contest starts tomorrow.........................

So tomorrow is the kick off of the contest I signed up for, $500.00 cash prize! I have officially QUIT Weight Watchers so I am now on my own! SCARY~~~~~~~~Not sure if I posted or not that I did NOT pass my midterm, by 4 points, I was so TICKED! I guess I better buckle down, most of my mistakes were STUPID! Oh well, on with the show.

Terri

what's been happening..................................

It has been awhile since my last post! I took my mid-term last night in my real estate class, so I am praying for a passing grade, I will find out tonight. I think since I have started the class that has been the only thing on my mind. I have fallen behind on my daily reading in my Chronological Bible. I am on April 7th! So, I am hoping to get caught up soon, I don't like it to read it fast for that reason, but sometimes I can get so into it I just have to keep reading.

So I have two more weigh ins at Weight Watchers. I had a little gain last Friday of 2 ounces. I know why though, it is that time of the month! WOOHOO! Since I decided to give up my Weight Watchers membership, I found out that the gym I go to is having a "Summer Shak'in It Up" contest. The person losing the most weight in pounds will win $500.00 in cash, I signed up. I think that is good for motivation! It will start on June 1st and end July 31st. Yippee!

Also, I had entered to win free tuition when I signed up for my real Talk about a blessing, God is good!

We went to Durham, NC last Saturday for my nephew Joshua's 16th birthday. We had a really nice time visiting everyone. All theses kids are growing up too fast!

I think that catches me up for now. Oh, and since starting school one of my concerns were making sure the family was getting dinner while I was in school and how I was going to keep up with workouts. Well, I think I have cooked better dinners since being in school and I have kept up with getting in my workouts. Two more weeks and I night to go! I can't remember the last time we went out to eat, I think it was Mother's Day. BUT, we are going out for Mexican this coming Saturday!

God never gives up and I will continue to follow his lead,

Terri

oh, and by the way.............

Since cleaning out my kitchen and fasting from the food network, I have lost 4.4 lbs. YAY! just realized that this morning. Been busy with real estate, studying and classes. WOW, what a rush! My head feels like a overloaded 2 drawer filing cabinet! I need a four drawer!

One week and 1 night into the class, and so far I have managed to have dinner on the table or done by the time I leave for school and get to the gym at least 4 times last week. I did go yedsterday and today as well! Also, the gym I go to is doing a contest with a cash prize of $500.00 to the biggest loser in LBS. I am on it! how funny since weight watcher's membership cancels on the 5th of June. Now I guess I have some incentive to get me to the end of July! GO GURL!


Terri

i am tired.............................

Wow, I have been so busy since Monday! This week went by so fast. I am suppose to go to the craft cell group tonight. It is the last one until September, but I am just so tired. The kind of tired that if I were to lay down right now, I would go into a nice deep sleep, PLUS, it is raining. This morning, Michael, my son asked me if I had class tonight and I said " no, but I'm going to my cell group meeting, so I wont be here." He had a sort of bummed look on his face. So I made the decision at noon today to stay home with my family and just chill out. My classes are three nights a week so I have been gone until 10:00 P.M. those three nights, then up late to study. Wednesday night Mallory had dance, and I missed Michael's ballgame Thursday night, so that brings me to tonight! I am tired and want to be at home with my peeps! Did I say that I was tired! Why am I not sleeping? Well, I am waiting on the last two children to be picked up from daycare and they are playing with my Mom so I thought I would get caught up on the BLOG!

Today also being Friday it was weigh in day at Weight Watchers! I did good, I lost 1.2 lbs. that brings me to 200.2. OH SO CLOSE to my first goal. 1.2 lbs to go! Also, we have borrowed some money from my husband's 401k to payoff some bills and to be able to stash some cash. If you read back in my blog that will catch you up on the walls that started crashing down on us in August of 2008. We had been living off the credit cards to make ends meet until they were charged up and since November, maybe mid October been getting the constant phone calls from the collectors. We really didn't want to do it, but we did. We will be paying that back for the next 5 years! At least it will be to ourselves. My point is,,,,,,,,,,,,,I can't afford Weight Watchers any longer, I just have to face it. We have totally cut utilities back as far as we can, stopped all magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and anything that we DO NOT NEED. We are going to have to learn how to budget our money. In all the almost 19 years that we have been married, we never had a budget. BIG mistake. That's okay though, we are learning. Never to old to learn.
So yeah, Weight Watchers is cancelled and it's official. My last weigh in is going to be June 5th. So the Friday after I am going to have my husband weigh me in @ 6 A.M. New weigh in time, same day. I can do this. It is all part of my RACE. You can read back through the blog to find out more about my race.

