Carter Zoo Chronicles

Sit Down, Strap in, Hang On Tight,

2011-07-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Its gonna be a bumpy ride.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen here we go again.. Its the beginning of the http://www.mamavation.com/ Campaign 9. I am a finalist and will find out about 10pm EST tomorrow if I am going to be one of the next Mamavation Moms or not. Either way, I have my seat belt buckled and I am going to hang on tight because its gonna be a bumpy ride to battling my weight. But its gonna happen.

This is my 3rd campaign with Mamavation and my 3rd time being a finalist. But if I am not voted in this time. I will survive, I will continue to lose weight but I am so happy and proud to be finalists with the girls that are with me. I have enjoyed learning lots about them and proud to say we are all friends. Whoever is the 2 voted in will do an amazing job as Mamavation Mom and the others will do an amazing Job in the MiLi Challenge.

Shannon is a fellow NC mom who is an amazing strong military wife. Her and I share a common bond of being in NC, Autism, She is such a great positive person who I can't wait til we can get together in real life. I know she will meet all her goals and I am proud to call her my friend.

Rachel where do I even begin? Her and I just instantly connected on twitter. She always makes me laugh her and I have a common bond of friends and Autism. She is such a wonderful Mother, Friend and is a great cheerleader for me. I can't wait til we get together soon in MI with Laura and Katie that state wont know what hit it. It will be an amazing cray time.

Tricia another fellow mother of a wonderful amazing exceptional daughter. She is an exceptional mother who is always on the go. She is always so positive and i know she will do great in her journey.

Stacie is a very busy wonderful mother. I know she will do an amazing job in her journey. With her being on Vacation in Cali I haven't gotten to know her as well as the other girls but I know soon I will know her much better.

Shelly (@momma_oz) has agreed to be one of my fit friends. I am very excited. Most of the other Sistahs have agreed to be our fit friends as well :)

Yep if you have noticed I am trying to delay posting these pics and numbers, But I am declaring that this is not going to be me for long. I will not go back to these pictures. The Finalists and I have all agreed to take pictures in our sports bra and shorts we are stepping out of our comfort zone and putting it all out their for you all The good the bad and the ugly.

Measurements 7/10/11

Bust 52

Waist 49.5

Hips 60

Thigh 30.5

Arm 15.5

Calf 20.5

Weight 308.4

Finalists Announced..

2011-07-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well Its been a week... Its a been a good week with some stressful events but hey, That's life especially when you live in one with Special Needs children.. But lets get business taken care of first...

3.8 lbs down and I lost inches in the GruntStyle Challenge

I finished the challenge and was very proud of myself. I am also very thankful for all the support and cheerleading I got especially from Mark, Shelly, Leah, Greta and Daniel. I enjoyed Mamavation TV Monday with our Guest host Shelly who did an awesome job. I have really enjoyed the last few weeks of getting to know my fellow applicants. They are all wonderful special women and I know that with or without being Mamavation Mom they will all succeed in their weight loss and fitness goals that they have made for themselves.

This week was great to get back to the norm around here. Really getting track on the eating habits for the whole family. As my middle son has told me so many times this week. I am the role model for our family, and as Mothers we really are. Its my job to teach them these tools now so that later on they won't have to struggle with being active and healthy. I was very proud of myself for not caving in this week with sweets and doughnuts. I did have 1 drink this week, Im human and I slip up. But I fessed up and did my Penance (4 60 sec Planks.. and I DESPISE planks which is why Leah made me do it, but I didn't complain I did it)

Our Blogging Carnival is Hosted by www.Eco-FoilPans.com

How did well did you manage to eat healthy over the holiday weekend (4th of July & Canada Day)? Any tips for the rest of the summer?

We I think have done really well this holiday weekend. We loaded up on our year supply of charcoal *home depot had a GREAT sale* So we have grilled out our main meal for the past few nights and its been so darn hot we've been eating very light foods and veggies.

"This post is sponsored by Eco Foil Pans and I'm writing this to be entered into a Eco Foil Prize Pack giveaway hosted by Mamavation."

Good Luck Tonight to all the Finalists and the Applicants.. Remember if you aren't a Finalist Rock the MiLi Challenge and reapply next time! Love you All..

Summer Family Fun Time

2011-06-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well first things first. In the last month I have lost

12.5lbs and 4lbs this week

I am very excited about this weight loss. After my wake up call appointment at the DR she wanted me to lose 10 lbs so I did and more :) Its been an awesome week workout wise for me still doing the @GruntStyle 2 week challenge and its been great to have the support and accountability with Leah, Mark, Shelly, Greta and Daniel. Its almost done and will do my measurements again. Unfortunately with my parents being here my nutrition hasn't been great this week we've gone out to eat more than we normally do around here but the great thing is its a new week and I can start fresh. :)

Also its time again for the Campaign to become the next Mamavation Mom. I have applied and will find out soon if Im a finalist then be prepared because its gonna be voting time. Every vote counts and I would really appreciate your support. This would be an awesome experience for myself and my family. Can't wait to have my booty kicked into shape by the awesome Mamavation Coaches and Sistahood.

How have you recently stepped up to support someone in your life?

Well I think the mamavation community gives us all the platform and opportunity to step up and support each other. I know I have found a lot of support in there. I also have a good friend Allison who Ive been working on getting her more active and healthy for her kids. Also My LillyBear who is a young lady at my church who has severe special needs who has a special place in my heart. I have stepped up to make sure she has a great experience at church so that she can make the most out of her time there. I love her to death and happy to say she has been able to move up out of the preschool and into the k1 room next up is upstairs to the 2-5 room.

