Life Lately

Summer is rolling by! We are having a great week of nothing on the agenda.  The girls sleep late and I've been able to get things done and then we try to send our days doing something fun.  Here are a few things we have done lately.  

Last Sunday night before we left for camp - Harper went to a slumber party to celebrate Sarah Kate's birthday!! Hard to believe we have celebrated eleven birthdays with her!! 

The day after we got home from camp, Harper's guitar came in! She is THRILLED! We hope to start lessons soon! 

This weekend we saw Toy Story 4.  It was cute and we liked it! Not my favorite Toy Story movie but good.  We are excited about Toy Story Land at Disney this fall.  

Sunday we had church and then did work around the house.  It was stormy and raining.  

We ate lunch with the Ormons.  Will Holden loves his Uncle Steve.  

I spent Sunday cleaning out the girls room.  SO MUCH STUFF. ha! 

Monday was a beautiful day so we spent half of it swimming.  Tuesday we ran errands.  We stopped for hair cuts for Hollis and Will Holden.  Hollis has SO much hair.  She loves it long but it's thick so we trimmed some off.  

Hollis had birthday money from three months ago that we finally spent.  

Yesterday we walked the trails around Crystal Bridges.  It was so hot so we took a shortcut through the museum to go back.  

I don't take advantage enough of how amazing this museum is.  I'm going to take the kids back soon. If I can just keep WH from touching the art.  

They had a great time looking around.  We went and ate lunch at Flying Fish afterwards.  

The girls are headed to spend a week with their grandparents for a week.  They are so excited! And WH gets to be an only child.  He doesn't like being away from his sisters but I'm going to make it fun for him.  

Macro Meal Ideas

This post is really for all my Faster Way friends.  You may want to skip on if you aren't doing this program.  I've had a lot of people asking "what are you eating" or "give us ideas on food" so I'm going to give a few ideas of what I'm doing on the different macro days and I would LOVE to hear yours! Let's share and help each other!

I will say that this program really is working so well for me.  I have tried Weight Watchers, Whole 30, Keto, calorie counting and Metabolic Research and nothing has worked as well for me.  I have already lost 7 lbs in just a week and a half and I'm NOT starving! There is going to be a new group open up for July 15 so if you are thinking about it - you will have a chance to sign up! It really is great - they tell you how to eat but there is a lot of freedom in it and then they give you workouts for every day and I HATE working out but it's doable!


L O W   C A R B   D A Y

These are probably the toughest days but I'm still not dying of hunger

Here are a few examples of days:

#1 DAY

Lunch:  

4 hardboiled eggs (I only eat the whites)

4 pieces of bacon

Dinner:

4 oz Salmon grilled with olive oil and seasoning

1.5 avocados 

1 cup zucchini with a tiny dash of olive oil

Snack:

1 banana

1 cup strawberry

1 super skinny latte

#2 DAY

Lunch:

4 oz hamburger

1 corn on the cob with butter

2.5 avocados

Dinner: 

6 oz petite sirloin

1 cup zucchini

Snack:

1 hard boiled egg

1 cup strawberry

1 super skinny latte

R E G U L A R   C A R B  D A Y

#1 DAY 

Lunch: 

4 oz petite sirloin

1 roasted sweet potato with butter

zucchini with olive oil

Dinner:

6 oz sirloin

sweet potato with butter

zucchini

Snack:

2 bananas

3 crunchy rice rollers (basically like rice cakes - they are my go to filling carb snack)(from Walmart)

#2 DAY

Lunch: 

6 oz salmon

1 cup zucchini with olive oil

Brown rice and beans (1 cup)

Dinner:

4 oz tender roast

6 oz baby carrots

0.5 cup red baby potatos

butter

Snacks:

2 bananas

1 super skinny latte

1 cup strawberries

3 rice rollers

L O W    M A C R O   D A Y

Lunch:

Carna Asada Street Tacos (corn tortillas)

3 oz guacamole

Dinner:

4 oz sirloin

1.5 sweet potato

1 cup zucchini

Snack:

2 bananas

1 super skinny latte

I'm working on some ideas for the weekend.  I want to try shrimp tacos with corn tortillas, grilled shrimp and corn and red potatoes (like a low country boil but grilled), and of course grilled chicken and veggies and maybe a big salad.  I'm obsessed with grilling everything right now.

The main thing I've learned is planning my day.  Every morning (even when I was at church camp) - I sit down and plan out what I'm going to eat that day.  I usually know what I will make for dinner and put that in first and then what I have for lunch and then fill in with fruit or snacks according to what macros I need.  

Camp Siloam

Last week Harper and I went to church camp again! We had the best time last year but I think this year was even better! I grew up going to Camp Siloam from 3rd grade all the way up and worked there for four summers in college.  It's a special place to me and seeing Harper as a camper is even better.  Hollis can't WAIT to go next year.  

We left Monday afternoon.  We are very fancy - carrying our luggage in garbage sacks.  :-) 

This is my shirt!https://amzn.to/2FvzRVs I love it!! I got it on amazon and it's so comfortable and flattering! 

We got all the bunks set up! 

Our cabin! We had 19 girls and 4 counselors in our bunk.  We had the 3rd and 4th grade girls.  They were all sweet girls.  No one cried.  No one fought.  No drama.  The only issue was just getting them to all take showers daily. ha! 

Harper told me so many times that she was so happy that I was at camp with her.  It meant so much to me.  I try to give her a lot of space at camp and not hang around her too much but I'm thankful she likes me being there.  Next year I will stay in Hollis' cabin and not hers.  

My friend Tracy was my co-counselor and I was so glad.  She's such a fun and easy person to be with.  We had SO much fun together.  Our bunks were next to each other and we stayed up until 1 a.m. talking one night.  

