Super Slammed Saturday

Today was a full-packed day!  I made A LOT of plans and was able to accomplish all of them, praise the Lord!  Gavin woke up early (as expected) and we waited till Eric got up.  We ate breakfast then I went garage sale hunting with Gavin....I'll explain that in just a bit.  Eric went out and bought a wall mount for our tv.  The idea was that he and his two friends were going to work together in mounting the tv on the wall....I'll explain that in a bit as well. 

So, garage sale hunting did go as well as I had expected.  I saw the signs but was not impressed with the drive-by view of the merchandise.  We ended up stopping by ONE garage sale but it was a huge success that I ended up going back for more.  This particular garage sale had two big piles of clothes.  I was holding Gavin at the time and just didn't feel like going through them especially when the sign said, "Clothing: $1.00 each."  I glanced at the rest of their stuff but rerouted back to the clothes.  I looked more closely and saw that they were my size!  The seller came by and said, "Listen, if you're willing to go through ALL of those clothes then I'll mark them down to $.25 each.  I just have to get rid of them."  SOLD!  It was a little difficult to go through all of them with Gavin wondering around so I got 13 pieces of clothing for $3.00 and told her that I might be back. 

After getting so excited about my find, I went home, dropped off the clothes and left again so I could meet up with my friend, Kelly.  We took a nice walk with our children and caught up with each other as much as we could.  While I was at the park, Eric and his friends were attempting the tv project.  On my way home, I kept thinking, "The tv is going to look so good on the wall.  I can't wait to see it!"  Well....looks like I'm still gonna have to wait to see it.  I came home to a living room with nuts, bolts, screws, wires and tools everywhere, holes in the wall, a mount that is on our wall by 1/2 of the screws needed and no tv on the wall.  It was quite comical and almost like a Three Stooges episode. 

After a sitter came and got Gavin, I rushed back to the garage sale before they closed.  She was happy to see me again and the deal was still on!  This go around, I found 21 pieces of clothing that I paid $5.00 for.  Insane! 

Later than afternoon, Eric and I attended a bowling event which was a fundraiser for prostate cancer.  We had a lot of fun and got to see old friends we haven't seen in years.  AND Eric actually won a raffle that included a bottle of Crown Royal Whiskey and 25 cigars!

Ok....here are pictures:

Thanksgiving Decision

After many years of jumping from one house to another and/or picking and choosing which house to spend Thanksgiving, Eric and I have decided to host this year's dinner at our house!

We might have a total of 18 people....yes, 18....at our house for Thanksgiving.  Wanna know the guest list? 

Eric (Husband)
Me
Gavin (Son)
Dad
Karen (Dad's wife)
Ali (Karen's daughter)
Carina (Karen's daughter)
Mom
Carlos (Mom's husband)
Brandon (Brother)
Renee (Brother's wife)
Grandma
Aunt Judy (Grandma's sister)
Cindy (Mother-in-law)
Heather (Sister-in-law)
Dylan (Nephew)
Mark (Cindy's boyfriend)
Sean (Mark's son)

Do we have the room for all of them?  We'll make room! :)  Am I cooking?  Heeeeck no!  Are we expecting our guests to bring food?  Ya darn tootin'!  Are we doing the Turkey Trot that morning?  Yes, for the first time ever and we'd like to keep it a tradition.  Can we get the house in order before Thanksgiving?  Let's hope so!  Praise the Lord for FOOTBALL!!!

Thrift Store

Ever since I was in high school, I have always loved thrift stores!  Some of my favorite clothes came from a thrift store.  So many bags of clothes for so little money.  Well, about 3 years ago, I discovered a thrift store/garage sale online.  It's called craigslist! 

I will admit that I have somewhat of an obsession with craigslist.  Just type in something that you want or need and up pops a bunch of people who are trying to get rid of that particular item.  Easy as pie (even though I wouldn't know...I never made a pie.)  Eric has even sold some of his coral through craigslist as well.  That's also where I got Gavin's Nemo costume.  One year, I got tickets to Disney AND Islands of Adventure...and they were legit! 

