Made to Crave

Breakfast: 4 egg whites w/onion & reduced sugar ketchup; yogurt; green tea
Mid-morning snack: apple
Lunch: 1/2 grilled turkey breast w/reduced sugar ketchup and grilled asparagus; green tea
Mid-afternoon snack: frozen grapes
Dinner: romaine and spinach salad w/sauteed onion, grape tomatoes, and feta cheese; green tea
Dessert: yogurt
Exercise: 2 mile walk; 30 minutes of pilates

I keep catching myself thinking "Okay, I can't watch another episode of Dr. Phil.. I have to do...." And then I realize... I don't have anything I have to do! It's such a nice feeling. Sure, I could straighten up the house if I wanted to, but the kitchen's clean and nothing is filthy, just out of place, so I don't really see it as a priority. It's optional. I could if I wanted to. Which I probably will later, just because I know how good it makes me feel afterwards, when my house is clean. But I don't have to, and that's a really nice feeling. I wish this feeling had come two weeks ago when I started my vacation, rather than a week before school starts again... But I'll take what I can get!

BDR had his first day of his summer class today, and I went with him so we could tell his professor about his experience a couple weeks ago. When his class started, I headed out to walk around campus. I wanted to do a little jogging, as well, but I guess I over-exerted myself yesterday w/the walk/jog and circuit training I did because my shin splints made it hard to even walk. I managed to do a 2 mile walk in 40 minutes which isn't anything to shout about, but with how hot it was and how badly my legs hurt, I'm okay with it.

I'm still frustrated that this morning when I weighed in I had gained another pound and a half, putting me like SIX LBS more than I was last week. For a split second I even headed towards the computer to tell my Biggest Loser group I was gonna have to quit. I mean, a six pound gain in a week? That's just ridiculous, not to mention incredibly embarrassing. I mean, seriously? When I think about it now, I still feel embarrassed. But I just have to keep in mind that it's a marathon, not a sprint. I can do this.. I can lose weight. I know because I just lost 40+ lbs. I know I have the power to do this, I just can't let myself get defeated by things like this. I have to keep moving and I have to keep consciously deciding where my cravings go.

Which brings me to the book I started reading last night. I think I may have mentioned it before, but a friend/former teacher of mine suggested I read "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst, which is about "satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food." I read chapters 1-4 last night, and it's crazy how on point it is with how I feel about food. When I eat, how I eat, why I eat.. So far, it's been a huge conviction. I'm looking forward to reading more of it tonight and in the days to come. I'm realizing that I have put food in place of God as my source of comfort, joy, and any other emotion/event. When life throws something at me, good or bad, I go to food instead of going to God, and it's pretty pathetic. Reading it in the book really put words to what I've been doing for all these years and although it's a hard realization to make, it's almost a relief to know that this can be overcome once the source is revealed. I can get through this and it will be hard, but my walk and relationship with God will be so much stronger once this struggle is out of the way. Even though I'm not finished with it yet, I would already recommend this book to anyone struggling with weight loss.

And now I'm gonna go watch another episode of Dr. Phil. Because it's summer, and I totally don't have anything to do.

Sigh.... It's a good feeling!

'Night y'all!

But I'm in a Hurry and Don't Know Why

Breakfast: NONE
Lunch: spring mix and spinach salad; green tea
Dinner: 4 egg whites w/salsa
Snack: too many chips, dip, and salsa

Okay, so I should be putting together my grocery list and heading out the door because we are badly in need of some food in this house (note: my sparse meals today). However, it's already 7:30 and I feel I should get this update out of the way before I do another late night (or day after) post. I noticed yesterday that my May blog views are down nearly 200 views from last month, and I've never had a decrease from month-to-month before. I've been slacking a lot lately (dang, in a lot of areas) on my blogging, and I do apologize. I hate that I've lost viewers, but I know it's not about that. I'm still trying and I'm still (absolutely) loving my life! Still excited to share it with you, my friends! Don't give up on me just yet.

I weighed myself this morning to see that damage from this weekend... Yipes! I gained 4.6 lbs! (Another reason why my meals were sparse today) So I kicked my butt into gear and went on a mile walk/jog. Once I got back and the sweat dried, I heated up again with 30 minutes of pilates. I want to do a third workout, but it's going to have to wait until I get back from grocery shopping... For some reason my husband likes to have food in the house?... Still haven't figured out why...?

Anyways, I know I mentioned earlier I would post more about Six Flags, but I'm afraid it will have to wait for another time. I've gotta get changed (yes, I'm still in my workout clothes from earlier) and head up to south OKC for some fooooood. I really didn't want to make the drive all the way up there, but when making my list I realized we need a lot more than I thought before. So, Husband, I'm swallowing my pride and doing what you told me I need to do and what I insisted I wouldn't do. Geez... I hate it when he's right.

But I'll leave you with this picture, because it's one of my favorites from this weekend. Our friend we had lunch with yesterday took it and although the lighting is bad... I still love it:

'Night y'all! 

Have a blessed week! 

Blog title: Alabama's "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)"

Weekend Update (PICTURES!)

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Breakfast: NONE
Lunch: burger and large fries from Wendy's; water
Dinner: lasagna fritta, salad and 3 breadsticks, steak-gorgonzola alfredo; strawberry daiquiri and water (all at Olive Garden
Dessert: white chocolate raspberry cheesecake (also from Olive Garden

NOTE: We walked about 3-5 miles at Six Flags this day and drank I don't know how much water (we had the sweat to prove it). Our meals were horrible, but we definitely got our workout.

Before Six Flags!! 

