That's What's Up Thursday

I found this hilarious card AND

a brand new ipod (since I lost my other one)

in my purse when I got to work today!!!

Having a hubby that has a wicked sense of humor,

is yummy eye candy, and

surprises me with the

perfect gift - now that's what's up! :)

Listen Up!!

I had every intention of posting a new release yesterday....and then I didn't! As my mother-in-law would say, "What the sh!t?!?!!?" (that's one of my favorite phrases....lol!)

Anywoooo, I found this new song with B.o.B and Lil Wayne....definitely feelin' it...it may not be the style of music you usually listen to but give it a chance :)

FYI, the theme of my current prep is a line in this song...."I'm Top Chef. You're Top Ramen"...whoop!

Happy Hump Day!!

Feliz Cumple!

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Today is my blog's 1st birthday! It's hard to believe that I have been writing this thing for a year now! My first post  was nothing exciting but after hitting the "Publish Post" button for the first time, I was hooked!!!

Thank you for sharing this past year with me and I can't wait to see what the next year has in store!

Hello?? Is This Thing On???

Whew!!! It's been almost a week since I've updated this thing!! I apologize for that - this past week has been a DOOZY!!! Trainings/workshops to attend, workshops to facilitate, workouts, cardio, Mom duty, Wife Duty, possibility of cooties living in my body....yep....it's been a busy one!

First things first, I have to share with you the gift that Tom had shipped to me the other day.

Yep....chocolate egg whites from MuscleEgg! I am being completely honest when I say that I hate, despise, loathe eggs/egg whites. The Boss would often send me a meal plan with an egg whites meal listed and I would always whine share about the absence of egg love in my life :) If anyone ever hears me mention that I am craving hard-boiled eggs, then I'm pregnant and there will be some drama up in here! Anyway, I heard about these egg whites from MuscleEgg that are chocolate flavored and you can drink them. I told Tom that I wanted to order them but I'm a girl on a budget so I was still trying to decide if I should buy them or not. Wednesday morning the doorbell rings and there is  FedEx delivery person standing at my front door with a box from Muscle Egg! I was so excited...especially since it was almost time for Meal #2...so I busted out the container & poured myself a serving!

Yes, I'm ghetto fabulous...I drank them right out of a measuring cup! :)

They are very tasty and I think that I will add them to the meal rotation even when I'm not prepping! I've been having a serving of 1/2 cup each day and that roughly equals about 5 egg whites. I'll take it! *this is just my opinion - MuscleEgg did not ask me for a "review" of their product*

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I love books! Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm one of the biggest bookworms in the world!! Working at the library helps feed my addiction for reading material and I've discovered some great books to read this past week. Here's what I'm currently reading:

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One of the BoBettes enlightened me yesterday and I have to tell you, this is exactly why I love this group! We support, educate, slap some sense into (virtually, of course!), and encourage one another despite being in different parts of the country & world! Yesterday, I posted on our facebook page that I was doing this next show because the national qualification I received from my April show will expire before the 2012 national show I'm considering. The oh-so-knowledgeable Kari informed me that I was wrong and my qualification does not expire until the end of next year!!! My response to her was "SHUT UP!!!! Are you serious?!!?"  This information excites me greatly and worries Tom tremendously because he thinks I might slack off these last few weeks of prep since I don't "need" a top placing like we thought....hmm....the Nutella in my pantry does look tasty but it's 5 more weeks...I  can do this!!

Here's where I'm at with 35 more days to go...holding a bit of water but all in all....not as horrific as I imagined....

And to wrap up this neverending post, I want to share with you something that I've dreamt about the past 3 nights.....check out this post from Love Veggies and Yoga...seriously....who is going to make these bad boys & ship them to me??? Anyone???? Anyone???? :)

The "O", Haircuts, and Progress Pics!

2011 OLYMPIA!!!! It's over...it's a wrap...it's in the books...so let me share my thoughts about this year's "O" with you....

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Erin Stern looked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!! When I saw her walk out on stage, I was just blown away not only by her physique but also by her quiet confidence. She looked comfortable and in her element. I am extremely disappointed that she did not walk away with the title. I'm not a Nicole Wilkins hater (I'm a fan actually) but I just feel like Erin is the definition/picture of "figure".

