Crazy Week

So I've totally been neglecting my blog and not intentionally at all. Since we've come back from California (this past Sunday night), we've been on the go. Early Monday morning we had to make a day trip to Vernal for Hoko's last doc appointment where he received a medical release to full duty back to work. So he left back to North Dakota this morning with his crew. His finger hasn't healed up fully. The doc says he has another two months or so until it's fully healed. 

As soon as we got back, we got the kids ready and headed to Salt Lake for our annual dinner with the inlaws that Polu & Manase always pay for. They went ice skating first, but we didn't make it on time for that. But the kids were happy to be reunited with all their cousins. And we were happy to see everyone and eat some yummy food. I hit a midnight workout that night so I was totally exhausted when I got home. Didn't wake up the next morning til almost noon. And since it was Christmas Eve, the gym was closing early. So I hit the gym again as soon as I woke up. Was there til 2. Came home and we were supposed to last min Christmas shop for the kids. Just one gift each. But Hoko's dad called and we had to meet up to take the family's hala for Eneio's hubby that passed. By the time we finished up with that, the stores were closed. We had originally planned to not get any gifts for our kids cause we felt like our family's been extremely blessed this past year and our kids aren't in need of anything. But when Christmas Day came and they had nothing to open, it totally sucked. Lol. We won't be doing that anymore. Or maybe next year, we need to really get in the Christmas spirit and give if we're able to. Live and learn. Anyways, we made a delicious breakfast for the kids and I hit my backyard gym for my workout that day. Felt great!! Hella taxed my back, traps & biceps. Sila joined me. Love my littles for always wanting to join me. 

Egg white omelette and waffles!! 

Ratchet!! I know!! Lol. Started with T25 while everyone was asleep on Christmas Day. Then made breakfast for everyone and hit the backyard!! 

Skipping in the snow for my one min cardio acceleration between sets. KILLER!! 

Back, traps & biceps. 

We met up at Asi & Tina's house last night with some of Hoko's family for a last min Christmas dinner. It was GREAT!! Yummy food and great company!! We love our families so much and are so grateful for all their support and love in all that we do. 

Hoko left back to work this morning. I love that man so much and count my blessings every day that I will be spending eternity with him. He spoils me so much. And I'm not just saying that. My happiness is everything to him. Sometimes I feel like I'm the biggest brat ever and then I remind myself that hello?? He's the reason I'm such a brat. He gives me everything. Hahahaha!! But when he puts his foot down on things, I know my place. And I love him for being the man that he is. Anyways, so off topic. Lol. Today was thee first day of cleaning that went down in this house since we got back on Sunday. The filthiness was REAL!! We cleaned up a lot today, but not fully. There will be cleaning going on all week. 

I just got home from the gym, grocery shopping and day after Christmas mall shopping. Lol. The sales were too good not to pass up. Grabbed Aaliyah & Lote a bunch of stuff for super cheap today to ease my guilt from yesterday. Lol. 

This is the last week of the Shortcut To Shred program by Jim Stoppani. I absolutely love this program and the results I've achieved from it. I rocked out in my some my new adidas gear that Hoko got me from the outlets in Cali. We hit it up last Saturday and the sales were amazing!! It was super packed and too crowded for us to really go crazy since we had all the kids with us. 

The progress I've seen the most from this program is my back. It naturally arches in so much now and my glute muscles have grown a ton as well. 

Right before heading to the outlets last Saturday. 

I've started an eating clean challenge with Ashleigh. We started tonight. Yup!! Tonight. Lol. I ate waffles this morning with fruit and 100% maple syrup and then had a protein style burger with grapes for dinner. Our challenge is for 30 days so it can become a habit and we can continue to lifestyle with it. I know this is the key for the both of us to hit our goals. Both weight wise and lean muscle gains wise. 

Anyways, this post has totally turned into an update post. Lol. 

Family Vaycay Day 3

We spent another day at the beach with the surf board and boogie boards. We had a blast catching and riding the waves!! I have to say, tho, that we totally ate it wayyyy more than not. Lol. It leaves us all so depleted for the rest of the day. 

And yeah, this guy was determined to get his wet suit to fit. Hahahaha!! And I was dying laughing the whole time!! I love him so much!! 

Every morning Hoko gets up and makes us these amazing breakfasts!! Seriously, it's the best!! 

We haven't done much today, but eat, swim and lounge in the got tub. I took a totally different approach to this vaycay. I really wanted us to really relax and enjoy this beach house and the beach. And that's precisely what we've been doing. No rushing around everywhere to try and see everything. That's too chaotic with all these kids. Plus, we're taking them to Disneyland on Friday. That will be tiring enough. 

