Love Week 2009-Day 4

If you are ever in need of a chocolate frosting recipe, look on the back of a Hershey's Cocoa container. There you will find one called "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate frosting. The name doesn't lie. IT IS PERFECT! And it is one of the things I L.O.V.E. Even after eliminating processed sugars, fats and flour from my diet, I truly miss this yummy dessert. So when my darling daughter Kylii made a cake for my birthday, complete with this frosting, I just couldn't say "No". It was physically impossible. And guess what? I enjoyed every single bite!

From Feb 22, 2009

From Feb 22, 2009

Love Week 2009-Day 3

Here is a picture of some darling young women from my church, all of whom I love. For almost two years now, I have had the privilege of serving as the Young Womens President in our ward. This calling has been a humbling experience. I have learned so much about these awesome girls and am inspired by their spiritual strength. They certainly stand out among their peers because of their high moral standards. They love their Savior and are not afraid to let the world know. As you can see in this picture, they radiate happiness and joy. I get to be around that joy at least twice a week and for that, I am so grateful.

From Feb 20, 2009

Love Week 2009-Day 2

I've been debating whether or not to blog about this subject. Part of me is afraid that writing about it will jinx any future success. The other part of me is proud of my success and wants the whole blogging world to know. So here goes!

Last October, two of my friends and I hired a personal trainer to get our butts into shape. We all train at the same time and split the cost. I LOVE it because first and foremost, I am with two of my best friends and we have such a great time whenever we're together. So if you're gonna be tortured at the gym, might as well be with people you like, right?

Secondly, I LOVE it because I am finally putting my health at the top of my priortity list. Years of having babies and raising them really takes a toll on a woman's body and mine is no exception. It was depressing to look in the mirror and not be happy with what I saw. I knew I had to change it. I had all the knowledge and tools to do so. Just needed a little push.

What is my total loss to date? 23 lbs. My body fat percentage has dropped by 13% as well. Another thing I LOVE. I still have another 25 lbs. to go to reach my final goal. But for the first time in my life, I truly believe I will get there. My trainer has pushed me to levels of physical strength that I never thought possible. He has also taught me how to eat the right foods. It's a way of eating that I plan on following for the rest of my life. It's simple, easy, and the way God intended us to eat. This I know for sure.

My husband has lost 30 lbs. on this same program and looks pretty awesome! Just one more thing to LOVE! At age 40, he is in the best shape of his life. I'm sure neither of us would have had success doing this alone. But because we're both working toward the same goal, sabotage is less likely:-) We've been able to support and encourage each other all along.

I will save the "Before" and "After" pictures for a later post. I want the "After" picture to be really good! Again, I've been a little superstitious about writing this. I hope I haven't jinxed any future success. Instead, I hope I've created a little pressure to keep going. At any rate, cross your fingers for me!

Love Week 2009-Day 1

I got this idea from D-Dawg. She is a fantastic blogger and I feel so happy after reading her posts. "Love Week" will be a series of posts dedicated to the people/things in my life that I love. Most of it will be pretty random. I'll try not to think too much about it. I believe overthinking my writing causes me to lose the essence of how I really feel. Yet since there is SO MUCH that I love about my life, I couldn't possibly write about all of it. I'll have to pick and choose the things that are truly blog-worthy. Here we go!

Love #1-My children's eyes

My baby, Kamryn, just turned 5 last week. Sniff, sniff. This darling daughter of mine has the BIGGEST brown eyes you ever did see! Their deep, dark chocolate color is mesmerizing. I pride myself on the fact that she got them from me.


Berlin is my 6 year old (only 19 months older than the baby). Her eyes are a soft shade of green. They truly reflect the tenderness in her heart.


My son, Kort, is almost 10 years old. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone commented on his gorgeous eyes. They are so blue my heart melts whenever he flashes them in my direction. And flash they do!


Kylii is my 12 year old. Her eyes have changed from blue to green over the years. They show her sincerity, purity, honesty. And they look so much like Arnell's. His genes definitely dominated this time around.


I believe in the saying that "the eyes are the window to a person's soul". Not only are my children's eyes outwardly beautiful, they more truly reflect the beauty that is within.

"To facebook, or not to facebook?" THAT is the question...

Six months ago I signed up for Facebook. I'm not sure how I got roped into it, but I did. I quickly learned that Facebook was going to take up a lot of time! Time that I really didn't have! IT IS SO ADDICTING! I find myself battling everyday whether or not to log on. But I always succumb, regardless of the guilt that comes from avoiding the more important things. But I'm also realizing (or justifying) that it's OKAY to spend time communicating with family, friends, old acquaintances, and more. I don't spend time with all the applications and games that Facebook offers. What I REALLY enjoy is the re-connecting and catching up with old friends, meeting cousins for the first time (who live in England), writing on "walls", and even the occasional chat. In the end, the time I spend isn't really a waste. I'm building/re-building relationships with people I care about. Plain and simple.