It's Update time!!!!

Week 2 About Sept...

So isn't life grand?!!!  I have to say not in a bragging way, but in a way that encourages myself, that I am proud of what I have accomplished in the last 6 months.  In two weeks I will reach my 6 month mark of doing crossfit!  And man has my body and my self image, and my energy and my ... everything changed!  Lets refresh your memory...

February 4, 2014... 5 /2 months

Septemberish (I was sucking it in!lol)

 Here are some of the stats...
Total inches lost approximately 20
12 around the waist
4 around  hips
4 around the chest...

My arms and thighs have gotten bigger... because I have such awesome muscles now, but that doesn't bother me.  my calves have also gotten smaller... this I judge by my knee high boots!  Yay!

Weight lost... 32 lbs total.







So as you know during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas I was doing my Paleo Challenge.  This was hard, but I felt really good eating so clean!  Then to start off the new year at Teton CrossFit we did another 30 day Paleo Challenge competition.  I really enjoyed it this time for the most part.  I had a few times that all I really wanted to eat was ice cream, chocolate, treats... anything bad for me.  And I have to say a few times I gave in a little.  But one day, January 26th I went o my Aunt Dianna and Uncle Ron's mission farewell. (It was AMAZING)  and the food afterward was really not a thing allowed on Paleo.  But I ate anyway because I was STARVING...

After eating I felt so sick.  Just kind of miserable.  And I just decided it was definitely because my body was not used to all the sugar, gluten, dairy etc.  So I went home and lazed around the rest of the day.

At 2:00 AM I woke up with the worst pain I have felt since my appendix... or maybe labor in years... well actually when I herniated the discs in my back that was worse, but this was bad.  I felt nauseated... and all the goods that come with that.  I thought maybe I have the stomach flu.

Long story short for days, no matter if I ate or drank or what I would have this cramping in my stomach like contractions... but way up high... and there is no way on this earth that I am pregnant.  LOL

Well, the saddest week of my past 6 months came and went, and I didn't make it to crossfit a single day.  My mood and self esteem started to plummet.  And then my wonderful aunt told me about a supplement to try because she thought it might be my gallbladder.  I tried the supplement and within two days I was back to myself again!  YAY!


I was so happy to be able to get back to work in the gym, catch up with all I had missed in school and just get back to normal life.

So my weightloss was helped greatly this week... of being sick and miserable... 5 more pounds gone! haha

Then I went to CrossFit Monday morning... worked hard, felt great, and found out that I won the Paleo Challenge!  YAY!  And then Jennica took this great pic of me!

I love this picture because it epitomizes the changes in full view.
 #1 Check out that smile!
#2 Look at my waist, sure there are still some rolls, but who cares... they will go away eventually.
#3 Nice arms, and legs with great improvement.
#4 Confidence!

I just think that this picture is for more than the fifty bucks in my hand, it is showing the total physical and emotional change in my life!

So I also thought that for those of you who wonder what I do on a normal basis at crossfit, here are some pictures... I never look pretty while doing them, but I am sick in the head and LOVE doin it all!

Dead lift to power clean front rack.

And to top it all off... I conquer my fears!

These pictures are part of a workout called the Bear Complex.  It is a combine lift of a dead-lift, power clean, front squat, front press, back squat and back press.  I'll try to attach the video.  It is one of my favorite types of WOD.  If feel like I get such a fantastic workout... and I feel strong and powerful!

power clean, front rack to do front squat

 Today one of the guys who is a regular with my group... asked, "Jess how many sizes have you gone down?"


It was so great to realize that others are noticing that all the hard work is paying off!








My totally incredible coach Jennica said to me, that most people who start where I did (which I couldn't even squat with not weight and sit on a ball and stand back up) just give up because it is just to hard.

If there is one thing that I really hope from all that I am doing... other than the sheer fact that I feel better and am able to live a much more active fun mom role with my kids; is that I hope and pray that someone will see my success and have the same desire and drive to make the changes they need to in their own life.  I have definitely found that when you feel good about yourself, (and I am not meaning you are puffed up and think you are the bomb) you are able to better take care of everyone and everything in your life.  Life is just plain FUN to live!

I know that crossfit and the Paleo diet are not the best thing for everyone!  But I do know that taking care of ourselves so that we can take care of others and enjoy life, is for everyone! 

I'm the one in the gray shirt and climbing the rope!!

     

Life is so crazy, busy and difficult.  But as a single mom, I have found that if I take that hour every day for me.  To go out.  Get my sweat on! And do things that I never ever could have imagined myself doing... I think that it has made me a better mom, friend and person overall! 

