A list of things I need to catch up on in the blog world:
1. School
2. House
3. Trip
4. Matt
5. Chris
OK...
We're in our second month of school. The first day/week was great. I kept comparing this group of students to my kids from last year and thought that there was no way they'd steal my heart like my group last year. I was wrong. My class this year is such a loving group. Most of them LOVE to read AND write. I'm enjoying having my own room to be creative. My students are making wonderful gains and I can't wait to see where they go. Since I'm not teaming this year, the day goes by so quickly. Last year, I taught half the day and the other half I spent helping, grading papers, etc. This year, from 7:50-3:40, I'm on the go, non stop. I'm truly enjoying my job, my students, and parents.
Joey (Matt's Uncle) started painting our house about a month ago. It was a light tan with ugly dark brown shutters and front door. I'll post pictures as soon as it's COMPLETELY finished. We picked out a gray, with dark blue/black shutters and a red front door. It looks SOOOO much better. I'm so excited with our choice! Yesterday Joey came and installed the gutters. We still have to finish the walkway, put up the railing on the front porch, and fix the garden area.
Matt's still on 3rd shift, and will be for who knows how long...The other night we got into the discussion about having a baby. He begged me to stop my birth control. In all honesty, I don't quite understand why he wants a child so badly...I really don't. Isn't it normally the other way around? Personally, I am enjoying Matt and April time. I like coming home to Matt and Ethel and not having to worry about anything else but us. I like being able to go and do as we please and not have to worry about a babysitter. As we were talking, I was trying to make him see my side. We've only been married ALMOST a year, and even though we dated for 8 years prior to getting married, this is a different experience, and I want more of it before we add kids to the mix. We kept talking and a light went off in my head. I told Matt, "You work 3rd shift. We don't know when you'll get off of 3rd shift, if ever. How am I supposed to wake up in the middle of the night with a kid and be expected to go to work? Matt would sleep all day while my mom watched the baby, then I would pick the baby up and go home from work, feed the baby, put the baby to sleep, then Matt would wake up. How fair is that??? Not fair at all. I'm not even ready for that and I'D be the one doing all the work." I'm exhausted just thinking about it all! So-babies aren't even a thought at this point in my life.
October 10 is our 1 year anniversary. This year has FLOWN by. It has been a special and fun year. I made Matt something very special and can't wait to give it to him :) With Matt's new job, he works mostly 7 days a week. Last weekend was Labor Day weekend and he got 2 days off. We took advantage of it and left for Atlanta. We went to the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. We booked a room at the Westin. We wanted a good view of the city so we asked if we could stay on a high floor. At first, we were on the 49th floor. After a long day at the aquarium and coke place, I was tired and had a little bit of a headache. We ate lunch at the Varsity and then checked into our hotel. We had a beautiful view and could even see Stone Mountain. I decided that a little nap would probably help my headache. All of a sudden we hear a dog barking. I thought, "No...you've GOT to be kidding me." We ended up going to the 70th floor where they have a restaurant called the Sun Dial. We weren't going to eat there because it was SO expensive. We went up there simply for the view. We got up there and soon decided that we didn't care how much it would cost, we wanted to eat there. The neat thing about this restaurant is that it slowly rotates. It takes an hour to make a complete rotation. It's the best view in Atlanta. We made reservations for 7:30, went back to our room and started getting dressed up. We went back up to the restaurant at 7:30 and was seated by the window. The waiter came with a fancy bottle of water and asked, "Would you like this 'still water' or would you like for me to go get you 'sparkling water'?" Matt, which much confidence says, "We want the sparkling water." The waiter leaves to get the sparkling water, brings it back and pours it in our glasses. It was the most AWFUL water I've EVER tasted. It was carbonated. I had to laugh, because Matt thought he was making the right choice and was so confident about it. We ordered this ravioli dish for an appetizer. It was delicious. I got a glass of riesling and Matt got a lemon drop drink. Matt ordered their chicken dish, which was $30.00. I ordered steak, which was $50.00. I got a little nervous because I knew that our bill was going to be outrageous. Matt just smiled and calmly said, "You only live once. We can afford it, don't worry about it, just enjoy and get whatever you want." Dinner was DELICIOUS; not only that, we got to watch the sun set over Atlanta. It was the most amazing view I've ever had. The sun set and soon we had the beautiful view of the city lights and car lights. We ordered dessert. He ordered some kind of brownie and I ordered creme brulee. OH, MY, SWEET TOOTH-it was so amazing. Our bill, with tip and all came out to be $180.00. I don't regret a single dollar. It was amazing food and an amazing experience. After dinner we came back to our room. There was a hotel worker who was telling us that they had complaints about the dog next door and that they were going to take care of it. The owner had been gone ALL day. You know that dog HAD to have messed all in that room. The worker said they had locked the door so that the owner would not be able to get in and would have to face them. We asked if we would be able to get another room and the worker said that shouldn't be a problem. We went in our room and as soon as we heard the dog bark, we called the front desk and got moved to the 60th floor which had an even BETTER view! It was wonderful. The next morning, we left and headed home. We stopped in Newnan for lunch and ate at Five Guys Burger and Fries...yummy! We also went to my favorite teacher store and I got some needed items. Our last stops were at Zaxby's so that Matt could get his favorite, birthday cake milkshake. We then went to Starbucks so that I could get MY favorite, vanilla bean frappucino.
