Category Archives: Goals

Today Is My Birthday!

Good evening!

That’s right today is my birthday!!!

WHOO!! HOO!!! I am officially 37, as of 6:34 AM this morning!!

Since today is my birthday, I thought today would be the perfect day to go over my 37 by 37 list that I had created last year around my birthday! My 37 by 37 list is my list of thirty-seven goals I wanted to accomplish before I turned thirty-seven. I didn’t get everything accomplished that was on my list, but I did manage to get some pretty impressive things done this year!!

My 37 things!!

  1. get a passport
  2. jog a mile
  3. blog every day for a year(Done!)
  4. go to Women of Faith with my sisters
  5. take 100 pictures of historical buildings all over Oregon(Done!)
  6. take a decorating class
  7. make homemade marshmallows
  8. plant a veggie garden(Done!)
  9. take the train
  10. go camping
  11. blow bubbles out the car window – you would’ve thought I would have easily gotten this done, but I kept forgetting to actually do this (even though I bought the bubbles on day 2 of this list)!! 😉
  12. go for a walk in the rain(Done!)
  13. clean out the garage
  14. hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls – ok, so I didn’t hike the longest trail, but I did get one of the really long ones in!! I am calling that a win!!!
  15. go on a walking tour of downtown Portland
  16. take a cooking class
  17. get a tattoo(Done!)
  18. pick strawberries(Done!)
  19. bake homemade cinnamon rolls
  20. take an art class(Done!)
  21. set up a website
  22. teach myself how to take a picture using manual camera settings
  23. make at least 12 pieces of art(Done!)
  24.  lose 32.6 pounds(Done!) – matter of fact, I have lost 69.8 pounds so far this year!!
  25. put at least $1,200 in savings – I will have a $1000 in by Friday, so I came pretty close to this goal!
  26. visit a ghost town
  27. teach an online class
  28. make homemade yogurt
  29. read the entire Bible – No, this one is really hard for me! I think I am somewhere in Deuteronomy still!! 🙁
  30. crochet a queen-sized blanket using a difficult stitch(Done!)
  31. volunteer at a homeless shelter – I have been surprised by how difficult this one has been to find a place that will give you permission to volunteer, but I will keep trying!
  32. take a French class
  33. make a wild dance mix playlist. dance to it.(Done!)
  34. carve pumpkins with my niece and nephew(Done!)
  35. get my Visa paid off
  36. make a rag quilt
  37. make $1000 creatively

Some other things that I was able to get done this year, that I wasn’t planning on but am still so thankful and blessed to have gotten done was:

  • I had lost 50 pounds this year with just diet and exercise
  • I had gastric bypass surgery, which has helped me lose an additional 19.8 pounds
  • We found our church home, and just couldn’t be happier there
  • I have made a some new and dear girlfriends this year
  • My marriage is stronger than ever
  • Jason and I are finally on the same page financially, and are headed to build our dream lives

I have a new 38 by 38 list in the works for this upcoming year, but only time will tell to see what this new year will bring!! 🙂

Here’s to a FABULOUS 36th year, and an even better 37th one!!! ;-)

“If you want to have a different life, live differently!”

 

Financial Peace University!

Good evening!

ok, maybe “good” is too strong of a word!!

In all honesty it has been a “meh” kind of an evening!

No, what it has really been has been a O-M-G-I-JUST-CUT-UP-ALL-MY-BELOVED-CREDIT-CARDS-THIS-HAD-BETTER-BE-WORTH-IT kind of night!

Hee-hee-hoo-hoo-hee-hee-hooooo!!!

OK, so maybe I had better start at the beginning…

God has really been convicting me to get my financial house in order! Now that I have seriously dealt with my marriage, then my church home/spirituality, and have taken HUGE LEAPS in my health, I know that He is telling me that it is time to stop being a dang fool, always living for today, dreaming about tomorrow but never doing anything about it! So tonight, Jason and I attended our first night of Dave Ramsey’s 9-week Financial Peace University class at one of our local churches, that I just happen to drive by on the way to work every day!!

