Time to Get Extreme!

So last August I started a new exercise routine. I spend a bit of money and ordered the Chalean Extreme Workout set from Beach Body, (The guys who brought you P90X.) I loved it! It was hard at first, but not so hard that I stopped. It is basically a weightlifting program that focuses on doing fewer reps with more weight. There are weight days, cardio, abs, and flexibility. It was a 90 day program. Now as for the results. Did I lose any weight? Sadly no, but that is more my fault then the programs, (my friend Lara has done it and did lose weight and inches.) There are three reasons I didn't lose weight; 1. I cheated a bunch on the cardio and really that is the most important part to the weight loss. 2. I wasn't great about watching what I ate. 3. If you all remember around September I went CRAZY when I stopped breastfeeding and had to take birth control to straighten my hormones out. This caused me to gain 10 lbs! (Which in all my years of taking birth control has never happened before!) So why am I singing Chaleans' praises? I totally had muscles afterwards! I didn't even need to flex for you to see them! It felt so good! The first month I could bearly eek out one or two girl push ups, by the end I could do 12, (and one or two regular ones!) I felt good! I even bought me some 10 and 15 lb weights. I am so excited for next fall when I totally plan on strictly following the plan again, feeling good, and losing weight. Max is also a fan of mommies exercises. We bought him so 2lb weights so he could go along.

Fruits of My Labor

So for all my harassing on facebook the following are the pictures we won. I like them. Most of my kibitz are about my weight. It was a very stressful shoot, because it was freezing and we forgot a bag with Mae's coat and accessories. I suggest to anyone getting pictures with small children to have another adult along. There was too much going on taking care of the kids so I couldn't keep my hair from being blown in ugly directions. You need that extra set of eyes to tell you your leg is off in a funky direction. My only real annoyance was that the photographer usually brings a lot of cool props/chairs for her other shoots and it really makes the photos great, but for our shoot she brought this huge old quilt that she turned upside down. One big white out of place blanket. It totally didn't fade into the background and marred a lot of the otherwise good shots. I guess you can't count on the same level of quality and attention when you get something for free. But I am happy with the shots, and would recommend Erika Kirby to anyone looking for family pictures. Here are some of the results.

Sweetheart

Mae has new molars. That should pretty much explain my week. I have been so annoyed by her that I told Jeff to take the picture of her off of the laptop background. I just didn't want to see her. So Jeff replaced it with the following picture. This is one of my favorite of our wedding pictures. I was thinking a few nights ago about how this summer it will be 10 years since we met. We worked together at the BYU Bookstore for a few years before we started dating. I have known him since I was 19. And while I am starting to suspect he made some sort of deal with the devil in order to produce such a demon daughter, I love my best friend and am so proud to be his wife.

Max's Future Therapy Session part I

Doctor: "So Mr. Larkin now this meeting is just part of the procedure for anyone going to Mars with NASA, but of course you being a doctor know that. So no worries."

Max: "No problem go right ahead."

Dr: "Do you mind if I call you Max?"

Max: "I would prefer to be called by my middle name Steven. I feel it is more dignified. I am told my dad had a dog named Max growing up. But then again my younger brother's name is Spike, so I guess I didn't get off too bad."

Dr.: "No I would say not. You seemed to tense talking about your family. How is your relationship with your mother?"

Max/Steven: "Not good, I just feel like I can't trust her."

Dr: "Have you always felt that way?"

Max/Steven: "Well I would have to say it all started when I was four. I was assured again and again that I was not going to get any shots at the doctor's office. My sister would get shots, but I would just be getting a physical. All the way to the office and even in the waiting room she promised not shots. HA! What a great liar she was! I was held down on a table and got two very painful shots. I can still remember the screaming. Sometimes I wake up at night remembering the betrayal. Sure she cried too and bought me stuff and let me do what I wanted for the rest of the day, but I can't be bought. The betrayal is still there. Never again did I feel I could trust her."

Dr.: "I don't blame you sir. That sounds pretty rough. I am impressed you were able to achieve all your medical accomplishments with such a mother."

Max/Steven: "O, you haven't heard the worst of it..."

