Skinny Gina

Last week while in CT, I learned a lot about gluten free eating. While I am still not sure what gluten free is (even tho I asked Becky everyday to explain it again), I was quite intrigued with all these different types of flours, cheeses, breads and french fries I had never heard of before. I was also secretly intrigued because Becky and her Hubby have lost 20 plus lbs!

Anyhoo, Becky turned me onto "Skinny Gina"- that's not her name, nor is it the official name of the website, but for some reason this is the name that sticks. Skinny Gina has delicious Weight Watcher recipes!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Brian and I aren't quite ready for a gluten free home, but we are loving the recipes I've been cooking this week from my new friend, Skinny Gina.,

This week we've had lime shrimp with zucchini fries, garlic/lime porkchops with spinach rice and roasted broccoli and tonight we are having zucchini turkey boats and "skinny" mashed potatoes. I also stole Becky's organizational tool of meal planning, which entails me writing down the weeks' meal and the grocery list. It actually worked and I reference hte darn thing a lot since I can never remember what I am cooking next! We'll see how long I can keep up this Suzy Homemaker routine.

As usual, Brian's weight loss is leaps years ahead of mine---he has lost 17lbs and I am around 6lbs..oh well, clothes are fitting better and the gym is still my worst enemy/best friend.

Check out Skinny Gina!

CT

We got home today from our great trip to visit our fellow Dews in CT. Time certainly flies when on vacation and I can't believe the trip is already over!

We spent a lot of time with this sweet girl:

She loves her Uncle Brian:

Brian found his old Letter Jacket:
Brian's sweet parents gave us this great trip as our Xmas Present! They set the bar high :)
Becky and Mike were kind enough to let us invade their home! It was great to spend time with them both!

Til next time...Hope Ella doesn't forget us by than!

Little House on the Prairie

I have take up doing some pet sitting on the side- extra $$ for fertility treatments, travel and upgrades to our house!

I typically only stay with clients close to my home and work. This weekend though, I ventured out to my friends Hillary & Scott's "farm" in Franktown. 5 Great Danes, a Friends Golden, 2 goats, 4 ducks, 5 guinea birds and 25 chickens. I've always loved this place from afar- quiet, lots of animals, lots of land. I am always on Hillary about getting horses and cows. That would be perfection, in my opinion.

Well, I think after this weekend it has come to my attention that I may not be much of a farm girl. Laura Ingals would be disappointed in me.

A week ago I came out so Hil could show me the feeding routine. I was fine until on my drive out, I saw that she updated her FB status to say that the Rooster tried to attack her! Roosters attack? I had no idea. As we walked the chicken coop, I could hardly listen to her because I was too busy keeping my eye on that damn Rooster. Feed, change water, fill up kiddie pools for duck..blah, blah,blah it was all drowned out by the Rooster. Than Hillary made the deadly sin of telling me that at dusk the mice come out. Holy hell, you better believe I would be feeding much earlier!

The goats are a piece of cake- they are like big dogs and super friendly. Throw them some hay and they are happy.

Friday night I survived the Rooster without issue. It was snowing like crazy, blowing wind and freezing temps.I told Brian I thought I was on "Little House on the Prairie". I walked around the coop with a broom which was my weapon of choice in case of attack. My anxiety was through the roof. But, no mice so I was pretty happy.

Saturday I sailed through the routine, no mice and no attacks. I was getting the hang of this. I happily collected eggs, just like Laura would do.

I headed out to the goats, grabbed a pile of hay..and all hell broke loose. A DAMN MOUSE was in the hay. For those who don't know me, mice are my arch enemy. I despise them, they terrify me, horify me. I threw the hay, started screaming bloody murder and watched as the mouse flew through the air and bounced off the hood of the truck they have in the barn. It scampered away, as I continued to scream. The profanities were immense.

I quickly hurried back to the house to share my disgust with the world. I had to take a shower to get the "dirty" feeling off me. I called Brian who laughed and laughed. I sent Hillary a livid text. She quickly called me, but the only reason I knew it was her was from the Caller ID because she was too busy hysterically, and I mean hysterically, laughing at me to speak.

So, now it is Sunday. Babycakes will be coming out this afternoon to feed the goats for me. I am telling you my fear is irrational, so I love that Brian amuses me and offers to help.

Laura and I may both have red hair, but that may be where our similarities end.

It works, it really works!

I am referring to my body, that is...and I owe it all to my wonderful acupuncturist, Patty. She has gotten my body naturally doing things that doctors can't even seem to do with western medicine.

I jumped on the acupuncture bandwagon when this infertility crap started. The first lady I went to got rid of my headaches, but never was able to work on the PCOS situation. My friend Anita insisted I try her lady, and I am so glad I did!

