"Diabetic Haters"

That's what Derek was accusing every pharmacy in a 20 mile radius yesterday. As you all pretty much know, Derek is a diabetic. Yesterday my smart man accidentally lost his insulin pen "somewhere". We figured it out around 6 o'clock when we started to think about dinner and within minutes the entire house was flipped upside down. I started calling every pharmacy in the phone book trying to find one that carries the actual pen to inject the insulin...no luck! Finally at about 7:30 (at this point Derek is yelling at everyone and starting to really freak out) I called the emergency line at his Medical Center. They paged the on call doctor and by 8 o'clock he had called back and called in a prescription for a disposable pen. Everything was fine, but it still really got to Derek. It's funny because he has a prescription for the insulin cartridges which is the same exact stuff as the disposable pens but the pharmacy can only fill it in the cartridge form. I understand the legality of it, but wouldn't you if you were a pharmacist who saw this guy dependant on getting this medicine feel a little pity? Whatever, we got it all figured it, it's hard to see Derek so upset and scared at the same time.
On another note, I ate Mexican last night! I didn't overdo it though, and I had the points. I am definitely retaining water today though. My best friend is home from Nashville this week so I am going to hang out with him tonight. This is the first time I will have seen him since my engagement and I am planning to ask him to be part of my wedding. I am so excited!!
Well, I am off to get my work done. Just a few more things on my to do list and I can leave for the day!!! Yippee for a short Friday!!!!

I almost forgot...

I got my new bedding for Christmas...don't be jealous!

Mmmm...carrots

It's 11 o'clock and I am munching on half my lunch...carrots and broccoli to be exact. I ate a lot of carrots and broccoli over Christmas, it was my go to food when there wasn't any "good" choices. I am so sick of broccoli that when I chew it now I have to close my eyes and swallow to keep from gagging! Sounds delicious right?!? I don't have much left and I don't want it to go to waste.
Christmas was very long this year. We drove to South Dakota on Friday and tried to drive back home Sunday afternoon. The blizzard was so bad that we got stuck about 2 hours out of town and had to stay in a hotel until Monday morning. I was so relieved when we finally pulled into the driveway. Christmas Eve was a nice dinner at my parents house and Christmas day I had everyone over for wine and appetizers. I really didn't eat a "meal" on Christmas day, just grazed on fruits, veggies and COOKIES. We have a handful of sweets left and I have them in a bag ready to go to the New Years Eve party we are attending.
I got right back OP yesterday and the scale was already down .5 this morning. In total the scale is up 2 lbs. from before the Holidays. TOM is on the way though and my sinus infection is still holding on tight. I think that most of the gain is water retention so I will stay off the scale until next Wednesday. I have a few weeks off from school so I am going to be cooking at home and getting my daily run in!! Woohoo for TIME!!
I'm not sure it counts as a workout but we are planning on painting 5 rooms in the house this weekend. I think I might go crazy. I can't wait to see how it turns out though!! I will have to take some pics and post them. Derek is letting me paint the spare bedrooms as nursery's. One is for Rosie and the other is a blue theme (hopefully I will get another niece or nephew soon)!

Sinus Infection and all...

I came down with a bad sinus infection this weekend. I haven't been feeling up to doing much lately but I'm trying to stay focused on getting everything organized at work so that I can take a day off on Friday. Derek came down with the stomach flu the same day, so far I haven't shown any signs of that, thank goodness!
I learned one thing over the past week, I am severely impatient! Yep, I can't wait to find out what I got for Christmas. I know my parents are getting us a dinning table, but that is it. I have no idea what anyone else got me. Why do I care, I don't know? I guess I don't like surprises that much. I know I am not getting the one thing I asked for. A puppy! Yep, I asked for a puppy...I'm glad I'm not getting it though because I don't have the time to take care of it. Someday maybe.
We are going to work on picking out paint colors for the house next week. I figure painting and tiling the floors will be a good work-out during winter break and this allows me to get some of the stuff done I have been putting off for months.
I am also looking into joining the small gym down the street. I have the treadmills and free weights at home, which I love, but I really miss having the classes. Hearing you all talking about them gets me thinking about joining again, just need to see how the finances are going this next year before I make that decision.

The Christmas Party

Derek and I at my family Christmas party. I had a few glasses of wine and a plate of food before this was taken so I was already feeling bloated!

Your prayers were answered!!

Thanks for all the support my friends, I totally rocked the presentation...SERIOUS!! I even shocked myself. I knew the material, I projected, I breathed and I think everyone was impressed with what I had to say. The presentation I gave was on the safety program that is administered at our company. I looked into the practice, toured sites to see it in action and wrote up a critical analysis of the entire program. This was the assignment, so each student was required to go to a different contractor and follow the same format. After I finished my presentation this JACKASS (sorry, but he is) raises his hand and says, "you are bias because you work there"...I got really, I mean steaming upset. The teacher knows this kid is just a big baby and he is constantly trying to suck up, so the teacher let me respond. A lot of thoughts went through my head, of course I am somewhat bias, isn't that healthy though? I responded as such "wouldn't it be worse if as an employee I didn't believe in and support our safety program?" He didn't say anything. I then went on to point out during his presentation that the "cable" method of handrails is not recognized by OSHA and therefore they are not meeting minimum requirements. Okay, I was a bit bitchy about the whole thing...maybe he will learn a lesson.
Anyways, all of your thoughts and prayers they really mean something to me. I know my heads in a strange place right now, I have a lot on my plate. I don't think you realize just how inspiring each and everyone of you are to me. Thanks again! HUGS!

I am so mad at myself...

Well the stress bubble has officially popped and I am on the verge of going crazy. The scale was up this morning (2 lbs.) I ate like crap yesterday, we had Rosie and I was shaking I was so hungry so Derek ran and got Boston Market, what was I thinking?!? I don't even like the food that much, but I was hungry and I needed something to eat.
Anyways, tonight is my last night of class this semester. I have a 20 minute presentation to give and I can't get my leg to stop bouncing. I am anxious to be done for a few weeks but I HATE standing up in front of everyone. I feel bloated and ugly. Maybe if I drink some water this afternoon the scale will forgive me for my mistakes over the past few days.
This is a crazy busy week for me. I have meetings ALL day tomorrow and then dinner and a play with 5 of my close girlfriends. Friday night is the official unofficial Christmas party with my co-workers. Saturday I am baking cookies with grandma and watching Rosie. No stopping I guess until Sunday! Oh well.
Wish me luck for tonight, I will check in with everyone tomorrow if I get a break in between meetings!!!!

Pictures!!

Okay, I am starting with a trip down memory lane, here is a picture from last Christmas (I am in the white sweater next to my Dad)!

This is the picture we took on Saturday of the 3 girls (oldest to youngest)...and 27 lbs. lighter!

And finally, the snow princess herself!!!! This is her princess coat, she has pink UGG boots that match this...way too cute!!!

So, needless to say...pictures went well. I decided on Friday night that I would put my hair up in pin curls, I did this while watching recorded episodes of Greys and Private Practice from last week (arghhh...stupid new nurse kissing McDreamy)! Yes, so I was very preoccupied and must have put the pins in too tight, I woke up and saw a bozo the clown look alike in the mirror...it was BAD! I ended up having to take another shower and just let it dry curly, luckily it worked out okay.

Just one more day of class this week!!!! I still have a lot of work to do on my project, hopefully work is slow so I can get things done early today. We actually made it out to Trader Joe's this weekend. I was very excited to get some of my favorites back in the freezer. I will be cooking a lot more now that I have a few weeks off from school!!!

The scale was still sitting right at the 119-120.5 this weekend, I will be very happy if I can maintain here through the Holidays!

Another one done!

Well, I have officially completed 2 of my 3 classes this semester! I studied my ars off yesterday afternoon and I actually felt really great about the exam. we started the 12 page exam at about 5:45 and I was finished just after 6:30, second person to hand it in. I really had my stuff memorized I guess. I also turned in a 100 page project proposal so that is a total of 2 exams and 1 paper finished, leaving me with 1 paper and 1 presentation!!!
I got home early last night and hadn't had dinner, Derek wanted to go out and I caved. We went to Big Bowl and I downed an entire plate of white rice and chicken...boy do I feel bloated today. I have my water here though and I finally got a full night of sleep. I am pretty sure my body needed that meal, it's been a while since I ate a real "meal".
Rosie is having Christmas pictures taken this weekend. My sister and I will bring her and probably do some Christmas shopping if we have time before she needs a nap. I will try to post some pictures on Monday!!!

