Working Hard

A month ago I went into the doctor for a check up, and discovered something frustrating- I'd gained 11 lbs. I have low self confidence as it is, so gaining weight doesn't help. I decided that I needed to really work out, but what clinched it for me was when I went to buy a pair of jeans, and I was several jean sizes over what I wanted to be. I couldn't make myself buy the jeans that fit, and went instead with a size smaller that was very tight in the waist and determined to work out until I could fit into them. Ryan's sister Tonya is into health and exercise, and so I got some good ideas from her on the best way to work out and get in shape. so for the last three weeks I've been really good at working out each day- I do cardio for an hour, then resistence exercises (weights, etc.) for 10-15 min and then stretch. It's very hard to do it each day, and I'm thoroughly exhausted afterwords. I also cut out soda (I sneak a drink of Ryans every once in a while) and tried to resist ice cream. I also tried to make my portions at dinner smaller. After 3 weeks of doing this routine (I skipped the weekends on exercising because I was really tired) I weighed myself and was happy and surprised to find that I'd lost 9lbs. So, I lost most of the weight that I wanted to, but my waist still looks like play dough. I know it takes time to get in shape, I seriously didn't expect it to happen over night, but I still worry that the stomach is there to stay, courtesy of having a baby. I could post a picture of my squishy stomach, but I'll spare all of you. Working out has helped a lot with giving me something constructive to do with my time, and helping me feel better in general. I want to add that I know there are people bigger than me, and I know that i'm not obese or anything. I just want to be able to feel good when I look in the mirror. I don't need killer abs, or to be a size 0 (I also want to add that I was never a size 0, and I'm glad-well I might have been in 9th grade but I don't know, I was pretty scrawny), I just want to fit into most of my clothes again (i've given up on some of them). I am happy though, cause my pants do fit a little better (I think they strectched, they are stretchy material).

Three posts today, starting with my new easle

Ryan found a really nice easle at Cains, the furniture store that he works at. It's odd that they had an easle for sale, since generally you wouldn't expect them to have art furniture. Since Cains is having their going out of business sale, Ryan was able to get it for a pretty good price, and I'm VERY proud of it. So, it's my very early christmas present. Ryan tried to say that I couldn't have it until Christmas, but there was no way I was going to go along with that. It is the perfect size and the part that your rest the painting/drawing on can be adjusted. I haven't started painting/drawing on it yet, but I'm anxious to. I haven't had a moment to start, being busy with ethan and household stuff, and I don't really want to make a mess in my room with painting/drawing suplies, but I am anxious to use it, so one of these days i'm going to break everything out and make a mess. The picture I took of the easle definately doesn't do it justice. It even has some designs carved into it. I love it.

Camping trip to Swan Valley

Here's some pictures from the Anderson family camping trip we had a while ago up in the swan valley area. It was a really fun trip, and the waterfall was beautiful. I'd been up to that area several years ago, in college, and I'd forgoten how pretty the falls and valley were. Some time i'd like to be able to go back and spend time painting. We were rained on, but luckily we had a tarp to keep dry under. Ryan's brother Shawn ended up out in the rain, though, holding a tarp up over the dutch oven so we would be able to eat. We were all very appreciative of his sacrifice! :)

Chewing nails and slouching

Yesterday when I was playing with Ethan I noticed something new. I was chewing on my nails, a bad habit I've always had, and I looked over at Ethan and he was copying me. He had this funny look on his face, and he was watching me very intently as he put his little finger nail up to his teeth and started to try and chew on it like mommy. I was like...dang it! So now I've realized he's really started to notice the things i'm doing, so i'll have to be more careful. Today I was sitting on the couch watching a show, and he came over and climbed up beside me, and seriously, he slouched down in the couch just the way I was sitting. They grow up too quickly. Now I'm going to have to try to be more aware of everything that i'm doing.

Little Boy Bed

I decided to convert ethans crib into a bed, and clean the lower shelves in his room off. I'm hoping that he won't try climbing them to get to the stuff higher up. I organized his clothes, and toys on the lower shelves- and then realized that if I packed his room with all of his fun toys that he would never sleep. So I took most of the toy's out, leaving the quieter ones. I was so proud of how clean and cute his little space looked. I knew it wouldn't last (as soon as Ethan saw his bed he had a lot of fun pulling everything, blankets and all, off) so I took a picture cause I liked how it looked, even if it won't always look like this.

Time to put away the crib

Today when I tried to put Ethan down for his nap he wouldn't go. I really needed to take a shower, which never works well when he is awake, as he can push the door open to the bathroom no matter how tight I close it, and then he wants to climb in the shower- and then cries because he doesn't like showers.... hence why I try to do it while he's asleep. So today he decided he didn't want to take a nap, so finally I decided to put him in his crib and let him cry long enough so that I could take a shower. Everyone always says it doesn't hurt them to cry so I kept telling myself this as I climbed into the shower. Right as I lather up my hair I hear Ethan crying-outside the bathroom door. I'm like "what the heck?!" so I jump out of the shower, wet and soapy, open the bathroom door and in he comes, still crying, obviously alone. I yell down the hall "who's home?" thinking my husband or mother in law is possibly home and got him out of his crib, but no one answers. My cute little boy has finally discovered how to climb/fall out of his crib. It's cute...yeah...but really quite frustrating. I don't know what to do with him now. We are living with my in-laws at the moment, and Ethan is currently sleeping in Joan's sewing room. First of all, even with pillows and blankets to fall on, I don't like the idea of him falling out of his crib. Second, I get stressed at the idea of Ethan getting into Joan's sewing stuff- and there really isn't a way to put them higher, because they are on shelves and he can climb those. I figure it's time for him to have a regular bed, but I just don't know where to put him. I knew that he could eventually figure out how to climb out of his bed but I was naiivly hoping that he wouldn't.... at least not until we moved into our own place where he could have his own little room that was safe to leave him in. I know I'll figure something out, and it will be fine...I hope....

Looking

For those of you who don't know, Ryan has been working as the accountant for Cains Home Furnishings, a furniture store here in Twin, for a little over a year now. This week Cains officially announced that it is going to be shutting down it's main store location. The only ones who will retain their jobs after November will be the owner and his wife. So now comes the task of looking for a new job. Ryan wants to stay in Twin Falls, but we also wouldn't mind going elsewhere. My ideas have been the cascade area in Washington, the Hood River valley area in Oregon, Boise (not my first pick though), and Logan UT. Those have been the only areas I could think of. I would like it if we could move closer to where my parents live in Washington (Logan is farther, but it is a pretty area). Places I don't want to live would be my home town, Spokane WA, Coeur D' Alene ID, Salt Lake Valley, california, wyoming, and basically any further east or south then utah. I might change my mind on Coeur D' Alene, but we will see. We really liked living in Salt Lake, except that there were SO many people crammed into the area, housing was so expensive, and the inversion or smog or whatever they called it was so bad, and the traffic was bad. If it wasn't for those 4 things I would like to live there. If anyone has any ideas of where would be a good place to live, let me know.