Bring.....It....OOOOON!!!!!.....

In our household my behind is affectionately called "jelly butt", and I regularly enjoy exclamations of "Its SOOOO squishy!" as my kids bust in on me in various stages of dressing or undressing....The youngest even goes as far as to have a favourite game where he comes up behind me and puts his head under my butt....and bounces!!! *sigh*.....

 If I didn't find it so amusing I would cry! :)

Although, as I have gotten older I have come to accept my body shape more and now view my ample derriere as some sort of personal trademark, instead of hating it.

Thank goodness!!

You may have noticed, from my blog posts or my frequent facebook updates ;),....that I love to workout, and I enjoy a good challenge. I am an active member of a couple of fitness FB groups and I have seen quite a bit of positive talk about the various BeachBody workout DVDs...and one in particular has taken my fancy.

Brazil Butt Lift.....(for obvious reasons of course!)

 I know...right? 
(ps. my aim is not to look like the photo)

I also have a tendency to get slightly obsessed with things - ie I will play an album/song/artist to death, or go on mad researching binges on particular topics. Therefore - I could not rest until I had this workout DVD. I couldn't find it in the stores and the US sites wouldn't ship it to Australia (without some serious shipping $$). I almost gave up, until Michael found it on a local 'ebay' type site being sold for $10 unopened!!....Score! 
  
I received it in the mail today.....arrrgh!! I am nervous! :)  For starters, its very confronting. As much as I have come to accept it, I am still quite sensitive about my body. So to have Michael over my shoulder pointing out what kind of butt I had was slightly offensive! I can talk about the size and 'density' (??) etc of it - BUT no one else can...I may just get a little snippy! 

Lets face it - the more you hate something the more you need to do it - and I really really don't like lower body exercises!! Give me push up challenges any day!(btw - I did 30 pushups yesterday...awesome! ;)

So....

The challenge begins here. *breathes into a paper bag*

An Anniversery Of Sorts......

Three years ago today, I was in a Domestic Violence Women's Shelter apartment in Hobart with the kids and a couple of suitcases. I was physically a mess - underweight, and sporting a lovely black eye. So emotionally wrecked that the slightest sound had me jumping. So ashamed and so lacking in self esteem I could hardly look anyone in the eye and too numb to cry. 

It's an anniversary I usually forget specifically, but for the whole month of May I think a lot about the situation I left.  It has been in my thoughts a whole lot more this year, mostly because of certain events that have been in the news over the last couple of weeks. 

I do like to remember, because it helps me to be grateful for my life. Grateful to have....

A house, a wonderful husband, three well adjusted, beautiful children, the opportunity to study and to dance, to go to church without fear or embarrassment, to live near my awesome family, to have a fit, strong and healthy body and just enough emotional issues to keep me grounded and working on myself. ;)

I love my life and I feel so incredibly blessed.  My Heavenly Father has truly been looking after me.

While it has been a long, and often arduous, journey (some times I seriously don't know how I made it) - I choose to be thankful for all of the trials too. For without them I would not be me, and I would not have the opportunity to grow and to reach my full potential. So thank you for the sadness, the pain and the frustration....and for hating it all enough to make the change.

 

 "Its called the past 'cause I'm getting past, and I ain't nothing like I was before....you oughta see me now"...

I Got The Number....

I have loved music and dancing ever since I can remember. I have had the chance to perform in various dance styles - but more than anything I wanted to compete. I like the challenge, I like to have something to aim for. I used to envy the kids at ballroom dancing that were having private lessons for competition....I wanted a dance partner but it was really hard to find a guy that matched my height. I remember watching the Ballroom Championships at Christmas and wanting to dance with a number on my back - I couldn't imagine anything more awesome (well, next to being a back up dancer for Janet Jackson ;).

Last year I got my chance.....

My first West Coast Swing Jack and Jill (dance with a stranger) Competition - it was AMAZING! It probably took about half an hour for my heart to stop racing afterwards...haha

Ever since then I have just wanted to get better and better. Cause frankly, at some point I want to win. It is a little frustrating that I can't put as much work into my dancing as I used to be able to, but I am super grateful for the chance to do any at all!

I had my third competition this past weekend - and guess what??

This girl made finals!!! Out of three heats I made the top 8 - it was definitely a shock (after checking the results, I pretty much just scraped in - hey, I still made it though!)....I was having a terrible night of social dancing...I don't know why, I just couldn't find my flow or get a decent connection with anyone or the music and I almost didn't put my number back on.

Heats - I am at the back in black - this is the guy I danced the best with....

(argh, doing that stupid neck forward thing, so hard to change :s)

I danced with a guy from my class for the final - which would have been cool, except we hardly ever dance together! (not sure why though....)  So it wasn't the best of dances, but we had some good moments. Will have to try and dance with him more....

Oh yeah....and I danced with Michael Kielbasa last night......it was fabulous! He is sooo excellent! 

Rainbows Rock!....

The kids came running inside a few weeks ago after a big lot of rain yelling "Mum, come quick.....a RAINBOW!"

