Here's to OUR GIRL!!!

Here she is...

Wonderful, spunky, talented, driven, energetic, bright, loving, thoughtful, snarky (Jj's word of the month), fit, beautiful, kind, spontaneous, entertaining, memorable, serendipitous, precious, and OLD!!

Just kidding about the last one.

But she is having a BIRTHDAY this week!




Happy Birthday Sweet Maria!

We love you!

PS
Picture successfully stolen form Facebook...Mwa ah ah ah!
xoMJ

Hello?

Is anybody there?

Butterflies...can you hear me?

xoMJ

Up Up and AWAY...

Hey! I vote we schedule a HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE sometime this Fall. It would be beautiful and also symbolic since the trees will be changing just like we are!

xoMJ

MJ

Yay!!! I can see that Janis has a draft going so I can start mine now.
I hate posting twice in a row :)

Last week was great! My friend is back from vacation and I've managed 1 hour every morning. ((Thanks Andrea!)) If you haven't noticed, I'm one who needs the buddy system. I have also been doing interval training and I think it is quite possibly addictive. I love it!

We'll see you girls at the BBQ!



-1 lb
$12


xoMJ

Forgot again . .

You'd think that having the posting deadline in the middle of the week would make it easy for me to get to, but I keep going out of town or just being lazy.

So last week, I spend all day Friday at Snowbird with my sister Pam and her family. I rode the Alpine Slide MANY MANY times. Rode the zip line MANY MANY times and sadly, climbed the mountain TOO many times. Halfway through the day their little ski lift thing that takes you back to the top of the mountain stopped working so it was out of commission for a few hours and we had to do some crazy steep hiking to get back to the top of everything. I just kept telling myself that I was working my butt but my thighs were having a hard time being quite as optimistic. Either way, a good time was had by all.

Christopher on the Alpine Slide

Kortnie on the Zip line

Benny on the Zip line

Everyone (except me and Pam) at the top of the mountain.

Saturday I went water skiing with Melissa and her parents. I bit it more than once, but I've got to say, for this only being my fourth attempt as skiing in three summers, I'm doing pretty dang good (or so they tell me). I can get up and keep in myself going for about 40 seconds - and then I'm down. I feel stupid every time I crash, but they keep reassuring me that I'm actually doing better than most and to stop stressing over it. I've got multiple bruises from the adventure but I think it's worth it.

Melissa's Dad watching her ski on Utah Lake

Depositing $7 for this week.

And next weeks teaser: two days of rock climbing and swimming in Crawdad Canyon in Veyo.

PS I'll publish more/better (actual touched up) photos on my personal and photo blogs later.

MJ Week ???

OK ~ This is not my actual weekly post. I'm posting today to ask,

"What week we should we be on?"

I think I'm off on my counting...

Shouldn't we be almost to Week 52?

And...Are we just going to keep checking in and adding $$$ to the fund when week 52 is up? Sorry, I'm sure we talked about this but I can't remember :)



BTW Here are some ideas for our VACATION!!!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Renewal/Story?id=2292706&page=1

http://www.girlgetaways.com/

http://www.travelchannel.com/Travel_Ideas/Girlfriend_Getaways




xoMJ

I'm so ashamed - by Jj

But not nearly as ashamed as a couple other certain BF's who haven't shown up on our blog in WEEKS should be (hint, hint). And before you think I'm being insensitive, I do understand how busy you both are so please don't take me seriously.

I swore I was going to do better this time around and not put off my blog post but, I did it again. My bad. Wednesday was a bit hectic because I had to drive home that night for the 24th (and eventually I'll post photos of that on my personal and photo blogs) so I thought, I'll do it tomorrow and then I thought it again etc etc etc. That's just how it happens when you don't really have much internet access. But now, I'm sitting in B&N using their new free wifi because the power is out at my house which makes it very HOT and boring. And honestly, I've done about everything else that I can do so I figure my next step is to do the last thing on my list. And that is why I'm ashamed. Why do I put if off?!? I think it's because I'm sick of my life and how it's been going. I'm bored with myself and everything around me, including the gym. But that's neither here nor there and I'm going to shut up and stop complaining and report on my last Aerial Dance class that was last Wednesday. (Again, I know that should technically be a part of the next weeks report, but I've got nothing else fun to talk about.)

