Happy Fall Friday!

Did I tell you about the housekeeper??

Did I tell you that I hired a housekeeper? I have been wanting to call her for about 2 months. I had convinced myself that I needed to completely clean the house really, really good then give her a call to start cleaning for me. Well, last Thursday I decided enough was enough and I was just going to have to bite the bullet and call her. Our whole family is on the go so much I could not find the time to clean the house really good. So, I called and she came over that same day! The house was at its very worst -so now I have nothing to be embarressed about if she comes and it is messy. The first cleaning took place this week. This was a very deep cleaning and she will be coming every week. I got all of the laundry caught up -- I don't know the last time that was the case! Having 5 people to wash for can back up quick. Since I work from home the majority of the time the messy house was driving me NUTS!

So much better, that is how I feel. I cannot tell you the relief this has given me. I can go to Hunter's footbal practice and stay to watch and go walking without worrying about all the stuff I should be at home doing. I tell you my microwave is so clean its almost like I just got a new one! lol So, this has definately been a positive move for our family. Even though I have to fork out some dough....it's what works for now.

Last night I broke down and ate 1/2 of a medium french fry from Burger King. rrrrrrrrrr Other than that I have been doing well and drinking my water. I am not going to beat myself up about the french fries though because I have been making really good choices since July compared to the choices I used to make. I have to admit I would like to lose this weight a little faster, but progress is progress. My clothes are all getting very loose and I am loving that! You know how this weight loss road is though -you want everything instantly.

Sounds like that is enough of my rambling for now. I hope you have the best weekend ever and the scales are good to you. We have the high school football game tonight, Hunter's football game at 9am Sat, and racing on Sat night. See why I need a housekeeper!

Another Two Pounds -- GONE!!

********TWO POUND LOSS THIS WEEK*********
I am so excited - I have lost 2 pounds since 9/16! I have not been taking Alli. I went walking last night and have been doing better with my water intake today ~Yeah me!! Just 2 more pounds to lose to reach my goal of losing 6 more pounds by the end of this month. That means I need to lose 2 pounds in five days. Might or might not be possible, but you can bet your boots I'm gonna try! Have a good evening:)
KEEP ON LOSIN' IT ~~ WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Unbelievable...

This story I am about to share is for me unbelievable. I have had my Yorkshire Terrier "Miss Rosie" for 8 years now. She weighs just a little over 4 pounds. We all love her very much. When she was younger she was as hyper as a dog could be. The little circus dog as my friend would call her. Anyway, I have tried numerous times to breed Miss Rosie and was not successful. Then, I really had just given up because of her age and I would never want to breed her and it result in harm to her because she is a little older now.

Last night Brittany (my 16 yr old daughter) had two friends spend the night with her. This morning they had to wake up bright and early to attend another All You Can Eat Pancake Fundraiser at AppleBee's to raise money for Brittany's trip to the Capitol One Bowl. Several times last night they thought they heard a noise and could never figure out what it was. As soon as they woke up this morning they heard the sound again. Armed with a flashlight Brittany and Stephanie looked under Brittany's bed. Still, they could not figure out the noise. Brittany got a hanger and was moving it back and forth under the bed and Miss Rosie came running out from under the bed. Stephanie then took the flashlight, looked under the bed again and said, "Brittany, I'm not sure if these are rats, gerbils, or puppies"! Stephanie took a closer look and discovered they were indeed PUPPIES!!!

Now, we also have a female Shih tzu in the house. So, now we were all excited and trying to figure out who was the momma for sure! Both Miss Rosie and Daisy (the Shih tzu) sensed our excitement and became as excited as we were! I looked at Daisy's belly and found that it was not her as she just still had her little fat belly. I then looked as Miss Rosie and there were her little teets!!!!!! THE PUPPIES ARE ROSIE'S BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had to go to Hunter's football game and then Katelyn and I came home to get the babies from under Brittany's bed. Miss Rosie was so excited and I must admit I was overjoyed:) We got them all settled into a special little bed and all is well. Miss Rosie is such a good little momma just as we always knew she would be. Now I owe all of you pictures of the dresser and of Miss Rosie and our new babies!

