Thankful Thursday

So today I got to have garden tomatoes, a garden cucumber... yes I ate the whole thing with my lunch, garden corn on the cob, and fresh peaches from the orchard.  How yummy does that sound?  I am so thankful to live in an area with lots of fresh farm produce and the orchard nearby that has peaches and strawberries in season.  Good stuff!  I mean lets face it.  Tomato right out of the garden or tomato from the grocery store.  Are they even the same food?  Um no.  We have another tomato .... I am thinking it is just begging for a BLT with some turkey bacon.  Am I right?

I am so thankful that after the beach water fiasco that I have a working Kindle touch and a working ipod.  My phone is still a question mark.. but I am trying not to give up hope and instead of being upset I keep trying to think of reasons to be thankful.  Thankful like I said that the other 2 things are OK.  Thankful that I have my previous droid phone that I like OK and that is working and getting me through.  Thankful I still had my old Kindle to use while the new one was drying out.  Thankful I have a husband who has been kind and comforting and helpful rather than yelling at me or being upset at me for ruining expensive things.  It is helping my attitude but I will admit to a moment or two of pouting.... cause I just want my phone back!  It's easier to use, the computer processor is faster and its much better for texting because I can see my whole text... and I use it to text a lot for work, not to mention emails.  Trying not to be frustrated and be patient while we solve the problem.... which returns me to that thing I said just a minute ago wasn't it?  to be thankful! 

Thankful that I did work out today!  Yay me.  It's been awhile so I decided I should start slow and see how my back, knee, and the fatigue do and then build from there.  I did 21 minutes on the stationary bike.  I know, that doesn't sound like much, but do I win points if I tell you I was tired and wanted to quit in like 5 minutes?  Um yeah... but I hung in there for 21 minutes and It was almost 5 miles.  Not too shabby right?  I have also tracked my food the last 2 days and did much better with self discipline. 

Lots and lots of other things I've been thankful for the past couple of weeks like....

• birthday week!
• birthday shopping and eating out in Indy
• pink roses
• God's continued patience with me and my issues.... like that weight one.
• going to the beach (at least the times when I don't dump all my stuff in the water)
• husbands who make homemade birthday cakes with candles on top and then sing to me!
• fabulous birthday gifts from friends.  I got the coolest pretty umbrella from Lisa and my friend Lori got me these very cool pink flip flops that have changeable jewels for the top!  So cool.  There was also matching nail polish. 
• date night
• a comforting husband for brides who are heartbroken about wet kindles and phones...
• my parents.  they are going thru a rough time right now with some health issues and I am just reminded of how blessed I am to have them.
• lunch at La Carreta
• getting to pass on a family heirloom to my niece... I need to tell you that story.. someone remind me. 
• sparkly pink phone cases that came in the mail... should I ever again have a phone that fits it. I ordered it before the catastrophe
• fresh fruits and veggies from the garden... so good
• Sophie and Sydney
• reading!  Loving Sweethaven Summer right now. It's written by Courtney Walsh who is a scrapbooker.  The story has really sucked me in.  A scrapbook is an element in the story and it is really making me love my scrapbooks all the more and makes me want to get some more done!
• birthday earrings
• preparing for a fall Sunday School class I am co-teaching/leading again.
• rain... at least we got a little bit
• water and our own well.  Lots of water restrictions in our state right now.
• Godiva chocolate covered strawberries.  I just had one on my birthday.  It was SO good.
• longer hair and french braids!
• God's healing touch
• one restaurant anniversary gift card left... which means date night in the big city!
• bath and body works shower gel.  I love that stuff

So... even though there are some really rough things going on right now, and some problems I wish were solved.. and waiting is not my best thing.... Still life is so much better when I try and focus on the good things, the many blessings, the things I am thankful for.  It makes you realize that even the things that are upsetting and stressful?  Well I am still blessed and there are people dealing with so much worse. 

Have an awesome date night!   I hope to return on the weekend with something interesting to share.... it could happen.  Blessings!

Weight Loss Wednesday

So welcome to the first Weight Loss Wednesday.  I've been thinking about this for awhile and am glad to finally get started. Well let me rephrase that.  My mood seems to change moment to moment.  I totally need to get started.  Out of obedience to God I want to get started.  Do my emotions "want to" get started?  Um no.  But that there would be the story of my life.

In case you are new to my weight loss story, let me give you a brief summary.  I have struggled with weight my entire life.  I doubt one day has passed that I wasn't either trying to lose weight, thinking I need to be trying to lose weight, or trying to keep from putting weight back on.  It's a daily, constant thorn in my abundant side.  The funny thing about weight... or maybe funny is the wrong word because it so doesn't feel funny... is that it's a very personal, private painful struggle for me, yet its also one that I can't keep so private because the whole world sees what you look like every day. 

In February 2008, the picture you see here was me.  At my highest weight ever, in a huge rut with not only weight, but life in general.  Not happy with myself anywhere.  Sick and tired of feeling cruddy, tired, ugly and with lower than low self esteem.  Then I read an article online called Keys to Lasting Change and God got my attention.  Boy did he get my attention.  Especially this part: "I got serious about core issues in my life when I realized that not only was I destroying my life and my family, and not really helping my church, but also that I will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and have to give an account. And do you know what? A holy fear came over me."  I realized that I knew, had known for a long time that God didn't approve of the role food played in my life.  Eating enough to get to that weight?  Well that involves greed for food, even lust for food and perhaps could food even be an idol in my life?  Um yeah... I am thinking a big yes on that one.  I also realized that I was mistaking God's patience with me for permission.  Just because he hadn't struck me with lightning... well that didn't mean he was putting his stamp of approval on what I was doing either.  I am a Christian.  I want to live a life pleasing to God, pleasing to my savior Jesus.  I want the Bible to be my rule book and if that is the case I also have to be accountable for my behavior.  That was the beginning. 

