Settled

Some stuff-

-So, we are officially in the house and we are back to feeling normal and like we are settled in. The move-in went well, besides the washing machine incident. But, otherwise our furniture looks fantastic - and is super comfy! We are all unpacked, save for a few items that we still need to hang on the walls. I think we've settled in nicely. Had a family breakfast the other weekend and all of Max's family got to see the house. It was fun. My brother and kiddos have been by a few times to play with Lola - which she loves. Trying to think of a good time to have a sort of housewarming, but with Lola's birthday right around the corner, I'm not sure how soon we will be able to have 2 parties back-to-back! But, we will get there soon
enough.

-We are going to Arkansas for our semi-annual visit to PawPaw John. My little sister is graduating high school and we will be there for that. It's always good to get away for a few days, we always have a great time up there. It's a long weekend so we'll get an extra day to spend with the family.

-I feel like I've finally conquered my demons who weren't allowing me successful weight loss. Well, I can now totally blame it on living in a house with a kitchen that no one would want to cook in. Overall, I pretty much gained back the weight I had lost in 2008/2009. I was looking okay there for a while. But, life got hectic and my body paid the price. I have lost 7 pounds since being in our new home. I haven't bought my lunch once since we've moved! That means, saving money and eating better, healthier and less. Oh, and I've been drinking at least 3 liters of water a day! This is helping me stay full. Love it. I've been running around the neighborhood a few times, but still need to find a route that I like better. I ran a 5K this past weekend and my time was pretty comparable to my average - about 35 minutes. Although, back in the cooler months of March/April, my time was at 32 minutes. I blame it on the heat! Oh well, I'm back in the zone and I plan to definitely better my running times. I hope to run another 5K in June, so we will see if I improve at all. I've also finally gotten back to the gym! Been loving the pool these past few weeks. I'm determined to lose at least 15 pounds now. It will take some time, but I'm confident!

That's about it for now. Looking forward to some lady-time soon!

Flying by...

My goodness, it's almost June, which means that Lola is almost TWO. I cannot believe it. It seems like so much has happened in these last two years, and now that I actually think about it - a lot HAS happened! Let's see we've been through a hurricane, we've taken a few road trips to Arkansas, we've moved twice, went through semi-renovating a house, bought a new house, and now that we're in the new house I am hoping that everything calms down and stays calm for the next two years! But, we know that probably won't be the case. I hope in the next two years a few friends will welcome their own little bundles o' joy and I'll get to be an Auntie again. That or I may just have to have another one of my own. We're still pretty much undecided about that, but that's another blog post.

Since we're almost 2, here's a little update on Lo-bear. She is amazing. Her language has blossomed immensely in these last few months. She actually uses phrases now and we can almost tell what she wants when she tries to tell us. She is a riot. She's actually really funny and goofy. She is bossy, according to her teachers at school. She "enforces" the rules and has no problem telling all of the other kids "no" when they are doing something they're not supposed to. She can count to 4. I was totally surprised by this yesterday. She was sitting on the floor in the guest room, taking out candles from the packaging, and counting them out, "1..2..3..4." She can also say a few words in spanish - abre, hola, corre - all thanks to Dora the Explorer, I'm sure. And she can count to two in spanish. We're starting on the alphabet and her colors, cause she hasn't quite grasped those yet. She still loves music and I catch her singing along to certain songs at times, and she loves to sing along with me. Her favorite hobby? Jumping. Jumping. Jumping. That is all this kid wants to do. Don't even get her near a "moonwalk", "jumperoo" thing. She will stay in that thing for hours. Jumping on the beds, the couches, off of anything that is even an inch off the ground. What else? Oh, she likes kicking the ball. We got her a soccer ball and she will stay outside and actually kick that thing around. And she kicks pretty well, considering she's only 22.5 months! Maybe I have a little soccer player on my hands.

Here are a few pics that my dad took while he was in town last month. Enjoy!


At her cousin's birthday party, eating her fave - a cupcake!


See how happy they make her?!


With one of her cousins, Brandon on his John Deere. She loved it!


Jumping! She was extremely ticked off when I had to drag her off, kicking and screaming. It was the end of her world.


Jumping on her bed. It's amazing that she's never had to visit the emergency room!


Giving her pawpaw John kisses. She loves him so much!


Look at those curls!!


Another thing she loves? Being outside. Being a kid rules!

So, there you have it, a few new pics. It's amazing how time flies and how quickly they grow. I miss my little baby, but I love being able to watch her grow into a little girl! Here's to the next 2 years!

I almost never

I don't think I've ever really posted a blog dedicated to things, specifically clothes that I want. Namely because I very rarely go shopping for new clothes - for myself - and the fact that I'm pretty fat. But, I think I've caught the fever! This will serve as my first official fashion post. My style? Yeah, don't really have one. I like to keep it simple. I like the jeans and a t-shirt look. I still rock my converse and when I get dressed up, it's in slacks and a nice blouse. Not big on dresses, definitely do not follow fashion, so I don't really know what's cool or anything. As long as it fits and it allows me to feel at least a little comfortable, I'm down with it. But, I do know that my work style and out-of-work style need to neatly mesh. Always a factor - covering up those pesky arm and feet tattoos. So, I like to be able to wear cute tops with a cover up - if needed, that way as soon as I leave for the day, I can throw off my blazer/cardigan/sweater and be on my way! Current job doesn't really have any guidelines, and it's pretty casual, so that's always good. Enough about me!! Below are a few items that I really like and will work pretty hard to obtain this summer!


This cute little number would be perfect at work, perfect for a night out and just a perfect LBD, overall.


I love this outfit. It screams summer-cool. And I love it!


This is just the right amount of casual, coolness for me. I would pretty much wear this outfit, or a variety thereof, pretty much everywhere.


And this. This would be a little dressier. Man, linen pants - how I love thee. (Is that horrible?) In high school, I had 2 pairs of linen pants that I absolutely loved. This look is bringing it back to me. I also think I'm ready to brave the scarf look. May be a little late, but you know what they say...


In love with this shirt from The Gap. Easy to dress up or down. Could wear to work, which is always a good thing!


Also, really love this shirt. Paired with some khaki's would be the perfect Friday outfit.


No, really. I really do want this hat! I WILL be going to the beach this summer. I WILL be frequenting the community pool in the neighborhood, and I WILL wear this hat! Gotta protect this porcelain skin, dears.

And, since I will be frequenting places that require less clothing, I will most definitely be buying these:


There you have it, folks. My first blog about looks I like. I kind of like this. Maybe I'll do so more often. Great. Now I want to go shopping on my lunch break.