So I have decided to do it... Loose weight, and get fit.
I have upped the ante, if you will. I Signed up with www.livestrong.com and am currently  studying the AMEN Solution to healthier and happier you.....
Tracking Calories has been quite freeing. I was surprised about that.
My Goal is one pound a week. That would put me at my goal weight by Jan.
So I won't have to make a goal of loosing weight.
I will then start training for the Dirty Dash!
My starting weight is 142 as of August 11th, 2011
I weighed my self today and not even a week later I have lost 2 pounds!!! Wahoo!!
I hope you don't mind but I am going to be quite honest here about my progress it gives me another thing to be accountable for.

So I am going to ad some pics...
These are really, really bad pictures, I had just come from working out. Need I really say more.

Also, I am not sucking in....I know it is a bit Gross.
But It will really help me track my progress.
So wish me luck on my journey!

YES, I AM BEHIND A BIT...Okay alot!

So....I am behind, deal with it! I got it done, right?

Here is our family photos for the spring, this was a nice day *Sarcasm* We were all dressed and ready to get our photos done at my Mother In Laws house, I had spent the last hour and a half getting us all to look as good as we could, as you can see here we look great. I had also packed to stay over night, and that is also a huge undertaking even for just one night for 5 People. So the van was packed and we were all piled in. GREAT, LET'S GO!! So, Brian went to lock the door and it wouldn't lock! REALLY?

Yeah, it wouldn't lock. The lock was actually broken. So we actually had to get a new one.

So these photos were done at our house that night.

I refused to do them again, after all I had done to get ready.

All in all I think they turned out okay! We need a better camera, oh well!

Here is My Madeline Lori Palmer....she loves to pose.
She is 7 here and missing some teeth, plus growing a few more.
She is loving her school and is doing very well.
She has a lot of friends. Here best friends are Claire and Jenna.
She looks forward to having play dates with them.
She loves books, her biggest accomplishment is the book that she has read....31 chapters, Called Wildgirl, a book about horses her most current passion.
She loves to sing and dance.
What a delight to us all




Cute here too!





This is my Eleanor Joyce Palmer.
She is almost 5 here.
She is so excited to be going to Kindergarten soon. This maybe a long summer while we wait.
She is attending preschool at NUAP (Northern Utah Autism Program) where she serves as a role model student for kids who are learning how to socialize and behave as other children should.
She is such a wonderful example and has so much patience. She has really grown to be a leader there. She makes the teachers there laugh and smile all the time. AS YOU CAN SEE!

Here is my Owen Gabriel Palmer, he is my busy busy busy 2, soon to be 3 year old boy. If I am loosing weight it is the "chasing Owen exercise plan"....you should try it, Really you should, I could use the break.  He keeps me on my toes.

He climbs on everything. I have found him in my washer now several times. Thank goodness there is an agitator. He has been learning to talk and sing  better each day.

I'd love to say that he is potty trained or at least training. We aren't there, not yet. But he is certainly a funny little kid. Everywhere he goes he wins the hearts of the Ladies. He walks to the back of the chapel each Sunday to shake there hands and these 50 year old widows and single women just giggle.

He is wearing glasses and does pretty well. He gets sick of them so we have to watch him, but he is adjusting.  He got his first suit (as you can see here). You should see this "Little man" wearing his suit looking so grown up, then he throws the biggest fit you have ever seen in is suit, it just looks funny! What a wonderful character. Hope I can keep up with my little heart breaker!

MY KIDS FEET! I had to try this one!

Christmas morning PILLOW PETS!  

Owen resting among the Christmas Mess!      

Madi in her Elf Costume for her Christmas Play "Elf impersonator" It was so cute!

Madi here is getting an award for MASTERY. She has such dedication to her work in school. What a great example! I hope she sticks to it! The sky is the limit when it comes to this girl's mind!

