Logging Out

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all had a great Halloween. This year was pretty fun for us. Last year Ruby couldn't say trick or treat or thank you. She would just go along with what her cousins did. This year she had her game face on. She quickly learned that if she said Trick or treat, she would get candy. It was cold, but she wanted to go to all the houses. She is a tough one. Stella also did really well. I was surprised with how quickly she caught on. We went down to Ben's parents house. Ben's dad does something big every year and this year was no different. We had a lot of fun!

Now, for the title of this post. Logging out. For the month of November I'm going to stay off of Facebook and Instagram. I will still have my email and text, but that's it. I've just realized that I'm on my phone way too much during the day and when I am staring at my phone I easily get upset with my girls for doing stuff that could have easily been prevented had I paid attention to them. I also hate how "addicted" to it I've become. I don't know how to be bored anymore because I can just check into Facebook or Instagram and have instant gratification. I don't want to model that behavior for my girls. So, I'm going to give it up for November because it's the month of thankfulness...right? I'm SO thankful for my family and friends and I want them to have my full attention. Not just my online attention. I have never given up Facebook or Instagram before and I'm ashamed to say that I think I will be lost without it. I'm looking forward to this month. SO, after publishing this post, I will be logging off for a month. Please feel free to email me or call/text me! :)

I don't really have much else to report on us. We keep on doing our thing! :)

They love running across our alley to this barn that has been fixed up. They sit on the doorstep like this and giggle. It's pretty cute. 

Ben loves explaining things to these girls and they soak it all up. #teacherkids

We were SO excited about the first snow fall. 

Moose has been pretty clingy lately. He has come with us to the gym (he stays in the car) and to ECFE because he will jump in the car and not come out. Poor thing. We love our Moose! 

I love when I can catch naps with this one. 

Coffee in the morning, wine in the afternoon...I mean evening. ;) 

Mom life has it's perks. Drinking coffee with both girls on my lap. 

My father in law on Halloween.

Ruby was Lamb-Chops and Stella was a Flamingo. 

Cutest Flamingo I have ever seen! 

Today was one of those days where the girls were in tornado mode. I would pick something up in the living room, meanwhile they were destroying Ruby's room. Anyway, I was about to throw in the towel when I walked in on sweet Stella reading stories in Ruby's room. Thankful for moments like this in my day. 

JOY

Hey Everyone,

We live in a dark dark world, right? Or so it seems? I also see a lot of joy. I see a lot of beauty in the ashes. It is really hard for me to watch the news. In fact, I don't. I do read a little email called The Skimm every day that kind of gives me a recap of what is going on. I hate that I can't turn on the tv to anything besides PBS. We were in Wal-Mart today and Ruby was on this motorcycle ride thing just for fun and I noticed the character was a female who was only wearing a sports bra type thing and her boobs were huge. At that point I pulled Ruby off. The ride said that it was fit for all ages. I hate that this is the world my girls are growing up in. It makes Ben and I"s job just the more important of teaching them about the Lord and that HE is good all of the time. This world is not. But, we can cling onto the hope of Jesus. And that is praise worthy. I thank God that this is only our temporary home. Hey...that reminds me...Carrie Underwood sang a song called Temporary Home. It's a great one. Ok, end of my little rant. Please know that I love ALL people and am praying for this world on a daily basis. If there is ever a time you need a specific prayer. Please reach out. I love you.

On another note. I have truly been enjoying my girls. There was a time a few months ago where I was just stressed out. It seemed like Ruby was just crabby a lot and that Stella was starting to climb all the things and they weren't getting along the best. I was trying to run a business and nobody was getting the best me. I stopped my business because I knew I needed to focus on my family more. Oh yeah, we also listed our house on the market! Nothing has happened yet, and I'm pretty sure I found the house I want in Buffalo. Unfortunately we can't do anything until our house sells. So, if you know of anyone who is looking...let me know! Anyway, things have kind of slowed down, and I'm truly enjoying my girls. Do we still have hard days...absolutely. I have been much more relaxed though and I feel like God has helped me with peaceful parenting. I joined the gym in Buffalo. I was just telling Ben today that it is the best thing that has happened. I'm able to take the girls to the childcare area at the gym and go do my workout. I even am able to shower afterwards. It is AMAZING! I get a little break from the girls. They get some social interaction without me there. It really is a win win. It has been an absolute Godsend.

Ruby is talking up a storm, singing songs, and making us laugh constantly. She loves her sister, but can be pretty rough with her at times. We are working on that. She was introduced to the movie Frozen and LOVES it. I think there is some kind of drug that comes from that movie. I think she watched it every.single.day. for a week. I taught Kindergarten when this movie came out, so you can see why I waited 2.5 years to introduce it to Ruby. :) Ruby is fully potty trained...thanks to her. We tried over Christmas last year and she was not having it. I let it be completely up to her and it made it SO easy. She sleeps in a toddler bed. To be honest, she has been needing one of us to lay down with her at night and during naps until she fell asleep. Tonight we put the ka bosh to that. She got out of her bed three times. Once to go potty and then on the third time I just told her as she was whimpering that I would be just outside and she said ok and stuck that little thumb in her mouth. She is such a sweet girl! I told her tonight that I pray for her to always be kind and compassionate. 

