Meet Isabella

Last night was our first night with Bella and she did a lot better than I thought she would. I got about 4 hours of sleep total and some of the lost hours were because I kept worrying she would do something she wasn't supposed to and I wouldn't be awake to catch it. DH and Lani slept out in the living room on the couch since he had to work this morning and the incessant whining wouldn't help at all.

She slept in her crate all night and woke up once at 2am to go to the bathroom, which, I'm proud to say she did on the paper she was supposed to in the kitchen.

Potty training has been going well so far with minor accidents (she's a pretty smart little pooch) and we're keeping a good eye on her to make sure she learns where she's supposed to go and catching her "in the act."



What I really love about her being so small is her puppy hair and the fact that I can hold her in my arms or in my lap. Before I know it she'll be shedding the thick and coarse hair rotties have and be way too big to sit in my lap.

Some pictures of me and my baby girl, Lani. My brother took these on his cell phone...not too bad, eh? I thought we were just messing around and was surprised that they turned out decent!

I can't believe how much gray and white hair she has now. I've also noticed that she doesn't try to jump the fence at my parent's house near as often as she used to. I think she's getting old and realizing that it's just too much work and not worth it.

I am thrilled and excited about bringing Bella home but I am a little sad at the same time. It's like we're opening up a new chapter in our little family and it will never be just the three of us again. Lani has been with us since a week after we got married so it's always just been just us. It sounds corny and silly, I know.

An addition in July!

<---This isn't her specifically. But believe me, I'll be posting pics of her asap!

Last week Ben and I put down a deposit for a purebred, female, rottweiler, puppy. We found a reputable breeder here in Northern CA who has a litter of 5 females right now that will be able to go home with their new owners in July. I am so excited! I grew up with a female rottie for 12 years until hip displaysia got the best of her and the most humane thing to do was put her down. It was the hardest thing I've had to do, yet. Her name was Abbey and every time I see a rottweiler I think of her and what a truly amazing dog she was. She's the reason my family and I fell in love with the breed; my parents have a mix rottie and my brother has a purebred.

So we pick her up in July but before that time, Ben and I are going to go meet the breeder and his pups. I am 99% sure he's legit but I want to be 100% sure and the only way to do that is to go and check it out. While part of me is really happy and excited the other part of me feels guilty for not going to a shelter. Ask anyone who knows me- I'm the first one to want to adopt and save a dog's life, no doubt about it. We rescued Lani and while she is a great dog, she has some issues that we can't seem to fully get past. One of those issues being other (certain) adult dogs. Puppies and really old dogs are no problem whatsoever. Same with kids...actually, better with kids. I trust her around small children more than I can with other animals. Anyway, that's the reason we aren't going to a shelter-- bringing another adult into the family won't go well.

Having Lani and dealing with her attitude/personality issues has made me so adamant about doing things the right way with this puppy. Lani was 3/4 years old when he got her (she's now about 6/7) and so we never had the chance to do things the right way from the time she was a pup. It limits the things we can do with her and places we can go (though we do a good job of making up for it) and it's really frustrating for all of us. So, it's my goal to have this dog be well adjusted and well socialized.

We've thought of some names and pretty much agreed on one (more like, Ben gave in- ha ha). I won't say it's for sure until I see her but I really like the one we picked! =)

Has it really been 3 months?!

I hadn't realized that I'd been away that long! A lot has been going on during the last few months. Well, since the beginning of the year really; 2009 is a big one around here.

Ben and I are in the process of buying our first home about 20 minutes from the beautiful Santa Cruz we're in now. We're sad to have to move but the housing market in this city (and this area, really) is just outrageous. On the flip side of that we are VERY excited at the thought of owning our own home. It's nothing big or amazing or even close to our 'dream home' but it's what we can do right now in this area so we'll take it! Once the economy turns around we plan on selling and buying something closer to family down south. Anyway, we close in a little over 2 weeks and the list of things that need to be done before Escrow is dwindling down!

