Jenny Whenny's thoughts

WELCOME TO ONDERLAND!

2010-09-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well every time I make a new post, I typically start out with apologizing as to why its taken me so long to post. So I might as well not break the tradition. I'm a flake, a face book junkie, and I neglect my blog... so please forgive me. There are some events that are just not "blog worthy" but I have had a few things occur in the last month that are DEFINITELY blog worthy. Since this blog is dedicated to my weight loss journey I will write about the journey first. The last time I posted I was just hitting the one year mark/100 pounds lost mark. I had a little set back right after hitting -100 pounds. I got an adjustment in early April, and to my own detriment I pushed the limit a bit too much. My band was too tight, and I was a miserable little girl for about 5 days. I was barely able to get liquids down, let alone solids, and it was just terrible. I got an un-fill mid April, and after that I really struggled. Although they didn't take much out of the band, I felt as if I had no restriction whatsoever. I gained a few pounds and I really got off track, because I was able to eat foods that I had not previously been able to eat. I went back to the doctor after I graduated and left on my cruise to try to get a fill so that I would not be able to go hog wild on the cruise. Well my doctor said, no fill for you! I was devastated. He wanted me to go on a liquid diet for 10 days to re-train my pouch. I did this ( inconsistently) for about 10 days LOL. I did not lose one single pound and I wanted to curse. I had SURGERY to lose weight, and I wasn't losing. In fact, I was gaining and I wasn't happy. I left for my cruise and had an INCREDIBLE time with some very dear friends of mine. Let me tell you, I enjoyed some food! I had some restriction so I couldn't go completely nuts, but I was able to eat bread again, so I did enjoy many bread items on the ship :) About 4 weeks after getting home I went back to my doctor to find that I had gained almost 10 pounds since April. I decided that I was NOT leaving his office without a fill in my band. He gave me one, and the weight loss started again. I am thrilled. My band is extremely tight at this point. I have trouble in the mornings with everything, including my coffee. By noon I am doing a little better, and I can usually get some type of soup/chili/bean item down. By dinner I can do some ground meats with sauce, and I am feeling pretty good. of course I keep up on my protein intake by drinking a pre-made shake in the morning, and if I had trouble eating during the day, I will make a shake at home at night. A major goal of mine was to be in the 100's . I just couldn't seem to get there, but I am happy to report that as of September 24th, 2010, Jennifer Boggs no longer weighs 200 and something. I weigh 199.0 :) I have lost 109 pounds since my lap band surgery in April of 2009, and I am Madly in love with my lap band :) So there is one more goal to check off my lap band list :) The next goal is to weigh what my driver's license says that I weigh :) 180 baby! I have found that when I set smaller goals for myself its easier to see myself being able to attain those goals. This journey has not been easy at all. I can honestly say that this is the hardest thing that I have ever done. The emotional stuff that I have had to deal with is the one thing that I don't think I was prepared for. Its so not about just getting your body smaller. Being big for so long had my mind set in a certain place, and just because my body is smaller, I still have to work on my mind. That is a work in progress just like my body.

On a side note, my dad had gastric bypass in June of this year. He has currently lost 73 pounds, and is giving me a run for my money!!! I know he feels much better to have the weight off, and even if it kills us, the Boggs family is shrinking! BUT, even though we are shrinking, we are also growing :) My brother Jonathan and his wife Laura just adopted a very handsome little boy. His name is Jacob, and he is 7 weeks old. He has stolen our hearts, and God knew what we needed, as well as what baby Jacob needed. We are so thankful for him, and I personally am doing my best to spoil him completely rotten :)

So that's what's going on right now in the life and times of the shrinking fat girl. I'm working on getting my body where I want it, and my mind, which is really the hard part. I cant promise that I will post again soon, but I WILL post again ;)! Happy weight loss!

365 days, and 97 pounds later....

2010-04-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday morning friends :) I know that I did my "one year post-op" blog a few weeks ago when I had my doctors appt, but I wanted to do one closer to my actual one year mark. Also, I'm feeling a bit sentimental this morning, so these are good times for me to post because the words pour out more freely during these times. Last Thursday, April 22Nd marked one year since I had the Lap-Band surgery. I made a very hasty decision to get the band when I look back on it. I did not do alot of research. I wanted to, but I didn't even know where to start! My mom started researching and she kept telling me, I keep coming across Dr. Douglas Krahn, and he is very reputable in this area. I went to my GP, and the referral they gave me was to Dr. Krahn, so that was exciting because we had been reading such great things about him. I went to his seminar in February of last year, and I left feeling such an excitement about the possibility of being able to get this surgery and have it help me get the weight off. I met with Dr. Krahn and his staff and I was immediately convinced that he was the right one for me. I felt completely comfortable with him, and safe under his care.If you are considering WLS, or someone you know is, I encourage you to visit his site.http://www.westernbariatric.com/ Everything pre-op flowed freely and before I knew it, it was the night before surgery. I had lost 13 pounds in the 2 week pre-op diet, and I wasn't even hungry by this point because I was just too anxious and excited!!! I was up before my alarm the next morning. I took a shower and scrubbed my tummy with the antibacterial solution they gave me. I even curled my hair! Do NOT ask me why LOL. I wanted to make sure I looked cute.... I even really thought about what I should wear to the hospital. Looking back, pajamas would have been a much better option, but oh well :). The nurses were incredible and I didn't even get scared until they wheeled me in the OR. I was so cold and nervous that my body was trembling so bad... and of course the tears were flowing. Before I knew it I was waking up in recovering to my brother hoovering over with my his hands in my mouth. I was thinking, what are you doing?? He was checking to see if my teeth were chipped from when they intabated me, because apparently its common, and he was NOT going to let them get away with chipping his sisters teeth! lol. brothers! My mom reminds me of this day all the time because apparently when they wheeled me out, I was quite a sight to behold. As soon as I was able to keep my eyes open, and tinkle on my own, they got me dressed and parked me in a wheelchair to wait for my mom to come get me. I couldn't have any thing in my hair for surgery, so you can imagine what my hair looked like. The Lord has given me very big, fluffy, full hair... and I need to have some kind of something to hold it back or its pretty "liony" She said when they wheeled me out, she was planning on taking my picture, but when she saw me she said, oh my... she will kill me if i take a picture of her. I wasn't looking my cutest, to say the least. The next few days were challenging, but I had the best nurse in the world, my mama!! I went back to work a week later... and the rest is history. Its been a fun ride... Ive cried alot of tears... happy ones... frustrated ones... but its been so worth it!! Here in the LA area the "1-800-GET-THIN billboards are everywhere. So many people say, when I see those billboards I always think of you, or the guys at work here the commercials, and they say, Hey, you should advertise for them!!! Well for my one year lap band anniversary, my friend Marie created a lil photo. It looks pretty real, and EVERYONE has been asking me where this billboard is located LOL. I would gladly be their model for the right price, wink wink. I also found some of my largest size of skirts and I thought I would try them on. WOW, what a reality check!!! I know I have lost alot of weight, but I consumed with reaching certain goals, like 100 pounds lost, and being under 200. But when I put that skirt on I was like, shoot... who cares if I have only lost 97. I think it was funny that I actually unbuttoned and unzipped it to put it on. Like I really needed to do that lol. My mom got in the skirt with me, and we both fit. I have lost a whole person! I have attached these pics for your viewing pleasure. Just because the first year is done doesn't mean its over... its just beginning :) I'm healthier than ever, and by next year, I will be posting a blog to let you all know that I am at my goal... by faith ;)

One whole year!