Stella is seriously so sweet! She is chill, she goes with the flow and hardly fusses. She can hold her ground when it comes to Ruby and she is getting into all the things just like Ruby did. Maybe even more so. Stella is just about 18 months. Holy smokes. It's crazy how fast that has gone. She has hair that starts in the back of her head and comes straight forward. I don't want to cut her hair, so the only solutions right now is a pony on the top of her head. It is pretty cute actually. She is a peanut and is still mostly in 12-18 month clothes. She loves following Ruby around and doing what she is doing, but also loves just reading books. She will eat pretty much anything. Except roasted broccoli. That is not her jam. She sleeps really well at night. She takes a paci. I usually put about 4 in her crib so she can always find one. haha. She only really has a paci at night time and nap time. She is taking one nap, which is REALLY nice because both her and Ruby take naps at the same time! Stella is SO much fun. Her personality shows more and more each day and we love it!

Ben has been enjoying school for the most part. He of course has hard days. He works with a different group of kids who have really hard home lives and just deal with a lot on a day to day basis. Ben LOVES those kids and I can see his heart and passion for them as individuals, but trying to teach them can be difficult. He was telling me today that there are a couple of students that he doesn't get along with and that the only thing they connect with on is G2 Pens. People who know G2 Pens will get this. haha. He said we might not always like each other, but when we get to talking about our love of G2 pens...all is well. Ha, I love that he tries to find little things like pens to connect with his students. He is also the most amazing Dad. The girls adore him. Everything at home is just better when he is here. Ruby asked to go work on one of the cars with Ben and his eyes just lit up and I asked him if he was in heaven and he had the biggest smile on his face. Ben has been going to a mens small group on Thursday nights and they have been talking about the importance of a father figure in the home. He is doing such a great job at being present, loving the girls and me, and just being AWESOME! I don't know what I would do without him.

I have started MOPS again. We had our kickoff last Tuesday. It's so nice having a place for other moms to come. We drop our kids off with amazing childcare volunteers. We eat a (hot) breakfast and we just get to be in community with other moms. It's such a blessing. I also am involved in a new ministry called Propel at our church. I'm super excited for that. It is one Thursday a month. I've been going to the gym like I mentioned before and have just been finding my groove as Ben is back at school and navigating motherhood. The funny thing about motherhood is that it always changes. It is never the same and no kid is ever the same. Anyway, that is all for us. If you think of it, please pray for our house to sell! There is a house that I would love in Buffalo! :) With that said, I do know that God's timing is the best timing, so just being patient! :)

Thanks for reading!

Love her! Yes, those are Ruby's undies on her head! (Clean of course) 

I'm jealous of my daughters hair! 

Listening to the crickets. (Way past their bed time) 

Our trees have been dropping leaves, but not changing colors. So strange. 

Did I mention he is the best? 

    

On Her Way

Hey Everyone!

Ben often tells me that I will miss these early years. I sometimes agree and sometimes want to punch him in the face. The days are long, but the years are short, right? Listen, parenting is hard. My children rarely play with their toys. They love being outside, they love climbing anything and everything, they love running in circles, they love pushing each other, they love getting into things, and they love pushing buttons. I go insane almost on the daily. I'm not sure I could do this without Jesus. Truthfully.

Just within the last couple of weeks though it happened. I started really wanting Ruby to slow down. She talks so much and it is SO much fun. The things she says, the things she repeats, what she does and says with Stella. I wish I could bottle it all up, or just have a camera in our house that records her all the time. It is so bittersweet seeing her grow. We were going on a walk the other day and we were in the booming downtown of Maple Lake. Ruby climbed up these steps and had her hands on her hips just looking out. You guys, it looked like she was taking a senior picture and I about starting weeping like a little baby right there and then. It made me realize how blessed I am to be able to stay at home and raise these babies. She has become scared of being alone. She won't go downstairs by herself. She won't go down for a nap or go to sleep at night if someone isn't laying down by her crib. Although at nap time today we opened the shades a little bit and Ben rubbed her back for a minute and then she was fine. Tonight I was putting her down and turned on a nightlight and that didn't work. I'm hoping it eventually passes. Any tips?

Stella is a hoot you guys. She has such a big personality, although the outside world may never believe it because she gets pretty shy in front of people. She is so mellow and easy going. She could sit and play with toys by herself, but prefers chasing Ruby around and doing whatever Ruby is doing. She loves to climb and she LOVES to eat. This girl seems to always be hungry. So far she is showing to be a vegetarian though. She will eat ground beef if it is in spaghetti or something, but that is kind of it. She screams loudly. She is talking and will pretty much at least try to repeat what you tell her to say. I think she is officially down to one nap a day. This makes me SUPER happy because I wasn't able to do a lot with my MOMS club stuff because of this. Now it should get a little bit better!

Ben goes back to school on Monday. Well, he has a week of inservice and then starts back with kids on the day after labor day. It's a little sad for me. I have loved having him home. He is such an incredible dad you guys. He plays with the girls, he takes them downstairs when I'm trying to get something done. He is present with them and they adore spending time with him. I know that not all dads are like that and so I'm just so thankful and truly blessed that these girls have Ben as their dad. I am looking forward to having more of a schedule each day though. I need it and I think the girls need it. Ben I think is looking forward to this school year. He has some fun classes that he is teaching this quarter. It is really fun running into some of Ben's students around town. You can tell they respect Ben and have fun with him. Even though Ben comes home deflated some days, he knows that what he is doing is making an impact. His heart for those students is pretty huge.

