Week 3 in Review

A lot has been going on at our house lately. Well, at least a lot more than normal. Braxten has had some spots on his chest and stomach that look like chicken pocks. He'd had them for 2 months and no progress so I took him in to the doctor. We found out he has Molluscum Contagiosum (if that's how you spell it). It is spread simply by someone touching the infected area and touching themselves somewhere, so it's highly contagious. We found out it is from the same family as small pox. We had 3 options. Option #1-put cream on it so they blister and the heads pop out. Option #2- pop them and scrape the heads out. Option #3-leave them alone and they should go away in 6 months to 2 years. We decided on option#2. He screamed and squealed but we got all the ones we could popped. He has a few more now that we need to take care of. He hasn't been getting a lot more which is a good sign. I hope we can totally be rid of them soon. He was also sick over the weekend. He had a fever Friday and Saturday with a cough and chest congestion. He sounded and looked a lot better today and headed off to school.

The weekend of January 28th and 29th we had company! My mom came down for a funeral and brought my sister, Cara, my sister-in-law, Katie, and Katie's 3 kids (Kennedy, Jacey, and Luke). We had a lot of fun. We did some shopping, relaxing, and playing. We met the family that adopted Cara's baby at a park in St. George and played for a couple hours. We had so much fun and it was nice to soak up the sun. I hope my family had a great time while they were here. It was nice to see them again.







This past week we got a letter home from Braxten's principal. It was to inform us he was below 1st grade level on reading, which we knew he was because he had been in reading recovery. It went on to say due to a House Bill passed last year they can't advance until they are up to grade level. I felt like a horrible mom and cried when I read it. Brax and I both cried when we discussed it. I just felt like I was failing my son. We made a plan and put sticky notes on things around the house so Brax can look at them and associate their words with the objects. We also helped him read words on the groceries before we put them away. He has also helped me cook and had to read the recipe. We've put more of an effort into reading with him. We felt like we'd done a lot before, but even more so now. He is a smart kid who simply needs a little help. He did get to join an advanced math camp that he is super excited about.

Last night we had a Super Bowl Party with Branden's brother Bryant and his little family. We had alfredo, shrimp, hot wings, fruit and veggie trays, chips and dip, cinnamon rolls, and peanut M&Ms. Yes, I cheated and had a cinnamon roll and M&Ms. I didn't go overboard though so I'm glad I had the chance to have fun and relax.

I better do my weight loss update. First of all, I'd like to say I've never felt better. I have tons more energy and feel like going all the time. I also sleep a lot better at night. I have lost another 1.8 lbs., which makes the grand total 8.2 lbs. I lost another inch around my waist and thighs. I have lost half an inch on my hips as well. My close are getting looser and I wore a skirt to church yesterday that I haven't been able to fit into for about a year. I'm feeling a whole lot better about myself and I can tell a difference. I've never had loose bras before. I'm grateful for that problem. I'm going to continue on and update my blog because this way I feel like I am accountable to someone.

Week 2 Update

I have had some good success with weight loss this week and not so good with the stopping bleeding part. I'm sure hoping it ends soon because this is getting old. Out of the past 36 days I have bled 32 of them. Anyway, that's not important.

The weight loss over the past week has been great. I am down 3.9 lbs. for a grand total of 6.4 lbs in 2 weeks. I lost 2 inches on my chest and waist. I lost 1/2 inch on my calves and arms. My hips are 1 inch smaller. I am so proud of how I'm doing. If I keep this up I'll be able to reach my first goal by the first of June which is what I'm hoping for. If I have to buy a new swim suit for the summer that would be great. I am excited and can't wait until next week.

