30 pounds down and 30 to go!

After 3 months, I have already made it half way to my goal!  THIRTY POUNDS!!!!!   I just can hardly believe it!  I was in tears as I stepped off the nutritionist's scale this morning- FOUR pounds I lost this week!  Wow!  I am so proud and excited to show Charles how I have changed!

I have been doing some shopping these past few weeks to prepare for our trip to Hawaii.  For the past several years, I have absolutely DREADED shopping, as most of the mainstream stores had very little that would fit me well.  I find that my assortment of purses and jewelry has exploded since being married- now I know why.  Because those things always fit.

But now, I can walk into a store, pick up 5-10 things off the rack, and usually all of them fit!  Sometimes they are even too big.  I am so enjoying this new-found freedom to walk into a mall and leave with exactly what I went there to get- including three new bathing suits- tankinis at that!

My original goal was to lose 60 pounds in a year.  I have now lost 30 pounds in three months!  My trainer and nutritionist want me to up my goal to 80 pounds, and they really think I can do it.  Four months ago, I would have never believed them, but now I think I am up for the challenge!  I am also planning to run several 5 and 10K's this year- I want to run a half marathon with Charles when he gets back.

I want to thank everyone for all their prayers and encouragement.  I have often gone back to my "20 pound" post and read your kind words to get me motivated to keep going.  Every day is a challenge, but I am committed to celebrating the positive choices I make for myself and embrace the positive changes I continue to see.

NEW GOALS.....NEW DREAMS.....HAPPY ME!!!!

June 30, 2010

July 10, 2010

Road trip to Memphis...

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Memphis to see Charles' Dad and Stepmom.  We always enjoy seeing "Grandpa Memphis" and "Nanny", and my parents and Glynn had never seen the sights of Memphis before.  We didn't do a great job taking pictures, because we all were just having a great time!

Mallory and mommy mainly spent time with Nanny while Charlie gave my family the grand tour of Memphis- Sun Studio, Rock and Soul Museum, Graceland, The Stax Museum, and the Peabody Hotel were all on the agenda.

Mallory enjoyed hanging out in the pool and helping Nanny in the kitchen and with a tea party.  Here are the few pictures we got of all the fun times!

The 2 Dads at Sun Studio on Father's Day- that's a picture of the "Million Dollar Quartet" next to them.

Mallory snuggles with Uncle Glynn at the loft.

Mallory's favorite event- seeing the Peabody Ducks!

They march into and out of the fountain everyday!

That is Mallory- to the right of the flashbulb.  See the ducks coming out of the fountain?

They follow this red carpet all the way to the elevator, and go up to their "Duck Palace" on the roof top until the next morning, when they enter the fountain all over again!

After seeing the ducks get in the elevator, we went to the rooftop to see their "Duck Palace".

"Quack, Quack!"

There they are!  Splashing away in ANOTHER fountain!  (Don't they ever get a break?)

Happy ducks and happy Mallory!

Their little house looks just like the Peabody Hotel!

If you are ever in Memphis, the Peabody Ducks really are fun to go see, especially with kids!

Nanny and Mommy took Mallory to the Memphis Zoo one day.  Her favorite part was riding the Carousel!

She liked it so much, that she switched animals and rode it a second time!

Mallory also got to go to the pool with Nanny and Mommy.  She found these flippers and tried them on for size.  Does she look like a Peabody Duck?

Digging in the "Toy Box" for more pool toys!

Back at the house, Mallory was happy to have some "alone"time with her DVD Player.  SHE put herself back in that spot all by herself!

Nanny and Mallory had fun at the piano!

Mallory's shirt says "Elvis is the King of Rock-n-Roll, but I'M the Princess!

Just like her Grandpa...

The other day, Mallory had some "yard work" to do with Grandpa.  She insisted on wearing a hat just like him.  She also insisted on carrying her own stool and bag for leaves.  What a big girl!

Getting ready for her big job!

"I do it myself, Mommy!"

She wanted to sit on the stool, just like Grandpa would, but she found she couldn't bend and reach the ground if she was up there.

Such a happy little helper!  And soooooo hot!

"I not go in right now... I'm finishing my work!"

One leaf at a time makes for a lllooonnnggg clean up!

Grandpa is so proud of his little helper!

Swim School

Mallory had her first swim lessons the first 2 weeks of June.  We found a fabulous indoor swim school that has year round lessons.  You don't have to worry about the weather, and is is a very controlled environment which makes it easy to sit back and enjoy for Mommy!  I am pretty sure I'll be enrolling her for the fall- one time a week thru December, just to keep her skills up.

Mallory did great in her lessons!  Her coach was a nice guy, and Mallory LOVED the male attention- I think because she misses that interaction with her Daddy so much.  She would do sneaky things to get his attention, such as taking off her goggles every other minute- she knew he would stop and help her put them back on.  But he was so patient with her and she looked forward to seeing him every day!  She even made Coach Beau his own medal at the end of the session- complete with feathers and sequins of course!

There are lots of pictures, so just slide your mouse over the image to see a caption for that photo.

Just a couple of random moments...

Mallory and Mommy all dressed up for church- June 20, 2010

(BTW- I couldn't even button up this shirt when I was in Idaho!  Hooray!)

Grandpa and Mallory make their monster faces!  They have a game where they growl at each other every day!  Mallory tries to make the eyes just like Grandpa, but it never quite works out- they seem to just squint shut all together!  Don't worry, Mallory- Mommy could never do it, either!

The best gift is a true friend...

