Eight Is Great!!

Our baby girl, Sila, turned eight years old this past Thursday. We were able to take her favorite treats to her class for her to share with. 

I'm kinda back to using my Nikon now that I've taken an IG break. And I love it!! 

We also gathered the family together for a visit to Pa and brought cake, cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate her birthday since we're not sure how much longer he'll be with us. 

Red Velvet cake made from scratch. My first time making this kind of cake. It was a hit. I used Cake Boss's recipe and it turned out perfect. So moist and so delicious!! 

Cream cheese frosting!! Also CB's recipe!! This cake was amazing!! Definitely one of my faves!! Sila had a blast spending her birthday with her cousins!! 

She is looking forward to her baptism on Feb 1st and so are we. I'm so happy that it just so happened to land on Hoko's week off. It will be an amazing experience for her and the rest of our family. I can't wait. 

We got to attend the Eight Is Great fireside tonight where they shared all the details of this special day. We just have to finalize the time of her baptism next Sunday with the primary leaders. 

I have more pics from Sila's birthday on my camera that I'll upload soon from my laptop. In the mean time, you get to enjoy the ones off my phone. 

Down And Up Mass Day 2

Day two of the Down And Up Mass program was a success. Barely. Lol. I felt great when I first started out on dead lifts, but as soon as I finished up backs and moved on to arms, I felt taxed and out of it. I know it's due to my not drinking enough water yesterday. I better be on top of it today. 

I was able to finish up my whole set nevertheless. I have incorporated cardio acceleration into this program and in order to keep things interesting, I've switched it up. Did rowing, sprints and incline walking. I did other things as well, but not anything new. I'm thinking of running a mile a day post weights. I'm still thinking about it. 

Broke out the cheetah print today!! Lol

Down And Up Mass Day 1

Today was the first day of Jim Stoppani's Down And Up Mass seven week program. It was chest and arms today. I loved it. I'm incorporating cardio acceleration into this program. Jim says it optimizes fat burning and I've missed it so much. 

This was how cold it was this morning. OMG!! 

After dropping the kids off to school this morning, I headed straight for the gym. Hoko's home this week so I'm taking full advantage of hitting the gym first thing in the morning. Plus, I read an article from Jim where he says its ok to hit the weights first thing in the morning in a fasted state as long as you take your preworkout supp beforehand and a protein shake immediately afterwards. So that's precisely what I did this morning. I added a banana, flaxseed, all natural peanut butter and two cups of spinach to my protein blend. It was deelish and very fulfilling. That muscle milk I picked up at Costco last week with the graham cracker flavor is so GOOD!! 

Dressed up in layers this morning cause its so cold!! I love my Adidas sweater!! It's so slimming and matches my sweats perfectly!! 

I was taxed in the gym this morning. But I loved my workout set!! It was GREAT!! 

And yeah...I totally worked out in my Uggs today cause I forgot to change my shoes. But I love my Uggs. They're so comfortable!! Best investment everrrr!! I need to get me a couple more pairs. This winter has been really cold. I'm super excited to workout my legs tomorrow!! 

Anyways, I took some pics this morning before my workout and I swear I look a little smaller than last week. Lol. It might just be me, but I'm my own worst critic so I don't know. 

Getting Sick?!

Savou was up all night off and on cause he spiked a fever, was coughing like crazy which then led to him throwing up. He kept moving from the couch in the living room to my foot side bench and then onto the bed. Poor thing. As soon as morning came, I called the doctor's office to get him an appointment. We had to miss Liana's baptism in order to take him in. I was so sad. But with the deaths of the H1N1 lately here in Utah, I couldn't delay him being checked. They tested him for the flu and strep and both came back negative. So they said that what he had was viral and that his fever would break soon, but to watch his cough. As soon as it got junky to take him back in cause that would be the makings of pneumonia. HOI. 

So I'll be keeping a close eye on him. Jordan's starting to have the same symptoms right now. Just not as bad yet. I'm so happy Hoko's coming home tomorrow. My sister sent this pic to me after Liana's baptism. Sooooo CUTE!! I love these kids!! 

After Savou's doc appt, we went to my sister's to pick up the girls. When we got back I headed straight to the gym for an end of the week workout. I decided to do legs and when I got there, I was so not feeling it. I felt heavy and outta shape. It was weird. I thought maybe I was just tired so I did as much as I could and then I hit the sauna. 

I had to get this shot. I was doing body weight plié squats and then I went up on my tip toes for standing calf raises. I was surprised when I looked in the mirror and my tank was sitting on my booty like that!! Yay!! Lol. The goal is to get it looking as good as JLo's. Where I can sit a cup on it effortlessly. Lol. Seriously. My butt has come a long way. It used to be a straight back from top to bottom. Hahahaha!! And that is why I SQUAT and everything else. Building those glute muscles so I can fill out my jeans, skirts, dresses and everything else. 

I still have so much work to do!! And I'm ready!! Where there's a will, there's a way. Lol. 