I need a push...

My arms and legs feel weak, my mind is scattered and all I can do to stop myself from feeling like I am going to pass out is guzzle my diet coke and eat Twizzlers Pull and Peels...what am I doing? I know, stress eating. It hit me last night, I have one of the most important exams of my graduate studies tonight and I can't keep anything straight. I know the material, I really do. It keeps running through my brain like one of those light up banner signs you see at a bar. Arghhh...make it stop.
My best friend and partner in crime (aka school) just called and told me to take the afternoon off work, we are going to meet up and study our butts off for the afternoon.
Well, if you have time, say a quick prayer that my mind clears out by tonight and that I "Ace" this test!!! I know I can, I know I can....
God bless, M!

1 down, 3 to go.

One class completely finished and I felt like I really did a good job on the final, YAY!!! I have two large papers, one presentation and one final left...only 3 more nights of class!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrap those presents!!! When I was in HS I wrapped presents at a kids store every Christmas and now my entire family asks me to wrap their gifts for them, I just love it!
2. REAL OR FAKE TREE? Fake, no question about it!
3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving, usually the Friday or Saturday after
4. When do you take the tree down? The first weekend after Christmas.
5. Do you like eggnog? I have never had it, I think it looks gross though.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I got a pair of Santa Bear slippers that I use to wear EVERYWHERE!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? 3 of them
8. Hardest person to buy for? My grandparents, they are at that stage were they are trying to downsize everything.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Rosie, she would be happy with a box!
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I hate purple and one year an ex (not at the time) bought me a purple stone ring...I hated it but felt obligated to wear it.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually after Thanksgiving
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember, my sister and I use to trade though.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Baked Brie on French bread..mmmmm
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? I totally agree with Amanda ... Trans Siberian Orchestra Carol of the Bells
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I will be traveling the weekend before Christmas to visit Derek's parents, I will be home for Christmas though.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Thanks Amanda, I can't get that tune out of my head! Yes, I know Santa's reindeer!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open one on Christmas Eve and the rest in the morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Driving in snow blizzards
23. What I love most about Christmas? I love baking and cooking for the family.

Hair, Gumdrops and other rambling

First off, my hair is driving me nuts. I had my hair trimmed over the Thanksgiving holiday...1/2", this past week it feels like my hair is about 3" shorter then normal and it is driving me up the wall. I really want my hair to grow out before the wedding, I know I still have a year but I am getting worried. Also, I thought some of the color would fade a bit more then it did, I still like it, just different then I had expected.
Gumdrops, do they really exist? Stupid question....I have never seen them or had them. I have four clear canisters on my kitchen counter (Flour, sugar, noodles and brown sugar) and I wanted to fill them with Christmas stuff for the holidays, I was thinking ribbon candy, gumdrops, ornament balls and something else. I went to the store to buy ribbon candy and gumdrops and couldn't find anything. I asked the clerk and she looked at me like I was crazy. Do these things really exist or are they just made up?? Anyone know where I can buy them?
The weekend was nice, we got our blizzard on Saturday as they expected. I shoveled the driveway twice and now my back is throbbing. We spent the entire day decorating the house and getting things picked up. Sunday I spent most of the day on campus working on my paper and making note cards.
Forgive me if I am MIA this week, I am trying to focus on school. I will be checking in on you all though!!! Have a great Monday!

Just a quick update before the weekend...

Well, not much going on here other then freezing my butt off. We are expecting our first blizzard this weekend and therefore I am planning on getting a lot done at home. I have 2 papers I need to finish up and I need to study for my finals next week. Monday night is my company's Christmas Party, I am so excited...it's kind of like prom for grown-ups. One of the few black-tie events I attend every year. I have no idea what I will wear yet, I am sure I can pull something together though.
I weighed in Thursday and Friday at 119.8!!! Hopefully I can hold there until the next weigh in!!! It took 11 months but I am finally seeing my goal on the scale!
Rosie is spending the night at my house, we are planning on going over to my parents for dinner and then back home. I don't tell my sister this but when she sleeps over I let her sleep in my bed, I can't help it she is so sweet and she cuddles up in my arms. My sister and BIL are putting an addition on their house this winter, she won't say but I know it is because they want to try for a second baby!!! The best part is, when they connect to the existing house my sister and Rosie may come to live at my house!!! Hooray, how fun would that be?!? I suppose that means the BIL would move in too, I don't know if I could handle that!
4 more classes left this semester!!! The countdown begins! Have a super OP weekend everyone!!

WI and an update

Today was WI, I wasn't expecting much...who am I kidding, I was expecting a gain. Guess what??? 120.5, no gain, no loss!!! WooHOOO!!!! I know it isn't as good as a loss, but after this week "off plan" I was happy to see that the scale wasn't punishing me!
So to clarify the hefty price tag on my boots...I don't do this often. In fact, the last time I bought a new pair of shoes was probably 2 years ago. I love shoes, but most of what I have is either passed down from my sister or bought of the sale rack at famous footwear. The boots I have been wearing I got for Christmas 6 years ago! I am feeling pretty guilty though about how much money we spent!
The semester is quickly coming to an end for me. I have 2 exams, 2 papers and 1 presentation I am preparing for. I cannot wait to have my nights free again, even though it is only for a month.
I know there was more I wanted to catch up on but I can't even remember right now.

The long weekend!

It feels like it has been about a month since I have checked in on everyone! Even though I didn't make goal on Wednesday, it was a great day. I spent the entire day in the main office planning and managing Holiday stuff (party, decorations, gifts). This is a tradition for our family every year and I love that I am finally a part of this tradition in the company. Anyways, I decorated an 11 ft. tree at the office and prepared for almost 150 poinsettias to be delivered next week. After the office closed I headed to my stylists and had my hair colored, cut and styled, it felt great to catch up with Mandy and get my mess of a head cleaned up a bit.
Thursday morning Derek and I started cooking around 9. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, chocolate pumpkin cupcakes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, rolls, etc... I love cooking and Derek was great in helping me out. We had a lot of fun and just relaxed the rest of the afternoon before heading to my parents to help out for dinner.
We decided late Thursday afternoon that we would attempt to go out shopping on Black Friday! We hit up Kohls first, 55% off our AeroBed! Next it was to Ulta were I picked out some new perfume. We headed back home to pack our bags for the weekend before heading out to Macys. I found a couple sweaters and a blouse on sale and then headed for the shoe department, were I found these! I know what you are thinking, who in their right mind would pay that much for a pair of boots? Me! Yep, I am a Coach FANATIC! I have everything Coach, from luggage and purses to keychains and glasses. I just cannot get enough of the stuff. When I saw the boots I knew I had to try them on, I didn't expect to like them as much as I did though. We had a 20% off coupon and Derek bought them as my Christmas present this year. I just love them, I need to find some better jeans to show them off with though.
Anyways, we spent way too much money, but it was fun! We headed for his parents house around noon and spent the weekend just hanging out.
As far as food goes, I really didn't go overboard on Thanksgiving, I did however eat anything and everything that looked good the rest of the weekend. It was something about being "out of town". I was up just a little this morning, I am back on track today though and drinking all the water I can handle!!

WI...

120.5 ... 1/2 pound away from goal!

Just Checking in

I know I haven't posted at all this week and it is because I am trying to get a bunch of homework wrapped up for the big holiday weekend. Tomorrow is my official WI, keep your fingers crossed for me, I will post the result first chance I get.
My sister and I are starting to work on wedding plans again, the stores are full of snowflake merchandise (my wedding theme) so it is the perfect time to get some ideas. I can't wait to get some ideas!
I am cooking dinner for 9 people on Thursday, I have found lighter recipes for almost everything. The BIL is very picky so I will have to bake him his own Apple pie (he won't eat pumpkin pie or anything that is "low fat") I am not going to tell anyone the mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie are not the "normal" recipes. The only person that would complain or say anything is stupid BIL anyways so I am not worried about it.
I will be back in the morning with the official WI, hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving weekend!

It feels like a Monday!