Well its about that time need to get my workout in and head to church. I will see you all at Mamavation TV I'll be the sweaty girl on camera with big boobs lol...

"This post is sponsored by EatSmart Products and I'm writing this to be entered into a EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale giveaway hosted by Mamavation."

Grunting The Whole way...

2011-06-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting week for us and a very abnormal week. We started out by going on a quick mini~vacation to the beach with my parents. We stayed 3 days and 2 nights so eating and working out wasn't exactly up to par and trust me my energy level and stomach both knew something was up. On Tuesday night Hubs and I went on a Party Boat and had a few drinks. It was 2 hours with none of our kids which was very strange and took a few drinks to help me relax and turn the mommy brain off some, which lead me to the conclusion that I need to get away a little more often for Me time or Us time because it was a very strange to be alone just us.

I didn't gain or lose any weight this week which is good. Im sure I gained some on Vacation and lost it when I got back.

Now on to my workouts... Which is something I am bragging about. I accepted @GruntStyle the newest personal trainer for Mamavation.com who we all have come to love having around. Has a 2 week challenge and I decided to accept it. So I'm on day 4 which is rest day and trust me you need it! All his workouts are named perfectly. But with the support of Daniel, Leah, Mark, Greta and the other Mamavation Sistas I have made it and Grunted all the way. I told Hubs when I complete the 2 week challenge he is ordering me a Grunt Style Shirt. If you are wanting a challenge and are brave enough to accept it. http://www.joggermom.com/ is this weeks sponsor..

I've also applied to be Mamavation Mom again for this next campaign and would love some support if I am chosen for a finalist I would love the help in receiving Votes so I can become the next Mamavation Mom. It would be a life changing experience for me and my family. So please stay tuned for more information on it.

Well I am going to go relax in a hot shower and then off to bed. Sweat Monster is the workout for tomorrow and I think we are going to take the dogs on a walk with my parents... Til Next Time..

"This post is sponsored by Joggermom and I'm writing this to be entered into a yogo mat giveaway hosted by mamavation."

Back on the Right path...

2011-06-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Very happy to report that I am back on the right track. I received my wake up call and decided to answer it.

5.8lbs down this week

I have been spending most of this week really focusing on nutrition which is one of the areas that really are the hardest for me. Sometimes I think that is one of the down falls to being a stay at home mom its easy to hit the kitchen and snack. But I have really focused on portion control and what I was putting in my body.

I've been using a lot of my fellow mamavation sistas this week for support which they are always so very awesome! At the end of the week all the family which I am sure attributed to my weight loss this week as well. But I am happy to report we all seem to be on the mend. We are also heading to the beach for a couple of days with my parents so there will be lots of swimming and walking I am sure.

How often do you and your family eat meals together and get active together?

We normally eat our night time meal together, and if they are home at lunch we will eat then together but we try to get at least 1 meal a day together. Even if my husband and I aren't eating at the moment we will still sit with the kids typically while they are eating. We strive to get more active together but we right now a few times a week go outside and play or we will get out the wii. We are hoping to do a lot more family outings. The boys love going to amusement parks and museums. We all also enjoy going for walks down trails.

"This post is sponsored by Sportsline and I'm writing this to be entered into a Qlip Any-where Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation."

Well until next week, I am hoping to be able to catch everyone on mamavation tv tomorrow night if the hotel has good Internet..

Ring Ring Ring

2011-06-06T14:05:00.001-07:00

Hello? Hello? Anyone there? This is your

WAKE UP CALL

Yes this week I had a MAJOR wake up call. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago because I was just feeling yuck and I wasn't losing weight and I wanted to get checked out to make sure there wasn't a medical reason for it. Well blood work came back and I am PreDiabetic and Low Iron and I am 7points from being considered Diabetic. I totally freaked out. As some of you guys know me from past campagins and from Mamavation TV my mom is Diabetic and has lost 2 of her toes from complications of her sugar levels and not being able to fight off infection. This is very much a wake up call for me to get healthy and beat this battle with my weight. I will be applying for Mamavation Mom again.

But for whoever is reading this, I need to ask a favor from you guys. Please Tweet, FB, Text, Email, Comment, Skype whatever you want to help me stay on track and keep me accountable. That is the hardest part for me is I need to make sure I keep accounted what I am doing because I have to do this for myself and my kids.

The boys are out for the summer and don't go back until late July and my parents are in for the month to visit which is nice since we only spend time with them once a year. We are hoping to spend lots of time at the pool this summer and being as active as we can.

I have made a Chart that I hung in the Kitchen to track my weightloss something that I can see everyday I hung it in the kitchen since that is the area that can really mess you up on your lifestyle change.

ReStart....

2011-04-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have decided its time to restart my engines.... I took a couple of weeks off to get my head on straight and things in order in my life because CHAOS was surrounding me and I was going INSANE.

I spent time today reflecting on the last 26 years of my life. I use this term a lot it really has been a roller coaster ride. I've always done things very quickly but this is the one battle that I am not going to solve quickly and I am learning how to come to terms with this. I mean I started having kids very young. *I don't advocate Teen Parenting but I was a Teen Parent twice 16 and 18* So I grew up very quickly. When I met my husband our relationship moved very quickly. We met in September, moved in together in October and married beginning on December preg with number 3 in Feb. When our youngest was dx'd with Autism and multiple other issues I dove in head first and researched whatever I could find on it and became able to provide therapies to our sons as quick as I could. But it took many years to gain this weight and keep this weight on, why is it so hard to understand that its going to make time to take it off?