Please don't think of all this as a "I'm better than you thing~"  This is something I have done to make my life so much greater and worthwhile!  It is something that I have found to be my "addiction".  My drug of choice!  Maybe you love to run, maybe you like to walk, maybe you like to ride a bike, or do Zumba!  No matter what you do, I encourage you to get out there.  Do something for you! 

We made another change...

I am sitting here... taking a little break from writing one of my two HUGE papers for finals and thought I would add a little insight to my progress so far and another change we have made in our lives.  So, recently I have been fed up to the max with all the whining... I don't know why but a whining child is like nails on a chalkboard.  I really can't stand it.  And Pepper most of all has taken to using it in trying to get what he wants.  Yet the famous quote in our house is... "Do you EVER get what you want when you whine?" "No." "Then why are you whining?"  Stops it every time for about 30 seconds.  haha

Well I decided that maybe something else was influencing whatever was making him whine sooooo much.  So I decided to teach him that until he can not whine, and also listen to mom... no technology.  YIKES!  No technology... no iPad, no TV, no Movies.  Well that is the extent of our technology.. I do still allow music!  We love music!  Especially Popcorn Bopping!  So I decided for 1 month there would be no technology for the boys... granted I have to have it for school.  But anyway...

So day one was like... "Mom can we watch Ninja Turtles?"  "No"  "Mom can we watch?..." "Mom can we play a game on the iPad?  We will play a good one and share!"  "No"  I got pretty good at saying no that day.

Day two Salt asked a couple times first thing in the morning to watch cartoons, but soon forgot when we played Chick-fil-A memory.  (memory, they got in a Chick-fil-A kids meal)

So what I began to notice was it was not really a major interest anymore, but my throat was dry from reading so many books out loud!  lol

Day 3 came... no mention all day of TV.  We are now at almost a week, and there has hardly been a mention of any TV.  It is great.  This is a good thing!

So as for me and the Paleo diet.  It has been going really well until I consiously made the decision to make cinnamon rolls last weekend.  That made for this whole week being rather difficult.  Combined with the stress of finals and checkouts looming.  But all in all not too bad.  Just 5 pounds depending on the day and I will break that awful threshold of 200.

CrossFit is still treating me oh so good!  I love it so much!  I don't know that it is the best thing for everybody, but it is for me!

My Life has been SEVERLY altered... in a GREAT way...

Well friends.  Many of you  know that I have begun a dramatic life changing journey.  Now that sounds really serious.  But to me it has really changed my life, even more so the last couple weeks.  A little over three months ago I was invited by two dear friends to join them at Teton CrossFit.  When they told me about CrossFit, I had to look it up on the internet and I honestly thought it was for people with bodies like this....
...
Plus, lets not forget the fact that just last April I spent 3 weeks in bed due to 3 herniated discs in my back.  Let's just say, I never... NEVER... want to have pain like that again.

So I went to CrossFit and met for the first time... my coach.... Jennica Hirrlinger!   I didn't feel like the fat kid, I didn't feel left out.  Instead I felt welcomed, and special attention was spent on me, helping me to learn to lift weight properly, avoiding injury and especially learning that I don't have to be as good as everybody else.

Instead... I learned...

This is what I looked like the first week... WARNING... This may be graphic... just kidding this pic is after the first 2 weeks... you don't want to see the first pic.  And then so on because I am not very good at editing these things...

After the second week of crossfit

One month of doing crossfit

We are strong women!

Remember Jennica?  Yeah.. this is her... and... me looking better and better!

2 months into crossfit... 16 inches total loss... 6 around the waist

 The first two weeks consisted of agony, pain, inability to walk down stairs, or get off the floor.  I was in way worse shape than I could have ever imagined.

But I was paying a babysitter which helped me get out of bed every morning, grab my water bottle and tennis shoes and go be tortured again.  Each and every day.

Suddenly I started noticing a difference in the way I was feeling.  Instead of hating those millions of squats, and pushups and pull-ups... I was looking forward to seeing what I could do.  I was improving every day.  Little did I realize what a change I was making in my life. 

A month and a half into training we did Dead lift maxes.  I could have never imagined that I would lift 215 lbs off the floor!  But I did! 

2 and half months of crossfit

And then fast forward another 6 weeks and we do dead lifts again.  I am building up to my max.  And I lift 215 like nothing...
I lift 225lb... piece of cake.
I lift 235lb great.
255 lb... hard but I had a feeling to try one more lift.


265lbs... that is a lot of weight sitting right there...



