Busyness

I wish I could say that I haven't blogged because there hasn't been anything to write about but that is so far from the truth. It's simply because I've been SOOOOOO busy!! Between photo sessions, editing said photo sessions, working out, and everything with my kids, I am just so busy. So this will be a hodgepodge blog post of everything. So bare with me. :)

Business is still extremely busy from my Groupon deal. With only 4 months left to use the deal I'm sure it's only going to get even busier. I have plenty of pictures from the shoots to finally update my website though...so I'm excited! (http://www.daniellesmithphotography.com) I've met some of the sweetest people doing this. I hope they're loving their images as much as I am taking them.

I have been working out for the last two months at a local fitness studio. I've been taking Zumba classes along with Bodysculpt classes. I've loved how I feel after working out even if sometimes I feel like I'm going to die during. haha I've had lots of comments about my body slimming down....which I LOVE! I've met friends who have encouraged me to push myself even more. The instructors are awesome too! Now I just need to do better at eating better and drinking more water. I know I'll see even more results once we do that.

The boys are getting so big. They're just about wearing the same size. They're only a few pounds and inches apart. They're both getting good with their letters and counting. I can't believe Corgan will start school next year. I'm excited for him though. This will be a good experience for him. He does great listening to someone other than Mommy and Daddy....so I'm sure he'll do great! Keelan sure will miss him. He loves his big brother and tries to do everything that he does. Keelan is a bright little guy. He's been counting almost to 10 since before he even turned 2 in August.

The house isn't really coming along any more as far as decorating. We didn't finish painting. Need to get that done. We haven't bought a rug or table for the foyer just yet. That's on our to do list for sure. We got our new furniture and we love it! It looks so good with the paint color we chose. Need to get some electrical work done and we can put the TV on top of the mantle and free up the TV stand/dresser we're using now. That will probably go in the boys' playroom so they can play games in there. I have so many ideas but not sure when or if they'll ever happen. It'll probably happen just slowly. That's ok with me. :)

Marshall and I are trying to have date nights more often as we can with the budget. We've been using gift cards and coupons to help take out the high costs. I'm hoping we can do it consistently. We really need the time alone. Seems like we don't get to get out just the two of us nearly enough. I would love to have a weekend getaway with just my husband. Hope one day we can do that.

Well, if you've survived my hodgepodge post, thank you! Hope I can get better at this. I know I say it all the time, but I mean it. :)

We're in!

After almost a month of moving around we finally closed on our house and moved in. We've been in a week now and things are livable now. Not perfect, but livable. :) It's been crazy not only for us personally but for my business as well. I didn't have access to pictures to edit for almost 3 weeks or more! It was horrible!!! Trying to get things back to normal now.

Making a house a home...

We are almost to moving day. It was supposed to be the past Friday but due to circumstances it was pushed back to this week. We are waiting on last bits of stuff being put together and hope to get a closing date soon! I am so ready to be moved in. We packed up probably at least 85% of our stuff before we found out we wouldn't be closing Friday last week. We've still been able to have fun as a family. My favorite has been the snuggling up on our bed (which is just our mattress and boxspring on the floor - frame is packed on the truck!) and snacking while watching Netflix on my laptop. We've enjoy our share of kids movies with the kids as well as our own movies at night (scary flicks for him and chick flicks for me...hehe). Soon we'll go from small cramped spaces to having plenty of room for everyone. So my next few blogs will be about turning house into a home. Right now the house is very neutral. Carpet is beige as are the walls and ceilings. I can't wait to add color to it. To give it our special family touch. To make it ours. Forever. Or until we move. Not sure I'll ever want to do this again. haha

Progress and backtracking

I've made minimal progress on packing. Gotten a few more totes (Rubbermaid containers) of stuff packed. Using what we have of those from storing the clothes the boys have outgrown. I'm donating everything they have outgrown or that we don't need. Trying to minimize what we have to move. Even though we're moving to a bigger space, I want it to feel big and not as cluttered. I know that's what Marshall wants too cause he has said it. :)

We've had backtracking on our weight loss efforts. We haven't done so good with eating lately. The biggest problem is my grocery shopping. We haven't had enough in the house so we've been eating out way more than we've needed. That's not good not only on our bodies but also our budget. We're trying to watch the budget good so that we'll be ready to close on the 24th for our new house. We're going to be buying new furniture so we need to have money for that. I'm trying to be budget friendly with that. Luckily with our Team National discounts we'll be able to get very good, well made furniture for major discounts. (For example, the dining table I blogged about before with 6 chairs is less than $500!)

We have also had some problems with the bank that is doing our mortgage....mainly due to not reading Marshall's emails. He's trying to give them everything that they need. It's stressing him out that they're not getting things right. Latest thing is they just found out that every paper has the address spelled wrong...ugh. Please pray for Marshall to get everything straightened out and that we don't have any more problems so that we can get closed on time.