We had a wonderful time and I'm so glad we did it.
Our friend Chris had his final surgery. If you've been reading, you'll know that he had chron's disease and ulcerative colitis, which doctors believe is from the medicine acutane. Anyways, he had his colon removed. For a while, his waste was going into a bag from his stomach. On this last surgery, the doctors closed him up and he is now producing waste like the rest of us. Bless his heart, he has been through so much. I pray that he and Jamie will get back on their feet again and experience more blessings than they can possibly imagine.
That's all for now!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
3rd shift/hair disaster
3rd shift SUCKS. This week has been a pretty good week, considering I'm back to school!! Waking up has been an adjustment, but it always is. Tomorrow is our "sneak-a-peak", and I'm not ready. I still have a LOT to do. I've been working in my classroom ALL summer and I get down to the wire and STILL HAVE THINGS TO DO...SO frustrating! I wanted to stay late today, but I knew that if I did, I would miss out on time with Matt. I got home and had dinner with him. We sat on the couch and watched the latest episode of "Teen Mom"...gosh, I love that show! ;) Before we know it, he has to get ready and leave for work. Tonight I kept holding on to him and hugging him. I told him bye and went back in the living room. When I knew he was about to walk out, I ran to get one more hug and kiss. As soon as I heard his truck drive off, I lost it. He's been at his new job for a month now. I thought it would be a little easier by now, but if anything, I feel worse. I sat there crying and thought to myself, how in the world did I make it through him working 2nd shift? About 3 months into our marriage he got on to 2nd shift at his old job. He went in to work at the time I was getting off and he did not get home until 1 or 2 in the morning. We literally did not speak to each other or see each other. It was awful. I'm trying my best to be thankful that I get to talk to him and see him, but I'm selfish and want more! Again, it's one of those hormonal nights for me!
Ok...previous post I told you that I'd share my hair story...well, here goes!
I normally color my hair. In the winter I color it a little darker (dark auburn), and in the summer I put highlights in it. I've never had a problem coloring my own hair. The only downside is that it doesn't last as long as professional salon coloring, and it takes me FOREVER. I have a friend who got into hair. I talked to her (on a Thursday)and she said she could color it on Monday. Friday rolls around and I'm just too impatient. I go to the store and decide to try a new hair color...B-I-G MISTAKE. My hair looked like black cherry. It was awful. Not only that, the color came with a highlighting kit. It highlighted my hair to this awful orange color. I decided to put brown over it to cover it up. It helped, but my hair still looked like black cherry. The next day I decided to get hair color remover...2nd B-I-G MISTAKE...the hair color remover not only stripped the box hair color out, it also took MY hair color out leaving it to a light orange color...Can you even imagine?! I then put medium brown on it because the hair color remover box suggested you immediately color it after removing the color. Well...light orange plus medium brown equals BRIGHT RED...I wish I was kidding. I had to wear a hat for 2 days straight. I missed morning church because I was so embarrassed. Monday FINALLY rolled around and I went in at 10 to see my friend. I'm thankful to report that she did a GREAT job. My hair is now medium brown with golden highlights just a shade or two lighter. I'm loving it.
Well...off to another lonely night! :(
Ok...previous post I told you that I'd share my hair story...well, here goes!