2010-04-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well... First of all I want to start out by saying that I am sorry that I haven't updated my blog recently. I am a disgrace to all the faithful bloggers :) I am a Face Book junkie, but these blogs are such an inspiration to look back on for me, so I am doing this for two reasons. First of all, I want to update my friends and family on my progress in the weight loss department, and inspire others, and secondly, I'm doing this so that down the road I can look back on this post and see how far I have come. Today I had my one year post-op visit with Dr. Krahn. I always look forward to the appointments with him, because I leave feeling so inspired. One year ago today I posted a blog about how I was started the pre-op diet. I weighed 308 pounds. I was a happy person, but very insecure and unhappy with my appearance. This morning I was driving to work, thinking about where I am today, one year later. I just started crying, and I have been emotional all day long. I am come so far. So what if I haven't hit the 100 pound mark. So what if I have some jiggle under my arms. Who cares if I have saddle bags and stretch marks. Who cares if I have 5 little scars on my tummy from the surgery. I have transformed in this year. I have went from a size 26/28 to a size 14/16. Today I weigh 214 pounds. I still have a ways to go, but I am soooo much further down the road today than I was one year ago. I remember one day before the surgery I had went shopping at Lane Byrant. I had tried on their largest size skirt, and it was tight. I left the store and I thought, what am I going to do? I will Never get this weight off, and its hopeless. I can tell you today that it is not hopeless... It can be done.. I am doing it.. and it works. Has it been easy? NO WAY JOSE. It has been a complete change of life. But has it been worth it? YES WAY JOSE! Although I am the same person I was one year ago, I have also changed so much. I am not intimidated because of my size.I am me... I'm far from perfect, but so are you and if you don't like it, I'm very sorry :) I have sooo much compassion and love for people who are struggling with being overweight. I have met such incredible people who are on this same journey as I am. I have been able to help them through, and they have done the same for me. I wish i had never been overweight, but this journey has changed my life. For the good. I am thankful that I have gone through this. I hope that in the future I can continue to help others along the way, because its the right thing to do :) Thank you all for your love and support over the last year. Your compliments, and comments have helped me through some rough days. I am still tootling down the road, and Ill be getting thinner as I go!! I have posted a few photos of my hero, Dr Krahn and myself from today. Thank you everyone!

Something exciting!

2010-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Well hello to all my blog followers :) I have been chastised for not updating my blog, so I decided this morning I better do something about it! Its Saturday morning, and its raining... and I am quite content in my cozy bed. I don't have many things to report today, but I do have a few. As of last week, my total weight loss is 87 pounds. I am still getting my buns kicked at the gym, and that is paying off in inches more than pounds, and I am totally ok with that! I will be having a 2 month assessment next week sometime, so I will be sure to report those figures. Thursday and Friday night was our SCC conference at the church, so last week I decided that maybe I should do a lil shopping to see what I could find. Lately, shopping has been a lil depressing to me. The reason is because I am getting smaller, and I am almost too small for the chubby girls stores. Now I know that you are thinking, pshhh, that doesn't sound like a problem to me!!! But friends, it is a problem. I have been chubby as long as I can remember, and I only had a few stores that I shopped at because the shopping world does NOT accommodate chunkers... So I have been kind of scared. I keep thinking, where am I going to shop? It is such an odd feeling. I wandered around Macy's the other night thinking, I cant fit in this stuff, can I?? I decided to just try a few things on... When I slipped on a jacket from the REGULAR section on Macy's, and it not only went on easily, but buttoned with ease as well... I just stood there staring in the mirror. I was like wow... is this for real? I get compliments all the time, and yes, it does make me feel good, but in my mind, I am still fat. Which, I am... but I don't see myself as being able to wear regular girl clothes yet, but clearly, I am! Baby still got back, so I am not wearing the regular girl bottoms yet, but I am on my way. I am proud of myself, and now I am just trying to convince my mind that I actually am getting small. I lived so long in the chubby body, and the transition is difficult. Thank you so much for all your encouragement and compliments. I am so happy that I made the decision to get the lap-band. I understand that this is not for everyone, but it was the best thing I have ever done for myself, and I am so thankful this morning!!! I think Ill go have a protein shake, and get this day started. I am including a pic of "the jacket" that is not from the chubby girls section :) Ya!! Have a great day everyone :)

Long Overdue Update

2010-01-25T07:39:00.001-08:00

Well friends... this is the longest I have gone without updating my blog. Life has been busy, and as I have said over and over, FB has taken the place of my blog. I know that not everyone has FB, and I enjoy looking back at older blogs too... so I am taking a lil time today to give an update :) We made it through the holidays, and I even managed to lose a pound or two, which is the first in this girls life during the holiday season! My weight loss has slowed waaaay down for some reason... but its still coming off slowly but surely. January 22nd was my 9 month "bandiversary" and I have lost 84 pounds. Because of how fast I had been losing, I was hoping to be at 100 pounds before Valentines day, but its not looking too good for that. But that's ok, as long as its coming off, I can't complain! I mean, I do complain lol, but I really shouldn't! I had a doctor's appointment a few weeks ago, and I went there kind of discouraged because I had been stuck for several weeks without losing. Dr. Krahn was very impressed with my weight loss, and told me that I did not need an adjustment because I had lost 11 pounds in 10 weeks, and that is just fine. He really encouraged me, and I left feeling much better. In December I finally broke down and got a trainer at the gym, and it has been great. From Dec 10th to Jan 10th I lost 8 1/2 inches, and 7 pounds. I sure can't complain about that either! He kicks my buns 2 days a week, and I am feeling so much better about myself! I don't really have any progress pics. I need to take some, but I will post our families Christmas pics for your viewing pleasure. I will really do my best to update more often because I know all my fans have been dying LOL. Until then, Happy weight loss !

A nice round number...

2009-11-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well... I thought I should update my blog...I dont have major exciting news to bring to you... but Ill just give you a lil update about what has been going on in my world. We went to texas a few weeks ago to visit Amber and Sharon and the rest of the family... By "We" I mean me, My mom and Jack... It was a great trip. Jack did great traveling and the weather was just perfect! The hill country of Texas is a very beautiful place... and I thoroughly enjoyed my mini vacation :) Other than that, it has just been business as usual. As of this morning I am down 75 poundaroos! Yippee! I typically lost about ten a month, so I should be at 80 before the month is over :) The lap- band is such an amazing tool! I have been a touch on the discouraged side about the band lately, and I suppose its all normal. Im just tired of trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat. So I find myself eating the same things every day... I vary between shakes, yogurts, beans, and egg beaters... After 6 months... that gets a lil old... so I am trying to broaden my horizons... and I have found a lap bad chat room that has just been a complete life saver for me! Anyway... I think thats it for now... Im going to post some pics from texas, as well as pics from my BFF's birthday dinner last night. Ill keep you all in the loop as i dwindle away :)

6 month Bandiversary!!

2009-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well friends, tomorrow will be my 6 months anniversary of going under the knife to change my life. When I reflect back, I realize how quickly I made the decision to have lap-band. I went to the seminar and I was sold. I was sold because I have wanted to do something about my weight for sooooo many years, but I felt defeated. I felt like I would NEVER get it all off, and I would always be overweight. I was happy that I made the decision to have surgery the day of my surgery, and I am even happier about it today! Of course there are some rough days. Last friday qualified as the worst lap band day since I was banded. Yikes! All i can say is that I dont think that I will ever place a tortilla in my mouth again... it was not fun, or cute... wowzers... Anyway, I had a appt with my favorite doc, Dr. Douglas Krahn today... and he didnt let me get a fill. In my heart I knew that I didnt need one, but I have been stuck for about 2 weeks and have not really seen a big weight loss in the last few weeks. I have lost a whopping 70 pounds since my surgery, and I had lost 20 since my last fill 2 months ago, so he was like, No fill for you! lol... He said I was doing incredible, and unless my weight loss slows down, he thinks I just need to keep plugging along... so... that is what I will do :) I finally got the pics of the day that I started the pre-op diet, so I will be posting those for your viewing pleasure... as well as a few pics my mom took of me today to mark my 6 month/70 pound mark. Things are totally on track, as far as my weight loss is concerned LOL.. Ill keep you posted as I near the 100 pound mark... yaaa... cant imagine how happy I will be when I hit 100!!!

