Back from Ohio

I drove 15 hours with my munchkins yesterday home from Ohio. We split up the trip on the way down and stayed over at a hotel but it really is more work to get the kids unpacked and into a hotel room by myself then just enduring the misery of such a long drive. The kids did great on the way home and not a single tear was shed. Thank goodness for their individual DVD players, we could not have done it without them. It's just too far.

My Grandma was very thankful we came for the week. It was a loooong week. The hospital my Grandad is in is an hour from her house so it would be too much for her to have driven it everyday. He has improved a tiny bit. He got the breathing tube out of his throat and had a tracheostomy put in. When they take him off the ventilator, his blood pressure goes up. When they take him off the sedation, he get aggitated and moves too much and risks knocking something out. He is basically like a newborn baby right now mentally and physically. He will have to relearn everything. The best part was one night my brother and I went up to see him and I told him to open his eyes and he looked right at me and a tear come out. After the trach surgery he was able to keep his eyes open for an hour and breath on his own too. Each day they will try to extend that time and get him off the vent and meds. So, I know he is in there. We just need to get him to come out! My brother called to brag today that he smiled twice today. Whether its all reflex and there is no brain function behind it, we like to think there is hope!

I definitely learned what kind of nurse I want to be. Maybe because they work in ICU and are numb to everything, they forget that these patients are someones loved ones. Maybe they just have little social skills. I want to be positive and focus on the good. I want to encourage without giving my opinions on the future. I want to learn about my patients and suit my care to their needs. I was nice when we heard the nurses comment that my Grandad was a runner and must be very strong! That made my Grandma happy. Too many just saw a near comatose old man and didn't care enough to talk to my Grandma about him and basically ignored her. I also want to make sure that the families get to talk to the doctor. She went 14 days without talking to him. I couldn't believe when I got there that she hadn't seen or heard from him since BEFORE his brain surgery. I fixed that and now she feels comfortable requesting to talk to him and asking him everything on her mind.

Anyway, that is my vent for the day. I am so glad to be home safe with my family. I am trying to appreciate my husband more. As much as my Grandma griped about my Grandad, I know she would give ANYTHING to have her companion back!

Grandad

My Grandma and Grandad in probably near 1955 with their first-born son, my uncle Gary. I had to take this of a real 3x3 pic with my cell so forgive me for the quality.

I LOVE this pic! I keep wanting to take it to Kinko to have them enlarge it and get it framed. My Gram and Grandad in LOVE! Weird to see Grandad with HAIR!

I have been wanting to post every day for a week now but just could not find the words. So, two glasses of wine later, here they are.

Last Tuesday while at lunch, my mom called and told me my Grandad went to the ER and had been Medi-Flighted to a larger hospital and had a hemorrhagic stroke. Last Tuesday he went to the ER complaining of vomiting. A few hours later, he had had brain surgery to put in some tubes to let the blood in his brain flow. Those few hours have impacted my family greatly. Those few hours took a man who just spent 2 weeks vacationing in Florida visiting my mom, golfing daily, able to run a 10K without trouble. My Grandad is 84 years old and spends 5 hours a day in his amazing garden. He still works as a Life Insurance agent. He golfs weekly. He runs a few times a week. He goes to the VFW, the Moose and the Elks to spend time with the guys. He is not your normal 84 year old. Until Tuesday. Now, my Grandad is laying in a hospital bed, hasn't breathed on his own for more than an hour in 7 days. He has tubes and needles poking out of every part of his body. He shows 15 minutes of improvement, gets everyones hopes up and then starts flailing around and makes our hearts sink. My Grandad is not doing well. So, for the few people that may read this. . . please pray for him.

Please pray for my Grama. She is acting like nothing has happened. They celebrated their 58th Wedding Anniversary 2 weeks ago. She has spent more than 58 years with him and she is acting like nothing happened.

Everyone grieves differently. Even though we have not lost my Grandad yet, she definitely has lost a big part of him. I cannot express how much I miss him already. I cannot express how much it hurts. I have cried (mostly in my car, I guess because the kids cannot see my tears when I am driving) every day over the past week.

