A QUICK RUN DOWN

Things are busy. and really lazy. I'm kickin' it, hanging out and enjoying some "down time right now.
Some things to write though.
Thursday me and the hubs went to "Taste of Anaheim" where you taste and eat all kinds of foods and grub from places around the Garden Walk and we got FULL. Enjoyed the music,(band) and time alone without kids to boot.

THEN we went and saw Ironman II. It was GREAT!! I loved seeing Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein as a cameo. So sad for him but nice to see him in there. We were both pleased and saw the previews for "The A-team". Hubs was excited about that.

Friday the boys went to a Father and son Camp out. So I got a night to rest and relax, and watch 24 episodes on the Roku. I don't think I should watch 24 anymore. I become to paranoid, or think everyone in real life is a terrorist, and /or are bad guys and it really is making my views skewed. I continue to get sucked in though. I'm into season 7 now, so almost to the end. I'm kinda glad that it will be D-U-H-N! (inside family joke)

Our little birdies have hatched. Already. I didn't know it was soo soon. They are LOUD. The babies chirp SOOO loud when they want their mama. It's cute though. It's at the front of the house and so it's not terrible loud, ear-piercing noise or I wouldn't think it was so cute. Can't see them and my hubs told me NOT to try and get up there and take pictures. He doesn't want their momma to forget about them, or to endanger them, so I haven't. But I REALLY REALLY want to. I'm fighting the urge. Is it really true their moms will abandon them?? I have to google that I think.


In a few days, we celebrate our 9th anniversary. 9 years. Wow. Where does the time go? Seriously. Days seem to go slow sometimes, but weeks, months and years just fly by.
I don't think we're doing anything ON our anniversary, but I've been told, we have a fun weekend coming up, so we shall see. Hubs NEVER disappoints in that department.
Hope all is well out there with everyone. Much love,
~Hope

The Journey...............

Well here, we are, 7 months down the road. YTD I am down 38 lbs. Have lost 2 sizes, (4 numbers) and am feeling really good. It's always nice to get to your pre-baby weight. Here is a before picture shall we say. It was taken by a friend when I was in Texas in Oct of 2009. I had pretty much just stopped nursing. This makes me cringe, it makes me ill, but I will post it. I just get sooo mad that I gain weight while I nurse. I can do fine while pregnant, but the nursing, kills me. Oh well.

Here I am a couple weekends ago in April. I know it's not the greatest picture. Cropped myself out of a group shot. Sorry it's really hard to get pictures of yourself. I am always the one taking the pictures and BEHIND the camera.

But I think you can see a difference (even with the blown out background.)

What I did.

I took out almost ALL sugar. Meaning, no sweets for me, just a bite here and there. Did pilates 3 times a week and strength trained 2. (Lifting weights, and resistant work) I got off my butt and moved. That means not sitting in front of the computer for ump-teen hours a day. It's hard. I love the computer, well most of the time, but I wanted to "look good" for summer. I am at my short term goal. Now I want to lose another 20 pounds and maintain it and be at my long goal, but for now, I am happy with my progress.

In the biggest loser competition that I am in with some girls from my area, we weighed in this morning for our final weigh-in. I am down 21 pounds and some oz. for 12 weeks. We go by % lost, and that was my goal to be at. So I am happy about that and hoping that the moolah- is coming my way!?!? A new summer wardrobe perhaps?? or just save it? We'll see.

Get out there and get moving and lose that extra poundage. I wanted to do it for my health and I feel so good and energized. Anyone doing great with your goal? Or not so great? What help do you need? what makes it hard?

I'd love to help and be of support if I could.

What a wonderful weekend

It has been really nice. Relaxing, being pampered well -fed. Everything. I took NO pictures really, just enjoyed the weekend. Yes, it was a weekend affair at our house. I am so loved and blessed. My husband does know how to treat a woman right. We did alot of running around and getting things done and I will share some pictures of my cool gifts, if you wanna see.

First you need to make this like right now, like tomorrow, but at least this week. It's sooo yumm. It's from my best friends blog. You can't even say it's breakfast. Hubby was right when he called it a dessert. It's just goodness. I made my own whipping cream though, I think that's a BIG factor in the goodness part!!

Oh and I got to finally see her baby. He was 6 days old here. I have more pictures if she'll let me share. He's so sweet!

Hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's day!

Big News coming up soon!!

Birds Nest

So I have this basket thing that I hang sometimes by my front door. My MIL got it for me somewhere in the mid-west (I think) and I've filled it with lavendar, flowers, and now some branches leaves, twig things, whatever you want to call them, from a plant in my yard. They were purple, they were pretty and it looked so cute! The SECOND day it was there, I spotted mommy and daddy checking out my hanging acessory. I got worried.
Then, they were back and forth so much, so surely, they were just taking pieces from it and building their nest elsewhere. We had a discussion about The Best Nest from the Dr. Suess series with my 1st born. I thought I'd be ok, because they were going elsewhere, no worries right??. {Really, cute book BTW)

Well, they didn't. See the little beak on the other side of the arrow.

They decided this was perfect for their nest, so here the mommy, {or daddy}, not sure with this species, sits there on the eggs all day. I worry for the babies. They know we come in and out often and so they aren't TOO afraid of us, but I wonder if we'll make it through the whole process??