I'm loving my role as stay at home mom still. It is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I would NEVER change it for a second. I love that I'm getting my health back in check. I've been running outside in preparation for a 5K that I will be doing. I'm hoping to do one for Thanksgiving, but we'll see. I love doing my at home workouts. I love creating a healthy lifestyle for my family. I love helping other women get healthy as well. Helping people is my love language and I feel like this is just one way that I can do that. I will be starting MOPS again this fall, I'm apart of MOMS Club, and I will also be in a new ministry that is starting at our church called Propel. I love being around people and I love that our community offers so much for women!

I feel like this world is pretty broken right now. I hear stories of brokenness and hate. We see it on the news every night. It is my goal to show joy and happiness. Does it mean that I'm always joyful or always happy? Heck no. Sometimes Facebook is bad in the way that it makes people's lives seem perfect. BUT, if I can help turn someone's day around I'm going to try. I want to be someone that encourages others, lifts others up, and show joy and laughter daily. I love my people and I want you all to know that I care so much about you and it is my prayer that you see joy in the little things and big things and trust that God has a plan and purpose for your life. You are valued!

He is the best. 

This is Ruby's Senior Picture and the spot where I about lost it. Babies don't keep. 

They are joyful. 

I had a rare moment of peace this afternoon while these girls napped. It was beautiful! 

The Shift is OVER!

Hey Everyone,

As some of you know, I just completed 21 days of a new exercise/nutrition program called Shift Shop. 21 days of workouts and 21 days of a new nutrition program. I will let you know what I thought about all of it in a second. I want to talk to you a little bit about what has been on my heart and I truly believe it is because of this program. I not only shifted physically, but I think even more importantly I shifted mentally.

Throughout this journey I lost pounds. I lost inches. I gained confidence. I added an (old) pair of jeans to my wardrobe that weren't fitting before. I added energy. Here's the thing you guys. That is not what shifted most of all.

Throughout this 21 days, I learned and realized so much. By week three we had to cut out all carbohydrates. This was REALLY hard. I mean, really hard. I learned something by doing this however. When I deprive myself of something that I love, I fall off the deep end. I crashed and burned a couple of times over the last week and I think it is because I was so deprived. I know that sounds so dramatic and maybe even pathetic. BUT, it made me realize that it is the reason why I love the 21 day fix so much and believe that it is my key to success. Is it for everyone? Nope, but boy is it for me! I LOVE that I get to eat good food in the correct portions. I love the way that I feel when I'm doing the 21 day fix. Those days that I told you about where I crashed and burned? Guess what...I slept HORRIBLY at night. I had weird dreams and kept waking up thinking really bazar things. Now yes, that could happen anyway, but not only did I not sleep well, I felt like crap. I didn't have energy, I was more irritable. It was just not fun. It made me want to eat clean and healthy again because I just craved the way it made me feel.

I also realized something else that is very significant. Weight loss for me is a journey. A slow one, but I'm learning the correct way of losing weight. It isn't a snap your fingers and boom your skinny and healthy. You know what happens with those crash diets? You gain weight back. How many of you have gained weight back after losing a lot of it? I'm not someone who can lose weight and then eat whatever I want. This is a healthy journey, folks. This is a journey of getting healthy. That brings me to my next point. It isn't about my appearance, although nice. I have been slowly learning through this journey as well to not care what people think of me. It has been a struggle I have dealt with for as long as I can remember. I care too much about what people are thinking about me, what people think of my husband, what people think of my family, etc. Guess what. That is exhausting. I'm focusing on me. How can I become the best ME. As I'm working on becoming the best version of myself both mentally and physically I'm realizing that I can pour out so much more love to my people.

There is SO much hate and crime going on in our world. What is happening in Virginia is sickening. It makes me sick to think that there is still so much hatred. I'm working so hard on becoming the woman that God created me to be. He created me to love people and point others to Him. He created me with a healthy body that should glorify Him. That is what I'm going for. Healthy habits, healthy body, healthy relationships. I want you all to know how much I love you. I know this post is all over the place, but that is just how my mama brain works, okay?

I know that most of you know that I'm on a journey to being healthy. Some of you may or may not know that I'm a health coach as well. I'm currently going through my health journey, but I'm also encouraging others to do it with me! I would love to share with you what I'm doing. What my nutrition plan looks like, what my exercises look like, what it looks like with two VERY busy children. Please reach out and let me know if you are interested in this. I would LOVE to chat with you and encourage you in any way I can. One of my favorite things about this journey is all the people I have been able to talk to about this.

I have a really exciting announcement coming on Facebook tomorrow night! Stay tuned....

These were basically my results! :) I love that I'm getting smaller, but even more than that I LOVE that I'm getting HEALTHY! 

I love having the energy to walk with these girls! 

Stella is such a sweetie, but more importantly she is one of my reasons WHY! 

