Phew

Well I tell ya, what ever is going around sucks. I called off work yesterday because I couldn't keep anything down. Jason got sick the night after Christmas and was sick for about 24 hours. I thought that I was going to get lucky and not get anything because we originally thought that it was food poisoning. Well I was wrong. I spent yesterday mostly all day in bed. No appetite at all. I still have no appetite.. I'm only making myself eat because I haven't really eaten since Monday night. I tried to eat a little last night not much, but it managed to stay down. My body is so sore right now. My ribs and my back. I'm going to try to go to work today though. It was nice though being able to stay in bed and just rest. I got real bored super quick though. Jason was on daddy duty all day yesterday. Made me feel really good knowing that I could just rest and he would take care of her. I tried not to have to much contact with her because it would be nice if she manages not to get this. Well, that's enough for now. I got stuff to do.

Girls Vacation

I'm getting more and more excited. I think we might be heading down south a little instead of our original destination. I am actually hoping that we do. It'll be fun. Just us girls. Getting away from the world for a bit. A weekend of girl talk, and walking the town. There are so many places to go and browse... I can't wait. I look forward to the car ride, turning the radio up...singing... laughing. Just being free for a while. We can't run away for ever, but long enough to get refreshed and our heads cleared is just enough. It's going to be nice. I can't wait. I've never taken a vacation before with a friend like this so it's going to be an adventure. The only thing that really sucks is that this weekend is in the end of the pay period so I get paid the day we come back. So I'm going to have to save a little the next couple weeks. Oh I can't wait. This is a treat to ourselves in a way. Amber had this planned and once she found out I had the weekend off, she freaked out and told me to come with her so we're going.

Other than that....I finally bought a new wallet. I've only been trying to buy one for a few months now... I finally broke down and got one. It's pink and pretty nice. Of course I got it from Wally World, and I paid less than 10. It's actually really nice. I really like it. Other than that....nothing new....

WL Progress and stuff

Well, I measured yesterday. I've lost a total of 4 inches from the last time that I measured which was about two months ago. Over all I've lost 12 inches in a little under 6 months. I've dropped down to a size 9 in Juniors officially since I bought my first new pair the other day with a gift card that I got for Christmas. They are a tad bit too big but they haven't been washed yet or dried yet...I love them.

Come Jan 15 I'm going a mini vacation with Amber. We're going away for the weekend. No babies, no guys, no body but us. We're using this time to get away and clear our heads and have some girl time. Go out to eat, have some drinks.... relax. There is this cute little town with a ton of gift shops and stuff... so it'll be nice to just get away. I can't wait. April will go stay with my mom and this way Jason can have some time to himself to go do whatever and hang with his friends and stuff. I think this is a good thing. We need our own time here and there. I can't wait.

Great Christmas

The past few days have been crazy. Christmas Eve we did presents with grandma Pam. April got some super cool stuff from her. She's loves the cool little talking tea set she got from her. So cute. We headed over to Jeff's later. Christmas over there was crazy with 5 kids... April loved it. She got some pretty cool stuff from Jeff and Amber and Jenny. Jeff and Amber got Jason and me a date night package I guess you could call it. Gift card to O'Charley's and then a gift card to the Rave movie theater. And, they are even watching April when we want to go. Super cool.

Christmas day we headed to my family's gathering. April did pretty good there too. She got a Dora quad that she learned how to operate in less than thirty minutes all by herself literally. She was having a blast. She got a bunch of other toys and clothes. I got a ton of bath stuff this year. Some candles, gift cards, some clothes, and other stuff.

Over all we had fun this year. My whole family was together. We even took Jeff up with us lol. It was a full house. April is staying with my mom this weekend. Kinda glad she took her, because we needed the back seat for everything since the trunk was full lol. We had lots of super good food.

This year we did really good with sales. We've been updating a lot of stuff and we've done good. That's all I can say. Of course one Christmas present we haven't received yet, which we will in a few months here and it's going to really help out. That's all I can say there.

Today we went to the mall and Jason used a gift card that he got. Now it's relaxing time since April isn't here. Then it's time to start cleaning once Jason gets up. This coming month is going to be crazy for me. I have a few days off and that's it. I work every single week day except one. With Tina being out everyone is working more and harder to make sure things get done right. Hopefully she'll be back soon. I feel so sorry for her and her family right now. It's tough hearing news like this especially through the holidays.

I think that is it for now. Love Christmas but, I'm glad that it is over. I want things to get back to normal.

2010

That time has come. I know we all come up with resolutions every year and most of us never keep most of them. I admit, I'm one of them. This year I'm going about it a little differently. I'm not making resolutions on giving up stuff, or quitting bad habits. Those are usually the ones we give up anyways. This year I'm going to make an effort to continue doing things that better me. For example, my weight loss. I started working on it this past summer and I've come a long way. So, I'm making a resolution to continue doing what I am doing and to continue to get in shape and better my body.

My attitude towards things. For a while somewhere I started looking for the negative in things. Rather it be a choice, either buying something or trying something new out of the ordinary I start picking things apart... Looking for why it can't be done. I've realized this and I'm starting to change it, so into the new year I will continue to do this. Of course there a few other things but I really can't go into them yet because we're not there yet.

Next year is going to be a good year I hope. There are some changes that will be taking place for the good. New chapters will be opening up. Next summer, we're going to have fun. Hoping to be out on the farm more. Already talked to Erica, and it's kinda a done deal come April when Jason's work will start for her. This past summer we didn't go out a whole lot and it sucked. But this year we're hoping to get out more. Hoping to do more things with Jeff and his crew and of course other friends.

I'm hoping to really turn some things around this new year. We've been through a lot this past year friend wise and family wise and it's time for a year of goodness and happiness and just plain awesomeness. I've met some pretty cool people over the past year, and I love them to death. I've made some friendships closer, and I've made new friendships. We have fun and we laugh.

I got a great job, that I love to death. Jason got a job that he enjoys and he's home with us daily now. So, I want to concentrate on making next year awesome. I want to continue to improve things, and start to explore some new things. I've learned some things about myself this past year that I didn't know. I look forward to exploring new things.

I'm hoping to make this a great year of many to come with April. This past year has been kinda rough on her, but not to a huge extend. She doesn't know what goes on, but in a way it does effect her. We've had our rough moments. It seems like out of no where she's running down the hallway, and telling us when she's ready for night night as she calls it, to sitting on her potty to sleeping in her big girl bed. Come next few months she'll be getting a new toddler bed to match her new dresser. I love the natural color and it is easier to coordinate colors with I think. Anyways, she goes to her chair when she's hungry and tells us when she wants up. She gives hugs and kisses every day. I remember like it was yesterday putting her in her baby swing... or watching her try to crawl for the first time. It's been a very eventful past year and then some.

I also learned about forgiveness this past year in a way I thought I never would. Things happen. We don't know why some people do what they do, some things we can't comprehend. I don't mean your normal everyday stuff. I mean things that really make you step back and go whoa. There is a line when it comes to personal boundaries. Years ago someone crossed that with me. Big time. I never forgave, and I never forgot. Until the day he approached me and asked for forgiveness. He didn't beg. He didn't try and pass some crazy story off on why. He simply asked for my forgiveness. It made me think big time. I realized that I couldn't carry the chip on my shoulder any more. Now, before he asked for forgiveness we actually managed to create a small friendship. Talk here and there. Nothing big. Went awhile with no conversation and one day out of the blue he asks. I'll never forget him. The second that I told him I would forgive him I felt relief. I felt lighter, and I felt happy. I told him that I had waited so long for those words... but he couldn't tell me until he was ready and that is something that I understand completely.

That has truly taught me, that in my eyes you can forgive. You can't force yourself to forgive. You have to do it I think, when your good and ready and only oneself can know when that is. What he did, took courage. Of course he never should have done what he did in the first place.... but to come so far from where he was is unbelievable. We only have one life and I think we should live it to the fullest. I know that there are some people who can't forgive and that's okay too. No one says we have too... as long we're happy and living our lives with those who matter that is what matters right?

