The 178's are taunting me...

Ok, I'm not complaining.. but how much longer can I be in the 178s? I did lose again though.. a small loss.. 0.4 lbs! I have to be honest, I was scared because at some point, I forget which day, I weighed back in the 180s!!

This weekend was pretty busy but fun and relaxing! And you know that I'm the resident photog wherever I go, so on to my pics...

Friday - Friday night I ended up going to my church's annual Grace Hour banquet which is a fundraiser for our radio program. I didn't think I was gonna go because 1. I didn't get asked and 2. I didn't really have the extra cash for fork out for it. But much to my surprise, I got a call that my friend bought a table and they had an extra seat! So I did get to go after all....

My other dad

My sister and bff

Our feet.. Don't mind my cankles.

Saturday - I worked in the morning and then went to hang out with Mel and her 4 yr old. I promised him that we were gonna hang out soon, just the three of us and Saturday turned out perfectly! We went mini-golfing!

The three of us

A hole in ONE!

Sunday - I was a big bum.

Monday - Memorial Day was spent by the pool ALL DAY LONG. What a fun day though! Swimming, cookouting, hot tubbing, tanning (and burning my nose).. perfection.

Polly is still exhausted from yesterday. Mommy like.

Collin - one of the twins

Debbie, one of Mel's sisters.
She apparently only takes "normal" pics if they are candid or if she has sunglasses on.Sorry for the pic overload but I know some of you love it and I had to get you caught up somehow!! It's semi-quiet here (at work) so I'll be making my blog rounds. Hope you guys had a great weekend and are having a wonderful day!

The Order

We, as woman (or men), love losing weight... if we're trying that is. My mom is from a completely different species. She attempts (and fails) at gaining weight. But I'm not writing this to get in a pissy mood... so I will move on.

I love that the scale is cooperating lately.. 7.6 pounds so far since April 28th. I can't believe I'm probably only a couple of weeks away from the 10 pound mark. SO EXCITING. But I got to thinking (and this isn't really a complaint, more fact stating than anything) about the places that my body loses first. It usually has always happened in this order. Trust me, years of diets and body abuse and I've pretty much memorized the pattern.

1. Face
2. Right under my knee cap (seriously)
3. Boobs (grrr)
4. Waist
5. Hips
6. Legs

Tonight I was looking at pictures from the same date that I "began AGAIN" and compared them to pics taken from just last week. Do you see anything? I looked and think maybe but I'm not sure... Maybe a hint less of my second chin??

Just for fun, I started the comparison with a pic from March of last year...

3/2007

4/28/08

5/17/08

Body shots (no, not those kind) to come in about a month...

Half Pound

In honor of my 0.6 loss, I did a little photo research.


Great, now I'm hungry.

Ok, I'm back

Wow, what a whirlwind this week has been. If you've been tuning in, I "stopped by" real quick a few days ago and let the world know why I was MIA. Nothing like being sick in the summer (ok, spring) time. Actually, even though I've been 1. wicked busy 2. stupidly sick 3. overly tired, I've managed to stay on track. I weigh myself tomorrow to see how I really am doing but I think that the scale will be on my side.. or at least stay the same.

I'm starting to feel like a human being again but forgive me if I go a few days without posting. I'm the only one in the office and at times, it's been pretty busy and by the time I get home, I just want to go to bed. Even though I've never had a kid, I think the feeling may be slightly comparable to being a new mom.

Ooooh, yeah... I didn't want to publish comments yet until I've read each one and responded. So if you're wondering where your comment is... never you fear, it's still there! I just wanna make sure I get back to you and if I publish.. I tend to forget.

You guys are the best! I hope you're having a great week in all of our lives. I'm thinking about each one of you. Will try to get back to everyone this week. But for your entertainment.. here are pictures from our teen bible study/cookout/pool party this past Saturday...

Before the study started, a little R & R...

One of the twins.. He agreed to be my "lovey". I'm soooo keeping him.

Our awesome teens on a Saturday night...

Don't think Polly missed out in the fun.

She was there all day and got SO MUCH attention. SPOILED.

(this pic is for you Steph)

Hot Tubbin' with the teens...

Sick = MIA excuse

OMG!! I just checked my email and before I headed out, I wanted to make a quick post because a certain someone *coughStephcough* was looking for me.

I've been sick. Sunday night I started feeling a little something coming on.. Monday I ignored it.. Tuesday it began to rear its' ugly head.. and well for the rest of the week, I've been down... Coughing, sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head.. take lots of stuff to make me sleepy so I can rest..

Aaah... but I think it's starting to get better. And I'll be back to normal.. probably this weekend!

Top that off with I'm the only person on staff in the office (because we had some massive layoffs) so I have to go in.. and because of the rain, I've been busy.. I really wished I could have been in bed but I'm outta sick/vacation time anyway.

Thanks for missing me! I miss you too.. I've just been sleeping in my spare time. I know you guys understand, right?

Compliment much?

Most of us in our bloggy community are women. I don't think I have any men on my friend's list but if I do, you may appreciate this too.

We like compliments. To be told we look pretty. You smell good. Those are nice shoes. Wow, you look skinny (this is my personal favorite). Great outfit. You get my point. If you didn't know what a compliment was, now you do.

Today this happened.

MALE Co-worker (stops in his tracks, stares at me): Did you do something different with your hair?

Me: Um, no. I just blew it dry like whenever I'm not being lazy usual.

Co-worker: Are you sure? It looks different. It looks REALLY dark.