This girl has my heart. She drives me nuts, she makes me laugh, she makes me cry, she is another one of my reasons WHY! :) 

Shift Shop Week 2 and The Doctor

Hey Everyone,

My new exercise program is entering its third and final week. Can I get an amen? I'm not going to lie. Last week was hard. My motivation started slipping and the eating plan called for less carbs. My name is Anne Harvey and I'm addicted to carbs. Seriously though, the only carbohydrate I ate last week was either a potato or a sweet potato. It was mad.

I had a pretty busy week last week and a lot of things that were not typical in my schedule. That usually calls for some cheating and lack of exercise. Now, I did do a little bit of both. There was one night where I had toast. I also noticed that I wasn't working out as hard as I normally do. I think that is just life though. The point of all of that is just knowing that I didn't give up all together was a big shift! Oh, one more thing that I noticed is that I wanted to cheat a WHOLE lot more when I knew I was being deprived of my beloved carbohydrates. It was a big time struggle. I think that is why I love the 21 day fix program so much with the containers. I don't really ever feel like I'm completely deprived of something.

I'm down another pound and 3 inches. Is it as much as the first week? Nope! Did I struggle a little more this week? Yep! Any pound and any inch lost is success in my book.

Now, on Friday I went to the doctor to have my physical done. I was really nervous you guys! After my dad died, I think I just always fear the worst. I fear the worst for my girls and I fear the worst for me. It is something that I'm working through daily. Standing on the promises of God is what I'm praying about daily. Anyway, I went in thinking well, what if I have type 2 diabetes. I had gestational diabetes with Ruby. I didn't have it with Stella, which was kind of interesting. Anyway, I was nervous about my thyroid. After I had Ruby my thyroid went from being hyperactive to normal. It was kind of strange too. Pregnancy and birth does crazy things I tell you what. Anyway, I was just really nervous with all of these things. I'm glad to report that all my test results came back normal. I'm not diabetic and my thyroid function is normal. This gave me a big boost in my spirits and I'm ready to continue my health journey.

That is exactly what this is. My health journey. Do I want to be skinny? You bet I do. But what I want even more than that is to be healthy. I want to be healthy for my two tiny humans who call me mommy. I want to be healthy for my husband who calls me wifey. I want to be healthy for all my titles. Most importantly I want to be healthy for me and who God created me to be.

I have a virtual challenge group that is starting next Monday. I won't be doing the shift shop program again, but I do recommend it. So far women in my group are doing different workout programs.

I will be sharing some of my favorite go to recipes for a busy schedule. I will be sharing tips and trips that I have learned along the way. I will be motivating ladies on the daily. I really can't wait for this next group. It is going to be run on Facebook in a private group. What happens in my groups stays in my groups. :) Until you want to share with the world your awesome results that is! ;) Please don't hesitate to message me on Facebook. Email me at anne.harvey7@gmail.com Message me for my phone number if you would rather chat. My group is almost full, but I would be willing to run two groups!

I love you guys and look I'm looking forward to what week 3 has in store!

Results Are In! Shift Shop-Week 1

Hey Everyone,

I have week one under my belt in my new program, Shift Shop. Did I cheat? Did I fail? Did I succeed? Did I lose? This may sound super corny, but I can honestly say that I have felt a shift this last week. I will explain that a little later.

I am currently apart of four accountability groups. I love them and I honestly think they are the key to success. There is something about walking along other women who are going through the same thing I'm going through. They are all striving to be who they were created to be. Three of those accountability groups are fitness groups. We post sweaty selfies. We say ugh, that workout was AWFUL! Or, that was the best workout ever and I'm feeling awesome. We share recipes that our families love. We share insecurities that are holding us back. We are vulnerable. One of my accountability groups is a group of women who are reading the bible in a year. I absolutely love it. We read our bible and text each other that we read it and if anything stood out to us. We are called to live in community and with technology these days, this can be a form of that and I love it!

Ok, onto Shift Shop week 1. My nutrition plan was no different this week. I was allowed the same amount of portion containers as always. That doesn't mean the temptation wasn't there. On Monday morning as in the very first day, the very first meal of the day when I was feeding my girls waffles for breakfast I almost took a bite. Then I remembered I was starting this plan and I needed to stick to it. haha, I'm very much a 80/20 kind of girl usually. Usually my nutrition is on 80% of the time and 20% I allow myself some breaks. Anyway, the week went on and it is always so much easier to eat healthy when we're at home. Am I right? It's when we get out of the house and we are out with friends or at a play date with yummy foods that we are more likely to slip up. I have had several people say to me that they are afraid of the prep that goes into this. I won't lie and say it doesn't take any prep because it does. In fact, if I won the lottery, which I won't because I haven't bought any tickets, but if I won the lottery I would probably hire a chef. :) I like to spend Sunday afternoon getting my groceries and then Sunday evening after the girls go to bed is when I do all my prep. This saves me SO much time during the week. I cut up all my veggies, I get all my fruit ready to go. I even prep my meals if I can! With that said, on Thursday night we went camping. We didn't get to the campground until about 8:00. The girls went to bed great (around 9:30) They are usually in bed anywhere between 7 and 8. Have you ever slept with a 2 year old. It's like being in a ninja party with your hands behind your back and you are shoved up against a wall. That girl moves in the night and somehow takes up the whole bed. It was also freezing. Needless to say, I got very little sleep that night. I woke up stressed, wanting to workout, but so tired. I ate muffins that I bought for everyone else, I had a bag of chips at lunch. It just was not good. So, I felt off the bandwagon a little bit on Friday. You know what though, usually I would let that mess everything up, but I didn't. Almost the minute we got home from camping I pushed play and got my workout done for the day.

