Biggest Loser Competition!

I am starting a Biggest Loser Competition starting Friday, January 1, 2010!

The competition will go until Friday, April 2, 2010.

Just like the famous TV show (which starts again on Jan 5th), we will have a starting weight. Weekly weigh-ins on Fridays. And the biggest percentage of weight loss will win the CASH prize!

The cost to enter is just $10, but the real win is the weight-loss right?! (The money is just a nice incentive). Money needs to be to me by January 8, 2010 to enter!

Here are the details: January 1st you will weigh yourself and send me the number via email (I need this to calculate percentages). This is an honor system, so you will also weigh yourself every Friday and send me the weight loss/gain. I will send out a mass email to all the contestants with the current rankings and weekly percentage of weight loss. At the end of the competition whoever has the most TOTAL percentage of weight loss will win the CASH prize!

How you lose the weight is up to you. But if you find something that is working for you, share your secrets, or keep them to yourself for an advantage! This should be fun and a great way to get into shape for the New Year!

Send this to friends and family!! The bigger the competition, the bigger the CASH prize! Please be sure to email me if you plan on playing, and when you'll be sending the money. I will keep all the money in my safe (so I wont go buy a new outfit!! haha!!)

Things to remember...

While changing Emma's diaper Kaylee says to me:
"I need to stop eating."
Me: "Why?"
Kaylee: "So Emma can catch up to me."
Me: "Oh! That's so sweet"
Kaylee: "Yup! She's my newest friend!"

I love them all.... I swear!!

I haven't really updated on my other wonderful children lately, and I think I'll take a moment to do that right now.

Kaylee has been doing great in school. She had her Christmas Show at school on the 10th of December. Yeah, I was still in the hospital with Emma but Chris and Wendy were able to get her all dressed up and take her. I really wish I could have been there.

She loves to sing Christmas songs, and talk about Christmas all the time. She is really getting into the Christmas spirit. I can't wait to see her face Christmas morning.

Crew is doing great too. He is talking so much!! He loves to sing the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He can also count up to 20! I think Kaylee has helped him alot with that. He loves his little sister alot, but you can tell at some times he gets slightly jealous.

We are all getting over a little bug that went thru the whole family. It was hard having to deal with that and bringing home a new baby. Luckily it looks like we will all be better by Christmas. Emma didn't get sick so that is a blessing. She's doing wonderful. She's starting to do long stretches of sleep at night, and she's eating lots and it looks like she's growing. I wish she could stay small forever.

Chris and I just had our 6th Anniversary on the 20th of December. It was really low-key since we were sick. I don't mind just chillin at home cause everything has been so hectic lately. I am so lucky to be married to Chris, he is a hard worker and a great father and husband. It's crazy to think of all we've done and accomplished in just 6 short years. I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the next 6!

Emma Syphus

It started early in the morning... well, at least it was suppose to. I was to be induced on Wed, Dec. 9th at 6 am. I called at 5 am as instructed, only to find out that there were no empty beds for me. I waited, and finally gave up waiting around the house, so we headed to the mall. I got the call to come into the hospital at 1:30pm, and Chris, Wendy (MIL), and I rushed over to the hospital to have a baby!

They got me going right away. I got stuck at 4-5 cm for awhile, but they started moving me from one side to the other, and that seemed to work. At about 8:45pm they put me on my back, but only for 20 min. I was at 5-6 cm at this point, but I started to feel alot of pressure. After the 20 min they checked me again and still just a 6! The nurse turned me over on my side and WHAM! I started feeling ALOT of pressure! I couldn't last more than 3 contractions before I made her come back in. Chris thought I was crazy, seeing as I was just at a 6 like 10 min before. The nurse checked, and sure enough, I was at a 10 and ready to go! The doctor got there in 10 min, and in 3 easy pushes....

Emma Syphus was born!

December 9th 2009

10:06pm (Chris swears it was actually 10:04pm)

8lbs 9oz. 20.5 inches.

