life love and fitness???!!!

So I have to admit something.. I have become a complete gym junkie... I hit it hard 6 days a week and Monday twice.. I have been running in the afternoon while Chase is sleeping.. Then taking Les Mils Body classes in the evening. I've been doing this for 13 weeks..
Every day at 7pm there is a class... And I go. I don't miss. Here is what my schedule looks like
Monday:
10:45am Body Pump.
07:00pm Body Pump.
Tuesday:
Cardio and a muscle group. (Legs or arms. or Chest and back. and I always do abs) This is the only day I don't do a class. The class they have at 7:00pm just didn't work it for me. The workout itself was not challenging enough and I didn't feel like the instructor was the right one for me. It's also NOT a Les Mils Class.
Wednesday:
1:00pm Cardio (I run at my house)
7:00pm Body Pump
Thursday: (MY FAVORITE WORKOUT)
1:00pm Cardio (running at my house)
7:00pm Body COMBAT! this is a Mixed Martial Arts class. I fight! Seriously. If you have never taken a MMA class you are missing out. I had NO idea I would love it so much. It was the hardest for me when I started because I had no idea what I was doing. I looked dumb and the teacher?? She is seriously ripped and so so serious about her fighting. She is cRAY-zzzz. I love it. She is the best teacher and has such a passion for what she does. And her muscles?? MUCH bigger than mine.
Friday:
1:00pm Cardio (running again)
7:00pm Yoga MUCH NEEDED by the end of the week. It's just a stretch yoga and I love it. I have fallen asleep in this class a couple times. The teacher's got a great voice and she stretches me out just right.
AND SATURDAY!??
9:45am Body COMBAT!!!! The teacher is different than the one on Thursdays. Her style is completely different. AND she has a crazy cool british accent. TOTALLY love her voice. She is intense on a completely different level than Kristen.
Sunday... I rest. My much needed rest day! Feels good. BUT i'm always excited to hit the gym first thing on Monday. I have never had such a great time and a deep passion for the gym! (WEIRD i know..) But i'm loving it. I have been doing this for 13 weeks now and I'm loving every week. The progress is amazing. Although, I did just ad the running in this week. SO before that I was not running every day.  I am working on building muscle and toning. It has been really cool to see the progress.  And feel the amount of energy I now have compared to when I was just living. Not prepping my body for chasing after a toddler and doing everything I can to prolong my own life and work just as hard as my sweet husband does to look my best and feel my very best.

I know those of you who know Sean know how much he loves the gym. It's not a passing phase for him. He really REALLY loves the gym. He has been dedicated to lifting since he got home from his mission. That is 9 years ago now. He has been 100% serious about it. But over the last few moths he has found more information that has helped him achieve his goals. He is sitting about 183 pounds right now. And for him? Being 5'9 and naturally REALLY slender?? That's amazing. He has gained about 30 pounds in the last 15 weeks. Poor thing hates food now. He has to eat all the time, and his coworkers people think he is nuts. BUT if they only saw his without that shirt on his back. It's been so inspiring to see the change in him. he is not fat. NOT at all. He is in fantastic shape. And he is doing it in a healthy way. I'm really proud of him. He works hard for his results and I decided I would too. And we are doing it together. And together we will be in the BEST shape of our lives!! (For a short time. THEN I'll be pregnant and have a huge belly to go with my muscled shoulders and arms.) oh.. and all this weight gain for my husband?? He went up a size in all his clothes... Oh dear... He is ripping out of all his old t-shirts and jeans! He even ended up with a few new suits for work. Love my big TUFF man candy!

 This is one of Chase's favorite dance moves... He pauses.. And then hikes up his leg like this and holds it.. Then?? He jumps up and down as fast as his little legs can go. It's ADORABLE. LOVE that little boy. 

 my boys and their music. Chase LOOOOVES the guitar. He is so much like his dad. Athletic and musically inclined. ALL boy and ready to do anything ALL the time. And he loves me. 

Memorial Day weekend down in Richmond VA. We usually go to our family memorial sites but they are all back in Utah. So we went to Arlington Cemetery the weekend before and then spent the actual Holiday weekend with our family. 

I swear the back and shoulder muscles all come from Body Combat. With all the punching and cardio we do it's a wonder I'm still standing and breathing. LOVE the hard work. 

Here I am! Pregnant with Chase August 2011 and this photograph was a few weeks ago. 2013. Working for myself to be fit and healthy! And I am really enjoying it. 

of COURSE what blog post would be complete without photographs of my darling Angel baby!!! He is such a delight to us. And he has LOVED having that time in the evening to spend with his dad. they have become even better friends and really get to enjoy one another while mom isn't around to infringe on their time. Sports. jokes. Music. they get to do it all!!!

