March {thigh} Madness

Here's this months challenge, it prints nicely into an 8X10!

Click on it to enlarge.

Good Luck!

smart and determined!

Levi is really smart, I can tell already! I can see his gears just a workin when he wants something and can't quite reach. 

Last week I made some brownies and I stepped out of the room for a moment. When I got back I found Levi on the counter licking the bowl, he was covered in batter! He had pushed a chair from the table over and climbed up! I wasn't thinking fast enough to get the camera, all I could think of was getting it all cleaned up.

About a month ago I got asked to make some cookies for a baby shower, I had spent all afternoon baking these 2 kinds of cookies. I put them on the table to cool and thinking nothing of it went and switched the laundry. The house got quite and I went looking for Levi only to find him sitting on the table devouring the cake batter cookies. He didn't touch the lemon crinkles, the sprinkles must have been calling his name and I have no idea how many he ate in those 5 or so minutes he had unsupervised.

 Yesterday when I was dusting I finally decided to move all the movies up a row. Levi can reach them on his tippy toes, and it was becoming such a battle to have to constantly tell him that they are off limits. I watched Levi do what hes doing in the above picture cause I was shocked! First he stood on the toy box and couldn't reach, then he grabbed his potty (which has never been used in case your worried) and put it on top of the box. Then climbed up all of it just to be able to reach. Told ya he's smart!

Then again this afternoon I caught him! I made muffins and Levi had eaten quite a few and I told him no more.  Then I can hear him behind me go get his chair and drag it to the counter and  pull the box closer to him. Then he snatched one and laughed. How could I not let him eat after that?

He's one determined and smart kiddo!

worthy of a wedding slide show. . .

I went walking/running this morning and when I got back I changed out of my workout clothes. Then headed down to the kitchen to finish loading the dishwasher. Levi comes walking down the hall to me, wearing this:

 A SPORTS BRA

    . . . . and if you know levi he loves to "cart" things around, generally its always a blanket but this morning he's carrying around my sports bra.

at least its not "stuart little". . .

Our lives focus around one thing right now. If its 4 am, 7pm, 1pm or anytime of the day for that matter. Levi wants to watch "despicable me". He wakes up in the night asking to watch it, as soon as he wakes up in the morning, soon as the credits roll he asks for "mooor gru"! I'm writing this down just because when this phase is over it'll be funny, right now its not. One of my friends in the ward came up to me laughing saying she heard levi is obsessed with the movie. Then she proceeded to tell me her oldest was obsessed with "Stuart Little" when he was Levi's age. So it could be worse, at least despicable me is a cute show.

So here's Levi at 7am after being up for 3 hours of fighting off the movie, I finally caved and let him watch it. Look how tired he is?! If only he understood that he's momma would be less cranky with more sleep at night. He's will 19 months old this week and still a terrible a sleeper, it may possibly be my fault since I have the hardest time letting him cry it out. Here's hoping tonight I can get a little more then 4 hours like last night!

Happy Valentines Day from the Murray family!

proud, really really proud!

Daves been working so much lately that not a lot of people (besides coworkers) have seen him lately. Its gonna be a shock when you do see him. I need to brag about something, Daves lost almost 30 pounds, and down 2 pant sizes!! Our big goal this year was to get healthy. Loosing weight is of course a perk of getting healthy. We have learned so much! 

We've learned:

portion control

to count calories

to control sodium

to cut out sugar

30 mins of exercise isn't that hard

to bake more, fry less

veggies, veggies, veggies

no fast food is good food

eating healthy isn't more expensive, because your eating less portions

We've changed so much about our lifestyle and its amazing how much we've really enjoyed this. We still haven't eaten fast food! We get headaches if we have too much sugar, and feel sick if we eat too much. For Dave its more physical then anything, portion control and exercising. For me its almost all mental emotional/bored eating, and learning I can find time to exercise and make healthy meals.

Im blogging this to say how proud I am of Dave. That having him on this journey really does make it so much easier for us as a family. We hope that by making these big changes we will be able to start Levi off with good habits and skills to be healthy.

So 6 weeks in:

no fast food

daves down 28lbs 

nyshas down 12 pounds

If your curious to what were using to count calories go check this OUT!! We really love it, its so eye opening!

Did you know a slice of cheese cake from cheese cake cafe has 1800 calories?? That's your daily intake!

( I'll update in another 6 weeks)

hey dave, remember . . .

Its putting my photos in the wrong order?

This month has been quite the month to reflect back on some of the ups and downs of the past 4 years. We've had to relive some of the downs but we've also got to see more happy times.

 when you built the shed, all those long hours.

 we found out it was a BOY!

 we landscaped our yard.

 we went to the star trek museum.

 when pregnancy turned me into an elephant.

 the time we went camping at  38 weeks pregnant.

 4 days before we had levi.

 13 hours of labour. July 19th 7:35pm 8lbs 5oz. 21 1/2" long. Levi Douglas Murray.

 a perfect precious little boy.

 we took a million pictures of levi.

 that levi hated his car seat, and we'd have to pull over on the highway and swing him to sleep.

 the day we found out we were expecting Levi.

 when we went camping in june and it blizzard.

 that terrible haircut i had.

 sledding at the sugar bowl.

 our first date in calgary.

 the night we danced and you proposed

 March 21, 2008- sealed for eternity

the 2nd place we lived in, the yard was a jungle.

when you found out I wasn't an outdoorsy type of gal.

 Levi's first christmas

 levi ate dirt, and I panicked.

 Levi got a pool for his birthday, he was in heaven!

 Levi turned one!

 when we adopted a dog and she had puppies 3 weeks later??

 levi was a chicken for halloween.

 your grad party!

when these big brown eyes melt your heart.

I wouldn't trade anything to be where I am at today. I love being a mommy, wife, and your best friend.

Love you, and can't believe its almost been 4 years!

Its beginning to look a lot like . .

Valentines around the Murray house! Lots of pink, red and glitter. Ive made almost all the crafts this year myself and the rest were from dollarma. I did it all for under $15! 

 The wreath I made is my favourite, I love the way it turned out! I came up with it on my own and Im in love with it!

 I found these felt heart stickers at dollarama, so easy and cheap to use!

 I already had the pearls and buttons.

 I made my own printables to put in frames we already owned.

I made the garland with pearls and ribbon. I love me some pearls!

 and whats a post without a little levi in it??

1/4 done.

We set a goal this year to do 100 days of no fast food. It goes along with our 2 big goals, budget & health.
Were 1/4 way done and still going strong! WOOHOO!

Dave was right.

I said it, Dave was RIGHT. He told me we needed to cut Levi's hair. Ive been growing it out in hope that the cute curls would compensate for the wild bed head everyday.

 

This is probably the worst picture of him ever but shows his wild hair.

(i took this picture to send to dave to show him how our morning was going. it wasn't going very well)

I cut it this morning. Dave was right it looks way better!

Happy 18 months kiddo!

Grateful for family.

I am so grateful for family. Especially for my Grandma Campbell. Bless her heart.

I wish I would have thought to take a picture of Levi when he opened this but didn't think of it, dang it! He was so excited for mmmlll (mail). Watch your mailbox grandma for your thank you that Levi made. On days like today, it makes me so grateful for family. Just the little thoughts. 

 We LOVE you LOTS grandma!