Putting it out there

Whether anyone reads my blog or not, I feel that I can hold myself more accountable if I publicly post this. So, here's my story...  I have a deep need to get fit again and show my girls that they have a strong, healthy Mommy.  For Daren, I would like my body to look a hint of what it did when he fell in love with me at age nineteen.  For me, I want to be fit, healthy and strong.  I want to feel proud of myself.  My excuse has always been about time.  The record in my head plays like this, "I work all day.  I want to be with Daren and the girls after work.  I don't have any energy left after I put the girls to bed.  I don't have time."  I was tired of the excuses because women around me do it all the time.  I saw this online and it hit me.  I have to change my life!  But, I did nothing.  I just saved the photo and thought about it a lot. 

 Then one night, I saw this Facebook post from a friend of mine who is a Crossfit Coach.  It resonated with me and I decided to change my life.  I look at this photo every morning when my alarm goes off at 4:45 A.M.

In the past, I get excited about exercise and I overdo it.  I get hurt early and this the routine fades out.  I did a bit of research and decided to start really slow.  I set my alarm for 4:45 A.M. to begin the Couch to 5K program. It was perfect.  It allowed me to feel really successful at first while the habit formed for the 4:45 wake up call and for exercise.  My 8 weeks on the program ended just in time for a 5K.

For a while, my running felt a lot like this:

 Then, I just settled in to the routine and it got easier and easier.  I signed myself up for the Jingle Bell 5K as a finish point for the Couch to 5K 8 week program and I ran it alone.  I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I didn't want the pressure of having to pace with anyone else. Guess what, I did it!  And, I ran the entire way.  For some, that is not a big deal.  For those of you who read this and think, "I can't believe a 5K is hard for her?!"  Well, guess what?!  I did great!  It was hard, but I did it.

 So, my promise to myself in 2013 and moving forward is that I will maintain this healthy way of life.  I will continue to push myself and work to keep my body healthy.  It is a struggle for me, for some reason.  Call me lazy.   I don't know what it is.  I am my own worst enemy.  I feel great when I exercise.  No excuses anymore.  Just gonna do it!

 My next goal is the 10 for 20 in Austin, TX on April 13 that I am running with my good friends, Jen and Stacey.  I started the training program for it this week.  Eye on the prize - 10 miles, the finish line, a healthier me!

Goldilocks and the Teddy Bear Picnic

At bed time, Harper LOVES story time.  Her most recent favorite is "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."  In all seriousness, I think we have probably read it a thousand times!  We showed up to her school one Monday morning, and her teacher had transformed one corner of the room to have 3 beds, 3 bowls, and 3 chairs (big, medium, and small) to replicate the story.  Harper flipped.  Harper was ecstatic, to say the least!  It was an amazingly fun surprise for my silly 3 year old who loves Goldilocks so much!  To top it off, the class was going to have a Teddy Bear Picnic that Friday where each kid brings their favorite teddy bear and a packed lunch for a picnic with all the friends and their respective teddy bears.  Heaven on Earth for sweet Harper Ann!

Goldilocks ready for her picnic!  She brought her ballerina bear to join her along with her princess lunch box.

Umbrella Obsession

Claire has wanted a Hello Kitty umbrella for several months now.  Harper has been begging for Minnie Mouse.  Daren and I didn't understand the obsession so we avoided it for a while.  One night, Daren decided we should go ahead and order the umbrellas from Amazon.  You would have thought we bought them a trip to Disney World.  They LOVE the umbrellas, to say the least.  The girls have been pretending it's raining indoors ever since.  Hopefully, it's really NOT bad luck because, if it is, we are in BIG trouble.

Fun times in the COLD

January began with a bang and it was cold.  I think we had a week's worth of cold weather and it was during my last week at home before school began again.  We had some fun play dates with the boys and the girls and I took several trips to the park.  The break from our work/school routine was really nice.  It's fun to be with the girls and watch their friendship flourish. 

I was so proud that I actually got them all to agree to look and smile at once.  Pretty cute kiddos!

Claire and Harper raced up the slide.  Claire is really sweet and patient; she always lets Harper go first.  The good news is that Harper is getting really fast and brave.

Harper's favorite park feature - the ROCKS!

Claire loves to see how fast she can go down the slide!

Two Texans Dreaming of a Victory

Daren and Trey flew to Boston to root on the Texans as they played against the Patriots.  Although the Texans fell short, the two lifelong friends had a great time! 

I think they ate their way through Boston.  Look at that breakfast!

Game time!!!  Go Texans!!

Two very excited Texans.  Maybe next year, boys!  :-(

Christmas in Houston

Christmas in Houston was wonderful!  We enjoyed each other and we enjoyed a special meal from Mimi. We loved being a part of Lilliann's first Christmas. The girls love being in Houston playing with Mimi, Papa and LaLa.  They love all the doggies.  They especially love their new cousin, Lilliann.  They love playing outside and playing in their office.  It is always a treat to be in Houston.  This Christmas was such a reminder of how blessed we are.

The Nix Christmas blessing - Lilliann at 4 months old

Harper was very excited to open a purse with lipsticks!  This girl is such a girly girl; she loves all things pink, frilly, and sparkly.  We are in for it during her teenage years. :-)

Claire got a Hello Kitty alarm clock.  She was ecstatic about it!!  She LOVES it!!  It has been a bittersweet gift for Mommy and Daddy, as we don't wake her up for school anymore.  She won't allow it.  Alarm goes off, she gets up, dresses herself, and comes to breakfast!  She is SO proud of herself and we are so proud of her for wanting to be independent.  But it is one more chapter closed and one more step towards being a big girl.

Our family picture

D and I

Our first Christmas with Lilliann and it was very special!  She is such a blessing.
 

