Oopsie

I know I have not blogged in a couple of days about my food intake. Trust me I have been very good, I feel great, and exercise is going well. What I am really focusing on right now is planning Ryan Lily's first birthday, finishing my yearbook, getting the Thunder season up and running, and oh, continuing to try to lose weight. Just a tad on the busy side, but isn't everyone. I mean I could sit here and complain about how hectic my life is, but actually it is pretty amazing.
I'm healthy, have a great job, great friends, and the most amazing family anyone could ask for. I mean who else's husband wakes up with them, makes their wife's lunch and breakfast and gets their daughter ready for the day. He is the best. And don't even get me started on Ryan. I get crazier and crazier in love with that child every day. It gets harder and harder to drop her off at daycare in the morning. This morning I sat and played with her for a while (mistake). Then when I tried to scoot off she went into speed crawl mode and chased after me saying, "mama" When I walked out without turning around, she dropped her head in complete defeat and just let those tears roll out. Poor thing! It just makes me cherish every moment with her outside of work even more.
We are having company this weekend, so again my blogging will not be on point, but will give out updates Sunday night. Wish me luck over the weekend!

Weigh in #3

My meals were pretty standard yesterday, breakfast same, lunch same, but dinner was a little off. I fell asleep while Bill was giving Ryan a bath around 7 and woke up at 8 not hungry, so for dinner I had a bag of 94% fat free popcorn and some Special K crackers (which are amazing) with a laughing cow cheese wedge. I just wasn't hungry for a full meal, but I was still hungry. I managed to get my bottom out of bed and exercise after my little power nap. I did elliptical for 30 minutes (burning 205 calories).

Now the big news, I had my 3rd weigh in today, which I thought was going to be horrible after the way I misbehaved this weekend. But I lost another pound this week!!! This puts my weight at 136. My overall weight loss is 3 weeks is 8 pounds. I am too excited. I am really not trying to focus on the numbers, just my overall feeling of well being, but dang- 8 pounds. Bill and I also talked about other ways I can cut out fat of my diet. I am just so excited to continue down the path of a healthy lifestyle.

And....since I have been running like a fool, I decided to put some organization to it. I registered for a 10K in two weeks and for a half marathon at the end of spring break. I hoep those don't backfire on me!!

Day 20

I know I have been out of commission for the past three days, but we were out of town in B'ham for the weekend. I would like to say I was good on my diet, but I was not. Well, Friday I was very good and ate everything according to my diet. SaturDAY I ate very healthy as well. But then came Saturday night when I ordered sliders at O Charley's. I just really really wanted them. It was my biggest cheat yet and I felt horrible after it. I got back on track Sunday,but still strayed a bit. I had two pieces of pizza for dinner and I had Mickey D's french fries for lunch. I just do not have the discipline I need to be out in the world on my own.

I did exercise on Saturday, went for a 43 minute run, but was way too exhausted to do anything on Sunday. However, I am back on track today and went for a 46 minute run. Weigh in is on Wednesday, so we will see just how much damage was done.

Day 16

Breakfast
Fiber One - dark chocolate almond fiber bar (yummy) & diet coke. I love these things, but had to stop eating them. They were making me more than regular!
Lunch
- Turkey Sandwich, ww chocolate cake, 100 calorie pringles
Snack
- 1 apple
Dinner
- Olive Garden-

• side salad- with no Olive Garden dressing on it. Did you know that their yummy Italian dressing is 180 calories per serving with 8 grams of fat and 21% of your daily sodium intake- DANG!
• 1 Bread stick - I was the most proud of this. I mean those bread sticks call to me, and I restrained myself. Ryan had more than I did!
• Main course- this linguine marinara stuff. It said it was their lowest cal dish on the menu, so I tried it. It was not great, so I only had half of it.
• Dessert- small chocolate yogurt from TCBY, now this stuff owns me. But a small cup is only 155 calories, for my diet that is usually what my desserts run at night, so I felt good about this choice as well.

