Excuses... Excuses...

I like to make excuses.  

It justifies my actions. 

I am trying to change this. 

I try to remember what a wonderful lady once told me: 

an excuse is "a well planned lie"

I make excuses for eating stuff I shouldn't because it's a reward for exercising so hard which is ridiculous because it totally defeats the purpose of the exercise. 

I was looking at a Crossfit website the other day and they had posted this photo:

the caption said it was posted in the gym bathroom on a chalk board

It's seems a bit harsh but I liked it.  

I want a chalk board in my bathroom to write stuff on. 

  

Pottery Schmottery

The last time I painted a piece of pottery I was in Cromer, England with my wonderful friend Erin in 2004. 

This is a coffee cup I painted with my sister and some friends last weekend.  It was kind of a spur of the moment thing so I didn't really plan what I was going to paint. So, I just started painting and this is what I got.  

I like it.  

It makes me want to have a cup of coffee.  

Crossfit confessions...

Okay let me get real here for a minute.  I've never been one for serious working out.  I ran at The Honor Academy, I did Power 90 before my wedding, Andrew and I did Body for Life when we were first married, and I've trained for a 5K.  But none of that compares to the last 4 months going to a Crossfit gym.
It's intense,
you sweat,
you question each time you walk in the door if you will leave alive,
but...
I'm addicted. 

Recently I've found myself reaching for something and I catch a glance of my toned arm... where did those muscles come from? I'm not even flexing? Now it's not like I'm ripped and I'm probably the only one who notices but I'm proud of myself for sticking with something that is a huge challenge.  It requires me to wake up "before the dew" (4:00AM) and to push myself harder than I ever have in my life.  So just a warning: if you catch me paused mid reach for something it's probably because I'm checking myself out.

God truly speaks to me in the midst of my challenging workouts.  He exposes weakness and strengths in my body and mind.  Weaknesses and strengths in my emotions and perceptions of life and myself.  Yes, I have cried at the gym and it wasn't because it hurt my body... I'd like to call it a wall ball alter call (that was fun... look at all those L's).

I'd also like to give some props to all the amazing people that join me there every morning.  I have been motivated, cheered for, encouraged, and inspired by every single one of them.  There have been many moments when I felt like I couldn't go on and a few words from my fellow Crossfitters, even them just shouting my name,  have given me what I needed to make it through.  There's never been a negative word spoken towards me at the gym.  I contribute part of my success to these wonderfully positive people.

I know this is just the beginning of my Crossfit journey but I'm so pleased with the effect it has had on my life so far and I know there are many greater things to come.

Super Heros

My mom has a friend who drives a trash truck.  There are 3 little boys who always run beside him with towels as super hero capes when he's picking up the trash.  He asked my mom to make them some real capes.  She used some wonder under to get the S to stick and then she stitched around it with red thread.

We had some pretty cute models for the process : )

Creative Hair Genius

Let me be honest... I'm a creative person but I don't utilize this gift with my children's hair... until yesterday!  I've seen people do this with their kids before but have never attempted it on my own.  I can get frustrated with pig tails.  For some reason I decided to try it out starting with Taurin... she has these little hairs that always fall out of her pig tails.  Then Marinn thought it was soo cool she had me do hers too.  I do have to give credit to Marinn who helped hold sections of Taurins hair out of the way while I was trying to tie things up and on her hair as well.

This is the first time I've pulled back Marinn's bangs since I cut them... it reminds me of when she was a baby before the bangs.  I do have to say it's an effective way to hid her side mullet as well.

Next time I will plan my ponies better so they end up looking more even, but not too bad for the first try.

So cute!

It was also a durable hair do... it survived a car ride, this photo shoot/wrestling match, and nap time.  It still looked great by the end of the day!

a "good's night sleep"

11:00pm bedtime. 
11:30pm Marinn wakes up crying: pottie & drink. 
1:30am Shaw wakes up to eat. 
2:00am Marinn has thrown up. 
2:02am Taurin get a bloody nose. 
2:05 Marinn throws up again.
2:25 Girls cleaned up and back in bed.  
3:00am Taurin throws up. 
3:10am Taurin back in bed. 
3:45am Shaw wakes up to eat. 
6:00am Taurin is crying...no throw up. : )  
6:30 Shaw wakes up to eat.  
7:00 Marinn wakes me up to tell me it's light outside and it's time to wake up... I convince her to go back to sleep.  
8:00am Morning!! Everyone is awake.  


Now I don't know much about science but I don't think I could categorize this as a "good night's sleep". 