I normally color my hair. In the winter I color it a little darker (dark auburn), and in the summer I put highlights in it. I've never had a problem coloring my own hair. The only downside is that it doesn't last as long as professional salon coloring, and it takes me FOREVER. I have a friend who got into hair. I talked to her (on a Thursday)and she said she could color it on Monday. Friday rolls around and I'm just too impatient. I go to the store and decide to try a new hair color...B-I-G MISTAKE. My hair looked like black cherry. It was awful. Not only that, the color came with a highlighting kit. It highlighted my hair to this awful orange color. I decided to put brown over it to cover it up. It helped, but my hair still looked like black cherry. The next day I decided to get hair color remover...2nd B-I-G MISTAKE...the hair color remover not only stripped the box hair color out, it also took MY hair color out leaving it to a light orange color...Can you even imagine?! I then put medium brown on it because the hair color remover box suggested you immediately color it after removing the color. Well...light orange plus medium brown equals BRIGHT RED...I wish I was kidding. I had to wear a hat for 2 days straight. I missed morning church because I was so embarrassed. Monday FINALLY rolled around and I went in at 10 to see my friend. I'm thankful to report that she did a GREAT job. My hair is now medium brown with golden highlights just a shade or two lighter. I'm loving it.
Well...off to another lonely night! :(
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hi Ho, Hi Ho...back to school I go!
Well...today was my first day of my 2nd year of teaching! :) It's great to have that first year packed under my belt. I can only imagine what my parents thought when they heard that it was my first year. I wonder if they were as nervous as I was!!!
Matt and I had dinner with our friends, Ashley and Eric Stokes. I got home around 10 and decided that I would wake up early and get on the treadmill. Normally I would stay in bed until the last minute, but as soon as my alarm went off this morning, I was up and getting ready. I walked/jogged(SOME!) on the treadmill for 20 minutes, then got in the shower and took my time getting ready. It was really nice and it helped me wake up and get my thoughts all together. I really hope that I can keep this up! Our first day back wasn't so bad. We attended some professional development meetings and worked in our classrooms. I took my lunch so that I could be more healthy AND save money. A little after lunch, I got a bad headache. I was miserable and could hardly do any work in the classroom. I ended up going to K-Mart, getting a diet coke, a snicker bar (I know that defeats the whole DIET thing...but I needed it, ok?!)and Excedrin. I then met up with Ashley to get a much needed pedicure. About halfway into the pedicure, I began to feel MUCH better.
I should be asleep, but felt I should blog...This is Matt's 3rd week on 3rd shift. It hasn't really gotten easier on me. I'm thankful that I get to see him, but I sure do miss sleeping with him at night. He was my personal heat pillow! ;)
My facebook status is "Keep in mind the person that came up with the old adage, 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me' was obviously deaf....Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts." I'm feeling a little down tonight...I shouldn't let words get to me. Life is too short and there are so many special people in my life I could focus on...There's just a certain someone that I can't seem to let out of my grips. Words may mean something to you, but to me, it's a sting in my heart. Anyway...maybe I shouldn't write sad things...but I guess that's why it's my blog...it helps...sort of..
I began leading small group for our junior high girls. I'm so nervous, but excited. I really felt like the Lord was tugging me towards that direction. I hope that I can minister and touch their lives in some way. In a way I feel inadequate to lead in such a way, but then again, no one is perfect. Not you, not me, not your mama, not even your preacher. It's a daily thing. As I grow closer to the Lord and truly realize his holiness, the more aware of my sin I become; therefore, more prepared to face the truth and stop the sin. I don't know...my mumbo jumbo!
I should go to bed.
Next time I post, I will tell you about my hair catastrophe!
Matt and I had dinner with our friends, Ashley and Eric Stokes. I got home around 10 and decided that I would wake up early and get on the treadmill. Normally I would stay in bed until the last minute, but as soon as my alarm went off this morning, I was up and getting ready. I walked/jogged(SOME!) on the treadmill for 20 minutes, then got in the shower and took my time getting ready. It was really nice and it helped me wake up and get my thoughts all together. I really hope that I can keep this up! Our first day back wasn't so bad. We attended some professional development meetings and worked in our classrooms. I took my lunch so that I could be more healthy AND save money. A little after lunch, I got a bad headache. I was miserable and could hardly do any work in the classroom. I ended up going to K-Mart, getting a diet coke, a snicker bar (I know that defeats the whole DIET thing...but I needed it, ok?!)and Excedrin. I then met up with Ashley to get a much needed pedicure. About halfway into the pedicure, I began to feel MUCH better.