I have completely gotten off topic. This is what happens when I sit and think lol. I'm just in a good bloggy mood I guess. Today was a good day for the most part... something else I really don't want to go in to but was a huge relief.

Almost here

Well we're almost done with Christmas shopping. Just a few more gits and we're done. We knocked out a bunch today. Got April her gift from Santa today and I can't wait. She is going to have so much fun on it. We went ahead and took the battery out so that when time comes it'll be ready to go and nicely charged. Speaking of charged, I need to get my batteries charged for my camera. I need them Christmas eve for pictures of April opening gifts with grandma Pam and then later that night for pictures of the all the kids. That is going to be interesting... 5 kids.... oh my. Can't wait... I still have to get Amber's gift finished, and then get something for Curtis and that crew is finished. We got Madi's today. Jeff's crew has been finished for awhile.

Jason gave me my gift a little early this year. They're so beautiful And they're my favorite color. I love them. Completely caught me off guard too. I wasn't expecting them at all.

Ugh well, I need to get off here and finish getting some things done. Laundry day it is...

Sit and spin....

April finally figured out how to go all the way around on her sit and spin. She's picking up some speed too... she even tried to do it standing up. She's so funny. She seems to feel a little better today. She actually ate a good breakfast today. I gave her pudding last night and let her feed herself.... yeah that was a mess. She loved it. She went straight into the bath tub after that...

She put her snow boots on today all by herself. She loves putting shoes on... first it our shoes. Now she's trying to put hers on. She got her boots on by herself and they were actually on her correct feet. I'm very proud of my little girl.

Getting closer

Well, I dug into the wrapping paper today. I have way too much wrapping paper. I got what we have wrapped finally. Never again will I get wrapping paper that has glitter on it. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. Then to top it off, we got gift tags with glitter on them too. Ugh. Oh well, it was easy to clean up believe it or not. I still have a few more gifts to get. I'll be heading out sometime in the next few days before I head to work to pick up the last few gifts...

Honestly I really don't care about gifts that much this year. I'm not sure why, but I really don't care what I get. I just want to see April open hers. That's all I really care about is her and this being her first Christmas where she can be more active and have lots more fun opening gifts. Last Christmas all she could really do was sit up and that was about it.. This Christmas she's running.

I just want to be with my family this Christmas. We've been through a lot this past year and there were some times where I didn't think we were going to make it, or we might be planning a funeral... but luckily that didn't happen and things are good now for the most part. My family is pretty strong willed and no matter what happens between us we still all come together and celebrate things and pretty much get along. I've learned a lot from my family, mostly about forgiveness and trust. We've all said words to each other that I know we wish we could take back but can't. We still have a bond that will hopefully stay strong. I love my family. Now with April, these family gatherings mean even more to me. It's something that I want her to grow up with and look forward too. I grew up with them, and I look forward to seeing my family every holiday. I want the same for her too.

I love my boyfriend

I love my boyfriend. Today while I was at work my boots finally went out on me. I've worn them down to like nothing. So, my feet were soaked and freezing with in 20 minutes of being at work. He actually brought me new socks, and a pair of dry shoes. Tonight he took me to Walmart and bought me a new pair of water proof boats. They were sale which made it even better since it was a last minute thing. They fit good. I look forward to wearing them on Monday when I go back to work.

He takes care of me that is for sure. I love him to death.

Our weigh in on Friday was pretty good. Two more pounds down. I hope the new ab work out helps the target areas. I feel more of a burn all around unlike the other one I did. This one targets every muscle in the target area. Ones I forgot I had....

April is wild right now. I'm not sure what is going on with her. She's gotten super clingy. She's telling us more and more stuff now. When she is tired and ready for nap or bed she's half way back the hall and climbing up in bed before you can stop her to even change her into her night clothes. She says night night now. She climbs up in bed with her blankie and her kitty. So cute. She pretty much sleeps in bed the whole night. Now for nap time, she'll lay down for a bit but sometimes she gets up and plays. But majority of the time when she is tired she'll grab her blankie and lay down all by herself.

Speaking of tired... That's what I am...

P90X

All I can say is wow. I did the ab ripper work out tonight and I'm so feeling it. I didn't even do all of it. It's pretty nice because you don't need a whole lot of room at all. Also, you can modify some of the work outs for beginners and you can also make them a little harder. I did pretty good for a first timer. My abs are killing me right now. It gives you a really good complete feeling after working out. Even my legs feel good from some of the workouts. It doesn't take very long at all, but I can see how this would tone you up in no time... Hopefully I can stick to it, and it won't irritate my back any more than what it already is.

I might move to another workout once I do this one for awhile. It has such a variety of exercises. It's nice to switch it up and kinda trick the body. It feels good.

Counting down--update

Well Christmas is right around the corner. A week away to be exact. It's still up in the air, but I might be working Christmas eve. It's only for a few hours so it's really no biggie. Then we'll head over to Jeff's. I'm gonna get pictures of the kids and Jeff. Then I'm going to get pictures of all the kids. This should be fun. When time comes to work on April's scrap book, I'll have tons of pictures...

We'll head to my family's gathering on Christmas and I can't wait. I'll have tons of pictures from there too. I'll make Jason take pictures on Christmas eve of April opening her gifts from his mom if I have to work.

I'm so excited. This is my favorite part of the year. This is one of the few times, now that my WHOLE family gets together due to my aunt being out of state. Unfortunately she can't stay long this year. Just in town long enough to see everyone. I have Christmas eve off (maybe), Christmas day off and then the two days off after Christmas. April I think is staying with my mom for a few days maybe.

Right now at work, our supervisor is out this month due to her husband's health. So, we're trying to cover all her shifts. She works mornings and it's not too hard to do right now. Everyone is usually willing to help out and make sure that shifts are covered and everything gets taken care of. Ugh.. well that's about it.


Well, I just got the confirmation that I'll be working Christmas eve. It's only for a few hours, so it's not that big of deal. I've worked before in the past on Christmas eve all day and it really sucks.

Yuckies.

Seems like when colds go around every one gets them. Jason had something, gave it to me, now April has it. I felt like crap for a few days. I finally took some different medicine last night and it seemed to really kick my butt. April is taking longer naps. She just doesn't seem to be her spunky self. She just wants to be held. She almost fell asleep in my arms earlier, but I couldn't feel my arms so I had to just lay her down. She tells us though when she is ready, she either grabs her kitty or her blanket. She tries to wrap the blanket around her. Then she lays her head down. So cute. My mom taught her how to put her arms up when she says touch down. She had a blast at grandma's.

I love when I walk in the door and she wants to run over and hug me. She's my little angel. No matter what happens she'll always know that I love her, and I'm proud of her. She'll always have her parents who will always be there for her.

Why oh why

A while back some one gave me some advice. I thought about it. I dismissed it. I didn't want to listen to it, because of who it came from. Now however, I'm wishing that I did listen a little more carefully and take that advice to heart. The tables have been turned and things are usually viewed differently when that happens. It's ok though. Things will work out like they always do. It's just something that puts you in a different frame of mind. Makes you see things differently. Changes how you feel. I can't go into it right now, because I have to get ready for work. But thinking about it makes me angry, and also disappointed.

Weekend and more

Well this past weekend was pretty good. We dropped April off on Friday with her grandma. Saturday Amber picked me up and we headed to lunch. We ran some errands and eventually made it to the house. We all got ready for the wedding and eventually made it to the church. The ceremony was pretty nice. The reception was nice. I was able to get a lot of pictures. I got to use a super good camera too. It was so exciting. This thing blows cannon away oh my gosh. It blows a lot of cameras away. I loved it. I so want one but I don't have hundreds of dollars. Anyways, after the reception was over and we cleaned up we headed back to Jeff's. Watched a few movies and passed out from being so tired. Sunday morning, Jason picked me up and came back home. We crashed for a few hours before heading up to get April and our new dresser for April's room. It's pretty nice. Today we headed to the mall and got a new power cord for my computer. We got a nice and sturdy one this time lol. Well, that is about it. I'm just killing time before I head to work.

super cool

Well, April is with her grandma now. I'm free for the weekend. No work, no baby. It feels good to take a break. I know come tomorrow I'm gonna be missing her more though... But I get her back on Sunday. Her grandma actually asked if she had to giver her back lol. I can't stand being away from her too long so heck yeah I want her back lol.