I started eating less. No specific diet, just trying to pay attention to when I was truly hungry and when I was full and stop there.  The weight started to come off.  Then I thought to myself... well.. we are going to need to move too and I started walking.  Within a few months I joined weight watchers online and started what has now been more than a 4 year journey.  From Feb. 2008 thru July 2010 I lost a total of 97 lbs.  I got off of blood pressure meds.  All of my health numbers like cholesterol, etc got into healthy ranges.  I will say though that every ounce, every pound gone was a fight!  I struggle with low thyroid too so my metabolism isn't so fabulous.  It was worth the fight.  I felt like a new Deanna.  New Deanna could walk 5, 10, 12 miles!  Old Deanna was out of breath coming in from the parking lot.  New Deanna felt confidence she had never had before, she got up in front of the whole church and shared her weight loss struggle, she witnessed about it to strangers who would stop and ask her about the change they saw in her. 

Then 2011... and 2012 came.  In 2011 I plateaued in a serious way.  It got sooooo frustrating.  Weight loss is so not a if you do A + B you get C kind of thing.  You can do all the right things and still stay so stuck.  During that time I didn't quit trying.  Did I get complacent, did I get less disciplined with myself... well I'd have to say yes on that one.  At New Years time 2011 I was so ready to jump back in with renewed effort and finally get to my goals.  Enter Monogirl... When the mono hit and the fatigue and sickness that comes with it?  Well my workouts stopped for months and my eating?  Not so good.  When that finally started to let up there was wedding plans and honestly? The fatigue has still not completely gone away.  I don't have the stamina I used to.  I am tired a lot.  Then I pulled a muscle in my back and had to sit out the workouts longer. It feels like its been one thing after the next.

Have I used any of those things as an excuse?  I'd have to admit yes.  Have I given up and quit trying all together?  Absolutely not.  I am so not done with this journey.  I will never be done.  My weight loss struggles will likely be a battle I have to be in for the rest of my life, but I intend to be back in the fight and not sitting here in the ditch like I have been.  I miss the new Deanna.  I want her back. 

So -Here is a good recent (favorite) picture.  This is where we are now.  Am I still at my lowest point?  Sadly... no, and that is incredibly hard for me to admit.  You see another thing that comes with the whole weight loss deal?  It feels like everyone is watching you.  Some are rooting for you and cheering your success.  Some are waiting for you to fail.  So yes, hard to admit I've gone in the wrong direction a bit.  It bothers me.  It bothers me a LOT.  Why?  Well also with the weight loss problems comes the teasing, the staring, the being made fun of, the being told how ugly you are... so this creates the idea in Deanna's head that weight down = pretty, weight up = ugly.  Have you any idea how hard it is to change that kind of negative thinking?  And really, that is such a huge part of this journey.  Changing my brain.  The way I think.  The way I see myself, The way I talk to myself.  The way I choose to accept and love myself... or not.  Still needing God's help on that one too.  Just because I am not at my lowest right now my head tells me I look like I did back at the beginning in 2008. 

What is today about?  Getting back on track and setting some new goals and using my blog here to help keep me accountable.  So I dragged myself onto the scale this morning and NO did not like what I saw, but it wasn't a surprise.  I got myself logged into weight watchers today and got back to tracking my eating.  The plan from here is the following:

1. I am setting a goal that between July 25 and Jan 1st I will get back to that 97 lb mark, pass it and finally reach 100 lbs gone.  That is a God sized goal because weight seems to come off of me at a snails pace... but I'm going to give it my best shot! 
2. I will get back to my weight watchers tracking and track my food every day and stay within my weekly points values.
3. I will resume my work outs and will work out 5 days a week, and 6 when possible.  I want to get back to my 4 mile walks and increase that when possible and also add in some Zumba and Jillian Michael's workouts like shred and the kettle bell stuff.
4. I will blog each Wednesday about that week's journey and how it has gone. 

And I guess we will make up the rest as we go along.  There is a tab at the top of the page with weight loss photos if you'd like to see more photos from highest to lowest point.  If you reading and are on a weight loss journey of your own, or will be here supporting me, please leave me a comment.  I'd love to know who is traveling this path with me.  Blessings!

Ten On Tuesday Birthday Week Recap

1) So yes, birthday week and then birthday festivities and the days that followed got a wee bit all consuming... Is that like an oxymoron?  Wee bit all consuming?  Well it was and then I got behind on blogging which just means I had one more thing to add to the list of all the numerous things I am behind on!  Did you follow all that?  You are good! 

2) Birthday week day 7, last Wednesday, was very fun.  My sweet husband left me some studio calico hearts and arrows, and a chipboard title in the house.  One in my make up case, one by my toothbrush in the medicine cabinet and I thought we were done.  Then I found these Tim Holtz cards in my car!  How fun is that.  Plus... he went shopping at the LSS all by himself.  He did pretty darn good too don't ya think?  Studio Calico?  Tim Holtz stuff?  That man has been paying attention. 

3) I got to work on that Wednesday and before long... I see a florist truck pull up outside.  Now who doesn't love seeing the florist truck pull up?  The nice delivery man.. of course he's nice, he's bringing me pink flowers... come in and hands me these!  Aren't they gorgeous?!!  I was surprised because I knew on my actual birthday we were going to Indy, and we had already gotten some flowers on date night so I wasn't sure he'd do more.  Never fear.. he did.  I told you he is good. 

