It's the Holiday Season

We made our annual pilgrimage to the Bass Pro Shops Wednesday night to get a visit with Jolly old St. Nick.  Barrett was 100% convinced we were at the North Pole and it was perfect.

In the past there have been horror stories of lines hours long but we didn't wait long at all.  Barrett was so excited.  He has cried every year but this year he kept telling us he was going to be a big boy and he definitely delivered.  AveryAnn cried last year so I felt like she'd do the same this year.  Boy was I right.  She put on a show.  I'm probably not a very good mom because these pictures are some of my favorites.

These with her hands up by her face are my favorites.

She was all smiles while we waited in line.  I want Barrett to stay this age forever.  It is so sweet.  We walked out of the store and he asked where the reindeer were.  He totally believes all the magic this year and it is so special.  Mr. Elf came back and he's all into that this year too.   It was a really fun family night.  We're really trying to enjoy the holiday season this year.  I want to make it special without overwhelming myself and also still focusing on the real reason for the season. 

Thanksgiving Weekend

I kicked the weekend off a little early and met my "squad" for Mexican and margaritas Tuesday night.  I feel like the whole month of November was a chaotic blur.  Our routines were so off between my surgery, not being able to work out, and Barrett being sick.  The chaos was getting to me and I needed a night away.  Brittany sent a text to the group and everyone replied within seconds with praise hands and I knew it was going to be a fun night.  We had a good night and closed the place down.  I'm so thankful for these girls and their friendship.  We have done a lot of laughing over the years and I hope we're still needing margaritas before holidays when we're 50!

The kids and I worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday morning we got up and watched the parade.  Barrett and Patrick weren't all that excited but AveryAnn and I enjoyed it!

She was mesmerized. 

After the parade we headed to my Grandmother's for lunch.  It was such a nice day, after we ate we sat outside and watched the kids play.  I love this picture of Barrett and my Grandmother.

She has this little pond in her yard and the kids loved playing in it.  I'm shocked AveryAnn didn't end up in it.

Family picture attempt.

Love these people so much!

My sister and I decided to match in our leopard sweaters.  So I threw AveryAnn's leopard dress on to complete the trio.

AveryAnn was excited to see her cousins at Patrick's parents house.  They are mostly older and Barrett and AveryAnn both just love them.

She was very interested in Aunt Allison's video of Ashlyn cheering.

These two look so big here.

Friday was our annual kickball game.  We had to change locations this year since my brother moved.  We all met at our house and had chili and then went over to the ballpark to play. 

The boys mostly just played in the dirt. 

Saturday morning Brittany and I ran some errands together which turned into lunch at Taco Mama.  When I saw the sangarita on the menu I knew I had to try one, even if it was only 11:00 am.  It was gameday.

The kids and I headed to Matt and Jennifer's house to watch the Iron Bowl.  Patrick was supposed to go with us but he decided he didn't want to be the only Auburn fan.  Turns out we were pretty glad he stayed home.  We had a good time despite the game not going our way.   

AveryAnn loved all the attention.  They were the only kids there and did so good. 

Now we're in full on Christmas mode.  We've got our tree up and are trying to soak in the holiday season!  It's such a special time of year, especially with kids.  Barrett is al into this year and it's so much fun!

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week Twenty-Three

I'm feeling good this week.  Recovery is going way better than expected.  I can pick up AveryAnn most of the time and I was afraid that would take several weeks.  My eating has been all over the place because we've just been so out of routine.  Truth be told, I'll probably continue to eat whatever I have through the weekend and get back on track Monday.  I'm not going to go crazy but I'm not going to stress about it.  I finally got to go walking this week and boy did I need it.  More for my sanity than my fitness.  I've missed that time away from the house, I didn't realize how beneficial it was for my mental health.  I went to the civic center during HIIT so I got to see all my workout buddies.  I'm looking forward to getting back in the class with them.  I've been pleased with the scale this week but I'm a little worried that I'm just losing muscle mass. 