A family a couple of years ago made one on our ledge, and I was so sad when I went out one morning and saw an egg cracked on our walkway. I hope this family stays put until the little one(s) are hatched and they feel safe here.

Darn birds. Now I can't change my arrangement and the flowers have since died. I can't change it or it'll mess with their house, but I don't like seeing my dead wilted twigs.

I think they took it LITERALLY with the words, the birds flying around and the bird house in the picture. I guess it looked inviting??

Mother's Day Giveaway winner

I'm so sorry. I thought the contest went until today. That's how I thought I was doing it in my head and I guess I changed it so I could ship today if needs be, to deliver for Saturday so the recipient would have their gift BY Mother's day, and I have to wait until someone asks me if I picked the winner yet. DUH!!

I'm sorry ladies. (and gents if there are really any out there) these days I don't know if I'm coming or going.



So without any more delay...................



Comment #26 Jayme won. A new reader!! Yeah, thanks Jayme. Email me at treasuresofhope {at} juno {dot} com with your shipping address and as soon as I get the kindle, it will come YOUR way. I hope you go and get your mani and pedi too!! I think that's what I am going to go do tomorrow. AND GOD BLESS YOU with your twins boy AND your 2 girls. WOW!! I think you deserve this kindle for sure!! Happy Mother's day to you!!


This morning I have already had Muffins with Mom at my first graders school and got loves and kisses and poems and presents, and muffiins and juice, and I just can't wait for this weekend. My little guy can't hold back his surprise. He keeps wanting to tell me and give me hints, and I say, just wait, just wait! LOL
I hope you all have a great Mother's day.
Soon I will share some treasures of mine that I have from my grandmother's, great grandmother's and great greats, that are soo special to me!

Thanks everyone for playing and keep coming and reading for more fun!!

Mother's Day

is around the corner. It's coming soo fast I can't believe it. To all you mothers, soon to be mothers, wanna be mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers, especially those in my life, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for everything you have done for me. For lessons you've taught me, for experiences you've given me, and for more importantly being in my life and being YOU. I will write about this again later in a more detailed post about these wonderful women in my life, but for now, I'll stop there.

My house smells of delicious, yummy, fresh lemons right now. I am in the middle of a creamy, lemon, crumb squares recipe. They LOOK divine, I hope they are. I LOVE the smell of lemons, BTW, right off my tree, into my home, and into the bowl. Have I ever said I LOVE life in Southern California?? I do.

As promised, over here on the "New and improved" blog of mine, we're kicking it off with a Mother's Day giveaway. (All giveaway's are given by me, By the way, I am not compensated, or given this stuff. My blog is much too small for that and I do this for me, well for YOU actually. For those that read and enjoy or pretend to enjoy this stuff, I give these gifts for you, to hopefully help, inspire, and give to you. Thanks for letting me too. )

Do you like read to?? Is that what you do in "your" time is get under the covers and read? or crawl up on the coach, and sit for hours on end? Well, then, this might be YOUR prize. The kindle. A gift from Amazon, that I hear is THE shizzle for book readers.

Or are you a baker? Do you like making treats and goodies for your family and yourself of course? Then this would be YOUR prize. The kitchen aid 4 1/2 quart stand mixer.

The latter one is more me. I've liked baking since I was a little girl. I remember coming home in 7th or maybe 8th grade and picking apples from our tree. And then trying to find something that I could make with apples every day. For about a week. It was hard back in those days. No internet. Just my mom's Better crocker cookbook. It was a lot of pies. Crumb pie, upside pie, the traditional pie. I think my family said enough, and so I stopped. Party poopers.

Can you believe I don't have one of these?? the mixer I mean. I can't either. I've had many opportunities, but it always just plays out for something different. And this year, is no different sadly.
If I didn't want a speedlight for my camera more, this would be THE gift for me this Mother's Day.

So the details..........
Tell me what you are mosting looking forward to this Mother's day & which prize is more YOU. {or someone you know, if you want to give it away}
One entry per person for this.
You may blog, tweet, or facebook about this contest for other entries. (One entry per each of those things)
You can follow me for yet another and leave a comment. (To follow me, either click on the google link on the right side bar of my blog, or up top of my blog, on the left hand side, it says Follow as well, you can also click on that)
and be my BEST Friend, for another. OK totally kidding on that, just wanted to see who was paying attention.
This giveaway will go until Thursday noon PST.

Thanks for reading and stopping by and Good luck !!


{You MAY not get this BEFORE mother's day, I'm sorry, life has taken over in this here neck of the woods, but it's great to get a gift AFTER the fact too right?? I'll try my best though to get it to you before Mother's Day though}

Comin' back over here

Well, this is where I began, this is where I started, and now I am going to come back over here and use this as my blog. The other one, I feel limits me and this one, the name that me and my brother and sister in law thought up years ago as we were starting a business and eventually wanted a non-profit orgnaization as well, has just stuck with me. This way, I can share with you here, things that I LOVE, things that I treasure and I can show you Me :0)

Thanks for stickin' by me while I go through the changes and mix things up a little bit. Afterall, that's how I roll. I can't ever keep anything the same for too long. ;O)