We picked up our new microwave tonight. It totally kicks butt. It is so quiet you can barely even hear it running. It looks super cool too. Stainless steel and digital display. I love it. It cooks food really nicely too. Over all, it was an awesome buy.

So, I just learned a bunch new settings and tricks for my camera. Since the wedding is tomorrow and I'm taking pictures, I thought that I would play around with it and found a bunch info on it that I had no idea could be done. My test pictures look pretty dang good. I'm hoping that it helps for tomorrow. I have a feeling I'm going to have issues with the lighting like I did at the last wedding. I hope it works. I still wish I could get a hot shoe flash. That would be sweet. But they aren't cheap.

Oh well... I think that is it. I can't wait till tomorrow.

20 pounds gone

Well, I've finally weighed in. I've met my goal of losing 20 pounds. I'm still not sure where it's all coming off of...ok well some areas.. I'm aware lol. I've actually lost 21 pounds. I haven't weighed in for a couple weeks. I use the scale at work, it's more accurate. But the scale at home still stays in the same range of the scale at work. So I know I'm some where in the ball park of 21 pounds. I'm pretty sure I'm right this time then normal because when that time of the month comes, I actually lose a few pounds unlike most who gain. It's strange but I'm not complaining. So I need to for sure reward myself. I'm happy.

baby free weekend...

I already worked on this post earlier until Jason decided to close my browser window not knowing what I was doing. :( Oh well, it's all good.

Tomorrow afternoon starts the baby free weekend for us. I can't wait. I know that sounds horrible, but I want some time to myself dang it. Plus, the wedding is this weekend and I don't wanna have to watch her while I'm trying to take pictures and just have some fun. It's going to be a late night. The wedding isn't until later, but I'll be with Amber most of the day and helping to get stuff ready.

Today was a very cold day. Work wasn't bad, but it was cold. I was glad to get home though and eat some yummy pizza. We tried this new pizza from Great Value today. It's bacon, cheese and chicken. Super good. So far, I'm doing good with it. I can't handle the meat pizzas anymore which sucks in a way, but I'm kinda glad. But this was super good. Great Value has some pretty good stuff. I deep fried some of their seasoned fries today for lunch and they turned out really good. Some of their stuff tastes better than some name brand stuff I think.

Tomorrow we hopefully get a new microwave. I'm hoping. It's a stainless steel one. Pretty cool looking. I'm hoping to pick up a new pair of pants also. My nice dress pants don't fit me anymore. I can get away with jeans being too big because I wear a belt, but not in dress pants. My dress pants are almost three sizes too big.

Heck, I've lost 19 pounds last time I weighed in which I really need to do again soon.... 19 more to go and I'll have a healthy BMI. It's hard some times. It really is. Sometimes I really wanna just give up and stop paying so close attention as I am and just let go. But I can't. I know I can't. I'm not in any hurry to drop the weight. I want to do it slowly and maintain as I go. There for my body will adapt so much easier. So far, it's working.

Anyways, I think that is it. I was going to go into some thing else, but my bed is calling my name.

Time flies

I can't believe it's December already. It's amazing how fast this year has gone by. Never thought that we would be where we are today... it's all good though. I can't wait until next year though. Big things happening... But I'm grateful for what we have now. I feel like we just had Christmas though. April will have fun this year. She's going to have fun trying to open all the gifts. She tried to open my cousins gifts on her birthday. She'll do pretty good this year. We have a few more gifts to get and we are done with Christmas shopping. We dug out all of our wrapping paper and I'm excited to start wrapping.

Monday night we headed down to Cincinnati and walked around fountain square. It was pretty with all the lights and the skating rink. We saw a few horses and April kept trying to follow them. She did awesome. She walked around with us. When it came to the steps, she actually refused to give Jason her hand because she wanted to hold onto the rail and go down by herself. So cute. She has become so independent. She gets in her bed all by herself and lays down. She tries to get in her chair all by herself. She wants to sit on her potty more and more. She even tried to climb into the bathtub the other day all by herself. She says "hot" and now she says "up".

I made chili tonight and it was so good. I actually put it in the crock pot and let it sit for the afternoon. I wanted it to be nice and done when I got home from work. It was super yummy. I even felt more glad that I had made it when I got to work and it started raining. It was so cold.. if it hadn't been windy it would have been ok. But, that's why I got my out door wear... thank goodness. I really do love my job. I've never had a job where I could say that I honestly loved it. It is so fun and it's so full filling. I like knowing that I'm doing something good. I like the bonds that I develop.

Oh I guess that is mostly it. I've pretty much lost track of my thoughts. I got wrapped up in something on tv lol. I'm excited though for this weekend... baby free the whole weekend... and I'm off.... I have a wedding on Saturday that I have to take pictures at. It'll be fun. I need to remember though to charge my batteries. These new batteries we got are pretty awesome. They work so much better in my camera. Love them. They last way longer than regular batteries and they can be recharged.

Ok now seriously I'm done...

New Challenge

Well, I'm proud to say that I'm taking part in a new challenge. It's a ab core work out, and it's a strength training work out/test. It's 5 weeks long. I'm gonna be so sore, I know I am. But, it's going to help for sure. It's a great idea, and I know it's what I need to get my butt back in the saddle. My back has given me so many problems the past two months that I kinda stopped working out like I should be. I'm still loosing, but I've stopped losing the inches off my tummy. I've lost a few which is great, but I gotta get back at it. This should help me with my back. I miss my tight tummy... one day it will return. One day lol. But, I'm excited. I'm ready for a new challenge. I've already dropped below 150. Now I need to spice things up and do something new and different. I love being able to fit into a jrs 9 again. It's a great feeling. I'd love to be in a 7 though again, but I'm happy with where I am for now :)

People

Sometimes people can be so annoying. I don't know. I go through these little tiffs where there is someone who I can't stand. I don't know why. It's just I nit pick at everything and it drives me crazy. Least this time, it's not just me. I know I eventually get over it, but I think it has something to do with the amount of time that we spend together. I'm not talking about Jason lol. Then there is the fact that the person refuses to listen and to grow up. Oh well.

April is sitting on her potty more. She sits down on it when I am in the bathroom. She's still in her clothes, but I want her to feel comfortable with it and like the potty. She actually tries to open the lid so she can sit down on it. I'm so proud of her, today she took a very good nap in her big girl bed. She sleeps all through the night in it, but the naps we were having problems with because she wanted to get out of bed an play. Today she didn't. I know she was exhausted from yesterday, and slept very well last night. I figured that she would take a good nap today. She didn't go to bed until after 8 this evening.

Christmas is going to be so much fun this year. I have 4 days off in a row. I'm so happy about it. I get to spend time with family, and do our Christmas get togethers for both sides. My aunt is coming in from Maryland for a few days this Christmas so I have some extra time to spend with her this year.

I have to get new tires soon. Not looking forward to that. The front ones need replaced. It's on the list of things that my poor car needs. It runs so much better now that Jason worked on it. I still can't believe how bad the dealership messed it up.

Another thing that I'm looking forward is our friends wedding. I can't wait, I was asked to take pictures. Plus, we'll be baby free that weekend... I get to take pictures and enjoy myself at the wedding with out worrying about April getting into everything.

Things are going good. We got some plans and hopefully all goes well.

Yummy

I'm so excited that Jason and I finally got to have our dinner at Outback. It was for our anniversary. I had a 50 dollar gift card just for it that I got for free. It was a great dinner. I love their food. After dinner we headed over to Jeff's for a few and relaxed.