I should be asleep, but felt I should blog...This is Matt's 3rd week on 3rd shift. It hasn't really gotten easier on me. I'm thankful that I get to see him, but I sure do miss sleeping with him at night. He was my personal heat pillow! ;)
My facebook status is "Keep in mind the person that came up with the old adage, 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me' was obviously deaf....Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts." I'm feeling a little down tonight...I shouldn't let words get to me. Life is too short and there are so many special people in my life I could focus on...There's just a certain someone that I can't seem to let out of my grips. Words may mean something to you, but to me, it's a sting in my heart. Anyway...maybe I shouldn't write sad things...but I guess that's why it's my blog...it helps...sort of..
I began leading small group for our junior high girls. I'm so nervous, but excited. I really felt like the Lord was tugging me towards that direction. I hope that I can minister and touch their lives in some way. In a way I feel inadequate to lead in such a way, but then again, no one is perfect. Not you, not me, not your mama, not even your preacher. It's a daily thing. As I grow closer to the Lord and truly realize his holiness, the more aware of my sin I become; therefore, more prepared to face the truth and stop the sin. I don't know...my mumbo jumbo!
I should go to bed.
Next time I post, I will tell you about my hair catastrophe!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
How Great the Father's Love for us
This morning, Tyler and I sang "How Great the Father's Love for us"...During our run-through, it went like it was supposed to. Come the real thing, I messed up.. AHHHH! I have literally listened to this a hundred times. Each time I could just kick myself for messing up. Here's what happened...when we first got the song, it was hard to hear the intro to my part. I finally got it, but was still insecure about it. During the actual performance, I freaked out because I couldn't hear the music that well and thought I came in too early for my verse. Turns out, I came in at the right time. I stopped and then had to rush the words "my sin upon his shoulders". When it comes to singing, I am a perfectionist. I will sing a song over and over and over, day after day after day. So...you can imagine how upset I was with myself. Oh well...It could have been worse, right?
I've never really thought about recording myself singing...I had someone record my mom, Matt, and myself when we sang a trio simply because I knew it would probably never happen again! Matt used to sing ALL the time in high school. We sang duets at any opportunity and we were often asked to sing at city-wide events. He claims that he is nervous and can't sing as good as he used to. Also, he says that when he was in musical theater, he couldn't see the audience because of the bright lights. I told him that we could always put a blindfold over his eyes! I will try to post the trio sometime in the near future. OH...back to videoing..I'm going to try and record myself whenever I sing, and I'm going to do this for 2 reasons. 1., It will be a great thing to show my kids, grand kids, etc. 2., It's great for critiquing! ;)
Tyler, if you are reading this, thank you for singing with me!
I've never really thought about recording myself singing...I had someone record my mom, Matt, and myself when we sang a trio simply because I knew it would probably never happen again! Matt used to sing ALL the time in high school. We sang duets at any opportunity and we were often asked to sing at city-wide events. He claims that he is nervous and can't sing as good as he used to. Also, he says that when he was in musical theater, he couldn't see the audience because of the bright lights. I told him that we could always put a blindfold over his eyes! I will try to post the trio sometime in the near future. OH...back to videoing..I'm going to try and record myself whenever I sing, and I'm going to do this for 2 reasons. 1., It will be a great thing to show my kids, grand kids, etc. 2., It's great for critiquing! ;)
Tyler, if you are reading this, thank you for singing with me!
How Rude!
Feeling frustrated tonight...maybe it's my hormones.
Matt and I took a nap today. It was entirely too long and I probably won't get to sleep at a decent time tonight. His parents are leaving in the morning to go to Kissimee, FL for a family reunion so we wanted to see them before they left. We were going to go out for dinner, but since we woke up so late, we had dinner at McDonald's. I can't begin to tell you the last time I've eaten at a fast food place besides Chick-fil-a! ;)
Anyways, Matt is a fast eater. I'm not horribly slow, but I don't shove the food in my mouth quite the way he does. We're sitting there and he has finished eating. I can kind of tell that he looks irritated. I finished my meal (didn't even eat all of my nuggets) and took one bite out of my apple pie and he says, "You ready to go?" Are you serious? Really? I'm not even finished and he's ready to push me out of the seat. I was not happy. I got up and left. Matt is normally a gentleman, but tonight, he really pushed my buttons. Would it have really hurt him to sit there for 2 more minutes? To me, that's saying, I don't care about you. I don't value you or the time we spend together. I felt like I wasn't important to him. We get to his parents and he sits on the couch playing around on his phone for a few minutes. During that time, I was thinking to myself "this is what we rushed out for". This is what was so important to him. We left and he headed to work. I headed home in tears. It sounds so silly to you, I'm sure, but how hard is it to spend an extra few minutes with YOUR WIFE? He called me because he knew I was upset about something. He didn't think anything was wrong with it... go figure.