So here I sit listening to the first of 3 loads of laundry that need to be done.  Staring at my dirty breakfast plate that needs to be washed with the rest of the dishes filling the kitchen.  I've been here before and lets just say it's not one of my favorite life moments... but at the same time I am amazed that things are still getting done, I'm still conscious, and I'm able to laugh when Marinn tells me she can't eat anything pink anymore.  

frost art

On Thursday morning my mom went out to the car to warm it up.  She discovered a beautiful painting of frost across it.

These photos are from the top of my car.  It was like the frost had been painted and swirled all across it in a beautiful pattern of curves.  It was so amazing.  Something I had never seen before.  Like angels had been ice skating on my car.

God is such an artist. He inspires me.

Crab!

I had the wonderful privilege of having a long conversation on the Facebook messenger tonight with the lovely, hilarious, dear friend Megan Nichols.  She is smart, witty and we have a great history of fun and laughter.  What follows is a portion of the conversation that is just too hilarious not to share.
Some info you need to know:
*Megan is from Maryland and makes bomb diggity crab cakes.
*In August she made them when my mom was visiting and gave my mom the recipe.
*My mom fell in love with crab cakes.


Now for the funniest conversation I've had in a long time....
*this conversation what used by permission. 

Jessica

my mom gave your crab cake recipe to my nana... you are infiltrating the west with your east coastal ways

10:02pmMegan

ha!

how often does she make those?

10:02pmJessica

my mom has made prob 5 times at least

my mom loves them... she's getting a job so she can afford her crab cake addiction

10:03pmMegan

hahaha

10:04pmJessica

we got a notice the other day they were shutting of the electricity because my mom spent the money on crab!

10:04pmMegan

for some its alcohol. others cant stop with the ciggs.

10:04pmJessica

lol!

10:04pmMegan

crab cakes in the dark is still bliss

10:05pmJessica

lol! amen to that!

10:05pmMegan

bahahah

shes just creating ambiance

crab cakes are fine dining

hahaha

10:05pmJessica

my mom is feeding these lines to me from the kitchen as she is scarfing down crab

10:06pmMegan

hahahahahhahaha

man im going to save this convo for whenever i need a good laugh

10:06pmJessica

lol me too!!

the kids used to call her mar mar but now they just call her crab car

10:07pmMegan

haha

poor kids have to watch her addiction

10:08pmJessica

they call her crab car as in "GET IN THE CAR WE ARE GONNA GO GET MORE CRAB!"

the crab portion of this might make it to my blog 

10:09pmMegan

i would feel extra special:)

10:10pmJessica

i can totally see you with your computer all snuggled on the couch laughing your butt off

like old times : )

10:10pmMegan

wait... if you dont have lights...how is she cookin those suckers

10:11pmJessica

she has a really amazing wood burning stove

and i'm ashamed to say i paid for the electric to support her addiction... she shares

10:12pmMegan

she sends the girls out in the snow... "go fetch crab car her wood so i can make my crab cakes!" (girls shiver and cry)

10:12pmJessica

lol!

me and my mom are dying

i don't know if we can take much more

10:13pmMegan

hahahaha

well mar mar just know we're here.

10:14pmJessica

lol

she's going to open a restuaunt called "crab cars crab cakes"

10:15pmMegan

off subject:andrew is sitting on the other couch watching me laugh hysterically... when all of a sudden.. i farted. and he says"you know i was just looking at you thanking God for you. watching you smile when you did that at the same time"

10:16pmJessica

lmbo!!!

that is awesome!

i can hear it now!!!

10:16pmMegan

hahahahaha

10:17pmJessica

that's soo not the first time that has happened

that part is definitely going in the blog!

10:17pmMegan

haha. sadly, it's not.

10:18pmJessica

what happens on facebook. stays on facebook.

and then gets forwarded to all of your friends

10:18pmMegan

haha!

it's all good. your blog is good because it's honest.

Butts, Beans, & Broken Glass

It's only 9:56 a.m. and it's already shaping up to be an interesting day...

Three Butt Stories:
[one] This morning at the gym I was warming up and walked over next to Jodie and noticed 2 chalk hand prints on her butt.... then I looked over to see Richard her husband with chalk residue on his hands smiling real big.

[two] Jens the trainer at the gym was demonstrating a certain lift we would be doing today.  There was a slight squat involved... on the 3rd squat RIP! Moral of the story: Change out of your jeans before demonstrating.

[three] As I was cleaning up a mess (that you'll hear about in a minute) I sat down on the edge of the bath tub right onto a wet wash rag.  Ta da:

Taurin decided it would be fun to full force push the cute white cabinet in the pic above... Unfortunately on top of the cabinet was a decorative plant:

That was filled with beans:

There was also a glass jar filled with Baking Soda that I tried to save that crashed down to the floor shattering the lid:

Now you might be asking...