I lifted 265 lbs off the floor!  Talk about a leap... 50 lb improvement over my last Personal Record!  It is amazing what 6 weeks can do!

And things just kept getting better.  But there was one thing that bothered me. Probably because I am a girl and we are just funny like that.  Yes I was seeing big changes in my body and my mood.  I have become so much happier and deep down proud of myself.  But the darn scale wasn't moving... not even an ounce.  So something else had to change. 

So I made another change in my life... that has had many benefits.  That I didn't realize I was missing until I changed.

What did I do... I decided to do a 30 day Paleo Diet challenge.  What is paleo?  Well you can follow this link and learn all about it...  http://thepaleodiet.com/

Basically what I have done is (for the most part) eliminated all dairy and grains from my diet... as well as starchy vegetables for the most part.

I started this challenge on November 18,2013.  I weighed a hefty 217lbs.  Which mind you is after the 70 lbs I have lost in the 3 years since Salt was born.  But regardless... I had lost more than 16 inches without losing a pound in 3 months.  So I'm going for the fact that all that fat was just converting to muscle.

So the first two days were pretty difficult.  Especially since I did the classic I'm going to eat everything I wont be able to have for the next month this weekend thing.

But I made it through those first two days.  Day three I felt like I was sick.  Like I had the stomach flu but no throwing up.  Just kinda miserable.  Day four, I woke up... and felt like a brand new person.

I felt really good.  Like I could conquer the world... 

And then the end of the week came and it was time for me to weigh in...
DOWN 7 LBS!!!1  Wahoo!  do the happy dance!!!!

Now losing 7 lbs is really exciting.  But these are things that I noticed most.

I was taking time every day morning and evening to make a good nutritious meal for the boys and I and we were actually sitting around the table for 30 minutest to an hour laughing talking and eating good food.  We were no longer eating store bought, manufactured crap, or fast food.  Sitting in front of the TV eating at our leisure or me jamming food in my mouth while I study.  Instead we have started spending more quality time with each other.

I know... the bad mom in me has now been published to the world.  But this is what is so exciting to me.  I didn't realize that I was really doing this all the time.  I had no idea that the boys and I were really not sitting down and having meals together.  I had let everything overwhelm life.  I was making quick meals that were cheap and unhealthy like mac and cheese or pizza or chicken nuggets all the time and letting them just eat cold cereal every morning.

Now we have meals like eggs, bacon and avocado, or strawberries, bananas and eggs for breakfast.  The boys still get pancakes and I am trying to get up the nerve to try a recipe for banana pancakes... For dinners the boys are having things like noodles and broccoli and oranges and chocolate milk or chicken and broccoli (can you tell they like broccoli?)  While I eat yummy things like chicken with broccoli, spinach, onions etc.

At first I really missed the bread and pasta.  But look how good this food looks... and yes I cooked these plates...

Delicious Chicken over spinach and onions

Chicken, spinach and portabella hash... (my favorite so far)

And then I go with my family and they eat things like this...

And then I realized why I felt so good the second half of the week... I had the junk out of my system.  So I have been hitting it hard again this week.  I know that Thanksgiving will be a bit of a challenge.  But real life happens and you get to have treats once in awhile.  But I have to be careful that those treats don't become my daily normal diet. 

3  months of crossfit... this tank used to be really tight

tummy is getting a lot smaller

 Sometimes I don't realize that I am making progress on a really big challenge that has plagued me my entire life.  And then,  I am so glad that I took the challenge and then have been documenting it with pictures as Jennica told me to.  I have finally dropped a pant size and hopefully I will continue.  Actually I know I will continue.  Because I have been blessed with determination.

These changes in my life have not only changed me physically, but have also given me the drive to do better in everything.  School is going better, I am so much happier and, I don't hate my job.  I am able to deal with things more naturally and I don't get frustrated with the boys as easily.  I love going out and building snowmen with the boys, chasing them down the sidewalk or running in the park...  Or even getting on the floor and wrestling or playing legos!  Life is so fantastic!

I will keep carrying on and pushing hard.  I have found a good addiction.. my CrossFit addiction where I enjoy the pain I put myself through, because I know that I am getting better and better every day.  And closer and closer to every goal I have always had for myself!

It has been awhile... now to catch up...

Life has been so crazy busy for us here in the burg... the Rexburg that is!  This past few months, also known as winter semester at BYU-I has been quite literally insane!  The first week of the school the boys and I all came down with the flu.  The real flu.  Can you believe that?  A mother so on the ball as me, forgot to get us our flu shots in time, so what happens... we miss the whole first week.  Mandatory meetings for the dorm, classes, daycare the works.  And we were so nice to share it with Papa Tyler!  Poor guy! 

