The Sunday Blues.....

So yesterday started out wanderful. Hubby, the girls and I lounged around in our pajamas ALL day. They my father in law came by... and was the bearer of good news and bad. First the bad, because it is a sore subject with me and I want to get it over with... we are not going to PR in January...and it does not look promising that we are going at all now thanks to my husbands idiotic brothers who have managed to ruin it for the rest of us. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... (deep breath.....**sigh**) The good news is that means we will be here for my hubbys oldest brothers wedding on January 27th. So what does that mean? I need to lose 20 lbs in 27 days. Think that is possible?? I do! I did it once when I wanted to join the army 6 years ago. Granted, I had my recruiter picking me up at 4 a.m to run 5 miles, and then again in the evening... and he had me on a strict 500 calories a day diet... but in 3 weeks I went from 192 to 170.5! (that .5 is what kept me from shipping out that day... long story short they sent me home to lose half a pound.. .but ended up realizing that I did not want to go into the army at all... and didnt!)

No worries.. I am not going to do the 500 calorie diet becuase I know now that that is rediculus... and unhealthy. But I am going to work my butt off at shedding the weight. I wont be a bridesmaid...no part in the wedding..... dang it I just want to look GOOD! So today is day 1...

What are we doing for New Years Eve?? NOTHING... I am not taking off my pajamas again today... except for maybe a bubble bath... but I am in such a terrible mood this weekend that I think it best to keep me out of the public eye! Sorry mama... no lunch today. Thanks for the invite though!

I do hope everyone stays safe tonight.. as it will be another wild one... and I will see you NEXT year!
Have a Blessed Day

The Curse of the leftover Christmas cookies...

I woke up this morning before anyone else to work out... it felt great... but it only made up for the 5 chocolate chip cookies I ate when I found the box of leftover cookies in the cubboard yesterday. grrrrrrrrr.

The ground is still covered in snow, and the temperature is freezing.. so today is a day of staying indoors... I am hoping to get some cleaning done and then workout again tonight when hubby gets home.

I cant wait to start the 2007 challenge... I think in the back of my mind I see it as the starting line. Like I havent been doing my best because there was never a day, hour or minute.. declared as the start of the race. Ok, so maybe not a race... but it is sure one heck of a marathon. So Monday morning... January 1st, 2007... is my starting line. At 6 a.m. I will hear the gun shot ring out in my mind... and I am going to lose this wieght... I am going to eat healthy... I am going to excersize daily... I am going to find Tigerlilly once and for all!!


Have a Blessed Day!

Trusting God

Good Morning Ya'll!! Its snowing....again. LOL (Onepinkfuzzy... you should bring Ash up to play in it if it sticks!!)

So I don't want to step on anyone's toes.. but I came across this book that I want to share with everyone. Its called "Devotions for Nibblers" by Kristen Johnson Ingram. I started the first day today and I want to share it with everyone... for those of you who are Christian.. it may help you!

Trusting God

He rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.
-Psalm 78:24,25

I know God will supply what I need - but that isn't ever enough for me. I overeat, or I eat the wrong things, or both, and I think God wants me to look at what that behavior means.
I'm like one of the children of Isreal in the wilderness. God sends me manna and I ask for meat; God sends me meat and I ask for a banana split. And at the core of all this asking and wanting is the mysterious fear that somehow I won't have enough - so I eat as much as I can whenever food is around.
Manna was good for only one day; you couldn't stock up on it because it spoiled. I think God is showing me that I'm saving my manna as body fat, which is spoiling my health, my appearence, and my dignity. What I have to do now is really believe that God wants the best for me.

For Further Reflection:

1. Are you willing to let God satisfy your needs today?
2. Do you trust God to guide you about food?
3. Can you remember to gather God's love anew each morning, and not try to store it up?

Prayer

God, I need to believe You will take care of my relationship with food. Teach me real trust. Amen

I hope this might help some of you... I will post a page from the Devotional every Thursday.... if you want me too share more of it with you let me know and I'll email it to you every morning.