OKAY, so our plans for the weekend..................................Tonight, hanging out with the hubs and kids. Saturday, going to the bank to make deposits, Michael has a game at 11 A.M. then the rest of the day is ours. By the way, I was supposed to go to a big crop for scrap booking Saturday from 9 A.M. - 10:00 P.M. I'm just not that in to it. I just want to be home. I get in these moods every once in awhile. I just want to be with my husband and be at home. I guess I'm just in love! We will be celebrating our 19th Anniversary on the 19th of May. WOW! I have to say God really picked a good guy out for me. Michael is going to Wave to the youth group Saturday night and Mike is going to watch the race. I have decided I will get some study time in as well. Sunday is church day then just resting and maybe back to Wave Sunday night. That's it for us. YAY! Oh and I have to get caught up on some shows i have recorded. And, my daily Bible.

Terri

one class down..........................

Started my class last night and it was interesting. Policies and procedures were boring. I am really excited about this new adventure. I do see though that I am going to have to make my Bible study time at a different part of the day for the next 5 weeks. I am going to try and get up a half hour earlier so that I can dedicate that time to Bible study.

I used to be nervous about stepping out of my familiar surroundings, my comfort zone. I think that weight loss in that way has been so beneficial for me in that area. My weight used to hold me back from life. I had started community college in 2008 and I was little nervous in the beginning with that, but it didn't take me long to adjust. I felt comfortable in my skin. Even talking in front of the class wasn't so bad. I think some of that comes with age as well. So starting class last night wasn't so bad at all. I didn't really even think about it all day in a bad way. I was just excited to get in and get started.

Today schedule is pretty much full, Bently, our family pug dog has a vet appt this morning. I have two fillings at the dentist @ 11:15, I need to get to the gym @some point so I am going to wear my gym clothes to the dentist and try to go right after. Mallory is going to be picked up from school at 3:30 and Michael @ 5:00. My class starts @ 6:oo. I am going to make a spaghetti casserole for the family sometime in there. I better eat b4 my dentist though. I didn't eat dinner last night, class is from 6-10 P.M. with a few 10 minute breaks in there, so no time to eat. Right now I am starving!

So, one class down,
Terri

not real sure...........................

What a wonderful weekend it was! Friday evening after dinner, that's the bad part we had wings and bread sticks, UH OH, we put a movie in, Bride Wars......cut movie; we had my favorite, popcorn and milk duds! Enjoyed every minute of it! Saturday I got up early, because I couldn't sleep checked e-mails etc......... then all day did NOTHING! I watched diy network, remember I am still fasting from the food network! I picked my Mom up from Walmart, went to the grocery store then did NOTHING! I did take Michael to the youth group night service. So the horrible part of Saturday is, we had Taco Bell, I had a burrito supreme and a hard taco. Dinner, I picked up a Sam's Choice brand pizza and made salad. Sunday, Mike made waffles and sausage for my Mom and I for Mother's Day breakfast. I ate a whole one and a half of one. He makes them so good! By the way, for Mother's Day I received a gift certificate for the nail place, I can get a pedi and mani if I want! Love it. OK, so home from church and we watched another movie, Seven Pounds, good movie! That went with some more popcorn and this time I had some Whale crackers. Lord, make live at the gym for the week! Then for dinner we go to El Rodeo! I had the Burritos Fajitas. OK, so Mother's Day weekend is OVER!

Today my real estate class starts. I am excited! This is totally new for me. I am going to have to study study study! Praying for God's guidance! Dinner plans are in place to keep all happy, workouts are planned to keep me happy so we all should be ready for the next 5 weeks!

It's Monday,
Terri

weigh in....................................

My results weren't the same as they were at home, but that's ok. I still lost. I have lost for 3 weeks in a row! That is a celebration in its self. I lost .04 ounces this week. 2.4 lbs to go to reach 199.0, YAY!!! I did have wonderful day. I went to pick up some Mother's Day gifts and to Weight Watchers, then Amelia and I went out to lunch at El Rodeo! Picked Mallory up from school and then her and I went to the gym. I was bad about making dinner at home this week, so we ate out last night as well.

Well, hoping for a blessed day with my family and a relaxing ine as well.'

Terri

it's friday...............................

Here we are another Friday! WOW, this week went by so fast. Wednesday was wonderful. I went through my clothes and got them ready to take to church. Wave Women is doing a clothes swap on the 20th of May, the last Wave Women until September! (Boo Hoo) Wave Women was great as usual, the message was about the men in our lives, husbands and fathers mainly husbands.

After Wave Women I went to Tropical Smoothie and treated myself to a Paradise point 3 point smoothie and a Garden Classic Salad, they both hit the spot. Watched my soap and then went to get the kids. Mallory and i didn't make it to the gym. My Mom's dear friend for over 30 years passed away. I didn't want to leave her here with all the children and especially by herself. So we took a day off. That's okay. When you get that kind of news your just not up for anything.

