I did it!!

I lost that measley 0.2lbs and have officially reached my ww goal.  You know me, I cried at the meeting!  Just so very thankful for the encouragement of my family, friends, and my ww leader!  I know that just by reaching goal does NOT mean that I have completed my journey.  In fact, I think maintaining may be the hardest part yet.  But I have worked too hard to go back to how I used to be...and my new goal is to keep that from happening ;-)

I am so looking forward to 2012 and all the new things I can accomplish!  Here is to a wonderful new year with the new me!

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all had a very Merry and Blessed Christmas with your family and friends!!  

48.8 down... 0.2 to go!

It was a big day today...bigger than I figured but hey, I will take it.  Lost 3.2lbs this week, am into a new number range (which is always fun...will add that to my thankful list!), and am now just a mere 0.2 lbs away from my goal.  I joked with my leader that maybe I should have stripped down a little more or not had my morning coffee!  I am beyond excited.  And truly, still a little in disbelief that I have accomplished this much so far.  I will totally reach my goal by the end of the year...and will be ringing in 2012 with a "new Lisa" for sure.  I love Weight Watchers for giving me the gift of my health back!

Speaking of weight watchers...our leader told us today that WW will be revealing a new MALE spokesperson on Christmas...Charles Barkley!  Campaign will be called "Lose Like A Man".  I think that is so great and think it will attract more men.  It is such a great program but I think some men think it is just for women but it's not.

The thing that I love about ww the most is that nothing is off limits.  I love pizza.  I love wine.  I love cheese.  I love ice cream.  And I can still have all of those things, just in moderation.  Every friday we order pizza.  But now I plan for it.  Eat lighter during the day.  Get a workout in.  And then my pizza...I get thin crust and veggies.  And I love it just as much!  And do not feel deprived.  It works for me, and I am so happy I finally found something that does!

I still indulge.  I still have weeks that I gain.  I stil have days or weekends when I KNOW I eat way more than I should.  The difference is that now I recognize that and make sure I don't do it every day.  I am human after all, and no one can be good all the time.  Everything in moderation! :)

Anyway, good day today.  Got some other things in the works too and I am just really excited for 2012 and what all is in store!!

Thankful Tuesday

I am reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts right now for our Book Club.  I have heard nothing but great things about the book.  Her writing style challenges me, but as I am getting deeper into the book, I am following along better.  The premise of the book is about being Thankful in all that we do.  Not a blanket, "Thank you Lord for all the blessings you give to me" but rather the tiny every day moments that build into a joyful life.  I love this line in her book..."God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy."

So here are a few things I am thankful for today:
*My husband, my boys, my parents, my family...always at top of my list!
1) Listening to Christmas carols on the way to work...and loving verses that move me to tears.  Thank you, Jesus for your gifts...
2) The sound of Christmas harp music being played when I walked into my lobby this morning.
3) Possibility of new opportunities.
4) For a friend who is pregnant having a watchful doctor and knowing that she is in His hands....and her doctor's hands.
5) For a friend from high school who is undergoing surgery today for cancer and so far a successful surgery. 
6) Watching my boys enjoy the nature around us...who knew watching a bird dip his head into water and pulling out fish would entertain us for 30+ minutes!
7) Crock Pot.  Nuff said. 
8) Pinterest....for helping me find recipes for said above appliance.
9) Maria.  Who is one of the only reasons I can get to work and not worry about my boys all day.
10) Anticipation...for book club this Friday and seeing my Dallas family this weekend!
11) Grace.
12) My youngest's snorts when he laughs...seriously, it's beautiful.  He has the kind of infectious laugh that you cannot help but laugh too!
13) My oldest's sheer wonderment in everything Christmas.
14) A meal at Freebird's on Saturday night.  I can't remember the last time we went out to eat (besides after church).  And they both ate all their meals.
15)  Christmas lights. 

I could go on but I should be working..15 is a good start to 1000.  And that's just for today. 

Hope you all are enjoying this time as we approach Christmas.  I am happy to say I am about 90% finished with everything and am not going to stress about the last 10%.  The gift is most surely not in the gifts we will receive on Christmas day.  May you enjoy this most blessed time of year! 