Today was a long and busy day. We got up kinda early and had a nice breakfast. Then we headed to home depot to get a few items. We headed out to pick up a big screen tv that I'm in love with now... I so can't wait to sit down and watch it. After that we headed over to Chris's house and hung out there for a bit. It's been a long time since we've been over there and the house is looking awesome with the Christmas decorations.

After Chris's house we headed out to meet Jeff for dinner and then went to his sister's house to get his atv. Had fun. I got to see Mandi's baby boy finally. So precious. It was so cool to sit and talk with her about all kinds of stuff while our babies slept in our arms lol.

It's been a long day, April did great. She was so tired by the time we got home. She's sacked out in her big girl bed which she loves by the way and is doing so good in.

So it's time to go relax.

My new blog

Well, everything is finally moved over. Took a while but it's done. I used to have an account on this site but it's been a while since I've used it and I figured that I might as well just make a new one since the other blog was old. I love this site, and I feel like I can do more here than I can on myspace. I really don't get on that often to really blog anymore anyways. So yeah that is that.

Thanksgiving

Thursday we packed up and headed up north to my family's get together for Thanksgiving. Just about every one was there. April had a blast with the girls and with my sisters. She did great. The food was pretty good. We celebrated my cousins birthday since it falls so close the holiday we combined it. We had birthday cake which was super good too. April tried to help her open her gifts. April got a spit and spin from my aunt which she had a blast on. She actually figured out to operate it. I just have to keep an eye on her because she's trying to stand up on and spin now lol. She has another tooth coming in I believe. She's been chewing on her finger non stop today. Anyways, Thanksgiving was a blast. It was good being around family. I can't wait until Christmas. We're going to have so much fun. I'm proud to say that I didn't gain any weight this week even with the extra amount of food and salt intake. I'm very proud of myself. I stuck to my smaller portions so that I could eat a little of everything. I was afraid that I would gain, but I didn't. So it's safe to say that this new life style is really helping and it's getting easier. I have come to the conclusion though that I need to make some more changes. For health reasons and personal reasons I'm kicking red meat out of my diet. I have cut down on it already but it's time to cut down to nothing now. It's a choice that I've made and I'm going to try to stick to and hope to get some relief and comfort. I've also cut back on my pop again and this time it's going a lot better. My headaches aren't that bad. Things are going pretty good for the most part. I'm pretty happy with everything right now.

April's big girl bed

Two nights ago Jason decided to make Aprils crib into a big girl bed. We didn't want to go buy a new bed until we knew if she was ready or not for it. So.. night one went great. Her room is as baby proof as a room can get. She slept the whole night through. In the morning she climbed out and started playing with her toys. Nap time was a little different because she wasn't ready for a nap yet and still wanted to play but when she was ready she actually laid down on the floor and started napping. Last night same thing, put her to bed and she stayed in bed... she did start fussing a little bit and I peeked in and she was still in bed... this morning she woke up pretty early and played in her room the whole morning... no wet bed... pjs still on... she is doing great. So pretty soon we might go ahead and buy a new bed... but her bed is fine for now. I'm not gonna waste money on something that we already have until we need it....

Killing time

I figured I would get on here while I'm waiting for my dinner to finish.

April is on a roll... she's non stop now. I see a glimpse of the "terrible twos" however. She is listening only half the time now... she's not bad or anything she thinks it is a game sometimes. Once she knows your serious she usually stops what she is doing and listens. Her teeth have popped through finally. She's learned a few more things. At night when it's bed time, I tell her it is time to go get pjs on or it's bed time and she's on her way to her room. She'll stand at her crib and wait for me to put her in it. She hasn't learned how to climb in or out yet even though she has tried. When I ask her if she's hungry she'll walk over to her chair and wait for me to put her in it. She can climb up in that however but I don't let her. She tries to climb in the bath tub.. but for safety reasons I don't let her do that either lol. I can just see her slipping and cracking her head open... she has also learned how to climb up on her changing table. In the near future I'm going to enroll her in a tumbling class. She loves tumbling and climbing. I've been teaching her how to do summersaults. She can't do them by herself but when I help her she knows the motions.

Her eating habits are picking up. She can actually eat a whole hot dog of course cut up in small pieces. She loves mac and cheese. She also loves veggies. I made turkey with veggies which included peppers and she ate the peppers too. I want her to like all types of food as much as possible. She had fish the other night, I don't know about that. It was fried. She likes salmon. But this I think was her first fried fish. She also knows that when her diaper is wet it should come off. I'm not to thrilled about that one yet... she'll strip down to nothing all because her diaper is wet. Her personality is developing more and more every day. She's stubborn but so goofy at the same time. She likes dancing to any kind of music.

Everything else is going ok. My car is back in working order after dropping a new radiator into it. Stupid Kings Dodge people... never ever again will I ever take my car there. But I'm lucky to have Jason who worked his magic on it and it actually drives better then when KD worked on it. Go figure. It's smooth again. I still can't wait to get rid of it however. I feel like it's a ticking time bomb. It's dependable for the most part however so I shouldn't complain too much about it.

Work is going great. I love my job so much. I love the interaction with the dogs. They're great. I learn a good amount of stuff also and I like that. I also like it because of the physical work. I don't just stand around. I move all the time. Which has helped me out so much with my losing weight. 18 pounds is a huge accomplishment for me. What makes it even better is that I'm maintaining it. I don't have to give up my favorite foods at all. We still do fast food here and there and I don't have to stress out over it. I changed the way I eat and I'm actually liking it.

I can't wait for the holidays. I look forward to it every year. Not about the gifts or whatever, but about being with my family. This past year was a tough one for my family. Health issues and personal issues really took a huge toll on my family. But everyone is doing better and that's all that matters. We've all said words that we wish that we could take back who hasn't? But the fact is they been said and we're still family. I love my family, and I know that if something ever happened to any of them I would be upset. But anyways, that's why I love the holidays. I look forward to it more because of April. She is going to have a blast this year with Christmas between all her grandma's she's going to have fun.

Our friends dad is getting married next month and I'm so excited because I was asked to take pictures. It's going to be fun. I had a blast taking pictures at Mandi's wedding I can't wait. It's going to be an exciting next two months... Birthdays and holidays and a wedding... Jason and I just hit our three year mark which we have yet to have our outback dinner but we will lol. It's hard now with the hours that he works.. But we will have it. He bought me flowers which are so pretty. They are purple and opened up so beautifully. I am so lucky to be with some one like him. I love him more and more every day.

Well..I think that's it lol. I have really gone on way to long.. I'm off to eat my fish now.

Getting there

As of yesterday I am proud to say that I've almost achieved my second weight loss goal. I have lost 17 pounds. I lose a little each week. Thanks to my job, I get my work out in every day. I have three more pounds to lose to reach my second goal. I'm so excited. I actually had to put more holes in my belt... that was interesting too. I feel good. I feel like I have more energy. I love it. I have come used to the new way of eating for the most part. Sometimes I want to give in. But I have to just think about how far that I have come. I think about how close I am. I think about what more I want, and I can get there.

Things are going good. Nothing is perfect, but things are good. Jason starts his new shift tonight. Now we have two incomes. I am getting a few more hours at work. Slowly but surely we'll get there. I'm hoping to have our new phones next month. Since we're no longer with Verizon thank god. I hate the thought of how much money we wasted with them. I loved the coverage, but with Jason not being on the road anymore we don't need that type of coverage. The new plan that we will probably be switching to is more for a lesser price. Our monthly bill will be way less than what we paid with Verizon. We haven't decided yet if we're going to go with them yet though.