Before our first ride of the day: the Titan!!
(I told Braylen to "cheese it" and this is what happened.)

Before going to Olive Garden.

Both of us.

We also went to the movies on Saturday night to see Bridesmaids. Loved it!! 

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Breakfast: a few spoonfuls of Dreyer's chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Lunch: chips and salsa, chicken flautas and rice, and 2 flour tortillas w/butter; water (all from Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant)

Dinner: 4 chicken strips, fries, a roll, and water from Chicken Express

Dessert: Bugles!

We met up with a friend of ours from college (whose dog is Luke's momma, btw) and her parents and family friends for lunch. It was so nice to see her and lunch was just delicious! Then we headed to the ball game! This was our second game together, and both games they have won! I think we might be good luck ;). Anyways, after the game we headed home.

Before meeting Katie for lunch at Joe T.'s.

Bray in front of Rangers Ballpark

Meeeee!

Our view of the park. Loved our seats!

Huge new screen!
And you can also see the kiddos who sang the national anthem. 

We were right by the foul pole.

Not a big fan of ponytails on me, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Umm.. We might be Rangers fans?

#5 Ian Kinsler! (Before he got tossed out of the game)

# 32 Josh Hamilton 

Hamilton in left field... He was right by us!

#10 Michael Young

I will be writing a post one of these days (maybe today but probably tomorrow) to talk a little bit more about my thoughts during the Six Flags experience, so keep an eye out. Just needed to get all these pictures out and write about our food. 

See ya later!

Wordless Friday

Breakfast: NONE
Lunch: 6 inch turkey sub on wheat w/spinach leaves, black olives, and sweet onion sauce from Subway; apple
Mid-afternoon snack: 3 Musketeers truffle crisp bar (only 170 calories)
Dinner: A.1. thick and hearty burger w/fries from BoomerJack's Grill and Bar
Dessert: popcorn

I'm on vacation! No update today! I'm gonna call it Wordless Friday, since all I've got for you is pictures..

Husband and I, right before heading out to dinner where he proceeded to spill an entire glass of ice water into my lap. LOVE HIM!!!!#%Y&)#!@&%

At least I looked halfway decent beforehand! 

'Night y'all!! 

P.S. Braylen just turned on "California Love" by Tupac and Dr. Dre on his computer. Who am I married to, again? 

Because One Post Wasn't Enough...

Breakfast: eggs w/salsa
Mid-afternoon snack: NONE (this homegirl was sleeping)
Lunch: a double cheese burger w/large fries from Braum's
Dinner: 2 fresco chicken soft tacos and a bean burrito from Taco Bell
Dessert: NONE

Okay, let me explain my lunch for this afternoon. I did not order a double cheeseburger. I ordered the regular #1 cheeseburger. They either 1) misread my order, 2) had a double leftover from lunch that they wanted to get rid of, or 3) know I'm on a diet and want me to fail fail fail at life. But, I mean... Was I supposed to let it go to waste?

Wait.... I was?

Damn.

Well, I definitely made up for it with my workout today. A Last Chance Workout Challenge was posted for my BL competition this afternoon: Do each exercise (squats, dips, wall sits, planks, high knees, skaters) for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds for five minutes with a one minute rest between exercises. Um. Oh my! About the only thing that was manageable for me were the squats. The rest of them I started spouting profanities about halfway through. And the planks I just plain couldn't do. I'm also pretty positive I will need to deep clean my living room carpet after the copious amounts of sweat I poured out onto it. Oh, you didn't want to know that? My bad. 


Anyways, Pup and I went for a cool down walk after (because I have a death wish). I wanted to take it nice and easy... Just a walk around the lot and playground across from our house. Um. Oh my! With legs like jelly, even the easiest of walks becomes 10 times harder. I felt my knees buckling with every step! However, I pushed through it, and by the last half or quarter of the way home, my legs felt (almost) back to normal. 

Anybody watch this season of Biggest Loser? This was my first time ever watching it and, man, has it been an inspiration. Despite the fact that Alison Sweeney is a horrible host and makes me want to vomit... I love everything about the show. I'm so sad that Jillian won't be back, and even more sad that Anna Kournikova is her replacement. (This is incredibly judgmental, but homegirl's just too skinny, in my opinion. She doesn't even look healthy. Again, that's just my opinion.). I finally watched the finale today (the news recorded over it when it aired the other day because of the tornados) and believe you/me... I wanted to jump up and down and do a victory dance when Olivia won (okay, I might have clapped my hands and shouted "WAHOOOOO!!!!" but who'll ever know?). Hannah is, hands down, my favorite from this season... But Olivia was definitely a very close second for me. I think they're both just awesome, awesome women and seem like they would be so fun to be around. They definitely deserved being the top two for all the hard work and dedication they put in. Not to mention how smokin' hot they looked at the finale!! Okay, that's all I have to say about that.


Now, I have to brag on myself. I mean, if I can't do that on my own blog, where can I? So, not only did I do a kick-butt workout today, but I've also washed, dried, folded, and put away every piece of dirty clothing/towels in my home. I still have to pack for our trip (we leave tomorrow!!!) and then clean the kitchen (Umm... Ew?) but I'm feeling pretty good about my productivity today! Okay, End Boast.


I'm feeling a renewed sense of purpose and motivation towards this diet today. Pahahaha, yes I realize I ate a double cheeseburger today, but hear me out... I guess it's not so much the diet I'm reinvigorated about as much as the exercise. I'm kind of enjoying the activity and movement lately. I think what made it so hard and dreadful before was that every time I went out for a walk or made a trip to Tan & Tone I felt guilty because that time should've been spent studying. Now that I'm on a short break from school, I'm finding that the exercise is actually something I look forward to and enjoy. Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not gonna be winning any weight lifting competitions or running any marathons anytime soon ever... I'm just glad it's not the worst part of my day anymore. 