I did workout every single day. I didn't sleep very well all week because, well, kids. I always notice that when I'm not getting enough sleep, I don't push myself hard enough. I loved the workouts and felt they were a little like my high school volleyball/basketball conditioning days. Seemed a lot easier back then. haha.

Here is where the shift came in. You guys, I have NEVER been one to order a salad at a restaurant when there are a gazillion other choices. I've never been one to eat a salad at home or eat my veggies if I didn't have to. It just hasn't come naturally for me. Tonight I realized that I have been wanting salads in my every day meal plans because I KNOW how good it is for me. It isn't because I want to drop 40 pounds and look, "skinny." It's because I know it is good for me and it is what my body needs to be healthy. The other part has been craving my Shakeology. Shakeology is so nutrient dense that it gives your body exactly what it needs and it helps your body get rid of what it doesn't need. Not only does it taste AMAZING, but your body naturally starts to crave it. Isn't that so cool? You eventually don't even want the junk food because you know it will make you feel crummy.

Now, for the RESULTS. I lost a total of 3 pounds this week and a total of 8 inches. That is in just one week! I'm pretty happy with the results, especially with my minor set back on Thursday/Friday.

Now for next week. The workouts are now 35 minutes instead of 25. My portion containers are getting a little shiftier. ;) Get it? I will be having daily 5 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, 5 servings of protein, 2 servings of carbs, 1 serving of healthy fats, 1 serving of seeds and dressing, and 4 teaspoons of butters aka peanut butter for me. Please know that the containers are different sizes. I LOVE bread, but this week I can't have it. My carbs have to consist of things like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, yams, parsnips, etc. Not a lot of grains. I think this will be great for my buns and belly, but I'm going to have a hard time. Not only will I have a hard time, but our oven decided to stop working and we are waiting on the part to fix it. I will have to use my electric fry pan and skillet a lot this week. : ) This is where my accountability groups help so much! The encouragement that I get daily is second to none!

So, if you're still reading this  I thank you. If you think of it, please pray for me. Pray that I would continue to get my health in check. Pray that I would treat my body the way God created it to be. Cheer me on. If you don't see my sweaty selfie...let me know, it probably means I need to get my butt in gear. Literally! Thank you guys all for the support. You all are amazing.

Also, I still have some room for my next accountability group starting in August. If you have ANY questions at all please let me know. I would love to chat. My email is anne.harvey7@gmail.com or just message me on Facebook. #watchmeorjoinme

Getting My Shift Together

Hey Everyone,

As some of you may know, I decided to become a health and fitness coach. Why you ask...I ask you why not. I absolutely love it. I love that I get to exercise daily, I love that I get to try and eat healthy every day, I love that I get to encourage others to do the same. I have loved all the positive messages about getting healthy. I can't imagine a better investment than your health really.

With that said, tomorrow on July 24th I along with thousands of others are starting a new program called Shift Shop. This is a 21 day program with customized workouts, meal plans, and motivation. Guess what. I'm going to blog through it. That's right, I'm going to give you my most honest opinion of the program. Let's be honest, I don't want to fake my way through anything. I don't want to be fake with the women that I'm helping. I will be blogging after week one, week two, and week three, and posting on Facebook in between. I will be sharing how many pounds have been lost, how many inches were lost, and how much confidence was gained! I will share before and after photo's as well. 

To be honest, I get kind of hooked on workouts. For the LONGEST time I was a 21 day fix workout girl. I was never going to quit that. But then I exchanged Netflix for Beachbody on Demand and boy were my eyes opened. I started doing CIZE with my man Shaun T. Cize is kind of like Zumba, so I loved doing it in the comforts of my living room instead of in a class in front of a bunch of people. haha! Then, Shaun had this thing going called Shaun Week. It was Shaunfabulous. Yep, I made that up. So, needless to say, it has been hard to quit Shaun. BUT we are moving on people. Time to work with Chris Downing and do a program called Shift Shop. 

Using a breakthrough "ramp-up" method, Chris starts you out slow in Week 1 with 25-minute cardio and strength workouts you can really do, and a nutrition plan you can stick with. In Week 2, you push harder with 35-minute workouts, and consume more protein to fuel the burn. But it's nothing you can't handle. Finally in Week 3, you kick your shift into higher year: 45-minute workouts and clean eating. Clean eating like no carbs y'all. I LOVE carbs. Thankfully the following Monday I will probably eat a whole pizza. Ok, not really, but I'm sure I will go back to eating carbs. Also, disclaimer, if Chris told me I couldn't drink coffee I would say, "Bye Felicia!"

Here is a video of what the program will look like. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4YNy8I5HC4&feature=youtu.be

So yep, I can't wait to walk through this journey with you. I promise to be honest about the program, I promise to show my sweaty selfies everyday via Facebook whether you like it or not. ;) I promise to drink my nutrient dense shake every single day, because let's be honest, I rate that right up there with coffee. Please feel free to cheer me on. If you don't see me posting about it, call me out. I want to hear from you! 