There has been a large banner posted at this church, advertising that this class would be coming, and I had seen this add the few times the class had been offered before. I kept trying to get up the courage to go take this class, and for the life of me, I just could NEVER seem to make myself do it before!! I know, I am SUCH A CHICKEN!!! 😉

Anyway, I had finally decided that because I have gotten so many other things that had been flailing around in my life back in God’s hands, it was time to do the same for my finances!! The other things were:

  1. My Marriage DONE!
  2. My Spiritual Life DONE!
  3. My physical health WELL ON IT’S WAY TO BEING DONE!!
  4. My finances

and eventually my list will also include:

  1. My Home
  2. My Career
  3. and My Free Time/Fun

Soooooo, like I said, after driving by the Financial Peace University class notification sign every day for the past few weeks  – I knew it was NOW OR NEVER!! So, to the chagrin of my sweetie, I signed us up (at the very last minute, mind you, because I was trying all week to figure out a way to rationalize my way out of going), and thankfully, this evening, he came along with me – even though he was a-whining, a-kickin’, and a-screaming the whole way there!! Nevertheless, we both showed up, and on time, but just barely!! 😉

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Dave Ramsey or of Financial Peace University, but those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I had gone through Dave’s Total Money Makeover a few months prior. I KNOW what I should be doing, but the step that is even before step 1 is to cut up your credit cards, and for some reason I just COULD NOT DO IT!! The whole plan had to be stupid, because didn’t Dave KNOW THAT I NEED MY CREDIT CARDS???

Ok, I realize that is the same pathetic attitude that got me into the crazy kind of debt that I have gotten myself into in the first place, and I know that if I want to live a different life then I have to LIVE DIFFERENTLY!! So tonight, I did the unthinkable – more than just going to the class.

I have made a commitment.

A commitment to what I know God has been telling me to do.

A commitment to the process.

and a commitment to just putting my big girl panties on and cutting up my credit cards!!

I had 6 credit cards to cut up, well, 8 if you count the 2 practice cards that I added to the stack just to “practice” the cutting of the cards motion (I had two cards that had expired that I had never done anything with, and cut those up for practice!) Sad, I realize!! 😉 but, anyone who has had a love love relationship with credit cards know that they can be deceivingly fun!!!! Or at least that is what I have been telling myself!! Foolish me!! By the time I got to card number 5 (of the now 8 credit cards), I had to call in reinforcements because my hand was cramping, and Jason came in to help me finish the job!! He is kind of like my plastic hit man!! Thanks, Babe!! I really needed that!!!

Photographic Evidence of my Plastic Homicide!

The hardest card of all of them was my Nordstrom card, which I had saved for last and I have to tell you, I seriously had to have a “come to Jesus meeting” when I finally did get to that card. I have put so much value in these cards. Ever since I was a little girl I remember thinking that rich people did or have a list of certain things, and one of them was having a Nordstrom card. (a couple of others were, rich people drank tea, and rich people had clean houses – who knew???) Anyway, I digress! For some insane reason, I had made it ok to spend on my credit cards because somehow I had earned the right to be in crazy insane debt! Isn’t that really what the American dream is??? I know all my friends are doing it!! Even so, I know it is time to jump off of the band wagon, and just like Dave Ramsey says, it is time for us to live like no one now, so that we can live like no one later!!

Scary steps being made tonight, but you know what? I feel a cool sense of peace about it, like I have made the right decision, and that everything is going to be alright!! My tomorrow will be so much richer, both figuratively and literally, and I know that God will be able to do so much more with us and our lives if we are able to give back in a more substantial way. Now, I know that cutting up our credit cards was only the beginning, and it may take us years to actually make through the next 4 of the 7 step process, but I know that THIS TIME I am not trying to do it alone; and isn’t that all that really matters??