Overall, I am so proud of myself for this trip out to eat. My biggest problem with diets and eating out is portion control. I mean yeah I will order a salad, but then eat the whole thing and then lick the bowl to make sure I got all of the yummy dressing. So overall, good day. I did manage to squeeze a workout in at 10:30 last night. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and burned 215 calories.

Weigh In #2

Meals were same except
Dinner
- plain barbecue, fat free baked beans, & small corn on the cob
Exercise
- 45 minutes of elliptical (312 calories burned)

I had my second weigh-in this morning and it was successful. I lost 1 pound! Right now I am at 137. You know weight, the actual number, used to be a huge deal to me, but now I am just loving how different I am feeling day to day. Now of course, I will still pay attention to the number, but I will not let it control me- especially now. I knew I would drop the initial weight very quickly, but after that it would be WORK. I am really going to have to bust it to continue to drop a pound each week, honestly I do not think that's going to happen. However, I am loving what I eat now, I am addicted to working out, and I just feel like I am leading a healthier life- now that is instant gratification!

Day 14

Breakfast
- WW English muffin w/ww cheese & tomato & diet coke
Lunch
- Turkey sandwich, 100 calorie pringles, 1 ww chocolate cake
Snack
- 1 laughing cow cheese wedge & 5 triscuits
Dinner
- Turkey ground sloppy joes with peas, salad, & a diet coke (these were so awesome. I found the mix in our pantry and it was so good. I was proud of myself too, we normally have two each with cheese, and I just had one with no cheese)!
Exercise
Body Pump Class ( who knows how much was burned) & 30 minutes of Elliptical (200 calories burned)
One of my good friends is a Body Pump instructor at AC fitness and asked me to come to a class today, so I went. I used to be addicted to body pump my junior year of college, I just love working out to music, and this is just that! I had a great time, but body pump is one of those classes you have to go to a lot to really get something out of it. I am not sure if I will continue it, but it was an excellent workout.

Day 13

Breakfast
- WW English muffin, ww cheese, & tomoto
Lunch
- Healthy choice pepperoni pizza & sugar free fat free pudding
Snack
- 94% fat free popcorn & diet coke
Dinner
- 2 turkey dogs, w/lite buns, & green beans
Dessert
- ww chocolate chip cookie dough
Exercise
- 1 hour on elliptical(445 calories burned) 250 abs, 100 calf raises, & 50 lunges

Day 12

I love three day weekends. How nice to wake up to 60 degree weather with your wonderful husband beside you, and your fabulous daughter still sleeping at 8:30, what a good girl. Yesterday was an okay day. I knew that I was going to have a "unhealthy" dinner, so I was very careful with what I ate and how I exercised yesterday.
Breakfast
- WW English muffin with cheese& tomato
Lunch
- Veggie beef soup with 1/4 cup of white rice & 5 fat free crackers
Snack
- 100 calorie pack of pringles
Dinner
- 1/4 of a meatball calzone, 3 bread slices with cheese dip
Dessert
- 2 snickerdoodle cookies
Late night dessert (I'm talking 3 am cheat)
- 100 pack of milano cookies
Exercise
- 1 hour of elliptical - burned 433 calories

Day 11

Ryan eating waffles & syrup this morning, we are loving this feeding herself stage!

I messed up my days and Day 9- Friday was actually Day 10, they tend to run together. The Ferguson's came in town this weekend to visit us, they left early this morning, but we had a great time. We bought a shed yesterday, but are still in the process of putting it together. The directions literally read, "The next part will take many hours and will require more than one person to complete." Hmmmm, does this mean I might have to do something? I sure hope not:)
Breakfast
- Diet Coke. Yep that's it. Since we had wonderful company willing to watch Ryan when she got up, I slept in, woke up, went running right away, and by the time I got back I was'nt really hungry, so I just waited from lunch- not the best diet habit because breakfast is SO important for diets, but hey, whatcha gonna do!
Lunch
- turkey sandwich w/ 97% fat free turkey, ww bread & 1 slice of ww cheese, baked tortilla chips w/ salsa & ww cake
Snack
100 pack of milano cookies (not the ideal snack, I know)
Dinner
- Beef & veggie soup (homemade) w/ 7 fat free crackers, & 3 sweet mini pickles
Dessert
TCBY- regular chocolate yogurt
Exercise
37 minute run
You know daddy was happy to see this. She really was after this soccer ball...