Typically Fridays are my easy day, I don't have to leave the house as early and I always get out at a decent hour! Today though, I left the house 15 minutes early got here and I have been running ever since. Just a busy day. Hopefully I can get everything done before 4 and get the heck out of here!! I have a bunch of homework I am bringing home with me to do this weekend and other then babysitting I have nothing planned.
I think I might try to get out of here in time to pick Rosie up from daycare, I haven't seen her since Sunday and I love how excited she gets when I pick her up. Blog land seems pretty slow, maybe you are all running around like me!
Have a great weekend!

I got this!

Okay so I am finally felling almost 100%, only took a week! I had three papers due for school this week and since I was down for the count all weekend I was left to do these sometime between my 10 hour workday and 3 nights of class. I'm still not sure how but I rocked those papers out, and they are actually well written too. I really do think I should become a professional student. I told Derek that I wanted to apply for my masters in Design (I am currently earning mine in Business) and he just about fell over. He said he would support my decision either way but would like to to take a break for at least a year. I get that, I am currently pushing myself to the furthest limit but if I do this, I want to have it done right away. What if we decide to have kids? There is no way I could do this and be prego. I remember how tired and sick my sister was with Rosie. Anyways, that is on my mind.
Work has been quiet this week. The PM that works with me is out this week with a new baby! I love having the trailer to myself and not feeling like I have someone watching what I am doing!
The food front has been a little sketchy. Up until today the only thing that sounded good was apple juice and PB&J sandwiches. I probably ate and drank my points away pretty quick over the past week. I haven't been back on the scale, I might hold off for this weekend to get back on.
Derek and I are having date night tomorrow. He is taking me to dinner (no idea where) and he bought a movie for us to watch back at home (Oceans 13) I cannot wait!!
Well, I am off to check up on all of your blogs, have a wonderful day!

Stomach Flu!

Yep, I have been MIA because I have been in bed and on the bathroom floor since Thursday night. I got home from class on Thursday and felt dizzy and hot, my stomach started to hurt right as I was getting into bed and about 5 minutes later I was in the bathroom. I felt fine up until it hit so I was sure it must have been something I ate. Friday I felt okay to go to work, about 5 minutes after I ate my breakfast I was running to the bathroom.
Needless to say I was at home Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday with little energy and feeling like crap! I still feel a little dizzy and my stomach is still very tight, but I have been able to keep food down for 24 hours so I am on the mend! One of my co-workers got the same bug and he is still a little woozy from it, hopefully by tomorrow I will at least feel 90%.
I pushed myself this weekend. I was so excited to have Rosie stay at my house that I tried to ignore how horrible I felt. I got through Saturday fine and then Sunday morning I gave in and asked my Dad to watch her. I cried when I dropped her off at my Dads because I know she could tell I was leaving her and she hugged me so tight. She also could tell I didn't feel great, she kept touching my face and putting her head against mine. She was such an angel.
Well, I haven't been eating much, but I got on the scale this morning and I was up a pound
...WTF??? Hopefully since I am eating again it will drop back down for WI tomorrow.

Thursdays

I love Thursdays because the day always fly by, I have my favorite class and tomorrow is FRIDAY! I hate Thursdays Because I am in meetings from 7-12 with Owners and it is the only day of the week I can't throw on jeans and a sweatshirt. The summer was okay because I could throw on a skirt or my dress pants with a nice dress shirt but now that we are down in the 20s, skirts are out and I have already worn the one pair of dress pants that fit me 3 weeks in a row. I have been in size 4s for months now, but for whatever reason I can't get myself to just go out and buy some new pants. I have about 15 very nice pairs of "dress" pants, all size 10 and all of which look like a pair of want to be parachute pants. I put a pair of 10s on this morning and asked Derek how they looked and he says "good, they look good" at the same time tilting his head and squinting his eyes a bit. I took one look in the mirror and started to bawl, talk about an easy way to make my butt look about 3 feet wide!
Anyways, I am very excited for this weekend. Derek and I will have Rosie starting this afternoon through Monday morning (remember my BIL needs a break, so he is getting a trip to Vegas). We are hoping to do a little work around the house but for the most part just hang out with Rosie and take things easy. I actually had to hire a babysitter for Saturday night, it felt so weird. One of my best girlfriends is going to watch her while Derek and I attend a Gala for the Owners on my jobsite. Should be a fun night, hopefully I can find something nice to wear in my mess of a house!!!

Our Fight

Derek and I got in a little fight last night, well more like bad communication. After Derek's comma, he fell behind in his Tuesday night class and his professor is unwilling to let him make up the work or do extra credit. At this point he can either finish the class with a poor grade or drop the class and retake the course next semester. I have never been in this sort of situation and since we spent the money on the class I hate to just say "give up". I know that it has been a major source of stress for him and he feels completely burnt out between the new job and school.
Anyways when I got home from work last night he tried to explain what he was feeling and I got upset because he said "you don't understand how stressful it is". I broke down, I may not show it to him but I am exhausted. Waking up at 5, taking care of the house, going to work till 4, heading directly to school until 9 and then coming home to dishes in the sink, him laying on the couch and still needing to pack my lunch and get things ready for the morning. I know that I have the benefit of being at a computer all day and can sometimes manage to get some schoolwork finished during my breaks, but in no way is this easy or un-stressful. I want to give up, I want to break down and cry, but I said I was going to do this and I have no intentions giving up. At the same time, I depend on Derek a lot. I make him set his alarm to wake me up, I constantly complain about the closet not being finished and I always keep him busy. I guess I am not great at giving him time to do homework, and sometimes I expect him to never take a break. I still have a lot to learn, we both do. I hate fighting though, I hated leaving this morning upset and feeling like I don't do enough. I know that he had no intentions of making it seem like I have things easy or that I don't do anything, the comparison is hard to ignore.
On the food front, I am staying OP, doesn't feel like it, but I am. I have been eating breakfast early (around 7) a few small, low point snacks throughout the day (granola bar, yogurt, fiber one, vegetable soup), followed by an early dinner (around 5). I am done eating for the day by 6:30. I think the fact that I am in class and can't snack during the evening really helps me. Hopefully I will be to goal by the end of the month!

What is a pound?

I jumped on the scale a day early this week...121...the lowest number I have seen in years, a pound lower then my last weigh in, but still 1 pound away from goal!!! ARGGGGHHH... I am happy to be this close but I can't help but wonder what the significance of this 1 pound is. Seriously I will never be an even 120 for an extended period of time, so why is seeing that number so darn important to me?? I played around with the word success this morning, but I see my weight loss as a success whether I am 121 or 120. I won't fit into a size smaller jean, it won't make me suddenly want to run around naked, so what is 1 lb? When do I move from weight loss mode to maintenance?

I was tagged!

The Rules:
1-Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
3-Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4- Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog

1--My mother is legally blind and was diagnosed with MS before I was born. I had a horrible relationship with my mother as a child, my older sister more or less raised me because my mom couldn't stand to look at me (she wanted a boy).
2--When I was little I used to sneak into my sisters room crying because I thought I had stopped breathing. My sister kept a mirror next to her bed so that I could breath onto it and see it fog up.
3--I was in an abusive relationship in High School and my first few years in college. I weighed just under 200 lb. and dropped to almost 95 lbs my first year in college to make him happy. It wasn't until I dropped the weight that I finally had the nerve to be on my own.
4--I am afraid of pregnancy and child birth. I love kids but I am worried that my eating disorders may have affected my ability to have children.
5--When Derek and I first started dating he was still seeing another girl. He kept it from me for almost a month, I have never fully understood that, but have learned to forgive him.
6--I sometimes wish that I could retire and stay at home. I have always wanted to be part of the family business, but sometimes I just don't see myself here.
7--Derek bought me a new vehicle this weekend. I bought a VW Beetle back in May and I hated it, traction and space were a huge issue. Derek traded it in and got me a Chevy Equinox with AWD. I LOVE IT!

I tag:

Anyone on my blogroll and anyone who reads my blog!

