Fun weekend with family

This past weekend, my sister and 3 nieces came up to Y to visit and have fun. It was so nice seeing them, and it made me miss home much more than I thought it would.
Michelle had so much fun playing with the girls and being doted on lovingly. She's definitely spoiled by her cousins!

My sister got to town on Friday night and we just spent the time relaxing and catching up. Saturday we got up and headed up to Oregon in the morning. We went to the farmer's market, walked through a little craft fair, and had lunch on the balcony of a restaurant that overlooks the creek.

After, we went to a couple stores and did some window shopping, and hung out at the duck pond in Lithia Park. The girls loved it there! Then we drove back to Y for some ice cream (50 cent soft serve, yeah yeah!).

Sunday we went to breakfast at the worst restaurant in Yreka - the Black Bear Diner. Normally I love Black Bear Diners, but this one always has horrible service. 3rd time here, 3rd time it sucked.Three strikes and you're out, right? Bleh. After breakfast (thanks for treating, Nikki!) we went to a big park in Yreka and played at the playground, chased geese, picked blackberries, and went on a mini hike to a little ghost town. After we headed home for lunch and my big Y plans for my sister and myself.

Sunday was supposed  to be the day we went antiquing and thrifting store hunting, but unfortunately Y is the sleepiest little podunk town, and everything was CLOSED! So my sister and I (the kids were with Michael running in the sprinklers and watching movies - what a good uncle/daddy!!) went to the fanciest stores that were open (Raley's and The Dollar Tree, holla!) and did a little shopping. I was just happy to be out with my sister and to have a break from my little loving baby :)
After our glamorous shopping, we went to dinner at a local Italian place and came home to watch movies. We watched Wreck It Ralph and it was super cute!

Sadly, my sister left early Monday morning. But I am so happy I got to see her and my nieces. It made this little house feel much more fun and homey.

40 lbs down, Happy, and Healthy

I am pleased, and a little shocked, to say that I am down 40 lbs since starting to change my diet and lifestyle. These past 4 months have been amazing for my health, self-esteem, and credit card (lol). I keep thinking to myself that I look exactly the same, but then I try on size 8-10 pants and they fit, or I catch sight of some old picture of me that makes me do a double take. I never felt huge before, I just felt chubby. But man, I've come a long way and I feel like I could still lose 10-20 more pounds and look good.

In these past four months I went from being "obese" with a BMI of 31.6 to "overweight", to just barely dipping my toes in the high end of the "healthy weight" range with a BMI of 24.8. I know that there is a lot of controversy with using BMI, especially for women, but seeing "obese" on a chart with my little star next to it was horrifying for me. I've had plenty of doctors tell me I was just overweight and to focus on eating right, but I couldn't get that "obese" label out of my head. I'm officially over worrying about BMI, but it felt good to put it down that I am not "obese" anymore. Lol.

Let me clarify, I don't think people that are obese should freak out and start obsessing about their weight and labels being put on them. I think people in general should think about eating healthy and staying active - regardless of size. Our insides need nutrition, our bodies need exercise. All of us.

This month I am going to start an exercise challenge to get myself into a good routine of staying active and working on my general fitness. I created a little calendar (below) and I've already got a few brave souls ready to try it with me! I got a little ambitious by putting down push-ups (I can barely do ONE!) but I figure I've got to push myself in order to get better. Even if I fail the push-up portion of my challenge, I'll still consider it a win if I stick with it every day.

If anyone wants to do it with me, comment on this blog, or post on my SP or FB profiles! I'd love to have people to keep me accountable :)

Update

Aye yi yi! Of course right when I get into a good blogging flow, I get the flu! Last week was miserable, but this week has been much better :) I actually feel pretty darned good, which means I am completely out of excuses when it come to working out! Lol.
I'm still riding my weight loss plateau, so it's time to shake up the daily routine and get my saggy booty moving! I want to end 2013 the healthiest I've ever been. I'm on the right track, so I want to end this year on a high note.

