Our girl is getting really "crafty"...

We are ALL still really enjoying the craft time at our local library.  We go twice a week, and Mallory really has the hang of it, now.

Here is one of her latest library crafts.... they made engineer hats out of tissue paper and construction paper, and made a little "train" out of rice krispie treats and twinkies.  You use pretzel sticks to hold the cars together, and a marshmallow and chocolate for smoke stacks and accents.  There are supposed to be three cars, but Mallory ate so many of the "wheels" (read than mini oreo cookies) we had to settle for 2.

Mallory also likes to do crafts at home- mainly with paint and/or scissors.

Mallory is getting better and better with the scissors.  She likes to cut paper into little, tiny pieces and glue them on another piece of paper.

Grandma has introduced paint.... as Mommy cringed the whole time!  I was sooooo worried about the mess- but Mallory does surprisingly well!  See how focused she is?

And here we have Cinderella herself creating a masterpiece....

Mom insisted on the bib- even though it sooooooo doesn't go with the princess look she was going for!

One day, Mallory and Mommy played play-dough and Mommy made a "family" for her.  

(Daddy- Mallory- Mommy- JD- Cami- Grandpa- Grandma)

More Mallory crafts to come!

Presents from Daddy!

Charles has been so sweet to each of his girls!  We get mail from him quite often, and it is always exciting when a big package arrives!

Mallory could barely hold the package herself!

"Awwwww- it's so cute!"

(OK- it was totally a downloaded DVD of Beauty and the Beast- no label, nothing- but she knew it was from Daddy, so it HAD to be something good, right?)

Daddy also sent Mallory a bag of seashells he collected for her.  She calls them her "treasure", and sorts them everyday.

And MOMMY got a present, too!  This is the SECOND purse Charles has sent me from Korea- it is GORGEOUS!!!  My other one is Pink (of course) and has a matching billfold.

BTW- please excuse our appearance- we had just come home from the pool!

For my birthday last month, Charles sent these gorgeous roses and my parents and Mallory helped me celebrate with an ice cream cake (which I only had a VERY small slice of, since I had started my diet.  I think I ate even less than Mallory did!)

See how Mallory helped me blow the candles out?

Thank you so much honey, for always being so thoughtful- your girls love you and miss you so much!  We can't wait to see you very soon!  :)

Summer Splashing

Mallory has enjoyed being outside so much!  We are so grateful to have such a beautiful backyard with a great shady tree.  We often set up Mallory's water table and she has a great time!

Here she is splashing around.... may as well have been sitting in the thing, she got so wet!

SUCH a hysterical picture of her trying to reach a toy- see how her belly just lays in the water?

A few days later, we invited over Mallory's friends, Ian and Jillian to play.  They had SO much fun!

Splashing with friends is always best!

While Grandma & Grandpa are away....

Again, I am recording history- these pictures were taken at the end of May...

Grandma & Grandpa went to Florida to visit Meg for a couple of weeks, so Mallory and I held down the fort while they were gone.  We stayed pretty busy- mainly Mommy as she hand watered all of Grandpa's beautiful plants in the yard.  It takes between 1-2 hours every night!!!  Mallory goes to bed around 8pm, and the sun goes down about that same time- how was Mommy going to do this?

Thank goodness for this portable DVD player!  It has saved my life so many times!  Mallory was happy to sit and watch a movie while Mommy did all the work in the yard- I was so grateful!

A few days before Grandma and Grandpa got home, Mallory and Mommy made a welcome home sign for them.

We used diaper boxes torn open flat and taped together.

JD "helped" us hang up the sign!  (He was really looking forward to Grandpa getting home so he could hang out in the yard more!

"Mallory, Grandma & Grandpa are coming home tomorrow."

"Oh... today?"

"No..... tomorrow.  After you go to sleep tonight"

"Awwww... not today?"

"No- tomorrow"

"Ok.... I wait here."

I couldn't argue with this face.... could you?  

(But don't worry- she didn't actually sleep in the driveway!)

Playing in Puddles

I have three cameras of pictures I need to catch up on!  Bear with me as I take us back in time!