Random Recipe: Four Pork Dinners, One time Crock-pot

I Got this recipe over a year ago and meant to share it.
I lost the directions and wanted to retype it so here it is....I have it now.

I have made this meal several times: simplifies life so much.
I even made this meal the day we moved into our house so that I didn't have to stop and cook for the busy days that follow moving in, IT SAVED ME!

I hope you enjoy it like we do.

Four Pork Dinners, One time crock-pot:
I have tried this with chicken and beef, all are equally delicious.

Slow cooker:
4-5 Pounds Pork Roast (any cut)
One can of Chicken/ Beef/ or Vegetable Broth
1/3 Cup Franks Hot Sauce
1/3 Cup of Worcestershire Sauce

- Cook all day until done.

BBQ Sauce (for 2 meals):
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Mustard
2 T. Franks Hot Sauce
1/4 cup Molasses

The Meals:
Pull out only what you will need for the meal and keep the rest in it's juices and put it in the fridge.

1- BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Heat up the pork you need mix it in with the BBQ sauce
Hamburger or Hoagie Buns
Top with Coleslaw (Optional, but so tasty)

2- Pulled Pork Tacos
Heat up the meat needed
Taco Shells or Soft tortillas
Serve with taco toppings (Tomatoes, cheese, lettuce)
Really good with cilantro and limes too.

3- Stir Fry
Heat up the meat needed
Your Favorite Stir fry sauce
Mix in a bag of Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables ( Or Fresh if you Prefer)
Serve over Rice

4- BBQ Pizza
Pull the meat needed
Pizza Dough (any kind)
Spread the BBQ sauce on the Pizza dough
Top with Vegetables (Suggest: Bell Pepper, Tomatoes and Onions)
Top with pork
Layer of Cheese and follow directions on the dough, or cook until done.

Submitted By: Amy Palmer (From Kristen Lewis)

Follow the Spirit....It blesses.

I wanted to share my experiance with visiting teaching in November.

I have been going through a hard time with my assignment lately, it all started when I was called to the Primary.
I began to feel a little distant and un attached to Relief Society not to mention really struggling with some personal trial and issues in my life.
I really let my assignment slide.
After a talk with my Relief Society President, I was one, called to repentance, and then two, challenged to step it up.
I was asked to pray about my sisters and really take part in the ministry of Christ.

So after a long heartfelt conversation with my Relief Society President, I had a strong desire to follow her counsel
I went home and prayed and thought and prayed about my sisters.

One sister's husband was deployed for a year and so she was carrying a heavy load with two little girls.
Being a single mom day in and day out is a hard job.

My life is busy and crazy too, but I got to thinking what, oh what could I do to ease her burden.
I began to reflect on the time my husband traveled everyother week for a year at last job.
The thing that I needed the most was a break once in awhile, I felt like this is something that this sister would never ask for.
The spirit told me to make her a meal. I acted on it.
I called her and I told her to tell me the time and day. I also said she didn't have a choice, it was comming that week.

So I took her a meal on a Tuesday night, I must add it was a hard week for me and my pocket book, extra food really was a sacrifice, but I promised and I knew that was what I needed to do.

A few weeks later I got my dishes back with a note.
The note expressed gratitude to me for following the spirit.
It turns out that day was a hard one for her too. She needed to go to the store for groceries but instead ended up treating her daughter for pink eye and staying home taking care of her all day. She was overwhelmed that day, but she had comfort in knowing that dinner was comming and that she wouldn't have to worry about that. She was so grateful and I was glad I listened to the spirit.

I went to visit her in December and she and I cried together as we felt the spirit and sisterhood that visiting teaching provides.
I was blessed so much in my family as a result of following the spirit and knowing that he provides.
I know that my calling as a visiting teacher is a direct ministry of Christ because He can't be in every sisters home. We are indeed His hands.

THE STORM.....

