Five Things on Friday

1. I wanted to start this week by saying hello to all my lovely new readers! Hi and welcome! I hope you'll stay for awhile and introduce yourself. If you have a blog, I would love to come visit!! It's always so much fun to meet new blog friends.

2. Kayla over on Green Mountain Couple very kindly asked me to guest post on for Friends Friday. I'm honored to be sharing the post with Gayle over at A Gayle Force. I wrote about the bluebonnets in Texas. Go check it out HERE.

3. If you haven't already, you REALLY should head over to My So Called Chaos. Angie is having a massive group giveaway.

4. FAF is so much happier this week. I got a couple walks in and did 3 days with Jillian doing 30 day shred. Plus I've gone back to tracking my food. I feel healthier this week than I've felt in a long while...and really that matter more to me than any weight loss. I've been feeling so unhealthy and SO out of shape, but I feel like I really made a turn for the better. I hope this time I can stay on track and get back to where I want to be.

2013 Starting Weight: 165

Last Weigh In: 165

Current Weight: 165

Lost This Week: 0

Total Lost: 0

2013 miles as of last week: 141.6

Miles logged this week: 3.99

Total Miles Logged: 145.59

5. Have you got any wonderful plans for the holiday weekend? We haven't talked much about it, but I think a lot of our time will be spent knocking stuff off our to do list. I really wish we were going to Galveston again, but we decided to put our trip on hold and get some other things taken care of instead. Being a grown up really has a down side sometimes. So in between chores and catching up on some crafts, I'll be closing my eyes and wishing I were here:

If I don't see ya, have a wonderful long weekend!!

Grapevine Vintage Railroad

On Saturday my mother treated us to a day on The Grapevine Vintage Railroad. Having kiddos is such a great excuse to get out and do tourist type stuff. 

The boys weren't sure they liked the train at first. They are huge and loud. 

We stepped onto the train in Grapevine.

The boys loved getting their tickets punched by the conductor.

This shot is one of my favorites from the trip. 

The train stops at the Fort Worth Stockyard's. I really wish we had, had more time there. I've never been and I would have loved to explore a little more. We did have time for a stop at the candy shop. 

The boys got balloons from a cowboy clown. 

Then all too soon it was time to head back. 

I'm going to add a trip back to the Stockyards to my Texas bucket list. Would be fun to even make a little weekend out of it. 

Welcome Home Wednesday: Nox's Pad

The kitchen is currently in hold status for now and I'm getting really far behind on posts...so I'm moving on to  sharing other rooms.

This is Nox's bedroom. I really REALLY wish these pictures did the flooring justice. It was a HUGE piece of linoleum, that was extremely warped and kinda felt like a strange sponge when you walked on it. The pictures are way beyond deceiving.

 (above: view from doorway. window looks out over front.)

 (above: view from left corner)

(above: view of doorway and closet. note that closet does not actually have flooring.) 

(above: view from closet)

Nox's Pad To Do List:

• Paint Thanks, Love!
• Install new, non-crazy warping, flooring. Thanks, Love!
• Install sturdier curtain rod and hang awesome guitar theme curtains. Thanks, Love!
• Purchase and install new ceiling fan
• Hang pictures/artwork

I'll share the after pictures next week!

Scrappy Saturday

Just a couple pages I finished recently. Sometimes it's nice for me to step back from working on Project Life and scrap something else. Helps get the creative juices flowing. 

Template Challenge Template by Katie Perriet and Delicious by Ellie Lash

Created using You Are My Happy collab - Sweet Shoppe Designs 
and Simple Set 9 Bonus Template by lindsay jane

I've been working on our calendar for the year. I have to have it done by the end of the month, so I'll be sharing it soon!

Five Things on Friday

1. Starting off with FAF again. Still not exactly happy, but a little more hopeful.

2013 Starting Weight: 165

Last Weigh In: 165

Current Weight: 165

Gained This Week: 0

Total Lost: 0

2013 miles as of last week: 137.28

Miles logged this week: 4.32

Total Miles Logged: 141.6

John and I have been helping each other get up in the morning. A walk hasn't happened every day, but we are getting there. 

2. At the BBQ last weekend I was snapping a couple pictures and one of my best friends tried to get out of having her picture taken with her beautiful little girl. I got the picture, but her initial reaction made me sad. I love looking back at pictures of my childhood and seeing my parents AND grandparents in pictures with me.  I don't always remember the day or moment in the picture, but my heart fills up just seeing and knowing that they were there. I was reminded of this article by Allison Tate: The Mom Stays in the Picture and also of Aleida's Challenge (please head over to Plucky Momo to read about it.) The kiddos in your life honestly don't care if you think you are fat or if you aren't dressed to the nines. They don't care if you are all sweaty from working out or if your hair is a disaster. They just know they love you. Please don't shy away from being in pictures with them. If I shied away from pictures I would have none of Munch and I when he was tiny. 

3. I've been potty training (my FOUR year old - SIGH) and weaning my two year old off his binkie today. Two of the least fun things I have encountered in parenting so far. I will be having a glass of wine tonight. 

4. Picture of the week:

That's pose is Munch's current go to. Goofy.

5. Melissa over on A Vegas Girl at Heart gave her readers a heads up on Hobby Lobby's 40% coupon combined with their current shipping special of 1.95....with their new Project Life stock. I totally took advantage. Check out Melissa's post HERE. Just a note, you can only use the same code ONCE per day. I tried a couple different codes on a couple orders...so I'm hoping I'm good. Cross fingers!