2008 Is A Great Year For Change!

So I'm sure many of you have noticed that swim suits are already on display in several stores. I quickly raced past them in Target, trying not to even give those skimpy little things a second thought. Here's the problem: Gia will be a year in two weeks. That's something else I don't want to think about. Time just flown and she has been walking for 3 weeks now, which just seems insane. Anyway, I am still carrying extra baby weight from Mateo. I am determined to get back into a two piece swimsuit this summer without scaring small children when we go to the pool, and so me and some of my other mom friends have decided to get together (accountability is always nice) and do the Fit Yummy Mummy transformation challenge.

We bought - no, check that, I forced them to buy - swim suits last week to take some before pictures in (sorry, I will not be posting those here for fear of scaring you away). We start tomorrow, and I'm excited. I know it won't be easy as I'm a sweetaholic in a major way, but I'm gonna try and curb that with fruits! I will be sure to post progress as we go!

I thought I would post the link to the challenge in case anyone else is wanting to sign up and do it with us (you know you want to!) Click here for more information on the program. It's a workout program strictly for women, and is tailored towards new moms who don't have an hour each day to go to the gym. It's not going to be an easy program, but if you are serious about getting in shape, a contest is a great way to stay motivated. There are some great prizes and you get access to a great private forum (actually it's more like a MySpace). The program gives you a meal plan, workouts, and the support you need to meet your goals.

The contest deadline is February 29th, so if you want to join us, click the link about and get in the game! Oh, did I mention the grand prize is $1000?! It's a 12 week, total body transformation! Click here for more information on the contest. If you decide to do the contest, do me a favor and use the link above or this link to order. It'll give me a percentage of the sale for referring you! (and, as you'll see in the next little section, that might come in handy...)

On another note, God is really testing our faith in Him right now. On Friday afternoon, Steve got laid off along with about 10 out of the 35 workers at his work (a couple sales guys were also laid off). They didn't have enough money and so had to lay off people and he was one of them. So with absolutely no warning and a pretty minimal severance package, we find ourself starting a new journey.

It's funny because we are actually quite content with the situation. There have been no tears, or freak outs at all on our part. We know that God is in control and that we completely have given this situation over to Him. In fact Steve has been talking and playing with the idea of getting out of engineering and into sales for quite some time now (at least since August). In fact the night before the first great purge of 2008 (and if the current situation is any indicator, there will likely be more), he was talking to a friend about trying to find time to do some training so he could try it out part time. Well apparently we have plenty of time right now.

The hardest thing for Steve right now is not to feel betrayed and bitter toward his former employers. We really are ok with the situation, but the way they stabbed loyal employees in the back is ridiculous. There was absolutely no warning, no talk of "upcoming layoffs" or "cutbacks" or anything indicating that because our sales guys weren't producing, we wouldn't have jobs.

We really believe that God has opened a new door for us, in fact we are excited to see what He has in store for us, and wonder where we will be at this time next year.
Blessed be His name not only when things are going perfectly but at times like this when things aren't so easy! We thank Him for this opportunity to make our faith even stronger, and are so thankful we have such an amazing God to call upon when we find ourselves here, that we aren't alone, He is here with us, for us.

Say a couple prayers for us if you get a chance, that we'd follow God's will and that we will follow him where he is trying to lead us.

So here is change - a new journey and a new body :)!!

Happy Valentines Day!!--

Happy Valentines Day!! This day is so funny to Steve and I. We really don't celebrate it, because we feel like everyday should be like valentines day. You should show the people you care about that you love them regardless if it's a national holiday or not.
However I remember loving it as a kid. Decorating your shoe box into a mailbox was always sooo much fun, or going to the store and picking out the box of cards you were gonna pass out. I remeber sorting through them writing down the names of my friends on specific cards and making sure I didn't give the boys the ones that said "I love you" or anything else that might make it seem like I liked one! The same thing also went for the candy conversation hearts! That's too funny!
Anyways here are the cards I made for my kids to hand out at school and I also mailed them out to family.







And here are some of us just playing around today, they are way grainy, totally out of focus, but we laughed so hard trying to pose before the timer went off, so I'm posting them just because I can still hear my kids squealing and laughing as I look at them!

Short and Spiky!

Those were Mateo's exact words when the hairstylist asked what he wanted. I was growing out his hair but it is sooooooo thick and reminds me of my dad's when he hasn't cut it in a while. It was just piling on top of his head and really it was time for a cut, so I let Mateo decide and so short and spiky is what he got.

Here's my sweet rock star!

Happy Birthday Blizzard!