Enough Already

I've had it, I can't take it anymore...being hungry that is. For the past 3 days I haven't stopped shoveling food into my mouth, I am never satisfied. I know what the problem is, TOM came for a visit late yesterday afternoon. With that my little surprise costume was out the door last night. I think I might pull it out on Sunday instead...call it a "late Halloween"!
I have so much going on my head this week. I wish I could get it all out in words on here. My sister has asked me to watch Rosie next weekend, turns out that my BIL is "burnt out"...on what you ask? Being a Dad. I know, I know it is a lot of work, but if you knew him at all you would be steaming right now. When my sister has plans, she has to ASK him if he will "babysit". Yes, it is his child but in order for him to stay with her, my sister has to first ask, and second provide him with a reason (usually a new video game, tool or some other material item he doesn't really need). Don't get me wrong here, Rosie loves him and he loves her, but he takes NO responsibility for his child. A few weeks ago, Derek and him had Rosie while my sister and I went to a wedding fair. Derek noticed before leaving to meet us at my parents house that her diaper was heavy and suggested they change it. Instead of just changing it quick BIL puts her in the car and when they get to my Dads house he says "Rosie, ask grandpa if he will change your diaper". My Dad then takes her upstairs and changes it. BIL goes outside and grabs a beer, doesn't bother to keep an eye on her or put her down for a nap (which was about 5 hours late), when my sister and I finally get there my Grandmother is carrying her around trying to get her to calm down because she is so overtired. Arghhh...sorry, I just needed to get that out.
Two of my best friends (they are twins) grandfather passed away on Tuesday, I am shocked by all the emotion that flooded back to me when I was talking to one of them today. I know the service will be difficult, but I feel it is important for me to be there for the girls. I pray that my grandfather will be there with me on Saturday to help me keep it together for them.

I'm Back!!!!

This past weekend was a blast, busy, but totally worth it. Derek and I drove to his hometown for his best friends wedding. I finished my last midterm early Thursday evening and we took off from there. Friday we spent meeting up with some of his old friends who still live in town. The grooms dinner was very casual and I had a blast with the 'girls'. I spent all of Saturday decorating the little ceremony area and the reception hall. I think I did a pretty good job with what I had to work with. Derek looked stunning in his tux, I can't wait to see him in one again :)
Sunday was recovery from the late night, homework and driving back to the cities. We got in very late and hit the sack. Monday night after work I spent cleaning the old town house and meeting with the tenants. They will move in tomorrow! It feels great to not have to worry about that for another year and a half!
Derek likes the new job, his schedule is very tight and I can tell he is anxious for this semester to be over so he has a little more free time to get stuff done around the house. We still don't have any of our clothes in the closet. It is so frustrating for me and makes it difficult for me to even be in the new house without screaming or crying. Hopefully this weekend we can get things a little more organized.
Can you believe it is Halloween??? I love Halloween and I am totally bummed that I have class tonight. I was thinking about dressing up for Derek tonight, but I am too nervous. I have never done anything like that. I have a pink "Mrs. Clause" outfit that I got from Victoria's Secret last year when I was 25 lbs heavier. It was a One Size Fits All, let me tell you...it DID NOT fit me!! It fits now though and I haven't worn it yet. I don't know, I don't want him to think I've gone crazy.

WI!

I found the scale while unpacking last night and I took it as a sign that I should have my official Wednesday WI today. I was down -.6 lbs!!!! Woo hoo!!! I am so close to my personal goal I can taste it!
Speaking of tasting, one of my clients was nice enough to bring in a HUGE bucket of Halloween treats for my crew. There is so much chocolate I can taste it in my mouth. I am resisting the urge, I think I might allow myself a piece though!
Derek has made huge progress on unpacking. We have 1, yes 1 box of misc. stuff left to unpack!!! Well, plus all the clothes that need to be hung in the closet but we don't have that ready yet. I managed to get through almost 11 months of filing last night after my exam, it felt great to get it done. I am exhausted today, I really need to concentrate on studying for my midterm on Thursday.
Well, I will be lurking around today, I am rushed on time so even if I am not leaving comments I am reading!!!

Getting things done.

We accomplished A LOT yesterday! First, Derek got a job (he starts on Monday) he is making almost $10 more/hour and it is much closer to home (2 miles away)!! I don't think it has set in for him yet, I hope he enjoys the work!
So since Derek is at home this week, he has put himself to work...he gets up at 5:30 and starts unpacking, hanging, folding, etc... Yesterday he was able to pull all the nails at the old house and fill them. When I got home from work I painted everything, we only have about 1/2 a days work over there. I met with the tenants last night and everything is set for them to move in on November 1st!! Yay!!
I got to the store last night and actually stayed OP all day. I got 2 loads of laundry done and I made it to the doctor (UTI). I am exhausted today. I have my first midterm tonight, class tomorrow and another midterm Wednesday. We have a wedding in Southwest MN this weekend so we will not make any progress on the house. I wish I could just stay home and decorate! I can't wait to pick out some colors and get things looking like home! I will try and take some pictures one of these days so you can see the new pad!!
Well, I better get motivated here and get some real work done!! Hope everyone has great OP days!

I don't have much time...

This is going to be short. I have a full days worth of work to get done in 4 hours! Well, we are moved out of the old town house and living out of boxes in the new house. I love it, I love everything about the new house (except the temporary insanity). Derek is at home today working on getting shelves put up in the closet and getting the last few items out of the town home. On that note, Derek was laid off last Friday... it was somewhat of a surprise (we thought he had till the end of the month). I can't say too much about it but it has to do with the fact that he is a diabetic, it is unfair and we are currently meeting with a lawyer. Derek is doing okay with everything...he is hurt though, he really liked his job and was great at it.
I ate anything and everything this past weekend. French fries covered in cheese, bacon and ranch dressing, fajitas, pizza (twice), doughnuts, I was seriously horrible! I am afraid to get on the scale, but I am back on track today. I packed a healthy breakfast and I have lunch and dinner at home. I have 2 midterms this week so I will be busy and hopefully will not have enough time to stuff my face!!!
I will be checking in on everyone, I don't have Internet at home until next week so bare with me!!

The good and the bad...

Just when I thought everything was going way to good to be true my bubble started to deflate and today it finally popped! Things are still going good. Derek and I put an offer in on a home and we close tomorrow morning. We had a renter lined up to move into my townhome beginning November 1, but her roommate backed out and she isn't sure she can fins anyone else to share the rent. I am praying she can because I lover her and she is just the type of person I wanted to rent my place.
I finally got my letter indicating I could apply for graduation this May!!! The finish is finally in view!! I cannot wait!
Derek finally saw a specialist for his diabetes, we are watching his counts closely for the next 2 weeks and hopefully she can help make him feel more in control. He is very excited about it. I am too, I just wish it didn't mean setting an alarm during the middle of the night to test every couple of hours!
As for the news I was waiting to tell you, or so I thought anyways! Upper management contacted me and set up a meeting for this afternoon to "touch base". We have been hiring a lot lately due to increased work so I was pretty sure I was getting a promotion. Well, I was way off! They just wanted to check and see how school was going and make sure that I was still taking on as much 'extra' work as possible. I was made aware that I will "never be fully replaced" as in I will always be in the position I am now, I will just have more responsibilities then all the others. I don't know what to sat about the whole thing. I worked myself up for a huge disappointment. Sorry I know it isn't great news!
Anyways. I am way of course. I have eaten out everyday for the past 4 days and made horrible choices. I wish I could say I want to go home and make a salad but all I feel like doing is sinking into my pajamas and curling up in front of the TV. This is not the Monday I was thinking it would be.

I forgot the best part!!

Rosie will have a matching (yes, like twins) dress!!!!

That was the biggest seller ;-)

I may have found it!!

Ignore the look on my face, I was listening to the lady talk about the dress... What do you think?

Good News or Bad I'm starting to get Anxious

So earlier this week I told you I have some stuff going on in life and at work, well the story continues. Some news I received yesterday puts me in a tight spot, I will either be very happy next Monday or EXTREMELY disappointed. I can't share too much about it right now, I really have no idea what to expect until I get there.

As for life, Dereks parents are coming to town this weekend, it will be great to catch up with them and I am hoping Dereks Dad can help him with small small repairs around the house while I am dress shopping with his mom.

My eating has been better this week. I had a high day on Tuesday with the awards dinner but I was so full all day Wednesday I only managed to eat about 15 points. I tried on a few pairs of pants I haven't been wearing (because they are "winterish") I will have to go and buy some pants that fit better, these all just fall off my butt and it is so unflattering. The top I bought a few weeks ago is pretty loose (it is sleeveless) I swear it was tight when I purchased it. I may go to see if I can exchange it for a size smaller before the wedding in two weeks.

