13th Wedding Anniversary August 2012

Also in August - we celebrated 13 years of marriage.  We love to just get away - even if its in our same town, and stay at a nice hotel, dress up and eat at nice restaurants!  It's a fun little staycation.  We had been hearing about this hotel and decided to give it a try - it did not disappoint!

Before dinner at Bob's Steakhouse

Our amazing room!

The view from our room!

Out by the pool - I love how you can see Dallas's iconic Reunion Tower or "The Ball" as some know it from here!

The Omni has this AMAZING Farm to Market restaurant with an incredible buffet - some of the best food EVER!!!

It was a blast, very romantic and a nice little relaxing getaway from regular everyday life!  Can't believe it has been 13...coming up on 14 years!

Back on Track

 Well its been awhile my blogging friends.  It is summer here in Texas and I am determined to get back on track with this blog.  Since I haven't posted anything since...well...last July (gasp!) I am going to go back a little in time and blog about some things that have happened in our lives over the last 11 months:)  Month by month...a little at a time will suffice, so check back and see what you've been missing:)!!!

Last August

Wait, rewind to Christmas 2011 - Jae, my sister, gave Kaden and Kinsley passes and money to use toward the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History...we didn't make it until August, and I'm glad we waited because they had this hilarious exhibit called Grossology that was all about the grossest parts of our bodies and how they function - pretty entertaining:)  We laughed all day!!!  Afterwards we walked around the rest of the museum - if you've never been and you are visiting Texas soon with little ones - its a must - awesome place!!!

Here we are entering the mouth entrance.  And inside the nose - which simulated a sneeze, blowing air and all:)

After the exhibit at the rest of the museum - a GIANT lite brite:)

And last but not least...Fun with Shadows!

Also in August, my sister, Jayna and family came to see my sis Jae's new baby Cash, and they spent a few fun filled days here.  This is at NRH20 - an amazing water park by our house!

We also visited the Chihuly exhibit at the Arboretum - such a gorgeous place and the exhibit was AMAZING - Chihuly is one of my favorite artists!

Here's my favorite glass blown sculpture by Chihuly! - Mezmorizing!

And what would a trip to the Arboretum be without a splash in the fountains?

Saint Patty's Day 2013 - Top O' The Mornin' To Ya Breakfast

TOTALLY DOING THIS TOMORROW!!!  

Can't wait!  

Head to www.mysisterssuitcase.blogspot.com for the invitation and all the FREE printable food labels - you still have time!!!  Stay tuned for pics of our breakfast...and many other updates coming soon!!!

New Year Resolutions

Here we are another year gone by and another in front of us!  Well, Lord knows I need to resolve to keep up this blog better, I am the WORST at it lately!  

We actually sat down as a family, or well, I sat down and forced my hubby and two kiddos to sit down and wrote out our resolutions!

I love doing this every year, there is just something about it, maybe just the hope of a better self, new adventures, etc.  I'm not sure, but I love it, and that is that!  

So, without further ado, I'll share some of mine with you...

1.  I want to read through this book.  It is the Bible written out as a chronological story.  I just want to know the stories of the bible better, I want them to sink in and make sense and I think this book will help me to picture it all on a timeline and make it make sense!  I'm excited!  We've already started reading this with our kiddos, so I just plan to continue until we are done!

2.  I plan to continue on my Weight Watchers journey.  It's going ok,  I've been plateauing for quite awhile now, but I joined a Biggest Loser club at school so now its time to kick it up a notch:)

3.  I want to get more organized as a teacher.  I want to truly KNOW my data on each kiddo and I resolve to help them as much as I possibly can to catch up to where they are supposed to be before they leave me.  If I cannot catch them up then I resolve to get them the interventions or help they need!!!  I need this book:

4.  I want to love on my family more.  Be intentional about playing with my kids - take them on surprise trips. Go on dates with my husband more often and surprise him with little love tokens like I did when we were dating:)

and 5.  I plan to write real letters to friends - remember???  Like the good old fashioned kind - I love stationery but I hardly ever use mine:(  I also LOVE getting letters in the mail - but rarely do anymore:( I want to be more intentional about this, and be a better friend - gosh, I'm embarrassed how awful a friend I am sometimes - not that I'm mean, I just don't take the time for friends...but not this year...I want to have them over for tea, set dates to hang out, make dinner plans, send a text, or better yet make a phone call and reach out to those I want to make more meaningful relationships with.  Friends are such a blessing and I feel like I'm missing out on some blessings God has for me sometimes - life just gets so busy, ya know??