Ben's medical problems finally seem to be on the mend as well. After numerous doctors poking and prodding him for the last 8 months I believe that the end of it all is in sight. Last week he started acupuncture and already, after one session, he notices a difference in the level of pain. =) While this makes me SO happy I'm a little bummed at the thought of him going back on the streets at night. Seems that there are always 2 feelings to one situation these days...

My youngest brother graduated from High School last week. That was a bittersweet time. I am so extremely proud of him and all the hard work he's put into everything he's done thus far. I mean, we're talking scholar athlete (amazing quarterback), member of the National Honors Society, 4.0 in practically all honors classes, and in the midst of it all (and most importantly) he is a fine young man. He goes off to a 4 year in September and I know he's pretty stoked about that. I keep thinking how weird it's going to be when Ben and I go to visit mom and dad's and he's not there.

I'm sort of looking for a job. I've come so close to being hired a few times and for one reason or another it hasn't happened. It's really frustrating and I'm to the point now where I'm just done. I'm done looking. I probably shouldn't be but I am so sick of it! I'm hoping that Ben and I will start trying for a baby by the end of the year anyway and we've both agreed that I'll be a stay at home mom, so we'll see what happens.

There's more but I'll leave it at this for now. I'm not feeling very well today so I'm going to go plop on the couch for a while once I finish my smoothie. . .

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring.

Yep, it's stormy outside again. I do love this weather but I think I'm ready for the warm sunshine.

I applied for another job today and it sounds like a pretty good deal. I really hope I get an interview. Like I've said before, I'm very grateful that I don't have to work but we're trying to buy a house by the end of the year. If we had that extra income it would help pay off our debt to get that house. Then I think about all of these people out there with families that lost their jobs. It's more important for them to be employed than it is for me and I think I might feel a little greedy taking it when someone else who actually needs it, didn't get it. At the same time, I would be pretty ecstatic at having a full time job again.

Lets see, other than trying to find a job not much has been going on. Same 'ol stuff I suppose. In an effort to seriously start saving money I've committed to making meals at home everyday (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and not buying things we don't need. I even got Ben to agree to not eating out at work and taking things from home instead. Including coffee. I set it to brew for him about 10 minutes before he leaves and he takes it in his thermos instead of buying it everyday at a coffee shop. Simple stuff, I know. But I have a bad habit of eating out and wasting money on things at the grocery store that don't get used/eaten. Not anymore! This wifey wants to be debt free and own a house.

Last night I made cherry cobbler. It was so yummy! The cobbler (which I think is the stuff on top- not the cherries) was a little thicker than I'd hoped. I felt like it should have had more cherries. Anyway, it was delicious. This week I plan on making some banana bread once the bananas are ready. I figure a slice for breakfast or something would be good.

Well, that's that. The wind outside is crazy. I'm not looking forward to taking Lani out to use the restroom...

She's improving, that's all I can ask for right now.

Today has been a good day. About an hour after I woke up Lani and I took a nice long walk- we were gone for an hour and 20 minutes. At one point we stopped at the beach and just sat on the sand for a while. I've been dying to go down to the beach by our place so it was great to be able to do that today. There were 2 other dogs there and Lani was very well behaved; it's so much easier to walk her now that we've found the right collar and have her wearing a doggie backpack. I can tell she's getting something out of it too.

She kinda lost it a little bit when we got close to our apartment and she saw an older gentleman walking his little dog on the opposite side of us. Of course Lani and I were looked at with disgust and amazement when they heard the sounds that came out of my dog. I hate when she goes nuts like that and I don't know what triggers it. I tugged on her collar, told her "no" and to "leave it," but it's like I'm not even there when she gets into that mode of hers. What mode that is I have no idea because I am 99% sure that she would never intentionally injure another dog. She has an aggressive side toward some dogs off the leash but it seems like that aggressiveness comes out to all dogs when she's on the leash. Unless of course it's a puppy or a really old dog- she loves puppies and is gentle with them and the seniors (hehe).
I'm just waiting for Cesar Milan to start accepting applications from northern california citizens so we can send in a tape and hopefully have him come and train my husband and I. Because remember, he "rehabilitates dogs and trains owners."

