Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Happy Wednesday!

So many posts to do SO little time ;)
But, this post will only cover boot camp--instead of my usual dumping everything into one rambling post.

This morning I had boot camp.
I use to be an avid boot camp contender pre-Kix days.
It took weeks and weeks to build up any endurance. 
It was a humbling experience those first few months.
The athlete in me that had been buried away under pounds of fat and months of pregnancy and resting due to csection recovery/complications and bed rest begin to emerge.

I began to feel alive again.
 My muscles that hadn't been flexed or used in ages began to pump blood through them.
Sweat that only could come from a vigorous workout started to cleanse my body from medication and bad foods I had enjoyed for so long.

I found my athlete again.
I loved the competition, I enjoyed pushing myself---and before long, instead of being last in every race or fitness drill--I was starting to finish first in many things.
Of course, this was months and months of waking up at 5:30am and busting my bottom.

It took time.
And I wanted to give up a lot.
There were many mornings Justin had to push me out of bed.
I may not of achieved the bikini body you see in fitness magazines, but I was strong again.
I could run, I could jump, I could do burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, planks, crunches, bear crawls...you name it!

My abdomen walls that had been sliced through during the csection begin to have feeling again.
I could flex them--and though they always feel a little weaker than the rest of my body--I began to grow stronger there too.

I no longer was out of breath walking up a flight of stairs...
I could run a few miles even!
Hey, I could even crank out 6 or 7 miles after a few months.

But, that was THEN,

Fast forward...
Second pregnancy, second baby--second c-section.
Add 50lbs.

This time, I had an excuse.
Right?
And I used that excuse.
I used it up until this past week.

I have no time.
I don't get sleep.
It's too much work.
I can do it alone.
I have things to do.
I have TWO kids.
I have a million things to do!
I can't...
I can't...
I CAN'T.

I got tired of my excuses.

So, I signed back up.

And here I am.

Am I tired?
YES
AM I sore?
YES
Am I fat?  the politically correct word would be overweight* and the answer would still be yes!
YES
Am I out of shape?
YES

BUT...
Am I ready to be strong again?
YES
AM I ready to run and keep up with my toddler?
YES
AM I ready to find my athlete?
YES
AM I ready to use this body the way God intended me to?
OF COURSE!

God, gave me this body.
I should cherish it.
And treat it well!

Just because it is now full of scars, cellulite, extra meat (especially on my love handles) and I have a nice spare tire does NOT mean I should treat it poorly!

This body is my temple.
I want to be strong for my children, for myself, for my husband.

Do I want to lose weight and fit back in my old clothes?
YES

But, most importantly...I enjoy chasing the natural, beautiful high from endorphins.
I enjoy the sweat.
The feeling of pushing myself to the verge of passing out and throwing up.

I am so grateful to my Lord Jesus that I have TWO LEGS, TWO ARMS and perfectly CAPABLE of working out and making myself healthy.

I owe it to myself.
I owe it to my wonderful Creator.
He allowed me to have children,  two of my biggest blessings.
So to give glory to Him, I should respect and use my body in a healthy manner.

I'm ready to be strong.
I am ready to run again.
I'm ready! :)

On that note,
I've got 4 weeks of boot camp before vacation.
I took measurements...

And from the last time I took measurements,
in December--I'm down 9 1/2 inches.
That's not that much considering.
Most being from my hips and thighs (3 inches both)

I had a goal to lose 10lbs before we leave for the beach--but I think I'm going to change that goal to 5lbs. I can't diet too hard because I am breastfeeding--and I'm still responsible for the majority of Kix's diet.

I'll re-evaluate my goals after boot camp--and of course post them here.

Until next time,
hk

Because, I'm crazy...

Hey readers and friends!

Little update and some ramblings...
Last weekend was my cousin's graduation so my parents were in town.  It is always so nice to have them around and when they leave I tend to go into a little depression.

I wish most times my parents lived closer. Or that they lived here. But, Atlanta is their home--and in some ways I'm glad they're there.

It provides a nice break for us when we go visit and I appreciate both Atlanta and Austin when I'm in either location.
Austin is our home--Atlanta is their home.

That being said, it takes me a few days to get out of the funk of missing my family.
My happiest memories are when they're around! And I thank God for allowing me to have the family that I do--and a family that ultimately makes it a priority to spend time together.

Anywho, the last few weeks I've been trying to implement a 'schedule' for Kie & Kix.
This schedule is more so for my sanity and it's more Kie's schedule--than Kix's.
Kix, has a schedule --but not like Kie's!