4) Wednesday night we got to sample the made from scratch just for me yellow cake!  He said he needed to write on it and then decided it looked "pathetic."  Now I ask you... do you see anything pathetic there?  Why did he think that?  Um because Mr. detailed drafting person did not like that icing does not come out of the can evenly and so the T and N were thicker than the other letters.... I so do not think that equals pathetic do you?  More like extremely cute and sweet!  He got candles too...

And yes... all 46 fit on the cake.  Although my friend Lisa saw the picture and said next year I might need a bigger cake... Very funny... not. He did also sing the required Happy Birthday too you song and then we got to sample the cake!  It was quite yummy... all the butter and eggs.. almost like pound cake.  Good stuff! 

5) On my brithday on Thursday I had the day off already and Darrel took a vacation day and we headed to the really big city, Indianapolis, for some yummy food and very fun shopping.  We got to go to Stir Crazy for lunch, we shopped at 2 malls and ended our day at The Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  We snapped this self portrait during a rest break at the mall.  We were using the front facing camera which always makes you look at the image which makes it look like we are looking down.... oh well.. I like it any way! 

6) This is my birthday gift from my husband!  They are Swarovski crystal earrings.  I think they were called Gilian.  LOVE them.  The crystals are sooooo pretty and I love the shape.  Plus they are dangly and sparkly and girly... what's not to love? Was just thinking about the matching necklace... maybe Santa will bring that for me.  I've been a very good girl this year... so far.  

7) I have mentioned that I am working on growing my hair out.  Well Saturday I was getting ready to head to the beach and got to wondering if it would go into a french braid yet?  It did!  How cool is that.  It has been maybe 8 years or so since I had enough hair to do that?  Love it!  And was happy to find out that I remembered how to do it!

8) I did go to the beach Saturday. It was great weather.  The water had cooled down some from the 100 degree days and felt awesome.  I normally just use my beach chair but that day, I had decided to bring my raft and float.  While I was floating I accidentally bumped into my beach chair causing it to tip over backwards.  This meant that my towels, my cover up, my cooler bag and my beach bag all went into the water.  My beach bag is water resistant, but not water proof as it is open on top.  I had my Kindle, my phone, and my ipod with me.  All in the beach bag.  All three were in a puddle inside the smaller bag inside the beach bag.  I was SO upset.  I hurried home and got everything in rice but was very scared my 2 month old Kindle and my 4 month old phone were done for.  My ipod managed to survive, I think saved by the fact that my Nike plus was attached which blocks the openings into the device.  The phone and the Kindle?  Not good... and they sat in rice for the next 3 days. 

9) Can I just say God is amazing. When my Kindle got wet, it had lines across the screen. I thought it was toast. I called Amazon to find that the water voided my warranty and that I could try the rice, but the lines across the screen were not a good sign.   I was heartbroken. I love my Kindle and use it every day.  It's been in rice for 3 days. I tried to turn it on this afternoon. Nothing. Dead. Lines on the screen. I tried to reset. I tried plugging it in. Light wouldn't even come on to charge. When I was a little girl my Sunday school... teacher told me if its important to you, its important to God.So yes I prayed for my Kindle and told God it might be silly, but I knew He could fix it if he wanted to. I opened my eyes, the light came on for charging at that moment. Still lines on the screen. Tried hard reset few more times? The screen suddenly cleared. It showed charging. My home screen just came up. All my info was there, and it even synced with my old Kindle that I had been using today. God is so cool. He can do huge things and sometimes just throws in those little things just because he can and just because it makes me feel so loved. Which I do. Did I mention God is so cool? Just wanted to make sure you got that. The jury is still out on my phone.  It will turn on, but we can't get it much past that.  Still feeling like its going to work out and trying not to worry.  We put it back in the rice in case it hasn't dried out all the way.  Hoping it will be restored to service too.  Soon.  I miss my phone.

10) Sunday we spent some time with family celebrating our niece Lauryn's birthday.  She is 17.  How is that possible?  One minute she is looking all mature and grown up and the next minute... this would be her licking the melted ice cream, from her ice cream cake... off of the plate. Very cute.  I am thinking she'd probably appreciate me posting this on her facebook wall.  Don't you? 

I know I missed the new weight loss Wednesday last week as promised.  I haven't forgotten and hope to kick things off tomorrow.  Life has been a bit much to handle lately with some of my own health issues and some other things going on, but I am really hoping to make a strong effort to get myself out of the ditch and back up on the road and get life back to my routine... which you know I crave right?  So tune in tomorrow evening!  Blessings!

Ten On Tuesday for Birthday Week

1) I don't think I've ever looked this cute while I was baking. Why is that?  He just looks cute no matter what he does and is especially so when baking his wife a birthday cake.  Yes.  I finally made a cake decision.  You'd think it was rocket science or something for all the time it took me. The official decision?  Yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  Yes.  Like the wedding cake and cupcakes.  I told you I still had wedding on the brain.  It was so awesome.  Can you blame me?  I told him he could just make a box mix or even suggested buying one from the wedding cake lady.  Did he do that?  Nope.  He found himself a scratch yellow cake recipe on the Internet.  He shopped for ingredients.  He separated 8 eggs all by himself... and he made his wife what I am sure will be a quite yummy 2 layer yellow birthday cake!  It's got 8 egg yolks and a 1/2 lb of butter in it.  What wouldn't be yummy about that? Are you still wondering why I like birthdays so much?  Who wouldn't with a guy like that?  Here is the cake result!

Now how pretty is that? Maybe he should start a cake business on the side.  Darrel's woodworking and cakes.  Wouldn't you shop there?

