Jiggle Challenge Week 8

Well it is the final week of the Jiggle Challenge. Thanks to Mr & Mrs. Smith and Running Backwards in High Heels for sponsoring this!

This week I lost .4 lbs. I've lost a total of 7 pounds during this challenge--4.49% loss

I am a little more than 3 pounds away from my final goal weight and I am so excited to be so close. Now I just need to keep at it to get there (those last few pounds can be so hard).

I'm excited for the weight I've lost over the last 8 weeks and thankful to be back on track a little

Re-design

So I as I mentioned I am re-doing some things in my room. My brother came over to bring my "new" bed last night and then I couldn't stop decorating and setting things up until it was finished. So here are the before and after pictures

Before--complete with a twin bed, crafting area/desk that has turned into my catch-all of clutter, and notice the makeshift drapes? I bought a brown blackout shade, but it didn't cover my window, so I hung a red sheet next to it to block out light...

After: With my new full size bed, new bedding, new drapes to complete the window look. No craft area... just bed, bookshelf, dresser and some Allie space.

I feel like it's so much less cluttered than before, even though I got a bigger bed. It just feel more relaxing with all of my craft stuff gone. In fact after I got everything set up last night, it felt a little empty... but I really think I love it!

And I know this is a horrible picture, but it's one of the room decor items I just recently added... it's a modge podge creation of all of the words I loved for 2011.

That's all for now. I'll post my info from the final week of the Jiggle Challenge tomorrow morning!

Tuesday Picture Update

So what's been going on in my life? I am in the process of changing things around in my room. My brother and sister-in-law are giving me some furniture from their guest bedroom (which they are turning into the nursery for my sweet nephew who will be born at the end of the summer) so I am moving things out. But first comes re-organizing. This is a small glimpse of the re-organization process... although it looked A LOT worse on Sunday night when I started cleaning and couldn't stop (more pictures to come once everything is settled in!)

This past weekend we also had a lingerie shower for my wonderful friend Erin. It was a great night with lots of laughter and fun conversations. I am so blessed by Erin and was glad to celebrate with these awesome ladies!

And today I went to have lunch with my good friend Stephanie. Stephanie has worked with me pretty much since I started ECI and she just had her 2nd baby (the oh so precious Caleb) and is now a stay-at-home mom. I am so excited that she is getting to stay home with her babies, but I miss her very much--so when she sent me a message last week saying she was ready for an outing I jumped at the chance for lunch with her and the kiddos!

It was a great time of catching up with her and being entertained by her 2 year old Maddie... we played playdough and she gave me a playdough circle that I first put over my eye like she did and then we were trying it on other parts of the face and she really liked putting it over her nose. I know Stephanie is so glad I showed Maddie this trick:

But how adorable is that sweet girl?!

And other than that I have just been trying to survive the crazy storms tonight. I think the worst has passed and I am very ready to get in bed.

Jiggle Challenge Week 7

This week I was so excited every time I stepped on the scale, because my weight continued to be in the 140's (even if it's a high number at the end! haha) and I really cannot remember the last time I could say that.

I lost .8 pounds this week (.53% loss) and I am very excited about that loss. I learned a long time ago, not too far into my weight loss journey, that for me the loss would have to be slow. There will be some weeks where I don't lose anything, and others where I lose quite a bit... and to lose almost a pound in a week this close to my goal makes me very happy.

I also met my other goal that I set at the beginning of this challenge. We had some beautiful weather this past weekend, so on Monday after work I decided to jog outside (which I haven't done since I started trying to build my time and mileage). I was only able to jog a mile, but I did it 9:40! I had set the goal that I wanted to run a 10 minute mile by the end of this challenge, because before I could only run a straight mile at a 12 minute pace. Since I ran outside I had a difficult time pacing myself, but did the mile and felt great!

And that's all for this week :)

The Jiggle Challenge--Week 6

I am posting today because I will not be home tomorrow to weigh myself, so I went ahead and am going to use my weight from this morning.

As of this morning I had lost 1.5 lbs since last Thursday!