Chase comes and watches me lift (at the end) and he watches me fight. He LOVES all the moves. He practices and stretches and does crunches. It's really REALLY adorable. 

Dr distress

So when we lived in Utah we had a fantastic clinic we worked with and the staff was wonderful. Since we moved back East we have had more bad experiences with Dr's than in my whole life combined. My experience at the Fertility Clinic was not a good one. And I'm on to Dr number 3. Hoping this one will workout for us. From what we've talked about on the phone I'm pretty positive this will work out. We shall see! That's why there have been no updates on fertility progress. Because there has been a lack thereof. 

Check back in soon. I'm sure we will be moving right along. Baby dust to you want to be mama's doing the same journey as we are. 

posty posty

It's been too long since i have updated the world on the Sean and Lauren Stewart Clan life. Well things on the East Coast move a little more quickly and there is much to see. We have done some amazing things. But seriously? All I like to talk about it my baby. So let me tell you the amazing things Chase does.

my baby boy has:
Sat through 8 solid innings of a National's baseball game.
(well he stood for the whole time.. right at the glass wall and tried to catch the ball every time the pitcher threw it)
He has started saying sentences...
(He blew my mind when he looked at Sean and said "I see a bird!")
He stolen more hearts than most people do their whole life.
(okay.. Maybe an exaggeration but everyone loves him..)
He gives out kisses like candy still... Hugs mom. Plays hard with dad. Wrestling.. Baseball.. Anything BALL.
He calls me "mommy" and grandma "mamma" he calls his Aunt Megan "Nai-gen"
He does Karate (Im taking a combat class and he mimics all my moves)
He jumps straight up in the air. getting completely off the ground
OHHHHH get this one. He throws balls at stuff on the counter that he wants. And he knocks them down to the floor so he can get them.
ALSO! He pulls all the drawers out in the kitchen and climbs up the like stairs... (Scared the crap out of me) But of course I was impressed!
He whispers.
He tells secrets (whispers in your ear non words)
He can get himself dressed.
He picks out his outfits. The other day it was a dress shirt with a sweater and a tie even. (ADORABLE)
He combs his curly hair.
He brushes his own teeth.
He puts his shoes away.
And he SINGS... it's adorable....
prayers?? YES he prays. Over every single different type of food we try to feed him.... (even if its all on the table when we prayed the first time)
He has started being interested in the TV. But he wants to watch Baseball. Football. Basketball. He wont sit and watch Barney.. Caillou or anything else for long. He LOOOOVES his sports.

I'm a proud mamma. And I can't believe my baby is 21 months old. I honestly thought he would never get bigger... And he does. Every day. Growing and growing. Each day he is more loving and smarter than the day before.


Our family just came out for a visit, Mom Dad, Kayla and Megan (Brice is on his mish now) Chase was in heaven! We had a blast. touring. visiting anything and everything we could. The ladies all went to a First Lady Luncheon. I won't really get into it because of the serious difference of opinion I have with everything she said. But the idea of "Having lunch with the First Lady" is a really cool thing. I just wont be going again till there is a First Lady that shares my views. We did get to eat food made by Paula Dean and see Trisha Yearwood sing live. It was very cool. AND we got to spend time together and get dressed up. I am very lucky to have married into a family of wonderful women. I have the best sisters a girl could ask for. (not all could come here this last week) but I am so blessed. I would have picked all of them for my brothers if I could have had a say. So the boys did good. And sweet Meg.. Love my sweet Meg. She was my little Nutmeg and she has now grown into an almost women who can drive and date soon. And she is gorgeous. I love her. She was supposed to be my sister but she had to be born to Evie (who also is a wonderful wonderful mom) So she could be Sean's sister so he could have some help in dating his future wife. She is an angel. all of the girls are fantastic. And Kayla?? sticking up for her beliefs at all times in all things and in all places. She just does. She's getting ready to head out into the Mission Field as well. She will be going to rock her assertive personality all over London. I'm proud of her. Cassidi?? As sweet of a girl has never been found. Kind. Kind. Kind. And fiercely protective of her family and loyal. I love her.
I have lots more sisters... Gwen..  My very first married in sister! She married my brother Randall when she was 19 and he was not even home from his Mission for a year. They go together like glue and paper! In a good way! She is his match for sure. Stronger than I am.... Beautiful and loving! I love this woman. She has been my sister for years and years now! I love her....
Erica??? Ohhhh my sweet sister. We got married into the Stewart family only 11 months apart. Lucky me! Sweet funny and so so good for Lance. I'm a lucky lady! She is a mother of two little ones and lives way to far from me!!!!  Then there is Melani!! She is brand new to my family! She married Trevor over Christmas and I don't know her well enough yet for my liking! But from what I've seen... She is wonderful.. Kind and happy. Can't wait to know her better! And my own sister Blaire... She is my born sister!! Came around when I was about 9 years old... Love her till the end! Gorgeous. good at everything... She is amazing...

thats all. Had a sisterly love moment!

beautiful Tayler!!!