First boxes

I guess you can say I've packed my first boxes. I have packed away all bathroom toiletries that I have stockpiled that we won't use in the next 3 weeks. I have also packed my stockpile of air fresheners and candles. I have over 7 toothpastes, 13 deodorants, 4 razors, and a womanly stash to last me probably over a year. :) That's not everything...just a show of the bulk of what I have. I plan to add to the stash as I can since we'll have more cabinet space at the house. I have at least 22 rolls of paper towels and 16 rolls of toilet paper (not much but again will add to this!). My next stockpile to pack will probably be the medicine cabinet stuff. I have lots of bottles of vitamin D that I got for less than a dollar or free. Since both Marshall and I take it I stocked up while I could. We've gone through our Ester C stockpile so I need to find good coupons for those. I still have a raincheck for them for BOGO free at Walgreens. Well, back to packing/cleaning/getting ready for Corgan's t-ball game tonight. Need to figure out what's for supper.

It's June!

Normally June only means a birthday for Corgan and Father's Day but this year it means moving into our first home. Both Marshall and I almost couldn't sleep last night because we are so excited about the house. I'm sure the next 3 weeks will go so slow. haha Hopefully slow enough to get everything done but not too slow. :)

Corgan has been playing his first season of t-ball this year. He has a makeup game tonight and the last one is on Saturday. He missed out on 3 games due to weather this year. He has really enjoyed playing. He has a fit about it until he sees his coach. Once he sees his coach he's constantly asking him, "Where do you want me to play coach?". I think that is the sweetest thing ever. Makes Marshall and I very proud of him. Corgan has also been taking gymnastics the last 3 weeks. I used a coupon we got in the mail for a month of free classes...so he only has 1 class left. He has really liked it. I think we want to try to get him a few more classes later if we can afford it. :) Corgan will be 4 on June 18th. I think we will go to Chuck E Cheese to play and then CiCis (or the other way around) to eat. We'll have a party for him once we move into the new house so we'll have lots of room to invite friends and family over.

Keelan is my little mockingbird. He is such a jabberjaws and will repeat (or at least try to repeat) everything you say. It's so wild to see how different he is from his brother. He has a big vocabulary and most of his words are very clear to understand. He loves to play in the dirt and get dirty. The boys' bathtub stays covered in dirt and grime from my dirty boys. :) It means they're having fun though so I don't mind. Keelan will be 2 on August 11th. He will definitely be having a Sesame Street party cause he LOVES all of the characters....especially Elmo! (affectionately known as Mo-Mo). We'll probably do a pool party of sorts for him since we'll have a backyard to do it in.

Marshall and I are getting back to exercising and losing weight. When we realized he wouldn't be going overseas we let it go a little. Time to get back on track! We took a walk as a family on Tuesday night regardless of the hot humid temps and it felt so good. I want to get back into doing my Slim in 6....maybe with Zumba classes mixed in either at home or when I can afford to go to classes at Corgan's gym where he takes gymnastics. We will also be getting our treadmill from Marshall's grandma's house since we'll have space for it now.

I think that's the biggest updates about June. I'm hoping to lose almost another 10 lbs this month (or shortly after the month ends).

Guess what?!

We're moving!! Shortly after my last post we were told we had 6 months to move. While it was a little scary at first and made us want to scream and cry at the same time, it's become a good thing for us. We just recently had our offer accepted for our first home together. We found a foreclosure for $70,000 less than the appraised value. We jumped on the deal quickly. It's in great condition with minor things that need to be fixed. Great location with a cul-de-sac on one side of it and a dead end on the other side...so it'll be safe for the kids to play. There is a good backyard that we plan on fencing in. Every time we've gone to the house the boys just run wild in there. They love the extra space. Course going from less than 800 to just over 2000 sq ft could be the difference. :) They will both get their own room plus we will have a room for storage and as an office/hobby room. We'll have both an eat-in kitchen area and a dining room so we'll have at least buy 1 table. (Our mobile home now isn't big enough for a table) I can't wait to have 24 cabinets instead of 5 in the kitchen. I could go on and on about what I love about the house. Closing can't get here soon enough! Here are a few ideas that I have for the great room and kitchen area.

* The picture above is what I am looking at as the table in the foyer area - will put a mirror on the wall above with probably a floral arrangement or something on the table/chest. We have a special sign that has our family name and est. date that I will probably put on the opposite wall

with a key holder.

This is the rug I really like for the great room. I love the colors and style. We had originally thought about a light gray color for the walls. Then I found this rug last night and I fell in love with the colors and how they pop off the rug. It reminds me of Fall...and that is my favorite season.

This is the lamps that I like for the great room as well. It's a 3 piece set.

Here is some art work I think would look good in the great room. I love the black and cherry pop of these tables. I think they have good function but can still be kid-friendly. I like the look of glass on tables but I don't want my kids to ruin them.

This is the table I like for the kitchen area. I love the curio as well. Not sure if we'll buy it as well though. I thought with the black pop in the furniture it would go well with the granite countertops in our kitchen. This set matches the table set I picked for the great room.