Check out craigslist.  You might be amazed at what you might find through that online thrift store jungle. 

Answer My Question....

Why do you love your spouse?

What's the Difference?

Eric and I have been doing P90X for a little over 2 weeks now.  Today was Day 16 and I will admit that we skipped a day here and there for various reasons.  But for the most part, we've been sticking to the plan.  We're weighing ourselves every Monday just to track our progress.  I've always know what I'm about to report but for some reason it's still frustrating....guys lose weight more quickly than women.

WHY?!  What's the difference between us?  I workout just as hard as Eric does (if not harder).  I eat just as much as Eric (if not less).  But yet, for some odd reason he loses more weight than I do!  Haha!

In all honesty, I'm really not upset at all.  So far, I lost 3 pounds and Eric lost 7!  I am so proud of Eric and all the effort he's making in losing weight and getting into shape.  And in fact, he does work harder than I do because his job requires him to perform a vigorous and strenuous routine.

16 days down, 74 days to go.  And did I mention that Eric's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all fall within those days?  It's gonna be rough be we're gonna stay strong...X Style!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Windchimes.  I have always loved the beautiful sound of windchimes.  Windchimes were one of my late stepmother's favorite things.  I remember falling alseep on a lazy day to the sound of her battery operated windchimes.  Just very relaxing and soothing.  Naturally, I inherited, more or less just took, these precious and meaningful windchimes and they've been in my possession for 5 years now.  Well, Gavin found them this morning and sorta disconnected it.  No worries though because it's an easy fix.  Here's Gavin trying to put it back together so he can hear the beautiful sound Connie adored.

What Not To Wear

As we were getting ready for church, I needed to find a jacket for Gavin because it's freezing in Florida.  I remembered that he got one from Papa Jeff before he was born.  I put it on Gavin and I think he still needs to grow a little bit more before he wears it out in public. 

Bubbles

Gavin has a new word and activity:  Bubbles!  Actually it's not really "new" because he's been enthralled with them for awhile now but I FINALLY got it on video and through pictures.  He says "Bubbles" and "Aw maaan".  There's also a video where he's talking to Grandpa Jeff; not to be confused with Papa Jeff.  For those of you that don't know my dad and Eric's dad are both named Jeff.  Grandpa Jeff is in Korea and probably the main reason why I keep up with this blog.  We can't wait to see you in December! :)

 

Jamboree

We're getting ready to go to the Jamboree at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks.  It's kinda like a carnival/fair/fall festival on church property.  Unfortunately, a certain temptation will be there:  carnival food.  I don't think it will be that much of a temptation because 1. we don't have any money  2. we're eating dinner before we go.  3. we have to do P90X when we get back home.

Not sure about the rest of the country but it's stinkin' cold and windy in Florida!  Being natives, we're not used to this drop in temperature so quickly.  It's almost as if we need a slight transition into colder weather; you can't just go from 85 to 60 over night!  Who does that?!  :)

Well, I haven't taken any pictures or videos lately because my camera battery died and I can't find the charger.  But soon....

Have a great weekend!

Jamboree 2009

No Sleep For Me

Last night, I maybe had 2 hours of sleep.  It wasn't Gavin that kept me up.  It wasn't Ava making a ruckus either.  It wasn't even a tv show that I had to watch.  It was fear and my fear alone.

Eric left Tuesday afternoon southbound to Naples.  He stayed two nights.  The first night was ok.  Went to bed late but at least I received 7 hours of sleep.  Last night, I purposely watched 2 movies so I could stay awake in case someone were to try and break in.  Here's the thing:  I was being an idiot and read the local news online.  Wouldn't you know it that there were burglaries, home invasions, shootings, hit-and-runs, etc.  Those stories get in my mind and then it invites fear in.  Not that this matters but it was raining too.  The extra sound outside made it more difficult for me to listen for intruders!

