April Showers...and lots of flowers:)

Happy Spring everyone!

It is spring in the Showman household. The windows are open, and there is the sound of birds chirping and mowers reving. Work is crazy, and any free time we have we spend outside, knowing that the impending Kansas summer heat will be here before we know it!

This weekend, we spent some time outside, mulching and planting flowers. Thanks to a massively awesome sale at Home Depot, our yard is now about ready for spring and summer.

Here are some pics of our work...

My new bird feeder. The birds love it and my cat is now entertained.

The backyard- we remulched with dark brown mulch.

The front view....remulched and new flowers planted.

 Front

The new big pots outside.

We (or I should say my husband) tore out the wood edging and replaced it with rock-looks much better!

A nice little Pinrose for the front table-never have planted one so we will see how it goes.

 

We hope everyone is getting to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather! 

Catching up...

Hello everyone!

Today has been one of those "true" Sundays-a rainy day, a cup of coffee, a morning workout, a few errands, a little bit of cleaning time, and time spend relaxing/napping with the husband, a yummy, new dinner and now a little bit of blogging before Army Wives.

I haven't written in a while, but things are pretty good and calm around here. Shawn and I have both been busy working. I am headed into that period of my job where things will get especially crazy and I will be counting down the weeks until summer (there are about 9 weeks left-but who is counting?). My running shoes, daily conversations with loved ones and the occasional bubble bath are going to be my weapons of choice as I battle Spring Fever. However, I am ready for Spring and all it brings- flowers, longer days, slightly chilly air, bright colors and Cadbury Eggs:)

Shawn and I had a great, pretty calm winter. We have both gotten to see our friends and families as well-going to baby showers, baptisms and having family visit Lawrence. We haven't really been too busy with home projects, but are starting to think of a few projects to get going once the weather gets nice.

I am continuing to make some good progress on my goal of getting fit. I have currently lost almost half of what I want to lose (a few weeks away from the halfway mark). It really hasn't been too bad-full of ups and downs but I find myself continuing to be mindful of what I eat and make better choices. However, I still enjoy all of my vices- including dessert and Mexican food. I also have really gotten back into working out, and now cannot really imagine going back to not exercising for periods of time-it really is such an important part of my life- and a major way of dealing with work stress!!!

Other than that..things are pretty great and calm.

Proud God Dad:)

 Proud Parents

 



This pretty much sums up our Friday nights lately:)

And then there was snow...

I hope everyone enjoys the warmer weather to come...

I guess slow and steady wins the race, right?

The last time I blogged I announced my joining on the bandwagon of weight loss. The good news is that I am still on that bandwagon, and that I have lost 5 pounds so far. It hasn't been enough to really notice a change in the mirror, but I definitely have seen a change in my eating habits these past few weeks. I actually ordered broccoli at a restaurant today-times have really changed! I have also really noticed that I now crave things that are better for me-mostly salad, fruits and veggies. I also just think much more before I eat...thinking about whether or not I  really want the treat.

It also helps that my husband has been super supportive throughout the process-we were actually talking today about how this process has really changed the process for the both of us.

So these next few weeks I hope to just keep on going with my healthier habits. Even though my weight loss has been steady-about a pound a week, I still feel like its working. I also have been amazed that I have still been able to eat- we have even had Burger King, Dairy Queen and pizza-I have just made it all work out:)

These next few weeks bring some events to look forward to-fun work things, a very special baptism (for which we have been asked to be godparents- TRULY such an honor), and just time together keeping warm from the cold.

I hope everyone is staying warm and healthy where you are. I know of a few people who have joined the Weight Watchers bandwagon with me and I want to say GO YOU! I am cheering for ya!:)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe New Year, despite the snow:)

Shawn and I had a nice, relaxing New Years Eve tradition at home-full of games and little smokies.

I just wanted to make it known that I have beat Shawn before at a game...just to clarify.

The snow just kept falling...

Lydia didn't seem too excited about the New Year-she was already sending us glares telling us she wanted to go to bed.

First couple pic of the year!



 And now the Christmas tree is down and put away, and I go back to work tomorrow after a wonderful break.

 

Although Shawn and Lydia are opting out of New Years Resolutions this year, I always like to start off the year with a few thoughts/reflections about 2012 and the year to come...

 

In 2012, I was grateful for...