Course none of these are for sure ideas. Just doing a little brainstorming/window shopping. I can't and won't do anything until we close on the house cause we don't have any extra space here to store anything. So what do you think of the ideas? Would love some input as I'm not the greatest decorator. :)

Changes

There are some changes going on in our family. Marshall works for the gov't and has been accepted for a position overseas. This wouldn't be a move for all of us....just a tour of duty for him for 6 months. However before he can leave he has to get his BMI down. I have decided to blog our journey. We started this past Saturday with exercising and eating better. Here's a rundown of what we're doing and then our progress so far!

Marshall - Working out at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Working out at home with me Tuesday and Thursday doing Slim in 6. We will also walk as much as possible. Will be starting a heart diet used at a nearby hospital to lose weight quickly next week. This will be for 3 days and then 4 days off (but still eating healthy). He's eating a lot of salads. Taking Advocare supplements and using the Meal Replacement Shakes.

Danielle - Working out at home 6 days a week with 1 day off. Using Slim in 6. Using Weight Watchers points and eating healthier smaller portions. I will be starting the heart diet with Marshall next week. Also walking with Marshall as much as possible. Taking Advocare supplements and using the shakes as well. Drinking only water....no sodas or teas.

I am also making a conscious effort to stay away from all fast food. I will have to be healthy when going out to eat with friends as I have a lunch date with a friend on Friday and then a baby shower/girls night out next Monday. I will probably just get a salad both times. I will need to resist the yeast rolls at Logans on Monday. That will be hard as bread is my weakness but I CAN do it! :)

Results as of this morning:
Marshall - down 9+ lbs!! (there's a plus because before he would get an error so we're not sure what his full starting weight was) So proud of him!!!!
Danielle - down 4 lbs!! I am almost to my pre-pregnancy weight....only 2 lbs away. I have fluctuated between the same 5 lbs for the past 4 years since I got pregnant. I will be going way past the pre-pregnancy weight!

I am sharing this on Facebook so that you can all join us in praying and keeping us accountable. Blogging it to keep from having so many updates on my Facebook page. :)

Progress

Both Corgan and Keelan have made progress in their lives. I'm so proud to be their Mommy. :)

Corgan is 43 months old and has been potty trained almost a year now. I can't believe it's already been a year. It has had ups and down but he's done really well. He's not completely night trained yet but we're trying to work on it. He is recognizing and naming almost all of his ABCs, can count to at least 8 on his own (Hubby says he's heard him count to 15!), and can run all the way around the house kicking the soccer ball (alternating feet) without stopping. We're thinking of putting him in t-ball this summer. He loves sports. He's pretty advanced in motor skills...at least I think so. He can say a lot of different words and talks non-stop. I'm trying to plan his 4th birthday party so I'm sure I'll talk about that pretty often.

Keelan is almost 18 months old now. He can point out his nose, eyes, and ears so far. He knows his hands, arms, feet and legs as well but doesn't point to them yet. He loves to eat and copy his brother. He does more talking than signing...but he can sign more and milk. He has signed please before but doesn't use it regularly. Keelan can say mommy, daddy, bubba, milk, please, thank you, yes sir, no, mine, cookie, cracker, pancake, hey, bye, go, and probably several more. He's a talker. :) He can be quite the little fireball when things don't go his way but we're trying to control that without breaking his spirit. He has a serious love for Elmo so I'm sure that's going to be the theme for his birthday. He loves books. I love seeing him snuggled up with a book...warms my heart.

Things are picking up for my photography business. Have weddings planned, birthday pictures, and more coming soon! I love every aspect of taking pictures. I enjoy capturing the emotions and pleasing each client. I recently had the opportunity to take pictures at a fundraising event for a local church. They did a 50s style musical. It was great! They did a wonderful job putting it together and I was so proud! Will share some of the pics soon....as well as some of the other recent shoots. I'm still an active volunteer with NILMDTS. We're in need of several more volunteers both photographer and assistants. If it looks like something you'd be interested in, please don't hesitate to ask me about it or apply via the website. I think it may possibly be the greatest thing I have ever done...and it's not even for myself. It's bigger than myself. I pray every time that I go to the hospital that God would fill the room with peace in the time of need for the families.

Trying to get my Premier Designs business going off well this year. It's by far the best business I've found as far as what you can make and earn. I'm using the business to give back with fundraisers as well. Jacob's Wings and March for Babies. If you would like to give to either of those you can. There is no requirement that you have to buy jewelry. It's just a way for me to help give back.

Happy New Year!

I'm hoping with the new year for several new things! Most people make New Year's resolutions. I have before but I've very rarely succeeded. 2011 is going to be a new start for me in so many ways. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Start blogging more - so I can see what God has done in and through our lives. Also to see how my boys grow.
2. Start reading the Bible more along with daily prayer and worship times
3. Start exercising daily - Marshall and I started the BeachBody Slim in 6 program on January 4th. I plan to blog about this journey along with pictures and updates.
4. Start eating better

I'm sure there are more that I can add later. These are the most important ones right now.