It's OK Thursday

Time for another It's OK Thursday! And this one is going to be about that big little surgery I will be having tomorrow!
It's OK...
...that the first thought that went through my mind was what to do with my hair? I mean it's kinda really long and you can't really do long hair with one arm. What to do?
...that my next thought was what to wear.  What do you wear to surgery? More specifically shoulder surgery? I want to be comfortable, so I think I have decided on some yoga pants, tank top, and a zip up jacket.
...that I cannot watch any shows that have anything to so with surgery right now.  They get me freaked out.
...that no matter what anyone says or does my anxiety is still going to high, I am still going to cry when I get there, and it is not going to be easy for me.
...that I am accepting all prayers for tomorrow! 
What's OK with you today?

Another Update to Those Summer Goals

As many of you know I set myself up with a list of goals for this summer.  I have been working very hard on those goals and I am proud to say most of them are well under way!!

My first goal was to get healthy.  My parents got me a personal trainer for this summer and so far it has been great!  I am on a new diet and working out on a fairly regular basis.  I try to get in at least 30 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week, and do weights twice a week with my trainer.  So far I am proud to say I have lost 4 POUNDS!!! I am seriously proud of myself and cannot wait to keep on with this goal!

I also wanted to read at least 10 books this summer.  I have already read two which I posted about here.  The third book I chose to read was The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult.  But it took FOREVER to get here, so I chose to read Fifty Shades of Grey on my phone.

I have heard of many many people reading this book.  And while the content did not strike me as something I wanted to read right away, I just had to see what all the hype was about. And I must say...I didn't really like it all that much.  I mean it was ok but it was not my kind of book.  A little too much sex for me and not enough depth to the characters or plot in my opinion.  

I am still working on The Tenth Circle and will let you all know what I think about it soon! So far so good!

So far for my cooking goal I have not been able to do too well on.  I mean I am cooking 3 times a day for myself, but not for the fam! Being on this diet means I eat different foods then them, but I still hope to try to help Mamerz out a little more...even if I can't eat the food!

My tan...I am loving it! It has been so nice to be able to lay out on the weekends! I think it is coming along quite nicely!

And the only other goal I have worked on is my shoulder! And I am currently scheduled for surgery Friday morning! Hoping and praying this is going to work!

I still need to work on the hair braiding.  So far I have not had the time or patience to learn, but I am going to soon!

Sometimes and Always #12

Another Tuesday, Another Sometimes and Always!

Sometimes: I volunteer to take puppy duty for the night

Always: I regret it immediately when I get woken up at 2:30, 4:00, and 6:15

This little man is a pooper!

Sometimes: I wear my sunglasses while laying out

Always: My nose ends up getting burned REALLY bad!

Sometimes: I get really nervous about my surgery on Friday

Always: I remind myself this is the thing that will end the pain!

Sometimes: I plan out what I think my day is going to look like in my head

Always: This means it can be hard for me to compromise when something else comes up!

Sometimes: I online shop

Always: This is a bad idea. It is so easy to spend money when it is on a card!

Like these cute new earrings I bought and I am now waiting on!

Memorial Day Weekend!

First and foremost I want to thank all of the soldiers who have or are currently fighting for our freedom! Thank you for all of your hard work and time.  And to those who gave their lives, thank you even more!

This past weekend was spent in the sun and was of course tons of fun! One of my favorite things about being home this summer is the fact that I will be able to go down to the beach house with the fam pretty much EVERY weekend.  And this means laying out in the sun! And that means getting a tan.  Which was one of my goals this summer.  So of course I worked very hard on that goal this weekend.

I had to work Saturday morning, so at about 11 I headed down to the beach.  It is usually just about maybe an hour and a half to get here.  Well I hit traffic.  Like bad traffic.  It took me close to 2 hours to get here.  I was mad.  I really hate traffic.  But once I got down to the island I was happy.  At least I had some good music to listen to!

Mine and Rebecca's song:)

Bryce and Brooke were already down with the parentals, so us three and Mamerz headed to the beach after I got to the house and had lunch.  It was so nice to just sit on the beach and tan.  The water isn't quite ready to go into yet.  Still has a chill in it so I only go in when I get really hot!

That late afternoon Annie came over and we cooked out and had some good food.  Well they did.  I am still on a diet.  I may have taste tested some of it though.  It was an early night for us, between the sun and getting no sleep the night before I was tired and passed out before 10 p.m.

