New Year's Eve

First off, tonight will mark me and Jeremy's first kiss; the prelude to our furture together;  17 years now!!!

Seventeen years!  That's a LONG time!  Hahaha

So much has happened in those years... 3 kids... almost ended it.., but, here we are!  Still together and content :-)

Secondly,  resolutions.

Yes, I'm doing the typical one; LOSE WEIGHT and KEEP IT OFF!!!

I will start it off by doing a 3-day fast... ans then trying to keep up a regular work-out/exercise schedule!!!

I'm like 148 lbs.  I want to get back to135 lbs; to start out with!  Ultimate goal is 125 lbs... but, I know that's a stretch.

Stockings

So, we let the kids have their stockings last night :-)

Let's just say that the best parts were the CANDY and bouncing putty (both from The Dollar Tree)!  Need to keep that in mind for next year... :-)

They want to open one present tonight and 2 tomorrow and the rest on Wednesday (which is Christmas Day); guess we'll see...

Jeremy just asked if I wanted to sell Zelda for $200... I'm like... why and to whom?  His friend's wife or something like that... I was like,  well, we kind of like her... even though she's a tad bit fiesty... He said it was cool and we didn't need to sale her.  Plus, the kids would be upset...

Foster Care

Well, my 4 nieces and nephews have been in foster care since before the weekend.   Soleil has been able to text when she has wifi.  She and Eliana are together with a mom named Lisa Williams.  She said Roman and Jasper are together with a family that has 5 other kids!

Today, Aimee gets to see them all and they get a psychological exam.

Aimee has agreed to enroll them in school... online, private, or even public (for now, anyways).

I'll update when I know more.

Some Messed Up Sh$t

This morning, my sister's 4 children are being flown back to GA and taken into foster care :( :( :(

How & why?  I don't even know... I'm not sure of all the details.

It started because my sister finally kicked this guy out of her house that wouldn't pay rent (in like years...)... so, he moves to Florida and called CPS on my sister and her family!

And, because my sister doesn't live the conventional ways, she ends up in court!  They went to court yesterday, and the judge wouldn't listen to anything (sister even had a lawyer she paid $3000 for!!!).  The judge just rubber stamped and passed judgement... I don't even know what the exact judgement was... I just know there's another court date in January and I'm guessing the kids will be in the foster system at least until then...

The oldest of those 4 (the oldest of them is married; 5 kids altogether) is 16... then, 13, 10, and 7 yrs old.

What worries me the most is the state taking these kids and bringing them "up to date" on their vaccinations... because they are unvaccinated... and if they give these kids ALL of them at once, it could be deadly!!!  :( :( :(

My second grave concern is any of them getting sexually or physically abused :(( :(( :((

Man... our whole family is sickened by this turn of events.

6 More Random Things

1. I still hula hoop
2. I was called names as a child, such as shrimp, midget, wolf, and sandfly
3. I want to travel the world
4. I used to go out dancing with my sister, Cherie, about 3 nights a week in Houma and New Orleans - great times!
5. I've been to 13 other states besides Louisiana; walked across the border to Mexico and went on two cruises to The Bahamas
6. My favorite XBox360 game is Skyrim.  My favorite Wii game(s) is Just Dance.   My favorite PC game is The Sims 3

10 Random Things

1. I want to be a vampire; seriously, I do!  LOL  And I've been wanting that from way before Twilight, Vampire Diaries, etc... like over 20 yrs now... LOL
2. I want to have twins
3. I've always liked that I was the only one with green eyes out of my 4 blue-eyed siblings :D
4. I hate cantaloupe 
5. I haven't had a best friend/BFF/bestie (besides my siblings) since high school
6. I miss working sometimes
7. I love documentaries
8. Ursula, my middle child, is so much like me when I was a child; it's crazy
9. I love to dance & sing
10. I know the lyrics to literally 1000's of songs

6 Random Things

6 random things you probably don't know about me:

1. I had an unassisted birth (all 3 births were unmedicated and natural).
2. breastfed for 10 yrs straight
3. still keep a blog
4. was a vegetarian for over 8 yrs
5. used to get lots of punish work, recesses taken away, and even detention in elementary school (even though I was an A/B student) - mostly due to my mouth and bad attitude... 
6. I graduated in the top 10% of my class but didn't attend college

Wow! Last Week's Progress

Check out Friday!!!  LOL.  That was the first day of the Voodoo Fest in New Orleans! 

