Squash & zucchini-ghetti

I am really not suppose to have carbs. There are a ton of carbs in spaghetti noodles.

Tonight's dinner Spaghetti w/ sliced vegi rather than noodles. Hubby wasn't sure about it, because he says 'you know I don't like squash'. I told him 'you will eat it and you will like it'.

You can't even taste the vegi's, all you taste is the sauce. It was goooooooood.

By The Way - hubby & the boys cleaned their plates. :)

I had an awesome salad last night -

Romaine lettuce w/ blue cheese dressing (had real blue cheese chunks, I love blue cheese) topped with a sprinkling of craisins.

I wasn't sure about the cranberries, but 1 snuck onto my fork and surprised me....the zing of the blue cheese followed by the sweet of the cranberry. Hubby is not a blue cheese fan, but he ate a few - 4 bites of the salad and the boys polished off what I gave them too.

You HAVE to try this (BTW - I had choice of dressing) *pic not mine.

Another Sunday, another road trip

Challis or Salt Lake City? The answer---Neither. Too lazy to drive the 3 hours 1 way to Challis and been there done that on SLC.

Ended up driving down to Bear Lake. There are some really cute little towns between here and there, with some beautiful old buildings? Why do we love old buildings so much? Is it the beauty? The history? I don't know the answer I just know that we love them so.
Bear Lake, Ut - the lake even has waves, wasn't expecting that. The water was a beautiful blue - too bad that didn't show on camera.

Stopped in a campground to play in the water and ended up taking a (what I think) is a pretty darn good picture of hubby. The light is working here.

Lately i have been into taking pictures with the sun shinning threw. I like the star burst effect it offers.

Just another Sunday, just another drive...Where will we end up next week?

1 foot in front of the other

I am suppose to be exercising 1 hour a day 5 days a week. I have yet to do so, first I was waiting for Hoss to start school, so that I would actually have the time to do it (probably explains a little WHY I got fat in the first place). Anyway, I know I need to do something...anything is better than nothing, right?

Monday was the first day of school here. I dropped Hoss off at school and then I walked to pick him up! Not only did I walk to his school, but I also then walked to hubby's job to take him lunch and then I had to walk back home = 3.13 Miles!!! I haven't walked that far at 1 time since maybe Navy Boot Camp in '98.

Wednesday, Sprout grabbed the stroller (the stroller we use my folks bought while in Germany with my older brother). Anyway, he grabbed the stroller and said 'wide' (for those of you that don't speak 3 year old he said ride). So, we headed down the street and walked to Goodwill and then to Fred Meyers, made it to the main road there and turned around = 2.46 Miles.

Sprout did this again yesterday, but I took the day off.

This morning he grabbed the stroller and said 'wide', we headed out the door and turned right - destination hubby at work. Got to work and hung out for a few when hubby tells me that there is an antique shop that I need to check out. We got in the car (hubby sometimes takes my car to work). Went to the antique shop and then dropped the car back off with hubby and walked home = 3 Miles!!! Man it feels good to get out and walk. I hope that I can keep it up at least til it snows (ugh, that's a 4 letter word).

My new love...

Vintage Pyrex in primary colors. I look for these while out junking and that includes thrift stores. I refuse to pay over $5 for any 1 piece. I have MAYBE $40 in all my pieces (I have more, but a couple are being used and the others have patterns <~ not my fave). I love finding these - Hoss went to a yard sale with hubby 2 weeks ago and he is the one that found my latest 2 pieces (a lil blue bowl and a red bowl). As you can see, I have multiples...in case 1 happens to break I have a backup.
Still on the lookout for the illusive green bowl (now, I need 2).

Yes, I use these.

Fire King/Anchor Hocking Azurite or Turquoise Blue

What a find! 3 weeks ago we were out doing our usual junking...went thru a fairly new neighborhood - while driving I told hubby 'I see old boxes'. LOOK what I found:

You see that right - 18 piece Turquoise Blue in box. There are 3 pieces that have small chips, but it is not from use, it is from being moved from place to place. 1 corner of the box is loose - the glue is no longer.

I don't think I have made a find like this while out junking in a long while.

The creamer and sugar still have the stickers in them.

I came across and bought a creamer about 6 years ago while at The Worlds Largest Yard Sale in Aug '02.

Just another Sunday drive -

We decided to go on a little road trip today - we left home at noon heading west to Twin. When we get to Twin we see this sign...Hmmm, I wonder how far Sun Valley is from here?
We turn left and head into town. We didn't do anything, just drove around looking at stuff. We kept going...45 min later we were in Jackpot, NV - if anyone ever asks you to go to Jackpot, Just. Say. No. the only thing there is like 5 casinos and 1 gas station.

Turned around heading back to Twin. Stopped for lunch. Then headed North 1 hr to Sun Valley.

Sun Valley! It is very pretty - like a smaller Jackson Hole, WY.

We got back home at 10p. It was an unexpected trip today, but fun - going places we have never been and seeing things we have never seen.