This is so crazy but we are in the middle of a full on Blizzard right now. There were raging winds all day but it was nice out in the 50's but lots of wind and now everything is covered in snow! The wind is blowing so hard I feel like it's going to come through the windows! I can't wait to see what it will look like in the morning, although I bet it's all gone. I'll try and go snap a picture so you believe me!!

Ava and the Fashion of Toddlers!

So Ava has her own opinion of what she should wear. I know I have mentioned before how we have battles at times because I want her to wear something and she wants to wear something different. Well I have finally decided that it is no longer worth the battle and have been letting her pick out what she wears.
Which now leaves me contemplating making a blog just to show off her outfit (or on some days outfits) of the day.
Here is her outfit from a couple days ago.

I'm ready for Spring!

I know that winter has barely begun but I am soooooo ready for Spring. I am ready for warmer weather. We have been freezing our tails off here in New Mexico the past week. It has been in the 20's and that is too coldf or me! I keep telling Steve I think we need to move some place thats warm all year long, because I'm freezing.

Debbie keeps suggesting Dallas. That sounds good to me, even with the humidity and amazingly big June bugs! I just want to be able to wear my flip flops year round and right now the result of that has been some seriously frozen toes!

I'm not a big sock and shoe person - I like sandals and flip flops. I feel as though my feet need to breathe, does that totally sound weird? I sleep with them sticking out of the covers at night because otherwise I feel like I'm suffocating. So now you know a totally weird fact about me.
I'm not trying to complain, although it does appear that way. I guess for all that complaining I should give some things I'm thankful for. I am thankful that although its freezing outside I have a nice warm home to live in and a car that has a heater that works (most of the time) to take me places, and since I have a blog to complain on, that means I have a computer and electricity!

My kids, who should have been in bed 42 minutes ago, are still up so I will go ahead and go help Steve put them down instead of complaining about the cold weather :).

My Goals For This Year!

Okay, so it's a new year and of course with every new year comes new resolutions, new goals, new dreams, you get the point. Anyways they say that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down, and so I guess I will do just that so here are some of my goals for this year, although I do reserve the right to add new ones at any time, simply because it seems as if everyday I find something new I want to do or try. I would love to have Martha Stewart's job she really does lots of fun things all sorts of crafts from sewing, knitting to cooking and gardening. See I would really love to knit. I do own a couple pairs on knitting needles and I can cast on, and knit some basic stitches but it seems I always get distracted and find myself stopping with a small square that Ava could use as a blanket for one of her Barbies. I will come across something in a store, and think I could make that and thus the beginning of a new craft in my life or see someone doing something a movie or on T.V. and think that would be fun to do, so yes as Steve can tell you I am always wanting to do something new.


My 2008 Goals in no particular order

Add some more color to my life by adding color to the boring walls in my house!!

Play my guitar and get some lessons (it's been a long time)!

Sew some aprons for my girlfriends, some curtains for the kitchen, and dresses for the girls, and maybe try and get enough blankets and bibs sewn to do a craft fair this year.

Take more pictures for my portfolio building and getting my website up and going.

Get Maria Hays Photography (maybe my hearts moments photography) off the ground.

Master the use of natural light inside without having to bounce my flash.

Practice taking pictures as much as possible so I can continue to get better, although I think I will always be striving for this.

Go on an adventure of some kind with my kids at least once a month, and photograph it all.

Take more video of our family (we were terrible this last year)

Eat more whole foods and cut back a lot on processed food and sugar.

Exercise daily.

Make Sunday's God's day and spend them as a family having fun and acknowledging the blessings we have been given, and not doing housework, or errands.

Reading my Bible everyday and keeping a prayer journal.

Writing handwritten letters and notes to my friends and family. It's always fun to get a real letter in the mail instead of bills, credit card offers, and catalogs.

No more $100 laundry detergent (you know when you go to Target for laundry detergent and you leave with $100 of stuff you didn't intend to buy!)

Find creative and new ways to let my husband and children know how crazy in love with them I am.

have an extremely fun themed Super bowl party as we watch the undefeated Patriots win! (come on don't be a Patriot hater, be an appreciator!!!)

Cooking one new recipe a week.

Writing on my blog at least once a week or at least post pictures.

Be a woman after God's own heart.

Live more simply.

Every other month have a big dinner with family and friends.

Let Ava pick out her own clothes and not spend at least a half hour pleading with her to wear what I want (this has helped me greatly with my previous baby clothes addiction!!)

Make our yard look great for dinner parties, BBQ's, and pictures (no more dirt!).

Getting an estimate and then saving for and replacing our kitchen and master bathroom floors.


Getting down and playing with my kids more instead of worrying about what the house looks like or the mountain of laundry and remembering what it's like to see things through their eyes.




Okay so that probably seems like a lot it does looking at it but it is nice to write it all down, so here goes. I just know this year is going to be a great one.