Weight Loss/Exercise Challenge Week 1

I have been inspired to get my body looking and feeling better. After my webinar the other day, it helped motivate me even more. For eating, I started focusing on what I put on my plate. Meat is no longer the main course, but a side dish. We loaded up with fruits and veggies on our last shopping trip. It has been a great experience and I have more energy than I've had in a while. For exercise, I've been doing workouts that are on TV. They are called Classical Stretch. I thought they'd be easy, but I feel it every day I do them. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday two come on while Tuesday and Thursday only one comes on. I do all the workouts that come on those days. On Friday I also walked 4.8 miles. Saturday I walked 2. Today was weigh in and this may be mostly what you hear about.

In the past week I lost 2.4 lbs and am down 6% body fat according to my scale. I lost an inch around my waist, chest and thighs. I lost 3/4 of an inch around my upper arms. I'm down 1/2 inch around my hips and calves. Week 1 was a success and I hope that it continues.

Scout Camp in the Back Yard

The weekend of the 14th and 15th the scouts had planned a camp out. They met at the church at 4 and headed on the mountain with our silver car and another leader's truck. Both were 2 wheel drive. My sister-in-law Kelly came over about 5:30 pm because we were having a girl's night. Her husband was gone and so was mine. We got my Dixie Direct card and headed to Dairy Queen in Hurricane for dinner. We decided to get it and take it back home with us. When we arrived back at the house, the silver car and other leader's truck were in the driveway and on the rocks. Both were covered in mud. Branden came around the house and told me they'd gotten the car stuck in the mud almost all the way to the base. The boys had to push him out. After getting stuck a few times, they decided to head back here. The boys set up their tent in the back yard. They built a fire in the corner that is still dirt. They still cooked their dinner outside. Brax loved it. When he could be outside with the scouts he was out there. Branden came in for the night and the other leader headed home about 1o pm and they were all back up and going about 5:30 the next morning. The boys had fun. They played frisbee and football the following morning. They came in to use the restroom, but that was it. It was entertaining!

Just an Update

Life is mostly normal at the Anderson household. I did go to the doctor and found out that I was bleeding like crazy for some reason. I bled for 15 days heavily and had a 3 day break then started again. I'm on day 7 of cycle #2 in the last 3 weeks. The doctor just says it's because my hormones are out of whack. I'm going to try a new fertility drug. I keep changing my mind on trying more or not. For now, I'm going to continue to try. We'll have to see how these new pills react with my body. With the last ones, I felt normal.

I got the chance to listen to a Webinar the other day. It was the 5 principles to use in weight loss. It helped explain how you could lose the weight and keep it off. It was very informative to me. One thing I'd never thought of before was how to arrange your plate. It said 1/2 your plate should be fruits and veggies while 1/4 should be protein and 1/4 carbs. I also learned that 90% of the people that lose weight quickly put it back on. I am definitely an example of that. It said what percentages of different things you should have in your diet and how many of the different food groups to eat during your day. I learned that your muscles learn the workout routines you do and to help with weight loss you should change your routine every 6-8 weeks. It also gave some more tips. I have struggled with my weight for a long time and am hoping to conquer that soon. I started working out last week and started my daily routines this week. I have also started to really watch what I eat. So far I haven't given into temptation and I hope that this will continue. I'd like to lose 40 lbs. by the first of June. I know that's a tall order, but I can do it.

Other than that, we are just doing the regular things. Brax has school, reading, and piano. We bought him two pairs of shoes for school this year and has already trashed both pair. We are going to try to get him some new ones this weekend. Branden has work and Scouts. I am going to meetings for Cubs and Primary. Brax and I went to the park with our neighbors on Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) since he didn't have school. It was great to get out in the sun and hang out outside. We had a windy day, but the weather has been super nice and am looking forward to the heat staying, I'm crossing my fingers.

