Wedding Season and a NSV

Hello fellow bloggers.  I hope the summer heat hasn't got you down!  It is finally not over 100 degrees in my neck of the woods and I couldn't be happier :)  I have been the energizer bunny for the past week and it will continue into September if you can believe it.  Sometimes I can't even believe it. 

On Friday night we had a wedding recpetion for our friends who got married in Jamaica in March.  It was a lot of fun!  We danced and did the photo booth (which I can't wait for at our wedding) and saw some old friends.  Saturday I had a garden party at a co-worker's house followed by a pub party at my future in-laws house.  They built and English pub in their backyard.  It is very lovely and everyone had a great time.  My family also came, so it was a nice time to have a mixing of teh two families.

This week Ron and I are interviewing wedding photographers.  There are some really talented people in the Twin Cities, so it has been hard narrowing down our list.  We met with someone yesterday whom we really like a lot, but I feel like I want to interview at least one more person to be sure.  Afterall, this is a large investment and is something that we will have and will look back on for the rest of our lives.

This weekend Ron and I are headed to Duluth for a very good friend's wedding.  I am very excited to get away on a mini trip and to spend time with friends that I haven't seen in far too long.  Wedding season is definitely in full swing and I am just trucking right along and dancing my way through each one.

Weight loss keeps coming!!  3.3 pounds down this week!  Woo-hoo.  I had a GREAT NSV moment this weekend when several people noticed my weight loss and commented that they can see my waist starting to get defined.  Haleluja!  This weight loss thing is starting to look good on me.  Literally! :)

Sorry the pictures have been sparse lately, I am fixing my camera, but it will be done this week and I promise I will give you some pictures to go along with all of my adventures!  Have a happy and healthy week! :)

Hot, hot, hot

Happy Tuesday.  Is it swealtering hot where you live?  It has been like 100 degree with high humidity and disgusting dew points and I am over it.  My hair is frizzy.  I am sweaty and gross.  My clothes feel sticky.  I don't like it when it is super humid and hot.  I am a firm believer that you can only complain about one season.  I choose to complain about the summer.  I am a polar bear and I should probably move to Alaska. 

Our power went out yesterday early in the morning, so I was excited to get to work and get in the A.C. When I got to work I noticed that the air was out.  BAAAH.  8 hours working in the heat.  Pass.  So, I decided when I got home I was going to put my swimsuit on, fill the bath tub with cold water and sit in it until I was cool again.  Luckily when I got home the power was restored and my house was cool as a cucumber.

Okay, moving on... enough of the ranting about the weather.

I have been a work out champ the past few days.  Moving non stop from sun-up to sun-down and feeling great!  Eating has been good, could be better and will get better. I am really liking being active though and I am staying committed to that right now.

2.3 lb loss this week.  Keep on trucking along... :)

Yard Work=Therapy

I was in a bad mood the last couple of days.  Some things happened over the last couple of days that left a sour taste in my mouth.  I have been working through it and trying to move on, but it was bringing me down.  So, I decided last night that I was going to "work out" my issues.  I hit the gym and had a nice work out and then I came home and worked in my yard/garage for 2 hours.  I was sweaty and dirty and gross when all was said and done I honestly felt better. 

I haven't had a lot to say the past couple of days, because they probably wouldn't be very optimistic, but I decided that I was wasting my time worrying about it and that I needed to just let it go, so I have.  I am moving forward past this issue and hoping that it doesn't come up again.

I have a weekend filled with no major plans and a lot of little things to check off of my to-do list.  I have some exciting posts coming up and I am working on all of them.  That is all I have for now.  Short and sweet.  It is raining here right now and I think rain makes me sleepy and quiet. 

Murica: A Weekend Recap

We had a 4th of July party on friday with some friends.  It was aptly named the "Murica" party.  I decorated the house and we had a whole feast of food.  It was a lot of fun and Ron and I were happy to entertain.  The weather got a little sour for awhile (as seen in photos below), but we didn't let that take away our fun!  We also had a crabby neighbor complain that we were too loud at 10:15 when we were just standing outside with sparklers.  Ugh, can't win them all I guess!?

Window view of the Red, White and Blue theme.

Kitchen decked out for the 4th.

Uh oh, this doesn't look too good.

Rather ominous if you ask me...

Dark meets the light.

The party must go on. This is Kelsey one of my MOH's

Deutsch and Hilary two of my BM's.

Tomorrow's post will be healthy related and then I will be on hiatus again until Sunday night.  I am going to the cabin for th rest of the week/weekend.

Happy 4th of July... a little late.

Hello everyone.  Hope you had a great 4th of July.  Mine was very fun filled with plenty of family, friends and fireworks.  We had some friends over on Friday night for a little get-together, which was a lot of fun.  We BBQ'd during a storm which was interesting to say the least. 

I am back at work this morning and I am sun burnt and feeling like a zombie.  We got home from being up North at my sisters cabin at about 10:00 after sitting in the sun all day and swimming, helping them pick up rocks from their beach, etc.  I was pooped.  I put aloe vera on, took some ibuprofin and passed out.

I apologize for being somewhat MIA last week, however I was working extra hours to make up some lost time and getting ready for the weekend.  I announced the winners of the Target cards and then forgot to contact them, so I am doing that this morning.  I also got an award from a fellow blogger, so I need to take time to talk about that.  Plus, I need to tell you all what the 5th of July (which is today) means to me.

Robin over at the blog For the Love of Me gave me a "You Inspire Me Award".  How sweet is that?  I love it when people take the time to recognize someone that has really made an impact on their healthy journey.  It is awesome! I will take some time to pay it forward soon!  Thanks again Robin!  I really appreciate it!



The 5th of July is the day after the 4th of July.  For many people it is pretty insignificant.  It means going back to work or the end of vacation for many people.  For the last five years today has been a day of reflection for me.  A day that reminds me of new beginnings and also of shortcomings.  It reminds me of how far I went, how I fell back, how far I have since come and most importantly where I am headed. 

On July 5th, 2006 I started a weight loss program that changed my life.  I lost nearly 75 pounds in about 6 months working with a dietician, behavior specialist and personal trainer.  It was hard, EXPENSIVE and worth every penny.  I went to Italy for 6 months that January and I felt healthier and happier and ready to take on the world.

While I was in Italy I only gained 10 more pounds back, which is good considering we ate our weight in bread, pizza and pasta.  I came home wearing the same clothes that I left in and that felt really good.  In a matter of a few months that would all start to change. It was the summer that I turned 21 and we spent a lot of nights at the bars drinking and eating fast food afterwards.  It was unhealthy and the pounds slowly started to creep back on. 

I am not going to spend too much time today thinking about how I wish that I would have kept the weight off and would have kept going with the journey that started on July 5th.  I have spent a lot of personal time dwelling on this and thinking long and hard about what worked and what didn't.  I spent the better part of 3 years knowing that I made mistakes and thinking, "if only I would have kept the weight off." or"if only I could lose the weight again, that would be great."  I am done with that.  I am moving forward never forgetting about July 5th, but also not spending anymore time feeling sorry for myself about my progress.  I am just moving forward and making new progress.