-3.2lbs this week.  When I started this journey I really wasn't sure I could do it.  I had so much weight to lose.  More than I'd ever had to lose before.  Plus I've added two kids to the mix and free time is just hard to come by.  But I'm doing it.  I have to remind people that you have to take it one week at a time.  In the beginning those 1 and 2 pound loses don't feel like much but it adds up.  Pretty soon you're down 15 and then 20 pounds and then one day you realize you've lost nearly 60lbs and you're so glad you started when you weren't sure you could do it.

2.9lbs away from a 60lb weight loss!!!  I know I sound like a broken record but I am so dang proud.  14lbs away from my goal.  I know I won't make it by the end of the year and I'm okay with that.

Thanks for following along!

Wednesday Weigh-in: Week Twenty-Two

I'm a week out from surgery and feeling pretty good.  The surgeon said he took close to a pound off each side.  Which is a little crazy when you think about it.  I'm sore and I've had bouts of nausea, light-headedness, dizzy spells but for the most part I've been surprised by how easy recovery has been.  I go back to the see the surgeon today to get the dressing and bandaging off.  I'm excited to see the results.  I was so pleased with the outpatient care center where I had the surgery.  I had to stay over night and I was the only patient that night.  The nurses were so sweet and took great care of me (and Patrick).  I was sick from the anesthesia but that was really the only bad thing.  I expected to be in a lot more pain.  I was expecting to feel pain more like after my csections and it wasn't that bad at all.  I've felt so lazy because I pretty much rested and laid around until Sunday.  The kids came back home Sunday so we've been trying to get back to a somewhat normal day.  Yesterday was the Thanksgiving Feast at Barrett's school.  It was the first day I've put on real clothes.  I was so tired when we got home.  It's going to take some time to get back to normal, I'm going to try not to rush it but it's hard.  I did weigh in today and I'm pleased with the number.

-1.8lbs this week.  I'm guessing that's pretty much all surgically removed. Ha!

Moving right along.  So close to my end goal!  I've been so relaxed lately with my diet and I need to get back on track and buckle down to get these last 17lbs off.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week Twenty-One

It's surgery day!

I've been waiting for this day for years.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.  I imagine anyone would be.  But I know it's going to be so worth it.  I'm so thankful for my village that is making this possible.  My eating has been all over the place this week and because of that I didn't make my surgery goal.  But I'm close and hopefully I'll be there in no time.  I'm so close to my end goal and that makes me absolutely giddy.  I was able to make it to HIIT twice this week and I'm glad that I did.  I'm already dreading having to miss 6 weeks.  Hopefully I won't lose too much ground while I'm out.  My intention is to go to the civic center and walk during class so that I don't get out of the habit of going. 

-0.6lbs this week.  Every little bit counts.  I'm a little mad at myself for not making my goal but I can't dwell on it.  If said that as long as I don't gain I'm happy. 

I am 19lbs away from my goal weight.  Four months ago I only dreamed I'd be here.  I know I say this every week but I am so proud of how far I've come.  It's so hard to make the change and commit to it but it is so worth it.

That's all for today!  If you think about it say a little prayer for me today, that the surgery goes as planned and that the recovery is easy.  (that's what I'm most concerned about) 

Halloween with the PJ Masks

 I started asking Barrett last month what he wanted to be for Halloween.  I got several different answers but when I started to get Gecko (from PJ Masks) more often than not I went ahead and bought the costume.  I couldn't decide what AveryAnn should be.  My first idea was a donut.  But when Jessica said Jackson was going to be Catboy, I knew AveryAnn had to be Owlette to complete the group.  She was the cutest thing ever.  They boys loved that she dressed up with them.  She wouldn't wear the mask though.

I managed to get a couple pictures of them with my real camera!

She was not sure about the whole event. 

He was so excited!  He's been counting down the days until he could wear his costume.

This is the best one I got of all three kids.  They were so cute.

This girl marched all over the street and carried that bucket like it was her job.  It's so funny to me because last year was the first year Barrett really liked trick-or-treating.  The other years he just cried until we took him back home.  He just wasn't a fan.  But AveryAnn loved it.  She walked up to the door, said trick-0r-treat and stuck that bucket out for everyone to load it up.  She was so cute!

