Free shopping...good day

Happy Friday y'all!  I started out my morning with 35 burpees, 35 pushups and 150 crunches.  It will get your heart rate up for sure! 
Clint decided for the new year he wanted to create this "club" with our Facebook friends to help get him in shape and stay accountable. 
For the month of January, you do 3000 of burpees, crunches, and pushups.  Now you can split those up any way you want.

Yesterday was a good day in our world.  I got up and read a little and let my toast digest.  I put some laundry in and had .3 miles ran when Ava woke up.  I went and got her and fixed her breakfast and then hopped back on the treadmill.  I finished an easy 7 miles and did my 3000 club workout. 

I finished cleaning the house and got a shower in for the day. 
Ava, while I was cleaning the kitchen!

We got ready and all bundled up and went to my parent's house.  My sister was going through all of her clothes and either keeping, giving to me, or giving away.  I layed on her bed and said yes or no.  It was the easiest shopping EVER!  I even got to eat lunch haha.  I came home with 2 sacks and 2 pair of boots. Not bad, not bad.

The sun was bright and we couldn't find her sunglasses.

We stopped at Dollar General to pick up a few things and Ava had just went to sleep on the way there and slept in my arms the entire way through the store.  Talk about an arm workout!

We came home and Clint came home shortly after.  We lounged on the couch and watched some tv and then Clint went downstairs to workout while I made supper.  Cajun rice and baked fries.  It hit the spot!!

After a week of having his new bed since Christmas, Pekka finally realized it is his! 
After supper, it was bath time.  Lots of fun is had at bath time!  My sis got Ava some bathtub "paints" and her and Clint had a blast writing on the tub!

All in all it was a splendid day! 

Have a great weekend and I'll see ya soon!

Tea parties and balloons

Hey there! Yep, it is Monday!

It is raining and the temperature is going to drop throughout the day.  Cold and rainy...yuck!

I hope you had a great weekend. We sure did.  Let me back up to Friday though first before I go into what we did Saturday and Sunday.

Clint has been making breakfast smoothies for us about 4 days a week.  He does NOT disappoint!

I'm never REALLY sure what is in these, but they are tasty and I know he uses healthy stuff, because Ava and I do the grocery shopping. ;-)

Ava stays at my parent's house on days I work, but I get a 2 hour lunch.  We live 5 minutes from my work and they live 5 minutes past my work, so I get lunch with her EVERY day I work!  Such a perk!

Tea party at lunch on Friday!

Saturday, we got up and I did a 2 mile walk on the treadmill at a 6.5% incline and 4.3 mph.  I worked up a good sweat!  I "tried" to run for a minute, but I could feel my Achilles pulling, so I slowed back down.  I will just walk for the next few days and continue to let it rest. (ugh)

Publix has turkeys for $.69/lb so I told Clint we needed to go for

1. we are hosting Thanksgiving for his family

2. the turkeys don't get ANY cheaper than that!

I deemed Saturday "No makeup" day!  Some days it is good to have a clean face and "no eyes on".

At Publix, an employee was handing out flowers and then Ava got a balloon!  She was tickled pink!

Clint suggested we stop at the little antique place!

It was AMAZING!  I could have stayed in there a while, well we did, but I could have stayed longer and spent lots of money!

We went home and watched Alabama, sadly get beat.  It was a somber house for about 45 min.

Clint turned on the grill and grilled hormone free steak for him and me a black bean burger.  I sauteed some asparagus and made a salad. 

GOOD STUFF!

Sunday morning I got up and did a bodyrock workout and then walked 1.5 miles at the same speed and incline as Saturday.

We got ready and headed to church. 

Ava was so excited to go. We let her wear her flower girl dress from my brother's wedding about a month ago. 

(wedding day picture)

She kept running around the house saying, "I'm a princess. "I'm a princess." And "we're going to church, we're going to church." 

Too funny!

After church, we went to my aunt and uncle's house for lunch. She had make your own sub sandwiches, chips, dip and meatballs.

YUM!

As soon as we got home, I put the ingredients in the bread machine for our weekly loaf of sandwhich bread. Hands down the best recipe!

Isn't that beautiful?!.

We lounged around until supper.  It was glorious! 

