By Nicole

We weighed out today... out of the weight loss challenge that we signed up for in January .  So - in three months, Jason and I lost more than the weight of Leilee!  A total of just over 39 pounds.  Jason took up the slack, losing 25.  I lost 14.  We were so stoked.  Neither of us thought that we would be able to lose that much weight in 3 months... but we did!  And then we splurged like maniacs today.  Eggs, cheese, chocolate pastries, coffee with cream and honey, ice cream, steak, mashed potatoes with feta.... we feel so gross and delicious today.  And already so excited and relieved to run and eat healthier tomorrow! My current joke is that I am one stomach flu away from my goal weight .  I even wrote that on my "story" that they asked us to write for the challenge.  And then I wrote, in parentheses, 'just kidding, please do not print!'  It is such a good feeling to be able to button pants that I haven't been able to get in...

I love reading old blog posts that I forgot I wrote!  My life is just a funny rerun.  The same things... the same things...  January 15, 2006... March 30, 2012... the same.  Haha! "I hate to clean. If you know me or my family, you know that we don't like to clean and that there is a HORRIBLE gene that runs in our DNA. I am fighting it with every fiber of my being, but sometimes it remains firmly embedded in my mind not to throw the shoebox away, because you never know when I might need it.... Anyway, the second part of my horrible genetic curse is that I loathe cleaning. I like things clean, I just don't like to do it; pair that with never having a moment that is really my own, and you can understand how hard it is for me to keep my house looking respectable. Oh, and our house, by the way, is the size of one of those shoeboxes I can't seem to part with, so one thing out of place and the whole place is cluttered. So, those are all my excuses for my family's ...

Thank you Lord and Subaru for the hill-holder clutch.  You ease my mind and lower my stress level.  I was overjoyed to remember, while sitting at a red light on one of the steepest hills in the world, that my wonderful little yuppie car has a hill-holder clutch.... whew!  No really. I shouted "Thank you Lord!".  I was so relieved.  Every time I sit on a hill in Seattle I picture my manual transmission just letting my car roll backwards into other cars and the chaos that would ensue.  If I knew blood pressure language, I would even tell you how many points mine went down when I realized that, but I don't.  Tonight I am writing from a fancy hotel room in Seattle.  I really love Seattle... to visit anyway.  Even though my day was frantic, and I left a whole four hours later than I wanted to today... I had a great drive.  Lots of time to think and sing.  No traffic, no ferry wait.  My delay in leaving work on time t...

New "dressers" for the boys.  Hoping this makes laundry easier for them.  Right now they share a dresser that Jason bought off the side of the road in Texas for me.  It is well worn and not kid friendly!  It is also tired from moving around so much.

This is our last week on the Daniel Fast.  I am running out of vegetarian options... even though I know we haven't come even close to exhausting what is available!  I guess a better way to say it is, this is another busy week, and I don't have enough time for experimenting!  So, you all might see a few repeats in here.  Monday - Baked sweet potatoes (I'm cooking them right now in the crock pot), roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts and a yummy wild rice/quinoa mix. Tuesday - Quinoa cakes, corn and salad.  This is the last of the batch I made a few weeks ago .  Wednesday - Dinner at Great Grandma's. We have been doing this for a little over a month.  The kids love to see her, and she loves cooking for us.  I've tried to take turns, and she won't let me.  So she'll cook something great for them.  I think Jason and I will have hummus/veggie wraps and steamed broccoli. Thursday - Veggie tostadas and stick salad (whole lea...

I am sitting here amidst a messy living room gearing up to share some love. Here's who I am going to visit. Whispering Writer Anti-Supermom Buttoning My Jeans By Grace Alone Corner Blog Expandng Flying Squirrel Love of the Run Monster Papa is a Preacher Periphery Masked Mom Now I am off to bed... way too late.