Easter Sunday

I hope everyone enjoyed celebrating Easter Sunday with their families yesterday. Aaron surprised me with an Easter basket full of chocolate (with my fav dark chocolate too!), jelly beans in a cute flip flop container (he said was 'so me' when he saw it) & a little bunny rabbit. I asked him if he was the type of person who liked Peeps since there was a package of neon pink chicks in my basket as well. He said "NO" but that you gotta have Peeps to make it feel like Easter! I'm not partial to them either, but those ridiculous pink marshmellows do bring a sense of Easter fun!!



We had a nice sacrament meeting focusing on the Atonement. What really prepared me for yesterday though was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from General Conference. He taught me about the Atonement in ways I never could have learned on my own study time. It brought tears to my eyes and touched my soul. If you didn't get a chance to see it, I would suggest watching him speak rather than reading it. I am excited to receive May's issue of the Ensign & reading through the talk.
Anyways, we enjoyed Easter here in a low key kinda way. Earlier in the week, I contemplated for about 3 minutes on whether or not I should attempt an Easter feast. I quickly put that thought way once I realized it meant I'd have to go back to the grocery store, since I had no "Easter food." So instead Aaron enjoyed a stack of pancakes with PB & syrup; I had a chicken & cheese quesodilla. We were happy & content. Maybe next year I'll make Easter dinner.

Bargain Buys

Yes I am a bargain shopper. I love finding good deals on things. It makes me happy & it's kinda exciting purchasing something I really want or need for a sweet little price. Here are my latest finds:



I have yet to frame our pictures from when we married. I was looking for something particular.



I wanted beautiful ornate frames. All that I looked at were anywhere between 15-30 dollars. I couldn't bring myself to do it.



Until I found these for $6.99 each at the Kirkland Outlet Store this weekend!! I was thrilled I found them. This is what I had in mind!



The picture quality isn't that great on here. I don't know where I am going to display them yet, but for now they will sit on the shelf I haven't decorated yet. One step at time for me!!

CON ARTIST.

Looks innocent doesn't he? Don't be fooled. Last night after I got home from work my husband & I were sitting on the couch talking. Our 2 four-legged children were wrestling & such, mostly over a bone both wanted. Naturally, the big dog should win, right?! Well Elvis is somewhat of a push over & let Max have it (or so we thought). Elvs disappears & suddenly we hear a squeaker toy in the back bedroom being squeaked rapidly. Max stops knawing on the bone & looks up. "A toy? I wanna play" he seems to think. I told Max 'no' that it was a mean trick, Elvis only wanted to lure him away so the bone would be left free to steal. But you just can't talk sense into a dog when his attention is completely fixated on something else. Max jumps off the couch searching for the toy & within seconds Elvis hops back onto the couch. He takes the bone & hasn't an ounce of remorse, a smidge of compassion, or a bit of regret. Elvis is happy. He tricked a puppy & got away with it. And there are 2 human witnesses that can attest to this scheme. We couldn't believe it. Elvis had planned this all out & it worked! We laughed the rest of the night & I know this will be a story we'll laugh about for a long time. That dog sure is smart. I'm still in shock he knew all the right steps to take. How do you think he knew to do that? (Even though he's guilty, we still love him)

Our Weekend

This weekend was a great one! Saturday we took the puppies to the beach & let them chase each other. They loved it! Max got close to the ocean & of course it scared him-he's such a scaredy cat, although he wants you to believe otherwise. Elvis just loved running & running & running to wherever his little feet could take him. I love when you can see how happy they are! It shows in their faces how free they feel!
The beach was alot of fun & I decided I definetely need to take more advantage living so close to the water. (Side note for my Bama friends-the beach is so diff from Fl beaches, not the clear water & white sands, which is why I haven't felt like I was missing out). However, it's still relaxing & it's still a beach! So I promise to soak up some sun by the seaside this summer! Then Saturday night we celebrated a friend's birthday playing games & eating yummy snacks. Yesterday was 3:00pm church (which is not that fun) but we did get home while it's light outside!! Thank heaven for daylight savings time!! I love this time of year...you don't need AC or heat, i keep the windows open & enjoy the breezy weather. Can't wait for the beautiful spring weather & flowers everywhere! Weekends like these are about close to perfect! Happy Spring to Everyone! *Here is some cuteness for ya'll to enjoy*

Bowling + Dancing = Good Times

I found these 2 vidoes on our computer & forgot all about this!! Aaron & I were still dating; we had gone bowling with my older brother & decided to "spice" up our bowling game. You had to dance to the song while bowling. I wish I had a video of Aaron, but if my memory serves me right "there wasn't any good songs on" when he was supposed to bowl. Hmmmm, I think he was too intimated by us or was this footage taken to embarrass me later in life??? Oh well, ENJOY!

