14 1 Year Blogiversary!

Stop the presses...what did that say? A year? Has it seriously been a year since I started this blog?  Yes it has!  So I thought to celebrate, I'd attempt to make my first vlog!  Soo here it goes!



Thanks again, I really do appreciate each and every one of you and your comments.  They make me smile and inspire me to do better!

PS: I never realized how many expressions I make while talking! Haaaa!
PSS: Please ignore my lack of editing, and the lovely car scenery!

14 Snip Snip...time for a change

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a few weeks now.  Since the beginning of summer, my hair is almost always in a ponytail.  And since I have been running more and therefor sweating more, its really been more of a hindrance then a joy.  So I made the decision on Friday to take the plunge and get it chopped off.  I also thought, hey while I'm at it why don't I color it again?  Last year I had a carmel color that I loved and thought, well even though it doesn't feel like it, fall is just around the corner right? So let's go a little darker.

So I called my aunt, who I am lucky enough to also be my stylist and we set something up for Sunday night. I was really nervous all day Sunday, like am I doing the right thing? It's finally gotten long again and now you are wanting to cut it all off? Will you regret it...is wearing a ponytail every really that bad?  The answers to all three of these were a resounding YES!  Just do it chicken.....you need a boost!

So here is how I looked at 6 o'clock last night....catch ya later Goldilocks!

And by 10 o'clock I was....hello sweet carmel!

It looks a little darker this morning, especially around the top of my forehead, but it will lighten up a tad this week.  I couldn't be happier with my decision...I feel so much better.  What do you think...too short or too dark? It matches my eyebrows pretty nicely so I'm thinking its just right!

Amazing how liberating a change like this can be...I feel like I am refreshed and ready to go! Happy Monday everyone!

4 Saturday Cell Phone Mosiac

Compared to last Saturday, yesterday was pretty boring. It was almost 134 dgrees outside when I got up at 8:15 so I opted not to go for my run when I let Emma out and almost couldn't breathe.  Worried me a little after my Thursday night freak out, so I didn't want to overheat.  Instead stayed inside and got caught up on my cleaning and organizing.  Watched a movie in the afternoon, Pirate Radio which was pretty good.  Ran to the market at the end of the day to pick up a few things for dinner tonight.  I'm getting my hair cut and having dinner at my aunts place, so I'm bringing dessert and some texas caviar.  Hope you all had a good weekend!

Click on the image above to scroll thru each picture.

28 You Capture - B&W Pittsburgh Style

This past Saturday, we went to Pittsburgh.

We stopped at the Duquesne Incline to get a look at the skyline.

In these things.  This is how we would get up the incline to look at the city. 

Not too bad, just a slight incline, right?

We walked over to the stairs and I was loving all the rivets on the platform.  

Classic chunky steel rivets.

We walked up the stairs, under all the vintage lights.

 I loved the glass cages around the lights,

made it look like it was meant to be captured in black and white.

Be careful stepping into the car, watch your step!

The inside of the car was really warm beautiful old wood 

that had carried friends and families up the incline for years.

It looked pretty steep once you actually were in the car. 

Oh my tummy wasn't going to like this.

But once we got to the top, the view was amazing.  

There were so many bridges in Pittsburgh and it seemed like each one 

had a different shape and color.

Then to the right were the skyscrapers, and of course a few more bridges.

I like the incline.  Me and it could be good friends.

10 Weigh-In Wednesday

Good Morning friends...happy hump day!  Time to step on that scale and see how badly my splurges of the last week hurt me.  I mean come on, let's be serious...I know it's not gonna be a loss this week. I mean, did you see what all I ate last week?  Yeah, not expecting a loss.

Loss this week: +1.75 lbs
Total loss for challenge: -3.5 lbs
(23% of my goal of losing 15 lbs this summer)

Well, I have to admit that isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but still not happy to have to jot that I gained almost 2 lbs.  Especially during a time when I'm in a challenge where I could win some mega moolah to take to Chicago in September.  Back on track and fighting to have all that gone and then some by next week.  Lots of it is probably sodium anyway, right? (wink wink)

I did start C25K W4 on Thursday....and got thru the whole thing!  Sure I was a little winded at the end of the 5 minute segments, but it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I started to do day 2 on Monday, but when I went for my run last night, I ran into a skunk and deer so only got a mile done, so not counting it as day 2, rather it was day 1.5.  Pending the rain stops by this evening, I will finish Day 2 tonight!  It feels soo good to be running longer and longer intervals.  I'm still not close to running a mile straight, but I'm at about 1/4 mile so I'll get there.