Well, not much planned for this weekend. I am hoping to get some painting done around the house and get a head on some homework for the month. I might even start a new book, we'll see!

Hope everyone is doing good and has wonderful weekends!!!

One person can make an impact

I have been blessed in life to have 2 very loving, caring and spiritual sets of grandparents. Last night was a reminder to me about the type of people they are and the type of person I hope to become. My moms parents were honored with a dinner and award from the Archbishop of our Archdiocese last night for their spiritual faith and giving in their lifetime. This Legacy of Faith award has only been given to one other person in our history, so it is a huge honor. When Archbishop Flynn called for my grandparents up to accept the award my grandfather had prepared a small speech. Most people would expect for him to speak of how they were pleased to except this award, how they understand the needs of our Catholic Community, etc... NOPE, he spoke about the Community, how they have made this foundation what it is and never once spoke of himself or my grandmother. He concluded his speech with a very simple and modest "I still can't figure out how this happened, but thank you very much"...that was it. All credit to the amazing contributions and support he has given to make this foundation what it is was ignored. I was amazed by his modesty and pureness when accepting this award.
Anyways, both my mom and dads parents have given so much to the community and I hope that I too can find my way to support the community that has raised me so that it remains a beautiful place to grow up. It was so great to hear stories about my grandparents from all of their friends we don't see very often. They are very private and it means so much to me to have these stories and memories to pass on to my kids.
I know it is Wednesday and it is my WI day, let me just say, I have been off plan. Not horrible, but totally not tracking and not stressing over each bite. I am maintaining and I am fine with that. Once this next week is complete I will get back to tracking. The dinner last night, BTW, was amazing. I have never had such creamy potatoes and the grilled vegetables were just right. I did manage to only take one or two small bites of the chocolate cake thank goodness I could stand up by that time and walk away from it, I haven't had something taste so creamy and so rich and so to die for in a LONG time.

My ethnic weekend

Well, let me tell you I had good intentions with my eating this weekend, but stress overcame my good will. Friday night I ate loaded Texas fries and tacos with my sister and Rosie. Saturday I had Italian for lunch and Mongolian for dinner and Sunday I finished up my leftovers for lunch and ate frozen leftovers for dinner. I feel sick today, bloated and completely exhausted. I don't know what has gotten into me. I just have so much on my mind right now I can't even think healthy. I did get a great lunch packed for today and we went to the store last night so it should be easy to get back on track for the rest of the week.
Like I said on Friday, we have A LOT going on right now. I can't share too much right now, but it is all good news. I should be able to update you all next Monday!!
Hopefully this week flies by for me. Dereks parents are visiting this weekend and I am excited to see them. I haven't seen them since the engagement and I really didn't get much of a chance to talk to them.
Lesson learned this weekend. Andrea and I can share an appetizer and that will be plenty. I do not need a full order of Kung Pao Chicken for myself, the kids size is plenty! Lastly, cleaning the house is rewarding and only takes about an hour one morning.

Just a quiet night in blog land!

I was swamped today so I am just now getting onto blogger to catch up on all my friends. I checked in on Amanda, she is probably resting and getting no sleep because she is too excited about vacation. Mandy is totally rocking Atkins and I am so proud to hear she is back on track! Steph, I haven't heard an update, but I will keep watching. Everyone is just quiet today, maybe the weekend set in early!
Well, as I said the good Lord is watching us and I am proud to say life is going "too good to be true". On a side note I talked to one of my best friends today and he said, which made me smile "you've been through so much it's about time things start to fall into place, you deserve it!" I smile everytime I talk to him, how lucky I am to have such strong supporters. Anyways, I don't want to spill the beans yet, but things are really starting to "just fall into place" I finally sat back and let God do his thing and guess what, I am couldn't be more please.
Alright, I'll be back I need to go spend some time with my pillow. E-mail me, I am lonely over here in MN!

Big Decisions, and WI

It's Wednesday, which means my WI day! I was DOWN -0.4 lbs! I know, not much, but for how close I am to goal I am just excited that the scale is still moving and not sitting at a plateau! I have 3 lbs. to lose to get there and my current rate is about .5 lbs/week. I should be there early November, just in time to do a little holiday shopping!
We haven't put an offer down on the house yet, but we are both feeling good about it. I was a little stressed about it, but I really feel that if it is the right thing, things will just work themselves out on our own time.
Life is pretty crazy right now. I am approaching midterms (can you believe it) so I have a lot of extra reading and studying. I have been busy trying to wrap things up on my current project at work, as we are approaching close-out (aka...heart attack season)! Derek is facing a large front at his work. Due to his episode last week he will not receive his CDL from the state, which means he will more then likely be let go from his job. We have thought about bringing this to court as it is discrimination against a disability, but Derek has been stressed with his job and we both would like to keep that at a minimum. He will probably start looking at other options this week to see what else is out there not requiring the CDL.
Well, I better get some work done. I have my first exam tonight in my Wednesday class and I need to get done early so I can study!! Later!

Here I am!

I'm sorry it has been a few days since I've logged on. We had a busy weekend. Derek is doing well, his numbers are making sense again and he is back to working. He is under a lot of stress with his job since the incident last week will keep him from being certified by the state, but we are looking at his options and we will make the best of it.
I haven't slipped up to much on the WW front, although the scale hasn't been budging either. With everything going on, I am just oping to maintain this week! We spent most of the weekend chasing little Rosie around the house. My sister and her husband had a wedding all weekend so Rosie stayed at our house! It was so great and I miss her being around already.
I have a couple big meetings coming up at work in the next month, so hopefully I can keep my stress levels to a minimum.
I did get a lot of sleep this weekend, it's never enough, but it helped and I am ready to get this week wrapped up. On a crazy unexpected note, we are looking at a house and thinking of putting in an offer. It is so scary and I am horrible with big decisions like this. I can't pick out a simple wedding dress so how do you expect me to pick out a house that I will invest more money then I have ever had in my life on?? We found a small farm style home about a mile from my parents and I am totally in love. The price is right, just a few concerns with the lot drainage. I wish I knew more about residential construction, for now I am just praying things work out as they should!
We finally got out and looked at some possible reception sites for the wedding, I officially knocked one out of the running because the lady was a total B*TCH to me, excuse my language, but come on!!! We still have one site to look at and hopefully we can come to a decision.
Alright, that should catch you up on this Barbies life for a while, I am out of here! Take care and have a super OP day!!!

3 nights, no sleep...

Well, last night was another night of no sleep for us. Derek's BG was normal most of the day, he checked it at 9 when he gave himself his PM Insulin before bed. He was very tired so he agreed to try sleeping in bed again, but with the TV on. I figured I would not have difficulties falling asleep since I really haven't had a good nights sleep since Saturday night. I was wrong. We both tossed and turned. I was awake almost every 30 minutes checking to make sure he was okay. He was awake almost every time I woke up. Around 2:30 he woke me up and said he was going to go test, when he didn't come back to bed I got worried. He was sitting downstairs eating a package of cookies, his BG had dropped to about 40. He insisted that he was okay and got his levels back up to about 60. We didn't sleep the rest of the night though, he wanted to sit up and watch TV.
Today he has two assignments 1. Rest and relax 2. Make an appointment with the specialist. I am at work, and he is at home alone so I am a little anxious to hear from him. Assuming his levels stay good today he will go back to work tomorrow. I think he is ready though, he needs to feel in control of his life again and that will help him. All this stress and worrying is only making it worse.
Anyways, I promise my blog will be about weight loss again soon. Actually WI was this morning and although I was a little nervous to see I got on the scale this morning...123.6!!! Down -1.0 lbs!!! That means I am only 3.6 lbs. away from my goal! WooHoo for that!
I want to get back to thinking about the wedding. If Derek is up for it on Saturday, we have appointments to tour a few reception locations, yeah!
Okay, have a great OP day, and thanks for the continued support!

Just an update...

