Monday, March 31, 2008

Jen's Biggest Losers address has changed!

Hi Everyone!

I have created a new blog, that is just for the BIGGEST LOSER contest!
Feel free to comment any time!
Add some supportive sayings, or recipes. Maybe journal some of your progress along the way!

http://www.jensbiggestlosers.blogspot.com

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Biggest Loser!

Okay girls and guys!

Here are some ground rules:

1. We will have to do a "weigh in" I know this is hard and embarassing, but it needs to be done, in order to motivate each of us to get healthy

2. We will have weight checks, every other week.
This most likely will be based on an honesty policy, but we can and may schedule surprise weigh ins through out the 6 mos. Your weights can be emailed to me. mortconst@msn.com
Subject: weigh in

3. You need to be serious about this! Do you want me to post your number, or just pounds lost? Me? I am posting it all, as I know that is what it will take to motivate me most! * If you would like- you could use a secret name, that only I will know!

4. We are going to try and do a "pot" with a cost of $5 a month.
If you can not afford to, nor want to be able to win the pot, that is okay, you can still play for free, you just aren't eligible in the end for the money!
We will talk later about maybe 2nd and 3rd place money or prizes!
* Money is due by 10th of each month!!! ( send to me, either $5 or pre pay the full $30)

Remember this is all about becoming more healthy. I want everyone to post recipes, workout tips, and each week, I will try and give you some sort of extra boost, to help with your weight loss. Ex:
This week fit into your routine at least 3 days:
30 push ups
50 Jumping jacks
50 crunches

I will also see about getting groups together to get outside for some excercise, kids included ( maybe a day at the zoo, etc.) and also work on doing 2-3 times a week at my house, a 30 minute DVD or something. Everyone is welcome!

I am also really considering along with the weigh in, and inches lost contest too, as some of us might lose inches before weight. It is up to you, it will only help your chances of becoming the biggest loser!

Contest begins Tues. April 1st, 2008

I will not be participating til May sometime, and the contest will end on October 1st, 2008. ( I am considering doing a 3 month contest- what do you think? )
At that point for those of you ready, we will begin a new one!

I am also going to monthly, designate partners! This will be someone you know, or a stranger, that will offer some support to you, to keep you motivated.
Whether it is sending an email, or card, someone to help keep your spirits up!~
Meeting new people, is not a bad thing folks!

Please post a response if you are interested in joining this group.

Have a good day!
Jen

Baby Update!

My doctor's appt. yesterday went well. Somehow I managed to not gain any weight, and my doctor was asking if I was eating? HELLO? If the size of my butt and thighs doesn't say so, then I don't know what does!
I am still swelling, each day I am like a balloon filling up with water.

I am only dilated to a 1, and 50% effaced. The good news is, he will induce, as long at I am at a 1 and 70% effaced.
I see him next week and I think that is when I can make my induction appt. I am still going to shoot for the 17th, since my mom comes in on the 16th!
My brother Marc will be here on the 14th, so anytime after that will be okay too!

Apparently, next week, I am considered full term, so my water could break at any moment. Oh goody! More peeing my pants! I thought this all happened when you got really old, not pregnant!
So, if all of the sudden, I am MIA- I am probably having a baby, and will let you know as soon as I can get my butt to a computer!

Hope everyone has a great day!
Love- Me!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Pappers and The Kid!



Here is Pappers and The Kid! They each have those special nicknames for one another! It works out well.

Usually Braxton is Pappers shadow, when Pappers is around.


The pirate ship was made with love, for Braxton, by Pappers. He did it all, and it is also a bank! What a creative idea!


Get Well Soon Pappers, Braxton misses you and wants to play race cars!

What a ZOOriffic Day!








Our day at the zoo....


Easter was a great day! From start to finish, it was filled with many blessings.


We went and saw Joe's step dad in the hospital, and what a surprise we had!


He was able to communicate with Joe by squeezing Joe's hand! YEAH!


Joe got to visit with him for a while, although the poor guy was in and out a bit.


Joe also delivered a " hand colored" Easter egg picture for Pappers, from Braxton. The nurses were so sweet and hung it up so Pappers can see it all day long! I am most certain that seeing that art work will help lift his spirits, as the man ADORES Braxton so much!


We hear that today, they are taking the breathing tube out, so we are going up again tonight, in hopes that Joe can actually "talk" with him.


I know it is going to be a long road ahead of him, but thankfully, he is still on that road!




As for the zoo.... That can get expensive, with snacks, train rides, and souvenirs!


We had blast! We saw the baby giraffe and boy, so pretty! We saw the monkeys, gorilla, elephants, rhinos, even Shere Khan!


Braxton then picked him out a prize, which in the beginning was a $10 blue monkey, but once at the register, I noticed that his back was torn open, so Braxton then picked out the red-pink one, but this one was $14, not that I had noticed, til at the register, hearing the cost owed!


So now we have added, Cinnamon to our family! What a fun addition!