This is the Lani people see when we're out walking. The intimidating, focused, pitbull (she's really only part pitbull):

And this is the sweet, cuddly, cute, gray muzzled Lani my husband and I see every day:

02/14/09

Ben surprised me by taking me out to a very upscale restaurant in a town not too far away. Apparently the chef had appeared on Top Chef at one point! I thought that was pretty cool. I had the best filet mignon I have ever had- way better than the Outback Steakhouse! I also tried a few new things that evening, being that it was a 4 course menu of food I wasn't familiar with.

Our table had a rose, hearts, rose petals, and a candle on it. The entire restaurant was set up with dim lighting, pink and red balloons, and just very cozy and romantic.

We started off with complimentary champagne and slices of bread with a garlic butter spread. The bread was so fresh!

We were given hors d'oeuvres that included raw fish- something I'd never tried (and I didn't like it either).

Then we had an appetizer of our choice. I had the lobster bisque and Ben had a salad of some sort. I can't remember what exactly but it must have been good because he ate all of it. haha

For our main course we both had the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. It was to die for. Definitely not something I could do at home. I had dinner with a glass of cabernet savignon from a vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains. Absolutely delicious.

Desert was chocolate mousse with a raspberry sauce served in a chocolate tea cup! Again, it was amazing. I couldn't finish the chocolate tea cup though.

And because my oh-so-loving husband booked our reservations under the Valentines Day package I took home 2 long stem roses and a little gift bag with some goodies inside.

All in all it was a great evening. We've never spent so much on a meal but it was worth it, I think. My hubby really stepped it up this year and it made me very happy.

Early Valentines Day Flowers

My hubby is so sweet! Right after I got back from taking Lani on a walk this morning the UPS guy knocks on the door. I have a couple things coming to me through them so I figured it was one of those things. I open the door, sign for it, and see this long green and brown box leaning against the side of our doorway. I have no idea what it is because it's too big to be any of the things I was expecting. When I bring it inside and open it I realize that they're flowers! (Duh. If I would have looked at the side of the box it says, "Pro Flowers.") On the side of the box is a little note from Ben:

"I figured the only way to surprise you was to send them early. I'm looking forward to a great Valentine's Day with you." Love, Ben.

I always unintentionally find a way to ruin surprises he plans for me. =( It seems that he's learning to work around it though because this was a big surprise!

The name of the bouquet he sent is Hugs and Kisses (how cute is that?) and it's made up of tulips and blue irises. I can't post a picture of mine yet because they need to stay wrapped in their packaging for a little bit while they're in the water. But here's a picture of what they'll look like when they bloom a little bit:

Down the Road- Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally

This is my latest favorite song. I really love it.

When I was a boy

Four houses down from me
Was a family with an only child
She was the only girl
In this whole world that could make me smile

Down the road
I made up reasons to go
Down the road

Somewhere inside of me
There was something she took a liking to
Well I asked her to marry me
She said she really wanted to

Down the road
To see what life’s gonna hold
Down the road

Her momma wants to know
Am I washed in the blood or just in the water
Her daddy wants to know
If I make enough to take his daughter

Down the road
Before he can let her go
Down the road

Now down the street from here
There’s an engineer with an only son
And our baby girl says
She believes that he is the only one

Down the Road

Her momma wants to know
Is he washed in the blood or just in the water
And I want to know
That he makes enough to take my daughter

Down the Road
When it comes time to go
Down the Road

Down the road
You know I want to help her go
down the road

Down, down, down that road

Down, down, down that road

A new kind of workout- The 30 Day Shred

Today was my first day of doing this workout. I swear I get more out of this 20 minute strength, cardio, and ab workout than I usually do in 45 minutes on the elliptical. It basically kicked my butt. I was able to do all of it but had to take 5 second rests a couple of times. I just hope I keep up with it like I should. On the DVD cover it says that by doing this 30 day workout you can lose up to 20 pounds! Which just so happens to be my goal. So far I've lost 5 of those 20!