Sunday Annie and I decided to spend the day by the pool.  These are seriously my favorite days.  We laid in the sun. We laid in the pool.  We talked about anything and everything.  We read our books.  It was GLORIOUS!  And I am happy to report the tan is well underway!

Working on those tan lines! I actually got a little red!

That night I made home made pizza for everyone.  OK Annie helped.  She put on the cheese.  But seriously best pizza ever.  And the best part is on my diet I get a cheat day, and of course I chose that to be on pizza night! Totally enjoyed it!

After dinner we headed down to the beach for a sun set.  It never gets old down here.  I could go every night and love it!

Annie and I.  Please excuse the hair.
The wind was blown like craziness and I could not keep it under control at all!

I will never get over these sunsets!

There is something about tan feet in the sand that I love:)

Today is kinda  rainy day here on the island so we headed back to lakeland! Hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend!

Friday Letters

So I found this new Linkup and I am so excited about it!

Dear Diet, I know you are good for me and I know I am going to lose weight, but I don't like that I don't get to eat the same meals as the fam.  I feel kinda left out:( But I am going to stick with you because I really need to get healthy!

Dear Work, I have seen a lot more of you this week then I was suppose to.  But thats ok, I really like you a lot.  The kids are great, the staff are great, and I am loving having something to do with my time!

Dear Sleep, We really need to work on you.  I hate this not going to bed till after 12, waking up several times in the night, and then not being able to sleep past 6:30.  Things really need to change really fast.

Dear Left Shoulder, You are about to get chopped! Literally. As much as I am stressed and nervous about the surgery, I am looking forward to no longer being in pain.

Dear Long Weekend, I am so happy I get to spend this weekend down at the beach.  Sun is always a good thing, and I get to work on my tan!

Dear Friends, I am really missing you guys.  I forget sometimes how much having you always there means to me.  This whole 12 hours apart is so not nice.  Senior year is going to ROCK with all of y'all!

It's Ok Thursday!

Time for another Linkup with Neely!
It's OK...
...that we are practically professional alligator catchers here

This little guy was just hanging out on the rope today! Can't wait for the catcher to come!

...that the past 2 mornings I have been asked to cover someone at work.  It's a good thing I like that place. But tomorrow better be a serious day off from there!

...that I count down the minutes till I can eat something again.  There is something about knowing in 2 hours I can have something yummy!

...that I am already stressing about my surgery.  I know I have a week, but I will be stressed until it happens.  And probs even after that.

The Diet

First off diets suck! Second, diets REALLY suck.

But since I am on my way to being healthy I guess it is a good thing! So here is what it all looks like.

One gallon of water a day: And this means I pee at least this much if not more!

Breakfast:
1 egg yolk 2 egg whites
3 oz ground turkey breast
1/4 cup oats or grits made with water
I hate eggs.  I am trying to like them.  Also need to work on the oats.
OR
Pancakes (when I try these I will post the recipe)

Mid-Morning:
Protein bar with at least 15g protein and no more than 20g carbs (these are not too bad and I look forward to them!)
OR
Protein shake (haven't tried this yet.  still trying to find a protein powder I like)

Lunch:
5oz chicken, fish, or red meat
1/2 cup of brown rice, veg flour pasta, broccoli, or 4oz sweet potato
It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is pretty filling.  I also add about 2tbls of salsa to the chicken.  Also not to fond of the sweet potato.

Mid-Afternoon:
Same are the mid-morning


Dinner:
5-6 oz chicken or fish
1 cup green vegetable (typically broccoli unless Mamerz cooks something else)

Dessert:
1 peach or apple

I found the biggest apple I could find!

Got a new George Forman so I can grill my meat! My trainer told me it would make me tougher if I learned how to grill!

Sometimes and Always #11

Another Tuesday and another Sometimes and Always! This one is going to have to be short and sweet since I need to be on my way out the door for work soon!

Sometimes: I want to drink a cup of coffee every morning

Always: I only end up drinking about 3/4 of a cup.  Never see the bottom!

Sometimes: I make deals with my doctors.  Like the one yesterday

Dr.: You lose weight I will do the surgery

Me: Yeah Yeah Yeah!!!!

Always: I know it is going to be a lot harder to hold up me end of the deal...but I am going to do it!

Sometimes: My friends crack me up and make me feel so loved.

Always: My friends crack me up and make me feel so loved.  Like this message from Rebecca!

If you can't read it, it say "Wow surgery. Take some hard core drugs before that one:) I'll be thinking about you and holding your hand from far away!