Apparently not for the right reason. Oh well, she's only 10 months, we'll cut her some slack!

Ravioli

In our efforts to give Ryan more "adult" food, we had Ravioli last night. I knew it would not be the cleanest dinner, but hey isn't that what being a kid is all about!!!

Day 9

Not much to report...same old. I am proud of myself when I ordered out today. We normally order chicken salad sandwiches every Friday from Cup & Saucer, but today I ordered a spinach salad instead. I also ventured to Johnny Bruscos for dinner tonight and behaved very well.
Breakfast
- WW English muffin with 2 tomato slices & shredded ww cheese
Lunch
- spinach salad with cucumbers, dried cranerries, & pecan halves, w/balsamic vin. dressing and 1 slice of bread & fat free, sugar free pudding
Snack
- Laughing cow cheese wedge and 5 triscuits
Dinner
- Greek salad, with fat free Italian dressing, & 1 slice of veggie pizza
Exercise
45 minute run- no I did not get lost this time, I intentionally ran 45 minutes. I am really enjoying my running time. Just me and my Ipod (well Bill's Ipod, but still). It was also amazing weather today in Auburn, so just perfect for a nice long run. I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend!

Day 8

Breakfast
-WW English muffin with 1 slice of ww cheese and 2 tomato slices
Lunch
- Turkey sandwich with 2 pieces of ww bread, 3 slices of turkey, one slice of ww cheese, & spicy mustard
Snack
- Apple
Snack
Fiber plus- dark chocolate almond
Dinner
- 2 turkey dogs with lite buns & sweet peas
Dessert
100 calorie pack of Milanos

I was not able to work out today because of this soccer clinic we are running. I leave work at 3:40, pick up Ryan, drop her off at the babysitters, get changed head to the complex, run a clinic for an hour and a half, pick Ryan back up from the babysitters, get her ready for bed, get her to sleep, eat dinner, and then exercise??? I did it once this week, but man these days are exhausting. Bill has been such an amazing help, but he is working the clinic with me, so we are both pretty useless at the end of the day. Tonight I have to run the high school clinic from 5:00-6:30 and then a Thunder clinic from 6:30-8:00, I told myself I would participate in the second clinic and that would be my exercise for the day- hope I do not fall asleep while running.

Weigh In #1

I am so excited I cannot stand it! I weighed in this morning and I weighed 138. I lost 6 pounds this week! Man what a huge reinforcer of all of my hard work. I cannot wait to continue with this progress.
To try and help my weight loss and just eating a bit healthier, I am going to try to cut back on my sodium intake. I never realized how much sodium I take in a day. It will be tough, because this means eating fresher foods- which means planning out meals, which means trouble for Jenny. But hey, if I lost 6 pounds in a week, I guess I can take on this challenge as well! Thanks to everyone for your encouraging words, they help tremendously!

Day 7

Breakfast
- Ww English muffin with tomato & 1 slice of ww cheese & diet coke
Lunch
- Leftover 6 inch sub from Subway, 100 calorie packet of pringles, 1 ww chocolate cake
Snack
- Fiber Plus fiber back dark chocolate almond
Dinner
- Mediterranean veggie sand which- no cheese from Panera & apple
Exercise
- 45 minutes on ellipitical (burned 311 calories)