27 Random things about Ashley Marie

I saw this going around on Facebook.

I can't wait to be a Mom. It's my major goal in life. I want at least 2 kiddos.

I am a Republican living in a very liberal town in a very liberal state.

I played the piano for 9 years before I quit. It was a stupid mistake. I can't wait to have room for a piano so I can play again.

I love traveling.

Disneyland is one of my favorite places to go. It holds a special place in my heart.

I'm a huge dog lover and I want at least 2 more; a rottweiler and a german shepherd.

My Dad is my hero.

I don't think that going to college necessarily makes you a smart person.

I'm a good speller.

I'd love to own a house someday.

I used to have my belly button pierced.

I was married at 21 and we're going on our 3rd anniversary.

I'm a very passionate person.

I would do anything for anyone in my family.

I'm a total and complete bookworm.

I have 2 wonderful young men as my brothers.

I've only lived in one other state: Missouri.

I was born in Long Beach, CA

I think that rudeness and disrespect are 2 of the worst traits in people.

I don't have to threaten my husband not to go to strip clubs or ask him not to.

My family and I are closer than most.

I have blue eyes.

It's hard for me to be relaxed in a room that isn't clean.

When I was little I wanted to be a vet.

The toothbrush has to be in it's holder and the toilet seat has to be down in the bathroom.

I enjoy listening to classical music.

I am absolutely horrible at math.

Memories and Emotions

Ben is a great husband in more ways than one. I'm not writing this to brag; I'm writing to remember an important moment that always makes me feel good. When we're truly in love with our spouse I think we all feel like this at one time or another.

Tonight Ben was playing around with his camera and flash. As usual, I was the subject. (I guess Lani gets a little boring after a while.)

I'm sitting down and he begins snapping photos. While I'm sitting there complaining about how pudgy my face looks, how I hate being the center of attention under a camera, and while I'm getting frustrated that he insists on using me as a subject when he knows how I feel, he clicks away. Sure enough I don't like any but one of them- the one where half of my face is showing. (And I'm supposed to be looking at the lighting differences.) He admits that some of them aren't very flattering (my emotions show very well on that darn thing) but he secretly keeps a couple because he thinks I'm beautiful. Wait, he thinks I'm beautiful? Riiight. But wait- he'll say that he's gained weight, doesn't look like he did when we met, and has his insecurities too. I'll say that he looks great and honestly mean it. So what if you don't exactly the way you did when we met almost 5 years ago? Big deal. You're handsome in my eyes. Odd, isn't it? That our feelings are mutual and yet I still have a hard time believing...no- accepting what he says when he tells me that he finds me attractive and beautiful. Or when he says that I think looks are more important to him than they really are.

He eventually puts his equipment away (probably because he's sick of listening to me say the same things over and over) and heads out into the living room to play on the xbox. As he leaves he stops short of the doorway, turns around, leans over and gives me a kiss. How could I not smile and feel a little better? I sit down at the computer to listen to music and roam around on the internet. I decide to go through some pictures in a folder on our desktop and one photographed event leads to another, which leads to another, and so on. Being reminded of so many memories and reminiscing brings a familiar warmth over me and I feel so lovey dovey. I realize how truly grateful I am to have such a wonderful man in my life. Ben is a true blessing to me in many ways. No matter how much he frustrates me, no matter how annoyed I might get with him, no matter how stupid some of the arguments we have are, no matter what, I love him more than anything in this world. He is my everything.

I always knew I would marry him. I could never picture my life without him and when we broke up I was miserable. I mean, miserable- heart broken. There was just no way we couldn't be together. I could sit here and say so many words to try and express how I feel. But no matter what, no word or phrase seems perfect. It could be due to my inability or it could be that there just aren't words strong enough.

This is one of the first pictures we have together. I don't think we'd even been together for a year yet. So that would mean it was taken in 2004.

