving in the car. Make sure you drink one on the way to where you are going, and drink one on the way back. (Then recycle the plastic and feel green while you are feeling lean :)
2. Drink a full glass of water with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. If you feel hungry or 'munchy' first drink a full glass of water.


If you have any water tips, please post them to the comments and I will add your tips in the blog! Remember, this blog is meant to share simple fitness tips that help people stay on track of their fitness goals, so if you know any one who would be interested in this information, refer this blog to a friend.

When I think of babies

...I think of the sweet smell of Johnson's and Johnson's baby wash. I used to think of endless crying, little sleep, and messy diapers, but I guess I am softening up a little. Isn't it funny how just seeing a sweet little baby can bring a smile to your face, lighten your day, or remind you of trying but beautifully difficult times?
When George was 4 weeks old, he cried almost 6 hours of an 8 hour stretch through the night. I cried too...in fact, I cried quite a bit that night and cursed that little trial in disguise as a blessing. Then after hours of turmoil, he fell asleep, into a deep peacefull, angelic sleep. I walked into his pastel nurery and peered over the sides of his crib rails. My sleepless night and angst slipped away; so sweet and innocent, he lay there breathing so softly, and I remember feeling in awe with how blessed and lucky I was to have him.
This week, my dear friend Tammy, allowed me to photoshoot her sweet baby, that may perhaps be her last. He is her 6th, but when I watch her hold him and love him, I am reminded of how in awe I was with my first. Isn't he a beautiful miracle?

A Pie with a heart

"Baby Don't 'cha Cry. Gonna Make a Pie, Gonna make a pie with the heart in the middle." --From the movie Waitress Pretty Pie makes me happy!
Pretty pie makes bionicle man defensive...
Pretty Pie goes perfect with Diet Pepsi!
Thanks for this Pretty Pie

Let me tell you a story...

...about a boy and his dog.

Yesterday while I carried on a telephone conversation with a certain Mrs. Carter, I was interrupted several times by a whining 4 year old. "Mom, Mom, what can I do now?" and "Mom, Mom, I am sooooo bored" were comments that disrupted my daily phone chat. Oh! I was so bothered by this pint sized whimperer of a boy. "Henry," with finality in my voice I issued, "I am on the phone right now. GO play with the dog!" And off he went, sensing he had lost his battle, to find our sometimes mentally slow black lab. Welcoming silence at last, I continued on with my book discussion with Mrs. Carter. Henry crawled around on his hands and knees, pausing every now and then to wiggle his rear end and utter a soft bark into the air. How sweet, Henry was pretending to be a puppy. Oh! I do like that much better than his constant whining plaguing my phone conversations. I watched as Bubba (the slow overgrown lab) and Henry (my 4 year old lab in training) pranced and trotted around the dining room in great joy of boy and his dog fun. I felt such contentment watching whining-free Henry while I discussed the latest book I had read with Mrs. Carter.

Then, without warning, Henry angled his pretend puppy body around to the rear side of Bubba
and began to take short sniffing bursts at Bubba's poop shoot! UGH...Henry was sniffing Bubba's rear end. Without even considering I was still on the phone with a certain Mrs. Carter I screeched, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Henry looking like an innocent dog's bum sniffer, looked up, barked a small dog's bark, and sweetly said, "Mom, I'm a dog right now. Remember, you told me to play with the dog." And then he added, (because it was clear to him that I didn't already know this) "Mom, this is what dog's do!"
I love this shot! Actually I love the one above and the one below. I just think Henry is so handsome! And the shot below really captures how Bubba follows the boys around...like he is one of them.

Glenn Beck on LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley

Check this out, It really lightened my day and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside...I hope it does the same for you!

The Problem with moving...

...is you meet such wonderful people and then you have to say goodbye, and not just, "goodbye, I will see you later," but "goodbye, we might never see each other again and hang out like we used to." In that sense, it is almost like part of you dies when you move away. Eventhough when I loved living in Hawaii, I often felt sad like part of me was missing...part of me left in Utah. But now that we live here in Utah, I feel that same loss for Hawaii. I feel almost incomplete without my daily dealings with the beauty there, the rich culture, and especially my dear friends. When I lived in Hawaii I came across many awe-inspiring and unique individuals, and people that I feel as close to as family. This is my blog today to let you all know, that even though it is freezing-butt cold here in Utah and I miss the welcoming sun of Hawaii, I miss you all more! This next picture is my favorte shot of Miss Carol...such a funny funny lady...and very flexible!
Jackie, the beauty in red and white stripes will always be remebered by my boys for teaching them that "broccoli gives you stinky farts!"There is no better picture that could capture my bro-in-law: JASE!Rachel...my sister who stole my sweet baby girls from me and is raising them as her own...hahaha

Monday's Fit Tip Mania:

Tip of the Day...Pray!
Studies show that people who believe in a higher power and call upon that power daily to help them through the day are healthier and feel happier. So by praying, not only will you receive spiritual help for the trials you are facing, but you will have your own internal support to work toward your goals.

