Holden’s 5th Burgess Birthday Bash!

The big day for Holden’s birthday party finally came.  We always do it on the first Saturday in January, after everyone’s holiday happenings have drawn to a close.  We still managed to find a few of our friends traveling or working on this weekend, but it usually works out best for most around that time.

He was really, really excited.  I think this Christmas and this birthday were the most memorable for him…he was old enough to really “get” what was going on, and young enough to think they were the coolest events ever!

So this year, he wanted a football theme.  I set out to draw half of a football field on his cake.  I would have gone for the whole thing if I’d made a half sheet cake, but half a field was the best I could do on a 13”x9”!  LOL.  Steve and Hayden worked on the goal post out of toothpicks and play-doh.

Holden thought it was awesome, and that was all that mattered to me!                                                                                                  

                                 

Next up was the cake pops.  He really, really wanted cake pops.  I was already doing the strawberry 1/4 sheet cake and 24 Funfetti cupcakes with cold whipped frosting, but he insisted on the chocolate cake pops, too.  So I stayed up until 2 AM the night before and got busy baking, frosting, dipping, and sprinkling my heart out.  I ended up with 50 cake pops dipped in chocolate with 8 different kinds of sprinkles, all individually wrapped and tied with a bow.  Oh, and they were delicious, if I may say so myself!

                                   

 

 

When we all gathered around to sing happy birthday to him, he kept blowing out the candles before we were done singing…I tried twice, and he did the same thing both times!  So no pictures of him blowing out the candles this time.  Crazy boy!  He sure was in a hurry to make his wish. 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon trying the cake, Holden declared it a winner with a double thumbs up!  That’s a winner in my book any day.  

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to open gifts.  He got some really thoughtful gifts from his friends and appreciated all of them, but the big hit of the day was a shiny new reflective Nerf football with night goggles that light it up in red and green.  Totally awesome!  They boys have been playing with it ever since.  I have to admit that it’s pretty darn cool!  Thanks, Andra & Stef!

 

All of the kids seemed to have a lot of fun playing outside and generally enjoying each other’s company.  It was a beautiful day!  And in lieu of an overpriced pinata this year, I opted to use a cardboard box with a flap cut in the front where the kids could reach inside the “mystery treasure box” and retrieve handfuls of candy surprises to fill up their goody bags.  That seemed to go over really well with the kids, too.  No one went home short on sugar this day.  LOL.

 

Thanks to all of our dear friends who came to take part in this wonderful day in Holden’s little life.  And to my dear, sweet, Holden, may this be one of many blessed and happy years in your beautiful life, my darling!  I love you forever!

My Baby is 5!!!

It's true. There are no more babies in my house. I've passed from the childbearing season to the mothering season of my life. My kids are now 5, 8, and 13. Sniff, sniff.

I'm forced to admit I have no more babies now that Holden has officially turned 5! How exactly did that happen?!? Despite his age and the fact that by law, he would officially start school in September if he attended public school, the truth remains that he will *ALWAYS* be my baby! ALWAYS!  Now that I’ve made that clear, let’s talk about this special little man’s recent birthday that took place on December 28, 2012.

I always make my kids the cake of their choice on their actual birthday, along with dinner of their choosing. Holden eyed Haylee's giant colossal cupcake with envy this summer, and he never forgot that he wanted one for HIS birthday, too! So here it is:

That’s one big cupcake, huh?  It’s equivalent (minus some trimmings) to 48 regular cupcakes!  Seriously!  Not only that, but it takes a whole can of Easy Frost, down to the very last squirt just to frost the top, plus a bag of chocolate candy melts to make the chocolate shell for the bottom half of the cake!  Not to mention all those sprinkles on top.  It’s a real feast, for sure!  He was really excited when he saw it.  It’s worth the effort for the look on your kid’s face when you bring it out.

We had to wait for daddy to get home from work to celebrate, but that was okay, because it took all day to make the colossal cupcake, anyway!  LOL.

Miss Rosyln, my dearest long-time friend since 1992 and stand-in grandma for my kids, came over after work to have dinner with us and join in on the celebration.  A great time was had by all!

Hooray for 5!  We told him that now he has to go stand in the unemployment line and get a job.  LOL.  He was nervous for just a split second and then said “no-ooooooooo” in that silly way we all love.  LOVE HIM!  Happy birthday, little man!

Then on to the BIG celebration…his subsequent party on January 5, 2013.  Stay tuned for details of the festivities!  You never want to miss a Burgess Birthday Bash…trust me.