Umm.. I'm said a lot today. So that is all. 


'Night y'all! 

A Tale of One Kitty

Yesterday Luke and I went for an evening Puppy Walk. Little did we know the walk would be cut short by a furry little creature that emerged from under some weeds (yes, the weeds were that tall. no, they weren't in my yard. but yes, my weeds are also that tall. okay, done.).

Meet: Little Kitty. AKA Laron. AKA whatever her new family decides to name her.

She ran clumsily right up to me on the sidewalk, ignoring Luke as he tried to attack her with kisses and licks. I picked her up, looked around, and (seeing no momma kitty or other kittens in sight) I frantically called Husband to ask for advice. We agreed I should first take Luke home (imagine me ringing the doorbell to ask the neighbors if they knew where Little Kitty belonged with an 80 lb dog trying to not only lick said-kitty to death but also jump all over the person answering the door. Go on. It's easy if you try.) and then drive back to ask neighbors if they'd seen any other kittens around. One neighbor didn't answer and the other thought it was probably a stray but had no idea where the mom was. Sooooo Plan B. It came home with me.

Now, let me make it very clear... Braylen and I love our cat, Kit-Kat, but she's gotten a little harder to love these past few years. We will gladly take care of her until she leaves this world, but she is the last cat I ever plan to own.. At least the last indoor cat. So surprisingly, this kitten's baby blue eyes and paws hardly bigger than my thumb didn't win me over as much as I feared they would. Finally.. Something I'm not tempted by (Note: Kaycie is a severe food addict. End note.).

Don't get me wrong... Little Kitty is very cute and I love cats... But the intense amount of fur they shed has become the bane of my existence. Not to mention the annoyance of cleaning out a horrendously malodorous litter box. Yeah... Cats are no longer my thing. So the search was on to find Little Kitty's new owners. I posted pictures of her on FB and fortunately a friend of mine was interested in giving the kitten to her mother. Ta da! Never found a quicker solution to a potentially massive problem in my life (Yes, I realize the "massive" problem I'm referring to is a <5 lb kitten. Just go with it...)

You see, Bray and I are leaving tomorrow for vacation and there's no way we could've kept Little Kitty longer than today. So my girlfriend contacting me last night was definitely a total God thing (Thanks, Big Guy! You da bomb!) Bray and I delivered her bright and early this morning (along with the help of Luke) and we both breathed a huge sigh of relief.

One exciting discovery made over the less than 24 hours we had Little Kitty was that Luke is amazingly protective of small animals. Well, not so much protective as he is... I dunno... Paternal? Let's just say that Little Kitty, despite being ridiculously cute and adorable, was in her Incessant Meowing stage of kittydom. Luke being in the room with her was the only thing that made the meowing stop and put her to sleep. Literally, it made me want to hug him and cry at the same time. Gives me hope for when we have kiddos... I hope he can be a calming effect for them like he was for this little one. 

Just sayin'... I'm pretty proud of my pooch. 

I Can't Help But Think...

Breakfast: eggs w/onion and mushroom; yogurt; green tea
Mid-morning snack: NONE
Lunch: Romaine and spinach salad w/grape tomatoes; green tea
Dinner: stir-fried chicken and vegetables; green tea
Dessert: yogurt

When I think about the past couple of days--really, the past couple of weeks--and all the awful weather we've had... I can't help but think of how it could've been prevented. God works in mysterious ways, this I know. It just brings so much sadness sometimes that it's hard to give the reasons why up to him.

When I think about the lives that were lost and the friends and family that are left behind to mourn that loss, it's almost unbearable. In Chickasha, as I mentioned yesterday, we lost one person to this storm. I praise God that it was only one, but this one person meant so much to so many. I can't help but think, I had room for Laron Short in my basement. Although I never had the pleasure of calling her "friend", I could at one point call her a fellow USAO student and alum. We shared many close friends, and I believe from the beautiful words I have heard spoken about her, we could have been friends, also. In hearing about her being taken by this horrible storm, my heart is broken for all the articles she had yet to write, trips she had yet to take, and memories with friends and family she had yet to make. I know, without having known her, that she will be greatly missed. 

When I think about the people they have yet to find, I lose my breath. To think that somewhere a helpless three year old boy is separated and lost from his family literally makes me want to do nothing but pray. I guess that's all we can do at this point. I can't help but think, I had room for Ryan Hamil and his family in my basement. It just feels so helpless.  I can't imagine being a toddler, lost and alone since yesterday. And even more so, I can't imagine being a parent to this child, having already lost one child to the storm, and not knowing where your baby is. My prayers are with Ryan and his family forever. May his baby brother rest in peace, and may his mother, sister, and unborn sibling see a full recovery. Dear God, please hold little Ryan in your arms tonight. Whether he be standing with Your Son and his baby brother in heaven or still lost somewhere here on earth, I pray that you watch over him and keep him well. Guide rescue workers in his direction so he may be found. Thank you for the gift of his life and please be with his family as they recover from their injuries and immense loss. It is in Your name I pray, Amen.

When I think about the devastation not only in Oklahoma, but in Joplin, MO and other areas as well, it makes my skin crawl. So much disaster has seen our nation, not to mention the globe, lately, that it's overwhelming. When do you stop praying for one area and start praying for the next? To think that entire floors of St. John's hospital in Joplin, MO were ripped off, and then to think of the families and loved ones that were in that hospital... Well, it's just unthinkable. I can't help but think, I had room for some of them in my basement. So much loss to no foreseeable gain. And yet, I still believe that my God is good. 

