About Me

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I am a Mom of two young lads, a fitness fanatic and wife to a die-hard Packers/Brewers fan. I worked in corporate america for 12 years. Now I am on a new adventure - raising my sons and working part-time in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor. I hope you stop by and read my updates- family, fitness, or life related!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

A Very Merry Christmas, Indeed.


It was a Hammond Christmas this year. We hit the road on Friday to Joe's hometown of Neillsville, WI. We returned Sunday mid-afternoon. Our weekend was spent with all of the immediate Hammond family members, and a bonus guest, Aunt Marge.

The stockings were hung. The tree was lit and all the holiday decor was up. Cousins played. Endless appetizers and cookies were on display for all to eat. Cards were dealed. Debates were had. Kids were tucked in. Football was watched. Drinks were served (and some shots but that was after I went to bed.) LOTS of pictures were taken. Presents were opened. We gave thanks to family. We gave thanks to Jesus. We appreciated the simple time together with no phones or computers to distract us. It was a nice weekend of relaxation and quality family time spent together. We returned home and unpacked everything. Santa came to our house on Monday morning since we were gone all weekend. We woke up with a wonderful squeal of excitement as Braden saw what Santa brought him- a Thomas the Train, his very own sleeping bag, a few play tools and some books. We spent the morning watching him play. Here are a few highlights of Santa's gifts:

When we got home from our weekend in WI, I took a jog outside to unwind. I thought about how Christmas has changed for me so many times over the years. From being excited about Santa's visit as a kid and guessing what could be under that tree (Did I get that Cabbage Patch kid?), to dealing with my first Christmas with my Mom gone, to sharing holidays with Joe, to now looking at Christmas through the eyes of a toddler. Sure, things change. There are joyous years and tough years, but the reason for Christmas never changes (the first five letters of the holiday say it all.) Also, the fact that we celebrate Jesus' birthday with our family never changes either. It may look different from year to year in some senses, but we are always with family.

I want to take this time to thank all of the special people in my life- family and friends. I appreciate all of the things that I have been blessed with this year, so many to list. I am happy to know Christ as my friend and even though I am not the most devoted Catholic, I still appreciate a relationship with Him and know He is always there for me. Many people get stressed out with the holidays, but I always try to push aside the stress of buying that perfect present or baking the zillions of cookies aside and focus on what really matters. Nobody is judging but our own critic inside. :)

What are you most appreciative of this holiday season?

Friday, December 24, 2010

15 months - you spin me right round baby right round!

Just a quick blog entry for Braden's 15 months. You can see what he is up to in this video! :)




I try to take a picture every month and list some of his milestones. This month he is working on those top teeth- the first one is entering slowly and we can see a few others working their way down. He is an expert walker- getting faster and faster. If we set him down in a store or basically anywere he takes off. He has no fear! He is turning into a social guy- saying hi and bye to everyone that passes. He waves to all the ladies...hmmm, already starting! He says a handful of words now: hi, bye, mom, dad, woof, stop it, no and hot. He is full of laughs and smiles. Everyday we have loads of fun watching him turn into a little man. He is starting to test what he can get away with and definitely is not very good at listening to "no". He sure can say it, but doesn't listen when we say it. Oh yes, the toddler stage has arrived.

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and we will post some Christmas photos later. We are excited to see if Braden gets into it this year, seeing as how last year he pretty much slept all the way through CHristmas.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Tis The Season


I am throwing a blog update in before I may have to go on a hiatus. Between Christmas shopping, spending time on my new part-time job (more on that later) and trying to figure out if we want to rent our townhouse out instead of sell it (another more on that later), I think I am going to be a little busy in the next few weeks. So, if you don't see a blog from me for a while, just know that we are all doing well and keeping very busy during this holiday season. Braden is as happy as ever and I caught him in this cute elf pose so I thought I would share it with you all! I hope it brings a smile to your face. Whenever I feel stressed out, Braden's laugh and smile can make it all go away!
My wish for everyone reading this is: a happy holiday season filled with love, health and happiness. No matter how busy or stressed we get, we have to appreciate all of our blessings - big or small.

Happy Holiday season to everyone!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Winter Wonderland!

Getting on our snowpants for the first time!
Outside w/ Dad.
Our little snow man!
Making snow angels.
Back inside with rosy red cheeks!

We had our first big snowfall this past weekend in Minnesota. The snow started Friday afternoon and finished in the early hours Saturday morning. Joe was in Dallas, set to return on Friday night, so thankfully he was able to fly home and was only an hour late or so. Lots of flights after his were cancelled.

Before the snow started on Friday, we had a last-minute showing. I cleaned like a mad woman and somehow managed to get Braden out of here a tad early (and even packed his lunch). Phew! We headed over to the mall for a little shopping and to eat our lunch. Showings are a good thing, I am not complaining but I was amazed that I pulled it off with time to spare. At least we have had enough showings by now where I have the same routine of what I need to do. It's hard on short notice with a little guy who messes up everything that I clean, but I am so thankful for his flexibility. He may make it more challenging to clean the house, but he never puts up a fuss when we have to suddenly run out of here right at lunch or nap time or when we have to be gone for hours during open houses. What a good little man!

So after that excitement on Friday, we hunkered down for the rest of the day on Friday and watched the snow fall and waited for Joe's arrival home. Saturday we were too busy to get outside and play in the fresh snow- swimming lessons, nephew's hockey game, dinner with family, etc...so Sunday morning we made it a priority to get outside. This was Braden's first time playing in the snow. I thought he would put up a fuss in the cold, but he got used to it and even helped bury Dad in the snow and make snow angels. We look forward to more winter fun with our little man!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Toothbrush Addiction



Braden has a few addictions. One is grabbing as many toothbrushes as he can from the upstairs bathroom cabinet and shoving them in his mouth. It is hysterical. Every time we go upstairs this is almost always the very first thing he does. He goes for the electric toothbrushes first and then grabs the regular ones too. We have been practicing brushing his teeth for months now, but I had no idea how much he liked it. I wonder if this means he will become a Dentist in the future?? :)