Fasting, 2nd round; third day

So, my last meal was Sunday night, around 7-8 pm.
Right now, it's Wednesday, lunch time!  And yes!  I'm famished!  LOL
But, am I really hungry?  Or is it just the habit of eating that's getting to me?
Went to Wal-Mart after my walk this morning... and wow, it smells like heaven!  LOL  There's a Subway right when you walk in!!!
I want to make it all the way through tonight... well, until tomorrow morning!  I'm down to 144lbs!!!  Woohoo!  So, that's 6-8 lbs loss... depends because my weight had been fluctuating between 150-152lbs... see why I want to continue???  ha ha ha
No, it's not easy... however, it's not as hard as it was last time/the first time I fasted.
I'm thinking that if I can get through 3 days, get down to around 140 and continue with my walking, and decrease portion size, I should be able to at least hold steady there; if not lose more!  Wouldn't that be wonderful???  Yes, yes, it would!
So, yeah, I went walk (2 miles), went to Wal-Mart, and tonight, it's Trick-or-Treating since it's supposed to rain tomorrow (which is Oct. 31st).  So, all this on a really empty stomach!  And yes!  I will stash some candy away!  LOL

Friday is the day!!!  Jeremy & I leave Friday to go to New Orleans for the weekend long Voodoo Experience!  woohoo!  So excited!  We're be there with my sister, Angele, & her husband, Shane :)

Fasting

Went all day without food yesterday!  Not really too hard, either!  Just had to resist tasting food as I cooked for my family!
This morning I'm down 4 to 6 lbs!  I'm 146!  Woohoo!  I say 4-6 lbs because my weight fluctuated between 150-152 recen2.

Let's Try This Again...

So, I'm going to try to fast again... had nothing to eat since last night's dinner.
Incentive?  To lose these 10 lbs I've accumulated!
We are leaving Friday morning to go to New Orleans for the weekend!  VOODOO FEST!!!  woohoo!  I'd like to be a little bit smaller by that time... even 5 lbs would be good!
I've been walking 5 days a week, about 3 miles a day, for over a month now!  And the weight isn't going anywhere! :(
My back still aches :(
Oh, I did drink a mug of coffee this morning... does that count as food?  oh well... it's a liquid, right?  I've only water since.
I just have to do this.  I barely fit any of my clothes properly!  argh!  I also started doing arm work outs as well as crunches last week after my walk.  I'm hoping all that works!

Puppies

Only two out of eight puppies left!

Beautiful Morning

The weather was just just lovely this morning:-)  I wore long sleeves! It's a little cool front we've got right now. 

Great Day :)

I have to say that yesterday was a pretty great day :)
The kids didn't have school because the teachers had a work shop.

In the morning, I went walking and Ursula joined me.  We met up with my neighbor/walking buddy, Kelly :)  Ursula stayed for about a mile and then went home :)  Kelly & I walked our regular route and I got in over little over 3 miles :D

I took a shower; told the kids to eat and get dressed.

I brought them to ARC in Opelousas and found some clothes for Wyatt (kids' summer clothes were only a $1 each).  No costumes there.

Then, I brought them to Goodwill because I know they usually have a few costumes (Halloween coming up and all...).  Found a cute pirate dress costume!  Bought it for $5 :)   While we were looking around, a lady came up to me, introduced herself, gave me her business card, and said she'd like to photograph my kids!  As cool as that was, when I saw her name on the business card, I recognized it!  I had just seen her Instagram like 2 or so days before!!!  What are the odds?  I had seen it because my friend, Correy, had put up a pic of herself  and linked this lady's Instagram to it!  I had liked the pics too!

So, that was cool :)

In the Goodwill's parking lot, Jeremy texted me.  He tells me there's a place down the road from his work that has "Halloween Headquarters" on a banner in front of it.  So, I go!  Adventure time! :D

We spent at least an hour there!  Wyatt picked out a G.I. Joe costume... Snake Eyes, I think?  Ursula picked out a neon zebra! LOL  Too funny!  Calista wanted to be a broken doll but they didn't have all that she would have liked to do it (and they have practically everything you'd need to be anything/anyone you want to be! LOL), so, she chose this cute witch outfit... has a tiny hat and a dress that lights up (batteries included!) :D  Bought her purple and blacked striped thigh highs to go with it; just need to get her some biker shorts so her butt doesn't show if she bends over!  LOL

So, we come home.  We aren't home long before our neighbor's kid, Chase and his cousin come over and ask if they can pet the puppies.  I'm like, "sure!"  Then, they pick one up each and ask if they can bring them to show the girl's parents.  I'm like, "sure!" :D  Her mom walks over and we start talking.  She's interested in getting one.  Then her husband walks over and he's wants one too :)  They ask how much and I tell them $100 and they ask if they can come back Friday or Saturday to buy one!  I'm like, "Sure!!!" :D  They picked out the biggest male; he's fawn colored, soft, laid back, and so pretty!