Rainy Day

I woke up this morning to the sounds of pouring down rain. Ben got up before I did and I asked him to turn the fan off so I could listen to the rain- I just love the sound of it. Most people try to avoid going out when the weather is like this and I can get like that too (sometimes there's nothing you'd rather do that lounge and read all day when it's so dreary out). But for the majority of the time I want to get out of the house and go shopping, go out for lunch, something other than running errands.

I don't know what we're going to do today. I have a sit-along with a dispatcher in a nearby city tonight at 8 but until then I don't think we have anything planned. I started cleaning out our "office" a couple days ago but put that on hold because it got overwhelming. I have things in piles, papers everywhere, ugh. It's kind of a mess but it needs to be done.

Today's Friday! Which makes it our free day when it comes to our diet. I've decided not to make it a total free day, but I don't have to watch so closely what I eat. I might still get on the elliptical or the stationary bike but who knows.

I couldn't resist...

...posting a picture of my Baby Girl. Last night we were cuddled up on the couch while I read my new book (The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult). Ben had been in bed for a while and at one point I got up to check my e-mail and various other websites. When I came back I had to take a picture!

Update

Wow. I haven't been on here in a really long time! Or so it seems. ;-)

A lot has been going on since the last time I wrote. Ben was finally diagnosed properly and is now on medication for the pain he has in his back and leg. After finally having an MRI scan done and having a good doctor read the results, he's been put on Prednisone for a week. After that week is up he has an appointment with his doctor. If the pain is gone he'll be back on the streets in no time and if it's not, she'll give him a cortisone shot. I have loved having him home at night and on the weekends like a "normal" husband but I know how much he loves his job so I'm excited for him to get back to doing what he loves and does oh so well.

We also went out and bought me a new car a couple weeks ago! I absolutely love it- it's my second baby next to Lani. I've never owned a car that I truly loved so I'm very happy with it. It's a 2009 Toyota Camry SE in magnetic gray color. It has all of the extra features I wanted and everything. We traded in my 2006 Corolla and in the end walked out with a pretty good deal. Our salesman was very nice and honest- definitely one of a kind when it comes to that career.

Lets see. I've lost a total of 4.6 pounds in the last two weeks! =) Exercising every day, drinking enough water, and watching my calories is doing the trick. Last night I ordered the 30 Day Shred DVD off of Amazon so I can start doing that too. I am very determined to be confident and look good in a bikini for our vacations this year. I'm sick of feeling bad about myself. Today I hit 45 minutes on the elliptical (which is a pretty big accomplishment for me- I started out at 20 minutes) and have been taking Lani on 1 hour walks when the weather permits. Today is wet and rainy so I think she's bummed that she's stuck in the house all day. Maybe this weekend Ben can take her out to play somewhere.

Other than that we took a trip down south to visit my family- that's always fun. We actually watched most of the Superbowl this year (we were hoping the Cardinals would win) and listened to the rest of it on our way home. Oh, something interesting about that drive: Ben and I were about 2 hours or so into our trip when we saw a man driving like a drunk. He showed all of the signs of a drunk driver from the tapping of the breaks to concentrating very hard on the front end of his car. We called 9-1-1 about 4 times within 30 minutes (it was that bad) and eventually a CHP Officer called us back and was waiting for us to drive by. We got out of the way to let her do her job and after seeing how he was driving, we saw her turn on her lights and pull him over. It was AWESOME! I have no tolerance whatsoever for drunk drivers so it was nice to see one of the few we've seen on the road, at least get pulled over.

That's about all I have for now. My stomach is telling me that it's time to eat some lunch so I should probably go scrounge something up...

01/20/09

As part of my "getting thin" plan I've started drinking protein shakes. My first container of the stuff came in today with the rest of my Shaklee order. So, I got my butt off of the computer and on the elliptical for 30 minutes (at a rather challenging pace/level, I might add) and came home all sweaty to make a protein shake. It tastes much better than the ones my Mom used to give us as kids but it's definitely a taste I need to just get used to.

3 tablespoons of the powder mixed with a glass of milk does the trick! It's only 110 calories and it's supposed to be very filling, like a meal. I hope this helps me. If nothing else, protein is just good for you anyway! Especially when you know that the company you're getting it from is safe and healthy.

