The Summer to Skinny!

LOL... my scale says the same thing.

Now is the time of the year when I once again notice the bulge and the jiggle.  I love summertime.  I enjoy swimming and being outdoors.  I am at my highest weight.  235 pounds.  Ugh.  I weighed 233 two years ago when I went to the hospital to have my fourth child.  I even breastfed for 18 months but did not lose a damn pound.  Sure, I love to eat and chocolate is my heroin but I am ready to lose the weight. 

I used to be incredibly active.  I played soccer.  I went hiking.  I got up every morning at 5 am to jog.  Ha, I hate jogging now.  My breasts hate it more than I do.  I have tried Weight Watchers.  The first time I lost 25 pounds then I found out I was pregnant with my third child.  After she was born I lost 19 pounds doing Body For Life.  Just a couple months ago I lost 11 pounds when I was vegan for 5 weeks.  I know I can lose weight but I find it hard to stick with it. 

Since it is summer again I start having the desire to lose the weight.  Plus, I am reminded constantly that I am fat and not phat when we go places like amusement parks.  It is much harder to fit into the rides when you look like you have two huge hams in your shorts.  I figure maybe if I blog about it then it will force to me to keep up with my weight loss goals.

I am not going to do anything fancy.  Here is what I am going to do:

• Be more active.  Swim, walk, Wii fitness, hike, yoga for abs (I have the VHS tape)
• Eat smaller portions.  I have a habit of eating everything in front of me.  I am hoping this will make a difference.
• More water and less sweet tea or sodas.  Since it is summer I need to be drinking more water anyways.  I love me so sweet tea or an ice cold coke but I am going to cut back to one or the other just once a day.

I do not plan to lose a ton of weight right away.  I know that it is healthier to lose at a slow and consistent pace.  My goal is to lose 20 pounds by Labor Day Weekend.  Will you help cheer me along?  I need some really good cheerleaders.  And if you have awesome suggestions or easy ( I hate to cook) recipes I would love to have them.  I will keep you posted each week.  Fridays I will weigh in.  Successes and downfalls will be included.  Join me on my summer to skinny!

Today I am 235 pounds.  I wear an XXL or 18-20 in women's sizes.    My bra size is 42DDD! 

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Almost there!

I only have two more clinical days for the LPN program. I am so excited.  Clinicals really isn't that bad but it is kind of the same thing each day.  I do like my instructor who is really helpful when you have questions.  Then after these clinical days we will have two review days. I am really not sure what to expect of the reviews.  To me, it sounds like we sit in the auditorium and listen to someone talk at us for 8 hours.  I pray that it is interactive. Its mandatory so I have to go no matter what.  Then after that I am finished.  Until I start my RN year. 

I keep praying that I will get a letter in the mail saying that I have gotten into the second year RN program.  I am on the wait list.  Which I am fine with but it does get me down when an instructor tells me I would be a great nurse or asks why I am not going on.  Its not by my choice and its not by my nursing grades either.  Ugh, that is a whole other blog in itself.  The letter will come or it won't .  In the meantime I will focus on passing boards and working as an LPN.  Then I can reapply next February for the RN. 

I am nervous about taking the boards. I know I have a ton of studying to do but with clinicals I have been focusing on that homework instead.  Most likely since we have summer exit we will not be able to take our boards until August or September.  Won't my hubby love that.  I know he is ready for me to be licensed so I can start working.  And I am too.  Going to school and not working has had a big toll on our money.  Money that we did not have in the first place. 

I am almost there.  We, I should say, are almost there.  The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter everyday.  Whoa, hold on a sec.  Is it the end of the tunnel?  Ummmmm,  why do I have this unnerving feeling that it is a train barreling towards me.

Train light about to run me over or sunny bliss of freedom?  Time will tell.  I have paid my dues with the barreling trains.  It is my turn for some sunny bliss.  Wish me luck!

Coupon Newbie- My $30 Goal

Let me first admit that I am not the greatest with math.  So when it comes to coupons I am a bit slow with  figuring all this stuff out.  With all the new tv shows on extreme couponing and classes popping here and there, I have decided I want to give it all a try.  If anything I save a few dollars, right? 

My sister, Sarah, has a knack for saving money with coupons.  She gets really excited about what is in the paper and how she can use it.  When I use coupons I get this sense of "Take that you money grabbing store. I just saved 50 cents!"  Yes, I get excited too when I use them too. 

Before             After

The thing I don't get is how do you figure it all out.  Who has the best deal, then how to match it other stores and then use the coupons at the perfect time.  It kind of gives me a headache. 

I would love to use coupons more often.  I recently have made my husband start buying the Sunday newspaper but when I look at the coupons, I do not see anything that my family uses.  Then I just end up recycling it all.  Its a bit discouraging.  But I am going to give it a month and see how I do. 

And since it is Sunday the first thing I am going to do is buy a newspaper.  My goal is to see if I can save at least thirty dollars.  Remember I, up to now, use maybe one or two coupons once in a blue moon to save 50 cents.  So thirty smackers will be a big deal to me.

If you have any coupon tips for me, please share them.  I could use all the help I can get!

The youtube video above is great.  Take a few minutes to check it out.  To me it makes couponing seem managable.  Good luck and Happy Money Saving.

Enough to drive a woman insane!

What a week it has been!  Last Friday I was able to be by my younger sister's side as she gave birth to my nephew.  What a beautiful event it was.  I was even able to cut the cord.  I may have participated in four births but never got to see the business end.  I am so thankful she let me be a part of that day.  My nephew however, has a congenital heart defect. He has transposition of the great arteries.  Basically they are flipped flopped and the oxygenated blood isn't getting out to the rest of his body the way it should.  He will be having open heart surgery to correct it this coming Tuesday.  I ask that you pray for him or send well wishes his way.  He is doing well right now but the surgery is a must.  He is such delicious little baby. 

