2010: Year End Review {Monthly Play by Play}
January
- I made my 2010 Resolutions… and for the most part, I stuck to them! Well, um… okay so not totally but two out of three ain’t bad — I definitely put my family back at the top of my priority list and began managing my time more wisely. I did not, however, focus more on my ministry, develop business hours, or write a whole lot on my books. Oops.
- Barry’s Grandma Passed Away… which was really hard for us. Barry loved her and I adored her. I hate that she’s not here now that we’ve moved back to town. :(
- Avalyn Went to the Movies for the first time ever!
- My entire house got flooded by our washing machine!
- I talked about The Me That I Am and I shared a little about {Life} in general… how dreams can spark jealousy at times.
February
- I gave a little insight into myself by talking about Fibromyalgia, Tumors, and Me… then I decided that despite all of that, My Life is Full!
- My oldest “baby” turned 10…
- I decided what My Top {and Bottom} Three Concerns are as a mom!
- I made up my mind that I would be Going Back To College … then I wrote about it. A lot.
- I realized that There “Snow” Place Like Home lol (no really, it snowed in Louisiana!)
March
- Zoe didn’t Potty Train.
- I found out that “Mom” is the Greatest Title I’ll Ever Hold :)
- I was In My Grandmother’s House for the first time since she passed in 2008. And loved it.
April
- Barry and I took the kids to Kamper Park — it was their First Trip to the Zoo! {Part 1} … {Part 2} … {Part 3}
- I wondered if it were possible that I am The Only One whose kids are absolutely determined to work against them LOL
- I shared a super personal letter I wrote to my husband, All the Reasons I Love You! {Then we wrote each other Little Love Letters}
- I did my best to inspire people for the times When You Feel Like “Together” Isn’t Worth the Effort Anymore…
- I made a list of Random Thoughts Motivated by Sleep Deprivation :)
May
- Talia started having some really terrible headaches like me as a child, so we made her a Doctor Appointment. Then, I did an Update on Talia’s Headaches (and got all concerned about the Tylenol Recall!
- I bought my husband an early anniversary gift… Vroom Vroom!
June
- I explained why I teach my chidlren that Almost Doesn’t Count.
- My little ZoeBug Turned TWO!
- I had a reaaaaallly good reason to ask, “How Would YOU Like To Find THIS in Your Window?“
July
- I went to audition for American Idol!
- I took some awesome photos in the Canal Street Cemetery!
August
- I got a glimpse at the wonderful abilities of Zoe, My 2-Year-Old Problem Solver!
September
- I got to take a mini-vacation with Barry to Fort Walton Beach :)
- We got to celebrate Avalyn’s{5th} Birthday! My precious nine-eleven baby :)
- Barry left to work offshore… and Our Journey Began Again!
October
- We were so excited to exclaim, “Schedules and Routines, Here We Come!“
- We revealed The Big News: We Moved!! :)
- Moving ended up meaning NO FOOTBALL for Tre… or so we thought. :)
- I published a Family Update {Finally!} … the first one this year haha Oops!
November
- We had Our First Weekend With ALL the Kids (yes… SEVEN of them!)
- My step son, Kylan, had a birthday — so did my husband, Barry!
- I got to see my BESTEST friend EVER for the first time in two years. :) One Great Friend is Hard to Come By & I have TWO!
- My girls had a Gymnastics Competition in the yard.
- I Gave Up On Something… and didn’t cry haha!!!
- Barry left for SOUTH AFRICA, which resulted in Long Days, Bad Nerves!!
December
- I announced that I’m bringing back Random Chaos! {My Webshow}
- I learned a 19-year old lesson about The Bumps and Bruises of Life from my Pappaw who passed away in 1996.
- My children taught me a thing or two about myself, and life in general as I reflected on The Commitment of Being Mommy!
- My stepson and I laid some groundwork in our relationship, but first I thought he’d be calling me Lady Tremaine before it was all over with!
- I applied for Mamavation!!! Check out {My Mamavation Mom Campaign #7 Application}
I hope you all had a fabulous year. Ours was challenging… but we saw a lot of blessings in the process and I’m grateful for the experiences 2010 brought. I’m also anxious to see how this year shapes 2011 and what God has in store for our family in the new year.
