Friday, November 30, 2012

November Thankful - Day 30

Today I am thankful for organization and structure. In a world that is so high tech, I love that I can still find a cute paper calendar. Thank you, Target!

I did it! I completed each day of the November Thankful challenge. It was fun to look around and ponder what I am really thankful for. I have a blessed life, with much to be thankful for a on a daily basis.

November by the numbers


ZERO - books read. As soon as my  head hits the pillow, I am out.

ONE - new BIG calling(church job) for me.Meet the new Relief Society President :-).

TWO -  new Chevron print (grey and white) throw pillows sewn by my Mama.

THREE -  new valances made by my Mama for our room(we painted and got new bedding).

THREE.FIVE  - years of serving in the Young Women's program comes to an end.

FOUR - layouts created.

FIVE.FIVE - years of working for Green Tangerines has come to an end. They closed the store this week.

SIX - basketball games were reffed by John.

TEN - I ran my 1st official 10 k this month on Thanksgiving day with my Aunt Carla and my cousin, Kerstin.

TWELVE -  soccer games were played by the boys(all tournaments).

THIRTY -  days of gratitude/photos were recorded via Instagram.

THIRTY ONE - family members gather together at my parents for Thanksgiving dinner.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWO - miles were logged this month(walking,cardio blast and running).


One more month of By the Numbers to be recorded for 2012 and I will have completed another year.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

November Thankful - Day 29

Today I am thankful for great medical insurance. That is all.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

November Thankful - Day 28

I am thankful and love being able to climb into a warm, cozy bed at the end of a busy day. I love to snuggle with this guy and catch up on our day!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

November Thankful - day 27

Today I am thankful for fabulous friends who bring so much happiness and joy to my life! Fun Girls Night Out, BUNKO style!

Monday, November 26, 2012

November Thankful - Day 26

Today I am thankful for my treadmill (interval) schedule. As crazy as it may seem, I am starting to look forward to the challenges. It is  amazing what a difference 2 years can make.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

W.I.W.S. - What I Wore Sunday

Today I had the chance to wear an outfit that I scored this weekend at  LOFT. I have had a gift card that is burning a hole in my wallet since my birthday! I was waiting for one of their 50 percent off the entire store sales. It finally happened. A HUGE thank you to Jan and Meridee for the fun birthday gift.

The blouse: Loft
The black skirt: Loft
Watch: Anthropologie(birthday gift from John, boy)
Bracelet: Macy*s

November Thankful - Day 25

Today I am thankful for books and a Mom who loves to read. She is always passing her books onto to me :-). Love that! I am never without a book to read. 

Saturday, November 24, 2012

November Thankful - day 24

Today I am thankful for the wonderful friends I have made through Green Tangerines. I am going to miss these girls so much!  GT has been my Cheers :-) during the last 5 plus years!

Friday, November 23, 2012

November Thankful - Day 23

Today I am thankful for FUN holiday traditions. We always Deck the Halls the weekend after Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

November Thankful - Day 22

Today I am thankful for my large, loving family. Happy thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

November Thankful - Day 21

Today I am thankful for a healthy body. Thankful for a body that can run even when I think that I don't want to. I am running my 1st official 10k in the morning. Running the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. I am excited to run with my cousin Kerstin and my Aunt Carla. Gobble! Gobble!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

November Thankful - Day 20

Today I am thankful for dates with my hubby. I love that he humors my movie picks :-).Thankful that we still find the time to go on dates after 16 years of wedded bliss.

Monday, November 19, 2012

November Thankful- Day 19

Today I am thankful for Tanner. He is my 1st born. He has always been an on the go type of kid. He is passionate about the things he loves(soccer, getting straight A's and being kind to everyone). I appreciate his humor and his love for life. Love you, Tanner bug.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

November Thankful - day 18


Day 18 - Today I am thankful for the chance I have had to spend  the last 3 1/2 years with these Young Women ands the other leaders I have served with. I was released  from my YW's calling today. Feeling a little sad and yet I am so thankful for inspiration and the whisperings of the still small voice. I am going to miss these girls so much. Thankful for the wonderful Young Women that they are. They are simply amazing!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

November Thankful - day 17


Day 17 - Thankful for sweet neighbors and the cute little neighbor boy who delivered these sweet treats to our door tonight!

Friday, November 16, 2012

November Thankful - day 16


Day 16 - Today I am thankful for this cute 11 year old. He is our second born out of the 4. He has a gigantic heart and is always so kind to the little ones. He is always helpful and cheerful. Love him.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

November Thankful - Day 15


Day 15 -Today I am thankful for clean, running water that is available to me at all times. It is something that I take for granted and shouldn't.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

November Thankful - Day 14


Day 14 - Today I am thankful for the gorgeous Fall colors. I love this time of the year. Happy Fall!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

November Thankful - Day 13


Day 13 - Today I am thankful for this sweet little guy. Garrett (age 8) is always ready and willing to help me  out with whatever. I love that he still wants a good  night kiss when I tuck him into bed each night. He is a good  friend with a big heart. Thankful that he is mine.

Monday, November 12, 2012

November Thankful - Day 12


Day 12 - I am very thankful for the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country. I am thankful for their families who are left behind while their  loved ones protect our freedoms. Proud and thankful for their service. God bless America!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

I interrupt my daily November Thankful posts to document another BIG check mark on  my "to-do" goal, oriented list. November 2012 marks the month that I nailed my final Weight Loss/Goal Weight.I weighed in at Weight Watchers and couldn't believe my eyes. The # I had been chasing for SO long was staring back at me on that scale.  I am so happy, thrilled beyond measure, jumping for joy, screaming from the roof tops, jumping  up and down...you get the idea :-). I have lost a total of 120 lbs.. I reached my personal goal weight. That final goal weight has changed  a few times over the last two years for the simple fact that I knew I could do it! I am so happy that I started the journey and made the choice to find my healthy self. To remember/document  the journey, I had John snap the after photos. My friend, Meredith created my "Before" and "After" photos so I could see the side by side visual! Thank you, Mer. It is crazy to see just how far I have come!