A Prayer for December
Dearest God,
Please never let me
Crowd my life
Full to the brim.
So like the keeper of Bethlehem's Inn,
I find no room for Him.
Instead, let my heart's door
Be ever open,
Ready to welcome
The newborn King.
Let me offer the best I have
To Him
Who gives me everything.
-author unknown

weigh in

Finally made it back to ww yesterday.  My last weigh in was 11/16 which was the week before Thanksgiving.  I had missed the last 2 Wednesday meetings.  Happy to see I only gained .6lbs.  Which means 3.4lbs to go.  That is just over 1lb a week.  I have a LOT of activities coming up this month with the holidays.  But I would really like to reach my goal weight before the end of the year. 

My plan of action??  WORK IT HARD during the week...so I can enjoy the weekends!  I am really tracking again and going to try to get back into a more dedicated exercise routine again. I have been hit or miss and not in a really good schedule this last couple of weeks.  But I am going to do it.

And thinking about running a half marathon again.  After running 5 miles already...what's 8 more, right? ;-)

A year

I haven't been weight watchering for a year....but I finally found a good picture for before and after.

The company Christmas Party.

I am still not at goal.  That side ticker has not changed very much in the last month.  Same 5lbs I am struggling with (darn.you.holidays.) But old Lisa would have said, to heck with it, I give up!  I am just meant to be bigger.  And I have not done that yet.  And I will not.  Even if it takes me SIX months to lose these last few pounds, I will do it.  I do not want to go back.  On Thanksgiving morning, I got up and ran 4 miles.  Matt got up and trumped me with like 6 or something ;-)  A couple days later I ran my personal best of five miles.  FIVE MILES!  Who are these people??  I am changing!  Every day is still a struggle.  I could easily sit and eat a whole bowl of ice cream or queso (and on occasion still do so).  But the difference is I am not defined by that one bad day.  I can now shake it off and move forward.  Get back on plan.  Live this life differently.

I still do not LOVE exercise.  But here is what I DO love.  I can run after my boys (and they run.  A lot.)and not be winded.  That I could race them and probably win ;-) The fact that I can indulge some and it not be the end of the world.  That I am stronger!  To know that my body can physically do things I have never done before (like run FIVE miles!).  That is an empowering feeling. 

I posted a pic from our party this year on fb, and ya'll, was blown away by the comments.  In a good way.  I was truly touched by how many people commented, and really proud of myself for the work I have done for the last 7 months.  I think I could finally see what others have been seeing.  A transformation, as my mother has said!

And so I decided to look at a pic from last year's party.  I still see a pretty woman, but a self conscious one who was uncomfortable in her own skin.  Content with the status quo of her body and rationalizing that I was just made this way.  But this year, I see a stronger and more confident woman.  And that makes me smile.  My ww leader has been asking me for a picture for her success stories but I have hesitated because I want to be at goal when I make the book.  But I think I may have found my pictures.  What do you think? :)

 2010

2011

 
 
Every day is still a part of the journey.  I would still like to lose more.  But in the end, I am happy and proud of what all I have accomplished so far.  I will never be a size 2-4-6...but I will be happy where I am.  And not hating the body I am trapped in.  Cause it's the only one we get and it is no one else's responsibility but my own to make sure to keep it ticking! :)

Anyway, not sure where I was going with all this and it is more of a post I should be writing at goal, but hey, I am happy today.  Thank you so much to my hubby, my family, and my friends who are supporting me on this road to a healthier Lisa!  I am appreciative of the time matt has given me to exercise, to my friends and family for cheering me on (and not judging when I do eat that bowl of queso!)!  And just thank you for reading along! 

Was blogging hopping today and came across one of those little posts about yourself on It's Almost Naptime and thought it sounded kinda fun...so here we go!

