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"Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are"

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Here is a bumper sticker I would like to see: "We are the proud parents of a child who's self-esteem is sufficient that he doesn't need us promoting his minor scholastic achievements on the back of our car."

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I have so many great ideas right now. SO MANY! now if I only had a ton of cash. Muahahahaha!

Keepin' it Punky

Punky Brewster is now and has always been my idol. She is the shizz! I mean she.was.awesome! She was the face of the Just Say No campaign, has dog training skills that even Cesar Millan can't whistle or finger point his way too. And of course that fashion sense! you just can't match that. I think everyone could use a little Punky Power. Keep it rocking Soleil Moon Frye!

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Blunt Card you never disappoint.

Monitor chatter

Koen is in his crib making fart noises. He laughs after each one.

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Harry Potter comes out at midnight...inside I am jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl.

A moment of...... weakness?

This morning I awoke and per usual grabbed my cell phone and proceeded to check my email. I saw with excitement an email from the Dirty Dash that our photos were now up for viewing. "Sweet!" I thought to myself I had been wanting to see these. That is until I started looking through them. I expected the pictures to be unflattering. I mean it was a 10K through the mud. But dare I say I looked like a fat guy in a little coat?. I was taken back a little bit at the size of my belly just flapping in the wind. I thought good god! that's what I look like! Shizz, someone hand that girl a t-shirt! but the more I thought about it the more I kinda liked those pictures. F#ck it! ya know what, who the hell cares. I have been working my ass off at the gym for months now, & I have quit smoking.Ya know what else? I would slap that tight ass sports bra on again and run around for all to see, jiggles and all. That belly didn't come free, I have spent years perfecting that ominous glowing jello jiggler and my only regret is that I did not jazz her up at bit. Perhaps next time I will bedazzle or maybe even body paint?.....


*side note- I unforunatley don't have any pictures from Flo Foto. You have to purchase them. If I decide to purchase some, I promise to post them :)

The Dirty Dash!

What a fun time! This was my first experience doing anything like this. I am hooked! sign me up for all of them! Man it was hard work! I am covered in bruises and scratches but all par for the course I believe. A big thank you to Pam for taking the reins and getting all of our t-shirts, numbers, etc. and just bringing us all together. Cheers everyone for a job well done! 

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Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal. ~Nietzsche

In photos

We have been busy. Allow me to show you some photos.



Something to be proud of.

My husband is an amazing person. I have always known that. But I want to recognize him today, and want him to really know how incredibly proud I am of him. At the beginning of the year we quit smoking and started on a regiment of healthy eating and exercise. To not only become healthier individuals, but to also lose some much needed weight. Over these past few months we have changed so much. We are not yet at our goals but every day when I see Luke I smile even bigger. Not only because I love him and am proud of his accomplishments. But because he looks amazing and it shows that he is a happier man because of it. Cheers Lucas! Keep up the great work. (I thought I would slap on a couple of photos to show his progress. Hopefully he won't kill me for this ;)

Silly Monkey

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8615859/Monkey-steals-camera-to-snap-himself.html

This story is great. There is something just so damn cute about a curious monkey. Even more cute when it gets a hold of a camera.

Happy Fourth of July

Have a safe and happy fourth of July. Cheers!


"There, I guess King George will be able to read that."
John Hancock, after signing the Declaration of Independence

Split Screen Love.

Who doesn't enjoy a good love story from time to time. Especially one that is told creatively through video.  That's my kind of story.

Math never sounded so good...

Michael Blake's newest composition. Now I am not a mathematician....not even close. So for me to try and explain what Tau is and how it works, well....I will let the video take care of that. Incredibly interesting and I thought quite beautiful.

Booyah!

Koen finally did it! He made it through my whole workout and then some! damn he is awesome! He is still upset when I drop him off. But today when I went back to get him he was actually running around playing! not just sitting on one of the caregivers knees. He was playing and having a great time and could have cared less that I was there! I never thought I would be so happy to have my son not care that I was around. How proud I am that he has conquered this hurdle. We celebrated with a trip down the toy isle. He totally earned it!

Online home search, never disappoints.

I see your a big activist for PETA.

Koen and the Gym

Koen has finally come to terms with going to the gym! hallelujah! can I get an Amen! He still cries when I drop him off, but then he is fine. I am so damn proud of that kid I can't even put into words. I feel like it has taken forever to get to this point but I don't care! no more (hopefully) going to the gym twice a day just to finish my workout. it's the little things ya know. But thanks again to everyone for all the great advice and encouraging words!

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I never joined the girl scouts. I don't trust any organization that has a handbook...

Happy Anniversary!