Supper was biscuits (gravy for Clint), eggs, and turkey bacon (and a banana for Ava).  LOVE breakfast ANY time of the day.

Have a great Monday and I'll see ya soon!!

Back to reality

HI!!!!

We are back from Destin, Florida! Getting back to reality is HARD!

After spending an ENTIRE 9 days with Clint and Ava it made if VERY difficult to go back to work this morning.  I actually thought about being a stay at home mama!  We had a blast on vacay and I will put pictures on the blog  tomorrow after we get them uploaded!  Back to work, back to "woman's work" on the house, back to regularly scheduled workouts, (I did get some great runs in in Florida though!), back to life. 

Here is a pic until I get the majority uploaded.

How was your week??

Have a great day!

Weekend in a blur.

1st things 1st.  Ava made it to Round 3!  The next 4 rounds are 1 day each from 9am-11pm central.
 VOTE DAILY!

Ok Monday, ugh.  I looked at Clint last night and said, "did we have a weekend?"  Saturday Clint had to work.  Ava and I had a mama/daughter day.  It was fabulous.  This was the most I have spent with her by myself since I went back to work at 4 weeks.  I enjoyed every moment.  I didn't go workout because that would be a a couple of hours Ava would be in kid-care and I wouldn't get to spend time with her.  My priorities sure did change when I became a mama!
Clint got off of work at 2:30pm, but I had to go help/run a Christmas party from 3-11pm.  So, we tagged and Clint had daddy/daughter night. 

The Christmas party I was a part of, I have been doing it 4 years straight.  Actually, my mom and sister do it with me.  We get to the host's house a couple of hours before showtime and cook last minute dishes, heat and plate the table.  When it is party time, my mom replenishes the dishes and washes cups, etc., I bartend, and my sister is outside taking pictures of everyone who shows up.  It is a whirlwind event.  It is a "come and go" party, but the majority stay and drink.  I think I opened up 20 bottles of wine and went through 5 cases of different kinds of beer.  These people DO NOT mess around.  We definitely make our money that night.  The host does a Cinco de Mayo party every year too.  Clint helps me do that and we have so much fun.  Clint and I work so well together and we have a lot of fun.  The host was asked if she could give my number to people that had asked about us.  Um, yes please.  We will see if I get any calls though.  I wouldn't mind when my personal training career started slowing down picking up catering and party planning.  I do enjoy that atmosphere and planning.

Sunday, we skipped church and decided to have a family day.  I slept in until 7:30pm.  I don't really know the last time that happened.  Granted, I went to bed about midnight and got up to feed Ava, but still 7:30am!!
We decided to head out and do a little shopping.  We got our yearly ornament's from the mall and got Ava her "1st Christmas" ornament.  The only people left on our list is Clint and I to buy for each other and Clint's grandma.  Pretty successful so far!

We came home and watched the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos game.  Clint has and always be a Chiefs fan.  Through good times and bad!  This year is a good year.

Then, we made a trip to the funeral home.  I don't know if this is a southern thing or not, but I was brought up going to funeral homes.  My mom is a professional griever.  My grandparent's were too.  If you know "of" someone in someone's family that passed away, you go to the funeral home visitation.  My brother's girlfriend's granddad passed away so we went to support her.  My brother had to go show off Ava to her side of the family while we were there. 
Do you go to visitations at funeral homes?
Is that a Southern thing or just normal?

To the grocery store we went after visitation.  We went for the week's food and dinners for this week.  We get to the check out and we had no idea what we were having for supper last night!  haha Well, O'Charley's it is!  I get the same grilled chicken salad there every time we go and I couldn't be happier.

When we got home we made iced and decorated sugar cookies.  This was so fun. I love cooking/baking with Clint.  Ava sat in her bouncy seat and watched us.  She kept coughing and we thought, "maybe she is getting sick."  She kept coughing until Clint picked her up.  Miraculously, she stopped.  That little tyke was just trying to get us to pay attention to her.  haha. 

I work with a massage therapist and today we are changing out services.  I get a 30 min massage and she gets a 30 min training session.  Win win I think.  The last time I had a massage was I think 2 years ago when Clint got me(us) a couple's massage for my birthday. I would (and just might) have to have a trading of services once a week!!