 

Life

 

Health

 

Love

 

Growth

 

 

In 2013, I hope for...

 

-Continued health, including some weight-loss and lifestyle changes on my part

-Continuing to grow and become a more compassionate, loving and understanding person

-Continuing to maintain, nurture and grow in the roles and relationships that I have in my life-including those of a wife, daughter, teacher, friend, sister, and...soon...aunt:)

 

Happy New Year everyone-hope you return to your jobs, homes and routines safely and peacefully.

 

 

And the journey begins...

I am jumping on a bit of a bandwagon.

But a bandwagon that I have had one leg on for, oh, about, oh 2 years on and off.

It's that band wagon with the destination of "It's a New Year I am going to lose weight and be fit..."

I have had one leg on this bandwagon for a while. The leg I have had on is the one that goes and works out several times a week. That goes to the gym and makes exercise a priority (most of the time).

The other leg is the leg that watches what she eats. That counts calories. That leg has never left the station.

But both legs are on the wagon now, and the wagon is on what I am sure will be a long and at times difficult journey, full of bumps, stops and hopefully some fast days at full throttle:)

I figured blogging about the journey would help make it public, and when you make it public, then you tend to follow what you put out there. In college, I decided I was going to run a half-marathon. The second I registered for the race, it was on. And, sure enough, I ran a half-marathon (no college 15 for this chick:)).

So, a few days ago I registered with Weight Watchers, so now I am paying to track what I eat, so hopefully this will motivate me to keep in line. I plan on posting my progress every week so that I can remind myself how far I have come, and let myself vent when things get hard:) I figured this would also be a good way to get some support, which one does need when trying to get healthy/lose weight.

My goal is 30 pounds. GO ME:)

Here is my before pic. Move over Jennifer Hudson.

Holidays....Celebrate

Man, from one holiday to the next:)

The last time I posted it was right after Thanksgiving and I wrote about how lucky I felt to have so many blessings in life.

Well, here I am a few days after Christmas, doing the same thing:)

Honestly, Shawn and I haven't been up to much since Thanksgiving except for working and getting ready for Christmas. Fortunately, we have also been able to see family, relax and just have time at home together at a nice, relaxed pace. We are so lucky to have friends and family to visit and see and laugh with.

Here are a few pics from the holidays. Shawn spoiled me and got me a new camera for Christmas, so I plan on continuing to get better at taking pics....

Our living room, decorated for Christmas

Snow:)

Shawn cuddled up with our baby-she loves it, I promise

Helper/hinderer

Shawn and Kodack

Tomlins family picture

Reading on Christmas Eve

Abby playing with new toys

Opening gifts on Christmas day

 

I just took a few, mainly because my brother took a ton with his camera (which I am anxious to see)

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful, peaceful holiday! 

Much to be Thankful For...

As the Thanksgiving holiday winds down, I continue to be oh so thankful for many things in life right now...

There are the blessings that I find each year that I continue to be thankful for...

My health...

My husband (who I LOVED getting to spend some quality time with this weekend)

My family (including one furry feline)

My friends and coworkers..I hope they all had a wonderful holiday this weekend

My home

My job and the fact that I do something I do enjoy (I need to keep this in mind as things get stressful)

A good book (I just finished my first James Patterson novel-I know he has been around for years but I am just starting to catch on)

Great coffee

A good Lifetime movie (I have one on right now)

The fact that I have one more day left in my holiday break before returning back to the grind-its been a wonderful relaxing break and I feel fortunate to get to spend it at home doing relaxing things:)

AND, I feel even more thankful for new, wonderful news that has come our way, including...


- The news of a new addition to the Tomlins family-SO HAPPY

- The news of a great friend heading back to Kansas-SO EXCITED


And now I will leave you with some Christmas decorations we set up around our house...just some touches...

Lydia always helps-or hinders...not sure which one:) 

 We got the toliet cover last year as a "gift". I was hoping my husband wouldn't find it but he did. 

So here it is.

I was going to make a new wreath this year, but instead I just updated one I had by adding an embellishment. I am quite satisfied with it.

For Thanksgiving dinner, I brought dessert-Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars. They are delicious!

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix (butter pecan would also be delicious I'm sure)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Icing
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Bake at 350degrees for 25-30 minutes.
When perfectly baked remove from the oven and pour icing over the top. 