Four years ago today, I married the love of my life. I am so very fortunate to have someone like him to share my life with. He puts up with me at my craziest of moments. He laughs at all my lame ass jokes. He always knows when to listen and when I need the honest truth. He can pick me up when I am down and celebrate with me during the greatest of victories. He pushes me to always be my best, and believes in me, even when I do not. Truth is, I admire him in so many ways. He is an amazing person. He is my best friend. Our life together has always been an adventure and one I never want to end. Cheers to us, may we never take each other for granted. May we always remember the little things and never go to bed angry. May we always keep our brutal honesty and passion for inner happiness and a home a filled with love. Cheers my love.

Koen hates the gym

So for the exception of a couple missed days. I have been sticking with my original plan to take Koen to the gym everyday. The girls there remember him now (of course) but still no progress. Not really anyway. Today I dropped him off and went to do my cardio. once I was done I went to grab my bag and go get Koen. I managed to do all of that before the Kids Club called me so that's good?. But when I went in to grab him he was pretty upset. Poor kid. I wish there was something I could do for him to make it easier, but unfortunately he will have to work this out on his own.

As promised :)

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/the-clean-15-in-produce

This is a great artical with lots of helpful hints to save money on organic produce. Enjoy.

A day of celebration!

Angel Burnaroos!!!!! You graduate from college today!!!!!!!!! How F#cking awesome is that! What more can I say but that you deserve all of the joy and drinks that today has to offer. I am so proud of you! I hope today is everything that you hoped for. I will see you tonight! Koen and I will be cheering the loudest! xoxo
Love you girl! CHEERS!

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I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage. -Nietzsche

Rotten apples

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/apples-just-got-dirtier

Ok so I am a little weird about my food these days. Partly because I have read way too much about how are fruit and vegetables are grown and what they put on them. I feel the same about my meat. Now I'm not going to go out and handcuff myself to a tomato plant or a bovine or anything. But I think it is good to know where your food comes from, how it is grown and what it is treated with. I will post the clean list later when it is available. Enjoy

Progress

11 minute mile!!!! I jogged or ran the entire time! Phew, Ya know, going from a pack a day smoker who ate terrible and never exercised. Today is a triumphant day for me! And the best part....I could have kept going! Man, progress feels amazing!.

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I am working on some paintings right now. It has been such a long time since I have painted so I have a feeling the first few maybe hit or miss. But I am excited. Pics to come soon.

The infographics don't lie

Draw your own conclusions. You don't need me to tell you what I think.

Work in progress

Koen is still working on his separation issues. We go to the gym everyday now. I am trying to make it just another part of his routine. He still can't make it the duration of my workout. Which is unfortunate but hey! were workin' on it! A very big "A" for effort though. It would be much easier if the caregivers would, oh... I don't know, try a little harder? I mean you can't find a way to distract a 15 month old? I am confident if they tried to play with him a little or show him a different toy etc. he would probably be fine. But.....since they don't we will just have to work around it. He's good for about 15 min. Let's hope next week maybe we can make it 20.

Milky Way

Plains Milky Way from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

This is a really beautiful video. Check it out. Thank you for sharing this Lucas!

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How old were your kids when they started using a pillow at night?

Koen goes to the gym...Part 2

Thank you everyone for all your advice. It was much appreciated! To update everyone, I took Koen back to the gym today. It is not a work out day for me but we went to Kids Club hoping to make some progress. He was not happy at first, very clingy. But soon he was running around playing with toys having a good time. I chatted with one of the caregivers for a moment, said good bye to Koen, then left for a morning smoothie. I hung out for about ten or twelve minutes then headed back. He was upset when I got there. The caregiver said he had just started to cry. So I picked him up and took him over to the toys. Once again he was running around playing and having a good time. A little boy even gave Koen his toy to play with. Soon more and more kids started to arrive and Koen seemed to be having a great time. He didn't want to leave! So we are going back again tomorrow and I am hoping that he does even better. Thank you again everyone. I will keep you updated on Koen's progress. Cheers!

Salmon Burgers....Delicious!

These were amazing! if you don't have time to make the patties. Trader Joe's sells wild Alaskan salmon patties seasoned and ready to go. Which are just as delicious. Give them a try and let me know what you think.


Salmon Burgers With Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients:
Aioli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salsa
1/2 cup diced California avocado
1/4 cup diced pineapple
2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons minced Serrano pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Burgers
1 egg
1/4 cup Chipotle Aioli (reserved from recipe above)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1-1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped*
1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available in Asian markets) or fine, unseasoned dry bread crumbs
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns, split
4 leaves green leaf lettuce
8 California avocado slices (optional)

Directions:
1) To make aioli, whisk together all ingredients in large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for burger mixture; refrigerate remainder. To make salsa, combine all ingredients in large bowl. Refrigerate, covered.
2) To make burgers, in large bowl combine egg, reserved aioli, lime juice and Chipotle Pepper Sauce. Stir in salmon, bread crumbs, green onions, cilantro and salt. Form burger mixture into 4 patties. Chill patties at least 1 hour.
3) Brush a medium-hot grill lightly with oil. Grill salmon patties about 4 minutes or until browned on one side. Turn patties over and cook 4 minutes more or until just done. Grill buns on outer edge of grill. Spread cut sides of bottom halves with 1 tablespoon Chipotle Aioli, top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 burger, 1/4 cup Pineapple-Avocado Salsa, 2 avocado slices, if using, and top half of bun, cut side down. Yield: 4 servings

*Tip: To chop salmon, cut into 1-inch cubes; pulse in food processor until coarsely chopped. Do not over process.