Well, I am at work today, although I don't know why. I am starting to realize just how much we have just been through. I am exhausted and we didn't sleep much at all last night. Derek didn't want to go to bed and you could tell he was almost afraid of falling asleep...I can't blame him. The little we did sleep was necessary though.
Dereks GL has started to get back to "normal" for him, although he was higher this morning then usual. Hopefully today will go well and we can get back to life. Derek and I have decided after this incident that we will begin working with a nutritionist that specializes in Diabetes. I know we both have a lot to learn and hopefully it will make him feel less frustrated if he can get things to even out a bit.
I'm not sure if I posted about his ankle yesterday, but when he started to come out of the reaction he tried to stand up because his legs "felt funny". Due to the poor circulation in his legs during the reaction, they had gone numb and when he stood up he had no strength to bear his weight. His ankle took the weight and is now the size of a softball. He is having troubles putting weight on it, but is trying to be a trooper because he wants to get things back to normal. I am going to take him to urgent care tomorrow if it is still hurting this badly.
I was up a pound this morning from last WI, my official WI is tomorrow. I know I have a lot going on and frankly it is the last thing I am worried about right now. I have been watching what I put in my mouth and trying to make good decisions. I'll be back tomorrow with an update though.
Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers, we both appreciate it as this has been one LONG week already!

Police, Fire and Paramedics...oh my!

I'm posting late today, but I'm posting and I need this, I need you guys...sorry this is going to be a vent.
I woke up at about 3:45 am this morning to Derek sitting straight up in bed with a staring blankly at the wall in front of him. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't respond. I thought he was asleep at first, so I tried to wake him up. When I turned the light on and noticed his jaw jerking and him continuing to stare at the wall, I started to freak out. I ran down the stairs to get cookies and juice but couldn't get him to drink anything. He just sat there with a blank face. I called 9-1-1 and continued to try to talk to him until the police showed up.
Two police officers were the first to arrive on scene. Once they got upstairs, Derek had snapped back into "our world" and was able to respond to them. We got him to drink some gatorade and the fire EMTs showed up. As the fire crew was taking his blood sugar the paramedics pulled in, a total of 6 strangers were now in my bedroom and I was sitting there helpless in my pajamas. The first test showed his blood sugar as "low" meaning it was below 20 and wouldn't register on the machine. The paramedics gave him a gel that has high levels of sugar and would hopefully jump his levels. Whithin 45 minutes it was back in the 60s and the paramedics felt he did not need to be brought in by ambulance. He ate a peanut butter sandwich (heavy on the PB) and we watched his levels rise for the next 2 hours.
When he finally felt well enough to get ready I drove him to urgent care. The interesting thing about diabetes is that the doctors have no correct answer. Every person is different and the medications will have different effects on everyone. We have no idea what set the reaction off. This is the first reaction he has had in the 17 years of being Insulin dependant. What we do know is that he was very fortunate to have taken the reaction so well. The paramedics that answered the call had never seen someone with these low of levels respondent. Had I not responded or not heard him wake up they are certain he would have gone into seizure stage or a coma. Thank god for the medical team that responded so quickly.
Anyways, I am still shacking inside. I think back and think what if I didn't realize what was going on. Is he under too much stress with work, school, wedding, etc...? It also makes me look at how fast we are living our lives, we need to just enjoy everything for once. I am already planning on the next degree I want to work on and I still have an entire semester left on this one! I am so tired of searching for the next promotion, I just want to enjoy everything we have right now! I don't even know where I am going with this blog. I have a sick man to look after though, and we need to check levels in a couple minutes so I am out of here. I will check in with everyone tomorrow, say a prayer! M

T.G.I.F.

I know, real original! I am so glad it is Friday though, I am exhausted. I have help at work today though, so that is nice!!! Hopefully the work day goes quick. I have a lot of homework to get done this weekend and about 4 new recipes I want to try out!
I am starting to get back into the school grove, although it is difficult to keep up with the reading. I think Derek is working late tonight, so maybe I will get a good start on it this afternoon.
I got all my points in yesterday, although not the best choices and I can feel that my energy has been very low lately. Hopefully I can get back into my normal eating habits this week. I am also hoping to get in 1-2 good workouts this weekend. I really haven't been running in almost a month and it is a huge stress reliever for me. Hopefully I can get a nice one in tonight or tomorrow!

Here is the menu:

Day 2

Morning WI: 123.6

B - Alternate Bagel (1)
B - Laughing Cow Light Cheese (1)
L - Apple (1)
L - Carrots (0)
L - Sugar Free Pudding (1)
D - Turkey Sandwich (8)
D - Yogurt (1)
D - Fiber One (0)
S - Poptart (4)
S - Light Cheese (1)
S - WW Chocolate Cake (1)

Total Points Used: 19/19

Gooshy Goo, I am in love...

Yes, I know you all must be sick of hearing me gush over my man, but I just can't help but be totally in love. I still have a lot going on in my head regarding my situation at work, and I broke down this weekend. I just have no faith in my future here. I know that it is what is best right now, until I finish school, but I just don't know after that. Well, I have been looking at future opportunities and have a few favorites, problem is...they are in Florida, Texas and Nashville. What's the problem?
I can't imagine being that far away from my little superstar! It just won't work. So anyways, I wake up this morning after a horrible nights sleep, get dressed, grab my purse, my lunch, etc... and head out to the car. I start digging in the mess that I call my purse and feel an unrecognizable object. I look in to find a wooden jewelry box, inside a note and a diamond necklace.

"You are the world to me, even more. You can retire today, you have my
heart"

Okay, I never said he was a poet! It definitely cheered me up though. And I have been wanting this necklace for a VERY long time, so am happy about that.

On another note, you can blame Strawgirl for this one!! Halloween is coming and guess who is going to be the cutest Fairy Princess ever???

Ohhh...I am so excited, I love the tights and I really want a pair for myself! She won't keep the little hat on, oh well!!

Okay, last thing, I am posting my menu, don't yell at me, I know I need to start eating a better lunch, and I promise I will!!!

Day 1

B - Alternate Bagel (1)
B - Laughing Cow Light Cheese (1)
B - 1/2 Cup Fiber One (0)
L - Apple (1)
L - Small Clementine (1)
L - Carrots (0)
D - Spinach Dip (7)
D - Tortilla Chips (5-7)

Total - 18/19
Morning Weigh-In: 124.5

Wow, talk about going crazy!

So I was really excited about my WI this morning, I got on the scale, saw exactly what I thought I wanted to see...124.5!! I'm thinking "YES" I am down a pound, at least!!! NOPE, got to work to sign onto WW and realized that my WI last week was 124.6, I only lost an ounce! Oh well, I am still excited about it. This means that I am officially under the 125 mark (my original WW goal). I still would like to get down to 120, so back to tracking.

I have been a horrible eater since school has started, seriously...I am talking 4-5 points during the day and then eating a rice krispie bar or a slice of pizza for dinner. I haven't tracked on the weekends, but continuing to eat reasonably. It seems like we haven't been home much on the weekends, I think I might try to make some crock-pot meals so we are forced to stay at home. We are both getting excited to start planning, okay, maybe I am excited and he pretends really well!!

On another note, the idea of wearing a BM dress has influenced a couple of my good friends. One of my best friends is joining WW!!! Hooray, I am so excited for her. She wants to loose about 20 lbs over the next 6 months, totally possible. This is my friend that works with me and goes to school with me, I am hoping I can help her with ideas, etc... My sister is also working to loose some weight before the big day, although she isn't very focused. I am trying to send her recipes and ideas to make it a little easier, but they live a very different lifestyle then I do (eating out 2-3 times a day).

My mom and dad are both on a South Beach plan. My Dad has lost almost 50 lbs and the doctors have said his diabetes is 100% under control!! My mom has lost around 20 lbs. and had to buy new jeans!!! This is very exciting for her, she was always very thin during my childhood, but when her MS took a turn for the worse she was no longer able to move around or cook for herself. My Dad has started to cook her breakfast in the mornings and set out fruits and veggies for snacking during the day. They went from eating out 6-7 nights a week to only eating out 1 night per week!!! I am so proud of them both and it means more then I can tell you to see both of their health improve.

Well, I am off to read up on all of you. Have a fantastic OP hump day!!!

Nightmares...

I had my first nightmare about the wedding last night. In my dream I had neglected to hire a photographer for the wedding, forgot to rent a reception hall and hadn't arranged to have ushers at the ceremony. I was crying and we decided that we would just cancel and have a re-do the next weekend. Random, I know!

