Baby Weight

I've been kind of dragging my feet on this . . . but it's time.

Time to discuss the dreaded baby weight. 

It's so much more fun to discuss summer outings, crafts with kids, photography, and, oh yes, the sweetness and joy of having a precious new little baby at home.  But it's time to get real, y'all.  And the fact of the matter is I've got weight to lose. 

I have gone back and forth about whether or not to post my weight.  I think I'm not ready for that, so instead, I'll tell you how much I have to lose.  About 20 pounds.  {Gasp!} That's right, my sweet little Taylor Grace is 6 weeks old today, and I still have 20{ish} pounds to lose.  Let me just tell you, that's what happens when you gain upwards of 44 pounds during a pregnancy.  Surprise, surprise, I did not give birth to a 35 pound baby! 

So . . . here's what I'm doing so far:

Trying very hard to cut out the junk.  I crave a lot of sweets, and I'm not really into denying myself that, so it's a challenge.  But I'm trying to make better choices. 

I'm drinking a lot of water.  This is not a problem for me.  I typically drink a lot of water, so not much change there. 

I am getting up and moving more.  I seriously thought I was moving a lot as it was.  I mean, really, I'm chasing after kiddos all day long.  But when the scale isn't budging, it means I need to move more.  I'm trying to exercise daily because if I don't, then it doesn't get done at all.  3-4 times a week I do aerobics with Denise Austin, and the remaining days I'm walking.  I used to exercise all the time, but really haven't regularly since Kameryn was born 2 1/2 years ago {yikes!}.   So, {do not laugh!} I am starting slow.  Walking a mile and a half on the nights that I do the walking, and hoping to work my way up.  Pathetic, I know, but I'm just trying to be honest here.

Alright, so any tips?  Motivational thoughts?  Inspirational words?  ;)

Oh, and here's a photo of my precious Taylor with Nana.  She is growing like a weed!  Crazy, I tell ya.  I look at her, and I don't even care about the weight.  {But, I still kinda do a little bit}.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Bath Time!

Day Trip

This summer is reminding me a little bit of last summer.  And that's not sayin' a lot.  Same kind of weather {crummy}, and we haven't really done anything too exciting {you know, besides the typical: building a house last summer, and having a baby this summer}.

I didn't want the summer to pass us by without us getting out of the house and enjoying it!  I already see that the countdown until school starts has begun :(  And that just makes me sad.  So . . . we decided to take a little day trip to Enchanted Forest; a fun little theme park about an hour south of us.  We packed a picnic lunch, a couple of cousins came along {and even our favorite boys: Daddy and Gramps}, and we hit the road!

{This is an annual trip, by the way!  I love traditions, remember?  You can see our Enchanted Fun from past summers by clicking HERE  and HERE  and even HERE}

Kam has been several times, but she doesn't remember it.  We told her there were slides, so the whole.entire.way.there she was talking about the "shoe slide".  She was pretty excited.



I'm so glad I got a quick shot of the kiddos before we ran off to ride rides and explore.  Our sweet cousin, Sadie {2nd from left}, just turned 14, so we celebrated her birthday, and she brought her friend.  I know I've mentioned this before, but I ♥ LOVE ♥ the way Kam always keeps an eye on her big sissies to see how they're responding in every situation.  I think it's adorable.


This shot cracks me up.  Kenners decided to be brave and go through the haunted house with Daddy.  Sierra was giving her a hug "in case she never saw her again". LOL!



Spooky!


Just had to snap a photo of sweet Taylor Grace.  Typically I'm holding her and I'm the one with the camera, so she doesn't always make it in the shots ;)  She slept the entire time.  She loves the sling and Ergo. 

Kam rode the train with Nana while the older ones hit the bumper cars.



Hey! No Head-On Bumping!  Got it?  {They take all the fun out of it, don't they?}

It wasn't all that warm, but that didn't deter the girls from going down the log ride!  Poor Daddy and Gramps were bullied into going too ;)


Sissy didn't even wear her sweatshirt!


Splash!


And finally the Ice Mountain Bobsled.  Even Kam got to go on that one!

We had such a fun day.  Okay, now tell me about your favorite day trip.

Wordful Wednesday ~ Slumber Partyin'

Our dearest friends are preparing to pack up, and hit the road for several months.  We are going to miss them SO much!

We decided that a slumber party was in order before they depart.

Two mamas, eight littles, and lots o' fun!

But first, some preparation . . .

Making yummy breakfast breads.

Sierra is my "egg cracker"

And Kenners is in charge of the spatula.

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Then, the big night!

Movie watching, late-night chatting, and memory-making with sweet friends!

We All Scream!

We're trying to get into the summer spirit here {despite the low temps, and RAIN, phooey!}, and nothing says summer like . . . homemade ice cream!!

It's super easy to make, and delicious to eat!

