2012 in Review

2012 in Review
2012 has been a good year.  

January - April - We brought in the New Year at home.  We also started the year out with a diet (the soup diet) which went really well.  I lost 20lbs of pesky baby weight.  I joined a training group for the TC10km, and got myself in some really good shape.  Unfortunately injury took over and I was not able to finish the race I had been training for. You can recap my race day at the big race day blog .  I tried several times to get myself back into the routine, but failed every time. 

March - we went to Mt Washington with our friends from baby group.  Avery's first trip to the snow.  What a great adventure that was.  I got back on my snowboard, my husband got to enjoy his first trip to the mountains, and Avery got to play with her buddies.

March-April - Granny and Grandpa came to visit us.  They took Avery away to Sidney for a night, so we got some peace and quiet.  It was strange, I am always so ready for her to come back home.  They spent Easter with us, and we had an early 1st Birthday party for Avery with a few close friends.

April - Avery turned 1. That was a great party!  We celebrated at Boston Pizza with friends, and had a big party for Avery at Tumblebums.  I made her an amazing birthday cake.  You can recap, or just look at pictures of her cake details with Avery's 1st Birthday Blog

May - I went back to work!  I survived.  I was only going 2 days a week, but it turned into a few hours a day. It wasn't too bad.  I enjoyed being back in the saddle and having a little piece of myself back.  Avery loved going to spend time with her baby BFF.

June - I decorated my first wedding cake over the summer, and I actually got paid for doing it.  I don't think I ever wrote a blog about the cake. Once again it was a great learning adventure!

June- August - Our biggest adventure of 2012 was moving.  Over the summer we decided to pack up our bags and move "home"(for me) to St Albert.  Wow what a huge transition.  We put our condo on the market, visited St Albert, and put an offer in on our house subject to the sale of our condo.  Well our condo never sold, and the sellers accepted another offer.  At the last minute Avery and I decided we would visit Granny and Grandpa in England and daddy could pack and move us.  I had amazing friends that came and helped pack up 85% of our house, the next day we left.  We had an amazing 3 weeks visiting friends, family and just relaxing.  We got back to Canada and arrived in Calgary.  We headed up to St Albert because I started work in 3 days.

September - Avery went to a day home full time, and I started work full time. A big transition for all of us.  Work went/is going well.  Avery only lasted a month at her day home before we had to find somewhere new for her. Even though it was "not about Avery," as a parent it was hard not to take it personally.  It was even harder for me to put her somewhere else.  I decided she would only go part time to start.  We found her a great home, where she loves, and she is loved back.  Its a good fit for her. 

October- Avery started gymnastics, we got our first snowfall, and spent Thanksgiving with friends that are family!  I started my 30 day Eat By Design Challenge
Granny came to stay with us, and help take care of Avery.  Grandpa G came to stay for a few days. I found another home I love and put in another offer "subject to the sale of my condo."  Fingers crossed and prayers said.  P and I went to Calgary for 2 nights (my longest ever away from Avery).  I was attending the ACSLPA conference.  1 out of 2 days of the conference I really enjoyed.

November - Daddy left for Nigeria.  Ave did really well with Granny.  The crafted, they played, they sang.  A good time by both!  We finally got a 2nd car (much needed here in AB) especially with me working full time!

My very own 2011 Limited Ford Explorer!!

December - wooooo hooooo!! a good month for us!  Daddy came home from Nigeria (sadly Granny had to go home) BUT.... the condo FINALLY sold, and we got our new house!  Yippee!!!

Christmas was a lovely time with Family and friends, we were blessed with a new addition to the family two days after Christmas, so we will be looking forward to meeting Avery's newest cousin. 

Now we are getting to start the New Year.  We move January 6, so 2013 is looking to be starting on a good foot.

I hope you all can look back on your 2012 and smile with many happy memories. I feel very blessed to have had such a great year!

Take care for now,

JoJo!!

A Not Quite Paleo Christmas

Its been a while! A long while!  For those of you who may have seen the pictures I posted of Christmas dinner on FB, by the sights of the Yorkshire puddings, it was obviously not a very Paleo Christmas for me.

Yorkshire Puddings!

My intentions had been for a complete Paleo Christmas. Then I went to a Christmas party.  A few too many glasses of wine, a few too many espresso vodka's... and I was still not indulging in the treats, until the next day :-0.  The next day I was not "hungover," in fact, I think I may have awoken still buzzing a little, so I just faded all day long.  You know how that goes!!  I did pretty well throughout the day, I had eggs for brunch, but all I could think about was pizza.  I wanted, rather, I needed to eat PIZZA!  After hours and hours of deliberation about whether or not it was ok to eat pizza, my husband (great support) convinced me that it was.  "it's only one day, you've done so well, you deserve a treat!"  So I ordered a pizza with everything I love on pizza.  Bacon, ham, banana peppers, pineapple, we even went as far as to order the hot dog stuffed crust pizza.... gross as it sounds, at the moment it was DELICIOUS!  The next day, I didn't feel horrible, but my belly was certainly not its happy self.

I figured that would be the end of my indulgences.  Then Christmas Eve rolled around.  We were having dinner with family friends, and of course I was bringing my world famous macaroni and cheese.  I had bought some havarti and swiss cheese for the dish, so I just had to sample a little.  Of course at dinner I had some of my deliciousness, it's Christmas after all, and its just a little mac and cheese.  (and if you have ever tasted my mac and cheese, trust me, you would want some too!!! So the downward spiral continued.

Christmas day, I decided it just wasn't Christmas without Yorkshire puddings and stuffing.  YES! I indulged in it all, and some more mac and cheese, because who can really say no to my mac and cheese?!?!  I might have had some ice cream for dessert too :-O

Christmas Dinner

I figured by the next day that my belly was quite uncomfortable, I was bloated, things were not moving on out the way they needed to, that it would be easy to just jump back on the wagon.  Hahahaha! Who was I fooling?!?!  It doesn't help that my husband brought me delicious ice cream from the store, and Mrs Vickies salt and vinegar chips.

Now I find myself bloated, fat (i think i have gained about 500lbs over the past week), uncomfortable, and wondering why I have not had the strength and discipline to get myself back on track?!?!  Truth be known, I think I have enjoyed my "break" from the rules.  I enjoyed all my treats (although not how they made me feel).  I enjoyed not having to constantly remind myself to not sample the food, or lick my fingers, etc., etc.  HOWEVER, all breaks/vacations, must and do come to an end.

SO HERE IS MY END!!  Just kidding, I will get back on track January 1, 2013.  I want to enjoy some champagne to bring in the new year, and possibly some spanikopitas ;-) LOL

Until Next Year! (or possibly tomorrow)

JoJo!!