Not a whole lot else going on. April has learned how to take her clothes off. Mostly her pjs. Every morning they're off... she's more talkative. Every day. She tries to have conversations now. It's cute. She has two teeth popping through. I wish that they would hurry up and come in. She still sleeps through the night, but she's not really taking naps anymore. She is all over the place. Either in her room playing, living room or kitchen... it doesn't matter she's everywhere. She loves her books. She'll bring them to us and wait for us to open them. Then she turns the pages one at a time. She's starting to really pay attention though to the colors, and the pictures. She's gone from saying momma to mommy a few times, and from dadda to daddy. She's dancing too. She turns around in circles and goes back and forth. She also walks backwards. She's a goofy girl. Now that Jason is working nights, I'll probably start working on her album and scrap book again. I've gotten so far behind... I need to work on her baby book also. She gets her shots in December. The doctors are so backed up that's the soonest that she can get in. I'm curious to see how tall she is now.


I think that is bout it for now.

Another pound down...

Well, another pound gone, another pound closer to my goal. I have 5 more pounds to go until my next goal date. I see no reason why I can't make it. I finally broke down and bought a belt. I got so tired of pulling my pants up, especially when I'm at work... it's so annoying. So the belt helps. I have a goal of 10 to 15 pounds for Christmas. I'm not being speedy about this for a reason and I'm not going back to that place again, so I'm taking my time. I do like how some of my t-shirts are fitting me better now. I still have some of the baby bulge from having April but it's getting smaller... slowly lol. I have changed the way I eat for sure. I still eat my fast food, don't get me wrong... I just change how I eat and how much I eat. It's something that I must keep up with, in order for me to change completely to where I don't have to think about it... I just do it. I'm getting closer. Support from Jason and my awesome friends helps for sure...

What will she do next?

April amazes me everyday. Everyday she makes me smile. She does something new just about everyday.

She now walks backwards. If you pretend like your going to chase her, she'll back away and giggle.

She can put her hands in and out of her shirts. She takes her clothes off. She knows where her diapers and her pants go. She climbs in her chair.

She walks to her chair if you ask her if she's ready to eat. If you say all gone, she puts her hands up in the air.

She knows that shoes go on her feet. She knows what sit down means. She listens too when I tell her to sit down. She knows what bring it here means.

She puts her shapes in the shape sorter. She knows that if she throws her balls that they will roll.

She now can play in her room and I love it. Her toy box got moved in there last week and I love it. Her room is now baby proof and she comes and goes. She likes being able to play in there I think. She'll play in her room forever.

I know that there is more, but it's late and I'm tired...

great weekend

Oh this weekend was full of fun. We had plans of taking April to my mom's house on Friday because we were due to leave out Saturday morning and not return until Sunday afternoon.

Well, things changed a bit and my family wasn't feeling good so, Friday night we headed out to Adam's county and camped out there. We had to make several hundred trips along the way though as usual lol. Had to go to Jeff's old house and get our trailer and help pack up some stuff to go to the new place. After we dropped off the stuff at the new place we finally made it to get some food... We finally make it to Adam's County and load up Jeff's ATV so it's ready to go in the morning. I put April down to bed and Aunt Ninnie as all the kids call her lol took over. We out and had a camp fire. Put up the tent, the guys drank some beer and we called it a night little after midnight.

Up at 5:15 the next morning kinda sucked.... but we made sure we had every thing and we headed out to get coffee and off to Kentucky. We made good timing. Took about an hour to get there from the house. Not bad. Jeff did great pulling the trailer yay Jeff. We stopped and got breakfast and some things from the store. Got to the park little before 9 and unloaded. Got everything signed and the guys took off. It was a very beautiful day to go riding. Windy where we unloaded but once you get out on the trails it is amazing.

Amber and I had fun hanging out while the guys rode. We watched a movie and listened to music. We even went into town and explored a bit. We took off and left everything behind and when we got back we put everything right back where it was including the suv hooked up to the trailer and they had no idea that we had left until we told them lol. I did my first eyebrow job... I cleaned up Amber's eyebrows and I think they look great. It was a long process but I didn't wanna mess up and make her look stupid lol. We eventually ate lunch and the boys went back out... Amber and I chilled and took a nap.

Jeff and Amber went out for a bit and Amber still isn't confidant enough for these trails so she made the choice not to go. Jason and I went out for a bit. There is some challenging stuff, but I took my time and I did some of it. I felt very proud of myself too. It was probably very easy for some, but for me it was new. I was a little more cautious. Jason ended up flipping his. He wasn't acting crazy for anything, he just rolled backwards a little down a hill that was hard to get up and one of his wheel caught a div-it and sunk and back over it came. But he was able to respond quickly and act. No damage done thank god. I had fun going through all the mud puddles lol. I can't wait to go again. So worth it.

I am for sure tired today. I'm sore too. There were some hills that were nothing but rock and my butt hurts from bouncing lol. Plus, it's been a while since I've actually operated the ATV and my arms are not use to it.

I was glad to see April though last night. I missed her lol. She had a lot of fun too. She went to Abbi's soccer game which they won and Abbi even scored a goal. She wanted April to wear blue so they picked out a cute outfit at the store and got it for her. She even got to go to the hospital and see everyone. They had to sneak her in though lol. Mandi's baby boy is so cute. We were all starting to worry about her with as many trips as she making to the doctor and to the hospital. We're just glad that everyone is ok. Well I think that's about it.

Jeans

I am so excited to say that I have dropped a jean size. I tried on some jeans the other night at the store and I can fit in a smaller size. I'm so proud of myself. I never thought that I would ever get to this point. It's not a whole lot to some, but a lot to me. I love walking and not having the leg rub thing going on lol. If I keep this up, I'm going to be back where I was several years ago, before having April and what not. It feels great. It's not just about the pounds it's about the inches also. I have more energy it seems. I feel like I can keep going sometimes.

I'm so proud of myself also... I got my savings account back open. It's a great feeling to know that it's something that will hopefully help out with saving. We're hoping the phone call comes tomorrow for Jason and his start date. He did the drug test last week so we're hoping he starts soon. It feels so great also that I'm back working and making money. It feels great. It feels good to get out of the house and go do something that I'm good at. We've discussed things and we've set a certain amount that comes out of pay checks and into savings. It's for things later on. We're gonna stick to it too.

We made our second pumpkin pie today. So good. It tastes better I think than store bought pie. Plus it was fun making it. I've never really baked a pumkin before, but it was fun baking it and scooping out all the guts. It's something that we'll do again for sure.

Work is going good. I got bit today by a dog. Nothing serious. Hurt super bad though. He didn't break the skin but it was enough to leave a nasty bruise. I'm enjoying all the walking that I get in everyday.

Well that's about it for now. I'm tired.

Watermelon seeds

So... I'm sitting here watching April make a mess of her watermelon which she loves so very much. This child would eat it all day long if you let her. Jason is on his way to his job interview for a new store. I hope that he gets it. That would be awesome. This way he can be home and watch his little girl grow up and miss anymore time with her. April is a hoot I swear. She's got this new laugh that is hilarious. She's talking more. She's trying to form sentences. She said hello and that's better today. She's becoming more independent. She wants to do everything by herself. She knows the words No, and Sit down and Come here. Majority of the time she listens to you when you tell her no. It's nice. But I'm sure it won't last lol.

I can't wait until I get paid. This is a nice pay period for me. It's not a whole lot, but it all counts and helps out. If Jason gets this job, we'll be bringing in more then when he was on the road. We are both trying to lose some weight and get in a little better shape. It helps me out now that Jason is trying too. I've lost a total of 12 pounds. I tried on some shorts that my friend gave me that are a size smaller then I wear and they fit. My swim suit from two years ago is too big in the bottoms so I have to buy new bottoms for next year. My winter coats fit great. The pair of jeans that I just bought a few weeks back are too big now. It feels so good. I haven't been at this weight in over two years. I'm able to wear shirts now that aren't as long lol. My stomach is going back to normal size that's for sure. I can't even dream eating as much as I use to. It makes me kinda sick when I think about it, and it makes me sick when I eat more than what I've gotten use too. Since I've started losing the weight I've noticed that my acid reflux has gotten much better. My knees don't hurt nearly as bad as they used to, and I have more energy.

