Christmas 2009

We had a really good Christmas. It was so nice to be able to spend four days with Jeremy and the kids. On Saturday after Christmas we made a family trip to the movies. We went to Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was a toss up with the Princess and the frog but we had to factor in Ryland. He did really well as did the girls. They love to go to the movies.
Here are a couple pictures of our Christmas. Ryland stepped on my camera and pressed the lense in so I don't have very many pictures.

New addition to my weight loss blog

I have added another little bit on my back on track blog!

A couple more recent pictures of the kids

Here are just a few recent pictures of the kids. Ryland is now a huge fan of T.V and his sisters love to lay out and watch it with him. This picture of just Ryland is him hiding in his closet when he needed a diaper change. He thought he was so funny he couldn't stop laughing. The kids are all fairly healthy right now which is a huge blessing. Olivia will go to the specialist tomarrow so we will find out more on what to do about her issues.

Exciting news to my Back on Track Post

I have updated my Back on Track post with Super exciting news!!

Family Update for October/November

Here are our updates! This may be very boring for you all but I will remeber it better if I write it down.
At the begining of October Jeremy got sick with a fever, and chills. This was on a Thursday and Friday, medicine seemed to take care of it with no problem so we didn't really worry about it to much. Then on Saturday Olivia woke up with a fever and throwing up so we kind of thought it might be the same thing, as the day went on she didn't eat anything and all the drink she had came right back up, because she has kidney reflux on the left side we thought we should get a urine sample done just in case this wasn't just what Jeremy had. So we took her up to Ready Care and she was really not feeling good still, she fell asleep on the exam table (they are really fast up there so we werent waiting long) and she just moaned when the doctor looked at her and listened to her heart and chest. She also had a cough to go with the fever and throwing up.
She did have a UTI at this point and her fever was 103.5 and because she had a cough they wanted to rule out the flu so they sent us over to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital her fever was at 105.5. They ended up keeping her so she could get some fluids and get the infection under control. She did not have the flu at this point. So we stayed in the hospital for 2 nights and because they didn't get a culture on her urine they couldn't say what exact antibiotic was going to fix the problem so her pediatrician guessed and we went on our way. On Wednesday (two days later) I went to wake her up to send her to school and she had a fever of 103 and Ryland had been up all night fussing and not feeling well so I took them both into the doctor. Olivia's infection was under control and she tested negative again for the flu but she did have all the symptoms. It was miserable because she was just sick for well over a week. Ryland ended up having double ear infections, so we got an antibiotic for that and went on our way. The next morning Claira woke up throwing and and had a fever so she was then sick for about 3 days, and on Monday she developed a nasty cough so I decided Tuesday to take her in and get her listened to because at this point I was becoming a nervous wreak and I kept thinking maybe she was going to get pnemonia( I probably spelled that wrong) and Ryland wasn't any better so off we went to the doctor again. When we got there she was fine it was just a cough so I didnt need to worry about her to much. If she developed a fever then we should bring her back in. Then it was Rylands turn and his ears were not any better so the doctor switched the antibiotic to omnicef and we went on our way. That Thursday Claira finally went back to school and Olivia had a VCUG done on her kidneys. (Now for those of you who are not familiar with this they put a cathader (I didn't spell that right) in and put die up into the bladder and then have them pee on the table so they can see how everything is working. (they are doing exrays the whole time) We found out that Olivia has grade 2 reflux on the left and the right sides. Now we had this test done when she was 5 almost exactly 2 years prior, and it was just on the left side. So I had to take her back in Friday (the next day) to her pediatrician for a recheck on how things were going with the infection. Well Ryland had developed a rash all over his body by this point so I took them both in. It turns out that Ryland is allergic to omnicef, so he got another antibiotic. The doctor felt that we should just put Olivia on a preventative anitbiotic for a year and then recheck her kidneys in a year. I asked him what the deal was with the reflux being on both sides and he just kept reassuring me that typically kids grow out of it and she should be fine. I didn't feel so great about his attitude because this is my daughter and the reflux had developed on the other side so it didn't seem to me that she is growing out of it. I asked him if we should take her to a specialist just to see what they would say and he told me that there is nothing they will do because it wasn't bad enough warrent surgery or anything else. Basically that was that! Now anybody who knows me knows I don't really take to people telling me what to do and suck it up. Thanks but no! So this really bothered me but I let it go for a while just to make sure I wasn't over reacting (because I do tend to do that). Well about 5-6 days later Ryland was still fussy and not feeling well so I called the clinic we were going to and they couldn't get him in until later that night, so I decided to check out shelley and they got him in right away and he still had an ear infection. The doctor we saw in shelley was very patient and explained the ear and what the infection looks like and all that, that being said we switched antibiotics again! By saturday things were not improving so I took him in Again (our insurance is loving us right not) and the infection hadn't gotton any better so we changed antibiotics AGAIN and then we got refered to a specialist to see if he just needed tubes. Now we had to wait just over a week to get into Dr. Hanks so he was off the antibiotic for 2 days before we went in. His appointment was yesterday, but now we back up to Wednesday this week and Olivia came home from school complaining she was stinging, so off to the clinic here in shelley we went and it turns out she has a UTI even with the preventative antibiotic. One of the first things the doctor asked me was who was her Urologist? Now if you recall our pediatrician didn't feel like we needed one so we DON"T HAVE ONE! He was really suprised and he said to me "but she isn't getting better it's worse" and then he referred us to a specialist. I really at this point wanted to sit down have a really good cry and scream at somebody to fix these kids!! But I didn't off we went, we have doubled her antibiotic to see if that will take care of this infection and we will get her retested for a UTI on Monday. Now we are onto Thurday when I took Ryland to the ear nose and throat specialist. We went in and his ears were completely clear and they look fine. Now he thought there might be fluid behind his left ear so off we went to another place and they did a pressure test and his ears are fine. So the recommendation is to wait on the tubes because he has only had one or two infections prior to this issue. So that being said that is what I am going to do BUT if he gets anymore infections in the next 3-4 months we will get the tubes.
Now a recap Olivia has had trouble with her kidneys and will go to a specialist Dec 8th and Ryland has had touble with his ears but that has hopefully been resolved. Claira is as healthy as a horse thank heavens for our middle child balancing the first and third out!
Now if you haven't fallen asleep have a great FRIDAY!