Me: Well, that tends to happen when you have black hair.

Co-worker: No, no... something is different. *He thinks for a minute.* Oh, I know.. you WASHED it.

Me: *I just force a mini smile and look back at my computer with some very non-Christian vocabulary words swirling around in my brain.*

And this is how the conversation should have gone.

FEMALE Co-worker (stops in her tracks, stares at me): OMG! Your hair!! It looks so good!! How did you get it to do that?? Did you just get it cut?

Me: Nope, no cut. Just decided to stop being lazy and actually DO my hair for once. Just a blow dry and flat iron. You like?

Co-worker: Yeah, it looks REALLY good! Did you color it? It's really shiny...

Me: No, no color.. just good hair moisturizer!

Co-worker: Wow, I love it like that.

Me: Awww, thanks! *I go back to looking at the computer with a smile on my face, feeling pretty darn good*.

ps. I made my first goal of five pounds.. Can I get a woo-woo!?!

Four Wheelin'

Those are my leggos, after about 2 hours of skating.

You know you love it when you think you know what my post is gonna be about and then I change it all up on you. I'm snappy like that.

Last night I earned some serious activity points and it all started when I decided to spend some time with a couple of my church's teens last night.

Exhibit 1 - Rollerskates

Exhibit B - Tina on said rollerskates
Exhibit 3 - Probably not one of my best calls as far as judgement goes. We were totally whizzing around as I tried to capture this.Exhibit 4 - Evidence of joy from racing around and around in a circle for hours on end.

I got in last night close to midnight, I think. But man, it was well worth it. I love teenagers.. feisty, adventures, honest (well, sometimes) and when they love you, they really love you. This time was for them but I came away feeling like a million bucks (and a little sore too). And you know what else I took away from this, I love exercise that doesn't really seem like exercise i.e. FUN. Give me some other "fun" ideas that you do so maybe it'll encourage me to get moving and burn, burn, burn!

I hope you all are having the best weekend!

Stalker

Swizzle and I kid with each other that we are each other's stalker. We really are. She comes on over to my place it seem just when I need a good kick in the butt ie. I've been in hiding. Well, this story has nothing to do with her but I thought it was funny, creepy worth telling because it's sorta kinda an NSV.

The other day as I was walking into work, my cell phone rang. It was a girl that used to work with me and would like to still be working with me but doesn't. It's usually busy as soon as I walk in, so I didn't answer. A few minutes later I got a text.... from that same girl. It read, Did you get skinny? Because I just drove by and you look really skinny.

Thank the heavens for good outfits.. because I'm NOT skinny.. but in that 5 second drive by... I looked it.

Creepy or otherwise, I'll take it!

What's in your crystal (light ) ball?

Right now I'm listening to the birds chirp and Polly walk around the office. It's so quiet in here. Sometimes I utterly hate that, to be alone, but today it's okay. I am starting to get caught up on my reading (your blogs of course) and it's funny how life just sort of moves on, even when your own may be at a standstill. Amanda's had her baby, Steph has a baby brewing.. life just sort of continues.. I love that though. When I'm ready to "come out of hiding" everyone is still waiting there.... I'm sort of drifting off in thought here..

I am thinking about some very big changes in my life in the upcoming... months?? maybe, the next year?? A move, to another country, to serve, to build up others, to teach... I spent four years of my life teaching and while it was hard work, it was the best times of my life. Kids put a fire in ya, keep you on your toes, keep you thinking "outside the box". They challenge us to be real. Kids hate superficiality, don't they? And the way they love.. wow! Each morning is new with them.. love to wake up in the morning and hate to go to bed. Man! I wanna be like that.. excited about life that I can't wait until my feet touch the floor.

I wonder where we will all be in a year. What do you want to do? What do you think you'll be doing?

9-1-1

Someone call 9-1-1 because I've fallen off the blog universe and I can't get up.

Wow, what a freakin' two weeks this has been, huh?

I am doing... much better than I ever could have thought. Death is hard time (for me) and I just am not a fan of people I love leaving this earth. Who is, right?

I was able to go home to Mass.. be with mom and dad, my grandma, my aunts, uncle and gazillion cousins. Though they were sad times, it was really priceless to see and hug everyone. Then after that I returned to work for one day and then headed off to Camp Canadensis with our church's teens. Man are they awesome! It was what I needed as a distraction for sure.

When I finish this post, I'm putting some pictures of our time there.. And just so you know, I'm getting back on track (I started again today). Oh and I lost two pounds from last week.. I decided to cut sugar and wheat from my diet for a while. I feel like I have an allergy or something because my butt gets bigger every time I eat the stuff.

I'm ready to be back with you guys. Sorry for the major withdrawal. And thanks for loving me (and missing me).

HOME

Totally am daddy's girl.

This is "downtown" Taunton. This place is called the Taunton Green.
Look it up. It's pretty historic. And my mom is totally being bossy.

Generations of hot Portuguese blood.

Another "Green" picture.

CAMP CANADENSIS

Can't you just smell the fresh air?

Can't have camp without a big ol' campfire!

Good form. My team won! Man, I got some exercise that day!
Swizzle I will be using that toward the challenge thank you very much.

It was foggy and cold in the mountains.

Am I a future leader?

If I hear one more joke about someone getting their rifle when they see this pic, I just may scream.

A pic I actually like of me.

Man, now I have to spend the next few catching up on everyone. Wondering if Amanda has had that baby yet?!? Love you guys!