The tailgate of a fire & rescue truck

When I think about the men and women working day and night to find missing people, clean up the wreckage, and bring glimpses of normalcy back to damaged towns... It leaves me speechless. I wish I could hug and thank each and every one of them. From the fire and rescue teams, to the linemen working to bring power back to areas of town, to volunteer workers picking up trash... I am amazed by the power, courage, and love of God within each and every one of them. You are an inspiration to me and so many others, and I thank God that he placed you right where you needed to be. Only He knows the countless amounts of lives you've saved and the countless amounts of spirits you've lifted. Thank you for all that you do. I can't help but think, there is always room for you in my basement.

When I think about the businesses, churches, schools, and hospitals that were damaged in these storms and so many others... it makes me wish I had more to give to help rebuild. I pray that God performs miracles over these destroyed buildings. I truly believe that it can and will happen. Hope is not lost, it's just hidden somewhere in the rubble. 

But then I think about the people who were in my basement. My amazing, strong, hero of a husband, a great friend from college and her two young boys, and our neighbors with their young granddaughter. Although many lost their lives and many more are still waiting to be found, I know that within our home nine lives were kept safe (including the dog and cat). When I think about the the three young children that were kept safe yesterday, I am happy that their futures are still very much hopeful. It brings me peace knowing that one day they, too, can welcome friends and family into their homes and help protect them from tornadoes, hurricanes, or any other harmful disasters this world has to throw at them. If no other good came from this horrible event, I can look at those small kiddos and smile knowing that they are still here. I praise God for all the lives that were spared yesterday. That we can somehow each find our own ways to deal with the tragedies all around us. That the friends and families who are mourning losses today can someday find peace. 

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be. 
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, ..... 

All pictures, except the last one, were taken 

from the Chickasha Leader FB page

I'll Praise You in This Storm

Breakfast: NONE
Mid-morning snack: bowl of Trix cereal
Lunch: grilled chicken and vegetables
Mid-afternoon snack: Smirnoff Ice; baked Ruffles and dip
Dinner: turkey chili

We spent most of today in our basement, taking shelter from the tornados forming all around Oklahoma. Around 5:30 PM is when the tornado actually hit our town. Fortunately, we (Braylen and I) were able to fit ourselves, my friend and her two boys, and our neighbors and their granddaughter into our basement bathroom. Oh, Luke and Kit-Kat joined us, as well. There was damage to the south side of our town, but our neighborhood was fine, thank goodness. As far as I've heard, no deaths or injuries resulted from the tornado that hit us here, but there were deaths in other areas, so please keep Oklahoma in your prayers (and any other areas that may have been hit by a natural disaster tonight). Thank you so much to all of you who texted or sent me FB messages/posts. Your prayers were definitely answered today, as we are all safe and sound.

All the commotion must have taken a toll on me because I woke up late (at about noon), it's only 9:30 now, and I'm already having trouble keeping my eyes open. I figured I should probably update the blog before I forget all about it. But truly I don't have much to update on. We were pretty much holed up downstairs all day. I didn't do any exercise, and I could still do pilates or something tonight if I can somehow wake up and find energy. At this point, I'm not thinkin' it's gonna happen, though.

'Night y'all!

____________________________________________________

Note: I have since heard that there has been one death reported from here in Chickasha. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family as they deal with this loss. 

Cell Uh Bray Shun

Breakfast: eggs w/mushroom and onion; yogurt; green tea
Mid-morning snack: pear
Lunch: salad w/onion; 2 egg rolls (leftover from Sunday's Chinese)
Dinner: taco salad (shredded lettuce w/ground, seasoned turkey meat, diced tomatoes, reduced fat Colby-Jack cheese, salsa, 3 teaspoons low fat sour cream, and a handful of baked Tostitos Scoops, crushed)
Dessert: Heath and Reese's mix from Braum's
Snack: baked Ruffles and french onion dip

Fiiiiiiiinally the day we've all been waiting for!!!! Or, at least, the day Braylen and I have been waiting for...

The celebration of our one year anniversary!!!! Now, I realize we're about, oh, 16 days late on this celebration... But with finals, bachelorette party planning and hosting, getting arrested and getting out of jail, and being in one of my best friend's weddings... It just hasn't been a priority. Today, friends, that all changed. We went all out. Made all the stops. Spared no expense. Went on wild adventures.

NOT.

We spent the day doing what we do best: Nothing important, but loving every minute of it because, hey!, we're doing nothing important together.

Braylen woke me up when he got home this morning and made me breakfast (yum!). We watched an episode of the Drew Carey Show then took an early morning puppy walk. Once we got home we most definitely and without hesitation went back to sleep (who gets up at 7 AM when they don't have to and actually stays awake?). I slept until noon, at which time I attempted (and failed) to wake Braylen up. I used that time to listen to music and catch up on reading my blogs. After waiting patiently impatiently for just over an hour, I woke up Braylen around 1:15. (I mean, who needs more than 5 hours of sleep anyway?) We had lunch while I watched an episode of Dr. Phil, and then we made a trip up to Norman to do some shopping (AKA so Braylen could buy my anniversary gift). I bought some new clothes and Bray got my gift and a cigar for himself. Oh, speaking of my gift...

