Enjoying the "Fruits" of Our Labor

On the first day of this New Year, immediately after I completed a 5 mile run, the kids & I went to my mom's house on Mt. Helix to work in her grove while she was away.



This was an incredible task to complete! My mom and her husband have 10 orange and lemon trees. While Bea was napping inside, Wyatt and I picked over 2500 pieces of fruit from her overgrown trees.



As we picked the fruit, we placed them in a large tub, and then I carried this tub of 200+ oranges or lemons up a jagged outdoor staircase to the main level of her property. We did that 14 times.

Wyatt was a great help. And when he wasn't, he was perfecting the art of acting like a billy goat. My mom has some amazingly LARGE rocks/caves in her yard that Wyatt loves to perch himself on top of, and sing "The Sound of Mousic's, The Lonely Goatherd"...you know the tune...

"High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo..."

After we picked the fruit, we brought a small portion of the oranges inside the house to begin juicing them one by one.



At this point, I was beyond spent! It took us an hour to juice 2 large pitchers full of orange juice...I threw in the towel.

Again, my mom has thousands of oranges and lemons that she would LOVE to give away before they go bad, so if you are wanting some fresh squeezed orange juice with your morning breakfast, or a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade with your lunch, boy do I have the hook-up! (Seriously.)

Short and Sweet

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, "Tis the Season (Part 5...the Finale)", I was good on my diet, and I busted my booty in the gym all week as well. All of that went to the way-side though starting with Christmas Eve dinner. After 5 days of weight loss, I end up with a 4 pound weight gain for the week. Hopefully though, if history repeats itself, since the weight came on very quickly, it will also come off very quickly. I have 19-ish days left until my 30th birthday party, and I am kicking things into high-gear. I plan to workout in the morning and afternoon now. Sounds desperate???...yep, pretty much, LOL! Last week was a fairly light running week. The longest run was only 3 miles...but I think we did that 2 or 3 times.

In addition, I did my standard "Zumba" and "Pump It!" classes...I wonder when I will no longer suck at those!? I have people tell me on a regular basis that they wish they liked to exercise as much as I do. Just to clarify...I NEVER like the idea of exercising, and most of the time, I don't like the literal act of exercising itself. There is ALWAYS a mind game. I ALWAYS have to psych myself up to just do it. And I ALWAYS stare at the clock counting the minutes until the fitness class is over or until the run is done. HOWEVER, I will say though, that the very minute the class/run is over, I am SOOOO glad I did it...I feel physically great, and mentally sound as well. Considering that there was a 100% chance that I was fighting between not exercising and actually exercising, I always feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment after the work is done!

So, this week, I plan to do a fitness class and my run in the morning at the gym, and then walk daily with my mom and the kiddos to the top of Mt. Helix from her house...it's an intense 45 minute walk.

We are in the 8th week of training for the marathon. Over the last 7+ weeks I have run a total of 71.5 miles...pretty neat. :0) However, a 5 mile run is looming on Saturday. :0/

Tis the Season (Part 5...the FINALE!)

In my most recent years, the Christmas season has been quite overwhelming. Once Rick & I were blessed with little ones, our holiday events seemed to have doubled! I am honored to participate in many wonderful groups and organizations throughout the year and they tend to all have a holiday party of some sort. Add to that my amazing family and their desire to have 4 separate gatherings to celebrate the Lord's birth, and combine THAT with my own personal drive to attend new and exciting holiday events each year...it makes for a BUSY December! By the end of Christmas my sisters and I all call each other and say, "Don't take it personal if you don't hear from me for a few days...I need a break...from everything."

But this year was different. I went into it with a fresh mindset. I was mentally prepared to be overwhelmed, and in the beginning of the month I (literally) told myself, "Just take this month one event at a time. Don't look at the entire month as a whole." And sure enough, that's what I did. I know I didn't do anything less than what I have done in the past, and in fact, we added a few new traditions, and yet, I am not overwhelmed in the least! :0)

Christmas Eve is always spent with my family. In prior years my mom has hosted this dinner, but my Dad & Step-mom have been back from PA for over a year now, and they had asked to do the honors. We went to church beforehand, and as always, our Pastor never disappoints. It was an incredible, emotional, heartfelt message. Then we were off to my dad's!