Oh man are my friends just awesome! Love them:))))

I Think We May Have Found A Solution

Ok friends I have been yet again to the doctor for my shoulder! The last time I went I never actually saw the doctor because I walked out after waiting an hour and half on him and never hearing anything.  So this time I did not have much optimism about the appointment.

When the doctor came in I had no clue what was going to happen.  In my mind I had already made up that he wasn't going to know what to do and that I was going to leave without an answer one more time.  I was already making plans to find someone else to see.

Dr. sits down and asks all the questions about how the last injection went.  After telling him it did not work at all and I was not doing good in the pain area, he started thinking.  We went through the exam and everything and he finally looked at me and said "I think it may be time for surgery."  And there came the tears.

I am terrified of the idea of surgery.  I wanted to make sure that this really is what I need to do.  Dr. said that since the injections are not helping and there is some major inflammation, the only way to take care of it completely was surgery.  Ugh not looking forward to this one!

The official term that we have come up with for my problem is Left Shoulder Impingement.  He is going to go in and create more room for my muscle as well as just make sure everything is going ok there.  He says this surgery has a 95% success rate, so I guess the odds are in my favor!

Please keep me in your prayers next Friday June 1, as this will be my first surgery and I am quite nervous about it

27 Years!

Today, May 18, 2012 my parents celebrate 27 years of marriage.  Yes 27! Is that cray cray or what!?  And for this special day, I thought I would share with everyone this little gem!

The one and only, literally, wedding picture!

27 years ago my parents ran off and eloped! Therefor they never had a big wedding.  And not until a couple months ago had I seen this picture! I about died when my mom showed it to me! I think it is just great! And totes 1985! But seriously don't they just look amazing!?

My parents marriage is one of the best examples of a marriage that I know.  These days there are couples getting divorced left and right, and I am so happy to know that will not be my parents!  They have kept their commitment to one another, and if my marriage (way way way off in the future) is even half as good as theirs, then it is going to be pretty dang great!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DAD AND MOM!!!!

It's Ok Thursday!

Time for another Link-Up with Neely!
Today It's Ok...
...that as much as I am LOVING work, it is wearing me out.  
...that I am really excited to start my new diet next week and to keep working out! I need to find a good schedule for me, which is proving to be a little hard.
...that I am going to attempt to see the Doctor again on Monday.  You know the one that left me hanging the other day? Yeah we got convinced to try again! Of course I will let you all know how that goes!
...that I am missing my friends a whole bunch.  And that I am able to giggle at these pictures because no one but us know what they are from!

...that I am kinda in a blogging funk.  I think I might need to take a short little break from it!
What is Ok with you today?

Sometimes and Always #10

Oh how I love me a little Sometimes and Always.  Totes a favorite link-up of mine! You all should going in on all of the fun!

Sometimes... I think a weekend to myself at home is going to be awesome

Always...I forget how lonely and big and scary the house is when no one is here

Sometimes... I get really excited about new Disney movies that are coming out

Always...I am 5 years old at heart so it's completely ok!

Really excited about this one! The commercials for it have totally reeled me in!

Sometimes...People ask crazy questions.  Like the one I got today from a coworker who is 16. "So do you have any kids?" Um no...there isn't even a man in my life.

Always... I wonder where in the world these come from! Do I look like I have a kid? I mean I know I need to lose some weight and have some rather large boobs but... NO I DO NOT HAVE A KID!

Sometimes...I have to wake up early for work

Always...I hate it.  I am not a morning person at all.

Sometimes...I run out of things to post about

Always...thats Ok I will think of something soon!

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday:)))

Working On Those Summer Goals!

So last week I posted about my summer goals.  You can see that post here! I am so excited about these goals and working on them.  So far I have made a little dent into the list, and I am only on my 2nd week of summer.  Want to know what I have accomplished? Well here it is!

The biggest thing I have worked on is my reading list.  I said that I wanted to read at least 10 books by the end of the summer.  I am happy to say that I have read 2 books already!!!  Yeah I know this makes me seem like a major nerd...and I am.  I only worked once this week and so I had a lot of time on my hands! The rest of this summer probs won't be the same so I am glad I got a head start!

The first book that I read was Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult.

This one is about a mother who prosecutes child molesters.  She finds out that her young son was molested and is in search of who did it.  The book had many many twists and turns which I loved! You never knew what was coming next.  Totes recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read!

The next book I read was Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankl.

I am a huge fan of Bethenny and could not wait to get my hands on this book! It was so much fun to read and I read all of it in two days! I seriously could not put this book down! The book is about a girl who is going through life and trying to figure things out.  She moves to L.A. and then back to New York.  She finally gets on a reality show with her idol only to find people are not who they seem to be! Love loved loved it! I am kinda sad I am done reading it!  Another one I would totes recommend.  