In 2013 I WILL learn how to eat cleaner, get better at pilates/health, and patience with my own kids and those I teach.

I will try to make my house a home - add cozy touches, and happy memories throughout.

I will make a difference by being a loving teacher, wife, mom, and friend.

I promise to read my Bible (or The Story) more.

And I will help others by cooking and cleaning more:)

My #1 goal for 2013 is to do LESS WORK and LIVE MORE LIFE!!!!

Here are some words that I want to describe ME in 2013:  happy, loving, joyful, kind, life-giving, peaceful, thoughtful, a bucket filler, and self-sacrificing!:)

All these pictures were taken from google - they are not my own, I simply searched for pics and these were some of the first I found:)

WW - I broke the plateau today!

Down 1 more pound, finally, after a 3 week plateau.  I'll take it:)  Here's what I've been eating:

B:  granola bar and 2 clemetines (literally every day this week):)

L:  baked potato, 1 pat of butter, and a smigen of shredded cheddar cheese, broccoli, pineapple

black bean tacos with avacado, feta cheese, pico de gallo, and salsa

roasted chicken, green beans, a few new potatoes, salad

roasted chicken salad from Arby's with balsalmic vinigrette dressing - this is soooo good!

D:  spaghetti with marinara sauce, salad

McDonalds honey mustard grilled chicken snack wrap

2 slices thin crust cheese pizza, steamed mixed veggies

This is just a sampling from the week, I can't remember everything and my phone is dead at the moment or I'd look it up - so there!

My saving grace this Halloween season - fun size kit kat's - at 2 points a piece I allow myself 1 a day:)  YUM!

Have a great week - hoping for more success on the scale next week!

Ugh - Weight Watchers

I did not lose any weight this week.  I think I've hit a plateau, plus I'm back to work (always lose better in the summer, when I'm working out, and planning what I eat better).  Anyhooo, 1st 6 weeks of school is behind me, and I am vowing to be better this 2nd six weeks - now that I'm in my groove.  Gonna try to leave school by 4:30, ok, no later than 5:00, go work out, then if I HAVE to, go back to work or work from home...see why I'm stagnant right now...so...much...to...do!!!

It's ok, I hear that the closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it gets to lose.  Here's what I wonder...did I pick the wrong scale this last week?  Are some more generous than others?  Why does it show I lose on my home scale but not on the ww one?  Did I wear too much clothing?  Did I forget to go to the bathroom before weighing - ha ha!  WHAT IS IT?  

It really doesn't matter, tomorrow is a new day...a chance for a new beginning, a chance to make better choices, and feel good about it!  

Keep putting one foot in front of the other...this is a marathon, not a sprint people!  We can do this!

Before and After Pics So Far!

Here are some before pics of me.  These were taken this summer in June, I started Weight Watchers July 17th.  

Here is the most recent pic after losing 13 pounds
I don't have a full length yet, but I'll try to be better about updating.  I feel like I can tell a lot in my face - just not as puffy as before, a little more elongated, not so round, and I see my jaw line again:)

Here are some foods that are helping me make it as a teacher and being pressed for time to make breakfast, lunches, and dinners:

B:  Weight Watchers Microwaveable Oatmeal
B:  Weight Watchers Microwaveable Eggs with Green/Red Bell Peppers
B:  a low fat Whole Grain English muffin with 1 TBSP of peanut butter
S:  Fruit - I usually take bananas, grapes, apples, pear/peaches cups with no added sugar, natural applesauce cups, pineapple cups, etc.
L:  I've been taking turkey wraps with whole wheat tortillas, or a microwaveable bean/cheese burrito,  Weight Watchers Smart Ones Microwaveable Meals, pretzels (love those flat ones by Snack Factory), La Croix sparkling water, more fruit, etc.
Sometimes I take a snack size candy bar - those are 2 points - just to have a little dessert:)
D:  pasta with marinara sauce, red beans and brown rice, salsa chicken in the crock pot, frozen microwaveable vegetables, fruit
JELL-O is a great dessert - 0 points, and JELL - O pudding - look for the low calorie weight watcher approved ones (there's a little green triangle on the box with a number of points value)

Other things I do:  I take two water bottles with me daily and it is my goal to finish both before I get out of school, along with my La Croix water.  Get your water as cold as you can, it makes your body work harder to get it back to a normal temp.  I also drink at least one cup of green tea a day - I like the mint green tea:)  I hear it speeds up your metabolism???

