What do I want from this....

So...what do I want from this blog?  Why did I start this blog?  Who in the world will read this blog?

These have been the question's I've been asking myself lately....so I thought I would share my thoughts for those of you out there.

What do I want from this blog? - At this point, I just want to keep a record of the things we experience as a family and the crazy thoughts that run through my head (and yes, some are crazy).  Share fun and not so fun stories, and cute things the kids & Troy have done.  I've always heard people tell parents to "write things down" so this is my version...because if I actually wrote it down, I'd throw it in some drawer somewhere and find it 10-15 years from now.  I would like to get some more feedback from my readers, and some more followers just so maybe I felt like someone else was enjoying this as much as myself...but then again, I'm doing this more for myself & family.

Why did I start this blog? - I actually started this years ago when O was a baby to share pics w/friends and family without overloading their inboxes.  I got behind (kinda where I am now) and could never catch up, so I just quit...while pregnant w/Brynnleigh, I started reading other blogs, which inspired me to re-start my own.  Well, trying to keep up a blog, work full time, work a direct selling job, train for a 1/2 marathon, scrapbook, coupon, AND spend time as a family....well it's a tad tough!  I do enjoy the blog, and I know that Troy enjoys reading it from time to time, so I don't want to give up/stop.  I do have some very anal issues and do not like to blog out of chronological order...but I also don't want to be blogging about something that happened 2-3 months ago!  I'm not going to lie, I wouldn't mind if my blog became "famous" in the blogging world, but I'm pretty sure I would need to catch up those 2-3 months I'm behind before that's even a thought!

Who in the world will read this blog? - Well I know of at least one....Troy...and even though he's part of this blog, I'm glad he reads it & shares with his friends.  I know of a few more of you that read this...and I know there are some of you out there in the cyber world that i don't even know...thanks for giving my blog a shot...and I really do hope to have some interesting posts coming soon...and if nothing else, pics of my babies!! : )

So, with that out there....to my readers...who are you?  What would you like to see out of my blog?  Any questions you'd like for me to answer?  Also, how bout becoming a follower (if you like my blog that is)...it always makes me happy when I see I have someone new, or a comment!!

Busch Gardens!!

We got a tip from a friend, that Owen could get a free pass to Busch Gardens this year since he was 4 or under....well, why not right?  Busch Gardens does a "Fun Pass" where you pay for one ticket, and it turns into a season's pass...so if you go more than once...you get your money back!!  There are other ways to save more, IF you think you'll make it more than 2 times, but we just stuck w/the Fun Passes.  (Other passes, get you 10% off food/drink purchases, and free parking).

So, one nice June day (yes, I know it's August...almost September...and I promise lots of posts to come soon!) we decided to take the kids to Busch Gardens for some fun.  Our friends, Miguel & Amy joined us.  O is infatuated with Mr. Miguel, so he was SO excited they were joining us!!

So, we stole Troy's parents' Explorer, loaded 4 adults & 2 kids, and started driving an hour and a half towards the east!!  The drive there, was fun, the Lacks' all ate, Miguel relaxed, and Amy fed Brynnleigh (yes, B eats a lot of meals in the car...it just makes things go easier & quicker!)

We got to Busch Gardens, got our passes...and walked around trying to determine our first "ride".  Owen was back and forth w/what he wanted to do...honestly, he just wanted to ride the train around the park the entire day!!

So after about an hour, we finally got O on the rides...I had to ride one w/him, then he was good to go. Then, towards the end of the day, Owen decided he wanted to ride the "Grover" roller coaster before we left.  I was excited to ride with Owen since, he picked ME to go with him.  We got up to the line, he looks at me, and demandingly says, "I don't need you to ride w/me Momma....I'm going to ride by myself".

So, how do you react to that?  I instantly started wondering, "would I look wierd/stupid if I rode the kids' roller coaster by myself?"  I was upset, and I'm not sure if it's because he was growing up on me, or if I wasn't going to be able to ride the roller coaster.  I did the next best thing...I took a picture...and he's the last car..the ONLY kid w/out their parent...yes, I'm still upset! ; )

After that, we went home...and I briefly forgot about how I upset I was that I didn't get to ride w/O, because both kids SCREAMED/WHINED/YOU NAME IT the ENITRE way home....that 1.5 hours, seemed like 20.  O had to stop and go potty about every 2 minutes....I'm pretty sure if Amy & Miguel wanted kids, they don't now....or it's been pushed off at least 5-10 years.