*Thank you all for the prayers for my Grandma and her heart cath last Thursday.  She didn't have to have any stints put in this time and she doesn't need surgery!  Just needs to get some cardio in to get her oxygen levels up.  Otherwise she looks good.  So thankful!

12 True Confessions Tuesday

My true confessions this week doesn't need words...although I will give you some highlights.  The pictures will say a thousand words. Let's just hope they don't put a thousand pounds on the scale this week!

Birthday Dinner...Seasame Chicken and Chicken Lo Mein. With a  Pepsi...or two.

 

Birthday Dessert...Strawberry Golden Oreo Blizzard. I highly recommend this, it was awesome!

Friday's dinner....buffalo chicken sandwich, french fries and a tall Bud Light. Oh with a side of ranch for dipping.

 








Saturday's Lunch....Primante Bros Black Angus Sandwich.  Drool.

Saturday's Snacks....fudge samples from Cabela's.  Favorite was the Carmel Praline...or the Carmel Nut...or the Chocolate Nut...or the Lemon Pie.

Then I was thirsty from all the fudge, so I needed an Icee. Cherry.

Saturday Dinner...All the Way Pizza from our favorite local pizza place. With Sweet Tea. Oh and cheesy garlic bread.








Wow...no wonder I felt bloated this weeknd...that's more unhealthy stuff then I've had in a long time.  But I had a good time during all of it, so I'm not beating myself up, just stopping the cycle before it becomes normal again.

2 Saturday Cell Phone Mosiac-Pittsburgh Edition

It was a fun Saturday, we headed to Pittsburgh for the day.  It was a beautiful hot sunny day and it was nice to spend it with my hubby, cousin and hubby's best friend. I had been thru Pittsburgh and visited a friend once who went to the Art Institute.  But never really partook in actual Pittsburgh city stuff.  It was fun! We hit Primantis, Ikea and then stopped by Cabela's on the way home.  Good day with my peoples!
Take a look into my mosiac and it'll be like you were *almost* there with me!

8 this and that

Good Morning! Happy Friday friends! I hope you are ready for the weekend...I know I am .  What a week...phew I am exhausted. Mentally and Physically.

Started out with a doctors appt on Monday afternoon, to which the news was just keep plugging along and we'll check again in 6 months.  Could have been worse news so trying not to get discouraged.  Then it was my Birthday...didn't really do much, had to work and then got Chinese takeout and I enjoyed a small Strawberry Golden Oreo blizzard instead of cake.  OMFG it was awesome...so freakin' good!  I could eat one of those every day.  But I won't. But I could, just sayin.

Then yesterday morning my grandma had to have another heart cath done.  This is the third one she has had done in the last 2 years, both other times she had 2 stints put in.  But this time, her results came back good and she didn't need anything done.  Thank you Lord!  The dr did say she needed to get a little more exercise to get her O2 levels up some, she tires so easily.  But she is 78 years old, so she needs to just take some nice walks and do some cardio things, instead of trying to do heavy yardwork and moving furniture like she has been.  She's a strong woman, mainly strong minded and isn't liking the fact that her body is slowly down and getting tired quicker.  So she is home and ordered not to do anything including drive until Sunday, just rest and catch up on her talkshows.  That lady loves Steve Wilco or whatever his name is...its her fix. LOL.

I started week 4 of the C25K plan last night, and amazed myself with 5 minute running segments...and I didn't puke!  That is awesome and I'm so proud that I went for it instead of sticking with the week 3 schedule I was comfortable with.  Not sure yet if I will do day 2 tomorrow or Sunday morning.  You see....Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day and we will be leaving our house kinda early.  We are heading to Pittsburgh!  I am so excited, we have been talking about this for a while and decided to make it a birthday celebration trip!  So we plan on hitting Primante Brothers for lunch and then going to IKEA!  I haven't been to IKEA in probably 5 years!  Got some birthday money I want to spend...just not sure what I "need". So for the first time in a while, my Saturday Cell Phone Mosiac should rock!

