Top 10 Reasons....

This post idea came to me while working out today. It's more for keeping me motivated more than anything...but maybe it will inspire you too!


Top 10 Reasons I Work Out (even when I don't want to!)

1. I'm scared not to. Literally, in my profession, I have read the obesity studies and stats and I don't want to go there.

2. I feel better afterwards. Not always right away, but I know it makes a difference.

3. For my kids. I want to be a good example and I want them to be healthy and active.

4. I have to. How can I be a Health and Wellness Director and NOT take care of myself in this capacity.

5. My pregnancies and labor's haven't been as difficult. True, I can't compare it since I've worked out up to and including the day of delivery with all 3 kids, but I'm going with my gut on this one. Now before you think I'm some fanatic, I'm talking moderately active, just getting my heart rate up and breaking a sweat...I have a baby to protect!

6. I enjoy it. Sometimes. I really enjoy sports...too bad they're so hard on my body!

7. For my health. Not just to avoid obesity, but heart disease, cancers, diabetes, etc.; and to be stronger if I am stricken with one.

8. Ice cream. Yep, I love it....and I don't feel AS guilty when I eat it every night.

9. Energy. It truly does create more energy. When I go a couple days without being active I feel like a major slug.

10. My kids. Oh, did I say that one already. It's that important...stats are bad these days and this generation is in trouble. I want to model good behaviors, and I want to be around to enjoy my grandkids.

Grab some shoes....let's go for a walk.

Baby "H4" Update

I haven't posted quite awhile on the little one that is growing by leaps and bounds inside me, so it's time for an update! I have just entered the final trimester and have some mixed emotions. Though I have moments when I look forward to shedding the baby weight and getting back into my "normal" clothes, I'm more often finding myself sad that I'm sure this will be the last baby I carry. You would think I'd have my fix after having four! Funny, I never imagined I would have more than two kids; in fact though I always figured I would have children I couldn't imagine me being a Mom. And now I know it's the greatest gift ever! I am not going to lie and say I love every moment of being pregnant; I have my share of complaints (that mainly only my husband hears.) But there's a connection, a bond there, that is just unexplainable. It just makes me honestly sad that it'll be the last time I will experience it...

This last month I have totally "popped out" and there is no mistaken the bump now. At least once or twice a day a Y member approaches and asks the due date. The little one is very active, I can feel it's head on my right side. It has been sweet to watch the excitement and anticipation on my kiddos faces when I tell them "Baby is moving!" They rush over with outstretched hands and beaming faces. Now they can also see when the little peanut punches and rolls around as my "bump" under my shirt goes crazy!

We still aren't sure what type of delivery looms in the future. Kyndal and Corbin were born with no complications and labor was pretty quick with both. Kennedy was lying sideways so she was a planned C-section. My doctor surprisingly to me has mentioned I am a good candidate for a VBAC. Though I would love the extra two weeks at home for cuddling, we will likely plan on the VBAC if this one is positioned right.....though I can tell so far that the head isn't down.

Finally, to answer the obvious questions that I hear daily:
What is your due date? August 5th
What are you having? We have chosen to wait to find out with all of our babies, only God knows!
Names? We have a list....I'll give you a hint though. It will start with a "C"!!!

Growing and Learing

Recently some of the first grade teachers at Kyndal's school put on a Math Night and a Literacy night for the kids. She was disappointed that she couldn't go to the Math Night---she had 4-H the same evening and it was her turn to present the lesson. So she was super anxious to get to the Literacy night!

When I walked outside to find her to let her know it was time to go, I was surprised to find the rest of my family busy planting some free seeds they'd gotten for Kids Club from our grocery store. They were sooooo excited! We have talked several times about having a little garden but never followed through. I have not just a brown thumb, but a brown hand :o) I have a hard time growing things! We'll have to see how these guys do at it!




