Tractor Rides

Trent comes from generations of farmers that farmed hay, potatoes, corn and cattle. His step Dad Fred has taught him the hard work ethic he has today. Fred comes from a long line of ranchers and cattleman. He works from sun up to sun down and can find a solution to any problem. Trent has been working alongside Fred for 12 years on Cloud 9 Farms. The life of a farmer is very rewarding. My most favorite thing is how close it brings a family. I love that we get to go visit Trent and bring him snacks. I can’t imagine him being gone all day and not spending some time with him at some point.

 Terrance has always known what it’s like to be inside a tractor. When I was 8 months pregnant with him I stopped working and stayed at home. This meant I got to spend my days prepping and getting all the last minute things for our tiny apartment.. it also meant I got to bring Trent his lunch to the tractor or swather every day. More often than not, I would spend the rest  of the day riding around the farm fields with Trent and my growing belly. Terrance would always start off the ride kicking as we bounced along the bumpy field and would eventually fall asleep and be still.  Towards the last few days of my pregnancy we would always joke that we were going to bounce him out… It didn’t work.

After Terrance joined us in the outside world we brought Daddy lunch together. He would sit in my lap in the co-pilot chair and we would ride along the same as before… he would kick and play and then eventually fall to sleep. As he gets older every time the tractor becomes more fun for him and Daddy. A few days ago was his first ride of the year and it meant more to him than ever before.

The second we turned down the field road and he saw the tractor rolling down he knew what it meant. He said “DADA!!!!” He knew his was about it go for a ride and was very excited. I got him out of the car and he instantly ran up and was pointing to it. He wasn't scared at all even though it’s so big and loud. (Keep in mind this kid is ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of the vacuum, I can’t even have it out for him to see) He ran up to daddy and went for a ride while I went and did our grocery shopping for the week.

                I have a feeling this is going to be the best season yet ! 

Chicco Mom

I AM A CHICCO MOM TO THE CORE.

Stroller, Car Seat with base, Jogger

As a new mom when I set out to purchase a car seat I wanted one that had GREAT safety reviews, one that was easy to use and one that was light weight. I read different reviews and tried to talk to as many mommy’s that I could about theirs and my go-to Mom friends all had already used and LOVED Chicco’s Keyfit car seat. Not only does it have great safety reviews that can be found here but it’s simple to use AND light weight (only weighing 9 lbs.) I planned on staying home for the most part so we only wanted to purchase one car seat, that is why it needed to be easy to take in and out and to switch from car to car. All I can say is that car seat was a life saver to me and my husband as new parents. In fact, his twin, borrowed it for her baby and she said the same things! Easy to use, switch, and light weight.

Stroller

                We purchased the Cortina Keyfit 30 Travel System- that included; a stroller, a base and the Keyfit car seat. And I am so happy that we did. Whenever I would get outta the car I would unfold the stroller and pop the car seat in. Easy. Peasy. It made shopping with a new baby worry free. The seat is adjustable and the back fully reclines. There is also a large storage container of the bottom for storing bags! Now that Terrance has outgrown the car seat he rides like a big boy and loves it. Our stroller has been on tons of rides and still looks and acts brand spanking new! Reviews for the Cortina Keyfit travel system can be found here.

Jogger

                We live on a farm and me and Terrance love jogging through the large open fields. However our stroller wasn’t very farm friendly… we needed something that could be used for off roading and running. After shopping around for a few weeks I had my mind set. We HAD TO have The Chicco S3 All-Terrain 3-Wheel Stroller- front swivel wheel, puncture resistant tires, includes all weather inserts(fleece & plastic cover). It has a hand break for more control and it fits the Keyfit car seat! We have had it for about a year and a half and its DURABLE. We have put miles and miles on it and it’s still in great shape. If you want to know more about Chicco’s products more information can be found right here.

The S 3 All-Terrain Jogger

 Here are some pictures of Mr. Terrrance Jax enjoying his different ways of travel. 

T and Grammy! On Terrance's first birthday 

TJ about to fall asleep on a summer run 

TNT at Bridge of the Gods 

Trent pushing Terrance in the Travel System (with car seat in) 

Terrance Jax

On August 30^{th 2011} we went to the hospital to be induced to have our baby boy. We were both beyond excited. I was anxious, nervous and LARGE. It was in fact nearing the end of summer…AND we also live in a dessert in Eastern Washington.. I was over being pregnant. I got induced and I was laboring a few hours later, something was finally happening!