So, yes, yesterday was a great day if I do say so myself! :D :D :D

Foggy, Foggy!

This morning is so foggy!

Got my 3 miles in though... yay! :-D

Walking Further...

I have a new walking buddy.  She lives up the road, in the cul-de-sac.  Her name is Kelly.  She's like 23 yrs older than me.  She was a civic's teacher.

Anyway, I've been walking with her for over a week.  :-)

Oh, after she went home Friday, I jogged a little bit back home and no pain in my shins!!!  Woohoo!

Grandparents' Day

Well, I still haven't eaten since yesterday (besides last night's smoothie).  My head doesn't want to but my belly keeps calling to me.  I may give in and make myself a banana smoothie again... IDK...

Today was Grandparents' Day at my son's school :)  His paternal grandmother, Cheryl/"Mimi" went; thankfully!  She even sent me a pic text with her and Wyatt :)  AND!!!  AND!!! AND!!! asked if the kids could go spend the weekend with her the first weekend of October!!!

Maybe this is a start to mending relationships (Jeremy & his mom)??? I hope so!  The kids need their grandparents (even if there's friction between the parents)!  And they miss that; that relationship, ya know?  It's been 3½ yrs since Nathan (Jeremy's dad) passed away... and things had been so strained between Jeremy & his mom...

Teeth Extractions

Well, since I haven't gone to regular dentist visits since my early 20's... I've had a few problems with my teeth :(  I've already had 2 pulled out... and today, I had 2 more pulled :(

I wait until I can't take the pain and then I go.
Well, Monday, after my walk, my head/jaw just started hurting constantly!  I made an appointment and was able to get in today!  Yay!  An end in sight from the pain!

He extracted my left side wisdom tooth and my 6th tooth from the front on the right side.

And I have another tooth that needs extraction; the right side wisdom tooth.  I'll wait until I'm good and healed before making that appointment.

As much as I love my teeth and teeth in general (even had many, many dreams about teeth), you may ask why didn't I go to the dentist BEFORE extractions were needed?  Well, because I have no insurance and it can be pretty costly to pay on your own.  Today, it cost us $345!  So, being that Jeremy is making better money, I'm going to try to go regularly from now on.  That next appointment, will be a cleaning as well.  And I will try to get Jeremy to put the kids on his insurance at work (remind him at the right time of the year) so that they can start going too.

I really like this guy I went to, Willie Collins.  He's very nice. :)

Oh, for what it's worth, the teeth I've had pulled, you can't tell unless I open my mouth really wide and show you :)  In other words, they aren't noticeable when I smile which is why I'm okay with them being pulled out.

The experience this time:

Those two x-rays were taken.  Dr. Collins came in, and shot my mouth up with numbing stuff.  Could barely feel it between my mouth and teeth but in the roof of the mouth?  That's just freaky feeling!  You can hear the skin pop when the needle goes in!

Thankfully, the shots work for me and I only feel the pressure of the pulling and hear... that's one of the freaky parts... just listening to the cracking and all...

The wisdom tooth came out before I even realized it!  I was like, "woohoo!  One down, one to go!"

But, of course, it couldn't be THAT easy for that second tooth!!!

Apparently, I have long, strong roots and dense bone.  My jaw didn't want to release my tooth!  He had to work on it.  Had to stop a few times to get different instruments!!!  LOL  OMG!  He ended up having to cut up my roots to take them out one by one (3 altogether)!

Now, funny... a tooth being drilled into/cut into smells just like when hair is on fire...

The only discomfort with this extraction was when he had to use my other teeth as leverage... he had no option since there's teeth on either side and my tooth was so resistant to come out!

So, that's over!  whew!

I gave me an antibiotic prescription because my wisdom tooth had started getting infection in it.  He also gave me some pain medication with codeine; I didn't think I'd really need it but, got it filled anyways just in case.  It's a good thing I did!  As the numbing agents wore off and I was awaiting my prescriptions, I felt like crap!  My head was hurting so much!  Thankfully, I don't think I waited more than 30 minutes and it cost under $20!  So, that was a nice surprise!

I'm sooooooo thankful to have those teeth gone!  That resistant one (the one with the hole in the x-ray) was soooo aggravating!  I'd chew mostly on the left side because of it and always had to pick food out of it!  And then I couldn't floss between that tooth and the others because my tooth would cut the floss! :-/

So yay!