So tonight I sit here feeling sad, lonely, unimportant to my husband, and hormonal...UGH. And no, I'm not pregnant.
Matt and I took a nap today. It was entirely too long and I probably won't get to sleep at a decent time tonight. His parents are leaving in the morning to go to Kissimee, FL for a family reunion so we wanted to see them before they left. We were going to go out for dinner, but since we woke up so late, we had dinner at McDonald's. I can't begin to tell you the last time I've eaten at a fast food place besides Chick-fil-a! ;)
Anyways, Matt is a fast eater. I'm not horribly slow, but I don't shove the food in my mouth quite the way he does. We're sitting there and he has finished eating. I can kind of tell that he looks irritated. I finished my meal (didn't even eat all of my nuggets) and took one bite out of my apple pie and he says, "You ready to go?" Are you serious? Really? I'm not even finished and he's ready to push me out of the seat. I was not happy. I got up and left. Matt is normally a gentleman, but tonight, he really pushed my buttons. Would it have really hurt him to sit there for 2 more minutes? To me, that's saying, I don't care about you. I don't value you or the time we spend together. I felt like I wasn't important to him. We get to his parents and he sits on the couch playing around on his phone for a few minutes. During that time, I was thinking to myself "this is what we rushed out for". This is what was so important to him. We left and he headed to work. I headed home in tears. It sounds so silly to you, I'm sure, but how hard is it to spend an extra few minutes with YOUR WIFE? He called me because he knew I was upset about something. He didn't think anything was wrong with it... go figure.
So tonight I sit here feeling sad, lonely, unimportant to my husband, and hormonal...UGH. And no, I'm not pregnant.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
School starts in 9 days. I'm ready, but not ready. I've enjoyed my summer, but in a way, I'm ready to jump back into a routine. I've been working very hard in my classroom all summer. I will put pictures up next week!
Matt hurt himself this past week. He came home, got in the bed, and started crying out in pain. I was really worried about him. The pain was on his back but wrapped around to under his ribcage. He doesn't have insurance right now since he just got a job. I'm the type of person who researches everything and then think the worst. It's probably not healthy ;) I begged him to let me take him to the doctor and he repeatedly refused. It's Saturday and he gets better and better, day by day.
Yesterday, Mama and I went to the MART! For years we have wished we could go. Mama goes once a year for a dental conference and stocks up on things. At a training last week, I learned that they have something called "Corporate Friday". Anyone with a job can attend Corporate Friday. After we heard the news, we planned a trip! We left Phenix City around 9:30 and did not get home until 7:00. We literally shopped till they were closing! I had so much fun and bought a lot of birthday and Christmas gifts for others. I also bought a few things that I wanted. I don't really shop for "me" anymore. Of course, that's a good thing and I have everything I need. It felt nice to see something I liked and buy it. Not to mention, it was very cheap!
We got home to grumpy people. We refused to let them steal our happiness!!
I left my parents house and went to the church to practice a song. I am singing this Sunday. On Thursday, an idea popped into my head. For a while I have wanted to sing certain Selah songs, but needed a good guy singer...Well, I think I might have found him! He's in the youth. I messaged him on facebook and asked if he would be interested in singing a duet with me in church. (I figured it'd be at a later date). He was excited and asked when I wanted him to sing with me. I decided to go out on a limb and say this Sunday (which was only 3 days away). He responded and said, "Sure! What are we singing?" The next day we went to Lifeway and picked out a song. He does a great job. I'm pretty sure that the little old ladies are going to faint when they hear him ;).
Matt hurt himself this past week. He came home, got in the bed, and started crying out in pain. I was really worried about him. The pain was on his back but wrapped around to under his ribcage. He doesn't have insurance right now since he just got a job. I'm the type of person who researches everything and then think the worst. It's probably not healthy ;) I begged him to let me take him to the doctor and he repeatedly refused. It's Saturday and he gets better and better, day by day.
Yesterday, Mama and I went to the MART! For years we have wished we could go. Mama goes once a year for a dental conference and stocks up on things. At a training last week, I learned that they have something called "Corporate Friday". Anyone with a job can attend Corporate Friday. After we heard the news, we planned a trip! We left Phenix City around 9:30 and did not get home until 7:00. We literally shopped till they were closing! I had so much fun and bought a lot of birthday and Christmas gifts for others. I also bought a few things that I wanted. I don't really shop for "me" anymore. Of course, that's a good thing and I have everything I need. It felt nice to see something I liked and buy it. Not to mention, it was very cheap!