Back on Track

The image on the left is my update. I don't know if you can really see much of a difference but there is a 6 sizes difference! I am still working my buns off literally but it is always fun to see a little bit of a difference! In person I think the difference is much more noticable. Not to toot my own horn but I have worked really hard to lose these 34 pounds! I will still continue to update!

I am now back on track to hopefully losing the rest of the weight I need to get off of my body. It will make me happier with myself but I also feel better. I have done really well for about a week and a half even though I haven't lost any pounds I am definately losing some inches. I joined a weight loss challenge for over the holidays hopefully that will help me to stay focused and make some really good progress. I lost 25 pounds when I was working at it the last time and that was over 2 and a half months then I just maintained for a 6 months or so but when the kids all got sick I put about 8 pounds back on so now I am working really hard to lose those plus the rest of what needs to go. I even thought I would post a picture (not even a good one)

That is my Back on Track update for now. I will post occasionally to let mostly myself know but if you are reading this maybe you are interested.

I have decided that I will just continue to edit this post with my updates. I will just do each update in a new color.

My update today is that since my first post I have lost 4 pounds (that was last friday one week ago!) When I started to get back on track I was 3 pounds more than than my last week on friday weight so total I have lost 7 pounds! I will just go off of friday's weight though. To do this I have been working out at least 50 minutes 5 days a week and 20-30 on saturday. I also try and keep my calories really low so everything I eat I try and make it something really healthy. I hope next week goes just as well as this week has! On a side note I haven't had any pop for two and a half weeks!

Dec 1st. My update is I made it through Thanksgiving without over eating and I was able to exercise six days last week! I have decided that I am really going to be successful this time and even when I feel like it is killing me. Exercise is still not an easy thing for me. I procrastinate for as long as I possibly can!

Ok so in the begining I told you how I had lost 25 pounds and gained 8 of those back. Well my post now is that today is week 4! I have lost 12 pounds (9 for my weight loss challenge)!! So I am officially at my 30 pound mark!! I am so excited that I probably won't weigh myself for another week or so! I did do two weeks in a row of 6 50 minute workouts! I am also adding a turbo workout in. I have been trying to do 500 calorie burns per workout and I will add 2 more a week that are 750. That means another 25 minutes to the workout! Wish me luck!

Dec 22nd, I am at 32 pounds lost since February. My weight loss has really slowed down in the last three weeks. It is so frusterating. I have been working out for just about over an hour six days a week. I did check some measurements from February to now and I have lost 6 inches around my waist alone and some in my calves and pouch. So that is awesome! I am really hoping to pick up the pace for the next two weeks because I really really want to win the weight loss challenge. I am at 11 pounds for that. If I can just get a few more lost that would be great! I have been eating a few cookies so I need to not do that! I guess we will see how it goes! Wish me luck!