I really had nothing to fear about though.  I prayed and prayed last night that God would protect Gavin and me, that He would surround our house with His angels.  Of course this prayer didn't come till about 2:30 a.m. but I did finally come to my senses:  God is in control! 

I talked to Eric this morning and told him about my night/morning.  He wondered why I didn't call him because he would've stayed up with me.  Next time I will definitely do that!  Then he texted "love u. im excited to come home!"  My response was "Me too so I can get some sleep! Love you!"   

Superhero

This past Saturday afternoon, Gavin and I attended our friends' son's FIRST birthday party.  The theme?  Superheroes!  The location?  The park.  The decorations and activities?  AWESOME!  The birthday boy?  Gabe Costa, our little Superhero. 

I met Gabe's mother, Brandi, during boot camp April 2008.  I joined because I had to get in shape for my wedding in August that year.  After our first month, I think it's safe to say that we were the top two in that class.  :)  We decided to do it for one more month before the summer heat really got to us.  I think we should've quit while we were ahead because it was HOT!  But during the second month of boot camp, Brandi and I really got to know each other.  We realized that we were both believers of Jesus and everything seemed to click from there.  After the camp, we kept in touch; especially when we both found out we were pregnant!  Brandi's pregnancy was a little more complicated and it's a story I can't even explain.  Read about it here.

Their faith through this whole process has been astounding!  We were getting updates month after month of this little child's developments.  We just prayed and will continue to pray for this sweet, God-fearing family!  We were honored to celebrate Gabe's first birthday with them and we can't wait to celebrate many more to come.  May the Lord continue to bless the Costa family as they faithfully follow His will!  We love you guys! :)

Almost 30 Moments

Monday night, my little family took a walk down to the Rec Center so Gavin could play on the playground.  When we got there, some junior high kids were in their corner goofing around.  My thought was that they're a little too big to hang out in a playground.  But that didn't bother Gavin whatsoever.  He ran around like he owned the place; climbing up the stairs and sliding down the slide.  He was literally in his own little world. 

Well, these kids starting to throw around a football.  This concerned me because they had no control over the ball at all.  One kid threw it and it hit the pole and bounced near Gavin and into my leg.  Yeah, it kinda hurt so I could only imagine what would've happen if it hit Gavin.  I took the ball and tossed it back to them.  Then I think I got more upset by their response than I did them horsing around.  They said, "Thank you, Ma'am."  CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!  My old weak knees almost gave out on me because I knew that I was the "Ma'am."  Once Eric figured out why I was upset, he just laughed at me!

     

Workout Likes and Dislikes

I like working out with my husband.

I dislike push-ups.

I like the sore feeling after working out.

I dislike push-ups.

I like thinking about the results that may come.

I dislike push-ups.

Finding Nemo

Friends Come and Go

Just to warn you, I'm about to get a little personal....

I've been struggling with the idea of "friends" lately.  I'm struggling with it so much that I become depressed, friendless and alone.  Why is it that once you get married and have children then your friends disappear?  Why do they automatically assume that I'm too busy for them or can't fit in social time?  And let me add that this is after I put myself out there and say, "Hey, let's get together..."  The whole concept frustrates me and I honestly don't know how to change it. 

But do I need to change it?  Why can't I be content with the people that are in my life right now?  The people that actually care enough to call, text or email just to say hi.  The people that do what they say they're going to do.  The people that visit me.  The people that say "I love you."  I love my family and I love the fact that they've become my friends. 

Most importantly, I need to know that I am never alone.  God surrounds me with His love and constantly reminds me that He's ALWAYS there.  I have to confess that I haven't been spending much time with the Lord and that's probably the reason why I feel so alone and depressed.  It's not my friends' fault that we don't get together all the time.  It's not their fault that I struggle with my emotions.  And it's definitely not their fault for having their own lives.  I love my friends and when I see them all those frustrations disappear.  The lesson I've learned is to take advantage of my free time and give it back to the Lord.  He deserves most of my time anyway.  :)  Friends may come and go but God always remains the same.       