Anyway... because of the snow my hubby is still home.. which has affected my workout time... but thats ok.. I can do it a little bit later. My diet was a little off last night.. so I really need to buckle down for the next 4 days so that I can have a great Weigh In day on the 1st day of 2007!

Dont forget to check out the 2007 Challenge... the link is under 'my fav blogs'.

Have A Blessed Day!

Hump Day

Hi ya'll!

So hubby finally went back to work today and I took the girls to Granny's house to play. It was great. Granny got out the shaving cream and we dove right in! Here are some pics....






So I signed up for Michelle's 2007 Challenge today. Go check it out.. I think it will be alot of fun.. and a great way to challenge yourself every month!

I am feeling really good this week. I dont know if it is because I got clothes that actually fit me for Christmas... or if its because I am finally losing weight! One of the best things I've discovered is that my wedding ring finally fits! I have been taking it off while I'm at home because it was so tight.. but now, I am wearing it with room to wiggle!!! I can finally leave it on!!

I am doing my Tae Bo tonight... which brings me to this question. How much time do you work out everyday?? I was reading some of The Biggest Loser blogs and noticed that none of them excersized less then 3 hours a day!!! WOW... where am I going to find 2 more hours in my day to excersize... and what am I going to do WITH those 2 hours??? Am I not doing enough? Should I be working out morning ,noon and night?? hmmmmm ... let me know what you are doing.. Keep in mind that I dont go to a gym (the closest one is 40 minutes away).

Well... with that... I will see ya'll tomorrow!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Christmas Day AND Weigh In Day!!

I am down 2 pounds!! 207... even after eating my wieght in cookies yesterday! LOL..


Merry Christmas!!

It was wanderful.






The girls got a million toys, clothes and goodies.







Hubby got a pontoon boat to go fly fishing in that breaks down and fits into a backpack!! And I got some beautiful jewelry, clothes and goodies... It couldn't have been better!

Hope everyone had as much fun as we did... can't wait to hear what everyone got!

Have a Blessed Day and share the spirit of Christmas with someone less fortunate!

Christmas Eve

Yesterday Christmas party was a blast. Had a great time and I scored a beautiful silver bracelet from my father in law. Of course, half way there I realized I had forgotten my camera... so no pics... Today is a day of cleaning house and doing laundry and getting ready for the big day tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a WANDERFUL day tomorrow surrounded by loved ones!

Merry Christmas... Happy Holidays! See you on Tuesday!

The Most Stressful Day Of The Year..... Thank God It's Almost Over!!

Ok, so today started out great. We all got up extra early, got dressed and headed out to town to finish our Christmas shopping. My hubby had to do a little bit of work so he dropped the girls and I off at Kmart to start shopping without him. My mom works there, so the girls got to see Granny for a little bit too! While I usually have Amber in her Monkey suite (a monkey backpack wich doubles as leash and harness so she cant run off) we had come in Hubbys car and had left the Monkey Suite in my car. So I made sure she stayed close by. There were not alot of people there yet, so I thought it was pretty safe. We visited with Granny for a little while and when she went back to work, we went to start shopping. About 10 minutes later, Amber and I are looking at something.. I dont remember what anymore... when she decided that it would be fun to play hide and seek. As I called for her to come back by me... she gave me a grin and RAN. I grabbed the cart.. which had Bailey sitting like an Angel in it.. and chased after her... as I rounded the corner... she was gone. I ran down two more isles and then started to panic. I ran to my mom who was working jewelry and told her she had run off. My mom, the quick thinker that she is, ran to the front of the store to block the door so she couldn't get out......but she had already run out the doors!!! My mom saw her on the sidewalk. She was running back toward the store with a terrified look on her face.... matching the one on my face! I took a BIG sigh of relief when I saw my mom carrying her towards me.... from now on.. she is wearing that halter and leash 24/7!!!