I am driving 15 hours with my two kids Friday to go see my Grandad. I could save my money in order to be able to fly up when he dies. I could spend my Spring Break building the new desk I want in my front room. I could sit around and reminisce of the days I had no plans. Instead, I am going to go be with my Grama while she visits my Grandad every day. 7 days. I will get to spend 7 days with him. It may be the last 7 days I ever see him.

Okay, I am now bawling. I have to stop this. Please pray for me. Pray that I do not say anything to hurt my Gramas feeling. Pray that I can help her grieve. Pray that my Grandad comes out of this

NEED SUNSHINE

As boring as this blog post is going to be, I will do anything to get away from my school books. I have a test tomorrow and after a full day of class, I am just not in the mood. . . to say the least. We have had good weather here off and on. Last night when I went to bed it was 71 degrees at 11PM and I woke up to 36 degrees at 630AM! Now that is a big change. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm again but unfortunately, I have class again all day.

So these pics are to remind me of the fun I get to have with my boys and to enjoy every minute with them. Being in school full time, it just doesn't quite feel like enough.

I have two days left of Phase 3 HCg Maintenance and it has gone by in a flash. I slowly get to add in starches and sugars again. Woo hoo! I now realize the effect they can have on a body so I do not plan to indulge any time soon.

Well, I better get back to my studies. BLUGHHHH!!!!!

Have a great week!

Visions of Brad Pitt?

I have not had a day off this week and I am exhausted! Actually, it is about 2145 Friday night and after I finish this post, I am hitting the hay. Speaking of hay, I promised pics of my new chickens! I asked on Facebook for name ideas and I cannot decide between Laverne and Shirley and Thelma and Louise. If I choose Thelma and Louise, it will bring up visions of Brad Pitt I had as a preteen that may help me get through each day. If I choose Laverne and Shirley, well, what can I say. . . So without further ado:

The two on the left are Betty's new roommates. They are called Cochins and I think they are just adorable. They are huge and fluffy and have feathered feet! Betty wasn't sure what to think at first but they were fast friends sniffing each others' rears and plucking feathers within minutes.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I have to catch up on laundry! Boo!

Excited

I am very excited to share that I am down to just .5 over my lowest weight while on the HCG diet. I had been fluctuating so much and pretty much accepted that I was going to stabilize at 3 over but I have just been eating a ton of protein and not as much wine and cheese (my two favorite things). I have also been very active lately. We have 5 acres and it takes alot of work to keep up with it, mainly the kids toys scattered and the dog poop! We have had such gorgeous weather that I have been taking full advantage of it!

Anyway, the rest of my life has my head spinning. I feel so frustrated trying to keep everything in order. My husband works out of town alot which leaves me to handle basically everything. It is alot of work keeping up with the house, the kids and of course lastly, MYSELF!

It definitely helps feeling so great about my body. If I was still over 180 pounds, I can see myself sitting on the couch and eating oreos more often! Instead, I am just keeping at it and trying my best every day. If I do not get everything accomplished or if I have to change up my plans, I just move forward and dont look back!

So those are my encouraging words for the day! Now, I have to go pack 3 lunches, get two little monkeys dressed and ready for school, take them up to the church and then get myself to school across town. The hardest part will be surving 6 hours of class today! Wish me luck!

Growing

I have been thinking alot about summer since we have had such wonderful weather the past few days. I would really like to have 3 4x8 raised garden beds this summer. The only problem is I am not good at gardening. I hate weeding and watering. So, where does that leave me? Not sure. Surely if I put in the effort to make 2 more raised beds, I will put a little more effort in this year???
I want to grow:
romaine
bell peppers
jalapenos
cucumbers
onions
tomatoes
strawberries
watermelon?
I would also like to get some apple and cherry trees. I realize they will not be producing for quite awhile but we are planning on living here foreverish.
The problem here is our soil. We have very sandy ground. I guess I could just give it a try with what I've got. I plan to start my seeds inside soon!

Anyway, I don't have much to report today because I was in class all day. Another fun day of lecture! I like to sit in back and check out all my fav blogs but there are like 30 people in front of me and I find it so strange that they just sit there and stare at the power points for 5 hours! Really? Isn't that old yet?

