Wednesday weigh in is here once again and this week it has me down a pound.  Woo Hoo!!  Probably thanks to the fact there the birthday cake is no longer calling my name.  Yay!  I've focused on exercise and neglected focusing on nutrition this week, but in my defense it has been a hairy, scary, busy week!  With baseball every night.  Fun times and I sure will miss it when the boys grow up.

I've done well with the running and added some interval training to try to get my speed up some.  It helped today!

Week 11 ~ March 14

Lost this Week ~ - 1 lbs

Overall Lost ~ -13.6 lbs

The pic this week is not as flattering, but I can tell the loss in my face so I consider it a success!!  Have a great week everyone.  See you next week!

~Charissa 

Family Friday ~ Weekly Wrap Up

Hope everyone has had a wonderful week and is looking forward to a fabulous weekend!!  It has been a busy one around here and I thought it would be fun to look back one day and remember some of the things that I might otherwise forget so welcome to Family Friday and the Weekly Wrap Up.

Life around here is busy at best.  With three of the most amazing boys ever (ok, so maybe I am a little biased!), there is always something happening.

This week we have ushered in the joy of baseball as baseball season has begun with our first Fun Day game at Speake last night.  Jacob played his first game as part of the Caddo Eagles and his first ever game playing in 8 and under with the pitching machine.  He had fun and we were worried that the game would get rained out, but praise God that the rain held off until after the game.  Too bad we had to drive in the downpour, but it is much better than watching a game in the downpour!

Tonight, Andrew plays his first game of the season and he couldn't be more excited.  It is a late game (starts at 8!) so I pray that we can all stay up long enough to enjoy it and have good attitudes.  We are morning peeps and staying out late is not the norm for us.  Andrew is playing on the Caddo Vipers again this year as part of the 10 and under team.  He has the same coach that he had the year before last and he loves him.  It will be a fun year.

Caleb is chomping at the bit for t-ball to start.  Signups should be at the end of the month and so Caleb has been outside practicing and working on hitting the ball that I pitch to him.  He is so excited about ball that he even brings his ball and glove to school so he can practice with his friends.

This weekend is a busy one, but we are looking forward to it.  Jacob's birthday party had to be postponed last week because of the weather, but we will be partying tomorrow at Chuck E Cheese.  Cupcakes are baked and waiting to be iced.  Sunday we will be going roller skating with Awana and while we are there the boys have been invited to a birthday party at the same time/place so it should be a super fun day for them!!  

We are excited to see what next week has in store and hopefully, I will be a good momma and remember to take some pics this week to share.

~Charissa

Treasury Thursday ~ Tangerine Orange for Spring

Etsy.com has been a huge inspiration for me as a designer and crocheter and lover of all things handmade.  There is so much eye candy.  I love to browse around and check out what other crafters are making.  Here's some of my favorites for the week!

~Charissa

Well, it is that time of the week again!  Wednesday Weigh In.  This week has been tougher than others as it has been hectic.  The tornadoes that came through on Friday changed all my plans and we had to postpone Jacob's party and grocery shopping so we ate out.  And I ate WAY too much!!

Week 9 ~ March 7

Lost this Week ~ + 1 lbs

Overall Lost ~ -12.6 lbs

Notice that the before and Week 10 shirt is the same shirt!  Wow!  What a BIG difference!

It really surprised me what a difference I could tell in how I felt and my energy level based on one day of eating junk food.  Thankfully, I was able to get in running on the treadmill so the weekend was not a total loss.

~Charissa 

Training Tues ~ Smartphone Apps for Weight Loss

This week, I am excited to share some of the smartphone (Android for me, but most are available on iPhone as well) apps that have helped me to lose some weight.  The apps make my life easier and allow me to stay motivated while not taking time away from the important things in life.

The first one is the app that I use to track my running pace, distance, route, and goal setting.  It is called RunStar.  There is a free version and a paid version.  I have the paid version because I like that it will update to DailyMile which updates my total miles to the blog.

Another app that I love is the WayFM app.  This app allows me to listen to the radio while running and not need to purchase any music.  Love!

I also use DoggCatcher to download and listen to podcasts as I run.

For the Weight Watchers program that I am using to help lose weight, I have downloaded a barcode scanner and a Points Calculator.

Hope that these apps help to keep someone else motivated.  What apps have you found and love?  I would love to hear from you!

Menu Plan Monday ~ March 5, 2012

It's Monday.  Time for dinner planning.  Without a plan, my brain just shuts down about what to cook for dinner.  I hope to share some recipes soon and to find some yummy new ones.  This week is pretty busy with kids in ball so the dinners are easy too!  Here's what we're having for dinner:

Monday - Beef Tips and Rice
Tuesday - Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy (Cooked in Bulk and Frozen with canned gravy!)
Wednesday - Mexican Pizza
Thursday - Lasagna (Make Ahead)
Friday - Stuffed Peppers (Make Ahead and Crockpot)
Saturday - Pan Fried Chops and Crack Potatoes
Sunday -  Jambalaya and Cornbread Muffins

What's for dinner at your house this week?

Linked to Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Although his official party was postponed because of the tornadoes and bad weather, we still celebrated at home and enjoyed a delicious cake from Mountain Edge Cakes. Happy 7th Birthday to my sweet Jacob!

Jacob is such a sweet young man. I am thrilled to be his Mama. Here are some milestones and things about Jacob that I don't want to forget from this year:

~You are a kind, loving, and compassionate young man. You always make sure to think of others.

~Whenever we are out and you get a treat, you always ask if we can bring some home to your brothers.

~You are a super reader! You love to cuddle and read all your AR stories at night.

~You are super creative and have a magnificent vocabulary. You think outside of the box and approach problems from a solution based perspective.

~You are loved more than you can imagine and I pray that you will always remember that Mommy and Daddy love you, but Jesus loves you more! You are never alone and are always loved.

Happy Happy Birthday to my sweet Jacob!

~Charissa

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