But we were able to safely recover.  Then madness set back in. But to be honest, for some reason missing that first week has thrown me off for the entire semester!  I feel as though I still can't catch up.  And what do you know it is now the 5th of March.  Five more weeks and the semester will be over and what, but I get to start all over!  Maybe next semester will be a little better! 

Some pretty big things have happened in our lives in the past couple of months!  So let's start back in January....

Showing off presents together

Best Friends

Awesome beard hats from Aunt Mamanda

Love them!

January 18, 1981 I was born to my lucky, loving, wonderful parents and this year I celebrated my 32 birthday!  To some that may be ancient!  To me it is the beginning of a wonderful new me!  My life is going to be everything that I want it to be!  Nobody is holding me back, suppressing me, or stopping me from doing what I want to do and being what I want to be.

A few more wrinkles...

SO you ask, what is it that I want to do?  Oh I have so much!  First and foremost I want to be the best mom that I can be!  This is hard for me to achieve being that I am single, going to school, working and spending the least pleasurable parts of the day with the boys... What I mean is... mornings are fantastic, but way to short, evenings are difficult because it is a mad dash across town to pick the boys up, run home, make dinner, take baths, read a story or two, cuddle for a minute, say our prayer and go to sleep in time that they can wake in the morning to start it all over again. 

Mondays are my least favorite day of the week.  I have to drop them off at daycare by 9:50 to make it back to campus for my 10:15 class.  Then the day is packed with classes and work until 6:15pm.  By the time I get the boys home they are totally wiped out and super fussy.  But we survive and used to be able to sleep in on Tuesdays, but then... dun, dun, dun...

I got called into the Relief Society Presidency as the secretary, and now we have our meetings on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  So we do the same routine again on Tuesday and Wednesday as we do on Mondays.  But I get to get the boys at 5:00 instead of 6:15.   Thursdays are the best!  We snuggle in bed until we want to get up.  Then we play and have fun.  Then IF the boys want to be to daycare for lunch we go by 11:30.  If not they stay home with me for lunch and I drop them off about 12:30 and pick them up again at 5:00.  Fridays are crazy again and then the glorious weekend arrives.  The only unfortunate thing about the weekends is I have to share them.  So I only get every other Saturday with the boys.  But on a good note I do get to go to the Temple every other Saturday without having to get a sitter!

So, yes.  Life is INSANE!  I don't know how I get it all done.  But I know that it is not by my power.  But by the power of God, the love and support of family and friends, and the help of darling wonderful girls and my exceptional brother Charlie (ACE) who are willing to watch the boys whenever I need help.  (Usually at night when they are sleeping... while I go do ZUMBA!)

On January 19 we celebrated the 3rd birthday of my darling Ryder!  Oh what a blessing that adorable little boy is in my life!  I cannot believe that three years ago he and I nearly died trying to bring him into the world, and now we are both as healthy as horses and loving life to the fullest!

One happy birthday boy!

Always the silly goofball!

He is growing to be such a beautiful strong and delightful boy!  He talks like he is seven, has the cutest little run you could ever watch and has blue eyes that melt your heart!  One of my very most favorite things he does nearly daily is to tell me I am beautiful.  What 3 year old knows that his mom needs to hear a wonderful heartfelt compliment like that on a daily basis?  Sometimes hourly!  He and DC both treat me so fantastic!  They are really turning into great little gentlemen.

The great event in our lives was in February!  On February 15,2013 we were excited to be blessed with the birth of sweet adorable little Oakley Jayne Dunlap!  She is Amanda and Austin's darling little baby girl and grandchild number 3 to mom and dad!  But she is also special because she is the first girl!  Yaya!  I'd post a pic, but I have to get permission first!

One of his favorite presents... a padded potty seat!

Incredible sunset after a terrible storm

 Though our lives have been so crazy, we have been so incredibly blessed!  I am so grateful to see the many miracles and blessings in my life each day!  I am so blessed to have the most wonderful family in all the world, the most incredible darling friends, and the most divine children one could ever even imagine or hope to have!  My life is nearly perfect.  The only thing missing is a fantastic man to fill that gap.  Maybe someday he will find me in my crazy life! 

Tillie and Frank

 Though life is totally crazy... we do manage to find a little time to have a lot of fun!  Isn't that what life is all about... work hard... so you can play harder!

Charlie spinning circles in the perfect snow!

the only pic I could get of myself on a perfect evening!