Anway... about 20 min later my cell phone rings and its my hubby asking where in the store I am... I tell him and he comes and finds me with that look on his face that I know well as the 'I've got bad news' look. He tells me we have to go home NOW because our dog has attacked my pet goat Billy tearing one ear in half and slicing his back legs. (Billy is a special goat because he was born disfigured, no one wanted him because he could not walk on all 4 legs.... he walks on his front legs like he's doing a hand stand) So we rushed home, I felt better once I saw that our neighbor was standing watch by Billys house to make sure Jasmine did not attack him again. I was able to clean Billy up and bandage him... but it broke my heart that Jasmine would do this. Having two small children, we could not keep a dog that had such a mean streak... especially since she has never shown aggresion for Billy before.... Hubby took Jasmine and got rid of her...

So ... needless to say... it has been hours since I've been able to take a deep breath and relax today. My heart is heavy for both Billy and Jasmine. Amber has recieved a couple extra hugs today... and the bottle of Baileys Irish Creme with Caramel that is sitting on the top of the fridge is about to be opened and poored over some ice!

Tomorrow is my father-in-laws Christmas party....sunday...I think is a day of staying in bed for me!! ... and then it's Christmas!!




Hope everyone is having a better day then I am!! Merry Christmas... Happy Holiday!! I will see ya'll tomorrow!!

Christmas Tree

So hubby has the rest of the week off... which means today we are finally getting our Christmas Tree!! Yeah!

I'll post pics when we are done!

My diet went great yesterday, even did my Ultimate workout last night! Today I am hoping for the same!! I feel great... Yeeeeeeeeehawwwwwww!

Going to keep this short, but will post pics tonight!

Have a Blessed Day!

My Buddy

Hump Day

Old picture... but same snow!


It is another cold morning. Another 2 inches of snow fell last night. I am up early again this morning. For some reason when I workout the night before, I wake up early ready to go! So here I sit at 4:30am writing my blog... it is nice to have a little time to myself in the morning. I was debating working out this morning because I am sore from last nights Ultimate Tae Bo workout. I'll see how I feel a little later on. My diet went well yesterday. Tried a new WW recipe for soup. Slow Cooking Manhattan Clam Chowder. Its a two point soup, very filling and yummy. Even hubby loved it, and he is pretty picky about his soups.

Today is a day for staying home. Family will be coming by for lunch and play time with the girls. I have a little more cleaning to do, and some crafty christmas presents to put together.

I tend to do well when I set goals for myself... I have made a new mini goal. I want to be under 200 lbs when we leave for Puerto Rico. Because we dont have a set date yet I can only estimate that we are leaving in 2 or 3 weeks. I hopped on the scale really quick this morning to see how I was doing.. and I was down another 2 lbs !! 207!! I am not posting that until Monday, you never know what will happen between now and then.... but it was a great motivator! So, I have 2 weeks to lose 7 lbs...8 if I want to be UNDER 200 lbs!

I also raised my total goal weight. I had 140 on here, but after thinking about it I realized that I would be happy at 160... not because it means not losing the other 20 lbs, but because I have NEVER been 140 in my life, I was 160 in high school and because of my athletic build, that was very comfortable... so I will go for 160 and when I reach it, if I think I should keep going... then I will! But for now, it seems more do-able to me.

Ok... so I bought a pair of pants before I started dieting. A size 18! Yesterday I wore them, and every couple of minutes I had to pull them back up!!! They are too big! Woooohoooo. I hate to say it, but I think I can throw those bad boys away and get out my 16's!

Last nights workout was hard to get started. But once I got going I started feeling better about it. It was one of those workouts that you needed to do to remind you how good it feels. Today I will do an Ab workout and my tae bo tonight.

Have a Blessed Day

Tuesday

It snowed last night...ick. But luckily the only place I need to go today is the grocery store here in town. I got all my Christmas shopping done yesterday, thank goodness. They are all wrapped and stuffed into the closet until Sunday night! We havent gotten a tree yet, maybe on Friday. I would have had one last weekend, but the thought of keeping the girls out of it all week exhausted me...