Saturday is going to be crazy. Helping our friend Jeff move. Well, I'll be helping by watching the kids and Jason will be helping moving lol. I'm going to try to do what I can. His oldest daughter who's 4, acts older when April is around. It's cute. She tries to take care of her. So she'll be a help too. Saturday is my only off day until who knows when. I was asked if I wanted to work it to cover a shift for some one but I already told Jeff we'd help plus I really would like a break in a ten day work period... I don't have next months schedule yet but I work everyday next week till it ends which is Wednesday so I imagine I'll be working thursday and on too. But anyways, back to Saturday...Now they are calling for rain apparently... I so hope it doesn't rain. That is going to suck. Well, time to get some stuff done...

So much stuff....

I don't even know where to start....

This past weekend was a blast. We were baby free thanks to my mom and sisters. We headed to Jeff's on Saturday and hung out during the yard sale. We had a great cook out and had a blast. We played corn hole and passed the football around. Amber and I kicked the soccer ball around once we were feeling pretty good lol. It was fun. We had a nice little fire and music to listen too. It was a blast. I enjoyed watching a certain somebody named Jeff fall and disappear into the grass lol. Good times.

Sunday after we packed everything up and headed out we came back to the house and Jason laid around in bed for a bit while I went through Aprils clothes. I have a bag that she has outgrown that need to go to the goodwill. I went and put her new clothes away that my grandma got her. She's still in 18 month clothes but her sleepers are starting to become to short lol. We ventured over to Chris's for awhile before we had to head up to meet my mom.

This weekend Jason and I tried something new. We wanted pumpkin pie. So we took the adventure of making it home made. Not just from can home made but from the real pumpkin. So we headed to Shaw's Farm and bought two little pumpkins. Pumpkin pie us easy to make really. The fun part was baking the pumpkins and scooping the pulp out. It was fun. I think the pie turned out really good especially for the first time. It was a little moist but that I think had to do with the cream. So, yeah we still have pumpkin pie mix left over and it's enough for like 5 more pies lol.

April is now talking more. Like trying to form sentences with her baby talk. She said get up to my sister the other day. She knows what it means when I tell her to sit down. She knows the word no. She's growing up I tell you. She climbs up and sits at the kitchen table in the chair. She kicks the soccer ball with daddy.

October the 11th we're going to Kings Island with my mom and my sisters and I can't wait. It's gonna be fun. I love roller coasters and I could spend all day riding them. It is gonna be fun...

Oh there is so much more to add... but I'm not in the bloggin mood anymore... gotta feed April her nuggets and put her down for a nap...

My poor car

.

Ok....So my car is so broken.. First I need a new transmission. Well the things is the warrenty company says that they won't cover anything that has to do with the transmission....Well according to my warranty plan they should....So when this happened two months ago they should have covered it but they didn't and I had to pay for it. So...this time around we're fighting...They should cover it...They should cover it and I should also be reinbursed for what I paid last time this happened....They have no right to screw me around like that. I know that it's their way of doing buisness but still. I'm paying for them to help pay for my car when it's broken and when it is broken they won't cover it? I don't think so.

Let's just leave it at that.

I don't want to be coy,
But to say what I'm about to do
Would not be cool.
Let's just leave it at that.

If the world is black, it's black,
Whether you complain
Or collaborate by silence.

Even if people liked me,
I wouldn't like them.
I would just have to watch them
Being mean to people
And not say anything.
Because to say anything
Would not be cool.
Let's just leave it at that.

You're not going to change the world,
Whether you complain
Or collaborate by silence.

I travel often to the frozen heart of the world,
Inland to that Antarctic, rock-strewn desert
With a few dozen warm-blooded penguins wandering around
Lost, dazed, dejected.
That's the way things are deep down under.

I'm never going to change things,
Whether I complain
Or collaborate by silence.

updaterness

Been awhile here... I gotta think about what has been going on. This morning Jason headed out again. It's the time that I hate, but I know he must do it... He'll be back soon... I'm hoping that he gets a job close to home. I'm glad that he made it home in time for this past weekend. Yesterday wasn't much fun except that I had to work and then we went over and hung out and Chris's with Jeff for awhile. Sunday we all went down to the river and watched the fire works. It was fun. April had a blast. She didn't get upset, or cry or even startled over the sounds or the lights. She laid on my tummy and watched the whole thing just about. Jason ended up swimming out to Chris's boat to get a beer from the shore. He came back soaking wet... Saturday we ended up at Chris's house till after 12 I think by the fire. April ended up crashing in my arms. We were the last ones there... it was cool getting to meet new people that I've heard about but I have never known who they are... it was cool. Good times. Jason came home earlier that day. We ended up getting tags for the trailer finally. Did some stuff with that. Friday I worked... I worked the whole week... last weekend was April and mine weekend... we went to the Cincinnati Nature Center, and to Woodland Mounds on Saturday... and then we did Sharon Woods on Sunday. I trimmed April's hair today. It was down in her eyes. I just snipped it a little. Well that is about it for now... I have more but I don't feel like it.. i feel like being lazy on my birthday for a bit lol.

Great times

This past weekend was so much fun. Jason came home Saturday and we headed to Newport when I got off work. We walked around and just spent time together. It was fun. We sat by the river and talked. Sunday we headed out for breakfast and we ended up in Kentucky. We later met Jeff and Amber and headed out to check out an ATV park that we've been wanting to do go see for a while. It's pretty cool, the boys are excited to try it out soon. It's cool because we can even camp. After that we headed to get food and then we headed to the Blue Lick Battlefield park. We hung out and took April hiking along a shorter more flat path. She walked a 0.2 mile path. I was amazed because there were some pretty rocky areas but she did good. We would try and hold her hands and there were so many times where she wanted to do it alone.

Monday we pretty much slacked. I worked. After I got home we went out and went to dinner. It nice having a dinner with just Jason and I. We headed to Great Steak and Lube. That place has really good food. We sat outside on the patio and drank a beer while waiting for food. It was nice being able to smoke and enjoy a beer. I loved the food. After that we headed over to Chris's house because they haven't seen each other in over a month.

Yesterday we met Jeff and Amber on Jeff's lunch at the Rave. April and Jason walked around the parking lot and up and down the side walk lol. She loves walking with her daddy. I had to work which sucked, but it's money. Amber hung out here for awhile and then had to go get her kids. Both her and Jeff came back later that night and we hung out on the deck. It was such a nice night, and we sat just around and talked.

Today he went back to work. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be home labor day weekend. I really really am. He got a late start this week and I hope it doesn't affect his time home. We have plans that weekend and I'll be so sad if he can't make it home. I hung out with Amber for a bit before I had to go to work.

Things are going good. April is doing great. I've decided finally that I'm not going back to school this year. I'm going back next year, but I'm transferring to another school. Not much else going on.

Been awhile :)

Well... tomorrow is my day. I can't wait. I'm going shopping. I'm getting my hair done. I'm baby free while I do it to so I can really enjoy myself for a few hours. I couldn't imagine taking April while trying to get my hair done. It wouldn't go very well lol. I'm going because my wonderful man is making me. I say that because it's part of my birthday gift. I say part of, because I have no idea what the other part is.. he won't tell me lol. I'd be happy if this was it. I'm hitting the salon and then going shopping for a few things. This is our weekend and I can't wait. I've kinda let myself go after having April and it's time to stop that lol. I'm still doing good with my eating better and losing weight. I've been maintaining for a few weeks now which is great. I'm not into the whole idea of losing a bunch all at once. So I've proven to myself that I can maintain it, now time to lose a little more. I've lost almost ten pounds which I can kinda see, but I can feel it. Now that I know it's ok, I can progress. These past few days I've been way under with calories. Which is not good. I have to work on that.