She has tons of cute blond hair, and just looks so much like her older sister Kaylee. Both Kaylee and Crew absolutely love her, and just want to hold her every chance they get. She is still working on the sleeping thing, she thinks you are suppose to be awake at night and sleep all day... we're working on it (for mom's sake)!!

Welcome to the family Emma!!

One last time...

Alright, things have been really fun around here lately. We have been doing alot! We went to this little fair at the Surprise Park and watched as sky divers landed in lit-up suits! We went with some new friends from our new ward and the kids had a blast.

Chris and I worked on fixing the Heater in his truck and also replaced his shocks. It's amazing how much a difference those things make! It's so nice to have a handy husband like Chris cause he really saves us so much money by his repair work. (I guess I should also thank his dad for teaching him how to be so handy...Thanks!).

Crew is officially potty-trained! It's been so nice to not have to change diapers for the past few weeks... but now I will have to start that right up again once the baby is born. Oh well!

We are all moved in and comfy in our new place, and I love the neighborhood. There are tons of kids for our kids to play with. I love our new ward, everyone is just so nice and friendly.

Now, it's finally time for our new girl to arrive. We have been patiently waiting, and tomorrow I am scheduled to get induced. Wendy (my mother-in-law), is going to be visiting and helping out, and we are all really excited about that. So the next time I make a post there will be pictures, and a good story, I promise!!

Tick Tock....Tick Tock

Still waiting...

I know I can go into labor any day, and that kinda freaks me out. But what I just realized today is that I am definitely going to be having this baby within the next two weeks! My doc said he'd let me get induced Dec. 8th, and that's not too far away! Physically I am ready, mentally... that's another story. I'm starting to wonder if I will be able to handle three children. I guess I will just take it one day at a time, like any other mom would. And pray... always pray!

Still waiting...

Really??!! {Baby Update}

On Monday I went to the doctor, who told me that I might be delivering sooner than I thought! I am already dilated to 2cm at just 35 weeks! I had to cancel our plans of going to Utah for Thanksgiving which is a total bummer. Chris is currently working in Texas, and should be home for the weekend, but then he's out of town again after that. It's slightly stressful to think that I might have to do this on my own. I will keep my friends and family informed if anything should happen! Wish us luck!

Serious Break though!

Crew has been having serious difficulties with Nursery over the past 6 months I would say. He gets really panicky, cries ALOT, and wont stay in for long. We just moved into our new ward a few weeks ago and of course... no change. Today I was not feeling very good and just overall stressed out. I was not looking forward to the struggle of Nursery. This must have been apparent to Crew. I brought him in, he panicked, but still proceeded to go in. They eat snack first and I found a spot for Crew and sat him down. He observed the other crying children for a few minutes as I sat behind him waiting for him to start bawling. He put a goldfish cracker slowly into his mouth, turned to look at me and said, "You leave Mom. I'll be a good boy."

I almost lost it. I got up and walked for the door just about in tears. I love my son soooo much. He has the purest heart ever. I'm sure with me being ready to pop and hormones out of control, this is some-what of a serious break though, and to others not so much. I just wanted to share my proud parent moment so I will never forget how happy it made me.

Crazy Kids

Crew and his craziness. They got into some markers, so that's why Crew is sporting spots on his forehead. And then there's Kaylee...attention hog! Gotta love those crazy kids!!

Trick or Treat!

This year Halloween was so much fun!

We carved pumpkins the night before. Kaylee and Crew got their own pumpkins to clean out. Kaylee did a great job, but Crew didn't want to put his hands in the "yuckyness" of it. They each picked out their own design for the pumpkin and I spent hours carving them out. Worth it, they looked awesome!!

The kids are old enough this year to do all their own walking, and small enough to not want to walk FOREVER! My sister's family came over and enjoyed the night with us as well. Her boys passed out the candy so we could all go together and watch the kids have fun. Crew got freaked out at our neighbors house and ran home, but we convinced him it was ok and showed him it was just a boy in a mask. He kept telling us after each house, "that's scary!" He braved it the rest of the way. Crew was a frog this year, and I made Kaylee's costume, Tinkerbell. It turned out cute.

