Life As We Know It: March 2014

Weightloss Journey: Advocare 24 Day Challenge

I can't explain how excited I am about this post! I recently ended my Advocare 24 day challenge and I couldn't be happier. I started the 24 day challenge on February 23rd. My goal was to lose inches and 10-15 pounds. I really wanted to kickstart this weightloss, learn to eat healthier and learn what to eat.

Now, here's my results. Keep in mind that I didn't exercise every single day. I did exercise a lot though. I did Jillian Michael's 30 day shred video, squats and crunches. I lost 10 inches and 10+ pounds. I say 10+ because I fluctuate between 10-12 pounds. I weigh in the mornings. Honestly, pants that were too tight or just right before are not baggy on me. I can wear shirts that I haven't worn in forever. I feel healthier and better about myself already.

I went the whole 24 days without coffee. I thought this would be the hardest for me, but it wasn't. The SPARK drink that you drink during the challenge really helped me not to crave coffee. I just got my second container of Spark this past week to keep drinking even after the challenge. I also didn't eat any bread or cheese. Now, I eat it in moderation- but very rarely. I made a big poster with my weight loss goals for the challenge and for the year. I also made a poster of what foods I could and could not eat. I posted them all in the kitchen where I would see them everyday. I now drink LOTS AND LOTS of water. Honestly, if I don't- I feel terrible. I feel dehydrated and unhealthy. Water is KEY!

I have 15 more pounds to go to reach my first goal. We're going to Florida the first week of May and my goal is to lose at least 10 more pounds by then. I know I won't be squeezing into a bikini anytime soon- but I'm getting closer. I still have stretch marks from both pregnancies. I'd like to get rid of them as much as possible- so I've been using Mederma cream and I just bought the Palmer's stretch mark cream as well. Hopefully, they will disappear some more.

I typically don't approve of diets because once it's over the weight comes back. But with Advocare, I've kept the weight off. It was all about cleansing the first 10 days and then learning what I can and cannot eat. I'm eating a lot healthier these days and again, drinking lots and lots of water. Don't get me wrong, I do indulge some days- but nothing near like what I used to do. I'm so happy seeing the weight coming off and my clothes fitting better that I don't want to slip back into old habits and gain any weight back. I still have a lot to lose but I'm well on my way. I'm determined to be healthier and in better shape. Not only for myself, but for my husband and kids as well. I don't want to be that mom that sits on the bench because she's too fat to play with her kids. So, I'm determined to be a fun, healthy mom that sets a good example for my children.

Cara Box

Obviously, this post is one that I tried posting from my phone but it never uploaded. So here it is... a month late but better late than never.

Cara Box is a monthly gift exchange that the lovely Kaitlyn from Wifessionals puts together. This is my second round of Cara Box and I absolutely love it. I've met some great ladies and made some great new friends through this exchange.

This exchange, I was paired with Kara and Christine from Life with a Side of Coffee (You can see what I sent her over at her blog). I really enjoyed getting to know both of these ladies. I sent a box to Cristina and Kara sent me my box. I absolutely LOVED everything that Kara sent.

Here's what I got:

The sweetest card

E.L.F. eyeshadow

Face Mask

Ring Pop

Makeup Bag

Sally Hansen nail Polish (turquoise)

Essie Nail Polish (charcoal)

Matte Lip Balm (not pictured)

I LOVED everything about this box. The makeup bag is perfect for me to keep in my diaper bag filled with my things. The nail polish couldn't be more perfect. These are 2 of my favorite nail polish colors. Actually, I have turquoise on now. And the makeup, oh how I love the makeup. E.L.F. is a great brand- since I got this in my box I decided to do some research on the brand. Did you know that this brand is CHEAP and just as good as the higher name brands? Seriously!? I'm in love. The Matte balm stain that I got is amazing. It's the perfect color. I've wanted the matte balm for a while now but just never remember to buy it. So I was super excited to get this. Gabriel stole my ring pop and I haven't had a chance to use the mask yet... maybe one night when I'm kid free I'll use it! :)

Thanks Kara for my amazing box! I love it!

Rylee Grey Schiff

Ya'll- I thought we were going to make it one year without any major events happening in our lives. You know, like snake bites, hospital stays, etc. Well, that hope was lost on February 15th when Rylee, our sweet puppy, ran away.

It was a Saturday- just like any other day. I was taking the trash out the front door and came back in. A few minutes later, I realized that Rylee wasn't in the house, so I went back outside to let her in. She was across the street in the neighbors yard. I yelled at her to come back. She started heading my way and then heard something and darted off again. I yelled and yelled for her and went out walking to find her. No luck. I had both boys napping and Jesse was napping as well... so I couldn't go too far. After about 30 minutes of not finding her, I woke Jesse up so he could help me search for her. Again, NO LUCK! I was so upset. Why would she run off? Where did she go? I went out driving around the neighborhood and didn't see her. Went to a few of our neighbor's houses and still couldn't find her. I. Was. Devastated.

Jesse and I had planned to go out to dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day that evening. We had a sitter coming over- so instead of cancelling, we went out. I was hoping that Ry would find her way back home while we were gone. Nope, that didn't happen. That's when it hit me. Our baby girl was gone.

