Shakeology!!!

Great stuff!  And you can get it at www.beachbodycoach.com/amyandmatt  Check out my site and see what everyone is saying about Shakeology, your healthiest meal of the day!!!

A transformation

Hello blog readers!  Well, hopefully there are some of you around out there in blog land anyway.  It has been a long time since i've been around so I imagine many of you don't really come back and check too often.  My new laptop came in the mail today so it is now my goal to update more often.  I have other motives too but i'll get to those later.

So, some time ago, when Nathan was a newborn and not sleeping I had the experience of watching a lot of early morning television.  And early morning television consists of lots of infomercials for those of us who don't have digital cable with On Demand (which we now thankfully have!).  So on many mornings I would see these infomercials for something called Turbo Jam.  It seemed pretty cool.  All these really energetic women who lost tons of weight running around an exercise studio thanking Chalene Johnson for changing their lives forever and crying they were so happy.  I was skeptical but desperate.  I had gained almost 50 pounds with each pregnancy and lost almost that much but still not feeling in shape and still not as thin as i'd like to be.  I worked part time for about a year after Katie was born, stayed home for a year after Nathan was born and was able to get down to about 132 pounds by just eating pretty healthy and not sitting much.   And then I went back to work.  At 145 pounds I decided I needed to do something and recalled how much Turbo Jam changed the lives of so many people and figured I had to give it a try.  I kept seeing the ads and really, $60 wasn't going to set us back that much.  I started the videos in January when I got laid off from work.  A voluntary lay off that I wanted so I could stay home with the kids part of the year.  And so every day when they would nap I would do a 40 minute video.  And that was it.  I modified my diet only in that I cut back on portions.  Still ate pizza, still ate McDonald's (sometimes, not often) and refused to put myself on something called a "diet because I knew that would be setting myself up for failure.  And by the time I went back to work in April I weighed 122.  It was as simple as that.  40 minutes of Turbo Jam about 5 days per week.  That's it. 

Chalene is a genius.  I've paid for personal training.  I've belonged to a gym.  I've never lost weight with such ease.  And now I sound like an infomercial.  But seriously, it works.  I'm just sad that I didn't take a good before picture because I really would love to see the results.  But I was too camera shy and really didn't think i'd see results that would be that visible that i'd care to see a comparative photo.  But darn it all now! 

And because I believe so much in these products i've become a Beachbody coach and am promoting them through my own personal website.  If you want to experience the same awesome personal transformation for yourself then check it out!  WWW.Beachbodycoach.com/amyandmatt  The site is still somewhat under construction but you can still make purchases and securely check out.  Your items will be shipped directly from Beachbody via UPS and will ship quickly!  I guarantee it!  I've thought about selling candles or jewelry to supplement my income but it didn't really spark my interest that much.  This does.  This works.  I want to help anyone and everyone achieve their fitness goals.  It makes me feel so great to finally be in shape and I know you'll feel great too!!

I thought i'd have time!!!

So i'm not working and i've been home with the kids since the middle of January.  They go to daycare two days per week and I figured I'd have tons and tons of time to do things like update the blog, clean the basement, read a book, knit.  But, we're now at February 11th and I haven't really done many of those things!!

I really forgot how busy taking care of two very active toddlers can keep a person.  Seriously.  Right now i'm looking at the living room as they nap, toys everywhere.  I could clean.  I could nap.  I could knit.  I could do dishes.  Today i'm choosing to update the blog!  And I do have a load of laundry in the washer and a load in the dryer.  Of course, I only have loads of laundry going because i'm potty training Katie and she had a couple of accidents of a #2 nature. 

Speaking of potty training, she's doing well.  Of course, every time I think I can call daycare and let them know she'll be coming in just her underwear instead of a pull up, she has mega accidents and I change my mind.  I think part of it has to do with ear infections and being on antibiotics.  So we'll let those run out of her system and see how she does.  I just wish she'd give me more than 3 seconds notice before having to actually GO to the bathroom.  But we're working on it and she stays dry more than not.

Nathan still has a runny nose.  Nothing new there...

We have two birthdays coming up and I can't believe it!!  Actually there are a lot of Brunette birthdays coming up, but I can't believe that Katie and Nathan are going to be 3 and 2.  Just amazing.  It just seems like yesterday that Katie was a tiny little thing that I barely knew how to take care of!!  And it just seems like yesterday we were up in the night with a crying baby.  Oh wait, that was yesterday...  Darn Nathan.  Still throws me for a loop every now and again.  He sleeps most nights but not every night.  A small part of me can't wait until he's a teenager who sleeps his life away.

We're here and we're doing well.  And I promise to get on and post more!!!

New settings

Welcome to everyone who now wants to be a part of our family blog.  Up until recently, I've wanted to keep this blog open to everyone in the hopes that someone would look at it!  And it seems that over the past couple of years there are at least a few of you who stop by regularly and I've even been asked to update it more often.  I recently noticed that I had a follower from Indonesia, someone I didn't even know.  I can't imagine why someone from the other side of the Earth would want to follow my blog when they don't even know me but I started to get a bit spooked at the thought of my children's pictures being open to the world to see.  I have also had comments left by advertisers and it just made me realize that I should only open my world up to those who truly want to be a part of it.  So, if you are reading this it is because you know me and want to keep tabs on what we're up to!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I will update soon with pictures and all the fun stuff we did over the holidays.