Google reader is full, so I will hopefully get caught up either tonight or Sunday.  So if there is anything I NEED TO KNOW right now, please let me know...I haven't forgotten you all, just had to push you aside for a lil bit.  Hope you understand.  I know you will, cause you are great peeps like that.

Have a wonderful weekend....hope you are doing something fun! 

22 Happy Birthday to Me

Good Morning friends. You read that right...today is my birthday. I turned 33 today...wow where have the last 3 years gone, seems like I just celebrated turning 30 yesterday!

Let's get the piddly stuff out of the way, the weigh in for this week.  Not so good this week, but I had a good loss last week so I'm not too worried about the ebb this week.

Loss this week: +0.5 lbs
Total loss for challenge: -5.25 lbs

It's gonna be a tough weekend, we are going to Pittsburgh and will be partaking in some not so healthy food, but its a birthday celebration so I'm not too worried about it.  I will be burning some calories walking around IKEA, so I'm pretty excited about that exercise.  Am taking a day off from C25K today but will pick up again tomorrow.  

Keeping with a tradition that I started last year, I took my birthday picture to compare my progress over the last year.  Not as much change from 2008-2009, but do you notice any change? 

 I looked back to my journals and as of this morning, I am actually 12 lbs heavier then I was at my last birthday!  12 lbs!  Wow...I didn't think it was that much of a difference but the old blog posts don't lie.  Looking at my pictures, I feel like my legs are smaller but I've lost a little definition in my waist.

Last year I I was doing the 30 day Shred and this year I'm turning into a runner and am ready to start C25K Week 4. Last year I was still on birth control and this year I am in the midst of Operation Babybug.  Last year my heart was heavy without my mom, this year it is full because of the memories of her singing birthday phone calls. Last year I was just new to Shrinking Jeans and rarely knew any of the Sisters.  This year, they have become real friends and have been so supportive and uplifting as I continue my journey to being the best ladybug I can be! 

My blog has become such an important part of my life, and I am blessed to have such good women in my life to help make it thru those frustrating days.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.  You have helped to make it a great year...and I know the next one will be even better!

{Oh and if anyone is interested, there are a few things left on my birthday list. (Picnik Premium, 50mm prime lens, new wardrobe of workout clothes, and some IKEA giftcards to use this weekend) mkay, thanks!}

8 True Confessions Tuesday

Deep breathe....here we go, time for a little soul cleansing.

• I was really scared Friday night with my dizzy episode. I haven't been scared by a headache for a really really long time.
• I have accumulated several glass containers from yardsales to create my perfect mantle and now have no clue how I am going to integrate them all together.
• I did not feel like runnnig would be beneficial to my head ordeal, so I didn't exercise at all this weekend.  
• On top of that, I had pizza and regular soda on Saturday night along with my salad.  Hey at least I got my veggies in.
• I wanted to make some homemade caramel popcorn but resisted.
• One of our orange fish died on Sunday.  She had been the sickest one a few weeks ago.  She seemed better but must have just not been able to beat it.  RIP little momma.
• As if that wasn't enough pond drama for the day, the tube leading up to the upper waterfall sprung a leak so we had to stop using that until we get it repaired.  This means less filtering for the time being. Suck.
• I ate a single with cheese and med fries from Wendy's yesterday on my way to the dr. It wasn't as good as I remembered.
• I did manage to stay within my calorie count even with a huge lunch.  Go me!
• I wanted to stick my tongue out and crunch my nose at all the pregnant ladies in the doctors office yesterday.  Sorry but I did. Just out of jealousy, not because of them personally. Note I didn't know any of them, I am not jealous of my pregnant friends, only pregnant strangers.
• I finished C25K W3 last night and with the exception of being really hot, my legs felt good and I didn't have any side pain.  Was really surprised since I hadn't exercised since Thursday.
• I am scared to start the next level on C25K.  Like REALLY REALLY SCARED!

Ahhh....that kinda feels better, anything you want to share?