Harper loves her new sleeping bag!  We spend many nights with her sleeping bag in her bed.  ;-)

Lilliann the Baylor Bear!  Lashelle sent us this picture and we melted.  She is the prettiest little Bear in the world.

Harper loves playing babies and she LOVES her new high chair for her baby Sophie.

I love kissing her sweet cheeks!

Watch out, Lashelle!  Uncle D is teaching her to put up her Horns.  I have to say that she does it quite well.

Christmas at Grandma and Pops

On the afternoon of Christmas day, we headed over to Grandma and Pops to exchange gifts.  All of the grandkids had a ball together playing with gifts and being together.  Grandma and Pops had a wonderful meal awaiting and we had a really special evening.  Everyone was excited, grateful and happy to be together.  We couldn't be more blessed. 

Princess and the Pop Star!!! 

Doc McStuffin and a Furby!!  Harper LOVES Doc McStuffin.  She was so excited and hasn't stopped playing with her since.  :-)

Claire wrapped up her Thanksgiving turkey that she made for school, as well as her Barbie purse, and gave them to Pops as a special surprise.  She was so excited for him to open them, and he was very happy to receive them.

Grandma and Pops' big surprise for the kids were Nabi tablets!  The girls love them and we love that all of the apps are educational and kid-friendly. 

I love this picture of Grandma and D.  Two of my favorite people...

The Top 10 Moments of the Daren Nix family Christmas 2012

These moments are in no particular order but they encompass my top ten favorite moments of Christmas Day at our house.  It was a wonderful morning.  It was magical and the girls were sincerely so surprised and grateful.  Grandma, Pops, Christi, Mimi, Papa, LaLa & Lilliann were all there to share in the special morning with us.  It was such a blast!  We are truly so blessed. 

1. Claire wrote me a special love letter for Christmas.  She wrapped it herself for me to open.  It was a really wonderful moment for Claire and me.  I will treasure that little note for the rest of my life.

2. Grandma hugs captured on film.  Grandma & Pops arrived at 7 a.m. because they wanted to be part of watching the girls run out of their rooms to see what Santa brought.

3. Sweet Lilliann spending Christmas Day at our house was such a blessing!  We got her that chair and she looks so cute sitting in it.  :-)  More than anything, we are just so grateful she is in our lives.  She is a little angel.

4. Harper ran to Daddy to give thank you hugs.  It was so sincere and so sweet.

5. Claire desperately wanted Santa to bring her a gingerbread house.  He did.  The funniest part of it all is that Harper got one from Santa too, but she was WAY more interested in eating the decorations than she was building the house.

6. Claire was so excited when she opened her very own classroom stuff from Mommy & Daddy.  She has been teaching ever since.  I loved that I caught her expression on camera.  :-)

7. Miss Harper wanted her very own jewelry box with her name on it.  I missed the picture moment of her face when she opened it to find a ballerina inside, but it was priceless.  Our little ballerina girl was so excited!

8. Santa brought the girls a Wii and one of my favorite moments was of Daddy dancing with the girls.

9. Claire was ecstatic to build her gingerbread house.  Harper had a great time too. 

10. Mimi is so much fun!  She disappeared with Claire for a brief moment and came back with Claire hidden in one of the gift bags for Papa to open.  Claire had a blast being Papa's surprise!  Priceless moment of joy!

Christmas Eve 2012

Christmas Eve was really nice for our family.  We went to the candlelight service at Riverbend.  This service is always spectacular - Christmas songs, a sermon and the entire congregation sings "Silent Night" while holding lit candles to finish the evening.  It always feels really magical and is a wonderful reminder that we celebrate this day to honor the birth of Jesus.  The girls got to go down to the front to sing a song and meet Rudolph.  Those photos are on Lashelle's camera, but the girls had a blast doing that!  Once we got home, we left the cookies and milk for Santa, reindeer food for the reindeer, took our baths and headed to bed.  Mimi decided she wanted to sleep with the girls to be sure we all knew when they woke up the next morning.  We didn't want to miss those wonderful expressions of awe on their faces. 

Our family on Christmas Eve before the candlelight service at church

Mimi, Papa and Lilliann on Christmas Eve

Claire, Lilliann and Harper on Christmas Eve

The girls left Mint Oreos and milk for Santa

Harper didn't want her feet in the grass, but this is a picture of her leaving the reindeer food out in the front yard for the reindeer to eat. 

Santa's loot for Claire - a bulletin board with her name on it, a white board (a teacher in the making?!) and the gingerbread house were her big requests this year!  Santa delivered.  :-)

Harper's loot from Santa - a baby, a baby crib & a dress up dress were her big requests.  Santa delivered!

There's nothing better than a Mimi sleepover!  Can you find all 3 girls - Mimi, Claire and Harper? 

Climbing trees, caterpillars and a special date

The weekend before school let out for the holidays, Lashelle invited Claire and Harper to Houston to see Annie, the musical.  Claire ended up being the only one to get to go to Houston for the weekend, as Harper had to stay in Austin because she got really sick  The only picture I have from Claire's night at Annie won't upload.  :-(  But, Claire LOVED the musical and she tells her friends here in Austin that she met "the real Annie."   Claire loves being at Mimi and Papa's.  I'm sure she really loved getting to go all by herself.  :-)  Sweet Harper was really sad to be left out, but we told her she could make her own trip to Mimi and Papa's soon, and that seemed to subside her disappointment.

Claire at the top of a VERY tall tree at Mimi's.  She really is a monkey and has no fear about it at all!

Claire found some caterpillars at Mimi's!

By Saturday night, Harper was feeling better. She got to have a special date with Mommy and Daddy to dinner and to see the Domain Christmas tree.  We loved the time with our baby girl and she loved getting all of the attention.