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I was also disappointed that  Teresa Anthony and Alicia Harris didn't place higher but finishing in the Top 6 at Olympia is not too shabby :)

I spent last night jumping between the live webcast and Siouxcountry. It's always fun to "talk" with the other members of the forum during shows and this show was no exception. Quite of a few of us stated that if Phil Heath did not win the Mr. Olympia title, we were going to riot. I may or may not have threatened to eat everything in my refrigerator, starting with the mayo, if he didn't win!. Well, there were no riots because Phil Heath is the 2011 Mr. Olympia!!!!! Let us take a few moments to leer gaze at him and his yumminess....

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Dear Phil Heath, I love you and want to touch you. 

Kai looked awesome this weekend and I'm pleased that he was awarded 3rd place (even though I had him in 2nd and Jay in 3rd). 

It's now 6 weeks out from Border States! This past week went well...I managed to get all of my cardio sessions completed except for one....it was a pm cardio session....that night I changed into my workout clothes, sat down on the bed, then laid down on the bed, and you know the rest of that story! :) I've upped my water intake and there are a few extra trips to the restroom during the work day & in the middle of the night. I keep walking into the foot of the bed while making my 2:00 am potty break and have the bruise on my thigh to prove it!

Even at the hair salon, I'm a faithful member of Jug Nation :)

 No huge changes to the plan right now....just keeping an eye on things and we'll see what next weekend's pictures look like. For now, this is what I'm working with......

The Princess, my mom, and I went to get our hair cut yesterday. The Princess had asked me about bangs earlier in the week and I suspected that once she got in the chair she was going to ask the stylist to give her bangs. Sure enough, the word "bangs" was mentioned and the next thing I knew Nana (my mom) was telling The Princess she could have them! Just as an fyi, when Nana is around I do not exist and am not in charge....lol....

Here's how I feel about The Princess getting bangs.....

Here's how The Princess looks with her new 'do.....

I will admit....she looks cute....but I swear if she asks about dying her hair, I'm running away! :)

That's What's Up Thursday - Olympia Edition!!

It's Olympia weekend and 

these are some of 

the ladies that I will be cheering for!!

I will also be cheering on Phil "The Gift" Heath (hello, chocolatey muscley goodness!) 

as well as Kai "The Predator" Greene.

Let the games begin!

Being glued to my computer (all weekend!) to watch all of the live action on bodybuilding.com - 

now that's what's up!!! :)

A Quick Note

I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank those of you I wasn't able to respond to individually for your kind words, support, and love regarding my last post! Thank you Julia, Melissa, Kari, Tess, Stacy, Liz, and Dani!!! I appreciate the love, prayers, and hugs you all have sent my way and I'm humbled that, despite never having met me face-to-face, you have taken me under your wings.

Let's wrap this up on a positive note, shall we?? :)

Kari shared the most incredible blog post with the BoBettes yesterday and I just had to share it with the rest of you! The post is entitled Waking Up Full of Awesome and I think we all need to remember that no matter our age, body weight, life experiences, etc we are still AWESOME! We may have forgotten it along the way but this post is a way to remind us of that fact.

How 'bout we make a promise to ourselves to get back our awesome if we've given it away? I'm pinky promising to wake up awesome every day - care to join me??

New Release Tuesday

#queenofthestairmillcuzofthissong

Does That Mean Anything??

I have tattoos....quite a few of them actually (much to my mother's dismay!)...and I'm often asked if they "mean anything". I often want to respond with "Yes, fool. They mean something. That's why I put it on my body!" but that would be rude and my mother taught me better :) So, I often give the Cliff's Notes version of what the meaning is behind the tattoo that the person is asking me about.

Today, I thought I would share with you the meaning behind two of the tattoos I get asked about most often and explain what the tattoos and the story behind them have to do with my current prep.

Tom designed this tattoo for the two of us. I have it on my left forearm and he has it on his left tricep. The design is a cross made with two of the letter "J". One "J" is larger than the other and represents our eldest child, The Princess and the smaller "J" represents the baby of our family, Junior. It is one of my favorite tattoos and I love that my hubby designed it for us and our babies :)

I designed this tattoo about 4 years ago and it was one of the hardest for me to design. Tom and I had a son, Junior, almost 5 years ago. I went into premature labor at 25 weeks and our son Junior was born on Sept. 19, 2006. I always say that his fighting weight was 1 pound, 7.8 ounces because he fought like a champion but ultimately he passed away two days later on Sept. 21, 2006. The tattoo consists of the actual footprints that were taken when he was born in the middle of a pair of angel wings. He was named after his father so I made sure to put his name underneath his prints. I struggled with the design for many weeks because I wanted to honor my angel but I didn't want it to be cheesy or depressing. In the end, I came up with the perfect design and the process of putting it on my back was a major step for me in the grieving process. Keith, the tattoo artist, who did the piece for me was incredible and told me he was honored that I let him share in the creation of this memorial.

So, that brings us to today. September is one of the most difficult months I face each year. Yes, I know that it has been almost 5 years since the loss of my child but it is a pain that has dulled but not vanished over time. I think about what my son would be like had he lived. I think about what type of big sister The Princess would have been. I think about the father & son relationship that Tom never got to experience. I think...I think...I think....and I cry. I cry for my son often but this month, the month of September, there are a larger number of tears that are shed.

It is like a cloud of darkness envelops me and I feel like I can barely function beyond doing what is necessary. That is why my prep is falling apart....my brain, heart, and body feel like it's more than I can manage to do what prep requires. My brain doesn't comprehend trying to fine-tune my body into a machine when my heart feels like this same body failed me 5 years ago.

I am struggling but I consider myself a fighter. I'm still in the ring and I may look like Oscar De La Hoya did after taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr, but I'm still fighting.

Tears, loss, heartache....it's part of my journey...part of the path I must take....but I'm putting one foot in front of the other and that, folks, is all that matters.

Open Letter to Chelsea!

One of the my friends, Chelsea from Git It Girl!, will be competing in her first show tomorrow night!!! I'm so excited for her and can't wait to hear all about her experience.

This post is for the incredible, determined, super sassy Chelsea!

Dear Chelsea,

Can you believe that it's been about 6 years since we first met at the U of A vs NAU tailgate?!?! Tom was Charlie's boot at Station 7 and I think you had just had Dylan...WOW!!! It's amazing how time flies!!!

We have had so much fun together over the years....including the drunken times at James & Yvonne's wedding and karoake at Bumsted's... :)

I wanted you to know that I'm incredibly PROUD of you!! I know the journey has been difficult and full of obstacles but you kept yourself in "beast mode" and kept your eyes on the prize.

Tomorrow I want you to remember where you started and where you are now. You have gained strength, not only physically but also mentally & emotionally. You set a goal for yourself and you accomplished that goal!!

Take time to enjoy yourself. Savor each moment. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, "I am a bad ass!!" because you are!

This is your day, your time to shine! Rock the heck outta that stage and most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

*Dr. Seuss*

While I can't be there in person, I am there in spirit (with pom-poms and a Go Chelsea! sign)!

Can you hear me?? I'm screaming, "GIT IT GIRL!!!"

Best of luck and make sure you text me!!!! :)

Tenecia.

That's What's Up Thursday

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Once upon a time, I had this body.

Then I woke up.

IFBB Figure Pro Krissy Chin - now that's what's up!!!!

New Release Tuesday

I'm always looking for new music for my cardio sessions so when I heard this song, I decided it would be one that was added to my "Fat Burner" playlist :)

David Guetta seems like the guy every artist wants to collaborate with....it works for me!

Makin' It Look Easy...Sort Of...

I started my weekend off by squeezing slipping into my NAU booty shorts so I could cheer on the Jacks as they got the crap kicked outta them played against the University of Arizona Wildcats. This is the ONLY time during football season that I cheer against the Wildcats. I had to cheer for Northern Arizona University...I graduated from the school with a baby, baby daddy, & a Bachelor of Science degree...and isn't there some unspoken rule that no matter where you live you always have to cheer for your alma mater??!?!

The Princess and I hit up a couple of stores yesterday. I pretended that we needed to go to the Nike Outlet and she giggled when I told her that sometimes a girl just needs to buy herself something that makes her smile. Hey, it's true and she needs to learn this lesson before it's too late!! ;) The shopping trip was a success! The Princess snagged a cute pair of black & pink tennis shoes and I scored a couple of "yes, I'm better than you" t-shirts! Here's a pic of one of the shirts I now own....