We are going to the gym tonight!  Yay.  There weren't a lot of options I was comfortable with at the party Saturday night, so I ate my weight in sausage balls and pita chips.  I feel kind of sluggish and a good sweat session is calling my name.
After that we are heading to, yet again, a funeral home visitation. One of the guys in our wedding texted Clint yesterday to tell him that his grandmother passed away.  Not fun, but one of those things that is the right thing to do, well in my book at least.

How was y'alls weekend?  Did it go by in a blur like mine?

Lazy? Me?

This week is almost O.Vah!!!  yep yep yep! 
Last night's spin class, whooped my tail!!  I loved it!  The regular teach was back thankfully and no substitute hummingbird on crack!  We got to the gym about 30 minutes before class was to start.  I was able to lift some muscles in my arms.
Skull crushers 3x10 10lb barbell
Chest press 3x10 20lb DBs
Combo-bicep curls into shoulder press 3x8 12lb DBs
Bent over rows 3x10 12lb DBs

I was the first to arrive to class, so I got a good warm up in before class started.  Good thing because this class was GLORIOUSLY HARD!.  I felt like really hitting it hard on the cycle.  Although, we did levels of 7-8 most of the class, I made this class hard on myself.    I was struggling!!! The teach even had to slow it down and "rest" between a few of the songs.  That motivated me more.  If she was struggling, I was going to as well.  BRING IT SISTA!  We ended up doing up/down hills, strength hills, into a 6+ flat ride into sprint hills.  I was a sweaty mess!!  Light grey shirt turned into a dark grey shirt, but I didn't care one bit. 

Clint and I are going to change our workout days to Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturdays now.  We were working out on Fridays right after work,  but we both feel rushed to go pick up Ava at my parent's house and then if we do something that night, feeling rushed then. Plus no kiddie care on Friday nights.  I'm thinking this is going to work better.

Thank y'all for all of the sweet comments about our pictures.  It is hard picking the favorites.  I will post our Xmas card when it gets close to Xmas. 

Other randomness.  Do you ever feel lazy??  I have been feeling super lazy this week.  For the record, I am not a lazy person.  I don't like sitting around that much.  I get stir crazy and "have" to do something.  This week though, my chore chart has been kicked to the curb!  I don't know what it is, but I just don't want to do anything.  Obviously our house is suffering, poor thing.  I would be EM...BARRASSED if you were to see our house.  Although, it does look "lived in" I have hit my "ok enough is enough, Courtney, get your tail up and clean the house phase.  So tonight, ladies and (gentlemen? you never know who reads this thing) our house will be getting a swift kick of cleaning, after the gym that is.

Do you have lazy days?

Organizing mama

Happy Hump Day chicas.  The week is down hill from here.  Hi-yoo!
I don't know about you, but I love days when I have already been oober productive by lunch.  Next week, my schedule is going to change from the random hours I have now to 7am-3pm Monday thru Thursday and 7am-1pm on Fridays.  I can spend more time with Clint and Ava and I can workout with Clint in the afternoons.  Well, we do our own thing, but we will be there at the same time. 

This also means I needed to get organized.  I don't know if you watch Grey's Anatomy but last week they decided on doing a "chore wheel" in the house where EVERY one of the doctors seems to be staying.  (that's for another day)  The chore wheel got my wheels spinning, so to speak.  Being that I will need to leave our house by 6am every morning to drop Ava off at my parent's house and get to work, that doesnt leave me a lot of time to get chores done around the house each morning like I usually do.  So, I made myself a chore sheet. Genius.  I made a spreadsheet and put it on the fridge so I will remember on what day what chore needs to be done.  This morning, I unloaded/loaded the dishwasher, thoroughly cleaned Clint and my bathroom, and swept and mopped the kitchen as well as got myself and Ava ready to go.  All before 8am.
There is something therapeutic to being productive and seeing the fruits of your labor i.e. a clean house.
(*Clint is a huge help around the house, but he also does the outside maintenance.  The spreadsheet is for my anul ways.)