My diet went ok yesterday.. not as good as it has been. I didn't work out last night like I had hoped, but today I will make up for it! I am feeling better and have a little more energy. Today is a new day.. and I'm starting the day with a HUGE glass of water.

So it looks like Puerto Rico is right around the corner for us. We will be leaving in a couple of weeks! Yeah.. I am soooooooo ready for the warm weather.

I posted a count down to my 29th birthday on here because that is my new date set to reach my goal of 180. That gives me 4 months...16 weeks... to really buckle down and do this thing right. How hard is it to really commit for 16 weeks? Hard, I'm sure... but I have to do it. I am not going to end my 20's being unhealthy and uncomfortable. I want to be that mom that gets mistaken for a sister! LOL (20 years down the road, of course) So... week 1 starts today... I'm buckling down a little harder... I'm going to do this!!

Speaking of buckles... my hubby gave me a silver belt buckle on our first Christmas.. its a special buckle because it is the family trade mark. As much as I could just put it on a bigger belt... I dont wear belts because that means tucking in a shirt.. and I definatley dont do that. So part of my goal is to be able to lose enought weight to be able to tuck in my shirt and wear the family buckle.

I hope everyone is having a wanderful week. Share the spirit of the holiday. Share a smile in the stores. If nothing else, give love.

Have a Blessed Day

Weigh In Day

I am down another pound!

I did my tae bo this morning and will do it again tonight. Today is a day of paying bills and cleaning house.. ugh. It is FREEZING outside... definatley not going for a ride today.

Hubby made it thru the weekend without chew...and is a little grumpy.. but not too bad. Both of us are feeling a little under the weather... so I'm going to make this short. Hope everyone doesn't have too much of a manic monday!

Have a Blessed Day!

Me And The Family

Sunday

Good Morning! I had a wanderful time at the Christmas party last night. It was a girls only party that ended in a Christmas present x-change that was fun. We all ended up with really nice presents.. and nobody switched! The food was delicious and I did grrrrrreat. I went to the table ONCE and filled a plate with a tiny bit of everything.. including one piece of my Honey Cake which turned out delicious. So here is the recipe:

Honey Cake

cake

3 large eggs
1 cup honey
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F . Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then dust lightly with flour.

2. To prepare the cake, in a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the honey, orange juice, sugar, oil and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt: mix well. Add the flour mixture to the honey mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan.

3. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the center of the cake is firm when pressed, and a cake tester comes out free of crumbs, 50-55 minutes. cool in the pan on a wire rack.

4. To prepare the syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 1 minute. Cool 15 minutes. Pour the syrup over the warm cake in the pan and let soak 30 minutes. Turn cake out onto a serving plate - There may be some syrup that was not absorbed.

Per Serving (1/12 of cake):311 cal, 5 g fat, 1 g Sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 53 mg chol, 145 mg sod, 64 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 18 mg calc.
POINTS value : 6

(This cake is eaten to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. Honey is a symbol of hope that the coming year will be sweat and fruitful.)


Today it is cold an windy... so another day of no bike riding :(

I am going to do my Tae Bo Abs workout today and then the Ulitmate workout tonight before bed... hubby promised to do it with me today!!

I saw progress in the mirror this morning!!! It might have been my imagination.. but I dont care.. my tummy is shrinking!!

We took tons of pictures last night, but I dont have them on the computer yet.. so will post them as soon as I do! I also made a new friend last night who lives right across the street from my mom... Hi Alycia!!

Have a Blessed Day and I will be back tomorrow morning for Weigh In Day!! Woooohooo!

J-E-L-L-O

Whooooooooo.... my legs are wiggly and jiggly... they are sore! I LOVE it! I was on track with the diet yesterday, drank tons of water and tea, rode the bike and did a 45 min Tae Bo workout last night before bed. Today the weather is warm.. which means possible snow... but I am keeping my hopes up that we can get in a good bike ride before it starts falling.