6 Saturday Cell Phone Mosiac

So it has been one heck of a weekend!  And not in a good way at all. Friday evening started with us picking up Subway for dinner then doing some laundry.  I had been sneezing all day long, so my allergies were in overdrive. I started searching for some ideas for home improvements and before I knew it, it was almost 9:30.  So I called my Grandma to check in with her and took my contacts out and took an antihistime and got my pj's on.  Well by the time I got back downstairs to put the last load in the dryer....i felt like I was going to pass out.

I literally felt like the left side of my head was pulsing and like I had just stared at a bright light, you know when you see a black glow.  Then the right side was kinda pulsing like someone was doing jazz hands or something.  All the time a slight migraine thump was going on.  So i laid down and hoped it would pass.  Felt like I was going to yak.  Hubs was worried and thought about taking me to urgent care or something, because it wasn't like a normal migraine and i felt really dizzy.  It didn't go away, so after laying there for a bit, I went up to bed to lay down in the dark.  Hubs got me a wet washcloth.  Something wasn't right.

I laid in the dark kinda drifting in and out of sleep, he came up later and gave me some aspirin.  I eventually fell asleep and the pulsing stopped. And I didn't get out of bed until 11 the next morning.  My body needed sleep. It had been a crazy week at work, and with the allergies and sneezing, I think my body/mind just went whack for a bit..  But I'm better now.  Thank goodness I woke up normal today, yesterday just felt like a long recovery from a drunkfest or something.  But no, just a wild night of Subway, Laundry and looking for doors on Home Depot.  Woohoo....overkill heh?

So anyway, long story short, Saturday wasn't all that exciting.  So this may be the shortest and lamest SCPM ever.  Sorry, it's all I got.  Hope you all had a great day and are refreshed for the week.  Gonna be a busy week for me. Got a very important OB appt, my Grandma is having a heart cath, and I'm turning another year older.  Whew...buckle up it's gonna be a busy week.

13 Weigh in Wednesday.

Wow, it’s Wednesday already? Gotta love those short 4 day workweeks! Time to step up and see how my actions and reactions have affected the scale. Didn’t really have too many ocnfessions this week, didn’t drink any of the white Russians I made for the guys this weekend, only had 1 hotdog each time we ate and counted for all those points. Even brought my low-cal buns to our family cookout. Hey, every 50 calories count!

Loss this week: -1.75 lbs
Total loss for challenge: -5.75 lbs

So flippin excited! I haven’t seen a loss like this in a few weeks, so I am thrilled. I have been watching my intake, tracking everything. Well almost everything. I didn’t track on the 4th of July, but only had 1 drink and one serving of banana split dessert….om-friggin-goodness, whoever invented that should be blessed!

For those of you who are wondering, I did try out my new Lands End swimsuit I won from Shrinking Jeans this weekend…even got in the pool! It was awesome, but I will save those details for an upcoming post!

I am continuing my C25K training, and last night completed W3D1…which included 3 minutes of running…twice. And I did it! I was really nervous, especially since I hadn’t run since Saturday morning. I got to the halfway thru the first 3 mins and thought, ok half way there. I did it….and felt good. I was winded, but didn’t have any pain.

The next 3 min run started just as I crossed my driveway, so I knew this one was going to be tougher. And it was. Half way thru seemed much longer the second time around. I kept looking at my watch, 1 minute left….30 seconds left….15seconds left…4 seconds….BEEP! Done! And you know what…I had made it almost ¼ mile in that 3 minutes! Rock on! I was thrilled, exhausted but thrilled. I just had my 3 min walk to finish it and then walked the rest of the way home, making it 1.5 miles altogether.

So I am still excited about C25K, my legs feel great this morning, not nearly as much pain as I had the first few weeks. Hope tomorrow treats me the same way…I can’t believe I did it on the first try! I am right on track with the C25K plan. Looking forward to continuing on….and hope to be able to kinda keep up if we go for a run when Bari and Brooke come to visit next month!

10 Happy Birthday Emma!

Yesterday was my little girl's 7th Birthday! 

We got Emma when we lived in San Diego, a gift from my father-in-law.  He had her mother, Tinker.

She was 6 weeks old when we got her, so tiny and adorable.
I had no idea she would melt me like she did.