On my nightstand:
Along with a bunch of odds and ends, I always have a stack of books on nightstand begging to be read!
*My Bible
*My new ipad (I won it yesterday at my Christmas party!  And it will now serve as my ereader too...which is a WHOLE OTHER list of books waiting to be read!)
*A bunch of parenting type books
*Daily Devotionals for Moms
Movies I've seen:
We never go to the theatre, but we do rent movies on-demand.  Currently I am "watching" Captain America (not by choice, hubs rented it Friday night and fell asleep so he's finishing it.)
*Super 8- this was a pretty good flick actually.  About these kids who are making a movie and the secret they uncover.  I would give it a B+.  It would have gotten an A until the end...which was just silly.  Still a good flick though!
*Bridesmaids-we are very behind on movies, clearly, but I liked it, there were some definite funny parts!

TV:
*we have our set of 30 minute comedies we love...Modern Family, The Office, Big Bang Theory, The Middle, Up All Night, Parks & Rec, Last Man Standing, Two & a Half Men...They all make me chuckle and laugh out loud.  We DVR them and fit them in when we can.  They only end up being about 20 something minutes without the commercials!  :)  Lately I am really loving Parks & Rec (it is so darn funny) and The Middle (quirky and sweet family moments that make me smile.)
*I still try and watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy when I can.  But they are harder to find time for!
*And some dramas we both watch together:
-Glee (I LOVED this last episode, so many great songs!)
-The Walking Dead (Yes, its a zombie show.  I am NOT a zombie kinda girl, but this show is GREAT!)
-American Horror Story (this show is super weird.  but if you can get past the first 2-3 episodes of some really freaky/scary stuff...it is kind of good.  In a weird/scary/horror kind of way!)

In My Ears:
Depends on where I am!
*In the car...I listen to my XM.  Wake Up with Taylor & Kenny in the morning (love them, I often catch myself laughing out loud while listening to them.) and Whatever with Jennifer Hutt in the afternoons.  or KSBJ for music .  Or Christmas carols.  I have a long commute...
*In the gym or out running...whatever good pop song is out.  Saturday I downloaded LMFAO's Party Rock and Sexy and I Know It, Britney's I Wanna Go, Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger, and Rhianna's We Found Love.  It was fun to have some new tunes to jam out too and I ran 4.2 miles! :)
*At Home-We have been practicing Christmas songs for Z's Christmas program! And we sing a LOT of Twinkle Twinkle, ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider!


In My Kitchen:
*I cook about 2-3 times a week (and then we have leftovers) so I like trying out new things so we don't get bored.  Pinterest has been AWESOME for food.  No more sending links to myself and saving them in some email folder that never gets opened.  Great to have pictures of things.  I have been doing at least one crock pot meal a week and that has been nice.  Most recently made this Balsamic Chicken and it was delish.  Think I'll go find a good soup or chili to make tomorrow...supposed to be COLD! :)
*I will be doing some holiday baking.  It may not be ww friendly, but hey, it's Christmas!  Momma needs some cookies!


Looking Forward To:
*Dinner with a good friend this week.  It has been way too long since I have seen her and I look forward to catching up!
*Christmas Book Club at my house!  Always fun to have friends together.  We do this one on a Friday so no one is rushed, ornament exchange, wine, food, and good friends.  Can't beat that!
*Taking the week off before Christmas.  I am planning to take the boys to Dallas.  I MUST meet my cousin's beautiful baby girl before she gets too big!  Really excited to spend time with family and hopefully see some of my Dallas friends too!
*And of course...all the fun and magic of this Christmas season!


Enough about Me...what's new with you?

Elfie Returns!

Oh yes, our Elf on the Shelf has returned for another year with us!  Zach definitely is more into it this year....and seeing his face when he found Elfie (yeah , he was very creative last year in his name, LOL!) for the first time...priceless.  The magic of Christmas in a young child's eyes is amazing.

 That's Elfie right there in the middle!

 He made a sign to make sure we saw him!

Santa made Elfie a swing

The boys have been extra good since Elfie's arrival and are so interested in him.  I can't wait to see where Elfie shows up next! :)

Do you have any Elves visiting your house right now?