Tonight is my grandmothers Christmas party.. which means I'll be cooking a cake this afternoon... if it turns out yummy I'll post the recipe! All my WW blog friends will like it.. its out of my WW cook book.

I am having to tell myself, everytime I pass a mirror, that its not going to be an overnight thing. Nice and slow is the way to go!

Meanwhile, hubby decided yesterday that he was going to quit chewing tobacco. Today is day number two and he is doing great! I am so proud of him for doing this. I quit smoking 4 years ago when I found out I was pregnant and never started again... so I know how hard it is.. but he is becoming so health conscious that he is really getting his body and life in shape!! It inspires me every morning to keep losing weight.

Have a great weekend. Monday is Weigh In day... so I'm going to do my best this weekend so I see great results!!

Yeah! It was soooo much fun! I'm hoping that hubby will want to do a family bike ride tomorrow!! The girls loved it , giggling all the way! It was actually easier then I had thought it would be... still a workout.. but easier!

TGIF

Good Morning! I hurt! Yeah... LOL

Yesterday was another PD! I stayed on track with food, drank tons of water and tea, excersized for 30 min last night to Tae Bo Cardio. My legs are killing me.. but its a good hurt! DE emailed me and told me that the bicycle trailer got here, so I am off this morning to go pick it up.. and then, if the weather is nice, I will take the girls for a ride! I can't wait to try it out.

So I was talking to my aunt, who is a very health conscious person. She is going thru menapause right now.. and trying to lose weight at the same time. She found out that woman going thru menapause lose tons of calcium.. and calcium is actually a fat burner. Who knew? So yesterday I went and bought those calcium chews by Viactive I am not going thru menapause, but because of my hysterectomy, my body does not have as much of it as it should. I also started taking my vitemans again... not that I ever should not take them.. but I always forget about them. I guess part of getting healthier is actually remembering all this stuff!

Tomorrow night is a Christmas party at my grandmothers house. Lots of food... no doubt. We were all asked to bring something so I am making a Honey Cake. I found the recipe in the Weight Watchers cook book.. so at least there will be ONE dessert I can have a slice of without completely going off the charts!

I have to add this quote that I got from Poppy's blog Melting Away. I think it is exactly my problem when it comes to dieting:

"The chief cause of failure & unhapiness is trading what we want MOST, for what we want at the moment."

Thanks Poppy!

I am excited that I have finally found my diet mojo! I have faith now that I can do this.... and if I can do this.. you can too!

Have a Blessed Day

Hmmmmmmm

So yesterday was FANTASTIC!! I ate small portions... 1 piece of bread....tons of water AND I did Tae Bo cardio in the morning, ab work out in the afternoon and after watching the Biggest Loser I did a 1 hour ULTIMATE Tae Bo work out. Needless to say, I am sore... but I feel great. This morning I have a massive glass of water sitting in front of me and my water is boiling for tea. I plan on having another egg white / onion omlette this morning. I am totally on top of this today! Yeah.. I love it when I feel like this. The bicycle trailer is due to arrive today...and if it is not too late I am hoping to take the girls on a ride around the park! Thanks DE!

So I tend to do alot of thinking when I'm cleaning. Yesterday, as I was washing dishes, I was wandering what it was that scared me about losing wieght. In a way, I think it is the thought of reaching my goal....because then what? What will I have to worry about? What goals will I have after that? After awhile I saw my reflection in the window and thought... how wanderful to have a goal other then losing weight! So I think I am starting to get my mind on the right track to do this.

Biggest Loser last night... HOLY COW.. I cried! Can you believe Poppi? She was amazing. Kai (was that her name?).. she kinda annoyed me with all the stupid gestures she was making. I know its exciting but... was she drunk you think? Anyway, that was amazing... every single person on that stage had lost weight.. how inspiring. I almost signed up for the next season, but it means being away from my girls too much.. so I didn't. But I am VERY determined now to do a poppi!