2) I have mentioned the whole growing out the hair idea correct?  Does it make me goofy or just really really smart... you are of course thinking really really smart right?  I knew you were.  What was my point?  Oh yeah... if I am goofy or smart that I was watching Four Houses on TLC last night and one lady, her name was Brandi, had great long layered hair and I loved her hair cut.  I was all "I need a picture of her hair to show my stylist! What do I do?!!"  Well what one does is pause their show on the DVR and take a picture of the TV screen! OK....maybe it was multiple pictures of the TV screen.  See... you were right on the smart thing weren't you?  Let's just hope my stylist can decipher said haircut!

3) For birthday week day 5 the prince left me this lovely sparkly pink notebook with a very sweet little note for an extra nice little touch!  Now I love pink sparkly notebooks.  Not only because its pink, its sparkly, its office supplies... all very good things... but also because the first birthday week gift for the very first day of the first birthday week like ever was a pink sparkly notebook.  You know I get all dreamy about stuff like that... see, smart husband. 

4) Another favorite birthday thing is getting my free gift from Sephora!  Last year it was philosophy shower gel which I loved!  This year?  It was 2 Sugar Adavanced Therapy Lip Treatments.  One sheer, one tinted.  Hadn't tried them before but am liking them!  Very nice little gift.

5) Have you heard of or tried the new gel manicures?  I saw it mentioned on the Pink Pistachio blog and was looking at the gelish stuff on Amazon.  Intriguing.... I like the idea of a manicure lasting for 3 weeks... not so excited about the expense of the UV/LED light.  Has anyone out there tried this?  Does it really Last that long?  Sephoa has this set.. but also pricey!

6) Birthday week day 6 was today!  My husband gave me more very cute beach stuff, some of my favorite Tim Holtz ink and yes... chocolate.  Scrapbooking stuff and chocolate.  Is there a better combination?

7) So what are you loving on pinterest right now?  Some of my latest fav pins have been these nails, these highlights, this salad, and these brownie cookies!

8) It is almost time for the Indiana State Fair!  yay!  We love having a state fair day!  We haven't yet picked a day but I am noticing they are having a balloon glow again on one of the Fridays.  That was very cool to see last year!  I'd be up for that again.

9) Thought my back injury was all healed.  Felt pretty good for several days.  Then... the pain has apparently moved.  Now its hurting in the upper left shoulder area.  What is the deal?  Getting really frustrated with getting healthy from one thing and starting right in on the next thing.  So.. back on the meds.  Back on the heating pad... and hoping it mends quickly.  Darrel is convinced its still all part of twisting my back when I fell into the car at Hilton Head.  That's the only thing I can think of that could have done it. 

10) Tried out my $29 Orthaheel sandals today.  They are cute,but take a little getting used to.  When I first put them on I totally feel like I am walking on some big lump in my arch but somehow, quite quickly, they feel like a good fit to my foot and are quite comfy. I wouldn't think the arch support would bug me because I wear my birks pretty frequently and they have good arch support... maybe its something with the whole "orthaheel" idea that is supposed to help people with hurting heels?  Whatever the reason I like them and am glad I got a good buy on some cute and comfy shoes. 

Tune in tomorrow for day 7 of birthday week.  I am told there will be birthday cake!  Be very impressed I didn't cut into it yet.  The prince says he plans to write on it and add candles tomorrow... so how could I not wait for that right?  Blessings!

Birthday Week Day 4

Birthday Week day 4 and the boy... seems to think I like the beach.  Where did he get that idea?  Perhaps he knows me oh... just a little bit well?  Today he gave me this very cute beach scrapbooking stuff which included this very cool little 4x6 pad which would be perfect to use if one were doing oh say something like project life and liked visiting the beach and taking pictures... know anyone like that?  I didn't think so. The inside pages vary from just pattern paper, to journaling spots to quotes.  Very cute.  I am liking this page especially.

And was already thinking how cute the little Very Vera beach day instagram I took the other day would look with that in a 4x6 slot on a project life page.  There may be hope for my continuing the project life journey yet! 

The debate is still not settled on which birthday cake to pick or what to do on said birthday.  The prince and I are going to be discussing that here shortly. Although... as soon as I narrow down my choices I begin to regret the choice I just discarded and the whole debate begins again.  Of course this is all happening in my head... is that a sign of anything.... like old age.... or perhaps mental illness?  Don't answer that. 

Did I mention that my birthday happens to fall on my day off this year?  And... did I further mention that my husband had an extra vacation day and is going to use it to spend the day with me?  Happy Birthday to me!  As far as the birthday plans I am torn between sleeping in... breakfast together... beach time somewhere with some water... and then dinner out OR shopping day out on the town together and perhaps dinner at oh somewhere like the Cheesecake Factory?  That choice is currently in the lead in the imaginary birthday happenings race in my head. 

Today's been good. We got to use a anniversary gift card for a nice lunch at our favorite place.  The prince headed to the big city for some birthday shopping.  Don't you just love a guy who goes birthday shopping?  Monogirl was pretty tired by after church time so she had a nap and has pretty much been resting today.  I am thinking if you add up all the rest I've needed this year, its probably equal to all the rest I've needed in my previous 44 years of life!  Sure feels that way. 

Hope you have a great week planned!  I know I am looking forward to mine.  Even Monday.. and I never look forward to Monday.  It's like the morning of the week... and NOT a morning person doesn't even begin to cover it.  ha!  Blessings!

Birthday Week Day 2 & 3

Ok so please tell me I don't look like I have bug eyes.... Spiderman?  No?  Thank you.  Because these would be my $8 Vera B. sunglasses.  $8 for $70 sunglasses I am thinking they should at least look cute! They arrived yesterday which made for some extra birthday week fun on day 2 of birthday week! 