HCG Maintenance Day 7: My weight went up today by like alot! Scary! I guess my partying on Saturday was a little too soon. I am learning though. Those sugar free margaritas sure were fun in the moment. I ate awesome today. No snacks, just two meals. I planned out my meals for tomorrow too and am staying just under 1000 calories. I think a few days of this will pay off and I can be back down where I want to be. I haven't even gone over the 1500 cals allotted in any day though so I don't know why I am wavering so much. I also just had to try on these size 12 jean shorts today and they fit me better than they even did last year when I was around this weight. I have quit eating fruit because I think the carbs are what is messing with my weight. I am sticking to lean meats and veggies. Oh, and a little cheese! I just cannot live without cheese any longer!
An amazing milestone though is that I have not had fast food or restaurant food in 4 weeks! Not a bite!

Fiesta!

This evening I am hosting a Family Fiesta Night with my Meetup Group Social Mamas! I am so excited because we rarely get together with husbands included. Everyone is bringing a Mexican dish and I fixed a Taco Buffet.

Update on HCG Maintenance Day 6: Have been up and down a few pounds but am maintaining! That is the whole point. I have had a few cheats like my wine, a diet coke today and tonight I am sure there will be some hidden sugar I inevitably will consume. I will do my best but man, this part is actually harder than the first 3 weeks!

Have a great weekend!

Bright White Bathroom

My house was built in 1975 and it shows. It has never been renovated just maintained. When we moved in every light and fixture in the house was so dated and hideous. Lots of bronze and gold. The cabinets all match throughout the house and there are alot of them. The problem is that they are so hideous! So here is my green bathroom with lovely yellow laminate countertops. The cabinets are dark brown and have what appears to be 12 coats of polyurethane on them.

While I hate my bathroom, I do not have the $$ to do much to is. It just always felt old. So in order to give it a fresh new facelift, I got out an old gallon of white paint and went to town!

This snow must be getting to me because I just do not know what to do with my yime when I am literally stuck in the house!

I have never painted any walls white because I love color. I usually choose bold and bright. This space has great light since it faces east so the white really shows it off.

I am so happy with my decision! It still needs alot of work in here but it settled my urge to do major renovations for awhile. Painting ain't easy! Apparently painting white over a dark color is much harder that vice versa. It took me forever and I ran out of paint even before I really got an even coat. So don't sit for too long on my pot because you will see all the flaws!

I used Behr Bright White. I cannot recommend this paint because two weeks ago I painted my hallway with the high end Valspar Ultra Premium paint and primer in one and it was glorious! It is the BEST paint I have ever used. It is definitely worth the extra $8 per gallon.

Next project. . . who knows! I would like to redo the trim and reface the cabinets in this bathroom before I try to tackle the kitchen and main rooms. Gotta get some more dough for that task though!

Have a great day!

REVAMP

I am revamping my blog. I am sick of my weight loss focus. I am a mommy, wife, student, builder, painter, friend and surely I wear many more hats. I try to embrace my life as an Okie (that's what "REAL Oklahomans are called round these parts". My new blog address is "Where the June Bugs Zoom" because when I googled "lyrics to Oklahoma", that is the first line I liked. It basically sums up my house during the summer months. I used to run and hide when the June bugs swarmed but I have learned to accept them, AKA swat and stomp. They are crunchy little buggers too. So, in an effort to express my creativity, rant about whatever the hell I please and be a wanna-be Pioneer Woman, here is my new blog!

I hope I do not lose any of my 7 followers!! I love YALL!!

Done Done Done

I am officially finished with the 500 calorie diet and HCG drops! I still cannot eat starches or sugar for 3 weeks which is still going to take awhile to figure out which foods I can eat and still lose weight. I am so proud of myself because I lost 18 pounds in 23 days! That is just crazy! I feel so good about myself and all the discipline I managed to use over the past 3 weeks. It was not easy at times but overall very doable.

I want to put into writing my new goals so that I do not go astray thinking I am done. I have done an amazing thing but I am still not where I see myself. I will just come right out and say it because I have not been this weight since high school. I weigh 163 pounds now! It seems I was stuck in the 180s for all of my 20's so I am thrilled to be starting my 30's in the 160's.

My new goal is to get down to 155. This is just 8 pounds. Sounds doable right?

Well, I better go cook up some eggs with green peppers and avacado! YUM!