My girlfriend lent me 3 dresses to wear over the last couple of weeks (one of which I wore to the Nutcracker), and they were all so beautiful. However, there was one dress in particular that I LOVED the most! It was a red velvety dress. 2 of the dresses looked GREAT on me (I'm just reporting the facts people, lol) but the red velvety dress!?...not so much! :0( I had eaten a cheeseburger before I tried the dress on...my stomach was quite bloated and I looked about 7 months pregnant in that dress! But I had my mind set on that dress for Christmas Eve! I've been working hard ever since to be able to wear it. I didn't try the dress on again until Friday night, and sure enough, it FIT!!! I mean, I could still/always lose a few more pounds, but it did look nice. :0) So the red velvety dress won the race...and I even rocked these 5 inch gold platform shoes with it. HAHAHA!

I had eaten fairly little all day in preparation for the feast that I would be enjoying that evening, and as I suspected, after a few crab stuffed mushrooms, some "Party Rysers" (a Pennsylvania Horse devours), Honey Baked Ham, scalloped potatoes, etc., I looked like this...



And THAT was before dessert, LOL! I made the most amazingly delicious dessert...Monkey Bread..from scratch!



There was also a pecan pie, an apple pie, my Grandma's beloved "Cherry Crunch", my sister's shady cookies (shout out to Anna!), and tons of other treats. Here was Jenni's plate of desserts...



We had a wonderful evening socializing, eating (of course!), and opening presents. My nephew Trevor read the Christmas story from the Bible perfectly, and MY favorite memory of this entire month-long celebration, was when my Wyatt sung and performed 4 Christmas Carols on the piano for the entire family on Christmas Eve. I have never been so proud! :0) Here are some of my favorite pictures from that night...







My "dear" caught in the headlights...



My nephews loved doing self-portraits with their favorite Auntie...





I suppose after Jenni turns 30 we will be expected to act mature, but until then...





Christmas Day was a Brumbaugh-only event. :0) The kiddos woke us up at 6am, I popped my coffee cake in the oven, and while it was baking, we opened presents. The kids were adorable with all of their gifts, and Rick & I were surprised with the gifts we had purchased for each other. :0) We just had a wonderful low-key day, complete with a 3 hour nap enjoyed by all, great eats, watching of "The Christmas Story", and singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

As mentioned, I made a scrumptious coffee cake for breakfast...



And for dinner, Rick requested a Thanksgiving Dinner Re-do (some of his favorite items were not at our Thanksgiving table this year...a.k.a. Green Bean Casserole & Croissants.) I made a "Bacon and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast", stuffing, traditional mashed potatoes, gravy, and of course...green bean casserole & croissants...



Leftovers were delish!...

A Boost of Confidence!

This was a great week for weight loss! Last week I had gained 6 pounds, eek! But this week I didn't let food get the best of me, and I lost 7 pounds, hooray! So, last week was the 5K. As I had mentioned, I was head tripping quite a bit about that race...but not about the distance. My dad & I finished that race, and while all of my pre-race topics of anxiety were erased when the race started, unfortunately, somewhere in the middle of the 5K race, I began to think, "I know I can finish THIS race, but I don't know hoooooow I am going to be able to do more than this!" It was an accomplishment to finish the 5K, but that little bead of doubt had stuck with me all week.

This week, our big run was a 4.5 mile run. Our long runs are scheduled for Saturdays, but as noted in my previous post "Tis the Season (Part 4)", there was no room for any exercise on that day. So, I had to move the run to Friday. Unfortunately though, this was my Friday to work in the office, so I had to do the run in the evening. I had soooo much anxiety about this run, and the fact that I had to put it off until the evening and think about it all day, did NOT help! The 5K made me think at some point, I am probably not going to be able to accomplish my wish/goal of running (non-stop) the entire marathon. At some point, I thought, these runs are going to just get too long, and I'm going to have to walk a portion of them before I can get the energy/courage to start running again. Was "4.5 miles" THAT distance!? I didn't want it to be. :0(

After work, the kids and I ran a bunch of errands before the childcare opened up again at the gym...and by the time 4:30pm rolled around, I was tired AND cranky! I did NOT want to do this run AT ALL, and yet I knew that I had to do it...especially since I was cranky, I knew that I needed to sweat the frustration out of my body instead of throwing up the white flag and spending my evening on the couch like a slug (the other alternative in my mind). And seriously, in a single moment, I remembered that Jesus is my strength, and I can do ANYTHING through Christ who strengthens me. So, I made up my mind to do it.