I'm sure you've all seen this already as I've made it my FB profile pic, but here it is anyway:


Seriously, does it get any cooler than that?!? I think not. Actually, it does but by the end of the class I was pretty freaking worn out and too tired to do much more. But this still looks cool, right? Validate me, please.

This class was so much fun and a really nice change from the everyday workout. I'd LOVE to take the intermediate class in August, but it's pretty dang expensive. I thought about doing it anyway but then found that I was too late to register without another $10 late fee on top of the already high fee of $55. Sad, I know.

Anyway, next week look for my Snowbird and water skiing report. Although, I feel that maybe it should be called something more like "water crashing" or "skragging" as I was being dragged by the boat more than I was actually skiing. I'll work on that. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll come up with something creative that will make it sound much more exciting than it really was. That's just how I roll.

Eventually when I have some sort of an income that pays more than just my mortgage I'll be depositing $7 for this week. Being home and not having access to the gym really made me lazy as far as workouts go. Again, I feel so ashamed.

MJ All Suited Up!!! Week 44

I can't wait for the
Butterfly Girls' VACATION!!

Shade had a warehouse sale this morning and I couldn't pass it up. I grabbed some new suits for our vacation. I love bargains!!!!

Original Prices:

$36.50 tops
$22.50 bottoms
________
$59.00 set

On sale for $15.00 each set

Now we just need to choose our vacation spot!

We'll have to do that at the BBQ in a couple of weeks.

Almost forgot ~ The interval training was HARD but I loved it!!! I used my elliptical rather than running on the treadmill because I was a little bit worried about my hip. So far so good.

$10

xoMJ

So slow . .

I think this summer has been a little crazy and we're all busy (well, you guys are, I'm just lazy) and we're all slacking off on our posts. We're almost done with our challenge, ladies! How are we doing on our goals? Sadly, due to my stupid sprained ankle I haven't yet run my 5k (or my 10k for that matter) but even if I don't do it before we finish the challenge, I will get there, dang it!

Anyway, last week was pretty dang good. My diet was great, my workouts were consistent everything. I was pretty freakin' excited. In the last two weeks I've lost 3 lbs which means that at the beginning the current week (which will be reported on Wednesday), I was only 2 lbs from my lowest weight back in March and I can start reporting my weight loss as milestones again. So stay tuned for that one! I had a dream last night that I stepped on the scale and I was 1 lb below what I was at 16 - or at least I think it was a dream. I'm pretty sure I would have thrown a party and told my whole family if it weren't. But I didn't so I'm going to go with dream.

LOVING my aerial dance class. I SO want to take the intermediate class in August but it's $50 and without a job, I just don't think I dare. Especially when I don't know if/when my house will sell and where I'll be living that I'll have to commute to get to a one hour class. But I've got to say - it's one crazy workout. You wouldn't think so but I never walk out of there without being covered in sweat and my biceps, triceps and abs burning. It's freakin' awesome.

Depositing max: $10

PS Sorry for the lack of some cool illustrative photo this week. I'm still stuck at my parents house because my car is in the shop AGAIN and they don't have wifi so I'm on my mom's PC and I don't know the first thing about trying to save a photo somewhere on here and then finding it again to get it on the blog. And honestly, I have no interest in figuring it out either. ;-)

MJ Week 43

Kind of had a hard week. But I did get in an hour long work out everyday. Phew. I'm tired.



I've said before that it's easy to get discouraged because of my hip injury. However, I am getting stronger each week and my goal for next week is to do some interval training. Yay!!! We'll see how that goes.

xoMJ
$10

How is it . . . by Jj

that I managed to make it through an hour long toning class, 3 miles on the treadmill, 2 hours of jewelry stuff, a mile and a half walk with Chuck the Wonder Dog (to get an ice cream cone at Arctic Circle) and an hour long aerial class without a problem but as I'm leaving the dance studio I jam my finger getting into my car?!? And not just any finger - the finger that I broke about four years ago while working on my car. I think TJ (the aforementioned car) has it out for that finger. And one of Jana's fingers now that I think about it. She too broke a finger when the door closed on it. Ouch. Bad TJ.