Then, I was off to spin class.  I know you probably get tired of hearing about spin, but I love it!  I love how it will kick my butt and wear me out, but it is because I push myself to do it.  At the gym I workout at now, it is new to me.  He had worked out there before we signed up with a buddy of his, so he was familiar.  I wasn't!  I didn't know anyone there, especially not women.  This means I didn't/don't have a workout partner.  Now, I really like working out by myself, BUT even I need to be pushed.  I am very competitive and need that extra drive every now and then.  I think that is why I love spin so much.  I can be competitive with myself as well as the instructor(she is still kicking my butt though, haha) and the other people in class.  I need this right now to be successful at losing the leftover pregnancy weight.  I need this for my mentality.  I need this because I love it.

Are you an organized spreadsheet inventor, list making person??
Are you competitive? Or if not, what drives you?

Have a fab day!!

Spinning my wheels, trying to get somewhere.

Today was my favorite day so far this week!  I had spin class this morning!  I was already raring to go this morning.  I "slept in" until 5:45am and got up and got the dishwasher loaded, put together my food for the day, ate breakfast, checked my email, all before Ava got up at 6:30am.  I then fed her, put her back down(this usually doesn't happen.  She usually has the sleep, eat, play, repeat schedule down pat.  After I pu her back down, I put together a crockpot of turkey chili, so Clint could turn it on when he got home before him and Ava went to the gym.  I love the crockpot.  It is like magically made supper!

Like I said, I was super excited about spin and the hard workout I was about to recieve.  I was NOT disappointed.  Being this, is my second class EVER and my first teacher, I'm still not really sure what to expect each class.  Does this instructor do the same thing each time or different? Does she use the same music each time?  Well, she bases her class on her music.  She used a new mix of songs today and her class went with the songs.  If it was a slower temp song, we were "up in the clouds" if it was faster, we did up/downs or sprints.   I was so sweaty after class I could have wrung out my sports bra.  Gross, but I LOVE IT. The instructor knows I am a personal trainer and asked if I had taught group classes before and I told her yes.  She asked if I have ever taught spin or if I would want to.  She said you could do it no problem.  Um, please and thank you! That kills two birds with one.....bike. haha  My brain got to turning.  My personal training certification needs renewal next April and I need 20 CEU's(continued education units) for renewal.  I emailed ISSA and have asked if I received either my Group Fitness Cert or Spin cert if that could be accepted for the CEU's.  Fingers crossed.  That would be so great.  The Group Fitness is a home study and the Spin Cert is in Murfreesboro in December.  I can't wait to see what they say. 

I need a new educational goal.  I love to learn and take courses.  This would be my next goal.  I am such a goal oriented person.  I was thinking of all of the goals I set either each day or in life.
-Each day I like to have a goal of the milk amount I pump.
-I have a goal to fit into my favorite pair of jeans by Thanksgiving.
-I have a goal to get a blog post up at least every other day.
-Each time I workout, I have workout in my head or written down to accomplish.
-Leave the house at a certain time each morning.
I could go on and on.  Basically, I like goals and acheiving them.  But, if I don't necessarily leave the house at exactly the time I wanted, I do get a little stressed, but I deal with it.  Goals change. I will not reach every goal, but by george I will try.

Are you goal setters?  Are you ok with it, if you don't achieve that exact goal.

12 to go!

How far along? 28 weeks

How big is baby? Average size: About 2.5lbs  (equal in weight to a Chinese cabbage) 
 Average Length: about 10in(crown to rump)

What is baby doing this week? Babyzone.com says "Your unborn baby's survival rate outside the womb increases as each week passes. If he didn't open his eyes last week, chances are he'll take his first peek this week. Your baby-to-be's skeleton and muscles are maturing quickly. This week he can turn his head from side to side. What is going on in mama? Steady growth in the belly.  Everything else has seemed to stopped growing.  Thank goodness!

Most of the lanugo has disappeared at this point and your baby may have a full head of hair by now."



Symptoms: No appetite and when I do get hungry I can't eat much at all because my stomach feels like it is going to be punctured by my ribs.  That or the fact that I get bad heartburn.

Maternity clothes: No doubt!

Sleep: Most nights are pretty uncomfortable.

Best moment last week? We finished painting Ava's room!!!  Pictures to come! My parents bought the bed, mattress, and bedding.  The bedding should be here at the 1st of next week!!

Movement: I can tell she is getting stronger and stronger and the movements really make my belly move.