5 months post surgery update

2009-09-21T20:47:00.001-07:00

Well... tomorrow it will be 5 months since I have had this little band wrapped around my tummy.... and you know what... its been quite the experience LOL. I have had some really rough days, and some really great days.... and overall I am so happy with the results... As of last thursday I am down 64 pounds, and I would like to be at the 70 place by my 6 month bandiversary :) Thats the goal for now....

This weekend we went to the LA County fair, and we had a blast.... I had a hard time with the food factor because it was hard to find something I can actually eat....There are certain times of the month where my band is tighter than others... when my body is retaining more water... and this last week has been that time for me... and I have had several puking episodes becuase I am just extra tight... But I HAD to try some traditional fried fair food LOL... we tried a deep fried snickers, and it was pretty delish... I only had two tiny bites though, so I dont really feel guilty about it :)

I have attached some pics for your viewing pleasure as well... Im keeping it brief tonight because im a sleepy girl :)

60 Pounds Lost Pics

2009-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

These pics are from my 60 pound landmark... I had to buy some new clothes and Marie is good about keeping updated pics of me as I shrink :) Enjoy!

29 forever!!

2009-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well... Today is my birthday :) I am so thankful that Im not working today... People should not have to work on their birthday... and I think that should be a law... but thats a topic I will save for another time! I am sittin in my bed with a hot cup of coffee reflecting and so I thought I better post a blog.... I have had a great 4 day weekend... alot of my family came over last night and we had a bbq and celebrated my birthday which was very nice... I have a incredible family... and being with them always makes me happy! Of course I also got to spend my weekend with my favorite 1 year old, and thats always great....Today on Face Book someone posted this..."Have a great one. I'm probably twice as old as you, so I have a little mileage under my belt. Here's my bit of advice to you. Live life to the fullest, you can't do anything about the past or future so enjoy each minute of every day, don't waste time on what was or might be!!!" That one really stuck with me! That is going to be my goal for the year. I have wasted alot of time in my life by fretting about the future, and regretting the past... but those days are long gone... I do think that 31 is going to be a good year for me... I will be graduating when Im 31... and I will also be very skinny by the time 32 comes around LOL... I think at times we all can get caught up in wondering what life is dealing us, but I am really going to do my best to not worry about it this year... God knows what he is doing... and his ways are not our own... I tell people that all the time, but its time that I start telling myself that too! Anyways,..... thats it for now LOL... I dont have any big plans today... I was going to spend the day at the LA County fair today, but I found out that they are closed today... what in the world?? I am so bummed out! So I think my mom and i are going to spend the day together shopping... Of course I will be going to see my new little guy, Nolan... and my day might hold some time in the sun :) For all of my blog followers, I will be posting a separate blog with some updated weight loss pics today... and in this blog I am including some pics from my birthday party last night... I will update again around the 22nd, at the 6 month baniversary :)

Landmarks are good!

2009-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in a few weeks so I thought that I better post an update. This blog has proved to be inspirational to me, as well as to others, and that makes me feel pretty good about it. Its always encouraging to look back and see how far I have come. I graduated from Upland High in 1996, yes, I know that was eons ago. Anyways, UHS has a website set up so that everyone can keep in touch ( before FB exploded) and I had posted some pics on there probably 9 years ago. I randomly went to that website the other day and I was shocked to see the pics that I had posted. Of course since all your high school friends would be seeing these pics, I would have chosen the "best" ones to put up. I was literally as big as the side of a house.... I'm going to post the picture because I cant even believe it! I remember that night... I felt pretty...but looking back on it... all I looked was chubby... I know that I have a long ways to go, but wow... that pic was sooooo inspirational to me because it showed the progress that I have made so far. Also... as of this morning I have lost 61 pounds! On September 7th it will be 5 months since I started this journey, and I think I have done really well... I am also pretty confident that I am on track to lose 100 pounds by April 22nd, 2010... I went on a much needed shopping trip yesterday afternoon, and I was pleasantly surprised at the sizes I was able to wear ;) I have had some rough days since April 7th when I started my pre-op diet... but wow has it ever been worth it! I haven't thrown up all week... and I have been able to eat ok... I am learning more and more to be more aware of what I am putting in my mouth. If i don't pay attention, that's when I pay for it. Its just a change in your way of thinking. Of course, I have my flaws... I am not doing good with my water drinking... I have to work on that... and I am not exercising faithfully.... that's not good... I have to work on that too because my body is changing so rapidly... and its turning into a body I have never been before... nothing has ever jiggled on me LOL... and i have some jiggly parts now LOL... I'm just being real!!

This week will be an exciting one for sure. My best friend Kristy is about to have a baby. She is scheduled for an induction on Tuesday morning. She has asked me to be with her when she delivers the baby, and I feel very honored to be a part of this. Some people that I have told have had mixed responses, but I think its probably going to be the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed in my life. The miracle of life has always amazed me, and everyone knows how I feel about babies :) I cannot wait to see baby Nolan's grand entrance into this world :) I pray that Kristy's labor and delivery goes well with no kinks... I will try to post another blog after he arrives...

I have also scheduled a trip to Texas for the end of October. I have been having that "itch" to get out of town lately and so I just made a spur of the moment decision and im going. Of course Jack and my mom are coming too... and I am so looking forward to seeing my family in Texas...

I think that's it for now... I'm gonna post a few pics for your viewing pleasure :) Catch ya on the flip side!!

Im being choked out!

2009-08-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so its been one week since my last adjustment, and I feel like I need to update my blog because it has been an eventful week as far as the lap-band goes. I used to go to the support group meetings and when the other patients would tell these horror stories about their struggles with eating, I would think, whats wrong with my band? I have no stories like that to tell! Well... This week I have gained SEVERAL stories to tell! For a few days after my adjustment I was on liquids only, but I started having issues even on liquids. I made a shake Saturday morning with 1/2 banana and a few frozen strawberries and it was too thick. I was unable to get it down. So, Jack had a "milk shake" lol... Needless to say I have tried to eat on several occasions but I am just struggling. When I eat something that doesn't go down well, I pay in a very painful way, and it usually ends up coming back up( graphic, I know). I attempted to eat a taco on Tuesday night, and that was the worst bout with getting sick that I have experienced so far. WOW, is all I can say. I was crying and everything. ( those of you that really know me would know that is no big surprise... I cry often) I have been a little depressed over it all because although I do want my band tighter so that I can eat less and lose more weight, but I would like to be able to eat more than one tiny bite at a time. I know you are probably reading this thinking wow, what a terrible thing to go through... But I'm doing ok. Its a complete change of mindset. I have to re-learn how to eat as a "banded" person. Today I am doing better. The key is that I have to eat very slow, and take very small bites, and of course ( like my mom says) CHEW CHEW CHEW. I have also learned another secret. The more "sauce" you can put on food, the easier it goes down.Sauces are not your friend though because of the calories and fat involved in them, so salsa is my new friend. It is good for you, and it moistens everything up. I have not attempted to eat meat yet, and I don't know how that will go. I am a lil scared to try it, but if I never try it, I will never know! These are just a few hurdles in the road. I am still very happy that I had this surgery, and I am excited to look back in a year or so and see how far I have come. Yesterday I had a puke free day, and today so far... no puking! So I am not complaining :) Ill update you all next week and hopefully I can give a victory report about more pounds vanishing forever :) Have a great weekend everyone!