My baby boys 3rd birthday

I haven't felt like making a cake this year. I wanted something different. I ordered 3 dozen donuts from a local grocery store - there are no donut shops in town - (waaaaaaaaay to many - I figured everyone would have 2, but I also didn't know how big the donuts would be). I made grandmothers icing to use as glue, so I could stack the donuts & add sprinkles.

This is the finished creation. Why haven't I thought of this in the past?

Such an easy way to have a 'cake' at a kids birthday party. Don't really need a plate - just pick it up and eat it.

3 dozen donuts $15.00 - Cheaper than ordering a cake.

Done!

The FINISHED dresser *BIG Smile*

*we probably spent $15 in supplies - wood for shelf and paint.

Dumpster chair -

Out junking on another day, hubby and I came across a dumpster at a restaurant that had closed. In the dumpster was a pretty solid wood chair.
It has been months since we found the chair, I have been meaning to paint it, but never got around to it. Until yesterday - it too is now turquoise.

Roadside find -

Out junking this past Saturday and saw this by the road. It is missing 1 drawer...no matter.

Spent yesterday sanding and priming.

Today, I painted it a turquoise color. Went to the store, but could not find the color I wanted - came home and mixed colors that I already had.

Went to JoAnn's and got this nice piece of lace-ish stuff. It has a organic (leaf) pattern to it.

Here I am spraying on white paint. I had sprayed on purple and white, but it looked really BAD. I repainted the turquoise and then put the fabric back down and then painted again - White.

The pattern did not take 100%, but if you want, you can say that it has a worn look to it.

Kinda is a Tiffany box color (turquoise and white).

Here is the completed piece minus the top shelf (making the top 2 drawers into a shelf).

Stress & the Band

I belong to a support group on facebook. Many of ladies have said that stress can affect the band. I didn't know what they were talking about til I had my first fill (4 days ago).

When stressed the band feels tight. It isn't painful, but it sure doesn't feel good either.
When do I get stressed? When Hoss and Sprout don't listen, scream and yell, etc......
Also, when I get annoyed and yell back (I know I shouldn't, but I do) - I am going to have to work on that, because I do not enjoy the feeling.

Stress is a problem, because: 1) it doesn't feel good and 2) because (in some cases) it can make food going down a problem.

If I get into a full blown laugh attack I can feel it then too.

*Waterfall*

6 week checkup & 1st fill

So, as usual - I was nervous to go to the Doctor today.

My first appointment was with the physical trainer - she gave me quite a few exercises to do, plus an exercise ball and bands. I have to work out 5 days a week for 1 hour each (I think this is going to be the hardest part of it - I wont have anyone standing behind me making sure that I do this...like a Drill Sergeant - still thinking about joining a gym, just for that!)

Now to see my Doctor.

*My food intake has gone up to 1 1/2c of food per meal (3 meals).

As a fat person you are always afraid of the scale going UP, it is odd to see it continually going DOWN.

*As I said in another post - the average weight loss after the band is 1-3 LBS per week-
I am Down 5 more LBS for a total of 29LBS (I would say 30, but they round up). I haven't been this 'small' in 4 years!

The nurse comes in and checks my blood pressure, she says 'it's a little high', my response 'I'm about to have a needle stuck in my gut'. She then checks my heart and she says 'your heart rate is a little high, too', I replied 'I'm about to have a needle stuck in my gut'. (I was the only one laughing)

So, my usual nurse comes in and she is always pleasant to talk to. She starts preparing the things needed for my fill, my 1st fill. She gets a syringe and starts to fill it with the saline...I look over and see the fat needle; I tell her, 'you really shouldn't do that in front of me', she apologizes and continues with a smile on her face. (sadistic, I think). She does say 'wait til you see the other one (needle)'.

My doctor comes in and does the usual Q&A and then we get to the fill. I lay down, pick my legs up into the air (easiest way to find the port) and easier for the Much Larger needle to go in. The needle did not hurt (I was a little surprised, no pain). As he moves the needle *Now sticking out of my gut*, I can fill it - it isn't painful, but feels more like butterflies than anything else. I twinge at the movement only because I am not used to that sensation. He fills the band with 4cc's of saline, I sit up to drink water (make sure the water goes down and not back up - it went right thru, he added another 1cc of saline). He was about to add more, when I told him the feeling, 'it feels like a funnel being full and then gradually draining' - That was it. He pulled the needle out of my gut and for the first time I see how Freaking Long that thing is! D-U-D-E! (about 5-6 inches long)

I am back on a liquid diet for 2 days, pureed the 3rd and more solid after that. I can feel the band more so now that I could the past 6 weeks.

I go back in 6 weeks.

*image above is not mine.

Milestone -

They are a tad tight, but they are on and zipped/buttoned and I can even sit with them on...I am wearing denim shorts - last time I had these on was 3 years ago (yes I still have clothes from that long ago - it's a fat thing).

Also, ran into a friend of mine today and she said that she could really see the difference. :)

This is a lil off topic, but since I have never been called this (except from family), I have to share.
I was told that I am Beautiful...I've never been called beautiful before - I don't think my husband has ever said it - I told him this and he said 'if you weren't beautiful, I would never had married you', I said 'sure you would have because I am the only one that can put up with you'.