One rainy May afternoon, Mallory enjoyed some big puddles in our neighbors driveway.  Sadly, I think these boots are now too small... Mallory will be crushed!  But the raincoat is a brand-new hand-me-down from her cousin, Isabella, and she obviously has room to grow into it!

Excited to go play in the rain!

Mommy had the truck washed the day before it rained (of course- Murphy's Law).  Here is the ribbon we have on our car for Daddy.

This puddle was so deep!  Mallory wanted to SIT in it soooooo badly!  Luckily, she didn't!

Trying to get a good action shot of the splashing....

....this is the best I could do.

Hooray for rainy days and happy Mallory!

Celebrating a Major Milestone....

I want to begin this post by saying it has to be the most personal and challenging one I have had to write.  While I am excited to celebrate an accomplishment and share the truth of the journey I am on, it is scary all the same.

All of my friends and family know how I have struggled with my weight over the years.  I have never been the skinniest girl in the room, not even in high school, although looking back now, I can hardly believe I EVER thought I was fat then.... but nonetheless, especially since I had Mallory, I have been at an unprecedented and unhealthy weight.

It is always fun to look at cute pictures of Mallory, or recount all of the fun adventures of Mommyhood.  I am always careful to crop out any unflattering pictures of me, at every angle imaginable.  But what I am really cropping out is the shame I feel for being on such an unhealthy and never ending roller coaster of weight loss and gain.  This blog is meant to represent my heart, and the goings-on of life for the Kistler family.  It just wouldn't be an honest representation if I didn't share what has become the BIGGEST part of my life since Charles left for Korea.

After almost 2 months of hard work, I am finally ready to share with everyone the journey I have begun, and am excited to continue.  On April 15, I joined a fantastic gym, and with the help of a nutritionist and a personal trainer, I have lost.... TWENTY POUNDS!!!!!!  That is 20 pounds in just about 6 weeks!  I feel utter and pure motivation; all the tears, aches, pains and insecurity I have experienced the past several weeks have been chiseled away to reveal a determination and drive I never knew I had in me.

When Charles left, I gave up fast food AND soda- cold turkey.  I had the shakes for about a week, but now I hardly miss either one.  I see my trainer for one hour sessions twice a week, and weigh in with the nutritionist weekly.  I am counting calories, and plan to join Weight Watchers when my sessions with the nutritionist are up.  I do one hour of cardio on my own for 4 other days, taking one day "off" a week.

The journey started out SLOW... only 1-2 pounds a week.  But once I got in the groove, I actually looked forward to going to the gym, and the weight loss continued.  In the middle of it all, I got an INSANE case of food poisoning, which helped me lose 6 pounds in the two weeks I was house-bound.... not ideal by any means, but I will take it any way I can get it!

I NEVER thought I would be confident enough to post before/after pictures for all to see, but the truth of the matter is, you all knew what I looked like.... I was only hiding the truth from myself.  So here is a sampling of how I looked in April and May:

Look at Charles..... and look at me!!!  Oh my golly-gosh!

This picture was taken just a few days before he left for Korea.

Only a few days after he left... I went and signed up for the gym the next day.

Yes, I had my last sinful meal at Chili's.... sadly, I can't even remember what it was!

This was taken the day before I met with my trainer for the first time.

Oh my- look at my arm!  Yikes!

And here is the cheesy picture of my progress, and ME..... twenty pounds lighter!!!!!!!

I  really see the difference in my face the most.........

                                        April 2010                                 June 2010

So there you have it.  My very personal and honest naked truth.  While I doubt I will ever post my actual numerical weight for all to see, I will say I have 40 pounds left to go to reach the goal I set for myself while Charles is gone.  60 pounds in a year/5 pounds a month.  I am ashamed I have that much to lose, but motivated to make it happen all the same.  Who knows, at this rate, maybe I will lose even more!

Your prayers and encouragement are appreciated as I venture into this new lifestyle.  I know I will have good days and bad ones, some good weeks and some rotten ones.  But I am determined to shed not only pounds, but years of insecurity and shame.  So many of you have inspired me, and you may not even know it.  So, here's to you.... and here's to a beginning of what is sure to be a happy ending for me and my family.

"The miracle will not be me finishing; 

the miracle will always be that I had the courage to start."

- John Bingham