I got on the treadmill, I turned on my new favorite exercising TV channel (none other than The Food Network!), and got to work! I decided that I wouldn't try to break any time records, and I just paced myself. It felt amaaaaazing! Sometimes, even the short 2 mile runs seem like HOURS before they are over, and yet, in this run, it seemed like the miles were flying by! I felt strong. I felt energized. This was the longest run I have ever done in my life. I ran (non stop!) 4.5 miles in 48 minutes. This run was a HUGE confidence booster for me. At some point in those 48 minutes, my nugget of doubt was replaced with a "YES.YOU.CAN!" For this moment, I 100%, truly, and completely believe that I will be able to cross the finish line at the Marathon and feel proud of the effort I gave it!

Tis the Season (Part 4)

This was a whirlwind of a weekend! My adoring husband filled my van up with gas on Friday, and after all of the driving I did over the last 2 days, this morning it was on empty again. :0(

On Saturday morning I woke up at 5am...not becuase the kids were awake, but becuase I had to make sugar cookie dough for an order I have due today. Then we went to 2-B's house at 8:30am to bake 10 dozen sugar cookies for today's MOPS cookie decorating playdate we had scheduled. Then I dropped the kids off at my mom's, and came home to complete wardrobe change #2. I was off to my friend's brother's memorial. It was a lovely service, and especially touching coming off of the heals of my Uncle passing away. In addition, "on paper", our brother's are similar in some ways...about the same age, no kids, never married, etc. Loving my brother like I do, I can't imagine finding out that he was sick, and then having him gone from our lives in just 4 months. I.can't.imagine. :0(

After the memorial, I headed home for wardrobe change #3. My stepmom, my Grandma, my sister Jenni & I were off to go to dinner and to see the Nutcracker. Last year was the first year we did this, and I LOVE this new holiday tradition that has started!







We went to the Macaroni Grill for dinner and I was super good on my diet. I ordered the lowest calorie item on the menu...Grilled/Skewered Jumbo Shrimp and roasted Veggies...delish! BUT then my sister ordered 4, yes FOUR, desserts! I had a small bite of every one, but that is it...O.K., I had 2 bites of the lemon cake, but seriously, THAT is it!









I was home by 10:30pm for wardrobe change #4...JAMMIES! :0)

The kids spent the night at my mom's house that night (Bea's first night away from her mama, waaa!), and how did I celebrate!? On Sunday I was up at 5am...again...to bake the cookies for today's order. I got the cookies baked, and the royal icing made all while watching one of my VERY FAVORITE flicks..."Love Actually"...it actually was a lovely way to spend my time alone. :0) The kids came home, and my great intentions of making it to church yesterday didn't happen. :0( Everything took longer than expected, and then we were off to my dad's house, for my step-mom and I to do our annual holiday baking together. Other than the few years they lived in PA, my step-mom and I have done this baking EVERY YEAR since I can remember. We mostly bake the same things (fudge, peanut butter balls, peanut butter cups, peanut brittle, sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses, chocolate covered pretzels, etc.) but every year we try something new. This year was the "Mint Bark" with toasted almonds...not peppermint bark.











After our baking was done, the kids and I headed home to spend time with daddy, and I set out to work on decorating the cookies that are due today. In my NOT so humble opinion, I must say, I think they turned out SO CUTE! For the boys, she asked for personalized train cookies, and for the girls, there are personalized snowflake cookies.









In addition to the cookies, she also wanted 12 vanilla cupcakes...this morning (at 5am) I made the most delicious vanilla bean cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream frosting. Earlier in the week, I did a test-run on the cupcake recipe, but for my neighbors (the test run cupcakes), I decided to add crushed candy canes to the cake batter, and then I made an incredible white peppermint buttercream frosting to go with them...YUM!





