Thanks!

I've had alot of people telling me lately how good I look. I love to hear it, but at the same time, it makes me shy back a little.... Until now, I've never realized how bad I looked before losing the weight. David always told me I was beautiful, my friends always said I looked "fine," and my family always "love you no matter what!"

And now, I'm 47 lbs down... And David can't get enough of me, people are work constantly stop me ~ we've been back for 3 weeks now, and they are STILL saying stuff! And my family is so proud of me. My para, on her first day back, said "God, your ass is gone!" It felt good to hear that ~ I hadn't noticed it ~ but at the same time, it pointed out to me how big it was before.

At the shop today, the owner said "Start eating more so we don't completely lose you!" And the joke is now I don't have my ass to open doors with when my hands are full. We're thinking about getting me butt implants so I can put them on when we have weddings to deliver.

So, thank you to you all for the compliments. I probably don't seem as grateful as I truly am. I just now have to face the emotional parts of why I let myself get so heavy in the first place. For the first time, I love everything about my life ~ the only thing that would make it better would be to win the lottery. So, I have to take the time to face the emotional issues ~ I've been dreading this, but as I get closer to lifetime I know it won't "stick" unless I deal with that.

Oh, and I'm gonna get back into exercising again. It may not be going to the gym (because of time right now), but I'm going to start doing SOMETHING! Today, I hauled some branches into the dumpster we rented and I felt pretty good. Tomorrow, I want to mow the lawn (at least part of it), plus I'm moving alot trying to get the house packed up and ready to go! Maybe I'll hit the gym on Monday.........

Pictures of the house!

I had to meet the owner at the house tonight to sign some paperwork he didn't have last night... I actually had my digital camera, so I took some pics of the outside... The inside ones are from my phone, so not the best quality, but it gives you an idea....
(And I hope you all appreciate how long this is gonna take me!)

Front of house ~ the dogs are gonna love the bay window! And the front door has tulips etched into it (usually not my taste, but I love it!).

Side view of the front of the house ~ 2 car garage!

The back of the house (with really nice deck!)

The deck! We also have a private balcony off the master bedroom (can't see it in any of the pictures, though)

2 car garage ~ both with automatic openers!

The privacy fence is started! This is the only work we have to do to the house immediately! David is installing it himself, and then we will stain/weatherproof it.

This is the picture of the living room and formal dining room. I took it through the window, so it's not the best quality. Not a fan of the rose carpet or border, but it will do. And I have really good pictures of my grandpa's roses that I will blow up and put on the walls!

This is the front entry ~ also taken through the window! The hall leads directly into the eat in kitchen, then to the deck through a sliding glass door.

I took these pictures with my phone the first time I saw the house. David wasn't with me, but wanted to see pictures, so he got a couple:

This is the fireplace in the living room. We will use the other room (with the carpet) as our main living space because it has more natural light. But in the winter, this will be a really nice retreat!

This is the basement. David has laid claim on it: he wants to make this a rec room in a few years... It's big enough we can actually divide it in half and use some of it as a kids play room also.

So, we're set to close on the 5th as long as everything comes back like it should. They were waiting for one piece of paper, which we got signed today, so we should get the clear to close by Wednesday! We are going to move as much as we can before the 13th, and then we have a truck then for the rest. David is also going to finish the fence (the owner let us start on it before we close) so that we can get the dogs moved over and settled before that weekend. It's all falling into place!

Exciting News!!

This is a 2-part blog, first good news, then some pictures from SF.

David and I have been unhappy with the town we live in for about 6 months. When we bought our house, we did so because David is on the fire department. But, the city has changed alot in the last year, and we aren't happy with the changes. So, we've been praying about it....

David was bored one day, so started looking through real estate. He found a house that was "lease to purchase." He called the guy and I went to see the house. Loved it! Huge, beautiful. Needs some paint and carpet that is my taste, but other than that, it's perfect. Started talking to the guy ~ we were actually pre-approved for an FHA loan!!!!!!!!!!

We should be closing in about 2 weeks, and then the big stuff gets moved on 9/13. We were able to sell our house to a couple on the fire department, so we're free and clear! I will post pics of the house when I have some better ones ~ all I have are on my phone, very dark, and don't give you a good view. But, it's 3 beds, 2 1/2 baths (all a little small, but do-able), finished basement, 2 car garage, established deck, big kitchen (with eat-in area), formal dining room, living room, family room with fireplace......... it's wonderful! All we have to do is put a fence up, and the guy is letting us start it this week so it will be ready when we move in!