Im encouraged!

2009-08-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was a good day for Jennifer Boggs... It was my final class for this session, and let me tell you... I was never so happy to see a session end. This was a really tough one for me! I had some pretty tough classes. And if you couple that with the fact that I am quite the procrastinator... It has made this last week of school pretty stressful! But the good news is that I do my best work under pressure, so it was all completed and I'm DONE. Yesterday I took the day off to finish up some school work, and I also had an appt with Dr Krahn to get my lap-band tightened up a bit. ( The pic attached is of Dr Krahn and I)I have days where I get a lil discouraged with the lap band because the weight comes off so much slower than alot of people that I know that have had gastric bypass. Anyways, my last fill was at the end of June, and since then I had lost 20 pounds. I was really surprised when they told me that. My doc was VERY pleased with my progress, and wasn't completely convinced that I really needed another fill. Of course, I wanted one because I still felt like I could eat a little too much. So, I got my fill, and I am now on a liquid diet until Sunday. That is no fun! I am hoping that my fill is ok, because I have noticed that I have had a lil bit of a hard time getting the protein shakes down, and even big gulps of water are a lil rough... But I think in a few days it will all even out. Dr. Krahn was very interested in the fact that I blog, and he asked me to get on his website and blog. I have to check it out, but I am very interested because I want to meet people like myself So my grand total as of yesterday is 52 pounds. I will take it! My goal was to lose 100 pounds before my one year "bandiversary" lol...and I am on track to get there, and probably exceed that. Yesterday when I left the doctor's office and was driving to school I was thinking about my decision to have this surgery. I saw alot of people in the waiting room yesterday that were considering weight loss surgery, and I felt their pain. I know how miserable it can be at times to be overweight, and you honestly feel like there is no way out. I had myself convinced that I would always be fat, and my life would be lacking forever because of it. For the first time in years, I really believe that I am not going to be fat forever, and its the best feeling. As I was driving, I just started crying because I can really see myself changing, and its a good thing :) I don't know what my future holds, but I sure hope that in the mix somewhere is a good man who will love me for me, and can see past the scars of the fat girl that I used to be.... Anyways... I'm happy today :) I'm thinner, I have no homework, and to top it all off, Jack is spending the weekend with me!

Update for July

2009-07-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Once again, Im a terrible blogger, and I apologize. I have said this before too, but face book is my latest obsession, so If you want to know what's goin on with me on a more regular basis, find me on the book of faces :) Ok, so today is July 29th, and it has been a lil over three months since my surgery. I have lost a total of 50 pounds! I am really excited about it! I am scheduled for another fill on the 6th of August, and that should help me even more. I still feel like I am able to eat a little bit more than I should be able to. I know that along with the fill will come some uncomfortable times when I eat too quickly, or dont chew enough... but thats the price I have to pay I guess... Im gonna keep my update short and sweet this time because I dont really have any other reports I need to make... Im going to attach a few pics of me and Jack from the weekend. I know I have a loooong ways to go... but this last weekend I felt skinny, and that was a very good feeling for me.... Love you all!

dumb Michael Jackson!

2009-07-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I dont even consider myself a fan of MJ... However, I know there is this big memorial for him in LA today. Unfortunately I am at work today, and I cant see a single thing! Curiosity is really killing me right now, and I'm dying to see some pics, or maybe some live video feed?? Come on Inland... this is the King of Pop lol... give us some slack... Oh well... :( haha

Quick Update...

2009-07-01T07:43:00.001-07:00

I don't have alot of time this morning for a long post but I wanted to update my blog so that those that follow my blog will know how the life and times of the banded girl are going! lol. Anyways, I haven't weighed in about a week, because my obsession with weighing daily was about to kill me. I weighed last Friday I think, and the grand total is 40 pounds! I will take it!!! There are some days that I regret not having gastric bypass because I would be seeing quicker results, but I do feel like this was a better option for me because in theory, if it comes off slower, I feel like it will stay off. Either way, 40 pounds is 40 pounds, and I'm NOT complaining!! I would say in the next 10 to 20 pounds I am going to have to start buying some new clothes. I had alot of clothes from when I was my thinnest right before Kristy's wedding. Those clothes are now all fitting me again, and some are a lil big... so these are GOOD problems :) On another note, I am looking forward to this weekend... I am off on Monday, thank the Lord, and I am planning on spending alot of time in the sun! I am also planning on spending Saturday with Jack and Allison and my whole family swimming, enjoying yummy food, and then going to the high school to watch the fireworks... I sure do love my family, and its always good to spend time with those you love the most! I hope everyone has a good Independence day, and I will try to post a lil update after I weigh again....

I'm Stuck :(

2009-06-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Well... Today it has been 7 week since my surgery. Last week when I updated I was down 32 pounds, and today, I am STILL down 32 pounds. Its extremely depressing... I know that I need a fill, but I have been trying to be very careful not to eat too much. Maybe its just a lil platuea, but I do not really like it! I went to my first support group thingy on monday night and that was good. I met a few girls that had the same surgery I had, and 2 out of 3 had been very succesful. One of the girls had lost 160 pounds in like a year and a half. THAT is what I want...One ladies story was discouraging though, and I wanted to tell her to stop talking lol. Her band has a leak in it, and in 2 years, she had only lost 78 pounds. The doc that spoke said repairing her band would be a more difficult surgery that the original placement of the band. Right at that moment I said a lil prayer that the Lord would keep his hand on my band LOL. And of course, with my recent lack of weight loss, my imagination went to the worst possible scenario and I starting freaking out. Anyways, next wednesday can't arrive soon enough. I was even thinking about going back on all protien shakes again to get some more weight off, but the shakes kill me... they arent as delicious as I had originally thought.
Well, thats the latest update for now... not super exciting I know... but Its just life! I will try to update again in the next week or so.

Update.... ( I gotta think of more exciting titles lol)

2009-06-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well... Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since my surgery, and two weeks since my fill. Thing have been going good since the fill. I was able to eat finally, and that was a great day! I couldn't eat very much, and I was so scared about choking, or something, but nothing like that has come close to happening. I noticed right away that I felt like I was able to eat more than I should be. I also noticed that I was hungry a few hours after eating. From what the doctor told me, these are both signs that I might need an adjustment. Of course, I do not allow myself to eat more than I should. I am very careful about watching my portion sizes, because I am so scared that I will gain weight. I called the nurse about my concerns, and I have an appointment for an adjustment on the 17th. She told me that in the meantime, I should drink a shake between meals if I am super hungry. Once again, I'm scared that I'm going to gain, so I haven't been having the shakes between meals. I have dealt with the feeling of hunger for so many weeks that I can handle it LOL. Yesterday I had to have a post-op upper GI and that was interesting. Of course the stuff they make you drink is REALLY bad... but I was able to see the x-ray and actually see the band around my stomach. Its nice to know that after all this, the band really is in there! lol...As of a few days ago, I have lost 32 pounds... so that's a good thing!.......... I know that it would appear from my blog that I have nothing else going on in my life but just living the life of the lap-banded girl... and although getting used to this new life does consume me, there are other things going on. This week is my break from school, and next week I will start my LAST summer session. I will be graduating next spring, and that is super exciting! I saw pics from the graduation that was a few weeks ago, and seeing all my friends that I have been going to school with in their caps and gowns made me even more excited! Lets see what else is going on... of course my little love, Jack is still very much in my life. Next weekend he and I will be spending some quality time with him. I haven't been able to have him since my surgery, because he weighs just a touch over 15 lbs LOL... but I am looking forward to having him for the weekend. My BFF Kristy just found out that she is having a baby boy.... We were all very excited, and shocked, because we were all under the impression that the baby was "100% a girl" That is what her doc said, but the ultra sound a few weeks ago proved very clearly that this baby is going to be a boy. She is due at the very end of August, and it cant come soon enough! I cant wait to hold that little guy in my arms :) Anyways, that's about it for now.... I am going to post a pic soon... I promise! Take care everyone... and I appreciate every one's comments and encouragement... they are much needed and appreciated!!

