Sunday, December 05, 2010

Move More, Eat Less-Ready, Set, Go

OK, time to get back on track and get serious.  WW just unveiled a new program last week that looks awesome and is just the refresher I need.  So here goes.  This won't be easy, it never is.  As I type this, i am proud of myself for going out this morning and running.  I was not able to run my whole route but just getting out there made me feel great.  Oh yeah, and it was snowing while I was running....exhilirating.  And, I am reflecting that I ate too many cookies after dinner tonight...we decorated the house for Christmas and trimmed the tree so I celebrated with cookies.  Oh well, I will dust off and do better tomorrow. 


So, here is the before picture...let's see what I can do...


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Friday, November 26, 2010

A little bit of happiness...

Becoming addicted to this stuff....and I love my new enviro friendly cup.....


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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from our Family to Yours

Just a few scenes from our awesome day of celebrating Thanksgiving as a little family of 4:


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Michael-with-kids-at-gobble 


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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Gratitude

I read this today and thought you all might enjoy it too..


Why Gratitude Makes You Happy & Wealthy


by Christine Kane


Gratitude is more than being thankful one day a year. Gratitude is a practice. For some, it's a way of life.

Why do some people swear by the practice of gratitude? Why do these people have joy-filled and abundant lives?

In other words, why does gratitude make you happy and wealthy?

• Because gratitude is about presence.

It's about waking up in this moment and being here - really being here - and noticing what's around you. Most people are so busy thinking about the next thing, or about their horrid past, that they don't wake up and look around at their present moment - the only moment there is.

• Because gratitude is about honoring YOUR precious life.

Do you ever compare your life with someone else's? Do you ever wish your life were better and more like [insert famous person's name here]? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in wondering how we "measure up" to some standard set by our families or by the media. Comparison is the mind killer. The antidote is gratitude.

Gratitude requires that you validate your own life. (And you really don't have any other life, do you?) It forces you to say YES to the gift that is you. The choices you've made and the changes you've gone through -- they have brought you here. Even if here is a place that needs a little adjustment, that's okay. There are always gifts in any present moment.

• Because gratitude is about attracting.

It's difficult to attract abundance and joy if you are constantly saying "no" to what IS. You say "no" each time you focus on the future or past, or when you criticize something that is in your present moment.

Attraction is about saying Yes. When you say Yes, you shift.

Gratitude says, "Yes, I love this!" And then more of this is attracted, because the this is what you're focusing on.

• Because gratitude is about choice.

How you translate any situation is the situation. What you choose to see is the truth (for you).

This isn't proposing that you live in denial or phoniness. It's reminding you that your translation of any life situation is your choice. We've all heard stories of people who have ignored others' translations of their talent, their projects, their art, their looks, their lives. These people chose their own translations and succeeded. You always have a choice when it comes to how you look at things. Choose to choose gratitude.

• Because gratitude is about wisdom.

I think people believe they're being smart if they criticize, complain, and focus on the problems of the world around them.

Smart? Maybe.

Clever? Sure.

But not wise.

It is wise to look for and find the knowing place in your heart. It is wise to choose joy. It is wise to honor your riches. It is wise to focus on and grow the blessings of your life.

• Because gratitude is about recognition.

Use your power of focus to hone in on beauty and on what makes your heart sing. Recognize the spirit in your life. It's all around you waiting to be noticed. In the words of Franz Kafka, "It will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

• Because gratitude is about receptivity.

Gratitude makes you receptive. It makes you a vessel, waiting to be filled.

I carry a tiny notebook with me everywhere I go. In it, I write down song ideas. I write down quotes I hear. I write down ideas for stage stories. As I do that, I become more receptive, and more ideas and songs come to me. It's a tool that says to my subconscious, "Send more my way!" And the subconscious always responds.

Gratitude is the same way. It says, "I am receptive! Send more!" And more arrives.

• Because gratitude is about creativity.

Creativity is really all about attention. (So is genius.)

When I write a song, I build a relationship with that song. I spend time with it. I get to know it. I pay attention to it. Artists do the same thing with drawings. They spend time in rapt attention, and the drawing is born.

Gratitude is how we Live Creative. It is a creative act to notice and pay attention to the moments of your life. Some days it's an enormous act of creativity to find things for which to be thankful.

Start today.

And have a Thanksgiving of presence, creativity, and gratitude!


 


Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.