Cravings: None at all.

Belly Button in or out: Bless my belly button's heart.

What I miss? Seeing my girl parts (oh yes, it disappears.) and bending over comfortably to put my shoes on!

What I am looking forward to:Meeting another doc in the practice on Tuesday for our 1st 2 week appt.

Milestones:  12 weeks left!

How is daddy? He has been his great daddy self.  Making sure the painting is perfect in his baby girl's room and CAN NOT wait to put her bed together.  On a not so fun note, Clint's Nana passed away early Wednesday morning.  This is really the closest person in his life he has lost and is having an emotional time.  We will be at the funeral home all this afternoon and night and then the service is tomorrow!  If you would please be thinking about him and me to be able to comfort him in the way he needs me to comfort!

The fall of the leaves!

Well, good morning!  Yesterday, we were supposed to go visit Clint's mom, but plans fell through.  We will see her this week sometime to celebrate her upcoming Bday.

I love the fact that I can write about whatever I want on this blog.  I made it a broad name because my mind goes 872 different directions in a matter of minutes and I wanted to be able to write about whatever was going on in my life that was "worth it".

I think going through trials and tribulations in life does make you stronger.  I would rather have gone through those rough times that not.

On Friday, I went to therapy.  I haven't been in I think 8 weeks.  It was great to see T.  She is wonderful at what she does.  We were talking about where my life has gone in the year I have been seeing her.  I am a completely different person than I was a year ago.  I was a selfish person, claiming not to be.  Having an ED not specified is, to me, selfish.  I was so absorbed in myself and thoughts about exercising, eating so much protein, and fighting the urge to overeat because my body was crazing food. 

Sure, I wanted a baby, but I weas terrified of changing my body.  It was all about me.  I think that God was showimg me humilty.  He was showing me that I WAS NOT HEALTHY ENOUGH.  As a personal trainer, you have this persona to obtain.  People are always looking at you by what you do or put in your mouth.  That turned into an unhealthy situation.

Making the decision to get healthy was very hard.  I struggled with it each day.  It wasn't until the R.E. said that my hormone levels were good and my weight was at a happy place did I realize what I had done and who I was thinking about.  ME!

A year later, and my priorities have COMPLETELY shifted.  I want a baby badly and if I need to eat a cupcake I will.  I might thing "oh dear goodness, I know how many calories that has!" but if it is for the hope of a baby then bring on the cuppycakes!

I know in my heart that this journey will be worth every struggle and tight pants day.  I know that I am in a place in my life and my body that I am physically able to carry a baby if/when we conceive.

WAS IT WORTH IT??
~Yes, it was.  I might have done some things differently, but those struggles have made me the person I am now.  I am ready to be a mama, I am able to be a mama.  An unselfish person, trying, with the help of my husband, raise a child in this world.

Instead of our plans yesterday, my husband declared Sunday afternoon not a day of rest and football, but of rakes, leaves, and blowers(not that kind!)  We raked some of the yard and let me tell you,  IT SUCKED!!
I have a deeper appreciation for him doing it all by himself last year.  After an hour, I was done.  Luckily so was he.  Here are some pictures to document my helping of the leaf extraction from our yard.

PREPARATION MODE! HE ACTUALLY LOOKS EXCITED!

PART OF OUR BACKYARD.  DOESN'T IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL??  IT IS SURELY NOT AFTER PILING THEM UP AND SWEATING LIKE A MAN IN A SAUNA.

I PRETENDED TO BE BADA$$.  USING THIS THINGS MAKES YOUR HANDS TINGLE.

MY ATTEMPT TO KILL THE LEAVES AND MAKE THEM SUFFER.  I SUFFERED MORE.

MY MAN SHOWING THE LEAVES WHO IS BOSS!

ARE WE DONE YET??  WE ONLY GOT A CORNER DONE??  WHAT THE &^&&^&*&((*)(*)(^^%%&???

SHE WAS NOT VERY HAPPY WITH DADDY!  BUT SHE LOOKS SO DARN CUTE.

That was a memorable November 1.  Next year, I am putting a net under the trees to catch the beautiful little turds before they hit the ground.  I have learned my lesson.  Thank you Mr. Clint for teaching me how hard it is to rake leaves. 

