Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Yeah, I didn't feel like organizing these pic's either! ;-) I'm getting to be a lazy blogger!

This past weekend (3-29/4-2) I had a little getaway. My sistaaa-in-law, Chelsea lives in St. George, Utah right now while my brother is deployed. Needless to say, she was in need of some sistaaa-ly lovin'. Aren't we all?!? So, my mother and I packed our bags and headed out to Las Vegas for a little R&R and to meet my little nephew Hudson. Oh, he was just sooo cute and fair (that was for you Chelsea! ;-)) and we had a great time bonding.

I brought Caden, being that he was only 6 months old at the time, and still too young to be left in daddy's care alone! It was actually really neat experience having him all to myself the whole trip. I don't EVER have that kind of time with just one of my children for long, being that I have 3 at home at almost any given time. Caden and I sure spoiled ourselves. Vegas had changed since the last time I was there (5 yrs.) and don't think I will go there with a child again. The funniest comment I had heard on our trip was when Chelsea with Hudson and I with Caden were outside the Bellagio waiting for the water show and some lady passed us by and says to her friend, "must be spring break, all the college kids are here with their babies!" I had to laugh so hard. What college kid brings a baby on Spring Break...and to VEGAS?!?! Besides....I'm a college graduate and my children's spring break was over a month ago!! There were a lot of children there at the time, (I'm sure it was someones spring break), but these kids were 10 or so and their parent's in their late 30's. It was pretty funny.

Anyway. Take a peak at the pictures. I had too many to post, and Christopher was going to make a video for me,...but, I got too impatient and just posted anyway. After all, I'm still waiting for Gavin's 3rd B-day video to be done and he is nearly 5 now!
Anyway. It was loads of fun and I enjoyed spending time with my hip sistaaa-in-law and my madre. I fell off the wagon with the diet while there, but I'm back on now with a total of 13.6 lbs lost in 5 weeks!! BOOOYA!!!

Egg-citing Egg Hunt!

Between all the Egg Hunts with the Library, Churches, Playgroups, and School we are eggs-hausted!! Here are a few picture from Gavin's Pre-school hunt. Reese was a lucky girl and was able to hunt as well.

I will be egg-cited to see the commercial part of Easter come to a close on Saturday and have a wonderful "real" Easter on Sunday! Happy Easter!

Oh, and I'm too lazy to organize the pictures right now! Have fun!

Tyler Azalea Run

Gavin has been crazy excited about this race ever since he and Christopher ran in the Dallas Turkey Trot back in November (see post). Somehow he got it in his head that if he ran this race he would win a trophy like the Piston Cup from Cars. We all woke up early and drove down to Tyler were all the beautiful East Texas spring flowers were in bloom. The race takes you though the old historic brick streets of Tyler which are packed with gorgeous mansion homes that have lavish flower gardens decades old. There were an abundance of azalea bushes, dogwood trees, tulips, and pansies in a grand variety of colors. Running under the 100 year old oaks that canopied the streets just added to the perfect race setting.

We arrived early and Christopher and I picked up our numbers. We had signed Gavin up online for free so we got his number and t-shirt too. Then all of a sudden Reese decided it was time to become a runner! So we signed her up and got her a number and t-shirt and slipped it over her sun dress. She was really excited and was by far the cutest participant of the day as she wobbled in all alone twice as slow as any of the other racers. Everyone was taking pictures of her as she scuttled the 50 yards in her crocs.

When the kids finished the race, they were greeted at the finish line with little medals and a free lunch coupon from Chick-fil-a. Gavin was happy but immediately disappointed that he wasn’t getting a “trophy that looks like a cup so I can put candy in it”. Just before he broke down in tears, Christopher bent over and said, “Hey Gavin, look! They gave Mommy a special trophy to give to you for running so fast!” He ran over and well, the pictures say it all. It was the “best thing I’d ever got”. Christopher stayed up all night making it. He went to a Goodwill the day before and rummaged through their old knickknacks until he found the goblet and an old candlestick holder. He bought some spray paint, some stickers, and a few “sparklies”. 8 dollars, a few hours, and a lot of love later, He had Gavin’s very first trophy!

