I'm...Dreaming....of a White....Christmas.....

No really, I am.  I always get super bummed when there isn't a white Christmas.  But hey...I'm truly a weird person who ADORES snow (and cold weather).  No matter what, snow makes me happy.

In the words of Lorelai Gilmore, "...it's just my favorite time of year.  The whole world changes color.  Flakes, flurries, swirls, crystals.  Whatever form it comes in, I'll take it.  We go back, snow and me.  We have a beautiful history.  Sleigh rides, ice skating, snowball fights.  I'll even take curling...I love curling.  Hot cocoa, hot toddies...best time of the year!"  And from a different episode, "...it's like my own present."  So true!!!  I feel as though snow is a wonderful gift!!  A magnificent, beautiful, amazing gift from God.  His own little present to me.  I guess that's enough about snow...but have I mentioned that I really want snow?  Especially on Christmas??

We've been doing our Christmas baking in the Sides Family Boulangerie (that means "bakery", in French).  Can I just say this, though.....I do not enjoy baking with my kids.  Most people LOVE baking with their kids, especially at Christmas....you know, making cookies and different yummy treats.  Well, I dread it.  I love the actual baking part...just not the part of doing it with my kids.  I keep thinking that each year will get better....but no.  Maybe I'm just too much of a type-A perfectionist when it comes to these things (thank you, Mom)....but baking with my kids is STRESSSSSSSSSSSSFUL!  **End rant**

In other news, I am proud to say that since I've been finished with my diet, I have lost more weight!!  Right now, I'm holding at 24 pounds lighter than what I was when I began my journey...one more pound and I meet my goal!!!  **In all honesty, I have not been trying to lose the weight...but I do know that I'm making healthier choices in regards to eating and I'm exercising more.  But I am certainly happy the weight is still coming off!!**

There are only 2 more weeks until my baby brother gets married.  The wedding festivities have been picking up and we're on the home stretch!!  I'm super excited for A&C to get married...they are perfect for one another and I love them both more than words can describe.  However, the whole them-moving-to-the-opposite-side-of-the-state part of it all really stinks.  (Most of you are probably saying.....the other side of the state?  That's nothing....try the other side of the country!  But you have to understand...my brother and I are really close...and I adore his bride-to-be!!)  I know that God will be blessing their marriage and lives together, so I'm just going to be happy and know that some day, they'll be back on this side of the state. :)

Since I probably won't be writing anything for a few days (or weeks), I want to take this time to wish you a very Merry Christmas (may His love be shown to you this day and every day) and a very Happy New Year...God bless!

Fini!!!

After 2 days of loading, 21 days of 500 calories, and 28 days of 1500 calories, I have finished my HCG diet!!  The results.....{drum roll, please}.....total weight loss is 21.5lbs!!!  My current weight is 158.5lbs!!!!  *I know...not many women would want their weight displayed, but this is something I'm SUPER proud of!!*

Now to begin the final "phase".....life-long weight stabilization (or more loss, with careful eating and proper exercise).  I've been able to control my eating a lot...MUCH better portion control, not eating just for the sake of eating, stopping eating when I'm full...even my sweet tooth has been tamed [slightly].  I have found, though, that when the sweet tooth cravings come, finding pictures and recipes on Pinterest help to curb the thoughts of needing something sweet and sugary right then and there.  {For those of you who have an addiction to Pinterest, as I do, you have now seen that Pinterest is VERY useful....seriously, just try going on and looking at recipes whenever you get the hankering for something sweet!  It really does help!!}

I'm so thankful for the support that I've received during this journey...encouraging words, thought to what I can and cannot eat, and the exclamations of how much I have changed! :)  *Not the mention the GREAT feeling of fitting into my bridesmaid dress that much better and having to buy new pants!!!!*  And, as I've posted before, this is only the beginning...now the next chapter of the "new me" begins!  Following my inner French woman!!  

Another one bites the dust...

...another pound, that is!  I'm on day 21 of the maintenance phase of the HCG diet and I am successfully down 20.5 pounds!!!  So, for those that are keeping track, my current weight is 159.5 pounds!  Super excited about that!!  (Hence all of the exclamation points.)  I have 7 more days of maintenance (even though I could technically be done today, I'm choosing to do another week of "restrictions".)  I am getting to add back more things every day...more sugars, though I have to be careful about how much to consume...more starches, but again, I have to be careful.  I even got to enjoy Thanksgiving (and Cameron's birthday party the following day!)  *I got to have turkey, about 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes (AMAZING!!), and some delicious spinach casserole my MIL made...quite tasty!  I got to have some apple pie my wonderful hubby made (well, I had the inside of the apple pie...not the crust).  And then for Cameron's birthday party, I got to enjoy a small cake pop.  Delicious!!  In the next seven days, I'll be happy if I even lose one more pound! Updates to follow! :)

The (terrible) Twos

While I'm a couple of days late, I did want to post about Cameron's second birthday.  He turned two on Wednesday...in the midst of family photos, making Sesame Street cake pops, Thanksgiving, two birthday parties, and attempting to get the newly crowned "big boy" into his big boy bed, we're all exhausted!