After a lot of walking, and my poor swollen legs and feet had had enough, we headed home for a wonderful Easter dinner, for the three of us!


It was the perfect day for the Morton family!


Hope everyone else had a great easter!


Sunday, March 23, 2008

The Hunt Is On!!!




How Many Eggs Can You See?

Easter Fun!






Okay- So I am way behind of everyone else on this!


HAPPY EASTER!


We spent Friday night dying Easter Eggs, and Braxton got to put the stickers on all of the eggs.

We had a lot of fun, as I think this is the 2nd time we have done it. We made one for every member of our family, including the 4 legged ones!


Today, Braxton woke us up with " The Easter Bunny Came" "There is candy in the kitchen"! He was right, sure enough, we were not forgotten.


Braxton got a few little toys, a new Easter "Skater" shirt, a baseball bat and ball, some bunny sunglasses, and of course, CANDY! Oh, and the Easter bunny was kind enough to leave some candy for mommy and daddy too! As if we need any!


Later this morning.....

Braxton figured out the the Bunny had hid eggs for him in the backyard and the best ones were the ones with " MONEY" in them. Okay, just quarters, but $7.50 worth! More money than I have right now!

I told him he could use that money to buy a souvenir from the zoo today.


Yes, I am still going to attempt walking the zoo. We will see how long I can last without having to sit down- Then we are heading home for our little Easter dinner here.

It is the last official Holiday the three of us have, any other ones and we will be four!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

I have been Tagged!

I was tagged by my sweet and awesome cousin Kati! So now you can all learn a little something new about me.

1.) 4 Jobs I have had:
Burger King, Registers and cook
Tech Serv, computer technician
TJ Maxx, Backroom manager- supervisor
Dollar Days, everything!

2.) 4 Movies I have seen:
Horton Hears a Who
E.T.
The Return
The Contract

3.) 4 Places I've been:
Florida
Bahamas
Kauai, Hawaii
California

4 Places I've Lived:
Orem
Provo
Pleasant Grove
West Jordan

5.) 4 T.V. shows I watch:
Rock Of Love
My Fair Brady
Survivor
Scott Baio is 46 and pregnant!

6.) 4 Radio Stations I listen to:
We have satellite so:
80's station
Alternative Station
Mod Rock Station
Disney Station

7.) 4 favorite foods :
All Fruit
Spaghetti
Sushi Rolls
Won Tons

8.) 4 places I'd rather be:
Any Disney themed Park
Hawaii
Africa on a Safari
donating time at an animal shelter of some sort


9.) 4 things I enjoy :
Crafting
Shopping
spending good time with Brax and Joe
Planning stuff


10.) Next Victims:
Amber
Ann Michelle
Cheltsy

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Update

So sorry to hear your news kati. I can't believe how out of the loop, you were left. I don't understand people, not at all. It is hard to go through these experiences, with a light heart, you know?
All I can say, that for all of us, if it were our husbands in the hospital, it is OUR job to notify people, whether we do it ourselves, or have someone else do it for us.

The past two days have been up and down. We keep hearing a bunch of different stories, and most of them had sounded like the poor guy was about to die in 2 min. Of course, that wasn't the truth though.
So, here is the latest.

The did the stint, the next day, they found he had pnemonia, then yesterday evening, apparently, they discovered that is was a massive heart attack, not a mild one. They rushed him in for open heart surgery where they found the bottom, about a 1/4 worth of his heart is dead, but that is okay, but the muscles that support the heart are weak, so they put another balloon in, to support the heart, and he will have to have bypass surgery, dang soon.
So, Up down, Up down, Up, down. We are going nuts here.
As for my cold, it just gets worse. I am not being able to sleep much, my throat is just killing, and Joe has to keep going back and forth to the hospital, so there isn't much time for me to "chill". I hope this goes away soon, as I have plenty to do before the baby gets here, as far as getting ready for my family to come into town.

Now, I hope this finds you Kati, doing okay. I am sure your heart is a little broken right now about your grandpa. Take care of your baby, okay?
Also, Amber, HOLY COW! Can you just sit still and be fat and miserable for 5 minutes? You are on the go, girl!
Thanks Becky, for sharing your experience with similar stuff. It helps, alot.
Britt, I have gotten your emails, just haven't made the time to write back, but you are not forgotten.
Speaking of forgotten, boy, I would like to forget this whole week!

Thanks for all of your love and support. It means the world to us.
If I get any more news, I will let you all know. For now, I need to go bathe, get ready, just in case they call with the: He's dying, oh, no he's not! again!
Hugs!
Love you all,
Jen

PS
Apparently, they buried the aunt yesterday, so that was nice to hear.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Not the greatest news...