I did some of the exercises on my ball this morning too. What I need is a DVD workout thing, not just someone demonstrating how to do the different exercises.

Friendships

I'm a good friend. I don't have a huge circle of friends but the ones I do have, I treat well. I hold them close to my heart, they know they can rely, count on, and trust me; I treat them the way I would want to be treated.

I recently lost a person who I thought was a good friend. By lost, I mean we had a big blowout and now don't want anything to do with each other. We were on the cheer squad and swim team together in high school and shared a few classes every now and then. We were never "best friends" but we had some fun memories together and within the last couple of years got back in touch after she moved out of state.

Long story short, I feel like I was totally wronged. I did so much for this person only to have it all thrown back in my face. Obviously I don't want to be friends with someone who said and did the things she did, but I can't imagine it's ever easy to totally shut someone out of your life when you thought that everything was just "peachy keen", for lack of a better term.

This all came up when I was taking down and changing out some pictures I had of us old (and ex) friends. What happened and what was said was pretty shitty and in a sense, I'm glad it happened. Just a little sad is all.

*sigh*

I love where I live.

There are times when I complain about living in California because it's expensive and if you didn't know what month it was you wouldn't know what season we were in. But then there are times like today where I am just so grateful for living in California, Santa Cruz specifically. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week! Today it was 75 all day. It's starting to cool down now but it's still clear and beautiful as can be.

For lunch Ben and I grabbed a couple sandwiches and drove to a really cool spot where we sat on rocks above the water and watched the surf contest that was going on. I really enjoyed it. Any time we do stuff like that is when I truly realize how good we have it.

I hit 32 minutes on the elliptical today and bought an exercise ball and weights at Big 5. We decided to let Lani play with the ball for a while thinking, for some strange reason, that she wouldn't pop it. Yeah, she popped it. So on Ben's way home from taking pictures he's supposed to swing by Big 5 and get me a new one. I'm looking forward to using it.

I also weighed myself today for the first time in months and months. I actually weigh less now than I did the last time, though not by much. I hate getting on the scale. It sucks. Last night tIook out an old pair of jeans that I wore when Ben and I were dating to keep as a constant reminder that I can be that thin again if I just work at it.

January 14, 2009

Whew! Ben and I just got back from a bike ride. I was very proud of myself; I didn't need to stop once and made it up all of the hills! =)

So far, I've only missed exercise on 3 days out of 10. Saturday and Sunday of last weekend we were with family and in Tahoe and yesterday I was just too sick. We've slipped up a little on our eating habits but we are trying. We definitely are doing better now than we have ever been.

Ben has an MRI next week to see what exactly is going on with his back. At best he'll just need cortizone shots and physical therapy. At the worst he'll need back surgery. The Dr. basically said that if he doesn't get surgery now he'll probably end up needing it in his 40's. Wonderful! I'd honestly rather he got the surgery now while he's young, was out of work for a few more months to heal, and then back on the streets. Those cortizone shots are painful- my dad had to have them for his back and still hasn't had surgery.

I have no idea what to do for dinner tonight. If I ever get my rear off of the computer I'll finish my household chores and laundry. Ben doesn't seem too interested in making dinner either...we'll see what happens! LOL

Aries

I was looking at things online to buy for scrapbooking and came across a page of Aries stickers. Here are the words they used to describe people born between March 21st-April 19th:

Outspoken
Assertive
Aggressive
Adventurous
Passionate
Eager
Bold
Daring
Fiery Tempered
Spirited
Competitive
Initiative
Impulsive
Impatient
Energetic
Fearless
Leader
Vivacious
Take-Charge person
Brave

I would say that those words describe me pretty well. Although, I don't consider myself to be fearless or much of a leader. I can be both and have been those things before but I wouldn't say that's how I am for the majority of the time.

Drama, drama, drama.