April is doing great. She makes me smile every day. She's teething which is a time that i dread but she's doing pretty good. She says hi all the time. First thing she does when she sees you is say hi. She's got this thing now when ever you say good girl she claps her hands and smiles. She put her arms in her sleeves of shirts when it's time to put clothes on and she takes them out when it's time to get undressed. She's been doing it for awhile but she's much better at it now. Even in her car seat, she knows when it comes un buckled to take her arms out. Of course she knows how to take her diaper off. She's saying kitty now. Still says mama and Dada.. when she gets upset she'll start saying mama. So cute. She knows what gentle means. When it comes to petting animals we can say gentle and she is actually gentle. She still mimics I love you every once in awhile. She's our little girl. She's growing up fast. She's running and climbing and trying to talk. I can't wait to take her to the fair... the have a petting zoo and I'm excited to see how she'll react. Plus my sister is going with us and I'll have some one to ride rides with... I'm so excited. Then the WEBN fireworks... I can't wait for those either. I'm still nervous about taking April but we'll have ear things for her just in case.

Work is going great. I love it. I'm always learning stuff. I got to watch my manager take sutures out the other day from her dog. So cool. Not for the dog but that I got to watch and help her out. I learn more stuff here than I thought that I would. It's pretty cool. I like what we do and what goes on. We're always finding new homes for dogs and working with dogs. We have some great assistance dogs. I love it. I love that I'm bringing in money too lol. It's a great feeling.

Everything is going pretty good. I'm happy with life and the way things are right now.

goody goody gum drops

Ok, so I can't wait until the weekend. Saturday Amber and I are hitting up the new outlet mall in Monroe before I head into work. We've been planning it for like a week now.... can't wait... I need to buy some things for sure. Sunday I think that we're doing family stuff but I'm not sure yet... haven't gotten the final word. I so can't wait until the first weekend in September.... We're going to the fair and the WEBN fireworks are that Sunday... oh yeah can't wait. I have that weekend off for sure. It's gonna be fun. I'm picking up a few more shifts which will really help next month when we get our new phones. I can't wait to get rid of Verizon. It's horrible and way to expensive. Plus, we really want the Iphone. It's awesome. But that's about it... time to relax now that I have AC again.... feels so much better now.

Weekend getaway

This past weekend April went and stayed with her grandma. I needed a break plus it's been awhile since she has seen her, and we also wanted to get out and do some things. Friday night Jason and I had a little dinner date. Just the two of us. It was very much needed. After that we headed over and got the ATV and packed some stuff up. Saturday morning we met at IHOP with Amber and Jeff. Had a good breakfast. We headed out after a few errands. We had a blast singing in the car all the way out. I took my camera and actually took more pictures this time. We had a blast... the boys worked hard on their trails. We had a few scary moments... but it was fun over all. We rode the ATVs into town and all around and went and ate lunch. It was cool seeing other people riding theirs into the gas station to fill up lol. We played a couple games of pool to cool down, and laughed. It was a good time. Sunday Amber and I went and picked April up. I missed her so much. She must have had a good time at her grandmas because she slept in until 10 this morning. Jason worked on Amber's van and I made dinner for everyone. After that it was time for Jason to go back, which really sucked since he usually stays until Moday. So over all it was a good weekend.

Don't give up

this blog entry is for a few people. I'm not going to list names because it's really for everyone but i have a few people in mind...

no matter what happens and no matter how we see ourselves with our failures or our accomplishments, we should never give up hope. some things that we want to accomplish will take time. it won't happen over night. don't give up. don't get down. we all have been in tight spots and if we can keep our heads held high, we'll get through it. we have people in our lives that we live for like our children and our spouses.... we should always remember to live for ourselves... things will get better. I've learned some hard lessons the past few months and a lot the past few weeks. it will get better. we can make it better. for example my weight loss, it's taken me a good year to finally buckle down... and it's hard. I know it is... i'm starting to see results when i was about ready to give up. don't give up. it can happen. i had to learn how to set small goals, and once I achieved one, i set another one. small goals for some people work better than big ones. but no matter what happens i only hope that things work out for everyone and keep your head up. don't give up... i know in my heart that you can and will make things work and you will get your goals accomplished... just don't give up.

Huge accomplishment

So, Friday was weigh in day for me. I'm pretty happy. I'm no longer in 160's. Thank god. It feels great. My hard work is indeed paying off. I even managed to get into a pair of jeans that were a size smaller... Thanks to Mandi. I got some shorts and a tank top tonight and no XL for me... I went with the L for once. Feels awesome. I can't wait until next year when I can go swim suit shopping... that'll be the best feeling when it comes to this whole thing and everything that I'm doing. My only down fall will be my tummy. But hey two inches has already come off, so I know I can get more.

Feeling good

So I'm feeling pretty good. I'm very happy with the way things are going with my current weight loss. I can see small changes finally. My butt isn't as big...which I'm happy with. It's getting flatter lol. I have to look at what I'm doing not as a diet but as a lifestyle change. I have to adapt to it, which I am doing pretty well. I never realized how much the amount of calories really played in my life until now. I've already lost about a total of 10 pounds since I started this back a few months ago. I can't say for certain the exact amount because of I don't know what my true weight was when I started. All I know is that clothes are starting to fit better. That is what matters to me. The calorie counting and the walking help me the most. Walking is awesome... So I say, to anyone who wants to lose the weight and thinks that walking will do...keep doing it....keep walking it will help. Burn the calories and you will see results.... might be slow at first but if you keep to it you will be glad that you did. I was ready to give up but I'm glad that I didn't. I've cut my calories back and now I know that what I was eating was adding and preventing me from losing the weight. I've cut back alot. You can still enjoy food while watching calories. I've cut out alot of the junk food... and serving size really does help. You'd be amazed how many calories we put into our bodies with out realizing it... I know I used to consume over 2,000 a day. So, now that I've cut back I'm losing the weight and along with exercise... it's so worth it. I shop for food differently now. I'm not giving up anytime soon. I will achieve my goal... I have already achieved one. I am now onto my second one. It also helps to have some one who supports you. It helps a lot. It's encouraging. I am so glad that I found the support not only though Jason and my real life friends but I have a found a community on line of support and friends and they're great. I get alot of support with Jason and it's nice. Back when I thought of it just being a diet he was the one telling me that its a lifestyle change not just a diet. Diets don't work. I see that now. I still can enjoy food. I just change how I eat.

Well, enough of that. April is doing great. She can climb up her high chair and into it now... that's so not good a thing.... She climbs on everything. She said cold today. I took something out of the freezer and she touched it and I said yeah that's cold when she pulled away and then she repeated cold. One of the first times I've heard her say a c word or even try. She can mutter kitty but that's ki. So she can say about 6-7 words along with her non understandable stuff. I got her some new sippy cups tonight. They are the next step up in the sippy cup world. She's doing great with table food. Loves her chicken. I'm off tomorrow and I am spending the day with her. We were going to go to the park but they are calling for rain so I'm not sure. I work the rest of the week and then Friday she goes to see her grandma and she'll be gone all weekend. I'm so excited to have a baby free weekend. We are taking the atvs out again and hanging out. It'll be nice to have the weekend and spend some time with Jason on Sunday with just him for awhile. Not sure what we're doing considering I have to go pick April up sometime that day. Then the next time that he comes home we're heading up to a fair for the truck and tractor pull. I didn't think we were going to be albe to go this year with him not being here but we will be able to. That was one of our first few dates was a truck and tractor pull so it'll be cool to get to go again. So I can't wait. I've been waiting all summer for it...

This weekend was a blast

This weekend was pretty fun. Friday I didn't do much except work and spend time with April. Saturday, Amber and Madison came over and we headed to Steak and Shake for lunch. We got a pretty good deal because the kids meals were free. So, after lunch we headed off to the new Volvo store to bug Jeff. It's pretty nice. Any place that has tvs in the bathrooms...is just crazy. But we hung out there for a bit. Madison kept taking mass pictures with Amber's phone...pictures of random people and random cars lol. Some of them were actually pretty good lol. After that we hit up the mall and made our way to the jewelery stores... found some nice ones lol. I was able to get fitted. It'll be a while before we get it of course but it's nice to have some ideas of what we want. After that we walked around and did a little shopping until Jeff and his girls got there. Then we let the kids play in the little play area for awhile. After that we headed out and hit up Once Upon A Child and got some stuff and hit some other stores for Jeff. We ended up getting pizza and headed back to Jeff's to let the girls watch a movie. We had a good day. The girls were kinda whiney but oh well. We still had fun.