Here is to a PEACEFUL-NEW-BEGINNING kind of evening!!

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Two Week Bariatric Surgerversary!

Good evening!

Today is officially my two week bariatric surgerversary!!! Yes, that is right, it has been exactly two weeks since I had my gastric bypass surgery.Things are going pretty well, I am still at a total 60 pound loss. I am currently plateuing, but am told that that is normal – so I am not going to let myself get too worried about it!! Today is the first day that I am allowed to add some very soft foods to my liquid diet: potato, yam, low sugar instant oatmeal, banana, no sugar added applesauce, and cottage cheese. I know that may not sound too exciting, but I am ECSTATIC!!!! It is nice to have some new food options!! 😉

On to other topics: you know the biggest thing that I have discovered since having surgery, is that being thin is not going to solve my life’s problems!! Surprising, right???? LOL!! No, I have come to the realization that no matter what I look like, I will still be where I end up!! I can not run away from myself!

Thin Christina will still have to pay bills, make decisions, come up against challenges, and still have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up!!! This has really been a revelation to me, and I have been doing a lot of soul-searching the past few days trying to see if I can find my purpose!! Yes, deep, I realize!! Matter-of-fact, I just got home from a long walk through Walmart, because for some reason, I have insanely thought I could somehow find the purpose of my life while perusing the magazine, book, craft, and office supply aisles of my local Walmart. Needless to say, I came up empty-handed!! (THANKFULLY!!!)

You know, I am reading a new book called, “Saving CeeCee Honeycutt” written by Beth Hoffman, which by-the-way is a FABULOUS book, and is going to be added to one of my all-time favorite reads!!! What has really got me to thinking is that there is a discussion in the book where one of the matriarch-type characters says the following:

“If there is one thing I’d like most for you, is that you’ll find your calling in life. That is where true happiness and purpose lies. Whether it is taking care of abandoned animals, saving old houses from the wreckin’ ball, or reading to the blind, you’ve got to find your fire, sugar. You’ll never be fulfilled if you don’t.”

She continues with,

“One day you’ll do something, see something, or get an idea that seems to pop up from nowhere. And you’ll feel a kind of stirring – like a warm flicker inside your chest. When that happens, whatever you do, don’t ignore it. Open your mind and explore the idea. Fan your flame. And when you do, you’ll have found it.”

This little talk she gives has really inspired me to go out and try to figure out what my life’s fire is. I know I have a lot of things that I like to do, but I am not sure if any of those things add up to my actual life’s bliss. I know, now more than ever, that God has placed me on this earth to do something important, I have always known it, even when I was a young girl. I just pray that I haven’t missed my opportunity, and If I did, I guess I will just have to go out and create a new opportunity for myself!! Where God opens a door, He opens up a window!!!

Here is to us all finding our fire!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

 

Bariatric Surgery Update!

Good morning!

I know it has been a while since I have posted, and I thought this morning would be a good time to give you an update on how everything is going!

I had surgery a week prior to this past Tuesday, and everything went really well. I was admitted to the hospital at about 12:30 in the afternoon and was immediately taken back by myself to the pre-op room to get prepped for surgery. Once my prep was done, my sweetie and two youngest sisters, Jennifer and Trina, came back to keep me preoccupied before I headed back for the moment we have been working for so long to get to, surgery! I was so thankful to have them there with me, because in all honesty I was really scared!! Well, it was no time before Jason and the girls got back there that we all were having a terrible bout of the giggles, and I was sure my nurses were going to start telling us all to behave ourselves!!! 😉