Stationery card

Flurry Of Snowflakes Holiday Card

Turn family photos into holiday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you have a wonderful day full of family, friends, fellowship, food, and football! :)

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the Countdown to Christmas

One more day of work to go and then I am off for almost a week, YAY!  I am looking forward to the time off with my family.  It is my side's year for Thanksgiving so we are headed to my parents' house on Thursday.  I can't even remember the last time we had Thanksgiving actually at their house so I am really looking forward to it (and not doing all the cooking too!!)  :)  Excited to have my bro and sister in law there too before they head to Tulsa for the big U of H game...GO COOGS!!  When I was little, we always made construction paper pilgrim and indian hats (kinda like these)

and don't you know my mom and  have been dying to make them again!  We will see what the boys think of theirs... :)

Black Friday has been quite the controversy this year with the whole stores opening on Thanksgiving day or at midnight.  I have never done the whole black Friday shopping thing before but I must say I am tempted to go...not necessarily for the deals, but for the fact that it would be a great time to get out of the house to go shopping without the boys!  Are you going out?  Do you have your stores mapped out??

31 days to Christmas.  I have actually started my shopping, but I know time is about to start flying as soon as Thanksgiving is over so I need to step it up and get it done!  We will get the decorations started this weekend and I cannot wait!  I do love this time of year!!  I got my Christmas Planner made too.  I made one last year and it was great to have one place to keep track of everything.  (it also served as a great pad of scratch paper for a certain 2 year old while we were grocery shopping on Monday, ahem..)...I call that double success!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great few days ahead of them, spent with family, friends, and any other type of loved ones!  Let me know if you have any great tips for Black Friday shopping or other great holiday ideas!

christmas shopping started!

I have started looking for presents for the boys and have a couple things in mind so far but am really trying to think purposefully about the toys I buy this year.  We have so much at times it seems, yet they tend to play with the same things all the time...cars, trains, trucks, vehicles!  :)

Have you bought any Plan Toys before?  I was looking at the City Garage.  It has good reviews and the boys love things to play with their cars on.  It is a little pricey, but it could be Mark's big gift and I feel pretty confident it would get played with a lot.

And for Zach...he has been really interested in playing on my computer lately which I would really rather him not ;-)  So been thinking about one of the educational handhelds.  Leap Pad, V-Tech or Mobigo?  Or something else?  Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions on that! :)

Have you started your shopping yet?  Any good finds or sales yet?

Christmas...already?

It is not even Thanksgiving yet and I already feel myself getting stressed over Christmas.  Anyone else feel like that?  The stores have been carrying Christmas stuff since before Halloween....the catalogs are coming in the mail...and I am sure Christmas music will be playing soon!

I am starting a list of things I would like to have completed before Thanksgiving.  Have you started working on your lists yet?

• Order Christmas Cards
• Address and Mail cards
• Inventory Gift Wrapping Supplies
• Schedule Outside Lights to be hung
• Order all photo gifts (calendars, brag books...good stuff for the grandmas!)
• Make and Post a December calendar for entire family to see!
• Start making Christmas lists and watching sales

Anything I am leaving off that you like to tackle early?  How do you stay sane during the holidays and keep your focus on the reason for the season?

Books

I have ALWAYS been a reader. I love to read.  I love getting lost in books, staying up way too late past my bedtime because I can't put a book down.  But this last year...my reading has struggled.  I am not sure if it is finding something I connect with or the simply the time, but I miss reading.  And one of my "new year resolutions" is going to be start reading again.  Which coincides great with forming our 2012 Book Club list! 

It is getting close to that time when we figure out our books for the year.  We need some killer ones that will get us reading, thinking, and discussing more!  And that is where I come to you, dear readers!  Anyone have some great books they have read recently that they would like to share?  We read all different genres so definitely open to anything!

Here are a couple that I know I want to read:
Loving the Little Years- recommended to me by several good friends :)
The Night Circus- read an expert in a magazine while at the hairdresser....the reviews are ALL awesome!
Two Kisses for Maddie- followed Matt's blog from the beginning, would like to hear the rest of the story.
A Vintage Affair- Another one that has just been on my list and great reviews!
Have you read any must-read books lately?

