My 85 day challenge

I have an old CG friend from my BYU days that has become a health and fitness guru. This girl has amazing will power and because of that is incredibly fit! I have followed her journey to becoming fit for the past year and a half and at first I thought "Wow! she is crazy" but then I gained a lot of respect for her. I always thought to myself... I wish I could be that strong and finally get some of these flabby parts toned!
Well a few weeks ago she issued a challenge to whoever wanted to take her up on it. The challenge was to cut out all junk food/candy from then (it was a week before Halloween) until Thanksgiving. I thought long and hard about it and decided... let's do it!
So I made a commitment to not eat any junk food, sweets, soda and chips... but I didn't stop there. I decided to extend the challenge through the Holidays and do it for 85 days, with only two free days... Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know, I know... I'm truly nuts. But I am also determined. Determined to get this body fit and healthy again.
So far we are on day 20 and I'm happy to report that I am still going strong. The first few days it was pretty tough, but as it has gone on it's getting easier to 'just say no'. Tonight our family went to a 'pie party' at our neighbors, I even made a pie... a Sweet Potato pie, with a meringue topping. (it looked delicious), but I just sat and visited with everyone while they ate. I will admit... some of those pies looked so stinkin good, I really wanted to take a little nibble. But I resisted. Only a week and a half until my free day. I can do this.
I've also stepped it up at the gym, trying to spend 2-2 1/2 hours there each day. Hopefully all this hard work and going without will pay off.
When I get the munchies I grab a handful of nuts or some jerky. I also REALLY some Greek yogurt, sprinkled with granola and drizzled with some blue agave-THAT is such a treat, like a bowl full of ice cream!
Hoping I can hang on and accomplish this goal!

My latest attempt at craftiness!

I love to blog stalk crafty blogs! I have found some really awesome ones lately... there are some amazingly crafty ladies out there! I love seeing all the fun things they have created but hate the guilt I feel after visiting their sites... guilt from not decorating my home as cute as theirs, for not throwing as awesome a party for my kids as they did, for not doing craft projects with my kids... etc. Oh well, some day I will have the time and energy to try all those amazing ideas.

When I saw this project, I knew that I had to do it... it's just too cute to pass up!

I put a cake board on top and then wrapped a coordinating ribbon around the edge.

Can you stand this?! I just love it. Here is the instructions so you can make your own dang cute cake platter.

Supplies:

Pointy boots

 Flat, plastic platter(charger) or Plastic cauldron 

Orange vinyl

2 heavy duty plastic cups (not disposable)

Black electrical tape

Ribbon

2 - Orange 1.5" wide ribbon 36" long

2 - Black/white polka dot 22" long

2 - Black/white check/striped 18"long

2 - Orange thin ribbon 12" long

2 - Black thin ribbon 7" long

1. The boots were purchased at Saver's and had hardly been worn. 
I bought black  boots and then cutout vinyl, orange circles with my cricuit.

Stuff the boots with newspaper - leaving about 2 inches of space at the top.

1. These heavy duty plastic cups were green until I spray painted them orange, I also bought these from Saver's.

2. To make the stripes - adhere black electrical tape around the cup - easy, peasy!! 

This was how the website did it, with the black cauldron on top of the feet, also SUPER cute. I may remove the cake plate and put my cauldron on for trick or treaters.

Witch-a-palooza party!

For the past several years I have had a Girls Night Witch party and last night was the night! What a fun time we had! We always do a potluck dinner of soups, rolls, appetizers and desserts. I LOVE soup and I love getting to tryout different ladies soup recipes... YUM! 

After we ate we voted on our favorite Witch hat and awarded the winning prize to DONNA! I am bummed that I didn't get a picture of her hat up close. She bought a hat and then dressed it up... it was the most beautiful witch's hat I've ever seen! Everyone just loved it. Great job Donna!!!

Then we played a really fun team game that we call 'person, place or thing', it's a charade type game that has everyone laughing throughout it!

Then we did our witch gift exchange. Everyone brought a witch themed, home decor gift and we put them in a pile. Then we all drew numbers and when your number was called you could pick a gift from the pile or steal from someone else. Once a gift had been stolen twice it was 'locked' and could no longer be stolen. I love seeing all the fun creative and DARLING witch items that people brought. It was such a great night and I was once again reminded how lucky I am to have such amazing friends in my life. 