Anyways, I'm so happy I got in one last session this week in the gym. When I got home I had to take Aaliyah shopping for some new school supplies. As soon as we got out of our van to go into the store, I got the chills. And so it is, I am totally catching what my boys have. HOI. Glad I have my DayQuil close by in case it gets bad. I can't wait to see Hoko tomorrow. And I'm ready for the kids to go back to school. Hallelujah!! 

It's so cold!! Gotta dress warm to and from the gym. 

Jamie Eason five months post pregnancy!! Wow!! Amazing!! She looks GREAT!! 

And KimK!! She looks AMAZING, too!! Just reaffirms that hard work and discipline pays off. 

Gym Buddy

Cedez has spent the past two days with me. I love my niece so much!! We have so much in common. She packed all her gym attire so she can hit the gym with me.

 

We did backs yesterday and then arms today. We were straight DEAD!! I love having a gym buddy every once in a while. The gym is so therapeutic for me and I love to go alone. Of course, unless its Hoko. But I also love going with my daughters or my nieces. It's was great and I'm so grateful she has a love for weights like I do. 

Today was payday so after paying rent, our phones, and our cable/Internet bill, I went grocery shopping. I ready an article by Jim Stoppani on his 10 guidelines to your health. He posted this about protein sweets and creatine. 

He had other points, but I found these three the most interesting. So while at Costco I picked some supps. 

And the clean eating is still in full effect. Just ate this. 

Gonna do spin or a full body workout tomorrow to end the week. Maybe both. We'll see. 

 

2.0.1.4.

It's 2014!! I can't believe it's the start of another new year. I spent the night here at my parents place. Had to make a last minute trip here yesterday when I got a call from my mom that my kids that slept over her house had lice. OMG!! I was like, WTH?!?! Baby Hoko, Savou, Polu & Sila. And the girls hair was fine, but the boys?? I felt so bad for them. Even after shaving their heads bald, the lice were crawling all over their scalp. I've never seen it like that before. They must've had it for a while cause their heads were so infested. And yeah, as you can guess....they are all BALD!! All three boys. Even baby had it in his little tail. Ugh...it's all over and done with now, but I was exhausted afterwards and so we just spent the night. 

Hoko called last night a little before midnight so we can ring in 2014 together with the kids. Boooo!! Totally sucked. Lol. It's not the same as being together, but it's ok. We're both super grateful for his job and the financial security it provides our family. 

I got up this morning and made me some scrambled egg whites with spinach & Greek yogurt. And I also had it with a banana and two tall glasses of water. I missed my green smoothie, but my parents don't have a blender. It's ok. Gotta work with what I got. 

After breakfast I washed the dishes to kill time while my food settles. As soon as I was done, I headed out the door. I love that the Planet Fitness is so close to my parents house. Seriously like a three min drive. I downloaded the Jim Stoppani app on my phone so that my workouts are more easily accessible. 

Today's workout set was shoulders. And at the end of the shoulders set, or whatever main body part we're working out, we always end with two ab moves and one whole body move. It's crazy and I love it!! My abs have been sore all week. When I got to the gym, I was looking at my stomach and I swear I straight flexed me a hella thick 4-pack!! Lol. 

What a great way to start off the new year. Lol. Even tho this hard work started wayyyy before with the clean eating. I've been LOVING this Tabata Style Weights Blast workout this week. Even tho I'm so winded from the workouts, as soon as the timer goes off and it's time to go, I push out the next set cause I don't wanna fall short and not complete all eight rounds of each move. My shoulders were straight FIYAH from the very first move. The muscle exhaustion is so REAL with this workout routine. 

I was so happy to see these bad boys at the gym today. They also had kettle bells and resistance bands.  I did overhead throws and ball slams and wood chops. Aaaahhhhh!! I was sweatin!! 

Yesterday was legs day. I woke up this morning and Ash was saying how the back of her legs from top to bottom were sore. I was like not me. But I was still lying down. After I sent that text I stood up to go to the kitchen and OMG!! I almost fell back down. Lol. My hams and glutes were hella strained. Especially my hams. My glutes were like, borderline cramping with every step. Lol. Yeeee!! That's when you know the workouts are REAL and they're working!! I love when workout routines make me feel that way. I feel so accomplished in the gym. And just for myself. 

Anyways, I came back to my parents place and my parents were holding an FHE with the kids. They were going around sharing their goals for the new year as well as counseling them. Love my parents for making those things important. I was starving so I made me some egg whites oats with Greek yogurt, all natural peanut butter and cinnamon. It was ok. Lol. I'd rather be eating a fat, juicy protein style burger. Hahahaha!! Which I will when we get back home. 

The clean eating is continuing into 2014 and I'm so excited to lifestyle. Hoko's family has a New Years Day celebration at the church today, but I don't wanna take the kids over there while we're still cleaning out all their heads/hair. Ugh.... I know the kids would've had a blast. It's ok. I guess we'll celebrate when Hoko gets home.