My target areas are my belly and butt. I did take pictures showing my bare stomach, but don't feel comfortable sharing that with the world. If you would like to see them, I would not think it is weird and can email them to you. Let me know. : )

 Before Side Profile

Before Front Profile 

https://youtu.be/_4YNy8I5HC4

Just Gotta Say It!

Hey Everyone,

Do you ever feel like you've had something really big happen and you just want to tell everyone about it? I felt that way when I got engaged, and then each time I got pregnant with my girls. Let me tell you about something ok.

Teaching was a huge passion of mine for so long. I LOVED working at a daycare in college, I LOVED my first job as a Kindergarten teacher in Alaska, I LOVED teaching Kindergarten in the two teaching jobs I had down here in the lower 48. It was my passion. I lived it, I breathed it, I always was looking at how I could improve. Then I had kids. I had my own babies and slowly that passion just started to go away. People ask me all the time if I will go back to teaching when the girls are old enough to go to school. Honestly, the thought of it makes me want to vomit! Haha! I LOVE my teacher friends and I believe in you all and know you are doing great things. I can't tell you what exactly happened that made that shift. Maybe now that I have my own kids I realized that my love was going 100% to them.  I don't know.  And who knows, maybe that passion will come back. I was talking to a friend from high school the other day and she just re-affirmed the thought I was scared of saying out loud, but basically she just said, it's ok if your passions change. Ashley, if you are reading this, thank you!

That brings me to this new passion. I have NEVER been so passionate about fitness and nutrition in my life. I grew up being athletic and always kind of being in shape. I know that I like it, but I wouldn't say I was ever passionate about it. I have had this shift you guys. A conviction if you will. It may be because I watched my dad die to cancer. It may be because I started noticing all the un-healthy habits I had in my life both physically and emotionally. I feel like God has given me this great passion for fitness and a true conviction about what I'm feeding my body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." It really made me think, man I'm not treating my body the way that God intended me to treat it.

For the longest time I felt stuck. Stuck in my negative thoughts about myself, stuck in my double digit jean sizes, and stuck in my every day life. I LOVE being a stay at home mom! I love it! I love that I get to have more than one passion right now. That this passion allows me to be SO present with my girls and I get to encourage other women reach their fitness goals as well. I have always LOVED encouraging people, friends, coworkers, whoever. It is one of my favorite things to send just because gift packages. I love lifting others up. When this opportunity came up to be a health coach, it wasn't and isn't about the money, although that's nice. It is about getting to use the gifts that God has given me on a daily basis. It's just so cool. So, I guess I'm just kind of rambling. When something fires you up, you just want to shout it from the rooftops. Instead, I will shout it out in blog world...haha.

Please please please, if you are seeking help with fitness, nutrition, life, a Godly support, please don't hesitate to reach out. I love you all and I will never ever be offended if you say not right now. I want you all to feel the way I feel...and guess what, I'm not even at my goal right now. I'm happy and blessed to be who I am RIGHT now. :)

Not the Mom I Thought I Would Be

Hey Friends,

Did you grow up fantasizing about what your wedding day would be like and who you would marry? I din't really do that. I would always fast forward to having a family of my own. I often thought about all the things I would do with my kids and how awesome I would be at being a mom, because hey, I taught Kindergarten, right? Doesn't that just set you up to be super mom? Nope. For all you moms out there who are wondering what happened. I'm here to tell you that you are enough. Lower those expectations of yourself and just love.

Here are some of the things I thought I would be awesome at!

I thought I would be doing all the pinterest worthy crafts with my kids by now. Wrong. I have yet to touch them or even really look them up. The thought of paint flying all over my table and glitter getting stuck in hair makes me cringe. We run around the kitchen 5,000 times instead.

I thought I would have the perfect little meals for my girls. Wrong. I have tried, I will give it that. But you know what, sometimes they don't want those damn cauliflower tator tot bites. I mean, can you blame them? So, sometimes their veggies come in the form of that wonderful pouch.

I thought we would always be out doing really fun things. Nope! Turns out it is really hard taking a 1 and 2 year old out and about on your own. It is much easier when your husband isn't working. Instead we make fun forts in the house and climb on the highest mountains..errr chairs.

I thought I would love spending all my time with them. Wrong. Sometimes I get jealous of my husband who gets to go to work. Mostly because he gets to drive to and from work in peace.

I used to think that I would never yell. Wrong. I really try not and am getting better, but sometimes it comes out. It comes out and I usually cry and apologize afterwards.

I used to think that I would NEVER take my kids to McDonalds. Wrong, I did and have. Can't say that I like it, but sometimes the thought of not having to clean up or argue over eating veggies is worth it.

I used to think I would be a fit mom and running around with my girls constantly. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but you better believe I'm working on getting there. Those girls are worth it. Childhood obesity scares me and I know that it starts with me and my habits. Mama is a changing.

I used to think that my house would be spick and span ALL THE TIME. Let me tell you. Picking toys up is a little bit like shoveling in a blizzard. It's pointless. I try to here and there and I do every night once they are in bed, but yep, if you come over at 3:00 afternoon, you will see a mess!