Most of the group... four people had to leave before we could take the pic. L-R

Front row: Me

2nd row: Amy, Briana, Missy, Lisa, Jessica

3rd row: Jani, Stephanie, Jennifer, Becky, Michelle, Nichole, Dani, Nicki, Jodi

Back row: Donna, Michele and Kristen

Missing: Carol, Laura, Angie, Jen and there in spirit was Melanie (her baby was sick and her hubby was out of town.. we missed you Mel!)

 The soup table. We had Tomato Basil, Chicken Noodle, Cheddar, Minestrone and Tosacana (the kind they serve at Olive Garden) So yummy!

The appetizer table and off to the right, the dessert table

Socializing before dinner

Socializing during dinner

I love this shot of Jen and Jodi... wish the lighting was better.

Everyone called these two 'Twitches' since they had the same hats (which were darling by the way!)

Playing our game

Look at all those darling wrapped gifts! So cute!

It was a packed house

Amy, myself and Kristen. Friends for such a long time!

One year ago....

Isn't it crazy how fast a year goes by? Yet if you are told 'in a year such and such will happen', it seems so far away? So much can change for the better and worse in just one year. Tomorrow marks the one year mark for the day that Chris lost his job with Goal Zero. I will always remember that day and the thoughts, worry, anger and concern for my husband that I felt. I was consumed with worry about how we would make things meet financially. Chris loved that job and he was GOOD at it!
So began the horrible process of looking for another job, filling out applications, submitting resumes and then interview after interview only to be told "sorry we are going with a different person". It can be hard on someones ego... oh so hard. Satan has a way with working hard on someone that is going through a struggle, to convince them that they are worthless and have no value.
At the time I was worried about where our family would be a year from now, would we be able to stay in our new house in the neighborhood that we LOVED?
The saying really is true.... When one door closes, another one opens. Chris was able to find a job rather quickly with a GREAT company, doing something he LOVES and is even BETTER at.
So to Goal Zero and their peace of crap management team I say THANK YOU! Thank you for being the fools that you are and letting Chris move on to bigger and better things. We are SO much better off for not having you in our lives. I am grateful for a husband that fights hard to get back on his feet when he has been beaten to the ground.
I am now excited for what the next year holds in store for the Meek Family, and that is a great feeling to have.

It's in the MAIL!!!!

Look at the fun toy I have coming for me in the mail! I have wanted this FOREVER, but it is pretty expensive and there is always a more important bill to pay so I couldn't justify it.

Well I finally saved up enough money to splurge a little.

I feel like it's CHRISTMAS!

Conference Weekend

Wasn't it a great conference session? One of the high points for me was in the final session, one of the last speakers. I wasn't looking at the TV when the speaker started, but as soon as I heard his voice I KNEW that it was familiar. I looked up and almost at the same moment that his named flashed on screen I knew who it was. It was my Seminary teacher from my Junior... or maybe senior year in high school. BROTHER RICHARDSON! He was such an amazing Seminary teacher for me, he went above and beyond to try and reach all of us and help us develop a love for the scriptures. I think about him and his teachings all the time and I have often wondered what happened to him. Well today I got my answer! I'm not at ALL surprised that he is now a GA. Wow! It was kind of surreal seeing him up on the TV screen. Pretty cool if you ask me!

While I watched conference I worked on some holiday Subway Art on my laptop...I'm kinda addicted to these, I just love creating them. I sent them off to Costco and get to pick them up tomorrow, I can't wait to see how they print out and look all framed. I printed them in a 11x14 size, so they will be nice and big.

The Halloween subway art

 The thanksgiving subway art

 I created this one a couple of weeks ago, but then changed it today to the one up above, I can't decide which one I like best.

BYU gametime!

Friday a friend offered us their tickets to the BYU game and I gladly accepted them. I don't think I have been to a game with Chris before, so I was excited to go. Remember I spent five years of my life going to every home game cheering on the team while I was a member of the Cougar Marching Band. Sitting in that stadium brought back a FLOOD of memories for me, especially hearing all the same band tunes that never seem to change. It was very nostalgic for me.

Me and my honey...take a look at the couple to the left, pretty funny. 