Also arriving on birthday week were 2 tops and a pair of sandals I had ordered thru Zulilly.  Do you Zulilly?  I am not always sure its a good idea cause some days it can be dangerous to the pocket book.  One of the tops is an orange leopard print tank top.  I had to check with Darrel today to make sure it didn't cause me to look like Fred Flinstone.  Not the look I was going for.  I was also hoping it doesn't make me look like I just stepped out of Jerseylicious cause um those girls are a little over the top even for me.  The sandals are Orthaheel, and are this style.  $90 for $29 on Zulilly... see what I mean?  Dangerous.  I hadn't tried the Orthaheels before but my friend Kay wears them and they are supposed to be comfy and good for your feet! I'm all for comfy cute feet. 

Birthday week gift for day 2 was 3 beautiful pink roses given to me on date night! We headed to the Big City first for date night and ran a few quick errands while we waited for the time for the drive in to draw a little closer.  Since it is no longer 100+ degrees outside we figured a drive in date night might not only be possible, but enjoyable.  Well if you are taking 3 roses with you, I am thinking that was a pretty good start.  Especially when the flowers came from the wedding flower place... a fact the pink princess birthday week bride throughly enjoyed. 

Either right before or right after the roses... I can't remember... getting old dontcha know.... I asked if we could try the Gigi's cupcake place I had spotted while we were at Michaels and get a little date night dessert.  So we stopped and checked out the cupcake selection which, near closing time, was getting a little slim.  We did however manage to leave with these two. 

The one on the left was Darrel's.  Strawberry cake, chocolate icing...yes.. that tall stuff that looks like ice cream?  That's the icing.  And then his was dipped in chocolate ganache.  Mine is on the right... It was devilsfood cake, vanilla cream cheese frosting and mini chocolate chips on top.  Quite yummy and quite heavy!  All that icing apparently adds some weight.. well ok... in more ways then one.  In fact... since my Mom loves icing, especially cream cheese icing I shared a picture with her but since she is diabetic told her should she eat one of these.. I am thinking she would need an extra shot! 

After the all important pizza that we brought with us for dinner and then the yummy cupcakes we settled ourselves down to watch a double feature!  Spiderman was first and Men in Black 3 was 2nd which is a contrast to the normal rule that the 2nd movie, by definition, must stink.  ha!  We liked them both.  I loved Josh Brolin as young Tommy Lee Jones.  Wow.. I kept trying to figure out how they made Tommy Lee look so young.  He totally had him pegged.  Very good.  We love the drive in and it always makes for a fun and relaxing date night.  Although - the late hour returning home was not so good for mono girl and she has been kind of out of it today.  Yes.  That is still giving me a little trouble.  It's much better but totally not gone.  Darrel keeps reminding me that the DR said I could struggle for up to a year.  Isn't that happy news? 

For birthday week day 3, I received this lovely and also yummy bag of ghirardelli chocolate caramel squares. Another wedding goodie.  Cupcakes, pink roses, the same candy, perhaps there is some wedding theme to birthday week that I am just figuring out?  I'm all for that.  Does that mean at the end of the week I get jewelery and we get to go to Hilton Head again?  Sign me up!

On the way home from the Big city I heard this song for the 2nd time.  LOVE this song.  Love it. 

Big Daddy Weave - Redeemed (Official Music Video) from big-daddy-weave on GodTube.
Especially love this lyric:
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me "son
Stop fighting a fight that's already been won"

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
Wipe away every stain now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed

And I don't think I could think of anything much better to close with for today.  See you tomorrow for day 4! Blessings!

Thankful Thursday for Bday Week Day 1

Yes my friends... it is the long awaited, much anticipated birthday week.  Well OK... maybe I was the only one waiting and anticipating but since its my birthday week... that is exactly the way it should be am I right?  And this year's birthday week started with some lovely art work from my husband left on our message board to be found by the pink princess bride whenever she roused herself out of bed at a princessy hour... of oh.. 10:00? Can I be the pink princess bride for birthday week? I'm thinking its not only OK.. it should be required.  I told you, I am still on a wedding high.  Every time I look at my ring and think about reading the vows that we wrote to each other?   I get all dreamy and girly and like 18 again and feel the need to swoon.  But have you seen the groom? 

Cause look at him?!!  I thinking hubba hubba and now you understand my need to go weak in the knees at the thought of this man saying he still wants to be married to me.  Not only that... he is like totally on board with the whole pink birthday week idea and he was actually the one who started it!  What's not to love?  In case you are wondering the origins of birthday week, cause I know you love history, especially about pink stuff.... it begin in 2007 and is documented here...

Well to add to the birthday week fun, the first official gift was left on the counter for me.  Pink Alpha stickers and some yummy looking chocolate.  Is there a scrapbooking girl that would not be happy to have alphas and chocolate?  I didn't think so. 

He said he wasn't sure if I'd like the chocolate because he wasn't familiar with the brand, but he knew when we were at Godiva I sometimes like their chocolate hazelnut stuff.. so he thought this might be good.  Now he wins husband points right there because a) he noticed and remembered the hazelnut thing and um b) he is a guy and he thought all that thru.  I am thinking A+ on that one.  Perhaps now I should eat some chocolate and scrapbook something and put my pink stickers to use and remind myself that I am in fact a scrapbooker. 

I was off work today.  It's summer. It's July.  It was hot and sunny and oh yeah... its birthday week.  So I am guessing you can probably figure out where I spent the majority of my day? 