Can I just tell you how much I am LOVING the aerial classes at Adult Dance & Fitness in Ogden? Seriously, this weeks class was one of the best workouts I've gotten. Obviously, since there are only two silks and six students in a class your time on the silks is limited but I was SWEATING and my arms are so sore today (but in a good way). Hoping to scrape together the money I need for an intermediate class next month. Wish it wasn't so freaking expensive (actually, it's not that bad - I'm just broke). Sad.

Been doing pretty dang good on the workouts and stuff this week. Gotta say, I'm so totally glad it's summer again. Oh dear watermelon . . . how I've missed you.

This is BY FAR the best way to eat watermelon. Cut out the middle-man.

Depositing $10 this week. And, dang it! I'm going to have a milestone next week if I have to chop off my hair and a foot to get there.

MJ is a salad person Week 42

Catalina Summer Salad

What You Need:

1 can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cucumber, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
6 green onions, chopped

1 C Catalina salad dressing
1 1/2 C cheese, shredded
1 1/2 C of Fritos

Mix the first 7 ingredients and toss in Catalina dressing

Top with corn chips (Fritos) & cheese and serve.

Crunchy, zesty and delicious!!!

My grandma made this for our last family shindig and I loved it! You can do a low fat version by getting the fat free dressing and using white corn chips in place of the Fritos.

I'm throwing in this lovely pic of Catalina to inspire us to work hard so we can have a great vacation at someplace like this!!!

xoMJ

$12 had a pretty good week :)

Maria Weeks 41 & 42

Ok, so here's the problem with not posting on a consistent basis ... can't frickin' remember what I did!

I know I did my Wednesday classes and I know I did abs class on Mondays. Also, know that one Monday I did an hour of cardio before my abs class.

I am sure I did more - I go in the mornings and jump on the elliptical or the stairmaster - sometimes the treadmill, but I don't remember when or for how long exactly.

For both weeks .... depositing $12

Maria Week 40 - Fitness Test

As part of my ESS 2500 Exploration of Movement Science class I had to do a bit of a fitness test. I am sad to say that I didn't do quite as well as I would have liked. But I did pretty dang good. I was in the above average / healthy / good category in nearly everything and in a few places I was in the excellent category.

The best part of the test, although I don't think I trust it, the results said that I have lost another 1% of body fat.

I still feel like a slacker though because I'm not working out nearly as hard as I used to. And I'm not running yet. This is more of a motivational thing right now than a knee issue really.

I am really hanging on to my Wednesday nights. I have an instructor that I just love and I get to put in 2 1/2 hours on that night alone - all her classes. That's where the bulk of my workouts come in. Although I do work out on other days, I don't put nearly as much effort into the workouts as I do Wednesday nights.

Depositing $5 - losing another 1% of body fat is a milestone, but as I said - I don't really trust those results so I'm not counting it for now

Getting my Grove On . . by Jj

So a couple of weeks ago I was on the website for the Adult Dance Studio in Ogden checking out their classes and I noticed they were having a drawing for a month pass to for their beginner aerial dance class, and of course I entered. It was the last day of the drawing so I wasn't expecting much but (whoohoo), I won! I started my first aerial class tonight.


While it was very slow moving, it was really pretty cool. One day (like next week, cuz I'm just that amazing) I'll look just like the chick in that picture. I thought that with the rock climbing and my toning and stuff I'd be okay on the upper body strength . . but I was very wrong. Seriously, it was bad. I'm a wimp. I think on my last week I'll take my camera and get some real pics of all the girls showing off their amazing skills. I may have to go to some of their other classes now too. It looks like a pretty freaking awesome place.

Depositing $8 for this week.
Depositing $8 for last week, too (since somehow we all missed last weeks posts - crazy holidays).