Before I knew it, the time had passed, and my anesthesiologist had come to let me know that the surgeons and staff were all ready for me, and it was officially my turn for my procedure!! The anesthesiologist gave me something in my IV that almost immediately made my nervousness go straight away, and I told Jason and the girls that I would see them soon. I have to tell you that looking into those three sets of eyes as I was wheeled out of the room was probably the ABSOLUTE HARDEST thing I have had to do to get ready for this surgery!! I really HATED to leave them in there! You can’t help but have a moment where you think that you just might not ever get to see them again, but thankfully, as you well know, God had other plans for us!!! 😉

Well, as I was rolling down the hall on my gurney, I started to really feel relaxed (thank God for whatever it was the anesthesiologist had given me!!!), and all I remember thinking was 1. I hope none of my co-workers see me like this, you know – bra-less (hahahaha!!), and 2. Light. Light. Light. Light. as I was passing underneath the lights in the hallway – THAT was how relaxed I had gotten. Once I got into the operating room, I remember them asking me if I could slide onto the operating table, which I did, and then I remember looking around thinking – Hey, this doesn’t look like ANY operating room you see on TV!!! Next thing I know I was out!!

I don’t remember dreaming anything, or really any thoughts of any kind running through my head while I was unconscious during surgery, but what I do remember is thinking I was dreaming, because every time I opened, and then re-opened my eyes it was like I was seeing a different scene, with a different room, or different people. I remember that people were talking to me, but I don’t remember what they were saying. I do remember distinctly opening my eyes at one point, and calling out to my mamma – I figured since it was a dream, she just might show up, and at that point I was really hurting and needed her to come fix me up. I also remembering asking a nurse why it was taking so long to get my surgery started, and her telling me that they were all done! Well, that figures, but thankfully it was all a blur, and I really don’t remember waking up until I was actually in my hospital room!

When I first remember waking up, it was because I saw as clear as a bell that Jason, Jennifer, and Trina had walked into the room, and I was happy as a CLAM to see them!!!! Then I was out again! 😉 The remainder of the night was more of the same, in and out of consciousness, thinking I was dreaming the whole darn thing, and I just kind of waited for the alarm to go off so I could get up and get ready to go to work! I do remember Jason being upset at the nurses because I was in pain, and he wanted them to deal with it now, and not after shift change completed, and then falling back to sleep, being nauseous and trying to throw up (unsuccessfully (thank goodness)), my girlfriends BobbieJo, and Julie showing up, and BobbieJo walking straight up to me asking me if she could pray with me, and then falling asleep during the middle of the prayer, I think I walked twice that evening – the first time only making it barely out of my room before the nurse turned me around, and back to bed I went, the second time being at 2 in the morning because the nurse hadn’t realized there was a certain distance I had to walk or my surgeon would have a fit in the morning, but again – it really was all a blur.

When I finally awoke enough from my stupor to realize I wasn’t dreaming, I saw my sisters sitting next to my bed, and I asked Jennifer, “Where did BobbieJo and Julie go?”, and she just laughed at me and told me that it was the next morning, and that they had gone home the night before! My only response was, “Man, I told you guys I miss everything!!!”
😉

The next day and a half, before I got to go home, was pretty routine! I napped a lot, took a lot of walks, had more tests done, visited with all of my visitors, including my girls, Jennifer and Trina! I napped some more, etc. etc. I think you get the picture!! Jennifer, Trina, and my brother-in-law, Austin, stayed with me until the evening of the second night when they had to head back to Roseburg. I am so thankful that they got to come down, they really did help make my hospital-time more fun!!! and I am sure with my fancy hospital gown, they got more glimpses of their oldest sister’s bootie then they ever really wanted to see, but for me that is what made it more like it was a slumber party!! 😉

Jason and I then spent the evening by ourselves, just talking, holding hands, walking, dreaming about the future, and of course with me doing some more napping!! 😉