Lap- Band Update- My first fill!

2009-05-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well today it is 4 weeks since my surgery. Up until now I have been on liquids/mushy foods which has been the trial of the last six weeks. These last two weeks have been really hard to stay faithful to the "mushy foods" rule because I feel so "normal" and I want to eat! Today was my first "fill" Up until today the band around my stomach was empty, so my stomach was not restricted making me be able to eat less. The doctor accessed the port on my stomach with a needle and injected about 2 cc's of saline to "inflate" the band. This constricted my stomach and now I will only be able to eat very small portions. When he was filling my band he had me drink water and I needed to tell him when I felt too restricted. I didn't know how I was going to be able to tell, but man, it was easy to tell! When I had too much, it kinda felt like it was backing up in my throat, but since it was just water, after a few seconds it went down. He let a little saline out and then I could feel the water going down, but it wasn't backing up. He said he thought that would be a good spot for me and I would have a good amount of restriction. I am on liquids for the next two days, then on to mushy for a few days. If all that goes well I can start eating again in about 4 days. I cant wait for that! I told my mom I want a big BBQ on memorial day LOL. I will be able to eat only a few bites, but it will be worth it to not have to be sipping on a protein shake while everyone else indulges! As of today, I have lost 27 pounds! That was encouraging. According to my calculations, I had lost 23, but when they weighed me today she said nope, 27! I am excited that I can start working out now, and get back to my regular life somewhat. I know I haven't updated as often as I wanted to, but I have tried to hit all the major landmarks. I will keep you posted on how I do with this fill, and how the weight loss progresses.

P.S. I am attaching some pics of the whole process. The first few are kinda graphic for those scared of needles LOL. The others are me my doc...

One Week Post-Op

2009-04-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry that I have not updated anything since my surgery! Face book has become my favorite past time and I have neglected my blog terribly! I know that the last time I updated I was just going into my pre-op diet. That went pretty well, after the first 5 days. Those first days were miserable for many different reasons that I will not divulge to you. After those days, I guess my stomach shrunk, and although I reallly wanted to eat, I wasn't miserably hungry. On the day of my surgery, last Wednesday the 22Nd, I had lost 13 pounds! So for all of you that are looking for a good diet... The liquid diet sure works! lol... Anyways, the surgery went well, the nurses were angels and I was home by 3 that afternoon. I had a few bad days after that because the pain was pretty bad. Most of my pain in the first day or two came from the CO2 gas they put in my body during the surgery. It affected my back and shoulders alot. I tried to come back to work on Tuesday, and that didn't really work out too well. I was just wiped out. Yesterday was my first full day at work, and I did OK. By the end of the day I was really tired though. I am still on the liquid diet, and I didn't really get my appetite back until Sunday, so i was a little weak. My band is empty right now. I will go to the doc on the 20th of May for my first fill. After that I should be able to eat regular food, and I cant wait! I am realllllly hungry these days, and the shakes are killing me! I weighed on Tuesday morning and I have lost another 3 pounds, so its minus 16! I promise that I will update more often... and I am going to start taking pics of my progress. I expect that after my fill on the 20Th I will be able to get back to my regular life of eating people food, and going to the gym. I know that will speed up the weight loss process. I'm so happy that I did this, and just pray that these next weeks of liquid/mushy foods will go by quick! Thank you all for your prayers and concerns over the last week. It has really meant alot to me!! Ta Ta for now!

Day one of the pre-op diet

2009-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Well... Its about noon. This morning was the first day of my pre-op liquid diet. I have to be on this diet for the next two week prior to my surgery. This morning I had a really yummy protein shake with blended strawberries in it and I felt great! Its about noon, and I just felt the first of many stomach growlings. I think by this afternoon the reality of what I just signed up for is going to hit me like a ton of bricks when I'm starving. I had an appt with the Doc who will be preforming my surgery today, and he was really great. I brought my parents because I want them to feel good about this too, and he really took alot of time with us to discuss and answer any questions that any of us may have had. I think my dad might be doing a little better with this whole procedure. And, when he sees my progress, I think he will be even more in favor of it, and hopefully do it himself one day! I had my first weigh in today, and they even took a before picture of me. I'm sure it looked gross, but they didn't let me see it lol. Anyway, surgery is scheduled for the 22nd, and it cant come soon enough!I have attached a pic of what they will actually be doing to me, and you can visit my Dr's website at http://www.westernbariatric.com/ to learn more about it all. I will keep you posted over the next week weeks... if i have the strength to type... jk... On that note, I think I am about to go enjoy a delicious protein shake to take the edge off!

Saturday Morning Reflection

2009-04-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well... its Saturday morning... I'm sitting in bed with a cup of coffee... and I'm content! I wish I could do this every morning. Typically I sleep until the last second and then bolt out of bed and get ready real quick and leave. Anyway, I was just sitting here reflecting on the last few days... and on the days to come. I cant believe I am going to have this lap band surgery in like 19 days. Last night I watched this video about the surgery. It told me what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. It was very interesting. I didn't get scared when I was watching it even though they talk alot about the risks involved. Thank God, I am a pretty healthy person, for being a chubby girl :). Being the chubby girl has been a life long struggle for me. Its in my genes... my whole family is overweight, except for my mom that is! I have been thinking... My brother and I both ONLY look like our dad... its like my mom wasn't even involved in us...but maybe, just maybe... underneath the chubbiness is a little woman like my mom! Time will tell! The research I have done says that I should lose about 2 pounds a week for the first year. According to my calculations that would be about 120 pounds in the first year... now THAT is exciting. I remember a few years ago, I lost 65 pounds on nutri-system. I cant tell you how good I felt! Now, I have gained about 20 of that back, which is just sick, but it seems like I will lose that pretty quick seeing that I will not be eating solid foods for about 6 weeks starting this Wednesday. I am going to attach my before and after pics from when I lost the weight on nutri-system just so you can get a little preview... I'm just excited! Please pray for me. I know this first two weeks especially is going to be super hard. I went to Costco last night and stocked up on protein powder, juice, jello and broth.... mmmm yummy LOL.... Anyways, Have a great day... Ill post again after my appointment with the doctor on Wednesday!

Some exciting news :)

2009-04-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

OK, so some of you may know this, and some may not. On April 22Nd, I will be having lap band surgery. I am really excited about this journey I am about to go on! Ya, I will have some pretty rough days ahead of me for the next month or so when I am pretty much on a liquid diet, but in the end, I am going to be healthier, and hopefully a little cuter too ;) I am going to use this blog as a sort of journal so that all my family and friends can keep up with my progress. I will be starting the pre-surgery diet on April 8th, and on that day I am going to weigh myself ( of course that's top secret information :) And then I will take a before pic that I will post. I will try to update about once every few weeks to let you all know how I am doing and show you the progress I am making. Just thinking about it right now gets me all excited. The skinny girl inside me is just dying to get out LOL... Anyways, pray for me.... and I will keep you posted.. :)

Well its easter right??