MJ...what week is it anyway? 40...41?

My favorite summer exercise is definitely

S W I M M I N G ! !

Plus, it's something I can do with these two little fish.

I'm finding that the phrase Lazy Days of Summer doesn't really apply in my life lately. But it is really nice to head out to the pool in the afternoons and take a couple of hours to have some fun with the kids. Plus, it's great exercise. So if any of you feel like swimming, head down my way for a day!

$7 (skipped last week)
$10

xoMJ

MJ Week 39 ... Girls Camp

Woot Woot!

I did a 5 mile hike with the girls on Tuesday~No Sweat!

OK, lots of sweat but no problems!

That is a milestone for me! I have to admit that my hind end was burning for the first quarter of a mile. I was stiff from the 3 mile Timp Cave hike on Saturday and a 4 mile morning with my friend on Monday but I found my rhythm and was good to go. Our camp was .21 miles from the flush toilets and the stake meeting spot so I put in several more miles this week. It is so nice to be able to do physical things without my hip shouting at me to stop. One of my friends was telling me about the hike to the summit and I have decided that I'm going to do it before the end of the summer. Any takers?

Rach, we missed you on our cave hike. It was beautiful! We got a little bit of rain but just enough to cool us off. Wish you could have been there. The real storm hit after we were down and heading out to Kneaders for lunch.

I had a really great time and we need to do things like that more often! I'm up for the climbing wall that Janis keeps mentioning. Shall we do that next?

Love you girls!

12 bucks

xoMJ

Space Case . . by Jj

Don't feel bad Rach, I'm reporting for two weeks this time too. Completely spaced on posting last week and by the time I thought about it, I figured I might as well just skip it.

Being unemployed has made me the WORST when it comes to a food journal. Not because I eat worse (which I'm sure I usually do) but because I make my food rather than eating it from a package that conveniently has all of the calories and carbs and fat printed neatly on the side of the package. But when you throw together a random salad with 10+ different ingredients or something like that, it just gets to be too annoying to keep track of it all. I know, poor me, right? But, I have gotten MUCH better at the whole fresh produce thing. And of course it's summer now so I'm living off fruit anyway.

Anyway, my ankle seems to be doing a bit better. In the last two weeks I've been running/walking/ellipticaling on it at least five times which is amazing considering I went about three weeks with little to no action. Poor, poor Chuck. He hasn't had nearly enough exercise but he seems to be doing okay with it. And now after seeing what he normally does all day when I'm not home, I don't feel nearly as bad about leaving him when I go to work.

And the hike to Timp Caves was a good time. Sorry you couldn't make it, Rach. Maybe we'll have to do it again later in the year when it's not POURING rain on us at the bottom of the mountain so I didn't even get my camera out of the car and then within minutes of starting the hike, it just kinda stopped. But because of that, we didn't get a single picture. Pathetic, I know.

Depositing $7 for last week
Depositing $9 for this week

PS Utah Arts Festival starts tomorrow . . anyone interested in going?
Oh, and I also think we should consider going to the Wasatch Wildflower Festival. It runs from Friday July 17th to Sunday July 20th. Basically, it looks like you just meet in different parking lots up in the Alta area and then go on guided hikes to go check out all of the wildflowers. I always see those really pretty mountain wildflower pics and wish that I had some in my portfolio but never knew were to get them so this could be really cool. Thoughts?
http://www.wasatchwildflowerfestival.org/

Rachel's 38&39

I seem to be creating a habit of posting two weeks at a time!

Week 38 did really well. Walked the 5k in 40 minutes

Depositing $10 for the week plus the milestone of exercising every day

Week 39 bad week didn't write anything down but I know I got some good days with fruits and veggies

Depositing $4:(

Going to break the habit of not being as active as I would like. Not sure how I'm going to do that but....

Maria Week 39 - Timp

I am so excited about the hike to Timpanogos Cave this weekend. I need something like this to get me out of my latest funk. Also, I am a little embarrassed to say that while I have hiked to the summit of Mt Timpanogos twice, I have never been inside the cave.

Depositing $4