But I have decided that this is going to happen. I will become healthy and get to do the things that I want to do and to be able to be the mom my kids deserve. Its more than just losing weight, I need to work on learning how to handle stress and figure out a way to get Me time. So that I can keep my head on straight and everything in my life in order. I don't want my kids to have to worry about my health and my weight. I want them to grow up being active and healthy and being the best them they can be. I always get weird looks from the IEP Team when we go to do the boys annual reviews at school and they always ask What do I want for the Future for my child. The answer is always the same I want them to be happy healthy successful man. In whatever life they do so choose to live. That's what I want to provide them I want them to see that I didn't give up or take the easy way out in my weight loss journey.

Who in your world deserves a "shout out" this week for pushing you to better yourself? What did they do?
I have a few people that come to mind. First being Laura and Katie and Lori and Angela who are all Mamavation Sista's. I have really enjoyed spending time with them each day just being girls. They always motivate me and push me and make me laugh and keep me from going insane. Lori gives me great book advice and helped me ignite my passion for RPattz... These girls and the other mamavation moms really help me keep going.
*I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mamavation Blogging Carnival for a chance to win My Trainer Fitness 100 Calorie+ Workout featuring MizFitOnline from Mamavation.com*

Mamavation Monday...

2011-04-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

WoW This has been a very busy week...

Its the final night we will find out who will be Mamavation Mom tonight...

The boys have been in intersession for the past 2 weeks. We found out Logan our service dog was ready for testing. Its just been CRAZY... Which is how our life typically runs around here.

I really don't know what to even write about its been so crazy... But tonight is the party, so we will see what happens. This is my Mamavation Monday post.. My first MiLi or Mamavation Mom will be next post.

With scale pic, before pics etc

At the Top of the hill....

2011-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Right now I feel like I am slowly creeping up the big hill on a roller coaster ride I remember this very well.. The same feeling I had about a few months ago. Within the next 24 hours Leah will announce the finalists for Campaign 8. Then you have the week of voting then the dreading stressful Twitter Launch. Which don't get me wrong its an AMAZING Time with AMAZING Women but when your a finalist the minutes no SECONDS tick by so very very slowly. But this time around its another feeling. I'm full of anticipation but I know even if I'm not selected as a finalist or Mamavation Mom I will still join in on this ride because I am going to ride this ride and beat the battle of my obesity "5 lbs at a time" as a wise woman once told me. I will admit that I back slid some after the end of campaign 7 a few days but I know that's its alright to do that because every failure is a chance to restart and relaunch. I can't beat myself up I have to "shut the duck up" and move forward. Which is what I did. I was so excited last week when we were getting ready to go to the zoo and I put on pants that were 2 sizes smaller than I was wearing in Jan.

Where will your feet take you this year? Any plans for a big hike, race, or just alot of hiking?

I am hoping to sign up for the Orange County Special Education PTA's 5K this year. It raises money for our Exceptional Children's department. But I am planning on doing alot of walking would love to take the boys to some of the trails we have around the area.

Well I guess I will talk to you guys later... After we find out if I'm a finalist or not..

Either way I'll be back next week...

Monday, Monday Monday...

2011-03-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well I missed last weeks Mamavation Monday post and Mamavation TV due to some computer problems. But I think I got the bugs all worked out.

This week was a very busy, stressful and emotional week for me. We just finished Campaign 7 and I for some dumb reason decided to not really pay attention to my healthy eating and working out as strictly. I am so glad I don't have to post a scale pic this week because the number is back up a little but the great news is I lost

2 Pant Sizes!!

We took Jakers to the zoo yesterday and had a great time with him and his service dog Logan I was so proud of myself I was one of the only ones that went that wasn't complaining about the walking or the hills, everyone else who is at a healthier weight and in better shape were complaining so I am very excited about that.

Are you a sweet or savory snacker? What do you look for in a healthy snack?

I am a random snacker, It really depends on what mood I am in but typically I either want salty or sweet and definitely something that requires chewing. I usually look for things that are going to give me the most quantity for smaller calories. For example if I can have a bowl of something or a handful I'm gonna go with the bowl.

Mamavation Monday

2011-03-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

This past week was just a typical week at the Carter Acres. Busy with appointments, meetings, homework, stress, drama more stress, church, Fusion at church, stress and stress.. Which is really just a normal week for us. Oh not to mention Friday evening I had a wedding to shoot and ended up doing that, and getting the bride ready but I really enjoyed it, I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking pictures.

I didn't really do anything special this week except I got to start working out again which is AWESOME I was so glad to be released from PT and allowed to get my back my Wii and treadmill :) I was a very happy Mommy.

What are your strategies to fit everything into your busy life? Any areas you need to work on?

Well I don't get enough sleep which is one of the areas I struggle in. I stay up late getting things together. I also need to become more organized so that we can be less hectic. I try to multitask to fit as much into my life as possible. Which is an area I need to work on as well because I create more stress with that.

This post is sponsored by Earth Footwear and Im writing this to be entered into a giveaway

Blogger flipped my picture over, and I can't figure out how to re flip it.

280.8 (-6lbs this week)

30.8 lb total loss for Campaign 7

I wasn't expecting any weight loss at all this week, I only change has been being able to get back on my wii and working out, and I've been having a lot of hot dates with my treadmill in the evenings...

Anatomy of a 20 pound loss...