Yes, that is most definitely the key necklace from the Jane Seymour collection at Kay Jewelers. And yes, that is most definitely exactly what I asked for. (I love my husband)

When we got back to Chickasha we picked up a few things we needed for dinner, then got to visit with Robin, my MIL, and her husband Chris for a bit. After they left, we made a trip to Walmart to buy a new Wii (his original Wii of 5 years died on us this week... The funeral arrangements are being made as we speak) and to get some ant killer, cos I guess they've decided to like our house this spring? We watched a movie (Love and Other Drugs) while we ate dinner, and then I did 30 minutes of pilates while he put together the new Wii. 

Braylen thought it might be a nice tradition if every year when we celebrate our anniversary we each write down a favorite memory from the past year. This year mine was starting this diet/exercise change with him and his was going to and enjoying the Rangers/Yankees game together last year. We wrote them down on card stock so I can add them to our scrapbook (one of these days). I love that he came up with the idea.. Love that he enjoys the time we spend together just as much as I do. 

Okay, can I just say that pilates is hard? Goodness, I do not look forward to how sore I will be tomorrow after doing 30 minutes of it yesterday and today. But it feels so good to be dooooing something! 

And with that, I will say..

'Night y'all! 

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

May 21, 2011

Breakfast: NONE
Lunch: taco salad without beans or sour cream from Los Tres Amigos
Mid-afternoon snack (AKA 2nd lunch): sandwich w/lettuce, spinach, turkey, and provolone; handful of chips; fruit salad
Dessert: 1/2 piece of wedding cake
Dinner: apricot chicken w/asparagus and broccoli from Olive Garden
Dessert: vanilla ice cream

What a day! Yesterday was Matt and Katrina's wedding (finally!) and it was beautiful! I don't have too many pictures, yet, but here's one of everyone...

It was just absolutely beautiful and I'm so happy for them that they've found one another! Excited to see what God does in their lives next!! 

After the wedding Braylen and I went out on a date to Olive Garden. I decided to pick one of the low-cal meals and it was actually very good!! Although, can't really go wrong with anything Italian. We finished off our date night with a movie (Holes) and then went to bed. 

Oh, almost forgot, before getting ready for the wedding, Braylen and I took our moms out for a late Mother's Day lunch (finally!) at Los Tres Amigos. Then later that night, my parents gave Braylen and I our first anniversary gift. We love it soooooo much! I hung it on my wall as soon as I got home today...

My mother painted this of Luke in front of our house. So special!!!! 

We just absolutely love it! And I guess painted pictures were the "in" thing to do to celebrate our anniversary, because another gift we got was this awesome landscape:

We had an exchange student when I was in 4th grade who we still keep in touch with. She painted this for Braylen and I for our anniversary! 

We are so blessed to have such thoughtful and creative family!!!! 

________________________________________________

Today, May 22, 2011

Breakfast: NONE

Lunch: chicken lo mein, vegetable fried rice, and mongolian beef from China Wok Express (Bray, Mom, and I shared our meals)

Mid-afternoon snack: broccoli salad

Dinner: leftover mongolian beef, white rice, and chicken lo mein 

Dessert: NONE

This morning we went to church w/my mom to a new place she's been going. It was a nice message and even more nice to see familiar faces we don't get to see very often. Afterwards we picked up the Chinese food and ate it with my grandparents at their home. Braylen headed home and Mom and I got me a new cell phone. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one that still wants to opt out of getting an iPhone or Android-powered phone. Eh. Just don't need it. Anyways, so I still have a simple little call/text phone, but I like this one more because the buttons for texting are much bigger. Woohoo!! 

Mom and I went back to her house, watched a movie (50 First Dates) and then I packed up to head home. I just finished eating my leftovers from lunch, so now I'm gonna get my workout on. Mom loaned me a dance DVD she doesn't use so that'll be a nice change, and she also let us borrow her As Seen on TV T-Core (which, I've just learned from the website is "for men".... Hmm... This intrigues me!) so that should be an interesting experiment (once I figure out how to put it together). 

The second fitness & nutrition challenges were posted on the Biggest Loser competition yesterday, and these ones kinda bum me out. The challenge is to count/post your calories for everything you eat/drink for four days and then count/post how many calories you burn for four days. Sigh. A huge selling point for me for the 17 Day Diet was that you don't have to count calories! The thought of having to keep track and figure out how many calories are in each and every single bite, quite honestly, makes me nervous just thinking about it. Not because I'm afraid of what I eat. I think posting my food everyday for the past 5 months has broken me of my embarrassment about my food choices. I think it's just the fact of that sounds like wayyyyy too much work and extra research (to find out how much calories, for example, are in 4 bites of wedding cake). I realize it doesn't have to be an exact science, but even still... I think I'm going to bow out and let the real competitors take charge of this one. Good luck, ladies! 

Okay, time to get my dance on! 

'Night y'all! 

Better Late Than Never

May 20, 2011

Breakfast: eggs w/onion and mushroom; green tea
Mid-morning snack: yogurt and apple
Lunch: grilled chicken and veggies; green tea
Dinner: cabbage salad, strawberries, turkey/swiss sandwich on roll, and cucumbers
Dessert: 4 bites of cake; popcorn

I very well could've posted yesterday but it somehow slipped my mind, so I apologize! After getting a lovely full night of sleep and then a giant nap in the afternoon (I love being out of school, by the way), I drove down to my hometown so I could be here for the wedding today and also so I could go to a graduation party for a friend. So the grad party was last night (thus the random finger foods for dinner and the few bites of cake). Today will be a long day, I can imagine, so I'm going to write about it later (possibly not until tomorrow). Sorry again for the late post!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Zoo Trip