After we trick or treated we went back to the house and roasted marshmallows for smores.  I'm going to be honest.  I'd never done this before.  Every time I've had smores I've made them in the oven.  And that's how I will continue to make them.  It's not worth the effort it takes.  But we had fun!

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This Halloween was more low key than in years past.  I love the hustle and bustle of a house full of people but there was something so sweet about the simplicity of this years festivities.  It was just Jessica and Jackson and my parents that came.  I made a big pot of chili and some grilled cheese sandwiches.  And the kids ran up and down the streets until their little legs could barely make it up the stairs at each house.  It was the days I'd always imagined when I thought about my life with a family.  I know that all to soon these kids will be grown and it'll be Patrick and I hanging out at home while they go out with friends and I want to soak in every second of having small kids.  It's hard and exhausting but it's also magical. 

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week Twenty

I've worked hard this week to get things headed back in the right direction.  This time of year is hard.  There are temptations everywhere.  I love candy so Halloween is a tough one.  I let myself have few pieces but didn't over do it.   I know I will feel like crap if I have too much so that has been motivation enough to not go crazy.  I've kept up my 3 times a week at the gym through the busy month of October.  I'm hoping to get at least one class in next week before surgery, maybe two.  I'm going to miss working out while I'm recovering.  I'm hoping to be able to get out and at least do some walking.

-3.8lbs from last week.  I'm so close to my pre-surgery goal.  I don't know if I'll make it or not but I'm going to work my tail off this week to get there. 

I still can't believe I've lost 50 pounds.  I'm less than 20 pounds from my goal weight.  I'm still so proud of the progress I've made. 

(I feel like these posts are somewhat boring and redundant but the accountability is important for me.)

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week Nineteen

Week nineteen!  A few weeks of bad decisions finally caught up with me this week.  It is what it is and I can't let it derail my whole journey.  While it's disappointing its not the end of the world and its not a reason to throw in the towel.  I've come to far to give up now.  We did our monthly body fat analysis yesterday and I'm very pleased with the results.  They would have probably been even better last week but whatever.  I'm still getting in my 3-4 workouts each week.  It's going to be really hard when the time changes and it's dark when I have to leave the house.  I really love HIIT.  It's a 30 minute class and you can't beat the results.  I can tell I've gotten so much stronger since starting and I can definitely see the changes in my body.  It's worth all the effort it takes to get there.

+2lbs this week.  It happens.  It's not the end of the world.  It does make my surgery goal nearly impossible to make.  But I'm still going to work really hard to get there.

My measurements this month were much better!  I lost a total of 5.5" this month and I think you can really tell.  I'm so glad we started doing this.  It adds another level of accountability.

Those totals will be -30+ and -50+ pounds next week!!!  I'm going to work my tail off and make it happen!

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week Eighteen

I've noticed that the closer I get to my goal weight the harder it is to stay motivated.  You'd think the opposite would be true.  I haven't figured out why this is exactly.   I don't know if its because I'm feeling good about what I see and how I feel.  One thing that helps is I will think I'm looking really good but then I'll order an outfit and when I try it on I realize, "yep, this will look better after I lose another 15-30lbs".  Ha!  I'm still very proud of my progress but I know there's still more work to be done.  I was afraid this week was going to be a dumpster fire when I finally stepped on the scale after a fun weekend!  But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I'm to the point now where I can be a little more flexible for special things.  I don't like to do that too often because it's hard for me to get back on track but every now and then is ok.  Even when I eat more carbs I still try to be conscious of calorie count so I'm not just going nuts.  

-0.8lbs this week.

Not great but still progress!  I'm still 6.4lbs away from my surgery goal. Surgery is in 3 weeks and 2.2lbs a week is totally possible.  I'm going to buckle down and get serious these last 3 weeks.  I also really need to get more serious about my diet again because after surgery I'm not going to be working out for several weeks and I don't want to lose all the progress I've made.