Why were there beans in the plant? Well, beans are a cheap alternative to floral foam.  Not to mention that it's a decorative alternative of emergency food storage.

Why was there a huge jar of baking soda in the bathroom? Mixing baking soda with your shampoo every so often gives your hair a nice scrub and cleans off any built up product.    

Off to enjoy the rest of the day... who knows what it may hold but I'll leave you with this nugget of wisdom for the day...

Watch out for your butt, don't spill the beans, and careful with the glass. 

[life].

Over the past few weeks I feel like I've been given a reminder of life. 


I've recently read two different blogs from women have been through the devastating loss of a precious little baby.  I am reminded of the three little lives that have been entrusted to me.  
Enjoy the small/infant moments of life. 

A facebook post revealed the death of a hero in Afghanistan. A husband to a wife.
Love the life with my forever boyfriend.

Haiti is destroyed by an earthquake.  Thousands of people are dying, lost, broken, devastated, homeless, hungry, hopeless.  These are strangers and yet my heart is broken.
Life can change in a moment: What am I doing with this one? 

Water.

This is my new water bottle.  I enjoy drinking water but there is something about drinking out of a water bottle instead of a cup that makes me want to drink more.

Is it that the water bottle is the icon of fitness?
Does it taste different flowing out of water bottle?
Is it less stressful because I don't worry about it spilling?
Is it conveniently portable?

Not sure what it is but I LOVE it! So much that I bought two! *Thanks to my moms fabulous crocheted afghan for my backdrop : )

As I was preparing for my blog post I was trying to capture some images that expressed the full personality of my new accessory... Here are a few of my favorites:

All I gotta say is who needs Photo Booth Effects when you've got a rockin' water bottle?

My challenge for you... get a cool water bottle and see if it changes the way you drink.


*If anyone has any witty captions for my photos feel free to post them in the comments.

Kefir ...and a little Jack Bauer

What Is Kefir?

Kefir is a creamy, cultured milk product with amazing health properties. Similar to yogurt, kefir packs a double punch and provides superior health benefits to those who consume it regularly.

Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products...

...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there.  But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match. Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.
It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites. 
Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.
Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, the elderly and people experiencing chronic fatigue and digestive disorders.

When I visited North Dakota my friend sent me home with some Kefir.  I had tasted some in a smoothie while I was there.  It was pretty interesting when she told me what it was but I didn't fully understand until she showed me.  I've told some of you about it too but thought I'd share some photos so you can understand a little bit more...

It's starts with the "kefir grains". They kind of look like a large piece of cottage cheese but with more of a gelatin consistency.  Me and my mom call it our Kefir pet:

Next step you put the Kefir grains in a mason jar with 2 cups of organic whole milk:

Then you place it in a cool dark cupboard for 24 hrs:

After 24 hrs you strain the Kefir:

When you pour it in it seems to have the consistency of thin sour cream but then you tap the strainer and you end up with just the Kefir grains left in the strainer.  And in the bowl: fresh Kefir that can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks.

Here is the Kefir. The consistency is similar to buttermilk:

Then you take the Kefir grains and repeat the process.  You are using the same Kefir grains over and over.  The grains actually grow and will break apart you can remove the pieces and start new jars of Kefir.  If you leave the Kefir grains large your Kefir will just be a thicker consistency.

A few other things I've learned about Kefir:

-It is great to use in pancakes. You just use Kefir instead of water with your pancake mix and it makes the fluffiest pancakes ever! I've never had such fluffy pancakes!

-Great for baking. We've used it in biscuits and dinner rolls. It add just a fresh flavor to it.  

-Smoothies.  We've substituted it for a portion of the milk used in a smoothie. I also made a Big Train (Blended coffee drink like a frappuccino) and added some Kefir with the milk.  

-The flavor of Kefir is similar to sour cream but a bit different.  It has it's own flavor that is mildly sweet and tangy.  

Funny Thought:

When I first heard the name Kefir I thought of Kiefer Sutherland...  who plays Jack Bauer in the hit show 24. (I picked this photo because he's wearing a scarf.)

The more I thought about it the more I realized how similar my Kefir and Kiefer Sutherland have in common.

*Kefir dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts. 

 Kiefer Sutherland fights off the bad guys that are trying to dominate and control our country. 

*Kefir is a virtual SWAT team.

Kiefer Sutherland is a SWAT team. 

*Kefir only takes 24 hours to make.

Kiefer Sutherland only takes 24 hours to save the world. 

*Kefir helps keep our colon clean and healthy.

Kiefer Sutherland helps keep our country clean and healthy.