Skipper

Well, I hate to admit it, but I skipped boot camp this morning :( I know, I know... call me any name that you like.

We went to a really great BBQ at a friend's house and I was having so much fun that I didn't pay much attention to the time. I don't think I left until around 10ish and I knew that it would take me a few minutes to mellow out before I was sleepy. The sound of getting up at 4:50am just didn't sit well with me so I turned off my alarm and got up at 6:40 to my husbands alarm (yay for sleeping in.... that was meant to have a sarcastic tone to it)

Anyway, I'm a slacker. I'm lazy. I'm too much of a BBQ partier (which is not a word or I am not spelling it correctly).

I hang my head in shame and am crawling into a hole as I type.

Boot Camp Run Down...

I had a request from a blog follower (I can't believe I actually have people that follow my blog that aren't my family! It makes me kind of excited!!) to out line what we do in boot camp each day.

So, Day 1- Fitness test
Get on the scale and write down your weight. Also, take measurements of neck, bicep (not flexing), waist line (where your belly button is) and hips (around the largest part of the bum).
Now, run 1 mile but make sure you time it.
Do as many sit-ups (full sit-ups, no crunches) as you can in one minute.
Do as many push-ups (real push-ups, no girly push-ups!) as you can in one minute.
Do as many tricep dips as you can in one minute. You can check out the form here.

Now, write down all of this information and keep it. I think we do all the measuring/weighing again in two weeks. Otherwise, we won't do it again until the last day.

Day 2-
We did 25 jumping jacks, 20 walking lunges, 20 high knees, 20 butt kickers (run with your feet touching the booty). Now reverse it, 20 butt kickers, 20 high knees, 20 walking lunges, 20 jumping jacks.

Next we jogged to a station with 4 cones set up in a circle (or go to a baseball field) and lined up. We sprinted to 1st then jogged to home. Did 20 push-ups. Sprinted 1st and 2nd then jogged home. 20 v-push ups (stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend at waist with hands on the ground and little out in front and do the motion of a push-up). Sprint 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Do 10 tricep dippers (get in position like you are going to crab walk, then drop to do tricep dip.. no pelvic thrust). Last, sprint all bases. Do 10 sphinx push-ups. Demonstration here. (to make it easier do one arm at a time. Down, down, up, up)

Then we lined up one team across from the other (home across from 2nd). We ran the basses trying to catch each other. If you don't have a work out partner to do this with then run the bases as fast as you can. Do high knees for 1-2 minutes and run the bases again.

Do 10 sit-ups.

Now, do the sprints all again. Sprint to 1st. 20 push-ups. Sprint 1 and 2. 20 v push-ups. Sprint 1,2 and 3. 10 tricep dippers. Sprint all. 10 sphinx push-ups.

Do plank for 1 minute. Do side plank right for 1 minute. Side plank left for 1 minute. Super man for 1 minute.

Yeah!! Day 2 is over. Be ready to hurt a little!!

I hope it all makes sense. It is a lot of work but I'm already loving the way I feel. I hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything else you need me to include or a different way you would want me to word it.

Good luck!

Bootcamp

I started boot camp this morning with a new friend! First, I love that I have a new friend. (She is the sister of one of my friends from church) We met briefly at a homemade gourmet party her sister hosted. We have exchanged emails a couple of times but she was brave enough to call me (a virtual stranger) and invite me to lunch after our tests we took Saturday. (I tested to receive my alternative certification in teaching for science) I really enjoyed our lunch/talk session very much and she must not have minded my blabbering too much because later in the day she texted me to see if I would be interested in joining her for a boot camp. I need to get in shape.... so, I said, "I'm in!".

This morning started at 4:35, when my alarm went off, and I was out the door by 4:45. I made my way to Claremore (about a 20-30 minute drive) where I met her at a gas station so she could show me the rest of the way.

Class started at 5:30 with some warm up (exhausting) exercises before we proceeded to run a timed mile. Mind you... I'm not much of a runner any more so my time wasn't that great. I ran the mile in 12 minutes 3 seconds. (I'm supposed to be able to run it much faster by the end of the month) After the terrible, killer mile... it was sit-up time. We had 1 minute to do as many sit-ups as we could do, I could do a whopping 24. Next came push-ups. Again, we had one minute to do as many as we could. I thought I had this one, with all of my P90X training, oh no... I did 18 maybe 20, I can't remember clearly (it has been a loooonnnggg morning!). Then we were off to do dips. 1 minute on the clock... I'm dipping like crazy, I thought I would smoke the competition... nope, I did 24!