She is part of our family and we are so blessed to be her human parents!

We spent the day lounging on the couch and enjoying each others company.  She loves to lay on my lap, it's her favorite place to be besides laying in front of the door enjoying the sunshine.

She has grown into such a wonderful dog, scratch that, she is so much more then a dog.  

I hope you never have to feel pain, sadness or being alone.
Here's to many more birthday's little girl...you truly are the sunshine of my life!

*Please send big puppy prayers to Fritz (Mel's newest family member) who is having big health problems right now and is fighting but in a lot of pain.  Emma is praying hard he get's better.

5 Cell Phone Mosaic

Happy 4th of July everyone! First day of a three day weekend, and it was beautiful outside and should be for the next 2 days! Off to enjoy a cookout with the family today and hopefully check out my new swimsuit. Have a wonderful day!

Click on the image below to walk thru my day.

Go check out what Ace and friends did to fill their Saturday.

7 cancer sucks

Cancer sucks.  I hate it.  All types of Cancers. They all can suck it. 

Right now my anger is directed towards Brain Cancer, particularly the tumors that have come back and are causing my Aunt Debbie troubles.

This is my Aunt Debbie.  She always has a smile on her face .

This was taken last weekend, when my cousin was home from St. Louis. 

She underwent brain surgery again a few months ago and has gone thru another round of radiation and chemo to help stop the new tumor from growing. She is at home and my Grandma has been going over to keep her company and help her up and down the stairs since she has been having more trouble walking and keeping her balance. They have lunch and play cards, and times when her husband is on second shift, they will watch some TV before Grandma makes sure she gets upstairs safe and puts her to bed

Grandma says she is loosing more of her memory and not remembering stuff even from the day before. This breaks my heart.  She was doing so much better and now seems to have fallen even lower then she was with the last set of tumors.

I guess that she has fallen a few times lately, including last night while getting some water from the kitchen.  Grandma went to help pick her up but wasn't strong enough.  So after trying to reach a few of my aunts and uncles, she called my cousin who stopped over and helped get her up in a chair.  Thank goodness he was able to stop by.  Grandma is 78 years old.  She can hardly lift herself out of chairs sometimes if her legs hurt her, but she will try everything she can to help out her daughter when she needs it. And there are a few family members that are there in a heartbeat and stop in and check on her from time to time. But I'm afraid that she might need more help, someone there all the time that her husband isn't home that can take care of her if she falls or starts to have any issues.  Grandma can come over for hours at at time, but she can't be there 8 hours a day, everyday.  Although she would try to in a heartbeat.
 
I'm trying to find that place between trying not to worry about the toll this is taking on Grandma, she just got over pneumonia last week and is constantly tired because of all the running around and stress and has to have a heart cath on 7/15 to see if there are any issues,  yet be understanding that this is just her way of trying to help the evil beast that is Cancer by doing anything she can to help make my aunt forget about the cancer for a few hours.

I'm also trying to find that place between wanting to grab my cousin and shake some sense into her 22 year old head and say 'Your Mom isn't going to be around forever, maybe not for long at all, and I know you get frustrated with her because she can't do the things you think she is able to do, but you need to realize that the roles have reversed and she needs you now more then ever so you should stop by and spend time with her every.single.day' yet be compassionate that this is her way of dealing with the sickness, as wrong as I think it is, it's not my place to judge.  Just because I've lost my mom, and I live with regrets of how I may have not treated her respectfully at times, does that give me any right to want to try and let her see that light while she can still do something about it?

She is a true example of a Miracle.  First diagnosed in 2006, she has fought the battle like a warrior and amazed her doctors with her recovery.  That is until they found another tumor. Then the battle began once again.   Please let her Miracle continue, it's not fair. Cancer sucks.
I hate it.

26 You Capture-Hands

These hands are over 80 years old.
These hands were in World War II, spending most of the time in the ocean on a Navy PT boat.
These hands helped to raise 4 children, and sadly had to pass one of them up to Heaven many years ago.
These hands still tend to flowers and drive lawnmowers to help keep his piece of this earth beautiful.
These hands are proud, and are filled with stories and life lessons, that we are lucky enough to enjoy if we just take the time to listen.

I love these hands.