2011-02-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

Everyone has been asking for my secrets and or more details on my weight loss for this past week. I can only tell you what I have done and what I think happened. I am not an expert on this. But I talked to my PT and he gave me ideas on what he thought was the reason. I also spoke to my kids PE teacher at school who is also a Personal Trainer a few weeks ago when I was down in the slumps with my NO weight loss, he expected this to happen and wasn't shocked when I told him about it. So heres the story.

When I found www.mamavation.com I was 311lbs the most I've ever weighed in my life. I was ready for a change. I applied for Campaign 7 and started competing in the MiLi challenge. I didn't lose weight for a few weeks and started getting depressed about it. Then lost a few pounds, and then a few more, then gained some back, then had the big number... Well Coach and I talked because I couldn't understand I have so much weight to lose why isn't it just shredding off me?? Coach said he figures that my body completely froze up like "Fight or Flight" and was holding on to everything because I had made too many changes at once. He wasn't concerned and told me that I should keep up and that I would see a drastic drop that more than likely I will see a pattern of No weight loss for weeks and then a BIG number. He also said that since I stopped my workouts I was doing and changed them up do to PT it sent my body another shock and is what helped the loss. I went from doing EAS Active to doing my PT exercises every hour for 25min and then walking aswell. Last week was also a very Emotional Week and I made sure what I ate was extremely healthy because I was so stressed out, it was alot of veggies more than anything... But that is my thoughts...

Mavation Monday Im so BACK!!!!

2011-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

20.8lbs & 2.5in Loss this week

24.8lbs & 16in total Loss!!!

I weighed my self like 3 times and yelled for my husband to come in the room just to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. I even moved the scale to a different room because I was sure that this was a mistake. But it only changed less than a pound when I would reweigh.. I have been flying on cloud 9 all day. I tried to figure out what did I do so differently this week? The only thing was Monday & Tuesday I had a major pity party for myself its been a stressful last few weeks, more so than usual. But I decided I would allow myself to have a pity party and cry and be all mad but I didn't allow myself to EMO Eat.. I refused to let myself do it. Because I knew I wouldn't be able to control my intake. I was also bitten by the Twilight Saga this week. It gave me something to do. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down, I was so hooked but it was a great release and let me relax. It was something for me and by the way if you haven't been following on Twitter. I am Team

and that is the only Team there is really.... But even my Sistas that are Team Dog I mean Team Jacob I still Loves ya, but Doood seriouslly Team Edward is the only one for me. But after I thought about it today, I realized I've always had a weak spot in me for Vampires and I can thank my Aunt RaRa and Karla for that, But I do think I need to find different ways to handle stress and reading might be a good one for me.

I know that next week I am extremely busy. I have atleast one meeting each day next week. I have PT 3x and school meetings, Im also going on a field trip with my middle one to go see Suessical the Musical; which we are both excited about. As of right now I am planning to attend Fitcation11 I am extremely excited because I will meet so many of my wonderful supportive Mamavation Sistas and have a girls Fitness Weekend. I've been a mother for almost 11 years and never had a weekend away, and I've never been to TX so its alot of firsts for me there. I can't believe that we are almost at the end of this Campaign. I am so thankful that I have stuck to it and I am making positive lifestyle changes for life! I know that I will meet my goals!

Wow Its time for measurements again... This is the last set for this campaign...

Bust: 51 (0)

Wasit: 45 (-.5)

Hips: 58 (-1)

Thigh: 26 (0)

Calf:19.5 (-.5)

Arm: 14.5 (.5)

How do you encourage your children to contribute to your family's healthy lifestyle?

Well we try our best to keep encouraging them to be active. We also have a garden so we ask the boys what veggies they want to help plant and care for. They also have Fruit Trees and Fruit Bushes. We let them pick places for new walks and going to the zoo. We want them to grow up with the concept that being active is healthy for them.

This post is sponsored by Mamavation and Im writing this to be entered into a give away.

Blah Blah Mamavation Monday...

2011-02-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Well this week has really sucked. I wasn't allowed to work out due to PT but I am going talk about that this week. I gained weight which sucks but I fell off the wagon a bit in my Blah Blah mood. But only 3lbs so that isn't too bad. Plus Mother Nature wasn't my friend this week. But I will do better this week.... I turned the lights off in the picture because I didn't want to see the number...

No Real Goals for this week but doing the best I can.... Trying to find ways to fund going to the Mamavation Fit-Cation11 in June but not too sure if that is going to happen.

Blogging Carnival For this week...

What motivates you to get going and what keeps you going?

My kids get me going, I have to get up everyday to help with them but they keep me going and I just want to be able to keep up with them. The Mamavation Sistahood keeps me going... Especially a few Sistas who know who they are have been AMAZING to me this week and I don't think this post would have been done..

This post is sponsored by SEARS FitStudio and I'm writings this to be entered into a giveaway

Mamavation Monday...

2011-02-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Well first things first...

3lbs weight loss this week...

Well I am at a 7lb weight loss so far for this Move It Lose It Campaign. I would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting to lose a lot more for these past few weeks. But at least its a loss. I know they say losing little bits at a time is better for you but its still hard when you know how much more you need to do to get to where you need to be.

I am learning a lot from all the Sistahs who have been doing this for awhile. But my body has been thrown into a whole confused state. This week I haven't been hungry at all but still making sure that I do my best to eat at least 3 healthy meals each day.

Stress is a hard issue for me. Having 3 kids with such different needs and requirements. Im having to learn to deal with stress in new ways. I use to crave something sweet or fried when I got stressed out as a coping technique. But working to learn new ways. The boys have been a bit stressed as well with the changing of the eating patterns. But this is a learning experience for all of us and we will get there as a family.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day... We don't have big plans we will more than likely have dinner and a movie with the munchkins.