I hope everyone is doing well and be strong today... we can do this!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Sleepless in Arizona

Last night my youngest could not sleep. I dont know why. No fever, no aches or pains that I could find. She just woke up at 10:30pm and that was it. She was up! So I was up until 3:30am when she finally passed out on my shoulder. I got to watch all the terrible midnight shows that are on...nothing really to brag about. I did watch the original Iron Chef...that was silly. I like the Iron Chef America MUCH better. So, anyway, I am exhausted. I was thinking of spending the day on the couch, but that would only mean fighting off sleep as my girls destroyed the house.. so I am going to try and do some excersize this morning and get the blood going. I am also going to arrange my books.... I've got enough books to start my own library, only they are all piled up on the floor of my closet. So, today I'm going to try and find a place for them. I love books... all kinds. So much so, that I am actually writing one. I won't say more then that in fear of jinxing myself.

My diet went kapoot yesterday. I baked cookies.... WHAT WAS I THINKING?? First of all.. cookies are the only thing that I cannot bake! I always burn them, and they never rise. Second of all... since no one else will eat them... I always do. So yesterday I ate a dozen peanut butter cookies, burnt. So, lets try again today, shall we? Starting with a big glass of water and 100 sit ups!

I saw a commercial for some trendy clothing. The body on the model was disgustingly perfect... I know... they airbrush... but still. Not a single ounce of flab...perfect boobs...and a tan that did not come naturally. The only thing I could think was... that is what I want to look like. But why? believe it or not.. because I want to look that good in clothes too! LOL My chances of doing that? Well... all mothers will tell you that the perfect boobs disappear after the second child. If I lose 50lbs... I MIGHT look that good... but will definatley be doing some extra sit ups. I know, its not realistic to have that body as my goal... but whatever works right?

Well.. I think I am rambling.. and I'm not sure, but I think my daughters are wearing my good jewelry.. so I better go.

Have a Blessed Day.

Wiegh In Day

Good Monday morning! It was a great weekend. Hopefully a great interlude to a great week. So, today is weight in day and to my disbelief I lost 3 lbs. I can honestly say that I did NOT stick to my diet at all the past week... and the only exercises I got was walking up and down the Vegas strip...which can actually be a lot of walking... but nothing like what I was trying to do. So YEAH!!

On another note, I have been told by more then one person that I focus too much on the number on the scale. To that I have to say this, yes, on this blog I do focus everything on my weight...because this is my outlet. Where else can I keep track of my weight and talk about what I think I'm doing wrong or right? I realize that everyone reading my blog is hearing the same thing over and over again....I'm fat...but this really does not consume my life. I have two kids that do that!! LOL... just kidding. But honestly, I enjoy my life. I have almost lost it too many times to not enjoy every second. Yes, my weight does bother me...and I do talk about it a lot.. but that is because in my quest to enjoy my life, it has become a hindrance. So, like everything else in my life, if it is bothering me, I get rid of it. I don't focus on the negative....but losing weight is not a negative to me...this is something that I can focus on that I know will make me happy.

Ok ... so now I am just rambling. The thing is, that most of you only know the side of me that is fighting this battle of the bulge.... but don't think that that is all I think about! Please! I do enjoy the help...and Lisa, you totally have the right idea. Being happy is the key to losing weight....and I will definitely be looking up alot of those links you put up for me (thanks for the blog note on your site) but I just wanted you to know that for me dieting is simply living healthy...I know I have mentioned starvation.. but that was in a moment of sheer frustration..which is perfectly healthy to feel. I have a thing called "I want it now" syndrome. When I see something, or want something... then I want it NOW... and losing weight is the one thing that I cant get instant gratification with...and that is the hardest part for me to deal with. So, with little steps, I will continue on.....

Thanks to all my blog friends... I look forward to reading your daily life journeys everyday... and hope you will continue with me....