We haven't been back, it's been sooo hot and we've been so busy.  We did try to go this past weekend, and even drove all the way there, to realize that the smoke from the dismal swamp fire was HORRIBLE and wasn't really safe for us to breathe, so we turned around and went back home....maybe we can get back before the end of the season!!

Wordless Wednesday - Fun w/Kids

I just couldn't resist!

Happy Wednesday!

And the Winner is...

Brynnleigh!!!

Yes...this is what we do when we hang out at home!!

Brynnleigh got the coolest walker from her friend's Dave & Ali.  This thing is total top of the line...the horn even beeps when she (or Owen) pushes it!  B LOVES it...and she also loves it when O pushes her around in it!

Thank you very very much Dave & Ali, both kids love the high tech walker, and Troy & I appreciate all the laughs we get from watching them.  It won't be long before all four of us are chasing each other around the "laps" around the house!

Wordless Wednesday - Donuts!

Owen was a bit restless the other day....so we decided to make donuts.  He really wanted to go to the donut store, and well, neither Troy nor I wanted to go....so we compromised, and made some at home.  My aunt got me a donut maker for Christmas, so this was the perfect time to try it out.

Believe it or not, I had ALL the ingredients to make the basic donut.  I even had the stuff to make chocolate icing & sprinkles!!  Owen was soooooo excited...he couldn't even sit still.  O added everything & mixed.  The only thing I did was pour the batter, and retreive the donuts.

He was so proud of himself, and reward himself w/a donut (or two, or three).  We never made the icing, but the donuts were good enough without it.

O is really great in the kitchen w/cooking and baking, he just might take after his Uncle Jamy after all!!

Detox - the day before the "big" day

I'm pretty sure I'm crazy for doing this, but I am a bit excited as well.  My friend Amy set up a 3 day detox diet for anyone who was interested, and well, I totally jumped on board.  Amy is a coach for Beach Body.  She will help you achieve your fitness and nutritician goals....and basically for free. (www.turboromero.com)

Here's the deal, for 3 days I eat a very limited diet - a cup of green tea each morning, followed by a Shakeology shake (mixed w/water & ice) and 1/2 a piece of fruit.  A whole piece of fruit for snack, and another shake for lunch.  Dinner is a shake and LARGE salad w/lettuce, veggies (3+) and lean protein w/light salad dressing.

I do have a history of passing out when I get hot, and have not eaten within the last few hours (minutes/seconds) so I will be prepared, should I need to make my own "detox" plan.  I'm going to take extra fruit & lean protein with me to work just in case.

My cousin is also doing this detox with me, so hopefully we can both stay on plan...I mean it is only 3 days.

My plan for tomorrow....get up, drink water, & get to work.  While at work, drink my tea, shake & fruit (strawberries) between 8-10 am.  Try and make it to lunch w/out a snack and drink my shake as close to noon or later as possible.  Have my snack (green apple) around 2-3 pm (this is always my hungry time) and then make it home.  Fix my salad w/skinless chicken, hearts of romaine lettuce, spinach, tomato, broccoli, carrots, and green beans w/light balsamic vinaigrette dressing w/my shake...and hold out until bedtime!  I will have an extra banana, nectarine, and some extra chicken w/me just in case.

Why am I doing this? - Because my weight is at a plateau and I need to get past it.  I go between 139-144 lbs depending on the day & what I've eaten/drank.  I honestly believe w/this detox, I can get into the upper 130's and hopefully maintain that.  I would LOVE to be 125-130 lbs at my final weight, but I will be happy with 135.  I think if I can do this detox, it will help me curb my pepsi addiction, which is part of the reason for my ping pong weight.  I also want to do this to help my friend Amy promote her business.

So, the night before this is to start...how do I feel?  - I'm nervous (can my body actually handle this?  Can I mentally handle this?) but I'm also excited.  I mean if I can do this and still function as an employee, wife, and mother, than I think I can do pretty much anything.

So, the next 3-4 days, I'm taking over my blog and minus a few planned posts, it's just going to be updates on my detox plan.  Trust me, I'll be honest (right down to my weight....yes, I'm going to put my weight on the internet for the whole world to read) and I promise...posts w/kid pictures very very soon!!

This will be my honest opinion, my friend Amy did not ask that I blog/review this plan, nor did the makers of Shakeology.  I am not being reimbursed for my opinion or for the products being used!!

Keep your fingers crossed that I stay married during this whole process!

My girly girl...

Well, not so much!  Brynnleigh has fallen in love w/Owen's dinosaur...she LOVES it.  So maybe we will be skipping the barbies for hot wheels and dinosaurs....and well, I don't have a problem with that.