I am now looking for my third book but I have no idea what it will be! Any suggestions would be great. I am open to anything and everything.

This Tuesday I am getting started on getting healthy! I am meeting with my new personal trainer and I am really stoked about it! I cannot wait to get started.

My shoulder...yeah stupid thing.  Tried to see a doctor last week but that didn't work.  I am looking for a new doctor in order to keep working on that!

Hope to keep you all updated on what I keep accomplishing!!

To My Momma!

Mom, Momma, Mommy, Ma, Mamerz, Hey You, Mary Anne, and any other name we may have called you over the years...

Can we say best mom ever? Yeah I think we can! You have raised 4 beautiful wonderful amazing (yeah I'm bragging about me and the sibs) children! You are such a wonderful woman, mother, and friend! I look up to you so much and in so many ways.  You are the best example of a strong Christian woman that I know and I am so thankful to have you as MY mom!  Want to know even more why I love you so much? Well here are some reason:

1. I am your mini me--- ever since I was a little girl everyone has said that I look exactly like you.  And who better to look like than you?! Everyone knows right away that I am your daughter and I love it!

2. You are one of my BESTEST friends---- yeah I know it took us years to get here.  I was a hard one to raise but don't worry you know it was worth it! You are the one person I can truly say I want to tell everything to.  You are the person I want to call when things go bad and I need to vent. I cannot thank you enough for always being there for me!

3.  Your an AMAZING cook--- Ok so I know you are tired of it but I want you to know I really do appreciate the fact that you have always cooked for us growing up! There was not a single night that I would come home and you not have a hot meal on the table! Also you have taught me everything I know about cooking.   I loved thinking about all the times we spent in the kitchen together!

4. You raised us well--- You were that amazing mom that stayed at home and raised us.  After I was born you quit your job and became a stay at home mom.  I know it could not have been easy raising us four kids, but I am so grateful you did! You were always there for us and always helped us with anything we needed! I look back on those years and think "That's the kind of mom I want to be!"

5. YOU LOVE ME!!--- Like I have said, I know raising me was not easy.  I was a hard, difficult child but you never gave up on me.  And because of you I am the person I am today.  You are the best example of what I want to be in my life, and I hope one day I am half the mom/woman you are!

I love you a lot and I hope you know how appreciative I am of you! No one could ever replace you and I cannot imagine life without you.  I hope you have the best Mother's Day and I cannot way till you come home and we can celebrate:))

That One Time We Walked Out...

I mentioned the other day that I had a doctors appointment on Thursday for my shoulder and I was going to let you all know how that went.  Well it didn't!  And to say I was mad is pretty much a MAJOR under statement.  Let me tell you all about it!

So being the good patient I am I show up, with Mamerz in tow, 20 minutes before the appointment time.  We actually were just running early that morning so we thought that maybe if we showed up earlier they would see me sooner. NOPE!

The appointment was at 10 a.m.  I arrive at 9:40 and they do not even call me back to the room until 10:30.  Well this happened the last time I was there so I thought "Well maybe he got called away on an emergency again." No they never said why I didn't get called back till then.

I go back into the room.  The nurse does all her nurse stuff like blood pressure and a couple questions.  As she leaves she says he will be with us shortly.  So Mamerz and I wait.  And wait. And wait.  Next thing we know it is 11:20 and NO ONE has come to see us.  Not even the nurse to say he is running behind.  It was an hour and twenty minutes past my appointment time and I was PISSED! I mean come on people it's not like I have all day to spend in the doctors office.

So what did we do? We walked out.  Actually we kinda stormed out of there.  As we walk by the front desk we tell them we are leaving and that it was uncalled for and rude and ridiculous that I had waited that long for nothing! All the lady cared about was taking me off his list.  Rude much again?!

I wanted to cry I was so mad.  I have waited for 3 months for this appointment.  I have spent the last 2 years in pain and this doctor had given me hope that we were going to figure out what was wrong.  I was mad and I wanted to cry.

Well now I have to go and find another doctor! Oh joy! I do not look forward to this, but I hope at least this one won't leave me hanging!! Doctor number 8 or 9 (I have lost count already) here I come!

Anybody know of a good orthopedic surgeon in Central Florida?!