Now, I see crazy Patty every other week. She makes me drink gross herbs and runs around flapping her arms instructing "no more, no more! No more doctors treatments!". This week she told me I am not allowed to wear sandals, eat ice cream or drink cold drinks in that it will make my core cold and people with cold cores do not get pregnant! Her English is not great and she laughs hysterically every time I tell her the herbs make me gag. She says "No gag, no throw up, your belly needs herbs!"

This probably all sounds like a lot of hoopla to you, because it certainly did to me when Anita would tell me stories, but I am telling you she worked some serious medical miracles on me...and who knows, if it keeps up getting pregnant naturally might not be so far fetched! Plus, my headaches are basically non existent anymore, along with my neck that is 100% better than when I first started going to her!

So, if you are in Denver- she is right off I-25 and Hampden. Let me know and I will give you her number.

Trip

Only 4 more days til we go here:

I can't wait to get my hands on Ella!

Oh yea, and to see Mom & Dad Dew, Becky, Mike and the rest of the Dew Crew!

Rules

Here is Deacon adhereing to the house rules of "No dogs on Furniture"

Operation Self Loating- Week #5

Ok, I had a bad week. Only 2 days at the gym. Between petsitting and epic drama with the rescue, every last hour of my life was sucked away. Good news is that I ate healthy for the most part..well, ast least I tried.

This is a new week, time to step it up!

Happy 6th Birthdy, Coop!

Coop-

6 years old, really? Really? Please stop growing.

Just thinking of you brings a smile to my face. Those gorgeous eyes, that big smile, the pouty face, that dramatic flare, your hilarious personality. You make me laugh, hard, every time I spend time with you.

This past year you've entertained us with your shows more times than I can count. You even started guitar lesson and played me a song last weekend. You still let me snuggle you and profess my love, though I suspect those days are numbered. I think it's so cute that a year later, you continue to declare that Riley will be your wife.

You and Jack are great friends now, and I love watching you look to Jackey Boy for guidance.

I am amazed at the things you remember, and the perfect timing you have. Like last weekend, when you looked at Grandma across the room and put two fingers to your eyes, than pointed them back at her, in the " I am watching you" symbol. I am still laughing about that one!

Coopey, I don't think you will ever know how much joy you bring to my life. I am a better person for being your Auntie B.

We love you so much it hurts!

Love,

Auntie B & Uncle Brian

Resigned to the fact...

In July 2005 I was living in my condo on Happy Canyon Road. Single, recently out of a 7 year relationship and at the point where I was pretty sure my life was over. I had RESIGNED myself to the fact that I would never find love again. I was watching an Oprah on single woman and how they often put their lives on hold for men. For example, one lady had never hung any art in her condo because she "might" someday meet someone and move again, and why hang art now?

It got me thinking....Screw men! I had a great high paying job, I could buy another house. And not only would I buy a house, I would buy the house that I had always wanted but thought I needed to be married to buy. I decided I needed another year to save for a big downpayment.

I was having lunch with my mom that summer and telling her of my plans, yet whining about my condo...how I had outgrown it, how it reminded me of "him" and she said, "Bree, you don't need a $450k house! Why don't you just look now and see if you can find anything you like and can afford with what you have now?" A lightbulb went off! Why didn't I?

Soon I was house hunting in University Hills and quickly found "the one"- cute ranch with big yard and the best part, you ask? 100% gutted and remodeled, with a huge Master and extra bathroom. Not a single upgrade to be done! Sold!

I was out of that condo in a flash, and inadvertenly became a landlord ( ps- anyone want to buy a condo?)

I love, love, love this house. It's been home to "Happy Single Bree", it's been the home that welcomed in RMGDRI fosters and helped create BDHPI, it's the home where in the summer I can open the Barndoor in the Master bedroom & smell the grass, it's the home where I met & married Brian. It makes me happy!

BUT

it is too small now, not enough storage, only a 1 car garage ( oh, and 4 dogs!).

I also made a mistake- in August 2005 I bought the nicest and most expensive house on the block. Now in March 2010, we can't get enough out of it yet to have a sizable down payment for something else.

So, we have RESIGNED ourselves to the fact we are going to be staying at 3400 S Grape St for another 1-2 years! By than, we will have a ton of equity and we can buy our dream house ( ie, dream house non PowerBall style)

With that in mind, we have a few projects that we are doing this month and next to upgrade the things that we want : new tile floors in the kitchen, along with a fancy new sink & faucet, re-staining of the hardwoods floors and maybe, just maybe a new walkway and entrance to the house.