I brought my camera out and took a photo....I love rainbows, they are an amazing phenomenon to me. No matter how bad things are, in the world or in my own life, every time I see a rainbow I am comforted. It is a reminder me that there is a bigger picture, and that this all has a purpose. I imagine that Heavenly Father is saying,

"Don't worry guys, I know it seems pretty bad right now but.....I got this."

Warm Fuzzies.....

I haven't blogged for awhile because I have been so busy with family, study and other things (don't ask me what they are? ;)...and every time I get the urge I am right in the middle of something....

So today I am blogging, not because I have anything topical to write about or because I have some free time, but because I just feel awesome and I wanted to share it.

Today is fast Sunday - and I forgot, I have been fasting regularly since maybe late last year - and I am starting to get in the swing of it, so I didn't want to miss a Sunday. We only planned to go to sacrament today because Michael and I have dance practice for our first routine performance next Saturday (I am really excited, and it wasn't something I thought we could miss) ....Anyway, Dad is coming to babysit the kids for a few hours while we go and he was coming too early for us to make sacrament and be back in time to get ready.

So I am fasting for as long as I can before practice, and we went to early morning church to catch Sacrament. Testimony meeting was great, the kids are a lot more well behaved in church now because they are so used to it. I love the opportunity that fasting gives me to focus on the Saviour and his influence in my life. Sometimes, if we don't have a regular church Sunday its easy for it to feel like a Saturday - so I am so grateful that the hunger helps me focus and remember Him.  

We came home from church and I made brunch for everyone who wasn't fasting.....I am really finding joy in cooking for my family at the moment. I love the opportunity motherhood has given me to serve them, its awesome when they like the things I make (for the kids, this is mostly the snacky baking, not the healthy dinners ;) and I can't help feeding my husband too much 'good' food....I best keep him dancing, doing pushups and on the treadmill...hehe.....

I adore my family, and my life so much and the moment - even though its a struggle with uni, and finding money for everything we need - I am so grateful for my challenges and how they bring me closer to my Father in Heaven. I really do pray that we continue to move forward in our spirituality as a family - because its so good right now and we have so far yet to go - its exciting to think how it can only get better!

Culinary Experimental....

Those of you who know me well would know that....

I like to eat.

Fortunately, I also like to run....so the two mostly offset each other. (mostly - except for the two kilos that found me on my recent indulgent honeymoon, which I am starting to feel quite comfortable with! :)

I am often trying to find a 'healthy' (pun intended) balance in the food department. I have tried cutting out sugar and "bad fats" all together, but frankly, I feel deprived....and I shall only live once - so forget that.

Instead, I am keeping most of my meals and the families dinner clean. Which means - a whole range of experimental dinners. I have to admit, we have had a bunch of crap dinners lately! Sorry, guys....but I have also had some success - in the form of turkey mince.

It is as cheap (price is a big deal) as premium mince, has less fat and is super tasty. I have used it instead of mince to make chilli for tacos and nachos (I found Woolworths homebrand corn chips to be waaaay tastier and less salty than other brands), and turkey instead of sausage mince for sausage rolls. Win! 

I have also tried to make my own stock,  and chicken stew with wholemeal dumplings....which were both fails - Wholemeal flour is super dense and I don't think I like the taste of marjoram! However, I will try both again next week. This girl does not give up!

Currently in the oven, turkey mince meat loaf with mushroom gravy.

I think I will be more gentle on my family....maybe I should cut down to 3 experimental meals per week?

PS in case you get the wrong idea, we haven't been eating turkey mince every day of the week! ;)

Who's Coming To Dinner/Family Traditions.....

It started a month or two ago....

Although we have afternoon church, I have had this growing desire to cook lots of food and have people over for dinner! Sunday just seems like a good day for visitors.....

We have had the missionaries around a few time, my brother and his girlfriend once, and the girl down the round this past Sunday. I want a dinner guest every week....We don't know many families in the ward down here - maybe its a good opportunity!....So if you are ever in the neighbourhood and it's a Sunday, give me a call! :)

Anyway, this got me thinking about "traditions", I love traditions, although in the past we haven't seemed to have very many. Since getting married and getting our own place, everything is new again. I have had to start new daily/weekly routines, and its the perfect time to start new family traditions.....I guess it will be a while before they actually hit "tradition" status, but we have got some baby ones....Here is a few.....

We were going to the beach early Saturday mornings for me to run and the kids to play on the beach with Michael....but then I started a weekend  MYOB course. So at the moment the kids go with Michael to watch his son's football game and hang out with their step-niece, baby Peyton. When its over maybe we can do both??

Also, this newbie...

This past Sunday was fast Sunday, and I was looking for something to break my fast with before dinner that wasn't too filling - Banana Smoothie! Michael made all the kids milkshakes and now I want to do this every fast Sunday - Milkshake Sunday!

Things like this are cool.....I want more! It gives the kids (and us!!) things to look forward to and guarantees we have quality family time.

What family traditions do you have?