Mamavation Monday

2011-02-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Lost:

4lbs and 13.5 inches last seen a week ago.

If found please DO NOT RETURN

Thats right everyone I finally lost weight... 4lbs and I am so excited and thankful for the support. This has been a very hard week for me. Wednesday I was at my breaking point, stressed to the max and very disapointed in not seeing ANY weight loss. I came very very extremely close to breaking my diet and throw everything I had done out the window but I didn't and I am very glad I didn't because when I woke up in the morning I saw a change. As Pete Cohen from www.petecohen.com told us monday night. We need to Shut the Duck Up and Just do it! The duck was quacking very loudly wednesday night but I did manage to shut the duck up with the support of the Sistahood. I know that if I wouldn't have had you guys on wednesday I would have caved. I still have a long way to go, but i am almost 25% of the way to my first goal and reward. When I have lost 5lbs 4times (20lbs) I am going to go get my ears pierced! Its also time to post the measurements again, they are going down so that is a positive thing :) I still have a ways to go but its the small steps that are counting..

Bust 51 (-1in)

Waist 45 1/2 (-5.5 in)

Hips 59 (-2in)

Thigh 26 (-4in)

Calf 20 (+.5in)

Arm 15 (-1.5in)

This week our question is..

What am I doing to keep my heart healthy?

Well my diet and excersize are the biggest thing I am doing to try and keep my heart healthy. Making sure I am getting enough good fruits and Veggies into my system. I am also trying to find ways to manage and cope with my stress.

Goals for the new week...

Walking... Trying to manage 3 miles a day

Water... Keeping my 64oz minimum each day.

New Recipe for the week.. Not sure yet but will post when I figure it out

Continue to monitor my portions and nutrition

Well the husband and I are heading out for a walk so I'll will see you guys Later....

Mamavation Monday

2011-01-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

Well we are into week three in our MiLi challenge... Still no weight loss but Im hoping next week will be better. Atleast there is no weight gain. I am trying to stay positive but its starting to get harder for me...

Our Sponsor this week is... Earth Footwear and our question is

What does "wellness" mean to you?

Well to me Wellness means you are heatlhy and active and able to do the things you want to do. Happiness is also a huge part of wellness... So that is what it means to me.

Goals for this week:

Walk atleast 10miles
Keep uping my intake to get to 64oz a day
Wii Work out 6days
Work on portion Control
Veggie for the week is Cactus

Mamavation Monday

2011-01-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

Well I ended up NOT being a Mamavation Mom.. But I am in the Move It to Lose It Challenge and I plan to rock that challenge. This week was a weird kind of week I spent alot of time with family because I spent so much time campaigning to be Mamavation Mom. I've had a lot of people as if I would apply to be in Campagin 8 right now Im not sure. I would love to be the next Mamavation Mom on Campagin 8 but right now I am focusing on Rocking the MiLi contest!

I love the fact that I have met so many great friends in the Sistahood of Mamavation Mom. I have an accountability partner to help keep me motivated.

Goals for This week....

Walk 3miles each day

Drink more water building up to the 64oz your suppose to drink a day..

Wii Workout 5 days (wii fit, EA Sports Active)

New Veggie For this week is Asparagus...

Watch Portion Sizes

Didn't loose any but didn't gain any either....

Blogging Carnival Question is.... How are you getting more Fiber into your Diet this New Year?

In our family we eat alot of Veggies and Fruits and we are trying to introduce a new veggie each week into our menu. We also add Fiber to some of our foods like in sauces and things.

"Im writing this post as an entry to a blogging carnival sponsored by Fiber Plus. I will be reciveing a free product in return"

Mamavation Monday

2011-01-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well its Monday again everyone.... Today is the day we find out who the next 2 Mamavation Moms I am very hopeful to get the opportunity to be the next Mamavation Mom but either way I am going to make 2011 my year to get healthy. For my family and friends and for myself. But I know with Mamavation it will give me the tools I need to succeed. Even if I am not chosen for Mamavation Mom I am entered into the Move It to Lose It contest... Its for 7 weeks aswell. Its similar to the Campaign but you are more on your own but with the support of the Sistahood... The contestant with the highest percentage of body weight lost Wins $500 and a pair of Earth Footwear the second place winner also gets a pair of shoes....

Well Its the First post to start both the Mamavation Campaign and the MILI Contest so here are my before pics and my measurements.... The plan is that these are the last time my numbers will be this high...

I am also going to start training to run a 5k a friend of mine from church is going to run/walk with me. Our plans are to do one in April so I will keep you updated on the progress with that one.

Measurements....

Bust 52"

Wasist 51"

Hips 61"

Thigh 30"

Calf 19 1/2"

Arm 16 1/2"

Mamavation Monday I'm a Finalist!

2011-01-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Monday already... Well for me its been Oh My Goodness its MONDAY... It has seem to take awhile to get here. But I am a Finalist in the Mamavation Mom Campaign. We have an awesome group. Its hard to see some of the girls I've had the chance to meet not be picked but this is just one campaign and I know we will all succeed in this weight battle together.

5 lbs at a TIME!

I am so thankful to be given this opportunity to possibly be the next Mamavation mom. But I NEED YOUR HELP. Its voting time. We have a week to vote the top 2 finalists will be the next Mamavation Mom if you could take a second and go vote for me. I promise I will do my best and I will not let you down. Please pass this on to your friends and any and everyone you know.

http://www.mamavation.com/2011/01/vote-for-mamavation-mom-2.html Im NcCarterFamily

This week Blogging Carnival is sponsored by @mrsalonpas

Have you ever been injured starting a new exercise routine?

