Falling off the Wagon

As much as I have been postponing this entry I know it's time for an update on my food recovery! I was hoping that I would be able to turn things around and then write something good but instead I have to report I have fallen off the wagon! It all started with my move back to the States. After not eating Mexican food for several months, I went on a bean burrito binge. That is not an exaggeration I literally ate bean burritos once or twice a day for 2 weeks straight! That combined with my lack of exercise made it very easy to put back on a few lbs. Fortunately, I started working out with my mom's trainer in June, so I didn't get too out of shape, but I have yet to get the eating under control. In a last ditch effort I joined Weight Watchers and while I lost 3.8 lbs the first week, I was unable to keep up the momentum and gained that back plus a few since! Part of the problem is my summer schedule, which means I don't have a schedule, and part of it is I have been eating all of my problem foods, i.e. diet coke and hot tamales, and that makes me just eat more problem foods! I know that exercise alone is not going to help me lose weight but I am happy to know that I am getting fitter (you just can't tell because I have an extra layer of padding covering my new muscles!).  One of these days I am going to get serious and go back to my "clean eating" ways but until them I am going to eat every peanut M&M in sight!

Our Newest Addition????

Even though we don't have the best track record with pets, we decided it was time to get a dog! The kids and Trent begged and begged and somehow convinced me we needed one! After Jack Woo and Delila (our last two dogs) I decided we should probably do a little research to find a dog that would be a good fit for our family (or at least one I could handle). I took some survey's online and go figure every dog that fit my profile was small and lazy! I knew I wanted to adopt and I preferred an adult dog, so I starting searching on Craigslist. I was surprised when after just a week I found what seemed like the perfect addition to our family...half English Bulldog, half Basset Hound or what they call a Bullhound! He was 4 years old, house broken and good with children...better yet he was free to a good home! I was sold! I called immediately, and was told by the dogs owner that there was a family that was interested but if it didn't work out I was next on the list! With fingers crossed, I patiently waited for the call to come so we could meet our new pup! I was smart enough not to tell the kids about the dog so they wouldn't get their hopes up too! I was thrilled when the following day I got a call that the other family hadn't made a decision yet so he was as good as ours! When we met Koby it was love at first sight! He is a funny little mix but that is what makes him so cool!

Our first night with the dog was ROUGH! I knew he would be a little whiny as he adjusted to his new home, but I wasn't prepared for a thunder storm to come and cause Koby to bark and jump around in fear all night long! Needless to say no one in our house got any sleep that night! Fortunately, it didn't take long before Koby felt right at home and everything was going perfectly.... UNTIL.....we had a major incident that caused us to question whether or not Koby was going to be able to stay living at the Bevier's. The previous owner had told us that Koby can get a bit anxious around men and to make sure we slowly introduce him to Trent and my dad and to always keep him on a leash when in public. The first few times Koby met my dad he would sniff his hand but wouldn't get to close and appeared nervous. I decided to take him over to my dad's house to see if he would be more comfortable around my dad in neutral territory. It seemed to help and he finally let my dad pet him! Thinking that Koby was finally getting used to my dad I let my guard down a bit and was completely caught off guard when a few days later he attacked my dad, biting through his jeans, causing a huge welt on my dad's thigh. It was very surreal as it was totally unprovoked. My dad was just standing there talking to me in my living room when Koby ran over to him and quicker than lightening latched on and wouldn't let go! My first thought was this dog has to go, there is no way I can have a dog I don't trust. But after the shock wore off and Koby turned on his adorable and loving charm I reconsidered as he is such a good and loving dog to the kids and I. I was also feeling an obligation to try to find a better solution than just giving up on him. Unfortunately, we had another incident just a few days later when on a walk a man asked to pet Koby and before I could respond Koby bit the man on the knee. UGG! I know it should be a no brainer and the dog has to go, but I'm not kidding when I say this is a seriously great dog (when he is not around big men!!!). I don't really like animals very much and I am totally in love with this dog. I am so torn on what to do. I am hoping that a Vet or a Trainer can help us fix this negative side of Koby...Otherwise we are going to have to place him in a shelter or worse put him to sleep...it seems like an awful thing to do but so is his being a threat to others! The kids are heartbroken that he may not be able to stay, thus making my decision that much more difficult! One thing I have decided is if he does go I will not be getting another dog anytime soon!!!!

look at how sweet he is with Paisley...