Weight: -1.5 lbs

% lost since last week: .99%

% lost since challenge began: 3.72%

And as of this week I am officially below my weight from when I met my "goal" last Fall!! I am so excited to have finally broken the 150 barrier (even if I am still close to it, it feels really good for 14 to be the 1st 2 numbers of my weight!). Only a little more to go before I reach the goal I've had set for myself for years that has always felt unattainable.

Our Hope Endures

This past weekend I went on retreat/work crew weekend with a small group from Woodcreek. During one of our devotional times I was given the opportunity to share my testimony. A lot of what I shared is based on this post I wrote on the 9th anniversary of my dad's death. My journey with the Lord began around the time of my dad's diagnosis and so much of the story is about Him rescuing me from myself... not just from my grief and the years of darkness I faced, but also from the self-sufficiency and pride of thinking I could hold it all together on my own. I had to be broken and humbled before I could be truly healed. But over time God did lift me up and give me a new song. And gave me an opportunity to minister from that place of brokeness.

The timing was good in sharing that story because last week I had a very real reminder of the darkness I once lived in. A man of faith who I love, adore and respect very much has been battling cancer for the last 18 months and we received an email last week letting us know that the doctors felt they had reached the end of the road for treatment. Not only is he a person who had one of the biggest influences on my walk with the Lord, he and his family also walked through my dad's illness and death with us. So to be on the flip side absolutely devastated me.

I was off work today for a doctor's appointment and after I received that email, I knew I had been given the time off to also visit him and his family. So this afternoon I went and spent time with him (although he had already started his decline... I was able to hold his hand and talk with him some) and time with his sweet wife. Reminiscing about stories in his life.

I got home later this evening to an email saying that he passed away not too long after I left them. I was completely broken for his family. But I also know that he is standing in glory at this very moment surrounded by nothing but peace, healing and love.

As I was praying through some of this tonight I was reminded of the song by Natalie Grant called Our Hope Endures. Part of it says the following:

But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged

Emmanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
We never walk alone
And this is our hope

As I sit here overwhelmed by all that has happened today, I also am confident in knowing that my hope has not changed. God is still the God of Victory. And as I pray for his sweet family, I know that rough days lie ahead, but I also know that they serve a God who is near to the brokenhearted and walks through our pits of life with us as our Rescuer and Redeemer. Praying they might feel surrounded by that comfort and hope tonight.

This week I lost .5 lbs. That is a .33% loss since last week, 2.76% loss since I started this challenge 4 weeks ago, and 22.31% loss since I first started my weight loss journey!

I was gone all weekend and not in control of my menu, so I got a little off track, but was able to re-focus when the week started. I didn't run much this week, but was able to make it to both my Step Aerobics and my Kickboxing Classes so it was nice to workout in ways that I really enjoy!

Another fun addition to my week is my new bicband from my friend Nicki!

I wore it to the gym Monday and Tuesday for my classes and then yesterday morning when I jogged. It is amazing!! (now if only I would wear pants that fit, I could have actually finished my run as planned yesterday instead of constantly having to pull at them and just giving up to do weights!)

That was my week in terms of weight loss. Glad that it's going in the right direction, even if it is at a slow pace! Hopefully within the next week I'll be back to where I was when I reached my goal last Fall and I can work off those last few lbs!

a Milestone

So last week was really long and difficult and stressful and emotional.

I had a very nice weekend away from the world and enjoyed every moment of it.

Another big thing happened this weekend:

I was driving down the highway this weekend when my car officially hit 100,000 miles so I actually didn't take a picture until today (yes I've driven 254 miles since Sunday afternoon when it hit 100K haha PATHETIC). My poor car is feeling every one of its 100,000 miles. In the past week and a half I have had to get a tire fixed, brake pads, rotors, and fluid replaced, and a light replaced. But I also realize that in the grand scheme of it all, these things are insignificant. I am grateful my car has gotten me through the first (almost) 4 years of "grown-up world" and am hoping and praying for many more years of good service :)

Happy 100,000 miles Mazda Tribute!