Breakfast: eggs w/onion and mushrooms and a yogurt and two blocks of German chocolate; green tea
Mid-morning snack: NONE
Lunch: chicken fingers and onion rings from OKC Zoo
Dinner: romaine and spinach salad w/grape tomatoes
Dessert: yogurt

I went with my MIL, BIL, BIL's girlfriend, and BIL's girlfriend's son (can this be more confusing?) on an impromptu trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo today! It's been years since I was able to go, and it was so fun. Seeing the groups of kiddos in matching T-shirts and homemade visors with animal shapes stuck to them reminded me of the first zoo trip I can remember being excited about: kindergarten! We went up to the OKC Zoo (how did the teachers/parents manage 30 somethin' 5-6yr olds on a bus for 1.5hrs?) and I can remember having so much fun that day! We had made T-shirts before using sponges in different animal shapes, which I'm pretty sure I still have somewhere. I sat on the bus next to a boy named Carlos and I thought he was cute because he took a nap with his head on my shoulder. It was so nice to see my (future) nephew smiling at and getting excited to see all the animals, just like I did so many years ago.

I forgot to apply sunscreen to my back though, so now I'll be sporting a nice, awkwardly shaped sunburn on my back on the day of one of my best friend's weddings (in which, I am the matron of honor). Juuuust lovely.

When we got home from our trip, I headed promptly and purposefully to bed, crawled under the covers, and slept for, at least, two hours. Oh, bliss. I just love afternoon naps with my husband.

Anywho, he left for work after we woke up and I headed to the couch to catch up on reading my blogs. Now I will do a workout DVD, watch American Idol, and watch Grey's Anatomy. Because I'm on summer break.

'Night y'all!

The Rest of the Story

6:15 AM, Sunday, May 15, 2011

Flashing lights in the rearview mirror. “Why am I getting pulled over?” he thinks to himself as he pulls to the side of the road. The officer asks to see his insurance and driver’s license. In a state of confusion and exhaustion after working a 12 hour shift, he first grabs his debit card instead of driver’s license to hand to the officer. Realizing his mistake, he says “Well I guess you don’t need that” and hands him the license instead. The officer looks it over, radios in the license number, and another cop car arrives. The man is asked to step out of his truck and requests a breathalyzer test. The officer refuses to give him one, and notices a pill bottle lying in the seat of the pick-up. He uses this as grounds for searching the truck, so the officers begin searching. Nothing is found, the pill bottle contains nothing but amoxicillin for a sinus infection and the man is asked to perform a series of field sobriety tests. The tests include walking a straight line, standing on one leg, and following the tip of a pen with his gaze. Due to a traumatic brain injury eleven years ago, in addition to having size 14 feet, the man has extremely poor balance and coordination skills, causing him to fail the tests. The officer notes on his report that the man seems confused, shaky, and unable to stay still… Using those reasons as additional grounds for the DUI charge, which are in fact due to his TBI and diagnosed ADHD. The officer places handcuffs on the man and has him sit in the back of the cop car. A call is made from the police department to the man’s wife to come pick up his truck before it’s impounded.

6:41 AM, Sunday, May 15, 2011

The phone rings. She picks it up, confused, and says “Hello?” The woman on the other line says something, but the only words that register are “impounded,” “Highway 81,” and “When can you get there?” Still confused, the girl mumbles “I’m sorry, can you say that again?” It’s repeated, but still not understood. The girl says she can be there in 10 minutes, jumps out of bed, puts on clothes, wakes up her friend to go with her, and heads towards HWY 81. A block away, she realizes she has no idea where she’s going, what she’s looking for, where her husband is, or if he’s okay. The crying begins… Slowly, at first but quickly escalating. She goes towards the police department; the only place she can think to start finding answers. Fortunately there’s a police officer walking from his car to the building. She stops him and, through tears, tries to explain the phone call and begs him for information. He radios in, miraculously knowing what she’s referring to, and tells her to head out east on HWY 81, under the I-44 overpass. This is the opposite direction her husband should be coming home from work, so the hysterics escalate. Through sobs and confusion, she heads east. She passes I-44, but still no sign of her husband or his truck. The phone rings. It’s the police department. They gave her the wrong directions and sent her in the wrong direction. She turns around and heads back through town, hopeful that at least he’s in the part of town he should be, even if she still doesn’t know what is happening.

7:05 AM, Sunday, May 15, 2011

Happy to see her husband’s truck intact (ruling out a horrible car accident), she pulls to the side of the road behind the cop car. Wiping away tears, she steps out of her car and walks toward to officer, noticing her husband in the back of the squad car smiling and mouthing the words “It’s okay, honey! Everything is okay!” The officer explains to the wife that he followed behind her husband after noticing him swerving on the highway. (She would later learn that he had been swerving because he was messing with his iPhone.) She said, between sobs, “He just got off work! There’s no way he could have been drinking!” The officer tells her he’s not concerned with alcohol, necessarily, but believes he may be using pills or other drugs. In disbelief, she fights back the urge to scream, and says “yes” when the officer asks if she wants to speak with her husband. The back door to the squad car is opened, but the man is pushed back down when he tries to get out. He reassures her that everything is okay, she has nothing to worry about, the officer is just doing his job, and the test will come back negative. The door is closed, and the officer tells her he will be kept in jail overnight. “What?!” she shouts. Looking over at her husband through the rear window, she sees he has tears streaming down his face now, as well. They say “I love you” and he is driven to the hospital to take a drug test.