God was definitely with us this time around ~ this house is exactly what we needed. We really won't have to ever move again, and all that needs done is the cosmetic stuff that can wait until we're ready!

So, pictures.... These are from my grandparents party. I still haven't downloaded the rest from my camera (yeah, I know, I'm bad about that)...

David and I! I'm down 45 lbs, still a little swollen from surgery. David was down almost 40.


My mom and I. You can tell by my expression I was ready to sit down and take some pain killers!

So, that's it for now... I just had to share my exciting news! I'm going to start packing this week, and the day we close, we'll start moving boxes and stuff over!

HE DID IT!!!!

We had weigh-in tonight, and David's goal was to hit his 10%. He did it!!!! He really pushed himself and lost 7.8 lbs, going just past the mark he needed (he only need 5 lbs!)!!!!!!!!!! So, we celebrated with a bottle of wine. I told him the other night that I can tell he's losing. We were laying in bed and I went to put my arm over his stomach. I could actually wrap my arm and put my hand behind his back! I've never been able to do that! He is doing so well!!!!

I lost 1.6, so I'm only .2 away from my 2nd 10% ~ then I'll set my lifetime for probably another 20, putting me around the top of the "healthy" range. I'm not sure if I would be able to maintain anything lower. I guess we'll see what happens when I get that far! Oh, and I've gotten lots of people at work telling me that I look good and that my "bootie is shrinkin'!"

SO not expecting THIS!!

Came home today from running errands. Let the dogs out, started heading to back door. Something moved by the TV.

Yep! A gardener snake decided to come say hi. I, of course, freaked out and called my mother-in-law. She came over with our 16 yr old nephew. By the time they got here, the snake had "disappeared." We moved the deep freeze, wine cabinet, and fridge. Couldn't find it.

Fast forward 20 minutes. They left, and I'm again, trying to take dogs outside. I saw it. Under the wine cabinet. Called the family again. They moved the fridge (which is where the first pic was from). The damn thing tried to slither away. My mother in law had to PULL it out from under the fridge.


I had called David and told him it was big. He didn't believe me until he saw the pic with the thing stretched out:


I'm guessing 2 1/2 - 3 feet long???

Seriously, I'm the biggest freak when it comes to reptiles, and then for one to be in my house. OMG! I haven't moved so fast since June, before I got sick!!!!! And, for the record, my abdomen reminded me WHY I don't move so fast.

So, back to the real world... snake got thrown into the field across the street. School starts tomorrow. David comes home Tuesday. May have some exciting non-baby making news on Tuesday! Oh, and David is only 6 lbs away from his 10% goal!!! I'm hoping I will have lost 1, then I can set my lifetime goal!

That's it for my "exciting" news. Now I'm off to bed so I can get up early and get to work! Blech!

Great way to end the week!

So, I came on to check various blogs, and I was greeted with a comment!

KK (Running for Life) nominated me for a beautiful blogging award:


So, I'm super excited! I, like many others, blog just to get things off my chest. If everything sits inside, it gets nasty! I didn't even realize anybody read my blog, so I'm glad I could provide entertainment (some say support) to my "fans." And now, I get to nominate others.

1. WantWait&Pray (Wanting, Waiting, and Praying) ~ we have partnered up to help each other get through our fertility stuff. She is an amazing woman, who probably doesn't even realize how much support she provides me on a daily basis!

2. C (Yep Another Weightloss Blog!) ~ C is one who "found" me first, and I am so glad she did! Her weight loss is amazing and she is working hard to do a half-marathon!

3. Lil White (Little White's 4 legged escapade) ~ I love reading about Lil White (aka Oscar). He makes me laugh, even though he hasn't updated for a while! Maybe this will help him out?

4. Sarah (Simply Living Sarah) ~ Sarah is another one of those "real world" women! She writes with humor and makes life fun!

Of course, I read others, and you are all equally inspiring to me! A few of those that "travel" in the same blogging circles as me have already received the award, but I love you all! So, for you who were nominated:
Put the logo on your blog and link to the person you received your award from. Nominate at least 7 other blogs and put links to those blogs on your site. Be sure to leave messages on the blogs you’ve nominated so they know about the award. Congrats to all!

