No Bowing Out This Time!

When I was a kid I asked for the game Operation every year for Christmas...I never got it. I am not sure why?! It could have been I basically circled the whole jcpenney's catalog as my Christmas wish list... maybe I should have highlighted this game to emphasize the fact I really wanted it.

As an adult this game was given to me as a joke because I never got it as a kid...I was giddy to play it with my own kids.

I opened it, set it all up...the twins were about 4 at the time...I ran down the instructions, and Cheyenne was excited to start this game I had talked up...

It did not go as I planned it out in my head....

See, Utah winters are extremely dry, and static electricity is a norm...you are constantly shocking yourself. We had the game on our floor...Cheyenne touched the edge of the metal that buzzes on the game...it not only buzzed, but it literally shot out blue sparks that looked like a firecracker display on the 4th of July....and it sent a tingling sensation up her arm.

At this point her little four year old eye's are wide and full of fear and maybe slightly electrified...her twin sister ran off in tears.....Cheyenne was shaking like a leaf and has refused since then to play Operation ever again.

Cheyenne's experience with the game Operation has been my experience with diets......

I see something new...I go into with it with grand expectations....

I get fried... I run away crying....

...then go eat a bag of cookies....

The horrible buzzing noise that the game Operation exudes when you fail is what you hear in your head every time you fail to stick out a diet plan.

Something happened this year though...every time I heard that buzz or felt flying blue sparks radiate up my arm...I didn't stop...I did not refuse to play anymore...I rolled the dice and moved on...

This was huge for me!

I began this journey towards the end of January last year and here we are almost a year later. I have done it healthy as I know how. I eat healthy and moderately 3 square meals a day with snacks through out the day. I try to exercise  three to five days a week depending on my schedule. I have done this weight loss thing fair and square the old fashioned hard work way. As of now I have lost .......

Before.....at my heaviest this was taken right after having my youngest but it was a similar starting weight when I started a year ago.....close to a size 24...3x shirt....over 250 pounds......

After......picture taken by my youngest on Christmas day....size 12, large shirt (shopping in non plus size stores now!)......under 180 pounds.....

I have done a pic of me in the "Before" shirt back in May..... so I did one tonight impromptu...so excuse the way I look with my natural face, hideous bathroom lighting, and possibly my black bra under the shirt (classy huh!)....but you get the idea of  how big that white shirt is now (the youngest is holding out the shirt behind me like a freaking wedding train of extra material!)......My white shirt is the only one I have hung onto in that size...it is good reminder for me. I now have a new bunch of clothes to get rid of...the size I was this last spring is going bye -bye to the thrift stores soon!

I still have about 35 pounds I want to lose. I want to focus on toning and strengthening this year, and working on my arms, upper thighs, and belly....this would be so much easier if I had the money to nip, tuck, and suck it out!

So here I am almost a year later playing this "diet" game...

...and I keep on rolling the dice ready for the next move......

Christmas 2012

So Christmas came and went at super sonic speeds. I have ABSOLUTELY enjoyed this Christmas. The last few months have been so chaotic, it was nice to have some down time and reconnect with my family and friends.

Here is some pictures of the our holiday and of course the rest of Chip our Elf.... beginning with Chip using reese's pieces to spell...Santa Says Hi!



 

Marshmallow fight anyone?

I was down with the flu this day so Kenzie took the pic...Chip left a coloring book

Elves do love syrup

Flirting with Barbie.....

Evil elf was back this night...

Chip went ahead and wrapped him up to go back to the South Pole.

Chip left a special invitation for Makenzie this morning to join him that evening for a special surprise. He was waiting in the car and ready to go for a ride to take in all the Christmas lights around town....and to have some hot cocoa when he got back home.

This Chip adventure got two thumbs up from Makenzie.

Of course we had to include some shenanigans with Makenzie's underwear since it upsets her so much that the Elf is messing with her undies...Chip made a zipline

And he had a blast!

It snowed...well at least a little bit Christmas Eve.....

Christmas Eve at the in-laws

 

Christmas day.....Santa brought Nexus tablets for the twins ( I have not seen their faces since)....Makenzie got lots of Monster High dolls and dollhouse. I did not get many pictures Christmas day because I was packing for our trip to Idaho the next day....we headed back to the in-laws later to finish opening gifts.

We took off for Idaho the next morning...in a snow storm.....and I will say because the twins had their tablets it was the quietest drive to Idaho we have ever taken........I took a picture of the Snowville exit, I figured it was fitting amongst the blizzard.

Me and my sister know who moms favorite child is....yes....this is her favorite child!

The kids had tons of money to spend that they got for Christmas so we shopped all day Thursday and then us adults went to dinner and a movie. The next day they still had some money to spend so we took off to Boise and spent the day at the mall. My niece Gabby came into town with her boyfriend Jessie and we went out for pizza that night. The next day we spent with my dad and his wife Jodi at Big Al's. We had a great lunch and watched some sports on some "moderately" sized T.V. screens

Then a bowling game that I actually scored over 50...and that is incredible for me

And then played some arcades and games...

and of course won some wonderful prizes....

We ate and ate...and shopped and shopped....and laughed and laughed...we even played some Clue...mom never wins at this game....and....she still has not won.

 

 

We came home Sunday. It was a great Christmas and I am glad I got to share it with both sides of the family.

 

 

Merry Christmas 2012!

Who's Awesome?

I wish I could give you the complete  before and after photo but we will call this half-way there photo. Okay, so this before photo was taken right after I had Makenzie but that was basically my starting weight when I started this whole diet thing...... my heaviest weight and what I consider my starting weight.

I think I should get props for not dolling myself up for the after photo...I am au-natural....but hey we are not criticizing the hair and makeup right?!

Me and the kids were flipping through old pictures today and it was one of my twins that said, "Wow, you have lost weight mom!"...so I knew I had this shirt in the back of my closet so I put it on and realized it was big so I had to kinda cinch the back and they took a pic of me...remember... au-natural.....

I am half way there at this point......

so today I took a moment to say........