I'm Finally Going To Do It!

So I finally redeemed all of my Amex points for $900 of gift cards from Williams Sonoma. Once I get the gift cards, I'll going to by a calphalon 12 piece set. I'm also thinking about getting the 12' wok. With the 12 piece set, I'll get free gifts which include the 6.5quart Soup Pot and 10qt Caldero. The 12-piece set includes 10" and 12" fry pans, a 2 1/2-qt. covered saucepan, a 3-qt. covered sauté pan, a 3 1/2-qt. covered saucepan, a 5-qt. covered Dutch oven and an 8-qt. covered stockpot.

If anyone has any input on what sizes are used most an which ones are not, let me know. I may try to buy piece by piece instead of going with a set. I've included pics for the 12 piece, wok and 6.5qt soup pot.

One More Down

I'm down to 163. That's 19 Pounds so far. I have never been so in control of my eating and activities. I feel so empowered. Four pounds left until I break 160. I told Kong that when I get down to 155, which sadly enough was my wedding weight (and sadder yet that I haven't been able to get down to 155 in over 10 years), I'm going to bust out my wedding dress and wear it. I don't know why I'm saving it so I might as well wear it, right? I may even get it altered and dyed. That will be my treat when I hit 140. I'm going to be a hot mama. Yeah!!!!

Ayden and Taylor started Tae Kwon Do this week. Taylor will be restarting Ballet soon and Ayden back in Gymnastics. Tae Kwon Do will be 3x a week, ballet and gymnastics 1x. I'm already feeling over whelmed. We read with Taylor for 30 minutes a night, do homework with both girls and read to Ayden every night as well. I have become involved in a lot of activities and organization so balancing all of this and the kids activities has proved quite the challenge. I had to drag Taylor to a board meeting and a site council training this week. My poor child. I'm so lucky she is such a good girl. She does her homework, reads and waits patiently for me. I'm representing JJ Hill at the Saint Paul Public School National Summit this Saturday from 8:30am to Noon. Too much going on. I haven't even sent out Taylor's Thank You cards from her birthday or get out the notes for my last Hmong New Year Committee meeting. I need to figure out how to scale back. I'm not at the point of pulling my hair out yet but if I keep up this pace, I will.

164!

I'm down a pound to 164. I'm going to poop my pants when I break 160. It's getting easier and easier to manage my food intake and exercise. I've been under the weather this past week so I haven't felt like exercising but I keep forcing myself to go to the gym. I always feel great after I work out but it's getting myself out that's tough. I need to add more variety into my diet without increasing my dairy or grain in take. I have not bought new undies, bras or jeans yet but I plan to this weekend.

Pakou and Nate were just in town and we all had a really great time hanging out. While Pakou was working on Saturday, Kong, Nate, the girls and I went to Allianze and played in the game room. Taylor and Uncle Nate played tennis Wii for an hour and a half. They got a great work out. Taylor even had a toe injury from the awesome serves she was sending Uncle Nate's way. Kong and I played Ping Pong and it was so fun. I haven't played in years but picked it back up pretty quickly. I was sore the next day from the intense competition. To top off the weekend, we played the game Sorry!, a gift from one of Taylor's friends for her birthday. Great fun!!!!

Better Late Then Never

Halloween was really fun. Uncle Philip, Uncle Paul, Auntie Phoua and Gabe came over on Halloween night. Taylor was dressed as a Pop star, and of course Ayden was a Princess and Gabe was...Superman!!!!

Gabe was so cute. He wouldn't let his dad help him carry his very big Thomas the Train candy container. She was so independent and walked the entire way. Paul periodically tried to empty his candy container so that it would not be so heavy. Each time Paul tried, Gabe would shout at Paul. It was the cutest thing. Gabe was so proud of himself and walked with such confidence. So cute.

My big girl Taylor opted to no longer be a Princess. She decided on her own that she wanted to be a pop/rock star. She thought up her costume and put it together almost completely by herself. She even won the costume contest at school. As for my Ayden, always the princess, she wore a pink puffy dress. I'm just glad neither of the girls asked for make up or all of the accessories that really make an outfit believable.

Here are some additional pictures from October.

These are pictures from Rosie/Nicky's funeral. Taylor was super sad. Ayden...not so much. She couldn't get over Rosie's smell.













These are pictures from Paul's birthday. The theme was super hero so Ayden was Wonder Woman, Taylor was Zatana and Gabe was Superman. I especially like the way Ayden's underwear shows underneath her costume.




















Tais Dlaab did take the cake off of the plastic stand so when Paul moved the cake to the end of the tabel, it slid off and fell on the bench. Prior to this point, Gabe was standing on the bench singing Happy Birthday happily to himself and wa anxiously awaiting the climatic ending of lighting the candles and blowing them out. When the cake went toppling over, you could tell it took everything in Gabe's little body to hold back his tears. Then when he could no longer hold it in, he cried. It was sad...but funny too!

Ayden was at a friend's birthday party and came back a cat. Great fun for her as she loves cats. She was sad to wash her face.

Here are pictures from Taylor's birthday. Don't I look good : )