Well I thought I would just update how things ended for the weight loss challenge. I got 4th place out of 32 (20 actually finishing). I lost a total of 12 lbs for the challenge so that is great! I am still working on losing weight of course so I am exercising everyday and trying to eat more fruits and veggies! I have lost another pound this week, my goal is 4 in January so off I go again!
Well off towards the end of January and I am stuck! I lost a pound so three to go by the 31st! That means 11 days and three pounds! I am really excited about what I have accomplished though! I just went shopping this last weekend with my mom and sister and I was able to comfortably buy a size 10! I have lost 6 sizes this year and that is AWESOME!!! I didn't think I would ever start shrinking! I am the smallest I have been since Olivia was born and that was almost 7 and 1/2 years ago! I am going to really focus on Mind over Matter and work on the 4 (fruits and veggies) 3 (protiens) 2 (whole grains) and 1 (extra fats, sugars, oils)! My goal is to really get to where I feel great about me and just be healthy! So that is my update for now, we shall see how it goes!

New Family Pictures

Here are some very recent pictures taken by my sister-in-law Lettie! She has done such a great job and we really appreciate her!

Why God Made Moms

WHY GOD MADE MOMS Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house
3. To help us out when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mo thers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time ?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3 I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Some picture updates

These are from back in April when the girls had their dance recital. They are all dressed up and ready to go! They did such a great job with their dances and had a great time. I was very grateful when it was over!

Just a little update

Well we are into May already! Things are going fairly well for our family. The girls are finishing up with school. I can't believe Olivia is going to be in the second grade and Claira in Kindergarten!!! Where has the time gone! They are both super excited to be getting big (me not so much!) Ryland is walking and running now. He has four teeth and is talking more and more everyday! He refuses to say Mama because I want him to but oh well!
I am still working out almost everyday. I have lost 21lbs so far. It seems to be stalling a lot and that is driving me crazy but I keep on trucking. My goal is 25lbs in 100 days (that happens to be 10 days away! I think it will be close!!
Jeremy just finshed his first year at ISU in the Geomatics program and we are now onto work work work for the summer!!! One year down Three to go! He has all A's maybe one or two B's, which is fantastic since he managed to work full time, school full time, and still make time for us! He is such a great person! We love him!
I think that is about all that is new and exciting!

Easter

I am terrible with pictures but here are a few in their Sunday clothes. Rylands birthday pictures are coming soon.

Mini Recital for the Senior Citizens

Here are Olivia and Claira performing for the seniors today! This is a warm up for their big performance April 23rd!

Ryland

Ryland is one on SUNDAY!

Claira

Claira and her pictures!

Olivia

So you may experience an overload of Messick kid pictures! Here are the individual pictures that Lettie took. I love them!!! I will not post them all just the best ones!

Olivia and Rylands Collage! 04/06/09

Thank you Lettie for taking such great pictures of my kids!! The collages are great!

Claira's Collage from 04/06/09

Catching up

This is Olivia (6 soon to be 7)

Then Ryland (Soon to be ONE!)

Next is Claira (5 in just two months)

Almost our entire family (21 out of 23)

Then My Mom and Dad who just celebrated 40 years together!

Well I haven't posted in a couple of weeks so i will give an overview.

In the month of March, Nathan and Jillece welcomed baby Shirly Ann into the family. She was born March 12th via c-section and weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 20 and 1/2 inches! She is a doll!! I can't wait to meet her.

Jeremy's Uncle Cleston passed away due to cancer. We were able to attend the funeral and that was really nice. It was nice to get to see Grandma Messick and catch up with some of Jeremy's cousins. Then the next weekend Jeremys Grandma Messick passed away. She was such a great lady! She always gave us a hard time about making sure we finished school and had insurance to take care of our family. She lived such an amazing life! We will miss her.

On March 25th my parents celebrated their 40 year anniversary!! 40 YEARS!! My sisters and I planned a huge suprise party at the Land of Magic (a super great steak house in Butte Mt). WE were all in attendance except Jeremy and Caleb (lisa's husband). My parents (MOM mostly) have never been suprised about much of anything. My mom always catches the scent and runs with! Not this time though! It was so much fun!

Ryland has started walking/running! He is such a crazy little guy! He says mama (only on a rare occasion though!) Dada is his favorite word. The other day he kept pointing to the chair saying that? and after about 5 times I caught on that he was trying to ask me what it was. He also says Got it. It is so cute!!! I love it!

Olivia and Claira are doing so well in school! Olivia's class has been preparing for a big performance and a music production on thursday this week. She has some lines in their class production. I am excited to see it. Claira has switched to three days a week of preschool and is preparing for Kindergarden. Both girls are in dance and getting ready for the big show on April 23rd! They look so cute in their outfits! I will be glad when dance is over though!

Jeremy is finishing up with this semester and we are extremely grateful for that. Neither of us can wait for it to be over! And I have lost 16lbs, and continue to plug away!

Other things going on RyRy is going to be one on the 12th. A great mile stone but time just doesn't slow down and that is rough. Our dryer is not working quite right, and the shower needs fixed in the girls bathroom, and we need a new shower in our bathroom.

Overall I rate our lives as great! We have so many things to be thankful for! We have been blessed with three beautiful children, a nice home, and a wonderful family! Really what more could anyone ask for (other than money :)