7:20 AM, Sunday, May 15, 2011

The squad car pulls up to the Emergency Room and they go to the front desk to give information to the nurse. The man makes sure he over-articulates his speech, so as to make a point of not being in any way intoxicated. He also makes it a point to be extremely compliant, friendly, and polite. His handcuffs are moved from behind his back to in front of his body because the officer notices how cooperative the man is being. He is allowed to sign his name onto the patient information slip, as opposed to the officer signing it for him (which is the normal protocol). They struggle to obtain blood from his left arm, so they withdraw a majority of blood from his right arm. During the time of the blood test, the man was Mirandized. From the ER, he is moved to the county jail, where he would spend the next 33 hours.

10:20 AM, Sunday, May 15, 2011

The wife and her mother-in-law (MIL) arrive at the county jailhouse in hopes of giving the man his boss’s phone number. Because he would be kept overnight, he would be missing his shift at work. The women reach the doors only to discover they are locked. Her MIL presses the intercom button and asks to speak with her son. Words are exchanged between the MIL and the voice behind the intercom that ultimately lead to the wife and the man’s mother leaving in anger, frustration and disappointment. The only way the man can call his boss is through collect calls. Instead of having the husband call himself (which would charge the boss $9.99/minute), the wife makes the phone call. Fortunately, the boss is understanding and reassures her that his shift can be taken care of. She and her MIL part ways and try to spend the rest of the day as normally and calmly as possible while still preparing themselves for what’s to come the following day. 

8:45 AM, Monday, May 16, 2011

The wife and her MIL head to the courthouse in hopes of finding out when the man’s arraignment will be. After receiving no answers for the first half hour, the wife asks the bailiff and he says it will be between 1:00-1:30 PM. The women leave, in disbelief, wondering when this will end and when the will get to see the man again.

1:00-2:00 PM, Monday, May 16, 2011

The wife, MIL, FIL, and step MIL wait in the lobby of the courthouse for the arraignment to begin. The wait is agonizing. The inmates are walked through the hall to the courtroom in groups. With each passing group, the wife dreads having to see her husband in the orange jumpsuit shackled with hand and foot cuffs. With each passing group, she fights back tears and the urge to look up, not wanting to see the face of her sweet husband in that awful situation. When his group is walked down the hall, her eyes meet his. The smile he shows her is bigger and brighter than she can ever remember. He mouths the words “I love you” quickly as he is shuffled into the courtroom. The wife and others there to support the man follow them into the room. After waiting for the judge, attorneys, and bailiffs to settle paperwork and organization problems, the arraignment finally begins. The man already has an attorney, already has signed his OR (release of his own recognizance) papers, and already knows what his bail was, were he to get in trouble with the police before his trial date. So the two hours spent in the arraignment hearing are in vain. The man is never mentioned; he just has to sit through the trial as a formality.

3:21 PM – 5:47 PM, Monday, May 16, 2011

The wife walks to her MIL’s vehicle after the arraignment hearing to call the man’s boss. He would be missing another night’s work because he hadn’t gotten enough sleep to work a 12-hour shift, and they weren’t sure he would be getting released soon enough to make it on time. After the phone call, the wait ensued. They are given no information as to when he would be released, so they are unable to leave the courthouse. They were waiting in the parking lot for two hours and 15 minutes when, finally, the man walked out of the jailhouse doors.

11:20 AM – 1:50 PM, Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The wife and husband, happily reunited, decide (under the advice of the man’s mother) to get an independent drug screening done. Unable to do so in their own town, they drive 30 minutes south, where they can do not one but two drugs tests; the first of which produces immediate results. The man is negative for every drug screened: amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates, marijuana, and benzodiazepines. The second screening is also negative for all areas tested. They fax results to the man’s attorney and head home so he can rest before going into work.

I wish I could provide a happy ending for the story, but so far it is still unfinished. We haven’t heard back from the police department with the results from the drug test they had him take, but given the results from the two we had done, we are certain they will come back with negative results. The charge for DUI-Liquor or Drugs will be dropped. We would like, at some point, to fight for reimbursement of the two days of lost pay. We also want his mug shot taken off of their website and his fingerprints to be taken out of their system. It is also my personal wish (be it realistic or not) that a note be made on the arresting officer’s record of this false DUI charge. Husband should not have to pay for the mistake and oversights made by this officer.

As I posted yesterday, despite having a horrible couple of days… I feel as though this has brought us even closer. I have a newfound pride and respect for my husband that I never even knew was missing. I am inspired by the optimistic way he handled every situation he was faced with. I’m proud to know he remained calm and respectful with every interaction he was faced with, especially knowing his distaste for the police department, in general. He has been able to turn what could have been a traumatic experience into a valuable learning experience.

Thank you, again, for praying with us, supporting us, and believing in my husband’s innocence. As I said yesterday, this time could have been exponentially worse, were it not for our friends and family by our side. So thank you. It means more than I can express. 

_____________________________________________

Day Whatever

Breakfast: NONE

Mid-morning snack: NONE

Lunch: Bacon and cheese Angus burger with large french fries from McDonald's

Dinner: romaine and spinach salad with feta cheese and grape tomatoes

Dessert: funfetti cake 

We have decided to begin tomorrow on a clean slate, fresh start. Day 1. I won't be counting days anymore or continuing my count from before. It's getting harder as time goes on to keep up with the count, and it's really not important anyway. At this point in the cycles, we should be beginning cycle three, but given how the past two weeks (and honestly even longer than that) we haven't been following the diet, we've decided to begin back at day one, cycle one.. Starting tomorrow. The first fitness challenge for the Biggest Loser competition I'm participating in is a miniature Army PT test. We had to see how many push-ups and sit-ups we can do in a minute, each, and how long it takes us to walk/run a mile. I performed these three tasks today and was highly disappointed in my results. My mile of interval walking/jogging took 16 minutes and 13 seconds. I could only do 13 sit-ups in a minute and 25 push-ups in a minute. I know these results are, in part, due to my lack of nutrition I've been giving my body lately, and also the lack of water I've been drinking. I truly desire to be back on track, and I know I can be so much better. Here's to a fresh start! 