I made it a point to get up early this morning so I could hit up the gym. It would have been smart of me to check what time the gym opened this morning since it's a holiday but guess what? I never claimed to be smart...lol!! My home gym, Desert Sports & Fitness, wasn't open when I arrived so I had to decide whether I was going to turn around & go home or head over to the Gold's Gym where I have a second membership. I decided that I would be pissed at myself for the rest of the day if I went home so I drove to Gold's. I had a pretty decent back workout (I'm still adjusting to this gym so I'm always comparing it to my home gym) and hit up the StairMill for some "light" cardio. When I got home, progress pics were taken and let's just say I don't hate them but I don't love them either. I can definitely see improvements in my back but the rest of me is kinda squishy. I have to kill it these next 8 weeks!

So there you have it....8 weeks and squishiness to conquer....as Mr. Ronnie Coleman says, "Ain't nuthin' but a peanut!"

And before I go....I leave you with a song you definitely need to have on your ipod (it was the theme song for my prep for the Orange County Muscle Classic) & a tennis player that needs to tell me her secret to her amazing biceps. Her name is Samantha Stosur...if you don't know, now you know :)

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Not That You Asked....

but I'm going to share with you one of my pet peeves.

Caution - bitchiness up ahead!

I was at the grocery store stocking up on chicken breasts and veggies when this woman approaches me. She starts the conversation by saying how fit I look and how she really loves women with muscle. I'm no Erin Stern or Teresa Anthony so I'm a bit embarrassed by the attention but I thank her for the compliment. She looks into my shopping cart and makes a comment about the lack of junk food in my cart. I chuckle and explain to her that while I love junk food, it doesn't help me stay fit or healthy. The woman then asks me what I do on a daily basis to, and these are her exact words, "get that bod because I really want to change the way I look and feel". So, I proceed to explain to her what my daily workout and diet schedule consists of. As I'm talking, she starts making these weird faces while making comments like "oh really" and "that doesn't sound like any fun". When I'm done talking she says, "That just sounds like too much effort. I'm sure that you're making things more difficult and boring than they have to be". I smile politely, tell her I need to finish up my shopping, and wish her the best. 

I seriously HATE when people ask what you do, what you eat, etc to look the way you do and when they find out that it takes effort & work, they tell you that there's an "easier" way. I feel like smacking the shit crap out of them and screaming, "There is no EASY way. It requires work!!!"

If you already know that you want to hear that all it takes to maintain a healthy physique is a magic pill that you take while enjoying your Mountain Dew & Big Mac (I'm not hatin' on Big Macs...as disgusting as they are, I do enjoy one now & again...) as you sit on your squishy ass, then don't waste my time by asking questions that you don't really want the answer to. It's annoying, it works my last nerve, and it interrupts my shopping.

Rant over - I will now return you to the regular, less bitchy programming of this blog ;)

Daily Reminders

I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen....not because I'm a fabulous chef....but because it's where the mass quantities of food for the week are prepared & packaged and it's where my family comes together for meals & quality family time.

Since I spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen (including the times when I'm dieting and I'm staring the freezer at my post-show chocolate goodies), I decided that it would be the perfect place to put some daily reminders about staying the course & not losing focus.

Every time I get something out of the freezer or walk by the refrigerator, I see these three things.

 1) The poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley - I've talked about what this poem means to me before but for those of you who missed it, this poem is an incredible source of motivation. I see it as my reminder that I cannot be broken, not matter what the circumstance.

2) "If you're going through hell, keep going." magnet - this quote by Winston Churchill is simple yet true. The "hell" you may be going through is only temporary so keep moving forward.

3) Show posters & tickets - This letter size poster & Tom's tickets for the show are a reminder that it's too late to back out now! :) I'm on the list of registered athletes and Tom has a seat at the pre-judging and finals shows!!

Excuse the crumbs...I just made The Princess a sandwich :)

My last daily reminder is my travel mug! My sister generously donated this mug to me when I was telling her about the mugs I saw at Starbuck's that allowed you to add a photo or make a collage. She had one at her house that she wasn't using so new free mug for Tenecia! I went through a bunch of my old magazines and cut out words that jumped out at me. The end result is pictured above so now when I'm enjoying (while secretly complaining about) my black coffee or Yogi tea, I get to read some quick tidbits of motivation.

What about you? Do you have any daily reminders to keep you focused and striving for your goals?