Have a Blessed Day

A Fresh Start

Ok, so the vacation was a blast, but now its time to get back on track. I didn't splurge too badly, so I dont think I have gained too much... although I am sure I have gained. We will find out on Monday....today, I am getting back to reallity! I have decided that the best thing for me to start with is a pure veggie and fruit diet. No carbs, no meat....at least for the first week or two. That way I can load my body back up on all the vitamens it needs....and water, lots of water. I am so bloated that my wedding ring is tight..ugh.

My hubby, as I write this, is lifting weights. In the 2 months he has been doing this I have seen a tremendous change in his body. So, as I am looking at him, I think, what would my body look like in 2 months if I put in as much effort as he does? ..... I think I could be in a much better place if I try. So... for two months I am going to match my hubbys effort.

I am hoping that my bicycle trailer came in while we were gone so that I can take the girls for a bike ride in the park tomorrow. I think it will be fun... and what a work out.

Well, today is not planned yet, but I think I will hop on my bike and go for a ride while hubby watches the girls. Tonight is my grandmothers 80th birthday party...another terrible cake temptation I'm sure.... but should be fun.

Have a Blessed Day... and I missed all of you...I'm glad to be home!

Home Sweet Home

It was a fantastic vacation. The girls sat in the back of the car for 6 hours without a peep. Thank God for portable DVD players!! The drive was long but fun...we took tons of pictures of the Hoover Damn and Lake Mead. Once in Vegas, we stayed away from the casinos as much as possible. I could not believe the amount of smoke! Unfortunatley you have to walk thru a casino before going anywhere...even the restaurants... so I tried to teach the girls how to hold their breath.. but I dont think I succeeded. Oh well... I guess 2 days a year is not too bad to be around that much smoke.




The NFR was exciting, but a little hectic. First we had to take a taxi to the Thomas and Mack center....no car seats? good grief, the girls got buckled in with mom and dad, and we all held on for dear life. Our driver was a little impatient with all the traffic... what do you expect when over 100,000 people are expected to be there? ... Once there... it was packed. I was nervous having such young girls around all the drunk cowboys...but everything turned out fine.





We spent one whole day just cruising the strip and checking out all the major hotels...Excalibur was great for kids...

I have a full day of laundry and cleaning to catch up on... this weekend will be busy..but should include alot of excersize!

Have a Blessed Day!

Viva Las Vegas!

I appreciate the help from all my friends..and mama! I have taken in all your advice and will be thinking about it on my 3 day trip to LAS VEGAS!! We are going to the rodeo, and I cant wait. So this will have to be a short note, for we have to leave in minutes! I have promised myself that I will focus on having a good time while we are there.. whether I am eating fruit salad.. or cheesecake! I will see you all when we get back on Thursday.. will definatley have pictures!! Lisa.. I will write you as soon as we get back, I am anxious to talk to you!!


God Bless You All...

Wiegh In Day

I sat here for about 10 minutes staring at a blank page. Do I dare admit my wieght? For my own sanity, I did not want to... but who on earth is sane while on a diet? So after debating with myself I have given in to myself and will admit that my wieght this morning was 213. What is going on? I swear I am eating right..maybe too much? I have been excersizing...maybe not enough? What am I doing wrong??? I know that my metabolism is shot since I had a hysterectomy. Doc said my body aged from 26 to 50 overnight...grrrrrrrrrreat. So, with a shot metabolism... what do I do?? I need help! I am still ready to lose the weight... I just have to accept the fact that it is going to be harder then I planned. I dont know what else to do accept drink nothing but water and eat nothing but protein shakes. Startvation... is that the solution? I can't be, but I'm starting to wander. Does anyone else have my problem?? Please help...

Addicted to Sugar??