I have found in my own life, that if I roll out of bed and land on my knees to pray, then my day goes smoother. I have goals that I work towards, and some days just seem to defeat all my efforts. It is then that I realize that I probably didn't take time to have a true heartfelt prayer with my Heavenly Father. Today I rolled out onto my knees and after praying, felt impressed to send out this tip today. I hope that this simple tip helps you along in your fitness goals and in all your life's pursuit of goals!

I also wanted to end this blog of the day by commemorating President Gordon B. Hinckley, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He passed away yesterday on the Sabbath. I am sure all who knew him and all who follow his teachings are saddened by this. I know that my life has been enriched to learn from him and to know that he truly was a man of God.

I Love Weddings

On Saturday, I shot a wedding for wonderful family friends and then bridals for a beautiful couple. Since being inspired by Natalie, my photo-tastic picture taking friend, I played around with natural light more in these two shoots. The first two shots are not the same, I promise, just look close, I was playing around with angles.
These second two pictures were from the bridal shoot. The first picture was actually taken in the women's restroom at the Provo Academy Libray. During the shoot I needed to relieve myself and after entering the very clean restroom I fell in love with the great white deep window...so I convinced the bride, the groom, her mom, her sister, and my sister-in-law to follow me in for a picture-taking bathroom adventure.

This next one is my favorite shot of the day...so candid, he was leaning in to whisper something in her ear and I quickly snapped a shot!

did you know...

10 years ago...

I had just moved back to my parent’s home, after living in Hawaii, and then Provo. I was in the middle of the toughest semester, 21 credit hours of all 300 level classes, and I was dating a wrestler who only ever wanted to wrestle…go figure…

5 things on my to do list today...
1. Update my blog
2. Stay home from church and take care of the sickies (the bear and the hot rod)
3. Respond to a week of emails
4. Hunt down Celia and read her book
5. Eat dinner at mom’s

Snacks I enjoy...
CANDY

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire...
GO SHOPPING…oh, and then after much thought…
Give 10% to tithing, pay off all my debts, support my family and then explore each continent.

3 of my bad habits...
1. Reading all day long so that my children and husband have to fend for themselves
2. Falling in-love with exciting new things to do with my life…I’m a hobbyist.
3. CANDY

5 places I have lived...
1. Utah
2. California
3. Washington
4. Hawaii

5. England

5 jobs I have had...

1. Personal Assistant
2. Fitness Trainer/Instructor

3. Concession’s Girl at the Theater

4. Non-Alcoholic Bartender
5. Librarian’s Assistant

Things people don't know about me...

If you have read my blog, I am sure that there is not a lot, since I tend to spew from the keyboard, but one thing most people don’t know about me is I have a dreaded fear of aquarium fish…by the way, thanks Natalie for giving my boys fish for their birthdays two years ago…I am just now recovering.

Now, yes, this was a tag, sent to me by 'slacker mom', but if you want to follow suit, please cut and paste the categories on your blog, and share a little more about yourself.

Book Tip:

Don't spend your time reading lame, boring, crappy books.

Tip #2: I just finished two great books, that were recommended to me by a dear friend, celia. These books both turned out to be 5 out of 5 stars and I couldn't put them down.

Book 1: Before Midnight 'A Retelling of Cinderella' by Cameron Dokey

This book is full of suspense and intrigue. At 2-3 hours, this book is definitely a quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed the play on the original Cinderella story and the authors addition of main characters. You will not be disappointed with this novel.

Book 2: The Burning Within by Ranelle Wallace

This book is a true story, written by the woman who endured through all the trials mentioned in the novel. This is not a 'drag you down', 'make you feel depressed' type of novel. No, it is the opposite. After reading the novel, I felt inspired to write my new year's 'to be's'. I enjoyed how the author led up to each event, sharing personal history and reflection. I was drawn to this story and could not put it down. This book is a must read!

Isn't He Lovely...