We had tons of fun at the race. Christopher ran/walked backwards with me as I tried to run the first mile and then when the courses split he ran the 10K. I stuck to the 2 mile fun run because last week I overworked my knee at the gym and it’s been hurting when I exert too much force on it.
After the race we spent the day with Christopher’s family, and the kids played with their cousins, Russell, Carter, and Clark. The day ended with a trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Mercado’s. It was a blast! I love my little running family!

Ready. Set. GO!!

Awesome Core Workout

Sariah's little sister was asking me about this sweet workout I found on the Internet. It works your core muscles and takes you through the order you need to go to get the best results for your workout. Plus the pictures and explanations are awesome and all the exercises are really easy to do. So I thought I would post it on here for anyone interested.

-Christopher

Click for fitness!

My Triathlete!

Last Saturday March 10th we all got up really early and drove down to Athens Texas to watch Christopher in his first sprint triathlon! It was loads of fun and all the kids were really good. Christopher absolutely loved it and can't wait to do it again. He already has another one lined up for next month over in Irving. We are very proud of our Superman. (That's what Christopher says he feels like when he wears his blue "e-stretchy" shirt).

This year he wants to complete 4 sprint triathlons. A sprint triathlon is the shortest distance triathlon. Next year he wants to upgrade to Olympic triathlons where they double the distances. Then he wants to do a Half Iron-man where they double the Olympic distances and finally an Iron-man where they double the Half Iron-man distances. I think he's crazy but he swears it's lots of fun and uses it as an excuse to wax his legs which for some reason he thinks is cool.
"Our Daddy is a rock star!" - Gavin

Click To Play

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good: The really good is I lost 6.6 lbs on my first week of Weight Watchers (yes, I finally caved in and HAD to do something about my food consumption)!! I am totally amazed. I know this trend wont last long, so I am really trying to soak it up and get back to the gym and train for my 10k on the 24th.
The Bad: I got a sunburn this weekend...it will impede my workout training schedule...but just a little.
The Ugly: Today is baseboard cleaning Monday...agh! (*sniff, sniff*)

Texas Hoe Down

We all had a lot of fun at Gavin's Preschool Texas Hoe Down Program. A few weeks ago, when asked if he was going to sing and dance for us, Gavin said, "no, I just like to listen". He obviously changed his mind once he was in the spotlight.

Friendly March

It is always a treat to get our Friend in the mail! We got our March issue of the Friend the other day and thought there was something really familiar with the cover. Gavin noticed it first and then Christopher put it all together. The cover was illustrated by none other than our Maryn Roos of Imagine Learning. She is an Artist Illustrator for the company. Gavin noticed her art work on the cover as a type he has seen while playing the learning games with Imagine Learning. We are quite proud of her and hear that there will be more to come! To hear more about Maryn and her "Friendly encounter" or just check out her art work visit her blog here!

**Help Wanted Ladies**

Ok, Ladies...my baby is 6 months now, time for me to get serious about my weight loss. I am in need of some healthy and SAVORY recipes for dinners/lunches and especially snacks! Please share with me your favorites. I like salads, food with chicken or fish and lots of grilling. Also, I DETEST casserole type meals and anything with tatar tots!! All vegetables are fair game minus eggplant...eeww! It's been hanging around the 70's+ for a bit now, so your favorite healthy smoothie recipes would also be appreciated!

Please help a sister out! I have a modest collection of recipes right now, but I want too many to count, so I stick with it all...it's too easy for me to go back to my baking! For the last however long, my last words in the kitchen have been, "I ate my last cookie today..."

Thanks!

Smart or Stoopid?

According to this test I'm SMART!! I wish that were a true indicator of my real intelligence! Then maybe my children might start taking me seriously when I tell them that jumping on the top of a bunk bed is NOT a good idea.

P.S. That clock puts extra added pressure! Whew!

P.S.S. I just took it again and it said that I was stoopid...and that "thinking isn't something you should do today" and "they say ignorance is bliss. you should know." Ouch!! LOL

A little confession...