Mr. Personality

It's amazing to witness this kid develop his own little personality.  Some days it's really cute and adorable then other days the whining really gets to me.  I'm starting to think that he's already entering the Terrible Two's at 1 1/2!  Or he gets his mood swings from his Mommy.  :)

Here are a few videos of my jibber jabber boy....

Talking to Aunt Heather

Morning Routine

Scolding Ava

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes

Last night's workout was Shoulders, Arms and Abs.  Not gonna lie, it was fairly easy to accomplish probably because I didn't have the correct weight to lift.  I should be lifting heavier but I was curling 5 pounds.  Woo hoo.  Eric used the weight bands, which I am not a fan of, and he as well was not challenged.  So, that's something we can put on our list of things to get....Dumbbells. 

I have the cutest video of Gavin answering my phone and trying to talk to Aunt Heather.  I put her on speakerphone and his facial expressions and jibber jabber are just too adorable to describe.  I forgot to upload the video on youtube but it will be here shortly. 

I still have yet to find Gavin a costume.  I'm waiting to hear if I can borrow one rather than buy a new one that he'll only wear for a couple hours (if that).  Eric wanted to dress Gavin up like himself, kinda like a Minime.  Cute idea but it's like that everyday...so what's the difference?!  :)

Tonight...Yoga.    

Plyometrics

Fifty-eight minutes of squatting, jumping, sweating and hurting....that pretty much sums up the Plyometrics portion of P90X.  But we did it though!  Today, I'm feeling sore from Monday's exercises rather than last night's.  However, I'm sure I'll feel pain all over if we have to do this every day.  Eric mentioned how he's glad that we can do these workouts in the comfort of our own home because we probably look really ridiculous!  How true.

Tonight, if I'm not mistaken, we are to accomplish shoulders and arms.  Since Eric has class tonight, he SHOULD do it before he leaves and I will do it after Gavin goes to bed.  I will say that it's a lot easier and more motivating when we're doing P90X together.  We push each other to keep going even when we feel like collapsing on the floor.

Alright....wish us luck! 

Birthday, House, Video and P90X

Birthday:  I had a nice birthday weekend.  I got a bunch of calls and texts from friends and family.  Eric got home around 4:30 Saturday afternoon.  We went to that Brazilian restaurant we wanted to go to for our anniversary.  This time we had a gift card thanks to our dear friends the Godwin's.  :)  After an amazing, meaty dinner, we drove over to our friend's house to watch the UFC fight.  Sunday, we had a cookout at my dad's.

House:  So my surprises for Eric all had to do with the house!  We had a hideous tree in our front yard and I asked my dad and my brother to chop it down before Eric got home.  That they did!  I also repainted our bedroom, moved furniture, redecorated our bathroom, and painted more of our kitchen (which Eric didn't want me to do).  I also got his car an oil change.  And wouldn't you know it, Eric recognized every single change....even the oil!  I'll show before and after pictures later.

Video:  Here's a video of Gavin. :)  Enjoy!


P90X:  Eric, yet again, has made a bet with a friend to see who can lose more weight.  That usually jumpstarts his workout motivation. :)  This time, he dragged me into it.  We started P90X last night and even though he has less than 60 days, he should see improvements around that time.  We took before pictures and our measurements.  We set up our house like a gym for the night and did over 60 minutes of P90X.  Chest, back and abs!  Tonight...plyometrics.  Remember, we have to do this EVERY day for 90 days.  Also remember that we have a 17 month old.  :) 

First Blood

There was a little accident this morning.  While I was taking a shower, little Gavin lost his balance and fell; hitting his face on the toilet.  His cry was a huge silent one until he caught his breath and was able to use his vocal chords.  I immediately stopped my shower (thankfully I just rinsed out the shampoo) and jumped out to hold my hurt little boy.  Then the blood came....