Stalking Made Easy

I am embarrassed to admit this but I can easily waste several hours at a time Blog stalking! My intention is to check out a blog or two for some new ideas and then I end up hopping from one blog to the next and the next thing I know 2 hours (or more) has gone by! I just can't believe how many creative and talented people there are on the world wide web and even better that they are kind enough to post their knowledge and tips for free! During one of my stalking escapades I came across a very cool site called Pinterest! This site allows users to "pin" things they find on the internet that interest them and then organize them onto different boards! It can be anything from crafts, DIY projects, home decorating, travel, gadgets, cooking..... and more! Now I just have to hop from one persons "pinboard" to the next instead of hopping sites! While this is just as dangerous, it should save me some time as now I can "pin" and "repin" things onto my own boards making it much easier to keep all of my obsessions and someday projects in one place!! So while I am still wasting time it is less exhausting and more organized!

My boards can be found at: http://pinterest.com/sarahalyson/. Happy PINNING!

Quote Crazy

I have a lot of loves and one of them is a great quote! I have always wanted to keep a notebook that includes all the great quotes I come across but I haven't ever done it. Then I forget them and that makes me sad. So I thought maybe I would post some of them on my blog and that way I will have them in the same place as my journal entries. Another obsession of mine is the Graphic Fairy blog! Her images are awesome and I have used some of them for craft projects. Her vintage frame images are going to be perfect for my new quote posts!

I just sat down after picking up the house for the umpteenth time today and opened up Women's Day mag. When I saw this quote, I laughed out loud...Coincidence?, I think not.... Here's my perfect quote of the day...

The next Michael Phelps?

Aiden, Brody, Case, Katie

Swim team just finished for the summer, and I am so grateful Aiden was able to participate! I thoroughly enjoyed watching him swim and seeing his improvement each time he jumped into the water! He has always been a little fish, starting swim lessons at 11 months, but there is a big difference between recreational swimming and competitive! My expectations for Aiden were that he would get some exercise, have a little fun, and maybe get a ribbon or two and he surpassed that by a mile! In order for Aiden to compete in the finals he needed to finish in the top 8 for his age group at the semi-finals. It was so exciting to watch him race in both freestyle and breaststroke and I was pleasantly surprised when he finished 6th and 4th! Not only was he able to race the following night in the finals he was guaranteed a medal in both events! Aiden also competed in the 100 IM at the semi-finals. I couldn't believe he was expected to swim four laps and I was a bit nervous he would exhaust himself quickly and then struggle to finish! Although, he didn't medal in the IM, he swam his butt off and beat his preliminary time by 22 seconds! The following night Aiden competed again and received a 5th place medal in freestyle and a 4th place medal in breaststroke!!! Pretty cool! I always assumed he would be an athlete, possibly playing soccer like his dad or football since he is built like a linebacker but I am now convinced that he could be a great swimmer too! And with a lot of practice, who knows....maybe the Olympics one day!!!

Remembering Granny

This last week has been emotionally draining as we have experienced a great loss in our family. My wonderful mother-in law (Trent's step-mom) Donna passed away last Sunday, very unexpectedly, and this has truly rocked our world. While I know some of the heaviness I am feeling is my own sadness I am truly burdened by what my father-in-law Dan, brother-in-law Brian, Grandpa Bud, and the grandchildren who worshiped her are going through.  She was a huge presence in all of our lives and therefore the void of her physical absence is significant.

Over the past week, Aiden and Anna have shared some incredible memories of their Granny and I am so grateful they have so many stories! They (along with their cousins, Brendan and Maddie) were fortunate to have a sleepover with Granny the night before her passing, and wow what a night! It started with a mani and pedi and ended with Oreos at midnight! In true Granny fashion, the kids stayed up way passed their bed time, playing video games, eating junk food and playing dress up with her jewelry and clothes! When the kids finally did go to sleep, the girls (encouraged by Granny) used every blanket in the house to make a bed on the floor next to Granny's! Could there be a better last memory?

I too have my own memories, which include awesome trips to Mexico, New Jersey and Hawaii, elaborate and over the top Christmas's and our once traditional Sunday afternoon dinners. I will treasure memories of us dancing around our husbands (since neither of them dance) on several occasions! Donna was truly the life of the party and it was impossible not to have fun when she was around! I will never hear a Jimmy Buffet song without thinking of Donna and I may just become a Yankees fan in her honor! I am grateful to have known her  and that she was apart of our lives. She will be very missed!