I didn't eat anything today, but drank a banana, pecan, & chocolate almond milk smoothie for dinner :)

Lost 2 lbs... LOL

This Week's Progress

Rained Friday, so, cut my walk down :-/

Inspiration

I was talking to my mom the other day and she told me it took her 3 mths to go from a size 14 to a size 8 when she was walking from the house (the 2-storey jouse we grew up in) to my grandma's house to visit the Cherie.  And then she said it wasn't daily!  She also had to walk over an overpass, so, that inceeased the effort... but, it's still inspiration!  Even if it takes me twice as long to lose about the same amount, that would still be great! :-D

Poison Plants

This picture is just a small sample of the poison plants I have to walk next to daily!  I'm quite sure this represents all 3 types: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac!  You may not be able to see all 3 I in this picture; but, I'm quite sure they're all there... hiding... I really think that it wasn't Poison Ivy that I had a reaction to last year... I think it was either of the other two plants.

Tons of Poison Ivy are growing high aling the road :-/  There's only grass as the shoulder of the road... so, I step off into the grass if a car approaches... I hope I don't get into contact with any of the poison plants when I do that!  Argh!  That would suck so much!  I'd have to stop walking for 2 wks!  It's bad enough I can't do my running/jogging until my shins heal completely...

Voodoo Fest Update

I called my mom about coming to stay at our house for the weekend of the Voodoo Fest and she's fine with it!  Woohoo! And whew!  Now we don't have to stress over that!

Cherie said she had still planned on coming bc of Wyatt's Flea/Fly game :-)  I hate that we'll miss it though!

We also made a deposit for a kind of duplex to stay for that weekend with Angele and Shane too!  It's awesome!  It's close to the Festival Grounds and has 2 bedrooms and a stocked kitchen!  I believe we'll have a great weekend!

I'm not sure about Halloween; since it's on Thursday... not sure if T-r-T'ing will happen on Thursday or Friday... and MACA is supposed to have a dance too; I'm assuming that'll be on Friday but, I've no idea...

Weekly Progress

Thursday is low bc I was supposed to go to lunch with Brandi but she canceled bc of kidney stones :-/

Voodoo Fest - New Orleans

We put our deposit on a place to stay in Downtown, New Orleans for the Voodoo Fest!  It's sooo great!  It's like a little house, actually; has 2 bedrooms with a full or Queen size bed (I forget) in each!  Has a stocked kitchen too!  It's not far from the festival grounds in City Park.  The trolley stop is like 2 or 3 blocks down the road :D  This is going to be so fun!

I haven't called mom about staying with the kids yet.  I'm sure it won't be a problem though.

Saturday is Korah's birthday party; should be a good time for us adults too :)

Voodoo Fest & Flea/Fly Game

The Voodoo Fest will be November 1-3 this year.  We bought our tickets when they first started selling them, before the line-up was announced.  Angele & Shane will be going too :)

I'm super psyched!  The Cure, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, and Paramore will be there!  If only 311 would be there, it would be perfect! :D hehe

Now, the problem:  The dates are Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.  This means either my kids will miss school on Friday and we bring them to Raceland/Montegut to stay with family.  But, Fridays are usually test days!  So, what I was thinking was that my mom could come up here a day or so before Friday.  And being I don't think she'd handle being here, alone, with my 3 kids... I asked Cherie if she could come up for the weekend.  So far, she'll come :)

It just sucks that Jeremy & I will miss Wyatt's Flea/Fly game :((  Maybe Nov. 3rd isn't a date set in stone... I can only hope!!!

Shin Splints :-(

Well, my shins were hurting so much yesterday that I looked it up online... and apparently, I have shin splints :(  So, I can't run/jog until they don't hurt anymore.  I just walked today.  I did get my 10,000 steps (according to my cell phone app) though :)  Maybe my weight loss may slow down even more because of this... but, I think about how my mom was able to lose weight by walking 2 miles almost daily some years ago and she was older than me.  It didn't happen overnight; but, it'll happen :)  Once it's cooler, I may even walk twice a day:  In the morning, after the kids get on the bus and in the evening, before dinner, with whatever kids want to come (so far, Ursula wants to join me).

Today

My shins are killing me today!  I only did 2 running stints bc it was just too painful :-(

On a good note, I weigh 149 lbs this morning!  Woohoo!  So, if I go by this... I lost about 1.5 lbs a week or so... so, maybe in 2 wks, I'll be 146.5lbs?  So, that would make 6 lbs a month... and by the end of October, maybe I'll be around 140lbs???  Wouldn't that be sweet?  And quite possibly, 134lbs by the end of November???  Could I really achieve that?  It would be so awesome and my legs should look way better too!  I really need to keep this up!  I want those results!