Yesterday my husband had an appointment with an ENT.  He has a tumor near his parotid gland (saliva gland).  Due to the location of the tumor my husband will have surgery sometime this summer.  The ENT is almost positive that it is not malignant but that it should come out.  The surgery will include a large incision down the side of my husband's face (seen the movie Face Off, anyone?) and will involve a major facial nerve. If the nerve is cut or injured he could lose function in the right side of his face (think Anthony Hopkins in Legends of the Fall).  The ENT assured us that it was rare for that to occur but was still a risk. 

Add to all of this the fact that I am trying to finish LPN clinicals and it has been stressing me out since last week we had so much homework it was ridiculous.  I am ready for a break. 

When it rains it pours at my house. 

So this morning I woke up at 5am because my body is used to it from getting up early for clinical days.  I could not fall back asleep so I decided to read for awhile.  The book was wonderful but the end was so emotional.  I could barely read I was crying so hard.  Between the story line, my nephew and my husband I emotionally vomitted right there in the family room.  I could not stop crying for anything.  This went on for two hours.  My husband saw me and laughed. I was covered in tissues and my eyes were red. Tear streaks stained m cheeks and I had that weird crying gasp.  What a way to start the morning.

I am glad it is now the weekend.  I am hoping it is a calm one but I won't get my hopes up.  God, won't give us what we can't handle, right?  I am wondering if he has me confused with someone else.

12 Years of Wedded Bliss

June 12, 1999 with my family!

Twelve years ago I married my husband, Jason.  Although, we didn't realize it at the time, we were so young. I was only 21. We had a simple, but beautiful wedding and went to Disney World for our honeymoon.  Through out our 12 years we have had many ups and downs as all marriages do.  We have four beautiful children who bless our lives and drive us crazy every single day.  We have fought, laughed, cried and supported each other.  Jason was my rock when my mom passed away unexpectedly 10 years ago.  He is my best friend in every sense of the term.  He understands me like no one else.  He accepts me for what I am- a vampire, alien, loving freak who has a huge fan girl crush on Jared Leto.  He also puts up with my non-stop listening of 30 Seconds to Mars.

We love being silly together!

I really can't ask for someone better.  And it is really hard for me to put into words just exactly how I feel about this incredible man.  I will do my best to return all the love he has given me. I look forward to all that we will experience in the future.  He makes every day of my life special and filled to the brim with love.

12 years and this is what we have to show for it. Complete Happiness!

 

Finally its Friday!!!

I am so happy today is Friday.  Today I do not have class or a clinical.  Three of my darling chitlens are elsewhere so its just me and my 7 year old daughter.  She is still asleep which means I am enjoying the peace and quiet.  This week has so not been fun.  My husband had surgery on Tuesday.  It was minor but he was in a lot of pain because of it.  I started clinicals this week.  I hate the first day of clinicals.  Its like starting a new job over an over again.  So this week has been hectic.  But now it is Friday and I am determined to make it a ton of fun.

Once I get my grocery shopping complete and some housework accomplished I plan on spending the day in our pool with my children.  We will have a few of their friends and their moms come over to join us.  Then this evening I will make a fantastic dinner and after that go watch my son play baseball.

This weekend my husband and I will celebrate our 12 year anniversary.  We don't have big plans but do plan on spending time just the two of us.

I really don't have much to write.  I just wanted to share how thankful I am that I have a bit of downtime this weekend to enjoy my life.  I hope you do too.

Oh, and a little bit of a Jared Leto Update cause I am obsessed... He tweeted me back last night!!!!  Ok that's it.  Thanks for letting me be such a fan girl!

Get Inked!

Ever since I saw "Son In Law" with Pauly Shore, I knew that I wanted a tattoo.  That was many years ago.  Many.  Now I am (*cough cough*) thirty-three years old and I have yet to get my first tattoo.  When I was 19 I had my belly button pierced but that was the extent of my wildness.  Now I really want one, well, two! 

My sister, Sarah, is the ink queen in our family.  I remember ratting her out to Dad by accident.  Oops.  Sorry about that by the way, sis!  One night in Pigeon Forge, TN we were going to get tattoos but the weather turned bad and we had to get to our cabin before the back roads became to slippery to drive on.  We were so ready.  I was bummed out. 

Why do I want a tattoo?  I can't explain it really.  I just do.  I know exactly what I want and where I want to get it.  I want something that means so much to me.  A symbol of love and life.  I also want something fun, which I will get on my ankle.  If you have read any of my blog posts lately then you know I am a huge 30 Seconds to Mars fan.  Tomorrow, has been dubbed Mars Tattoo Day, by Jared Leto.  Before you roll yours eyes, and feel free to roll your eyes because I cannot see them nor care if you do.... Their music is really inspiring and I love it.  I plan to get the triad on my right inner ankle.  There is a picture below.  It will be small.

 

 

I used to judge people based on their tattoos.  I admit I think some are a bit outrageous and insane but who am I to judge.  Their tattoos could have incredible meaning to them.  Or it could also be the result of a drunken episode during spring break.  Who knows.  Who really cares?  

I will not be able to get my Mars Tattoo tomorrow on the official day but I will eventually get it.  I will also get my super important one as well.  Some day! 

This look, however, will not work for me.  I'm more of a zebra print kind of girl!