Have a great day!!!!

Guess who?

The pumpkin has made a daily appearance in my life the past few days and I couldn't be happier.  It is like fall in your mouth.  Love love love you mr. pun-kin!

Last night was DATE night.  We try to get a date night once a week.  We think it is important to get out and go somewhere just the two of us. 

Our wild and crazy night started out with a little of this.

And finished with this.

We get wild and craazzzyyyy on date night.  Honestly, it doesn't matter what we do on date night.  It is about the experience and the one you are with.

Have you had a date night lately??

Thursday night, I was training one of my clients and we were talking about her family and how busy her life is.  Some sessions are light conversation and some are of a more serious nature with her.  We were talking about how she wears many many hats. (wife, mom, taxi driver, errand runner, school function supporter, laundromat worker, cook)  I'm sure there are more.  The point of the conversation was that she has no idea who SHE is anymore.  This is one of the reasons she put on weight during pregnancies and never lost it. (her kids are teenagers)  I had to help her understand that she won't be truly happy until SHE is truly happy and find out who she is again.  This is easier said than done though.  Especially since her kids and husband NEED her so much.

I can relate to her because I am in the stage of my life where I am really figuring out who Courtney is.  For 26 years of my life I let everyone around me decide things for me because it was easier for me to let them decide and keep the peace.  I am a peace keeper and don't like to ruffle feathers. 

When I started going to therapy, she would have me do an exercise in choosing things I like.  I was stumped.  It had been so long that  I had no clue of how to begin to decide on things I liked.  Clint was involved by helping me and sometimes making me decide on things (big or small).  It was hard.  I didn't want to make a decision and then disappoint someone because that isn't what they wanted to do.

Over time, I am finding out things that I like and don't like and not feeling sorry for it.  Don't get me wrong sometimes it is hard for me to still pick things and Clint does get frustrated ( he has to decide most things because I am stubborn and have NO opinion).  I just take a step back, analyze the situation and ask myself "what do you want?"  Sometimes I find out and sometimes I go with the flow.

I am so much happier knowing that I have the power inside of me to decide what I like and dislike.  I don't have to be sorry for it.  I don't have to change my mind.  Although, I can and most of the time compromise about things, I CAN make a decision.

I love who I am.  Quirks, indecisiveness, and imperfections.  Its ME.

Do you know who you truly are?

Are you a decision maker?

Love: What does that mean?

Happy Hump day!  Wednesdays are always good in my book because it means the week is on the downward slope.  I start looking forward to the weekends and spending QT with my hubs. 

Driving to work this morning, I saw a marquee with the phrase Life without love is like Fall without leaves.  That really struck a cord in me.  I drove the rest of the way to work and thought.

It is so true!!

Fall is an amazing season, with all of the vivid colors of oranges, reds, yellows, and browns, the smells of cinnamon, pumpkin, and apple pies, the comfort of sweat pants, hot chocolate, sweaters, and blankets.  Fall is such a comforting season.  But without the changing of colors and falling of leaves, Fall can't happen.

I started to reflect on the phrase I saw and what it meant to me.  Love is everywhere.  Or better yet, it SHOULD be everywhere. 

I love God.
I love my husband.
I love my family and friends.
I love my health.
I love our dogs.
I love shoes and handbags.
I love vegetables and fruit.
I love our boat and the lake.
I love my job.

I could go on and on.  I won't bore you with EVERYTHING I love. but you get my point.  I love so many things, but love takes on many meanings for me.  Even though I love a boo-coodle of stuff, each love is different.

 I love God first and foremost and He has blessed my life so much.  I love my husband second and God could not have provided a better man for me.  (I love you Clint!)  My family and friends have ALWAYS been there for me and the love I have for them goes very deep.  Loving shoes, handbags, food, exercise and whatnot is part of me as well, but I COULD live without them.  I could be content without stuff.  Would I want to??  um....not necessarity, but I could if I had to.

Love in my life is built around people.  People that I know love me unconditionally.  It doesn't matter what I look like, what I eat, or how many miles I run.  People in my life love me for who I am.  Words cannot describe the happiness and contentment that comes with true love in your life!!

Life=LOVE

Who do you love??
Could you be happy without "stuff"?