Getting ready for Cabo

So Jeff and I are trying to be better at eating healthy.  I have always been aware of what I eat...if I eat crappy food and don't work out, I gain weight.  I don't have the luxury that Jeff has of eating whatever he wants and never working out, and not gaining a pound.  However, we both have decided to be more diligent in eating right and working out often.

Jeff's motivation comes from our Cabo trip coming up in 2 months with his family. His brother and he have a competition going about who can look the best with their shirts off.  I am somewhat excited to see how long Jeff can keep up this diet and exercise.   Today is day one the P90X workouts and eating healthy.  He is really excited and has turned out garage into a workout zone...10 ft. projector screen with surround sound, yoga balls, medicine balls, foam rollers, mats, fans blowing and a water dispenser...He hopes to have a few friends workout with him to keep him going.

I have enjoyed running a lot lately.  I have a few friends in the ward that run pretty often, and we have had a lot of fun spending time together.  I have particularly enjoyed listening to Conference talks as I run...it keeps my mind focused and I hardly feel tired.  This last Saturday we ran 10 miles....the farthest at one time I have ever run in my life...I am pretty proud, and glad I have good friends that help motivate me.

Part of the eating healthier goal has been fun for me...I enjoy trying new recipes and finding alternatives to junk food.  Today was one of those cooking in the kitchen days.  I attempted to make two different types of power bars/cookies, granola bars, 35 calorie brownies, and fruit snacks for the kids.  I say attempted because a few didn't work out quite how I would have liked.

These are raw peanut butter cookies...they actually turned out pretty good.  Made with almonds, cashews, natural peanut butter, dates and vanilla

The granola bars were a fail...I spread them out on a cookie sheet and let them cool...when I went to cut them, they all fell apart and are now a huge bowl.  They taste a lot like the chewy granola bars, I will just have to give the kids a handful...quite a bit messier than I had hoped.

These are peanut butter chocolate "lara" bars...Jeff's favorite...taste a lot like traditional power bars

And these are the 35 calorie brownies...they started out in a pan, and when Jeff and I tried them, we couldn't do it.  I'm all for saving calories, but it was definitely not worth it.  It tasted very fake and had the texture of tofu.  So I decided to roll them up into balls and let the kids have one for dessert or something...Aidyn didn't mind at all.  Maybe they would be better with ice cream?

Oh and the fruit snacks...I'm pretty sure they are a fail as well.  They are still in the fridge trying to harden, but they have been there all day...I have given up hope.  I don't know where I went wrong...

Overall...a pretty successful day...I found a few new recipes I like, and they are pretty healthy.  Hopefully they will fill my crave for something sweet-ish...hopefully

Family Activities

Over the last few weeks we have done a number of fun things with the family.  A few weeks ago we finally took the kids to the Trampoline Park that opened up not too long ago that is right next to our house.  Jeff and I went awhile back and had a lot of fun, and the kids had just as much fun!  It was a fun FHE activity!

Aidyn loved jumping in the foam pit 

This little girl became Aidyn's good friend...she followed her around the entire time 

Kasen was in heaven as well...he loved the balls, of course

Kasen got stuck in the foam pit when Jeff threw him in...so the girls tried to pull him out

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Last week we were able to spend some time with Jeff's family.  Our niece Breanna plays softball for Vista Murrieta, and she had a game.  Jerry came up from San Diego, we all went to the trampoline park, and then went to watch Breanna play.  It was a lot of fun!

We kept the kids entertained with food...of course

 

A few action shots of Breanna...

Kasen and Carson chillin

March and April

March and April have been crazy busy months...here is a little of what has been going on...Corrie has started swimming again for Chaparral High School.  The kids love going to her meets and seeing her swim her best.  This particular meet I didn't get any pictures of her swimming, but I did get some of us supporting her.  Rylee was in town that week so it was fun to see her!

Aidyn loved wearing Corrie's swim cap, and absolutely refused to take it off 

Kasen and Aidyn both LOVE Aunt Rylee!

Aidyn and Grandpa

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Easter weekend I was away in Big Bear for a Laurel Retreat, so I set up a little easter egg hunt for Aidyn and a few of her other friends at the park before I left.  She was in heaven collecting eggs...I may have gone a little overboard...we were expecting a few other friends to show up, so 100 eggs divided among 8 kids isn't that much...but there ended up only being 6 kids, 3 of which were babies that couldn't really collect them...so Aidyn took full advantage and collected all she could.

Kasen literally sat down on the grass and opened any egg he could find, and stuffed every piece of candy in his mouth...we were a little worried about him choking, but he seemed to do ok    

And this is what happened when I took her basket away and told her she couldn't eat the whole thing...she was NOT happy!

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For April Fools Night, my family grew up inviting friends over for dinner and having spaghetti.  Instead of using the traditional plate, fork and cup, my mom would scrounge up random kitchen items instead...usually picking things that would be hard to eat with.  So we continued this tradition, invited a few families over, and had a fun family night.  Everyone pretty much ended up using their fingers to eat, and it was a pretty big mess...especially the kids.  Good thing we did it in the garage. 

Stephanie and Ian Geeves

Jeff really enjoyed the dinner...minus the salad, as you can see he conveniently left out on his massive muffin tin plate...at least he had some carrots :)

Karlyn and Elliot Howell

Dave and Jessica Howell

The kids decided to have a screaming competition...so this is Aidyn covering her ears while the others scream their hearts out

Our other friends, Valerie and Mike Cope

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The first week of April, Jeff and I had the opportunity to be Ma's and Pa's on our Stakes' Youth Conference Pioneer Trek.  3 days of pushing and pulling handcarts, sleeping in tents, and being responsible for 12 teenagers...all while dressed as pioneers.  We were extremely excited for this opportunity, and although it was a lot harder than I expected, so rewarding.  We really enjoyed the kids we got to be with, and our "family" really had a good time together.  That was pretty much the first time Jeff and I have both left our kids for more than 1 night...not exactly a vacation...we barely slept at all and came back extremely exhausted...but we are glad we had the chance to go, and grateful to my parents for watching the kiddos...

Here are a few of the photos

 
 This is our family...

We had to take our handcarts over rivers, lakes 

The boys had to carry every girl across a lake...and then carry every handcart across as well 

At one point on the trail we had to stop and unload every cart, take apart the wagons, and carry everything across a huge crater in the ground...this is us in an assembly line while unloading everything 

Brigham Young declaring this is the place 

Coming up the last "Testimony Hill"