Tell us about it... If not, do you get any aches and pains? Where?

I can't ever remember getting injured from starting a new exercise routine. But I am over 300 lbs so aches and pains are daily thing for me. My feet and hips hurt the most. I also have alot of back and shoulder pains and aches because the lord blessed me with DDD's and that doesn't always feel like a blessing. I am so happy that I have found Mamavation.com and Bookieboo.com because with my Sistas I know I will lose the weight 5lbs at a time!

Megan The Real Me...

2011-01-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

Doing this www.Mamavation.com Mom Campaign has inspired me to do this post.

I am Megan and I am a Christian. I am a mother to 3 young boys ages 10,7, and 6 and 2 of them are autistic and they all have a multitude of other diagnosis's to go along with them. But I love them and our crazy little life. I am morbidly obese and that affects my daily life. I have sleep apnea and borderline high blood pressure. I come from a very obese family. I really can't name a single person in my family when I was growing up that wasn't over weight.

I have over come a lot of obstacles in my life and they have made me stronger. I grew up in a single parent home with my mom, grandma and brother. I was a single teen parent way before 16 and pregnant came out on MTV. I had my first son at 16, second at 18 left an abusive relationship with what we could fit in the trunk of a car and then met my husband a few months later and had my 3rd son at age 20. I was never a teeny tiny barbie but I was at a healthy weight before I got pregnant with my 1st son.

My brother is morbidly obese and my mom is over weight too. My mother has diabetes and luckily now it is being very controlled but she has lost toes due to her diabetes. Heart disease and high blood pressure runs in our family. I don't want that for me.

I am a SAHM and help my in laws with their rental properties. But with the boys and all the issues they have we have felt it best if I stay home. We don't have the family lifestyle where it is easy to go to the gym nor right now can we afford to buy gym memberships. But I know if I am chosen I will do EVERYTHING in my power to be the best I can be!

Its always been a joke with a lot of my online friends that they all know what my kids, pets and husband look like but not me. I never take pictures of myself because I don't like what I look like I don't like I hate this weight. The boys have recently learned they LOVE going to places like Carowinds. I spent most of the time sitting and watching because I was too scared to even try to get on some of the rides because it would be so embarrassing if I couldn't fit into the seat. When we go to the water park I normally sit and watch them because you aren't going to catch me in my bathing suit in the middle of carowinds. I'm not that crazy.

I want to be the mother that the boys deserve. I want to be the person that is inside me begging and pleading to come out. I want to be healthy. I need to be able to run and play and enjoy life with my children. They need me. My boys are runners. I have to be able to run and catch them

Their are a lot of moms that are applying to be the next Mamavation Mom and I'm hoping that I am chosen to be the next Mamavation Mom it would be a life altering Experience for my family. It would be a blessing for all of us. All the Moms that are applying are wonderful and have already been a great support for me. Please join me in this experience. Even if I am not chosen to be the next Mamavation Mom I will overcome this obstacle.

This is me now.... Im sitting here going be brave be brave just do it. But its so hard to face these pictures.. This is me now but not for long.....

Mamavation Monday

2011-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Mamavation Monday...

First I wan to start off with some AMAZING NEWS!!!!!!!

3.5lbs LOST

Now with that said on to my first Mamavation post....

Its a brand new year and alot of people are starting off on their yearly diets. Im not starting a yearly diet this year. I am doing a whole lifestyle change. Diets don't work, they are temporary. TV is now bombarded with Diet and Gym commercials. I personally don't have the family life style where I can easily go to the gym. Even the ones with child care are hard because I have special needs children. So it takes alot of time and effort to get them ready and to train someone to be able to care for them. So I am finding alot of different ways to work out at home and without having to spend a small fortune that I don't have on gym equipment. I have found that the Wii has alot of great options for work outs I LOVE wii fit and EA Sports Active. But even without having video games their are simple things to do. I will only carry up one of the boys clothes at a time. Which means I am making 3 trips UP the stairs. We have also started doing obstacle courses in the back yard with the boys. They LOVE LOVE LOVE picking out what we get to do and being the boss. But the BEST thing I have found. Is just playing with my boys and letting them take charge with their imagination. We have had Dance competitions, Sock wars (We ball up all the socks with a missing match and throw them at each other). Its not only a great family time. Its a great work out. But for something more alone and to target certain areas I would recommend you stopping by the Twitter Party on Jan. 5th with GameStop www.Gamestop.com

Can't wait to talk to you guys again...

My Mamavation...

2011-01-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

I want to be the next Mamavation Mom!!!!!

I have recently found a WONDERFUL AMAZING Group.... http://www.mamavation.com/ It has already been a great support for me. I have applied to be the next Mamavation Mom in campaign 7. The Mamavation Campaign is basically Boot Camp Experience but in their own home. They are setup with everything they need and they begin to live the next 7 weeks online documenting the challenges, struggles, successes that they have in their weight loss journey.

As some of you know I need to lose weight. I have about 140lbs that I want to lose. I am ready and motivated to be the next Mamavation Mom. But I need your help. To show support please

Tweet this "RT Hey @bookieboo I want @NcCarterFamily to be the next #mamavation mom She has my support! http://bit.ly/aorv3Y" you can retweet it as much as you want to show your support.

Facebook go to the Mamavation Fan Page and comment that You want NcCarterFamily to be the next Mamavation Mom

To earn the privilge to be the next mamavation mom would be such an honor but more so it would be such a blessing to my family. With having 3 very active boys I need to be able to be the mom that they deserve. 2 of them have Autism and that can be such a stressful life that I never know what is going to happen next. I need to be able to run after my boys. I want to be the mom that they SHOULD have. I want to be able to ride the roller coasters with them, go to the water parks do all the things that we want to do as a family.