This last weekend's location shoot. We spent the morning down at Mason Neck State Park. And... As you can see ;-) it turned out so lovely!! It was also so fun. Tayler was a dream to work with. 

fertility fertility what can I do!

So. We have made appointments.. but the good Dr's are so far booked out, out here. So.. we are waiting and waiting. But that's okay! First appointment is at the end of this month. Wish us lucK!

more baby vids.

A few of these videos are from back when we very first moved out here. I'm just throwing them all up!

video updates of my baby love!!!

Beautiful Marianne!

back in the saddle!

Had a beautiful mother daughter shoot yesterday. Check out this beauty!! She was so kind as to offer a before shot for my portfolio. And here she is! Gorgeous Shannon. I'm only posting a few or there would be a hundred... Loved all her images. 

All photos: COPYRIGHT @Lauren Michelle Images

Easter Weekend!

Chase's very first Easter Egg Hunt!! He was amazing. He didn't get distracted by any of the other kiddies or the fact that there was eggs in his basket. He was 100% focused on getting MORE eggs into his basket. Other kids? Had.. Two.. three maybe four. Chase had 14. YEAH! Go baby boy!!! He had a blast. Got to have snacks, hang out with about  50 kids and play for a couple hours.  Tim and Marcia put the whole Easter Egg hunt on for their neighborhood. It was so fun for everyone. The kids loved it, the parents had fun talking while their kids ran around having all sorts of good times. Here are some pictures from the weekend. 

Family pictures, thanks Erica!!!

my. huge. child.

Since when is my son so opinionated and grown up? He totally is. But he does love to cuddle still. Anyways.. Today he decided he wanted to play basketball from his crib. If you can imagine how long it took me to figure that one out... ( a few tries...) Anyways.. it was so funny to me. But here are some pictures! He played in there for a while, wouldn't let me get him down. Funny thing though? If I tried to get anything done while he was playing... as in.. i wasn't watching and making eye contact 100%.. somebody gets mad. He loves/needs to have the attention all the time. (he thinks he does anyways)Love my big big boy. 

Totally.

Totally. 100%. In LOVE. I just sometimes have to brag about my sweet husband. It's not like he brings home flowers. or chocolates daily( my butt thanks him) it's just him... This is my blog so I can say as much and as many sappy things about my love if I want. I'm in love.

No.. Love is not easy. And love is not blind (as they may say) but for me? It's remembering all the little things. And thinking of how he tries with all his power to make me happy, and to make Chase happy. Sean doesn't stop. Ever. He is a hard working hunk of a man. He works all day long at his job. BUT before he even goes there? He hits the gym (at 6am so he doesn't miss out on time with his family) and keeps his bod?? a 10!!! (AMEN to that lovey) And comes home ready to take on the family. "Daddy!" "Sean!" "Help me!"  "hungry!"  "I need to stop and pick up a few things" "Bedtime routine" "Baby needs a bath!" "Can you rub my back!" "Car needs the oil changed!" "Wipers need swapped out!" "Trash please" He hears all of this at once and probably lots more the minute he gets into the car. He is happy to see us. When he gets home he is at home. He leaves work troubles (if there even were any) at the metro stop and just enjoys us.  He is a fantastic example of selflessness daily. Patience? well.. He has got the motherload... Anyways.. had to say a few things. Because you know you are crazy CRAY CRAY in love when you have to stop yourself from posting on FaceBook 500 times a day how much you love your husband.... It would drive people crazy.. and probably they would think I was making it up!! ;-))) But it's all true.

I mean.. our life is not perfect! For sure not. But I married someone who puts his family and their hears above his own and I can't imagine being married to a better friend or partner for me. I swear.. He is just wonderful in every way.

Petting Zoo... FUN!

Family fun in Richmond with Dane and Cass and wee babe Tommy.  The Stewarts reunited! Partially. A few weeks ago we made the trip down to visit Dane and sweet Cass and adorable Thomas. It was so fabulous. Cassidi always has these great things to do and she had found us a petting zoo! HELLO!!!?? Perfect! My sweet baby loves animals. He was so excited when he realized that he was able to see and touch and talk to all the goats and pigs (when they got close enough) He would have been in the pens with them if we let him. He was adorable to watch. Kissing at them. Trying to touch the ones that were too far. Making kitty noises at the bobcat, growling at the goat.... squealing at the cows. It was so fun to watch. I'm such a proud mamma. I drag him all over to see what he will do and see what he will love and he loves all the places, people and things he gets to see. He is my little partner. Love...