Yes I had a very Vera day at the beach! I am thinking I had no less than um 5 Vera things in this picture?   This is the official beach chair set up.  You start with the perfect beach chair that sits low so you can be in the water and not like melt while you are at the beach.  You then attach your pretty new Vera towel to the back of said chair with your very cute PINK flamingo towel clips, a birthday week gift from my friend Lori year before last I think while Darrel was in Haiti.  Then you sling your Vera cooler bag with the all important snacks and water and OK diet Pepsi over one clip and after one hoses themselves down with tanning spray... the pretty pink Vera bag gets slung over the other side.  I am in love with the chair clips because they keep the breeze from blowing my towel in the water while I am taking a dip... and... they make a secure place to sling your bag over the chair without having to worry it is going to slip in the water.  If you are an in the water beach sitter... you learn you must think of these things.  At this point... I pretty much have the whole beach chair set up down to a science.  Trust me. 

So obviously I am thinking the first thing on my thankful list this week?  Birthday week.  I love birthday week.  I love birthdays.  I love presents.  Have I mentioned that?  Yes?  Just checking.  While I was at the beach today there was some thunder, yet it was sunny.  We all stayed put and enjoyed the water until the lightning appeared.  At this point the lifeguards had the rare opportunity to blow their little whistles and make us all get out of the water.  Yes, even the pink princess bride and her beach chair.  Well I just backed up about 6 feet or so and settled myself down on the beach to wait it out.  They said we didn't have to leave, but we weren't allowed back in the water for 1 hour from the time of the last lightning siting.  Since I would NOT like to have lightning anywhere near me, I am thinking it was a good plan.  Did I go home?  Um no.  I am counting the number of beach hours I have left before the beach closes um like next month ... can you believe it... so I decided to wait it out.  My phone weather radar had me reasonably sure the storm was just passing us by so while everyone, and I do mean everyone else left the beach, I had the peace and quiet and my pretty pink Kindle all to myself! A little thunder and lightning in the distance was not going to chase me home after a mere two hours... Nope.  All in all, it actually was a pretty peaceful and good beach day! 

I am also feeling very thankful for

• my Dad.  He is dealing with an illness right now and I am thankful for the peace God is giving us and how I see him working.  God is good. My dad is awesome.  :)
• praying with my Dad and family
• a husband that started the birthday week fun and continues it each year
• beach time!
• reading at the beach
• the smell of suntan lotion.... it reminds of the beach.  ha!
• growing out my hair and not losing my mind at what to do with it in the process... so far.
• Amazing wedding pics and an amazing photographer that took them
• Vera stuff !
• God giving me scripture verses to share with my Dad
• my new wedding ring.  I like look at it alllll the time.  Love it
• life starting to get back to a normal routine.  I like routine
• Sophie and Sydney
• a very fun date night last week at Olive Garden and the mall!
• new dress and shoes
• having my thank you notes 1/2 done. 
• Sunday lunch with my parents and sister and her family
• the boy going to the beach with me last Saturday
• singing at church
• did I mention new pink platform shoes?  its worth repeating
• Sophie and Sydney
• good friends
• a house that is cleaner at the moment than it has been in months.  how did that happen?
• the fact that I am still reliving and enjoying our 2nd wedding day
• pink pedicures
• ankle bracelets
• summer shoes
• finding this blog thru pinterest that gave me some great tips on styling my growing out hair.  I tried some of her volume tips today... they work and are also the reason I had to order this brush... I also plan to try the hairspray she mentions
• seeing this mini book that I LOVE and realizing that I have a $10 credit on 2peas from winning a contest that would make the base book free.  :)
• that perhaps with that last revelation I realized there is still a scrapbooker in me somewhere .... she has just been asleep with mono girl for awhile.

And there.. you have it.  Thankful Thursday for birthday week!  I am not sure if I will get to post for birthday week tomorrow because its date night.  And I even promised in my newly recited new vows to always protect and give preferential treatment to date night.  :)  Yep I did.  So probably look for me on Saturday sometime for day 2 and day 3.  Until then, have a blessed week!

Ten On Tuesday

1) So I was going to start with date night since I've been trying to get time to blog about that for what... 3-4 days? But then I thought... how could I not start by sharing my most favorite wedding picture? I mean look at the handsome guy in the black suit. Is he not amazing? 25 years later and I still can't believe he is looking at me like that. Wow.. God is so good. Love the angle of this picture, love how the pinks look. Love the flowers, love the outdoor lighting, Love it! Either right before or right after this picture she took one of us kissing which is definitely my 2nd favorite.. if not tied for first!

2) Date night. We headed back to the big city for the first time since a week or so before the wedding. We received a few restaurant gift cards for anniversary gifts so we decided to head to Olive Garden for a date night treat! Very fun to order a nice meal, including a spicy shrimp appetizer and not have a bill! We skipped dessert because we thought a little Baskin Robbins after the all important visit to the mall sounded like more fun... especially when the bride wanted to try the flavor of the month....Oreo In Chocolate... and can I just say... YUM. Definitely need to get me some more of that. But... before we hit the ice cream.... I believe I mentioned a visit to the mall.

3) Look what we found at the mall!!  Well OK... Darrel spotted them and pointed them out.  You would think he would have hidden them right?  Nope... he is such a smart husband.  Unbeknown to him, I had been eyeing these shoes on the web since the beginning of summer!  The reason I didn't own them?  Um the $70-$80 price tag.  Well Macy's and their fabulous clearance shoe rack which I do not seem to be physically capable of walking by without looking.... had these shoes marked down to 55% off I think?  SOLD!  LOVE them.  They are pink.  They are shiny.  They have a 5" cork platform wedge.  I was surprised my name wasn't written right on them somewhere because um what's not to love right? There were tons of great clearance sales going on.  Darrel had some fun too.  At one point he got so interested in a sweater that he discovered was only $10 he walked away from the cashier and left his change.  He said it was because he knew I would get it... but I still maintain he was more worried about the sweater.  Besides, if I knew he thought I was getting it I would have gotten it and put it to good use! ha!!  I also found a $8 PJ top, a $12 pink crochet very cute top, an adorable $29 black and white dress (that looks very cute with pink shoes...) AND a pair of Jessica Simpson Waleo pumps in a beautiful bright blue for $15.  Fifteen.... for $89 shoes... this is them on zappos.