2009-03-20T07:57:00.001-07:00

Gotta have some little chicks scattered around with it being Spring time :) Remind me to change this layout before 4th of July is upon us... Have a great weekend everyone! I will be spending my weekend with baby Alli, So I will post pics of that soon... I think... :)

If you love something, set it free...

2009-03-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well... This weekend has been very long and emotional. Thursday night I decided that it was in mine and Sugar's best interest to find her another home. I posted an ad on Craig's list and the calls started coming in. Most of the people that called were clearly nut jobs, but this one lady called Friday night and she just seemed to be exactly what I was looking for! She came Saturday to see Sugar and of course she fell in love with her. She was a touch odd... but like my mom said... you don't have to be "normal" to take care of sugar... it was obvious that she would love her... so I let her go. Now granted, I was totally pmsing, but I literally cried the rest of the day... not just a few tears... I wept... and I was so sad all night. I couldn't fall asleep either. The next morning I thought, I really want to call her and ask her to bring Sugar home. But I resisted. At 8:00 the lady called me and asked me if she could bring Sugar back! Apparently her cat didn't like Sugar, and they had gotten into a fight. She assured me that Sugar was fine, but she just didn't think it was going to work. She brought her home when I was at church and my dad came over to let her in my house. My dad said that she brought Sugar back in a suitcase... ZIPPED up... What??? When i got home from church I was so happy to see her... but she was soooo dirty... and she had a few cuts on her. I was VERY mad... but what can I do?And where was she all night long?? All i know is that I shouldn't have given her away... I made a bad choice, but she came back.... So I am happy :) She was an angel all day yesterday, and slept all night last night... Thank you Lord! So... since she came back to me... she must be meant to be... according to the saying that is.. :)

I'm changing Sugar's name to Beelzebub

2009-03-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone... I haven't posted a blog in quite some time so I thought it was time! This has been a busy month as usual with all the things I have going on. I have one more week until this session is done at school, and I am looking forward to having one week off before hitting it again! My weekends have been consumed with school work and my little boyfriend... and of course the kitten from H- E double hockey sticks. I am not home much, and when I get home she is very happy to see me. She continues to rejoice late into the night. One night this week I woke up at about 2 AM and she was making so much noise, but I couldn't find her. I have attached a pic of where I found her. She is too much! I have had to leave and go to my parents several nights because I cant sleep when she is terrorizing the house. And since I have ONE room, I have nowhere to lock her up! I locked her in the bathroom one night and she thought it would be a good idea to try to dig out... so she ripped up some of my linoleum... that was a pleasant surprise too. Anyways... pray for me... I cant wait until Sugar is out of her adolescence. If she doesn't shape up, she is gonna get shipped out!

Jack's photo shoot

2009-02-22T15:31:00.001-08:00

update...

2009-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Well once again, its been too long since I have posted. Between work, school and just life in general its hard to find time to post. This weekend and the last few weeks in general have been super busy. Work is crazy. We all know that the econonmy is in bad shape, and we have felt if here at work quite a bit. There have been about 10 people laid off in the last 6 months. At this point, I am just thankful to have a job! I have had to take on the sales coordinator job at our Montebello branch, so I have to travel there once a week. Its crazy!

Last weekend was our SCC conference at the church, and it turned out really great! Even though the weather was horrible, there was a good crowd, and the preaching and music was great! Its so funny to me though because I was telling Kristy that its so different going to these conferences as an adult than it was when I was a teenager. Back in the day, I would have stressed all week about what I was going to wear... I would have had rollers in my hair by 2pm to make sure the curl stayed... and It would have just been a major event in my life. It is not like that anymore lol! I didnt even curl my hair on friday night lol and I wore a repeat outfit from last year ( GASP!!) Its always a great conference though, and Im glad I was there!

On saturday I got to see my favorite little boy in the whole wide world, Jack! John had him this weekend and he called me to come up and see him. Please keep him in your prayers. I cant elaborate but we need God to have his will in Jack's life and Jack needs to be in a safe place. So please keep my little guy in your prayers this coming week. I plan to have him next weekend so i cant wait for that! I have attached a lil pic of him... he was so sick and his little eyes look like he has had a rough night but he is still as cute as ever!!

Stuff...

2009-01-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

I havent blogged in a while, so I felt like it was time to update everyone of the latest and greatest. I just finished my fall 2 session at Chapman and the class that I dreaded the most (Statistics) is over! I have been checking the website daily to see what grade I would get. I got a D on the midterm so I was VERY concerned. I ended up getting a C in the class! For most, that would be a disappointment... but not for me! That is a average, PASSING grade and ill take it!! :) Hmmm lets see what else..... Oh ya... I got Sugar, my kitten a leash... that was an experience LOL. She did pretty good, but ummm... leashes are for dogs... cats dont really go for walks to well. I drug her around most of the time but she did enjoy being outside exploring. Ill attach a few pics. And last but not least, yesterday we decided to go to dumont for the day... we had a blast. I dont have a quad but my brother has taught me to ride his. He took me to "little dumont" which is more my pace. I dont really do too well beings sideways, so I just like the little hills. The quad was having a problem, and everytime it stalled you had to take the seat off and restart it that way. Well, I stall ALOT... so I was forever getting off the bike... dragging it down a hill and restarting it. I think everytime little John came to find me I needed help. It just wasnt my day. I got myself so frustrated that at one point I just let this huge scream out. It was annoying. So I flagged my sister in law down and she rode the bike back to camp, and I rode in the truck LOL.... anyways... It was still fun. I always love going out there. It was beautiful... and I think that's it for now... Im off to clean my house! :)

HELP!

2009-01-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ok,So I've been blogging for a month or so now, and I still cannot figure out for the life of me how to get friends :( You all have your friends listed on the side of your blog or even at the bottom and I cannot figure out how to do it! Can someone please help me???? Gracias :)

This is what I call and OLD MAID!

2009-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Would-be bride, 107, seeks her first husband
Too afraid to wed when young, Chinese woman fears she's a 'burden' to kin

BEIJING - A 107-year-old Chinese woman who was afraid to marry when she was young has decided to look for her first husband and hopes to find a fellow centenarian so they will have something to talk about, a Chinese paper reported.
Wang Guiying is worried she is becoming a burden to her aging nieces and nephews since breaking her leg when she was 102 and had to stop doing chores like washing her clothes.
"I'm already 107 and I still haven't got married," the Chongqing Commercial Times quoted her saying. "What will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband?"

Born in southern Guizhou province the child of a salt merchant, Wang grew up watching her uncles and other men scold and beat their wives and often found her aunt crying in the woodshed after an attack, the paper said.
"All the married people around there lived like that. Getting married was too frightening," she said of an era when Chinese women had few rights and low social standing.
Many also had their feet bound in an excruciating process aimed at making them look more dainty and marriageable.
Worried about becoming a 'burden' After Wang's father, mother and older sister died, she still shied away from marriage. Instead she moved to the countryside and survived as a farmer until she was 74 years old and no longer strong enough to work in the fields, the report said.
Her nephew in the booming city of Chongqing then took Wang in, but she is worried he and her other nephews and nieces are too old to take care of her now even the youngest is 60.
"My nephews and nieces are getting older and their children are already tied up with their own families and I am becoming more and more of a burden," she said.
Local officials have said they are happy to help Wang search for a 100-year old groom, and suggested her family get in touch with old people's homes to find candidates, the paper said.