What an eventful evening last night. I've talked about it so much since then that I am completely drained and not willing to go through it all again. In short, I'm no longer friends with a selfish, immature, evil, inconsiderate, jealous, pathetic excuse of a woman/adult. But one good thing came out of it- I have 2 tickets totaling $430 to go to New Orleans with another couple. The 4 of us are keeping our tickets and going to have an awesome vacation. The next time someone asks me to be in their wedding, I will politely say no and maybe offer to be a flower girl. LOL

ANYWAY. Ben and I went to Northern CA this past weekend to visit with some members of his family. We spent Saturday in Tahoe and had a blast. I hadn't been to the snow since I was probably 3 years old so it was a real treat for me. Now Ben is seriously dying to go snowboarding- I definitely think we'll be heading up that way again before the season's over. I'll give it a shot too but what I really want to do is rent a snow mobile, go sliding down a big hill, and...yeah, that's about it! haha I love the snow! When we got back, his Aunt made a wonderful dinner for everyone and it was really nice being together. Here are some pictures of our day in Tahoe:


We stayed in his Aunt's guest house over the weekend and she had some family photo albums we were able to look through. I love looking at old photos. It was really neat to see old ones of his family and Ben took some pictures of the pictures so that we could have them too. The oldest one we saw was from 1926. Very cool. I believe this was taken in 1959:

Week one: DONE

I hit 30 minutes on the elliptical today! I started out doing 20 min. on Jan. 1st, so week one of healthy eating and working out is completed! Tomorrow is the free day for Ben and I- no work out or healthy foods if we don't want to.

We're heading up north tomorrow morning to visit Ben's Aunt and his cousin's family. It should be a good time! We plan on driving to Tahoe on Saturday to see the snow. I haven't seen the snow since I was very little and Lani has never been- I'm anxious to see what her reaction is. The last time Ben and I went to Tahoe was for our 1 year wedding anniversary, so it has a special place in my heart. I'd like to visit a couple of the same spots we did when we went on that trip.

I also had my interview today- it went pretty well. I'm supposed to hear back from them at the end of next week (once they finish all of their interviews) and set up a time for me to come in for an hour or two to "socialize/play" with the kids. After that they will make their decision and hopefully I'll have a job!

Ahhh! My muscles are twitching! hehe I guess that means I got a good workout.

Lets see, today I need to do another load of laundry and get my outfit ready for my interview tomorrow. Other than that, my day is free. I'll probably read a lot more of my book: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Last night Ben asked me what I wanted for Valentines Day. I hadn't even thought about it yet but it is just around the corner. I already know what I'm doing for him though.

Is it really all about money?

Thanks for the comment, Jill. I don't know how to write back to you so I'll just thank you here! (haha)

Ben and I decided to go get a second opinion about his leg from his doctor through Kaiser. Turns out that since he's seen another doctor and is now seeing a neurologist, Kaiser won't see him unless he has approval from his employer. How stupid. BUT, a woman Ben works with had similiar issues and finally got a lawyer to stop people from pushing her around. You better believe Ben's doing the same. This is all just so unnecessary and ridiculous.

Okay, I'm done venting.

Yesterday we lifted weights for a good 45 minutes. If I ever get my butt off of the computer I'll get on the eliptical!

I have a job interview!

Finally, I have an interview set up for Thursday. It's for a Preschool Teacher's Assistant position starting at $16/hr. I'm very excited about it. I love working with little kids and this would be ideal.
I just really hope this is what's meant to be.

I should have been a Doctor.

Instead of posting about what I've eaten every day and what I've done to work out, I'm going to just write. I'm even getting bored reading about what I ate and how I exercised. If anything, I'll probably just mention something at the end.

Today Ben went to the neurologist and he too insists that it's his hamstring. He is on light duty for 3 more weeks (as if being on light duty for 2 months for something that isn't even the problem, isn't bad enough) and oh, look! With ibuprofen this time! Talk about frustrating.

Ben asked about having an MRI done and the Dr. said, "no, it wouldn't show anything." Isn't that the point of getting an MRI? It will show if something is wrong? If nothing is wrong, it won't show anything. If there is something wrong, it will. Does this guy think he can tell the future?