By Thursday at about 11:30 am, I was home, hanging out with Jason, Faye, and Sophie, doing my “Only 3 Jobs”: sipping, walking, and breathing!! I had discovered that I had gained a little more than 10 pounds during my hospital stay from all of the surgical gas they literally blow you up like a balloon with, and then all of the IV fluids they fill you up on afterwards!!! (which thankfully, I had been pre-warned about because if they hadn’t warned me, I would have probably FREAKED out about!!! – WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT I JUST HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND IMMEDIATELY GAINED 10 POUNDS????? LOL!!) 😉

Now, that brings me to a little more than a week later, still doing my “Only 3 jobs”, and feeling pretty good!! I still get tired rather quickly, but my spirit is wanting to go-go-GO!!! I am still on a full liquid diet, until next Tuesday, which is really getting old, but I have lost 60 pounds in total from my highest weight, and 10 of those pounds are from after surgery (not including the 10 pounds I had gained during my hospital stay), so I think I am off to a great start!!! I am still off of work for the next two weeks, and if all goes well, I will get a thumbs up to return back to work – ready and raring to go!!!

Before I get ready to sign off, I really want to take a moment to say thank you to my sweetie, Jason! He has been unbelievably supportive during this entire process, but most especially during my hospital stay, and recovery this past week and a half. I would not being doing so well right now if it weren’t for all that he has done for me while I have been recouping!!! He has taken me for walks to make sure I was getting my exercise, taken me for drives when I just needed to get out of the house, picked up whatever I needed to keep me happy, and entertained, from wherever he felt he needed to. He bundled me up when I was freezing, even letting me steal his socks, which you must know are THE BEST kind when your feet just will not warm up, sat up with me when I couldn’t sleep, tolerated any of my whining & moaning, and even made sure I was taking my medication or using my breathing exerciser thingy!!! (I really do know that thing has a name, but for the life of me I can’t remember it at the moment!)

Love,

I really appreciate all you have done for me – I seriously wouldn’t not have been able to do all of this without your love and encouragement as you stood by my side and continually held my hand, both physically and emotionally!! I love you, and because God has placed you in my life, all those many years ago, I know that I am SERIOUSLY BLESSED!!! 😉

Love, love, love, your grateful wife!!! 😉

Anyway, I am sorry for the extremely long post today, but it has been a while and I know that I have had a lot of people rooting for me, and wanted to make sure that you know how things are going here!!! Thank you so much for all of your kind encouraging words, and I hope to have a lot more successes to report in future posts!!!

Here is to a FABULOUS day! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

BTW – that “breathing exerciser thingy” is called an Incentive Spirometer – I knew I would remember eventually!!

What’s Going On?

Good evening!

I realize it has been a while since I have last posted. The only reason I can seem to muster is I have been MIA because I have been so focused on getting ready for my gastric bypass surgery! So, I thought it would be a good time to give you all on update on what’s going on! Well, my day of surgery is quickly coming, it is in exactly 2 point something days, to be exact!!!

I am excited, and nervous, and excited, and scared, and excited, and oh so READY!!!

I am not actually afraid of the surgery, or all that entails; I am more worried about my hospital stay, even though it will only be for two nights. I am also worried about work while I am gone. (I am on family medical leave for at least the next month). I don’t feel that I am a workaholic at all, but I am not sure I can put it out of my mind for the next month. I can hear all of you already, oh suck it up, you big baby – we would LOVE to have a month off of work!! Yes, yes, I hear you! I know you are right, but it is really an odd way to get a vacation!!! LOL! 😉

Anyway, I have been on my liquid diet for the past 12 days, and out of all the hoops I had to jump through to get to my surgery, I can honestly say that this has been the hardest!! I am allowed to have sugar free pudding, yogurt, sugar free popsicles, smooth soups, sugar decaffeinated drinks of all kinds, skim milk, and a few different kinds of protein drinks. So, I do have a lot of options, but I just wasn’t prepared for the serious cravings that I have been dealing with! I have been craving, barbecue, steak, beef, ribs, meat, essentially, yeah meat!!! I am not a chips kind of girl, and I can walk away from most cookies, cakes, and other desserts, but a really great cooked piece of steak really makes me happy!!! SO, that might be the hardest thing that I have had to deal with since being on this liquid diet!