We got home to grumpy people. We refused to let them steal our happiness!!
I left my parents house and went to the church to practice a song. I am singing this Sunday. On Thursday, an idea popped into my head. For a while I have wanted to sing certain Selah songs, but needed a good guy singer...Well, I think I might have found him! He's in the youth. I messaged him on facebook and asked if he would be interested in singing a duet with me in church. (I figured it'd be at a later date). He was excited and asked when I wanted him to sing with me. I decided to go out on a limb and say this Sunday (which was only 3 days away). He responded and said, "Sure! What are we singing?" The next day we went to Lifeway and picked out a song. He does a great job. I'm pretty sure that the little old ladies are going to faint when they hear him ;).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
weight loss
I've had it with my weight. I'm so tired of being so self-conscious...in front of my husband of ALL people. I can't do this to myself anymore.
I am singing Sunday. As many of you know, I am in-love with Selah's music. I sing just about any and every song they have recorded when given the chance. As I was listening to one of their songs, I went to their webpage to look up the lyrics. That then sent me to Amy's blog. Wow. Someone who has been going through the same thing as me. Someone who puts on a WONDERFUL front, but secretly (well, not anymore since she blogged about it) is broken. Read some of what she wrote.
h1
I can finally see it!
July 20, 2010
Every day I look in the mirror I think, “Why can ‘t I see it yet?” My clothes are hanging, but I look at my face and don’t see the change. Everyone says it’s because I’m looking at myself everyday, so I thought I’d pull out some pictures to see if I could see a change. And I can finally see it!
I couldn’t stop smiling last night! Now, I know I’m still far from my goal, but it was nice to look at some pictures and see the difference.
This is me 2 months into my HCG diet
This is me last year for the You Deliver Me shoot
Anyways, I thought I’d post them for you.
Also, just for an update on what’s going on with the diet… I hit kind of a plateau over the last 2 weeks and it took forever just to lose like 3 pounds, so Cyndi put me on the Reset for 2 weeks to give my body a break. Basically, for the next 2 weeks I don’t take the HCG and I can eat more of what I was already eating, including, now, some dairy and other fats.
To be honest, I was so nervous packing my lunch yesterday. I’ve gotten very comfortable with knowing exactly what and how much I can eat, the thought of thinking for myself and making a good choice kind of scared me. I still can’t have carbs or sugar, but that leaves a lot of food available to eat and I just want to be sure I’m making good choices. I figure these next 2 weeks are good practice for how difficult or easy it will be to maintain once I’m at my goal weight. I am enjoying cheese again! Woot!
The last thing I want to mention today is Allan Hall. As you know from previous blogs, he has been working so hard losing weight and he has two milestones approaching. As of yesterday, he is 2 pounds from 50!! He’s really hoping to reach that goal this weekend, and I’m praying he will. He is also 7 pounds away from reaching his halfway point for total pounds needed to be lost. At the rate he’s going, he could potentially reach both milestone goals within the next week, so please be praying for him. I’m so incredibly proud of how hard he’s worked.
It’s rare to meet a man who struggles with weight issues the way Allan has, and he’s agreed, once he reaches his milestones, to guest blog on here and I really can’t wait to read what he has to say. I think his journey can help so many. You know, some times we women think we’re the only ones who go through this, and that no man could ever understand our issues. But Allan understands; he’s been there too. So let’s pray for his success and wait in anticipation of the great blog he’s going to write very soon!!!!
amy
Hey all,
This week was VBS at our church and I have to be honest, I’m wiped! I’ve worked every day and gone straight to church after. I’m crashing around 9:30 each night and still am tired in the morning.
Something interesting happened this week. I was working in the storage unit for my job in 87 degree weather, and it was not going well. Several things hindered me from completing my job, which means I have to go on Monday and spend more time in dusty, bug infested storage; I was not happy. So, I picked Jake up around 1pm because he was going home from work early and we only have one car. By the time I picked him up I was pretty irritated, tired and starving; this is usually a bad combination for Amy.