It's Ok Thursday

Oh how I just look forward to Thursdays and linking up with Neely for some It's Ok Thursday!Being that it is the first week of summer for me, many many things are ok with me! 
It's Ok...
...that I am BEYOND excited that I GOT A JOB!!!  I am working in Child Care at Gold's Gym here in Lakeland, FL! Yesterday was my first day of work and I LOVED it! The kids are great, my boss is great, and so far the one other employee I have met is great! I am beyond thrilled to have finally gotten this job!
...that I am equally just as excited about what I get to wear to work! T-shirts and yoga pants! Does it get any better than that!?

...that Mamerz and I went and got pedicures today...sorry Mattie! It was so nice and relaxing! 

...that I made some pretty awesome Chicken Tacos Tuesday for dinner! And that I achieved my goal of cooking for fam this week!

...that I have been loving being able to kick back and read till my heart is content! So excited to keep working on that summer goal! I think my next book might be Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankl.  If so I better get to buying that!

...that I am a tad nervous/excited about seeing the doctor again today.  Will totes give an update afterwards:)

...that Boone has completely warn me out and I am over him.  The puppy stage is no fun for me! At least now I know I really don't care to get a dog when I graduate!!

So what is ok with you today?!

Bridal Shower: Part 3

It is finally time for the last part of the Bridal Shower that myself and two other ladies planned for Lauren Austin.  If you missed Part 1 check it out here and Part 2 can be found here!

So in this last installment I am going to tell y'all all about the fun time we had! You saw the prep and the setup, and now it is time to know what actually went down at this lovely shower!

Shortly after everyone arrived at the shower we blessed the food and then ate.  As you saw, we had some pretty yummy food at the party and everyone was excited to get to eat!  We all just hung out on the back porch talking and eating.  It was just plain wonderful.

While everyone was finishing up eating we passed around index cards to start our first game!  Everyone was asked to write down their first kiss story.  I then gathered the girls up and read them out loud.  Lauren got 2 guesses on whose story it was! It was so much fun to hear all the stories.  From the "I Haven't had one yets" to the "At cheer camp" and "During church one time" we all were dying laughing over the stories.  I don't believe Lauren was able to guess many but it was fun to try!

Me reading the stories to the girls

Brandy was a little surprised by Jessi's story!

After that fun little game we went on to the next one! While the girls signed the guestbook, we also had them fill out a little card.  On it said something like "verb" "noun" or something of the sort and we put all those together to make an MadLib about marriage for Lauren.  Oh man was it a funny one!

Lauren reading the MadLib aloud to the group

We all about died! There may have been something about licking a cucumber in there...oh and Dr. Lee Magness may have over heard and made fun of the bride for the rest of the day!

Next we had another fun game planned.  Before the shower we emailed both Jacob and Lauren a list of random questions.  Both of them sent back answers.  We read the question and answer aloud and everyone had to guess who answered that, Jacob or Lauren.  Some of the questions were "What's your favorite ice-cream topping?" "What would you rather clean?" "Where was your first kiss?"  So much fun!

This is where these fun things came in! Everyone held up the lips for Lauren and the mustache for Jacob!

So much fun playing around with those! They made for great pictures!

Hmmm I wonder who is right and who was wrong!

We may have put some trick questions in there!  Becky was not quite what to pick so she picked both!

After having some fun outside, we moved on in to open up the gifts.  You know your at a Bridal Shower when everyone gets excited about a toaster! Seriously?! Not use to this kind of party! But Lauren got so blessed by all of these girls with some WONDERFUL gifts!

Like I said, excited over a Toaster!

In wrap up of the party we went outside to take some group pictures! It was so great that we were able to have Meagan there to take photos for us! It is always a huge deal for me to get picture of everything and so I was thrilled to have someone doing this for us! 

All of the ladies that came to celebrate!

We tried so hard on these pictures, but as you can see not everyone was able to fit in!

The Bride and the Hostesses 

Lauren with the Magni

It is still so crazy to me to look at this picture! The eight of us since freshmen year! Man have we changed.  I love these girls so much!

We seriously had so much fun with those lips and mustaches!

We got so lucky with this picture! It only took 2 shots to get this and it is so cute!

One pretty awesome thing we did was have Dr. Pat Magness pray over Lauren.  We all prayed for her and her marriage to Jacob.  And then when we tried to get a picture of it we kept laughing at trying to "pretend" to pray!

I know I have said this a million times, but this really was such a great shower! Nothing could have gotten done without all three of the hostesses and all the friends who came! Thank you all for showing up and having a blast showering Lauren with love for her wedding! 

Now I cannot wait to help plan the next one...Becky better be getting excited!