Quick update and new camera!

Today has been a hot and busy day! I made a veggie pot pie, two platters of enchiladas, Mexican rice, and a blackberry cobbler. It was 100+ degrees outside today, and baking all day didn't help with the heat, but I'm excited to have a few days of dinner already cooked :)

For my birthday Michael bought me the nicest Canon DSLR and I have been going picture crazy! Speaking of my birthday, Michael took the day off and took Michelle and me up to Oregon where we played in Ashland at Lithia Park, shopped in Medford, and got ice cream. We got dinner in Yreka, and ended the night with cake at home. He is so sweet.

Of course I have to post some of the pictures I've taken with my camera ;-) Here they are below.

TRX

In sticking with my resolution to better myself and have more adventures, I joined my sister for my second Saturday TRX training class. Oh man, these classes are hard, but so much fun. I really like how it is all based on your abilities and using gravity and your body weight as resistance.

The only thing I hate is that afterwards I feel really sick, like my muscles are releasing toxins into my blood. I feel weak and ill. Maybe it's just because I'm super out of shape. Just because I'm smaller than I used to be, doesn't mean I'm fit! And it's definitely evident in my performance in class! Haha. I am so happy I went, and I am so happy my sister Nikki invited me. I can't wait to move home and workout more at gyms. Yreka doesn't really have a set up I can use because I have Mish and we are away from anyone that I would trust to watch her. Michael could, but he works full time and I don't want to head to the gym late at night. So, I will stick to at-home workouts and jogging.

Today we head back up to Y and it's very bittersweet. We are excited to see the cats and get back to our normal routine, but we are going to miss everyone and being in the home we own. We love our house! It's so hard to drive away from its warmth and beauty, to a small rental house that is freezing and just isn't ours. 7 1/2 more months and our lives will involve a lot less travel and a little more home renovations.

Yuletide Fun

We had the busiest weekend when we went home last weekend. Every day was filled with a fun Xmas event, and we got to spend time with both of our families. It was really nice, even though we were more tired than we’ve been in a year!

Christmastime is here!

Friday night we went to my parent’s Christmas party that they throw with their best friends. It’s definitely an adult party, but we dragged Michelle there anyway. It was crazy, but I had a fun night! I haven’t seen 80% of my friends/family friends since losing weight, so Michael and I got a lot of complements and acknowledgements about our weight loss (some were SO nice, some were very rude. Lol! Like saying we look great, and they’ve known us for years and didn’t know we could look so good-looking! Hahaha, thanks).

The next day we went to the Christmas Tree farm with my in-laws to cut down their tree. We’ve gone every year for a while now (5 years? I forget!) It was Michelle’s first time there outside of the womb (last year they closed early so she missed out), and she had so much fun! 

My little family

Auntie Rach, Nona and Gramps

My little family

Yearly Xmas photo

After pretending to be lumberjacks and drinking cider, we got ready for an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. It was my first time attending one, and it was fun to decorate our sweaters! I made Michael, Michelle, and myself matching sweater vests. Ha! It was also an adult party, but there was one other baby there for Michelle to play with for a while. 

Matchy matchy!

Michael's ladies - his mom, wife and daughter (can I just add that Michelle keepts yelling "NONA!" at this picture. Haha)

Caging the other little kid at the party. LoL!

Sunday we had breakfast with my sister and two nieces, then went back to my in-laws so they could decorate the tree. My hubby’s family all have special tree ornaments they like to hang (childhood ones, baby’s first xmas, and sentimental ones), so his parents like to have the kids decorate. We got home pretty late, and then got up and left for Y at 5 am! We hate that early morning drive, but what can ya do? It was worth it.

Cousins!

 

Relaxing with Daddy after he got home from work

SNOW!

I have always known something about myself. I am a mild weather kind of girl. Not too hot, not too cold, and I’m peachy. I’ve always told Michael I have no interest in staying anywhere it snows longer than a 1-2 day vacation. Fast forward to today, when I’m living at a house that’s covered in snow and ice…and I don’t hate it!

Michael warned me that it was going to snow, but I kept thinking it would just be a light sprinkling that wouldn’t stick. Boy was I wrong – the sky dumped 6 inches within hours and our house transformed into a freezing winter wonderland. 

Michelle loves it. Every time her eye catches the bright white landscape that is our backyard, she yells “SNOW!” which sounds more like ‘nnyo!” She loves watching the deer sleep in the snow in our yard, and danced in the falling snowflakes. She never cried when snow got in her Uggs, and laughed when I threw snow in the air above her head. 

Charlie actually liked the snow and ran like a madman all over the yard. He did start to whimper after about 45 minutes, but it was freezing and he doesn’t have snow boots ;-)

Michael’s been working in the snow, and his work truck is a rear wheel drive (the worst thing to drive in the snow), so he’s been driving my Subaru to work. Great for him - it’s the best car ever (Forester – with all-wheel drive), but not so great for us because we’ve been stranded during the day. It actually wasn’t too bad; I ended up online shopping and getting a ton of Xmas stuff out of the way. 

Today we got home from a weekend in the Bay Area to find the snow is melting. I’m sad to see it go, but happy that we’ll be able to safely drive around town without the threat of accident at every turn. I just wish we made a snowman when we had the chance!  

 

Autumn Love

I think it has taken me a million years to update, but since we had such a fun weekend I felt inspired to write again.
It is my very favorite time of year - Autumn. The brisk weather, the smell of rain in the air, and comfy cozy clothes. This Autumn is especially lovely because those fall colors are particularly vibrant up in Northern California/Southern Oregon. If it weren't for the flawlessly blue skies, I'd bet we'd have snow by now (it's been SO COLD), but instead we get a prolonged Autumn and I'm definitely not complaining!

Playing at the park in Y

This past weekend my in-laws came up to Y to spend time with our little family. We were super excited to have them up here, and we made sure to do something fun all weekend long.

Spin spin spin!

Saturday we went up to Oregon and had breakfast at Morning Glory, this amazing breakfast place with the best Lemon Ricotta Stuffed French Toast! Then we spent the first part of the day in Ashland shopping and hanging out by the duck pond we love so much. Fall colors were out, and the pond was stunningly beautiful.

Ducks, leaves, fall colors, oh my!

Mama and her best girl

After, we went to Medford and spent way too much at Victoria's Secret (hey, our boobs deserve some love now and then!), walked around the mall, then had sushi at a restaurant with great food and despicable service.

She is always happy when on the go!

Sunday we made breakfast at home, watched the 49ers game, then went to a pumpkin patch close to Y. It was at a small family run farm, and was so flipping cute. It was the last day of pumpkin selling, so we got 4 huge pumpkins for only $5! Good deal!

Wagon ride

Michael's shadow says hi ;-)

A few weekends ago we hit up another pumpkin patch in Napa with my in-laws and got the CUTEST pictures! I'll share all of those below :)

We can't wait until Halloween! Our little lady is going to be dressing up as a cow! AH!

Look at that pose! Diva!

With Grandma and Gramps