Kaylee's favorite thing she got was two pumpkin erasers (go figure). Crew was so excited that he had his very own bucket of candy.

Baby News

Ok, just a quick update on the baby brewing in my tummy. I had a doctor's appointment today where I was to get an awesome 3D ultrasound with a DVD of the footage. Well, she wasn't wanting to cooperate. Her legs were in front of her face, and she even had one hand in front of her face too! Good news is that we get to try again next time!

For the second time the Ultrasound Tech asked me if my other kids were big, or if my husband was a big man! Well obviously they aren't! This little (or should I say big) girl is definitely on a different growth track than the other kids. At just 30 weeks she is already measuring at 4lbs 9oz! That's over 2 weeks ahead of schedule people!! As of right now she is also riding in the breech position. Hopefully she moves soon or else we might be facing a C-Section! Cross your fingers that she makes the dive soon!

Vegas Baby!!

Literally... I went to Vegas go to a Baby Shower!! The other day I got to fly (first time in over 6 years) to Vegas to see my friend Marta. She and her husband, Chris (my Chris' best buddy) are having their first baby in November. We are super excited for them, and I didn't want to miss her first shower. It was a short trip (just one night), but we still managed to pack in alot of fun stuff. We ate some really good food (what else do pregnant women do?), we got mani/pedi's, and spent a lovely evening with her friends for her shower.

This trip felt sort of like my last hurr-ah before the baby comes. I wont be doing any traveling all by myself once she's made her grand entrance. It was nice to wake up on my own in the morning, and it was also nice not having to constantly remind kids to behave. I have to admit though, that I still missed the little buggers! I think that's just part of being a mom... it never leaves you!

We are so happy for our friends Chris and Marta, you guys will be amazing parents! We can't wait to finally meet little baby girl Tyler!

A brief update on things going on in the Syphus Clan.

Kaylee just finished her 2nd month of Kindergarten, and I got to go to my first Parent/Teacher Conference. Mrs. Kelley says that she is doing great, with all A's except an 88% in reading comprehension (she probably gets that from me). She's doing amazing and I really love that school. Since we are moving in a few weeks Kaylee will be transferring schools, I am a little nervous about the change but I think Kaylee will do great.

Crew has come full circle with the "baby thing." He now takes care of Kaylee's baby doll while she is at school. He puts her down for naps, feeds her, and rocks her to sleep. I even caught him playing cars with the baby today.

Baby Girl is still growing. I have a 3D ultra sound scheduled and can't wait to see how much she has grown. She kicks me an awful lot, and it's starting to get really strong. I am convinced that this girl is going to be my biggest kid yet...

Chris is still working in Sedona, but it's coming to an end. I am excited to have him back home every night! He is enjoying his freedoms still by going out fishing almost every day after work.



I am still pregnant... and feeling like I am ready for this to be over with. I am excited to move into the new house and get everything ready for Baby #3. I am going on a short trip to Vegas for a friend's baby shower next week and I am so excited about that. My days right now are spent packing and resting. We are also spending at least 1-2 hours a day outside playing on bikes and going for walks. I love that the weather is cooling down.

This is a picture of our new place, come a few more weeks. It's pretty sweet inside, and the backyard is massive! I am so excited!

Milestones

Kaylee turned 5 the other day and we celebrated at Peter Piper Pizza. She had a blast with all the family. I think her favorite part of the day was when she got to spend all the tickets she won on whatever she wanted. Of course she also liked all of her new gifts, and the cake I made was "sooo yummy!"

Kaylee's new favorite thing right now is to ride her bike. She took the big leap (after much coaxing) to take her training wheels off. She was very determined to get it down, and it only took her 3 days of trying! She can now ride like a big girl.

