RIP My Beautiful Grandma

Sorry I have not posted in a few weeks. This picture is my Grandpa, my Grandma, and me when I was a tiny little thing. My grandma passed away and to be honest, I just have been blah. She got sick and then she began getting better, so I decided to wait before I visited her in the hospital. The very day I decided to go, I woke up, got ready and began the 2 hour drive to the hospital. About 30 minutes into the drive, my mother called me with the horrible news. I am so angry I didn't go sooner. I know I shouldn't be angry, but I am. I hate I wasn't there to give her a hug and tell her goodbye. Most of my family was there, but I wasn't. I miss her so much! The funeral was beautiful, but I didn't do very well. It was so hard. It is weird because it still doesn't seem possible. I had a dream about her the other day, and in it she said hey to me and smiled. It made me feel a little better believe it or not, because I feel like she came to me to say goodbye. Call it positive thinking or whatever you want, but I believe the dream had a purpose.

I think about her every single day. I miss her every single day. My grandmother was very religious and I know she loved God very much and I know she is very happy right now. She was the best Grandma I could have ever asked for. Until the day we meet again, I love you Grandmother!

Radiology, Cheerleading, and Phil Collins

My daughter has been begging me to sign her up for cheerleading this year. I caved in and said yes. When I went to the town Civic Center to sign her up, I saw a lady working there that was there when I was in high school. Funny that she remembered me because it has been quite a while since I have seen her. She told me she could never forget me because she remembered that I used to sneak in the tanning beds with Joci (my BFF) and that she always knew I was doing it. I had forgotten about that and I laughed. Anyways, she told me that the B team did not have a cheer coach yet and that they had to have one. She insisted I do it. First off - I was in colorguard in high school and I HATED cheerleaders (no offense to those of you who were one!). But, me being the sweet and caring person I am, said sure, I'll do it. Little did I know how much work had to be done. I was told I was in charge of choosing uniforms, making a dance for the competition (EEK!), fundraisers and practice. Wow. At least my daughter is happy. She is finally a cheerleader and she thinks she is the coolest kid in town (and she is) because her mom is HER cheer coach. She has no clue how terrified and nervous I am.

I got my acceptance letter in the mail the other day! I was accepted into the Radiologic Technology program at my college! I was so nervous because I have heard so much how hard it is to get into this program. Plus, they only allow 25 students a year into the program, and this year they cut it down to 24 students. I am so excited and glad I made the cut! I went to orientation and I have tons to do before I can even be cleared to select my classes! I am going to be so busy these next few months, but I am VERY ready!

On a much different topic, I thought I would share with you guys a huge love in my life (other than my family and friends). And that would be Phil Collins. I mean, what is not to love? Those eyes, that face, that voice! Seriously, this man could cuss me out in the worst way possible as long as he sang as he did it. I LOVE his music and I have been a fan for years. Most people that know me do know this and they all laugh at me. But, I care not!!

I hope you guys have a great week!

ABC's of Food

Just a little about me :)

A is for Avacado: How do you like yours prepared?

I have not adjusted to the taste yet, but I can eat it in guacamole.

B is for Bread: Regardless of nutrition, what is your favorite type?

I LOVE dinner rolls.

C is for Chocolate: What is your favorite kind currently?

I don't eat much chocolate, but when I get the craving, I choose Nestle Dark Choco Chips.

D is for Donuts: You might not currently eat them, but what kind do you fancy?

I stay away from donuts, but I love Krispy Kreme Glazed Kreme filling or Chocolate Cake Donut.

E is for Eggs: How do you like yours prepared?

I like eggs anyway, but I like them scrambled and poached.

F is for Falafel: Yay or nay?

Never tried it, but I would like to. They look delish!

G is for Groceries: Where do you purchase yours?

I go to so many different places. I mostly go to Walmart because it's easier to grab other non-food items, but Walmart doesn't have some of the healthy foods I like.

H is for Hot Beverages: What is your favorite hot drink?

Hot chocolate.

I is for Ice Cream: Pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Snickers Ice Cream Bar.

J is for Jams or Jellies: Do you eat them? If so, what kind of flavor?