All you need is: 1 Tbsp. Sugar, 1/2 Cup of Milk  1/4 tsp. Vanilla  6 Tbsps. Rock Salt  1 Pint Size Ziploc Bag
1 Gallon Size Ziploc Bag  and  Ice

{We added caramel to one batch, and it was SO yummy!}

Fill the gallon size bag half way with ice, then add the rock salt.  In the pint size bag pour in the sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Seal the bag and place inside the gallon size bag.  Then start shakin' it.  You're only supposed to have to shake it for 5 minutes, but it took us at least 10 minutes to get the ice cream to set up.  I guess we're not very efficient at shakin'!









It is seriously the yummiest treat ever!  And so much fun for the kiddos.

So . . . . I'm curious.  What kinds of kid-friendly summer fun have you been up to?  Any recommendations for other simple fun summer treats that children can help with?  I need some inspiration :)

♥ One Month ♥

{Edited to add a few photos and a weight update!}

I'm sorry, but how is it possible that we've gotten here so fast?   Is it really time for monthly posts of our newest little blessing? 
Sigh. 
How time flies. 
And I don't like it ONE bit!

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

Miss Taylor Grace, you are ♥ One Month Old ♥ today.

You are a tiny little bundle of sweetness.

You really enjoy your sleep.  Especially during the day.  Not so much at night ;)



{I LOVE that you sleep with your mouth open.  So very precious!}

You weigh around 9 pounds.  {Edited: At your 4 week weight check we found out that . . . you weigh 9 pounds, 13 ozs.  You've gained 2 whole pounds in 2 weeks!}

You are so peaceful and content {a bit of a change from your littlest big sis}.




I love your sweet baby smell.  Your teeny tiny baby noises.  Your soft little hands, and adorable toes.  Everything about you.

You remind me a lot of your biggest sis, Sierra, when she was a baby.  Your dark, dark hair.  Your sweet, peaceful disposition.  Those dang hiccups that bother you all.the.time.  And that you tend to be a little spitty.  So much like Sierra.  And so much your own little person already.



Please stay little for awhile.  You're growing much too fast.

Just A Spoon, Please

This morning Kam was wanting breakfast

{she likes to eat immediately upon her feet hitting the floor}. 

Lately she's been choosing "mini cancakes" 

{She's my pancake girl.} 

Typically she enjoys them plain-jane, but every once in awhile she likes them with a little whipped cream.

{I mean, who doesn't?} 

 *This* morning she pulled out the Cool Whip.  No "cancakes", just Cool Whip. 

So I asked her what she'd like with her Cool Whip . . . Mini Cancakes?  Waffles?  Nope, neither. 

 She asked for . . . a spoon. 

Seems little Miss was hoping for a Cool Whip breakfast.

{Can't really say I blame her}.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news . . .

Miss Taylor Grace is creeping up on 4 weeks! 

Ugh, how does that happen? 

The first week or so seemed like an eternity, but now time is flying again, and I hate that. 

Why can't time slow down a bit???

Guess who loves the sling?



Yep, pretty precious.

Camp-Out!

I finally got around to going through 4 million camping photos.  {Am I the only one who has a hard time keeping up with photo organization?  I'm thinking I take too many pictures.  And then I wonder . . . is there such thing as too many?}

We headed out Wednesday morning, but made a few stops before getting out of town.

Kenners, Kam, and Taylor stayed in the truck with me while Jeremy and Sierra grabbed some ice.  We fueled up, and then were on our way!

Can you guess what the girls did immediately after arriving?

This one's for you, Connie ;)  Okay, so it's not a squirrel, but a chipmunk.  Close enough, yes?

We spent our days visiting and crafting.  The girls loved decorating their own flip flops.



The boys fished ;)




There was some lovin' on babies.



And once the cousins got to camp . . .



Watch out!  There was all.kinds.of.fun!



And a lot of hugs and smooches .  .  .



Are these the cutest little girls ever???



Kam cannot get enough of Mona.



Little lovies.



Oh yeah, and what would a camp-out be without S'mores???

We made our own version.  Skipped the graham crackers and chocolate and used chocolate chip cookies ;)



Our view of the lake.



And, oh yes, the girls had a splashin' good time!





Soaked!



At our auction a favorite aunt passed out glow-in-the dark fun! 



This little pumpkin . . . she was born to camp!  She did fabulous!  Not a peep out of her.  What a sweetie!
{And is it just me, or does someone look a little chunkier??  Little muffin is growing!}

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So, talk to me about your camping trips!  Your favorite parts, least favorite parts.  Traditions. 

That's my favorite part, the tradition of it.  We look forward to my reunion camp out each year.  It would have been pretty easy to cancel this year.  With a brand new baby, and a lot of unexpected illness.  But I know how important it is to my children.  I hope to start more traditions.  I just love them!