Day 6

My week is almost up, it is almost weigh in time and I could not be happier to see my progress. I took my first day off from exercise in a week. I felt it was important to have at least one day of rest and my legs were slowly turning into jello. Exercise is really going to be a challenge for me this week because I will have to do all of it after I get home from working a high school soccer clinic in freezing weather. My goal is still 45 minutes to an hour of elliptical every night. I hope I do not disappoint.
I would also like to report Bill and I have not eaten take out food all week. I say this now because we had to break down and get Subway last night on our way home from training. But for those of you who know us know that, I do not cook! Poor Ryan is going to know Taco Bell's menu better than her childhood books by the time she is 3. I feel our biggest conquest was not eating out over the weekend, now that is tough!
Here is what I ate yesterday:
Breakfast
- WW English muffin with cheese & tomato
Lunch
- Turkey sandwich, Doritos baked chips, ww chocolate cake
Snack
Apple
Snack
Fiber one, fiber bar chocolate chip
Dinner
6 inch turkey sub w barbecue baked lays
Exercise
None

Day 5

Weekend was pretty successful. No huge cheats, no Starbucks, and exercised both days. Good start...
Breakfast
- ww English muffin with Tomato, cheese, & egg beaters
Lunch
- turkey sandwich (just so all of you know what my sandwich consists of, two slices of weight watcher bread, one slice of ww cheese, spicy mustard, 1 tomato slice, and 3 slices of 97% fat free turkey), baked lays tortilla chips with fat free salsa, 1 weight watcher cake
Snack
- 100 pack of milano cookies (I guess you could say this was my overeating for the day), & fat free yogurt with strawberries and bananas (I got this from Sonic and it was so yummy. It is this new thing they are trying and I am loving it. Probably in the future I would only eat half of what I did, but I could not help myself.
Dinner
- Chicken Noodle Soup, spinach salad w/ balsamic vingerette homemade dressing, 10 clubs crackers.
Dessert
- ww frozen dessert & fat free sugar free hot chocolate (this stuff is heaven, you have to try it if you never have)
Exercise
- 1 hour of elliptical (after Ryan went to bed) burning 402 calories and 300 abs.

Day 4

Okay day, I am proud of myself. Weekends are always my time for "cheating" but I did really well today.
Breakfast
-WW English muffin with egg whites, ww cheese and tomato & water
Lunch
-Turkey sandwich, 100 calorie goldfish packet, ww cake & water
Snack
- 1 laughing cow cheese wedge, 5 tricuits
Snack
- fat free refried beans, baked lays (20) & diet coke
Dinner
- Healthy Choice pizza, diet coke, & ww ice cream
Weak Moment
- Bill made smores again, I just had one today, I feel as if that is a positive step.
Exercise
- 35 minutes on the ellipitical (if you think I am going running again in freezing weather you are out of your mind).

I do feel so much better since I have started this diet. I do feel like I have already dropped 4 pounds. I know this sounds drastic, but this is how my body works. I usually drop weight really fast at first, I mean really fast- then I hit point where my weight stays consistent and I have to REALLY work to get it down from there. I think that weight mark is going to be 138 for me. I am so excited to weigh on Wednesday morning.

Day 3

Back on track. I feel much better today and I did great. I told myself I was going to run 15 extra minutes today for my indulgent behavior yesterday- well I did that and more. First of all, the high today in Auburn was 33 degrees. However, since I did the elliptical yesterday, I told myself I was going to run today. So I got home from work, got changed and headed out of my house at 4:11. Well, I did not come home from my run until 5:06. That's right I ran 55 minutes today!! I would like to say I meant to do this for a fantabulous work out, but that would be a lie. I ran to AHS and did the 5K loop, well just as I was finishing the loop I took a wrong turn and ended up on East University, which is about 2 miles from our house. So after running for a little over 3 miles, I found myself a good 2 miles from my house. So I was booking it home, because by this point it had dropped to below freezing. As I approached the house Bill greeted me in the front yard with a big hug telling me how worried he was about me- I love my husband! To be honest I was worried too. I kept looking at the houses I was passing thinking to myself, That looks like a nice home, I bet they would let me come in and call for Bill to come pick me up. Nevertheless, I made it and got the best workout I've had yet. Here is my report for today:

