Things I love Part 2

a.) Tosca Reno

Almost 50 and in amazing, AMAZING shape. And she wasn't always that way. Mother of 3, changed her eating habits, started working out, and wrote a bajillion books about how she did it. I'm planning on buying her Eat Clean Diet Cookbook and the one for Families and Children. I'll let you know how they are.

b.) Suze Orman

Maybe it's the jackets, maybe it's the "girlfriend" use. Whatever it is, I LOVE Suze Orman. She gives wonderful financial advice, she's down-to-earth, and I feel like she actually cares about the everyday person. I own two of her books Women and Money and The Young Fabulous and Broke book. I recommend them both highly.


c.) Oxygen Magazine

I love this magazine because it shows you (with no BS) how to get ripped as a woman. I used to have a subscription to Shape, but there was so much makeup/fashion and so little actual workout/nutrition. Oxygen has excellent advice in my opinion and even a column written by near 50-year-old Tosca Reno. It shows you that having a rock-solid body is completely do-able and the right mix of nutrition/weights/cardio that you need to do it. Now, I just need to get my piglet of a husband on the right side and convince him to stop bringing home Almond Joys and ice cream for me. I'm so weak..............

c.) Music

Okay, everybody loves music, but here are some favorites (especially for working out)

1. Katy Perry One of the Boys

2. Justin Timberlake Future Sex Love Sounds

3. Breaking Benjamin

4. Britney Spears Circus & Blackout

5. Flyleaf .. I was introduced to this group via Rock Band and a few of their songs are awesome for getting through a tedious workout session. I especially like "I'm so sick," "Fully Alive," and "All Around Me"

6. Mercy Me I LOVE Emmanuel.

7. Miley Cyrus "See you Again"

8. Kanye West "Stronger," "Jesus Walks," & "The New Workout Plan" (That one makes me laugh at the people on Ellipticals.. I imagine that they are the ones the song is about. Don't ask me why.)

9. Rihanna "Please Don't Stop the Music"

10. System of a Down "Toxicity"

11. Three Days Grace

Big Changes & Award Time

The last several weeks have been exciting times for the Lemmon family. Justin graduated from Airman Leadership School on March 25th and was awarded the John Levitow Award signifying excellence in both academics and leadership. It's the highest award that a graduate can receive and only one out of each class of graduates is awarded it. It was a really proud moment for Justin and amazing to see the room explode with applause from people standing and waiting to shake his hand. It was during this moment that we both realized that this military life fits. We are both so thankful to God and all of these blessings that He keeps pouring on our heads.

Also of note is Luke's ever-improving mobility. Luke pulled himself up to stand for the first time this week, surprising me while I was sorting clothes in his room. He started crawling Thursday (4-9) and it was exciting and unbelievable. I thought I wouldn't be seeing this for weeks or months even and I was a little overwhelmed with emotion. Above is a picture of one of the consequences of this development. Time to get the playpen out!

Luke is also surprising me by trying to repeat words back! I don't think that he completely associates meaning with sound, but sometimes I don't know. On our way home from a visit to the Belgian caves, Jess was in the back teaching Luke to say "car." He would repeat that sound back to her and we thought that was pretty neat! Well, yesterday at the gas station I had him on my hip while we were waiting for the pump to finish (since he likes looking at what's going on) and he busts out with "gar!" as he sees the first car zoom by. He kept saying that and checking out the cars. It's really exciting :)

Now.. if only I could hear a "Ma-Ma" :(

London in 12 Hours (stole that from Jed)

(Tower Bridge) (St. James's Park)

We spent the 28th of March in London for a quick day of sight-seeing with Kristen and Jed. It was quite cold and sometimes a little rainy, but definitely neat to visit. After our arrival at Dover (where we did see white cliffs), our bus continued on to London. We started off with a 2+ hour tour led by the funniest English gentleman I've ever met. The entire time he would sneak in quick, sarcastic comments and was even busting on the royal family a bit. Also, we stayed on the bus the whole time! <- I loved that.

(Crossing Abbey Road)

We took a couple quick stops at Abbey Road and to take pictures at Platform 9 3/4's. Jed and I were the only ones that raised our hands and said "yes!!" excitedly when the tour guide asked if we wanted to stop there.

After our tour we walked through St. James's Park to check out Buckingham Palace, visited the Tower of London, grabbed fish and chips (Dad informed me that they weren't authentic because they didn't come wrapped in a napkin), checked out the Magna Carta at the London library and took goofy pictures inside a British telephone booth.

The Tower of London was very cool, place of bunches of executions and imprisonment. I especially loved visiting the Library, as they actually had letters written by Elizabeth I. She spoke many languages fluently and is one of my heroes.

There wasn't much time to do anything else and St. Paul's had closed by the time we were able to make it over there. It was a good trip, but I think Paris is a better place to visit. They do speak English in England, but it's so cold and much less pretty (than Paris).

We did have a tough time finding changing tables, but I'm learning that that's a problem all over Europe. Rome should be fun!