Of course, there are days when we totally disregard it--but for most part...we do most of the schedule.
Kie loves it! (Most children like some structure to their days!) And he has been 'reading it' and likes to inform me what is next on the schedule. (It's a big poster on the hallway door)

Also, it is helping me get into gears for a future HOMESCHOOLING schedule!
Yep, I'm homeschooling.
Yes, I've promised to write why---but I think I'd have essay upon essay on the why....

In short,
if you're not a parent yet...you may think I'm CRAZY to want to home school.
Or, that I'm a nut job--or that I want to brainwash my kids.
But wait till you have a child.
Wait until the sole responsibility to raise, protect, guide, nurture and teach that child is upon you.
It's not something I take lightly.

You may think twice about where your child goes to school or what they're exposed to--or what they learn at the hands of another individual (be it teacher, society or peer.)

Frankly, I don't care what others think or say or do on regards to this decision.
If I did care, I'd of cut my 2 1/2 year old's long blond hippie hair ;)

I don't live for others.
I don't even live for me.

I live for my Savior.
God's will and calling for me.

And, I feel I'm being called to home school.
And yes, prior to kids--even prior to this year--I was all about the public school route.
But, my heart begin to change.
Resources popped up, thoughts changed...and I felt a strong tugging at my heart. Then, I saw signs everywhere--telling me I was heading down the right path.
That homeschooling was a path we should explore.
Not only does the daily news affirm to me why I should home school--but a billion other reasons.

My family may not understand,
my friends might not understand,
heck, sometimes I'm a bit scared of what I'm going to attempt to do---
but I KNOW that this is what I should do.

All I know is God changed my husband's heart and mine.
So, this is our path!
I'm excited and happy!

I've never had peace about putting Kie into school--and the peace I have about homeschooling is real and hopeful!

ANYWAY, because I'm crazy we're going to be embarking on homeschooling.
(I say this jokingly because I hear this often from people opposed to the home school route!)

Now for Operation HOT MOM:

(Yes, I realize that has a vain tone to it--and not that I worry about being said 'hot' status for anyone besides myself and husband....maybe I should name it, healthy and hot mom?)

Anyway, for Operation Healthy & Hot Mom

I decided to start boot camp again...because, I'm crazy!

I have a love/hate relationship with boot camp.

It's hard to get up so early when you rarely get sleep (did I mention Kix is teething? Or having some growth pains?) Anyway--we don't sleep much and by the time I drift off into Sleepville--Kie bounces into my bedroom to wake me!

SO...this Monday--5:30am wake up call--and workouts!
For 4weeks.

We'll see how I fair.
I do know with the little working out I've been doing is nothing compared to the rigorous workouts I will be expecting to do during boot camps.

POST-Kie days I use to do boot camps every week. I got in GREAT shape and was strong and had tons of stamina for my running. It took a long time to get there and I'm ready to be fit and strong again!

Of course, I would be lying to say it wouldn't be nice to fit into my pre-Kix jeans. (Size 7-8) and even better pre-Kie jeans (Size 4-6).  ANYWAY--I'll post/update on my boot camps and hopefully in 4 weeks I'll be a lot stronger and if I'm lucky, LEANER!

Alright, this momma is going to go clean house while one baby naps.

Until next time,
hk

My friend sent this to me and I love it! lol

Little Bit of Life in Pictures!

QUICK update and the rest are just pretty pictures!

Daddy J and Kie are out at the Circuit of America's for some 'fastcar races' as Kie would say.

So Kix and I have had the day together :)

The house is spotless, dinner is cooking--I've been shopping and now about to attempt the SHRED!

Shower, nap and I'd call this a beautiful and successful day!

Life is a bit simplier with one that is NOT mobile.

 It makes a world of difference when they're are able to move!

(Kix is well on his way, but I'll save that for another post!) 

Let's just say, trapping him in things and chairs is what I've had to do as of late.

ALRIGHTY I'm going to get my OPERATION HOT Mom on.

aka sweat and look gross ;)

Happy Weeekend Readers!

-hk

Cinco de Mayo with my favorite fellas! 

Fun with Daddy J

Beautiful Lake Austin 

Bike riding and picked momma a flower ;)

after church--bird watching

Handsome Kie

Paul and Amber

My handsome guys!

our lovely backyard oasis 

my hibiscus bloomed! (I have 4 of these tattooed on me btw!)

 love the jasmine on our fence this time of year
smells wonderful!

My necklace that's getting engraved with Kie and Kix's birthdate and our wedding anniversary.
 sweet surprise from J

The time Kie got a train stuck in his hair and bullet points!