I don't know why I'm so shocked at how fast the past 2 years have gone..........but I am.  I feel like only yesterday we were not sleeping in the hospital (no really, it does feel like yesterday...seeing as we're not sleeping yet tonight....).  Our little turkey came home the day before Thanksgiving two years ago...and he's still a turkey!

He's such a big boy already!!  Counting (to 10), saying his ABCs, knowing body parts, acting out different emotions, **attempting** sleep in his big boy bed.....it's going too fast!  I want time to slow down a little bit so I can enjoy every moment.  Okay, not every moment...he is rather infuriating from time to time (that high-pitched scream is not cool!!!), and he pushes our buttons multiple times a day.  But we wouldn't trade him for anything.

Happy (belated) 2nd birthday, Cameron!  I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, little (Mizzou) Tiger!!!

***Here's one of our family photos!!***

The next phase...

Well, I'm done with the days of 500 calories.  My results?  17 pounds lost in 21 days.  Not the 20 pounds I was hoping for, but I'll certainly take it.  PLUS, I lost almost 3 inches on my waist, so that's a MAJOR plus! :)

I'm now on to what they call Phase 3 (Maintenance).  I'm 4 days in with 24 to go.  I'm up to 1500 calories a day and am able to enjoy food a lot more.  I never thought I would be so excited about eating cottage cheese!!!  While I'm enjoying the food more, I still have to be super careful about WHAT I eat.  *Because of unexpected weight coming back, I've now figured out what to not eat and am having a steak day tomorrow to get my weight loss back under control.*

I'm excited to see what the next 3 1/2 weeks bring. :)

The Journey continues...

I'm on day 18 of my diet.  Total weight lost: 14.5lbs!  Down 2 inches in my waist!  While I only have 5 more days left of the 500 calories, I would still like to lose another 5lbs.  *Which is possible. :)*  Then I move up to 1500 calories per day.

I started reading a book (I actually just stumbled upon it while looking for something else at Barnes and Noble) called French Women Don't Get Fat.  Well, I was intrigued by the book all because of the word "French".  So I went to the library to see if the book was there and, what do you know, it was!  Along with a COOKBOOK!!!!  The book (and cookbook) are both written by a woman born and raised in France who married an American man and now splits her time between the Mother Land (France, for those who aren't of my  mind) and America.  She noticed while she was an exchange student in America that the American way of eating is entirely unhealthy.  The way she was raised, you ate for pleasure, and you ate small portions, not the stuff-your-face-and-keep-refilling-your-plate-because-you-think-you-need-to way of eating Americans usually do.  Also, in Europe (especially France), they don't believe in "dieting".  *Especially the "going cold turkey", counting calories, depriving yourself of things you enjoy kind of dieting..........basically what I'm doing.*  French men and women are taught from the beginning to have portion control.  They buy fresh and organic food daily....AND they WALK to get those fresh and organic things.  While the stereotype is that they eat bread and cheese ALL the time, the truth is that, yes, they do get bread every day.  That baguette that is bought in the morning lasts ALL DAY for the entire family.  And the cheese is real cheese, not the processed junk common in America.  They don't have to calorie count because they're not, like I've stated, stuffing they're faces and eating processed food that does nothing but add inches and pounds.  Fresh food, smaller portions, exercise.

Sounds simple enough and is something people have said before.  I'm glad I'm doing the HCG...a nice jump start to weight loss.  But once this is done, I will be embracing the French woman in me even more and apply the French Women Don't Get Fat philosophy to my life.

Vive la France!

Lucky 7

My sweet little boy turned 7 today.  I'm finding it hard to believe that he has already been in my life for 7 years now.  I feel like only yesterday I was holding him for the first time, not sleeping for both of the nights I was in the hospital just because I was so happy to be seeing him face to face, coming home from the hospital and having my dad set us up in the recliner to *finally* sleep.  My little angel...my Gabriel.

What a road we've been down.  Me, a frightened 18-year-old senior in high school with this little bundle of joy, wondering what kind of mother I would make.  The ER visits because he wasn't breathing right or was breaking out to things only to find out he's got allergies and asthma.  The late nights doing homework and projects so I could finish college and provide for this little guy.  I wouldn't trade a second of any of it.