I'll let y'all in on a little secret of mine...I LOVE The AVATAR:The last airbender. No, I'm not talking about those cute little icons we put up in our chat boards and bloggers. No, this is a child's cartoon that is on the Nickelodeon Network. We watch them as a set or "volume" once they are out on DVD, and I anxiously await their newest release (April 07). lol I love the Avatar because I watch it with my children and I don't have to cringe b.c of some bad language (like stupid, dumb, moron, you know, the stuff that surprisingly you find today in cartoons for kids), children bullying others, and a bunch of fighting and storyline with no morals. I'm from a generation of cartoons (He-Man, Care Bears, etc.) that always ended with a moral or lesson learned and little if no violence. These are some of the same reason I like to follow the AVATAR seasons. They also tell a story.

Anyway. I'm always a little embarrassed to let people know my mini obsession with Aang, Sokka, Katara, Uncle, and Zuko is unveiled. It's out now! Care to share a little confession?

Welcome to Husdon David

Fresh from the womb, Jarom and Chelsea's little slice of heaven arrived at 6:17am on February 22, 2007! And he's a big one...I don't know how little Chelsea did it (the little hot mama went through the pregnancy by herself mostly)! HUDSON DAVID H.

The daddy, Jarom, despite being called to duty in Afghanistan (reserves), was able to be home for the birth! However, his stay will be short lived. He reports for duty again on March 3rd and will be gone for 12-18 months! His son will be a toddler the next time he is able to see him. God Bless ALL our troops and the HUGE sacrifices each of them make in serving and protecting our freedoms!

We love you both! Thank you both for your love and sacrifices!

So I felt like blogging tonight...

Ok, so I felt like blogging tonight. I'm bored (in between Netflix shipments) and lonely (Christopher is out of town) so I wrote and posted pics and yadda yadda la la before you know it I have this really long post. I was feeling quite proud of myself as I'm not the literary type and my post was quite entertaining. Then as I'm going to publish...there was a stall and we never recovered from it...until my post was eaten up!!! So, after swearing under my breath for a few moments and then swearing to never swear again, I shall post again. This time without whit and literary genius. Sorry, my brain still hurts from the last eaten up post! I'm not like my fellow bloggers that can just whip out an amazing post in minutes...that is not my talent and it hurts my brain and takes too long. So...I digress. Anywho... Instead of baking and eating to amuse my bored self, I had the kids entertain me while I had my camera out and this is what I found the most hilarious to share. REESE. She is quite the funny little lady. She is really into her hot pink cowboy boots and hat. My favorite though is when she does this and strikes a pose like the one on the bottom right. She is just too funny. Or actually, when she tips her hat off her head and says, "YEEEEHAAAAAWWW!!!" with such enthusiasm. She is becoming quite the country Texas girl...and I think it is sooo cute. I am excited for her to go to Gavin's "Texas Hoedown" for his preschool program. I think she's just gonna eat it up and jump right in to "Dosi-doe". And yes she is wearing a swimsuit. We just can't keep her out of one. She wants to go in the pool so bad. Maybe sometime this week when it is in the 70's again, I'll let her play with the water hose.

And my boys!! I have been working frantically trying to get a picture of Caden smiling for the camera. Because he really is smiling ALL the time. It is just when you get the camera out, he starts to become too interested in all the flashing and "peek-a-boo" he believes mommy is playing by getting behind the camera. Tonight however he was getting some loves from his big brother Gavin and was sure giggly. I was able to get a shot of him smiling a little. He sure is precious and we just love him to bits! We just can't imagine what life was with out him...our little cuddle

bug. Dinosaurs are kinda his thing. While he was in the NICU we were told to put something from his room like a stuffed animal or something in his cradle with him. Something about our scent from the animal from our home would be soothing to him...well we put a little triceratops dinosaur in his bed with him. It was the one seen in our post Caden Day 8 - A WEEK OLD!! Anyway, they seem fitting for his personality and his struggle, so we went with it. So naturally I got excited when I found his little sleeper set. Doesn't Caden just look like his dinosaur? He's soo cute! And of course since I have two boys, I get to match them!! It's just too much fun!