            Throughout my pregnancy I researched all natural routes of labor. I intended and hoped that I wouldn’t end getting an epidural. I didn’t want to get an epidural for so many reasons, one MAJOR one being the HUGE needle they wanted to STICK IN MY SPINE?!?!? (By the way I FEAR needles). Both my mom and mom-in-law had their babies naturally. (Mind you my Mom in law did have twins!). There are so many great benefits that come along with a natural birth. I had studied all my birthing books and put in TIME researching the ins and outs of the natural birth that I had worked hard planning for me and our new baby.

 Twelve hours in, I had forgotten everything I had researched and was crying in the tub at the hospital. I couldn’t remember why I didn’t just choose to be numb from the waist down. I was exhausted and was scared.  I was scared of letting my birthing team down (Trent, my mom and my mom-in-law) but at that point they were all tired and exhausted too. I finally changed my mind and did what most scared crying girls do, I called for my mom. I told her that I couldn’t go on and that I needed the epidural. I’m SURE they were all so HAPPY because after I got it I fell asleep for two hours. We all needed a break… Trent needed it the most. Before I had received the epidural he had been holding my hand for hours and hours (I didn’t even let him go to the bathroom…Ha-ha poor Daddy!)

After my much needed nap, I woke up and was ready to push. I (WE) pushed for about 2 hours. When I say we it’s because this was a team effort, Trent had a leg, Edie had a leg, and my mom held my head and we pushed. Terrance Jax Hilker came out weighing 8lbs 4 ounces !!! He joined our family and will forever be surrounded by love. Me, Trent and Terrance became a family that day and it will never be forgotten.

We were worn out!!! 

I am so happy that I had such a great birthing team. They each brought something unique to the table and I needed each one of them. I love them all so much and that experience will forever bond us. Thank you for supporting me on the best day of my life- The day I became Mama. 

Me, Trent, My mom and T 

Mimi and Terrance (My Mom-in-law)

My Happily Ever After

Trent Daddy.. July 14th 2012

The day we became forever 

I would like to introduce my husband. The wonderful man behind it all... Trent. He is the most caring person I have ever met. He has the sweetest soul and is quick to tell a joke. Right now, he is a cougar at Washington State University and he is getting a General Social Science bachelors with a concentration on Anthropology  and Business.  After he graduates he plans on attending Oregon State University to get his Master’s in Applied Anthropology.  He dreams of being an anthropologist. He wants to study different cultures around the world. He is going to do great things throughout his career. Currently he is working on his families hay/potato farm. He is a hard worker AND a smarty pants. You guys... He has midterms this week and he hardly studies and he gets A’s and B’s... He is a genius I’m telling you. I’m so proud of him for wanting to go further in school. How he is able to balance school, work, and family blows my mind. He does great in every aspect and he inspires me.

Family pictures May 2012

When I was a little girl I always hoped that I would marry my best friend and my dreams came true ( CHEESEY!!!.I am so cheesy when it comes to Trent. Get prepared!). He is my life partner in more ways than I would have ever imagined. I love being married to him and there are so many reasons that I could literally go on for DAYS but I won’t bore you with that, I will let you see for yourselves in our future blog posts. (That is if anyone besides my bestie is reading this ;) ).

Daddy and his new baby boy bonding

The first nap they ever took together

I fall in love with Trent more and more every day. He is such an amazing father. He goes above and beyond to do his part in parenting our son and I am so grateful for that. ( Fun Fact: When we were in the hospital after having Terrance I didn’t change his diaper for like 3 days. GO DADDY!!!) He always makes sure that me and Terrance have whatever we need to make us happy. Since we are both working we developed a habit of trading off mornings of who has to wake up with the baby... so every other day we get to sleep in. We both love it... We love making things work as a team.

One proud new Dada 

Our first family picture

They love their naps 

Trent and Terrance September 2011 

The kiss that sealed the deal....

Trent LOVES UFC. And when I say love I mean LOVE. He knows everything there is to know about it. I’m so serious. He could talk about it for days straight I bet. A couple months back we went to our first live UFC fight. It was way better seeing the action live… from a hundred seats back. He recently started training in a local MMA gym. It is his passion so I’m excited to see where it 

takes him. 

Trent comes from a big family.. He has three sisters, and three brothers. It is so awesome to have so many family members... Terrance has 7 cousins on Trent's side so far! All of our family gatherings are full of love and laughter.

