Leaving on a jet plane.

It's finally here! Tomorrow after lunch, we are headed to Chicago. By the time we get there, it will be early afternoon, and our flight doesn't leave until 8, so we found a place to pit stop. We are going to hit up a mall near the airport to let the kids play around (indoor play area) and have dinner. After a 3 hour drive, we will need to stretch our legs, and it would be nice if the kids were tired for the flight!

Once we board the plane, the flight is about 4 hours long. But - we were smart and planned the flight around bedtime with high hopes that both kids will sleep throughout the entire flight. *fingers & toes crossed!* Josh and I have a season of The Office to catch up on, so we will do that on the flight. I hope it makes it fly (haha) by. I am such a nervous flier.

Where are we going? Scottsdale. Why? To visit my mom and stepdad. I haven't seen my mom since Hannah was born last July, and haven't seen my stepdad in 2 years. So it's time. I know what you're thinking. We're crazy to pack up and head to the desert in the middle of the summer, but that is why air conditioning exists. And shade.

What do we have to look forward to? Let's see...

Wow. All I can say is, I'm glad I started wearing shorts. And thank god for tank tops.

It will be a great visit. We will celebrate Hannah's birthday and experience a change in scenery. I am excited for this trip and will hopefully take tons of pictures to share when we return. Have a great week!

Hannah's 1 year pictures.

I want to preface this post with a few words. I am very interested in photography, but I know I have a long way to go and a lot to learn. These pictures are nowhere near perfect, but we love how they turned out. (Even if she is sitting in front of the garage door in the cake smash photos, it's life - and we took what we could get). Without further ado, here are the (almost) birthday girl's pictures.

The cake before she dug into it.

 

 The cake when she was done.

There ya have it. Our girl is huge, right? I am having a hard time believing that she will be 1 in about 2 weeks. We have had a great first year with her, and couldn't be more happy that she is ours.

C-c-changes.

Well, the time finally came to once again overhaul the blog. Why? Well, because I am feeling more bright and cheery these days and I like my blog to reflect my mood.

I haven't posted in a few weeks, and while I would love to have a good excuse, I don't. The only exciting thing happening around here is that we are leaving for vacation on Friday and I couldn't be happier. But more on that later.

You might be wondering what is up with my weight loss. Well, the end of my 3 month membership is today and I have decided to NOT rejoin. It's not that I didn't love WW, because I do. It's because I want to try it myself again. I know what you're thinking - "you idiot! Last time you tried this, you failed miserably." Well, yes, but I wasn't motivated then. I hope to lose the rest of these pesky 14 pounds then maybe sign up again to get some guidance on how to maintain my weight. We shall see!

So anyways. We are packing up the kids and flying out of Chicago on Friday night. We are going to visit my mom & stepdad in Scottsdale. Yes, in the middle of the summer. Yes, we are crazy. But that is what air conditioning is for, amiright? Everyone needs time with their mama every once in awhile, and well, I haven't seen my mom since Hannah was born. I think it's time. Look forward to some pictures from that trip (and more) when we get back.

Weight Watchers - Week 11.

Woohoo! Another great week. I am now 15 pounds from my goal weight. 15. I am so excited!

holy hot.

We are having a bit of a heat wave in Southwest Michigan. 94 degrees? Holy crap! Combine that with the 97 that is expected for tomorrow, and I am thanking god (and the previous owners of this house) that I have air conditioning. Cameron is chomping at the bit to get outside and play, but not today. There are air advisories for both today and tomorrow. And pollen flying around like crazy. I would rather watch 100 episodes of Super Why back to back than be outside in this weather. Yuck.

A big, fat (haha) Weight Watchers post.

Today marks the beginning of week 10. And what does the weight tracker say today? Well...

Wahoo! Another 2 pounds down! As you can see from that beautiful picture, I have officially shed 37.8 pounds and I am 17.2 pounds away from my goal. That is amazing. And because I am obsessed with tracking my progress, here is a photo of how I've done since the beginning.

And for explanation purposes, the dot at the very top, documented on 8/2/10 says I weighed 210 pounds. Ugh. The nice green line in the middle is when I decided I would try it on my own (and failed miserably, obviously). The bottom dot, documented on 6/6/11 says I weigh 172.2 pounds. Hell. Yes.

The weight loss is not only showing on the scale either.

Josh and I are packing up the kids for a week and taking them to see my mom and stepdad in Scottsdale for a week. In the beginning of July. Last time I went to visit them, I was at least 30 pounds heavier and I was miserable. I was very self conscious and refused to wear any type of pants that showed skin above my knees. This time, I am going prepared.

Yesterday, I went to the mall to try on some shorts. Yes, I said shorts. At American Eagle, I found a pair of size 14 shorts and decided to try them on. I did this very heavy hearted, only because I hate trying clothes on. Nothing in stores used to fit me. This time, the size 14 was way too big. I could have fit Cameron in the shorts with me if I tried. I tried on a size 12 and those are a little too big, but a size 10 would give me a muffin top. I am thrilled! Last summer, after Hannah was born, I was having trouble squeezing myself into a size 16. God bless Weight Watchers.