WOW! This article makes me feel like a spring chicken! I feel like an old maid sometimes but yikes, this lady is an old maid if I have ever seen it! I sure hope she finds a husband. Wouldn't that be the cutest thing in the world if she got married for the 1st time at 107?

Jack's Birthday Party

2009-01-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know I posted a blog a few days ago that it was Jack's birthday. Well, The Lord answers prayers and it worked out for us to see him on Saturday and have a little impromptu celebration for his first birthday! I haven't been feeling good this weekend at all but I wouldn't have missed yesterday for the world. He was so cute with his little cake, and its amazing how much he is walking and growing up! Last night when it was time for us to leave we couldn't find my keys, and we looked everywhere( 4 times) lol... there were nowhere to be found! At ten or so my dad decided that he was going to just drive up to the high desert and bring us the keys because otherwise we were going to be stuck. As you can imagine he wasn't too happy about that LOL. Even now, I have no idea where my keys are and its driving me nuts! I laid in bed last night and I couldn't fall asleep because I was just thinking about all the places they could possibly be. Anyways, ill keep you posted on the case of the missing keys, but meanwhile enjoy these pics of little Jack's 1st birthday party :)

Happy Birthday Jack Boggs!

2009-01-08T12:26:00.001-08:00

My favorite little guy, Jack Boggs turned one year old yesterday! I know he is much too young to read this blog but I wanted to type up a little message to him because he is heavy on my mind today. I did not get to see him yesterday, but I will be doing everything in my power to see him this weekend because I have to give him a big kiss for his birthday. Jack was born January 7th, 2008 to John Boggs and Jamie Jacoban. He came into my life at a pretty dark time, and I looked forward to keeping him for days at a time because he brought some light into my life. This little boy is pretty special. I don't think that I have ever seen him without a smile on his face. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen, and his smiles can just light up a room. I am not even his mother, but having him in my life has made me want to be a better person. How can a little soul change someones life by just being in it? I don't understand it all, but God sent Jack to the Boggs family, and I am so thankful! I pray that Jack will be raised up to be a productive, respectable young man who loves the Lord. I pray every single day that the Lord would put a whole army of angels around him to protect him every moment of his life. I want God to have his way in Jack's life, and I pray that daily as well. Your Auntie loves you Jack Earl Boggs... and don't ever forget it!

Guess who is pregnant?? (and NO, it's not me LOL)

2009-01-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

Kristy Rowell (Clark) is my bestyiest friend in the whole wide world, and we have the privilege to work together too. The last few months she keeps telling me, Jenn, I think I'm pregnant. I always tell her... Lets wait a few more days LOL because she thinks it a lil early at times LOL. Last week she told me that she thought she was pregnant and I didn't think much of it because she tells me this every month! I had to work in LA last Tuesday and she called me as I was driving home and she said, Jenn, I bought some pregnancy tests. I said, Oh really?? and then I told her that I thought you were supposed to wait until the morning to take a pregnancy test and she said she was going to read the paperwork. She called me back like 30 minutes later and said, Jenn, where are you? And I said Oh... still driving... :( She said, ummm... We have a little situation.... and I said, oh brother, now what LOL... she said, I think I'm pregnant. I was like... WHAT?? DID YOU TAKE THE TEST? She said YES! I took the test, but there was only one line, so Jeffrey threw it away. Then he read the paperwork and it said that sometimes it takes a little while for the second line to show up. He went to the trash and got it out, and sure enough there was two lines!! She said, Jeff just sent a pic of the test to your phone, tell me what you think LOL... I looked at it and said, Oh my word, you are pregnant Kristy! She was like, are you sure? ( like I'm the doctor) and then I said, I'M COMING OVER! By the time I got over there she had taken another test and it was positive too! When I walked in the door, Jeffrey said Jenn, we have one more test... you have to pee on the stick... LOL I started cracking up, but then I thought, hey I KNOW I'm not pregnant, so that's a good idea because then we can compare them.... So I did my best friend duty and took a pregnancy test... and it looked way different than hers... she went to the doc the next day and it was confirmed. She is pregnant! We are all so excited for them. They are going to be incredible parents, and I cant wait to meet my little niece or nephew :) I love you Kristy and Jeff :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well... I haven't blogged in several days, so I thought it was about time. I'm sitting here on my couch taking a break from "un-decorating" my house. I was going to wait for my dad or brother to take my tree out for me, but i couldn't wait a second longer.( this is one of the many days that I thought, wow I could sure use a husband right about now LOL) Now I'm dreading vacuuming up all those crispy needles. The last few days have been really nice. We had a very inspirational and encouraging New Year's Eve Service, and I'm such a party animal that I was in my bed at 11:45 lol. That's sad! I woke up the next morning remembering that I made a vow to myself to start my diet back up. I lost 60 pounds a few years ago, and umm... its sneaking back up on me... and I am not ok with that! So.... this prompted me to think of a few other things I would like to work on this year. Call it a New Year's resolution if you want... but here are a few things I want to see happen this year:
1. I am going to lose 50 pounds before my 31st birthday in September ( maybe more if I get super inspired)
2. I am going to be a better student... like studying, and not procrastinating LOL
3. I am going to pray more, God knows I need it!
4. I am going to pay off my credit cards! I don't have tons of debt, but i used to have NONE, so that's kinda sad
5.This last one is more of a prayer request than a New Years resolution, but I would love to meet my husband this year... I pray that the Lord would renew lost faith this year regarding this area of my life and help me to believe that there may be ONE good(SINGLE) man left .

And that's about it lol... I am going to post another blog, but it deserves a blog all to itself.... Happy New Year everyone... may you stick with your resolutions :)

Baby Alli

2008-12-30T20:38:00.001-08:00

My cousin Jennifer gave birth to a gorgeous daughter in October and whenever I can, I snag her for a day or two. I had her last weekend and I thought it would be fun to get her pictures taken. My good friend Marie is a incredible photographer so I called her up and she said, bring her over! So... we spent a few hours with Marie last saturday and let me just tell you, she captured just how precious Allison Holly is. I just had to share it with the blogging world because its just too cute to keep to yourself! I love Alli and I cant wait to have her again. Thanks Marie! I love you!

Goodbye Christmas... until next year :)

2008-12-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

Well... all the family is gone.... we are probably all 5 pounds heavier and real life has to kick in again, but I wouldnt have it any other way! I love Christmas, and I was so happy that we all got to be together this year. A few of my cousins werent able to make it, and we were bummed out about that but for the most part all my family was together on Christmas Eve, so I was thankful! My brother and Laura have the biggest house in the area so we had everyone over on Christmas eve. Of course there was ALOT of food involved. On the eve of Christmas Eve I went a little nuts with the baking. I made some delicious chocolate chip cookies, and then I realized that we have a few diabetics in the family, so I had to accomidate them. So, I made some "less sugar" chocolate chip cookies. I made cranberry macadamia bark, and the new family favorite cheesecake bars. it was all a hit, and we all ate way too much of it. But like I said earlier, it only comes once a year and now we just have to deal with the results lol. I was especially thankful to see my Uncle Dave and his son Skyler. We dont see them very often, and we were all so happy that they were able to make it. Of course Christmas is the most exciting for the kids, but our babies are little right now so they dont really knows whats going on yet. Jack was excited because I bought him a little fire engine he could ride and that was really cute. Jack is walking now, and that is the cutest thing in the world. Of course when we want him to perform and show everyone he wont. But he just might do anything for a cookie, so we got him to walk for a cookie :) I will post more pictures later, but here is one of the whole crew( even our foster brother THOR, the giant dog in the front), less my uncle Chet who was the photographer. I love all my family so much, and I am really glad we got to spend that time together!