Please join me on the process and help support me being the next Mamavation Mom!

My video Application is right here....

htto://youtube.com/watch?v=GGRvD9A-5g8

New Year, New Beginnings...

2010-12-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well Its almost midnight... So we are about to start a brand new year... 2010 has been an interesting year.. Lots a good time and bad... People brought into our lives and people taken from our lives. We are already half way done with this school year...

We have decided as a family some of the things we would like to change in the new year. We've decided we need more family time... You can never have enough family time. The boys want us to go camping this year, and have more family dinner, and game nights....

I have decided that I am going to lose weight this year. I have to lose weight for my health and so that I can be the mom I want to be for my kids. So keep on the look out for more posts about that.

We have also decided to become more organized as a family.

All 3 boys are setting their goals in Tae Kwon Do to earn Red Belts by the end of the year. Which is amazing and I know they can do it!

Well Happy New Year to all my friends and family... Can't wait to share 2011 with all of you...

Charlie and the GI

2010-02-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

**Warning: The following post should not be read while eating, it pertains lots of bathroom talk**

As most of you know... we've been struggling with Charlie's bowels for quite a few months now. We've tried bribing, rewarding, punishment, miralax, e-lax, about anything you can think of. Finally we talked the ped into giving us a referral to GI. Well on Feb. 1st UNC Peds GI told us great we can see you on June 1st. Well needless to say my lid was FLIPPED! But Duke was about to see us TODAY!!! Hip Hip Horray! That is one reason I love where we live. Two GREAT hospitals 20 minutes from us. Well here's what happened today...

We do know that Charlie is constipated and has a rock hard one in there. Which we need to get out. They are thinking that his problem is that his Colon and Rectum are stretched due to the constipation. So he doesn't recieve the feeling of "Oh I gotta go Potty" because the rectum doesn't close after he has pooped because he isn't getting it all out and even when he does the colon and rectum don't close all the way. Kinda like when you stretch a rubber band out as far as you can alot and then let it go it doesn't go back as small as it was.

So how do we fix this? Well for this weekend we will be staying home. Charlie is going to get cleaned out *We Hope* He will recieve 5 doses of miralax and 2 e-lax for 2days and then go to 1 dose of each for the next few weeks. We are hoping to see a difference in the next week in his bowels. If not we call her back. But either way we go back in 3 weeks to check in with her.

I will keep you all updated as to how this goes... We are hoping this is the issue but if not we will continue to search what is going on with him. Next week we check back in with Jacob's Autism Doctor and get lots of results back! Stay Tuned!

Frustration.....

2009-08-24T19:06:00.001-07:00

Warning: The post that you are about to read is more a vent and frustration.

For those of you who continued reading. This post came to be while I was laying on the couch wrestling Jakers to sleep. I am really frustrated with the fact the children's schedule completely relies on myself. Because it has made me prisoner in my life or atleast that is how I feel. For example there was a H.E.O.S (Helping Every One Successed) Meeting tonight which is basically a support group for families of children with IEPs at our school. I made the arrangements for the boys to go down to Ma and Pa's while I went to the meeting, because for certain issues its just better for them to go down to there rather than stay home with Daddy. But I knew I was cutting it close and that our bedtime routine would be thrown off up to an hour because I wouldn't be home til 7:30. But that when it hit me that them going to bed depends on ME, homework ME, Therapy ME, getting up and to school on time that would be ME, making sure everything is sent in when its suppose to that would be me aswell which is probally why its frustrating to the teachers because I always forget til the last minute and they usually send a note home to remind me. (mental note to put CharChars shirt for tie dye in his bookbag). But I know that I can't go anywhere or do anything for me because they need all of me. I laid on the couch wrestling Jakers for 1 hour and 25 minutes because we were off schedule and his melatonin took FOREVER to kick in tonight. While I was running around tonight trying to atleast get them inbed by 9pm it hit me how much circles around me... What happens if I can't do it all??? What happens if something happens to me?? How much better of a parent could I be if I had just a little bit more time??

Signing Time = FAMILY

2009-07-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

I know the title doesn't really make sense but you'll understand why it really does. Family isn't blood relation anymore. When I was younger my aunts would fight over who was going to get me when I was out of school. But after I had my first child earlier in life than we expected I was no longer worth fighting for. After 2 of the 3 boys got dx'd as special needs my "family" seemed to drift apart more. But then we found www.signingtime.com and now we have a HUGE family. We came to www.signingtime.com to teach the boys ASL so that Jacob ho was nonverbal would be able to communicate with us. Little did we know but www.signingtime.com was going to give us a much bigger gift, which we will never be able to repay Rachel and everyone at www.signingtime.com . We started going to the wednesday night chats to ask questions and learn new things. Rachel then started using www.Twitter.com to let us keep track of her whereabouts and the random things she loves to tweet about. So then we started meeting more and more people and learning new things. But thanks to Twitter and www.signingtime.com we met Erin, Melissa Pam and many more who I consider some of my best friends. We are there for each other for anything day or night for ANYTHING some of us might never actually meet some of us might see eachother all the time. The one thing that amazes us is that even though our children's special needs is what brought us together in the begining that and www.signingtime.com its usually the farthest thing from our conversations. We are now family, we are the support system that we all need. I am so grateful for the relationships I have and proud to call all my signing time friends FAMILY!!
I lubs You Guys!
Rachel thank you so much for creating www.signingtime.com I don't know what we would have done if we wouldn't have found signingtime. You've help me create a WONDERFUL support system and a whole new family.