I posted Rylee's picture on every facebook page I could find. I filed a report with Illinois Lost Dogs. We had fliers printed at Staples and hung them up all over town. Gabriel and I even went door to door passing out fliers in the neighborhood. We had several "sightings" of her but none seemed to pan out. I went out every single night searching for her- sometimes for over an hour. I talked to the city cops, local dispatch, gas station workers...anyone and everyone I could. My parents went to the pound and called the local dog catcher just in case he found her. It was sad. We all were sad. Gabriel stood at the door almost every day and yelled for her to come home. We kept the front porch light on and blankets outside just in case. That week was soooo cold... I mean, really cold. I hated thinking about our sweet girl being outside in the cold all alone. She's not used to that. She sleeps in our bed in our warm house. She's not an outdoor dog. There were times when I thought she was still probably outside on her own... and then there were times when I thought that someone may have taken her in. That was the worst...thinking that someone may have her and not give her back. It was awful.

Almost everyone in this town knew that Rylee was missing. When I say that I posted it everywhere... I mean it. Every single day I posted it on facebook. I'm sure people were getting annoyed at all of my posts. haha. While passing out fliers I realized that there were a lot of rude people in this town... but then, I also realized that there are a lot of kind people too. A girl from Benton contacted me one day saying that she was looking for Rylee and may have spotted her a couple streets from our house. This girl didn't even know me, but she drives her daughter around during her nap and drove all the way to Christopher to search for Rylee. I was so thankful and touched by this. She literally went looking 2 - 3 days... how amazing is that? That someone who doesn't even know us would search for our baby girl? (Turns out that the day we finally found Ry- she and her husband were getting ready to go out and look again!) :))

It was Saturday when I got 2 calls about Rylee being seen on that same street that is close to us. The final call came around 7 p.m. and someone had seen her running in a yard. It took us about an hour to get out of the door- but Jesse and I packed up the kids and went out to search for her. The yard that she was seen at just happened to be a family friend. My parent's were already there by the time we got there. The lady said that she saw a puppy that looked like Rylee in their backyard sitting in some leaves that morning. It was about 8 p.m. by this time and we searched and searched their yard. But, it was late and we figured that she was probably taking shelter somewhere. We decided to head back home and go out looking the next day.

Sunday morning I was up with the boys when the doorbell rang. It was our dear family friend, Kitty. She was on the same street (15th Street) and saw Rylee sitting in front of a barn just down the road from the house we searched at the night before. Jesse was still asleep but I couldn't wait... I had to know and I had to go Immediately! So, I packed the boys in the car and headed that way. And GUESS WHAT!? There she was... sitting in front of the barn just like Kitty had said. She was sitting there in the sun just like hey, here I am. I was SOOOOOOOO excited. (Keep in mind...this barn was surrounded by a fence... and it was very muddy). I jumped out of the car and ran up to the fence and yelled for her. She just looked at me. (I had read that dogs that are lost for an extended amount of time will typically be hesitant to go to anyone...even their owners). I kept this in mind and knew that it may take her awhile to come to me. I yelled and yelled for her to come to me. After a few minutes, I got back in the car and backed up a little. I got out again and tried to figure out how I was going to get inside this fence. That's when I looked back up and saw her crawling out under the fence. I ran and picked her up. RELIEF and HAPPINESS doesn't even begin to explain it. I took her to the car and the first thing Gabriel said is "Look, there's Ry-ree!"

It had been a week since our girl was home. She was very skinny and cold. Her nails were long and she was very dirty. As soon as we got home, I took her to the bedroom and woke up Jesse. Of course, he was excited too! Then, it was bath time. The hair around her butt was NASTY- to say the least. It was all matted and gross and poopy. DISGUSTING. So, it was a very, very long bath that required a lot of scrubbing and cutting hair to get her better. She drank a lot of water and ate a lot of food this day. Gabriel and Lincoln were so happy to have her home... Rylee was worn out from playing by the end of the day. I have never been so happy to have Rylee back in our bed as I was that night.

In the week that followed, we still had a lot to do with Rylee. Her butt looked a little infected, so my Dad gave us some medicine to put on it. Luckily, it cleared up. My dad also helped us cut her nails down. We gave her a haircut and fattened her up as much as we could. :)

I am soooo happy that she is home, safe and sound. I refused to give up until she was home with us. Through this whole ordeal, I learned how many lost dogs there are... just around here. It's crazy. Rylee is like family to us, just like all these other lost dogs are family to their owners as well. I hope and pray for all of the lost dogs safe return.

Passing out fliers

The morning we found Rylee!

Catching Up- Lincoln is 10 Months!

Well, here we are again... a month since my last update. In my defense, I have posted several posts from my phone app... however, they obviously didn't upload. UGH! So, there's a lot to write to get caught up.

First off, Lincoln was 10 months old on March 2nd! I can't believe that he will be one in less than 2 months! ONE! Where in the world did the time go!? So, here's what our little "ninja" baby has been up to.

On February 24, Lincoln took his first Official Walking steps. Since then, he's been walking everywhere. Literally in the past 3 weeks he has gotten so much better and has taken off soooo much more. He's walking from room to room, getting up on his own, and even trying to climb the stairs. I'm so not ready for this! These boys sure do keep me busy on a daily basis. I"m still in awe that Lincoln is already walking!!

Some more news: