A New Addition to my life, A BLOG!

Hello, yes, I am still alive!!  I am sorry since nannying the twins I have been non existant on here.. but that will change, i promise!!

Just wanted to let you all know that I have a new weightloss blog.  After winning an essay contest with "Wholly Guacamole" I have been blogging about that experience.  I will get caught up with that and then come back here for other stories.  Just wanted to give you all the link!

Loves to you!!

http://couragetofinishwhativestarted.blogspot.com/

Should I or shouldn't I.......?

I am feeling torn.
 I don't know if I can do it?
Yes I am obsessed with it, but really can I put myself out there again... in person?!

Here I live in one of the cities where a HUGE population of Biggest Loser contestants have came from. I live less than 5 minutes away from the casting call.... I just don't know if I have it in me to face another rejection...

If you were me... what would you do? 

Yes! I met Blaine Kotter, Season 7 Biggest Loser Contestant

What a fun, insightful night!! I loved learning all the behind the scene things and how he compared to the gospel to the things on the ranch.

Here are some of the tidbit "insider" things he told us!

• Biggest Loser sends you home with nothin but a couple resistance bands, 3 boxes of cheerios (because I did a commercial) and a one year to 24 hour fitness (like you will only need to only work out a year! haha)
• Worked out 4 hours then had lunch, a lil break 2 hours then had dinner 2 hours then went on a walk. Sometimes they wouldn't get home till midnight
• Jillian kicks the snot out of you. He learned what suffering was. He likened that suffering to the atonement and repentance!
• When he was in the final process of being chosen, Dane and he were sequestered in a hotel room for 3 weeks. Take away all communication, don't give you a room key. He said it prepared him for the prison like feeling of the Ranch!
• 6 baptized members in that season (Black team: Dane and Blaine, Blue team: Sione and Fillipe and Yellow team: Aubrey and Mandy,how ever Mandy and Aubrey aren't active)
• They have fill in trainers. Bob and Jillian are only there 60% of the time. There are other trainers who take you on outside workouts.
• Biggest Loser spend $100 a day on the contestants food all organic, high quality things
• The ranch is old and worn down. (they make it look nice on TV...it isn't) Used to be owed by Gillette Razor guy. It is a on national park land so you can go right up to it (tourists)
• Ron is as scuzzy as he appeared to be.
• Kristin really DIDN'T get baptized :(

He learned about repentance and treating his body right. Before the show he was on 8 different medications and he had high blood pressure and an enlarged liver from them. Within 4 weeks he was off all meds. He ended up losing about 155 lbs and ran a 1/2 iron man, 2- 1/2 marathons and a full marathon before the finale.

His wife had a baby and he got to go home for 24 hours. It was while at home he realized the STARK contast of home life with The Savior as the head and the world contrast on the ranch.

Dane and him still set "game days" to get to the goals they want to achieve and to remember to get there. He elaborated on this. He said every week that everyone looked forward to the challenges, the "game days" where they could accomplish something they have never done before. He said that we should set a date (game day) and set our success in motion. He gave this

acronym.

G oals

A ccountability

M otivation

E ducation

Some spiritual insights he gave throughout his talk...

• "You can't give what you don't have!"
• "Pain is temporary, Growth is permanant!"
• "Be accountable to God."
• "If you haven't suffered, you haven't repented."

My favorite thing that he talked about was how before he left to sequestered state in the hotel his wife gave him a book To Draw Closer to God: A Collection of Discourses by Henry B. Iring.

There was a talk given by President David O. McKay that he quoted in there that taught the following principle,

“Man is a spiritual being, a soul, and at some period of his life everyone is possessed with an irresistible desire to know his relationship to the Infinite. … There is something within him which urges him to rise above himself, to control his environment, to master the body and all things physical and live in a higher and more beautiful world” (True to the Faith: From the Sermons and Discourses of David O. McKay,comp. Llewelyn R. McKay [1966],

244).That pull upward is far beyond what you would call a desire for self-improvement. When I felt it, I knew I was being urged to live so far above myself that I could never do it on my own. President McKay had it right. You feel an urging to rise above your natural self. What you have felt is an urging from your Heavenly Father to accept this invitation:

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

“And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32–33).

That urge to rise above yourself is a recognition of your need for the Atonement to work in your life, and your need to be sure that it is working. After all you can do, after all your effort, you need confidence that the Atonement is working for you and on you.

I think that I really got what he was saying! I appreciated his words, the laughs, the spirit and his willingness to talk to me after and answer any questions that I had. It was a great night. It was fun to see someone that you cheered on, on your television set, right in front of your face and still working towards that goal of self mastery. I appreciated his hard work on the show and I appreciate his continued drive to have that GAME day and keep himself focused and his success in motion! Thanks Blaine for sharing your challenges, suffering and testimony with us tonight!!

There are reasons for everything: Biggest Loser

Today when I found these sneak previews of Season 8 I didn't feel bad anymore. They have GREAT people on there this season!! And Dan is one of my all-time favs! Can't wait! Don't take my word for it.. see for yourself how AWESOME it is going to be! Get ready to be inspired... maybe it will be one of these days ;)



This woman has such a light to her! I can't wait to follow her journey this season!



Dan is the man!! He was on last season and got kicked off way to early! He as been given a second chance this season!! He is going to ROCK IT!



So as you can tell, I am excited for those who made season 8. Everything happend for a reason!

I didn't make the cut...

I just thought that I would let all my supporters know that I didn't make the cut... I got the information just seconds ago. THANK YOU EVERYONE of you that believed in me!! It means the world to me and I love you ALL SOOOO much!

I believe in dreams coming true... just don't know how or when!

I STILL BELIEVE!

The Video is in....

I just wanted to let you all know that this will be the last update from me about Biggest Loser. I just wanted to let you know that since the 3rd of April at 1:55pm my Audition video for Biggest Loser 8 is offically in the hands of the NBC casting directors. I tried to make my envelope stand out and Angie tried to make my video stand out! I think we did a great job!

The next step of the process is hush, hush so you won't be hearing from me about any of that till after I win season 8!

When they decide they want to know more about me, I will recieve a call (sometime this month) and then after that I can't say a peep about what is happening! Basically you meet with Casting Directors somewhere in LA and you are sequestered (held without any outside communication) in a hotel till they decide to use you or not. If they do use you, you go straight the ranch and start kickin some trash! (Atleast that is the info I read by a casting director)

PRAY ME ON!!!

I REALLY want and need this experience!!

Thanks for all the LOVE and support!

BL Audition Video

Getting this made has been a HUGE production and you wouldn't be viewing this video without the talented editing styles of my sweet, talented, caring and angel Angie Pectol Sullivan!!

Anyone that knows Ang knows that she is one of the most supportive and caring people you will ever meet. When the editor I was planning on using dropped out on Sunday I was SOOOO sad that I after all the time I took of my cousin Kylie's as she filmed and all the people who agreed to say something, my dreams of my best effort to getting on the biggest loser looked as though they were not going to happen.

In comes Ang! A mother of 3 busy girls she took a time out of life to make this video happen. Not only the audition video, but this blog video, and a charming case complete with cover that I will take a picture of when I get it. Ang, sacrificed hours away from her normal routine because she knew that this was important to me and she BELIEVES IN ME!

Thank you to Angie for Editing and adding music and keeping such a great flow, Kylie for the hours she spent filming and Meems for inspiring me that I CAN DO IT, and Mom and Pat for your straight from the heart tributes. I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!

Since getting word that I didn't make the show.. I decided to repost this so that you could all see the starting of my Biggest Loser Journey

The only Utahan on Biggest Loser this far!

Some FYI about this girl. She is the ONLY Utah contestant who has made it on Biggest Loser. She is a member of the church and her name is Heather Hansen.

Her braveness payed off... She nearly won season 3. When she came back for the grand finale though.. she was PREGNANT! So instead of winning they gave her a baby nursery!

I think that is the best prize that she could get! Doesn't she look adorable?! Today she has still kept off the weight. Here is a recent picture that I found of her...To think that you may be given a chance to learn such healthy lifestyles and a once in a lifetime chance to work out for hours a day... I am just excited by the thought! Just thought I would share.

Biggest Loser Audition Tape.... Here I come!

I can't believe I did it!! I finally committed to going to the next step and submitting the tape to be considered for The Biggest Loser!
This is really a big step for me. Granted, there is thousands of people who send in audition tapes so the chance that I get picked is very slim. I am just so proud of myself for actually trying and putting myself out there like this!

I have been watching this show weekly since season 1, I love it! The people on the show inspire me and I am now looking for an opportunity to inspire myself.

It has especially been fun to see 4 members of the church it this season! (it aires every Tuesday night at 7pm on NBC) Having a common connection with the players always helps to feel an even deeper connection.

Special thanks to my cousin Kylie who has been helping me with the recording process and my family members who have willingly donated their thoughts for my sake!

I am finishing up the interview/about me portion in the next 2 days and then will hopefully have someone amazing to edit it for me. The audition tape is due March 31st!

Hopefully I can say.... SEASON 8 HERE I COME!! Season 8 contestants start May 4th!!

Wish me LUCK!!

STAY TUNED...