I do have a couple updates though!! We set a date!!! We are still waiting for our confirmation in the mail, but they assured it was open. January 3, 2009 is the big day!!! It's not quite my New Years Dream wedding, but it is close and it will be beautiful. I am starting to get anxious and the fact that it is still 15-1/2 months away is just DUMB!! Oh well, plenty of time to change my mind right???

Anyways, I have been wanting to tell someone about this so badly, but we are trying to keep it quiet to surprise our parents. So, shhhh don't tell anyone! The local jeweler that Derek purchased my ring from has a special line of jewelry that is designed and manufactured for a cause, all the profits are donated to Breast Cancer research!! You all know how important this cause is to me and the fact that Derek went out of the way to include this in purchasing my ring means the world to me. Anyways, Derek brought me into the jeweler this weekend to show me the wedding band that he had designed from this collection. It is a thicker band with princess cut diamonds and pink sapphires. Hard to explain, but it is gorgeous and very fitting. I can't wait to tell my Dad, it will mean so much to him. I am very excited about supporting this cause in planning my wedding.

On the WW front, I am still OP. I hate to sound boring, but with school I have no other choice. I have my lunch bag packed everyday with the right amount of points and there is no opportunity to snack. The weekend was a little relaxed, I didn't count points, but I really didn't eat a lot and everything I did eat was low in points. Hopefully the scale reads a little closer to goal tomorrow morning!!!

I don't want to loose this feeling...

This weekend was...great, wonderful, no...marvelous! I got a lot done and even managed to relax and have some fun. Friday night Derek and I went to the Twins game, we managed to stop by Old Navy before hand because I have been wanting to get there to get a few pairs of jeans. I found my jeans and a few other items on the clearance rack that I have been wanting so yeah!!!
We ended up calling it an early night and left during the 7th inning. I had a migraine setting in and the lights were making me sick.

I had really good intentions of getting up early on Saturday to work-out before going to my dress fitting, I ended up sleeping in and getting some much needed rest. The dress fitting went excellent. Every dress that she brought in looked wonderful, I managed to get my favorites down to 5 from 25, I will go back in a couple weeks and try all of these on again to see what I like the best.

By the time I got home Derek was needing to get out and do something, so we went to the mall so I could find something to wear to his best friends wedding in October. I have had my eye on this bustier like top from White House Black Market, but tend to stay away from form fitting tops like that. Well, I tried it on and it looked, FAB! I loved it, I felt like a million bucks. Derek must have liked it too, he grabbed it and payed for it before I even finished trying my other choices on!! It feels great to finally spend some money on new clothes. I have been holding off, but I finally feel like I can spend the money and show off the new body a little!

Saturday night we had a house warming party for one of Dereks college friends. I hate going to things like this, I never know anyone and I always feel like the outsider. Well, I must have had a high from the dresses and new clothes, because I walked in there and felt great, I talked with people I never met before and didn't feel one bit uncomfortable, I was just myself.

About halfway through the night a lot of the old college friends started to show up. I had made friends with a couple of the "significant others" and we were in the kitchen talking, while everyone else was outside or in the garage. A girl, who I recognized from pictures, walks through the door and immediately starts running her mouth. "I don't know any of you...where is everyone? I thought this was a party"...etc... Another old friend saw her and told her most of the college group was outside. She asks "is Derek here?" (my ears perk up) the other girl responds "yes" and the girl flips, throws her purse and beer down on the table as she runs, screaming "Oh, MY GAWD, where is MY Derek, I love you so much, come here..." I sit back and watch as I throw up a little in my mouth. Derek saw her coming and dodged her trying to kiss him with a hug. Now, I have learned to be patient with girls like this, when Derek was in college he had a lot of both male and female friends, he also had a steady girlfriend the entire time. He tends to be too nice to his female friends though and lets them push him around. His best bud tells me that Derek would be asleep or out with his ex and these girls would call in the wee hours asking him to drive them home or cry to him when they had fights with their boyfriends. Many of these girls thought/think they have some control over him. Well, things have changed, he has a little more confidence and he doesn't really talk to any of them anymore. He handled this one fairly well, after the awkward hello, he turned and walked her up to introduce me. I got a pretty evil once over, which made it hard to hold in the laughter just wanting to burst out. She went off to catch up with other friends after that and Derek went back to man-land, aka the garage. The girl manages to get completely smashed within 15-30 minutes and moves out to the garage area where she stands over Derek's chair. The group I was chatting with had moved out to the fire at this point and Derek kept making gestures at me to come over to the garage. I couldn't see what was going on, so I finished up my conversation. As I walked towards the garage, this girl sees me and decides her feet are tired...she sits her fat ass down on Derek's lap...BAD DECISION! My first thought...I have an enormous rock on my left hand that would leave a nice little reminder on her face. Derek must have been reading my mind, he stood up almost instantly when she perched herself on his lap and said "hey, let me get you your own chair" which he set up on the other side of the garage and sat back down with me on his lap. We stayed for about 5 more minutes and made an exit before things got ugly. Everyone was very annoyed with this girl and the owner of the house even stated he had not invited her, that she was not welcome. We learned from him on Sunday that she tried to hit on almost every guy there, including his uncle who had brought his wife and three girls with him to the party. I may have been a little irritated with the girl that night, but I am certainly not upset about the situation, just reminds me how lucky I am to have him all to myself!

Anyways, I have a million other stories and happenings from this weekend, but this is getting way too long already. I am ready to stay OP this week, hope you are all doing well and having a great OP morning!!!

[[[HUGS]]]

Eat Auntie!

Having this cold is making it easy to stay OP this week, actually I have barely been eating. I have been tracking and I am hitting my minimum, but just barely and a lot of it is comfort food (soup, rice krispies, hot chocolate). I am finally feeling close to normal, just in time for the weekend! I am going to cook some and make sure I am getting in all my essentials (fruits, veggies, protein, dairy) for next week.
My sister, one of my best friends and I are going to try on dresses tomorrow. I am excited, I hope I get a better idea of what I want. We are going to a place that sells the dresses that bridal shops had on their floor for brides to try on (so they can decide if they want to order one) they are very well taken care of and cleaning and pressing is done before they come to this store. Anyways, the profit from these dresses goes to Breast Cancer research. Most of the dresses are sized 8-10 and are marked way down! Honestly, it isn't about the savings for me, what a great cause!! I love this idea, so I hope I find something I LOVE!
I have a couple other exciting things I am working on, but I need to get a final word before I can tell you about them!! I hope everyone is doing great and OP! Have a wonderful weekend!

Running myself to the limit...

WI this morning...I am down -1.9 lbs!!! What does this mean? I am less then 5 lbs away from my goal!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!
I honestly have no idea how I am doing this because I haven't been tracking, other then in my head all week. School has me busy though so I am exactly on plan and I have no time to snack. I haven't really had time to work-out so maybe once I get that started again I will get to goal by the end of October! I thought I would be up this morning because I am expecting Aunt Flow to visit this afternoon. Hopefully the scale wasn't lying, but just in case I am going to stay off for risk of going crazy.
Anyways, this cold has gotten the best of me, I am seriously running on 'E' today. I can barely sit up at my desk and my nose is so tender from wiping that I couldn't even wash my face in the shower this morning. Everyone keeps telling me to go home, but I know that if I do I will just get more stressed out, because I have so much work and homework to get through today. I think I might take-off a little early and go to the coffee shop on campus. They have big sofas there and I can relax and do some reading before class.
On that note, I need to get stuff done so I can get out of here! Hope everyone is wonderful!

Congested.

I woke up with a case of the blahs yesterday. Scratchy throat, congested, hot and body aches...since I don't have any vacation time left, I pulled myself out of bed and got to work early. I didn't get much done between blowing the nose and coughing, but an emergency meeting kept me at work an hour and a half late. Since Derek was in class, I met up with my sister and Rosie and we went over to Davids Bridal.
Yes, I tried on a couple dresses. No I didn't find ANYTHING that I liked. How is it that I am a consistent size 4 in jeans yet I would need a size freakin 10 dress??? I felt like a whale in every dress she put on me. I thought I was happy with my weight, but I guess I still need some work. Derek put together a new weight program for me to do that concentrates on my back, arms and stomach. I was concentrating on my legs and stomach before. I know I need to work on everything, but with school I can only get so much in. Now it is my job to get the work-out done! I would like to start with getting it in 3x a week along with an hour of cardio 3x/week. Once this semester is done I will be able to do more!
My head is so congested I am not even thinking straight. WI is tomorrow and I am not concerned. I have been using the crockpot almost everyday and eating leftovers for lunch. It makes things really easy when I am not home. I feel like this cold is beating me up inside so I will be happy with whatever that metal devil says, I am just concerned with feeling better.
I need to catch up on all of your blogs so I will update more tomorrow!