My awesome sister Nikki is coming up to Yreka this weekend with my two nieces. I already know I want to take them to Ashland one day, and then explore Yreka the next day. I'm so excited that they are driving all the way up here on a 3-day weekend just to see us :) I miss our family! I hope my in-laws and my parents will come up too! We miss them all so much <3
My dad is currently in Yosemite fighting the fires. He was also on the Sacramento morning news this morning! I bet he is having a good time taking care of other people. Doing this is definitely his passion.

Ok, well my rambling is over. Maybe I'll have something of quality to write about soon.

Ashland? Awesomeland!

Yesterday Michael and I spent the day in Ashland, OR. It was such a great day and really made us feel like we found a bit of "real world" up here. We kept repeating over and over how cute the town was, and how much we wished we lived up there.

If I had to describe it, I would call it a cross between Berkeley and St. Helena. It's quaint and cute, but also has a hippy, nature loving feel about it. 

We started off our day by going to the farmer's market and wandering around some cute cobble stone streets. We bought lots of delicious fresh vegetables from the cutest stands, and Mish especially liked sampling the microgreens and sunflower sprouts. 

After we walked to an artisan fair and had lunch outside by the river/creek. It was so hot outside, but under our little umbrella table with ice water and fresh fruit, we never felt the need to go inside. We got the BEST baklava for dessert, and knew that we made a great choice for our lunch spot. Green Leaf Restaurant, we'll be back! 

We did some window shopping in all of these cute shops, and tried on masks a a costume shop. Then we walked to Lithia Park and watched ducks play in the pond, and ran around in the grass. 

Then we did some shopping at our staple stores (Trader Joes, Costco, etc) that we don't have access to in Yreka. Lastly, we went to Red Robin for big delicious burgers (chicken for Michael, boca for me) and ended the day by renting a movie. Some lady gave me a promo-code for the movie, so it ended up being free! A perfect end to a wonderful day!

Weight Loss Updates

I think my weightloss journey has been the weirdest thing in my life. While I'm elated that I'm losing weight consistently, I'm still eating junk and not exercising. I tell myself everyday that I need to start working out, but I can't motivate myself nor stay determined!

Eating right is easy, well..eating the correct amount of calories is easy. It's eating healthy, good-for-you food that is hard. Ice cream is just too tasty!!

Anyhoo, I'm down to 148.8 lbs. That's 33.3 lbs from when I started Sparkpeople, but 136 lbs from my normal weight resting place of 185. At one point (not counting pregnancy!) I was 191, so any loss is exciting for me :)
However, lately I've been having a hard time not binge eating. Thankfully it's not like it used to be - it's more over-eating than binge eating (HUGE difference) - but it's still got me worried about my mental space with my new lifestyle. I wish I could emulate the mindset that these fitspo blogs have. They revel in their exercise-based lifestyles and their new workouts. They push themselves hard and eat wonderfully. I, on the other hand, am losing weight through basic math (calories in versus calories out) which does nothing for my life, longevity, nor internal bodily functions. It's just helping me lose weight, which is still awesome! I want to be strong, lean, and healthy. Being skinny and flabby and dealing with health problems does not appeal to me. Here's an article I just read on being skinny yet unhealthy: click here.
My dilemma reminds me of an article (<- click there) I read last week. Maybe I shouldn't have blown off the author's thesis, because I fear I'm starting to hold myself to crazy standards. BUT, at the same time, I really do need to step up my game. By the way, I seriously recommend reading that article. :)

Ok, sorry for another rambling blog. Let's see, I lost weight, still losing more, want to eat better and workout, but health is the most important thing! Yay blog summaries!

A Big Move!

As I mentioned in my last post, Michael got a one-year transfer to a job in Yreka, Ca. Yreka is a super small town, that seems as if it was made to let people rest on their way from Oregon to California. There are 2 grocery stores, a Walmart, and a few other known stores. No Starbucks, no Target, no Safeway. There are the typical fast food places (McD, BK, Taco Bell), lots of places to get tires, snow chains, and other necessities before filling up your tank and heading off to your destination. I think Yreka's town motto should be "Yreka: a beautiful pit-stop before going on your way." I mean it, Yreka is surrounded by hills and the gorgeous Mt Shasta. Every morning we are greeted by deer on the lawn, and a cool breeze through the windows.