Eighteen weeks ago, I really wasn't sure I'd ever get to say "I've lost 30lbs".  But I'm so glad I didn't let that keep me from getting started and making the change.  Fear of failure has kept me from trying so many things in my life but I'm glad I didn't let it stop me here.  It's time for us to have our body fat analysis done again.  I was disappointed by the results last time but hopefully that won't be the case this month.

Garth Brooks & Sweet Home Capstone

We have had the best weekend!  We kicked it off a little early Thursday and headed out of town as soon as we dropped the kids off at school (and granddaddy's house for the one that doesn't go to school).  We'd made plans a few months back to go see Garth Brooks in Atlanta with some friends.  We'd been looking forward to it for what seemed like forever!  We rode over with Jeremy and Jessica and Tony and Carla met us there.   We got to Atlanta around lunch time and we headed to IKEA.  Jessica, Jeremy and Patrick had never been and they had a couple things I wanted to get the kids for Christmas so we made an afternoon out of it.  Patrick was definitely the least excited.  But when he realized they had ice cream he was better.  I ended up getting some new bath mats for my bathroom and I more than a little excited about them.  After we left IKEA we checked into our hotel room and relaxed for a bit before it was time to get ready for dinner.  We weren't sure where we were going to have dinner and the first place we stopped was an hour wait.  We kept walking and walked right in the Hudson Grille.  It was pretty good and we timed it perfect to head to the stadium and enjoy Eric Paslay on the patio.    I was really excited to see the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.   It is a huge venue!  The preshow on the patio wrapped and we headed inside to find our seats. 

(I'm thankful for a sweet friend that let me borrow this cute dress to wear!)

I had to get my picture with the Falcon!

We got settled in our seats and the first opening act came on stage.  We could not understand a word that came out of his mouth.  Spoken or sang.  It was terrible.  At that point we were a little worried that this whole night was going to be a let down.  The second opening act came on and it was the same thing.  We just kept saying when we knew the songs it would be better.  Before Garth came on they made an announcement that they were filming and recording the performance for a live album. So we had high hopes that the sound would be better.  And it was.  It wasn't perfect but we could actually understand what they were saying and singing.  Our seats were up pretty high so Patrick and I enjoyed just sitting back and listening. 

This place is seriously so big!

We definitely got up and danced some too but it was fun to just take it all in.  When the show was over we headed back to the hotel.  We were hungry so we decided to order a pizza, along with everyone else.  It finally got there around 1:30 and we devoured it.  We finally went to bed around 2:00 and Patrick snored so loud no one got any sleep. (We stayed in a room with Jessica and Jeremy, some people think this is weird but we didn't think anything of it.  We laughed so much and had the best time minus Patirck's snoring).  We got up Friday morning and took our time getting ready.  We checked out and grabbed some lunch and then headed back home.  We picked up the kids and headed to the house for a low key Friday night. 

Saturday the kids and I headed to Tuscaloosa for Homecoming!  It's become mine and Barrett's tradition and I didn't know if we'd make it this year but we did and I'm so happy!  It was AveryAnn's first trip to Tuscaloosa and I was so excited to get to take her.  She didn't go to the game.  My dad went with us to watch her at my cousin's house.  I was a little worried because it was such a late game but it worked out well and we had a great time!

I love this picture of me and my little Bama babies so much.  Even if AveryAnn would not take that thumb out of her mouth.

We walked down to the end of the street to watch the parade.  Barrett does not enjoy parades.  The trucks are too loud and they don't throw candy so he wasn't a fan.  Thankfully my cousin took him back to the house to play with her dog.

AveryAnn loved it and tried to run out with the sororities a couple of times.

I borrowed this dress from Lorie's girls and its so stinking cute!  I just couldn't get enough of her in it!  So sweet!

Before too long it was time to head to the stadium.  Barrett did so good walking all the way to our seats!

They honored the 1992 National Championship team since it is the 25th anniversary.

This is our 5th Homecoming together and he's been my favorite date!  I hope he always wants to go football games with me.  We headed back to the house around halftime because we were tired!  We got home late and got up early for church Sunday!  Drew was getting an award at church and we couldn't miss seeing him!  Now we're gearing up for another week of school and work with a field trip to the pumpkin patch thrown in!