I eat them sometimes and when I do, I like Grape and Strawberry.

K is for Kashi: Name your favorite Kashi product?

I love Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal.

L is for Lunch: What was yours today?

I had Ronzoni pasta and a chicken breast on top. I added a little Texas Pete as well. I love hot sauce!

M is for Microwave: What is your favorite microwave meal/snack?

I really do not use my microwave unless I warm up leftovers.

N is for Nutrients: Do you like carbs, fats, or proteins best?

Hmmm, this one is tough. It is a tie between carbs and protein!

O is for Oil: What kind do you like to use?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Canola Oil.

P is for Protein: How do you get yours?

Beans, tuna, meat, and nuts.

Q is for Quaker: How do you like your oats?

I like them hot with almonds, brown sugar, and sugar free maple syrup.

R is for Roasting: What is your favorite thing to roast?

Potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, squash, onions and so much more!

S is for Sandwich: What's your favorite kind?

I have always believed sandwiches taste better when someone else makes them. I go to Subway and get veggies, tuna, buffalo chicken, or the turkey.

T is for Travel: How do you eat while traveling?

I try to not over-do it but I like to try new places and sometimes I do not choose healthy items.

U is for Unique: What are some of the unique foods that you like?

I don't think I eat any unique foods. I can't think of any right now.

V is for vitamins: What kind do you take?

Multivitamin gummies.

W is for Wiener Schnitzel: Do you ever recreate this traditional Czech food?

Never have made it or tasted it. I would be down to try it though!

X is for X-Ray: If we x-rayed your belly right now, what food would we see?

Pasta and chicken.

Y is for Youth: What foods remind you of your childhood?

Grapes that I picked from my Great Gandfather's vines, my grandmother's broccoli and rice and my mom made me meatballs that are AMAZING!

Z is for Zucchini: How do you prepare it?

I like to roast it.

Down 90 Pounds!

Today, I am officially down 90 lbs! Wow. I have not been this size since I was pregnant with my 7 year old! I never thought this day would come. It has been a tough and long journey, but so worth it!

When I first started this journey, I was only able to exercise about 15-20 minutes at a time. I was out of shape. I had lost complete control. I got that way because I ate out of boredom. I was a newly single parent and it was hard. All of my friends lived far away and I stayed at home, on the couch, everyday. One day, I decided to go back to school and then I decided I needed a change. I needed to find myself again. I tore out the exercise pages of magazines I had and put them in a notebook. I did maybe 2 each day and eventually, I was able to do more and more. Within a year, I lost 50 lbs. I did not eat much and I was hungry all of the time. So, when I did eat, I gained. This continued for a few years.

Last year, I was in college and was taking an Anatomy class and needed an extra "easy" class for my hours. I found a Nutrition class and I figured it would be an easy A. Turns out, it was the only class I have ever taken where I actually read the chapters several times. It was so interesting and I loved it. That is when I knew what I needed to do. I learned so much from that class. I even signed up for a 5K. I started running and thought I was going to fall over in the grass on my first run. I never stopped during the runs. I knew I had to do it. I ran for 8 weeks. Needless to say, when I did my first 5K, I did not do as well as I had hoped. The course had tons of hills and I was not prepared. I was discouraged and I quit running.

In January, I had to take another Anatomy and wanted to take another "easy" class so I could dedicate my time to the Anatomy. I saw they offered a Health class. I signed up. Again, I LOVED it. I learned alot of new things about eating healthy and different addictions and diseases. Very interesting class. Since I have taken both of these, I have done better than I ever have. I have started running again (for 5 weeks now!) and I am actually eating and not starving myself. I recently checked into getting a degree in dietics/fitness and wellness.


If I can do this, you can too! I have hit so many plateaus, I can't even count them. I just worked through them. I don't even eat fast food anymore. I hate it now and I used to eat it 3 or 4 times a week. Be patient and stick with it! It is worth it in the end!