Railroad Tracks

Every day that I walk, I pass over the train tracks close to our house.  We live one house away from the tracks; and after living here for 12 yrs, the trains are barely bothersome... only if they're going really fast or have a heavy load or stay on their horn, do we notice them... our house, which is on the ground, shakes sometimes! Hahaha.  And of course, if I'm on the phone outside (bc I usually go outside if I'm talking on the phone), a train will pass and lay on that horn!!!  Every single time! Haha

More Accurate

I believe this screen shot from today is more likely how I did yesterday.  This is more believable... 4 miles instead of 7 !

I did 4 miles in a little less than an hour :-D. Not too bad, right?

I can't wait until this fat melts off!!!

Puppies!

They are a week old today :-)  Our Pitbulls' (Veya and Titan) babies:-)
They're so cute!    Eyes and ears are still closed; should be open by next Thursday
It's so hot though!   They pant sometimes:-(
We've already had people asking about them!  Like about 5 are interested!  Woohoo!
We'll probably get Veya fixed after this...

Before Pictures

Ok... here I am... fat and nasty!  150-152 lbs.

I took these after my walk/jog today.

My goal?  I need to get rid of at least 10 lbs!  At first, anyways.  Ultimately, I'd love to be 125 lbs!!!  Haven't seen that weight in years... maybe even over 10 yrs!

Honestly, I'm cool when I weigh 134 lbs.  At that weight, I fit a size 5.

Right now, I am about a size 8.  I can squeeze into a 6... hahaha.  I have back fat and love handles.   So, yeah, I'm too fat for myself right now!!!  Hate it!!!

Sometimes I wish I could be anorexic for just a few months...  but, I just love food too much to avoid it or regurgitate it... hahaha. 

Excuse the dirty mirror!  Pictures always show details you can't see so easily on glass and mirrors!  Hahaha. Anyways, that's from my cat, Cosmo.  He likes to splash his water around when he drinks!  Crazy kitty!

She's Going the Distance...

I reached my 10,000 steps goal today!  Woohoo!  I'm thinking that the mileage and the amount of steps shown on this pic (from an awesome app) isn't exact... like, I believe I walked/jogged 3 miles, not 7 miles... but, hey!  Looks great on here!  Hahaha. But really, I'm proud to have gone as far as I have!  By myself!  The past 2 days, my neighbor's ankle has been hurting, so, she hasn't gone with me.

At the end of the week, I'll post a screen shot of what I've done this week :-D

I need this exercise to be a daily thing; a habit.  Something that calls out to me every morning.   I'm looking forward to see what progress I've made in a month!  I really hope this works out for me!

As of now, my shins ache while I'm walking/jogging.  I ignore that and hope it goes away :-)  Jeremy said my body is just getting used to it and it won't ache for long.

I put a pic of me still drenched in sweat... hahaha

To the Start of Success!

Just bought new shoes to prove my determination to continue the walk/run exercising with my neighbor!

Hopefully, the weight will start melting away! 

I also bought some Malice in Wonderland.   It's to help with weight loss.  It's got some natural stuff in it.  Hope they both work for me!!!

2 Mile Walk/Run

Today, I I'vearted joining my next-between that and the walk/run, I've taken over 10,000 steps today!neighbor, Jessica, for a 2 mile walk/run!  OMG, rough towards the end but, I made it!!! :D  woohoo!  This is her 3rd day and my first... but, since today is Friday and Monday is Labor Day, we won't do it again until Tuesday.  Sweating my a$$ off!  ha ha ha  My cheeks are hot and red!   hehe  But, I NEED this!!!  I weigh 152 lbs this morning!!!  argh!  Now, it could be pre-menstrual weight too... but... still... way TOO much!

I had thought about fasting again... was going to do it this week, but, Jeremy took his vacation and was home all week and didn't want me to... so, we could go eat lunch together :D hehe  It's been nice :))

I'll see how this walk/run goes and think about fasting... I don't know if I should fast while doing that though... probably not a good idea... 

Before and After pictures???  IDK... I HATE my body right now... but, maybe I will for my own incentive if I need it in the future.

Well, I've mowed half the yard and between that and the walk/run this morning, I've taken 10,000 steps! :-D

Commitment

Ok, so, I've decided to do this workout:

Today will be my 3rd day; yeah, haven't done it yet (but will start it in a few minutes).
OMG!  My legs are sore!!! LOL  Wow!!!
I miss that though!

I'm not thinking I'll lose 10 lbs in 2 wks... but, I do think I will have made a difference in my appearance in that time!  And, hopefully, I can continue doing this until it gets easy and I find another, more challenging workout!
I really HATE being as big as I am without being pregnant!
OH yeah, I wanted to mention that in order to do the jumping jacks and running in place, I am wearing 2 bras!!!  Otherwise, WAY too much movement in the chest area to be comfortable doing that!