The actual game was pretty intense and fun. We pulled out the win in the end LITERALLY, so it was all good.

The power of the Wasatch!

Had to get a shot of us with the field behind us, the fans stormed the field at the end.

After the game we went to a dive of a place called Sammy's, it was SO GOOD! I can see them featuring it on Diner's, Dive's, Drive-in's.... YUM!

I always look forward to my weekly date nights with Chris, it was fun to do something out of the ordinary for us. Hope the opportunity comes around again!

A magical weekend inTime Square, Mary Poppins and 15 years!

Two weeks ago Chris told me what his upcoming travel schedule was and I was pretty disappointed... he would be in New York during our 15th wedding anniversary. I. Was. Bummed.

So Chris suggested that I fly out and join him over the weekend, he didn't need to ask me twice! So I arranged for the kids to stay with different friends in the neighborhood and Faze with my brother, booked my flight and off I went! 

I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous about making the trip alone... not the flying part, but the getting to the apartment once I got to NYC that scared me. So I pulled on my big girl panties and made the trek. The trip from the airport to the apartment we were staying in was supposed to take about 45 minutes... well it seems that I got off at the wrong subway exit.... and wandered aimlessly around the city until a very sweet female New Yorker literally WALKED me to my subway stop, which WASN'T close by. Hallelujah for nice people that are willing to help lost tourists! The trip from the airport took 2 hrs. and 10 min.! YIKES.

Oh well, I made it.... that's what counts. It was so good to see my man! Friday night he took me out to eat at an amazing place called Max Brenner's. It was a chocolate bar and was SO yummy, especially their dessert menu! Wow! The desserts were so beautiful and unique that I had to take pictures of it. What I would give to open a similar place here in Utah, it would be a hit!

 I LOVE this pic! This was taken on our 15th anniversary. Chris really wants to take pics like this of us wherever we travel... here's hopping to lots more pics like this!

I think he is so hot in this pic, we were waiting for our subway when I took this. I think this should be in a magazine add! LOL

I feel so lucky to have Chris as my husband. What an amazing 15 years we have had! It is incredible to believe that I love him more today than I did the day I married him (and that was a WHOLE lot of love!)

This was at dinner on our first night at Max Brenner's

Some photo's of our first night's desserts. SO AMAZING!

The next day (our actual anniversary) Chris had to wrap up a business meeting in a town called Scarsdale. I could LIVE in Scarsdale! It was such a cute, darling town. It really was an enjoyable afternoon.

While he sealed the deal, I read my book and took a pic. LOL

After we got back into the city we went for a 45 min run in Central Park. I LOVED the park, but not so much with the run.... am I EVER going to like running?! It was fun to see the park and be with Chris though.

For dinner we were limited on time, so we found a sushi bar close to the theater. Then we went to the show!

I love this picture! Look at Chris, I love that he went all goofy for it... so cute!

Waiting for the play to start.

We had box seats that were super fun! They were great seats and the show was spectacular! I am such a lucky girl!

Happy Anniversary babe, oh how I love you!

My version of us at Time Square

After the play we just HAD to go back to Max Brenner's to get some more yummy desserts! I loved it!

Our last day in New York! We traveled into Hobokon NJ so that I could make a visit to CARLOS BAKERY home of the CAKE BOSS! It was pretty surreal seeing the shop. We waited outside for about 30 minutes and then once inside we had another hour wait. It was crazy!

Some shots from inside the bakery

This is the table where Buddy does his cake consults.

Of course I HAD to get a T-shirt! We got about six different goodies to take home. Once we got to the airport I decided to open up the boxes to take some pics and unfortunately two of the cupcakes squished into one... very sad, but we ate it anyway and it was great!

For the flight home Chris had a seat in first class, so being the gentleman that he is, he gave me his seat and he took mine in coach. This is the meal that they served us. First class is pretty cool to ride in! How sweet is he that he did that?!

The next few pics are some cool pics of my sexy husband. Babe, thanks for making our anniversary so incredible. I love you more than words can say. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world and I look forward to what the future hold for us and our family.

I LOVE HIS BODY IN THIS PICTURE! 

Yep, He's STILL my Hottie with a Naughty Body, this pic proves it!

Here is that awesome picture one more time, but in black and white.