The Joys of Christmas

For Christmas this year, we went to Venice and Glenwood. We arrived there on the 21st of December and returned home New Year's Day. We had a lot of fun and got to spend a lot of time with family. It was nice to come home though. While there, my brother's family was sick for the first part with the flu. Three days after Christmas I ended up with it. My dad, mom, and Shanelle got sick as well. Brax had a cold and luckily Branden didn't get sick. While there, we attended the Venice Ward Christmas party. It was quite entertaining. It was fun to see friends and enjoy the time with my whole family. We spent Christmas Eve with the Andersons. The kids acted out the nativity. We had dinner and opened presents with the family as well. Christmas Day we woke up and opened presents at my parents. Following that, we went to my grandma and grandpa Spencer's to have breakfast and open presents. Cara was sick Christmas day so we went to her house and visited her. After that we went to the Andersons and had lunch with the family. New Year's Eve Branden and I played games and hung out at the Anderson's with our friends Jared and Athena. Braxten and his Cowley cousins had a sleep over at Grandma's. We had a lot of fun while there!



We were all spoiled this year for Christmas. Brax got PJS (4 pr), a bike, movies (3), golf clubs, a plasma car, baseball target game, file folder games, clothes, Kung Zhu pets, and a Spongebob Snuggie. Branden got an Ipod Touch for work and play. I got a Shark Steam Mop, Ramona and Beezus, key pad for the garage, a necklace, and some lotion. We also got 4 cookbooks and a Family Home Evening Chart. We were all very spoiled by our loved ones. Besides gifts, we were blessed to have the time to spend with family. The times we spend with those we love are more valuable than any gift we may receive. Thanks everyone for a wonderful time.


New Year's Day we had the Spencer family Christmas party. It was fun to visit with most of my cousins and all my aunts and uncles. We ate lunch, opened our ornaments and got our home made chocolates from Grandpa and Grandma. This year it was held at the Venice school house. We talked, skated, and the kids rode whatever things they could find. After the party, we finished packing the car and headed home.




We have also been doing a little babysitting. Most of it has been for friends. One time was for a lady I didn't know. It was a 7 month old that was teething and he screamed for 2 hours. It made me wonder about having more children. I didn't have much patience for screaming and not being able to calm him. I am returning to the doctor on Wednesday. I'm sure I'll update after that appointment.

Thanksgiving Weekend Fun

We are still running every which way, but having fun doing it. We were able to visit family for Thanksgiving and I really needed it. I was getting homesick for Venice and that hasn't happened since we moved to Hurricane, so it was about time. I forgot my camera once again, so no pictures only details. It was so cold the whole time we were in Glenwood and Venice. I thought I was going to freeze to death. The one morning it was -5 degrees.

While in Venice and Glenwood, I went Thanksgiving Day shopping at KMart and Black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart. I got nearly everything I went for. The only thing I didn't get was the Bourne series of movies for Branden, but they were gone within a minute of being opened. Oh well! I must say we are very blessed in our lives and I'm truly grateful for that.

Thanksgiving day was so much fun! My mom and I went shopping. After that, we cleaned up the Venice School House and made pies. We ate our feast at the school house. Following that, we had roller skating races and a mini baseball game inside. Everyone had a great time. We then headed over to Glenwood and spent the rest of the evening until 10 pm. Shanelle and I went to Wal-Mart about 10:30 pm to scope it out. All the Cowley girls and Anderson girls that were in town went out shopping. We did our normal divide and shop bit. I think everyone got pretty much what they went for. That morning after about 5 hrs of sleep we got up and went hunting Christmas trees. We found some pretty trees and I'm happy with the one we got.

November 28th, 2010 our big guy turned 7. I was struggling with that. He'd received some presents from family members over Thanksgiving that he was so excited about. At 6:30 am on the big Birthday morning, he was in our room wanting to open presents. He didn't get to open them until 9 though because we were exhausted. He was spoiled once again, as he has been most of his life. I guess that's the perks of being an only child. For Family Home Evening, we had cake and ice cream as a family. We also decorated partially for Christmas. Brax helped decorate his birthday cake.
I hope that all of you have a good time around the holidays and please remember why we're celebrating. The joy is in the giving!