My Journey with P.I.N.K. Method

On December 19, 2011, I began my journey with the P.I.N.K. Method. P.I.N.K. stands for Power, Intensity, Nutrition, and Kardio. It was the one thing I asked my husband to get me for Christmas that year, and I started it as soon as it came in the mail. I had seen it featured on Dr. Phil, and while I've never been wowed by a tv-endorsed product before, this was different. It struck a cord with me.

In 2011, I had gained an extra 5-6 pounds, and no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to get it back off again. I had started walking 1-3 miles a day every day, and it had absolutely no impact whatsoever. My 40th birthday was looming ahead of me on 01-01-12, and I was feeling very depressed and unhappy with my physical self. So when I saw PINK on Dr. Phil that day, it was like a message sent straight to my heart.

5 days into PINK Reset (the detox portion at the beginning of the nutrition program), I had my checkup with my doctor. My family has a history of high cholesterol, and I've had high numbers in the past, even in my 20's. My daughter turned 7 in the summer of 2011, and she was also diagnosed with high cholesterol. It's in our genes. Despite our low-fat diet, our livers just make too much cholesterol. We have to compensate for that. So off to the doctor I went, as her pediatric cardiologist wanted current numbers on both of her parents. Let's just say it wasn't good! My LDL and total cholesterol were high again, even with fasting. I told my doctor that I was just beginning a nutrition and exercise program, so he told me to try that out and come back in 6-8 weeks to be rechecked. So that's what I did.

My willpower on PINK nutrition was amazing. Right through Christmas, my son's birthday, his birthday party, my birthday, and my husband's birthday in a span of two weeks, I tasted not one bit of cake or anything else that wasn't on the nutrition plan. Seriously! I was determined to make PINK work for me. I had even received a cake pop maker for Christmas, and I made a ton of cake pops for my son's party, and I didn't even take a nibble. Now that's willpower!

At the end of January, I had surpassed my weight loss goal. I was looking a little too thin, in fact, so I switched to PINK Preservation, the maintenance phase of the nutrition plan, and continued right along with the PINK workouts. 7 weeks into the program, I returned to have my cholesterol checked again. WOW! Not only had I lost 11 pounds and 11 inches in that 7 weeks, but I had also lowered my LDL cholesterol by 54 points! AMAZING! My doctor was shocked and told me to continue doing whatever I had been doing, because it had worked beautifully. My cholesterol levels were now within normal range! Woo-hoo!

So fast forward now to a year later. By Christmas 2012, I had completed the PINK workouts 4 times through, and I had been on the program for 1 year. I had been eating normal foods since January 27th, and I stopped counting calories at the end of October. Yet I have still maintained my original weight loss goal (to be 123 lbs. or better), and I feel amazing! I'm stronger and fitter and healthier inside and out than I've ever been in my life. I'm in a size 2 or 4. My husband told me it was hard to buy me clothes for Christmas this year because everything was too big. That was a compliment, for sure!

So I just celebrated my 41st birthday on 01-01-13, and I told my husband I felt 10 times better turning 41 than I did turning 40...all because I feel like a million bucks! I don't feel pudgy and tired and lacking self-confidence. I feel strong and fit and healthy, and I feel great about myself. No doubt about it...I am PINK for life!

If you're wondering what I'm doing now that a year has passed, don't wonder too long...I'm continuing my PINK workouts, of course!

I injured my back moving some heavy tubs of school books in the shed this week...I was standing in an awkward position and pulled something in my back. My first concern was that I can't work out until it heals! You see, the workouts have become a way of life for me...a part of my morning routine that I look forward to. They make me feel great and get my day off to an energized start. I drink a PINK Drink (protein shake) after my workout for breakfast, and I'm ready to go with whatever the day has in store.

So if you're feeling discouraged or unhappy with your physical self, or you lack the energy to tackle your day, I encourage you to give PINK Method a try. It is designed specifically for women, and even with my physical limitations (I have no cartilage in my knees due to a birth defect), there were modifications offered for the exercises that made it possible for me to still give it my all. It starts out simple and gradually builds in intensity and duration. And even the nutrition plan is totally doable. Lots and lots of fresh veggies,4 oz. of lean protein with every meal, and no refined sugars or caffeine. You'll look and feel amazing as the weight just naturally falls away.

I'm so glad I made 2012 a year of getting myself healthy. I am 100% better for it. Now my husband has taken a cue from me and asked for P90X for Christmas 2012. Now he's working on getting fit and healthy, too.

Here's a little picture comparison I put together to show my PINK Transformation...the first picture was taken the night before I started PINK, and the second picture was taken on the same date one year later. AMAZING! You can do it, too...just THINK PINK!