I survived Halloween!

Otherwise known as I have not DEVOURED the giant bowl of deliciousness the boys ended up with! :)  I tell ya, for hitting only the houses in our little section, they ended up with more candy then they could ever need...I enjoyed a couple pieces the night of Halloween, and have decided at least half of what's left of it is going to the office tomorrow for OTHER people to enjoy! :)

Today was ww day, and happy to report that I lost 3.6 this week!  That makes up for the 2lbs I gained last week.  And leaves me with 4.8 to go to reach my goal.  It is coming off slowly now, but the end is so in sight.  I AM going to do it!!  So I was thinking today...what would be something good to reward myself with when I reach my goal?  My first thought is a fancy pair of jeans.  Anyone have a suggestion on a good splurge pair?  I am hoping I can reach goal by Thanksgiving and then somehow not gain the usual 10lbs of holiday weight, ha!

And here are a couple pics from Halloween...Mr. Particular decided he did not want to wear the Cars race car suit he picked out weeks ago, and I talked him out of wearing his super hero cape and lion mask, so he ended up being a football player like his younger brother.

5 years

It has been 5 years since I last heard my friend Rachel's voice.  She called me on my way home from work and we chatted briefly as I was headed out to pass out candy at a friend's house.  I hardly remember what we talked about but I know we laughed and said I love you as we always did.  So lucky to have had a girlfriend who was more like a sister...(and thankful to have many others like that too, so blessed).  The next day, I got the worst call ever that she was gone.  And now here it is, 5 years later.  Seems like just yesterday and forever ago all at the same time.

I always think about Rachel, not a day goes by without some little thought.  But today on my way home from work, I passed a funeral procession...and cried.  I miss my friend so very much.

So tomorrow on All Saint's Day, I will remember as I always do....my funny, loving, amazing sisterfriend, Rachel.  And praying peace and comfort for her parents, who undoubtably miss her in a million different ways than I do.  I am thankful for faith that I know Rachel is in Heaven, but it will forever be one of things that I will never understand why it had to happen.

serious cuteness

it definitely was not the most easy photo session and i wish there were some more family pics...but the pics of just the boys on their own.....oh.my.stars!  SO ADORABLE!

Just precious.  I have already forgotten how stressful the session was.......

almost ;-)

I think he liked his cupcake....

Thanks to everyone who came and shared in our little guy's birthday.  It was a small and simple gathering...and I think we all enjoyed it!  Hope you all had a good weekend too! :)

My little Markey

Two years ago today....in the same fashion that we found out I was pregnant, Markey came flying into this world!  It is definitely a night I will never forget.  Finally left our house about 10:30pm on a Saturday night (thanks to my mother's insistence to go to the hospital), checked in about 11:30pm, and Mark was born less than 45 minutes later!  No drugs, no doctors there, just me, Matt, and the nurses!  What a whirlwind.  And then there he was, this precious baby boy with his dark brown hair.  Another man in my life that stole my heart!

Mark is truly just such a sweet little fella.  Whereas Zachary takes after his daddy's personality, I would say Markey favors me more.  Go with the flow....until you REALLY tick him off ;-)

He amazes me daily with the things he says and does.  I know every parent says it, but he is very bright!  He has already been recognizing letters and numbers and been talking in sentences forever.  He always has fun playing with his brother, but he is also just as happy to sit and play with his cars on his own!

He LOVES any type of vehicle...cars, trucks, trains, airplanes!  He loves his loveys.  His best friends are for sure his big brother and his Popsie (or Poppie as he calls him).  But he still loves his momma best!  I love that he still wants to sit and snuggle and cuddle with me.

Yet he is a daredevil too!  You don't have to ask him twice to try anything, he will go for it.  A lot of times even before his big brother!

Sweet Markey, I love you so much and am so proud to be your mommy.  Your daddy and I are beyond blessed to have been chosen to be your parents.  Two years has gone by too fast already...I can't wait to see what else you will do in this next year and many years to come!  You make every day better for our family and we love you oh so very much.  Happy birthday, son!  We love you!