I have about a million and one posts in draft right now...I start one and then my ADD brain can't finish it. 

SO this one will be a bit of a ramble and a BIG jumble of a few posts in one

...I apologize in advance.

Let's rewind and do some bullet points of the past two weeks and what's been going on here @ The Knuth household.

• LAST LAST weekend was J and my 3rd wedding anniversary. In short, we had a great weekend. Our friends also had their wedding the night before. It was a beautiful wedding and it was a great night out with our two boys (who behaved very well for their first wedding) It was a lot of fun with good friends we haven't seen in awhile. Overall, a beautiful night full of lots of love and laughter! 
• Our anniversary fell on Saturday so we of course had Kie's soccer game. Afterwards, J and I got Kie a new bike seat. So we took the boys out for some biking adventures.  It was a lot of fun! We love getting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. I also attempted to run some--more on that later. In short, we spent the day out and about in the spring time sun.  That night we had a nice dinner at home and shared the evening around the bonfire in the backyard with the boys.  It was nice, chill and a perfect end to a great day.
• As for this past weekend, it was Mother's Day weekend--Kie had another soccer game and got a medal! It was so cute watching all those precious little two year olds. Kie made some great friends! We can't wait to do another soccer session for this summer.
• Sunday, we went to church as usual--and as of late..I've been spending the sermons in the breezeway with a few other moms and their babies.  Kie goes to nursery but I've yet to put Kix in the nursery. So, I spend my time pacing the breezeway and meeting new mommies. It's kinda fun! Plus, I get to burn a few extra calories vs. sitting in a pew. Kix just wants to preach and talk when Dr. Bowman does his sermons ;)
• After church, we had a Mother's Day lunch at one of our favorite spots, Santa's Rita's--and then we got the boat ready and prepped to go to the lake.
• It was our first time out on the boat for the season AND it was the first time going out on the boat  as a family of 4! Basically, Kix's first time out on Lake Austin. And what a beautiful day it was!  It was too cold to wake board still (Lake Austin's water stays considerably cold for most of the summer). But we enjoyed a few hours on the boat--and then we hit up Cain and Abel's on the lake for some great food and drinks.  It was a beautiful day--and a beautiful reminder of how blessed I am as a mother to two precious boys. So grateful to my amazing God for my two blessings! (3, counting Justin!)

Oh, and for Mother's day....Justin and the boys REALLY out did themselves....I got a beautiful new orchid, a card that Kie and Kix colored me and a Tiffany's necklace with 3 rings. The rings representing the three of them.

Justin is getting it engraved with Kie and Kix's name and their birth dates...and the middle ring will have our wedding anniversary on it.

It's a beautiful piece and I'll cherish it for years to come!

As for THIS weekend--my parents are coming in to go to my cousin, Grant's UT graduation.

So proud of him! Justin, Warren and Kie will be going to see some races at the Circuit of America's track--and I'll be seeing lots of family as well! I'm excited to see everyone! 

Oh as for the the train story--guess that should be covered. Well--in short, Kie took a nap with his Thomas the Train. Who, is electrical because it runs on his train tracks. Well, not long after I put him down--I hear some wailing....and I go into his room to discover his train was greatly tangled in his long mop of blonde hair. Guess he decided to drive it on his head? I don't know..

Anyway, Kie was crying and being the good mom I am, I insisted on pictures.

I tried my best to loosen the train from his hair. But, I ended up having to cut a big chunk out. So, now he has a nice little bald spot on the top of his cute little head. 

Lol. Oh toddlers...I love them so! ;)

Texas sky during our bonfire in the backyard

So, yes...that's what's been going on in a short version.

Of course there's a lot of living in the day to day--but, that's the big points I can remember for now.

AS for Operation HOT MOM--I've been slacking some in the exercise department this week. I have tried many attempts to do some exercise dvds and even got two videos for my tablet to watch when I'm outside with the boys... but, I'm so ADHD I rarely finish them. Plus, I get distracted with the needs of the babies.  However, I've been eating pretty clean. I've even cut out my BIGGEST VICE--DIET SODAS!

In fact, it's been 3 weeks today that I stopped
cold turkey drinking Diet Dr Peppers. I have been drinking those things since the age of 13! That means, 13 years of a bad habit! It was hard the first few days--and I still crave them on occasion--but wow, I never thought I could stop them completely!

And to be honest, I don't miss them now. Plus, I've had less headaches--and feel less bloated. I also don't snack as much. Sometimes I'd have a diet Dr. Pepper and grab a snack to go with it, just because it tasted good.