Unbelievable...

Fall...

I must admit I am soooooo ready for fall weather. I am ready to see the leaves changing colors and falling from the trees, the humid weather to disappear, and to walk out in the morning feeling the crisp autumn air. Fall is a wonderful time to go camping. Not that we can fit that into the schedule around this house right now:( There is a corn maze about 30 miles from our home that we have never made it to yet. It would be nice to visit it this year. We'll see if it works out. The weather here in East Texas is still reaching about 91 degrees daily, huh. It must come to an end soon.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. A lady I work with sales antique furniture and she is trying to get rid of some of her furniture because the place where she has her shop set up at is closing. Two weeks ago she offered to sell two antique dressers to be for $125.00 each. I told her I would think about it and if she sold them before I got back with her then it was not meant for me to have them. Well, Monday she told me she will sell them to me for $87.50 each!!!! I am so excited. When I get them home I will have to post a picture and show you. They even have the original mirrors.

I did a good job with my eating today. We went out to eat for supper. I had two plates of salad with all veggies and no dressing (they had no fat free or low cal), Southwestern Baked Catfish (although it was smothered in cheddar cheese). I only ate half of the fish....IT WAS DELICIOUS!! I drank quite a bit of water today-could probably drink a little more before going to bed for the night. I have also been drinking green tea. I did not go walking tonight.

Walking...

I went walking with a friend this evening while Hunter and Kenny were at football practice. We walked for 1 hour. That is the longest I have walked since I started this weight loss journey. Now, I may have pushed it a little bit with my arthritis, but I am proud that I stepped it up a notch. It was easier to walk farther since I had someone to talk to. As soon as I started focusing on being tired we would start talking about something and side track my thinking.

I did OK with eating today. I have no idea why, but I have been so incredibly hungry all day today. Therefore, I ate more snacks (although they were low fat choices) than I normally do. I have not been that hungry in quite awhile. I did manage to drink plenty of water today.

I took Katelyn (my 13 yr old daughter) to the dr today. She hurt her knee this weekend at her softball tournament. She has fluid on her knee and inflamation. She got a steriod shot, prescription of prednisone, and 400mg IB Prophen. She also has to wear a knee brace on both knees (the elastic type). She is going to have to let it rest in order to heal. But I did not have the heart to pull her from cheering at the Homecoming game this Thursday night. So, we talked with her sponsor and worked it out.

Need Another Weekend!

What a weekend and I think I need another one! This weekend went by so incredibly fast. Hunter won his first football game, made his first run down the track in a Jr Dragster, Katelyn played a great game in her tournament, Friday night the band and color guard performance went very well, and we had dinner at my brother's house tonight.

I must say I am really proud of myself this weekend. I did not eat from the concession stands at all this weekend, drank lots of water, made very good meal decisions, walked between games at the tournament yesterday, and I went to the park and walked 2 miles today! I am so stinking tired right now. Hope I can lose at least 1 pound this week although I still have 4 pound to lose to meet my end of the month goal. I'll keep my head up and see what happens! Have a great week everyone ;-)

2 Pound Loss This Week

********TWO POUND LOSS THIS WEEK*********

Am I excited you ask?? You better believe I am. That was 2 pounds lost and I was not taking Alli. I am so happy, I am so pleased, but I am so busy with work. So, I gotta get back to work -I just wanted to share my excitement. Just 4 more pounds to lose to reach my goal of losing 6 more pounds this month!

Have a great weekend...

and KEEP ON LOSIN' IT!

Just for the record those are not my feet on this scale - just a picture I found!

Just Got Home

Well, I have finally made it home for the day. I made pretty decent choices for food today. Did not drink near enough water. I will work on that tomorrow and I will make sure I take plenty to the ball park this weekend.