Random Weekly Update...

Not tons going on, but I'm not really in the mood to go to bed yet, so I figured I'd come blog!

I had my colonoscopy on Monday. It went well. The dr did remove some lymph nodes to biopsy, but I haven't heard back yet, so I assume they are fine. I have the all-clear for 5 years. Thank God! The entire day seems like a total dream ~ I called the groomers to get the dogs in. I had to call them back because I woke up feeling like I had dreamed it. I saw on my phone I HAD called them, but didn't know what was set up. They laughed at me.

Went back to work on Tuesday. It's bittersweet. I really wanted to be in Kindergarten ~ my principal hired someone new. But, she's good. I'll give her that. But, damn it, I'm a good teacher, and I would have done great in that room! I just keep telling myself things happen for a reason.

Went to weigh-in on Wednesday. I still need to update my tickers, but I lost 1.6 lbs!! Everybody at work is commenting on how I look! I love it! I've never been good about attention, but I'm doing what my leader suggests: look them in the eye and SINCERELY say thank you! Nothing else. Not "Oh, well, I want to lose XX more" or "It's not a big deal. People have lost more than me." By the way, both of these are things I want to say!

Today was Meetings Day. Sat through a meeting all morning and then an hour in the afternoon. Worked on my classroom, and then we had parents in the building for Safe Walk to School. One of my "babies" from last year came to say hi. He didn't even want to meet his new teacher ~ he just wanted to hang out with me! It made me feel good.

I got to see David for 5 minutes today. Someone from work called and asked if he could come back out: the guy's wife is having emergency surgery in the morning. What was he supposed to say? NO? So, I'll see him Saturday night. Hopefully.

I start my last 2 classes in 2 weeks! I can't believe it!!! I'm almost done!!!! This last semester is going to be tough, but it will be so worth it when I'm done. And then in the Spring, I can relax for the first time since I don't know when!

I think that's about it... The dogs are going to the groomer tomorrow, so they will be clean, fluffy, and smell good for the weekend! YAY! I still owe you pics from San Francisco. I swear one of these days life will slow down............

Oh, joy!

WEll, I'm already in a bad mood from prepping for the colonoscopy. Let me tell you: this is NOT fun! #1, I couldn't eat all day. #2, at 5:00, I had to start drinking the most god-awfulest, nastiest, SHIT in the entire world. They give you flavor packets that do NOTHING except make it smell a little better. I only got 2/3s of it down, but from my understanding of what is coming out of my ass right now, I'm cleaned out and ready to go.

So, my mom calls me around 6:00 to tell me my cousin is in labor. Goody. This is the girl who was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her husband had even more spoons in his mouth growing up, and now they are one happy silver-spooned family. I try to be nice and pretend like I care. I try to pretend like it doesn't break my heart that WE weren't the ones bringing a child into the world tonight. But, either I'm a really good faker or my mom just doesn't give a rat's ass that this is killing me.

Baby Liberty ~ that's her first name ~ was born by c-section about 2 hours ago. They named her Liberty because her uncle (my other cousin) is in the Air Force, and they are so proud of him. Okay, I admire that. But, seriously? Liberty?? I pray they call her Libby so she doesn't get the shit beat out of her when she grows up!

I don't think this was a planned pregnancy. She made a comment at the anniversary party: "Women's bodies are resilient things!" followed by a *slight* giggle and rub of her belly. Oh, and her oh-so-adoring husband went on a 4-day surfing trip with his dad 2 weeks ago. Seriously? If David were to do something like that when I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant, I would probably file for divorce! She wants to go to work. I think this is hilarious. Her mom - my aunt - has not worked a day since my other cousin was born. He's 6 months older than me. So, she has not worked for almost 27 years! And now her daughter wants to "go to work and let some stranger raise my granddaughter!" Oh the horror.

So, yeah. That was the excitement of my night. Welcome to the world, Liberty. Hopefully you will have a your-generation cousin soon. Then maybe I'll be able to celebrate your birth the way I probably should.

Getting ready...

Well, I have my colonoscopy on Monday. It needs to get done, and if I don't do it now, it will wait until Christmas (or even next summer!). If you haven't had one, I hear the prep is worse than the procedure.