Hilker/Olberding Family

If I fail, I get up and keep trying

Recently I decided I was going to do the 30 day Bikram Yoga challenge. I failed to complete the challenge at only 5 days in. However, I know that failing is a part of growth and that’s why I’m not afraid to say that I did fail.  By trying something new I learned something about myself. I learned that I want my yoga practicing to be more flexible. I don’t want to have to be locked in the studio 90 minutes a day for 30 days straight… I like to switch it up and take a regular yoga class or do my practicing at my house. Also since I am training for a marathon there are days that I have long runs that last over 2 hours and I‘ll need to skip my practice all together. I will continue to do 4 or more yoga classes a week along with my other training.

It is safe to say that I am in love with Yoga and all of the benefits. Every day I realize how much Yoga has changed my life. The most recent change that I have noticed is my sleep… I am finally a deep sleeper!  I have always been a light sleeper and now I sleep deeply all the way through the night. A new study has shown that if people who suffer from the  poor quality or quantity amount of sleep, were to incorporate yoga into their lifestyle their sleep would be greatly improved.  I know that mine has.

 Also it has made me only crave water to drink… finally my diet coke addiction is over. I have also found a new confidence in myself. In yoga everything is about acceptance, you have to accept yourself for where you are in your practice and feel confident that you will improve. I have been able to bring that outside the yoga studio and in my day to day life. I have learned acceptance and by being able to accept things the way that they are I have also gained a sense of calm. I know a lot of that calmness is due to my new found breathing techniques. By constantly being aware of your breathing, you will come to know your stressors and how to breathe through whatever it may be.

In addition to yoga, I go on lots of runs and hikes. With winter winds in full affect I do most of my runs inside the comfort of Gold’s Gym. I get bored easily so running on the treadmill for over two hours isn’t always my cup of tea.

Testing out our hiking backpack! He is just 8 months old here

This was just last week.. We went on a 2 mile hike.. he is 33lbs of pure entertainment 

 I like to break it up boring treadmill runs with different hikes. In my area we have Badger Mountain in Richland, WA. There are a few different trails to get up the Mountain..  Here is a link to the different trails ...Another one of my favorite hikes is Palouse Falls. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Washington state… it falls 198 Ft! This is a longer hike it usually takes 3 hours to get behind the waterfall and once you get there it is an incredible view! One of my favorite things about running and hiking is that most of the time I get to bring my son with me. I grew up outdoors and want my to grow up the same way. My mom has always been my person to look up with living a healthy lifestyle and I want to do the same for my son, Terrance.

Palouse Falls in the late summer 

I will be posting more information on my different workouts, runs and hikes. Stay tuned :) 

BIKRAM YOGA (Hot Yoga)

BIKRAM Yoga-

Bikram Yoga was brought over to America by Bikram Choudhury in the early 1970's. Bikram Yoga sessions run for exactly 90 minutes and consist of a set series of 26 postures including 2 breathing exercises. Ideally, Bikram Yoga is practiced in a room that has been heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 40%. The postures are practiced in a heated room, which promotes flexibility, improves circulation and prevents injury. The warmth also allows you to delve more deeply into postures than you could in a non-heated room.  It is HOT in there to say the least, I sweat so much. It is one of the best detoxifiers for your body.  I have been practicing for one month now and I have never felt so challenged, mentally and physically. I am addicted.

There are so many health benefits that come along after getting into Bikram yoga. I would like to start off with the weight loss. As I said in my previous post  I lost 12 lbs in 3 weeks. I believe that I was able to burn so much fat because of Bikram Yoga. During one 90 minute session you burn 500-1000 calories, more if you’re really pushing yourself. This is because the muscles are heated, which enables them to burn fat faster. You will be able to see and feel your body changing. It also helps you to make better food choices and crave less unhealthy foods. 

Many people today suffer from lower back pain, stiff necks, headaches, scoliosis, herniated disks and many other back problems. The various poses work through these problems and relieve so much pain. That is a major part of why I chose to couple it with my marathon training. My lower back is my weakest point, whenever I am out of class my back feels revived and fresh. By doing Bikram Yoga all my muscles will be stretched and my joints are all repaired. There is also helpful psychological aspects that come from this practice. It balances your mind and body, this helps people have healthier sleeping patterns, it also helps people that have high-anxiety. There  are so many benefits that come from Bikram Yoga.

I have just recently started practicing Bikram Yoga and can’t wait to see all the health benefits that will come with it. I am about to start a 30 day Bikram Yoga Challenge. Have you tried Bikram Yoga before? Any thoughts ??

If your interested in starting the practice of Bikram Yoga your future balanced mind and body await you. Look up a studio in your area and take a class for beginners. Let the instructor know it's your first class and they will help you through the poses. Make sure that you go to class hydrated and bring along; a mat, a towel, and at least a liter of water. Dress lightly and get ready to sweat.