As far as working out goes: I keep a set of 10lb dumbells by my bathroom mirror - while my shower warms up I do a couple of reps of curls, and a couple of reps of bicep extensions.  I also love zumba, boot camp circuit training, and walking/running on the treadmill while I watch my weekly shows on TV - great way to get cardio in without thinking too much about it! Sometimes I finish up the treadmill with crunches and planks while still watching my shows:)

Please let me know if you have any questions, I'd love to share with you what works for me.  If you have any other tips leave those as well!  My goal in all of this is just to share my journey!!!  I just want to be a healthier me, and Weight Watchers is basically teaching me how to watch portions and eat in a healthier way than I was before!

Weight Watchers - Day 1 of blogging about it - almost month 2 of doing it:)

I get 26 points a day, 49 extra points a week and I can earn more extra points for working out!  I am on the monthly plan and I go to the meetings once a week to weigh in - I need that accountability.  I also need the etools on my iPhone - the only thing that helps me track my points!

Here is the code for what I eat:

B=Breakfast

L=Lunch

D=Dinner

S=snack

I usually try to eat about 3-4 points for breakfast, 7-8 points for lunch, and 12-14 for dinner, plus 2 am snack points, and 2 pm snack points.  Sometimes I go over, big whoop, that's what the extra points are for...but I try not to use too many of those - you lose faster if you don't use them.  It's HARD not to!  All fruit is 0 points, and most veggies are 0 points.

Today:

B:  Oikos Greek Yogurt Vanilla - 1 cup 

L:  Weight Watchers Smart Ones Santa Fe Style Rice and Beans, 1 banana, 1 cup of pears in own fruit juice - no added sugar

S:  applesauce - natural - 1 cup

D:  3 tacos meal #8 from Taco Bueno, salsa, coke

S:  Dr. Pepper

This is a BAD example people, just keeping it real...wanted to start out this way on purpose.  DO NOT  drink your points...its not worth it, SO much better to drink water, not soft drinks...but some days you just need it - today was one of those days for me...now...I gotta watch it the rest of the week.

I got a few extra workout points today because I walked in a parade after school for about 30 min, this was moderate walking so only about 2-3 points earned.   

Stay tuned for more if you are interested - before pics and right now pics coming soon!

Weight Watchers

So I started Weight Watchers almost two months ago today.  I actually started on July 19th, a Thursday, 2012.  I am posting about it here in case it can help anybody.  

Long story short I weighed 102 when I got married to my husband in 1999.  Fast forward 13 years and I weighed 147 at my first weigh in.  Yes that is after two babies, who are now 7 and 9.  But really what  it came down to were my eating habits.  

I have always enjoyed working out, that was not my problem.  I probably worked out an average of 3 days per week.  It was the eating I had a problem with.  So...I joined Weight Watchers to learn how to eat right.  Believe me, I thought I was somewhat healthy before this, compared to most people.  What I found out was I was probably over-eating and drinking 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day.  NO joke!  

It was the snacking throughout the day, the extra piece of cheese, the bowl of cereal late at night just to feel comfortable (full) before bed, the unfinished snacks, ice cream, candy, meals of my kids, the eating for no reason eating...the after school binge (more on this later), etc.  

I have learned so much in two months and I'd love to share that with you.  I wish I would have blogged about this from the beginning.  But here I am...2 months later...and 12 pounds skinnier:)  I finally have learned how to eat to lose...yes I will start maintaining soon...I hear that's harder than losing, but for now I'm still losing.

I have set a goal for myself to get into the 120's as far as my weight.  I would love to be about 120-125 - this is pretty average for my height of 5'4" believe it or not.  I was certainly on the heavier end for my weight when I started according to the health charts.  

I am so excited to share my journey with you!  Ask me questions, quiz me, give me recipes, ask for advice, workout tips, whatever you want.  I desire for this to be an encouraging place, and by all means CHEER ME ON!!!!  

I will be posting daily meal plans that I am doing.  I am not saying eat this or that, simply sharing what I do...if it may help!  I will also offer advice on working out, working out on the job (I am a teacher), working out by making small changes, and funny stuff about losing weight (sweat, anyone).  

I hope you get encouragement when you visit - that is my full and only intention:)

So here we go....!!!

My classroom/My teaching blog

I just posted lots of pics of my classroom on my teaching blog www.catchabubble.blogspot.com.  Go there and check it out if you are interested:)

Missing the Olympics:(

How many of you are missing the Olympics already?  I am wanting to buy these for my kiddos and my classroom!  Loved watching this year, my two tooterbugs really got into it for the first time!  We cheered so loud and chanted "USA!" "USA!" quite a few times too!  Man, I love me some USA gold!!!  Found these at Barnes and Noble but they looked like they had been around awhile, I'm gonna check half price books, I'll let you know what I find:)!