My "Other" Love

This is my sweet baby - Fluffers. I was really being funny when I named her and I wasn't going to stick with it, but it kind of did stick. I mean, I named her sister Fat Head. Anyways, I got her when she was 6 weeks old and she was so soft and fluffy. I love her :)

YES, I bought her a sweater, and YES, she hated it. I did it mostly because she is a long hair cat and she sheds so bad. The sweater actually helps with the hair. Plus, she looks so cute in it. She does not wear it anymore. I think she punished me for making her wear it - she never came to me anymore and when I talked to her, she would look at me like I was stupid, and turn her back to me and just sit there. She knew what she was doing and as you can see from the pic, she was doing it to me at that very moment.

When I studied my Anatomy, she was ALWAYS trying to get in on the action. I don't know why. If I was studying for my Nutrition class, she wanted nothing to do with me. But Anatomy, she was all on me. She just took it upon herself to lay on my workbook while I was writing in it.

I just put this one on here because it is one of my favs. She looks gorgeous and she knows it.

Busy Me

Sorry I have not posted in a week. I have sooo busy! However, I FINALLY got to eat at The Fish Market and it was amazing! My daughter went camping with my mom and dad, so me and my hubby had the weekend to ourselves. We decided to go out to eat and I wanted to go to Books-A-Million (yep, I'm a nerd) and the mall.

I found these amazing shades in Hibbett Sports and I had to try them on. I thought they looked pretty good on me. What do you think?

I loved the fountain at The Fish Market. I walked up to the side and looked in and almost fell in. Nun laughed and said if I had fallen in, he was going to act like he didn't know me and walk away. Thanks alot.

Yummm. This salad was probably the best part of my meal. It had greek olives and yes, that it full-fat ranch. It was worth every calorie.

The calamari was just as good as the salad. Another favorite of mine. We devoured this stuff and Nun even gave me some of his portion!

Finally, I ordered Shrimp and Grits. I have been told by many people that it is very good, so I said what the heck. It was OK, but I won't be ordering this anymore. Sadly, the grits were the only good part of this dinner. The shrimp was good, but the sauce that it was covered in, was not.

We had a great night and we even had time to Netflix a few movies. FYI - I love Netflix! I mostly watch documentaries and tv shows. I definately have changed over the years. I would much rather watch a documentary than most of the movies that are out now. Weird, I know.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Trail Running

Yesterday, me and Em walked/ran on the trail in our town. I love it! It is very quiet and I go in the mornings, so there aren't too many people on it. Running helps me with more than just losing weight. It helps me relax and clear my head and sometimes, it even calms me down when I am upset or mad about something. I tell people that running is like my Prozac - not only does it keep me sane, it doesn't cost me anything!

Em is out of school for the summer so I told her she would have to join me on my runs. She was excited and I was surprised. I mean, just the other day I wanted us to go ride bikes and after 5 minutes, she stopped and told me her butt hurt and her legs were burning. I was like are you serious?! She is 7 and should blow me out of the water as far as not getting tired. Kids are so lazy these days! Anyways, we started walking and she starts swinging her arms like crazy. I asked her, "What are you doing?" She then stopped and looked at me like I was the dummy and said, "Umm, I'm power walking." It was so funny. Well, maybe you just had to be there. Later on, while I was running, for some crazy reason, she took her shoe off. She then carries it with her and starts "power walking" with one shoe on. As soon as I turned to her to tell her to put it back on, she scrubbed her big toe on the pavement and blood starting pouring out. Now, either I am a really dedicated runner or just a mean mom, but either way, I told her to keep walking. Hey, I was only 3 minutes from being fnished for the day, don't judge. Today, I really wanted to get in an extra run and she said she didn't want to bring her bike, so I immediately think of ways I could get her to go, without hurting herself. I looked around my house, and see it - a wheelchair!She can wheel herself around while I run. I am so amazingly smart I think to myself. We ended up not going due to crappy tornado weather we have been having lately. (p.s. - I am terrified of storms!)

Off subject, I want to mention a great blog that you should go read NOW! Amanda is so sweet and I absolutely love stalking, err, reading her blog. http://5mls2mt.blogspot.com/

Go check her out at 5 miles Past Empty. And, she has an awesome giveaway going on right now!

Hope you guys have a great day! (all 2 of you!)