Happy Birthday to my Gabriel...the dinosaur LOVER!!!...the JETsetter (he's in the gifted program at school)...my book loving, puzzle doing, game playing, best big brother ever, AMAZING kid.  I love you.

My Journey

I have embarked on a journey the last 4 days...I have started on the HCG diet.  If you don't know what it is, I highly recommend looking up the HCG diet. For Phase 2, I'm on a 500 calorie a day diet with very strict guidelines as to what I can and cannot eat.  Phase 3 boosts up to 1500 calories a day with a less limited diet, but still some good guidelines.

Many will see the "500 calories a day" and think, "WHAT?!  How can you do that?  That's not right!!"  It's actually not that bad.  There are easy and simple ways to make the food taste wonderful, and it really does fill you up!  I'll admit...the melba toast isn't the best.  For me, this is not only about losing weight, but about disciplining myself to keep myself on a healthier track so I don't just gain back all of the weight or go back down this road again.

My goal is to lose 25 pounds (or more, if I'm lucky!)  Here's how it has all broken down so far:
Days 1-2 (Phase 1): loading days
Day 3 (Phase 2 start): starting weight-180 pounds
Day 4: weight-175.5 pounds!!!  *I'm down 4.5 pounds!!*

I am hoping that by posting, I can keep myself accountable and encourage myself just by typing in the numbers (even though I'm keeping a log of everything *including my inches lost* on separate pieces of paper).

4 days down....19 more to go in Phase 2.  Then 28 days of Phase 3 (Maintenance).

Praying for strength, a positive mindset, and support from those around me. :)

Friends Forever

*For those of you who remember Saved by the Bell (and LOVED it, like me!!), you can probably hear the Zack Attack band singing "Friends Forever" in your head....at least, I do....*

A random thought popped in to my head.  I think there are a handful of friends that are my best friends.  You know, those people that you can go months not getting to talk to because, let's face it, life happens.  But the second you talk to them on the phone, in person, via text, or on Facebook, it's as if you've only spent mere minutes apart.  And, to me, that is so refreshing.  I love that I could call up one of those handful of people and we could pretty much pick up our conversation right where we left off.  We don't have any awkward silences from not getting to talk for a while, we don't have to fish for things to talk about.....it's just awesome.

I'm so blessed by those that are my best friends.

I have my "sisters" (by choice, unfortunately not by blood, though), Nikki and Andrea.  We've been "sisters" since high school....Nik as a senior, Andrea as a sophomore, and myself, a lowly freshman.  We wound up becoming sisters during a senior showcase that Nikki was directing and she had Andrea and I in the play acting as friends.  I had known Nikki for years prior to that from church, but being in her play was where it all started.  And with these two being my "sisters", they are "aunts" to my two precious boys.  Aunt Nikki and Auntie Andrea.  But to me, they're my sisters. Forever.

I have my darling Ashley.  Now, any time I refer to Ashley, I always say, "My best friend, Ashley."  Ashley is the person that I called when I got engaged and asked if there was any way she could be in MO for my wedding less than 2 months later to be my matron of honor.  You have to understand, she was in the Air Force then (her hubby still is) and they live in WA.  So, at the time, it wasn't like she could just hop a plane and come down here.  She had to arrange it.  But she said, without hesitation, that she could come and work their leave to be here.  We have been friends since I moved here in 2nd grade.  Gone to church together, sang countless solos for church choir, been best friends in a play or two, always cheered one another on.  She's always been there for my.  My best friend.  Forever.

And then there is my baby brother, Adam.  I know what you might be thinking...."how can you little brother be your best friend?"  Well, he is.  He is the person who knows me better than anyone else (aside from my husband, I bet.)  Even though he is my baby brother, he has always been my protector.  Even though he's my baby brother, I look up to him (literally, now...he's taller than me).  Sure, we fought as kids.  *And I'm talking the knock down, drag out fights....we really did hit, punch, bite, scratch, do anything to hurt one another.*  But he has always been there to protect me....he's always told me he loves me, even though I know I've let him down on multiple occasions.  I've watched him become such an amazing man and I am so proud of the man he is...the uncle he is, the husband he is about to become, and am beyond blessed to call him my brother. Forever.

So there we are....my best friends.

Now you can go back to singing Zack Attack's "Friends Forever".  I am.  :)

A little of this, a little of that...