My struggle was made even more difficult when some friends of ours asked us to go out to dinner with them this evening, and they had decided on a steak house. I sat there with my protein drink while one ate a steak, another had ribs, and my sweetie a really yummy piece of grilled chicken! But I am happy to report that I MADE IT!!! WHEW!!! I had to squeeze my sweetie’s hand a couple of times under the table for moral support, and before I knew it, dinner was over, and I was back at home having some creamy pea soup! (My favorite soup, by the way!!)

Well, my surgery is on Tuesday at 2:30 PM and I will be checking into the hospital around noon that day! I really can’t wait! I just want to get it done and over with, and be heading back home to start my new life with my sweetie. It will be easier when he and I are on the same page food-wise; he is 6 weeks ahead of me after all, but I know that in a flash 6 weeks will have passed and we both will be well on our way to our new fit-selves, and lifestyles! THAT MAKES ALL OF THIS WORTH IT!! That, and the 50 pounds I have lost so far!! WHOO!!! HOO!!!! 😉

Anyway, it is getting late, and I have some reading to get done before I hit the hay this evening, off I go!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

 

Day 2, Liquid Diet!

Good evening!

Ok, so today is the end of day two of my liquid diet! I would love to tell you that I am doing great, but in reality today has been a really grumpy kind of evening! I think I am just hungry, and anxious, and having some serious withdrawals from sugar! Even though my sugar intake over the last few months has been, well, at least for the most part minimal, I am now withdrawing from everything else!!! I think my biggest side effects of this liquid diet so far is exhaustion, headache, and some serious moodiness!!! Last night I was uber-weepy, and this evening I have just been unreasonably grumpy (poor Jason!)!!! 😉

My saving graces, food-wise right now is pea soup, sugar free pudding, and fat-free plain Greek yogurt!! Ok, so now that I have written that last sentence, I have to amend that a bit – my saving grace has been my awesome sweetie, supporting me, holding my hand, encouraging me, and helping keeping me busy when I get really antsy, so I have to give a great BIG shout out to him! I have said it before and I will say it again! I would NEVER have gotten this far without his help!! 😉

Anyway, the night is late, and I am soooo tired, so I am going to keep this post really short, and head up to get a good nights rest!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Day 1, Liquid Diet!

Good evening!

It is so hard to believe that the time for my liquid diet to start has come, and I have almost made it all they way through my first day! WHEW!! The start of the liquid diet means, that I have only 2 weeks to go before my big day!! 😉

For those of you who may not know, since the middle of April, I have lost 40 pounds, and have been on a journey toward getting bariatric surgery! A laporoscopic gastric bypass roux en y, to be more exact! It has been a long and sometimes very difficult journey, but I am so close now I can almost touch it!!

I am on a liquid diet for the next two weeks, and on September 4th, at exactly 2:30 pm I will be going in for my procedure! I have done all that has been asked of me, and have received my approval letter from my insurance, so all is ready to go! Well, everything  except this two week liquid diet.

Now, I have been getting so many questions, so I thought I would take a moment to answer a few for you, that is if you are curious…

Why if you have already lost 40 pounds, would you still go through with the surgery?

  • Well, the answer to that is that with about 90 more pounds to go to, and if I were able to do it all on my own, I would have done it a loooong time to go, and I know that weight loss surgery is just going to be one tool in a whole arsenal of get fit and healthy tools. Just a sampling of some of the other tools being exercise, nutrition, meditation, faith, and personal support!

Isn’t bariatric surgery the easy way to get healthy?

  • The easy way out??? Anyone who thinks that weight loss surgery is the easy way, has NEVER TRIED IT THEMSELVES!!! It is a load of hard work, and is gonna take some more serious determination to succeed!!