We have all heard it said; "when it rains it pours." It seems that statement has some truth to it in our home this weekend. We got a storm this weekend!
My little Nori had strep, so I went into the doctor on Saturday with the intent to get a Strep Culture and a perscription in hand. Instead, Nori was admitted immediatly into the Hospital due to an abcess they suspected in the back of her throat.
I couldn't even go home and get packed for the event. Not only were we admitted I was told to expect to stay over night then possibly, until Monday. 
I was shocked and surprised. Alas, we were there to stay.

She was simply miserable. She didn't cry at all though. But you could tell she was not feeling well. She was also a very frightened and overwhelmed. They mentioned that if she doesn't respond quickly to treatment she would possibly have to have surgery to drian the abcess.
And due to the location of it it would be more invasive then the normal procedure and would require an insicion under her ear in the jaw line.

We were very blessed that she responded to the antibiotics very well, we did have to stay from Saturday afternoon until until late Monday. So it was a long stay. They suggested many times that she may need to stay until Tuesday morning. By Sunday night though she was up and wandering around the room and the Hospital as happy as a lark until she had to have her blood drawn or until the Motrin wore off. Monday afternoon Santa came to see her, and she was just glowing! 

No surgery needed!

Although, it was a rather tiresome and stressful ordeal something great happened.
I got to spend nearly 3 days alone with my little girl  almost uninterupted. Something that she needed. Being the middle of three she is often the quietest and the least demanding, and therefore often gets the least amount of attention. (This did, however, cause Madi a great deal of jealousy! But she will get over it.)

To really top off our experiance and stress, there was yet one more thing that happened to the Palmers.
Brian got a flat tire at the hospital, and we ended up having to take care of that. While dealing with two kids and one in the hospital. AND on a Sunday. So two new tires, a hospital stay and a very broken budget later, we are home, recovering from lack of sleep and getting much better.

I am hoping to get the sleep I need and get feeling better. AS I was on the mend from a cold before this all happened, it just tore my immune system back down and I am still fighting a cold. I think a few more days of rest and getting the stress behind me ought to take care of it all.

Two months! Too many...updates are in!!

These last two months have been really fun!

Starting with the most current to as far back as Oct. 1st

We had our first real snow on Nov. 21st. My girls rushed out with dad and played in the snow and built snowmen. Owen went out with them to but couldn't keep his gloves on so he was much quicker to give in then the others. I stayed inside and made a warm breakfast with some hot chocolate. It was fun morning. 

Then Something AMAZING HAPPENED! Well, amazing to our girls! We got a dog!

This time for keeps. He is a pure bred Maltese, doesn't shed and is totally potty trained.

He rings a bell to go potty, how great is that? He is three years old and his name is Einstein.

He really should be named Shadow, he follows ME everywhere! He really is a good dog!

HALLOWEEN HAPPENED HERE TOO!

Madi was a Cow Girl, Nori a witch and Owen a Chubby Three-eyed monster!

It is always so fun for them!

 

Finally on October 2nd  Madi turned 7!!!!

She had her Birthday Party at the Vintage Cupcake Company! A cute place here in Ogden where they get together and frost cupcakes and have a great time It was a fun fun fun day for them all!!!!

Happy Birthday Madi!!!

Here is a picture of Owen and Little Ella! Doesn't he look thrilled!

MY NEW BLOG! (As if I don't have enough to do!)

I just added a new blog: THEN SINGS MY SOUL.
http://latterdaymusic.blogspot.com/
This blog is about the music that inspires us all
as latter-day saints. Feel free to read my first post.
I am hoping to add a new song each Monday.
Make comments and suggest things that you'd like to see. I am hoping to really grow my testimony through Music in this way. Come and Join me and we can be inspired together.

You can follow that up with a talk from my Cousin's Blog
http://www.talkoftheweek.blogspot.com/
Which is posted every Thursday.

Imagine the Spirit you can feel through out the week.
Sunday is just one day of the week, there are 6 more days....that we all need to live closer to the Savior.