Ya know, I understand that they're the doctors, but come on. What's going on with my husband is not hamstring related. Therefore, I want to know with 100% certainty what it IS. I don't want him going back to work and then in a matter of months or years he has a serious back or nerve problem that's worse because it wasn't taken care of early on like it should have been.

Day #6 of no soda, candy, or fast food.

01/04/09

So yesterday evening Ben and I went on a 30 minute bike ride together. I felt really good about myself because the last time we went on a bike ride I didn't make it as far and I didn't really enjoy it. This time we went a longer distance and I wasn't as worn out. I definitely broke a sweat- he didn't. LOL
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Day #4 of no soda, candy, or fast food.

Breakfast: Kashi Honey Puffs cereal w/1% milk
Lunch: Hot dog and grapes w/water
Dinner: Lasagna and salad w/water

Exercise: 30 minute bike ride

Just another day

Today was a nice day. We took it easy and just hung out around the house. We took Lani out to the wooded area by our complex and let her swim in the river...she loved it!! She has such a blast out there. Of course she hated having to come back in and take a bath though.
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Day #3 of no soda, candy, or fast food

Breakfast: Honey puffs cereal w/1% milk and 1/4 glass of orange juice (to take my vitamins with).
Lunch: Slightly more than 1/2 of my tuna sandwich, 20 green grapes, and a glass of water.
Dinner: Marinated thin-sliced chicken, spoonful of cranberries, a baked potato w/salt and pepper, and 1/2 glass of 1% milk.

Exercise: Ben and I worked out together today! He pushed me to do 25 minutes on the eliptical. Then I did this exercise he learned in physical therapy that works the love handles. =) I felt like I had a good work out...oh! And my arms ARE sore today.

We're home now....for longer than a week.

Between out of town family visits for the holidays Ben and I feel like we haven't been home at all. Now things have calmed down and he's back to playing his xbox like a maniac (he's addicted to Gears of War) and we've been able to just relax. I have a pork loin roast and veges in the crock pot for dinner, it's raining outside, the house is clean, Ben is on the xbox and Lani is sleeping right next to him. Life is pretty good.

As much as I love the rain, it's a pain in the butt to go out in; we have a trip to the post office to make that I'm not really looking forward to. Other than that I plan on reading, making lunch, and just lounging around with my little family.

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Day #2 of No candy, soda, or fast food.

Breakfast: Bowl of Kashi Honey Puffs cereal w/1% milk and 1/2 glass of orange juice.
Lunch: Tuna sandwich on wheat bread, 1/2 pickle, and 1/2 glass of water.
Dinner: 2 slices of boneless pork rib roast, a serving of mashed potatoes, and a bowl of salad.
- The salad is made up of iceberg lettuce, 1 egg (divided), 4 grated baby carrots, red onion, and served with 1 piece of Tuscan Flatbread- parmesan and olive oil flavored.

Exercise: Upper body workout (Ben was nice enough to help me make sure I was doing the right exercises the right way. I hope I have that sore feeling tomorrow!)
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Starting of f 2009 the right way

Well, at least the right way for me.

Ben and I have decided to begin eating healthier and exercising, starting today, January 1st, 2009.

I have been unhappy with my weight for some time now (although, according to doctors I'm in a normal weight range) and as many times as I've started dieting and working out, I've stopped. I'm hoping that having my hubby doing it with me will give me enough motivation to stick it out. So, on here I'll be posting what I ate for the day and what I've done for exercise.

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Day #1 of no candy, soda, or fast food.

We woke up super late today and didn't have breakfast. (I know, that needs to change).
Lunch: Tuna sandwich, a pickle, and a glass of water.
Dinner: Thin sliced chicken breast (marinated), mashed potatoes, and green beans.

Exercise: 20 minutes on the eliptical machine, 3 sets of 10 reps of weights for my biceps (I don't know how much each weight weighs though; I didn't see anything that specified the weight).
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It's not much but it's a start but ya gotta start somewhere. My goal is to lose 15 pounds and I have until May before our first trip; we're going to FL for my friend's wedding!