I have friends who have had bariatric surgery, and they have gained their weight back. What makes you think you will succeed?

  • You know, I can only answer for myself, since everyone has their own stories, but I know that even with the surgery, I know that health and fitness is something I am going to have to always me mindful of, for the rest of my life. I know that his is the right step for me!

I am so nervous, and yet so excited at the same time! I saw my hubby have the same procedure exactly 4 weeks ago, and he made almost all parts of the process look like a piece of cake!! I really hope that I can make it look just as easy!!

Anyway, this liquid diet lasts for two weeks, and the purpose of it is to help shrink my liver so that when they move it out of the way for my surgery, it doesn’t get injured or damaged in any way!! AND the liquid diet really consists of some foods too: yogurt, skim milk, sugar-free pudding, j-ello, V-8 juice, smooth soups, decaffienated teas, Crystal Light, no-sugar-added cocoa. So, I do have quite a few options!!! 😉

Anyway, it is getting late, and I would like to spend some quality time with my sweetie before bed!! I will make sure to keep you posted of my progress!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Getting Ready for The Big Day!

Good evening!

So tomorrow is the big day; my sweetie is having his gastric bypass surgery in the morning at 11 am. He has worked so hard to get to where he is now. He has gone to every appointment, made every goal, documented and reported everything that was required of him, and lost the necessary amount of weight required of him to get this surgery scheduled, not to mention making it through the last two weeks of his liquid diet!! As of this morning, he has lost a total of 61 pounds within the last 4 months. I am just so dazzled by how easy he has made this whole process look!! If I could just perform half as well as he has done when it is my turn, that would be AMAZING!!! I really couldn’t be prouder of him!!! HE TRULY IS MY HERO!!! 😉

He is doing really well this evening; he is remarkably calm and just ready to get in there and just get the surgery done, so he can get onto the other side, and keep on keeping on with his journey to get fit and healthy!!

I will be making sure to keep posting updates over the next few days! I know he is going to do great. He is in very good hands, not only his surgical team that will be working on him, but also I know that God is going to be in that operating room guiding all of the hands that are going to be taking care of my love, as well as with him throughout his two-day hospital stay!! I know that everything is just going to go swimmingly, and I will make sure to keep all of you posted!!! We really do appreciate all of the prayers, and well wishes from all of our friends and family!!!

With that said, I will make sure to post again really soon!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Hiking Silver Creek Falls!

Good evening!

I have some very exciting news that I am sooooo excited to share with you. Ok, so in all honesty, it is really exciting to my sweetie and I, and maybe not so much for you, but all the same, I am still going to share it with you!! LOL! 🙂

Wait for it…

My sweetie and I walked the 2 and a half mile hike at Silver Creek Falls yesterday morning!

WHOO! HOO!!! 😉

Ok, so 2 1/2 miles may not sound very impressive, but it is quite literally a hike that takes you steeply down into a giant bowl, and then you have to hike what feels like a constant straight up to get back to the top again!

Let me just give you a little back story! The last time a tried any hike at Silver Creek Falls, it was one of the smaller hikes, and let’s just say there was a point, on the way back up, I had the realization that I had let myself get extremely out of shape, and I had a bit of a breakdown, balling my eyes out, crying to Jason. “I am going to die here! *SOB!* I will never make it back to the top, let alone the car! *WHINE!* “Save yourself, and leave me! *DRAMA QUEEN! DRAMA QUEEN!*“
Ok, so admittedly not one of my finest moments!! 😉

So now maybe you understand why hiking the two and half mile hike at Silver Creek Falls is such exciting news??? There was no crying. No whining. No pleading with Jason to save himself.

IT WAS AWESOME!!!

There were some pauses. Some quiet time where I just had to concentrate – especially during the last stretch. There was even some praying for help, and prayers of gratitude when I realized that we were so close to the top! It really was an AMAZING experience!!! I even had the ability to take a TON of pictures, so I apologize for the possible overload of pictures that are to follow, but I want to remember this day for a long, long, LOOOOONG time!!! 😉 The day I realized that all of the healthy eating, and exercise is really paying off!! 😉

This is the South Falls.