Note: I added more milk to the icing

I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful, thankful Sunday! 

Fall happenings

It's early and raining on a Sunday morning...perfect time to post.

I hope everyone is having a peaceful, happy fall so far. I feel like these past few weeks have been going by very quickly- work, house, sleep:) However, these past few weeks have brought many blessings, including...

The birth of an angel. I feel so honored to meet Arya Jean Hammerschmidt:) I look forward to watching her grow and take on this big world!

Celebrating birthdays. Marisa celebrated the big 18!

 

She has an exciting year ahead and I am glad I get to see it happen:)

We had a very quiet, yet enjoyable Halloween here in Lawrence, filled with pumpkins, Charlie Brown, and lots of leftover candy (always a plus.)

 I carved mine into a heart in case you couldn't tell. Shawn carved a perfect, classic jack o-lantern.

 Lydia opted to hang in the garage all Halloween-scrooge.

 

And now I am preparing for the upcoming weeks of busy, holiday madness. I have to say though I have finally caught onto the two words that may save me this holiday season- online shopping.

I read a quote the other day in a magazine that said you are not your to-do list. I also read something in a blog about the importance of being present in the moment, especially during the holiday season.

I plan to keep both of these things in mind as these next few months continue:)

And now I will get back to Amazon shopping, bookmarking Thanksgiving recipes on Pinterest and enjoying this rainy day with Netflix.

Love to everyone:)

Come rain or shine...

My husband is a man of loyalty. Being his wife, of course I deem this as a very good quality to have. This guy, though, truly defines the words "through thick and thin." When he finds something he likes or loves, he sticks with it. This includes American-made cars, Levi's jeans, and Heinz ketchup.

 

I have always known that Shawn was a loyal Jayhawks fan (one of the many reasons I married him-haha). However, after this weekend, I really saw how much the Hawks meant to him, and I learned another lesson about marriage/love along the way (you truly never stop learning-even after two years:)).

On Saturday, Shawn and I headed out to the football game. Shawn has been going to the games all year, and he happened to score some free tickets to this game, so I agreed to go with him. Of course, I was a little reluctant due to the weather forecast, but decided to forgo the thought since I promised Shawn I would go. It also has been a crazy stressful time at work, so I was all for spending time with my husband-even if it meant getting rained on a bit. So, I went along with Shawn when we went to Wally World to get ponchos (they had Jayhawks on them-perfect). When we arrived at the stadium, it was cloudy, but looked okay. However, as we approached the stadium, thunder started to roll.

We found our seats, and soon the game was underway. With about 1 minute until the end of the 1st quarter, it started to pour. And thunder. And then there was lightning. Soon the announcer came on saying that the fans need to take shelter. So, we shuffled down to the concession stand area, along with everyone else. Of course, at this point, about 2/3 of the people left. I have to be honest, I wanted to go with them. The idea of standing there, waiting out the impending storm that was supposed to last all night was not really my idea of how I wanted to spend my Saturday.

But then I looked at my husband. I saw a guy who, despite the rain and craziness, really wanted to be there. I saw a man, who, despite being upset, refused to make me hold the wet towels and jackets that were no doubt making him more wet. I saw a guy who wasn't going to let a little rain take away from a few hours of something that meant something to him and was a part of his history, his family and his life.

And so it was then that I decided that it was time to make the best of things. Shawn and I went down and hit up the concession stand while we waited. Then, when the rain cleared, we joined the other 10 fans who had waited it out in the stadium, and sat there and enjoyed our soda, nachos and hot dog. We then cheered on the Jayhawks as they struggled, got more behind, and came back in the last quarter, only to lose by one touchdown.

Two years ago I would have been pissed. Two years ago I would not have even gone. Two years ago, I still would have required nachos to get me through:), but I know that I don't think I had the love in my heart to stick something out with someone, just because they love it. And truly, with all of the Lifetime Movies, crying/emotional episodes and dinner/dessert-gone-wrong that this man has choked down, the least I could do was stand in the rain with him, as he stands for something he really believes in and loves.



Lately, I have felt more stressed out by work then I ever have. But when this happens, I have found that the best thing to do is refocus, and spend time with those you love the most.

Which is why we took some time today to be together and go take pictures and something we love, along with the Jayhawks- fall colors:)

 

Happy Fall Everyone!!! Spend it with those you love:)