When I got back to work I went into the kitchen to get my grilled chicken and lettuce and what did I see in an open box on the counter? Yeah, you guessed it; donuts. Beautiful, glazed, sugary donuts. Now, the “previous” Amy would have dug right in. It was the perfect storm of hungry, tired, and stressed, and I would have absolutely convinced myself that I deserved the donut, or 3…
As I stood there looking at the donuts I realized something; I didn’t want one.
For the first time I was in a typical stress eating situation, with the comfort food laid out before me, and I didn’t want to eat. HUGE moment for me. Of course, I still barked out, “Who leaves open donuts on the counter willy nilly? Are you trying to kill me?!” But I do that any time there’s food out because literally every day someone in my office leaves something horrible (and when I say horrible, I mean yummy, delicious and fattening) on the kitchen counter, open for all the world to partake.
You know what’s funny? I didn’t even recognize that huge moment when it happened. I just looked at the donuts and thought, “Eh, no thanks,” and moved on. I didn’t realize it until the next day when my scale betrayed me, and I was feeling so discouraged that all the hard work I’ve been putting in wasn’t showing up on my scale the way I’d hoped. I was so bummed all the way to work. Jake kept trying to encourage me, but I just wanted to scream at him that he couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to work and work and then the scale says you’ve gained. I felt like giving up. I felt like if I had known I was going to gain, or not lose, I might as well have had the stupid donut.
I felt like a failure.
As I got to work alone, crying, the Holy Spirit showed me something. He showed me the donut. And He reminded me that even right then, I didn’t really want a donut. Even when I felt like a failure, or when I was frustrated, stressed out and exhausted, I didn’t want to make myself feel better with food. And the fact that I sat there talking to Him instead of driving straight to the pastry shop meant something.
This journey has not been easy but it’s been worth it. I was telling Jake about my little breakthrough and how it’s so hard when I look at the scale and it’s moving so slowly. But if I look at the big picture, I’ve lost 42 pounds! So what if I’ve had a few slow days? I’ve lost 42 pounds! I told Jake that sometimes it’s so much easier for me to see what’s not happening on the scale, then to recognize what is and he said something really cool. He said that that’s how a lot of us treat God. We’re so busy looking at what He’s not doing for us; dwelling on what He’s not given us, that we fail to recognize all that He’s done in our lives. PREACH Youth Pastor Jake! Man, that puts things in perspective really quick.
Thank you God for all You’ve done in my life! Thank You for this journey that is not only transforming me, but is helping others in their journey. Thank you for Cyndi and her amazing guidance! Thank you for Jake and his loving rebukes and unending encouragement! Thank you God for 42 pounds and counting!!
And thank You for donuts, because when the time is right, I just might have one, and that will be okay.
Amy
It's 1:31 A.M. I am PROCLAIMING that this is the start of my weight loss. I will post pictures of before once I've lost some weight ;)
I'm going to work on eating smaller portions and walking more...and healthier choices....more to come!
I am singing Sunday. As many of you know, I am in-love with Selah's music. I sing just about any and every song they have recorded when given the chance. As I was listening to one of their songs, I went to their webpage to look up the lyrics. That then sent me to Amy's blog. Wow. Someone who has been going through the same thing as me. Someone who puts on a WONDERFUL front, but secretly (well, not anymore since she blogged about it) is broken. Read some of what she wrote.
h1
I can finally see it!
July 20, 2010
Every day I look in the mirror I think, “Why can ‘t I see it yet?” My clothes are hanging, but I look at my face and don’t see the change. Everyone says it’s because I’m looking at myself everyday, so I thought I’d pull out some pictures to see if I could see a change. And I can finally see it!
I couldn’t stop smiling last night! Now, I know I’m still far from my goal, but it was nice to look at some pictures and see the difference.
This is me 2 months into my HCG diet
This is me last year for the You Deliver Me shoot
Anyways, I thought I’d post them for you.
Also, just for an update on what’s going on with the diet… I hit kind of a plateau over the last 2 weeks and it took forever just to lose like 3 pounds, so Cyndi put me on the Reset for 2 weeks to give my body a break. Basically, for the next 2 weeks I don’t take the HCG and I can eat more of what I was already eating, including, now, some dairy and other fats.
To be honest, I was so nervous packing my lunch yesterday. I’ve gotten very comfortable with knowing exactly what and how much I can eat, the thought of thinking for myself and making a good choice kind of scared me. I still can’t have carbs or sugar, but that leaves a lot of food available to eat and I just want to be sure I’m making good choices. I figure these next 2 weeks are good practice for how difficult or easy it will be to maintain once I’m at my goal weight. I am enjoying cheese again! Woot!