Thursday it was rained all morning. I went to a seminar on becoming a real estate agent. I wasn't sure how to dress. When you have been a stay at home Mom/Daycare Provider for 14 years you can tend to get out of the swing of things that way. I dressed up a little and i think i looked good. I felt good. I signed up. I start the classes on Monday. Classes are three days a week for 5 weeks. A new adventure in my life. Mallory and I did make it to the gym for my "last chance workout" before weigh in today.

I think it's going to be good. I stepped on the scale at home this morning and it read 199.6, we will see what the official reading says at Weight Watchers today. YAY!

I have to go get Mother's Day cards for my mother-in -law and my own Mom. I am NOT on the ball this year. We really don't have the money to be. That is the part that kills me. I love to give, and i just can't now. i guess this a part of my process we have to go through. Learning that we didn't do the right things with our finances that's when it all came crumbling down in August of 2008. Now we have to take everything one step at a time, learning. Sit, Stand, Walk and then we can RUN our Race.

Until later,
Terri

upcoming challenges...........................

Thinking of some challenges tht are coming up here soon, better to do this now and think of my plans of attack!

Challenges

School will be out soon! Kids home all day LONGGGGGGGGG!

2 extra kids in daycare

No more Wave Women for the summer BOOHOO!

Ok, so these are my biggest challenges for now! Time to make my action plan. I am going to work on this for a couple of weeks and see what i can do to make everyone happy and still keep up with the workouts and a good eating plan.

update.....................

After dropping off the kids I came home and started going through the books. I have a box ready to go. While doing that I went through a cabinet in the kitchen and my baking pans. Added to the box. WOW! I feel GOOD! After I finished that I went over our bills and decided to lower our phone bill, cut backs need to continue. I have dinner in the crock pot and the kids are down for naps. Now I am going to do some Bible study, have some lunch, and indulge in a Soap Opera! I will pick Mallory up @ 2:00, she is going to hang out with Nick today so after I drop her off I am going to the gym and walk on the treadmill. I have a team Mom meeting @ 6 P.M. then I will come home and we can have dinner! YAY! Another blessed day it will be!


Terri

todays project...........................

So today is Tuesday. What am I going to do today? Today, I am going to clean off my bookshelf. All those books I HAD to have! Was looking last night and some are self help books, some are just reading books. Money wasted! Today they are going in a box! Those self help books, I have one and that's all I need. The Bible. It has all kinds of things in it to guide me. I just hadn't taken the time to read it. I had to much STUFF! I will keep you posted.

Terri

I absolutley DID NOT want to go...........................

Mallory and I were planning on going to the gym right after i picked her up from school. I even had her put her clothes in the car so that when we dropped Michael off we didn't even have to come into the house. Well, on the way home she said she did need to come in for a minute which then led to me coming in and NOW, we weren't going to go. Now I am tired and I do not want to go.

3:30 rolls around and my Mom says, "I'll buy subs from subway if you all are hungry for that." Don't ask what triggered it, I guess just knowing I was not going to have to make dinner made me feel energized and so i thought well, Mallory and I should go to the gym, then when we are finished we can go pick up the subs then we will be done and dinner is done, makes for good Monday night! We went to the gym, did the elliptical (not sure about spelling) and the bike, then we finished with the weights. I ran to the grocery then we went to subway ordered all those subs then came home and I ate. I showered then sat down and read my daily Bible. What a perfect evening.

I am so glad we went, I feel better. Thank you Mom for dinner, thank you Mallory for being a great motivator, and thank you God for all these wonderful people you have placed into my life, and Thank you God for the strength.

Terri

still fasting..............................

NO FOOD NETWORK! Still fasting from food network, WHY? Because, I cleaned out my kitchen last week and remembered while I was cleaning, all the things I wasted money on! Tools i thought I needed for preparing something in the kitchen. The money I spent on the expensive ingredients, cookbooks, dishes, wine rack and anything in between. My kitchen was weighing me down, had to lighten UP! One way to help myself was to fast from the food network. I am NOT printing any more recipes. So I fast from something I love.

Terri

planning.....................

As I sit here waiting for everyone to get up and around and get ready for church, I thought I would plan the best I can my schedule for the week. I am finished with that so I know when I will do my workouts. Thinking about purchasing the Biggest Loser Yoga workout. I did say THINKING! Where did that come from? See that's my problem! I think to much! I would love to get it though.

Well, I know today is going to be wonderful, I am going to make it worthwhile!

Terri

no concessions again.........................

Another Saturday at the ball field and passed up the fried goodies! It smells so GOOD though. I did however get three bottles of water. It was sort of HOT today so I was thirsty. Better the water than the fried cheese sticks or the french fries and don't let me forget the NACHOS!

Terri

happy dance happy dance.........................

Losing week, and I am DOINNNNNNN the Happy Dance! WOOT WOOT! I lost 2.2 lbs! 2.8 to go, to reach 199 again. 28.8 for Big Goal! Will be praying that this week coming up will be a success.


Giving over to God,
Terri