Tillie spinning circles!

Though our lives have been so crazy, we have been so incredibly blessed!  I am so grateful to see the many miracles and blessings in my life each day!  I am so blessed to have the most wonderful family in all the world, the most incredible darling friends, and the most divine children one could ever even imagine or hope to have!  My life is nearly perfect.  The only thing missing is a fantastic man to fill that gap.  Maybe someday he will find me in my crazy life!   

Life is good, life is grand...

I just feel like I need to say that life is good, life is grand!  One more week till finals and check outs, then for the great holiday time when I truly only have to be away from the boys for 4 hours a day.  Which I still don't understand why we have to have childcare over the Christmas break, but whatever.

Last week for FHE we put up our Christmas tree!  It is perfect for our little dorm room.  It doesn't take any floor space, covers up the ugly white cinder block wall, and quite nearly indestructible!

One other great addition to our home is the big comfy couch from mom and dad's house in Jackson!  YAY!  When I brought the boys home the afternoon we got it, they started to scream..."Yay!  A new couch!"  As though our old one was bad... oh but we still have the old one and the big comfy red chair!  So now we have lots of seating for our friends!  So come visit.

I am actually quite excited for Christmas this year!  I have a lot of fun, free plans to do with and for the boys, friends and family. I just can't wait.  This is the first time in a long time that I am really truly excited for Christmas.  I have always loved Christmas day, but this year I am totally stoked for the whole month!  I must be since we put our tree up before December!

So silly but I love that song on the new Muppets movie that goes... everything is good, everything is grand.  I got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand.

Happy Birthday Little Mister!

Monday November 5 was Peppers 4th birthday!  Can you believe it?  Neither can I.  Can I just say that this little man has been one of the two greatest blessings in my life!  He is an absolute dream come true!  I cannot believe the changes he has made in his short four years of life.  I remember when his birth mom handed him to me at the bottom of the escalator in the Salt Lake Airport.  My heart melted.  I felt complete!  I was so excited to be him mom! 

He was one sick little puppy!  He was so hungry I couldn't believe the eating he did.  About bankrupted us in the first week!  Then we found out that he had RSV, tortacollis and a flat flat head.  Poor kid had been left in his crib most of his first two months of life!  But shortly he was healthy, RSV gone.  And on to bigger things.  Lots of physical therapy to get the strength in his neck that he needed to hold up that noggin of his and an helmet to help shape his head and face back to what it should be. 

He grew and grew and developed so well that by his first birthday he was on track for normal development.  Actually I think he is quite the genius.  During his first three years of life we lived in our little house in Saint Anthony, but only two months after we got him we found out we were pregnant with Salt!  What a wonderful surprise!

I cannot believe the wonderful big brother he was from the moment Salt was born.  It was so cute how he just cherished Salt instantly.  You would have never known they weren't blood brothers, I think they were best friends before they came to this world!

The last four years have been so wonderful!  I love his little sense of humor, his sporty little body, and ability to stand on a scale and weigh only 36lbs but to lift him you would think he weighed 50!  I love his little pigeon toed feet, his dark sparkling eyes so full of joy!  His pure black hair and delicious chocolate skin.  He has been one courageous little boy and has a very bright future ahead of him. 

I am so amazed at his kind and sharing personality.  He is so good at taking his little brother by the hand and teaching him how to do things, but also to treat him like his equal.  He has stepped up and fulfilled his role as the man of the house with uncanny grace and sofistocation.  I mean what else would you expect from a four year old. 

He is turning into a fabulous little gentleman, he loves to tell me that I am beautiful or pretty, and that I am his girlfriend.  But that I can't tell anybody or they will laugh at him.  Ah, the love!  I adore it!  He even tries to open the door for me, especially at church.  What a kid!  Who taught him all that? 

All I know is that he is such a joy!  I can't get enough of him!  I love him with all my heart!  Happy Birthday to my little man! 

Now for a few pics of the birthday boy!

 First thing, he rolled over and I said, good morning... guess what?  He said "oh!  It's my birthday!"

 Clothes are ok, but where's the good stuff?

 Yes.... I am a crazy mom!  A drum!

 Birthday  guests... Jack, his best friend, Salt... and my parents, Ace, Neibaurs, Kathi Turner, Duke, and the neices....

 The birthday cake... I am a lousy mom and didn't make him one, because he saw this one and wanted it soooooooo bad!

 Little piro maniac,,, had to help me light the candles.

 Us all singing Happy Birthday...

 And he blew out all the candles on his own!

 Happy Birthday Pepper!