Mallory and I have been blessed with so many fantastic friends in our lives.  We are always talking about them and praying for them, and LOVE when we get to hang out with them!

Some friends we see FAR too little of these days are Dani and Kaden- they live all the way in Missouri, and we hope to see them very soon.  We talk on the phone quite often,but nothing beats getting a little something special in the mail!

Mallory was SO excited to get this Mask from Kaden!  He made it at the library just for her!  She wore it all around the house the day she got it- we had to convince her it would fall apart in the bath, which was NOT an easy feat!  She loves all the sparkles, and that it is in the shape of a heart!

PS.... Mallory says that she is going to marry Kaden.  Whenever she talks about Mommy and Daddy being married, or sees Grandma and Grandpa sharing "true love's kiss", she says that Kaden is her "true love's kiss."  I guess only time will tell!

For now, we are so grateful for such precious and true friends!  Hugs to your whole family!  We love you!  And thank you again for the thoughtful gift!

Splishing and a Splashing!

One of the other fabulous benefits of our gym is the POOL!  It is like a giant pool just for kids!  Mallory loves all of the water features and fountains.  I love that I can lounge in the water and feel confident she can reach the bottom and get WORN OUT without my help!

I was alone with Mallory at the pool this day, so taking pictures was a little challenging.  I didn't want to get the camera wet, and Mallory was on the GO!  You just wade into the pool on this end, and the other end has a big twisty water slide that goes into a 5-foot section.  That is the deepest the water is, so no diving boards- which is FINE with me!  Mallory is allowed to go on the water slide as long as she wears a life vest.

Mallory is super confident in the water!

She loves to run in and out of this fountain!  It is a circle that you can stand in the middle of.  She goes in and out over and over and over again!

Hooray for summer fun, a clean pool and NO crowds!!!!

JD and Cami have a Doggone good life!

My parents have a Dachshund, Cami (short for "Camouflage"- she IS an Army dog, of course!) who is five years old.  They actually got her in Del Rio, Texas, bought in the Wal-Mart parking lot!  She is a sweet, loving little dog who NEVER (and I do mean NEVER) barks.  She has known JD her whole life, and loves when he comes to visit.

JD will be 9 in October, and is seriously on the verge of a nervous breakdown since arriving in Texas this year.  We have been here SO MANY times, and he has lived her for months at a time before.  But this time is.....different.  Not sure what is going on, but we may be in the market for some doggie Prozac soon!

In any case, these dogs have got it made!  They spend most days roaming the yard while Grandpa does yard work, and the rest of their days are spent lounging on the sofa, in a chair, or in the bed of their choice- sometimes their own, sometimes the other's dog bed, and sometimes a human bed!

I was able to snap this picture the other day- this is how you can find JD and Mallory most days.  Mallory watches TV from this chair (see how it is lined with a shower curtain liner and towel for potty accidents?) and JD stays close by, in hope of a stray fruit snack or goldfish cracker, which usually works out in his favor.  Mallory loves both of the dogs, and they love her right back!

In fact, Mallory can't get enough of JD!  See her JD stuffed animal (Thanks, Granny Peg!) She sleeps with him every night!  In this picture, she is reading books to all of her "friends" and having story time on the floor of her room.

Another day.... another sweet moment!

Feeding the Animals

Fort Sam Houston has this awesome area where you can feed Geese, Ducks, Deer, Peacocks and Pigeons free everyday!  It is a nice morning activity, and a great bribe to get through a day at the commissary or BX with Mallory!  We bring carrots, apples and birdseed, and the animals look forward to our visit almost as much as we do!

Sometimes the geese can be a little aggressive... but this goose was very friendly!

You can't really tell in the picture, but this peacock followed Grandpa around EVERYWHERE!  He was holding the bag of apples- the peacock's favorite snack!  Mallory is talking to another peacock who didn't make the picture.

"Hey Deer!  I have some carrots for you!!!"

(She actually was shouting that!

Apparently- they understood!

Mallory is not scared of the animals at all- she really likes to give them birdseed, because you can feel them tickle your hand as they eat- but Mommy is always close by with anti bacterial wipes... yuck!

Such a sweet and peaceful morning!  What a way to start the day- for everyone!

Keeping Busy Around the House

Again... trying to catch up on all of these photos!  Here are a few funny ones I thought Charles would love!

When I first got to my parents in April, my father was recovering from recent rotator cuff surgery.  There were a lot of things he couldn't do around the house by himself, and he had a small list of repairs he needed my help with.  One of the first was installing a new flag bracket for his American Flag.  My parents have a lovely brick home, so we needed to drill into brick.  He wasn't able to hold the drill, so I was his "assistant" as he gave direction.

His cordless drill cut out, so we had to use this one- he has had this drill 40+ years!  Since my parents were married!  He takes great care of ALL of his tools, so it worked like a charm.  AND his "assistant" did a pretty awesome job, too!

Father and Daughter at work....

Mallory has been given some "chores" around the house, too.  She helps feed the dogs (sometimes) and helps Grandpa in the yard.  One of her favorite chores is taking the Sunday funny papers down to our neighbor, Jakob who is 9.  

Usually she uses her tricycle, but this time she tried out her new scooter- thanks Aunt Dell and Uncle Dana!

And what little kid doesn't love to COOK!  Grandma helped Mallory make some flag cookies for her Daddy for Memorial Day (see how behind I am on the blog.... sooooo embarrassing!)

If you can't tell, that's a WHOLE raw cookie in her mouth.  This girl is QUICK!

And see all her artwork on the fridge?  It is really filling up!