Here is what I can tell you. I am trying. I'm trying to be the very best mom and the best wife. I can tell you that I love my girls more than anything and wouldn't trade a second for getting to stay at home with them. I can tell you that they might drive me nuts at times, but I've never been happier. I can tell you that I'm not the mom I thought I would be and that is OK. Mamas, you're doing great! Please be encouraged that God has you right where He wants you and that He will direct your path.

You Can Join Me or Watch Me

I was one of the judgers. I would look on Facebook and see "Beachbody Coaches" and roll my eyes. Honestly, I truly thought why in the world are they doing that. The majority of the women I saw online looked like they could beat me up. I would tell myself that I did not want to look like that. This was before I had kids. Then something happened. Kids. Kids happened.

Six months after having Ruby is when my dad passed away due to cancer. I can't begin telling you the heartache that I still feel every day. When it was happening I think I was pretty stressed out and lost weight easily. I think I was at my pre-baby weight around 4 months pp. After he died though, I think it switched to survival and eating un-healthy food and turning to food as a stress reliever. When Ruby was 8 ish months, I got pregnant with Stella. I don't know why, but with Stella I was like well, I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want. And I did. And I gained about 40 pounds in the process. Let me tell you something, weight doesn't just come off as soon as you have the baby, especially if you didn't treat your body well while being pregnant. So, where am I now?

I was looking at some pictures on Facebook and saw my friend TyAnne. She looked AMAZING! Not only did she look amazing, she just looked really happy and healthy. I was desperate to find something that worked. I was desperate to get healthy again. I had tried a bunch of different "diets" that only motivated me for about 1.5 weeks. I had to talk to her. She told me she was doing Beachbody. I honestly was like no way. Darn it. I'm not doing that. Then she told me more and more about it and I thought, well that sounds like a genius plan! She had portion containers, which I needed and I think all of America does too by the way, she had a daily workout that was only 30 minutes long. I mean, with 2 under 2 at the time, that is exactly what I needed. She was apart of accountability groups that encouraged and motivated each other, which is what I needed and truly desired. Being a stay at home mom can be isolating at times and this was another way to connect to other people. The accountability groups are done virtually, so you can check in whenever you can or have a spare minute...literally. :) You don't have to load up kids to go check in or even workout. She had a, sorry for the language, kick ass coach who motivates daily and truly and genuinely wanted her to succeed. She drank this drink called Shakeology that changed some health issues she had been having previously. Done and Done. I wanted in.

I joined and I tell you, it was life changing. Not only life changing, but life saving. Literally. I have been taught  how to eat healthy portions, what I can and can not eat, that sometimes it's ok to cheat and give in to those yummy french fries because let's be honest...we are human right? I love that this is a lifestyle. I have to choose each day to workout, I have to choose each day to get my four servings of veggies (plus a lot of other stuff) I have to choose to be proud of myself of where I am right now and where I want to be tomorrow, the next day, five years from now, etc. I love that I'm choosing to get healthy now so that I can run around with my active girls and not get winded. I'm choosing my health. I also love that there are people who are at their peak in their fitness goals and they are still doing this. That's what makes it a lifestyle.

I'm still nowhere near my goal people. I'm not one of those skinny make it look easy type people. I'm overweight, but working really hard at becoming fit. I would love to lose 40 pounds. I made a deal with some of my friends from MOMS Club...girls, we need a name for our awesome group by the way. Anyway, we made a deal to run a 5 k by next summer. Some of you are like easy peasy, but let me tell you, running a 5k with 40 extra pounds does not sound awesome. That is my 1 year goal. I have been so lucky and blessed to have people pouring into me and encouraging me to be the best me!

I have decided to become a Beachbody coach. Yep, roll your eyes. I don't care. I was where you are. haha! I absolutely get it. Why am I doing this? No, I still don't want to look like I could beat up my husband. I'm doing this because for the first time I have found something that works, that is so incredibly healthy I can't stand it, and I absolutely know without a doubt that I have SO many people in my life who are where I am. In need of daily encouragement, in need of the right tools to get healthy, and in the need of weight loss. If you're out there somewhere and in need of help getting on the right track, let me know. If you want to find out more, you can message me on Facebook. You can email me at anne.harvey7@gmail.com You can give me a call. If you are local, I really love coffee and would love to buy you some coffee. Let's do this people, let's form a tribe and get healthy.

With all of that said, I have a challenge group starting on July 17th. I have room for 10 women, so if you are interested let me know right away.You can watch me or join me!

                                   This picture on the left was when I started and the picture on the right was taken a few days ago. Exercising has become my outlet, I've learned how to fuel my body with the right foods. I'm just SO so happy even though I'm not where I want to be yet.

What Does 82, 30, 2, and 1 Have in Common?

Hey Everyone,

Did anyone guess? Those are the represented ages living under our roof.

The 82 Year Old:
   Yep, my Grandma recently moved in with us. She is living in our basement for the summer until her new senior apartment is finished being built. She can pretty much do anything she wants in our basement without needing anything. We have requested that she comes up and eats dinner with us though. It's kind of great because it forces me to prepare dinner daily. I'm not sure I will think that in three months, but for now it is great. I also love that Ruby and Stella get to see her more often. They both LOVE going downstairs and seeing Grandma Pat. Grandma Pat is pretty smitten by them as well.