Isn’t Jason looking great?? He has lost almost 50 pounds!! Way to go, Baby!! 😉

I am not doing too bad either! Even though I have such a long way yet to go, I have lost about 25 pounds! 😉

This is a water tube that Jason was fascinated with. I fear that he would have tried to climb in and of course get himself stuck if I weren’t there! So to his-would-have-been-rescue-team trying to get his booty unstuck from this water tube – YOU ARE WELCOME!!! 😉

Yes, this is what happy looks like!

Thanks to the very kind stranger who offered to take a picture of us together in front of these falls!! 😉

I think you would agree that just those views along were worth it!!! What an amazing day!!! Let’s just say, we will be doing that again soon!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Some Time On My Own!

Good evening!

Here I am! I have been MIA for a while, I realize, but in all honesty I have been really been busy, and have been taking a break from personal computer time/social media. Tonight my sweetie is at Burning Man, or at least the Oregon version, which is called “Soak”. I am always a little blue when he goes out of town, but this is something that he has really been wanting to do. This is one of those things that is on his life list, and you have to know I will ALWAYS be soooo supportive of him, and his list, so I am ready to have some me time for the next few days!! 😉

For my me time, I don’t have any huge plans while he is gone, but I do have some little plans! Tomorrow night is our bariatric support group. This is the first time I have ever gone by myself, so that will be a change! 🙂

Then on Friday, my niece, Megan is coming over for an auntie night/sleepover! YEAH!! That is always fun!!! I am going to take her to dinner, then to go see the new movie, “Brave”, or maybe bowling, or miniature golf. I am sure we will also squeeze in a manicure!!

GO GIRL TIME!!

Then on Saturday my sis, Nette, and my nephew, Morgan will come over on Saturday so we can go swimming!! Whew!! After they all head home, I have a feeling I am going to have to squeeze in a nap!! 😉

Jason will be home sometime on Sunday, I am thinking probably in the late afternoon, and I already miss him!! We have had a few crazy weeks recently, and haven’t really had a lot of alone time, so I am really looking forward to some quality time when he gets back into town.

Ok, so backing up just a bit. On Friday afternoon, I am picking up a C-Pap machine. I am not looking forward to it, but interested to see if it will help me sleep more soundly during the night.

Oh, you may not know this, since it has been such a while since I posted but we have been really busy on the bariatric surgery prep process. I did have a sleep study, and man that was probably the worst night of sleep/no sleep I think I have EVER had!! I have met with a psychiatrist, physical therapist, and I have met my goal weight of losing 16 pounds! Matter-of-fact I have lost 24 pounds so far. Clothes are much looser, I am getting ready to float down to the next size down! It is quite the dilemma!! 😉 I have almost 80 days until my surgery date.

Jason has finished all of his pre-op stuff, he is down almost 40 pounds, and his pre-op class next week, which means that in two weeks he will be starting his two week liquid diet, and his surgery is about 1 month away!!

Another thing that we have gotten into the habit of is doing nightly walks together, and long walks on Saturday and Sundays! This last Saturday, with my youngest Trina in tow, we walked 6.4 miles!! EEK!!! It took us 2 1/2 hours, and I had two super blisters on my feet when we finished! Not fun!! However, we would have gotten back faster, but yours truly ended up taking a really bad spill after twisting her ankle!! Yep, that is me, and that is why my middle name is “Grace”! 😉 Unfortunately, I twisted my ankle at about the 3.2 mile mark, so I still had 3.2 miles to go to get home!! Needless to say, I spent the rest of the weekend with my feet up!! 😉

Anyway, I realize it is getting late, and I still have to take my evening walk, so I am going to have to cut this short!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!