A mish mash of what's going on

Oh it has been a busy Summer, Fall and now Winter! (well, almost Winter)  I had great vision and big expectations of keeping the blog fun, interesting and updated but as you can see, it hasn't happened.  Something about having kids, and working and well you know...life.

We're gearing up for Christmas although you wouldn't really know it by the looks of our house.  No Christmas tree to be found, no decorations.  I've had several people make comments like "oh you have kids, you HAVE to decorate!".  Well, ya, i'd like to decorate.  But well, you see, we have this dog.  I would show you a picture but I think I have one.  She doesn't sit still a whole lot except to sleep.  And she's a puppy.  Still.  And anyone who has had a puppy knows what puppies do, they chew.  She has ruined countless pairs of MY shoes including Birkenstocks, my favorite pair of Bass brown boots and Nine West heels.  She has basically ruined any shoe that matches any pair of pants that I like to wear to work.  And I suppose I could sort of handle that.  I mean, it does give me a reason to shoe shop BUT I don't exactly have loads of cash floating around for a trip to DSW to replace my shoe wardrobe.  At least it is now Ugg boot weather and she has yet to chew those.  And God be with her if she does.  The other day I got home first with the kids.  Matt was working late and I walked through the door figuring i'd find the usual chewed up piece of paper she found somewhere and maybe a toy that didn't make it behind a closed door.  But nope.  Didn't find that. It may have been there but I couldn't see it under the pile of feathers and foam that WAS the couch cushion!  She shredded a whole couch cushion.  So here's where i'm going with this;  I'm not in the mood to clean up shredded Christmas tree this year and spend my evenings saying "Nathan, NO, don't touch" so the tree will have to wait.  Don't worry, we'll still have presents!!!

We took the kids to see Santa this year too!  It was the first year and I wish I had the picture electronically in a format I could post on blogger.  It was pretty sad.  And kind of funny.  I can remember being afraid of Santa and apparently my children are too.  They both cried and it was almost impossible to even snap the photo!  But they survived and Nana and grandpa were happy to be a part of the day.  Here they are before seeing Santa:

Aren't they cute?  I think so!!!

We're here! And the story of my knitting

I'm around! Work has just been busy and blogging really isn't something i'm great at. I'm doing it so family can see pictures and get updates on the kids. I'm not a writer, i'm not witty or clever in my wording, but hopefully you'll stick around and watch the kids grow up.

Recently we went to a cider mill. It was an okay day. Fun to get out with Nana and bampa but it was crowded. And not much to do besides wait in line for donuts or cider or buy way overpriced apples. $8 for a bag and you could probably fit 4 apples into a bag. But we did get pictures while we were there!!! As you can see, the kids weren't in the mood for a photo shoot.





Often when I tell people I knit, I get giggles and smirks. I've even had someone tell me "I wouldn't tell people you do that". Really? Why? Occassionally I hear "wow! I wish I could do that" but that doesn't happen very often. I think people have the idea that knitting is for old ladies. Images of crocheted toaster cozies always come to mind I think. But knitting isn't all about little old ladies knitting doilies (although the lace knitting on this particluar one is pretty awesome!). These days we're "fiber artists" and I prefer to be thought of as such. Here is a small sampling of some of the work i've done recently. (and by recently, I mean the last few years because with small children i've hardly had time to sit and knit a stitch)

Dale of Norway ski sweater made for Katie when she was about a year old. My first attempt at Fair Isle knitting.




Philosopher's Wool sweater that I made for myself!


A mohair cardigan I made a long time ago...



A cable knit hoodie for the kids...


And of course grandma has made several sweaters for the kids! Here is just one of my favorites she made for Katie when she was born.



And I recently attended Stitches Midwest with my mom. I know, pretty nerdy right? But that's okay. I'm comfortable and happy to have a talent that not everyone posesses. I was also able to buy enough yarn to have projects to keep me busy all winter!

I bought some yarn from a wonderful lady at Creatively Dyed Yarn


And bought some beautiful alpaca for a sweater. Well, my mom bought this for me for my birthday!! Thanks mom!!


Time to get back to it. I'm home ALL day without kids!

They grow up so quickly...

Sorry, no pictures today but I felt compelled to post. Now that i'm back to work I don't have the time to do photo shoots with the kids like I used to. And I guess that's fine considering I have hundreds, probably thousands, of pictures that need to be organized and put into photo albums (and not just kept on the computer!!).

Nathan continues to amaze me every single day. Lately i've noticed that he will repeat words you say. He can even say words like "horsey" and "zebra". If I hand him crackers he will say crackers. He can also ask for juice! My little guy turns 16 months old today and I just can't believe it. Where did the time go? I miss the newborn days of oohing and aahing over a teeny tiny little baby but don't miss the every 2 hour feedings, round the clock care, and complete helplessness of a newborn baby. Cute yes, do I want another? NO.

Katie is developing in her speech as well. We asked her what sport Nick plays and she responded with "Nick plays soccer". That may not seem spectacular to many, but for us it was. We were so proud she could answer a question with a full sentence! She still just repeats what you say quite a bit, but she's slowly moving towards initiating conversation and answering questions. She'll be 3 in about 7 months! Yikes.

And let the count down begin...5 more month ends and i'll be off for the winter!!!