Monday, July 9, 2012

November....December...2011

Apparently November came and went with very few photos...of course none that I could find on Facebook (since I'm trying to update this lickety-split I've been snagging pictures from my albums!) So let's see...
We played in leaves and enjoyed the outdoors!
            

Had family pictures taken on the coldest, most dreary November day...ever!
                                                                                                                         
 I was introduced to the Pinterest world and with the help of a friend, lots of hot glue, Steam-a-seam, some needle and thread, and laughter...thus the DIY turkey ribbon shirt was created!

December...

brought Christmas trees!

a new playhouse!

a 4 year old and a farm party...
 
a big girl bed!

And a few of our favorite things...
    






  





Sunday, July 8, 2012

September...October...

September 2011....

We visited Grandma Dodo's in Delphos!

And played in the playhouse that Mommy and Aunt Bailey played in when they were kids!
Played outside!
Sydney started dance classes!
Figured out a hiding spot in Gavin's room :)

October 2011...

Schaake's Pumpkin Patch!
Pumpkins and wagon ride!
Halloween 2011!
Gavin the Triceratops...Sydney as Princess Belle

Wow. Almost a year?

As usual, once school began last fall I completely neglected to update our blog. I have a hard time even calling it "our blog" because I feel so detached from it by this point. However! I vow to give updates of the last year before July 25th--the date marking the last time I updated this thing.

I don't even know that people read it anymore and that's okay. I just had this moment of panic today (which happens ever so often...welcome to my "mind") that so much has happened that I want to remember and I haven't documented any of it--at least not in one designated spot. Truly, that is why I first began this blog so I could keep track of all of the comings/goings, changes and growing of our little family. ....Sydney getting glasses...her first dance class and recital...Gavin's ever changing likes/dislikes...his developing personality and his language explosion....family outings and of course, most recently, our amazing family vacation to Florida. So....lets see if I can do this. :)A year in pictures!

Starting with August 2011...
Joe and I were able to escape to Washington, D.C. for a few days (thanks to Aunt Bailey!)
 Jefferson Memorial
 Lincoln Memorial
 Last evening in D.C.!
Gavin started showing interest in bedtime stories as well this month--he pretty much invited himself to this reading of Pinkalicious!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sydney + Maggie = best buds

Not to mention Maggie is just the right height for snuggles from Syd!

Happy 1st birthday Piper!

Last weekend we traveled to Delphos to celebrate "baby" Piper's first birthday! (we can't call her Baby Piper anymore! :( ) We had such a fun time and the kids did too as they ran around and played with their cousins! It was great to see them interact with one another!

Gavin and the balloon Piper shared
Gavin and the birthday girl!
Little Miss B!
All of the great-grandkids....it gets harder every time to take their picture!
Cousin love... it's funny to think that these two girls were our family's "first babies" in nearly 18 years. Now they are the big kids!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Summer!

Here at the Helget household we are having a great summer! The saddest part about it is that it is FLYING by! I cannot believe it's already the middle of July! So since I was so kindly reminded that it's been a MONTH since I last posted, here's the last month in fast forward. :)

We grew tomatoes....
We went to Potwin Pottery in Topeka with our friends, the Dunns for a special Father's Day morning. The kids listened to a Father's Day story and then painted a mug for their daddies!
The kids learned to share....
G learned to eat with utensils!
We celebrated Daddy!

Got in to lots of lotion during nap time....
Covered lots of miles in a hot red Mustang!
Joe and I found out that Maggie walks better for Sydney than she does for us....
Fishing and 4th of July in Colorado!
G found out just how much he enjoys playing in suitcases!
...and with toilet paper!
Our first family day in approximately 4 1/2 months--to Deanna Rose farmstead!


Sunday, June 12, 2011

change

Transformation is not a future destination, it is a present activity.

After working out with Jillian Michaels each morning for the last...well, too many mornings, this is a quote that has become ingrained in my memory. Over the last month or so I have found myself become increasingly more aware of the truth in this statement. When I began this health/fitness/losing weight journey, I put very little thought in to the portion sizes on my dinner plate, or the snacks I would have, or even the treats that I "deserved." I thought very little of the calories that were included in the food I was eating. It was always in the back of my mind of course, but I think I thought if I really knew how many calories were in this or that, then it would just ruin it for me. :) Now that I have been on this journey for several months it is more apparent to me now that because of those choices I have made along this "journey", my body is now used to certain foods and certain portions. It has been incredible to reminisce on my past dinner/dessert/snack choices and have that a-ha! moment. (A-ha! THAT's why I couldn't ever lose the weight!) I would think nothing of having seconds or thirds of spaghetti, an entire Ghirardelli chocolate bar (but I would only piece on one square at a time so that isn't the same as eating it one sitting...right?...), I would put as much butter on my bread/pancake/toast as I'd like--same for peanut butter.

Luckily I am much more aware of all of that now and my priorities and tastes, have changed dramatically. We have an entire bag of Halloween candy sitting on our kitchen counter that I haven't touched, and can honestly say I have no desire to indulge in anything in that bag. It would take up too many of my precious calories! :) Priorities, priorities! Most recently while enjoying the quiet time right after bedtime, I wanted something sweet (can't lose that sweet tooth!) and opted for some fresh watermelon over anything else. It was not a painful decision by any means, it sounded good to me, plus I knew I could have as much of that as I wanted without "ruining" my good day. I have found that I still crave sweet stuff, but I feel more in control about how much I will enjoy.

I did not write this as an AW look at me, blah blah nor as a preach-y type message, but as a person who has set out to lose weight multiple times before and was never successful enough to notice these changes. It's been an amazing experience to be able to reflect on past eating habits and feel and see a definite change-not just with food but with being more physically active as well.