I have been pestering my dear friend for the last 5 months to take pictures of her newborn baby. These pictures were taken before Connor (the sweet baby) turned 1 day old. I love how puffy he is...babies change so quickly after they are born, that it was amazing to catch a shot of him this early. In fact, the hospital room was poorly lit, and I was very unsatisfied with the first 100 pictures I even took. Then as I was about to give up and suggest we try again another day, I realized that the blinds over the window could be opened! My friend carried her baby and sat closer to the window so I could use some of the natural sunlight to highlight the star of the shoot. If you would like to find out more information about lighting or photography, check out a great blog by an amazing photographer: Natalie Norton!

LOVE TO READ!

I feel like one of those library posters that feature a hip (if you're in 1989) looking adolescent, posed casually with a book in hand, smiling effortlessly with a 'you'll be cool like me' expression, that posts the message: READ. Hopefully I have discarded anything I wore in 1989; consequently, this purpose of this blog is intended to lure you into my reading circle...

Checkout my reading list on Goodreads - where you can see what your friends are reading.
http://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?i=LTM2MDYzMDE0MzM6MzEz%0A

(The following is to be read in cheesy infomercial middle aged man voice)
If you sign up, you can offer your perspective on what you have read, and see what good books are out there. What I hate most is to get 1/2 way through a book, only to be disappointed and lack the will to continue to the end. Now with this website, those days are gone. Now you will have the opportunity to pick up a book and be 90% sure that it wont suck! Just think, signing up is merely a click away. You are a click away from bringing book excitement into your life.

I Love...

Happiness is...

MONDAY'S FIT TIP Mania!!!

Yes, I have taken my own advice, and I have been braving the cold to take long strides up the hill side. I have coupled that with a 30 minute jog around town. Unfortunately, another battle you have to fight when the temperatures drop is the flux of sickness all around. I was hit by the BUG. You know, the nasty stuffed nasal cavity, hacking cough, odd uncomfortableness BUG! Feeling down, I took it pretty easy last week, but felt renewed over the weekend as my BUG took holiday and I felt a rush of un-sick energy. Last night I mentally prepped myself to wake up, wrap up in warm clothes and begin my walk/run around town.
WEATHER ALERT: Almost a foot of snow dropped in my town, around my house, and on the streets that I have longed to walk/run on. Which unequivocally means...FITNESS PLAN RUINED!
Ugh, Don't we hate it when we finally have the will power to go out and do something about our physical state and nature steps in the way? Don't let nature's snow dumping get you down, here is a list of activities you can do indoors or out in the snow to heat up your heart rate. Stay on track when it's the hardest, and you will find that it is routine to get moving when sunny skies are out.

Turn your home into a circuit training course, and let each room challenge you physically. Keep a timer on your watch, or close by and time each station for 2 minutes. For Intermediate levels to Advanced, repeat this workout 2 or 3 times.

DINING ROOM-hold onto a chair and preform tri-cep dips

KITCHEN-Hold onto the counter and preform a rear straight leg lift to target your glutes and hamstrings! Do a set of 40 on each leg.

STAIRS-Run up and down for cardio and for extra exertion, take them two at a time going up!

LIVING ROOM-Lunge from one side of the room to the other alternating legs

BATH ROOM-Squat in front of the toilet. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and squat until your toosh barely touches the toilet seat, return to a standing position slowly and be sure to squeeze the glutes tight on your way up!

BEDROOM- Use your bed as a way to gage your jumps. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees and jump as high as you can. As you jump, tuck your knees up and try to get your jump as high as your bed is. Bring the knees down and keep them unlocked as you try to land as soft as you can on your feet. These plyometric jumps will really kick up your intensity levels, but keep at it.

Work this workout a few times and you will be a fan of snowed in, rained in or just bad weather days. Keep up your fitness and you will attain your fitness goals. Check back in here every Monday for a new Manic Monday Fitness Routine...Until then, WORK YOUR WORKOUT!

Life Cycle

On Friday, we attended a wedding reception and a good friend of mine had a baby. Within 24 hours, I got to take pictures of these two major life events. Here were my two favorite highlights from the reception: Shoes and Food!


This sweet baby is the 6th in his family. After being 9 days over due, this precious thing finally made his way into the world. I promised her that I wouldn't show his picture on my blog until she showed him on hers, so here are my obscure feet pictures of this baby bundle! Ok, I just sent off an email to my friend of pictures, so this picture shows a little more of what this sweet baby looks like, but the focus is still his feet...I LOVE FEET!

So he said to me...

"See my hair mom? I did it all by myself. Yah, I just took some of your gel and made it this way."
"oh, is that how you do it?"
"Yah, see you don't know how, I do!"
So according to the opinion of a four year old, I have completely no fashion sense, considering I don't spike my hair with gel...

Gone...gone, are my glory days where I was the fashionista...