In honor of full accountability

I have taken the first step and started up 30 Day Shred this week after months of procrastinating. I started yesterday, so I have now completed Level 1, days 1 & 2. Let me tell you that judging by how much my body hurts...this is LONG overdue! I hurt everywhere! If it doesn't get better before tomorrow I don't know what I'm going to do. I have been getting up at 6:15 when Craig's alarm goes off, so that I can squeeze in the workout (& hopefully my shower) before our little diva wakes up! This week she has been a sleepy head, sleeping in until at least 8 a.m. every day, so that has greatly helped my cause!

In other efforts to get healthy, I gave up fast food for Lent. With only a few days left, my french fry craving is getting serious; but, other than that I haven't really missed it too much. Obviously, it makes quick lunches difficult, but it's been totally doable. I've been more consistent with taking my lunch to work, which has helped our bank account as well as my waistline. Every little bit helps!

My love affair with food (and sweets) continues... This is definitely the hardest part for me! I'm the type to eat when I'm nervous or stressed unlike those crazy people who waste away into nothing when they are stressed. Why couldn't I have been so lucky!?! I have a serious problem with self-restraint. I try and try, and then boom! It happens, and I cave! I've been trying to do better and resisted many things lately, but this is a constant battle for me. One that I often lose! Starvation of all things "good" (cutting out sweets or carbs) isn't an option for me, moderation is the key! This will be very important with the yummy holiday weekend coming up!

With the hope that Spring is almost finally here, I hope our family walks will become a nightly event! Both of the girls (Izzy & Delaney) absolutely love to go, so it's a nice way to spend some family time & get in a little workout as a bonus! I also hope that with the addition of the swing set to our backyard, we will all be enjoying the backyard and running around out there more often! With Delaney being the little water baby that she is, I have to do something in order to get my fat ass into a swimsuit to take her swimming this summer!

Speaking of Delaney, she's a busy girl these days! She has started taking more and more independent steps over the last week. She has covered some serious ground, and I think it quite close to becoming a full-time walker very soon! She has also found her voice recently! She now babbles all the way to Holly's in the mornings, all the way home in the evenings, all through dinner, etc. She has a lot to say! Little Miss Independent has also declared herself a vegetarian at the tender age of 1. She is refusing to eat almost any meat we put in front of her. It has to be quite disguised to even get a few bites in, and then we're lucky if it's more than one bite! She will sit and scream until we give her a fruit or vegetable. Oh, boy...she's a stubborn little girl! I can already predict, she will be that child that throws herself down in the grocery store in a fit of glory when she doesn't get her way...something to look forward to!

Isn't my daddy the coolest?!?

Hello Friends,

Last weekend my daddy built me the coolest thing ever...a swing set! It is so much fun! I can't believe Daddy built it all by himself, he's so amazing! I can't wait to swing and slide on this thing for many, many years! It's so big and strong that even Mommy & Daddy can swing on it with me! I also can't wait for all my friends and cousins to come play with me on my new swing set! I'm so spoiled...

Love,

Delaney Jo

Oh, and P.S. Thank you to all my awesome family that helped get me this coolest birthday gift ever! You Rock!

Early summer!

We broke out Delaney's little pool today for a swim!  It was so fun to be out and enjoy the wonderful weather!

At a loss...

So now that the birthday party is over and the baby shower has come and gone, I must admit I'm a little at a loss of what to do. I don't have any parties to plan?!? I've had so many nice comments about the parties I've done lately about how I should open a business, plan parties for real, etc. Honestly, if money and health insurance didn't matter, I would totally do it! I absolutely love it! As much as I love Craig and loved our wedding day, I would get married 18 times over just to plan the wedding again. It is so much fun! I know I'm a nerd.... I'm searching for reasons to plan the next party...it's probably a little too early to start planning Delaney's second birthday, so I might have to get more creative with the occasion!

In other news, we are finally on the mend. We have been a bunch of sickies since Delaney's birthday party. Craig and I had the flu that was passed around, and then last week Delaney got a nasty cold. After a few days at home and lots of rest, she is doing much better. This weekend our house is getting a good cleaning and airing out to get rid of all the germs!

Craig has been busy planning Delaney's swing set! We have almost all of the pieces purchased, so we are just hoping for a weekend of nice weather soon to get it put together! I'm really hoping this will be something Delaney can enjoy for a long time! (Along with her friends and cousins!)

We spent last weekend showering some family members who have big occasions coming up. We went to a bridal shower for Craig's cousin Jennifer on Saturday morning. She's getting married in June! We also went to a baby shower for Craig's cousin Tess on Saturday morning. She's having a baby boy mid-May. Then, on Sunday we went to another baby shower for Jess to spoil Baby M some more! It will be an exciting couple months here soon! I can't wait!

Delaney's 1 Year Photo Shoot

Click here to check out Delaney's 1 Year pictures!

Golf Baby Shower for Princess

Delaney and I made our first girls-only trip to Tekamah this past weekend to throw a baby shower for Auntie Jess & Baby M. I went with a golf themed shower since they are doing a golf themed nursery. Golf has been a big party of Jess & Nick's relationship, so it's only fitting! I only managed to snap a couple pictures before the shower started of a few of the decorations, but we got quite a few picture on Jess's camera of the actual shower!

Here's the diaper cake I made for her. I tried to find as many "golf" baby things I could use. I found some golf shoe baby slippers that were too perfect for the top of the cake! I also found a PGA beanie bear that was so cute! Jess used to collect beanie babies, so this was also a great find! Finally, I found the golfer rubber ducky! Every kid needs a rubber ducky, and my nephew needs a golfer ducky! The argyle ribbon was the last touch!
Here are the golf cake pops I got from Sweet Bites in Omaha! They tasted just a good as they looked, and were a huge hit at the party!

Swimming Lessons & Bath Time...

We started Delaney's second session of swimming lessons last week. After 3 weeks off, she was a little off her game last week; however, this week she was back to you usual "fishy" self. She was floating, kicking, swimming, dunking...like an old pro! She is such a natural. The last few classes Craig has actually let go of her for a few seconds while she is under water, and she just floats and kicks her way across the pool. It's a little unnerving for me, but so amazing to see her be so little and so big all at the same time. Her teacher, Miss Jessica, joked tonight that by the time she's 3-years-old she won't need lessons anymore! We shall see! I managed to snap a few pictures that turned out decent in the horrible pool lighting...

We got there a little early, so Delaney and Daddy hung out pool-side and waited for the early class to end! She couldn't wait to get in the water!

Here she is modeling her new swimming suit from Auntie Jess! It's soooo cute, but I'm afraid it isn't going to fit for too many more classes!

She's in! and lovin' it! Weeee...

She's practicing her reach and kicking skills!

She's underwater and on her own! Such an amazing thing to see!
Here's Delaney practicing the life-saving skill called the "Circle Swim". This is what Miss Jessica teaches all her students in the even that they happen to fall into water on accident. She teaches them that safety is the wall/side. The kids learn to immediately turn around and find safety or the side. Here's D hanging onto safety all by herself! Such a strong girl!

After swimming is bath time is also one of Delaney's favorite things! Daddy always gives her baths, and they always party!

Here she is with her favorite bath toy...her star fish! She loves this thing and will pick it out of all her bath toys!

Silly girl!

Bath time antics with Daddy!