Have a fabulous day! I have an exam and am not looking forward to it. Yesterday was a looong day of lecture and after have most of last week off due to snow, it is hard to stay focused!

One day left!

I am down 17 pounds in 3 weeks! Woo hoo! Yes, I say that a lot even in real life! I bought a new scale yesterday and since I have gone through 4 lithium batteries for my scales in 2 years that are supposed to last 5 years, I got the $7.99 analog scale that will not fail me! I was kind of torn between going the 40 days or not because I am definitely not where I want to be weight-wise but I am happy and want to eat fooooood! So tomorrow is it and I get to go on to maintenance! Hello, bacon, sausage, ranch, blue cheese, and eggs!

So thin!

This diet rocks! I have 5 more days of drops and then I am done! I have no idea how much I have lost yesterday or today because my scale battery died! I actually do not have any intention of getting a new battery because I just want to be surprised at the end! There is nothing I can do if I am not losing as much as I would like anyway. I have stuck to the plan completely (except for that one Moms Night Out but that was planned!) So, we shall see. I feel soooo skinny. My stomach is so close to being pooch-less! I think I will do another round after Easter so April 25. That way I finish up just before David's big 5th birthday pool party! Also I have heard I will continue to lose over the next few weeks of maintainence too so that is great. Anyway, off to school!

Stuck

We are still stuck inside all day today. I used up all my fun ideas yesterday so I am not sure how to entertain the kids today. Guess I better bust out the books and do a little school work. I also need to do a little cleaning because this house is starting to stink! Not sure if it's the chicken or dogs! All need cleaned for sure!

I lost another pound today! 14.5 lbs lost I think! I am so happy because I now weigh less than I have in almost 15 years! I cannot remember when exactly I really put on weight as a teenager but I remember in 8th grade I was 144lb and thought I was a cow! So, I just hope to keep on losing!

I had a rough time last night. I was really wanting to quit and just give up. I didn't cheat, I just drank my hot tea and went to bed early. I can see that there are just 6 short days left (3 more days of drops!) and then I can eat some cheese on my salad! Oh the joy!

SNOklahoma 2011!!!

Well the snowstorm hit us hard all night. It is still coming down with very hard winds. We have at least 7 inches. I haven't been out and do not plan to until this wind dies down!

I am happy to report I lost another pouns so I am down 13.5 lbs! I only have a week left of the 500 cals so I am hoping I can still lose another 5. I would imagine I will have another good loss sometime in this week. It is going to be very hard to stick with it because I am going to be stuck at home bored to death due to the snow!

I moved my chicken in the house in a dog cage last night because the temp is -20 with wind chill and I just cant bear to lose another chicken. She is so funny to have around too. The kids and dogs are loving it! I got really bored this morning and googled "how to sew a chicken diaper" lo and behold a lady has a youtube video on exactly what I wanted! So I whipped one up in about 15 minutes!

I had to lock the dogs in the bedroom because Brutus sees her as a walking chicken nugget! I put it on her and she got to mosy around the house with us. She walks real slow and just checks everything out! She has gotten alot more tame recently. She likes me alot and lets me carry her around too. If I had know how great chickens were as pets, I never would have gotten dogs. Now they are a pain in the butt!

So here is sweet Betty in her new diaper!

Getting there

Well, I have lost 12.5 inches so far! That is alot of fat! I also lost another .5 lb bringing my total to 12.5. This is my 15?th day and it has gotten so easy to eat so little because it feels like I am eating a ton. I am very excited to be finished soon though!

We are supposed to get a snow storm overnight so I went to the store a little bit ago to get some more bottled water and tuna! If I cannot cook my meat, I needed something on hand that does not need heated. I do not love tuna but I do not hate it either. The bad thing about living in the country is when our power goes out, it usually stays out for awhile. No power here means no water! I just can't wait to take the boys out in the snow. I have taken them twice this year but we only had a light dusting so it was not that fun.

Anyway, I am hanging in still and plan to drink a ton of water today and hope for a big loss tomorrow!

Looong Weekend

My boys went to their Grandma's this weekend so Scott and I had a long, relaxing weekend. We both went out with friends (not together) Friday night and then watched a movie together at home Saturday.