The baking is done! :0)

The Biggest WINNER!

(*The Biggest Loser Spoiler ALERT!!!*)

So last night was the finale of The Biggest Loser, and I am not sure any finale can be more exciting and rewarding than the finale of The Biggest Loser! In preparation of last night I did 2 things...

#1: I met "2-B" at the gym in the morning for a 30 minute speed walk, and Zumba, and then becuase I couldn't get my 3 mile run in in the morning (long story), I went BACK to the gym in the late afternoon and punched out my 3 mile run!

#2: I met "2-A" for some much needed comfort food at Pat & Oscars for dinner. For those of my followers that are not our mutual friend, my dear friend Katie (2-A) lost her 35 year old brother to Leukemia on Monday morning. I had a prior commitment on Monday night, but Tuesday night was all about "Operation Distraction". And with four little munchkins, its a good thing we weren't wanting to have a quiet evening! So we ate our food...



...and then went back to her house to put the kiddos to bed and for us to watch The Biggest Loser Finale together. We had a wonderful time looking through old (and newer) pictures of her brother, retelling fond memories of her family, and then of course watching a show together that we both watch independently but LOVE to talk about during the week.

So the show...

It was INCREDIBLE! Even Elizabeth...she looked stunning! I could not believe how much weight specifically Mark & Adam had lost! They looked amazing! I love to see these contestants accomplish their goals season after season...it is so inspiring! More than anyone, I was most excited for Patrick last night!



And I know that is kind of an obvious statement, seeming as though he was this season's winner, but my excitement went beyond that. He was relate-able to me. The minute he was announced the winner, I looked at my friend and said, "That is a FREE man!" He is free from his burden of weight, and free from his financial debt. I am so optimistic for the young family he has, and in his own words, "(His) future has never looked brighter!"

I love a happy ending! :0)

Tis' the Season (Part 3)

Two of my favorite Christmas traditions are my "Mommies Group" annual cookie exchange, and my "Happy Hour Group" ornament Exchange!

The Mommies group Cookie Exchange event is so much fun becuase it's a little about the kids, a little bit about socializing...and A LOT about dessert! The cookie exchange is so popular becuase the moms love to bake (at least THIS mom does!) and present their treats to their friends, and the kids & husbands (OK, and the mommies too!) LOVE to have dozens and dozens of different cookies to eat over the next couple of days. Many of the women who were a part of our group did not attend the regular park days, and even some of them did not regularly participate in the discussions that happened on our group website, however, EVERYONE (except for our out-of-state members) came to the cookie exchanges! We bake 6 dozen cookies each, and it is so impressive to see the variety of cookies displayed before us! This year was no exception! :0) Here are just a few of the delicious treats...









My Happy Hour Group is a group so dear to my heart becuase it is made up of some of my very favorite people...my mom & my sister Jenni (have I told you about her!?) Not to mention, there are 7 other WONDERFUL women who round us out. This group is made up of 3 "older" moms (my mom being one of them)...and their combined 7 daughters. My mom and her 2 girlfriends have known each other for about 20 years, and when I was a child, all of our families would go to the river together, we went to San Fransisco together, we spent a few Super Bowls together, etc. But over the last 7 +/- years, there has been less of a division in age brackets, and we have merged together as a single group of friends. We used to meet for Happy Hour (hence our name) every couple of months, but as life moves on, and as us "younger" moms continue to procreate, our gatherings have had to slow down a bit. But one thing we will never give up is our Annual Christmas party and ornament exchange! Some of the most beautiful ornaments I have hanging on my tree are from this annual event!







This year we ate at Beaumont's in La Jolla for breakfast. The most interesting drink at our table was the B.L.T. Bloody Mary...complete with bacon, of course! The food was incredible, and becuase everything sounded delicious, my mom, Jenni & I shared 3 different meals...

Soufflé Style French Toast (A-MA-ZING!)...



Carne Asada Benedict...



Top Sirloin & Mushroom Omelette...



I am so blessed to have such wonderful people around me to celebrate the birth of Jesus all month long with!