I am sure this will be a continuing blog series.

Resolute

So I am not a big goal person. I have all the eternal ones, but the yearly or monthly ones not so much. Not sure why I dislike setting goals, I blame young womens. Somehow my leaders always made goal night more painful then having teeth pulled. It made setting goals seem stupid and boring to me. This is a shame because I think that if my attitude changed, I would be a really good goal person. When I was in college I made a fun new year resolution of trying one new soda flavor a month. Fun goal and totally kept it. I do have a sort of goal of weighing 130 pounds by the time I am 30, but considering that I am going to be 29 in May and have a baby in July I think this one might need some adjustment. Maybe by the time I am 31. I want to learn to play the piano by the time I die. I think I would really like to learn this hobby.

Anyway so for this year I do have a goal. Over the past few years I have been really irritated by the question, "How are you doing?" Yes, I know that sounds weird and stupid, it felt a bit stupid to write. But here is the deal, most people don't mean it. They don't want to know the truth unless it is good and short. While I was pregnant and miserable with Max I lost the ability to answer this question with the, "Good," answer that everyone wants to hear. Instead I answered with the truth. Well not only did I notice that most people didn't want to hear it, but I didn't really want everyone to know all my business all the time. I tried to give a glib Good to people I didn't want to talk to, but it was hard and sounded false.

Another reason for this resolution is that I have actually always been a believer in positive thinking. I have never really believed it for myself but I have been in big believer in the placebo effect in medicine. Anyway, I want to see if saying that I am good to everyone will actually make me believe it. I don't suspect that it will make a HUGE change in my demeanor, but I suspect that it may give me a bit of a positive boost at times.

So for the rest of the year I am good. My blog will still reflect my real feelings because I do want to remain free to vent, it is very therapeutic for me. But if you come into the library or see me at Wal-mart I will be good. Whether I am or not.

Sunshine in December

So this time instead of complaining about how my ward takes all the people who excel in their callings and sends them to the youth programs, I am going to give a rave of how talented and wonderful our now former Relief Society Teacher Krista Evans is.
I guess you could say I never met a Krista I didn't like. Krista and I have been in the same ward for about five years now. We have never been the closest of friends but every interaction I have had with her has been uplifting and enjoyful. She is a beautiful petite mother of four. She has the flawless skin of a 20 year old but the wisdom of someone in their sixties. She is gracious, smart, and humble. Every time we have run into each other at playgroup or the pool we have talked and laughed until time has flown by and it is sadly time to go. She is one of those few people that you know you could count on in a time of need to help and it would actually make her happy to do so. About a year ago we met for a playgroup and she was not in the best of moods, in fact she was a bit cranky for her, but instead of that making me uncomfortable, it made me like her more. She is one of those ladies that are not saints, but that you know you need to be more like them. For the past year I have been attending Relief Society and she has been my favorite teacher. She teaches the Teaching for Our Times lesson and I can't put into words how much her lessons have reached me. For the first time in months I had a reason to look forward to church. I was so shocked when they released her on Sunday and to be honest I was tempted to protest her appointment to the Young Womens because I didn't want her to go. I need her lessons. So thank you Krista for your Spirit and I am a better person for knowing you.

Talk Talk Talk

My kids are slow coming out of the gate when it comes to talking. I worried quite a bit about Max's speech up until a few months ago. But I was reassured that he was just a normal boy. Surely Mae being a girl and a younger sibling would speak more. NOPE. Up until today she only babbled mama and mostly dada. No other words. Today as I was scooping her up to change her diaper I hugged her kissed her and lovingly called her stinky. Well what a beautiful word for my baby girl to pick as her first. STINKY! Yup, she says mama, dada, and STINKY. I am so proud.

Max talks a lot now. He is either making up for lost time, or has become one of those kids with an internal word limit that they must hit daily or their little heads explode. He is still difficult to understand, I am excited to get him into school and have him looked at by a speech specialist. Recently he has taken to referring to his kids. I am not sure what he means by this but he is usually upset about them, or on their behalf. I caught Max half babbling, half yelling at my dad yesterday over the phone, about his kids.