Caden and Blakeley...

sitting on the floor...P-L-A-Y-I-N-G...first comes love...ok, ok, I'll stop while I'm ahead. I'm starting to sound WAY too much like my mother. But, I just had to say that I think this picture is too cute of Blakeley (Caden's baby girlfriend) and Caden. They have such a fun time eating toys together or sucking the life out of anything they can get their little hands on! We love it when we have our friends come over to play.

The Cloud Maker...

So we were on our way out yesterday afternoon and Gavin yells from the back seat..."look mommy, it's making clouds...there they go up into the sky." He was just too into himself thinking that he discovered how clouds were made, I couldn't break it to him that was indeed a power plant. I absolutely adore kids and their enthusiasm for the simple things in life...like cloud making! So come to Forney one and all and behold our cloud maker in all its glory!

13.1 in 1:45:08

He did it! He braved the 40+ degree weather and finished his half marathon (13.1 miles) at 1:45:08. Christopher was hoping to finish around 1:45:00 and did! The race was a bit more difficult than he imagined it would be (this was his first long distance race) being that he got bored half way into it and wished that he had his mp3 player to keep his mind busy. With that, he thinks he could have pulled off a better time. Lesson learned. He finished 7th for his age group (24-29) out of 30 and 95th overall with 550 runners. I'd say that was a pretty good first run. It averaged to be a 8:03 mile over 13 miles. He runs 7:23 miles at home for 9 to 10 miles....so basically those last 3 miles killed him! While he was running those last miles he thought to himself how he never wants to run a half again, however, after finishing the race and receiving his rush...that has changed.

For finishing in the top 100 he received a medal (see pic) and so naturally we had to run right over to IHOP to celebrate. Christopher loved walking in with his "e-stretchy pants" (again, think Nacho Libre) and getting lots of looks. He just reminded everyone that "its for fun". I like this picture too because it has Reese stealing Christopher's pancakes off his plate while he was posing with his medal. HA...true Reese form. Also on hand for the celebration was Tyler (Christopher's brother) and his girlfriend Amanda.

Next on the race agenda is Christopher's triathlon on the 10th of March and my Azalea 10k also in March on the 24th. Christopher will do well once again and I'm just hoping I can finish my race, as training has been a little slow (see people update post). I'm really just excited to be running around a blooming flower garden for a few hours!!

People Update

I feel like we have been perpetually busy this past month, however, when we get down "to the nitty gritty" (think Nacho Libre!) there really isn't much to blog about. This cold and flu season has hit us hard and we are out at least once a month. No bueno! So here we go, a people update of sorts...

• Christopher runs his half marathon "The Texas Half" this Sat. the 10th of February. He has been training running up to 10 miles a day, so I think this 13.1 mile run will be a walk in the park for him. His first triathlon is March 10th in Athens. He has been training hard and has really come to enjoy his new hobby and obsession. To pat himself on the back for a job well done last year with his job, he bought a new triathlon bike. Bought it from the Richardson Bike Mart, the same bike shop in which Lance Armstrong purchased all this bikes when he was growing up here in Dallas. Christopher likes to point that part out!

Let the love affair begin!! Christopher has lost 10 lbs with his training and is gaining quite the athlete physique.....hubba hubba!!

• Sariah (me) is still changing WAY too many diapers and quite tired from cleaning up Winter Puke Fest 2006/2007. I'm anxiously awaiting March 7th!! Why that date? It is the day Caden turns 6th months and that just happens to be the magical age that he is permitted to attend my gym day care while I work out. I am on a quest to lose about 50 lbs by the end of the year, and being at the gym is a big part of that. I'm going to use the same workouts that I was doing before I got preggers with Caden...I think I might be able to pull it off. Of course, my love affair with food needs to be curbed a little...I have never been one to diet, so portion control is my target with food. Weaning Caden from the boob will help too, as I only add weight while breastfeeding. I have also enjoyed seeing the temps back up into the mid 60's as I about died the month of January.