Breakfast
- WW English muffin, 1 slice of ww cheese, tomato, & a diet coke
Lunch
- Turkey sandwich, Doritos baked chips, ww cake, & water (side note: I turned down homemade red velvet cake at lunch today- I felt very strong)
Snack
- 100 calorie goldfish packet & an apple, & water
Dinner
- 1 chicken breast, 1 cup of green beans, Uncle Ben's wild rice, & a diet coke
Exercise
- 55 minute run

Back on track and ready for the test of a cold weekend. Everyone knows this is a deadly combination for laziness and comfort food. I have already planned ahead with sugar free hot chocolate (no points for weight watchers), and no pudge brownies (if you have never made these, I highly rec. it. All you have to do is mix 1 cup of yogurt with the brownie mix and bake for 20 minutes. The brownies are delicious and good for you).
Wish me luck!

Day 2

I got through day 2, but not with good report. Well I mean I did okay. I ate my scheduled breakfast, lunch, and snack, but then dinner came along. We had people over last night to watch the national game. Bill grilled out steaks and chicken, which was great- at least I got my protein, but the rest of the meal was not the best diet food in the world. I tried to at least get smaller portion sizes, but still I know that is not the way to do this diet. If I want to change, I have to change everything. But that's not the worst part.

See yesterday Bill took it upon himself to build a fire pit on our back patio. It is gorgeous and I am glad he did it, he has been wanting one for a very long time now. He looks at them every time we go to Lowes or Home Depot, but nothing has struck his fancy. So in Bill's mind that means, I must build one! Anyways, Bill got home from picking Ryan up and said, "I got something fun for the girls (Lucy & Scarlet Adams) to do tonight, make smores!" I am thinking oh heck! Are you kidding me, there are going to be smores right here in this house and I am supposed to resist them, NO WAY. No way is right, I had two. They were my downfall. I even knew when I was eating them that I shouldn't have been, but I could not help myself. I mean when is the last time I had a good ol' smore! No excuses, it is wrong, and for doing it I am adding 15 minutes to my run today- I am going to pay for that tomorrow morning. Here is a summary of what I ate yesterday.
Breakfast
WW English Muffin, 1 piece of ww cheese, 2 tomato slices, & diet coke
Lunch
Turkey sandwich
baked Doritos (which are actually less fat and less calories than baked lays, who would have thought)!
ww chocolate cake
Banana
Snack
1 wedge of laughing cow light cheese
6 triscuits
Dinner- Wow I am so mad at myself just typing all of this!
1 Sara lee roll
Caesar salad (just a little bit, no measurement)
homemade mac & cheese
green beans (that were awesome, I made those:)
1 chicken breast
small piece of spinach quiche
1 diet coke
2 smores

Exercise
35 minutes on the elliptical
150 abs

That dinner is a perfect example of my old eating habits. I just ate whatever I wanted and how much I wanted. Self -control Jenny, self- control!!!!!

Side note: I am also challenging myself to drink 4 glasses of water a day. These are not normal size glasses, it is this colassal cup I got from one of my students for Christmas. It is probably about 36 ozs.

All right, so today is a new day! I did not fall off the wagon, I just stopped to taste the berries on the side of the road. Well, I need to spit those berries out and stick to my healthy food. I will report more tonight or tomorrow!

Day 1

Diet is in full swing and I have to say I am pretty proud of myself. The hardest part of it all is getting started. In the past every wall I have hit while beginning a diet is the not so instant gratification. You feel like you are killing yourself and not getting anywhere. So to beat this, I am only doing weekly weigh-ins. I am not even allowing myself to be around a scale until next Wednesday.