Anyway, I will let you know on June 26th how things went. I am doing this class 5 days a week for the month of June. Wish me luck because I thought I was going to pass out or throw up today!!

Thanks Kimberlee...

The Everlasting Rose Bush...

We have two rose bushes that were here when we moved in. They produces pretty, smell good roses but they were both planted right in front of our bedroom window. So, when the wind would blow, the plants would sway, and they would tear up our screens.

To fix the problem Rusty pulled up the rose bushes, dug a hole a few feet away (away from all windows) and threw them in. We didn't know if they would make it or not, but these plants seem to have many lives!

They ended up producing flowers the next summer. Well, last night I was out watering our trees and flowers when I noticed this BEAUTIFUL rose on one of the bushes.

Is it not just absolutely gorgeous?!

The color is just spectacular

And the smell... the smell is absolutely divine. I love the way a non-genetically altered rose smells. Genetically altered roses seem to lose their smell in the process.

And this is the rose bush that has to be immortal. I don't think we could kill this thing even if we tried (and we sort of did once... oops).

Sweet Potato Fries

Rusty's new favorite thing that I make... sweet potato fries. I like it because I love sweet potatoes but I get tired of making my mashed sweet potatoes all the time. Now, I mix it up with fries (healthy fries!) These fries are not tossed in some deep fryer... oh no, they are baked in the oven.

So, whether you are having steak (like we did last night) or burgers or just need a side dish... make up a yummy batch of sweet potato fries!

I used 4 small sweet potatoes. If I get the HUGE ones I only use two (about 1 per person)

Peel them up. Chop them in half and then cut strips. I then cut the strips in half to make them look like fries. (just make sure they are roughly the same size and it doesn't matter how you cut them)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

I then throw my "fries" in a ziplock baggy with 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil (enough to coat the fries).

Toss in about 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons of paprika.. how much spice do you want? That's how much you put in!

I am NOT a salt person so I put in maybe 1 teaspoon of salt. If you want more.. go ahead.

Smoosh all the ingredients together on the "fries" so they all get coated with spices.

Put 2-3 Tablespoons of oil on your pan. I used a pastry brush to spread the oil all around the pan and coat it.

Then dump your fries on the baking sheet. Make sure they are in one layer. Pop them into your preheated (425) oven and bake 30 -40 minutes (depends on how crispy you like them) but be sure to flip em' around every 10 minutes or so.

Eat and enjoy!!!

Crazy Twilight People

As most anyone knows (at least those of you who have been reading my blog for the past year or so) I am a HUGE Twilight fan. I have read all 4 books... twice. I loved it as much the first time as I did the second! Also, I went and saw the crappy movie... yes, I said it, the movies stunk!!

But, though I love the series I am not really obsessive. Especially compared to the woman (yes woman, not girl) that was driving a silver Volvo with a Cullen sticker on the back window!

YIKES! That is an example of obsession.

Beautiful Evening

Last night was a beautiful night here in Oklahoma. I love spring evenings here... the summers are brutal but spring is amazing.

Last night the sun was going down and there was a nice breeze cutting through the warm air. It was perfect for swinging on the front porch and taking nice pictures.

The sun going down behind the clouds made the most beautiful sun rays.

I love the way the clouds look when they look like a storm could be brewing inside them.

Can you see the swan?

Almost 4 years of marriage and many trials in the short time but we are still so in love. I thank the Lord everyday that this is who he placed in my life as my husband.

Even when he makes fun of the color I chose at my last pedicure. He calls me fungus feet now. Can you believe that?!

Just glorious! The beauty that God surrounds us with is amazing. We are so lucky.

These are Abigayl's double knock out roses. Those trees are blooming so nicely. They make me smile every time I see them.

Rusty and I are so lucky to have each other. I appreciate him so much and all he does for this household. He is a hard worker that never complains, he is a provider that does it happily, he loves me even with my yellow toes and he is patient when I am in one of my moods. I am lucky... no, I am so blessed.

God does everything for a reason and I know that Rusty is probably the only person who could support me emotionally the way he does. He never once cast blame... which can be easy to do after the lose of a child. He only loves and supports me. I am so proud to be Mrs. Rusty Stamper.