Love, love, love, love...crazy lu-uv!

We are going here this weekend...

to the hotel on the right with the cool lights:)

and cool lobby

and cool rooms:)

hopefully we'll be spending most of our time here...

and maybe eating here at this cool farm to market restaurant!

and then chillin' out here with a drink or a dessert!

I'm hoping it's super romantic and relaxing!  It's been 13 years...

Definitely will be updating pics, we'll let you know how it goes!

BIG NEWS!!!

Last night...these two...

during nighttime prayers with me and Curtis...

accepted Jesus into their hearts!!!!!  They went to VBS at our church this summer and since then have been asking questions a lot.  I'd answer them to the best of my ability and they would just keep talking about it, LOVE these kinds of conversations with my kiddos!  Kaden and I went to a documentary viewing that our youth made about their recent mission trip to India at our church last Wednesday night and I think it left an impression, and yesterday in the car I got an email about baptism which sparked another great conversation.  So...last night Curtis called me into Kaden's room, he was putting him to bed, I was putting Kinsley to bed, and Kinsley and I went in there.  He told Kaden to tell me what they'd talked about, and Kaden said he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart!  Kinsley said she did too, and they both want to be baptized soon:)  So, while choking back the tears Curtis and I prayed the prayer of salvation with them!!!!  We are rejoicing today and are planning a big celebration soon of this HUGE decision in their lives.  What they don't know is I've been praying for this since I found out I was pregnant with each of them.  First and foremost my prayer was for my kids to know God!  Thank you LORD!!!!!

(last two photos courtesy of pinterest)

Little Box of Sunshine

Have ya'll seen this on pinterest?  My mom and I made this for my sister since she just had the cutest baby ever.  It makes me smile.  We just bought a bunch of yellow-ish stuff and put it in a grey box (since the baby's room will be grey and yellow) and then I googled "Sunshine in a Box" and found the printables for the sign and card to go with it!  Love gifts like this!!!!

My new nephew - SO IN LOVE!!!

I am so in love.  My sister had a baby yesterday, I want him to be mine:)  I want to take him home.  He is so precious.  He was born at 9:13am, on 7/17 weighing 7 lbs, 7 ounces.  I guess 7 is his lucky number.  Funny, because my brother-in-law Kevin was born 7/17/77 also weighing 7lbs. 7 ounces, crazy huh?  Anyway, this baby is cute - like roll him in a ball and squish him cute...sorry that's a little saying our family has:)  He has golden hair, attached toes like his daddy, my sisters ears, and a precious nose!  We had a blast getting to know him yesterday, oh, and you better believe there are more pics to come.  So, without further ado, I introduce to you

Cash Brooks Carpenter

Fun Zone Birthday Party for Kaden's 9th

My son, you turned 9 this past week, 9!  That is crazy, how have 9 years of your life already gone by?  You are still my little 6 lb. baby that didn't fit in his own skin when he was born, aren't you?  Here's what I love about you being 9:

1.  You are becoming your own person, a lover of God and a Christ follower - you love to read and talk about the Bible and are so smart that you never forget any of it - and you love to challenge me and dad if we do:)!

2.  You are so smart - you love to learn, you are always up for a challenge and you thrive in competitive situations.  You love to read and cannot get your hands on enough books or take enough trips to Barnes and Noble!

3.  You are funny, seriously funny.  You get adult humor and often surprise me and dad with your "quickness" to understand funny things.

4.  You have compassion like your daddy.  You feel for people.  You do this in a quiet and controlled way, but you gently let it be known:)  I really love that about you!

5.  You are still a boy - you love leggos and Star Wars, Percy Jackson and Pirates of the Caribbean.  You go 200 percent after the things you love and you pursue them until you know them backwards and forwards.  I pray you do this for God and for the Bible all your life:)

I love you my strong, little warrior!

Water balloons for the water balloon toss turned fun fight!

Bean bag toss game we borrowed from Grandaddy!  Your team won 21 to 17 I think!

Candy prizes for the games:)  Your idea;)

The hamburger cupcakes you had to have!  I love it that you thought these were cool and they made you so happy!

Drip Drip Drench game with Kayden and Colton Morriss, Kinsley, Connor, and baby Corbin Morriss!

Party favors - bubble wands and water balloons - so they can create their own "fun zone" at home you said!

Your snack choices:)

You and your precious friend Connor

Pool time!

Your fun zone adventure table with your cookie cake!