Today, I ate anything and everything I wanted. I figure it's all leaving my body tomorrow (average weight loss when having a colonoscopy is ~5 lbs). So, I had Papa John's pizza and a glass of wine for dinner. I was going to drink more, but I ate too much pizza so the wine started not tasting good.

I went to the store so I will have "food" to eat for tomorrow. Ready:
* 7UP popsicles (Walgreen's carries them ~ they are really yummy and also come in root beer, dr. pepper, or orange)
* Chicken broth (6 cans ~ I'm sure I won't "eat" them all, but you never know)
* Lime Jello (Hate it, but I can't have anything red)
* Cans of Diet 7UP (probably won't drink much, but again, who knows!)
* 24 pack of Water

And at 5:00.... my yummy, yummy solution. Warning reads: WILL CAUSE ABDOMINAL CRAMPING AND DIARRHEA. Lovely. But hey, bonus! It comes with FLAVOR PACKETS! I get to pick my own flavor! The nurse says the orange is the best, but I'm going to try the cherry first. I also have pineapple or lemon-lime if I don't like the orange or cherry.

This ends one of the more random posts I've had lately....

Back from SF!

Well, we had a busy weekend!

I'm still recovering from the surgery ~ get sore very easily, and worn out at the drop of a hat. I decided to cook myself dinner one night since I was sick of microwave dinners. Sloppy joes sounded good ~ I had to take a nap after I cooked and ate them! It made me that tired!

Anyways... the anniversary party was really fun.

We had some issues getting out there. Southwest Airlines decided that David needed a second ticket. But, catch this: they didn't do it in Omaha. They did it at our layover in Vegas. The bigger catch: there were 2 people on the plane BIGGER than David, but nobody said anything to them. Basically, their policy is if someone "thinks" you look bigger, they will make you buy another ticket. There is no set "if you are this tall and weigh this much" or "if you cannot sit in this chair" policy. It's totally what one person sees as bigger. So, I had wheelchair service because I KNEW I wouldn't make the airports, and David was sitting up towards the front of a chair talking to me. If we had not been in the preboarding area, or if he had been sitting all the way back, the ticket agent for A DIFFERENT GATE would not have bothered us. Then, rather than pulling him to the side and speaking to him in private, they did it in front of everybody and completely demeaned him. They were extremely rude and unapologetic. They told us that "Omaha messed up. That's not our fault." And "If you don't buy another ticket, you won't get home next week." Oh, and "If those flights are already full, you won't be going home." The flight crew going to SF was really nice ~ she even bought David a drink and checked on us constantly. I had to use the restroom. She saw me standup and literally RAN from the back of the plane to make sure I was okay getting to the bathroom. On the way home, we had more issues in Vegas ~ we "didn't check in right," but they would "fix it for you so you can go home." Bitch.

The trip was nice. I had trouble seeing my pregnant cousin. But, you know, I do believe that every baby is a miracle. When is mine though????? We went to Fisherman's Wharf on Monday, but didn't get to see as much as we wanted. My stomach started bothering me after lunch (not enough water, too much grease!), plus my incisions were bugging me. But, David and I will go again someday by ourselves!

We went to Weighin last night. We were both expecting gains. I mean, hello? SF sourdough bread will KILL YOU!!! And, while we tried to eat healthy, it's not always that possible when you are with people who aren't eating healthy! You can always make "decent" choices, but then there's always the bread, drinks, and dessert....

So, David weighed first.... he LOST 3 lbs!!!!!!!! He hit the mark that he wanted before the trip! He couldn't believe it!!! I am so proud of him!! He says he isn't going to travel again until he has lost another 50 lbs. I know he can do it, and he wants to go somewhere for my Spring Break. We just have to encourage each other and keep with it!

I gained 1 lb. But, you know what? I'm okay with that! After losing so much weight while I was sick, I need to either stay the same or gain for a couple weeks. Also, my best friend decided to rear her ugly head this week (obviously expecting her!), and I usually gain 2 lbs during that week. So, for being on vacation, and that, I only gained 1 lb! I am happy that it wasn't more!

I have my colonoscopy scheduled for Monday morning. And I report back to work on Tuesday. Not sure how I feel about going back... my summer has been wasted, but I'm ready to be busy again!

I will have pictures of everything soon. I just need to get them downloaded from my camera! Overall, it was a good trip, but we will NEVER EVER EVER fly Southwest again.