I still like bubbly drinks, so I resorted to drinking sparkling mineral water (Perrier water with lime) when I need something with bubbles.

I've lost another lb or two...which totals my weight loss from Easter to be about 13lbs. I still have a ways to go! However, I couldn't of gone THIS far without my good, GOOD friend Juli! Seriously, she's my healthy/weight loss/exercise sponsor! 

I love her to death--and we check in on one another everyday.  She talks me out of eating Blizzards and cakes for every meal every day ;) Hehe. 

She's been such a blessing and a positive encouragement to me to get back on a healthy kick.  And, I gotta admit--I do feel better! There are days when I'm tired but eating veggies, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats have helped my mood. Plus, with spring and summer--there are a lot of great fruits and fresh veggies to enjoy.

Alright, enough of that...I'm going to leave you with some pictures!

SOON---I'll post some before/after pictures.

I have some pretty bad BEFORE pictures!

Until next time,

hk

getting ready for our next sport!

Kix having his first solids--sweet potatoes

Coach Sydney & Kie

Lake Austin & the 360 Bridge
LOVE this beautiful city

@ Cain & Abel's

Happy 6 Months Kix Baby!

Kix Baby 'turned' SIX MONTHS this past week.
Where is time going?!

My baby is getting big. I still can't make time pause...(a battle I've been fighting since Kie was born) nonetheless, it is JOYOUS to watch them learn and grow :)

As for Kix, he still hasn't had any solid foods yet. We're teetering close to 20lbs...still wearing the same size clothes (9-12months typically) and size 3 diapers.

We also don't do bottles.  But that's because I've not pumped a surplus of milk like I did with Kie.
That's something I need to work on.
We will be seeing the doctor next week--and I may start introducing him to a few solids. But, since our weight is good--and we have no teeth--I am not in a rush.

Speaking of teeth, we have none as of now. However, I am sad to say I thought I saw two small white areas on the bottom of his gums popping up. So, we could wake up tomorrow with teeth!

Kix loves his brother still (Kie is everyone's source of entertainment!) and he loves standing (while being held) his bouncy chair/jumparoo thing...and he loves being held.

Like I've said, he is the true baby of the bunch.
And, yes...he still is in our bed.
But--he does go down by himself now--and he takes a morning nap alone.
By the way, this is ALL because I've yet to let him go down alone.
 I am having big issues letting go of my baby time.
 I think because I realized this go around HOW fast time flies!

We still do baby wearing (and I love it so) when we go shopping or out for groceries...Or, if I am taking Kix for a walk sans Kie.

Kix also loves to talk--and he screams and squeals as well.
His -word- he says over and over is 'BA BA BA BA'...
He did say something that sounded like DADA the other day, but I am not counting it.
I need one of my babies to say 'mama' first ;)

Anyway, sweet baby Kix is 6months-and though time is FLYING by--I could not be more happier with him being added to our family.
I feel like he was always here with us!
We're so blessed to have a sweet wild, angel baby :)

my handsomes

I say wild, because he literally doesn't stop moving or jumping.
Love you sweet 'lil dimpled boy!

AND for a few updates....

Last weekend turned out to be pretty nice weekend.
Friday, J-Me and the babies met with our friends for dinner and happy hour.
They're trying to find a home in the South Austin area--and have been looking for months.
The market is insane right now!
We're hoping they find something soon so we can be closer. We love them so :)
Saturday, Kie had his second weekend with the Soccer Shots! It is so much fun to watch him play.

And it's also pretty hilarious. 
The little boys kept interrupting the game and drills to play an impromptu of 'Ring Around the Rosie'.

little blurry @ Red's

Seriously, can you imagine anything cuter than a soccer game being paused for 'Ring around the Rosie?'

Later that day my oldest bestie (oldest--as in forever friends) came in town and we had a fun early evening at Red's Porch and then went to watch the Round Rock Express game.*
We being me, my hubs and the two boys* to clarify! 

Sunday-we went to church and had a lovely weekend catching up and relaxing some. Something we rarely do. We never just sit!

As for this week, we have been busy! Tomorrow our friend's are getting married--and we're taking the babies--so, I'm crossing fingers all goes well.
Then Saturday is our anniversary :)
I'm sure Justin has something up his sleeve...he always does.
(I, on the other hand, need to get on the ball!)

Speaking of getting on the ball...
I'm about to hop on my stationary bike for an hour of riding!

PS-Stay tuned on my HOT MOM POST...

Until next time,

Express Baseball game! So fun!

Does this purse go with this baby?

getting the boat out for this weekend
crossing fingers it gets warm!