So, it's been rather crazy around here lately.  My hubby has been SUPER busy (he works with a high school drumline and is a part time instructor at the local community college), so we honestly don't see him very much.  I've been doing quite a bit of subbing at the school I student taught at.  With working between the two of us and taking care of the kiddos, everyone is rather worn out.  *And to think it's only been almost 4 weeks of this...who knows how we'll be in another 4 weeks!*

I've been enjoying taking G-man to school in the mornings...especially on the mornings when it's not so RIDICULOUSLY hot!!!  After we drop him off, Cameron and I go on a walk (that is, when I'm not subbing).  Those morning walks are super nice when it's not too hot.  We enjoy our time together.  I found myself the other day, though, resorting back to some childish behavior.  I sometimes went out of my way to step on an overly crunchy looking leaf....or to roll C's stroller over said leaf.  Little things like that make me happy. :)

This week, though, I haven't gotten the opportunity to take my morning walks with Cameron....and I haven't had the time to chase around the crunchy leaves.  I've been subbing all week.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE subbing.  It's nice to have the flexibility with my schedule if my kids are sick or if there's a doctor's appointment.  But I do get so many ideas for the future classroom I will hopefully have, I get to learn new things to do in the aforementioned classroom, and I get to make wonderful contacts and work with great friends.  But the thing I don't like is that it is not MY classroom.  I've been waiting for years, now, to have my OWN classroom.  There are boxes upon boxes upon bags upon various miscellaneous items scattered around our basement and home that attest to me not having my own classroom.  I know it really does bother my husband that I have so much stuff for my future classroom.  He gets annoyed by the amount of space my things take up.  I don't blame him.  I get kind of annoyed by the fact that it's all still sitting down there.  I've had boxes of teaching stuff since I started college!!

I know that God has a plan for me.  I know that He has the perfect plan and the perfect place that I should be.  But I must admit.....the whole being patient part is giving me some trouble.  Lots of trouble, in fact.  It's hard not to worry since my certification expires in May of 2013 and we can't afford for me to even try to go back to get my Masters until I am working in a district in my own classroom.

It's hard not to worry about our finances since, let's face it, we're technically poor.  We don't go out to eat.  We watch our spending very carefully.  We don't go on vacation.  We don't pay for daycare or babysitting because we can't afford it....we have WONDERFUL family members who understand and help and love our children and us.  Despite all of this, our children don't want for anything.  There is always food on the table, clothes on their backs, a roof over their heads, and more love in the world for them.  I know Matthew and I have some very sleepless nights a lot of the time because of the stress of our lives......but we're blessed.  I know that His blessings will continue to rain down upon us as long as we remain servants of Him.

If you haven't heard the song "Blessings" by Laura Story, listen to it.  I feel as though it's my anthem.  I know this was a bit of rant, but it's also a rave....a rave of the wonderful love and blessings that are bestowed on my little family by a loving Father.

First Day of First Grade

Today was Gabriel's first day of first grade.  *For those parents...or kids at heart...who love VeggieTales, you'll understand the song that's been going through my head: "It was the first day of the first grade, it was the first day of the first grade..."...think of the Veggies in an old VW van driving.  I think the movie is Jonah...*  While that silly song has been playing through my head, more serious (ok, sappy) thoughts have been running through my head as well.  I walked Gabriel to school, walked him to his classroom, and even though I had a very brave face on (you know, the smile plastered to my face, overly excited for him, taking his picture outside his classroom), I was crying inside.  Not to mention, as soon as his teacher saw him, she welcomed him, turned to me and said, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."  Talk about having to hold the waterworks in!!!  I'm surprised I didn't start in to absolute hysterics right then!

Don't get me wrong.  I love that Gabriel is in school, that he's such a super smart kiddo that soaks everything up, that really does enjoy learning.  But there's just something about the first day of school that hits a mother right in the depths of her heart...her baby, going to school, away from her, growing up.  Granted, this is only my second "first day of school" for Gabriel.  I try to tell myself that it will get easier....I know it won't, though. I'm already dreading the day I move him to college.  I know I'm going to be a blubbering fool that day!  Let's not get ahead of ourselves here...that day is many years away.  I have to remind myself of that all the time.

So this was a nice and sappy post.  Happy first day of first grade, G-man!  I love you!!

Post 1....The Beginning

As a person who never really thought would blog, I've been inspired by a couple of friends to do so.  So this is it...this is me blogging.

I'll admit, I could get sappy at times.  I could get cranky at times.  I could gush at times.  But it's all part of me.

A couple of reasons to blog:
1) I think this will help in keeping me on track and accountable for some personal goals I've set for myself.
2) While it might sound a little cliche, it would be nice to be able to express myself.

So, that's all for Post 1.  More to come soon!