Mamavation: I’m Pledging the Sistahood! :)
It’s pretty shameful to admit how many times in the last two years I have challenged myself to become more physically fit… and yet here I am, four — yes F-O-U-R — pounds lighter than I was 2 years ago… and just as flabby and *ewww* as I was just a few months after Zoe was born. It’s not just about looks though. I need to be healthier. I can still get out in the yard and turn flips (I used to be in gymnastics) and run around with the kids, but certainly not for long! I do a couple of cartwheels and my head starts spinning… run and do a roundoff and I’m totally out of breath. Not to mention how uncomfortable I am. Don’t get me wrong. I still know I’ve got it. Most days, anyway… :) The problem is, my belly nor my arms know that… and even though I feel beautiful and confident, I try not to look at either of those areas with any type of frequency LOL And if I’m going to be completely honest, there are days where I feel totally gross and ugly.
*Break for a Zoe intermission*
I looked over and saw Zoe struggling a little… I said, “Zoe you wanna go to the potty? Come on! Mommy will come with you!” She shook her head from side to side and said, “No, I go in my Pull Up.” Swell. So much for potty training. LOL
*Now back to our regularly scheduled programming*
Okay, so now where was I? Oh yeah – the arms and belly thing. There are clothes I won’t wear now (like pretty much anything form fitting or without a sleeve is OUT) and most of the time, I feel awkward in my skin. I’m not used to having so much excess weight and I have to say it really annoys me when people say I’m crazy and that I look great because it’s not always about how you look to other people — it’s how I feel. I hate how it feels to walk because no pants seem to fit quite right. I hate how I feel when I have to do something that requires a lot of energy because I just don’t have any. The kids ask me to do things and my body aches because I have Fibromyalgia and I’m not taking care of me the way I should and all the empty promises I keep making to myself aren’t helping.
I need the benefit of accountability — and although I love and adore my readers, you guys quite frankly have sucked in that department. Y’all forget about my self-challenges as quickly and easily as I do! LOL!!! I’m totally joking… well, okay, I’m sort of joking… :) The point is, I’m pledging to join the sorority of women who will all but bully me into getting my act together because let’s face it — this is my health we’re talking about and if I don’t have that, what can I ever really have? I also applied to be one of the next Mamavation Moms (check that video out here: My Mamavation Mom Campaign #7 Application) which I can’t become without your help so be sure to see that post and start tweeting for me!
I would love to have some of you on board this time — seriously. Dropping a comment and saying you’d love to is nice, but we’ve been there and done that. This time, let’s follow through because whether or not I become one of the next Mamavation Moms, I still have 40 pounds to lose before I can have that hot mama body that Zoe completely destroyed reach my target “healthy” weight for a person my height and build. Let’s connect and let’s do this! No one can make it happen but ourselves and each day we sit around and do nothing, we’re cheating/robbing ourselves, which is just stupid. So, it’s after midnight but I feel inspired to be active and all it took was concentrating on all the positives that will come with the results of a healthier lifestyle! Someone, somewhere in the world is doing a cardio workout right now — I think I’ll join them! :) Next year’s Christmas picture will look like this (or better!)
Merry Christmas! {Gifting is FUN!}
I finished wrapping the gifts and putting them under the tree around 2am… Zoe helped me. Then she tried diving for a few of them LOL!
I woke the kids up at 5am on Christmas morning so Barry could be on the phone to listen while they opened their gifts… Zoe refused to get up. No big surprise there — she LOVES to sleep and wasn’t at all impressed by the fact that there were toys. haha The older four jumped up immediately!
Tre was TOO ready to see what he got — he was literally eating wrapping paper off of gifts LOL Ahhhhh… the joy of parenting a BOY!
Ava kept opening gifts and looking at me and just smiling… she’s precious. :) Once she got everything open, she played with her Play Doh Cake Maker until it DRIED OUT! haha
Tre has been wanting a memory card as long as he’s had the Playstation… he hasn’t stopped playing the game since Christmas, and now every time I tell him to do something, he asks, “Can I save my game first?” :)
I got each of the kids — and myself — a board game appropriate for the entire family. Between Cranium, Yahtzee, Jenga, Operation, and the others, I see a LOT of Family Game Nights in our future, especially when Barry gets home!