• Gavin surprised us by giving up his need for sweet things and has taken up "healthy snacks". He would eat them before when I gave him no alternative, but now he will actually request a "healthy snack". If given something from someone else, he asks, "is this a healthy snack?" He's too cute. He also started up lifting weights with his daddy! He's a funny kid. Right now he is preparing for his "Texas Hoedown" performance on March 8th. He has been bugging us to take Karate lessons for a little while now. We think we will let him try it out this summer after school is out. Might be fun...I think....
• Reese will have no more dragon tooth...that's right, the dentist is going to pull it. On Reese's first b-day Christopher took her to the bath tub to spray her down and get all the cake off. There was a mishap in the bath tub and Reese came tumbling down and chipped her two front teeth (I'm sure you have noticed in pics). Unfortunately, her right tooth started to die and turn green so we were going to have it cosmetically fixed. That is, until the tooth started to abscess. We took her in for a check up and the dentist decided the best thing was for the tooth to come out leaving room for her permanent tooth to grow unaffected. So, out it comes on the 15th of March and we are mad dashing to get a family picture before she is a toothless wonder for 5 years!!

First birthday pics from 2005 right before the dreadful tooth chipping.

Too cute...where has my baby girl gone!??!! Makes me almost want another...however this baby making shop is CLOSED.

• Caden our baby of love. He is growing up fast too. His little baby umbilical hernia is closing well and his eczema outbreaks are spreading out. Yea! He's still pretty much only breastfed but we are trying some cereals. However he wants nothing to do with them. He is just like his older brother...eats like a little piggy but wont gain weight. Where do they get this from b.c I sure didn't get anything like that!!

Caden is still our happy baby and warms anyone up with his big smile (which surprisingly I don't have on camera anywhere!!!). He is sitting up now and interacting with Gavin and Reese more, which makes my job a little easier!

Bath Time!

I just thought I would share some bath pics real quick before I run to pick up Gavin from school. When I get back, I'll do some people updating. Lots going on in 'da Lloyd hood.

Caden is finally sitting up and holding his own (five months tomorrow! can you believe it?), so now bath time is more enjoyable. He has joined the ranks of his siblings.
Reese feeding Caden a bath toy....he'll take whatever he can get into his mouth these days!
Reese enjoying her hair washing...as always. (you like that peri bottle in the background? the kids LOVE it in the bath! good thing they don't know what it was originally used for!)
Caden checking out Reese's torturous washing session.
This face is just too hilarious!

This one too!

Be back on later with more to come! Chelsea have Hudson yet!?!?! Girl, give me a call!!

Utah Trip '07

To see a few photos from our trip, please click on the "Flickr" on the left.

Well, we're back! It was a long, cold trip, however Gavin, Reese and Caden were REALLY good. They certainly impressed us! Christopher had his semi-annual training conference in Provo this past week and we decided we wanted to tag along. While Christopher was busy all week working, we did lots of shopping, visiting with friends and family (hi, Chelsea!) and playing around in the condo we were staying at in Midway near Heber (a little outside Park City). My brother Jarom and his wife Chelsea own a time share condo up there and allowed us to use it while we were in town.
We went to Christopher's work socials and award dinners but we mostly enjoyed playing in the snow at Soldiers Hollow and I shopping. It was a treat however to meet Christopher's co-workers as, they only see each other twice a year. He works out of our home. The best highlight however, was when Christopher was awarded a 20% salary increase (raise)!! I have to do a little husband braggery b.c we are just so proud of all the hard work he has been doing and we were thrilled that his company took notice and blessed our family with their financial grace.
The kids loved seeing the snow...and cold. It was -13 degrees on our way to Utah and we got out of our hotel in Gallup, New Mexico and Gavin asks:
"Mom, why is my mouth doing this? " (it's making the shivering movements)
Gavin, I say, that's what happens when your body gets cold and it needs to do something to help it warm up!
We thought it was so funny seeing that he had never been that cold enough to wonder what shivering movements were. It also must give y'all a clue as to how big my winter heating bills are!! I like it warm or hot!