Gavin's top gums were a little bloody.  I think (I'm not exactly certain) that this was the first time he had a bleeding wound.  Thankfully I did not freak out as much as I thought I would.  After I tried to rinse his mouth out, he did not want me to let him go.  Do you know how difficult it is to put your clothes on and put your hair up (not conditioned by the way) with one arm let alone holding a 17 month old baby?!  The second I bend over to possibly put him down the screaming starts.  But we got through it.  Gavin has a very slight fat lip but he'll be fine.

Tonight, I'm finishing up the surprises for Eric!  It should only take ALL night....geez.  The things I do for this man.  :)  But I honestly can't wait to see his expression.

Just a side note:  tomorrow is my birthday and I'm really not all that excited about it.  1.  My husband's out of town.  2.  I'll be one year shy of that BIG number 3-0.  3.  I have a huge crater on my chin.

happy birthday to me.   

Can You Keep A Secret?

....so can I and that's why I can't tell you what I'm doing until Eric gets home Saturday night.  :)  Why?  Because I have a feeling that he occasionally reads my blog and I want to keep it a surprise.  But to hold you over, I have a video of Gavin and Dylan.  Enjoy!

So Far So Good

To start off, Gavin turned 17 months old yesterday!  And to add to it, Gavin has been on his best behavior this week so far.  He was very busy Sunday and that night when I put him to bed, he conked out right away.  I just figured he was extremely exhausted.  But then last night, he went down without a fight again!  For those of you that know us, we sometimes let him cry himself to sleep if he gets too fussy to rock.  I was super amazed when I left his bedroom and no crying!  Other than that, he's been very busy running around the house, chasing Ava and throwing his toys everywhere.  Personal side note:  I really worry that I'm not doing a good job with Gavin.  I know every child is different and every parent is different as well.  I guess I just have always linked a crying, screaming baby to bad parenting and I don't want to think that I'm a bad parent.  I just hope that I'm doing the best I can to understand Gavin's needs and wants and how to fulfill them effectively.  Just thought I'd throw that concern out there for ya.         

Well, it's official....I'm in dead last place for Fantasy Football.  It's so frustrating because I feel like I'm the only one that takes this seriously!  I've always known this but the word competition is my biggest enemy!  It turns me into this obsessive, analytical, destructive monster!  I take everything personally because I think it affects my sense of judgement and my ability to perform.  So, I'll be glad when I'm done with Fantasy Football!

We still have yet to buy Gavin a Halloween costume.  I've seen a few online and even at Once Upon A Child.  They're all cute but they're all padded and heavy....too hot for Florida babies.  So, he may end up going as Eric.  :)

Speaking of which, I can't wait till Saturday!  

Let Me Sum Up

A lot has happened this weekend so I'm going to do my best to sum it up for you. 

Last weekend, Gavin broke out in hives.  Took him to the doctor's on Wednesday and he said that they are in fact hives and to just give him Benadryl.  Oh, and that it will last for about 2-3 weeks.  Well, the hives are still here and they're migrating up his body.  I hope that's a good sign. 

Eric left yesterday morning for South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale area).  It's for work and he has a performance every day this week.  He comes back this Saturday night. 

With Eric being gone, it's a running joke that I won't know how to cook dinner for myself.  Well, joke no longer because it's actually true. :(  I burned my arm on the oven while pulling out my pizza.  Looks like it's microwavable Lean Cuisines for me!  Gosh...what did I do for those 8 years of living on my own?!    

I am not doing very well in Fantasy Football and I've kinda given up.  Yesterday, I started watching ESPN so I could get the scores while Gavin was shoving a book in my face for me to read it to him.  I was reading it and trying to look at the scores at the same time.  Then I felt convicted and turned off the TV so I could focus on what really matters.  :)

This morning, I was trying to workout to a video; keyword being trying.  It's so difficult when you have a 17 month old boucing on your belly while trying to do crunches or copying your every movement.  You should see this kid do pushups and jumping jacks!  Needless to say, I'm gonna restart my workout tonight when he's asleep.

Well, I have to start the week!  I have a list of things to do while Eric is gone so I can surprise him when he gets home!  All of which will have to be done while Gavin is sleeping.  I wonder if I'll get anything done this week.  We'll see.....