Harper went into camp without a really close friend and she really bonded with the other 4th grade girls.  I was so thankful to see friendships forming.  

Harper found me on Tuesday and said "I spent all the money you gave me BUT I bought you a bracelet that says Jesus and a diet coke".  ha! She knows how to win my heart.  

The camp is so spread out that I do so much walking when I'm there.  It's like a Disney day.   I got in 18k steps most days and for once my feet weren't killing me thanks to my trusty birkenstocks.  

Our cabin won cleanest cabin one night and the gingerbread man and friends brought us hot baked cookies and ice cream at 10:30 one night.  It was really fun! 

We had storybook character day on Wednesday.  Harper was a cat - could be from any story. ha! 

Us counselors out at night walking the camp! 

This is a dark fuzzy picture I took in the dark but Harper worshipping with her hands raised was the sweetest thing to me.  I watched her take notes during sermons and singing with her eyes closed - truly worshipping.  It was very special to me to see her growing in her faith.  

I have to admit by Thursday - we were fading.  It was SO hot.  And we were working on very little sleep.  But I absolutely love getting to go to camp! 

There is a creek that runs all the way through camp.  It's the kids favorite thing.  I don't think in all my years of going that I ever got in the creek.  In fact - I don't remember us being allowed to get in it. But now kids spend every single second of the day and night in that creek.  It's their favorite thing.  We were constantly having to say "NO MORE CREEK".  ha! 

I just loved the special one on one time I had with Harper.  We had the sweetest sitter that kept Hollis and Will Holden during the day and Scott was there at night.  I faceted and texted with Hollis a lot so I knew they were doing good.  

At one point - I was so hot, I braided my own hair.  Harper and I were twins for a little while! 

This is back in 1993 when I worked at camp.  The girl behind me in the green shirt, Dena, was at camp as a counselor too.  It was so fun to be back 26 years later.  It's changed so much but a lot is the same.  I kept wanting to get a picture with Dena and never did but it was a fun reunion.

I had a meeting Friday morning and the campers were coming home mid morning so Harper and I ended up coming home late Thursday night.  It was good to get back to our beds.

But we can't wait until next year! 

Father's Day

Saturday we spent the day with Scott celebrating Father's day early.  We knew Sunday would be full of church and packing for camp so we did a day early! 

Harper has been playing the piano  for two years and she does really well but she has decided this summer that she wants to play guitar.  She got out an old toy guitar we had and was using you tube and an app to learn so we decided to help her pursue this.  We took her to a music store and ordered her a guitar.  We got her a smaller Yamaha (not the one pictured).  She is so excited.  She is going to start lessons soon.  She is so excited.  I hope this is something she will pursue for a while.  

This may sound crazy but Scott really loves going to chuck e cheese.  We went there mid morning and got Scott his own card so he could play all the games he wanted.  Normally he shares with WH.  

Then we went to lunch at his pick - Big Orange.  We came home that night and I grilled us out steak kabobs.  It was a nice day.  

Sunday we went to church and then lunch with Scott.  I spent the rest of the day getting everything ready to go to camp and also for the rest of the family while I'm gone.  Harper went over to a slumber party Sunday night for Sarah Kate's birthday.  We took her and ended up staying for dinner and eating pizza.  We had a great time visiting.  

I'm at camp and I will update again on Friday! Hope you are having a great week! 

Fayetteville and Faster Way

Thursday we finished off our tour of Fayetteville by going to the Farmer's market on the square.  This is always one of my favorite things! They had music playing and tons of veggies and flowers.  

And then we found the Fayetteville firemen and they were letting kids on the truck.  

BINGO!!! 

Will Holden loves himself a fire truck! It was a happy moment.  

We left there and went to visit the CUTEST toy store - Kindness Joy Toys.  They have so many unique things.  We found a gift for our friend Sarah Kate's birthday.  

Will Holden had the best time looking around.  And I found an old friend working there.  I lived in Fayetteville for 7 years after college so it feels so much like home and so nostalgic of a special and growing time for me.  It was so fun because every where I went last week - I ran into someone I knew! That made me so happy! I LOVE Bentonville but I do love Fayetteville.  

We found a splash park in south Fayetteville and burned some energy before picking up Hollis.  We came right back after that because Hollis' social calendar is very full. 

One of Hollis' sweet friends invited several girls over to swim.  Hollis had the best time and it was a gorgeous afternoon.  I'm thankful she has made a lot of good friends at at school.  

Friday it was cold and rainy so we ran a few errands and then went back to soccer camp to watch the end tournament and closing ceremonies.  It was only like 65.  What crazy June weather.  

Hollis was playing hard! 

The lady Razorbacks soccer team ran the camp.  They were so great! 

Hollis loved her coach.  At the end they let the kids get pictures and autographs.  

The Razorback coach was really nice and funny.  He stood at the front every day and high fived all the kids and was so friendly and also stood out and said bye every day.  We have never been to a soccer game at U of A before but we have already looked at the schedule and plan to go! 

This was a great experience for our girl.  If you are local - I highly recommend the camp - it was so well run and Hollis really benefitted. 

Today I'm leaving to go to church camp with Harper.  I'm SO excited.  It's always one of my favorite weeks.  I'm also officially starting my Faster Way program which is a little tricky but I have prepared and mapped out my macros and I think I can do it even being at camp.  I'm taking the workouts with me and plan to do them early in the morning or in the afternoon free time.  I think this really can be done anywhere! I will let you know how it goes.  If you missed signing up and are thinking about it - you can sign up with my coach Amberly for a session starting June 24.  Or you can wait and do the next round with me later in July.  I will for sure update you on how it's working!