I love you Kaylee, you are such an amazing daughter. You are so creative and thoughtful. You are the best big sister to Crew, and I know that you'll be just as great to your new sister. You are so smart and talented in all that you do. Happy Birthday sweet heart, I love you and your dad and brother love you too.

Open it!

Crew is not very into the whole, "new baby sister" thing yet. He knows he can't sit on my tummy anymore, or even poke it. I think he's starting to get curious. Today I asked him if he likes babies and he said yes. I asked him if he wanted a baby sister and he said yes. I pointed to my tummy and said that there is a baby sister in there. He pulled my shirt up to expose my bare belly and said, "open it!" He's so cute! I told him that she was not big enough yet and that she needed to stay in there until she was ready to come out. He just kept looking around my belly area for some sort of zipper I think...

Grand Canyon 2009

This past weekend we took a trip to the Grand Canyon at North Timp Point. We spend 5 days and 4 nights on the edge of the canyon. It was so fun, I could seriously live out there! But you would have to bring me a toilet and shower! Our kids thrive in the wilderness, and I love that they are never bored, even when there aren't any toys to play with. I was a dork, and didn't really take too many pictures of the trip, but here are some of my favorites of the ones I did take.

Dirty faces!

Chris hates it when I try to take a picture of us like this... so of course he tries to turn away! We had a great time!

We almost had all the kids together at one time. Laura and Jessie's kids were sick so they left early... and Crew is not pictured here cause he was sleeping. This was in the awesome fort that the kids made, but mostly Sara and Amanda constructed.

Crew loved playing in the dirt with all the trucks and cars. He also loved playing with his little cousins on the trailer.

Kaylee rode a little 50 motorcycle with training wheels on it. She did great! I think we might have to get one of these!

I also went on a 3 mile hike with my mom and dad, brother and his son, Kaylee and Elyza. It was so fun, the kids had a great time walking and running together. The Grand Canyon is an amazing place to visit, I highly recommend it to everyone!

Fishing and Petroglyphs

Last Friday the kids and I drove up to Sedona to spend the night at the cabin and to do some fishing. I knew that we were going fishing, but I didn't know Chris had planned for us to do a little hiking too. Kaylee was still wearing her school tennis shoes, but Crew and I just brought flip flops. It was difficult in some spots, especially since Crew can't walk that fast, and we had to carry him over alot of stuff, but the pay-off was worth it.

Chris would get the fish hooked on the line and let the kids reel them in. They loved catching them and looking at them, but they refused to hold the fish to release it. It was really funny.

After hiking along the creek for awhile Chris took us to some petroglyphs.

They were amazing! I don't think too many people know about them cause they are so hard to get to.

So the last spot we were at, Chris was getting some good size fish, and Crew kept creeping closer and closer to the edge of the creek. I told Chris to keep an eye on him cause he could slip in really easily especially with those flip flops on! And sure enough...SPLASH!

Crew took a dive into the creek. Chris jumped in (it wasn't that deep, up to Chris' knees maybe) and pulled him out. He was ok, just scared and wet. We were about 1/2 mile from the truck and I decided that I would take Crew back to the truck and Chris and Kaylee could continue fishing.

It was a long walk back trying to hold Crew and his wet clothes and in flip flops to say the least! The trip was great, and definitely memorable!

OCD or just too cute?

Crew and his obsession with cars. No matter where we are in the house, couch, table, bed, computer room, or even bathroom, he brings his cars with him. One by one he will line them up, drive them around, and make all sorts of cute car noises. This is what it's like when I am on the computer trying to facebook or blog...

He's so darn cute! I love his little personality!

Not to mention my little kindergartner... she's REALLY cute! She's doing soo good at school. I love the curriculum that they have at her school. She is learning so much, but is already so far ahead of schedule thanks to her awesome Preschool! They have taken several tests at school for Phonograms and she has gotten 100% on all of them! We are just so proud of her!

She is also doing so much at home that it's crazy to think she's still only 4 years old! She makes her own bed now, folds and puts away her own laundry, brushes her teeth without being told to, cleans up her toys, takes her own shower... We really feel blessed to have such an amazing little girl. Next month she will turn 5, and she can't wait.