I did have my temptations today, the worst being a student in my second period class giving me a Belgium chocolate candy bar that she got as a souvenir for me. Now I could have taken the bar and told myself, "Well, I will just start tomorrow." However, that path leads to no type of success. So I turned it down, and for those of you who know me well, know that I have a horrible weak spot for sweets. Even though this was tough, my toughest moment in the day was when school was over. I was starving and it was freezing outside, perfect weather for a grande peppermint mocha, nonfat, no topping (my classic order). I just drove home as quickly as possible and ate my after school snack instead. I had to give myself a pat on the back. Here is my schedule for the day...
Breakfast (7:30)

• Open faced weight watcher English muffin with a tomato on each side and a half slice of weight watcher cheese on top.
• Diet Coke (8 oz can)

Lunch

• Turkey sandwich (with weight watch bread and cheese, fat free turkey, & mustard)
• Bag of baked lays
• Weight watcher chocolate cake

Snack

• Apple
• Light cheese wedge (laughing cow cheese)
• 5 triscuits

Exercise

• 24 minute run. I meant to do abs, but I was SO sore, I honestly could not do them. Give me time, I will do them tomorrow

Dinner

• 2 turkey hot dogs & lite buns
• 1 cup of green beans

Dessert

• Weight watchers chocolate chip cookie dough dessert

All and all, good day. Tomorrow will be yet again another test. We are having people over to watch the national championship game. The menu is steak, mac & cheese, quiche, dinner rolls, & salad. I am going to have to eat my grilled chicken & green beans instead, a test in itself. Have a great night!

Resolution Challenge

38 % of Americans make a New Year's resolution to lose weight. The number 1 resolution every year is for a form of self-improvement. Well my friends, I am about to become just another statistic. This decision was a long time coming. Back story...
My whole life I have been an athletic, in-shape, and always up for a physical challenge. Thank goodness my parents found the perfect outlet for all of these desires, soccer. I have played soccer since I was 4 years old and never once questioned my love for the game. I loved to run, be pysical, and part of a team. This love took me all the way through high school and turned me into a college athlete. My life in college consisted of class in the morning, keeper practice at 2, practice from 3-5:30, and then to the weight room til 7; just in time to get back to my place to shower and head to study hall. True, all student athlete's lives are very centered around the word "student." But, to be honest, I really took more pride in "athlete." I mean how could I not be, five hours of my life a day were committed to this awesome sport. I played soccer and pushed myself everyday to become a better player. These five hours a day became just a part of my life.

I had no idea that Auburn University was not only giving me the gift of an education, but also of a structured personal trainer everyday. It was not until three years after graduation and standing on the scale in complete disappointment that I realized how much I took this for granted.

I ran quite a bit the year after I finished, then Bill and I decided to make a wonderful addition to our family. Now when I say I loved being pregnant, that is an understatement- IT WAS AMAZING! I was able to eat whatever I wanted without any remorse of gaining weight, not to mention I was carrying the most amazing little girl in the world. I was supposed to gain weight for the health of my child. I did not know if the weight I was gaining was Ryan's head getting bigger:) or the three pieces of cake I just ate. I just knew I was pregnant and I would work it all off once Ryan got here.

Ryan got here and six months after her birth I started working out so I could get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. At first, I was doing really well while completing Jillian Michael's, "Shredded." I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, 138. I knew this was not the weight I wanted to be at, but it was better than 180 (final weight before birth).

Anyways, long story kind of short, the holidays hit and I guess I just resorted back to my pregnancy ways and ate food like it was going out of style. Which leads me to my current weight of 144. This is the biggest I have ever been, without child. I knew it was time for a change.

So, here I am, challenging myself to lose 14 pounds by March 4th- Ryan's 1st birthday, back to 130 (my consistent weight while playing at Auburn). This is my New Year's resolution challenge. I would love to be back to my "Glory Days" figure. The biggest challenge of weight loss is self-control and accountability. I plan on holding myself accountable by blogging about my diet everyday. Now, I know there are going to be days where I am unable to, but I have to be 100% honest. If I slip up, I gotta record it. If I do not exercise, I have to journal about it. Here we go...