Wants & Needs

I want to lose weight... I'm now like 150lbs... I don't even know how it happens...

I NEED to lose weight... I feel better (physically & emotionally).

How?  Exercise, of course!  I really, really, really need to get on a regular exercise schedule!  I just feel too blah to do it... why do I feel blah?  BECAUSE I'm overweight!  Because I am in a depressed state of mind because of what I look like!  How did I get to this weight?  Because I was happy at being 135lbs and didn't do anything to maintain that weight because I thought it would magically stay that way if I wished it would!  I need to get out of my imaginary world and do something!

Another thing?  It's kind of secret... I really want another baby... I don't know if this is a passing phase or what... But, it's also something that I'm fighting inside myself too because even though I would love (and have always seen myself with) more children... I do enjoy my free time when they're at school and I do enjoy their growing independence.  And I can finally read books again - having a baby/toddler really makes this hard because they demand so much time and energy as well as their little hands constantly grabbing the book.

I have even read up on what makes your pregnancy "high-risk"... I mean, just because you're over 35, you're automatically put in the "high-risk" category; which is just insane, in my opinion.  I've looked up about having a Down's Syndrome child... usually happens because of something inherited from the parents (I know of no blood-related Down's child on either side) and low folic acid.  I've been taking folic acid :)

My children always talk about me having another baby.  They're all for it.  They're the ones who bring it up.  I don't discuss it with them... I mean, I actually tell them the negatives (my age, their age differences) and they aren't concerned about that.  I actually think it would be a good learning experience for my girls -because should I have another, they'll be older and understand the ramifications of them having children and may even cause them to postpone having children until they're in their 20's or so! lol.

I sometimes think that my body gaining weight for no reason is because it's been ready to carry another child.  I had started gaining weight back (after getting to my good, prenatal weight) around the time Wyatt was 2 yrs old.  Ever since then, it's been a roller coaster of me being at a good weight and me being overweight :(

As I've said earlier, I've always seen myself with more children.  Even as a child, I always envisioned myself surrounded by lots of kids.  One of things I wanted to be as a kid, was a hospital nursery nurse; so, I could hold those babies and give them love.  Why didn't I have more children?  Well, because Jeremy & I had such a rocky relationship for such a long time (like 10 yrs) :(  The times I conceived were in those times we were doing better... but, when it was bad, it was bad and I'd just think, "How can I justify bringing another child into a family such as ours?"  So, I wouldn't get pregnant.  It was really bad.  And I really didn't see it getting any better.  However, things have changed and we've been doing really well for like 5 yrs!  Thankfully!  And me wanting another child has nothing to do with celebrating that; although, I think it would be a totally different labor and delivery than before...

One more thing... I've had 2 readings.  One was when Ursula was a toddler and one when Wyatt was a baby.  One was runes and the other were playing cards.  Both times, they showed me with 5 children!  How weird is that?  And the one with the playing cards showed possibly twin boys.

Of course, I'll be totally fine with having my three children.  I love seeing them grow, change, and mature.

Maybe, perhaps, this too, shall pass :)

Drama, Drama, Drama

Thankfully, my immediate family isn't directly involved this time!  LOL  (not really a LOL moment... more of a whew moment!)

Well, at this moment, pretty much all my siblings are going through some crap :-(

Sister 3 had a harrowing experience earlier this year... met a local guy online.  Met him a handful of times.  He promised many things (house, help, ability for her stay home, etc).  Asked her to go on trip to TX with him to meet his parents (2 different locations in TX) for the weekend without her kids.  She did.  He abused her in every way (physical, mentally, & sexually) and pretty much kidnapped her by not allowing her to leave (she was in his vehicle) via a phone call to a family member or any other way or bring her back when he said he would prior to leaving in the first place.  Well, she filed a report and he's currently in jail; waiting for a court date.  Many charges against him.  She since moved out of state to keep safe because he made many threats against her and her children.

Sister 1 is going through marital problems.  We all know that their marriage hasn't been the best in the last 20 something years, but, she decided to step out.  Well, her husband found enough proof to get her to admit it.  She is to break all ties with him and go to our mom's house where they will start to put their marriage back together... or attempt it.

Sister 2... well, her husband has been in the hospital multiple times within the last year few years due to blood clots (genetic problem)... so, its been stressful on them.  Plus, they've been trying to get into their trailer for a few years now... finally moved into our dad's house so they could be closer to the trailer so it could be worked on easier.  Also, he's been in a partnership in business and has always got the shit part of the deal and finally wanting to break away from that; not sure if he succeeded in this yet.  His mom has been going through some stuff too... dropped a crap load of weight and checked into a mental ward.  So, all this going on with them... :(

And my brother... his wife decided to end their marriage.  I really don't know the details... just know the main complaints from before.  My brother is distraught.