My thought for today.....

2008-12-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

My Sweet Sugar Booger

2008-12-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Well... A few months ago I adopted a little kitten from the animal shelter. She is a sweet white and grey kitten, and when I got her she only weighed two pounds. The first few weeks were very trying and expensive because she came down with an upper respritory infection and there were a few days that I was worried she was going to die. Anyways, she made a FULL recovery. In this recovery she has transitioned from my sweet purring cuddle bug to a hells angel kitten. I have scars on my arms and legs from her attacking me while I sleep. I wake up to her often standing on my head staring at me. One day she came out from under my bed with 1/2 of my cell phone charger in her mouth. That was really nice lol. When she was really sick she wanted to be close to me all the time and that is when I noticed that she had a strange affection for my laptop. She would lay on me and stare at my laptop like she was watching a good movie. At first it was cute, and then it got annoying. Well.... this weekend I was having a lazy morning.. I had been laying in my bed surfing the net and my sweet angel sugar was curled up next to me sawing some major logs. So I decided to jump in the shower. I was gone approximately 7 minutes, and let me remind you that when I left the room she was soundly asleep. When I returned she has managed to violently rip three keys from my laptop. I couldnt believe it! I got one of them back on, but the other two are not fixable. What am I going to do with this sweet little hells angel?? All I can say is please pray for my Christmas tree during this holiday season!!!

Simply Having a wonderful Christmas time!

2008-12-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

I am officially in the Christmas spirit! Today I got the cutest little tree for my place.... and with the help of the 99 cent store I decorated it for under 7 dollars! I know your impressed :) Anyways, it really got me into the christmas mood. I turned on the Christmas music, and did some baking. My brother hooked my christmas light on my tree to the COOLEST thing. Its hooked up to this light switch that I could hang on the wall if i wanted, and at the flip of the switch, the lights go on and off. So for instance right now I am laying in my bed with only my tree lights lighting the room, and when i get ready to go to sleep... all I have to do is reach to my nightstand and flip and switch, and wahlah! the lights will go off!!!Cool Huh? I have attached a pic of my tree so you can see it. Its only like 5 feet tall, but its pretty if you ask me :) I made the bows myself too.... :) Merry Christmas everyone!

Fat Jiffy

2008-12-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

I wouldnt say that I am well versed on the affairs of our world, but MSN is my homepage and I like to read the 'weird news" category because those stories interest me much more than the stories about our new president elect.( I won't EVEN go there) Anyways... you have to read this story. After you read it I have a few things to say about it:

Dog frozen to sidewalk; fat helped it survive
Shelter workers uses warm water to free it; owner arrested

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - A dog weighing more than 120 pounds survived being frozen to a sidewalk overnight, probably because he was insulated by layers of fat, authorities said.
The Sheboygan County Humane Society says the "morbidly obese" dog, an aging border collie mix named Jiffy, froze to the sidewalk when he was left out overnight Wednesday. Shelter manager Carey Payne says few dogs could survive the single-digit temperatures, and it was probably the fat that made the difference.
Jiffy's 59-year-old owner was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of animal neglect, Sheboygan Police Lt. Tim Eirich said. She told police she tried to get the dog inside but couldn't, and instead checked on him every few hours.The dog is 11 or 12 years old, Eirich said. Shelter workers poured warm water over Jiffy's back end to unstick him from the sidewalk, Payne said, and it was too soon to say whether he suffered any long-term effects.

Now, I am on a never ending weight loss journey, but this email lifted my spirits. I always think to myself, WHY did the Lord allow some people to be fat, and why me??? This explained it... Please note the portion of the article where it says "the fat made the difference" So.... my point is... in SOME instances, the fat does make the differnce :) ( I still wanna be skinny though)

Have a great day!

My First Blog experience

2008-12-04T22:17:00.000-08:00

Well.... here goes nothin! Today I was browsing various blogs and I thought that its about time that I join this blogging world! What really inspired me was all the blogs about how thankful people are at this time of the year. I really need to be part of this. It was so inspiring, and I even had to wipe a few tears away when I was reading some of the blogs. So I will start off my new blogging life by writting about the things that I am thankful for. Tis the season, so I might as well spread a little of my joy around right???

Here is what I am thankful for. It is not listed in order of importance, but as it pops into my little brain:

* God's never ending love and mercy

* Parents that love me, and each other unconditionally. Parents who never beat me( very hard) and taught me to be a good, caring, pleasant person.Specifically my dad, who is the best man I know. He loves his family and will do anything he has to in order to provide for us. My mom, a praying woman who isnt afraid to "tell it like it is" I wish I could be more like her at times.

*the chocolate chip cookie in my purse that I forgot about until right now

*Kristy Clark(Rowell) the best friend I could ever ask for. How lucky am I that I get to work one cube away from my best friend every day. Thats pretty lucky :)

* Jonathan, my brother who I am so proud of that even as I type my eyes well up with tears. He is a good man, a good husband,a great brother and son, and a honorable fireman who saves lives and calms fears every single day. I pray for a husband with his qualities all the time.

* Laura, the wonderful sister in law that God has blessed me with. Sometimes I feel like she is the calm in our family because we have a tendancy to get worked up, but she is always the same and I love her!

* Sugar, my kitten... even as she runs laps around me and stops to eat some cardboard, she makes me smile when I come home after a long day.

* Inland Kenworth- I have an incredible job, with an incredible boss who has been so good to me over the last almost 6 years.

* Im thankful that in exactly one year I will be DONE with my bachelors degree!!! Chapman University is the BOMB :)

* My bed... I made a pricey investment a few years ago and bought a GOOD mattress... the BEST thing i have ever financed in my life. Im looking at it right now, and I cant wait to climb in!

* Im thankful for a pastor and wife in my life that believes in me, and looks beyond my faults and sees my potential.

* I cant forget about Jack Boggs. This little boy has changed my life. He brings so much joy to my life, and I would do ANYTHING to ensure that his every need is met. I love him to death

* an INCREDIBLE extended family.... I am soooo lucky to have the family that the Lord has given me...

* my little house... its so cute... and cozy, and warm right now thanks to my little heater. I am thankful for my brother and sis in law allowing my dad to build this place for me. I even have an armored guard!! ( ask Jonathan about that one)

* FRIENDS. You cant make it in life without friends, and I feel awfully blessed to have the ones that I do. I wouldnt say that I have a HUGE circle of friends, but the ones that I have are true, and thats all I need :)

* Im thankful for deoderant and toothpaste. They make the world a more comfortable place for everyone. oh ya, also hair products. You really wouldnt stand next to me if i didnt use hair products becuase its not pretty... so I am so thankful for that LOL

* I am thankful for trials. I know that sounds weird, but my trials have made me stronger. I have learned things about myself in the last two years that have been hard things to learn, but Im so thankful now that I am on the other side.I am even thankful for the person who caused me hurt... because this person taught me so much about myself without even knowing it.I dont hate this person, and Im not bitter towards them, but they will get whats coming to them someday. You reap what you sew... So please remember to sew good and kind things, its always worth it! On the other side of the trial, the Lord has truely healed my emotions and heart, and I am forever indebted to him !

....... well, thats all i have for now.... I am a very blessed person... God is good to me... and Im soooooooo greatful!!!!!!!!!!!!Sure I have some bad days, but we all do, its called life. But I do love this life, and I wouldnt trade it... Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.I love you all very much... I have to go get Sugar because she is currently on top of my refrigerator.. yikes!! ( but yes, I am still thankful for her!)