Hey!
Sorry I have been absent. I haven't even had a minute to respond to emails and comments, let alone, send out thank yous! I feel terrible!
Joe's step dad ( which is pretty much his dad) got put in the hospital this week, and at first it was a seizure, then they sent him home, then called him to come back, cuz he had had a heart attack. Soooo, not much sleep here, I am now sick, my throat is about done, and I have been dealing with all of this. We are going through that drama on our own, but still....
So we are up to the hospital every day, and today, they found a blockage in one of the main arteries. So, they did the balloon and a stint. No word on how he is as of right now, but I suspect he will be fine. Sooo, at the same time of all of this, we then found out that Joe's aunt, passed away early this morning. Coincidentally, it is the step dad's sister, out in Montana.
Oh boy, a lot to digest, right?

Onto better news. Brynlee is about 5 lbs. and in 3 wks. We will be able to set an induction date. I am sure Amber will have popped by then! I will be so jealous!
Everything is going okay, as far as the pregnancy goes, and another 2 lbs later.. I hate the weight part, but do know that it goes with the territory.
Anyway, so if you don't hear from me , or much from me, this is why.
I just want to get this cold gone, and focus on Joe's step dad. Then maybe plan on having a baby or something like that!
Big hugs to you all. Sure do love you guys!
Me

Monday, March 10, 2008

The Girly Stuff!










Alright, so I finally finished the pink baby clothing, and some of it I want to make for Brynlee now!



I can't believe how much actual "work" goes into all of this, from dying the fabrics, to washing, to then drying, and then ironing on whatever.



My fingers have blisters from the iron!






I did put all of it up on Etsy.com today and we will see if there is a market for any of this.






Check out the link, under my favorite links, for Tinker Bear Gifts. That will take you to all of my stuff and some of my mom's.






As far as the flu cold crud, so far, just a sore throat, hopefully it gets better, not worse. I want to be able to go outside, since the weather has been beautiful.






Anyway, I will post some pic's!



Hugs!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Finished products!


















Okay, so I have been pretty busy.... I managed to get a lot of clippies done, several sizes, and also managed to get the baby clothes done.
The dying part was a pain, and they didn't turn out the way I had in mind, but then after they dried, I really liked the faded look. So, instead of dying it all again, I did a punk line..... I still need to get the pink done, but I am pretty happy with the black!
I am also starting to feel the crud coming on.... My throat is sore, and my head is getting heavy. Should have slept in the basement, or got a hotel last week! ha ha!
Anyway, if any of you have any pricing suggestions or ideas, please let me know. I need all the help I can get!
Hugs!
Jen

Friday, March 7, 2008

A crafting we went...

Oh boy! And how many dollars later?
I managed to get a few colors of dye, and finally got started on dying some of the baby clothes today. I am surprised at how well, the black stuff looks!
I also picked up a bunch of flowers and such to make some clippies. I have a dozen or so done already, but made sure to take out a few for Brynlee.
This is fun! I am loving it!
I am off to the wood store today, as I have some ideas in my head on some cute spring, summer, fall and winter plaques, done with vinyl.
Where did this creative bone come from all of the sudden?
So, soon I will post some pic's of the final products!

As for my patients: Joe is doing much better. I think it is the cold flu, he had body aches, fever, chills, sore throat, cough, you name it. He said this morning that he felt a lot better.
As for Midge ( Braxton ) he still sounds stuffy, has a cough, and can't quite figure out the phlegm thing. Poor guy. He has slept with us 3 nights now, and I am not getting any sleep at all. We have the two humidifiers going in our room, all night long.
I am hoping by tomorrow night, he will be ready to go back into his room.
I just worry, since he can't breathe well, and he sleeps downstairs, so I like to keep him near when he is sick.

Nothing planned for this weekend. We do have a b-day party Sunday, but depending on if I catch this stuff or not, and how the boys are feeling, we may not attend. I don't want to pass it on to everyone else, although , Joe's family seems to love to pass their crud on, so maybe I should! ha ha!
Anyway, have a great day! Don't forget, that daylight savings is the Sat. night- one hour ahead!
Hugs!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

A crafting we will go....

Well, I have been stuck indoors going on day two and am going nutso!
Brax and Joe are sick now, and I have been playing nurse.
I am just hoping I don't catch it, this round!
Soooo, I am going to put a hopsital mask on Brax ( better post a pic, right?) and head over to Joann's craft store, to pick up a few supplies to get my baby stuff going.
I managed to buy some cute plain onesies, newborn caps, bottoms, diaper bottoms and bibs, and want to dye them and do some fancy or punk stuff to them, and put them on my etsy site.
I am hoping to make something really cute for Brynlee, then I will have ideas for all of my cousins and friends babies!
I also need to find some stretchy lace or something so I can make some little head bands. Oh , for fun! I am in such a crafty mood, and hey, if I do catch this crap, at least I will have something to do, so I am not bored, right?
If I get anything accomplished today, I will post it!
Have a good one!
Hugs!
Me

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Welcome to the world of the Morton Family!

This is a first for us, we have never done the blog thing, but figured it is a good way to keep in touch with some of our family and friends that do!
Our family consists of :
Joe, Jen, Braxton- impatiently awaiting the arrival of Brynlee, in April.
Our "other" family members are:
Molly, Max, Sassy, Smokey, Scooby, Gizmo, and Snowball!