A HUGE  Thank You to my friends and family who have cheered me on, along the way. Having a great support system was key for me! I am thankful for my Weight Watchers leader, Jan.  She has been so supportive. She has celebrated with  me, cheered me on and kept me on track. I am thankful for the new friends I have made at Fitness MD. It has been fun meeting new people and challenging myself along the way. I am thankful for my friend, Amanda. She attends Fit Club EVERY morning with me and I am so glad she is there. We cheer each other on. We roll our  eyes at each other when the trainers get on us or when  it is time to run another large lap. I am also so thankful for John. I may have driven him a tad bit crazy with my weekly weigh ins and exercising but I am truly thankful for his support and unconditional love.

I am happy to report along with my final goal weight reached, I also lost my 4th and final child :-). I have taken a photo with each  of my boys as I have lost the amount that they weighed at that particular time.  You can find those posts here, and here and here.  I  lost 120 lbs. and Tanner weighs about 125 lbs.. It is crazy to think that I lost an almost 14 year old boy. I had him jump on  my back and he was heavy :-).I can't even imagine carrying that extra weight around anymore. We won't mention the fact that he is officially taller than  me now.


This next photo was for fun! I knew that when I  reached my goal weight, I wanted a picture with the pair of jeans that I wore to that family photo shoot 2 years that sent me into over drive to pull the weight off. You can find that story here.

To those of you who may be in the middle of your own journey or maybe you are just starting, I want to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT! Stick with it and you will be so glad that you did. I wasn't perfect all of the time.Who is??? I was consistent and kept with it. If I had a  bad day(which we all do and are entitled to), I would regroup and get back to the things that I knew I should be doing. With that kind of mind set, it just became habit and a part of my lifestyle.

I will leave you with a few of my favorite inspirations that kept me going along the way!



November Thankful - Day 11


Day 11 - Today I am thankful for this sweet little guy. He is our baby, our caboose. He has been  giggling off and on all day.His laughter and giggles make me smile and giggle myself. I am thankful for the simple things like laughter that fill our home!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

November Thankful - Day 10


Day 10 - Thankful to be part of a church/organization that plans fun, wholesome activities for our youth. They were awesome tonight!

Friday, November 9, 2012

November Thankful - Day 9



Day 9 - I am so thankful for my hubby. He is a fantastic husband and Daddy to our 4 boys. He is my everything. Love you, John boy.
p.s. this was an impromptu Friday night escape. I grabbed a salad and a hot chocolate because I was freezing. He ordered breakfast...totally him and I love that about him!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

November thankful - Day 8


Day 8 - Thankful for Fall treats! I baked 75 mini muffins for Garrett's 3rd grade class today! We created a Fall, Thankful art project. We had to have treats, too!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

November Thankful - Day 7



Day 7 - Thankful for my cute Mom. She is here for a visit and has been busy sewing new valances and pillow covers for our bedroom. New paint, bedding, pillows, prints and color scheme = happiness.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

November Thankful - Day 6


Day 6


Today I am so very thankful AND proud to be an American. Thankful for the opportunities to make my own choices. I loved seeing so many people out at the polls this morning!

Monday, November 5, 2012

November Thankful - Day 5


Day 5

Today I am thankful for an awesome local library AND for the simple fact that my boys love to read and be read to. Yay for new books on a weekly basis!!!
p.s. Brody will always find/add Christmas books to the pile, no matter the season :-).

Sunday, November 4, 2012

W.I.W.S - What I Wore Sunday



Today's outfit is one of my current favorites. One of my Young Women commented that I looked cute and trendy today :-). It is a comfy outfit and one that I love!

The black shirt is the Merona brand from Target.
The Chevron print skirt is from New York and Company. I happened to walk in there on a random Saturday to find that the entire store was 1/2 half. I picked up the skirt for $20.00. SCORE!
The belt is from Down East.
The necklace and earrings(they are a grey colored gem) were found at Kohl's.

Please link me up if you are recording what you wear! I would love to see your outfit :-).

November Thankful - day 4


Day 4 -
Today I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to live in this great land and for the opportunity my family and I have to worship as we please each and every week!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

November Thankful - Day 3


Day 3


Today I am thankful for my husbands job that provides for our family and the fun little perks along the way!
We are ready to enjoy a beautiful day at 6 Flags.

Friday, November 2, 2012

November Thankful - Day 2



Day 2


Today I am thankful for the ability to resist all of the Halloween candy that is in abundance around our home. With 4 boys who trick or treated this year, that = lots of treats. It may seem silly but I nailed my final weight loss goal this morning when I weighed in. I made it through the Halloween festivities and lost weight. Down a total of 119 lbs...thankful for the journey I have been on.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

November Thankful -day 1



I have joined the Girls at eighteen25 and am capturing a photo via Instagram.  I will photograph  something I am thankful for each day during the month of November.

This is today's photo and caption.


Day 1 - Today I am thankful for my new brown boots(gotta love birthday cash from Grandma Shore). They are perfect for keeping my tootsies warm with the sudden change of the seasons! I love Fall! What are you thankful for?