Making adult decisions are not fun. Not being impulsive is not fun. Not being able to park in the garage because it's our storage unit is not fun. Watching everyone else go to Mexico and instead using our money on the above mentioned items and Baby Dew attempt #4, is not fun. BUT, it's what we are RESIGNED to and we might as well make the best of it! And who knows, maybe 3400 S Grape St will welcome a Baby Dew? Than, we can move on.

Operation Self Loathing- Week #4

BDews are still going strong- 4 cardio days at the gym last week, plus 30 min walks with the dogs

Hell, we even went to the gym before work today. We loathed every second of it, but I must say it is a great feeling to know I am done for the day other than needing to walk the pooches.

I think I have decided to stay away from the scale that jumps 5 lbs at will and just see how my clothes fit. I decided this morning I am going to do a "fit test" with an old pair of jeans every 2 weeks to see if/when I can get into them.

Wish us luck.

Layla Grace

A friend of a friend of friend knows this family. I went to their blog and was in tears almost immediately.

http://www.laylagrace.org/ The story of an otherwise healthy beautiful baby who at 16 months was diagnosed with a raging tumor. She is literally in her last days, if not hours of life. Her parents are inspiring. I find myself holding my breath everytime I go to her page in fear that she will be gone, and than even worse, that she is still suffering as much as her parents describe. The following of their blog and Facebook page is immense. Be warned, grab a tissue before you go.

Out of the mouths of babes...

My sister had this as her status on FaceBook today....and I cannot stop laughing:


" Had to make a bathroom stop with Coop @ the grocery store today. He sat down on the toilet, then looked @ me and said "Mom this is gonna take a while....that's just how it goes. And, don't text anyone about this"

No autographs, please

BDHPI participated in the Avalanche's "Pucks and Paws" night last night, but during the day yesterday we were at the Pepsi Center for the Pet Fair. Deacon is always a hit at these events, and I get a lot of " Wow, what kind of dog is that?", "Is he nice?", "He has a huge head!", " Do you have a saddle?".

Only our dog falls over in the middle of the walkway for some love.

Happy 91st

Happy 91st Granny.

Keep rockin' the boxes of Franzia! We love you!

We thought we were 21 again....

Saturday afternoon Nik, our mom and I hosted a baby shower for Julie. I first met Julie on a beach in Mazatlan in 1994, she went to the AFA and was friends with "our cadet" Brian. We all became great friends through the years the boys were at AFA, as did our families. Julie and Brian married 6 or 7 years ago, and we were thrilled when they decided to move back to Colorado, and for that matter, down the street from Nik and Mike this past December.

This is Baby #3 for Jules, so a Diaper Shower we had.

After the everyone left, Nik and I created our own party by breaking out the old home videos circa 1997. And by old home videos, I mean the 1st year I was out of college and living on my own, Trix's 21st b-day, etc. I have not laughed that hard in so long. I was hiccuping and slapping the arm of the chair til my hand hurt.

By the time Mike got home from a hockey game with the boys, Nik and I were well on our way. The Munger girl laugh filled the house. The boys were shaking their heads at us. And than, sweet Cooper busted out with the funniest imitation of our laughs ever! So much so, I grabbed the camera to document it for Uncle Brian. It was spot on.

When we finally decided to call it a night and I headed downstairs to bed, I grabbed my phone to call Bri to say goodnight. I was shocked at what my phone said, "2:14am"- WTH? I thought it was 11 or so!

When we woke on Sunday morning, we headed to brunch to celebrate Granny's 91st birthday. Nik and I were basically comatose on the couch. When we got back to Denver, I took a 1.5 hour nap. Now, it is Monday and I am still fully exhausted.

I guess I am not made of what I was back in the "fun days". This is one old lady.

I had a ton of fun, even when the night calmed down and the talk turned to ill fathers and mothers, moving on, and the what-if's of life. Sometimes a night of CL and family is just what the doctor ordered

Operation Self Loathing-Week #3

Week 3 starts today...already psyching myself up for Kickboxing tonight.

I weighed myself this morning, and it said I had gained 20lbs. Step off. Step back on. And it said I had lost 25lbs. Step Off. Step Back on. Gained 1lbs. Who knows. Probably need a new scale. Though, that 1lb may be right on due to the 200 CL's I had on Sat night. Oh, and the Girl Scout Cookies.

I got 3 workouts in- which was good considering Sunday-Thursday I had meetings everynight that did not get me home until 9pm.

My body is so sore. My left knee aches. The arch in my foot seizes from time to time, almost bringing tears to my eyes. Note to all of you other 35'ers out there...start working out ASAP or your body will try to shutdown in protest when you do! Take it from me.

Here's to a good Week #3