Happy day all. If you live in Cache Valley, are you loving this weather? I hate being inside in the afternoon. Every afternoon I want to go on a bike ride or to the park or something. Yesterday we went to Ryan's Place Park. The kids had a lot of fun. Stockton was hilarious, going down slides designed for the 5-12 year olds.
Last night I went to a Heritage Makers party at Amy McLellan's. Have you heard of them? You make your own hardcover book with pictures and stories from your life. I'm going to do one of my three boys for Christmas. Write their own storybook with them as the main characters. Now I've just got to find the time to do it. I already paid for it, so that will at least motivate me to get it done. I am horrible at developing pictures. I take them sometimes, I'm the queen of leaving the camera home from family vacations. The guilt was strong last night, so I'm hoping to start with this book and then I promised myself to at least order some family pictures.

Hope you're ready for a good workout tomorrow. I get so excited about it!
Warm-up and cardio - 5-25 minutes
Dead lift with bent-over row - 3 sets of 10
Bicep Curl with lunge - 20 on each leg (if you need a break with the arms, just hold the weights and lunge, then curl when you're rested)
Frontal raise with squat - 3 sets of 10 - use pretty light weights 5-8 lb. dumbbells
Overhead tricep extension with plie - 3 sets of 12
Squat thrust with pushup - 10-12 reps - squat down, kick the legs out, hold the plank, do two pushups, jump in and then up (you can do it without the jump, just step)
Pullup - as many as you can do
Triceps Dip - 12-15 reps
Bicep Curl with lateral raise - 12-15 reps - Turning the palms up and out, raise hands and elbows to shoulder level (straight line from shoulder to wrist, out to the side) Curl the weight in and out - use 5-10 lb. weights
Kickboxing -
Punch forward - 20 with each arm
Knee with arms pulling into abdomen from up high - 20 each side
Twist and side jab - 20 each side
Side kick - 20 each side
Upper cut - 20 on each arm, then do them quick with quick feet for 20
Back kick - 20 on each side
Back jab (I can't remember the real name!) - jab back with elbow - 20 each side
Glute press - 20 each side (Not a kickboxing move, but it feels good)
Cool-down and stretch

Have a great day ladies.

Cami Checketts
www.camichecketts.com

How's everybody doing on the contest? I've been treat-free for two and a half days now. It feels good. I miss my chocolate sanity, but so far I haven't been too ornery.
I'm having one of those count my blessings days. When I got home from running this morning the boys were picking up all the toys and books and Stan was vacuuming the entire house. I know - I'm spoiled. My honey is cool.
Then I got to bake bread with Memphis and I had that warm, fuzzy feeling of being so blessed to have good food and a warm house and cute little boys to play Ghost in the Graveyard with.
Another blessing is having great friends. I know most of you who read this blog and I love all of you. It's so cool to have friends who are supportive and fun.
I don't have any great exercise tips today, except to count your blessings. Be happy with yourself and those around you and life will improve.
It's so easy to get caught up in the quest for the perfect body. Little tip - the models are touched up, even they don't look that good in a swimsuit. Don't be so hard on yourself. Try to eat right, do some exercise that you love, stand up straight and put a smile on your face and you'll feel as beautiful as you look.
You're all amazing. Thanks for reading my blog, doing my contests with me and most of all, listening to me babble.
Have a great cardio day tomorrow.
Cami Checketts
www.camichecketts.com

I am involved in another blog that is for the authors of Wild Rose Press's inspirational line. We're hosting a November contest that is a bit easier than my contest! Here's the little blurb on it.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time for counting your blessings. All of the White Rose authors count being a part of the The Wild Rose Press as one of our blessings. We’d like to know what blessings you have.

Leave us a list of three blessings in your life as comments on our blog and you’ll be entered in our contest. Names will be drawn from the entries for free books! Keep watching for more details.

The blog address is http://whiterosesinbloom.blogspot.com - I think - let me know if that link doesn't work.