Some might laugh, but after going thru a small binge on fruit snacks I decided to look it up and see if there is any truth to it. And guess what? It can happen! I also found some other disturbing information on what food makes do with the sugar... did you know that glucose is not a natural sugar? Its chemically made. In other words, all that candy you eat, and you feed your kids.. is actually a bunch of chemicals that, if consumed enough, can cause a list full of health problems that we see every day...ie: obesity, diabetes..etc. Now I know that it seems like common sense, but until I read this (http://www.medical-library.net/sites/framer.html?/sites/_sugar_addiction.html) , it hadn't quite hit home.
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quoted from that site:

The purpose of outlining this process for you is to allow you to see for yourself just how unnatural commercial sucrose — table sugar — really is. It would be a miracle if the body were prepared to deal with this stuff, given that nothing like it exists in nature.

The unfortunate fact of life is that this stuff also adds good taste to whatever it is added to and, to make matters even worse, it is strongly addicting. It can be no surprise that sucrose is used as an almost universal constituent of processed foods, all with government approval as long as the package is clearly marked to indicate the presence of sucrose. This is a classic example of the government's hands-off attitude toward the food industry: caveat emptor — let the buyer beware.

When this process of purification of sucrose was first invented, it was carried out by hand and only small quantities of table sugar could be made. It was so expensive, only royalty and other very rich people could afford to consume it as regular fare. Degenerative diseases were once the privilege of the rich. Now everyone can afford them.

To make matters worse, all food manufacturers know of the taste and addiction qualities of sucrose, and almost all of them are willing to use sucrose, or its breakdown product glucose, as a food additive without discrimination to increase their sales of processed foods. Glucose is used as a cheap filler and tastes less sweet than sucrose, disguising from your taste buds the large amount of simple sugar you are introducing into your body. On the label, all this masquerades as "syrup," usually "corn syrup." Thus your mind is deceived, along with your sense of taste.

It is very likely that you are addicted to sugar. A sugar addict can find ways to rationalize the addiction. Sugar addiction is so common in industrialized Western nations as to be unrecognizable. If you grew up in a culture where everyone — every single person from the time a cigarette could be held in the hand — smoked and where practically nothing was said about it, you would come to accept it as a natural fact of life. (Europe is almost such a place.) You would not think of yourself as addicted to tobacco, as there would be no one in your environment with whom to compare yourself. They would all be busy smoking, just like you. Thus, it is with sugar. Fish in the ocean ask no questions about dry land.
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Anyway, I thought it was interesting....
Today I have too much to do.. and hubby is working... so I am sad. Will be happy for this day to end.

Hope all is well with everyone. (Is anyone else having problems with their blog?? I dont have any of my buttons...links,bold,italic,picture...etc)
Have a Blessed Day...

TGIF

This morning I had to take our dog Woodroe to the vet to get fixed. Poor little guy. As we drove into the town that my vet is in, the temperature dropped to 15*F and the snow got deeper and deeper. Ugh... First of all, the snow at our house had already melted yesterday so the streets were clear and the weather was actually around 29*F. Second of all, I have a fear of driving in snow...and there was ice all over the place ...so it took me a little longer then it should have.... but I made it. I have to go back around 3pm to pick him up, but hopefully the roads will be a little better as the day goes on.

I wanted to thank EVERYONE that has left comments on my blog... you guys help me more then you know. The support is amazing.... I feel the love! LOL

I was SO happy it was friday, until my hubby told me he had to work saturday.grrrrr. But I am still looking forward to our trip to Vegas. Even though the girls are going with us, it will be nice to spend some more time with hubby. Looks like we will also be in Puerto Rico for Christmas.. which I am now feeling like I dont really want to go. I know that if the offer is there, we will go... but I also feel like if we stayed home I would be just as happy. I guess all the stress of getting ready to go has made me lose my excitement about going. Maybe I'll feel differently when I am sitting on the beach in the 90*F degree weather.... yeah.. I think I'll feel better then.

Sunday my mom is coming back over to stay with the girls while my hubby tries to kill me again on the bicycles. LOL. I think I will do a little bit better... but we'll have to wait and see.

well, time to start my morning chores...5 hours late... but the goal is to get the house clean so that the weekend will be a little more relaxing.... who am I kidding, I have two toddlers!!

HAve a Blessed Day