When I first found out about the transfer, I was devastated. Yreka is 4 hours away from home, and 45 minutes away from the creature comforts we're used to. However, I decided to adopt a positive mindset. I figure, I'm a stay at home mom so I can care for my family, and it's my job to make sure everyone feels happy, safe, and loved. Michael brings home the proverbial bacon, and it's my job to maintain our mental well-being. I think it's helped Michael and Michelle with this big transition. And you know what they say, fake it til you make it (in some cases!).

Our house is quaint and adorable. I am going to be sad to leave a one-story house. Michelle loves the freedom of running from her room to the kitchen and the livingroom without me at her heels I can hear/see her from pretty much any place in the house. We're actually only going to be here for a few months before the Yreka job is down for the winter, then we're most likely off to Redding until the spring, when we come back up here. I feel conflicted about that. On one hand, I'm sad to leave this cute little house we've already set up, but at the same time I'm excited to be closer to home, we're familiar with Redding (we lived there for a year on another job), and we won't have to worry about getting stuck in the snow on the mountain over the holidays. I can handle a 2 1/2 hour drive home almost every weekend; it's the 4 hour drive that makes me want to stay up here as much as possible.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

July in Review

As much as I love July, is as horrible I am at updating my blog! I swear, the moment life gets too busy or too quiet, I just forget to update and spend my time frolicking around like a loon.

Fourth of July

The 4th was a super fun day with my family! Michael, Michelle and I went to American Canyon for their local 4th of July celebrations. My dad usually drives a firetruck in the parade, but this year he was on call with the city.

We watched the parade, then hung out at my parents' house before going to the town's small fair. It was really nice! I ate two pieces of delicious roasted corn, while my nieces helped roll up the giant flag with the fire station. It was so cool! If you look hard enough you can see Mish in the background watching her cousins :)

In the evening we went down the street to a local park to watch the fireworks. We got an amazing view of the fireworks - it was like they were going off just for us! Michelle slept through the first 3/4 of the show, and sleepily watched the rest from my arms. That's TWO years of 4th of July fireworks shows that she's been to without crying :)

SoCal Trip

We went to Southern California for a little vacation with my in-laws at the end of the month. We flew down there, and Michelle did amazingly! She is definitely a kid who likes to go, go, go!

We stayed in a hotel and went to beaches, swam in the pool, and did lots of shopping. It was so fun :) Michelle loved the ocean and the pool. She's a mermaid like her mama!

The day before we were to fly home, Michael got notice that his job was sending him on a 1-year job rotation (transfer) to Yreka California. In case you're like me and wondered where the heck Yreka is, it is right below the border of Oregon and California (and FOUR hours away from our house). It's 1 1/2 hours past Redding and 45 minutes away from Ashland Oregon. We're here now, but I'll write about that another day.

Birthday

And lastly, the month ended with me turning 27. I'm an old woman, blog. I'm old. My day was actually really nice! Michael and I went thrift store hunting all day, then had a BBQ with my family at my parents' house. A great day!

Happy 3rd of July!

What better way to kick off my favorite month, than a holiday to celebrate our country! 4th of July has always held a special place in my heart because of the great memories I had growing up. I'm from a small town that used to go big on the 4th (not so much now due to the economy and whatnot) so I always make sure to go back for their teeny parade (my dad usually drives a fire truck in it) and small "carnival". Michael thinks it's a joke, and maybe he'e right, but I can't get myself to go anywhere else! We'll see how tomorrow plays out, but we're definitely going to the parade and stopping by the small fair. Maybe we'll watch the fireworks in our town, maybe we'll drive into the city.

My nails are extra excited! 

On other big news, we're planning a trip to Southern California for fun and relaxation. I've only ever been down there to go to Disneyland, and once on a road trip with my sisters (we went to Santa Monica and Hollywood), so I'm not sure what to plan for. I know we want to hit up a gourmet food truck, go to Venice Beach, San Diego (and do who knows what), and the LA fashion district, but I'd love ideas for fun trips and cool things to do/see.
This trip will be the first time we fly with Michelle, so we're nervous about how she'll handle a plane. It's only an hour and 15 minutes of flying, so hopefully it is a breeze. This trip will be our test run for when we go to Mexico this winter.