We're all in love with the rooftop balcony. You can see everything!! The surfers are always out at all times of the day catching the waves. And you can see such a clear sight of the ocean. It's absolutely stunning!! 

Gym Life

I haven't been slacking on my workouts. It's been quite the opposite here on vaycay. I have a membership at Planet Fitness and they are nationwide so I went online and looked up whether there would be one near where we're staying right now. Lo and behold, there is. I've been hitting the gym every night since we got here. It's so AWESOME!! On Monday I went around 6 pm and it was packed. I walked up to the front desk and asked them what time(s) it isn't busy. They said after 9 pm so I've been burning the midnight oil there every night to avoid any traffic. One thing I hate about gyms is when it's packed and everything I'm there to do that day is taken up. I left the gym immediately and returned later that night. I came home and did T25, ate dinner and then hit the gym for week five of the shred program!! I finished up week four last week and I feel great!! I'm starting to lean out once more and also build lean muscle. 

Top picks are from Monday. 

The little ones have been gettin' down to T25 with me this week. They're so cute!! They look forward to it every night. Lol. 

Last night in the gym are those next set of top pics. Last set are from tonight. Both T25 and the gym. 

Post T25 pics from tonight!  Straight drippin' errywhere!! 

I love working out. It's where I feel the most in my element. Even tho we're on vacation, I plan ahead with me meals. I have another 20 lbs to lose and I'm hoping I can hit it by birthday in April!! That would be thee best gift I could ever give myself. The goals are too real. 

CARLSBAD, CA

We are officially on our family vacation here in Carlsbad, CA. It's about 20-30 min from San Diego. We haven't been downtown yet and that's ok cause we absolutely can't peel ourselves away from this city anyway. LOL. It is GORGEOUS here and we have everything we want at the Carlsbad beach that's just in our backyard. 

We rented a beach house here in Carlsbad. It's absolutely stunning!! Three bedrooms and three baths never looked so good. There's a hot tub in the backyard with an outdoor shower so we can wash off the sand and salt water before entering the house. It's amazing!! The kitchen is so top notch!! All Kitchenaid appliances. It makes Hoko & I wanna cook all the time. The stovetop and oven is soooooo NICE!! As in it's like SMART. Lol. Seriously. Your food never burns cause it has some type of settings that lowers the heat accordingly, I think. Everything is stainless steel in the kitchen. Even the blender. Lol. It's just so beautiful and seriously a dream home!! 

The house came equipped with a surf board, boogie boards, beach chairs, beach towels, toys for the kids and one of those big umbrellas that blocks out the sun. It's so GREAT!! The beach is UH-MAZING!! So beautiful and clean. It's shallow part is really far out and the waves are perfect for the kids to be able to swim in safely without drowning cause they're not too aggressive. I love it here. Can we just move here already?! I wish!! I told Hoko that we should definitely retire here!! The locals were looking at us like we were crazy cause its cold right now for them. And we're over here like, we're from Utah niggz. Where it was in the negatives last week. This is paradise to us!! We're the only ones swimming in the ocean. Everyone else there is only there to surf and since we're annoying and like to live by that famous saying, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Lol. So we went to the local thrift store in town and bought all the wet suits they had and hit the beach today lookin' like some locals!! Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh!! Hahahahaha!! It was our first time putting a wet suit on and I loved it!! It kept me dry and warm and I paddled my heart out on the surf board and caught a wave ONCE the whole hour I was on it. Hahahaha!! Yeah. I was being greedy with it and finally gave it to Polu Marie and Lote si'i who took turns with their dad. It was so FUN!! 

There's a ton more pics of us at the beach on Hoko's phone. I'll get them and upload them tomorrow. After the beach, we always rush home so we can shower off and soak in the hot tub until its time to make dinner. It's so GREAT!! 

We made the decision before we came to grocery shop so we wouldn't be spending so much money on food alone. Also because I didn't wanna always have to find somewhere to buy fast food whenever we got hungry. Especially with seven kids. That's just crazy!! So we hit up Costco, which is only five min from here, to grocery shop for the week. And it's working out pretty great!! 

Top pics are from yesterday. 

Hoko and I have been talking a lot while we're out here and we've been so grateful to be able to do this for our kids. They have no idea how much we love them and how much their happiness is important to us. We talk about them all the time. Our hopes and dreams for each of them continues to grow as they grow. We're excited to watch them grow up and become who our Heavenly Father has planned for them to be from even before the world was. I love my Heavenly Father and recognize that I have so much to work on to be able to return to Him someday. It's been a great week so far!! Our vacation is perfect.