Thoughts...

I got so motivated to get stuff done this morning that I completely forgot about my blog...not my blogger friends though! You guys are so fantastic, I can't tell you how much the comments and emails meant to me yesterday. I know I need to take time for myself and relax, I am going to try that this weekend!
So I had one of my keystone courses last night and I can tell already it is going to be one of those classes you just get everything done so you get it finished. The professor is very...interesting... it seems he thinks his ideas are new and exciting, where most of the students are thinking, oh great another one! I don't think the class will be overly difficult, but will take up a lot of the free time that I do have. We are required to conceptualize, design and model a public structure that is worth over 100 million dollars in 14 weeks. We are put into teams of 6 people (he picked them) and who do I get put with 5 guys. I was immediately selected as the "writer", I don't mind because I love to write and would write either way. They all want to design and build a sports stadium. As great as it might be, I am just not really excited by this sort of building. I suggested a community center, a hospital, and a few other things but I must not have very good ideas. We have one week to decide so hopefully I get some input.
Work is a little better today. After my blog yesterday I spoke with my manager here on-site and it felt good that he and I were on the same page with everything. I did look at a few new companies with open positions. The problem is that I would like to stay in MN to finish my graduates degree but if I moved to another company it would need to be out of state, there is too much conflict with the fact that my current company is my family business. For now, I will stay put and finish my last year in school and see what happens.
Thank you EVERYONE for your prayers and thoughts, I am working through all of this. The one good thing that comes from being this busy is I am not home enough to snack on all my trigger foods. I have a meeting this afternoon and by the time we get home the slow cooker meal (recipe to come) should be ready to go!! WOO HOO for easy eating!
Well, I will stop in over the weekend to check up on everyone. Stay OP out there. Love you all!

Going to that place...

I realized yesterday I am headed to a place I don't want to go...a place I've been before and I don't need to go again. I've got a lot going on, a lot on my mind and it's all starting to get a bit overwhelming. I've dealt with deep depression before and I can feel myself heading in that direction.
I am fed up with my job. I am putting in 3 - 15 hour days a week and am still being told it isn't going to be enough. I have more experience and more education then several of the managers, yet I am being passed up for promotions one after the next. My reviews are good, the managers I work with tell me I am doing everything right and deserve the promotions...still, nothing. I am taking on more and more work trying to prove that I am capable, but it is burning me out and I am less motivated now then I have ever been in the past. I am starting to get worried that I am not going to make it. Arghh...what do I need to do. The only advice I have received that makes any sense at all is to start looking for a career with another company...if this one doesn't want me, someone else sure will!
I am exhausted. It seems like no matter how much laundry or dishes I do there are always more. I know this is the case for everyone, but I am not handling the chores as well as I should. Derek tries to help out so much around the house, but he is in class 3 nights a week as well and homework takes up much of his free time. Hopefully we can get a schedule worked out that will keep us both sane!
I'm not sure how much I have said about my dear BIL to you guys, but if I have said anything at all you know I can't stand the guy. He is like a 3 year old in a really ugly 28 year olds body (sorry, that was mean). He treats my sister and my family like carp and thinks he is better then EVERYONE. Why does he think this? Well, because he uses my sister and spends ALL of her money on material objects. For instance a convertible that she bought now has some 30,000 in upgrades and she is no longer ALLOWED to drive it! There house has everything you can imagine and he makes sure to point out everything to us whenever we are over. They have top of the line EVERYTHING. I know I sound jealous, but I honestly get so upset with all of this because he does this and then treats my sister like a spec of dirt. He tells her she needs to loose weight, tells her she doesn't do enough, refuses to do anything for Rosie or his two dogs and expects her to take care of everything. He complains he has to work TOO much, but when he was offered another job, turned it down because he wanted to stay at his current high school job. He makes my sister feel bad if she doesn't buy him everything he wants and he cheats the system to get bigger and better whenever he can. The guy is slum and everyone that meets him sees it immediately. One of my best friends has met him twice (5-10 minutes each time) and can't stand him. Why am I letting all of this out here? I can't say any of it to my sister. My parents can't stand him, but feel that it is my sister that needs to figure it out herself. I am screaming inside my head right now. If I could I would punch him in the face!
Okay, I am getting to worked up and I need to concentrate some on work. I am doing well on the diet front. The scale was still reading 125.5 this morning so I am happy and I think a little shake up in my menu and increase in daily calories is just what I needed!!
I will be snooping around today, hopefully my bad mood doesn't reflect in my comments, I apologize if it does. Have a great OP day everyone!!!

The scale doesn't lie...

So last week I blogged about how low my calorie intake has been over the past month or so...well I finally did something about it and guess what? I am down -1 lb. today at WI!!!! I couldn't believe it...I only got one work-out in last week and a couple walks and I lost!!
This week I am going to try to get in a couple more work outs, I am trying to take it easy on my knee since it is still swollen (yes, I have made an appointment). Derek made a weight training schedule for me so I will try to complete that 3-4 times each week.
Well school is in full swing and what I thought would be only 2 15-hour days is now 3 15-hour days. I will leave my house around 5:45 am and get home around 9:00 pm. I do get about an hour break in between work and school but most days I will be stuck in traffic for the majority of that. Hopefully my prior experience will make these classes seem easy!
Today has been a long day already and I've only been here 5 hours. I got a call from a retail shop owner that claims I have ruined his life. How? Well he explained to me that since we closed the street to bridge over the new tower to the existing building he has lost a lot of business. Now I do feel bad for the guy, no foot or street traffic has a straight shot to his store anymore, but really, there isn't anything but a parking ramp on this side of the closed street. It seems like he is looking for reasons to complain and maybe gain something. I shouldn't assume this, but really the end result would open the hospitals main entrance directly to his store (it currently is on the opposite side of the block)...what is there to complain about. Our construction crew has been asked to use this store if they are purchasing snacks or sodas during the work day, but honestly, most of them think the place looks "sketchy". I have been told by several of them not to go over there unless someone is with me...I just can't feel too bad for this guy! Anyways, he yelled at me for a while and all I could say was that I apologized for the inconvenience and that luckily we are on schedule to have the street back open early October. Oh well!
Not much else going on here. I hope everyone has a great OP day!

Getting into the Groove!

School starts back-up today. I'm not sure how I feel about it though. I love being in school, but it means 15 hour days and that is always hard on me. Somehow Derek and I managed to schedule our classes on opposite nights, when I have class he is at home and when he has class I am at home. It will be nice to have time to study alone but I will miss having him there to tell me I need to get on the treadmill or to count my reps with my weight training. We will make it work though.

I don't know what happened this weekend but it feels like I didn't get ANYTHING done! We had a Twins game Friday night. Saturday I went to lunch and shopping with my sister and Rosie. Sunday I had a going away party, and Monday we went to the State Fair. I really didn't think much about food this weekend. I ate when I was hungry and I made healthy choices with what was available. The scale wasn't up or down this morning so hopefully I see something tomorrow. At least I know I can maintain, right?!?

Well, I guess the engagement has set in...I am in planning mode. I spent a good portion of my weekend (this may explain why nothing got done) with my head buried in a pile of "bride" magazines. Nothing is in concrete but it did help to get an idea of what sort of reception places I can look at. The wedding is at least a year and a half (if not longer) away, but I am anxious for the planning. My sister had a planner made for me, it is personalized with our picture and everything...I will try to get a picture of it...very cool idea for a newly engaged couple!

Anyways, IT'S TUESDAY! I feel like I am a step behind already this week. I have so much going on at work, I will update you on all of that soon. For now, keep your fingers crossed I see SOMETHING on that scale in the morning. Hope you all have a great OP day!