Back to School

2009-07-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

The boys have now completed 2 weeks back in school. We are going into our second year in the year round school schedule. I have to say that we love it. I think it has been the best change for our family. The 9 weeks in 3 weeks off schedule with 6 weeks in the summer is great. Just enough time off and the kids are ready to go back. This year we also had the chance to loop Hunter with his teacher () so it was an amazing transition for him. Charlie is such a social butterfly he is fine in almost any situation in school. His teacher is great. She lets them have fun but keeps them in order.

We are waiting to find out about Jacob's start date for school. It should be towards the end August once traditional schools start up.

We also should have some big announcements comming soon about our service dog. We also are working on getting some of the clutter out of the house and keeping things organized.

Til Next Time...

Cheap Summer Entertainment....

2009-06-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

FireFlies.... Lighting Bugs...

The past few nights since our Carowinds Family Bonding Adventure (Yes I know I haven't posted the pictures yet... Kiss My Booty I mean hold your horses)

The boys have been having a ball in the evening running around the yard catching fireflies... Well of course now we have some new vistors in the house with us. Jacob has a new friend! He played like this for 45minutes tonight... I just had to show you guys.. He was so cute I loved the squeal each time and him hollar "It fries"

I will finish editing the Carowinds pics as soon as I can get them to sleep!

Where are YOUR Boobies!!!!

2009-05-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had to post this it was soooo cute.... Some might find it offense but I thought it was cute..... Not sure who taught him his body parts but he's gotten mixed up along the way....

Will do a good post later.....

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day NaNa

Well Its Official...

2009-04-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

David is The Boy's FATHER!!!!

As everyone knows.. Today was the big day. We went to the lawyer and then to the Clerk of Courts.. He finalized the paper work. The adoptions are final and David is now the father of 3 Crazy, Busy, Beautifully Blessed Sons. We are so glad that this 2 year process is finally OVER. We have also made sure that all the i's have been dotted and t's have been crossed so that there is NO chance that he could come back in a few years and decide he wants become an active parent. It is a huge weight lifted off of us and a big relief its one less thing I have to worry about. Now I can strictly focus on Hunter and helping him overcome his issues he has been having... As I type this Jacob is stacking pepsi and mountain dew cans into different designs... I really need to get him into cup stacking... But that is for another post... Time for Tuck in's I'll do the Hunter update later..

Now to lock up the Zoo

Pump It Up Party....

2009-04-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we attended at Birthday Party at www.pumpitupparty.com
We decided this was a great place to have a party for multiple age groups. You go into a Arena and your group is the only ones in there. The boys LOVED it there. They were all over the place but with all the staff there it was easy to keep the Zoo herded in. We will be going back there soon hopefully. The parents even got involved in climbing and sliding and jumping. We always match the boys when we are going out somewhere big, so that if heaven forbid one is to get lost I can remember exactly what he is or atleast was wearing last time I saw him. They got balloons before they left so when we got home we did the ritual of writing the names and message on the balloons and sending them to heaven. We all included a purple one for Miss Maddie http://remembermaddie.com/

Well I will post another update after I put the boys to bed... I'll update everyone on Mr. Hunter

Signing Time....

2009-02-10T17:56:00.000-08:00

This post is for many reasons... One because my EBFF is giving away some Signing Time DVDs on her website http://www.theflockofbirds.blogspot.com/ You have to check it out. She has lots of give aways. You get to learn all about her crazy life and my Buddah Rhett. But back to the real reason for the post.

As most of you all know Jacob has Autism and limited verbal very little actual verbal conversations. We started ST! with him when he was 12 months and though he wouldn't speak to us or look at us he would sign to us. Now he is a speaking, signing crazy man! We are always looking to expand our ST! Collection and do what we can to raise awareness on the benefits of using ASL with Children who do and don't have any special needs.

Rachel's DVDs are amazing. My sons can watch them OVER and OVER and OVER again and never get bored. She explains the signs so well and has lots of repetition of the sign in the video so your sure your child is learning how to sign it and so are you! We listen to the CD in the car and sign the songs as we go down the road.

ST! has helped my son so much that they have recently put him into a PreK class and he is academically doing better than most of the kids in there. Thats amazing considering he is a year or two younger than all his class and he is autistic! ST! is the reason for this.

Chapter 1

2009-01-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

Its deffinately been one of those nights... But to start with lets just get the first blog posted... I can do more once The Monkey goes to sleep....

Carter Zoo Chronicles

Sit Down, Strap in, Hang On Tight,

Finalists Announced..

Summer Family Fun Time

Grunting The Whole way...

Back on the Right path...

*Ring Ring Ring*

ReStart....

Mamavation Monday...

At the Top of the hill....

Monday, Monday Monday...

Mamavation Monday

Anatomy of a 20 pound loss...

Mavation Monday Im so BACK!!!!

Blah Blah Mamavation Monday...

Mamavation Monday...

Mamavation Monday

Mamavation Monday

Mamavation Monday

Mamavation Monday

Mamavation Monday I'm a Finalist!

Megan The Real Me...

Mamavation Monday

My Mamavation...

New Year, New Beginnings...

Charlie and the GI

Frustration.....

Signing Time = FAMILY

Back to School

Cheap Summer Entertainment....

Where are YOUR Boobies!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

Well Its Official...

Pump It Up Party....

Signing Time....

Chapter 1

Ring Ring Ring