I saw a lady this evening who had a baby maybe 8 or 9 months ago and she has lost all of her weight. Yesterday I saw someone who has a 6 month old baby and she must be a size zero. Now, don't get me wrong I don't want to be a size zero by any means. It does make me wonder though how the weight seems to come off so fast for some people. It can just be so darn frustrating when you know you are really working hard and lose maybe 1-2 pounds per week and there are other people who have pounds falling off of them right and left. I do know there are alot of women in my area where I live that are taking Phentermine, which causes them to lose 10 - 15 pounds per month. Now as much as I like the sounds of the fast weight loss I do not want to chance the health risks. Back about four years ago I took the Stacker 2 with ephedra and the pounds fell off. I did experience alot of rapid heart beat. Live and Learn.

Well, I really need to go to the grocery store...we are down to the bottom of the pantry. Don't know when I will fit that in to the schedule. I did manage to go get my hair cut between errands and practices tonight. Have a great Friday!!!

A Wonderful Break in the Weather!

Oh, how wonderful the weather was today in East Texas! It was a much needed break from hot weather and extremely terrible humidity. Brittany has come down with a cold and not feeling to well. So, I figured hey wonderful weather outside and a child under the weather inside---I need to make Chili. So, Chili it was for supper. Very good if I do say so myself ;-)

As for as food today I have done a decent job. I had a protein bar for breakfast, soup for lunch, protein bar for a snack, bowl of chili, one cup of coffee, water (still drinking as I type), and I think that is it, oh and a glass of rasberry green tea. I have not taken Alli this week, looking so see how I can do on my own. Who knows....we'll see.

Friday night is homecoming for the high school. I have to go pick up the garters that Brittany and Katelyn ordered for their boyfriends. Katelyn cheers at the JR High game tomorrow night, but we will not be going as it is almost 2 hours away and on a school night. Friday night I will help the band boosters serve a taco salad dinner. Hunter has his first football game on Sat morning at 9am, Brittany has drama practice at 9am, and Katelyn has a softball tournament Sat and Sun, and the football game on Friday night after serving the meal for the band boosters. Hope I don't forget to show up where I am suppose to be! CALGON .....TAKE ME AWAY!

In Memory of September 11, 2001

A Good Day

Today was an all around good day and busy at that! My scales read the same thing when I got up this morning and the 1 pound loss from yesterday is still in effect....YIPPEE! I did good with my eating today and drank a good amount of water. I did not get to exercise because Katelyn had a volleyball game this evening and it was raingin anyway.

I have not been counting my calories closely enough, but I have been counting the fat. Stupid as it sounds, sometimes it is all to much to count and keep up with during busy times of the month at work. I know it is well worth keeping track of it and I must start keeping closer tabs. Especially if I would like to lose 6 additional pounds this week. Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday and an even better rest of the week.

Oh and by the way, I got stung by a wasp this weekend on my little baby toe. I tell you, I must be the biggest baby 'cause that skinny little thing sure did hurt!!! Now my foot is just itching like crazy and a little bit swollen. Nothing like a little pitty party...

At A Loss...Of Another Pound!

That's right, I have lost 1 pound this week!! My official weight loss total since July 23 is 14lbs. My goal by the end of this month is to lose another 6 pounds. There is only three weeks left in this month, but I am going to gice an all out effort to meet this goal. I am very satisfied with my results this far. I would love to see a week that I would lose 2-3 pounds, but as long as I am consistanly losing a pound a week, it all adds up in the end!

It amazes me when I think of how completely effortless and easy it is to gain weight compared to the battle to take the pounds off. If only this worked in the reverse. I guess for some people it does. I remember, before I had children I could eat like there was no tomorrow and never gain a pound. Well, those days are long gone and yes, I must think about everything that goes into my mouth before I eat it. That is the life I have now and I will be the winner in the end!

Food For Thought

Here's what my food intake has been for the day so far:
power bar
cup of coffee
water
2 Taco Bell Grilled Soft Taco's Fresco Style (14grams of fat)

Not sure about supper tonight. We have a football game at 7:30. Last week I managed not to eat a thing from the concession stand and do not plan on it tonight either. Have a great weekend!