She's ready to travel!

Lately Michelle has been calling her daddy "Mike" and yelling his name through the house. We think it's hilarious! She *really* loves that guy - and so do I!

Goodbye June, Hello July!

I cannot believe June is already done and gone! After having such a busy winter, this summer and the lazy days we've been having just snuck past me.
I blinked, and my baby went from an infant to a 13 month old. Crazy!
I thought I'd share a list of highlights from this lazy crazy month.

June highlights:

• This picture. 

• Michelle's 1st birthday! 

My beautiful ONE year old!

• Yes! The highlight of the month was Michelle's one year anniversary of life on this wonderful planet. Our gorgeous little bean grew into a big girl this month. I swear she grows into a kid more and more each day. Soon she'll be talking all the time and running! Speaking of which...

•  Mish started WALKING!

Walking/playing in a pool with the K kids!

• Our little rascal decided to start walking after her first birthday party! And our lives have never felt busier or crazier since then! She wants to walk in stores, outside, and all over the house. She also decided to start climbing everything; including the couch, stairs, boxes, and tables. Can you imagine how scary it is to see your baby just standing on the couch!?

• Giants game 

• I know I already posted about the Giant's game, but it was really fun! A highlight of the month! So above is a cute pic of my baseball fans being silly :)

• Michael and I celebrated 9 years together! 

Flowers Michael bought me for our anniversary. Coincidentally, they're our high school colors. Go Crushers!

• That's right! *Nine* years together. We started dating in June of 2004 right out of high school, and never looked back. I knew I was going to marry him after the first time we kissed. A girl knows these things. 

• Max's 3rd birthday

• My best friend's son Max - 1/2 of the K kids, and the future husband of my little bean (sorry Mish, we arranged it before your birth. I gave them a goat, they promised me land for our farm..it's all in writing. Lol) - turned THREE! Time really does fly when you're having fun, and the K family knows how to have fun! We went to their house for a pool party/all around fun day. Mish loved playing with her friends! Mackenzie (the other 1/2 of the K kids) fed Michelle, and gave her kisses! Of course Cassie and I were ecstatic because we've been calling them best friends since before we even had daughters! Our imaginary future daughters were going to be best friends no matter what, so fate intervened :)

Two generations of besties :)

June was pretty good, but July is my FAVORITE month, so I hope these  next 4/5 weeks are going to be awesome!

Weight Update

These past 8 weeks have been so productive for our weight loss! Michael and I have each dropped down a pants size! We've been tracking, measuring, and weighing our food intake, and it's paying off!

Michael has lost 30 pounds, I have lose 20 pounds! We definitely have a long way to go, but we're so pleased with the progress we're making. It's especially exciting to hear that other people can see a change in our losses!

I'd love to drop 20-30 more pounds within this next year. I know it's a lot of weight, but I have a lot to lose! I know I'll never be a skinny-mini size 2 (my body just isn't built that way - BIG hips run on my dad's side and I have 'em), but I want to be fit and healthy! I want to be able to buy things because I like them, not because they're the only options. I want to be comfortable in my skin. I want to be able to keep up with Michelle as she grows and explores. Thankfully Michael and I are doing this as a team, so we keep each other motivated and accountable. I wouldn't have made it this far without him.

Game Day With The Giants

Last Thursday night we went to San Francisco to watch a Giants game! It was Michelle's second game, but it was just like her first one - COLD! We made sure to stay bundled, but it was pretty windy and chilly.

Cuddles to stay warm!

Michael's uncle John got us the tickets, and we sat in the bleachers a seat away from the top row. It was actually nice because it gave us the option to walk around when Michelle got restless. We stayed warm for a bit in the cable car nearby :)

Cousin Nichole and Mish, staying warm in the cable car

We went to the game with my in-laws. Michelle had fun playing with her aunts and grandparents. Grandma kept sneaking Mish whipped cream from her hot chocolate :) Mish's Aunt Jessica wore a bright orange wig to show her support!