4) Here you have a lovely assortment of beach goodness by Vera Bradley.  The resort tote is the one I bought at Hilton Head.  I already happened to have the e-book cover for my Kindle in the matching pattern.  I know... how amazing that I own some Vera B in the matching pattern... not.  Well I liked the resort tote sooooo much, that then I decided I just must have the matching beach towel.  Scored when of those at Dillards.com when everyone else appears to be sold out since this was a limited item.  Then... I found the matching resort cosmetic bag and told the birthday fairy my mother about it and guess what showed up a few days ago on my back porch?  Now am I all decked out in Vera style for the beach or what?  Now I just need my day off to get here so I can actually go to the beach!

5) Speaking of the beach... I am hoping its not going to disappear soon.  Me and the boy headed to the beach this past Saturday and due to the drought the water level continues to decline.  It's a little scary!  Can you see how far its down?  Usually only the orange painted part of the post is showing above the water.  The lake must be down a good 2 feet at this point!  We like to sit in our chairs in the water to stay cool and Saturday this meant sitting right in front of the first rope. Usually its up to my thighs at that point when I am standing!  Low water or not though the boy and I did have a very nice beach day and got some serious sun and accomplished some serious reading!  In case you are wondering why I referred to my husband as "the boy..." you might remember me telling you about it in this post. 

6) Speaking of serious reading, I just finished reading Divergent and Insurgent.  Have you heard of these?  I saw them mentioned on Goodreads and they said if you liked The Hunger Games books, you would like Divergent and Insurgent.  I believe Kayla reviewed them on her blog also and said the same thing.  Well I would agree!  Very different story line than The Hunger Games, but at the same time still felt like I was reading that style of book.  Really liked the both of them and was very sad to discover the 3rd book in the Trilogy does not come out till FALL 2013.  Are they serious?  How can I wait that long after the bombshell at the end of book 2? 

7) If you are up on current events... then you know what happens this week right?  Day after tomorrow... birthday week!  yay!!  How happy am I?  The master of birthday week ceremonies... that would be my husband... would like to know what the bride... that would be me (I am still on a wedding high so I figure I can still be the bride)... wants for her birthday cake this year.  Would you find it hard to believe that I can't seem to narrow it down from 4, yes count them... 4 choices?  I am always hungry for Eclair Cake on my birthday and that is my usual choice.  But this year?  After the yummy wedding cake and cupcakes I have thought about a yummy chocolate cake from scratch with homemade icing too.  Then I thought about the awesome chocolate sheet cake that I made for Easter this year?  And that is sounding pretty yummy.  Then... I made the mistake of browsing over at Pinterest and found this recipe for yummy ice cream cake like from DQ! I cannot make up my mind... and now since I seem to keep having warm fuzzy thoughts about the yellow cake with chocolate icing from the wedding cake lady... I swear I've contemplated calling her up and ordering a birthday cake from her... happy birthday to me! Is it wrong to have 5 cakes for your birthday? 

8) This is what our tables looked like at our reception.  This is the only picture I have!  Can't believe I didn't take any pictures that day.  My husband took this one with his phone that day because while I was home getting ready and packing, he had gone to pick up the flowers and had brought them back to the church and was placing them on the reception tables.  We used a mixture of 3 antique canning jars, or other antique glasses and containers on each table.  We had white table cloths and then doilies in the center.  The doilies were ones I have, Lisa had some, and then my sisters-in-law and mother -in-law brought me some to use.  Loved the look!  Lisa made the fabulous confetti for the tables and placed it on there so perfectly and then we had a candle in the smallest container, a pink rose in the next size and then a white/sprayed pink hydrangea in the large jar.  We ended up with more tables than we thought so Lisa's father-in-law let us have some of his blue hydrangeas and we had those on the small tables.  It came out soooo pretty and looked just how I wanted it to look.  Here is a better picture of the hydrangeas.

I took this picture the next day in the car on the way to Hilton Head.  I brought some flowers with me so I could enjoy them as long as possible.  Weren't the hydrangeas gorgeous?  I love how this one looks heart shaped!  Perfect.  I also wanted to enjoy my bouquet as long as possible since it was totally gorgeous and just what I wanted... here is how it looked in Hilton Head a I think like 3 days after the ceremony?

The bottom part started to wilt the most at first, but as long as we kept it in water, it pretty much lasted the whole week.  I loved it.  Wish I could have somehow preserved the whole thing.

9) Did I ever show you our wedding favors?  How cute did these turn out?  Darrel and I made them together.  Sounds like fun right?  Well the first 10 were... after that? Scoring 120 some pieces of cardstock, folding, punching, gluing, etc... well it got a little old.  Still glad we did it though because I love them! The idea started with something similar I saw on marthastewart.com.  Hers looked like these with the little 1/2 heart standing up.  I liked those, but when I saw that, I thought of my anywhere heart punch and wondered how that would look.  Then I figured my draftsman husband would be the perfect guy to figure out the dimensions and score lines measurements, etc. to make it to fit around 2 ghirardelli chocolate squeares.  So he measured and made a prototype, we got ourselves a little wedding favor assembly line going and viola!  Wedding favors.  We just had to cut the kraft into strips.  I designed the little D&D 25 in publisher, Darrel got it to work in CAD and we printed a whole cardstock sheet of those and cut them into squares.  Next we scored the cardstock for the folds.  Darrel punched the hearts.  Together then we glued in the pink insert and then glued them around the candy.  Love how it came out.  Not looking forward to doing it again anytime soon.  ha! 