Memorial Day

 "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." -BG

Your not my mother?

So Koen for the first time is having separation anxiety. When I go to drop him off at the gym Kids Club, I am immediately called back. When I walk through the door there is Koen, hysterical!. With that look on his face like "OMG! MOM! how could you!, you just left me here with these strange people!" He even gives me a mean mug! Good grief!. I know that this is only a phase and one I can't wait to get passed. I looked up some tips on trying to help him get use to being without mom and dad. But if any of you seasoned mom's out there would like to pass on your wisdom, I would gladly take it. I will keep you posted...

Static

Is it just me or is anyone else having a static problem? My hair is so staticy (is that even a word) that I feel like I am going to have to start packing dryer sheets in my pockets. I don't know what's causing it but I am pretty sure the Snuggy is to blame.

*Chuckle*

Folklife

OK everyone, grab your bongos, slip on those birkenstocks, and dab on the patchouli. That's right! the annual Folklife festival is happening this weekend. Since 1972 the Folklife festival has been bringing us all together to celebrate the many diverse cultures throughout the world.  Whether your going to check out your favorite polka band or maybe learn how to belly dance? there is something for everyone. Not to mention a variety of foods and booth after booth of local artistry. From kids young to old there is always good fun to be had. Have fun this weekend!

http://nwfolklife.org/

Here is a link to their website, you can check schedules, performance times etc.

Park

Koen and I have been hanging at the park a lot recently. He is hilarious to watch. The little guy is so busy. He runs around so fast trying to play on all the toys at once. Such a crack up.

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I rocked it at the gym today! whooo! feeling awesome! I also took Koen to the Kids Club at the gym, this is the closest he has been to daycare. He was excited when he saw all the toys and once I sat him down he took off! But right as I had finished my work out I get a page over head. When I get back to the Kids Club there is Koen, sobbing with a total mean mug look on his face. He was pissed I left him there I guess. But it took him an hour to notice that I wasn't there. So, not to bad for little Koen.

Koen Takes a Picture

Koen really likes to play with my camera. So I let him try it out the other night. This is the picture he took. Nice job buddy!

WTF?

Saw these grazing beauties on my way home the other day. I had to take a picture just to make sure I was actually seeing walking Rainer bottles grazing in my local park. No one else around. Just the Rainer bottles. Taking a stroll. Remember the old Rainer commercials? HA! yeah me too......WTF?

Feel the Burn!

So I had my personal trainer session Tuesday night. Holy shizz! my body HATES me right now. But man did it feel good to go to the gym. It's been a long time coming and I am more motivated than ever to get in shape.

Triumphant

I made it through the dentist. With a little help from some nitrous I did just fine. My mouth really hurts today though. I'm hungry but chewing just sounds awful. But I am proud of myself none the less. My first fillings ever! made it all the way to 30 before I had a cavity.... not to shabby.

Silly Face

Koen loves the camera. Anytime I take it out he is right there. He has started to make funny faces now. Makes me laugh every time.

It's go time!

So I am very excited! For my birthday my husband got me a gym membership. I have set up my personal training session, and I start working out tomorrow! I can't wait! For Mother's day I bought workout clothes so I am totally ready to get my fitness on! This is going to be the start of something pretty amazing.

Sick

There is nothing worse than a sick kid. Poor Koen has been sick for over a week now. It just won't leave. As a parent I hate that there is only so much I can do for him. Poor little man. That magic wand would sure come in handy right now....

I think this picture kinda sums it up. Get well soon buddy.

I love this.

Thank you Lucas. :)

Totem

If you walk along the waterfront in downtown Seattle you will see many things. The Aquarium, the old Carousel. A variety of shops and restaurants. But you will also see the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project. From the Ditidaht tribe of British Columbia, John T. Williams was a 7th Generation woodcarver, who was shot and killed last summer by a Seattle police officer. There has not been a totem pole carved in Seattle for over 70 years. I think part of what makes this so special is that this totem pole is being carved by Williams' brother along side other master woodcarvers. As well as many volunteers from other nations. The hope is to erect the Totems on the one year anniversary of his death. August 30, 2011.  I really encourage people to go and see what they are doing. Their work is really amazing. You can make a donation or even talk with some of the folks there.