I cheated on my diet Friday night because I really wanted to have a good time out with my girls! I was planning on having just a glass of red wine (gave up my fruit that evening) and I did but I also had a Vodka Tonic later in the evening when my friends were all having more fun than me in the crowded, dirty, standing room only bar. So, I didn't gain the next morning but I didn't lose either. And again today, no loss! So, was it worth it? Heck yes! We had a great time and I NEVER get to get out with my friends and just loosen up!

So today I have tried to stick with the protocol but it is hard to even eat because I just am not hungry. Even last night I could not eat my fruit again. I know how important it is to eat everything because it won't work if I am not getting enough calories. So, I have some faux chili on the stove and I am going to eat it up!

I didn't realize today marks two weeks so I need to do my measurements but I like to make sure I get the smallest result so will do it in the morning. I can tell a huge difference already. I have my waist back and my pooch is fading! I even fit into my Lucky brand jeans Friday night!

Anyway, tomorrow starts a new week. Have my second test tomorrow, Booooo! I will do it all though!!

Oh no! Aunt Flo!

As if this diet isn't hard enough, Aunt Flo came to visit today and now I have to go a few days without the drops. I did lose another .5 lb so I am very happy. Down to 11.5 lbs in 8? days! My next weight loss will be into the 160's!! I loooove the 160's. I think I will try to stick with chicken and tilapia for a few days and lay off the ground beef. I was doing better before I started eating it.

It's actually funny because last year when I did the 30 Day Shred, I lost 11 pounds in January and got down to 168. This means I gained 10 pounds last year!! UGH! That is just disgusting. No baby to show for it. Just pure fat!

One more gone!

Well this HCG diet sure ain't easy or fun but it works! It really works. I have lost 11 pounds now in 7 days. I felt great all day, no weak or queasy feelings at all.

Today was my first Pharmacology exam and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I did okay. It wasn't that hard but one of the measurements we needed to know I got mixed up. So for future reference, as if anyone would ever need to know this:
1 gram equals 15 grains and 60 milligrams equals 1 grain or something like that, see I still don't know it!

Anyway, today means I only have 14 more days of this 500 calorie bullcrap. I already planned a Mexican Fiesta with friends a week after I finish. I miss my cheese.

Uh ho!

Lettuce tacos! Yum!

6 pieces romaine leaves

extra lean ground beef

1t taco sauce (no calories, no sugar) (the plan does not allow for this since I am mixing 2 veggies tomatoes and lettuce but I have been using it all along)

hot sauce

Wrap them up and enjoy!

Well, I got up and weighed and didn't lose a single pound! My scale only shows to the half pound though so I'd like to think I at least went down .2 pounds! Oh well, I am not giving up yet. I did remeasure and have lost 7 inches, including an inch off each thigh! Now that is what I was hoping for!

It was a little tricky today because I had to sit in class for 3 hours and felt a little light headed and slightly nauseas (I know that is not spelled right but spell check says it is, so ha!). I didn't feel awful and I get the same feeling if I don't eat before lunch on a normal day. After lunch I had to be on my feet and I was fine the rest of the day.

I used the oil free lotion alot yesterday and am wondering if that is what caused a non loss. I just used it once today. My hands are so dry they are cracking and painful!

I have trouble drinking my water during school days. They only let you take breaks once an hour and when I drink alot I need to pee like every 5 minutes it seems.

I know how boring this is all sounding and I am incredibly sorry for that. I just want to have a record of how it all went if in the future I want to do it again.

Last night I had to call my mom (also on the diet) and get some support (aka curse like a sailor) because I guess the boredom of studying by myself in this lonely house made me want to eat!

Anyway, I will not quit! I am 1/3 of the way through!

Loving it!

I am down 10 pounds in 4 days!! Tomorrow I get to re-measure myself to see my results. I don't quite feel thinner but I can see a difference in my face and under my chest. I will be thrilled to see the change in my booty and thighs!

My cheats: I put about 1T green or red taco sauce on my salads because I cannot take ACV twice a day. It really makes a chicken salad!

I got some spray conditioner that I spray on just the length of my hair. I would be a hot mess without this.