Tomorrow is day one! Wish me luck!

So much to say

It has been a good month since I have blogged and it has stressed me out a bit. Honestly, I have not had to opportunity to do so. Bill and I have been out of town since December 19th. We left right after work to make it to his brother's graduation. We pulled up to the auditorium right as Dan was walking across the stage...good timing huh?We had a great time at home visiting with family and friends, but there is no place like home. Bill and I got back in town late late Saturday night. We just finished cleaning up the "cave" this afternoon, and our room is still a mess. But, we did get all of our Christmas decorations put up for the year- that was a relief. Since talking about everything that happened over the break, I thought I would just post some pictures of the highlights.

Ryan loves her JoJo. The hat she is wearing says, "Baby's First Christmas." Yep, you guessed it, did not even come close to fitting that melon of a head- poor baby!

Mommy and Ryan opening presents the 23rd at Aunt Dala and Uncle Tommy's house. She was hilarious!
The 3 Musketeers!

Ryan and Grammy extremely excited after opening all of those presents.

My sweetie Kate is putting on her jewelry, getting ready for her hot date with Elmo and Thomas the Train. She is too much. I love this child!

On Christmas Eve morning, we got all of the cousins together for a morning playdate. Ryan was so well behaved, even though she had an ear ache. Can you believe all of those babies?!
Aunt Vicky and her babies. She was so sweet to have us all over. We played for three hours and ate way too much food. I think that was the theme of our holiday break!
Another one of my best! Yes, that's right, I am Kate's best and she is mine, life is great! Look at that smile, you can hear the laugh coming out of her mouth, saying, "Aunt Jenny, look I'm spinning fast!"
Ryan on Christmas morning. Well, actually Christmas afternoon because her lazy parents did not get out of bed until 10! Hey, that's what happens when your fabulous in-laws take care of your child when she wakes up.

It was only a matter of time before this child associated the smiling with the camera, I mean she only has 2 million photos so far in her life.
Ryan's 4-wheeler. Yes, that's right, JoJo and Pap got Ryan a 4 wheeler. It is battery charged and absolutely hilarious. Ryan loves to ride on it. Of course she cannot ride it by herself yet, but she LOVES being steered around the house in this thing. She is learning to get on and off of it, the off is not so pretty. Let's just say it has involved a lot of bruises and banged heads. Please notice the flowery fabric on the front. JoJo customized this to match her monogrammed sippy cups. Spoiled much?
After Christmas, we ventured to Johnson City to visit Bill's grandparents, Gramma and Pappy. Ryan is sporting her new anthropology hat from Aunt Kim and her pink leopard boots from JoJo and Pap. She is out of this world funny in this outfit.
Pappy, Ryan, Gramma
We came back to Huntsville on the 29th, just in time to host a bridesmaid luncheon for my best friend Erin who got married on New Years Eve. Definitely the best reception I've been to! Wow, it was fun!
My bestie Jen, this picture has opened my eyes to curling my hair. I went to a salon to get it done, but it was well worth the money for it to be so cute and stay in place for the whole night. I need to invest in a curling iron!
We were outside, in the rain, in 40 degree weather, in our bridesmaid dresses taking wedding pictures. Those will be keepers of me!
We ended the holidays with a New Years get together at my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Kerry's house. Their house is honestly a winter wonderland. I love going out there to see all of their decorations, it is motivation for my house one day! This picture is Bill and I preparing to go back to parenthood with just the two of us. Man, that was a transition after two weeks of not only our daughter being spoiled, but us as well.

Ryan practicing her waving and pointing. Too funny!
Aunt Kathy with her baby. Beside her is Amanda and her sweet little girl, Bella.

All in all it was a fabulous break. We managed to stuff everything in the Yukon and head back to the good ole AU. Like I said, there is no place like home! On a side note, my little girl turned 10 months old today. I feel like yesterday I was looking at this...
My how time flies...