The 30 Year Olds:
      Ben and I are trudging along this crazy thing called parenthood. Ben is almost done teaching for the school year. Can I get an Amen? Although, he doesn't catch much of a break as he leaves the very next day for Pine Ridge, South Dakota for his annual mission trip. He will be gone for a week. He will also be teaching 2 weeks of summer school along with drivers ed this summer.  I'm hoping to go camping with my mom and the girls while he is in Pine Ridge if the weather cooperates. I have been busy keeping two humans alive. Sometimes that is just enough. My days usually go by pretty fast even though the last 30 minutes before Ben gets home seems to last about 4 hours. Stella usually wakes up first, then she usually wakes Ruby somehow by banging on something. Ruby gets up and we all eat breakfast and I'm typically on my second cup of coffee. I like to work out during Stella's morning nap. That is when Ruby gets to watch PBS. That way I don't have Ruby climbing in between my legs. Stella wakes up and we play/do laundry/unload dishwasher/start preparing lunch. We eat lunch and both girls go down for a nap by 12/13:30. When they are napping I shower and prepare as much as I can for dinner, so I don't have to when witching hour happens. They wake up and we play and I clean and do whatever else. We make it until Ben gets home. Now that the weather will hopefully get warmer we will be spending a lot of time outside! Anyway, as you can see, I keep little people alive and love every. single. minute. Ok, I lied, I don't love every single minute, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

The 2 Year Old:
   Holy Buckets. The amount of development that has happened with Ruby in the last month is astounding! Her language has sky rocketed. People besides Ben and I are starting to understand her. The sentences she says, the words she says and remembers, unfortunately the things she repeats from mommy and daddy's lips. Some good and some quite embarrassing. She is just starting to enter one  of my favorite ages. She is so curious about the world around her, she takes everything in and you can see her process everything. She is very sensitive, yet has a very outgoing personality. At our last ECFE class we were talking about potty training. I said, I'm just going to wait until she initiates it because lets be honest, I do NOT want to worry about that right now. Lone and behold, the very next day she decided she wasn't going to wear her diaper. Not only was she not going to wear her diaper, she wasn't going to wear pants either, and guess what. NO ACCIDENTS. You guy's, I actually have to do this. Ruby has yet to have an accident as long as she isn't wearing anything from the waist down. If I put undies on...well, I haven't been brave enough truthfully to put undies on for very long. But, if she is wearing a diaper while out and about she never mentions anything about having to go potty and is always wet when we change her. So, who knows. Unfortunately, Ruby has also become obsessed with wanting to hold Stella's hand and pulling her around places. Even if Stella is screaming. Ugh. My sister in law just pulled out one of my gray hairs. #parenthood. She can be super sweet to Stella and she can also have no boundaries with her. It drives me bonkers. Ruby is a social butterfly and we are excited to start ECFE pretty soon. I'm also excited for park dates this summer with MOMS club. I can't go to a lot right now because it's when Stella is napping. When Ben is home, hopefully I can leave Stella with Ben and just take Ruby. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Ruby got the stomach flu while we were visiting some family in Jamestown. Big time bummer.

The 1 Year Old:
   Stella is so much fun. She is busy just like Ruby, but she is super content playing with whatever. It's probably a second child type thing. She doesn't have to have me nearby at all times like Ruby. For instance, Stella had no problem throwing the tv remote in the toilet as I was out probably getting Ruby down from the kitchen table. Stella is walking pretty well right now. She has 3 teeth trying to come in at the same time, which has made her a little more clingy. She picked up a slight fever for a couple of days, probably the same bug Ruby had without the vomiting thank God. She is starting to hold her ground a little more with Ruby. If Ruby comes and takes her toy she will walk over and get it back. She usually tries to pull Ruby's hair. A very small part of me says, "You go girl!" Then I have to remind we don't pull hair. Stella still has mommy separation anxiety. If we are somewhere different and she sees  me leave she will cry and cry. If I'm out of sight I'm kind of out of her mind. She does find at church when we drop her off at the nursery. She cries for a little bit, but we have yet to be called out of church for her. She has started doing a fake laugh and loves to play peek a boo. She always folds her hands when we say it's time to pray and when we say Amen she will say ama. Close enough baby girl, close enough. She says mama and dada, but doesn't say much else yet. She will wave and do different actions for songs. She understands everything we tell her to do. This comes in handy when we want her to throw something away for us, or get us our shoes, or you know anything that we are too lazy to do at the moment. Stella is such a great baby and gives us so much joy!

1 year apart

#grayhairs

Stella fell asleep like this at MOPS. 

Stella had to have a time out. She had no clue what was going on, but Ruby was showing her how it's done. 

Ruby always needs to be near. I know these moments won't last forever. 

Stella and her cousin Leni who was born just 3 days after Stella. a

Ruby can be very very sweet. 

Chalk all over. 

Stella was agate hunting in the alley.

Such a sweetheart. 

#grayhair

Poor Ruby with the stomach flu

Hit Stella hard too with teething and a fever. 

#grayhair

Fun with the cousins at Jon and Nikki's. 

Stella's 1st Birthday party with The Harvey's.