10) This has not been a good year so far for my weight loss journey.  Last year was a struggle too with a long plateau.  Then you hit this year and add in the whole mono deal?  Not helpful.  Have not been working out like I'd like or like I was.  Eating has not been what it was.  Not happy with where I am at.  My birthday is coming up next week, July 19th.  I am going to be setting some new goals with all this in mind and with my birthday as a starting point to that goal.  I am going to be blogging about the whole renewed weight loss journey starting hopefully tomorrow, Wednesday.  If that doesn't work out as planned, definitely next Wednesday.  I want to use Wednesday as a weekly report on the journey and for accountability.  I hope you will join me as I begin moving forward again! 

Well.. now that blogger has driven me completely nuts being totally contrary this evening.. I shall close this post and call it good.  If the spacing is all crazy.. I am going to have to call it good and try to not let it drive me nuts...although we all know it will.  It's a Deanna thing.  :)  Hope your week has been good.  Thanks for staying with me.  Blessings!

Thankful Thursday

I am quite thankful that while we were on Hilton Head Island.  On the island? At the island? If I was on the island do I sound like Gilligan?  Anyway... while we were on our 2nd Honeymoon.. hows that?  My sweet husband bought me this pretty sand dollar charm for my pandora/camilla type bracelet.  How cool is that.  I love stuff like that because now every time I wear it, and see that charm, it puts me right back in the moment.  Plus... its pretty cute right?  Did I mention too that while we were taking that walk along the beach, you know, the one right after I broke my camera by dipping it in the water.... yeah.. that walk.  While on that walk we saw a sand dollar from when the tide came in.  It was very cool!!  Darrel tossed it back in the ocean and I was sad that because of the broken camera I didn't get a picture.  So I guess 2nd best thing is a sand dollar charm right?  Also during that walk we saw a cross someone made in the sand with Jesus written on it.  I loved that and was also SAD that I couldn't take a picture. Don't worry I don't need to be scolded for dipping my camera in ocean water.. I did a good enough job of that myself for most of the walk!  ha!

I am also thankful for a fresh pink pedicure!  Stopped at the pedi place after work today and enjoyed a very nice foot and calf massage and a got a very cute pedi!  I loved this girl.  She asked me if I wanted a design, I said yes, and she just went ahead and did this on her own.  It is so cute and possibly my favorite design like ever!  I am going to ask for this same lady next time.  She did a really good job and was very nice to me.  I like that. She redeemed my nail places standing.  Last 2 times I had a different girl and if I was going to keep getting put with her?  Well I was going to try somewhere else.  She loves to talk to me, to herself, to everyone in the place, usually quite loud and in her own language.  She seemed to rush the pampering part and lets face it.. that's the fun part.. the massage and foot bath right?  Then when I wanted a flower or something, she seems to be under the impression that she is Picasso or something and um... I am thinking a big no on that one.  So... quite happy and thankful for new, nice, quiet pedi lady today and for cute pink toes. 

Apparently it was a pink kind of day because I was also sporting my lovely pink Vera flip flops, a gift from my parents for Christmas.  Now how smart is my Mom to buy me cute pink Vera flip flops?  They look especially cute with the fresh pink pedi don't you think?

I am thankful that after I left the pedi place, I stopped at the Vera place a few doors down and they had the much sought after Very Berry Paisley beach towel to match my resort tote!  It also just happens to match my Vera E-book sleeve.  Now won't I be all cute and matchy in my beach chair.  Do they make a Very Berry Paisley beach chair?  I am thinking its a good thing the answer to that question is NO. 


Many many many other blessings to be thankful for over the past several weeks..... such as

• Amazing friends who did so much to support me and help me with our wedding. 
• Awesome 2nd honeymoon. So awesome.  Can I go back?
• the cake lady.  LOVED the cake/cupcake lady.  If you need a cake, cupcakes or cookies, let me know and I will give you contact info for the best cake lady ever
• my husband singing to me.  Will never forget that. 
• loved our vows to each other. 
• our new wedding rings
• beautiful, kind, thoughtful anniversary gifts
• my gorgeous bouquet. 
• breakfasts on the porch at our condo
• the ocean
• seeing the dolphins
• lots of husband time!
• the beach... have I mentioned I love the beach?  just checking
• Vera stuff
• the beautiful wooden bowl Darrel made for me
• a new camera to replace the ocean dunked camera
• my Jesus calling devotional book
• Scriptures each day that have been helping with a difficult time
• summer shoes
• anklets
• Hilton head shirts!
• an anniversary dinner next to the ocean
• wedding pictures
• my niece who took care of plants and cats while we were away
• air conditioning... can I get an amen on that one?
• our day at Holiday World
• groceries!
• being back at church
• my kindle.  love my kindle at the beach.. at the pedi place... its good for all occasions
• new bathroom cabinet
• Mexican food
• steaks on the grill
• date night
• a DR who calls in meds when mono girl hurts her back!
• Popeye's chicken in Tennessee
• a beautiful reception
• friends and family that drove such a long way just to be with us!
• fresh shrimp

God is so good to us and these past few months He has been teaching me how important praise and thanksgiving are and I just want to give him all the praise and thanks for all the ways He has blessed us and provided for us. 

Hope you are having a good week!  Hope to post again this weekend.  I want to share with you the wedding favors Darrel and I made together and of course.. .who would want to miss the date night report? 

Blessings!