Just Work It Out

A few months ago I told Aaron for my anniversary/christmas/birthday gift (b/c they all fall back to back) I wanted a personal trainer. I wanted to get my body into shape & be confident with myself & lose a few pounds. I knew it would be expensive to have a trainer, but that's what I wanted. Luckily enough I was able to find out that the gym on base has FREE TRAINERS!! WOOT WOOT!! So I got myself one & have been working with him once a week for about 3 months. Once a month I get a fitness assestment done to see my progress. So Wednesday was the "big" day & I must say I'm very proud of myself thus far...Originally, my goal was to loose 10 lbs by January, but I didn't reach it. Don't worry I did not get down about it, in fact the opposite has happened. I am happy, proud, I feel great, lots of energy, my butt/hips are shrinking : ) & I feel fit overall!! My assestment says I now weigh in at 121 lbs, which is 5 lbs less than when I first started. My graph says I am in the "ideal" category for weight & bicep strength is now "FIT" (I get excited just thinking about this). Each month has shown slow progress, but progress nonetheless & when I see a lower weight than before & body fat % down, I celebrate a small victory inside!! It's been hard work and I didn't want to work out 5 days a week sometimes, but I was consistent & it's paying off. There have been some days where I can't move I'm that sore...but to me all of this is completely worth it & a good feeling.
I didn't do any drastic changes to my diet, I was more aware of the amount of food I would eat, what I ate & stopped eating when I was full. Because believe me I like food way too much to give up something for good. So yah, I love the warm bread they serve a Macaroni Grill with olive oil, Homemade Choc. Chip Cookies are prob my biggest weakness, I always love a good pizza, & it doesn't help when your husband's favorite dessert is cheesecake. Those are just to name a few...my point is I never believed a strict diet could work for me. I'd get to feel so restricted that I know eventually I'd cave & it would be bad :) My trainer had me count calories for about a week (which I tried to do) only so I could visibly see how much a cup a cereal looks like, or 1/4 cup of tuna, or what a turkey sandwich looks like with a little bit of mayo, mustard, tomato, lettuce, & 1 slice of cheese. For me, I was surprised at how much a cup of cereal was b/c it turned out to be too much, along with 1/4c tuna, & other things I might eat. It was a good lesson & something I keep in the back of my mind whenever I eat. How much I can eat versus what I actually put on my plate. Sometimes I measure things to keep my memory fresh. Food is supposed to be enjoyable, not the enemy or a drag! I do have a breakfast that I make often that keeps me full...I pour maybe a 1/2 c of kashi go lean cruch cereal, a couple of scoops of lowfat yogurt, with blueberries/sliced strawberries or any berry fruit you like. It's healthy, has alot of protein & fiber, & is light yet filling.
Healthy living is something I've always tried to do. Growing up my brothers would playfully tease me that I'd always drink water instead of a coke. I always took an exercise class in high school & liked jogging a couple of miles at the park. I'm sure everyone can agree it feels great to take care of yourself. I feel confident, like the way my body is looking, and love doing this for me!!! Plus, I want to be in shape for when we do become pregnant. I'm sure pregnancy is gonna take a toll on my body, so I gotta be ready for it : ) yah...i got the fever, haha!
So if anyone reads this and decides to make changes or wants to be healthier, I'll be your cheerleader! I'd love to root you on : )



P.S.- I am southern so I will always love a cold glass of coke (or Dr. P). In fact, I got a 2 liter in the frig right now!

Declockly

What's You Name??


I tag EVERYONE who reads this!!

1. YOUR REAL NAME: Britney Christensen


2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle): Briizzle



3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and favorite animal): Blue Puppy

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (your middle name and street you live on/or neighborhood if it's a number): Danielle Banyan Grove


5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): ChrBr (huh?)


6. YOUR SUPERHERO/CRIMINAL NAME: (Your 2nd favorite color, and favorite drink): Green Coke


7. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your last name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, and last letter of your moms first name). Rrcueby


8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parents middle names): Lea Brent


9 . YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets): Black Elvis


10 . YOUR HOOD NAME:....first 3 of your first name and add -iqua....: Briiqua


11. What will you repost this as? (1st letter of middle name; last letter of siblings first name, first letter of your last name, and add lockly) Declockly