My parents?  Well, they seem to be ok :)  My dad is actively going to dance classes and entering dance competitions.  He just bought the Xbox Kinect and is dancing away with it :)  Happy he's so mobile!  He's 68 yrs old.

Mom... well, she's not nearly as mobile.  She has a hard time walking to the mailbox!  She's living in her parents' house.  I keep trying to encourage her to get moving.  Its imperative!  I told her she has great-grandchildren coming and she needs to be around to meet them!  She's 67 yrs old.

Not that this is drama... it's exciting... but, there is drama associated with it... my oldest niece is due for her first baby (my first great-nephew)!  Her est. due date is June 4th.  The drama surrounding this is that her birth choices differ from her in-laws (deja vu'!).

Thankfully, Jeremy & I are doing quite well!  Yay!  Our kids are fine :)

Weighty Issues

So, the fasting has helped me :D  I'm 142 lbs this morning :D  I'm trying to figure out what's best... I hear that eating several small meals a day keeps weight down... but, how can you argue with limiting calories; like, not eating... skipping breakfast... stuff like that?  So far, I've been skipping breakfast.  Having a smallish lunch and moderate dinner... like, never ever getting that "full" feeling; no seconds.

Oh, at this weight, I wear like a size 7 snug; size 6 snug; 8's are loose.

What I don't understand is why my bra size hasn't gone down much???  Really irritates me!  I want smaller breasts!  I want to be able to buy bras from most any store that sells them!  I want to be able to wear strapless bras with strapless shirts/dresses!!!  At this weight, before having children, I was wearing either a DD/E or F... I think it was a DD.  I'd be so HAPPY to be that size again!!!  arghhhh

XBox

So, our XBox360 stopped opening the CD drive... so, of course, this infuriates Jeremy because he's an avid gamer (MW3).  We look online, and find a special edition, new, sealed box, Final Fantasy console + 250 gb hard drive + FFXIII game + 2 wireless controllers + cheap headphone & (plus all the wires and crap) :D  So, I order it and it came in in like 4 days (from Canada)!  So, Jeremy transfers his gaming info from our 120 gb to the new our new 250 gb hard drive.  Brings the old xbox to Ursula's room (that's where the other TV is located).  And guess what?  Not only will the disc drive not open, it won't spin now!!!  So, this makes his super angry and he decides he's going to go to GameStop and buy another one for the kids.  We get and Elite model console.  So, now we have 2 new XBox360's... why didn't we get the slim design?  Three reasons:  older ones are cheaper, we already had an external hard drive, and Jeremy wants to get the XBox720 when it comes out; which could be later this year!

Also, we went ahead and paid for Ursula to have a membership as well :)  So, now we all have XBox Live memberships :)

What do I like to play on Xbox?  Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and RPG games (like Skyrim).
What do I like playing on our Wii?  Dance games & work out 'games'.

Fasting - The End

Well, I couldn't help it!  LOL  I ate a yummy veggie salad for lunch today; thereby making it a 2.5 day fast :) Not bad!  I am happy I was able to prove to myself that I could do it.  :)

Funny thing... about half an hour after I finished my salad, I had diarrhea... hmmm  I know it was from the salad because, well, no other food in my system since Sunday night... and there was lettuce leaves in the toilet bowl!  Yes, I look!  ha ha

Gosh how I love food!  hehehe  I just need to cut my portion sizes and exercise more :D  "Eat less, move more!"

Fasting - Day 3

OMG!  I made it past 2 days!!!  Wow!!!  Yeah, I am pretty sure I never went 2 days without food before... perhaps one... but, I'm quite sure its never been two!  ha ha ha

This morning, I'm down like 8 lbs!!!  woot woot!  I weigh 140.2 lbs right now.  The question is now, how long can I go???  I really want to eat!  LOL  My belly wants food!  I'm feeling more nauseous then anything.

Yesterday, I finished mowing the yard and was feeling very tired while doing it; had to push myself to continue.