I also use baby oil (yuk!) and just got some oil free Neutrogena face moisturizer because my hands actually started falling apart. Dr. Simeons says the fat flowing in your body will give you a youthful glow but I am not seeing it yet!

Today was my first day at school while on the diet. I brought a taco salad and an apple. I actually wasnt hungry for the apple until on the way home. I thought I would be exhausted but I had plenty of energy and felt great all day.

Lost a small sack of potatoes!

I've lost 2 more pounds for a total of 5 in 2 days! That is incredible. I am still in bragging mode about the diet because I seriously have more energy and am not hungry at all. I do have to fight off cravings though.

Last night I was sad because while I could have gone out to Chelino's and devoured 2 baskets of chips and an extra large plate of lard, I was eating chicken soup. And when I say chicken soup, I mean chicken in water, spices and spinach. I did make a baked an apple though and it was fabulous! It does make me sad that I have to diet like this but it will be worth it. I just keep thinking bikini body!

Baked apple recipe:
Core 1 granny smith apple
Place in baking dish and fill bottom with water about 1/4 inch to keep moisture in.
Pour pumpkin pie spice and stevia to taste in core.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
YUMMY!

Since I cannot be fun anymore aka eat or drink, I basically cleaned all freaking day. Including the chicken coop which was a nasty and I am pretty sure I have some disease now because while I tried not to breath as the wind blew the poo piles in my face, it was a little tricky. So if I die, let the news channels know that it was my love for my chicken that killed me.

Woohoo

I was so excited to wake up this morning to weigh myself. I lost 3 pounds! I started blogging Wednesday but it was just embarassing to put into words all the food I ate and how I felt about it! Yuk. I don't want to go back there.

Yesterday was the first day on the VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet). I had alot of expectations and it was nothing like it. I was NOT hungry in the slightest. It was even hard for me to eat that much.

Brkfst: Coffee

Lunch: Tilapia, Spinach with strawberries drizzled in apple cider vinegar

Dinner: Ground beef, iceberg lettuce drizzled with taco sauce (not sure if that was allowed, says no sugar or calories so I did it)

Snacks: Orange and 2 melba toasts (not at once)

I made my family tacos for dinner so it was not hard to resist since I got a faux taco salad!

I have to go out in the cold and start my car because I am pretty sure it is below freezing. I have to go to school and of course I have to stop for gas. Normally my husband will go out and "fill er up" for me but he was sick and was not catching my hints last night.

Abcense Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

I have lots to update since last June! Time flies when you are having fun!
1. I started Nursing school last week and in 16 months I will be an R. N. with a BSN! Woot Woot!
2. I feel extremely guilty leaving my kids 17 hours a week while I am in class!
3. I am on a building hiatus. Since I last posted, I have built a toddler bed, twin fort bed, King bed, 2 bookshelves, step stool and dining table and bench! There are probably a few more things but I cannot think right now.
4. I have started feeling FAT again!
5. I don't know where this random list came from but it feels right so let's go with it.

That last one is the most important to me. If I do not feel good about my body, everything else in life goes wonky. I wish that weren't true but it is. So here is my plan to fix it.

HCG DIET! (If you don't know what this is, here is the protocol straight from the creator, DR. Simeons http://hcgdietinfo.com/Dr-ATW-Simeons-Pounds-and-Inches.htm. Check it out! After you get all skeptical and health conscience on me, google hcg before and after pics. You will be amazed. I truly believe that the reason this is not marketed more is because where would it leave the big ballers who sell weight loss pills? Broke!

I bought the homeopathic drops from my local health food store for $50 for the 23 day supply.

Wish me luck! I just took my before pics and they are appalling! If you looked like I do in a bikini, you would jump on the bandwagon too!I did my measurements too and weighed in.

So today is Day 1 or the binge, pig out, gorge day! I have eaten a Sausage and egg biscuit, embarassed to say I could not eat the hashbrown because I was so full, chocolates that have been hiding in my cupboards since Christmas whispering my name 3x day, Wendys chicken nuggets that the kids begged for and then decided they werent hungry, potato soup which is my fav food ever and 2 glasses of wine. I feel like I should eat more but I cannot stuff anything else in this fat belly. So, that's it for Day 1.

Tomorrow, I have class in the morning and then more eating to do!