Today April and I drove up and met Jason in Franklin and went out to lunch and spent the day together. We went to Ceaser's Creek Park and walked around. Ended up in Walmart getting a few things before he had to go back.

Over all it was a good weekend. It's always nice to get out and do stuff with friends. Of course next weekend will be fun too... camping and taking the atvs out... I can't wait... this week will be busy but it's going to go fast.. Tuesday is an all day event, I work the rest of the week except Saturday which is the day we're heading out... to be back Sunday so I can go to work in the afternoon. I gotta dig all our camping stuff out... I can't wait.. it'll be fun..

Had a great weekend

This weekend was so much fun. We were able to get out and have some fun. Friday evening I worked, and Jason came home. After I got work and he got the ATV loaded up he met me and we had dinner. Great little place, first time being there for me and I loved it. Saturday the boys headed out with the truck while I waited for Amber to drop her son off and come to the house. We packed everything up and headed out. After our many stops because we kept forgetting stuff...we finally made it out. It rained for a little bit but over all it was great. It was wet and muddy but that made it super fun. April had a blast playing with Abbi. She was great with April and helped out a lot. We had a grill out thanks to Mandi. The boys made an awesome trail. Through creeks and up and down hills and through the woods. It was fun. We had a nice fire and we made smores. Slept in a nice huge tent and listened to the rain. Sunday was perfect weather. It was hot though. We had fun. Amber was able to ride for the first time. It was fun watching her try to steer... and then she ran off the trail into some little bushes... so funny. Good times. It was nice though because they were finally used for what they were made for... there were some times on the trail that I though we were gonna get stuck... But we didn't. The boys know what they're doing. Amber and I weren't allowed on the big trail.. If you didn't know what you were doing there were plenty of areas where you could roll for sure. So we just stuck the fields and the areas by the pond.. It was a blast racing with Amber. The only thing that really sucked was that I had to work Sunday afternoon. I was so busy too, but I got some extra time in. After work we met Jeff and Amber at DQ so I could eat and plus we had to drop stuff off for Jeff and I had to get the car charger from Amber. Jason went back today and I had lots of cleaning and unpacking and putting away of stuff. I was able to get the grass cut too. Now it's time to relax. The next time that we go out, I'll be taking more pictures that is for sure. Next time we're hoping that we can leave April with her grandma or something. It's so time to sleep now... didn't get much this weekend lol.

WL Entry 3

It's been a month since I first measured. I've been on this new plan since June. I'm happy to say that I've lost 6 pounds. I've also lost some inches. I've lost a good two inches off my tummy, and also two inches off my legs. I've lost elsewhere but those two are the main ones. I'm very excited. I tried on a pair of jeans that I bought a while back and they didn't fit the way that I wanted them too, but when I tried them on the other day they fit better. I could actually wear them and not mind wearing them. I want them to fit a little bit better though... My rear end is smaller. I never really measured there until today so I'll start keeping track of that. I feel good. I feel like I have more energy. I look forward to tomorrow.... it's going to be so exciting... I'm going to get measured and try on some gowns thanks to Amber.... and then compare after I've lost more weight/inches. We're going to hit up the jewelery store and get measured and look for a back up ring in case we can't the one that we want. I uploaded a picture of it... I can't wait.... it's going to be a full day...plus we're going to the zoo... Long day but I can't wait..

Weekend was a blast..........

This weekend was a blast. Jason came in on Friday. Jeff, Jason and I went down to the river and hung out for a while. Of course Amber should have been there but she couldn't make it. Saturday we helped Amber out. I should say the boys did. Her and I kinda just hung out. But, thanks to Amber we have a new bed. It's in great shape, and it's never really been used.. It's so comfortable... It's nice to have a framed bed lol. It's nice to have a queen size bed too lol. I love it. I had to be at work at 3:30 so I couldn't go to Indiana with them, but the boys helped her finish moving and then we all met back at the house once I was off work. Then we headed over to Chris's house and enjoyed a great night of corn hole and burning stuff. Amber and I got a little buzzed because it's been a while since we both drank so we took it easy. A few other of Chris's friends came over and we all laughed and made fun of Chris for getting his grass burned. Amber and I ate pizza that Chris made... but we left some lol. Then of course other people ate the rest lol. But it was a blast. We laughed and had a great time. Sunday the boys took the atv out to Jeff's sister's house. I had to work Sunday, so I didn't go. He headed out today. He may have caught a break though, a company who is local wants him to come in and fill out their application. It's local and he would home. Pay is over 16 dollars an hour. But he would be working the evening shift. Not sure about weekends. But we're taking it one step at a time and not moving fast. I finally started working and we're getting money in and it's nice to be able to go out and do things. But we also have other things that we need to take care of. This is the way to do it. But over all this weekend was good. Tomorrow I'm excited at the thought of hopefully seeing Michelle after my meeting at UC. Hoping to maybe take April swimming. Not sure yet. But that's that.

I'm ready for love

Take my hand and lead the way;
tell me all you want to say.
Whisper softly in my ear,
all those things I want to hear.
Kiss my lips and touch my skin;
bring out passions deep within.
Pull me close and hold me near;
take away my pain and fear.
In the darkness of the night,
be my beacon, shine your light.
In the brightness of the sun,
show me that you are the one.
Give me wings so I can fly;
for I can soar when you're nearby.
Enter my heart, break down the wall,
it's time for me to watch it fall.
I've been a prisoner, can't you see?
Break my chains and set me free.
Strip me of my armor tight;
you'll find I won't put up a fight.
Release my soul held deep within . . .
I'm ready now, let love begin.

It's going to be a good day

I can just feel that it's going to be a good day. I don't know why... I just feel it. I measured myself and I've lost another half an inch off my legs. From all the walking that I've been doing I'm not surprised... I just like seeing it. So see... any one can do it... Just gotta keep up with it and it'll happen before you know it. We didn't get to go walking this morning. I was too lazy. April was lazy too, not really waking up until after ten. She was up and then back to sleep. But yeah... it's ok I will get my walking in today at work. Then tomorrow we can go the park and walk. See, this is the only way that I'll keep up with it, is talking about it. I have to motivate myself sometimes lol. I did feel good when I tried on a shirt that my grandma gave me and it fit well. I was like heck yeah... But yeah... It's gonna be a good day...

I love my life.

I love my life. This is why I love my life..... I have an amazing boyfriend who puts up with a lot. He's patient and is willing to work things through to the end. He listens. He helps, and he tries. He praises me when needed, and he cares. He knows me better than I thought. He supports me no matter what. I achieve something I have worked for, he is there and says god job. He works hard to help support me and his daughter. Because of him, I have an amazing daughter. She's bright. When I walk in the door she smiles and comes to me. She smiles all the time. She gives hugs and she gives kisses. I have an amazing family, both mine and Jason's. I have a great job that's fun. No one tells me what to do... I do things my own way. I love it. I have people around me who encourage to do better and not hold me back. I couldn't ask for things to be any better right now. I have great friends. Ones who help and don't complain, but only want to see things get better for those around them. I am so lucky to have friends like the ones I have. I feel like I can do anything right now. I feel great.

Apri's Doctor Visit.

Well, we made it to the doctor finally. April was only due for one shot until she's 15 months. That was kinda cool. She's 20 pounds and 4 ounces. She's 30 inches long. The doctor looked at her from top to bottom and said "She's one of best looking babies I've ever seen" Everything looks great including her legs. The dotor said that if she keeps maintaing everything the way it is, she's going to be tall and thin. So she got one shot in her arm, and she cried for about three minutes. That was it. She got her iron checked. A tiny little prick on her big toe and she actually laughed when the nurse pricked her. I love this place, the doctor really took the time to examine her. Not just a two second glance but a true look. Everything looks good though. She goes back in another 2-3 months for her check up.