Back From the Hiatus

It's hard for me to start this post. The events of this weekend were so unexpected and so overwhelming that I truly didn't have the time or the desire to blog. I also did not have the drive to give any type of thought to what I ate. So, to summarize... Sunday I ate Chicken Express, spaghetti and meatballs, funfetti cake, and had a few drinks with friends at the bachelorette party I hosted. Saturday I ate Sonic AND Braum's (within an hour of each other). Today I ate a waffle w/butter, peanut butter, and syrup with a sausage patty, Burger King for lunch, and Taco Bell for dinner.

So basically... I am back to damn square one. Good news is, I haven't totally lost faith in myself. The past two days have been unthinkable (post soon to come discussing what happened) and I've been 100% pushed to my limit and to the edge of my breaking point. Fortunately, my husband has been there for me 110% and even though it has been hellish... I'm actually feeling just fine. I know that we are well and we are unimaginably happy. This whole ordeal or rather, both ordeals, have done nothing but brought us that much closer together.

Back to the drawing board tomorrow. I need to go grocery shopping because we have no food in the house (thus eating out all the time). We need to get back to normal fully. We're almost there, but need to get the rest of it into gear. After this weekend and the wedding is over, I feel like we'll be that much closer to being happy again and sharing experiences with each other. Lately I feel like I've let other people's drama and events control what my plans are, and I'm so ready to be completely selfish with my husband and just focus on us, for a change. I always know he is thankful for the time we spend together and the effort we put towards each other, and I can't always say the same for others. It's nice to know I have that with him, my best friend.

I know some of you are disappointed that I am not writing specifically about what happened Sunday, but at this point, I still feel like I need to be careful what's revealed and how I word it. If it's absolutely imperative you know details, send me a message. Otherwise, in time once I've gathered my thoughts about it enough to objectively and eloquently talk about it, without being overwhelmed, I will make a post about it.

Thank you so much for all of those who have been praying for us! I know it's hard when you don't know the full story, but just know your prayers were answered! We are both safe and healthy and justice will be served. Keep us in your prayers, still, and I will keep you updated as events occur. Thank you so much again. I am positive this process would have been 100 times more difficult were it not for your prayers and support.

Thank you!

Party Planning

Day 131

Breakfast: NONE
Mid-morning snack: NONE
Lunch: spinach-artichoke dip, 1/2 grilled burger melt and wedge fries, and pazookie from BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse
Dinner: leftovers from lunch (1/2 grilled burger melt and wedge fries)
Dessert: Mike's Hard strawberry lemonade

Fuuuuuun day of party planning!! Darcy, an old friend from high school, is helping plan and set up Katrina's bachelorette party with me, so we spent all day shopping, decorating, and having a good time getting everything ready for tomorrow. Now we're heading to bed so we can get up early(ish) in the morning and finish getting set up.

Our first set of challenges for the Biggest Loser competition were assigned today... Our nutrition challenge is to post a before picture of us in a bathing suit. Luckily, I bought a bathing suit last summer for the Sorrell reunion at the lake. It was the first time I had bought/worn a suit in over a decade! I still love it...

The fitness challenge is going to be much harder. We're supposed to do a miniature Army PT test... So we have to see how many pushups we can do in a minute, how many sit-ups we can do in a minute, and how fast we can run (or walk) a mile. Yikes! I can't recall the last time I did a sit-up, and I know my pushup skills are lacking. We'll see how this goes!! 

Anyways... I need to hit the hay so we can make a Walmart run in the morning before the church crowds swarm the aisles. 

'Night y'all! 

My Boys

Day 130

Breakfast: NONE
Mid-morning snack: NONE
Lunch: chicken strips, fries, and a few corn nuggets from Chicken Express
Dinner: beef fried rice, a little lo mein, and 2 egg rolls with a Smirnoff Ice
Dessert: NONE

Due to miscommunication between the Husband and I, we will not longer be going to OKC to celebrate the anniversary tonight. I am disappointed, but the celebration will be worth the wait, I hear.

Instead, we spent the day cleaning, shopping spending way too much at Walmart, getting ready for the bachelorette party, and (as you can see) eating. I am so. So. full. It is definitely time for a reunification with Wii Fit and the Wii dancing games. And definitely a much-needed Puppy Walk. But first, let me share with you the highlight of my day...

Remember when I wrote about the similarities between Braylen and Luke? Well, this is something like that. Only much more unexpected and unplanned. These are the only four pictures taken, and it just so happens that they were making the same "expressions" in each of the pictures. Hilarious.

Scrunched face.

Goofy face (Luke inherited the Sorrell nose also, and he's proud to rock it).

Pouty face.

Looking at each other.

I just love them so much it's unbelievable. 

And now I'm gonna go break a sweat. It's necessary and entirely deserved.

Oh, speaking of weight. I will now be weighing in on Fridays instead of Mondays because that's how this round of Biggest Loser is set up. When I weighed in this morning, much to my surprise and bewilderment (I've never used the word before, okay, and I just wanted to!) I've lost 1.4 lbs since Monday! This may have been ordinary, back when we started all of this, but at this point when I've been eating like crapola every single day... I don't know how it's happening. Just gotta not take advantage of it, cos I know my luck will run out soon. 

'Night y'all!