Dear blog, these boys are too cute!

The other day I had the opportunity to shoot these cutie patooties! Aren't they just adorable? Such great kids too. Mom and dad are super nice as well so it's easy to see where the kids get it from. They were full of energy and obviously loved one another bunches! What a fun gang to spend a few hours getting to know.
I hope we'll have the opportunity to cross paths again.

Cheers,
Jaci

Dear blog, 18 and counting,

It happened! I got out of the bath and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and there it was...a figure, a waistline. This mirror has been the bane of my existence since we moved into this house. It's positioned in the bathroom at the exact place one (usually me) gets out of the tub. Since I'm a bath person this means that I see myself at every exit. When you are over weight the last thing you want to see is your naked reflection in the mirror everyday. Of course I am only speaking for myself here as maybe some people don't mind this. I however am not one of them so I try to avert my eyes at every opportunity. This also aides in the denial process of how much weight you've actually gained. If you don't "see" the extra pounds then maybe they're not really there.

I decided back in April (after I saw pictures of myself from my SIL's wedding) that I was done remaining oblivious. I snapped myself out of denial and got on the scale. After I awoke from my fainting spell, I joined a gym and started a regular routine. I started at Curves since being on a circuit training regiment seemed to work for me in the past. I go at least 3 days a week but it's usually more like 5 days. So far I've lost 18 pounds and 12 inches and I've dropped my body fat 5%.

So what does all this mean for me? Well, for starters I've dropped a "dress size" (Can you still say this if you never wear a dress?), I can play with the kiddos without "needing a rest" every 5 minutes, I'm saving money on junk food but spending more shopping as I can actually fit into the clothes and my self-esteem is on the rise! Speaking of shopping, I don't mean to change the subject here but...I just found the most FABULOUS pair of jeans at Lane Bryant. They have a new system of fitting you and these jeans ROCK! If you are a size 12 or larger you will LOVE these jeans! Right now they're having a special: Buy one item get the second for $10. So I got 2 pair for $50. Not bad. AND they come in Tall! WOOHOO!

I'll leave you with the best weight-loss advice I've gotten so far: Action first, and motivation later. This mean that you get to the gym even if you're not feeling motivated and the motivation comes when you start to see results. And let me tell you, 18 pounds is definitely enough to keep my slightly smaller butt at the gym.

Dear blog, today was a busy day

9:00-11:00 Treez Please tree planting seminar (learned a bunch!)
11:00-12:00 Farmer's Market (a little socializing and a LOT of yummy veggies! I took some great photos of a family here. Will post later)
12:00-3:30 Neighborhood planting at Carlotta (loads of fun, great food and more socializing)
4:00 Finally home. (Hubby and Ridley napping, Boston playing computer games and me editing photos.)

Whew! I'm pooped! More tomorrow. BTW...my favorite quote of the day:

"Gotcha' poop" -Ridley after wondering if she would be able to poop at all.

Dear blog, listening is good.

Moving back to Youngstown was the last thing I'd ever thought I'd be doing. So when I half-joking threw the idea out to my husband and he said "let's do it" I about fell over. Truthfully, as soon as he said it I knew it was the right thing to do. It was my brain (my head) that questioned whether or not we should really go ahead with it. My head kept saying it was crazy. Youngstown was so economically depressed. How would we find a job? How would we support our family? I finally convinced myself to ignore all the questions: to shut my brain up and listen to my gut. It doesn't matter what we call it: guts, heart, intuition, sixth sense, inner voice. Whatever it's name, it's meaning is always the same. The dictionary defines it as: "The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes." So why is this so important? Well, I believe it's the thing that keeps on the right path. It guides us towards our goals and to the people and experiences that help us grow.

Me, I call it an inner voice or, sometimes, my gut. Before the idea of moving back to Youngstown came up, I hadn't "heard" my inner voice in a very long time. I don't think it went away rather the everyday "noises" of life simply muffled it, drowning it out. And I got caught up in the everyday "noises". So much so that when I did hear the tiny whisper I questioned it. "Did I really hear it? Nah, that was nothing" I allowed my head to override the one thing that helped me be true to myself. When the light bulb went off I decided to make some serious changes. My inspiration came from my friend Bob's Top Ten Rules of Living. He had this on his wall for as long as I can remember and now it's a permanent feature of my blog and my fridge. I've tried very hard to follow these rules not only to change my life but also to do right by him. He was an amazing man and I want to follow in his footsteps!

Fast forward six months and here we are. Hubby was able to keep his job and work from home for the same company he worked for in Tucson. We live in a MAGNIFICENT house that's perfect for our needs, my health issues have stabilized and, for the first time in 3 years, my doctor actually decreased my medication, we are active in the community so it can be a better place for our kids and most importantly, we are happy. Life is good and everyday I feel closer to the person I remember myself being.

So what about you? Are you living a life that's true to who you are? Are you listening to the whisper?

Dear blog,

I'm back! Did you miss me? Think I fell off the face of the earth? Thought I died along with my dear friend? None of the above! In fact, just the opposite happened. I feel more alive than I have in a very long time. The death of my friend has inspired me to live life to the fullest, prioritize the important things and find my passion. All these months that I've been gone have been dedicated to doing just that and what a difference it has made. I am active in my community, have reconnected with old friends and family and feel more like myself than I have in ages. Good things are happening and it's great to be a part of it all. I'll touch on some of those things in a later post. For now, I'm just happy to be back.

I have no idea what the future holds. I only know it's going to be one hell of a ride. I know I've neglected you. I know I've been a terrible friend. I've been flaky at best but I hope you'll give me a chance to make it up to you. I promise I won't let you down again!

Cheers,
Jaci