Yesterday, I believe I had the most knocks on my door in one day! ha ha ha  First, my neighbor by the RR tracks, Chelsey, came over to ask if I could feed their puppy for the next few days as she's going to see her boyfriend/husband (not sure if they're married) since he's working in another state.  I'm like, no problem (esp. since the puppy comes from us! ha ha ha).   Later, not long after the kids get home from school, there's another knock.  Someone I've never met before.  She says she's the guy next door's cousin and that she'll take the puppy home to try to housebreak him while they're gone so that he'll be able to stay indoors :)  I'm like, does Chelsey know?  She said, no, not yet, but Chris knows :)  She asked if we have another puppy to give away and I'm like, nope... last one went to our other neighbor's friend :D  Her name is Blaire :)  Added her to facebook!  ha ha ha  She seems cool :)  Third knock was Lori.  Asking if Jeremy could go look at her car's back bumper when he gets home from work; he did :)

Back to fasting... the kids are acting concerned that I'm not eating.  But, are they really concerned about me not eating or me not cooking?  LOL  Jeremy tells me that I can eat any time I want... nothing to prove; we all know you can do this; you don't have to!  LOL  I'm like, yes, I know... but, I've come so far!  ha ha ha  He wants me to eat dinner tonight, at least... I really don't know if I can make it to dinner without eating... I mean, I've gotten to a better weight... now its just eating less to maintain... that along with exercise, of course!

Fasting - Day 2

Yay!  I made it through the day without food!!!  Only water!  Woohoo!  AND, I loss 4 lbs since yesterday!!!  Talk about incentive to continue! ha ha ha  So, this morning, I weigh 144 with jean shorts, shirt, and socks on :)  I'm not expecting to lose another 4 lbs today, although, that would be fantastic! heh heh heh

My stomach is rumbling and I have a slight headache... nothing to concern myself about.

I not only did the Gazelle for 20 minutes (could do more, but it's just so boring... LOL), I also mowed most of the yard!  Didn't do all because I couldn't restart the mower after putting gas in it... Of course, Jeremy came home and started it up almost right away... :-/  ha ha ha  So, I need to finish that up today.

I have been having a light rash on my chest for the past few days... not sure what it's from...

Oh, so, we've started charting what 'jobs' the kids do and paying them for it... again, incentive to continue.  We're on the 4th week and it's working quite well; the kids are seeing how it adds up and loving it :)  We're only giving a $1/job with the exception of filling up the water (Pur filtered water picture) & tea... that's only a quarter and straightening up is $.50.  So, anyways, I ask Wyatt if he's going to fill up the water (being that I really need it now that I'm on a water fast!) and he's like, "Yeah!".  So, I take it out and give it to him... he starts acting like a strong man and putting it on his shoulder... well, in those few steps from the fridge to the sink, he drops it!!!  I'm like, "NO!!!"  Crap.  I surely don't want to have to resort to drinking unfiltered water!!!  Well, Jeremy comes inside and sees it.  He showers.  And leaves to go to Lowe's to buy another one!  I told him not to worry about that and that I'll just get one tomorrow but, he left anyways.  He came home with another like we had as well as two filter bottles for both of us :)  Thoughtful, huh? :))

Fasting

Okay, so, I turn 40 yrs old this month!  OMG!  Where did the years go?  Yes, I realize that's a cliche'... but, it's so true!  I really don't feel that old!

So, for some reason, my body wants to be heavier... and I've gained like 10 lbs so far this year... and I just can't allow that to continue!  What am I doing to stop and reverse this?  Well, I've started getting on my Gazelle again and doing some ab exercises.  Today, I'm trying to start a water fast.  So far, so good!  By 7:30 pm, it will have been 24 hrs without food!  I am going to try to go for 3 days.  I really will!  I think the most I've gone was 2 days... LOL  I think... I'm hoping to get over the headaches and tummy growling and continue without food.  I think I need it.  Not just because of my weight gain; but, because of having had pneumonia at the end of last year.  Even now, when I inhale deeply, I can sometimes feel it 'catch' in my right side (which is where the pneumonia was).  Maybe fasting will allow my body to heal properly without having to digest food.  That's my hope, anyways.  I really want to do this.  I think I'm head strong enough to go through with it.  And I don't like how much I want to snack and eat sweets now... I am not normally like that... so, I need to put a stop to that!  Problem?  Having to feed my family!  The smell of good food!  I just love food so much! hahaha  But, I need to do this.  Jeremy told me not to worry about cooking tonight.  We have leftovers as well as easy to cook food that the kids can prepare and eat.

Another thing that we're trying to do, as a family, is to abstain from dairy (at least in the house and at Jeremy's work).  Jeremy has noticed that he feels better when he goes without and that when he does consume any dairy, he gets this red blotchiness on his face, around his nose and under his eyes!  Internally, his gut feels awful, he tells me.  It makes crazy noise when he presses different areas that even I can hear.  He'd really like to fast (it was his idea for himself, actually), but, with him working 6 to 7 days a week; we don't think that's a good idea.  To fast, you need to be able to rest because it can take a lot out of you.