Washing the Pillow

This is what we go thru every time we wash Crew's beloved pillow cases. As you can see, we only wash them when it is necessary.

Coincidence or Destiny?

The other day I was driving in the car and thinking about the baby I am having in December. It got me thinking about my mom, then my grandma and all of a sudden it hit me, there is something strange going on here! Let me explain...

When my Grandma was 25 years old she had her 3rd child, which was a girl.

That girl, who is my Mom, was 25 years old when she had her 3rd child, which was a girl.

That girl, me, is now 25 and having my 3rd child...which is a girl!

I can't wait to have this girl and get a picture of the 4 generations that make up this crazy situation! That will definitely be one for the scrap book!

Quilting!

I just wanted to share a picture of the quilt top I put together for our new little girl. I still have to back it, quilt it, and bind it.... but the pretty part is already done!

Since she's been gone...

While Kaylee is in school it's pretty quiet around here. Crew is so different than Kaylee. He is not into TV or movies. It's a little harder to keep him entertained throughout the day. He mostly plays with all of his toys, one by one. But he always puts them away! He's so cool! He loves playing with Kaylee's stuff too (he can get away with it while she's gone)!

(Here is Crew coloring in Kaylee's maze book. He loves to color.)

Summer Vacay in Utah

This year I took the kids on a trip up to Utah to see several family members and old friends. Our first stop was in St. George. We spent a couple days with family; enjoying Becca's sister's pool, "So You Think You Can Dance" night, and Alan's birthday.

Here is Crew swimming, he's a regular fish.

Kaylee is my little dare-devil! She had no hesitation to jump right off of the cliff jump. Me on the other hand, it took me like 5 min. to get enough guts!

Kaylee and her fav cuz, Elyza... they get along so great!



Our next stop on our trip was to Wellsville to see my grandma and Keith. We went to the American West Heritage Center on Pioneer Day. The kids loved seeing all the animals, and riding the pony's.

At the Leishman Family Reunion. Keith, Aunt Dorretta, and Grandma (Yes, they are twins!)

Crew enjoying all the fun activities of the Reunion.

Playing on the slip-n-slide at Grandma's house. The water was ICE COLD!! Brave little kids!

Enjoying the warm weather, and cool pool (not to mention the ice cream treats!) The pools in Utah are amazing, why can't the pools in Arizona be as nice!?

We went bowling with the kids. They did great! I don't know if you can see, but Crew beat everyone with a score of 103! He obviously got some skills from his mom!

The kids watching as the ball moved slowly down the lane. So cute!

Leaving Grandma and Keith's house. Thanks again for such an amazing week!

I got the opportunity to visit with an old friend from Chris and my college ward from when we lived in Utah. I hadn't seen her since her baby shower for her little girl who is now nearly 4! It was great to see you Catherine! Good luck with the preschool! I know you'll do an amazing job!

Our next stop was visiting Jamie in Tooele! She and her family are doing great. She gave me a tour of her town, and it's just so beautiful... I can't wait to visit again!

Silly pictures!

Kaylee blowing her first bubble! She only needed a piece of gum so big it could barely fit in her mouth! Good job girl!!

Swimming in the Tooele City Pool, again... what a nice facility!! So jealous!!

Me and Kaylee enjoying the day!

Jamie took us to her dad's house where we got to ride a horse! The kids were so happy, and I even got to try it out. It was so fun!

Memory Grove Park in SLC, waiting with the kids while Jamie did her magic of photography for a bride to be. I tried with my little camera to take some cute shots.. these were all I could get.

Obviously Alayna knows how to do the cute "serious" pose. How cute are these two!?

We drove from Tooele back to St. George for another couple nights where we went swimming again...seriously what else is there to do? Then we made our way back to Phoenix. We had such great time on our trip, and thank you so much to everyone that let us crash with you, you know you are always welcome in our home too!