The last thing I want to mention today is Allan Hall. As you know from previous blogs, he has been working so hard losing weight and he has two milestones approaching. As of yesterday, he is 2 pounds from 50!! He’s really hoping to reach that goal this weekend, and I’m praying he will. He is also 7 pounds away from reaching his halfway point for total pounds needed to be lost. At the rate he’s going, he could potentially reach both milestone goals within the next week, so please be praying for him. I’m so incredibly proud of how hard he’s worked.
It’s rare to meet a man who struggles with weight issues the way Allan has, and he’s agreed, once he reaches his milestones, to guest blog on here and I really can’t wait to read what he has to say. I think his journey can help so many. You know, some times we women think we’re the only ones who go through this, and that no man could ever understand our issues. But Allan understands; he’s been there too. So let’s pray for his success and wait in anticipation of the great blog he’s going to write very soon!!!!
amy
Hey all,
This week was VBS at our church and I have to be honest, I’m wiped! I’ve worked every day and gone straight to church after. I’m crashing around 9:30 each night and still am tired in the morning.
Something interesting happened this week. I was working in the storage unit for my job in 87 degree weather, and it was not going well. Several things hindered me from completing my job, which means I have to go on Monday and spend more time in dusty, bug infested storage; I was not happy. So, I picked Jake up around 1pm because he was going home from work early and we only have one car. By the time I picked him up I was pretty irritated, tired and starving; this is usually a bad combination for Amy.
When I got back to work I went into the kitchen to get my grilled chicken and lettuce and what did I see in an open box on the counter? Yeah, you guessed it; donuts. Beautiful, glazed, sugary donuts. Now, the “previous” Amy would have dug right in. It was the perfect storm of hungry, tired, and stressed, and I would have absolutely convinced myself that I deserved the donut, or 3…
As I stood there looking at the donuts I realized something; I didn’t want one.
For the first time I was in a typical stress eating situation, with the comfort food laid out before me, and I didn’t want to eat. HUGE moment for me. Of course, I still barked out, “Who leaves open donuts on the counter willy nilly? Are you trying to kill me?!” But I do that any time there’s food out because literally every day someone in my office leaves something horrible (and when I say horrible, I mean yummy, delicious and fattening) on the kitchen counter, open for all the world to partake.
You know what’s funny? I didn’t even recognize that huge moment when it happened. I just looked at the donuts and thought, “Eh, no thanks,” and moved on. I didn’t realize it until the next day when my scale betrayed me, and I was feeling so discouraged that all the hard work I’ve been putting in wasn’t showing up on my scale the way I’d hoped. I was so bummed all the way to work. Jake kept trying to encourage me, but I just wanted to scream at him that he couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to work and work and then the scale says you’ve gained. I felt like giving up. I felt like if I had known I was going to gain, or not lose, I might as well have had the stupid donut.
I felt like a failure.
As I got to work alone, crying, the Holy Spirit showed me something. He showed me the donut. And He reminded me that even right then, I didn’t really want a donut. Even when I felt like a failure, or when I was frustrated, stressed out and exhausted, I didn’t want to make myself feel better with food. And the fact that I sat there talking to Him instead of driving straight to the pastry shop meant something.
This journey has not been easy but it’s been worth it. I was telling Jake about my little breakthrough and how it’s so hard when I look at the scale and it’s moving so slowly. But if I look at the big picture, I’ve lost 42 pounds! So what if I’ve had a few slow days? I’ve lost 42 pounds! I told Jake that sometimes it’s so much easier for me to see what’s not happening on the scale, then to recognize what is and he said something really cool. He said that that’s how a lot of us treat God. We’re so busy looking at what He’s not doing for us; dwelling on what He’s not given us, that we fail to recognize all that He’s done in our lives. PREACH Youth Pastor Jake! Man, that puts things in perspective really quick.
Thank you God for all You’ve done in my life! Thank You for this journey that is not only transforming me, but is helping others in their journey. Thank you for Cyndi and her amazing guidance! Thank you for Jake and his loving rebukes and unending encouragement! Thank you God for 42 pounds and counting!!
And thank You for donuts, because when the time is right, I just might have one, and that will be okay.
Amy
It's 1:31 A.M. I am PROCLAIMING that this is the start of my weight loss. I will post pictures of before once I've lost some weight ;)
I'm going to work on eating smaller portions and walking more...and healthier choices....more to come!
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