We had a lot of fun at the game! Michael even heckled a "fan" who was trying to start the wave in the bleachers! It was so funny! In case you didn't know, the wave is something you don't do during a game because real fans are trying to watch the action. The guy that tried to start the wave actually missed Buster Posey throwing a guy out at first. Whoops!

Daddy and his Giants fan!

Can't wait to go back and have more fun at AT&T park with the fam :) I love having adventures with Michael and Michelle - they love to explore and Michelle always has fun on the go.

Mommy and Mish! In the background you can see the cable car we played in!

Happy Days

This past weekend was fun-filled and family oriented. Just the way I like to spend my weekends :)

On Friday night we went to Vacaville's Creekwalk Concert series with our friends Jeff and Jessica to watch an R&B/Funk group perform. It was fun to sit in the grass and enjoy the music. Michelle had so much fun dancing and playing! She really took to Jeff - climbing on him and playing with him! She also had fun hugging and kissing on her cousin Izzy. Silly girl!

So sweet!

On Saturday, we spent the day going on another one of our family walks, shopping, and spending the day together. I could spend the rest of my life with only Michael and Michelle, and never bore of them. They always keep me so entertained! 

She LOVES our walks! She likes it when Charlie runs :)

Sunday was Father's Day! Michael and I planned on spending the day with both of our fathers, so we started the day off with my family at a local diner chain. Michelle had so much fun playing with her cousins and eating her own big girl breakfast (a scrambled egg!). She was sad to leave her cousins when it was time to go.

Group Hug!

We headed to Napa to hang with my in-laws for the rest of the day. Michael and his dad went to the golf range to hit balls, so I hung out with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law Rachael. Mish had so much fun crawling all over the house, playing with the special toys Grandma bought, and climbing aunt Rachael's bed all by herself. I liked being able to relax while Rach chased Mish around. Family! Yay!

The Bergman Dads

This week has been nice too. I was able to go shopping with my mom yesterday (before she leaves for Mexico! Boo, I'm going to miss talking to her everyday. She'll be back in a week though), on a very long family walk, and watch Michelle do some break-dancing! Haha, I wish I had a way to share iPhone videos on my blog! She is hilarious when she dances!!

Everyday feels like a gift lately. I love watching Mish grow, get closer and more attached to Michael, and watch their bond shift. He's always been the most attentive father, but Mish nurses full time, and never wanted me too far away. Lately she's clapping and cheering whenever Michael walks into the room, and wanting to cuddle with him after work. I think I have a daddy's girl on my hands!

Cuddle session. She NEVER does this with anyone! It was so adorable!

Tomorrow we are going to San Francisco for a Giants game with my in-laws and Michelle's cousin Nichole :) The girls are 3 weeks apart, so it's fun to get them together as much as we can! 

Let's Go Giants!!!

My Baby Explorer

My child amazes me. She's a brave little scientist, curious about the world, and unafraid of any potential obstacles. She's not deterred by a stern "no!" or even a tumble onto her knees. She knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to get it!

As I type this, she's trying to fit her body through the tiny crack Michael left in the backdoor. She wants to explore the backyard in all of its dirty glory. Bugs, rocks, a hyper dog, and a half-filled kiddy pool aren't bad; they're interesting and amazing!

Her new favorite thing (besides that darned fireplace we've been block off) is pretending to be a dog. At least that's what we think she's doing. She knows that dogs say "ouuu ouuu", so when we hear her barking away inside of Charlie's kennel, we can only assume she's trying to be just like her favorite pooch. She likes to fill up his sanctuary with stuffed animals, balls, blankets, and sippy cups. We didn't notice all of her treasures the other night, and poor Charlie slept with a big bouncy ball and one pink baby converse.

Having a toddler is just as I imagined it would be: busy, nerve-wracking, fun, and *always* an adventure.
People warned me about this time, but I am loving every second of it. Yeah, she likes to spill her water cup on the ground, and dig through the garbage, but she always makes sure to share her discoveries, and likes to help clean up messes. This time is going to fly by, and I want to enjoy every second of it.

p.s. the blurry photos lately are from my iPhone. Still trying to find a way to upload them from my phone with better quality!