Welcome to 5 Nuts in a Nutshell!

Hi, my name is Cat. I am a 30 something year old mother of 3 boys and wife to a handsome solider and college student. We live in a tiny student apartment, "The Nutshell," and enjoy the wonderful life of living frugal, bargain hunting, collecting student loans, changing diapers/ potty training, playing single mom when Army duty calls, raising a son with special needs, and joining play groups (if they will have us). My friends think I'm crazy but lovable, my husband thinks I'm sexy (a good thing too), my family thinks I am bossy and opinionated, and my kids think I'm from outer space. I don't mind. In fact, I openly admit I am a nut among nuts.

I'm a young mother still, I don't have a lot of experience with older kids. But I enjoying writing about what I do know about motherhood, marriage, and life. Most of all, I love to laugh about it. Life is so funny if you take the time to stop stressing and really think.

My husband Ben is my soul mate and perfect opposite.  Where I am loud, outgoing, and silly; he is quiet, thoughtful (as in he actually thinks before he speaks) and can fix anything!  Me, I just use super glue or duct tape... he does it right!  Ben is a solider in the US Army Reserves, a student in college, and a cadet in the ROTC.  (We are hoping to go active duty when he graduates this next summer). He works hard and I am proud of him.... even if I do poke fun at him at times (but only when I know that it is something that he will laugh about too!).

I married my husband, Ben, in 2004 and we got pregnant right away (I say "we" because he suffered as much as I did). Sam was born in 2005 with pneumonia. There is nothing worse for a first time mom, then to be waiting for a cry that never comes and suddenly your baby is rushed out of the delivery room because he's blue -- not my favorite memory. Sam is now 7 years old.  He recently started 1st grade at our local charter school.  Sam is speech/ language impaired -- a temporary thing, he'll grow out of it eventually -- and he is progressing fantastically! As much as I love him, Sam is a real hard kid. Loves to do naughty things, and don't let his speech impairment fool you -- he is extremely bright and very crafty -- which gets him in A LOT of pickles.  But lucky for me, he gives me great writing material!

Nephi is the middle boy. If I hadn't seen him when he popped out at birth with a red afro, I would never have thought he came from me. He is the first red head in a few generations, and when I say red, I mean red. In the sun, his hair looks like flames. Not to mention, he has a personality to go with it. I'm not just talking about the bossy red, I am talking "class clown redhead with freckles" attitude.  At 5 years old, he has us cracking up daily from something he says or does. Sometimes just a look from his blue eyes will have us in fits.  He just started kindergarten and LOVES it.  Nephi is also our little artist.  He has near perfect handwriting and can draw like no other 5 year old I have ever seen!

Last but not least, we have little Jacob.  At 18 months, he is already a "Terrible Two"!  We can't seem to keep him out of trouble or out of anything for that matter.  His favorite past times include, but aren't limited to, throwing expensive electronics into the toilet, getting up on the kitchen table and dancing, eating fruit... lots of fruit, and playing tag with his brothers.  He loves being snugly, and is a total Daddy's boy.  If Ben is home, Jake is by his side.

Sam, Nephi, Jacob, the hubby and I have many adventures we would love to share. I hope to hear from you as well. I really appreciate ideas and pearls of wisdom. I'm not perfect, even though sometimes I would like to think I am. I'm not even a great writer. I am starting this blog after a lot of peer pressure to do something with my writing skills. However, I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to putting myself out there to the public. Just one step at a time, and this is it. I enjoy life and love all it has to offer; the good times, the bad, and sometimes the ugly. It is my hope and my wish that we can bask in the glories of motherhood together.

Update:  This last year, when my husband left for Army training for 9 months, I started "Fat Butt Friday" to motivate myself and others to get off unwanted pounds.  I was successful in my endeavor and when my soldier got off the plane he came face to face with a wife who had lost 90 pounds and went from a size 24 to a size 10!  I have still have about 25 more pounds to go, so feel free to join me on my journey!  For more information click here.

Another Update:  Since I had baby 3, I gained a chunk of weight back that I am dying to get back off.  So stick around for new updates on getting the baby fat off and there will also be a new fitness challenge coming this summer!

One More Update:  You can check out my before and after pictures here, and also learn a little about my lifetime struggle with obesity.

Thanks for stopping by!!

-Cat

(Last updated 20 Sept 2012)