Monday, November 22, 2010

Blog Re-Haul

So, it has been awhile since I posted here.  I see a direct correlation to the timing of the creation of my Facebook page to the decline in my posts here.  Guess a quick update pic would be in order to calm the masses otherwise known as family who want pics of the kiddos in every form of social media that they can get them...


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Yeah, so Chase has grown a bit...he is talking even, and trying to walk.  And Parker, well she is a little girl now.  Really, where does the time go.   


Ok, back to the topic of this old blog.....I am remodeling it and plan to give it a go again.  However, with a new twist.  I'll still post about the kids and family as I know how the grandparents (and great grandparents--Hi Papa Diffenbaugh) love to hear about the latest adventures/tantrums/every day acts of the kiddos but I am also broadening out to use this as a creative outlet.  I plan to include my ramblings on things such as creative pursuits (because seriously, there has to be more to life than picking up Cheerios off of my floor at every meal), moving more, eating less ('cause I need an accountability avenue as these pounds aren't dissolving on their own), motherhood (again, back to the cheerio thing) and living life (as I try everday to pursue a more meaningful and wholehearted life to be a better example to my kids).


OK, I hope you all enjoy being updated on the happenings at the Stewart household and find something useful from my ramblings. 


Have a Happy Thanksgiving and check back soon....really, like next week or sooner....not next November :)


P.S.--Like the banner?  Photo from my first 5K...that I ran!



Saturday, March 27, 2010

Chase at 24 weeks and other updates...

Here is a pic of Chase at 24 weeks next to his owl.  He is getting bigger than the owl and is growing every day.  He almost weighs 17 pounds now.  He is almost able to stay sitting up by himself and loves to play with his toys. 


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He also had his first taste of cereal this past Tuesday.  He seemed to enjoy it and really wanted to use the spoon himself.  I figured I needed to go ahead and give him solids as he grabbed a french fry out of my hand the other day and tried to go to town on it before I took it away. 


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And, today I had Chase in the office on his play mat a few feet from where I was sitting and a few minutes later I looked down and saw this....he is starting to be mobile!  He was so proud of himself.


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Other than Chase growing like a weed, Parker has been busy with school.  She had strep throat this past week but she did not let it get her down. She made the best use of her day off from school with Mom by making our annual Easter centerpiece and running around the front yard in the sunshine.  She is getting excited for the weather to be warmer so she can play outside.


Hope everyone is doing well and enjoys the Spring weather and Easter.
 



 
 



Monday, February 15, 2010

Chase at 20 weeks

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Here he is at 16 weeks...


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Rolling Over...and snow

Chase is now 20 weeks old and has officially mastered rolling over from his back to his belly.  Friday morning he rolled over and I thought it was just because he was rather motivated to get off his back since he had a major blow out.  Well, he has done it every day since, including when he is on the floor, versus the crib.  So, its official, he can roll over.  And now we have two worried parents at home since he refuses to now stay on his back to sleep.  Luckily it is apparently OK for him to sleep on his tummy now that he has mastered the whole rolling over thing (well, according "What to Expect the First Year...").  He is having a blast rolling over to get to his toys and playing with them.  What fun to watch him grow. 


In other news, we are home again today due to another round of SNOW.  Starting to feel like we live above the Mason Dixon line.  Snow is becoming the norm around here.  Parker went outside for a few minutes to make a snow angel and then came back in, she proclaimed it was too cold out.  Then she decided she wanted to play beauty shop with me (I now have four clips in my hair and two ponytails, Nice).  As we were playing she exclaimed she would be right back and she proceeded to get ready to go downstairs to get her...scissors.  Luckily for me I asked her where she was going and quickly put a stop to that.  Imagine what my hair would look like if she had accomplished her mission :)


Hope everyone is staying warm and here's to Spring coming soon (we hope).  Stay tuned for the monthly update picture of Chase with his owl...



Sunday, January 24, 2010

Parker in a big girl bed

We finally made the big switch last weekend.  Parker moved into her toddler bed.  She seems to love it, especially the freedom to climb right in.  Lucky for us, she has not tried to get out in the middle of the night (yet).


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Chase at 16 weeks

He is getting so BIG...


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Chase playing

Here is a a quick snapshot of Chase playing last week in his pea pod chair.  He is desperately trying to sit up straight when we hold him, when he is in his bouncy seat, etc.  I suspect it will not be much longer before he can get himself into a sitting position.  He is enjoying all his new friends at school and we made it through a whole week this past week without anyone getting sick.


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