  

Wedding Pictures

If you're friends with my sister-in-law on facebook then you've already seen these pictures.  If not then here ya go....

Can you tell which one is the REAL Asian?

 

 With Cousin Chelsea....

This is what happens when you fall asleep amongst the Koroknay Klan.... 

 There's the Groom, Philip LaRue!

Sunday Night Football

Eric and I were watching the Eagles vs. 49ers game last night.  There was one replay that made us laugh out loud.  We kept rewinding the clip so we could continue the laughter.  Then Eric added his voice-overs.  :)

Marriage Is What Brings Us Together

First of all, the title of this blog is a quote from a movie.  Can anyone tell me what movie?

Secondly, it's true.  We attended a wedding this past Saturday and it definitely brought the family together.  Friday night kicked off the festivities with a gathering at the Bates' house.  Let's just say that when we got home, it was waaaaay past Gavin's bedtime, yet he was wide awake!  :)  Saturday, I got Gavin all packed and ready for a sleepover at Grandpa's (aka Papa's) house.  Once I set him on his way, we started getting ready for the wedding.  We never get to dress up.  I mean, I'm sure we could just for the heck of it but we would have nowhere to go.  So, it was nice to see Eric in black slacks, button-down shirt and dress shoes.  And it felt good to wear a pretty dress (compliments of Heather Koroknay) and makeup! 

The wedding:  it took place on the beach at the Bilmar Beach Resort and the weather was absolutely perfect.  The ceremony was very interesting....as were some other things. 

The reception:  let's just say that the Koroknays know how to party!  I was laughing so hard at so many different jokes, stories and people that I didn't want the night to end.  Heather has pictures and once I get a copy, I'll post them on here.  Also, we danced and danced and danced....and it seemed like the only people at the wedding that were dancing were the Koroknays but I could be wrong.  Like I said, it was very interesting.

This afternoon, Greg and Uncle Tommy came by to put a trim on our interior front door.  Greg fixed the toilet too!  We went back over to Greg's house earlier this evening and had a little cookout with the remaining family that was still in town.  I watched my Fantasy Football team get completely destroyed.  Oh did I tell you that I'm in second to last place now?!  Well, I am.

Such a whirlwind of a weekend.  Be on the lookout for some wedding pictures....more like reception pictures. :) 

The Best Sounds in the World

If you couldn't figure it out, the best sounds in the world are my little boy laughing at his Daddy's silly songs.  :)

Candid Shots

Marriage Rocks!

This past weekend, we attended a married couples' get together at my church.  I organized the whole event and it was a great success with a few timing issues.  But everyone had a great time and I hope they were encouraged and challenged just as much as Eric and I were.  We started the night off with a Cornhole Tournament.  We had 12 couples altogether with a variety of ages.  Who'd a thought that the older folks would give the younger ones a run for our money?!  They kicked butt....at least our butt. :)  Then we all had a nice dinner catered by Athens Restaurant in Safety Harbor.  And last but definitely not least, our guest speakers, Kirk and Brenda Blank, enlightened us with 7 simple principles to a successful marriage.  Like I said, everyone really enjoyed themselves and it was definitely the talk for Sunday morning.

Other than that, Eric has been super busy with schoolwork and Gavin is still developing his little personality.  He LOVES books!  His favorite is called Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  Long title, I know.  I shorten it to just Brown Bear and Gavin starts to look for it immediately.  This kid is smart.  You'll have to visit to see for yourself because there are too many things to write out. 

Today, I started my workout/eating better plan and I asked that Eric respect my desired eating habits since he's the one that cooks.  :)  This morning was the perfect weather to start running in!  The air was chilly and not humid at all.  LOVED IT!  I only did 2 miles today...I think that's a good start. :)  Tonight, I have a softball game then the rest of the week I'll be working out to videos On Demand....and running of course.  I have a goal but I'm not going to publish it on my blog...do you think I'm crazy?!  Anyhow, wish me luck.