And now I better stop wasting time on the internet and get some actual writing done.
- Cami

My boys are both wearing their "I Voted" stickers. I only voted on two things so it was quick, wish is nice because Stockton was punching in buttons on the ballot box next to me.
So, I'm all up in arms about the issue of all-day kindergarten and trying to figure out what I can do to prevent it from coming to Sunrise Elementary. The thing that upsets me the most is thinking about my five-year old being gone from me for six hours. Yes, I love that he is sounding out words, learning to add and making friends at school, but I also love that he has lots of time to read with mom, ride his bike and build forts with his brothers. I don't think a little guy should be in school all day. First grade is hard enough on me. The other thing that is funny to me is how poorly funded Utah schools are anyway, then they try to push all-day kindergarten. Where's that money coming from?
Okay, I'll get off my issues for a minute. If you have any great arguments to sway me, please try, because at this point if they institute all-day kindergarten I'll have to home school kindergarten and I really don't have the patience for that!

To the exercise. My chest was sore this morning. Anyone else? I have a funny story for you. We were lifting at Summit Creek Fitness this morning and I was rolling out sets of weights to the ladies with me. I stacked a pair of ten pounders and tossed them to Janna Barlow and crack - one of them split right in half. Have you ever seen that before? It was kind of funny, but I felt bad so I took a ten-pound weight in to replace it today. I've really got to learn to be more careful.

Here's the lower body workout for tomorrow, luckily we won't need any hand weights
Warm-up - 5-10 minutes
Squat - 30-40 reps - do the last four really slow
Hamstring Curl - with band, cable machine or without weights - 20 on each leg
Cardio - 5 minutes
Clock Lunge - 6 reps in each spot
Leg lift to the side - lift straight out, but lead with the heel, go slow and control it, you can use a band or cable if you want - 20 reps on each leg
Cardio- 5 minutes
Plie and front kick - 20-30 reps total
Calf Raise - 24-30 reps
Cardio - 5 minutes
Lunge with glute - Step onto a bench or step, lunge down, then lift back leg with a glute press, do 20 reps on right leg, then switch to left
Calf Raise - 20 reps on each leg
Cardio - 5-15 minutes
Cool-down and stretch

If you're short on time, skip the cardio.
Have a great workout.

www.camichecketts.com

We've been having a great time with my nieces and nephew. They play amazing together and except for trying to cajole six kids into slumber, it has been a good experience. But I have to hand it to any of you who have twins or children close together in age. With my nieces and nephew, I have two eight-year olds, two five-year olds and two under the age of two. I used to think twins sounded fun. Not anymore. Those toddlers can terrorize my house faster than a cyclone. Luckily, the older siblings are amazing at watching them and helping clean up their messes!

So, I really bombed yesterday on the contest. But I'm figuring that Sunday is a new week and I'm keeping track per week, my total for last week was one point! I'm in the black, that's all that matters to me! Sunday I got two and a half negative points. What can I say? I made cookies. And they were good! But that's okay. I'll workout hard and be careful this week. As long as I end the week with positive points I'll be happy.

How'd you do this morning? Those decline pushups kill me. I love it. Tomorrow we've got back-biceps.

Warm-up - 5-15 minutes
Bent-over or seated row - 3 sets of 12
Assisted Pullup - 3 sets of 12 (if you have it, if not find something to hang from and see how many regular pullups you can do)
Lat Pull-down or reverse fly (with band) - 3 sets of 12
Erector Spinae - laying on floor, raise chest and legs slowly up, hold for two-counts and lower - repeat 10-12 times
Bicep Curl - half way up with heavy weights, if you want sitting on an incline bench
From halfway to top with lighter weights, standing - 3 sets of 12 in each spot
Outward Bicep Curl - 14-16 reps
Twisting Bicep Curl - 14-16 reps
Bicep Curl with palms facing legs - 14-16 reps
Cardio - 15-50 minutes
Cool-down and stretch

www.camichecketts.com