Garage Sales

I have always loved going to garage sales, but have not been in a really long time. Mom and I are planning to go this Saturday morning. Hopefully we will have some luck! When we went to my in-laws this past weekend my mother-in-law gave me my old exercise bike. It had been a garage sale find a couple of years ago and it is still in great shape. I plan to get back on the bike tomorrow and get busy.

I went walking just about 15 minutes this evening. Considering I was under the weather yesterday I did not want to push it to much. I will go into work for a while in the morning. My Alli is now all gone and I will be purchasing a new bottle tomorrow. I feel it makes me very cautious of what I am eating and do think it has aided in my weight loss. Have a great evening!

Valentino (the cat) & His Trophies!

If Valentino (our outside cat) brings one more of his little trophies to the front door I am going to scream! Last week, my husband Kenny asked me if I had seen this very (and I mean Very) big rat outside our from door. As many times as I had gone back and forth taking the kids to practices I had not seen it until he pointed it out. We could only assume Valentino had killed it. Low and behold I walk outside to go check the mail this afternoon and there is a fat black furry thing laying at the foot of the steps with Valentino standing next to it looking at me proudly. Now, as happy as I am that he is killing the things I DO NOT want them at the front door scaring the daylights out of me! Oh well, I guess if that is all I have to deal with today things are good!

Just got the word that the races are cancelled for the weekend in Prescott, AR due to the rain forecast. Looks like I will work on sanding the kitchen cabinets more and maybe go to some garage sales. The girls are going to be disappointed about the races:(

Stomach Virus

Yuck, stomach virus. I got some sort of aweful stomach virus and could not sleep most of the night Tuesday. Felt horrible yesterday and managed to work until around noon. I then collapsed in the bed until this morning. Thank goodness I am feeling so much better than yesterday.

I ate 2 slices of wheat toast for breakfast this morning and I am about to eat a Lean Cuisine for lunch. Not sure about supper just yet. I was out of power/protein bars this morning as my kids have started eating them too! They really seem to like them and hey, it's better than a candy bar. I have not exercised since Tuesday and have to get walking today.

Thank God For Today

I almost titled this blog "Just Another Day", but as I was typing I suddenly felt bad to call such a wonderful blessing "Just Another Day". Yes, today was your typical day in my life but God did bless me with waking up this morning. I went through the normal motions of getting ready this morning, dropping the kids off to school, going into work until around noon, going to Lowe' to pick up more sand paper, returning home safely to work more from home, picked Hunter and Brittany up from school, again arrived safely, cooked supper, sanded a couple of kitchen cabinets, mowed the front yard, watched Big Brother and managed to eat correctly. And here I was going to call this post "Just Another Day". I think sometimes I take for granted the small ways God works in my life. I don't mean to, just all the running here and running there to get things done I sometimes lose sight of the little things. I thank God for the day I was given and my wonderful family.

My meal choices for today included a protein bar, a Wendy's Jr Hamburger (no Mayo), ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce and spaghetti noodles, and a bowl of salad with FF dressing. I have not drank quite enough water today and I am still working on this as I type. Hope you all had a great weekend and the blessing of waking up again tomorrow!

Down 1 Pound!

Yep, I lost 1 pound this week! So nice to see progress. I have almost finished my first bottle of Alli and I will be purchasing another bottle soon. Yesterday I got some of the Cheerios with Yogurt cereal and I really like them as just a snack with no milk.

We went to the first high school football game last night. Brittany is in Color Guard and Katelyn is in the band. They did really good at their half time performance. Their theme for their half time show this year is Grease and the Color Guard's uniform is like the Pink Ladies. They looked really cute! We won our game and got home around midnight. We were up bright and early this morning to go to a fundraiser we were having for Brittany and her two sponsors. Brittany was chosen to perform at the Capitol One Bowl this holiday season with many other Color Guard members across the US. We had an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast at AppleBee's. We will plan to have another one in the next couple of months.

We're off to the movies and to eat. Hope you all have a great weekend and keep on losin' the pounds!