I got some new make up — from Victoria’s Secret! I used it today and it wears great! I honestly had no idea Victoria’s Secret even sold makeup, but as always I learn something new every day haha!
It pains me to see this photo of what happened to the $8 per roll Hallmark Premium Foil wrapping paper… Ugh. I will SO be paying closer attention next time to what I’m buying! I wanted to frame the wrapping paper or something to preserve it for how much it costs LOL!!!
Zoe finally got up! :) She tore into her presents like a pro… although, at first I’m not sure that she really knew what to think about it all. She got the hang of it after a couple of tries :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
My Mamavation Mom Campaign #7 Application
Have you had the same weight loss resolution every year without losing a pound!? Leah Segede with Mamavation & BookieBoo wants to help you turn that goal into an accomplishment this time around!!! Applying to be the next Mamavation Mom is as simple as filling out a form and submitting a video less than four minutes in length explaining why you want to be the next Mamavation Mom and what you plan to do to inspire other moms online!
I am finally applying because even though most people tell me I look great, I have a dirty little secret. My BMI says I’m obese… and even though I’m not really all that big, I can’t say that I argue with that because most of my body weight is (shamefully) fat. Everything wiggles and jiggles and I long for those pre-Zoe days when I could wear whatever I wanted and my stomach look relatively the same whether I’m sitting or standing. LOL! Aside from the appearance motivation factor, I want to be healthier. I want to have more energy… and I need to get a handle on Fibromyalgia by developing a more healthy lifestyle before the Fibromyalgia gets a hold on ME!
I encourage you all to check out @BookieBoo on Twitter and follow the #mamavation hashtag as well as consider trying to be the next Mamavation Mom yourself by visiting the application page and submitting one yourself by January 5th! If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, Leah is looking for a mom to feature in a weight-loss oriented episode of her webshow, so be sure to get your information to her and learn more by clicking over to the Los Angeles Digital Mom application before January 10th!! :)
Good luck on accomplishing ALL your goals in the new year, especially the ones related to your overall health and wellness! I am asking my family, friends, readers, and followers to help me become the next Mamavation Mom by supporting my campaign!! You can be involved in my positive lifestyle change as I (once again lol) set out to get back to my former self! :) Simply tweet the following every time you think about me:
“Hey @bookieboo! I want @katjrobertson to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support! http://bit.ly/zqUxa”
If you have a Facebook page, you can also help me by visiting http://www.facebook.com/mamavation and posting on their wall, letting them know you are in my corner! The more support I have, the more faith they’ll have in my ability to complete the 7-week challenge and the more likely I am to secure a spot as one of the next Mamavation Moms. Thank you SO much in advance for your help… be sure to take a peek at my application video below. :)
School Program & Our Thursday With the Boys
Thursday (the 16th) was the kids school Christmas program. We got Kylan and Kaleb as well as their little brother, KJ, when they got out of school so they could come with us… there really isn’t a lot to write about our evening, but we got a ton of great pics to share! The program went great and the kids had fun together, as always!
Avalyn loves taking pictures and she’s sooooo photogenic!
I’m not exactly sure what Kylan was doing here
but Kaleb thought it was a good photo opp, apparently.
Briyana has learned to play the guitar, which is what she did in the program:
Zoe watched her sisters and brother from afar, wishing she could participate!
Tre rang the bells during the Christmas program:
Ava sang a song with her group:
Talia had a solo to sing :)
Here’s a shot of the Kindergarten – 2nd grade group:
This is what KJ thought about the whole thing (lol):
Zoe finally warmed up to KJ :) He adores her! (left)
I got a great shot of the boys (right)… um, except for Kaleb LOL
Oh well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad haha
Group love!!!!! (from the top, left)
KJ, Briyana, Avalyn, Zoe, Kaleb, Tre, Kylan, Talia
… and one of just the siblings …
Kaleb, Briyana, Tre, Kylan, Avalyn, Zoe, Talia
Zoe stomping along in her boots and Tre posing for the camera:
Tre and Kylan messing around:
Briyana goofing off:
This is what I spent most of my evening doing:
(nevermind how absolutely horrible this pic is LOL)
Kylan throwing the football with Tre:
KJ acting mad:
The kids tormenting Queen:
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