Anyway. We had a good time. I looked forward to visiting the town I had lived in for 5 years prior to this move to Texas and thought I might get all nostalgia; I was surprise though when I didn't care to be back and looked forward to leaving!!! Not home anymore, and don't know how I even survived the 5 years I was there!! NEVER AGAIN!! (Sorry to the Provo lovers!)

Six years ago today...

After six years of marriage, my heart still skips a beat when he walks into the room...I love you Christopher and look forward to all our adventures ahead! mmmmmmmmmwah! Happy Anniversary! October 26, 2000 -
My sweet Sariah,
How can I help but fall in love with you?
You have a girlish laugh I can't resist. Your eyes enchant me like a magical myst. Your smile reminds me of a ninja turtle. Don't get me wrong you're my favorite girl. You say "anymore" instead of "now-a-days". Your kisses leave me in an enchanted haze. your neck is elegant like a swan, I'm surprised you like this goofy peon. You're kind, you're sweet, you're ever giving gifts from a sweetheart worth receiving. I love how you laugh when no one's around remembering a good time instead of a frown.
You're sophisticated and sassy, smart and ambitious. You know how to cook and make it delicious. You have style and class I have to admit, I love to kiss your hairless armpit. You smell divine, my drop of sun, I'm so glad you love having fun. You stare at the stars and marvel at the sensation you get from just part of Heavenly Father's creation. You love the Lord and serve him well. You love me too, though I can't spell. I love when you squeeze me and hold me tight, I feel secure and my heart takes to flight.
You're my best friend and I can tell you anything. By the way, on my back there's this big gross hairy thing that's green. You lift me up when I am down, you light a room when you're around. But that's not all this poem's not over....I'll finish the rest a little lower. (now on bended knee) I want you to be my sweetie pie for all eternity in the sky. Will you take this ring and say you'll be mine, stand by me forever; even when I drool and am half blind? I love you Sariah. I have since I first met you, You're amazing and beautiful, talented and funny. I hope you'll say yes and be my eternal honey.
So how can I help but fall in love with you? Good questions. I guess I can't!
Love forever, Christopher


He had such a talent to make me laugh, and still does.

Gavin's New Ride...

Up until this past week, Gavin had been riding in a booster seat with a back. We used our cars seatbelt to buckle him in. Then we got word about Kyle David Miller. Please watch his story.
His car seat was the EXACT same seat Gavin has sat in. However, Gavin is smaller. He has not reached 40lbs (little tike) however! Our assumption about Gavin's seat was the same Kyle's parents made. Gavin now rides in a 5 point harness again... and loves it! I feel soo much safer with the extra defenses. Especially since we drive an SUV which most likely will roll with any accident. This new seat will be with him until he reaches 100lbs or his head surpasses the back support. Reese will continue to ride in hers and Caden (already in a 5 point sung ride) will get his once he turns a year old and 20lbs. And at that point...I will get MY new ride! I will upgrade my vehicle finally!! Still holding my ground against the mini-van however....

The IKEA Connection...

Think "The Kevin Bacon Connection", that's the connection we have within every room in our house, however, it is with IKEA products. We love to do most of our home shopping at IKEA. Seriously, I believe we keep this store in business. At least here at the Frisco, TX store. Literally every room in our house has at least one IKEA product. From kitchen gadgets and wall decor to furniture, closet organizing and bedding. There will be a connection to Ikea everywhere I look. Don't get me wrong, Target is still my grown up Disneyland; however, Ikea is fast approaching a take over.

We aren't the only family that feels the same way about this 310,000 sq ft shopping Mecca. On any given day, you may have to park a way from the entrance. It is a price most shoppers with children will make at all costs for the .99 cent kid meals and FREE supervised play area (yes, free) while you shop!! Gavin begs to go to Ikea whenever an errand need to be made, and I gladly accommodate his request when possible. We always find new reasons to go there. This past weekend was for new children's toy organizers to make room for their newest Christmas loot! If you are fortunate to have an Ikea located near you, I highly recommend giving it a try. I promise you wont leave empty handed! Did I say that I love this place yet!?!?!?