After they finished "the planting" it was off to Roper for Kyndal and I! We had fun trying out many of the activities and deciding which ones she would like to have copies of for home. I know it won't last forever, but she loves doing homework and activities like this at home.

Bunkin' In

Kennedy has officially moved in with Kyndal. To make room for baby (in early August) we booted Kennedy from her upstairs room to share a room with Kyndal in the basement. We finally found some decent bunkbeds that were affordable and I painted the room a few weeks ago. I still have lots of decorating to do, they want a horse/cowgirl theme, but since we have all the furniture we made the big move. The sooner, the better, since we want her to get comfortable down there before she sees the baby taking over her old stomping ground!

I also moved all of her toys down to the toy room, and took the opportunity to purge some things that aren't used in there to give away to an upcoming church rummage sale.

They aren't really sleeping, just pretending!

The move wasn't the best timing as Kennedy got sick (fever/cold/sinus infection) the next day, so we're still trying to get her to stay in her own bed.This is where she still prefers to sleep....Mom and Dad's bed!

Crazy Animals!

One of our favorite things about spring is that the Lincoln's Children Zoo opens back up! We splurge on a dual Zoo/Children's Museum family membership each year....they are hot spots for our family, two favorite places that we like to burn a couple hours on Saturday mornings.

Although there are many construction projects still underway at the Zoo due to the harsh winter, the kids and I had a great time saying hello to the animals we missed all winter long. And we had the perfect spring day to do it. We visited on opening weekend and the parking lot was FULL! We actually had to park across 27th St (one of the busiest streets in Lincoln) and walk a couple blocks to get there. Once inside it wasn't as crazy as I feared though.

Feeding the goats was their favorite part of this particular trip

My crazy animals

Monkeys!

It was an egg-cellent trip!

We're not in Kansas anymore...

I was blessed with some free tickets to one of my favorite musicals a few weeks ago at the Lied Center, The Wizard of Oz! Being from Kansas, I have seen it many times but this was the first time I saw it performed live. Corbin had been invited to a birthday party that afternoon so Casey and I decided to part ways and split up the kids. I figured Kyndal is the only one that would sit through the whole thing without getting antsy so he took the other two and we had a girls outing. I had three tickets so Kyndal got to invite her friend, Kaysia.

It was so sweet seeing them out of their sports shirts which is usually where we meet up with Kaysia and in their cute dresses! They both did really good and we all enjoyed the entire show.

Spring Sports

I think this spring is just a glimpse into what our future is going to hold full of activities with our kids. We typically only have the kids in one activity at a time, but with 4 kiddos, that's going to be a lot to juggle!Kyndal and Corbin, ready for their first volleyball and soccer games this spring.

Casey is co-coaching Corbin's soccer team (Corbin's 1st year!) and I am co-coaching Kyndal's 1st grade volleyball team. We are heading into our 3rd week and I'm finally getting pics from the first week posted!

Kyndal's volleyball team has 6 girls and we play 4 on 4. I have to admit the practices are much more effective than the games (25 minutes each). If the serve goes over the net, that's pretty much the end of the volley! But they've got to start somewhere....and week 2 was a little better than the 1st week. The great thing is that she is really good friends with 4 of the girls on her team so even though she doesn't seem to be crazy about the sports scene she does love to be with her friends.

Kyndal, ready position, upper right

Kyndal, center

Kyndal, right, serving

Like I mentioned, this is Corbin's 1st year and 1st experience with sports and he was really excited to get started. I thought he played really well, boys are so much more aggressive than the girls, at least at this age. All week long after the 1st game he complained that the other boys "kept kicking him". He was not impressed about the physical side of it. But it must not have gotten him down too much, Casey said he got right in there and played hard week 2 and even scored 2 goals! I will only get to see 2 games since Kyndal's are almost all at the exact same time as his.

Casey, left and Corbin, kicking the ball in

Little peanut, trying to fill Kyndal's kneepads!

Corbin, center, waiting his turn on the sideline